#where i get on a train and then get off and find somewhere new and exciting to eat

[amrv-5]

pained by the idea of spending $17 on a sandwich but these are calling to me so bad

[teaboot]

I've never had a cat before and I'm hoping to get one soon. Do you have any advice?

Treat a new cat as you would a new roommate. Give them space and time to settle, establish a pattern and a rhythm, and in time they may choose to become friends and spend time with you. Dont force a friendship.

Use simple words and repetition to establish communication. Words like breakfast, treat, snack, lunch, supper, dinner, food, and eat all basically mean, "I am feeding you; expect to be fed", but it's a lot for a little guy to remember. I just say "Dinner" when I mean "cat food is coming", and so my boy knows exactly what I mean when I say it. As a plus, using only one word for snack time means he has no idea what the other words mean, so I can talk about food in front of him without ruling him up.

Pay attention to body language. Cats all have different personalities, and you'll learn their likes, dislikes, and messages over time this way. Son boy here loves anything with plumbing but dislikes getting wet- his favourite blanket to chew and snuggle goes on his favourite chair, and he gives me a specific gesture when he wants me to kneel down so he can jump onto my shoulder.

Read into problematic behaviour. Cats pee in weird places when they're hurting, in distress, or have insufficient of unclean litter box space. Biting, attacking feet , and knocking things off tables often means they're understimulated and need you to play with them, or at least need some kind of enrichment or puzzle to tackle. Tail flicking can be frustration or irritation. Purring is usually good, but may also be self-soothing behaviour to alleviate pain, encourage healing, and relieve anxiety, like over-grooming.

Like children, "bad" behaviour isn't malicious- it usually means there's something you aren't seeing.

Learn how your cat expresses love. Loads of people think cats are uncaring, cruel, and indifferent, but the truth is, they're just not dogs. Spending time near you, showing an interest in tools you're using or projects you're working on, sitting the way you sit, laying on their back, rubbing on your legs, wiping their face on your shoes when you get home- these are signs that your cat is enamored with you. You're their family, they feel safe and protected around you, they're curious about things you enjoy and want everyone to know you're family.

Set reasonable expectations. Again, cats are not dogs.We bred dogs to desire our approval- cats walked into our lives themselves. They have no human-programmed need to fulfill a duty or perform a task to your standards.

Training cats to do tricks isn't as hard as people say, but the willingness or interest in doing the trick is more heavily reliant on personality and mood. Some cats will refuse all but the most basic requests- I'm lucky in that Ollie understands and is willing to do several, provided I don't abuse his trust and he's not crowded or overwhelmed or just bored of doing it over and over in a short period.

Ollie, for example, knows Up to stand on his back legs and hold my hand, Down to get to a surface I indicate, Out to emerge from a closed space, Come to find me where I am, Help? when I'm offering to let him use me as an elevator, Dinner when I understand he's hungry and am getting food, and when I put on his collar he knows to climb into his carrier 'cause we're going somewhere. And he'll do any of these about 90% of the time, either ignoring me or phoning it in when there's something interesting somewhere else, or if he's feeling anxious.

Lead by example. If you dread taking them to the vet, they'll see the anxiety in your body language and behaviour and likely learn to hate it, too. Again using my guy an example, I starred taking him on walks long before his first vet appointment, just to get used to his carrier and leash. Then his first checkup was relaxed and informal, with plenty of treats, and I let him explore the examination room with permission from the tech. Now he loves going, so I'm not stressed about taking him, so I don't stress him out in turn, and the vest doesn't have to deal with a stressed out cat slowing things down and fighting with them.

Make sure your sources are good ones, and also good ones for you. I will recommend Jackson Galaxy's YouTube channel for cat advice because a lot of what he does matches up with what I've learned and know to be true. I don't personally recommend Ceasar Milan because I personally find his methods distressing to recreate regardless of efficacy, so even if that advice was useful, *I'd* be miserable, and it'd just be trading one issue for another.

Have a person who can help. You never know when you might end up out of town overnight unexpectedly, or when your place may need serviced or fumigated, or if you may be called out of town. Before getting a cat, research reliable pet sitters, house sitters, pet daycares, whatever, just in case.

Consider pet insurance. No long spiel here, just think about it. Especially if you don't know your cats ancestry or potenyial health risks. An on top of that, fucking vaccinate them.

Dont let them free roam. At all.

I grew up on a farm with free-roaming barn cats. Do you know how many times child-me cried over having to bury them? Illness, disease, pregnancy, vehicles, other territorial cats, ticks, fleas, litter, poisoned prey, malicious humans, local wildlife, predatory birds, scrap metal, extreme heat, freezing temperatures, tainted water sources, poisonous or venomous critters, getting stuck in small or high places, tapeworms, loose nails, old equipment, falling branches...

I've seen some truly body-horror slasher-movie shit- just truly nauseating visual fuckery- and I'm telling you not to let your cat free-roam.

Leash training isn't hard. Supervised walks aren't hard. Even keeping your cat physically fit and entertained indoors isn't an impossible feat. Don't let your fucking cat fucking free-roam. Fuck

Also read up on foods and plants cats can't do, like every houseplant in existence is toxic it's insane

Anyhow yeah that's like. A couple things I guess

Here, have an Ollie Pic

[bats-and-the-birds]

I am thinking about the batkids and their rooms at the manor.

When Dick was first brought to the manor, Alfred put wooden letters that spelled out his name on the outside of the door to his room. He wanted the boy to feel like he belonged, and denoting the room as his seemed like the best way. At first, they spelled out "Richard", and were painted in red, green, and yellow -- the colors that his parents had worn for their circus act, that didn't have any other meaning yet. Dick pried them off the door and threw them away. He didn't want to accept that this was permanent yet. There were new letters on the door a few days later, blue this time, and spelling out "Dick" instead. Those letters got pried off much the same and shoved in a drawer, and they didn't get put back until a year later. He was too short to put them in the same place, so they ended up crooked, and Alfred found it too endearing to fix.

When he left the manor years later, he considered ripping the letters off the door and throwing them in the foyer on his way out. But he left them, and there they remained, crooked as ever.

Jason got his own letters when it became clear he wasn't going anywhere. He helped Alfred put them up on his bedroom door, standing on a step stool to make sure they got in the right place. His were evenly spaced and neatly aligned, and he refused to tell anyone that he cried over them that night. He'd spent months wondering if he'd ever live up to his predecessor, not just as Robin, but in the family as well. And now he had his own letters, just like Dick's, and they weren't going anywhere.

And they didn't. Even after he died. Bruce and Alfred both considered taking the name down to make walking past that empty room less painful, but in the end, they didn't dare touch the letters, just like they didn't touch anything else in the room. Years later, Jason would sneak into the manor through his old bedroom window and find his school uniforms still hanging in the closet, his textbooks on his desk, an open novel on his nightstand, and, of course, the letters still on the door, more of an epitaph than the one on his actual tombstone.

Tim fought for his name on a bedroom door. It took a while, but he trained, and he learned, and he forced himself into the role that he knew he could fill. Part of him thought that no matter how good and useful he made himself as Robin, he'd never really fill the role that the two before him did. He thought there might not be room for him after Jason's death, but he did it. He was older than the other two when Alfred finally put the letters up on his door, but he did it.

Later, when he left in search of Bruce, he didn't think for a second of taking his name down off his door. He'd earned it.

Damian's name got put up practically as soon as he got to the manor. He didn't think much of having his name on a door. If anything, it irked him a bit, being lumped in with the others, but it would have annoyed him more if he didn't get his own name. For a while, his name on the door, marking it as his from the hallway, was the only reason you could tell it wasn't the guest room that it had previously been. He had no photographs, had arrived with no personal affects.

That changed, eventually. As he gained friends, he also gained photos of them. He put up sketches and watercolor paintings of his animals. A dog bed got put on the floor for Titus. But the letters had been there from the beginning, and he grew to appreciate them eventually. His room, with the name on the door, was safe, and he liked it there.

Cass's letters showed up without much fanfare. They were simply there when she exited her room one day. "Cassandra" in black wooden letters that matched all of her new siblings'. She ran her fingers over them with reverence. She'd never been allowed to leave a mark before. Her life was predicated on being a shadow, but there was her name, in big letters, somewhere where other people could see it.

Steph had a room. She didn't want to admit it, but when she crashed at the manor, it was always in the same room. Her name was put up, and she took it down, and it was put up again, and she took it down again until it became something of a game between her and Alfred. If Steph was staying at the manor and Alfred didn't find a wooden S in a random cupboard, then have to search the house for the rest of her name, then he knew she was in a bad mood, and he usually made her favorite cookies and left them outside of the door with her name still firmly in place.

Duke's letters were waiting for him when he moved in. His name in bright yellow letters that matched his suit already in place. Of course it was, it's tradition at this point, and he's part of the family now. He had bounced around for a while now, and the letters on his door made him feel...calmer. It was a sense of permanence, and one he could learn to enjoy.

Barbara didn't need a room. She had her own room, in her own house, but Alfred still offered to mark out a space for her. She declined. When she did stay over, it was either in the cave or Dick's room, she didn't need her own. Still, that didn't mean her mark wasn't left somewhere. There was a study downstairs with a desk that she sometimes did her homework on as a child if she was staying over for the night. Now, the desk held a computer that was wired into the Batcomputer's network, a photo of her and her father, and, of course, tiny wooden letters affixed to the side that spelled out 'Barbara'.

[gpcwsl]

Could you do a Leah Williamson one where reader is a chef and has restaurant establishments worldwide and just located one in England a couple months ago and the England girls are a having a camp in London and since everyone is all together for camp they want to celebrate with a fancy dinner and they start discussing restaurants and readers restaurant is put out there, but some of the girls disagree because they tried to eat there but it was always booked up, so when Leah gets home she talks to reader and gets them a table, so Leah texts the team gc and say dress fancy tomorrow night and the location of the restaurant and the gc starts blowing, but she ignores it, and when they all go to the restaurant and ask questions and Leah’s like she has connections, but come to find out that Leah is dating reader then reader sits down beside Leah and the team gets to know her a little and when they go to pay reader says it’s already taken care of.

Warnings: a kiss?

Leah Williamson x Chef!Reader

- Dress fancy -

MasterList

Leah Williamson kicked her boots off at the door, the satisfying thud against the floor signaling the end of another long day. Training had been intense, but it wasn’t the drills or tactics replaying in her mind—it was the chaotic group chat blowing up her phone during the drive home.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen, scrolling through dozens of messages.

Tooney: “We should go to that new restaurant tomorrow.”

Brightness: “What’s it called? The fancy one that’s always booked?”

Backheel: “You mean Palace Place? Impossible. I’ve been trying to get a table since it opened.”

Brightness: “Same. That place is like gold dust.”

Tooney: “We need something special, though. We’re all together. Ideas?”

Leah smirked, leaning against the kitchen counter as she typed her response:

Captain: “Sorted. 7 PM tomorrow. Dress fancy.”

The chat exploded.

Tooney: “LEAH.”

Backheel: “How?!”

Brightness: “You didn’t even say where!”

Walshy: “She probably means Nando’s.”

Tooney: “I swear, if this is a joke…”

Leah tossed her phone on the counter, ignoring the continued barrage of messages, and walked into the living room. The soft hum of classical music filtered through the space, and the faint aroma of roasted garlic and herbs greeted her.

“Smells amazing,” she called, rounding the corner into the kitchen.

You stood by the stove, dressed casually in an apron, hair tied back, moving with the kind of effortless grace Leah never tired of watching. You glanced over your shoulder, a smile already forming.

“Hey, you. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Leah walked up behind you, wrapping her arms around your waist and resting her chin on your shoulder. “I don’t know how you do it. Training kills me, and you’re here cooking like it’s nothing.”

“Years of practice,” you teased, leaning back into her embrace. “How was camp?”

Leah hesitated, her lips brushing lightly against your temple. “Good. The girls want to go out tomorrow night. Celebrate being all together.”

You turned in her arms, raising an eyebrow. “And let me guess, they want to go somewhere fancy?”

She grinned. “They were debating places, and your restaurant came up.”

“Did it now?” you asked, amusement coloring your tone. “And what did you say?”

“I didn’t.” Leah shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Didn’t want to out myself as having an in with the chef-owner who happens to be my girlfriend.”

You laughed softly, running a hand down her arm. “So you’re here to use your connections?”

“Obviously,” Leah said, leaning down to press a kiss to your lips. “Any chance you can fit us in tomorrow?”

You rolled your eyes but smiled. “For you? Always. How many?”

“About 20.”

You blinked. “20?”

Leah winced. “Yeah… full squad.”

“Good thing I like you,” you teased, reaching for your phone to call the restaurant.

Leah sent the address to the group chat in the morning, and as expected, chaos ensued.

Tooney: “No way. THE Palace place?!”

Backheel: “Leah, I’m actually screaming.”

Daily mail: “I tried booking for my mum’s birthday and couldn’t. HOW?”

Brightness: “She must know someone.”

Tooney: “Leah Williamson: captain, legend, and apparently a magician.”

Leah ignored it all, casually walking into the training facility as if her phone wasn’t buzzing nonstop in her pocket.

The team arrived promptly at 7 PM, dressed to impress. The restaurant was stunning, its interior sleek yet inviting, with warm lighting that made everything glow. They were escorted to a private dining room where a long table awaited, set with pristine white linens, sparkling glassware, and fresh flowers.

“This is insane,” Ella muttered, taking in the surroundings.

“How did you pull this off?” Millie asked Leah, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Leah smirked, leaning back in her chair. “I told you. Connections.”

The team was halfway through the meal—an exquisite multi-course experience—when the door to the dining room opened. You walked in, your chef’s jacket pristine, a warm smile on your face.

“Good evening, ladies,” you greeted.

The table fell silent, all eyes turning to you. Leah tried to suppress a grin as you approached.

“Everything to your liking so far?” you asked, your gaze briefly meeting Leah’s.

“The food’s incredible,” Keira said. “Are you the chef?”

You nodded. “And the owner.”

Murmurs of amazement rippled through the group.

Leah cleared her throat, sitting up straighter. “Everyone, this is Y/n.”

“Wait…” Rachel’s eyes darted between you and Leah. “This is your connection?”

Leah shrugged, feigning innocence. “What can I say? I know people.”

“Hold on.” Ella leaned forward, pointing at Leah. “You’re dating the chef?!”

Leah’s smirk widened. “Didn’t think it was relevant.”

The table erupted in laughter, teasing, and a flurry of questions directed at you.

When the bill arrived, one of the players reached for it, but the waiter quickly informed them it had already been settled.

“It’s on me,” you said with a smile, standing beside Leah. “You’re all family to Leah, which makes you family to me.”

The team groaned, joking about being spoiled, but their gratitude was evident.

As everyone filtered out of the restaurant, Leah lingered by the door with you, her hand slipping into yours.

“Thanks for tonight,” she said softly, her voice full of warmth.

You leaned up, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “Anything for you.”

The team’s laughter echoed down the street, and Leah pulled you closer, her heart full as she watched her two worlds collide perfectly.

