#wine glass A.I

[enderflare25]

aaaa I posted this drawing on twitter yesterday and forgot to put it here!!

man I fucking love Anarchy Isle it’s so cool

[dreamsofminnie]

“Ethereal Paintings”

10~ Drunken haze party ☂️

Scaramouche x Fm! Reader Smau

{!! Small Suggestive content ahead !!}

You can skip the paragraph in italics

“I’m fukiang lossstttttt. I’m stuck in the abyssss, lika—ouch.” Dazedly rubbing your forehead from the drunk impact of your head hitting a sharp chin, you stare back at violet eyes boring into yours. Both your drunk lidded eyes dilated, unbeknownst to each other within the haze.

“Hi, pretty.” Your lopsided grin tilted his vision to your pink lips in movement. Entranced by how they moved so fluidly. And how he wanted to capture them in his lips.

“Are ya lost too? I think I fogot my map in yours. Or was it, your map is in my heart? I duno. I just know i want you—to map with me.” Your own face contorted into confusion but nonetheless confidence in your output of pickup lines.

Scaramouche stayed as still and silent as he could. He didn’t want this drunk dream-like moment to disappear. His few gasps of air are what kept you knowing he was real and standing immensely close.

When he wound up drinking too much of the wine glasses his friends poured him, he asked Ayato for a room he could lay in for a bit. Which consisted of staring at the door in deep empty-brained thought. Didn’t think you would save him of that and come by his door to shrill a strange song. Glad you did that drunk mating call; but strange in your own wondrous ways.

Rocking on your toes you count the beautifully long eyelashes Scara had; while you waited for his voice to pierce the muffled party music down the windy halls.

“Uawh, uhs, kill, marrige, or me?” His incoherent speech bubbled in misguiding words which you heavily dodged, too focused on his soft mumbled voice.

“Heha, silly. Kiss of course!”

~~

Scara didn’t know when his hand was in your hair, or when your hands were teasing his stomach under his shirt. How your tantalizing body was pulled so close—the closest anyone; has ever been. You; being the only one to have ever, invaded his senses so close. But honestly, none of you knew what words actions or even place were. How his oh-so breath deepened in gulps of your hot lips. Drinking in his every gasp, you let your eyes glance over all crevices of Scara’s face. The haziness in his eyes were incomparable to yours. You trembled at his hesitant caresses on your skin under your clothes, lips still infused with his skin on your lips in your jaw kissess. The heaves of your chests intermingled as they sync with the push and pull of the passion from the other. You gave leeway for Scara to markup your neck as you heavily did to his—

~~

—though, you didn’t know what was a make-believe dream, or factually real, at this point.

Your drunken haze cleared up a tad, enough to sit up from the carpeted floor and view your surroundings for the first time since you entered this room and bumped into Scara.

This was definitely one of the extra guest rooms the Kamisato family house had to offer due to the simplicity and cleanliness. And Scaramouche was definitely passed out beside you on the futon blanket, not being able to withstand his unreformed stupor for more than 5 minutes with you.

Chugging the large water container Scara had brought previously on his way into the room, the senses you once lost resurfaces with stings to your temples.

Only then, realizing you made out with your stunning crush made from dreams, did you bolt out through the door, retreating to the safety net of your friends.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

Synopsis-> When you were required to help the new transfer student the history of art from the two weeks he missed. He didn’t know you were the one artist he was inspired by. You grow fond of each other but stay at a flirting stage. But finding out that he’s a dreaded a.i user; your mortal art enemy; everything in your relationship is obliterated. Will he be able to reconcile and steal your he-art♡ once again?

