#which like. is expected if it was a bit that they were leaning into

[motorsportbarbie13]

The Yapping Hour is Upon Us - Bonus Sessions

In which you interview 2 multi-world champions in one sitting.

Warnings: discussions of the traumatic 2021 Abu Dhabi race (lol) Pairing: Max Verstappen x Podcaster!Reader Word Count: 2k words

(quick note. shoutout to @shelbyteller for the inspiration for this one. Hope it lives up to your expectations bb!)

"I can't believe you got him to agree to this." You say, shuffling a few papers on your desk in the Monaco apartment you share with Max.

Max looks at you, brow raised. "Are you kidding me? I didn't have to do any convincing. That man loves you. Honestly, I should probably be a little jealous of how eagerly he agreed to come on the show."

You roll your eyes, knowing that Max is being ridiculous. "As if I'd ever look at anyone but you." You tease, rising from your desk chair before crossing the room to sit on Max's lap.

When you had moved in with Max earlier in the year, one of the things he had insisted on was turning one of the spare rooms in his (well, now it was yours too, he had insisted on putting you on the deed to the property after your engagement, much to the dismay of his lawyer) apartment into a dual recording studio and office for you.

Tucked away in one of the corners was a large mahogany desk that you spent most of your time at. On the other side of the room that's decorated in tones of gold and champagne pink sits your podcasting setup with 2 comfy sitting chairs, microphones, and side tables. It's the perfect cozy setup. You didn't use this room all the time for your guests, a lot of the time you were traveling to meet them. This room was used for when you did your 'bonus session' episodes and when you had more personal friends on the show, like today's guest.

Max wraps his arms around your middle, pulling you closer into his chest. "Have I ever told you that I love you?" He murmurs, breath tickling the shell of your ear.

You hum, small grin spreading across your face as you lean your head further into the crook of his neck. "Not in the last ten minutes."

"Well, let me remedy that terrible fact." Max's lips skate over your jaw before they find their home. "I love you beyond words, schatje." His words are mumbled against your lips but you understand them all the same.

When he slips his tongue into your mouth you can't help the sigh that leaves your body. It doesn't matter how many times Max kisses you because every time his lips land on yours, it feels like the first time.

The make out session continues for several moments before you're interrupted by a buzzing on Max's phone. "Looks like he's here. You ready?"

You glance down at your outfit, casual but put together for the interview that you're sure will make some waves in the F1 world. Not only because of who it is but also because of what you got him to agree to discuss today. "I hope so!"

Max leaves the office to retrieve your guest as you begin prep on the room. You had decided to just run the entire episode by yourself today, giving Steve and Shannon the day off from filming since it was in your home and you liked to keep this environment as relaxed and low key as possible.

Voices float towards you as you finish up the last bits of preparation. And then, they're standing in the doorway.

"I hear congratulations are in order!"

"Lewis!" You croon, setting down the papers in your hands before crossing the room to your friend's opened arms. "Thank you so much."

Lewis chuckles before holding you out at arms length, "Let me see that rock. I'm sure Instagram did it no justice."

You happily hold out your left hand for Lewis to take, grinning like an idiot over his shoulder at Max, who is leaning against the door frame with the same goofy grin on his face. The word 'proud' didn't seem to do what he felt for you in this moment justice.

"He did good, didn't he?"

"Ma'am, that man is so wildly in love with you." Lewis chuckles before looking over his shoulder at Max. "Good taste there, mate."

Max nods. "Thanks. Can I get you anything before you guys get started?"

Lewis shakes his head and just like that, you go into work mode. You give Lewis a brief explanation on how it's going to work, just like you did for Max over a year ago. Meanwhile, Max sits at your desk and watches you work. In the last year, he hasn't really had the opportunity to watch you film and record a show because he's always felt in the way but this time is different. He had been the one to ask Lewis onto the show and it had been Lewis that insisted he stay to watch the entire interview when he had tried to excuse himself moments before.

You were so in your element is left Max in awe. The way you moved around the room with such confidence, setting up the cameras and microphones, talking to Lewis like he was a brother or an old friend, you really commanded the room and made both of these drivers, who were used to wrestling flying torpedos around hairpin curves going fast enough to kill someone was just awe inspiring.

"Okay, but seriously, before we wrap this up we need to talk about one more thing." You giggle a bit, watching as Lewis reaches down to scratch Rosco on the head.

"Shit." Lewis hisses while Max laughs from his spot at your desk where he's been watching the entire interview quietly. "I thought you were going to forget about that."

You toss your head back, laughing maniacally. "And blow the chance at having two fan bases hate me? As if, Hamilton. Max, do you want to join us?"

Although you have the air of someone who couldn't care less about the upcoming topic, secretly, your stomach twists with anxiety. When Max had suggested the finale to your landmark interview with Lewis and when Lewis had agreed to is, you had been confident that you could handle such a touchy subject but now? Now that you were face with actually having to talk to your friend about it on camera to be released for the entire world to see? You were having second thoughts.

Max stands and sits next to you in the chair that you had pulled out moments before.

"And before we even get started, I want to preface this final segment by saying that you both agreed to this before hand and I am not blindsiding anyone, right?"

Both men grin at you where you sit between them and nod. "We both agreed to this." Lewis says.

"Well I, for one, feel a bit like a hostage here having to agree to this on camera." You reach across and smack Max on the shoulder, causing him to smile even wider. "Yes, of course. We both agreed to this."

"We're a few years removed from the 2021 season. Lewis, looking back do you think there's anything you could have done differently to change the outcome?"

Lewis shrugs, "If you would have asked me that a year ago, I would have probably said yes but as we get further away from it I think we did everything we could have. Sometimes, there are decisions made and things happen that are outside of your control. As a racing driver, you want everything to be under your control and even when it's not, it's in our nature to take on everything as if it is under our control."

"Are you calling me a control freak?" Max quips from your other side.

"We're all control freaks, man." Lewis says with a chuckle.

"What's that saying? Hindsight is 20/20? Looking back, there are always things you see and go 'well that was a terrible decision." Max says, smiling over at his rival. "But at the time, we all made what we thought were the best decisions we could with the information we had in front of us. I don't think there was anything either of us could have done to have change the outcome based on what we knew then and there."

You nod, grinning at both of the men. "Can we talk about Abu Dhabi for a second? I don't want to talk about the race, that's been done to death. But, can you walk me through what was going through your head in the days after?"

"I isolated big time." Lewis says, looking down at his hands before reaching to scratch Rosco's head. "I took off and spent time alone and just did a lot of thinking. I hated that my championship came down to the decisions of one man. Had we been better and more consistent the entire year, it wouldn't have come down to the last lap. That was on me and no one else. I had to take that on and figure out how I was going to face the team after letting them down."

"But you didn't let them down." Max insists. "That entire season was a masterclass in never giving up and making something out of nothing. I mean, sure I was the beneficiary of that final call from Race Control but it could have easily went the other way. I don't know what I would have done had I been in your shoes after that race."

"You would have been fine." Lewis says. "You've always been better at compartmentalizing things on the track. I take a lot of my work home with me. It's why I struggle to let people in. I'm often caught up in my own world focusing on what I need to do to perform better and improve, racing takes up my whole life and I'm content with that. You're a different breed. You don't take work home with you and that's how you were able to land this gorgeous girl."

"Hey, lay off the flirting with my fiance." Max snaps good naturdly, reaching for your hand and giving Lewis a wink. "Your singular focus is how you've won so many championships though and no one can fault you for that."

The rest of the interview continues for a few more minutes before you begin to wrap things up. It's been almost two hours at that point and the last 30 minutes of the interview is just Max and Lewis talking racing, Max threatening to retire, and Lewis threatening to pull an Alonso and never retire.

When the episode it released, it is a complete surprise and incredibly well received by everyone inside and outside the F1 community, which was somewhat surprising to you as you know what a hot button issue the 2021 season was and how polarizing discussing that very last race could be. In the end, it's one of your more favorite episodes and it opens up the doors to many more sports interviews, including a partnership with F1 TV for some mid-season post-race work that has you doing even more of what you love: getting to know the people beneath the sheen and shine of their own celebrity.

TheYappingHour Posted:

928,991 likes liked by charlesleclerc, ferrari, roscolovescoco, and others theyappinghour newest episode drops today featuring this handsome boy and his dad! ;) make sure you listen to the entire hour...there may be a surprise guest at the end! lewishamilton pleasure being on with you. and once again, congrats on the engagement! max is a lucky man! >>>theyappinghour oh lewis! you're the best. thank you <3 user028 i cannot get over how good she is at making people feel comfortable talking to her about hard things. i've NEVER heard lewis open up about 2021 like that before. >>>user9281 seriously. she is a magician. user0911 the cameo at the end! the yapping about the engagement! lewis sounding so genuinely happy for them! this may just be one of my favorite episodes ever.

tags: @formulaal @martygraciesversion381 @longhairkoo @samantha-chicago @stelena-klayley @dark-night-sky-99

[lvvrmel]

CORRUPTION .ᐟ

DEAN WINCHESTER X ANGEL!READER

PAIRING: Human!Dean Winchester x Angel!Reader.

CONTENT WARNING: corruption, innocent!reader, slightly sleazy! dean, gn! reader, nsfw, smut, oral (dean receiving), mdni, 18+

SUMMARY: dean cant stop himself from corrupting your angel-like innocence.

>> word-count — 1.2k .ᐟ

.ᐟ not proofread .ᐟ

Dean had first met you through Castiel, both of you being angels who knew each other from Heaven. You had been tagging along with the Winchester brothers for an indefinite amount of time, occasionally dropping by to visit and help them out a bit.

Dean didn’t really care for you too much at first, although you eventually grew on him. Maybe a bit too much.

Your constant innocence and naivety was adorable in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but imagine what it’d be like to be the one to take that from you. Could you really blame him though? When you bat your eyelashes at him like that, what do you expect from him? He’s a simple guy, of course he’s gonna be attracted to a cute little thing like you.

Sam found Dean’s attraction to you fairly obvious; with his constant staring — not just your chest and backside but your wide eyes and glossy lips too, his never-ending flirting and teasing he continuously aimed towards you. Although, unlike Sam, you did not catch on to Dean’s relentless innuendos, no matter how often he said them and no matter how suggestive he made them. You were just too much of a pure and innocent angel.

Dean really looked forward to the times you’d randomly decide to drop by unannounced. But this time? When you’ve dropped by when he’s all alone? Dream come true for him. Getting you alone plays a huge part in his fantasies.

Dean and Sam had found a motel to stay at during a hunt, both of them in separate rooms that are just next door to each other, and Dean did not expect to get back from the bar and see you sat there on the centre of the bed. It was a nice surprise though.

He raises his eyebrows at the sight of you randomly visiting, shutting the door behind him while he keeps his gaze on you with that smug look on his face, running his hand through his hair as he makes his way over to you, speaking in his usual gruff tone. “Hiya, Sweetheart. What’re you doing here? Decided to drop by?”

Dean watches as you nod your head and smile slightly at him, sitting down on the edge of the bed with a small grunt. “Missed you, yknow, darlin’. Should come visit more. I’d love to see your pretty face more often.” He smirked, reaching over to gently pat your thigh with his hand.

Dean watches as you smile a little more at him, probably appreciating that he missed you and thinks your face is pretty, which only made him think of you as even more adorable. “You’re a cute thing, sweetheart, yknow that? Caught anyones eyes yet?” He sure hopes not. Dean wants to be the first one to touch you, take that innocence from you that he loves so much.

Contentment washes over him when he sees that shake of your head in response, the smirk on his lips widening slightly. “Oh yeah? No angels fallen in love with you? You ever been with a guy before?” Which you responded with another shake of your head and a small “No.” in that soft, sweet voice of yours.

“Never? Oh, darling, that’s adorable. Not even had a quick peck on the cheek?” Dean very clearly loved how innocent you are, how you’re too precious for your own good. Each visit you make to Earth, the more captivated he finds himself.

“Want me to show you what it’s like?” Dean leans forward slightly, the two of you now very close as he watches you consider his offer for a moment, grinning slightly more at your small nod, enjoying the fact your curious to what a kiss feels like.

Dean wasted no time when he saw you agree to his offer of showing you what it’s like to kiss someone, moving closer to you on the motel bed as his hand goes to rest against your cheek, gently pulling you towards him while he leans in, starting off with a chaste, innocent kiss against your lips before deepening the kiss more, his lips pressed against yours as his thumb gently rubs against your inner thigh.

He continues to kiss you as his tongue slips past your lips, reluctantly pulling away after a while once he decides he wants a little more than just making out.

“How was that, sweetheart? Y’wanna go even further than kissing?” He suggests in a low, gruff voice, moving a strand of hair from your face and tucking it behind your hair as you hesitantly nod your head a bit after thinking about his suggestion.

With that, Dean gently guides you onto the floor, propped up on both of your knees as he sits on the edge of his bed, his hands hastily unbuckling his belt and unzipping his jeans, freeing his hard-on from his boxers.

Deans hand loosely pumps himself up and down a bit as a little precum leaks from his tip, eventually resting his hand on the back of your head and guiding you to his cock, quietly instructing you to open your mouth before placing his tip on your tongue, his hand on the back of your head slowly moving your head forward to help you take his whole length, those cute noises you make when his tip prods at the back of your throat sounding like music to his ears.

Your pretty lips wrapped around his cock makes his head roll back, groaning while directing your head back and forth, gradually getting quicker the more he gets closer to cumming.

Dean pants heavily as he slowly starts to thrust his hips, his cock going deeper into your throat at a faster pace than before, letting out a low grunt every now and then as he feels himself getting closer.

When he finally lowers his head to look at you, it does nothing but speed up the nearing climax. Your head relentlessly bobbing back and forth, your eyes ever so slightly tearing up at each inch you take down your throat, he can’t help but grind his hips even quicker at the arousing sight.

Dean can’t take anymore, the view he has of you throating his dick, the sounds you make each time it reaches the very back of your throat, and the way your mouth feels wrapped around his cock, all just becomes too much for him, cum eventually oozing out, landing on your tongue and some of your face from Dean pulling out, his hand pumping his dick a few times while cum continues to land on your lips and chin, watching your eyes close tightly in reaction to the sudden sticky nut that’s now all over your face.

Dean breathes heavily at the sensation of finishing, watching you try to spit his seed out, probably not liking it from how new it all is to you. He gently runs his fingers through your hair before reaching over to the nightstand beside the bed, taking a few tissues from the tissue box that was sitting there, using it to wipe away the cum that had planted on your face.

“God, you’re a natural, sweetheart…” Dean pants out after finishing with wiping the stickiness off your face, leaning down and leaving a soft kiss to your forehead. He was definitely going to be doing that with you again. It was just too good not to happen again. And hopefully he might be able to eventually go further than just a blowjob with you.

[animezinglife]

I understand it, too.

I genuinely do find Solas attractive, albeit in a different way. I would love to romance him with a different character someday---I just wish we got Solas for who he truly was from the start of that romance or that the truth had come out earlier. I'm good at avoiding spoilers, and I hadn't known he would betray the Inquisitor, nor had I even known you couldn't romance him as a human. I had actually gone in fully expecting Mira to flirt with him a little (I knew nothing about Cullen's romance at the time and had always heard Solas was the way to go), but that's simply not how their dynamic played out anyway.

I have no doubt his and Lavellan's is an enthralling story in DA:I, and I would at some point like to experience it. I fully understand the appeal. I would fully be there myself with the right character and mindset.

Solas is captivating. He's someone you could talk with for hours on end about the most abstract concepts, but there's always that small sense of him keeping his distance (even before the topic ever comes up). Even I knew there was more he wasn't saying by the way he dodged questions and some of the dialogue between him and other companions. Though for someone who didn't know better, that could've simply meant he was far more powerful than he let on, knew more than he let on, likely older than he seemed, and wanted to protect himself. The whole, "elven god of lies" thing was a bit more of a twist than I'd anticipated. A secret, ancient elf hiding some things I can do, especially if those layers get peeled back over time. I'm less sure about elven Loki.

I think it truly would've been interesting had it gone a bit more in the direction of Children of Fallen Gods/Mother of Death and Dawn (which, some have noticed, draws some considerable parallels to Solavellan in ways that can't be considered coincidence). Without bringing too many spoilers to the forefront of the conversation, there is some...mutual awareness and corruption that occurs between Totally-Not-Solas and Totally-Not-Lavellan. The power dynamic's more balanced and decision making more...comparable to some degree.