[coco-loco-nut]

Sparks Fly

pairing: lando x ex!reader, oscar x reader

summary: doesn’t she know that there is nothing you do better than revenge?

a/n: thank you sm for the request, i’m so sorry it took longer than normal

masterlist part one requests open

——————————

Lando’s eyes stayed trained on yours throughout the whole performance. Your knowing smirk makes his stomach sink. Somewhere deep inside you are satisfied watching Lando squirm in his seat, words cutting through him like a hot knife.

“I didn’t know she wrote that! I love that song,” his girlfriend gushes. Lando nods wordlessly, unsure of what to say. “You should introduce me to her,” she stands up, ready to drag Lando backstage as the house lights brighten.

“I’m not sure about that,” Lando protests but gets dragged anyway to where you are talking with the venue manager. He’s a little confused at why his girlfriend seems to suddenly love you.

“Hi, I’m Camillia, Lando’s girlfriend,” she introduces herself before Lando can speak, interrupting your conversation.

“One moment,” your saccharine voice and sarcastic smile greets them as you turn back to finish your conversation, leaving both of them standing awkwardly. You are unsure where this new confidence is coming from.

“Great, thanks for your patience,” you turn to them. Lando can’t believe his eyes, you aren’t the same girl he remembers but you always were able to put up a strong front.

“Y/n,” his voice comes out begging but your sharp eyes stop him.

“Lando,” you reply.

“Anyway,” his girlfriend claps her hands happily, grabbing your attention. “My birthday is coming up soon, I want you to perform at the party,” she says making you scoff.

“I’m a songwriter, I don’t perform like that,” you reject the offer before you can consider it further.

“I’m an actress, there are some producers who will be there and they are looking for music in upcoming productions. It could be a good opportunity, not to mention a very very nice payment,” you hate that the words make you stop, your narrowed eyes widening for a second.

“Are you trying to bribe me?” you ask, slightly taken aback.

“Is it working?” she asks, meeting the challenge your eyes.

“This is my agents details. If I think it’s doable, maybe we will have a deal,” you hand a business card to her. As you turn away, a familiar hand catches your arm.

“Can we talk?” Lando asks, voice pleading for you to hear him out.

“Actually, why don’t you let me talk this time. I didn’t get to do that much last time,” you step towards your gear, starting to pack as Lando steps closer.

“I’m really sorry,” Lando apologizes but you choose to ignore it, lowering your voice so only he can hear.

“Sorry for cheating on me? I find that hard to believe. Congrats on moving on with her, I heard she’s great in bed,” you roll your eyes and scoff. Resisting the urge to slam your guitar case closed, you spin around to face him. “You know what, Lando? I am going to do this, and I hope you hate every minute of it,” you end the conversation, taking one last glance at his girlfriend who sports a frown of some sort.

“Y/n,” Lando says as you walk towards the exit, you give him the finger behind you and leave the building.

The birthday party also happens to double as a black-tie end-of-summer party on some super yacht in Monaco. You spend the summer writing new songs and furiously planning your revenge, professionally of course.

When the day arrives you look drop dead beautiful in your sleek black evening dress, not unprofessional but certainly making you stand out. It is one that begs to be taken off by someone at the end of the night, and you aren’t sure who that will be, but it’ll be a nice way to end the night. The birthday girl is wearing some vintage couture dress that screams for attention. A party planner directs you to the small stage you are performing at. You catch her roll her eyes at you while talking to friends, but you ignore it. Instead you focus on setting up and making sure your set list is perfect.

Oscar really didn’t want to attend Lando’s girlfriend’s party, but he couldn’t think of a good excuse in time. Tugging uncomfortably at his collar he boards the boat just before it leaves the dock.

“You made it!” Lando greets Oscar, clearly already a little drunk.

“Yeah,” Oscar tightly smiles, looking around the boat.

“Bar is open, I’ll see you around,” Lando says before being dragged off by his girlfriend who doesn’t care to say anything to Oscar. Oscar follows the noise of a guitar tuning and finds you preparing to start.

“I’m Y/n L/n, songwriter of many hits, and I’ll be playing some of my hits and unreleased songs tonight,” you smile into the mic, warm summer breeze gently blowing your hair. Oscar steps closer to the stage as you start to sing, being pushed by groups of people talking loudly. He’s close enough to touch and you hope he can’t read your mind. All you can think about is how you want to get to know this mystery man.

You meet his eyes and he smiles shyly at you, a light blush on his cheeks. Teasingly, you send him a wink before refocusing on the music. Oscar is enchanted by you, the way you can elicit emotions from the audience using your words and a guitar, so he stays near the stage to listen to you.

Oscar is the only driver here anyway, most of the paddock doesn’t seem to care for Lando’s current girlfriend. He heard the stories about what happened, but he never met you. You didn’t attend races anymore by the time Oscar joined F1, instead being the girl at home waiting for Lando to return. By the end you didn’t pay any attention to F1 either, you still assume Daniel is his teammate. Oscar never even saw a photo of Lando with the girl he cheated on, you.

“This will be the brief intermission,” you say after performing your most recent hit, carefully placing your guitar on its stand and turning off the mic.

“You must be thirsty,” Oscar hands you a water bottle.

“Thanks. Have you been enjoying the music?” you ask, gratefully sipping the water.

“You are incredible, I don’t know how you haven’t blown up,” Oscar compliments you, making you blush.

“No, no, I prefer being behind the pen. Thank you though,” you chuckle. “I should get back to the stage. Talk to you after?” you ask, trying to figure out how you know him.

A crowd a little larger than when you left the stage has gathered this time, including Lando who happens to be nearby.

“I’d like to start this with something new, a little Punk. I’ve titled it Better Than Revenge,” you flip your hair over your shoulder and out of your face. The aggressive start to your song capturing the attention of the crowd. You detail the start of your summer, the way Lando was stolen from you, and your feelings about it all. You see Lando talk to your mystery water-giver, trying to act unfazed by the song.

“She’s great, where did you find her?” Oscar asks, watching you jam.

“She’s um, an old friend,” Lando answers awkwardly.

“Is that so, how did you meet?” Oscar breaks his gaze, turning it suspiciously on Lando, not quite believing him. Oscar observes Lando fidget and avoidance of watching you.

“Fine, she was my ex,” Lando admits, looking at you as you slow it down with a new song. He finds you eyes looking at him as well, but not with the fury he expected. There is a sadness, disappointment even about how things happened.

“The one you,” Oscar trails off, listening to your words, silence falling between him and Lando as they listen.

“I fucked up,” Lando sighs, admitting it aloud. “She deserves to let her feelings out,” Lando watches you perform.

“You didn’t fight for her?” Oscar asks, not really knowing the full story.

“I hurt her in a cruel way that no amount of apologies can fix. Not to mention I broke up with her. Some cruel twist of fate isn’t letting us move on,” Lando explains, looking away. Oscar nods, not revealing what’s going on in his head. Lando walks away and Oscar stays, watching the final half of your performance.

Before Oscar can steal you again, someone who looks much more important pulls you into a conversation after your final song. Oscar doesn’t mean to listen in, but he is a curious person.

“I’ve been looking for someone to write songs for a soundtrack and I think you are my person. It’s a teen film -think Mean Girls- that has heartbreak and your songs, Better Than Revenge and that song right after it, um,” the producer struggles to thing of the song name.

“Last Kiss,” you offer the name, masking your emotions. It’s a raw song, one of the first ones you wrote after the breakup. You bared your soul. Those two songs represent your two immediate feelings post-Lando, the heartbreak and the anger.

“That’s it. Who is your agent? I want to send a contract and script as soon as possible,” Oscar distracts himself, not wanting you to notice him listening. He does such a good job that he doesn’t notice you slide up next to him, arm lightly brushing his.

“Hello again,” your soft smile makes him startle, but also blush. “I don’t think I ever got your name,” you gently nudge him with your elbow.

“Oscar,” his voice cracks slightly with nerves.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Y/n,” you know he knows your name from when your introduced yourself on stage, but this feels more intimate, more personal. “How do you know Lando,” you ask, genuinely curious why they were talking.

“I’m his teammate,” Oscar answers, a little shocked that you didn’t know, especially since you broke up at the start of the season and they have been teammates for two.

“Oh no, Daniel,” you frown, maybe you should reach out. Then again, who knows how long Oscar has been Lando’s teammate. Unsure of what to say next, you simply say “Thanks again for the water.”

“Maybe I could buy you a different drink sometime?” Oscar asks in a moment of boldness.

“I don’t know, I don’t want to be seen as the paddock whore,” you shift your weight.

“One drink and if it is too much then you can forget we’ve ever met,” Oscar replies making you reconsider him.

“You believe that much in yourself? Consider it a thank you for the drink then. A boat is coming to bring me back to shore in five minutes,” you wink, leaving him standing, watching you.

With your gear loaded onto the boat, Oscar races down the stairs to meet you on the boat, making it just in time.

“I didn’t think you’d make it,” your smirk makes him want to wipe it off your face with a kiss.

“I hate stuffy parties,” Oscar shrugs, his shy smile matching his awkward position. He doesn’t move closer, unsure of how to approach the situation. You are sitting on a bench with your leather notebook on your lap, open to a page at the back, and a pen in your head.

“I don’t bite, you know. Unless asked,” you add on. Your eyes sparkle in the moonlight as Oscar steps closer, a wave making him stumble onto the seat beside you. “Smooth,” you laugh, closing the journal and tucking it away into a bag.

“I meant to do that,” you don’t see his flushed cheeks, but the awkwardness seems to be slightly alleviated.

Oscar calls a car as you make sure your gear gets picked up by someone and taken to your hotel. At the bar you don’t miss how your bodies touch and you laugh like you are drunk.

“So, after one drink are you ready to get rid of me?” Oscar asks, his smile making your heart beat slightly faster. You both look a little out of place in the bar meant for someone in jeans and a t-shirt, but you both haven’t paid much attention to anything besides each other.

“I might need another to make that decision,” you smile, Oscar’s heartbeat meeting your own as he orders another round, then another, and another before he finds himself tangled in your hotel sheets.

As you stare at him in the darkness, trying to memorize everything about him. Moles, the way he smiles, his soft hair that feels wonderful tangled in your fingers, the way he leans down to kiss you with those soft lips for no real reason other than he’s wanted to since he first saw you, his calculating eyes that also hold a softness when he looks at you.

It seems to strike both of you in the moment that you don’t want this to be a one time thing or a casual thing. There’s something in the way that your hand fits perfectly in his, or the way Oscar never wanted to please a woman more than he wants to meet your every need and more, and the natural feeling of you underneath him.

Oscar doesn’t mean to fall asleep beside you, but he can’t fight it with your bodies pressed together and his exhaustion from the day. You slip out of bed when he’s in deep sleep, searching your bag for the worn leather journal and red glitter gel pen.

The top of the page where you write the song title is empty, your lyric lines that you wrote while waiting for Oscar just below them. The cap of your pen comes off with a satisfying pop as you write for an hour, not keeping track of time before the title comes to you. Dress. You bring in moments and feelings of the day but also creating a story between two fictional characters. Yawning, you slip back in bed before Oscar notices you gone. He pulls you close to him, his subconscious needing you.

You stir to soft kisses being placed on your shoulder and an arm tightening around you. You enjoy it for a moment before turning around to join your lips, Oscar’s touch setting you alight as the morning takes a passionate turn.

“Good morning to you too,” Oscar says breathlessly as he collapses at your side.

“Mm, good morning indeed,” you smile at the ceiling.

“When do you leave?” Oscar turns to his side, reaching out to brush a hair that has fallen over your face.

“This afternoon. I wasn’t expecting to stay here any longer,” you admit. “I have work in London tomorrow, can’t stay any later,” you fight a yawn and the urge to stay tangled in the sheets with Oscar.

“I understand. I’ll be passing through on my way to Woking, maybe I could take you to dinner sometime?” Oscar asks, wanting to make sure you know he isn’t only interested in having you in bed with him.

“That sounds nice,” you agree, stretching slightly. “In the meantime, I should shower, mind helping me get some hard to reach places?” Oscar practically chases you into the hotel bathroom. He offers to take you to the airport as well, but you turn it down, promising to let him know when you return to London.

As you wait for your flight, you send a text to Daniel, who teases you about your heavily belated message, but thanks you anyway and expresses sympathies for your break up. You also send a text to Oscar so he has your number.

It only takes a week for you and Oscar to make plans and meet up again, this time at a tucked away restaurant you love. Everything is going well so far, almost too good and by the time you get to the middle of your meal, you need to say what’s on your mind.

“I need to say this,” you pause your normal conversation and set your utensils down. “I need to be in either one hundred percent or not at all. I don’t want to risk the fallout unless I know both sides are committed,” you tell Oscar, searching his eyes for an answer.

“I agree, and I wouldn’t want to bring you into the paddock unless I was sure you are who I want to commit to. I would really like it if you were to be my girlfriend,” Oscar replies, voice even. Your eyes widen slightly and your brain short circuits slightly. “You don’t have to answer that now, we have the rest of the night,” his hand stretches across the table, gently grabbing yours and squeezing it. His smile tells you that he will wait for your answer and you can feel your heart flutter.

“Thank you, but I know my answer,” you don’t even need to say yes, Oscar knows. It feels so wrong that it feels right, dating your ex’s teammate, but you just know Oscar is different.

After dinner you decide to walk around the city, talking about whatever crosses your mind. Every time you remember that it isn’t a great idea to date your ex’s teammate, Oscar brushes your hands with his and you forget. Rain slowly begins to fall from the sky without warning so Oscar wraps is arm around you, pulling you close in an attempt to shield you.

“My apartment is a few blocks from here,” you notice the street signs and try not to sink into Oscar’s warmth more.

“Lead the way,” Oscar smiles, tightening his grip slightly around your shoulders as you make a mad dash in the direction of warmth. You pass a pub on your way and stop in your tracks.

“I love this song,” you blurt, the music amplified through the empty street, warm early-fall rain soaking your clothes. The slow song that has the whole bar singing alone brings a smile to your face as Oscar confidently takes your hand.

“Let’s dance then,” he smiles, eyes lighting up in the dim streets.

“Now? In the pouring rain?” you give him a look of both admiration and confusion.

“Why not? We’re already soaked, the rain won’t make a difference anymore,” Oscar pulls you closer, giving you a small twirl. Both of you giggle as you dance outside the pub. You sing along terribly with the song as you slow dance with Oscar on the slick sidewalk pavement. He teases your singing, adding his own off-tune take on the song.

As the song ends you both are slightly breathless, heaving chests pressed together. Oscars hand moves to your temple, pushing back a wet lock of hair and tucking it behind your ear. Your breath hitches as you both inch impossibly closer to eachother, his face leaning into yours. His lips are cold from the rain yet still soft as they connect with yours. The hand that pushed your hair back now cradles your neck, sending sparks through you as his other hand holds firm at the small of your back. Your right hand finds itself in his hair, wet and long. As you pull away from each other, the rain intensifies and the temperature drops slightly, just cold enough to make you want to find somewhere warm and dry quickly.

“This way,” your hand finds his and you tug him to your apartment building in a delirium of lust. As you fiddle with your keys to get in, Oscar sweeps you into another kiss, hearts racing faster in anticipation. He leads you up the staircase towards the top floor, Oscar remembers you telling him about your apartment one night over text. You stop him on the third floor landing, tugging the collar of his shirt and kissing him again, like a drug addict getting their fix.