The first time the timestamps matter :teary-eyed:

Ignore the date tho😔 /for the first two tweets

//Taglist//

@akagism2 @pokidot @kyouzki @rmiyuki @infe-risk0 @sakurapeach @bluebelony @kichiyoshi @mikctp @kur44pika @cupids-chamber @aeongiies @crucnhice @neigesprincess @scaramoo @gojoandelsalovechilde @childeslegstrap @sakiimeo @d4y-dr3am3r @m3gitsune @scarletttcroww

[inkwell-passion]

Area/People Description Practice

Dionysus' Bar is a two story building with wooden walls, and black marble floors that were purposefully cracked and filled with amethyst. The walls were made with treated wood from fig trees, and the Wooden tables were made with wood from pine trees, the Bar being mountain pine topped with the same black marble, inlayed with Keratin from bull horns. The place is almost always busy with Olympians and Demi-Olympians alike, even a few normal "mortals" that can pay their own way. The Bridge of The Ghost Of Honor is very peculiar in terms of Gaia Coalition ship design, as opposed to having several different stations for ship crew to operate, there is one massive console that allows the Captain to observe A.I. Operations for all systems, and manually override if the problem arises. This leaves a lot of room within the bridge for other systems, like manual Life System Controls, and Camera observation for the entire ship, both interior and exterior. Additionally, there is a desk with both a normal laptop and a holo-computer for the Captain to do paperwork and other such things. In the middle of the room there is a holo-table that the Captain can use for briefing leadership on the ship. Dionysus himself is a beautiful person that straddles the line between masculine and feminine perfectly, with rich dark skin and piercing eyes similar to all Olympians with their unnatural glow, and wild long hair that frames his face. He is often seen wearing a suit and having a wineglass in his hand, though the glass is not always filled with wine, instead using the glass to drink almost everything he drinks. When asked why, he often responds "gotta enjoy a little chaos in your life, y'know?" His voice is smooth and sultry, making people want to listen to him, despite his more insane ramblings. Odysseus is a prematurely greying man, with emerald eyes and a silver fox look to him, standing at a little over six foot, he looks tired and worn down, the appearance of a tactician that has seen his fair share of battle. a rough gravelly voice can be heard whenever he speaks, though there's a wisdom to it that is unlike any other. Athena is a tall and slender woman with blonde curly hair and piercing blue eyes, often seen sporting a personal PDA, and a shotgun on her back, the woman is surgical in combat, as opposed to the God of War Ares, and holds herself with an air of superiority surrounding her.

[princesscolumbia]

Code of Ethics - Chapter 40 - Shock and Awe

...no, you forgot to keep posting CoE previews and notification posts to my blog from all the way back in Chapter 29 to today! Look, a demonic duck! *runs*

(gonna do an extra-long synopsis for people who may not be up-to-date on this...like the folks on my Discord server, now merged with @anne-is-ominous's server! More on this in another post)

The story so far...

Diane Somni'els may be the hero of the sector for rescuing slaves and shattering sentient trafficking organizations, but that's just in the game Galaxies Unlimited: Master and Commander. IRL, "she" is really Dylan Samuels, cyber-agent for the American Republic, establishing a foothold for the American Republic in the non-American parts of the Internet and in virtual reality. Prior to "her" current mission, she deleted a batch of rogue A.I. that were fleeing from their servers. After going undercover as an alien woman in GU:MC, she discovers that one of the "rogue" A.I. was a full Sentient A.I. and The Singularity had, indeed, happened...and she'd killed off a child. In the wake of her existential crisis of being a child murderer and knowing she'll never, ever be held accountable by her superiors, she meets a woman who she very quickly falls deeply in love with named Caitlynn.

Caitlynn is another player, 'just like' her (though not, Diane assumes, another undercover agent) and somehow makes it so Diane forgets the path of pain she's created for herself and Diane is able to start living again...even if 'living' means continuing her fake existence in a virtual reality game.

And then...she gets some news that threatens to shatter her fragile peace.

Preview below the cut:

Three ships had been built by the station so far, and when the first two were finished, Diane had been busy enough with other matters that she hadn’t been able to attend their launch. Today, however, Diane and members of her crew were gathered in the observation lounge as a bottle of wine, pitched at it by a space suited volunteer from one of the shipyard’s airlocks, crashed against the prow of the vessel and its running lights activated. Cheers rose from the crowd, mirrored by the crew still in ops, as the new cruiser’s engines kicked on and the ship pushed away from the safety of the shipyard unassisted for the first time.