(I am not, by the way, blaming Solas or pointing any fingers at anyone regarding their power dynamics in DA:I).

Solas is the guy whose beauty (if you lean that way at all) isn't quite as noticeable until you get into a really deep discussion with him and realize your heart's beating a little too quickly and you're definitely sitting closer to him now than you were before. He draws you in. He piques your curiosity a bit too much.

I truly do not factor in looks at all (within reason---I'm blatantly partial to humans, elves, fae, vampires, etc.) when I play games with romance options. Solas (in theory; I played as a human, which negates the option) would've been every bit as high up on my to-romance list as Cullen. In truth, he was higher just because he was the one I knew so many were obsessed with. Just because Cullen caught my eye faster didn't mean he and my Inquisitor would've been a good match.

But wow, were they.

I easily lean more towards the "Solas-is-attractive" camp in general. Honestly, I love the fact that the romance options in DA:I were so different and unique from each other. Any players who chose to pursue a romance could find one that suited their characters perfectly. I like that there are a range of personalities, dynamics, and looks, and that there's good variety.

For me personally, nothing in that particular game will ever top Cullen's just because it's so incredibly hyper-specific to every little thing I love and value most even in real life. It's perfect for Mira's story; she is, admittedly, a lot like me. I couldn't believe a romance like that even existed in a game (and you already know why/the many layers I'm referring to).

Yet I also know there are plenty who wouldn't like his romance at all and vastly prefer Solas (or someone else in general).

That's the beauty of it, though.

But, yeah..."ugly?" That's not even a word I'd consider for Solas at all.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | ▶ dev. Bioware

[v1sexual]

Gym buddy Vi ! Head-canons + small blurb 𖦹

sfw & nsfw ! nsfw under the cut !

note :

this is lowkey ass guys im not even gonna lie :,) i haven’t written for a year so im really rusty 🫡 anyways ,, hope u guys enjoy ! (my asks are open as well <3)

𖦹

sfw !

Gymbuddy Vi! Who you always had teeny tiny crush on after seeing her absolutely go nuts on one of the punching bags.

Gymbuddy Vi! Whose first encounter with you was when she saw you deadlifting and noticed your form was a bit off so she decided to walk up to you and give you a couple of pointers.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who you found out lived in the same apartment complex as you.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who always helped you out at the gym. Whether it’s spotting, helping you with weights, or motivating you to do another rep.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who agreed to teach you a bit of kickboxing when you begged her to, after watching her totally wreck the punching bag.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who texts you if you’re going to the gym then waits for you outside your door, and drops you off at your door after the gym session.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who brings you pre-workout, protein shakes, or an energy drink everytime you go the gym.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who was totally not looking at how your ass looked in those cute mini biker shorts.

nsfw !

Gymbuddy Vi! Who can’t help but gawk at your breasts that one time you decided to change right in front of her. Her eyes focused on your chest as you wiped the sweat with your shirt.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who only took her eyes off you when you cleared your throat, you raised an eyebrow at her. An amused look present at your face.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who apologized and pulled a crappy excuse out her ass and started changing.

Gymbuddy Vi! Whose eyes found its way back to you, and boy was she surprised to see you bent over slipping your gym short off revealing the pink thong you wore underneath.

Gymbuddy Vi! Who was lowkey disappointed when you immediately put some sweatpants on.

𖦹

“You alright vi?” you called out, still in your sports bra. Vi hummed, slowly peeling her eyes off you. She took her shirt off, your eyes went wide as you got a clear view of the tattoo on her back.

“I didn’t know your back tattoo was that big,” you called out, slipping a hoodie on. Vi turned her head towards you, “Wanna see it up close?” she teased.

You shrugged and started walking towards her. “Can I touch you?” You asked, Vi raised an eyebrow and you immediately stumbled on your words. “I meant your back- I just wanted to take a closer peak at the tattoo. The design just looked really-“

Vi lets out an amused laugh and turned her back on you, “Go ahead shortcake. I don’t mind.”

Rolling your eyes, you placed your hand on her back. Gently tracing the intricate pattern of her back tattoo. As an art major, you’ve always loved seeing unique designs be it on canvas, digital art, or tattoos. Tattoos are what piques your interest the most though, you loved how all tattoo designs are personal, you loved how the intricate pattern of ink on a person’s skin tells a story.

Vi lets out a low groan which pulled you from your thoughts, you quickly took your hand off her back.

“Sorry,” you murmured. Eyes still fixed on Vi’s back. Vi turned to look at you, her cheeks flushed and goosebumps littered her skin. “It’s alright shortcake, I didn’t mind.”

You and Vi stared at each other for what felt like forever, and the next thing you know you were pinned against the lockers. Vi’s face a couple inches away from yours. You could feel her breath on your lips, her eyes never left yours as she slowly leans in.

When Vi’s lips met yours you were caught off guard. You expected her kiss to be hard and rough, but instead her lips moved softly against yours. Her hands resting on your waist as you wrapped your arms around her neck.

“I’ve been waiting forever to do that,” Vi whispered against your lips as you broke from the kiss. You gave her a cheeky smile, “Took you long enough.”

Your lips met again, but this time the kiss was harder. Vi slipped her hands inside your jacket, feeling the soft skin of your stomach. You let your head rest against the locker when Vi buried her head in your neck. She started leaving trails of small soft kisses on your skin as her hands rest just below the strap of your bra.

“Can I—“ Before Vi could even finish her sentence, the locker room door slammed open. She immediately stepped back and quickly put on a shirt just before a couple of girl entered the room. They didn’t pay you two any mind and started gathering their things.

Vi quickly grabbed both of your gym bags, her free hand clasped yours as she leads you out of the locker room. “How about we continue this at home?” She whispered, leaning down to your ear level. You rolled your eyes playfully and hummed in response, as you two walked hand in hand towards your apartment.

[writingmeraki]

patch you right up — a r.c drabble.

★ pairing: rafe cameron x frenemy!reader, enemies to ?? ★ genre: hurt/comfort, unresolved feelings. ★ warnings: cussing, mentions of being drunk, violence, mentions of wounds and treating them. ★ a/n : urm very...random, silly, might not make sense but it was rotting in my mind, lmk what you think <3 ★ w.c : 1.1k

“This was very fucking stupid of me.”

Hissing in pain as the hydrogen peroxide made contact with your torn knuckles on your hand, you held your bruised jaw with the free hand and looked away from the blood glistening because of the light above.

“Oh you don’t say?” His voice was mocking, nothing new but it held an underlying annoyance you could somehow detect. 

Sighing, you pulled your hand abruptly, which earned you a sharp turn of his head in your direction and his dark blue eyes glaring at you, “What are you doing?”

“You don’t have to do this-”

“Shut up.”

“No I mean it, Rafe. It’s my fault, ‘ll patch it up myself.”

It did not help how horrible your head seemed to ache as you shut your eyes briefly, everything felt overwhelming, especially with him being this close to you. Him just anywhere near you was enough to drive you a little over the edge and it seemed to get worse when you had a bit too much liquid courage in your system. 

“Look at me.” You hated how easily you complied as you opened your eyes to find him staring at you, only this time, they were much softer.

That wasn’t hard to do, considering the position you were in. On his impossibly large bathroom counter as he stood between your legs, really you didn’t have much to look at. 

“It’s not your fault, alright?” You spited it when people would always give you fake sentences for the sake of being ‘kind’, it was all sugar coated shit to you. But somehow when Rafe Cameron said that to you, your heart felt like it would combust then and there.

It didn’t help how the daziness was elevated as you scanned his features up close. He was unrealistically beautiful, carved gently.

Because he was who he was, you knew he meant what he said. For all the time you knew him, he was one to be honest. About how he felt, about what he felt and for who he felt. Though, when you questioned yourself what he might feel for you now, you’d say you don’t know.

Nodding along to his words, you leaned to your left, luckily having a wall to support you and not embarrassingly falling, you’d done enough that night. 

Without more words, he gently grabbed your hand and finished cleaning up the burst skin and spilled blood. You once again shut your eyes, this time tightly as you clenched your jaw when he applied ointment.

“ ‘hurts.” The treating part made you wince even more than when you were getting the injury. Probably how most of the adrenaline wore out by now.

“I know, ‘almost done.” He gently spoke up as he concentrated on patching up a bandage around your hand.

A quiet silence filled the space for a moment, and even though you did feel out of it, you could sense he had something to say.

“Why-why’d you do it?” He said as he finished with your hand, instructing you to sit up straight. His hand on your jaw did make you more alert even though he was very…gently doing it. It was colder than you expected, and you were sure he could feel how warm you were getting when he was slowly caressing it with a delicate touch.

“That’s outta bruise badly.” His eyes held remorse and his frown deepened. You didn’t even realize your own gaze lingered on his lips.

Gulping, your eyes darted away from his face. Maybe it was the guilt or the buzz, but you murmured out,

“...I- it was well…It was stupid but I- couldn’t control myself. I got mad.”

His hand paused and he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. This was new. 

“They- they were saying stupid shit. I knew they were doing it to rile me and well they did that just right. It was fine when it was about me, I ignored it but I couldn’t stand the rest.”

Something in his chest flared as his confusion was slowly turning into realization but he continued letting you speak,

“They began talking shit about…about you.” You recalled the tone they used, the words they called him and you could feel the familiar annoyance and anger build up as they replayed in your mind.

“And I couldn’t stand it alright. I just…no one talks shit about you. No one except me. I mean, the fucking audacity to even say those…those things when they’re probably even worse!”

He blinked a few times to make sure he heard you right. You’d looked to the side, scowling as you clicked your tongue.

“Next thing I knew, I’d just hit someone and then the same happened to me. I guess maybe I deserved one but you should see the other idiot’s face.” You finally looked back into his eyes, a slight smile on your face when you recalled hearing the other dude’s nose definitely crunching and you were sure it would never be the same. You’d made it very sure.

He did not know what to feel. Amusement? Shock? Disbelief? But over them all, his heart fluttered wildly as his eyes scanned your face. The same one that had been haunting his mind since the first time he’d seen you, the first time he’d ever have someone make him more mad than anything yet made him want you closer. You were simply driving him insane since he’d met you. 

He just never realized, until now, that maybe he was never the only one who felt the same.

Tilting your head, you licked your lower lip, his gaze moving there for a brief moment, you said, “But you know what?”

One corner of your lip turned up as you smirked lightly, “I don’t regret it. I’d do it again in fact.”

His tongue felt heavy as the words clogged up in his throat, he gulped down the knot formed as he clenched his hand that was beside you, over the counter edge. He stared intently into your eyes, you could feel your heart beating faster as you leaned closer. 

Before you knew it, his lips were on yours as you fluttered your eyes shut, hand going over his neck and pulling him impossibly closer. His hands moved to your hips, pressing into them as if he was afraid you’d disappear and it was all a dream.

It was messy as you’d expect from two people whose own feelings were a mess, your non-injured hand ran over his hair and he groaned into the kiss. You might as well have just combusted then and there. 

Feeling the need to breathe, you gently pulled away, resting your forehead on his as his hand came up to your face, caressing it gently.

“You’re fucking insane, you know that right?” He breathed out as he tried to steady his own breathing and rapidly beating heart.

“Over you? Fuck yeah.”

extra a/n : ...yeah I'm sorry if the uhm kissing part sucked...it's been a very whole while.

all written works as well as images and edits (unless credited) belong to pri. do not plagiarise, repost, re-edit or claim as yours. pics mostly found on pinterest.

writingmeraki Ⓒ 2024

feedback is always appreciated 💌 ! links : main navi ! | misc masterlist | main masterlist | info !

[bucketbueckers]

mess me up - paige bueckers

pairing: paige bueckers x fem!reader wc: 6.1k content warnings: language, abuse of italics, grammatically incorrect past tense flashback, smut robbery(?), pretty mature but nothing graphic synopsis: your friends invited you out to a frat party to celebrate the men’s team winning the NCAA tournament where you bump into paige bueckers, the girl who you're in love with and who you ghosted for a month after hooking up with her. a much-needed conversation at the party forces you to revisit difficult memories and give her the closure she’s been seeking. notes: idk what this is! based loosely off of 'friends' and 'mess me up' by chase atlantic. unfortunately the smut robbery line is for real, like it's smut in the way lacroix tastes like real fruit (which is to say it's not smut, but like concepts of smut... 😝 (i've never had lacroix idk if this is accurate)) side note i hate writing in past tense but doing a traditional flashback scene is corny as hell! idk if it matters but this is set april 2024 (w/ a february 2024 flashback); doesn't really affect anything, so... anyway, second post on tumblr, lmk if we're rocking w it 🙂‍↕️

For the record, you didn’t want to come to this party.

It’s hot, sweaty, loud, and all you can smell is the same brand of men’s cologne and weed. The air is both stale and somehow feels wet and all you can think about is getting back to your apartment so you can shower and go to bed. You had a mock trial bright and early the next morning and your law professor was a stickler for punctuality and presentability – showing up with wrinkled clothes and smelling like a frat party was a sure-fire way to fail, and you had too much riding on your grades to let that happen.

The frat (whose name you’ve already forgotten) was celebrating the NCAA tournament win for the UCONN men’s basketball team. They’d apparently gone back to back, which you guess is cool, but you swore off basketball a long time ago. If you had your way, you’d be at home, three steps into your skincare routine, but you let peer pressure get the best of you and allowed your friends to drag you out.

It’d be fun, they said. You never come out with us! You’re spending all this tuition money and you’re not even taking advantage of it. How can you say you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it?

You only remember that your friends are law students, too, in the most unfortunate of moments when they put their persuasiveness to the test. In the most unfortunate of moments, you’re also reminded of the fact that they’re college students, too, because they’re leaving you at the door and rushing off to find something to drink. You weren’t upset they dragged you out. Not necessarily. You were grown enough to say no. Perhaps you’d simply set your expectations too high when they begged you to come out and you thought they would spend at least a little bit of time with you before doing their own thing. But sure. It’s whatever.

So, here you are – standing alone in the corner of a frat party, watching as drunk college students grind against each other, laugh, and have a good time. A part of you feels like you’re missing out, but as you watch somebody throw up into a plant, you feel like you’re just fine where you are.

You’re drawn from your thoughts when a man wearing a backwards cap suddenly shows up next to you. “Yo, you thirsty?” he yells over the music, thrusting a red solo cup into your empty hands. You don’t have the time to say anything to him before he’s grinning at you, eyes red and hooded. “Come dance with me. You’re too pretty to be standin’ here all alone.”

You hear her before you see her.

“She’s good, bro, trust,” Paige interrupts smoothly, throwing a casual arm around your shoulders. You feel too much like a damsel in distress, but sensing the gravity of the situation, you flash the guy a light smile and lean into Paige slightly. Her grip tightens. You try to not let it bother you.

He raises his hands, surrendering. “My bad. You got it.”

Paige hums, unconvinced, as he leaves. When he’s out of your sight, you wrench yourself out of her grip. “Thank you, but not necessary,” you tell her sharply, red solo cup still in your hand. If this was how your night was going to go, then you need to be a little tipsy to survive it. You barely have it halfway to your mouth before Paige is pulling it out of your grasp, pouring its contents into a potted plant and chucking the cup into a nearby trash can. “What the fu–”

“First of all,” she begins, arms crossing protectively, “never accept a drink at a party that you didn’t pour, didn’t see someone else pour, or a drink that’s already open; matter fact, don’t accept a drink unless you opened it or brought it in yourself.”

You roll your eyes slightly. “This is Storrs, Paige. Do the frats really get down like that here?”

Her gaze is unimpressed. “You’re the law student, ma, you tell me the numbers. Second of all, you’re welcome. That was Kylin. He doesn’t take no for an answer in the first place but he’s all kinds of fucked up right now. I’d say I did you a favor but I wanted to talk to you, anyway.”

“Funny,” you deadpan. “Here? Now?”

“What are you doing here?” she asks you, ignoring your snippy words. “Thought this wasn’t your scene.”

You pause. “It’s not,” you confirm. “Jos and Chelsea wanted me to come out. Figured I should be a good friend once in a while.”

Paige raises a brow. “Jos and Chelsea are too busy playing strip poker with dudes from Kappa Phi to keep an eye on you, and you’re worried about having to be a good friend?”

“First of all,” you say in the know-it-all tone that Paige had used on you, “I don’t need them to keep an eye on me.” The blonde hums again, not entirely convinced, and the heat of her gaze makes you stumble over your words slightly. “Second of all, why do you even care?”

“We’re friends,” she states.