Oscar speaks, voice low with something almost deeper than lust and admiration. “You’re so addictive, so captivating,” he whispers, making you want him more. Before you can do anything else your body shivers, cold from the rain.

“Then show me, I have a warm shower waiting for us,” you smile suggestively, this time leading him to your apartment. Once you step inside you make your way towards your bedroom without a second thought, but Oscar pauses as the door closes behind him. He looks around, observing the space you live in. It’s slightly messy in one of those ways people say they know where everything is, clearly lived in. In the corner of your living room is your own little studio, a guitar, piano, amp, other recording devices you need. Fuzzy blankets and pillows are thrown on your couch and the coffee table has a mug resting on it and the leather notebook Oscar has seen you with before is laying open beside it.

“Nice place,” Oscar smiles, looking over to see you leaning against the doorframe with the sound of running water coming from behind you.

“Thanks, sorry it’s a little messy,” you return his smile, pushing off the wall when he gets closer to you.

“It’s okay, makes it homey. Now, I believe I was promised a shower,” Oscar’s voice dips low, practically on your heels as you turn around and head to the shower.

“My poor water bill,” you laugh, towel drying your hair while walking into the bedroom where Oscar lounges on your bed.

“I’ll pay the difference,” he winks, opening his arms and inviting you to cuddle. You happily fall into his arms like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Stay the night,” you mutter, exhaustion from the day hitting you and the strange comfort of Oscar in your bed threatens to drag you further into sleep.

“Everything I have is back at my hotel,” Oscar says hesitantly, mind running through what he’d have to do in order to get to work on time.

“I have an extra phone charger, your clothes are in the dryer, and I have some laundry day clothes that probably fit you,” you reason, eyes growing heavy.

“I have to be in Woking tomorrow. Why don’t I stay until you are asleep and my clothes are dry then I will see myself out?” Oscar suggests, running his hand up and down your arm.

“Yeah. That could work,” your yawn slows your words.

“I have another free night tomorrow and the day after it is completely open. We can get a late dinner and I’ll make you breakfast the next morning,” Oscar promises with a kiss. You happily nod, resisting your head on his bare chest as you drift off.

Oscar startled awake as the dryer buzzes, surprised he dozed off. He glances down at your hair slightly damp against his chest, cheek smooshed in a way you would be embarrassed about how you look but he thinks is adorable, and your hand rests on his shoulder. Carefully, he slides out of your bed and pulls your duvet up a little so you stay warm. Oscar feels bad ordering the uber and dressing in the dark, but he does find a stack of sticky notes near the door and he writes a good morning message for you. As he falls asleep in his hotel room, he wishes he never left.

By the end of the week, Oscar has spent more time in your apartment than he has the hotel.

“When can I call you my girlfriend?” Oscar asks one night as you cuddle on the couch watching a movie.

“Let me think about it,” you wait a second, building anticipation and watching Oscar grow nervous. “Now, I suppose,” your grin melts any anxiety Oscar held as he draws you in for a quick kiss.

“Well, I can’t wait to fall asleep with my girlfriend in my arms tonight,” he says, giving you a rare, genuine smile, the one he reserves for moments that truly deserve it. It makes you fall even more as your heart flutters.

You both keep things on the down low for a while. Not just for privacy, but to avoid the inevitable awkward moment when you return to the paddock on Oscar’s arm. Oscar has said many times that he doesn’t care how fans react, but you just aren’t ready. You are happy to watch from home and send texts to his phone during the race. Oscar enjoys reading them after, especially when he’s made a move you deem to be too dangerous. Once you’ve hit the one year mark though, Oscar knows you aren’t going anywhere and you are finally ready to step into the Paddock again.

The natural choice is Melbourne. Oscar did give Lando a heads up, the latter found out about the relationship when he caught a glimpse of Oscar’s phone background. It was a photo he took during a trip to celebrate six months together. Lando freaked out, but soon learned to live with it, especially since Oscar doesn’t speak much on his relationships.

“I’m excited,” you smile in the mirror, clipping on your earring. Oscar’s bedroom is slightly messy from the contents of both of your luggage, but it feels so homey.

“You look incredible,” Oscar tells you as he enters from the attached bathroom. You both match unintentionally. His navy blue linen button down and white shorts perfectly complement your white sundress. You look like you both are about to spend a day on the beach, not go to the paddock for the first session day.

“So do you. You always do,” you gently fix his collar.

“Oscar, you are going to be late,” Nicole calls from the kitchen.

“After you,” Oscar opens his bedroom door, letting you exit first. He gives a quick visual check to make sure you both have everything and checks his bag to make sure all paddock passes are accounted for.

“Are you sure you don’t want to attend today?” Oscar hears you ask Nicole, munching on a pastry.

“No, I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday. Hattie is going with you both though,” Nicole refers to the girl entering the room.

“Someone has to protect Y/n from the crazy fans,” Hattie shrugs, ignoring Oscar’s offended look. “Most girls still think he’s single when in reality he’d be married right now if given the choice,” you stifle a laugh as Oscar’s mouth hangs open, not able to find a response. Nicole doesn’t have the same restraint and does chuckle at her son’s reaction.

“Thank you for braving all of the Oscar stuff for me,” you wrap an arm around Hattie, giving her a quick side hug.

“Is it hate on Oscar day? Was I unaware?” Oscar finally replies.

“Yeah, Osc. Sorry to break it to you,” you giggle. If Oscar weren’t deeply in love with you and didn’t know of Hattie’s affectionate bullying, he may have had a different reaction. Instead he just shakes his head and grabs his car keys, giving his mom a quick goodbye and heading to his car. You and Hattie follow behind, chatting enthusiastically about something Oscar isn’t sure that he wants to know. Oscar watches as you slide into the back seat with Hattie, not choosing the front seat to be near him. You’re supposed to hold his hand while driving. You notice his slightly confused expression.

“Sorry, Osc,” you lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek before sitting back. Oscar watches you both start to record yourselves in his backseat. Hattie likely convinced you to do a tiktok with her.

Once you get to the Paddock, Oscar loses you and Hattie as soon as you enter, Hattie having dragged you off to film a tiktok.

“Lost your girlfriend?” Charles asks in amusement, Alexandra in tow.

“I think she loves my sister more than me,” Oscar shakes his head, walking with the two towards the team motorhomes.

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Alexandra says, excited to have a new WAG in the paddock.

“I’ll make sure she finds you,” Oscar nods, adjusting his shirt.

“Us girls are having lunch, Charles will send you the details,” she squeezes Charles’ hand as they part ways from Oscar.

“How did you guys beat me?” Oscar asks when he spots you and Hattie inside waiting for him.

“It’s a secret,” you grin.

“Oh, you guys are matching. How… cute,” Lando says awkwardly in passing, like a part of him wants to die and another part wishes it were him. You and Oscar meet eyes but don’t respond.

“Five bucks and I punch him. Scratch that, I’ll do it for free,” Hattie comments, watching you and Oscar try not to laugh.

“Please don’t, wait until the end of the season at least,” Oscar replies. “Oh, you both have a lunch invite from the WAGs.”

“Oscar, I don’t think I qualify,” Hattie points out, not looking up from her phone.

“Charles said the invite is extended to you. I’m forwarding the texts to you now,” Oscar says before someone pulls him away.

“Hey,” Hattie turns to you, distracting you from people watching. “I finished editing the tik tok, want me to post it?” she turns around the phone to let you watch. You don’t even notice the short clip of you and Oscar walking hand in hand.

“Yes, it’s so funny,” you agree before you both head off for lunch before FP1.

The girls get over the initial shock of your return quickly, most agreeing that Oscar is much better for you than Lando, and when lunch ends Lily offers to walk you and Hattie back to McLaren.

“I’m glad we have you back in the paddock, and I can finally add you back into the group chat after you left,” Lily hugs you outside of the motorhome. Hattie darted inside to get out of the sun.

“I didn’t feel right staying in it,” you shrug, squinting slightly to see in the bright sun.

“You didn’t have to turn down invites either,” she points out.

“It was rough, I didn’t want anything that reminded me of him,” you guiltily defend your actions. “Lando didn’t bring his girlfriend?” you ask, slightly changing the topic.

“She wasn’t invited to this lunch. She will be on race day. But we really missed you,” Lily looks behind you and takes a half step back.

“I missed you guys too,” your smile is a blend of sadness and contentment. You are happy to have the support system back, but there is a part of you that wishes you didn’t work so hard to separate yourself from F1.

“Someone is waiting for you. I’ll see you later,” Lily leaves you to go into the motorhome where Oscar waits with Hattie.

“Hattie,” Oscar starts firmly, his hand instinctively finding yours. “Did you just hard launch my relationship?” Oscar asks, eyes narrowing as his hand slightly tightens its grip.

“Oops.”

[umbrellajam]

Tim Drake Reading List - before his Robin (1993) solo

I'm sure this has been done many times before, but I'd been meaning for a while now to put together my own reading list for Tim prior to his 1993 solo, as I so often see that recommended as the starting point for him, but. Well. There's a lot of key material for Tim before that and Robin 1993 also starts very weirdly in medias res smack dab in the middle of the Knightfall event, which throws people off all the time, lol.

So anyway, a list! Not 100% comprehensive, but hopefully a helpful overview to somebody, somewhere :)

PRE-TIM CONTEXT

A Death in the Family (Batman #426-429) – Jason is murdered by the Joker. We all know this one, hopefully.

New Titans #55 – Dick finds out about Jason’s death, and comes to Gotham aiming to both console and confront Bruce about it. They have a fight; Bruce backhands Dick and tells him to leave.

Batman: Year Three (Batman #436-439) – despite the above, Dick returns to Gotham soon afterward due to Tony Zucco’s parole hearings, and we see him continue to worry and reach out to Bruce as the man fails miserably at dealing with Jason’s death; we also have the first appearance of Tim in the flashback to Dick’s origin at the circus.

INTRO AND PRE-ROBIN ARCS

A Lonely Place of Dying (alternating Batman #440-442 and New Titans #60-61) – Tim’s proper intro arc, tracking Dick down at the circus to try and convince him to become Robin again, as Batman continues to go off the rails and “Batman needs Robin”. He ultimately gets accepted for a trial/training period before he can become Robin.

Batman #443-445 – cute training-period issues where Bruce awkwardly starts to teach Tim and Tim is an eager beaver.

New Titans #65 – Tim shows up on an exasperated Dick’s doorstep in New York, and we get a really great Dick & Tim training issue.

The Penguin Affair (Batman #448, Detective Comics #615, Batman #449) – a fun early Bruce & Tim arc that includes the introduction of Harold Allnut as the Bat team's mute engineering genius, Bruce angsting and second-guessing himself about having a new Robin but still wanting to encourage Tim (“Remember to thank him later. The boy needs reassurance.”) and also civilian!Tim taking part in the operation with adorable pre-Robin code names (“Little bat to big bat. Target in cross-hairs.”)

Batman #450, Detective Comics #617, Batman #451 – a short arc about the Joker resurfacing for the first time since being presumed dead at the end of A Death in the Family. Tim appears minimally because Bruce panics and sends him out of the country immediately (along with his entire school class lol), but there’s lots of angst and introspection from Bruce on Jason's death and Robin in general.

Rite of Passage (Detective Comics #618-621) – includes Tim’s parents being kidnapped, his mother’s death, and his father ending up paralyzed and in a coma.

EARLY ROBIN ERA

Identity Crisis (Batman #455-457) – includes Tim’s devastation and struggle in the wake of what happened to his parents, wrestling with the legacy and meaning of Batman & Robin in a way he hadn’t understood before, and whether he’s prepared for it. Also Janet Drake’s funeral, and ultimately Tim’s official graduation to the Robin mantle.

Robin I: A Hero Reborn #1-5 – Tim’s first solo mini-series as Robin; his first of many trips to Paris as part of his training, where he first encounters Lady Shiva and King Snake. This is also where Tim picks up his iconic bo staff for the first time, with training from Shiva.

Batman #465-469 – Tim’s first actual patrols with Bruce, and the return of King Snake.

Detective Comics #635-637 – the “Bruce & Tim have to fight video games come to life” arc, lol. I would call these fun but optional.

Robin II: The Joker’s Wild! #1-4 – Tim’s second solo mini; the Joker returns to Gotham while Bruce is out of the country and unreachable, and Tim as a barely fledged Robin has to thwart the clown’s plans with only Alfred to aid him.

“To the Father I Never Knew…” (Batman #480) – An important issue on Tim’s relationship with his father, especially now that he’s woken up from his coma and is suddenly interested in Tim, when he barely had been before. Lots of Tim angst and struggle, framed through a bitter letter he’s writing to his dad. Alfred also slyly nudges Tim to look into the estate next door to Wayne Manor, when he’s trying to figure out how or even if he’ll be able to continue as Robin now that his Dad is awake.

Electric City (Detective Comics #644-646) – includes Batman’s heart getting stopped due to electrocution, and Tim viciously threatening the villain to get him to defibrillate Bruce back to life. (“You’re going to shock Batman’s heart back online or I’m going to tear you apart.”)

Batman #481 – the notable bit here is Tim and Jack check out the estate next door to Wayne Manor and basically decide to take it.

Detective Comics #647-649 – the introduction of Stephanie Brown as Spoiler, including her thwarting/attempting to off her dad and also the infamous scene where she clobbers Robin in the face with a brick, lol.

Robin Annual #1 – Tim’s first team-up with Lonnie Machin/Anarky.

PRELUDE TO KNIGHTFALL

Batman #486 – Tim driving Jack to his medical appointments with Dr. Shondra Kinsolving, and worrying with Alfred over Bruce’s growing self-destructiveness in the prelude to Knightfall.

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1-6 – Tim’s third solo mini, and his first team-up with Helena Bertinelli as the Huntress. Also, Tim’s first meeting with Ariana Dzerchenko, who will be his first girlfriend, and friction/fights between Jack and Tim as Tim skips out on school and tries to cover up his Robin work. Includes a blow-up fight over Jack threatening to send Tim back to boarding school for his misbehavior. ("Who is the son you know, Dad? You don't know me. You never bothered. You shipped me from one boarding school to another and nobody paid any attention as long as my grades stayed high. You and mom were too involved running around the world.")

Batman #488-490 – the Bats start working with Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael, including Robin recruiting him to fill in temporarily as Batman when Bruce is ill. Bane’s plans to exhaust and break the Bat ramp up in the lead-in to Knightfall.

Showcase ‘93 #2-6 – Tim’s first time teaming up with Catwoman as they take on the crimelord Bracuda. This storyline will later cross over with one of Dick’s in the Bracuda & Chulo arc for Dick & Tim's first real team-up.

KNIGHTFALL

I won’t go over this whole period in detail as it’s quite a long storyline (link to the fandom wiki for all the info and issues), but some highlights for Tim are:

Detective Comics #660 – Tim tracks Bane down to his hideout but then gets captured and caught in the middle of a fight between Bane and Croc in the sewers.

Batman #494 – Tim drags himself home and presses Bruce to accept help in the wake of the mass Arkham break-out organized by Bane.

Detective Comics #661-662 – Batman sidelining Robin again while fighting Firefly and Tim again repeatedly badgering Bruce to accept help; Tim later takes down Firefly largely alone.