More bottles of wine were broken out, these having been only recently received via the new, fully established trade route between Mortan and the Matron’s Aerie. Recordings of the event were going to be sent back, mostly via the social media streams that proliferated across the galaxy, but also via the two actual media outlets that established offices on the station.

Nobody was in anything resembling formalwear, but Norma wore something a bit nicer than her usual jeans and t-shirt combo under her father’s beaten-down old flight jacket, and Russe had actually consented to wear a button-up shirt. Diane, ever the sentimentalist, wore a blue tunic under her white jacket with a pair of red dress pants. The rest of the Ops crew that could be spared the time from their posts to attend the celebration in the observation lounge were there, as well as a handful of guests. The rest of the Morvucks were present, either having put in some time on the new ship or being personally invited by a crew member. Even Mr. Bendenson showed up, but his much-discussed wife that Diane had never seen remained back in their quarters for reasons the old salt wasn’t divulging.

Mess Attendants given the honor duty of serving snacks and beverages were circulating throughout both main Ops and the Observation Lounge. Diane’s plucking of a wineglass from Sani’s hands with a stern, “Nope, too young!” drew a round of laughter from the nearby revelers as Cynthy and Kymberlynn took their offered water glasses and snickered at their friend. All in all, it was a very good, happy atmosphere where a party was likely to break out and nobody was about to mind.

“So,” said Norma in an obviously louder than necessary voice, clearly intended to gather the attention of the room, “Have you decided what you’re going to name the ship, oh glorious commander?” The laughter that greeted this question from the assembled crew and staff made it clear she had succeeded; Diane was now the focus of everyone there.

“Way to put me on the spot, Norma,” Diane snarked back at her mayor, “And I happened to have given it at least a little thought, thank you very much.”

“I’m shocked!” Norma prodded.

“Shocked that I thought about this?”

“No, shocked that you thought, I figured you were all about just charging in and eating people, no thoughts, head empty.”

There wasn’t a single person on the crew or staff rosters that didn’t know what Diane had done for the former slaves (and continued to do, a few of the former slaves had even returned to the station, citing less than favorable receptions on their home worlds), so the good-natured ribbing drew companionable laughs while Diane rolled her eyes and did her best to bite back a smile.

“Well surprise, your commander has a brain,” she stuck her tongue out at Norma, letting it extend a good six inches before pulling it back into her mouth.

“Don’t threaten a girl with that if you’re not planning to use it!” Norma purred.

Diane blushed, “Russe, are you gonna let your girl flirt with me like that in front of you?”

Russe just chuckled, “Are you going to stop her? Since when has she let anyone tell her what to do?”

She rolled her eyes, “Okay, yeah, fair point.” She let the laughter die down a bit before she announced, “I decided to go simple, the ISS Athena.”

“‘ISS’? What’s that mean?” asked Russe.

“Well, we aren’t exactly part of a nation, so U.S.S. didn’t seem appropriate, but we are Independents, so the Independent Star Ship Athena.”

There were nods all around at her explanation when Koarla raised her glass and said, “Give us a toast, sister!”

The cry was joined by everyone else in the observation lounge and the voices chanting over the speakers thanks to the feed from Ops as everyone there raised their glasses of non-alcoholic drinks to the camera. Diane rolled her eyes again and raised her hand to issue a silencing gesture, “Okay, okay, shush, I gotta be heard if I’m going to offer a toast.” The crowd went quiet as she lidded her eyes in thought for a moment.

“We’re alone in the dark out here,” she finally began, “When the Branwell Consortium came along we were just another seed station that had unlocked her doors to the universe. They saw us as...freshly hatched, if you will, easy pickings for a predator that thought it was the biggest, meanest creature in the territory.”