“We were once,” you correct, voice softening. It’s no secret that you and Paige had fucked up whatever you had going on. It’s never been clear whose fault your fallout was (it was yours), nor could the two of you ever agree on what destroyed you (you would argue that you shouldn’t hook up with your friends, especially not the ones you were in love with). It was a messy situation that you were sure the two of you couldn’t recover from (you didn’t want to be friends with someone you couldn’t have; Paige just wants you to give her the chance to prove you otherwise).

“Sure,” she agrees half-heartedly, knowing your spiel by heart now. “Kinda fucked up you think I need a reason to care.” You don’t dignify that with a proper response, feeling something strangely like guilt corroding your heart. “Come outside and get some air with me? Please? Just wanna talk, no funny shit, I promise.”

You sigh, feeling yourself fall back into all too familiar routines. You had a near inability to say no to Paige most times – it was the reason why you had to put a stop to your friendship. And here you are now, undoing all of the progress you’ve made since you’ve been apart (a small part of you knows better; you’re moving forward but you’re not really doing any better. You’re not progressing. You’re just stuck now, only this time, you have less than you did before). “Jos and Chelsea–”

“–made their choice,” she finishes for you. “And their choice was strip poker with a guy named Anthony,” she adds solemnly. You can’t help but quirk a smile at the absurdity of your life right now. “C’mon, please? It fucking reeks in here. They’ve got a porch swing outside and it’s all quiet and shit.”

“You’ve always had a way with words,” you tease.

“You comin’ or nah?” she asks, but you shove her forward (she lets you) and she leads you through the crowd to the door. They part like the Red Sea and you can’t help but admire the way she silently commands the room, feeling a flutter in your chest you try desperately to stomp out. It’s like a fire; all it takes is a small spark before it eventually grows out of proportion. You know better now.

The door shuts behind the two of you and you sit on the porch swing. You can still hear the music’s pounding bass, but it’s muted. You feel like you can hear your thoughts now. The tension in your shoulders eases as you take in the crisp night air, the crickets’ chirps, the occasional owl’s hoot. For a moment, you forget all of the complicated history between you and Paige; the way she held your hand as she kissed up your thigh, the way she stayed afterwards, cleaning you up and bringing you water. It almost seems as Paige is reliving all of it, too, as she looks at you, and that thought is sobering enough to bring you back to the moment.

You finally get a good look at what she’s wearing. It’s nothing outstanding; a gray Nike tech suit and a pair of dunks, although she’s opted to leave her jacket unzipped, revealing the crop top underneath. She’s dressed for comfort, though the most unfair part of it all is how good she looks when she’s not trying. Her cheekbones are sharp, eyes blue and wide and alert, and you can’t help but notice how fitting a slick-back bun is on her.

This was precisely why you needed your space. You couldn’t control your thoughts or feelings. It was manageable when you minded your business – the phrase out of sight, out of mind did wonders for you and you were usually busy enough that she only crossed your mind once or twice a week when the student population was buzzing about a recent game. But now? Now you’re fucked. You’re inches away from her and you’ve allowed her to pull you back into her orbit. She’s the Earth and you’re a meteor – any closer and you won’t be able to come back from the damage you would do to each other. She would survive, you’re sure, but you’d be destroyed in the process.

“So,” she says slowly. You avert your eyes, staring at anything but her. “How you been?”

“Good,” you lie. “Keeping busy.” That part was less of a lie, but it wasn’t her business to know.

Paige has always been good at reading you, so she gazes at you like she’s not convinced. “I think we’re overdue a conversation,” she says, surprising you. “A real one. No more of this running in circles bullshit.”

“Okay,” you agree hesitantly. You finally meet her eyes. They’re strikingly blue, disarming, and you feel an odd mixture of guilt and longing eat away at your insides. She looks like she’s drinking you in, like she’s trying to understand why you did what you did; her eyes soften in the dim glow of the porchlight and you can’t help but flush under her gaze. She always understands you in spite of how often you push her away – she seems to understand why you keep her at arm’s length, too, and it’s then that you fully understand how overwhelming it is to be known.

“Why did you leave?” she asks finally. You have to swallow back the bile in your throat. “The morning after.” Her clarification does nothing to soothe the turmoil in your stomach. “I thought…” Paige’s throat bobs as she tries to find the words. “It wasn’t a hook up. It meant something to me – everything to me. So why did you leave like that shit ain’t matter to you?”

That night in February comes back to you in the blur of a memory. You’ve thought about it so often that you could write a play-by-play of it; every single unremarkable detail comes back to you in a flourish of vibrant color – the way the floor felt beneath your feet as Paige guided you into her room, the slight scratch of her nail against the base of your neck as her hands found purchase in your hair. Paige was wrong. It meant something to you, too much to you. You often remind yourself, if it meant that much, why was it easier to run away? Jumping off of a diving board into a pool conceptually means the same thing as jumping off of a cliffside into beach waves; the jump isn’t the hard part, it’s the reminder of the distance between your feet and the surface. Your feelings for Paige are too consuming. It’s easier to not make the jump at all than it is to worry if you’ll be able to come up for air.

She was in high spirits, drunk off of their win against Villanova. They weren’t an opponent you’d typically call home for, but the Huskies were having a tough season with several injured players and a lot of underclassmen. It was close, 67-46; Paige had contributed to a little less than half of their points overall with a solid 31. She was happy, the rest of her team was happy, and she’d begged you to come over to her apartment for the post-game festivities – which was usually games and snacks as they weren’t big on drinking during the season. You’d nearly refused at first. It was supposed to be a small team get-together and you had some work to catch up on. You eventually gave in, like you always do. Paige had flashed her typical, charming smile, looping an arm around your waist, and you were a goner.

The team accepted you like you were one of their own, too. That was new. You didn’t spend as much time with them as you did with Jos and Chelsea, but it felt like you knew them better than you knew Jos and Chelsea, anyway. Ice and KK were two menacing peas in a pod – they were like sisters separated at birth and whenever they were together, something chaotic was bound to happen, but they loved and protected fiercely despite the way they teased each other and the team. Caroline was like the team mother and many of the girls called her such. Nika was intense on the court, but off of it, she was Paige’s twin through and through – they always had something to say to each other and their banter often brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Azzi was sweet and well-loved by the team (and the student population in general). She introduced you to her and Paige’s son Ines, which confused you at first, but Paige threw her arm over your shoulder and assured you that they’re only co-parenting because Carol has enough children and they didn’t want Ines to be a ward of the court. You couldn’t help but smile at that, leaning into Paige – something about the team’s dynamic healed you a little, and Ines joked that Paige went out and got her a stepmom.

You felt the blush creep up your neck as Paige tightened her grip around you slightly. “I didn’t want you to find out like this, son,” Paige had said somberly, pretending to look sad as Azzi rolled her eyes. “Your mother was havin’ an affair–”

“Oh, bullshit!” Azzi cried. The entire room broke out into fits of giggles.

“Now I understand why Paige wifed up a lawyer,” KK said in between laughter. “Tryna get a discount on that divorce, huh?”

The team had tears in their eyes from their excitement – you didn’t have the heart to tell them you were hoping to specialize in civil litigation, so you just laughed along. The conversation continued to flow as games were played. Nika was exceptionally bad at UNO and Paige never let her hear the end of it. You guys only managed to play a couple of rounds before Nika suddenly got good and played a +4, prompting Ice and KK to stack +4s of their own onto it – Paige stared in disbelief for a solid thirty seconds before picking up 12 cards and rage-quitting one turn later when KK skipped her.

“There, there,” you’d said, lips trembling as you tried not to laugh at the look on Paige’s face. You rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, and she pushed you off her gently, her own lips quirking in amusement. “Show this card game who’s boss.”

“Bro,” she grumbled, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she leaned back into the couch, her arm finding home over the back of your shoulders once more. You remember wondering if this is what normal felt like, what finally finding a community was like – you fit in too well with Paige’s teammates and they made you feel at home. Being near Paige made you feel at home. She was talented that way. She had an uncanny ability to make people feel at ease, regaling them with jokes and an endless supply of charm. When you realized you were in love with Paige Bueckers, you weren’t surprised about it. If anything, you might have been a little upset with yourself – you were sure you weren’t the only person she’d drawn in unintentionally, ensnared in a web whose latticework was meticulously shaped like basketball netting.

As the night went on, more and more laughs were shared until the clock reached midnight and many of Paige’s teammates got up to leave. Everyone shared hugs and affectionate goodnights. All of them even looped around to hug you – which was… nice. Paige shared her apartment with Azzi and Aubrey, so they retired to their own rooms after curious glances to you and Paige, still curled up together on the couch.

The apartment was quiet. You could hear the ring of silence as it enveloped the two of you, Paige’s gentle breathing, and the tick of the clock. It was oddly comforting; normally, it would have lulled you into a drowsy state, but you couldn’t focus on anything but the heat of Paige’s body next to yours, the brush of her thumb against your shoulder. Feeling both unmoored and tethered, you shift next to Paige, gathering her attention. “I should go,” you’d whispered. Her thumb halted.

“Stay,” she requested. She tilted her head. Her gaze met yours. You expected her eyes to be half-closed, dim with sleep. The rasp of her voice was attributed to a tone you knew she’d adopt when she was exhausted, but her eyes were wide, alert, dilated, a blue so dark you were sure you almost mistook the sheer want for something else. “Stay,” she murmured again. “Please.”

“Yeah,” you agreed almost breathlessly, feeling her hand squeeze your shoulder gently. “Sure.” She untangles from you and stands from the couch, offering you her hand, and you take it. She led you seamlessly through the dark of her apartment into her bedroom, where she released you long enough to rifle through her drawers, having found you a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt for you to wear to bed. Paige pointed you towards the bathroom. You changed into her clothes. Your fingers had shook with anticipation at the sheer domesticity of it all as you stared at your reflection in the mirror. Your – her – t-shirt read HOPKINS GIRLS BASKETBALL. It had all felt so different now. You hadn’t been sure at the moment if it terrified you or excited you.

You exited the bathroom to find Paige’s back to you, adjusting the band of a pair of basketball shorts around her hips. Her hair was out of her bun and it cascaded down her back in loose, wavy strands; you’d felt an inexplicable urge to run your fingers through it, to find out if her hair was as soft as it looked. She was wearing a dark black sports bra. The two of you were friends. Granted, you were in love with her, but the sight of her wearing nothing but ball shorts and her Nike bra shouldn’t have done the things it did to you.

“Which side is yours?” you’d asked, mostly to break the silence. You ignored the crack in your voice. Paige paid it no mind as she turned, which forced you to avert your eyes, trying not to glance at her abdominals.

“Don’t matter,” she responded. You watched the way she moved, sitting low on the bed, legs long and stark against the purple of her comfort. “You gettin’ in or what?” You hoped she couldn’t see the flush on your neck. You slid into bed next to her, hoping to maintain some sort of distance, but she refused to let you get too far. She slung her arm over your waist, fingers brushing against your skin where your shirt rode up. Her breath was even against your neck and the heat of her body nearly turned your brain into mush. “This okay?” she asked, tone softer.

“Mhm,” you hummed, afraid to speak or you might fuck up and tell her just how okay it actually was. Paige was just a touchy person, you tried to remind yourself as you felt the tickle of her hair against the nape of your neck. This doesn’t mean anything to her. It was all for naught. It did little to quell the way your heart raced, the way the heat pooled low in your belly.

“You looked good tonight,” she said casually. You tried to stop the goosebumps as they rose on your flesh. “You always do.”

Unable to think of something smart to say, you shifted your body slightly, your fingers splaying over the arm she held tight around your midsection. “Oh, yeah?” Her fingers brushed a little lower on your stomach, grazing the waistband of your shorts.

She hummed an affirmative, pulling you tighter against herself, and you could barely breathe. It was overwhelming in the best way – she was all around you. Physically, you felt as though you were in her skin as she greedily pulled you in. The scent of her was everywhere; the shampoo that seeped into her pillows, the cologne on her neck. Your hair stood on end as her lips brushed almost imperceptibly against the shell of your ear. “‘M glad you came tonight,” she whispered.

You flipped on your side, face-to-face with Paige. Her arm moved enough for you to get situated and once you were, her hand found the small of your back, her palm warm against your skin. You can’t help the way your breath hitched, even as Paige’s eyes seemed to take in the stuttering rise and fall of your chest. Having found some courage, you poked her cheek, drawing her eyes back up to yours. “What are we doing?” you asked finally, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable. Her brow raised slightly, the dark blue of her gaze illuminated by the streaks of moonlight through her window. “No funny shit, Paige. You touch me like you want me, claim me in front of your friends.” You searched her eyes as she fell silent. “What are we doing?” you repeated, voice firmer.

“I want you,” she confessed after a few heartbeats of contemplation. She leaned in closer to you, your noses nearly brushing, and she continued, “I want you so fucking bad. Don’t wanna do anything you’ont want, but–”

Your lips were on hers before she had the chance to finish. She responded eagerly, one hand firm around your waist as she flipped the both of you over, pulling you to straddle her waist. You leaned down, your chest against hers, hands on each side of her neck. You felt the thundering of her pulse under your fingers. It was stabilizing in a sense – words were one thing, but to feel how badly you’d been able to affect her, too, did wonders for your growing ego. Paige’s hands had found your hips, keeping you pressed against her body.

You parted briefly to catch your breath. Paige’s chest heaved, her lips shiny and swollen. She was hard to look away from. For a moment, you’d wondered if this was worth it. Your heart had raced, beating uncontrollably; it felt like too much and not enough at the same time. Everything would change between the two of you. Was one night with Paige worth the risk of losing your friendship? You feel too strongly, too much, overwhelmingly. You’ve been told by an ex or two that you were simply too much. You wouldn’t want to subject Paige to that.

Her right hand met your face, tracing the line of your bottom lip. “You want this?” she asked. Her eyes were blown wide, more pupil than iris, but something about it entranced you. The desire in her eyes had brought fresh heat to your stomach, but coupled with the fact she’d be willing to stop made your heart beat a little faster. She was enough to quell your worries, settling the irregularity of your thoughts. You nodded, leaning down to connect your lips again, but her hand was insistent against your jaw as she held you back. “Words,” she commanded.

You’d barely resisted an eyeroll. “Yes, Paige,” you affirmed. Her hand loosened, eyes searching yours. “Want you.”

Her smile turned smug. “Yeah? How bad?”

The tease sent white-hot desire straight through your body as your hips rolled against hers, trying to find some relief. Her hands fall back down to your waist, helping you rut against her thigh as a shared flush creeped up both of your necks. “You gonna touch me?” you breathed against her lips. Her breath came out a disjointed stutter when you guided her hand to the swell of your ass. It was unnatural – Paige was so sure, so confident. To have her nearly at your mercy was like a drug through your veins, but you didn’t want her there. You wanted Paige fully in control; you wanted her to take care of you, to give you everything you’d fantasized about for months on end. You wanted her so bad it rewired the coding in your brain. There was something about her that broke down all of the walls you spent years building.

Your actions and words had been the only permission she needed. One of her hands gripped the flesh of your ass as the other one cupped the back of your neck. Her nail scratched you inadvertently as she dragged you back down to connect your lips – the slight echo of pain caused you to whine against her lips, a sound she swallowed greedily before she flipped the two of you over once more. Your head fell back against her pillows as she rucked up your shirt, finding that you’d opted to not wear a bra. She groaned indulgently, one large hand coming up to squeeze one of your breasts and her mouth finding the other one.

You ran your fingers through her hair, gripping it tight as she lavished you with attention. “So fuckin’ pretty,” she murmured against you, voice dripping with want. She pressed her knee against your core as she found her way back to your lips, kissing you deeply and drawing another whimper from your parted lips. It sent a jolt through your body. “You gon’ let me do what I want, huh? Get you right?”

“Paige, please,” you begged, all of the shame having left your body as you ground down against her knee, feeling the pleasure and relief simultaneously. “Fuck, do what you want, I don’t care – just please fucking touch me.”

She shushed you, lips back on yours, tongue brushing against your lips like she was trying to take whatever you’d give her. And at that point, you would have given her anything if it meant she’d stop teasing you. “I got you, ma, jus’ relax,” she whispered against your lips. She trailed a blazing path down your chest, leaving hickies as she went. Paige reached the waistband of your shorts; she pressed a sloppy kiss to your navel before bunching her fingers in and pulling them off, throwing them haphazardly into the room.