Batman #497-498 – Bane breaks Batman’s back; Bruce appoints JPV to succeed him as Batman despite Tim asking about Dick. JPV as AzBats goes increasingly off the rails during his time as Batman.

Batman #500 – Tim refuses to be party to the new Batman’s brutal methods, but is blown off by an increasingly unstable JPV. Dick finally shows up in the storyline while Tim is brooding outside the Manor. Dick is angry that he had to hear about Bruce’s devastating injury secondhand and that Bruce chose someone else to take up the mantle of Batman.

The Flash #81-83 – optional context, but this is Dick’s side of the build-up to the Bracuda & Chulo crossover with Tim. Dick and Kory visit Wally after their disastrous interrupted wedding (which Tim attended) and Dick’s ouster as leader of the Titans in New Titans #100-101. Dick ends up embroiled in an investigation of the criminal Chulo.

Showcase ‘93 #11-12 – Dick and Tim’s first proper team-up as Nightwing and Robin! Extremely fun and character revealing interactions as they navigate working together while barely knowing each other. My notes on these quote practically everything in both issues – they're fantastic.

Detective Comics #667-668 – Tim finds out that JPV has walled off the secret tunnel from Drake Manor to the Batcave. He also gets his driver’s license early (at 14) as a special dispensation due to his father’s handicap. This issue leads directly into the first issue of Tim’s solo, ending as he's caught sneaking back into the Cave. AzBats grabs and lifts Robin by his neck, choking him, which is how Robin (1993) #1 opens.

Finally, alongside the early issues of Tim’s solo, be sure not to miss the full Batman: Prodigal arc (https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Prodigal), which covers Dick’s first stint wearing the Cowl of the Bat with Tim as his Robin. This is the period where they first really spent time together and bonded, and includes Robin (1993) #11-13. The whole thing is a banger, and essential reading.

[qwimblenorrisstan]

(new chapters might come later than usual bc my friend went missing and I’m trying to find them, but I hope you guys enjoy this own! i tried switching it up and giving a few different perspectives, and there’s also a lot of seemingly hypocritical and paradoxical emotions, but this isn’t just me forgetting what I made my characters feel earlier, I just think they’d have a large mix and range of feelings)

(edit: my missing friend was found, don’t have any more details but I know they’re safe at least)

tw: panic attack?, zoning out, jealousy, almost distressing, mentions of abuse, tomato soup (ew), more abuse, just a bit of comfort (not rlly tho)

“Where’s—“

“Hush.”

Ghost’s words were quickly cut off with Price’s finger to his lips as he stood outside the door, your door, looking through the thin mesh wired window that proceed the tiniest glance in.

Simon had been looking for Johnny since morning. Soap wasn’t bound to his bed anymore, but that didn’t mean he needed to be all up and about. He was still technically at risk for PTSD episodes, panic attacks, confusion, hell, even the thought of him having to go through that alone was enough to make Ghost nervous.

But curiosity struck him like a train when he saw Price staring so intently through that window. All he expected was you laying there, hiding, still affected by the strange mental state you were in.

However, as he moved closer, he caught the tiniest whiff of it through the door. Underneath Price’s scent, a bittersweet mix of jealousy and guilt, was Johnny’s. In that room.

And Simon should’ve felt happy for the way Johnny’s scent had lost that bitter edge that seemed to have been there since the beginning of his recovery, but all he felt was something building up in his chest, something he thought had left a long, long time ago. Price moved out of the way, a glint of emotion in his eyes as he went to walk down the hallway, his posture stiff and tense.

He looked through the window, the dimly lit room showing Johnny and their alpha curled up on the floor. Simon’s first thought was that Johnny shouldn’t have been on the floor like that, that he might rip a stitch, that he could get cold and that protective urge to provide and keep him safe and warm. An urge, an instinct he’d smothered years ago, had tortured out of him in an abandoned warehouse somewhere in Ukraine years ago.

You were nearly shivering, just barely not because of Johnny, the weakness that was his strong instincts taking over and making him curl up around you in disregard for his own health.

Soap had always had the strongest instincts, never tried to smother them, never been ashamed of his urge to keep his team safe and care for them, make food for them, nest with them. Ghost had never understood it.

His father had been an insecure beta, always angry, always drinking to distract himself from how he felt displaced in society, with no instincts, heats, or ruts for himself. He’d resented his own nature, breaking apart the pack of the family, cruel punishment for any showing of instincts, spewing about how it was weakness.

Price had spent years undoing that ideology, countless gifts, courting for years, and it still lingered.

Feeling an anger terrifyingly similar to what he’d always imagined his father must’ve felt build in his chest, he went to walk off. Johnny would be fine. You would be fine. It wasn’t like he cared. He didn’t want to court you, didn’t want you in their nest. Sure, he felt a bit bad, you’d gotten into this whole state because of him, but the others would handle all the emotional instinctual bullshit.

They always did.

~

John’s eyes skimmed over the paperwork on his desk, trying not to notice the voice in the back of his mind, his omega whispering to him.

“It’s going to fall apart.”

No, it wouldn’t. Their pack had been established for years now, long before you’d ever arrived. One single incident surely wasn’t enough to make it fall apart, even if he felt the bonds fraying more every day, with every cold night spent in his office while the others were in the nest.

Except Johnny.

Poisonous, intoxicating words slipped from the back of his mind and slowly moved to the forefront as he got more distracted from his paperwork, from reality. Words blurred as he closed his eyes, sighing while he rubbed them.

“Your fault.”

It whispered.

It wasn’t his fault, was it? He’d let the alpha into their pack, tried telling his men everything would be fine, despite his own doubts. Maybe they’d noticed the cracks in his usual confidence on decisions and slipped into them. Maybe he had failed them.

God knows he’d definitely failed you.

“Shut it,”

He muttered under his breath, hand coming to rest on his forehead, his arm braced against his desk.

They didn’t shut it. His omega refused to shut it, bullying its way to the forefront of his mind, sowing insecurities everywhere it could.

He could’ve done better. Done more to keep you comfortable, keep you satisfied and content, invited you to the nest, welcomed you to the pack. But he’d chosen to be bitter and think more about Soap’s absence than your presence, living in the past, and the version of the future he’d wanted.

He had failed you as an omega. He had been the leader of the pack; leading everyone else to reject you as well, influencing their decisions and feelings, even if indirectly.

Your condition was his fault.

Now his entire team had to bear the consequences of his actions.

He wasn’t cut out to be a leader.

Maybe he should just—

“John?”

His eyes jolted back open, back to his office as his omega reluctantly retreated with a hiss, leaving him reeling as he tried to pull himself together.

Laswell opened the door up, giving him a questioning look and holding files in her hand, her MacBook in the other.

“Ah, Laswell. What is it?”

He asked, rubbing his hand over his face, knowing there was probably a red mark on his forehead from the pressure his hand had had on it for so long. His arm was a bit red from being pressed against the desk for long.

He glanced to the clock.

Twenty minutes had passed.

“I knocked about 3 times,”

She said with a raised eyebrow, moving to sit on the chair in front of his desk. He sighed, trying to think of some excuse as he blinked away the welling of emotion in his eyes.

“Just…distracted, is all.”

She let out a hum, not seeming surprised. She set the folders down, sliding them across the desk to him.

“There’s the background info you asked for. Their files were hard to pull, but we got them.”

He gleaned over most of it, name, age, weight, gender, scores and health test results, until he got to the section of conditions.

Most of it was blacked out with what he could smell being a sharpie, probably recently considering how strong it was. Whoever had given these to Laswell hadn’t wanted them to know a few things, probably assuming Price would discharge them if he saw anything wrong.

History of Abuse — caution around domineering omegas*

Was written in a sloppy handwriting Price could hardly read. The history of abuse didn’t surprise Price, it probably wouldn’t with anyone else in the pack. But why send you to them, then? A pack of 4 very dominant omegas. It was a paradox in and of itself.

Shock Therapy? — ask Kames*

That was more of a surprise. Shock therapy was outdated, and he wasn’t sure whether it was implying that you’d gone through it in the past, or that it was a potential treatment plan. Who was Kames?

Scent gland — looks scarred, ask Kames about that too (no scent=good?)

He’d noticed it in the beginning. Your fucked up scent gland. Simon had a similar one, making his scent hardly even noticeable. Probably the reason why when you’d asked how he covered the gunpowder in his scent, he’d yanked you down, either offended or annoyed, trying to make you realize he didn’t have a scent.

Originally, Price had assumed it was the gunpowder or Simon’s faint omega scent that had set you off, but with a bit more information, he realized it might’ve been the motion of the action.

A forceful scenting.

And if you’d been a victim of abuse, then it could have been quite the reminder.

He let out a hefty sigh, glancing up at Laswell, knowing he’d have to tell his boys about this and that they wouldn’t be happy.

~

“They fuckin’ what?”

As expected, they weren’t happy. Ghost was sitting silently, brooding per usual. Soap was cursing everything to ever exist. And Gaz had this feral look in his eye. Of course they all hated the thought of an alpha being abused, but it was personal for Gaz, given he had Alpha sisters. He had an almost direct view into how messed up the system was. How cruel it was towards alpha’s.

“Give me a name an’ I’ll focken—“

“This is all we know right now. All we can do is focus on rehabilitating them.”

Gaz had remained silent, anger brewing in his gut into a nasty, bitter stew that would consume him if he continued letting his emotions add more ingredients to the pot.

He took a deep breath.

And he didn’t let it go, no, he would find the bastard that did this to you, but he would keep calm for now. Being angry wouldn’t make anything better.

“I’ll go get them some food.”

He said quietly, getting up from his chair, pushing it in, trying to relax his tense muscles as he walked to the canteen, passing fellow soldiers, giving the proper hello’s, nods, and salutes if he had to.

It seemed like a blur as he entered the large lunchroom, walking to the chef and asking for a bowl of soup, whatever they had on hand. He wasn’t exactly sure what you liked; but since you didn’t seem to be in a talking mood he’d figure it out through trial and error.

It was only his second day of doing this, but it was the thought that counted.

The chef passed him a bowl of what looked to be some sort of creamy tomato soup, and after sticking his finger in, he decided it was warm enough and nodded his thanks before walking to your room.

He knocked quietly first, not wanting to startle you, before opening the door up just barely enough for him to squeeze in.

Ever since Soap had spent a night cuddling with you, you’d at least moved from under the bed to the floor on top of a mattress and some blankets. Better than nothing, in his eyes.

Your eyes were on him as soon as he entered the room, he could tell despite his eyes not having adjusted to the darkness yet.

“I brought you food, thought you might be hungry.”

He tried speaking in a soothing tone, or at least one that hookups in the past had said was soothing. Kyle approached you cautiously like one might a wild animal, sitting on the outside of your ‘nest’ which you’d made to mimic an omega’s.

His heart ached.

Truly, he wanted to ditch any personal space and grab you, hold you and coo to you for hours, keep you from being distressed, but he knew that would throw away any progress he’d made.

Setting the tomato soup bowl on the edge of the mattress, he watched as you glanced at it, then didn’t seem interested, only sitting up the tiniest bit with your back against the now mattress-less frame of your bed.

“You need to eat, look, it’s good.”

He said, taking his own spoonful and eating a bit, trying not to cringe. Kyle had always hated tomato soup, even his own mother’s recipe hadn’t tasted like anything more than mushy baby food to him, but you had to eat. Being as tall and muscular as you were, if you didn’t get at least one meal a day could very well starve.

Your narrowed eyes pinned him down as he took another spoonful of the soup and offered it to you, holding the spoon to your mouth.

For a moment, Kyle thought you might slap it away or just throw the bowl at him. He wouldn’t protest if you did.

But instead, you opened your mouth, taking a bite of the soup. He saw the cringe in your eyes, as well, when you tasted it, but you swallowed despite it. He’d fall out of a helicopter ten times over just to see you eating after so much protest and refusal yesterday.

As he lifted the spoon again, and you took another bite, he got the feeling that you weren’t doing this because you wanted to, simply for the fact that every instinct in your body told you to keep your omega happy, even in spite of your own feelings.

And Gaz didn’t know if that was good or bad.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

[writingouthere]

friendswithbenefits!Sukuna x reader

You go on a date with Yuuji's colleague from work and he's nice but you can't stop thinking of Sukuna, your 'friend' with benefits who has made it clear to you that the two of you are not in a relationship.

cw: possessive behavior, smut

"So then the kid and his friends tried to say that there must just be a fire somewhere."

You snort. "And what the fire just happened to smell like weed?"

You both laugh and you take another sip of your drink. It's a little milder than you usually like, but it's growing on you, kind of like your date.

His name is Yuuta and he's a teacher at the same school as Yuuji. He's cute, not much older than you and he's been polite to every member of staff you've encountered at this restaurant tonight. He teaches history to some of the older grades and it's clear he's passionate about what he does. He's spent the past half hour telling you funny stories about the kids he teaches and stories about his co-workers that have you almost choking on your drink. You've heard about a lot of the same staff members from Yuuji so they feel familiar, like you know them, even the ones you haven't actually met yet.

"Sorry, I think I've been going on for a while. I tend to ramble when I get nervous." He scratches the back of his head, the gesture self deprecating, but so charming, and you hate the guilt you feel at being charmed by it.

"I like your rambling, it's cute," you tell him and you find yourself fond of the way he blushes in response.

It's been a long time since you went on on a real date and you've missed the ritual of it. The typical questions and nerves are as banal as ever, but there were the good parts too.

The excitement of getting to know a new person, the way that over the course of the night you imagine how your life may fit with theirs. Which friends could you see them getting along with? Did he keep his apartment clean? How would he kiss you at the end of the night.

A look at his mouth had you thinking he had to be a great kisser.

"What about you? Any crazy co-workers?"

The rest of the night goes smoothly. The food is good, the drinks were lovely, he cuts himself off after his second.

Responsible. Kind. Funny.

He was everything you were looking for and yet.

And yet.

Sometimes when he laughs, you think about another man's laugh. One that's less kind, louder, and so expressive it takes over his whole face when he lets it out.

When Yuuta helps you with your coat, you can't help but imagine his face twisting up in derision at the sight.

What? Forget how to use your arms, princess?

Yuuta and you are talking about a movie you'd both seen recently and liked, and he's so perfect. But he's not yours.

"I had a great time, tonight." You both are taking the same subway home, but your stop comes up first. Your train car is empty and when Yuuta leans in to kiss you, you let him.

It's chaste, sweet and not what you're looking for tonight. The knowing smile he wears when he pulls away tells you he knows it too.

"I had a great time too, text me when you get home?" Your rejection, even an unsaid one, does nothing to change his temper towards you. It's almost a shame, you'd kind of like to see what he could be like with a little more of a spark to him.

"I will!"

You wave and step off the platform and walk home to your apartment. He'd sent you a text checking in earlier but you hadn't answered yet He hadn't sent a follow up, probably distracted. He'd gone out with Megumi and some guys from gym he trained at. He was probably well on his way to being throroughly trashed.

You turn your key in the lock and open the door to your apartment. It's dark and cold. You don't really want to spend the rest of your night alone with your thoughts. You shut the door, lock it and take out your phone. You think about sending a text to Yuuji to see where he is but then change your mind. You don't necessarily feel like sitting a sports bar on a Friday night listening to a bunch of gymbros talk about macros or their upper body circuit.