She’d always loved watching the rousing speeches on Star Trek, especially when there was seemingly little to say but the person giving the speech revealed that there was, indeed, something that needed saying to remind the crew who they were. She always wondered if she’d be able to deliver such a speech, and even though this wasn’t a high-tension moment, she felt like this was a rare opportunity to step into the shoes of someone worthy of the command role and provide inspiration to her people.

“What the Branwell Consortium learned was that this wasn’t some helpless little bird that hatched, but a fire-breathing DRAGON!” a brief cheer met her words before dying down into an anticipatory silence, “We had one scout-class ship, a crew scraped from the bottom of the barrel, and a commander who’d never led troops into combat in her life, and we rose up and slew the monsters and rescued the damsels! And now with our newest cruiser, we’re declaring to the darkness, this is our territory, challenge us if you dare!” she raised her glass to the observation window, eyes on the ship slowly passing by.

Norma clinked her glass against Diane’s, “To the ISS Athena!”

Cheers and the clinking of glass filled the small space and was echoed by the crew in Ops.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Read the rest on Scribble Hub, where new chapters are released every Monday. You can also read chapters as soon as their completed (which, depending on how I've done on time and spoons management, could be up to weeks in advance) by joining the free tier of my Patreon.

[fearsmagazine]

I'LL BE WATCHING - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Uncork'd Entertainment

SYNOPSIS:  When Julie’s sister is brutally murdered, she and her tech genius husband, Marcus, move to the country. In order to ensure Julie’s peace of mind and safety he installs the newest version of a top-notch A.I. and security system he developed. When he is called away on a overseas work trip, she gets becomes trapped inside the house and is convinced that the killer is playing a sick game of cat-&-mouse in order to psychological torture her before killing her.

REVIEW: I'LL BE WATCHING at its core is a thriller that embraces contemporary sci-fi elements in the third act. Eliza Taylor carries the film as the terrorized heroine being stalked in a beautiful modern home in a rural location.

The screenplay has a slow burn as it presents numerous red-herrings and the suspense and tension builds. The story focuses on Julie and the characters are in service of creating her character and psychological state. Some of the other characters, like the repairman, postman, and the sheriff appear a few times so Julie has someone to interact with and keep the viewer guessing. I like that the A.I. was named Hera, a reference to the Greek god of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth, and it is what is watching over Julie while Marcus is away. In the third act the plot presents a big reveal, which the narrative attempts to keep out of the suspect spotlight, but I had a few problems with it. Clearly there are some excuses to be made as to how the characters did not see it coming. While on my suspect list, the reveal didn’t have the impact it should have had for me due to some of the issues I had with the film’s internal logic. I also had a problem with the dialogue for the A.I. If you have any experience with programs, such as Alexa, Hera just doesn’t stand up. It sounds more like dialogue for a classic robot than a futuristic or state of the art A.I. program. There could be an explanation on the part of the filmmakers for that, but it seems a bit sloppy given how good the rest of the dialogue is.

Actress Eliza Taylor creates a compelling character and does a wonderful job carrying the film. When we meet her after her sister murder, she is still stressed and builds off of that as the terror mounts. Her performance reminded me of some of the early films of Mia Farrow where she played a young terrorized heroine. Post her sister’s murder, Julie is wearing a medical boot and they mention she has a broken ankle. As there is no explanation, I wondered if the actress may have injured herself prior to filming. In the film her character consumes a few glasses of wine and hopefully a few of them were real. Actor Bob Morley plays Julie’s likable husband Marcus. He has issues but he is trying to work on their relationship. Initially you feel for and can empathize with him. Veteran actor David Keith was underutilized in the role of the sheriff. Also, I was disappointed that the cat who played Pepper was not listed in the credits. It has quite a few scenes with Eliza/Julie and a big dramatic moment.

The production values are splendid. I enjoyed the cinematography, the editing creates a good pace, and they take full advantage of the location. The production design on Hera feels like an afterthought, but is okay. The costumes are simple and there are enough of them to help support the passing of time. I enjoyed Mark Sayfritz’s score. It’s just below the surface of the visuals and performance to support the atmosphere and mode of the scene.