The air was cold against you. You were breathing heavily by then, eyes squeezed shut in anticipation. Her hand untwisted yours from the bedsheets, linking your fingers together, and that touch alone was enough to bring you back down to earth. “I got you,” she promised again, reminding you, pressing diligent kisses against the inside of your thigh. You relaxed ever so slightly against her, feeling as though you could breathe a little easier, but your body was still incredibly high strung. Paige squeezed your hand. Then her mouth was on you, and you were done for.

She held your hand as she went down on you, talking you through it until your orgasm reached its peak and you sunk into the bed bonelessly. She didn’t release you when she came back up, her smile a mix of smugness, pride, and quiet adoration. Paige kissed your knuckles, your cheeks, your lips, drawing a contented sigh out of you. “You good?” she asked, brushing your hair out of your eyes, hand cradling your jaw.

Exhausted, all you could do was hum an affirmative. Paige flashed a small smile again, pressing a kiss to your forehead and crawling off the bed, much to your surprise. “Lemme get you some water,” she said. “‘M coming right back, I promise.”

You nodded wordlessly, closing your eyes and sinking back into the pillows as your breathing evens out. She left her room, the door shutting with a silent click. In the silence of Paige’s bedroom, curled up in her purple comforter, all you can think about is how the future of your friendship has inexplicably changed forever. She said she wanted you. Did she just mean sexually? Paige was always intentional in her communication, a byproduct of her media training. Tears brimmed your eyes when you considered the idea that you might have just been another Wednesday night fling for her. Here you are again, feeling stupid about the overwhelming feelings you harbored for Paige despite your better judgment. The worst part was that it wasn’t her fault. You got your hopes up.

You wiped your eyes when you heard the door open again. Paige crossed the room, cracking open a cold bottle of water for you and pressing it to your lips. You nearly forgot about your inner turmoil when she smiled at you again, having thrown her hair back up into its bun. “Gonna clean you up, okay?” she informed you. At your nod, she runs a warm washcloth between your thighs, getting rid of the lingering stickiness. She carefully redressed you, squeezing your hips gently, and you’re left feeling so incredibly conflicted that you’re breathless with the anxiety. Paige disposed of the washcloth and curled up next to you in bed once more, an arm wrapping around your midsection. You’d told each other goodnight, but as her breath evens out against your neck, your mind races.

You slept fitfully through the night. And when morning light rolled around, you extracted yourself from Paige’s grip, sliding a pillow into her arms. The nervousness and all of your overthinking thoughts made you queasy with grief. You were in love with Paige Bueckers. That much was true. You were too head over heels for her to return to normalcy; you couldn’t. At that point, it would be easier for you to not be friends with her at all than to pretend like she wasn’t everything you’d ever wanted.

As she slept, you casted one last guilty look over your shoulder and you ran.

But that night in February has long since passed, and on the porch swing on a much warmer night in April, Paige stares at you in desperation, seeking answers to the questions you’ve withheld for over a month. “Why did you leave?” she asks you again. “Fuck, tell me the truth, lie to me, whatever, just please give me something to work with.”

“It was overwhelming,” you finally admit, twisting the rings on your fingers. You feel terrible as you glance at Paige, whose eyes soften when she takes in your expression.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I shoulda seen that something was wrong.”

You close your eyes, lips trembling. You’re touched at how she instantly takes responsibility for your fuck ups, thinking she’s done something wrong. “No, Paige,” you correct her. “Fuck. It wasn’t you. It was never you.” You pick at a loose string on your shorts. She stares at you, waiting for you to continue. “You were so gentle. That night meant everything to me, and that was the problem. I wanted you so bad – Jesus Christ, I was in love with you for months. I don’t do casual. I always feel too strongly and I loved you so much that it was fucking overwhelming. I woke up and nearly lost it because I couldn’t handle the idea of having you like that and having to pretend like I didn’t want you like that forever. It was so much easier to run and not face the possibility of having to be your friend when all I’ve wanted was more.”

When you finally look back to Paige, her eyes are wide with something that looks strangely like grief, like you’ve pulled the rug from under her feet and watched as she fell. As you think about it, that’s probably what you’ve done, anyway. She spent so long thinking that your fallout was her fault, that it was something she’d done, but the ugly truth of the matter was that you were too scared of the way you felt for her that you ran from it instead. Paige runs a frustrated hand over her jaw, her expression nearly unreadable. You frown. “I’m sorry,” you say quietly, knowing that your apology is long overdue. You fucked up so incredibly bad with her. Your brain remembers her prior words, the ‘It wasn’t a hook up. It meant something to me – everything to me,’ and you suddenly feel like an idiot. God, it was mutual this entire time and you were too caught up in yourself to realize it.

“You think too fucking much,” Paige says finally, and you hardly have the time to react before she’s kissing you, her hands gripping your hips. You nearly gasp against her lips before you fully register what’s happening. Sinking into it, you wrap your arms around her neck, feeling suddenly like everything is finally aligning, that all of your blurred focal points sharpen. When she pulls away, her eyes are alight with understanding. “So, lemme get this straight. You pushed me away ‘cause you’re in love with me, then we fucked, and you thought I wouldn’t wife you up?”

You frown, feeling stupid all over again. “Well, when you put it like that…yeah?”

Paige sighs. “Fuck. Look at my lawyer – you’d send dudes to jail left and fucking right ‘cause you jump to conclusions too early. Thank God you’re not going into criminal defense.”

You shove her away from you, feeling the embarrassment bloom on your cheeks. You can’t help but laugh as you say, “You’re an asshole.”

She guffaws, reaching for your hands, intertwining your fingers. “Says you! You ghosted me for a month and let me think I fucked us up. Jesus Christ.” She twists the ring on your finger mindlessly as she searches for the right words. “Okay, lemme be really fucking clear. I’m in love with you, too. Like, I’m fuckin’ crazy about you. There is nobody but you. You aren’t too much for me – I love you for you, no ifs, ands, buts, whys, hows, nothing. I know you thought you were protecting us by pushin’ me away, but you gotta let me make that choice, too. I want this with you, alright? Will you gimme that chance?”

Her words leave the two of you in silence. You can still hear the chirp of the crickets, the thrumming from the party indoors. You can feel the way her thumb brushes over your knuckles, the way her eyes bore into yours, patiently waiting for your decision. But distinctly, you can see the plea, the desperation for you to just give into what she knows the both of you are feeling. Your anxiety and constant overthinking never ruined the two of you. It may have set you back, but you and Paige found your way back to each other. Maybe you’re not a meteor, dangerously crashing into her and disintegrating on impact. Maybe the two of you are something simpler – the moon and the tide. She was never going to let you get hurt if only you’d give her the opportunity to show you that.

So, you take that leap – whether it’s off the diving board into the pool or the cliffside into beach waves, you don’t care. You know now that Paige is waiting for you at the surface. “I want this, too,” you affirm, watching the smile bloom on her face like springtime flowers, and you seal the deal by pressing your lips to hers. She responds eagerly, her arms tight around you. You loathe that it took the two of you this long, that it was your fault for not trusting Paige with your heart when she’s given you no real reason to doubt her; despite this, her lips taste like forgiveness and yours like atonement. In spite of everything, you made it here in the end, and it was worth it.

[azaharinflames]

Will you share your theory on what you think is happening behind the scenes of 911?

Hi, Nonnie!

Sure! As long as everyone is aware this is purely speculation, and nothing I say should be taken as proof of anything, I have no problem.

I've gone over a few things in my head, to be honest. I thought that JLH having filming conflicts could've been a major factor, and I still don't exactly disagree with that initial idea, but overall I think it was one of the things that threw TM for a loop.

Now, I've seen a lot of people theorize that perhaps Angela is leaving and that is what is causing so much chaos in BTS, but I am on the fence about this. I do think she might've asked to not have such a big role moving forward, especially if they get a season 9 (which I am also on the fence about ngl), like perhaps retiring, or just having a more laidback position training new recruits. The seeds are planted for that, not so much for her fully leaving. And it would give Angela more free time to dedicate to other projects (which, yes please. I need her in new projects ASAP).

So... (and please don't kill me for this, it's just a theory).

I think it all comes back to Ryan. And that he perhaps is leaving, or actively wants to leave. I will try to explain myself as concise as possible:

A couple of months ago there was already speculation about this. In all of his individual interviews (which were a lot, to be honest), Ryan made a point of talking about his work beyond 911 and talking about what he would like to do after 911.

On top of the individual promo, there was an uncharacteristically high amount of BTS dedicated to him and the godforsaken mustache. To the point where they threw a mustache party. And in the pics of that party, the vibes were that it was a party for Ryan, not in general.

Small thing, but Josh randomly dressing up as Eddie for Halloween. Perhaps unrelated, but I wanted to add it.

The 911 account reposting and celebrating Ryan's 100th ep, when 1. it wasn't his 100th (if we count the eps he was actually in) and 2. it was also JLH's, and yet they didn't say a thing about it. Ryan reposted that as well and the message he reposted it with was more nostalgic than anything else. Very much giving 'it was an honor to work with you, what a journey'.

I could be wrong, but I do think his contract ends this season. So, that just adds to it.

The timeline of the move to Texas. By the reactions alone I was fully expecting Eddie to leave for Texas at the end of 808, and then to be back with Chris (in a lazy way of solving their conflict off-screen) by 809-810. But the way he's currently thinking about it makes it very sus for me. As in, it can be a thing for the end of the season, and an actual goodbye for Eddie.

Of course, nothing of this has to actually happen, and it's quite possible it just exists in my brain. But this makes sense in my funny brain because then it explains why BT had to break up so soon... because they wanted Buck to feel completely isolated.

We know 809-10 will deal with Maddie being kidnapped. That alone will make Buck spiral. But if on top of that his best friend is also leaving... well, being alone just adds to the isolation and the angst. Because if Tommy was still around he'd be able to lean on him, and have him help him through this. But it seems like the writers wanted Buck fully alone for this, because sure, seeing a character never learning and being completely isolated is so much fun.

If this ends with BT getting back together, I honestly don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if Tim doesn't know. But, all in all, I wouldn't be surprised if RG deciding he's done is the thing that kinda created the domino effect.

(Also: I do not believe Oliver was telling Tim to fire Lou and end BT. Sorry. I just don't really see it. Nor do I think there were actual conflicts between actors BTS, as much as everything they're doing right now does feel a bit weird)

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant, Nonnie! My inbox is always open for ranting, venting, or discussing

Take care <3

[fanfics-i-find-here]

Do I know you?

Jason Todd X Reader

Synopsis: In the aftermath of a brief Kidnapping, Red Hood seems to think your important and wont stop hanging around your apartment.

Or in other terms, Jason got scared you were gonna die and doesn’t want to leave you alone

Notes: Reader is a waitress at a local bookstore/coffee shop that Jason frequents and he has grown very fond of her. They are vague acquaintances And she does not know that Jason is Red Hood. This is literally my first-ever attempt at a fanfic and Jason Todd has been rattling around in my brain. I might attempt to make this like a short series or something. Anyway, I hope it's enjoyed!!

“I think I have a new favorite stalker,” you say loudly out your open window.

 Keeping your window open in Gotham was probably the worst idea you could ever have but your curiosity got the better of you when started to notice the fleeting red hanging out across the street and occasionally on your fire escape over the past two weeks. At first you were worried considering your recent encounter with Scarecrow as an attempted research rat.

However, the longer the red stayed near the easier it became to recognize. His helmet was shiny, which is what made it so easy to spot him. How that was helpful to a vigilante you didn’t know. Red hood was watching you and you had a feeling it was to make sure you were okay. You had heard of other bats checking on Civilians after traumatic incidents when they could, but every night for two weeks seems a bit excessive and he hasn’t actually talked to you. So what was he doing?

With no response to your jab, you lean out your window and repeat yourself, making a point to stare at the red helmet on the building across the street.

“I said I think I have a new favorite stalker!” You continue to stare him down.

Even in the minimal street lighting you can see his body tense, ready to run.

“Maybe he’d like to chat?” you tilt your head in questioning. You don’t why you asked. You were bad at keeping a regular conversation. If he came over and did, in fact, decide to chat, it might end up a short conversation. 

A clattered thud pulls you from your thoughts and you gaze turns from the opposite roof top to the very large man now standing on your fire escape next to your window. You can’t help but stare at him. 6” something and built like a brick wall. Intimidating even leaning against the building.

Was he this big when he saved me?

“Hi?” is the only response you could muster. The urge to slam the window closed and shut your curtains itches at your finger tips. He stares at you, or at least you assume as much, the helmets white eyes giving away nothing. No wonder people were terrified of Red Hood. You haven’t even done anything wrong and you could wet yourself  right here and now.

“Hi” You don’t know why your shocked to hear the modulated voice. He had talked to when he saved you from Scarecrow but it was still strange to hear. Slightly robotic but definitely a person underneath.

You realize that, maybe, you’ve been staring for too long.

“Tea?” you back away from the window and head for the kitchen expecting him to follow, as well as taking a moment to breath.

You just invited a good/bad vigilante into your home! What is wrong with you?  Your mind is a swirling, anxious debate as you fill your kettle.

“I only have Green tea, I hope you don’t mind.” you yell from the kitchen, unsure if he was even in the apartment.

“Not at all” His voice is close then you anticipated, assuming he stay close to the window.

Instead you turn to find him sitting comfortably at your dining room table, watching you move about the kitchen. He looks out of place in your soft warm toned home. His brown leather jacket the only thing that could blend in. The harsh red bat on his chest sticking out like a sore thumb. Your gaze lingers a moment at the holsters on his thighs, suddenly realizing that if he wanted to do something to you, you were screwed. You turn back to your cabinets and pull out a couple of mugs, pushing away the thoughts. Red Hood was good guy, despite what previous attempts at bad he had in the past. You stand at the counter and stare at your kettle, willing it to heat faster. After a moment, You hear a distorted sigh.

“You wanted to talk?” Red Hood asks

You shrug your shoulders without turning, not entirely prepared for a conversation just yet. Red Hood doesn’t push you. The kettle begins to whistle, and you pour the two mugs, settling tea bags into them. You pick them up and set one in front of red hood, and settle into the seat opposite his, blowing on your tea. You take a sip and promptly burn your tongue, hissing in pain.

“it’s hot”

Your eyes fly up to Red Hood. You choke out a thanks, Having not realized he had taken off his Helmet. You let eye linger across his face, very handsome. A scar on his lips, that rests in a smirk, and another across his cheek. As you eye move up you let out a startled laugh, Another mask keeps his eyes hidden.

“What?” He asks, The smirk on his lips grows.

As your laughing fit slows, you pause to breath.

“You wear two masks.” You pause waiting for him to laugh. All he does is furrow his brows.

“it’s funny” you insist but he doesn’t respond. You settle down again. Well as much as you can considering the man in front of you, staring at your mug, slightly embarrassed

“So I’m your favorite stalker? You got a few?” Red's voice rings out in the silence. It’s rough and deep, like he’d been yelling.

A flush creeps up your face. If you were embarrassed before, you were definitely embarrassed now. It had taken you all day to come up with the throw away comment. You thought It was funny. You also didn’t think you would get this far in your interaction with Red Hood.

“Not really, just the one I hope” you chance a glance at him to find him still unsettlingly staring at you as a he takes a sip of his tea, now cooled. Your mind searches for what else to say.

“That’s good, I wouldn’t want that either” Jason finally breaks eye contact with you, looking around your apartment.

With his stare no longer on you, you take the opportunity to really take him in. Despite the scars on his face, there was kindness there. And despite his intimidating stature, he seemed to pull himself in, like he was afraid to take up space. His forearms exposed through his suit. What a weird design. Not that you were complaining. Overall, Red Hood was hot. You flush at the thought.

“Thank you, by the way” you rush out, “for saving me… it really means a lot”

Jason turns his gaze back to you. You brave up and hold his stare. Suddenly thinking, he looks familiar. You furrow your brows for a moment.

“Do I know you?” You ask before you can stop yourself. You physically cringe and try to back track.

“I mean, obviously I know you, you saved my life and all but I mean like I know your face? Maybe, not that it matters. Course you wouldn’t tell me if I did know your civilian identity because then it wouldn’t be a secret. I just think I know your face but that doesn’t mean that I want you to tell me. And maybe you just have one of those faces…” you continue to ramble some more. Jason watches you carefully and finishes his tea. You pause to breath in your rant and he jumps in.

“Thanks for the tea” he grabs his Helmet, sliding it on before continuing, voice changed, “and your welcome, for saving you.”