You could try texting one of your girlfriends, but then you'd have to actually have a meaningful conversation and your brain was one sharp tug away from unraveling.

You bite your lip. There was someone you'd like to see.

"This is a bad idea." You look down at your shoes. "Such a bad idea."

You find yourself outside of bad idea's apartment and your hand is knocking before you can second guess yourself.

The door swings open with your fist still poised to knock again.

"So the date didn't go too well then?"

You bring your arm down, fist still clenched. You had to at least give it to Sukuna, he was fucking consistent. He leaned against the doorway, looking comfortable with how the position allowed him to leer over you and with his choice of casual attire.

He was wearing an old tank top and sweats that looked like they were one wash away from just disintegrating. They did nothing to hide anything and you hated how you couldn't stop your gaze from going down.

"It was a nice date, actually." He hummed and looked over his nails, as if checking his cuticles.

"There's that word again." Sukuna still wasn't looking at you but his smugness filled the air like a pipe had burst that housed particularly toxic fumes. "If he was so nice," the sound came out like a hiss, "then why are you here?"

You didn't answer and when it was clear you weren't going to, Sukuna finally looked up at you.

"I'll tell you why you're here, you know, if you're curious." He stood up to his full height and grabbed your arm, pulling you close to him. When you were right next to each other, he grabbed your chin, pulling you up as he bent down so you were face to face.

His breath smelled like the ginger tea he always had before bed. It was spicy, familiar, it made your hands clench with the urge to hold him.

"You're here because that nice boy wasn't going to fuck you right and that's what you want isn't it," his hand cupped your face, his breath warm on your cheek as he cursed in your ear, "to get fucked?"

You couldn't help yourself from shivering and you nodded as he began to press kisses down your neck. Pulling down the neckline of your dress, probably stretching it, ruining it, and you don't even care, you just want his hands on you.

"Use your words, baby. Tell me is that why you came here? You needed to get fucked right and you knew that I was the only one who could do that for you, isn't that right?" He ends his words with a bite to your collarbone that stops your legs from working right.

You wrap your arms around his neck, your hands going into his soft hair that you know he uses conditioner on and you hate how just the smell of him sends a pulse to your core. That the familiarness of him is just as sexy as his words.

Something about the feel of him in your hands, his words in your ears, his teeth against your neck, it's the same dance you two have done dozens of times and it just keeps getting better. How are you supposed to be satisfied with someone else and when no one else has ever touched you like this, like they know every place that makes you weak, like they were put on this earth just to unmake you?

"Tell me," his words are more urgent now but he doesn't wait for you to answer, pulling you into his apartment and pushing you up against the door after he slams it so hard you're worried the hinges may have snapped. "Tell me, tell me princess. Tell me I'm the only one who can get you like this, the only one who can see you like this."

It's too possessive, too overwhelming. If your mind was still in working order, you may point out these are claims too heavy for a casual hookup. That he was not your boyfriend, or your husband, or anything to you and yet you found yourself nodding anyway.

"Just you, just you Sukuna." For a second he almost seems to freeze and you worry that you said something wrong despite him starting this. That worry is ripped from you when he smashes his mouth to yours, the force of it almost painful. It's an abrupt departure from the other kiss you'd gotten tonight and you wonder if the taste of another man on you fuels him as he starts to pull at your clothes.

You're both barely undressed, only removing what needs to be removed to get him inside you, when he presses his cock against your cunt. It's so hot and you'll never get over how good he fills you, how right it feels when he's inside you and Sukuna finally lets go of your mouth when you let out a moan you're sure they can hear in the hallway. You can feel his grin against your throat and you don't even mind as he settles in you, making you almost uncomfortably full.

"S-Sukuna!"

"Yeah, does that feel good? Like how my cock feels in you?" You don't answer him, not really capable of speech. He hums and pulls out of you just enough for you to feel it when he thrusts back in. You've fucked countless times, it's not even your first time fucking against the front door, which should embarrass you a little more, but something feels different.

Something feels different as Sukuna proceeds to fuck you hard, but somehow gentle, the beat between each thrust calculated for you to get overwhelmed by the feel of him to the point of it being too much just for him to pull away from you, but never fully leave you.

The kisses you exchange are sloppy, more a pressing of mouths together than real kissing and yet it's perfect and he's perfect and you could have tried this with the nice young man you'd gone on a date with tonight, who you're currently forgetting the name of, but what was the point? How could you try and find anyone to take Sukuna's place when he had carved it out himself inside you.

After you've both cum and you feel too tired to even attempt to collect your clothing or your dignity so you can leave, Sukuna lifts you up and carries you to his bedroom. The routine the two of you had previously established was off and you weren't sure what to do about it. You tried not to think about it as he carried you to the bathroom and cleaned you off or as he pulled an old t-shirt over your head. You tried not to think about it even more when he tucked you into bed.

He slid into the bed behind you and pulled you into his arms and you weren't sure how much more you could take before you could ignore it anymore.

He pressed his lips against the back of your neck, his arms tight around you. "Don't do that again."

"Dm mat?" Your words are muddled by sleepiness and the comforter that smells like him that you've pressed to your face.

"Don't go on dates with other guys."

It's not fair, he couldn't ask that of you and you shouldn't let him.

You grab his hands in yours and thread your fingers through them.

"In the morning."

You'll talk about this in the morning, about how you need boundaries and space and maybe this arrangement needs to end. Sukuna hums and presses closer to you, you can feel his lips in your hair.

The both of you can get on the same page in the morning.

Just a little something. Maybe this is a series now? Does the tense change partway through, yes. Does it change in fact multiple times, yes. Idk.

[novemberheart]

{overview} Kyle wakes up

{warnings} fem reader, a/b/o dynamics, poly 141, short chapter, ghostsoap

Chapter 28 <- Chapter 29 -> Chapter 30

John had rubbed your back till you fell asleep again.

Not that you stayed asleep. Your eyes fluttered open, raw and sore. You peered over at Kyle. You feel like his anesthesia should've worn off by now. Has anyone even come to check on him?

“Gazza,” you mumbled softly. You pressed your lips against the bruise forming under his cheek. He didn't even twitch. You rubbed your eyes, carefully pulling yourself out of bed. You grabbed your phone, your hand resting against Johnny’s shoulder from where he slept on the floor.

“Yes, Bonnie?” he gasped awake, his hands held onto your thighs. He thought you were upset. You were, but that wasn't why you had woken him.

“I’m going to the bathroom. I want to find a nurse or doctor or something too,” you explained, your fingers straightening the sloppy bits of his mohawk. He yawned, nodding his head in agreement. He placed a kiss against your stomach before moving to get up. His back snapped as he stretched.

“Alright, peaches,” he sighed. “Thank you for waking me,” he added, giving your bottom a slight pat. “We’ll be back,” he said over his shoulder to the alpha who was just starting the sit up himself. Your eyes burned at the light from the hall, Johnny's hand resting above your brow to block it.

“Mac, this is the mens room,” you mumbled. Even through your squinting, you could see that.

“Aye, I have to go too. Don't worry I won’t let anything happen,” he affirmed. You shrugged, glad it was empty. You came out of the stall, trying your hardest not to look over at Johnny as you washed your hands.

A man entered. A big one. You could see his shadow moving behind you and you quickly kept your eyes trained on your hands. He took a few steps towards you and your head snapped over to Johnny wondering why he hadn't said anything.

You saw Simon’s reflection in the mirror. You squealed, not bothering to dry your hands, spinning on your heels. He grunted as you threw yourself at him, his hands gripping your sides as he hoisted you up.

“You lost, pup?” he grunted, letting you lift his mask and kiss at whatever skin you could reach. Johnny chuckled, pushing the two of you out of the way so he could wash his hands.

“That’s new,” you murmured against his jaw. He had a large, angry bruise where his jaw and neck met. You could feel him shiver. He hummed in agreement, pressing a firm kiss against your chin.

“Just a scratch,” he grumbled, nipping at your cheek. “Got a fever, pup,” he tsked, almost disapprovingly. His arm extended out, his hand resting against Johnny’s shoulder pulling the man towards him. Your mouth fell open as theirs collided. It was rough and needy and you forgot how to breathe just watching them. It was short, a string of saliva connecting them as they pulled away. Johnny swiped it away with his tongue. They turned to you, evil smirks on both their lips. They kissed your cheek softly, a mean comparison to how they were just acting. Simon didn't bother to set you down, carrying you back down the hall.

“Makin’ your beta better?” Simon asked, jostling you a bit. Your eyes grew wet suddenly, making him sigh. “S’alright, pup. The doctor says he’ll be fine. You're just here to speed up the process a bit so he doesn't hurt as long,” he soothed. You felt heavier in his arms, the weight of the pack on your shoulders. That wasn't for you to carry. It was his and John’s responsibility.

The room wasn't as dark before, John had turned on a soft lamp he had found somewhere. The machine was beeping faster than before. You tried to wiggle out of Simon's grasp and he let you.

“His heart rate picked up,” John spoke, his hand resting over his face. “I called a nurse. Should be here soon.”

Kyle's fever was back. His skin had lost its warm glow, and it would've looked cold to the touch of it were it not for the sheen of sweat covering his skin. You gained some hope when he started to twitch. It started with his good foot, then his fingers, the muscles on his face quickly following.

He didn't wake up.

Your hand reached out, your fingers tangling with his as you knelt on the bed. You swore you could hear him gasp, his body relaxing almost instantly.

“Kyky?” you questioned softly. You looked behind you at John, whose eyes were wavering back and forth between the two of you.

“Where’s the bloody nurse,” he growled, making his way out of the room.

“Stop holdin’ back,” Simon instructed, nodding his head downwards. You did as you were told, your cheek resting against Kyle’s shoulder. You breathed in his scent, a high whine leaving your throat. You couldn’t stop yourself this time. Your arms wrapping around his chest as you buried your face into the crook of his neck. Your legs tangled around his good one as you sobbed quietly against him. “That’s what he needs,” Simon grunted. Simon’s large hand rested against the back of your neck, giving you an encouraging squeeze. “Needs a push to wake up,” Simon continued.

Simon had been in Kyle's shoes before. Granted, at the time you hadn't known him yet, but he remembers what it was like to be trapped inside his body without being able to escape. He could hear everything, smell everything yet he had no way to express it. Kyle was trying. Trying to show that he was there and would be fine. All Kyle needed was a little push from you to gain the energy to come out of it.

It was what had woken Simon up that first day. The smell of you had infiltrated his brain, turning it into mush besides one lingering thought.

Wake up.

“His heart rate is goin’ down,” Johnny breathed a slight tremor in his own body. Simon shushed you gently, you growing restless from not receiving any comfort from Kyle. “Johnny get in next to her,” he commanded, his hand gripping his shoulder. Johnny obeyed, gladly cuddling up behind you. You sniffled harshly, your eyes peering at his over Kyle’s shoulder. He winced, his heart twisting painfully in his chest.

“It's alright,” was all Johnny could manage, his thumb brushing under your eye. Johnny didn't stay there for long, the nurse came back into the room.

“He’s responding?” she asked. You refused to pull your face away.

“When she leaves. Started twitchin’,” Simon explained.

“He was mumblin’ something too. Couldn't make it out though. Sounded a bit like your name though sweetheart,” John added. You gasped your head snapping over to meet his.

“Really?” you begged. John nodded his head, an affirming lift in his cheeks.

“That’s fairly common,” the nurse spoke. “He could tell you were gone and was trying to figure out where you were,” she explained. You tried not to feel any less special, curling your head under his chin. “Everything seems to be back to normal. Next time you plan on leaving let me know,” she sighed, patting the edge of the bed.

You couldn't go back to sleep. You requested Johnny curl up in bed with you. It hadn't helped.

“I need you to wake up,” you whispered. Your fingers danced over Kyle’s cheek, the skin twitching under the feathery touches. “I know you hear me. You'd probably smirk if you could,” you huffed. Despite that, you pressed a kiss against his cheek, which was probably feeling a bit raw with how little your lips had left it. When you pulled away you noticed the soft curve of his lips. “I knew it,” you grumbled with a relieved smile on your face.

His eyes fluttered open.

You wanted to squeal but you kept your mouth shut. You wanted a few moments with him alone.

“I missed you,” you murmured. Another soft smile graced his face. He leaned his forehead closer to yours, urging you to come closer. You rested your head between his and the pillow. “Are you hurt? Do you want me to go get a nurse?” you questioned, already beginning to pull away. He made a noise that sounded a bit like a strangled whine.

“Just you,” he croaked. Your body felt warm as you cuddled back up against him. “Price?” He groaned.

“He’s on the floor sleeping,” you explained softly. You felt his body relax. “Mac is here too,” you spoke, lifting the hand that was splayed across Kyle’s chest. “And Simon is hunting down breakfast somewhere,” you finished. You purred softly, breathing him in. His chest rumbled for a moment before he stopped himself, a small wince on his face.

“You were saying how much you missed me?” Kyle urged, making you roll your eyes.

“Would you like me to keep going?” You hummed. He hummed in agreement, a soothing warmth spreading through his chest.

You babbled on for a few moments. Taking a bit of pride when his heart rate picked up from your words.

“Food,” Simon grunted, entering the room again. His eyes softened when they met Kyle’s. “I’ll go get a nurse,” he murmured, his knuckles brushing over Kyle’s forehead. Your heart warmed at the interaction. As Simon left he patted John awake.

“You alright?” He asked instantly, his hands gripping onto the railing of the bed.

“Never better,” Kyle croaked, making you giggle. John rolled his eyes, his lips resting against Kyle’s hairline.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his jaw clenching. You bit your lip, adjusting yourself slowly so you were facing Johnny in an attempt to give them some privacy.

“Not your fault,” Kyle said slowly, his voice cracking. “Things happen,” he finished with a clear of his throat.

“Just came out of nowhere,” John sighed. “I-I,” he started. He couldn’t find the words. The feeling you get from watching a vehicle in front of you flip three times, knowing one of your greatest loves was in there without so much as a seatbelt was hard to put in words. “We’ll take care of you now,” John promised. “That situation has already been handled.” That sent a shiver up your spine. You knew first hand what John's idea of “handling” was. Yet if it was aimed at someone who deliberately hurt Kyle- you wouldn’t oppose it.

“I trust you,” Kyle groaned softly. You felt lips skim the back of your neck and you turned back over so you were cheek to cheek with Kyle. A happy rumble echoed through him before he cut himself off.

Simon reemerged with a nurse.

Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this short chapter! See you in four days for chapter 30!!!! Ahhhh! 🧡

[cwwv9]

bro when I made the request I didn't know I would be ur first.

Do u mind me making another, since I'm in love with ur writing style.

How about ur fav. Bllk boy getting distracted during the match or training because they fell love at first sight with the reader.

«You’re out of the game, but in your head»

— without gender!reader x sae itoshi, hiori yo, mikage reo, michael kaiser, Isagi yoichi, rin itoshi.

warning: the material may contain romanticized obsessions, as well as elements of emotional embarrassment/confusion on the part of characters

note: ohh it’s so nice. thank you very much for another request!

mailbox open for queries!!!!

Sae Itoshi

Training was normal - hot sun, the smell of wet grass, coach’s screams. Saé moved accurately, gracefully, as always. The ball obeyed him, but the team did not. He was about to get angry when his eyes caught on something outside the field.

No, for someone.