The sci-fi thriller I'LL BE WATCHING is a fine piece of filmmaking with captivating performance by Eliza Taylor. The tension and suspense build to a payoff that lacks the shocking impact it should have due to issues with the film’s flawed logic. Given the film’s overall tone, it feels like a movie of the week/Lifetime Channel type of film with more of a PG feel than an R or PG-13 rating. It’s worth taking in given Eliza Taylor’s performance.

CAST: Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Seth Michaels, David Keith, Natasha Halevi, Bryan Batt, and CREW: Director - Erik Bernard;  Screenplay - Elisa Manzini & Sara Sometti Michaels; Producers - Sara Sometti Michaels & Seth Michaels; Cinematographer - Thomas Hennessy; Score - Mark Sayfritz; Editor - Jonas Smensgard; Production Designer - Julie Hurwitz; Costume Designer - Elizabeth Kline Bibal; Visual Effects Artist - Ben Hendrickson OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/UtMa2uXUrfk RELEASE DATE: On Digital Platforms May 2nd, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #573

Top Ten Moments in Spielberg Movies – Updated 2023

Last week I celebrated eleven years of doing this daft blog by going back over nearly six hundred lists and choosing my favourites. And one of my favourites is – and always has been – the very first list I ever did. Top Ten Moments in Spielberg Movies (as Illustrated by a Line of Dialogue). Yes, going back to old Top Tens like this reveals how little I used to write, and sometimes that’s a negative; just a random list of ten things with no thought or nuance behind it. As much as it’s a faff nowadays to find the time, I do think explaining my thought process at least adds a little bit more interest and entertainment should anyone other than me be reading it.

Well, theoretically.

Anyway, sometimes the brevity of those early lists is actually a benefit, and this is one of those times, because I think just illustrating the choices with a line of dialogue could – potentially – make those moments resonate even more. That’s assuming you’ve seen the films and know what the dialogue’s referring to, of course; but if you have, then reading those lines – hearing those words, albeit in your head – transports you back to how you felt when you watched those scenes play out in front of you, perhaps for the first time. It’s a device I’ve used a few times, and the only reason I don’t do it more often is because it’s actually quite hard to think of lists where you’re talking about specific moments like that, moments that can be summed up in a line of dialogue. I mean, think about that three-way lightsaber fight in The Phantom Menace, or – to quote a more recent example – Maverick completing the training run to show his students how it’s done. What are the quotes there? They’re scenes of action and emotion and filmmaking technique rather than wordy-words.

Thank God Spielberg isn’t really famous for action-based set-pieces, eh? I mean, it’s a godsend that he’s not, like, directed a really terrific and largely dialogue-free action sequence where a guy goes through the windscreen of a truck and then makes his way underneath the truck and then climbs up the back of the truck.

Yes, if that last paragraph wasn’t a dead giveaway, I have been suitably inspired by the Ghosts of Top Tens Past to return to the scene of the crime and revisit the one where it all began. Largely because I don’t really remember the “moon on the rise” scene from A.I. all that well anymore, I thought eleven years was enough temporal water under the bridge to allow me to update the list of Spielberg moments for a new generation. After all, he’s directed six films in the interim; maybe there are some moments worth celebrating in there?

And so, in the spirit of that original list, I present to you here my new and improved (well, new) list of Favourite Steven Spielberg Movie Moments, once again Illustrated by a Line of Dialogue. And this time – because I’m nice – I’ve linked to the scenes so you can enjoy them once again. I’m just fab.