You watches as he walks back toward the window, frozen and unsure what to do. As climbs out onto the fire escape you yell out.

“Your welcome and you don’t have to hide outside, you can come in next time.”

He’s gone before even finish the sentence. You sink back in your chair.

What is wrong with you? Why are you so awkward? That was terrible!

You try to push the interaction from your mind as you close the window and go about spot cleaning your apartment. Once done your anxious thoughts return.

This is going to be a long night. You think as you turn into bed.

[waughymommy]

MOTHER OR CHILD 🚸

I've struggled with this one. I managed to finish chapter 2, but I am still uncertain as to where I will go with this. 

Chapter 2

            After getting her changed, Jocelyn took her back to the living room to watch tv. Heather plopped on the couch. She still felt really embarrassed, but her heart raced with excitement. As soon as her padded butt hit the cushion, her mother yelled out her name, “Heather Renee Dawson, you better get your butt off the couch and on the floor right now,” Jocelyn said, resurrecting her stern, maternal voice from when her children were kids.

            Heather immediately recoiled with fear, but it quickly turned to indignation. She had never been spoken to like that since she was a child. “Mom, I am not a little kid and this is my house. I can sit wherever I want,” Heather responded sharply. As the words left her lips, she knew she had made a mistake. She saw the flash of anger in her mother’s eyes and instantly, she was a scared little girl.

            “Oh, so you think you are a big girl now. Remind me, who just soaked their diaper? It certainly wasn’t me, so who was it?” Jocelyn said, proud of that fact that she could still keep her children in line.  

            “Me…,” Heather said barely above a whisper.

            “What was that? Mommy couldn’t hear you,” Jocelyn retorted.

            “Me,” Heather said a bit louder as tears started to roll down her cheek.

            “That’s right it was you. And if you soaked your diapers, that means you are just a little baby. You aren’t a big girl. And that’s ok. I don’t expect little babies to know how to use the potty. So lets try this again. You are going to get down on the floor like a good little baby. And I want you to start sounding like the baby you are. This will be your first and only warning. The next time, you disobey, you will be sorry. You agreed to my offer and so now you will submit to my rules while I am here. Now be a good girl and watch your cartoons and if you feel the need to go potty, that’s why you have your diaper on,” Jocelyn said with a softer tone. Heather climbed down from the couch and plopped down onto the carpet. Jocelyn placed her binky in her mouth and walked out of the room.

            Tears still rolled down her face. She wished that she could go back and decline her mother’s offer. She liked to regress to relieve some stress for a few hours, but she could always decide when it was time to grow up again. She tried to focus on the cartoon, but her adult thoughts continued to race. How long was she going to be a baby for? Was her husband going to continue this treatment? She had no control over the situation and she knew for the time being that it was a bad idea to disobey her mother.

            While Heather fretted, Jocelyn went down into their basement to rummage around for anything from when her granddaughter was young. She was just about to abandon the search, when she noticed something in the far corner of the basement. She walked over and found a playpen folded up and leaning against the wall. There were a few boxes next to it as well, which she quickly opened. All of Amy’s old baby toys were here. Happy with her discovery, she started hauling her finds upstairs.

            “Alright baby girl, look what mommy found?” Jocelyn said. Heather’s eyes widened and she started sucking her binky more intensely. Jocelyn set up the playpen walls and scattered the toys with the confines of Heather’s new play space. “Ok sweetheart, lets get you set up in here. You play in here while mommy goes and makes your lunch,” Jocelyn said while grabbing her daughter’s hand to help her into the playpen. “And remember, if you try to leave this playpen, baby will get a spanking.”

            Heather plopped down and examined all of the toys. She quickly realized that this was all of Amy’s old things. There were rattles and teething toys. There were the electronic interactives that played music while others made animal sounds. Brightly colored blocks and stuffed animals completed the infant ensemble of toys. At first she wasn’t sure if it was right to play with her daughter’s things, but then her curiosity got the better of her. Getting on her hands and knees, she crawled over to one of the electronic interactives. She pressed a button and was immediately rewarded with the sound of a duck. Heather giggled and mimicked the sound behind her binky. She pressed another and this time it was a pig. “Oink oink,” she laughed. As she started playing with all of the toys, she began to truly relax. She laughed and babbled like a baby. She had no idea how much time had elapsed. When she felt a twinge in her bladder, she paused and wondered if she should call for her mother. But then she thought better of it and her diaper grew warm.

            “Is my baby girl, having fun?” Jocelyn asked as she entered the room. “Stand up for me and lets check that diaper.” Heather did as she was told, but still blushed behind her pacifier. “Wet, but I think it can still take some more. Let’s go eat some lunch,” Jocelyn took her by the hand and led her to the kitchen table. Heather sat down and her mother grabbed a large dish towel to fashion into a makeshift bib. Jocelyn set her plate before her. A grilled cheese had been cut into little bite size pieces alongside a fruit cup. Her bottle had been refilled with milk. “I didn’t have time to pick up jars of baby food before I came over this morning, but don’t you worry, mommy will make sure to get some,” Jocelyn pinched Heather’s cheeks as she spoke.

            Heather timidly started nibbling on the sandwich pieces. She went to grab a utensil to take bite of the fruit and noticed she didn’t have one. “Mommy, I don’t have a spoon to eat my fruit.”

            “Babies eat with their hands, you don’t need a spoon to eat your fruit. And don’t worry about making a mess. Mommy will clean you up when you are done.” Jocelyn replied.

            “But, but…” before she could finish her sentence, her mother cut her off. “Can you please remind me what you are wearing?”

            “I’m sorry mommy, I’m just a baby,” Heather said in a defeated tone. Jocelyn just smiled and watched her overgrown baby stick her hands into the fruit cup. Her hands were covered in juice as she brought the fruit to her mouth, and it dripped down her chin. After finishing her food, Jocelyn wiped her face and hands. She picked up her bottle and led her daughter to her bedroom. She took off Heather’s onesie, leaving her naked except for her damp diaper. Heather started to cover her exposed breasts, but Jocelyn smacked her hands away. “Babies have no modesty. Now lay down. You have had quite the day. Babies need their rest.” Jocelyn caressed her daughters face and kissed her on her forehead, “I love you my sweet girl. You can always be mommy’s baby.” With that, she tucked her in and handed Heather her bottle. She closed the blinds to darken the room. She left the room and quietly closed the door.

            Heather slowly nursed the bottle. She ruminated on the day’s events. This was exactly what she wanted. But why did she feel guilty? Why did she feel she was doing something wrong? As she nursed her bottle, she wet her diaper a bit more. Although she felt so conflicted about her treatment, she couldn’t deny the euphoria she felt every time she wet her diaper. It truly made her feel like an infant. This was the opportunity she always wanted; it would be a shame to waste it. Feeling an infantile glow, her eyes grew heavy as she nursed. She wondered what else was in store for her as she drifted off to sleep.

[cy-cyborg]

A family friend of mine (and fellow wheelchair user) is starting a business centred around getting disabled people back into nature and has invited me to trial some all-terrain wheelchairs which im super excited for! He heard I might be moving back in with my parents for a bit (which is on a farm in the bush) and since I'm a lot more dependant on a wheelchair now than I used to be, he thought it would be a good thing to look into. he's pretty confident he can help me get one of my own if I can demonstrate to the NDIS how it would benefit me - and no better way to do that then to just show them (my OT will also be attending lol)

He has a few available. One is a hand-free wheelchair that works kind of like a segway - you lean in the direction you want to go. Apparently, these are quite popular among disabled farmers in the region because they let you carry things and still move easily, something that a traditional wheelchair struggles with, and it lacks the small front wheels that tend to get caught on rough terrain. Another is more like a dune-buggy than a wheelchair for VERY off-road use, and the last is a power chair with tank-tracks for wheels, which apparently hss a standing feature. We were both very curious about whether I'd be able to use this though. He was, as a paraplegic man, and the manufacturer insists double leg amps would be fine, but my experiance with standing wheelchairs so far has not been great, as they still kind of expect the legs to be there even if you can't use them. It seems to mess with the way the chair's weight is distributed I think? Well see if that's still the case, maybe they've fixed that since I last tried one.

Either way, I'm very excited!

[atzjieun]

undercover

summary | that time yunho committed identity fraud

circa | september 2017

contains | 2.7k words, fluff, comedy, brief mention of taking medicine

notes | taking a break from all the jiwoo drama lmao. i was gonna wait a bit longer to post this but i received some very great news for something irl so i'm posting it now as a treat 😁

taglist | @teezingsiyeon @moonkyeom @itzynabi

Jieun shifted her weight from foot to foot, anxiously watching the clock above as the hands moved. The pit in her stomach only grew larger with every second that ticked by, dreading the moment the clock struck four.

Maybe she should’ve just called her brother. There was no world in which Jihoon wouldn’t have picked up and dropped everything the moment she said she needed him. 

But that was exactly the issue. She knew how busy he was, and the idea of dragging her brother away from school or work to attend something as insignificant as her parent-teacher meetings would’ve only made her feel worse. She couldn’t keep relying on him for everything, though she knew her teacher wouldn’t be very happy about yet another missed meeting, and Jieun was running out of excuses.

The sound of the classroom door sliding open made her jump. Jieun stood up straight, shoulders tense as her teacher stepped out of the classroom with a notebook in hand.

“Ah, yes, Jieun,” she said, catching sight of the girl. She watched as her teacher’s eyebrows furrowed, looking around the hallway. “You said that your older brother was coming, didn’t you?” 

Jieun stared at her blankly, though quickly broke out of her trance and gave a brief nod. 

“My brother…” she trailed, glancing over her shoulder. “He’s coming. He’s just- uh, he’s running a bit late.”

Her teacher glanced up at the clock, a small sigh escaping him as she flipped through her notebook, writing something down. 

“Do you have a rough idea of when he’ll be arriving?” she asked, a slight sharpness in her tone. “I have many other appointments today.” 

Jieun chewed on her lower lip, eyes moving to the ground. She remained quiet for a short period of time, searching through her mind for any possible excuse she could use to explain her brother’s absence. Finding nothing, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, about to confess when a voice behind her sounded first.

“Sorry I’m late! Traffic was heavier than expected.” 

Her head snapped up, looking over her shoulder to the source of the voice. Jieun’s eyes widened as she spotted Yunho’s tall figure making his way down the hall. The boy was fully dressed in a suit, his hair neatly combed and styled, walking in long strides before eventually stopping beside her. 

Yunho smiled at her teacher as he extended his hand. “You must be Ms. Yoon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

For the first time ever, Jieun saw a smile spread across her teacher’s face as she accepted Yunho’s handshake, bowing forward slightly. 

“And you must be Jieun’s older brother,” she greeted. “The pleasure is all mine. Shall we start the meeting?” 

As though he were used to the routine, Yunho immediately followed her teacher into the classroom, Jieun trailing behind after processing what had just happened. She took a seat beside Yunho at the teacher’s desk in silence. While her teacher rummaged through some of her cabinets, Jieun took the opportunity to lean over and whisper into Yunho’s ear, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like? I’m here for your parent-teacher meeting.”

The two sat up straight as her teacher opened what was presumably Jieun’s file. Her eyes scanned over the document for a couple seconds before she looked up, turning toward Yunho.

“It’s clear that Jieun is a very strong student. She excels on all of her exams and big projects, typically exceeding expectations and gaining full marks.” 

Jieun’s eyes widened at the sudden praise, heat rising to her cheeks as Yunho glanced over at her with a fond smile, gently nudging the girl with his elbow. Before either of them could say anything, however, her teacher spoke up again. 

“However, Jieun rarely completes her daily homework checks and often turns in her smaller assignments late,” her teacher said. Jieun could practically feel the disappointment radiating off of her. “These small assignments may not be worth as much as exams, but they add up over time. Furthermore, it indicates a lack of consistency in her work habits that may negatively impact her in the future.” 

She could feel the two sets of eyes on her, though Jieun’s gaze remained on her lap as she played with her thumbs. 

“I understand that you are training to be an idol?” She didn’t verbally respond, simply giving a small nod while continuing to avoid her teacher’s gaze. “The information you learn may not pertain to your chosen career path, but the skills and work habits you gain from consistently doing your homework can be transferred into any field, even if it’s not academic. These assignments teach you about discipline and consistent effort. I hope to see improvements in this area in the future, Jieun.”

Jieun continued to stay quiet, glancing up at her teacher for a moment before looking back down and nodding. 

“Is Jieun currently living with you?” her teacher asked, turning her attention to Yunho. The boy nodded seriously. 

“Yes, she is currently living with me.” 

Her teacher quickly wrote something down in her notebook. “It’s really better if Jieun herself takes initiative in her school work, but if there’s any instance where she needs a bit of reminding-” 

“I’ll be sure to be there when she needs me,” Yunho finished, a smile on his face as he gave a reassuring nod. 

Satisfied, her teacher noted one more thing down before placing her pen on the desk, clasping her hands together as she turned her attention back toward Jieun. 

“Jieun, would it be alright if your brother and I talk privately for a little bit?”

The girl nodded as she stood up. She gave a small bow to her teacher, still avoiding eye contact before turning around and walking toward the exit of the classroom. 

Closing the door behind her, Jieun leaned back against the wall and let out a huge exhale. She looked over her shoulder, peering through the window of the classroom to see Yunho and her teacher in the middle of conversation. The boy seemed comfortable, too comfortable considering he was quite literally committing a crime. 

Turning away, Jieun pulled out her phone to check if she’d received any messages. There were a couple from her group chat with the other trainees, one from her mom, though the most recent message came from none other than her actual brother.

Yerin-unnie’s boyfriend: Eun-ah, don’t forget to take your meds

Yerin-unnie’s boyfriend: Yerin says she misses you btw

A soft chuckle escaped Jieun’s lips as she typed out a response. 

Me: tell her i miss her too

Jieun quickly turned her phone off before slipping it back into her pocket. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms, enjoying the peace and quiet of the hallway. A group practice was scheduled right after the meeting was supposed to end, so Jieun took the time she had to relax before she’d be thrust right back into the loud and chaotic environment that the practice room often provided. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there, though the sound of the door sliding open broke Jieun out of her relaxed state. Blinking, she turned toward the door to see Yunho stepping back out into the hallway, turning to her with a smile. 

“That went well,” he commented, gesturing toward her. “C’mon, we have to get to practice.” 

Yunho waited for her to catch up before he started walking, the two making their way out of the school together. It wasn’t until they were well away from the classroom and her teacher that Jieun spoke up. 

“How did you find out about my parent-teacher meeting?” she asked curiously. 

The older boy glanced down at her, letting out a small chuckle.

“You left the sign-up form on the kitchen table a couple days ago,” he explained. “There was no name written down, and I remembered you mentioning that Jihoon was busy for the next couple weeks because of an internship he was doing, so I put two and two together.” 

Despite still being dumbfounded by the whole situation, Jieun slowly nodded as they approached the bus stop. 

“And you…bought a suit to make a good impression…?” 

He laughed, shaking his head. 

“I borrowed it from my dad. Told him it was for a performance.” 

“You’re a good actor,” Jieun said, giggling slightly. “I think you made a good impression. I’ve never seen my teacher smile like that.” 

Yunho gave a small side shrug, trying to act nonchalant, though it was clear his ego was ever so slightly boosted by the compliment. 

“We should hurry though,” he said. “Don’t want to keep the others waiting now, do we?” 

Conveniently, the bus pulled up to the stop shortly after he spoke, stopping in front of the two. Jieun boarded first, tapping her bus card before walking toward the middle of the bus and sitting in an empty seat with Yunho following close behind. She stared at her reflection in the window as the bus took off, a small sigh escaping her lips.

Eventually, Jieun’s gaze shifted toward Yunho’s reflection, the boy turned the other way as he watched the moving traffic.

“Oppa?” she spoke softly, though the older boy immediately looked toward her. His eyebrows raised slightly as he gave a small hum. The corners of Jieun’s mouth tilted upward in a small smile. “Thanks.” 

Yunho blinked at her, his mind taking a moment to register what she meant before his own smile spread. He chuckled, ruffling her hair gently. 

“Like I said in the meeting, Eunnie: I’ll be there when you need me.” He shifted to sit slightly closer. “You can take a nap on my shoulder if you want. I’ll wake you up when we’re at our stop.” 

Jieun hesitated for a moment, though after looking up at the boy and seeing his warm gaze, she accepted his offer and rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, Jieun allowed herself to relax as the bus continued to move, knowing Yunho fully meant everything he said. 