You were sitting on the edge of the bleachers, wearing sunglasses, with your head slightly tilted, as if you were looking at something interesting. Not loud, not the center of attention, but... impossible to get away.

The car stopped automatically - literally during the pass. The ball flew past, and he watched everything.

– What are you, Itoshi? – Someone on the team screamed.

He blinked, turned away, went back into the game - and lost the ball again. It was ridiculous. And annoying. He hated to lose. But suddenly this irritation was replaced by a strange sensation in the chest, as if something had shifted. Cracked.

He looked where you were sitting. And then again. And again.

After training, instead of going to the locker room first, Saé came to the edge of the field. He got up. He looked right at you.

– Hey. You – calm, lazy, but in the voice - intention. – Who are you?

Hiori Yo

The training was over, and he, as usual, lingered on the field. He practiced one gear - soft, precise, almost a dance. Hyory was always lost in these movements, as in music. But today everything is ruined.

First, the feeling of looking. Then, a light wind that brought your voice: you were laughing at something, passing by with a bottle of water and a telephone in hand.

He looked up and... it was like the first time he had breathed in the whole day.

– Who is it? – I asked one of the guys later.

– New girl. They say she’s a cool voice, sings in the band. Just don’t fall in love.

Too late.

Mikage Reo

He loved to shine on the field. Show results. Be a star. Everything under control. Always.

Before you showed up. Not even in the field - somewhere on the side, with a tablet in hand, making some notes, chewing gum, as if you were bored.

And then you looked up. And he collapsed.

Not exactly. He just dropped off the pace, got caught in the ball, got a kick in the leg, something that hadn’t happened to him since he was thirteen.

– Hey, Mikage, you okay?!

– Yes... I... – he took a breath and glanced at you.

You winked. Smiled. And he didn’t think about anything else.

– We have to find out who she is, he told himself as he tied his boots in the locker room.

– And invite her to the concert. Even if it’s the worst date of my life.

Michael Kaiser

He’s always been in the lead. His beauty, his style, his acting. The artist on the field. And suddenly you.

You were sitting with your back to the sun, and therefore your face was half in the shade. But he saw it anyway. Because of your smile. A smile that didn’t say, "You’re cool." It was like, "Surprise me if you can. "

He couldn’t stand to be looked at like this. With a call. With cold confidence.

The Kaiser played boldly, through himself as usual - but made a mistake. Pain in the leg, falling, laughing from the bleachers.

You didn’t laugh. I just watched him get up, shake it off and... swear to himself in German. And then you pointed your thumb. Approvingly.

And that was enough for him to start training harder, faster, angrier.

– You will be my fan. Absolutely, he whispered as he looked at you. – Even if I have to learn three languages and play a fucking musical for you.

Isagi Yoichi

He was focused. The punch is the target. The transfer is the target. The look is on the gate.

And then you showed up behind the fence with a camera in your hand. It was like it happened by chance. And the snap is a photo. He heard the sound, not even knowing why it caught him. He turned.

And I saw you.

You looked at him through the lens, as if you were filming not the footballer, but the moment of truth. And he stopped breathing for a second. Everything inside feels like it’s cramped, but nice.

Who is she? Why does she film? And why... me?

He stumbled. It was the first time in a long time. The team came running, they helped them get up. And you were gone.

After the match he went around the whole field. And found a card on the ground. With your name.

And the signature: "You play as if you are saving yourself from the world. I’m waiting for the next match."

He smiled for the first time all day

Rin Itoshi

Through the noise of the stadium, Rin heard only the beating of the ball and his own breath. The match was tense, he was focused to the limit - every move is accurate, every step is accurate. His eyes were watching the rivals, but suddenly he caught a look behind the stand.

You.

Sat closer to the edge, alone, in a black hooded sweatshirt. Not as a fan, not as a journalist. It’s like you just happened to be here. But you were watching the game. On him. Right in his eyes, like he knew he’d notice.

And he noticed.

The pulse is out. He turns away, but too late - his body has already made a mistake. He loses the ball.

– Yup w... – passed through the teeth and cast a brief glance in your direction.

You smiled. A little bit. Not insolently, not provocatively - just warm. It was enough for Rin to lose focus completely.

After the final whistle, he did not go to the locker room. He approached the fence, bent his head, pulled the bangs out of his eye and said loudly:

– Why were you looking at me?

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Ichigo and Grimmjow learning that their s/o managed to survive a dangerous situation without a single scratch?

Ichigo watched the great stone wall collapse under its own weight, once the beam from the Sternritter had pierced it’s hull. It would have been pretty cool, if it didn’t mean that their defenses were down and last he knew [Y/N] was standing right there!

“[Y/N]!” He called out, even though he was all the way on the other side of the battlefield.

Ichigo cut through his opponent and sprinted over to the scene where the dust was settling. Frantically scanning the rumble for some sign of his partner, but woefully optimistic in hoping he wouldn’t find anything. “Phew! That was close!”

The Shinigami turned and saw [Y/N] a few yards away from him. Unscathed, perfectly fine, and examining the rumble like him with a much less panicked look. “[Y/N]! You’re alright! How did you avoid the attack??”

“Oh. Well for one I was more over there,” they pointed towards the spot that they had moved to in the fighting, “plus once I saw the wall start to come down I shunpo-ed it out of there.”

“Shunpo….”

“Yeah, Yoruichi has been training me. She said I’ve been getting pretty good. I thought I mentioned that?”

Ichigo wasn’t sure if they had or hadn’t right now. All he knew was that he was relieved they were ok.

He came up to them and gave them a hug. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” He told them. Before he let go and they went back to the fighting.

Grimmjow howled with laughter and glee as he cut through another one of these goons. Their bodies splitting open like they were made of paper. Or one of those pinata things from the human world with how they sprayed open when broke. What a time to be alive.

At first, he thought it had to be some kind of joke. Him? Fight for the shitty Shinigami? No way!

But apparently they had lost their idiotic minds, and rolled out the red carpet for him when he came to the Seireitei door. One he was all too happy to paint even redder with blood.

He’d do this little chore for them, then finally kill Kurosaki, and go back home to Hueco Mundo with [Y/N] as champions. This was the best day of his life.

In his hacking and slashing, Grimmjow looked up when he saw one of the buildings fall. Not uncommon in a fight. He thought it was stupid to have buildings that tall anyway. He grinned as he watched on of the Shinigami monuments fall, but then panned down and saw [Y/N] standing near where the rubble would fall. “Shit! [Y/N]!”

There was nothing to be done though. He was too far away. The building was falling to fast. Then by the time be got over there all that was left was rumble and dust. Grimmjow felt his heart stop, then come back to life beating furiously as he was now going to destroy now only these Quincy but everything here for taking his [Y/N] away.

The Arrancar turned to begin his killing spree, when suddenly a large piece of the rumble was dislodged and flew through the air. It barely missed him as he watched [Y/N] climb out of the hole they created. Dusting off their outfit while muttering, “this was brand new…”

Grimmjow watched in amazement but then grinned wildly as he saw that they were ok. Of course they were ok. How stupid of him to thinking a grubby old building would take out his [Y/N].

He scooped them up with one arm to pull them close, still with that grin. “I thought I lost you there for a second.”

“Who? Me?” They asked in amusement.

Grimmjow gave them a kiss before he let go and they both went back to the fighting. His spree might be on hold, but his ‘chore’ still wasn’t done. And Kurosaki was still out there somewhere.

[petrawood]

I saw someone post a tweet about how a lot of people in the Inquisition must have suspected that something was off about Solas, and out of all of them Bull knew that there was something fishy going on for SURE but the scope of the whole thing was just too big for him to have guessed exactly what was going on.

So, that made me think how the whole reveal must have been like if it actually happened in our world and oh my god it's SO ridiculous.

Btw, this is obviously OOC, but it's just. Solas makes SUCH a character oh my god.

---

Imagine you are an Interpol agent that joins the CIA for this one very important and very specific mission. Everyone knows that you work for another organization and you are a trained and highly competent agent, but the situation is so dire that the CIA is basically hiring everyone who could help.

So, there is this one very weird guy.

He wears an old hoodie and yoga pants. When asked where he came from, he tells you that he is into outdoor living, so just "outside, you know, somewhere". He has no qualifications apart from being a skilled hacker and really really really good at navigating the Deep Web. In fact, he's an expert at it, to the point of being the Deep Web specialist of the team. He walks around BAREFOOT.

He is a WEIRDO.

You assume he is just some guy probably over his head, pretty helpful but that's kinda it. You are going to keep an eye on him anyway, as you keep an eye on most people.

And suddenly, things start no adding up.

You ask him how he learned to hack into the deep web and he answers that he just likes sleeping under bridges and there is very good internet connection there, so he ended up learning. He doesn't elaborate.

For a guy that spends all his time sleeping on the floor and hunched over a computer, you notice that he is actually BUILT. You cannot tell over the oversized hoodie, but that guy has muscle. Once it comes up, he looks you in the eyes and tells you that that's just normal when you live in the outside like him.

You need somebody to pilot an helicopter. He knows how to pilot an helicopter. "Oh, I just watched a video tutorial. You know, in the Deep Web".

You need to steal some nuclear codes. "Oh I know how to cancel those nuclear codes. I found a lot of documents explaining how to do it. You know, in the Deep Web".

You need to plan a coup. "Oh yeah I know all about backstabbing politics. I found a list of all the relevant politicians and the country's corrupt history. You know, in the deep web"

You are in the middle of said backstabbing and he's slightly tipsy looking fondly at the whole thing like "oh how I missed the vibe of a nepotist state. No one throws a party like corrupted politicians- Not that I've been in one before, of course. I've only seen videos. You know, in the deep web"

He drives the other two expert hackers out of their minds. "I don't know how you managed to get this position, you don't even have a Doctorate" "Doctorates are overrated, I think you all would do better if you came to vibe under a bridge like me"

He actually is OBSESSED with overthrowing institutions.

The hackers tear him a new one because they find his Hacker Drip lacking (fair). And he smells like Cheetos.

"I made a lot of friends on the Deep Web forums"

At this point you are convinced that this guy HAS to have something else going on. There is simply NO way someone would know so many things from his deep web premium access under a bridge.

Your best bet has to be that he's another secret agent, a very highly trained one at that, right? Or maybe a highcore antifa member? He either has inside information of the CIA or he's looking for it. But he has been ridiculous helpful so far, so you just can't tell what he's hiding and why.

And then one day guy, this FUCKING guy.

He shows up and tells your Boss that he's actually the ancient god Loki from the Nordic pantheon. That he created death, but is sorry so he's actually going to join the Earth with Heaven and Hell. A lot of people would die because of the Demons and you know, Earth as it is not existing anymore, but that's a sacrifice he's willing to make.

Now tell me, how the FUCK were you supposed to guess THAT.

[pinkmalibuprincess]

I asked chat gbt to give me ways to enter both the void state or shift realities during the day. Shifting and inducing the void are not limited to when you’re sleepy. I struggle with only inducing the void during the time I go to sleep but with these possible methods I plan to induce the void or shift during the dayyy!!!

First, just so we’re aligned:

• Reality shifting usually refers to consciously moving your awareness into another reality (like a desired reality, alternate version of your life, or fictional world).

• The Void is that infinite nothingness — a dark, silent, powerful space where you can manifest instantly, heal, or shift realities easily. It’s pure awareness, no body, no mind.

Doing it during the day is a little harder because you’re not sleepy/dreamy but not impossible, it’s actually really easy! You just have to tweak your techniques for waking mind energy.

⸻

Ways to Shift or Enter the Void During the Day

⸻

Micro-Meditation Drops

• Throughout your day, practice micro-drops into stillness.

• Example: Set a timer every hour. When it goes off, close your eyes, breathe deep, and “drop” your awareness backward into your mind imagine falling backward into black velvet nothingness.

• Do it for 30–90 seconds at a time. Over the day, this conditions your mind to find the void state faster.

Think of it like “training wheels” for sudden immersion.

⸻

Saturation Method

• Focus obsessively on your desired reality or void state all day — but softly, like background music.

• Whisper affirmations like:

• “The Void is my natural home.”

• “I enter the Void instantly and effortlessly.”

• “I am already in the Void.”

• Every action you do (walking, eating, typing), imagine you’re already in your desired reality.

• This builds a saturation effect where you “tip” into the shift naturally.

You’re basically blurring the line between your normal day and the other reality.

⸻

Mirror Gazing / Daydream Gazing

• Sit in front of a mirror (or even a blank wall or window) during a sunny, sleepy part of the day.

• Stare at your reflection without blinking much, or past it.

• Relax your eyes and imagine your face isn’t “you” it’s just a mask.

• Let your mind slip into daydreaming.

• Suddenly, you may feel a “slip” — like you’re detaching from this version of yourself.

It’s like triggering a soft disassociation which can lead to a Void portal or shift jump.

⸻

Breathwork + Eye-Roll Technique

• Do slow, deep breathwork:

• Inhale 4 counts

• Hold 7 counts

• Exhale 8 counts

• After a few minutes, gently roll your eyes upward (like looking at your third eye) while staying relaxed.

• This can force your brain into a theta/void-like state even during full daylight.

• You might feel lightheaded or “floaty” — that’s a good sign you’re nearing a void pocket.

⸻

The “Already Shifted” Illusion

• Instead of trying to get somewhere, pretend you already shifted this morning and today is just a “memory” of your original life.

• Every time you remember you’re “trying,” stop and say mentally:

• “I’m just remembering the old timeline. I’m already there.”

• It tricks your brain into syncing with the new reality field without brute force.

Shifting is all about convincing your subconscious — not pushing or forcing.

⸻

Music Frequency Entrancement

• Listen to brainwave entrainment tracks (Delta waves, Void-themed subliminals, deep solfeggio frequencies like 528hz or 963hz) while doing light tasks.

• Wear headphones if you can.

• Let your mind drift while you do chores, walk, or relax in sunlight.

• Sometimes, you’ll naturally slip into a void state without expecting it.

⸻

Daytime Nap “Drop” Method

• Lie down in the afternoon with the intent to nap, but don’t fall asleep.

• Instead, keep your body completely still (like a body scan meditation) and let your mind drift without controlling it.

• If you feel your body getting heavy, floaty, vibrating, don’t move — you’re entering the threshold where void shifts and reality jumps happen.

⸻

Signs You’re Close to the Void or a Shift Mid-Day

• You feel extremely floaty or weightless.

• You hear ringing in your ears (like a frequency change).

• Time feels weird (minutes feel like hours or vice versa).

• You get “pulled” backward or inward in your mind.

• Your body feels like it doesn’t exist anymore.

[scorpioriesling]

I would love more of BrennanXreader. Anything honestly. Especially something sweet and spicy.

My Tears Ricochet

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairing(s): Brennan x reader

Warning(s): light angst, sexual relations lightly described (18+, mdni, nsfw)

Summary: As you work through all of the new changes in your life, you lean on the man there to support you through them all.

SR’s Note: Part 2 to A Family Reunion! This one is a little emo at points, but combines the sweet actions with a little spicy scene near the end. I know many people wanted another development, so I got right on it! Lol. I hope you all enjoy!