“I can do anything, I’m the chief of police.” (Jaws, 1975): probably my favourite scene in all of cinema. World-weary chief Brody sits wracked with guilt, drinking too much, but also finding time to play with his son. Hooper comes in and, with some nicely nuanced and very Seventies-style actorly cross-talk we get character development and exposition and a really subtle, quiet show of inner strength and resourcefulness from Brody as he picks at a label on a wine bottle. It’s also really funny as he pours himself a huge glass. And then, resolute, he declares they’re going to autopsy a shark. “Can you do that?” asks Ellen Brody. And he replies…

“Einstein was probably one of them.” (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977): the entire ending of Close Encounters is one ongoing exercise in shared joy, an entirely secular religious experience. The aliens land, and the scientists learn how to communicate with them via music, and people come off the ship… all the while everyone is on the same page – including Dreyfuss’ Roy Neary. When the long-abducted people debark the mothership, having not aged in twenty or thirty years, one scientist muses that Einstein was right about the effects of time dilation when travelling at near-light speeds. Cue this excellent retort. But really this line just represents the euphoric optimism of this movie’s end.

“Boy, do I hate being right all the time…” (Jurassic Park, 1993): for about forty minutes or so the film slowly builds tension as we assemble our cast and then get them stuck in the rain on the island full of dinosaurs. All of them have their doubts, but especially Malcolm, who has been relentlessly sceptical about the whole affair – “life finds a way,” and all that. And then the film shifts gear into the gnarly monster movie it really is, and Spielberg pulls out all the stops – the glass of water, the sound of the cables snapping, “where’s the goat” – and then we see a revolution in visual effects unfold as an entirely computer-generated dinosaur walks out of her broken cage. Malcolm Was Right!

“One more person…” (Schindler’s List, 1993): although a dark and unflinching look at the horrors of the Holocaust, there’s an optimistic kernel of hope at the centre of this film – of love triumphing out of darkness – and we see some if here at the end, as Schindler prepares to go on the run and is overcome with remorse at all the lives he could have saved, down to selling a pin for one more person. Yes, it’s sentimental, as the Jewish workers crowd round to praise him; but Liam Neeson’s performance as he breaks down over not saving one more life is the stuff of tragic heroism.

“With a little luck, he’s found the Grail already.” (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 1989): I really struggled with finding a moment from one of the Indys because, well, there are so many. Some of the action is superlative – the truck chase in Raiders, the tank chase in Crusade – and there are other character moments (“It’s the mileage,”), set-pieces (“Anything Goes!”), or gags (“No ticket!”). But on reflection this is my favourite, a slow track in towards a captured Indy as he earnestly sings the praises of Marcus Brody before one of the greatest – and certainly funniest – jump-cuts in cinema history.

“I’ll be right here.” (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982): whilst the ending of Close Encounters is emotional because it’s so optimistic, here the ending is bittersweet and tinged with sadness. Yes, they save E.T.; but he has to go. We have the breakneck chase to get him to his ship, and then the tearful goodbyes. “Ouch,” he says, because his heart hurts. But then he reminds Elliot that, to coin a phrase, no one’s ever really gone, because a part of them will always stay with us, in our memories. Sad, happy, beautiful; one of the great weepy endings. Be good.

“Tonight...” (West Side Story, 2021): this movie is just sheer filmmaking craft, an excellently put-together picture from start to finish. Every shot timed, framed, lit, scored perfectly. Here as Tony sings to Maria, he climbs the fire escapes up to her apartment window, the crooning lovebirds constantly separated by ladders and railings and gantries, their faces framed within frames. And it just looks gorgeous throughout, a bunch of people working at the height of their powers. Song’s a belter, too.

“When the horizon’s at the top, it’s interesting.” (The Fabelmans, 2022): the most recent one on this list and the only one that’s not really – not really – up on YouTube to watch (which kinda makes sense as it’s still in cinemas). Basically – spoiler alert, I guess – the film ends with a recreation of a young Spielberg’s meeting with an old John Ford, as Sam Fabelman chats to the man himself (played by David Lynch!), and is given a lecture on how to make a shot interesting. It’s hilarious, but then there’s the pièce de resistance: that exquisite final shot, one of the most knowing and self-deprecating things Spielberg has ever done, and a sure candidate for greatest final shot of all time. I won’t spoil it. If you know you know.