BONUS #1: 

Jieun and Yunho stepped into the practice room together, where the other trainees were already warming up. 

The first to notice them was San, who greeted the two with a smile as he waved from the corner where he was sitting.

“Hi Eunnie, Yunho!” 

Jieun smiled as she waved back at the boy while the other members turned toward the two. One by one, she watched as confused expressions crossed each of their faces as they took in the older boy’s outfit. 

“Sorry for being late-” Yunho attempted to apologize, though was quickly cut off by Mingi.

“Why are you wearing a suit?” 

Without missing a beat, Jieun looked over at Mingi with a completely neutral expression as she spoke.

“Yunho-oppa committed identity theft.” 

The initial confusion from the members mixed with curiosity and questioning as they turned toward the aforementioned boy, who looked toward Jieun with a look of betrayal.

“You did what?” Hongjoong asked, crossing his arms as he looked at the boy with a stern expression. 

“Yunho-oppa came to my school and pretended to be Jihoon for my parent-teacher meetings,” Jieun explained bluntly.

“In my defense, your teacher only asked if I was your older brother,” Yunho said, raising his hands in the air. “I just never specified which one.” 

This earned a few snickers from the younger members, the only person in the room not amused by the story being their leader, who face-palmed as he shook his head.

Seonghwa shrugged, nudging his friend. "You know, he’s technically right.” 

“Please don’t entertain them,” Hongjoong said, rubbing his temples. After a few moments of what seemed to be contemplating his life choices, the older boy eventually let out a sigh. “Just get changed, guys. We’ll start when you’re back.” 

The two nodded as they moved to leave, though before doing so, Yunho reached over and ruffled the girl’s hair for the second time that day. He did it rougher than before, purposefully trying to mess up her hair as she swatted his hands away. 

The other members watched in amusement as Jieun made her escape, running out of the room with Yunho following close behind.  

BONUS #2: 

Yunho glanced over his shoulder, watching as Jieun swiftly exited the room. Once the door was closed, he turned back to her teacher with a serious expression, trying his best to hide his nervousness as she wrote something down. 

After a moment of silence, Jieun’s teacher put the pen down. Her gaze moved to the exit, landing on the small portion of Jieun’s head that could be seen through the classroom windows. She let out a sigh as she turned back to Yunho.

“I know that she’s an idol trainee and doesn’t have much time to connect with her peers outside of school, but even during school hours, I rarely see her with other people.” The boy’s eyebrows raised slightly, though he opted to continue listening. “She’s always off by herself in her own world. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little concerned for her social development.” 

Yunho slowly nodded as he contemplated his response. 

“Jieun has always been a really shy person,” he admitted with a small chuckle. “It took her weeks to start talking to m- her fellow trainees, as I was told.” 

“My apologies if this is too intruding, but would you happen to know what her relationship with the other trainees is like?” Jieun’s teacher asked. “She does lack social interactions at school, but it would ease my worries to know she is at least maintaining healthy friendships amongst people her age elsewhere.” 

Once again, Yunho was slow to respond, carefully picking each word before he answered her question. 

“The other trainees are generally around the same age. Jieun is the youngest, but the age gap is no more than three years from the older members. She was actually the second trainee to join the company and originally had a reputation for being cold and unfriendly.” The corners of his mouth tilted upwards into a small smile. “Though eventually, everyone realized that her reputation didn’t truly represent who she was as a person. She’d help the new trainees when they were learning and quietly cheer everyone on from the sidelines, so it didn’t take long for people to figure out that she wasn’t who they originally thought she was.

She’s one of the trainees who have had the most improvement during her time at the company. Her fellow trainees adore her and they all want her to succeed. If I had to describe her, I would say that she’s the beating heart of the team.”

Realizing he was rambling, Yunho cut himself off as heat rose to his face. He cleared his throat, nodding. 

“But anyways, I don’t think you need to worry about her friendships regarding her fellow trainees.” 

Jieun’s teacher nodded in agreement.

“It’s clear that Jieun receives a lot of love and support in her trainee company,” she said. A smirk crossed the teacher’s face as she leaned back in her chair. “Considering how one of them would go to the lengths of impersonating her brother to attend her parent-teacher conference.”

Yunho’s smile dropped as his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to splutter out a response, though Jieun’s teacher simply raised her hand to silence him. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t report this to administration,” she said, chuckling. “The main goal of these meetings is to give updates about the student’s progress to their closest family, and you clearly seem to be similar enough.” Jieun’s teacher picked up her pen, pointing to Yunho’s chest. “Though next time, maybe don’t forget to take off your ID card, Mr. Jeong.”

Yunho looked down, face flushing when he noticed the card he’d forgotten to take off his jacket, displaying his picture and full name. He quickly pulled the card off, stuffing it inside his pocket. 

“Everything I said about Jieun was true today. She’s a very bright student, but everyone needs help sometimes, and I hope you’ll be there for her when she does.”

Yunho nodded firmly, making direct eye contact with her. “You have my word.”

Jieun’s teacher smiled as she extended her arm, which Yunho instantly accepted as they shook hands. After saying a brief goodbye, he turned and started making his way out of the classroom, the previous words echoing in the back of his mind. His word might not have meant a lot, but he’d do his best regardless to stay true to the promise he’d made and prove he meant what he said.

[unremarkablehouse]

Scully’s Hot Date Ch 2

MA | S6 | WC 2,720 | AO3 | ch 1

Summary: Mulder and Scully go on her blind date- with Derek.

Tagging: @today-in-fic

Scully walked out of the restroom of the Hoover lobby looking perfectly put together; not a hair out of place. Mulder waited for her casually by the restroom door, leaning on the wall still looking disheveled. While his hair was no longer sticking up every which way and he’d rolled his shirt sleeves up; he had failed to wipe all the lipstick marks off his neck and face. Scully chuckled as she took in his love drunk expression and got a tissue from her purse to clean him up.

“Mulder, did you even try to remove the lipstick marks?”

“Why would I want to remove them,” he asked as he moved his head down so Scully could reach him easier. 

As she cleaned by his neck he whispered to her, “I see these marks as a badge of honor. Do you know how many times I’ve stared at those lips and wanted to kiss them?” 

The tension between them grew and Mulder moved to kiss Scully, only to be stopped by her hand. 

“Cameras,” she whispered, and Mulder gave a nod and kissed her on the forehead instead. 

As they made their way out of the building they both looked around for Scully’s blind date. 

“So how are we meant to recognize this guy? Is he going to be carrying a single rose or something?”

Before Scully could answer him, a male voice spoke out from behind them. 

“Excuse me, Dana?” 

Scully turned around and was greeted by a warm smile from a handsome stranger. Roughly the same height as Mulder, with a fair complexion and sandy blonde hair. Derek’s eyes wandered from Scully over to Mulder, who was standing close to her with his hand on her lower back. With a smile, Mulder extended his hand and introduced himself to the confused man. “Hi, I’m Fox Mulder, Scully’s Partner.”

Scully gave a polite smile as she took Derek’s hand next and gave it a shake, “Dana Scully.” 

“And I’m Derek, nice to meet you, both of you.”

Derek gave a little laugh, and looked confused as he glanced between the pair. This was not the night he signed up for, but perhaps Dana had wanted a friend to be there when she met up with him. It seemed like a reasonable assumption seeing as it was a blind date, but there was something in the way the two stood united that made Derek wonder if anyone would have a chance to get between them. 

Scully gave a nervous laugh, moving over to talk to Derek and apologized by way of explanation. “I know this isn’t what you were probably expecting-“

“But let’s go grab a drink!” Mulder said enthusiastically slapping Derek on the back and inserting himself between Derek and Scully. Before they had even walked a block Mulder had already ascertained all of Derek’s favorite sports teams and had made fast friends with him. 

Scully half listened as the men excitedly chatted on about the Playoffs, amused at just how many times over the years Mulder had chased off any man (and some women) who’d shown the slightest bit of interest in her. Mulder was truly gifted at it, he could cockblock with the best of them. Well, at least this time she’d make sure Mulder put out after chasing her date away.

As they walked into the bar and grabbed a booth Scully found herself checking her watch. It was 8pm, by her calculations she could be back in her apartment by 9:15 and could have Mulder naked by 9:30 if they stuck to one drink and small talk. As Mulder nudged Derek aside to take the seat next to Scully, he casually rested his arm behind Scully’s on their booth seat and continued the conversation. Mulder’s arm behind her was a gesture he’d done a million times before tonight, but now Scully began to realize that it was not the most plutonic body language- and she loved it.

Derek’s eyes darted from Mulder’s arm to Scully and she subtly nodded in confirmation, a chance with her was not on the agenda for him or anyone else.

They had been seated for only a few minutes when Mulder abruptly stood up, declaring he’d buy the first round of drinks. It was the little crease between Scully’s furrowed eyebrows that stopped him from leaving the table. 

“What’s up Scully? You don’t want a drink?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just, Mulder you didn’t really have lunch today. Maybe we should get some food?” 

“I could go for some mozzarella sticks,” Derek chimed in. 

“Good call Doc, I’ll be back in a minute,” Mulder agreed as he moved towards the bar with new purpose. 

Scully and Derek sat silently in the booth for a few moments, an awkwardness growing as neither of them knew quite what to say. 

“So Derek, what line of work are you in?”

“I’m an Actuarial Analyst for the government now, I do a lot of work evaluating the risks and costs of crime. I was surprised that Mulder seemed to have quite a solid grasp on the area, was he in stats major before the FBI?” 

With a laugh Scully explained that Mulder just had a knack for picking things up quickly, a little surprised at how much the two had discussed while her mind had been elsewhere. Again, the two went back to an uncomfortable silence and Scully was even more grateful that Mulder had hijacked her night, having forgotten just how much she hated blind dates. A new topic of conversation would not come to her head to discuss with this stranger, so she looked around the bar trying to spot Mulder and will him to return to the table.

The sound of Derek’s voice jolted her back to reality as he tried to make small talk again.

“Mulder mentioned you’re a Bulls fan, Dana?”

“Not really.”

Derek looked disappointed that his conversation starter was a dud, so Scully clarified.

“It’s just that Mulder loves the Knicks, we watch their games together whenever we’re on the road. I really only cheer for the Bulls when they’re up against the Knicks to give him a hard time, but don’t tell him.”

Derek laughed at Scully’s admission, she was definitely a spitfire.

“As a huge Bulls fan myself, you picked a great team to support out of spite. How could you not love Jordan?”

”True,” Scully agreed with a laugh. Before they could continue she felt Mulder approach the table perilously carrying a pitcher of beer, two beer glasses stacked together, a glass of red wine and a metallic table number stuck under his arm. Deftly, Scully intercepted him and was able to distribute the glasses and beer to the table efficiently and without spilling a drop. 

“You two should take that act on the road,” Derek clapped, impressed by their coordination.

“Years of practice,” Mulder said while filling up Derek’s glass with beer.

Mulder placed a hand on Scully’s thigh as he nervously talked to her, perhaps still a tad insecure about Derek’s presence.

“Tonight is Five Dollar pitcher night for Feddies, I just had to show my badge at the bar. Scully did you want some beer?”

Scully smiled at his enthusiastic energy and rested her hand on top of his.

“Nope, wine was the perfect choice Mulder.”

Derek raised his glass and made the motion for the others to toast, “to new friends.” 

“To new friends,” they all repeated as clinked glasses. 

From there the conversation flowed much smoother, Mulder amusing them both with funny anecdotes of past cases and eliciting some decent stories from Derek in return. Scully was having a good time and was enjoying herself on this bizarre date. Mulder’s casual touches she’d taken for granted all these years now took on a charged meaning as Scully noticed how he always seemed to find an excuse to be in her personal space. His smell was intoxicating and she wonder if it would be weird for her to bury her nose in his armpit at the table. Giving an exaggerated yawn, she hoped Mulder would pick up on her sign that it was time to go home and finish what they’d started in the stairwell.  As Derek started talking about some trip to Martha’s Vineyard he’d made a few years back, Scully’s mind wandered to the state of her apartment. Her bedroom had clothes all over the bed because she couldn’t work out what to wear and she’d left her make up all over the bathroom sink. She hadn’t bothered shaving her legs or cleaning up her place tonight as she had no intention of bringing anyone back with her. Her underwear was on the plain side too, not the nice lingerie she’d pictured wearing for her first time with Mulder. The conditions were not ideal for tonight but she figured so long as she was on top and they kept the lights off it would be fine. Hell, after her two glasses of wine Scully was ready to straddle Mulder in the booth if they didn’t get out of here soon. 

Suddenly Mulder stopped mid-conversation and held his hand up for the table to be quiet while he listened. Scully’s stomach dropped, she knew Mulder was up to something and experience had taught her that it would more than likely end with them in a hospital bed after fighting some super natural specter then naked in her bed. Scully braced herself for whatever he had in store and watched with confusion as Mulder started waving at a pretty blonde nearby who made her way over to their table. Before Scully could question Mulder on his behavior or ascertain whether he had discovered an X file, Mulder got up from the booth and awkwardly guided the woman in Derek’s direction.

“Shauna, this is my friend Derek,” Mulder announced while keeping his eyes fixed on Scully. Mulder held his hand out to Scully and suddenly it all clicked, Walking in Memphis was playing on the jukebox and Mulder wanted to dance. 

Mulder led Scully onto the small dance floor by the bar, holding her a little tighter than the last time they danced to this song, nodding at Derek as he danced with Shauna. Mulder felt Scully giggle against his chest and lifted her head to ask what. 

“How did you orchestrate all this?”

“I met Shauna at the jukebox and asked her to help me out so I could dance with my girl.”

“I’m your girl?”

“Always… If you want to be.”

“Always,” Scully said, lifting herself up on her toes to give Mulder a peck on the lips. 

Adding a few twists and twirls, Mulder continued to dance with Scully as each song seemed to meld into one another. It felt natural to be moving together to the music, enjoying the physical contact between them. Scully pulled Mulder closer to her and inhaled his smell as he leant his chin on her head; the perfect fit. Scully’s hands began to wander over the tops of Mulder’s ass, catching him off guard. Giving his butt a firm squeeze, Scully laughed at Mulder’s fake look of indignation.

“Whatcha doing there Miss Scully?” 

“Come on Mulder, let’s go back to my place,” Scully said, punctuating her statement with a firm slap to his butt.

“We should probably say goodbye to Derek first,” Mulder said, hoping Scully would suggest just leaving. Scully sighed, a little bemused that this was the one time Mulder chose not to wonder off without notice. 

On reaching the booth they’d been in, Mulder and Scully were surprised to see strangers now seated at it. After exchanging looks of confusion, it dawned on them that they had been dancing for a lot longer than they’d both realized. Scanning around the room Mulder spotted Derek sitting at the bar, Scully’s purse and sweater on his lap. Mulder and Scully walked up to Derek and were immediately hit by the strong smell of alcohol. 

“Sorry we left you for so long,” Mulder said, giving Derek a clap on his shoulders. 

“Thank you for minding my things,” Scully said, gingerly prying her possessions from Derek’s clumsy clutches, while Mulder motioned for the bartender and got Derek some water. 

“So what happened to you buddy,” Mulder asked after encouraging Derek to drink some water. 

“Shauna, she wanted to do shots and then we had this car bomb drink, and some more shots. She’s crazy.”

Scully gave Mulder a disapproving look, silently judging his choice of female companion for poor, slightly boring, Derek. 

“Where’s Shauna’s now?” Mulder asked, more than a little worried to hear the response.

“Oh, she had to go home and let her dogs out, but I got her number and we’re going to a concert tomorrow.”

Mulder gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, a gesture reciprocated by Derek, while Scully covered her face with her hand and wondered how she could be attracted to such a dork.

“Let’s get you home,” Mulder said Derek, as he helped him off the barstool. Derek wobbled much more than anticipated and Scully had to step in to keep him up right. 

Outside the bar, Derek seemed to be okay walking with an arm around Mulder’s broad shoulders to keep him steady. Scully was irritated, her spot was by Mulder’s side, and on the night something finally happens between them- this guy was getting in the way. It was time for Derek to leave. 

Eyeing the street for a cab, Scully asked Derek what his address was. “Alexandria” was the only comprehensible part of the his response. 

“Maybe we can check his wallet,” Scully asked pragmatically, deftly find it in Derek’s jacket pocket along with a tab of six condoms.

With her eyebrows raised to her forehead, Mulder gave a chuckle. 

“Looks like you had some big hopes for tonight buddy,” Mulder said, earning him another thumbs up from Derek.