Tags: @mellowmusings @rcarbo1 @lilah-asteria @kitsunetori @velarisdusk @nctsawrus @asteria-wood @mellowmusings @freyagallileaevans @desprrssooo-espresssooooo @emoravenwolf @nicksolemnlyswears @glaciuswduo @luvly-writer (inbox me or comment if you'd like to be added!)

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

It was pure chaos when they found out the truth.

At first, everyone was silent; no one so much as breathed.

But then, Tairn roared -- and utter chaos ensued.

"Where did you find a midnight dragon like this?"

"What is a dragon doing living here in Aretia?"

"Is it yours? Is this another thing you've been hiding from me?"

"When did you bond with him?"

I want to get out of here.

The last words you heard were Azar's, running through your mind as panic set in. I want to get out of here.

Your eyes met his large ones of midnight navy, and you geave him a sympathetic look despite the weariness threading through your veins. The shouting continued, Violet yelling at Brennan, Xaden turning all of his pointed questions to you. Somewhere in the middle, Violet began shouting at Xaden too, which only made things worse.

"Everybody, QUIET!"

The hollering halted at the sharp tone in Brennan's shout. You flinched, never hearing him take such a tone like this -- but, as you caught his wrung-out expression, your shoulders relaxed.

Your brother crossed his arms, frowning at the general before him.

Brennan sighed before running a hand through his hair, glancing at the ground before looking up again.

"I know, this is a lot to take in," he said sympathetically, his gaze switching from his friend to his sister. "And, it's nearly unbelieveable. But, it's true."

Violet shook her head slowly, her shocked eyes faltering from her brother to focus on you.

"It is true then. This dragon, its..." she trails off, glancing behind her where Tairn lurks. "Its yours?"

Tairn chuffs, and Violet flinches.

"Its, theirs?" She corrects.

You nod quietly, and Xaden looks away.

"I... yes, his name is Azar." You begin to explain, catching your brother's attention again. "And, yes. He is born of both Tairn and Sgael."

Brennan studies you as he chews on his bottom lip, his sister mirroring the action. You turn to face Azar, and your heart breaks at the defeated stance he's taken. He huddles close to the cave opening, his gaze low. Turning back to face your brother, you speak again.

"I know... I know this is a lot to take in, but-"

"But, you thought it would be best to keep something like this from me," he cuts in, his voice razor-sharp. "From all of us."

Your face falls as you watch his harden, and it feels as though all teh air is expensed from your lungs. You take a step forward, trying again to explain.

"Xaden, you know dragons choose-"

"I don't care, Y/N! You also chose to train, work to develop yourself as a rider when you were supposed to be staying safe," he gripes, and Violet furrows her brow at him.

"Xaden, she couldn't have known this one was-"

"She does know!" He shouted, and Violet huffed in frustration. He turned his focus on you again, his jaw tense.

"It's like I don't even know who this is anymore," he says lowly. "Like I don't even know who you are, Y/N."

Your heart shatters, and fresh tears spring to your eyes. The impending storm rages in the distance, thunder rumbling as the gray clouds draw nearer. Violet looks to the sky in intrigue, then studies her focus on you for only a moment longer.

You only stare as your brother sulks off, brooding and angry in the way he always does. Violet spares you one last apologetic glance before chasing after him, following him to the nearby treeline.

A splatter of a raindrop graces your shoulder. Then, another. You look to the sky, hoping to find something that will drag your broken heart up off the floor where it lay, shattered. You supposed the only upside was that maybe, the falling drops would conceal the tears beginning to trickle down your cheeks.

The warm, familiar hand that you'd come to know and love rests on your shoulder. You turn, your watery eyes meeting the soft brown ones of Brennan -- and his face softens when he takes in your emotional state.

"Sweetheart," he whispers, pulling you to him as the rain begins to fall harder. You let him wrap you in his arms, holding the back of your head in his hand as you sob into his chest. You try to focus on the rise and fall of his chest against your cheek, and match your breaths to his to calm yourself down. The two of you stand for only a few minutes longer in the downpour before Brennan takes a small step toward Riorson House.

"C'mon," he suggests, pulling you along with him. "Let's get you inside."

* ✧･ﾟ: *

The cracking fire is the only sound filling the room, other than the soft splatters of rainwater dripping from the tips of your hair. You sit huddled in front of it, staring at the raging flames, wondering how in the Hell you'd gotten into this mess.

The soft click of the door unlatching doesn't distract you -- you already know who it is. A few soft footsteps later and sure enough, you were right.

"I brought you some... tea," your brother rasps, standing still beside you. You don't move, or even look up at him; the fire is the only thing bringing you any comfort right now.

He must get the hint because he sets down the mug next to you, sighing as he takes a seat on the floor. You gaze still doesn't waver.

"It's ginger," he continues, inching closer to you. "Mother used to make it for you all the time."

Your heart seizes, remembering your long-lost mother and the memories you used to share. So many nights of storytelling, family dinners, and laugher filled these very halls. Recollection of you and your big brother, all of the pretend sword fights and times he'd let you win-

"I'm surprised you remembered," you said coldly. "Since, you don't even know me anymore."

Your brother sighed, dropping his head. You continued to look at the fire, the flames working to cool down the ice filling you up from the inside. When Xaden looked sidelong at you again, his tone was filled with sorrow.

"I didn't mean that, Y/N. I..." another sigh. "It's just been so long since I'd seen you, and I thought I was doing the right thing leaving you here to protect you."

You sighed, a million thoughts clouding your brain but none of them wanting to come out.

"And, when I do come back, I find my sister has been training, and," he stutters. "You have bonded with a dragon, and it's the son of my dragon, of all things -- wait, does that mean you have a signet?" He pauses, his eyes wide. "Because those can be very dangerous, depending on the nature and severity-"

You glare at him, rage filling your vision. He stops mid-sentence, and presses his lips together.

"I ... nevermind. About that." He coughs once, bringing his knees up to rest his forearms on. He too focuses on the fire, the direction of where this conversation is going being too much to look you in the eye for.

It's a few long beats of silence before he speaks again.

"Y/N... I guess it's just hard to come back and see how much you've changed," he says, softer this time. A lump lodges itself in your throat as he continues.

"You're no longer my baby sister, I mean... you're a woman. A rider." He chuckles. The air in the room feels too thick, your tongue lays too heavy inside your dry mouth, and every bead of sweat makes itself known across your forehead.

You reach for the tea, drawing in a long sip.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Y/N. For how I acted when I got here, how I spoke to you out there today," he continues, emotion clogging his voice as well.

"I'm especially sorry for doubting you, in anything. I shouldn't be so surprised you bonded with a dragon, and I know better than to think you incapable of riding one." He admits, his gaze sliding to yours again. "You were always fearless, even when we were mere kids. It's silly of me to think that'd ever change."

You smiled softly into your teacup, taking in your brother's words. Glancing sidelong at him, your gaze met his, and he chuckled.

"Now, the irony of your dragon and mine being related, that's-"

"Something we can get into another day," you finish, sharing in his soft chuckle. You drink the rest of the sweet beverage, sitting the cup behind you and pulling the blanket tighter around your shoulders.

"It's so odd, being in here now." Xaden says, his eyes tracing the lines of the fireplace. "This... room, it was once our parents." He says, and you stiffen. "It's weird that now you and Brennan are the ones sharing it."

You catch the hint of playfulness in his tone, and you nudge his shoulder with your own. He grins, reveling in the way you roll your eyes at him.

"It's not so bad," you elaborate. "We really fixed the place up."

He huffs a laugh. "Yeah, and hopefully replaced the bedsheets before the two of you-"

"Eww! Xaden," this time you smack his shoulder, and he lets out a real laugh. "Disgusting." You shake your head, trying to get the mental image of your brother talking about you and Brennan out of your head. He soon makes to stand anyway, holding out a hand ot help you up.

"Violet said dinner is almost ready," he offers, and you take his hand in your own. He pulls you up, then into a quick hug when you stand. The earlier tension in your shoulders fades as he hugs you, and you reel in the rare placid moment.

"Brennan is a good man, Y/N. So as long as he doesn't do anything to hurt you," he whispers into your hair. "He's good in my book."

* ✧･ﾟ: *

The dining hall was filled with various patrons -- riders, Aretian guard, and groundskeepers alike. You made your way into the great room, following your brother to a table with a few empty seats. As you sat, your heart swelled at the sight of Brennan and his sister laughing over something, his eyes alight with the change of tone from earlier.

They've made up. They seemed... happy.

So you sat beside your boyfriend, and let the feeling of calm overtake you.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

You'd excused yourself from dinner, rising from the table and heading outside as the moon crept higher in the night sky. The air was cool as you stepped out, only a thin hazy mist covering the grass from the earlier rainstorm. It billowed and twirled as you stepped out into it and onto the moonlit lawn.

The cave was only a few feet from the back of the house, and you crept quietly toward the opening. You knew better than to bother Azar, especially when he was feeling emotional -- so, you reached out to him mentally before approaching.

Are you alright?

The questioned faded into the moonlight bliss of the bond you shared, and glimmered with a response moments later.

I don't think I've ever felt better.

You contemplated if he was being sarcastic or not, taking a few steps closer to the caves opening. Stopping short of entering, you peered into the dark abyss of the opening, your eyes catching on the moonlit scales inside.

Not only one set -- three.

A smile spread across your face, and you stooped to pick up a small rock lying nearby. You turned it over a few times in your hands before dropping it once more. Knowing your dragon and his family would appreciate the privacy, you turned after a few minutes, making way toward the house once more.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

When you reached the master bedroom and opened the door, you were surprised to find Brennan inside already. He lied on your shared bed, reading over a leaflet before his attention caught on you.

"My darling girl," he cooed, instantly droping the page and rising to greet you. You smiled, closing the door softly behind you as he approached. Pulling you to him once more, you allowed him to wrap you in his embrace, enjoying the scent and comfort that came with him.

"I figured you'd stay to chat with Violet," you inquired, and he pulled back from you slightly.

"It's been a long day -- I think we both needed the rest." He shrugged, placing a kiss atop your head. You made way toward your side of the bed, pulling your nightgown from beneath the pillow to change.

"I can agree with that," you said, sliding off your leather top and beginning to unbutton your pants. Your cheeks heated as you felt Brennan's gaze on you -- per usual -- but you continued kicking off your pants and shoes until you were only in your undergarments.

"Please," he whispered, his voice raw. He'd sat on your side, leaning into the mattress as he stared in awe at you once again. "Please come to bed like that?"

You chuckled, dropping the lacy dress to the floor in favor of obeying your boyfriend's request. His arms reached for you, tuggin you onto his lap with ease as though you'd done this a million times before. In all the time you'd been together -- you had done this before.

His sweatpants did nothing to restrain him as you perched atop his lap, stradding his waist as his hands held you in place. You grinned down at him, leaning in to finally kiss his lips once more. He hummed in approval, his hands sliding up and down the skin of your back.

You pulled back for a moment, and one of his hands reached to gently brush a piece of hair behind your ear. You smiled softly, and he kissed your cheek quickly before his eyes found yours.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Your heartbeat faltered a bit as you remembered the prior events from the day. The way your brother had looked at you upon knowing the truth; how he'd apologized later, but the words still stung. How Azar was so defeated at first, only to be followed by his parent's support later this evening.

You sighed, and Brennan cupped your cheek with his hand.

"I... it hurt, you know. What Xaden said." You chewed the inside of your cheek. "But, he was right -- with every stone he hurled at me, some of them stuck true. I am different, and I have changed." You explained, and Brennan gazed lovingly up at you.

"Yes, you have -- but you're still you, Y/N. You're still the girl with enough grit to keep going, keep getting back up each day, and keep getting back on your dragon." He smiled, in turn making you smile.

"You're still the woman I fell in love with to begin with," he continues, and your breath catches in your throat. "And I'll continue loving you, no matter how many stones I must take for you, or how many I pick out myself." Your brow furrowed, and he ran his thumb across your cheek.

"Stones can also be used for diamond rings, you know."

Your heart lurched as fresh tears brimmed your eyes. Brennan smiled bashfully up at you, his gaze of pure love and nothing more. The insinuation alone was enough.

You pulled him to you, your lips crashing against his. He kissed you, hard and meaningful as your mind wandered to what was to come. With Azar and his family reunited, Violet and Xaden knowing the full truth... you supposed Brennan's allusion would perhaps be coming sooner than you thought.

You pulled back and he groaned, the friction of your hips on his crotch getting him excited.

"Is that... does that have anything to do with why they came back in the first place?"

Brennan chewed the inside of his cheek, a cute blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now."

You grinned, knowing full well the conversation that must have been had between your boyfriend and brother. You kissed him again, running your fingers through his hair as he gripped your hips tighter. Your hips danced atop his, and his excitement only grew.

You gasped when he flipped you over, pinning you to the bed and threading his fingers through yours above your head. He leaned in again, kissing you passionately and speakaing inbetween breaths.

"Maybe... I like to imagine... what this will look like, with a ring on your finger," he panted, his hardening member rutting against your panties. You blushed, the thought of this impending truth feeling more like reality with every second.

"And maybe... I don't want to just imagine it anymore."

He kissed down your neck as he unclothed himself; the sight of him atop you one close to Godlike in the moonlight. Your fingers gripped his when he entered you, slow and languid. The breath drew from your lungs, each delicious thrust like liquid honey over ice.

"I love you," Brennan gasped, the words still giving you the same feeling as the time he first said them. Your heart warmed as you nodded.

"I love you too," you responded, sucking in a breath as he drove himself inside of you again. His movements were slow, not as fast and hard as you were used to. One hand let go of your fingers to caress your cheek again, his longing stare gazing down upon you.

"You're the most beautiful woman I know," he whispered as he made love to you, and your cheeks warmed. He never failed to give you butterflies, and especially now as you were sure of the future you both shared a vision for.

"Oh... Brennan," you sighed, and he picked up the pace ever so slightly. When you both had finally finished, he moved to hold you close to his chest, running his fingers through your hair as he whispered sweet nothings into your ear.

Your eyes grew heavy as he spoke, the warmth in your heart propelling you into a deep, peaceful sleep in his arms.

* ✧･ﾟ: *

[puck-luck]

Happy 1 year!!!! I can't believe it's been a year already wowee, which also means I've been reading your fics for 10 months-ish, and that's insane to me (I don't remember when I started following tho, may have been around late July or early August). BUT IT'S BEEN A WHOLE YEAR!!

I'd like to order a mocha with peppermint (best friends to lovers) and cinnamon (size difference) for Luke Hughes??? (lmao whats new)

I ask the same thing every time I know, I'm sorry I just love a good size kink/difference😭

we r in it for the long haul, meg. i am so appreciative of your continued friendship, love, and support <3 i am always happy to write luke with a size kink for you :)

note: this is mocha ish because it's their first time being like this? i'm realizing it's kind of hard to make every requested mocha super deep and meaningful so they're all going to be meaningful in different ways, big and small :))

“Come on,” Luke hisses. His brothers and friends have mostly abandoned the bonfire in the backyard, thinking they spotted a deer near the water and chased after it. He grabs your hand and pulls you toward the house. “Come on, come on.”

You laugh. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere they won’t find us,” Luke plots in a low voice. You make your way inside the house, then go to Luke’s secret hidden spot– the pantry. It’s a very well-kept, entirely classified spot.

At least, it is when Luke hinges the lock that he installed.

He snickers, nose scrunched up as he towers above you. He bends into your space as you giggle with him. 

You and Luke have been having a lot more moments like these since he invited you to the lakehouse for two weeks this summer. It was hard the first couple of days, since you hadn’t met Luke’s brothers or his friends yet. They’re busy and they don’t really visit Michigan that often during the school year, so you and Luke have had plenty of time to get close. You consider him to be your best friend and he says that you’re his, but he makes you swear not to tell Dylan or his brothers. 

“What should we do now that we escaped the boys?” you whisper. Your back is against the food-lined shelves and Luke is in front of you. The pantry is nearly dark, save for the slats on the door that allow some light to shine in, and you’re in the mood to do something completely crazy. It probably has something to do with the thrill of sneaking away without getting caught and hiding in close quarters with someone who you know so well. 

If you’re not mistaken, Luke’s eyes flicker to your lips for a split second. His gaze comes back to yours, but you caught him. His giggle grows quiet, then stops altogether. His lips part imperceptibly, a quick inhale making his throat bob like he wants to say something, but nothing comes out. He stares at you, then his vision dips again.

You’re not sure if you can believe what you’re seeing. “Luke…?” you trail off, tilting your head to the side. 

“I…” Luke starts. He closes the gap between you slightly, hand coming up to the shelf above your head and resting there. He shakes his head and leaves his trance. “Sorry, I, uh… lost my train of thought. What was the question?”

A smile tugs at your lips involuntarily. “I asked what we should do,” you repeat. You look up at Luke, who is still leaning over you, and your hands twitch with the urge to tug him closer and have his body blanket yours. It’s just crazy enough for the adrenaline running through your veins. You hadn’t put much effort into thinking about Luke like that before, or wondering what it would be like to kiss him, trying to prioritize your friendship. In this cramped space with Luke’s heat radiating off his body and permeating your space, you find yourself following Luke’s lead and letting your line of sight slip to his lips. 

The curve of his Cupid’s bow is so severe. It’s cartoonish almost, how it rises and dips and rises again. With him standing over you like this, you want nothing more than to rise on your tiptoes and tug him down to your level and take that lip between yours. 

When you look into Luke’s eyes again, you can see a slight battle raging. He’s stuck between knowing that you just looked at his lips with purpose, the same way he looked at yours, and not wanting to mess things up between you. You know that’s how he’s feeling because you’re feeling similarly, although you’re more leaning towards the “fuck it” option.

“Can I…” Luke murmurs. His mouth forms the question more than it actually verbalizes it and since you’re staring again, you see the yearning there. 

“Luke,” you whisper, tilting your chin up to make it easier for him to meet you there. 

The first kiss is sweet. It’s soft. Luke brings a hand to your waist like you’re something that will break at his gentle touch. 

It’s you who deepens it, who is the first to part their lips and invite the other in for more. It’s you who relishes in the way you’re almost straining to reach Luke’s mouth. You’re the one who touches his curls and has him bend even further down if he wants to keep kissing you– which he does. 

Like a pair of addicts, it’s impossible to break from the kiss. Now that you’ve started, you just can’t stop kissing each other.

Luke brings his palms to the backs of your thighs and lifts you, your legs automatically looping around his waist. He pushes you against the back wall of the pantry, where there are no shelves to get in your way, and he continues to kiss you. His tongue dances along your lips, testing the waters and seeing if it’s okay to take this next step, and you moan and open your mouth further to grant permission. 

You don’t realize how Luke is rutting against you until he breaks the kiss and leaves a wet, open-mouthed trail down the side of your neck, finally biting over your pulse point and panting over your skin. When you do, you suddenly can feel that he isn’t just big height-wise– his cock might split you apart if you ever get the chance to lay in his bed and take it. You’re salivating at the thought, but distracted by Luke’s broken groan. 

The next realization is how wet you are, then how titillating it is when Luke’s bulge catches on the seam of your jean shorts. 

Your hands fly into his hair and fingers weave through the curls. “Lukey,” you whimper, arching your back off the wall and pushing into his grinding hips.

 “Sorry, I just–” Luke apologizes breathlessly, voice higher than it usually is.

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” you admonish with a frown, tugging his hair until he lifts his head to look at you. “Don’t.”

“Okay,” Luke agrees. His cheekbones are flush and red and it’s so cute, even in the dark you cal tell, that he’s blushing. His lips brush against yours from mere proximity and you take it upon yourself to seal them together again and taste his desperation.

The only time you part now is for a hushed whisper here and there, a bit of praise or compliment leaving you or a curse and plead leaving Luke. You’re really saying the same things back and forth– “So good, Luke, oh my God,” and “Hm, fuck, you feel so good, gonna come”– but the difference in your tones is what sets them apart. 

You’ve just released a “please, Luke, I want to feel you,” when the door of the pantry rattles and Luke freezes. He’s completely blocking your body with his, so if the tiny lock he installed doesn’t hold up, no one will be able to see you. Another thrill passes through you– he’s so big. Imagine all the possibilities…

Though, there’s no avoiding what you’re doing when the boy breaking into the pantry realizes Luke is in there, or when Luke stumbles over his words trying to explain how you “felt tired and went to bed.” The friend at the door just laughs and says “Sure, man,” before walking away.

Luke is blushing again and he hides in your neck, too embarrassed to continue. That’s okay, though. You’ve still got a few more days at the house and your first time seeing Luke come should probably be in the light, right? And maybe not in a cramped pantry where anyone could hear you…

[hello-gloomy]

Hello Hello! I tried to find your rules, but I couldn’t so I apologize in advance if I’ve broken any! May I request some Senku headcanons or an imagine (whichever you prefer) of him and his genius! S/O post petrification. They managed to get un-petrified elsewhere and he comes across them doing their own thing in the same “I need to rebuild society” mindset as him

Nerd-synthesis-

Ngl I went off the handle w this one and it's kinda fire, I hope you don't mind that I put a wack ass twist to it. (Might have to make a part two let me know ya'll)

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A Thousand Years

Senku x Gender neutral!Reader

Description: When the KOS arrives in Europe for supplies for the rocket project, they find a colony that is quite far along with their advancements. When some locals take them to the colony's leader, it's the last person Senku thought he'd see.

Warnings: It's pretty tame, with a sprinkle of angst. The reader isn't introduced till later, and there is no mention of pronouns or exact gender. Slightly dialog heavy. Nameless side characters. Strays from cannon.

A/N: This one gave me so much damn trouble, please enjoy this so its at least worth all the suffering I went through for it. Also, this might be my new fav timeline for this one ngl. Let me know if ya'll want a part two, please. BTW make sure u look up what Senku's name after you read this and his birthday :^

Words: 2,087

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"Orstway trip ever," Gen spoke as they set down the boarding plank to the beach. After finishing things up with the American colony, they planned to head toward Europe to finish getting supplies for the rocket; they chose their crew members and made the estimate of the trip taking two months and planned accordingly. Senku walked near Xeno and looked around the beach, looking at the lack of stone statues. Xeno looked over at him, hoping that he saw it too.

"Something's wrong," Senku said with a slight diminishment. He was hoping they wouldn't get into a fight just as they landed. They were low on food and needed to replenish supplies before they could have anything happen. Ukyo looked up and stared off. A few others saw and looked where he was staring, and then they heard children laughing. A group of what looked like grade schoolers came running up to them excitedly; they spoke English and were asking questions about the boat. An older teen came running to catch up to them, looking slightly fearful of all the foreigners. Gen and Senku made way to talk to the teen, seeing as they were close in age, and Ukyo talked and entertained the younger kids with questions. Xeno and Stanley came to join Gen to make a plan; they convinced the teen to take them to the main European colony to talk to this group leader and would leave Ryusui and a few others on the Perseus to keep watch in case things went wrong. The teen herded the kids along while guiding the group. They took notice of a few things: the clothes were pretty close to 20th-century clothing, there was a clear path from the beach to somewhere else, and it was pretty worn in, showing that it was made a while ago. The teen led them to a rustic-looking establishment and took them indoors to a Railway depot. When they were fully inside, other people were waiting in the station with them; some were reading books, and others were talking and waiting quietly.

"Apologies- but when was this colony established?" Xeno asked while taking in everything. Gen had run off to talk to other locals as subtly as possible. Senku was practically shaking with excitement at how far along the entire place was; he couldn't wait to see what the main area looked like.

"I think the founder said they broke out around 5728. AP," The teen answered with a shrug. The group all came back together with each other when they heard the loud bellow of a train horn. It was sleek, black, and a fantastic piece of machinery to behold for them.

"Ryusui-chan is gonna want this so badly when we tell him about this later." Gen teases with a grin as they board the train, walking past other seated passengers, with some staring at the start before returning to their little worlds. They all take their seats while admiring the inside of the cabin. Stanley lights a smoke, and a woman in a uniform matching the trains interior scheme comes over, opens the window and a fold-out tray where they are sitting, and sets out an ashtray for him. The group is stunned and amazed before chatting excitedly about the ordeal. Senku watches the scenery pass by them out the window; the area surrounding the train tracks still keeps the natural areas the same, and they pass by one or two towns on the way to what he hopes is a city. He sighed and rested his head against the glass; the whole ride there took about ten minutes. The announcer tells them the name of the stop, and they get off with a few other passengers; their guide tells them they must stop for a payphone to make a call quickly.

"YOU HAVE PAYPHONES!" Gen looks like he's about to cry, and Senku races to catch up with the teen, asking to see the phone as well. The kids stay with some of the group while Senku, Xeno, and the teen make the call while the latter two watch. After they make the call, they walk along the stoned and paved roads to a cafe to drop off the kids with another friend and then make their way to the council office as they've been informed all the prominent leaders are currently having a meeting. The outside of the building had a gothic architecture; when they made it inside, multiple bells lined the ceiling, with most of them sporting linning connected to a device on a far side of the building. Senku made a note to ask about that later. The teen told them to have a seat while they went inside to get the colony leader.

"How high is the possibility of us getting shot on sight?" Gen asks with a slight nervousness to him. Xeno leaned against Stanley, and Senku got up to pace a bit while observing the inside of the building.

"We have a 20 percent possibility of that happening, " the soldier answered nonchalantly, and both doctors nodded along. The doors they were waiting outside burst open, and many voices came from within the room.

"Sorry about that! Ya'll can come in now." A woman with a strong accent told while poking her head out. They all looked between themselves before shrugging and waltzing in. There was a large round table in the center of the room, a balcony above them, and a few people sitting around and arguing. Senku looked around and was starting to get weary with the lack of progress now; seeing all the advancements was nice, but he needed materials and needed them soon; eventually, a voice that he thought he would never hear again booms out from the shadows.

"We've built payphones, trains, lights, hell, even cameras! But you want to stop at the thought of creating a satellite." Such conviction in your voice made his heart clench; you walked down the steps, came to the center of the room, and slammed your hands on the table.

"I wish to explore the stars and communicate across the waters!" You said with a flourish and a wave of your black-gloved hands.

"And getting to the stars will help me accomplish that goal." It was like when he built inventions with you in the old world. He couldn't help but smile as you laid out your plan to everyone in the room and swayed them so quickly; in the end, when you held the vote, everyone agreed with you with the joy you held when you initially told them of your plans. Once the meeting was over, you had everyone leave the room; the woman that had let them in earlier had pointed them out to you; you took a double glance when you saw him and dropped everything in your hands when you saw him.

"You look older, " he tells you while skimming your appearance; the kid earlier said the time of when you had broken out, he estimated that you had to be at least nine years older than him. He walked around the table to get a closer look at you, and you backed up a bit as he approached. Your eyes started to water as you looked at him; he thought you were always more emotional than him. He raised his hand toward your face but stopped just short of it; then, you crushed him in a hug. He returned it the best he could and laughed while you cried quietly into his chest.

"Uhm- hate to break whatever this is up, but care to explain Senku-chan?" Gen butted in, and Senku sighed while still holding you, patting your back while you got out thousands of years of distance from your lover out on his lab coat.

"They're my…Hm…Fiancee." You snapped up from his chest with a surprised look.

"Congratulations." Xeno offered while you and Gen both spluttered; you were about to ask when this happened when Senku slipped off your glove and then on a metal band with a small green jewel onto your left ring finger. You were left standing there looking stupid while he told you to show them around the place. You were floating along the whole tour, still lost on how you would get married after having not seen him for over three thousand years.

"Oh, there's still a monument left from when we originally built the town when I woke up here." You perk up as you tell them and pick up your pace to show them. As you walk outside, they see other city inhabitants greet you with warm smiles and occasionally stop to give you things or to chat quickly. By the time you make it to the monument, the sun is starting to set. It's slightly off from the communal eating area for the original island settlers: a giant stone slab with names carved on it and dates beside them. The five of you look at the list of names, and Senku spots yours; his eyes trail over to the date you broke out of stone: January 4th, 5728. He reaches his hand out to it. Gen looks over at the date, and his eyes widen at the year.

"That means you should be forty years old.." The four of them look over at you.

"They don't look forty, closer to twenty, thirty the most," Xeno says as he holds his face while looking at your features.

"After the second time I was turned to stone, I stopped aging." You answer with a shrug; they all look at you slightly horrifiedly. You wave them off and lead them back to the town hall.

"We should probably call the Perseus to restock on supplies." Senku interjects as you lead them.

"Let's go to the communication room, then; the payphones might not connect to your frequency, " you tell them with a happy clap of your hands. You lead them to a large room with vintage communication systems and lead them over to a girl who looks older, taller, and closer in appearance to you. You introduce her as your sister and tell her to communicate with their ship. Xeno helps her find the frequency, and the device crackles to life; you hand Senku and Xeno a headset, grab one for yourself, and start to speak.

"This is the city of Thousand Skies hailing the Perseus; do you copy?" There's silence on the other end before a calm voice answers.

"This is Perseus we copy." You smile at Senku and let him take over; he breaks down the situation, and you can hear some cheering in the background.

"We'll send out a group to help move you guys to the city and take the Perseus to the docks closer to the city so we can load it up with supplies." You sent out a few groups with some cars with good carrying capacity, as the train would have taken too long and stopped running due to the late hour. You head to the meal hall and ask for the chefs to prepare for a party; while you wait, the four that came with you initially sit, and you bring over some drinks for them all. You sit beside your soon-to-be husband and start fussing over his clothes a bit; when you finish, you look at his face and sigh while running your hands over the petrification marks that were left permanently. He grabs your hand with the ring on it while watching you, moving closer you glance at his lips, and before the two of you can kiss,

"Damn, is this how you felt with me and Xeno, Gen?" You cover your mouth with your hand while Senku glares at your onlookers. They cackle amongst themselves while teasing Senku some more. You lay your head on his shoulder instead, and the rest of his crew burst into the hall; they start to take seats at all the tables, and the one you heard over the mic sits with your group along with a loud blonde and Senku's childhood friends. You haven't felt this at home in a long time; his friends excitedly tell you tales of their adventures worldwide, and you end up sharing yours with them the hall calming down to listen. When you finish your story, Taiju raises a toast in your honor, and everyone shouts their 'cheers' for you. Eventually, when everyone is distracted, you share your long-awaited kiss with Senku; it was worth waiting all those years for it.

"OH MY GOD, THEY'RE KISSING!" Senku holds his head in his hands, and you can't help but laugh.