Putting the condoms back into Derek’s pocket, Scully felt indignant. What kind of woman did he think she was- the man’s mother had set them up for chrissakes! Scully briefly thought about shooting Derek, but realized she left her gun at home and really didn’t want to deal with the paperwork. 

Recognizing Scully’s rising frustration, Mulder propped Derek up on a bus bench and took over the search for his home address. As luck would have it Derek lived a block away from Mulder.

Moving Scully away from Derek, Mulder brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear, her face lost in contemplation. 

“Why don’t we go back to my place tonight? I’ll take Derek home and make sure he gets there and then we can meet at my place?”

“For what,” Scully asked bluntly and unamused. 

“Well we could watch a movie, or have coffee-” Mulder asked trying to add a suave subtext that came off a little desperate. Scully’s body straightened and Mulder could see that whatever fluke had gone on earlier in the night, the universe was self correcting and Scully was recoiling. 

“Mulder it’s late, I think I just want to go home.” 

With an understanding nod Mulder mumbled ‘of course’, and softly kissed Scully on the side of the mouth. If only Mulder had been petulant, pissy, or even dismissive, Scully could have walked away and pretended nothing had occurred between them. However, Mulder’s sweet dejected demeanor combined with a countenance that struggled to believe he was worthy of being loved was Scully kryptonite.

Scully grabbed his hand as he turned back to Derek, Scully smiled as she watched a glimmer of hope return to his eyes. 

“How about dessert? My place, after you drive the drunk fratboy home.”

Mulder beamed and kissed Scully in excitement, a move that had previously gotten them into this mess to begin with. Pushing Mulder away before the kiss could progress in the same trajectory Scully smiled at him, without words they shared their memory of the stairwell and the sexual tension began to rise again.

“This, is to be continued,” Scully breathed in a way that made Mulder’s knees go weak and motivated him to hoist Derek with great speed to his car.

With a rushed goodbye, in the FBI parking lot Mulder promised to be back at Scully’s within the hour.

[idontplaytrack]

Would you be willing to write another Regressed Janis fic?

Rejanis, please. Regina drags Janis to a party, she gets overstimulated and slips accidently, Regina takes her home and takes care of her?

✧ Why

Janis ‘Imi’ike x Regina George

Warnings: age regression, fluff.

“We work so well, and we don’t even know why.”

“Regina, what do you want, what?” Janis asked through a fit of laughter.

“To bring you to a party with me. Tonight.”

Janis has finally admitted defeat in their tickle fight, sitting down cross-legged before the blonde. Regina knew that it’d work in getting her attention.

“A party?” Janis scoffed, her brows raised incredulously, “Mm, no.”

“Why not?”

“Because! You know how I am in those situations. I don’t do well in those.” Janis said, “Come on, I’m perfectly fine staying here on my own for a few hours while you go have fun.”

“It’s no fun without you, though.”

“Come on, you can’t have fun on your own?”

“It’s a party. I’d definitely have a better time with you around while Karen and Gretchen disappear somewhere.”

Janis guffaws, “They’d definitely wind up making out in a closet somewhere. Fine, I’ll go. What time do we have to leave?”

“In a couple hours.”

Janis noted the time on the clock, “Okay. But if I have to leave, I’m leaving.”

“I get that. Just let me know and we’re out of there.”

Cady and Aaron saw them first, said hi to them and then went off somewhere. They walked further in, to the kitchen to get a drink. Karen and Gretchen were by the island, chatting next to a bowl of chips. “Hey!” Gretchen beamed.

“Hi, Regina! Hi, Janis!” Karen waved.

“Hey.” Regina flashed a crooked smile, “Jay, what drink do you want?”

“Anything. No alcohol.” She answered, leaning against the island too next to Gretchen while her eyes scanned the room. Tens of students in their own little groups, drinking, chatting, playing games and laughing away. None of which seemed appealing to her. But she was happy to be here for now, to be with her friends and Regina. “Ginger ale. Here.” Regina hands the brunette the can. “Thanks.” Janis muttered, shrugging.

Cady came up to them a little while later, asking if they wanted to play a game. In their current situation, that would more than likely involve drinks. Janis physically recoiled and declined. “I’m good over here.” Janis smiled at Regina as the blonde looked into her eyes, slightly concerned. “Go have fun. You know where to find me.”

“You can just sit with us, you know?” Regina asks, hand cupping her face.

“I know, but I’d like a minute to myself and just snack for a little bit. I’ll be there in a few?” Janis replied with a smile.

“Sure, baby.” Regina pecked her lips. “We’ll be in the den, okay?”

“Okay.” Janis nodded, giving her a kiss in return.

With a squeeze of her girlfriend’s hand, Regina disappeared into the den with the group. Once they were out of sight, Damian arrives as if on cue. “Hey, friend.” Damian tapped her on the shoulder, “Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”

“I know, right.” Janis chuckled dryly.

“Did she make you come here?”

“She didn’t.” Janis shook her head, taking a sip of her drink, “Decided to come with her after she convinced me to. Told her I’d leave if it gets too much though.”

“And where is she, may I ask?”

“In the den.” Janis laughs.

“Drinking game?” Damian rolled his eyes.

“Yeah.” Janis shrugged, “Not for me though, so I’m just here for a bit. Having some alone time.”

The two best friends chatted away until Janis hears the piercing sound of glass shattering on the floor next to her. Janis flinches, seething as she backed away from the broken glass on the floor and the spilled drink. Whoever broke the glass just walked away.

From that point on, everything just seemed way too loud. So loud that her head started to hurt, so loud that she wanted to scream and rip her hair out. “Janis?” Damian squinted at her, worried. But she was so quick, he could barely catch up with her. Janis was already windong through the growing crowd of partygoers and looking for Regina.

“Regina, I need to go.” Janis said while holding onto the other girl’s forearm.

Regina stopped talking immediately and focused on Janis.

Janis continued shakily, “Please. Please?”

“Okay, let’s go.” Regina agreed, bidding her goodbyes to her friends then proceeded to leave with Janis.

The drive home was silent and tense. Regina could tell Janis was getting more upset by the minute. “It’s okay, baby. You’re okay.” Regina said softly. Janis’ hand clutched onto the seatbelt in front of her chest, chewing on her lower lip as she stared out the window briefly.

“I don’t like it.” Janis mumbled, “It was too loud.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Not you.” Janis glanced at her for a second, “Someone dropped a glass and just walked away. Then people started screaming and screeching like they were— I dunno. Everything just sounded extra loud to me and I was starting to panic inside. I had to get out.”

————

“You want to take a shower, baby?” Regina suggested, “Or a bath?”

“Bath.” Janis decided.

Regina agreed, shutting the front door and locking it before taking Janis’ hand and going upstairs with her. Regina shut her bedroom door too, locking it up in case someone came home.

“Let’s pick out some pyjamas first, baby.” Regina nudged.

Janis giggles softly, surveying her options when Regina took her into the closet and pulled open the dresser drawer. “Take your time.” Regina hummed, just watching her.

Janis went for her favourite set, just as Regina expected she would. “Bluey tonight?” Regina tried to bite back a smile, “Good choice. Come on, I’ve got your towel.”

She leads the shorter girl to sit down on the closed toilet lid while waiting for the water to fill the tub. “Do you want toys?”

Janis nodded excitedly, grinning.

“Yeah? Which ones?” Regina smiled.

Janis went ahead and opened up the chest of drawers under the sink to take her pick. She knew exactly where Regina kept her stuff for her. Janis could never do any of this at her own home. Janis sat back down on the toilet, patiently waiting while she held onto the bag of toys. Little rubber ducks with matching floats that they could sit on. Regina just needed to chuckle at that. Janis smiled, “Hi.”

“Hi, baby.”

Once the tub was filled up enough, Janis undressed and Regina helped her into the tub. “Do you want me to join you?”

Janis shook her head no, but Regina remained in the bathroom anyway, for safety reasons. Janis would always try her best to be independent even when she was regressed, and her effort was endearing to Regina. Especially seeing that look of sheer concentration on her face whenever she was occupied with her task, more so one that she insisted she could do on her own.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Janis answered quietly, which…knowing her, Regina was worried. She leaned closer to splash some water at Janis, hoping to make her laugh but she got barely a chuckle in response.

“You wanna talk to me about what’s bothering you?”

Janis sighs, placing a rubber duck on one of the floats and pushing it away with her finger. “I don’t like— I don’t like how I feel when everything is noisy.”

Regina had to fight the urge to frown and just listened closely. “I feel…icky. I can’t breathe and— and I want to cry.”

While she spoke, Janis kept doing the same action to the ducks until she ran out. Then, she looks at Regina…eyes wide and slightly glossy. That tugged Regina’s heartstrings. She sat down on the floor by the tub with Janis, hand reaching out to brush the hair out of her eyes before grabbing a specific shampoo bottle to help the girl wash her hair. “I know, baby. It’s tricky, and it can be scary. But you got me, okay? I’ll always be here for you.”

Janis’ face relaxed, then she nodded. “You wanna face that way for me, baby? I want to shampoo your hair nicely.”

“Okay.” Janis did as she was told while swiftly grabbing one of the ducks to hold onto in the meantime.

Once the actual bath was done, Janis still stayed in the tub to play. Not that Regina had anything to complain about because truly, nothing else mattered to her at that moment. Just the girl right next to her. Seeing her smile, seeing her eyes light up and crease into the shape of little crescents, hearing the sound of her sweet, sweet laughter…there was nothing Regina found more special than getting to experience that over and over again with Janis, even as they grew older.

“Ducky race?” Janis asked.

“Ooh, yeah.” Regina agreed, getting ahold of a duck and a float.

Janis giggled, “Yayyy.”

“Okay, ready?”

“Mhm.”

They both put their ducks on the floats, and flicked them away at the same time. Somehow, Janis won and she just laughed. That noise resounded through the enclosed space and melted the blonde’s usual walled-up heart and facade all at once. “Go again.” Janis requested ,”Pwease.”

“Alright. Round two, get ready.” Regina chuckled, looking at Janis for a second longer.

They must’ve played the same game a good handful of times before Janis was willing to get out of the tub and dry off. “Are you cold?” Regina asked knowingly. “No.” Janis sulked. Regina nearly snorted, wanting so badly to squeeze the girl’s cheeks.

Once Janis was in her pyjamas, Regina changed into her own. Then, she had Janis sit at the vanity so she could help her blow dry her hair. “Do you want me to use the dryer? It’s gonna be a little loud?”

“That’s okay, Reggie.” Janis nodded.

“Okay.” Regina smiled, stroking her cheek. Janis sat still while Regina blew her hair dry.

“Wanna sleep?” Regina asked, rubbing Janis’ lower back habitually. It was nearing eleven at night.

“Not yet.” Janis pouted.

“What do you wanna do?”

Janis gasped, “Cartoooons.”

“Just a few episodes, then we gotta go to bed, alright?”

“Alwight.”

Janis immediately cuddled up against Regina’s side, watching videos on her MacBook. “Berenstain Bears?”

Janis nodded.

Regina searched for the show and put it on then set the device down. “I love you.” Regina pressed a kiss to the side of her head, “You know that?”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Good.” Regina held her close, arm around her tightening.

“Thank you, Reggie.”

“What for?”

Janis chuckles, “Everything, silly.”

“Aw, well. You’re welcome, silly.” Regina joked. Not even halfway into the first episode, Regina notices Janis rubbing her eyes. She didn’t even shut the laptop, and just let Janis watch it until she fell asleep. That way, no tantrums. Regina learnt that after awhile.

“I wuv you.” Janis mumbled, half asleep.

“I love you too, sweetheart. I love you too.”

Regina knew that her back would be giving her problems the next day, but it was worth it having Janis so comfortable and at ease. Janis snuggles closer, smiling as she drifted off. Regina saw it all, and caught herself smiling while she held the girl in her lap and stroked her cheek. “Good night, my baby.”

Of course, Regina wouldn’t be caught dead saying that in front of other people. That’s what Janis liked about it, big…or little. She got this side of Regina all to herself. Her Regina.

Regina muttered under her breath, “I‘ll never let anything bad happen to you.”

🏷️ Tag list:

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartandstuff @pda128

💭A/N:

Its…been awhile. Sorry for the wait!🥲

[ashthewaterghoul]

Ash, I need a bit of help. Not for me but for roommate.

She just went through a really bad day and while I’m taking care her in being a shoulder for her to lean on, she could use some literary comfort

I introduced her to Ghost (one of my highest achievements) And her favorite is Copia. If you could please offer some of your time to whip up any short fic of him in any comforting way, I would greatly appreciate it. Doesn’t have to be long, even a paragraph would be fine. I’m not a writer so I don’t got anything to write but hope you can? Maybe the ghouls and Copia doing something wholesome, anything!

Much appreciated! 🙏

Well, first off I would like to offer your roommate many many hugs or whatever her preferred form of affection is, and also I hope that whatever had made her day shit will pass <3

Anyway! Have some very rushed, not properly edited and chaotic Ghoul and Copia movie night fluffiness!

"Ah, my Ghou- oh shit..."

And why would Copia expect to walk into the den with anything less than sheer chaos unraveling before him?

Cirrus and Mountain were cooking, and Aether was meant to be also but had since been put on Dew-wrangling-duty so the Fire Ghoul would stop dipping his fingers in the bolognese. Swiss and Rain had their tongues down each other's throats and were borderline dry humping on the sofa while Cumulus waited for them so act more appropriately. Sunshine and Aurora were playing a very intense game of Mario Kart, and Phantom was participating until they saw Copia walk in.

"Papa!" They said as they ran to give Copia a hug.

"Ey, pipistrello (bat). How are you?" He said, obviously hugging them back and kissing the top of their head.

Phantom pulled away, and started fidgeting with the spade of their tail before they very nervously replied: "Sto bene, grazie. Come stai?" (I'm good, thank you. How are you?)

Copia beamed at hearing them getting more confident with their Italian, and returned: "Sto molto bene ora posso vederti." (I am very well now I can see you.)

Phantom gave a shy smile, another hug, and skipped back over to their game Aurora nudged their shoulder as they took their controller again, while Sunny smiled at them.

Copia went over to the kitchen and put down the bottles of authentic Italian wine he had brought with him.

"We're going to need one each after this." Cirrus said, stirring pots of spaghetti like the world would explode if she stopped.

"You are doing a marvelous job, mia cara aira. (my dear air)" Copia assured.

"C? Can you please help me with this gremlin?" Aether said as he yet-again stopped Dew from scooping up sauce with his tail, he tried this time.

"Of course." Copia smiled, putting an arm around Dew and leading him back to the sofas and chairs, where a grumpy Rain and Swiss were forcibly separated and kept apart by Cumulus herself.

"Ay, I'm a little cold here. Would you light the fireplace, Dewdrop?" Copia asked.

Dew flicked his wrist and set the logs ablaze, promptly trying to dash back for the kitchen but Copia was quicker.

"No, no, no. You're banned from there for a reason." Copia smiled, forcing Dew to sit on the ground, in front of the fire.

"But Papa-"

"No. I will not hear it." Copia said, slowly walking towards Dew and forcing him to shift backwards, and soon enough, Dew was sat in the fire, purring and content.

"Thank Satan for that fire-proof charm you put on all his clothes." Cumulus said, nodding in approval.

Not too long after, with Aether able to help again in the kitchen, their dinner of spaghetti bolagnese and garlic bread was served, alongside Copia's wine pairing which of course was perfect.

All sat and chat for a while with full bellies and drained their glasses, polishing off the bottles too.

They all had been working through films that Siblings had said were "iconic" and "staples for every human child growing up", and tonight was...

Disney Princess Movies

Many protests were heard, and all were voiced by Dew, but soon everyone was in blankets, with snacks and snuggled up. Pyjamas were always part of the dress code for these nights and that made it even cosier, especially with the fire burning too.

Dew was sandwiched between Aether and Swiss on one sofa, while Cumulus had Aurora in her lap next to them. Copia and Phantom had a sofa to themselves, and Mountain and Rain were in the loveseat next to them. Cirrus and Sunshine on a smaller armchair together, yet they made it work.

Through watching several of the films, they discovered that Aurora's voice made for a perfect Snow White, specifically during them Wishing Well song. Many a comparison was made between Dew and Rapunzel, and Copia was deemed Cinderella purely for the princess' mice friends.

"You took your shoe off on stage too, C." Swiss pointed out.

"Si, and I discovered that many of our fans rather enjoy my feet." Copia grimaced slightly. He wouldn't begrudge anyone, he just wasn't into it.

The discussion of how badass Sunny would be with a bow and arrow came up while watching Brave and Cirrus claimed to be Elsa with her Air magic being akin to colder, Winter winds. She also sung full renditions of the Ice Queen's songs to back her claim.

After the movies were done, all were exhausted as it was almost 5am. And while the very busy Frater would complain when the late night impacted the early meeting he had in a couple days, he'd never miss or regret spending time with his Ghouls. Forget their religion, this was sacred to him. They didn't care about species, or blood or Elements, and they were much more than pack. This random group, pulled together by some perfect string of fate or coincidence, was a family.

And Copia adores his family.

[dullgecko]

Riz didn't sleep all that much but even he had his limits, one that he found himself hitting in a rather literal sense as the dawn sunlight started to filter in through the window. The detectives nodding head smacking audibly into the desk as he drifted off while reading through another long-forgotten piece of highly critical paperwork the previous king had left forgotten to molder in a corner of the office.

The sudden pain on his forehead woke him with a jolt and he groped for his arcubus, half-asleep brain thinking he was being attacked for a second before he realised what had happened and calmed down. Riz gingerly touching the swiftly developing welt on his forehead and hissing as pain radiated out from the spot. He'd gotten less injured fighting an archfae for fucks sake, and now he'd been defeated by paperwork of all things. Typical.

At least the office was less of a disaster area than it was when he started. He'd managed to sort through a decent chunk of it before even starting to sign off on things. Anything he deemed suitible for the quickly assembled council he'd called for, mostly the goblins who had been desperatly holding the kingdom together on their own while the previous king was off kidnapping people, was turfed back out of the office until nearly a whole third of the paperwork was gone.

He wasn't sure quite how long he'd been at it, but given there were at least four untouched meals on the low table on the other side of the desk he'd unearthed from under a mound of papers, he guessed it had been a while. Now that he wasn't hyper focusing on his task he felt like his body was throwing up every error message possible in order to get his attention. The headache that had been a background throb as he was reading screaming to the forefront and making him lean back in his plush chair and push his palms against his eyes. Fuck. Okay. Maybe it was time to take a break?

Riz pushed the chair back away from the desk with a loud scraping sound, throwing the completed document on his growing 'done' pile before staggering out of the office. The noise he was making was obviously enough to alert someone that he was on the move because he'd hardly made it three steps down the corridor before Ick came skidding around the corner at the far end behind him. Riz sighing and flicking an ear towards him to track his movements as the Royal Advisor rushed to catch up with him and match his pace.

"Ah! Good Morning, Your Majesty. I must thank you for getting through the backlog so swiftly yesterday but I just have a few mo-"

Riz held his hand up to stop him, Icks mouth snapping shut so fast his teeth clicked audibly as he fliched back a few steps. The other goblin looking like he was expecting Riz to strike him as he continued his exhausted trudge down the hallway.

"Can they wait a couple hours?"

"Well, yes?" Ick looked releived when Riz let his hand fall back to his side, the rogue letting his ears droop as he gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I'll look at them a bit later. I need to lie down for a bit... shouldn't be for long though. There's a pretty substantial 'done' pile in the office waiting for you if you need something else to tide you over until I come back."

"Oh? I apologise Your Majesty, but have you been in there all night?"

Riz answered by way of a tired hum, stopping at an intersection in the corridor as he tried to remember which way the rooms they'd prepared for him were. Ick helpfully pointing him in the correct direction when the answer didn't come to him immediatly.

"There's not much left to go and I want to get it done as soon as possible so we can get Sarah and the others home." The rogue yawned, turning away from Ick to open the door to his quarters. "And hopefully by that point you guys will mostly be set up to run stuff yourselves and I can go home."

A look of panic passed over the other goblins face at that, though Riz missed it since he was facing away from him. Icks claws clicking together as his eyes darted backwards and forwards.

"Oh uh... so soon? You've only been here for two days Your Majesty. We haven't even put on a welcome feast for you yet."

"Yeah? I reckon I can get through the rest of it in a day, max. Then I can start working on getting the brides home where they belong." Riz stretched his arms over his head, joints popping audibly from the long hours stuck at the desk in the kings study. "But for now, my head is killing me and I need to relax for a bit."

"Of course. Rest well Sire." Ick lowered himself into a deep bow, missing the uncomfortable look Riz have him at the display before the rogue disappeared into his rooms and shut the door. The rogue thumping his head against the inside of the door once it was shut, instantly regretting it as he aggravated the bump he'd given himself from slamming into the desk when he passed out, before stepping into the room properly.

He'd refused the actual kings quarters, to skeeved out by the thought of getting rest in the same room the previous creep of a king had used, but the rooms they'd prepared for them were still beautiful. Certainly something befitting fae nobility, at the very least. Lots of silk drapery and beautifully carved furniture that dwarfed most things you could find in the mortal realms. He was sure Maximum Legend... Fabian... was THOROUGHLY enjoying himself.

Fabian had been given his own room directly across the hallway, equally as oppulant, and through the arcane bond he'd forged by taking his friends name he could feel him in there. It was nice being able to tell where he was, though the threat of him being taken by some other fae creature seemed to be mostly gone now. He gave the bond between them a little tug just to double check, Fabian flashing in his minds eye for a second before the image faded. Riz having to suppress a laugh because, from what he'd seen, Fabain had NOT slowed down on the Fae wine while the rogue had been working. Sure, you didn't get PARTICULARLY bad hangovers from it but he'd still be feeling it somewhat in the morning.

Satisfied that his friend was safe, if not INCREDIBLY drunk and passed out, not more than sixty feet away Riz finally turned his sights on the bed. Soft sheets and an incredibly comfortable matress calling him as he went about preparing himself to get some rest.

------------------------------

Riz jolted awake with a start when he felt the matress dip behind him slightly, hand gripping his arcubus under his pillow as he sat upright suddenly and brought the weapon around to confront the intruder. He wasn't sure just how long he'd been asleep but it couldn't have been for long given how groggy and out of it he still felt, thankfully adrenaline and experience were enough to push him to a mostly consious state even if he was only running on fumes.

The sudden movement must have startled them because the intruder yelped and scrambled backwards away from him slightly, hands in the air as they stared down the barel of the arcane weapon as Riz tried to force himself awake enough to take in what was going on.

There was a person on his bed.

Goblin. Female if the striping pattern on her tail were anything to go by.

They were mostly naked.

"Gah! Fuck. What the hell?" The last realisation jolted the rogue the rest of the way awake, Riz scrambling out of the far side of the bed and holding up a hand to block his sight of the intruder even if he was keeping track of their location by sound.

"I apologise sire! I was asked to come help you relax since you did not have a companion to share your bed with."

"Gods. No. What the fuck why would I want that?" Riz grimaced, glancing at them again just to double check they were unarmed before removing his finger from the trigger of his arcubus and letting his arm drop. Free hand still resoloutly blocking his sight of them as he blushed furiously.

There was a beat of confused silence save for the sound of a tail sliding against the sheets from the other goblin in the room.

"I could... send in a male if you prefer?"

"NO!.... No." Riz sighed, gesturing towards the door with his arcubus. "Just... put on some clothes and go. DON'T send anyone else I just want to sleep."

Leaving a mini offering for when you awaken - Thanks for chatting with me while work has been boring me to death :3

----------------------

Fae Wilds

Fabian flinched his hand away when Riz swatted at his fingers, the goblins hand connecting with his knuckles with a stinging crack since he wasn’t pulling his punches. Not anymore. The creature that had tried to hand Fabian a strange piece of fruit snarling at the goblin and earning a venomous hiss from the detective in response before it skuttled up the tree and out of sight into the canopy.

“Just because someone is handing you something doesn’t mean you have to take it.” Riz took a calming breath, rubbing at the bridge of his nose under his glasses before resettling them on his face properly. “In fact, put your hands in your pockets. Please.”

The goblin had needed to explain this to Fabian six times already but the Fae Wilds tended to make most people who weren’t native a little vague at the best of times. He wasn’t mad at his friend, not really, he was just kind of wishing he hadn’t let the half elf invite himself on this little mission in the name of ‘watching Riz’s back’ for him. Sure, adventuring with a partner was much more enjoyable than going solo like he usually did but gods was it stressful when he had to keep an eye on Fabian the entire time. If he’d known Fabians human heritage would cause this much of a handicap on his resistance to the confusing influence of this realm he wouldn’t have let him come at all.

This excursion wasn’t in relation to Fabians case anyway, the leads on that one having run dry a while ago, but Riz still had bills to pay and the half elf was fine with him taking other clients in the meantime. They were in the Fae Wilds searching for information, the detectives current client swearing that his daughter had run off with a member of some fairy court and wanting to know where they’d gone. When Riz had gone through his daughters things he’d had to agree, some of the items and letters she’d left behind faintly humming with traces of magic from this realm when he’d checked them over.

So here they were, just the two of them, trying to find someone they could get information out of without trading away something irreplaceable. Riz had gotten a few leads from some of the less dangerous creatures in the area and had been verifying some of it with another when he heard Fabian speaking with someone behind him. The goblin having to whirl around quickly to smack Fabian on the leg to stop him from saying his name to a beautiful, naked woman that looked like they were carved out of a still living tree. Riz narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth when they ran a flirty finger under Fabian’s chin before giggling and wandering away into the forest around them.

“Oh, sorry The Ball. You were trying to get my attention?” Fabian had stared wistfully after the retreating figure until they were impossible to spot among the foliage, the half elf making a choked noise when Riz reached up to grab him by the collar of his jacket and yank him down to the goblins eye level.

“Stop. Saying. Your. Name. and REALLY stop saying your FULL name. Even if they don’t want to steal it they can do some pretty horrible stuff to you if you’re not careful.”

“Ah. Right. Sorry. Force of habit.” Fabian grinned, happy to let the goblin manhandle him around if he wanted to even though it would be very easy to resist. It meant he got to look at his face up close, even if his brows were knitted together in a frown and his ears were pinned back in a way he knew meant he was upset or worried.

“Fuck, okay. I know you’re having issues remembering all this because of-“ Riz let go of his collar with one hand to gesture vaguely around the pair of them, indicating the fae wild at large. “-but it’s going to cause problems if you keep doing that. So. Give me your name.”

“Hmm? Okay, It’s…” The half elf frowned, his own ears drooping slightly while his eye darted, unfocused, from side to side as he tried to think. “I don’t… why can’t I remember?”

“Oh, good. Excellent. I still remember it so that worked.” Riz let go of his collar, pressing their foreheads together in a brief nuzzle before stepping way from him. “You gave me your name. I’ll give it back once we go home but at least I can keep it safe for you until we do. For now you’ll just have to go by… I dunno. Maximum Legend until we leave.”

Now that a creature of this realm had control of the half-elfs name hopefully it would have the duel effect of helping to clear his mind somewhat. Maximum Legend, for his part, was doing an excellent impression of a stunned fish. Mouth hanging open slightly as he stayed crouched in the position Riz had left him in.

“That’s…. what the fuck The Ball? How in the Nine Hells did you even do that?”

“I am a creature of many talents.”

The half-elf scoffed in response but didn’t argue, standing back up to his full height and following along behind Riz as he started walking again.

It's always a delight to chat with you, and it's one of my favourite things to do! Thank you for this gift. Here's a little something in return, pulled from some of our recent chats.

---

Maximum Legend—ugh, he couldn’t believe Riz was throwing that one drunken night on Leviathan in his face—kept a hand on the hilt of his blade as he stood back to back with Riz as several masked goblins surrounded them. They’d been on their way through a forest of trees as tall as skyscrapers with thick and colourful underbrush. Following their only lead regarding the location of Riz’s client’s daughter, Sarah. Up until they’d been ambushed, of course.

He’d been ready for a fight, but he felt Riz hesitate at the same time he did, thanks to giving their attackers a second look over. Rusty pitchforks, worn sickles, and recently repaired spears. Masks made up of ripped fabric and threadbare work clothes covered with patchwork leather armour. If they were bandits, they had only just started out, but something told them that these people weren’t even that.

Riz glanced at Maximum Legend to make sure they were on the same page before he called out to one of the goblins in Gukliak. Maximum could only follow parts of the back and forth that occurred. He could surmise that Riz had asked the troupe if they’d seen a Halfling girl running around with a member of one of the nearby Courts.

For a moment, the goblins looked shifty about it, but Riz… insisted that her father only wanted to know that she was safe and bring her home if she wasn’t. A bit of conferring between the troupe and another quick exchange with Riz before they lowered their weapons. Giving them both a nod to follow.

The troupe of goblins kept them close as they led them through the forest toward a small village by a winding creek. Small farms on the outskirts of it with farmers tending to strange beasts and even stranger crops. Little houses and shops were built into the massive ivied tree trunks or carved out of giant moss-covered boulders. A village square with a tall pole wrapped in colourful ribbons and flowers that goblin villagers pass by and congregate at to stare at him and Riz as they’re led deeper into the settlement.

Eventually they are led to a hollowed out giant tree stump where the missing daughter, Sarah, a young ravenhaired Halfling woman sat in a garden of tall grass and wildflowers, playing a guitar for a hoard of young goblins. It was a sweet sight to watch for a moment or two. But sooner than later, one of the kits noticed their and their guides’ presences and a whirlwind of chaos erupted.

Sarah stopped strumming, sitting up alarmed as some of the kits raced towards a couple of the goblins who guided them here—their parents, obviously. While others, the ones on the older side stayed and began to swarm Sarah as if they could hide her with their bodies. And that is nothing to say of a matronly Goblin woman bursting out of the stump and rushing to put herself in front of Sarah and the kits as she hissed at the guides and the outsiders.

Maximum watched as Riz lowered his ears in submission to her obvious authority in this place as he began to speak to her slowly in Gukliak. At first, she wasn’t having it; not even some nudging from their guides was enough for her to let them come any closer. But luckily, Sarah was far more willing to humour them.

Slithering out of the pile of kits, she threw her guitar over her shoulder as she walked over to the Goblin matron to put a hand on her shoulder. Telling her that they most likely weren’t here on the Goblin King’s orders. She recognized their clothing; they were from her home plane. Here to rescue her. Sarah smiles at them and tells them that Drezza is just worried about her because she sees her stolen daughter in her, that’s all. She’s happy to talk to them and explain what happened to her.

You see, Sarah Timbersage had been having a really tough time at college, at her dead-end job and at home and… she’d met a guy. Handsome, almost too good-looking for words. Elven, she’d guessed at first, but he’d been light on the details. They’d exchanged letters, back and forth; old fashioned, but she’d liked it. He’d said that she could come live with him, that he’d take care of her, and she’d want for nothing…

As the fifth daughter of eight children, it was an enticing offer. Believable, too, he’d given her a beautiful necklace as if it were nothing. She hadn’t even realized she’d been enthralled until she was deep in the Feywild, within the Castle of the Goblin King. Who, she’d quickly realized, was only going to add her to a collection of “brides” he kept as a testament to his power. Including Drezza’s daughter, Pollina, though Sarah hadn't known that then. Only by pure luck did she manage to escape the fortress and disappear into the forest surrounding it.

Sarah doesn’t know how long she wandered, but one morning, after spending the night hidden in a rotted log, she was found by some of Drezza’s children. The sweet things had realized that she was not only hungry and thirsty, but also the mortal woman the Goblin King had sent scouts to find.

Now, you have to understand. Within the Goblin Court, you’d be hard-pressed to find a soul that actually revered or even liked their King. Hell, they hadn’t particularly liked their last dozen Kings! Might makes Right in the Court of Goblins, so one of the most popular ways for anyone to gain power is to kill a more powerful being than themselves and assume their title.

The worst thing is? It's an arcane issue. It doesn't matter if the courtiers and subjects of the Court despise whoever holds the title of Goblin King, no matter how this so-called King drags their Court’s reputation through the mud unless one of them can defeat him? There's nothing they can do to strip the Court-given powers from him. As much as they hated to admit it, the current Goblin King was very powerful.

And if the smoke signal from the outermost of the village's farms was correct, he was on his way here.

[hellaverse-critical-confessions]

Looks like the replaced Ed after all.

Someone just recently posted two new HH cilp leaks from the show and i’m not likening Al’s new voice.

https://desuarchive.org/co/thread/139566952/

Forget Alastor, what the hell's going on with Lucifer's voice

And the former is missing the radio effect, so it should end up sounding marginally different, but... yeah, Anon. I can understand you.