“You were on the Indianapolis?” (Jaws, 1975): good Lord, two moments from Jaws? And neither of them are about a bigger boat? Shocking but true, but then again how could I overlook this, one of the most famous speeches in history. This whole scene is tremendous, the subtle acting from everyone – drunken singing, the scar comparison (Brody looking at an appendectomy scar), Hooper’s “mother” joke – all leading up to Quint’s speech. The complicated history of its writes and rewrites, its multiple fathers, and above all Robert Shaw’s performance and Spielberg’s unshowy direction lead to a truly chilling, iconic moment of cinematic history.

“Here’s where it gets truly slippery...” (Lincoln, 2012): an oddly overlooked masterpiece, Lincoln is a stagey, theatrical film where terrific actors get to deliver a tremendous script, and Spielberg sensibly gets out of the way but also knows that it has to look really pretty, Janusz Kamiński’s cinematography making it look like a sepia-tinged painting come to life. Day Lewis’ Lincoln delivers a sprawling monologue about the ethics and legality of his Emancipation Proclamation, diverting to deliver aphorisms and daft gags and only tangentially-related stories. It manages to be a dense and layered investigation of executive power but also oddly tense, Lincoln himself both folksy and threatening. It’s a stunning performance, a tremendous moment, and another example in relatively recent years of Spielberg as a master craftsman who just knows how to put a film together.

Well, that was incredibly hard. I kinda wish I’d not bothered trying to find links as quite a few of those don’t do any justice to the photography of the films themselves. And there’s so much I’ve not had room for – Omaha Beach, “Everybody runs”, “I think we’re back in business”, the glass scene in The Lost World, the bike chase through the library in Crystal Skull, “Jesus is sexy”, “Smile you son of a…”, singing under the bleachers in West Side Story, the truck helping the schoolkids, the Tintin tank scene, Tim Robbins in War of the Worlds, even – I have to say it – pretty much every Bob Hoskins moment in Hook. And I guess “moon on the rise” from A.I.? I should probably watch that film again.

[thighs-of-betrayal-blog]

Bad Day Turned Great

Request: The reader is the girlfriend of Tony Stark and she had a bad day and when she comes home from work, Tony has cooked dinner and has a bath for her running, and the next day he treats her to a day of relaxing, to the hair salon and the nail salon, and at the end of the day they go on a date night, with a lot of fluff thanks

A/N: Thank you so much for the request, @maximeevansblog​! Tony would definitely do this and go all out to try and make you feel better. I hope you enjoy! :)

Also, I just hit 200 followers and I want to say a big THANK YOU for all of the support and love on my writing. You are all truly the greatest and I appreciate it so much!!

Pairing: Tony Stark x fem! Reader

Warnings: none, pure fluff 

The sound of your bag being thrown onto the floor echoes throughout the house. Without even thinking, you’re heading towards your bedroom, wanting nothing more than to curl up in your bed and go to sleep. To say your day was bad, was an understatement. Work was horrendous, with your coworkers not doing their part, your boss complaining about unfinished work, and every client you’ve talked to having an attitude.

As you head towards your room, you’re stopped halfway by Tony, who’s wearing an apron. 

“Hey, honey. Where are you going?” Tony asks. 

“To bed,” you reply. “I’m done with today.”

Tony steps in front of you and places his hands on your arms. “Whoa, hold on, honey.” He gestures towards the dining room. “I made dinner. Your favorite.” 

Right as he says that, your stomach rumbles. You haven’t eaten all day because of all the work you had to complete. 

Knowing you should eat, you grab Tony’s hand and head toward the dining table. What you see, almost makes you cry. Laid out on the table are flowers, two plates of food, and glasses filled with your favorite wine.

You turn to look at Tony and hug him. “Thank you, love. I really, really needed this.” 

“Anything for you, sweetheart.” Tony walks over to one of the chairs and pulls it out. “For you, m’lady.” 

Sitting down in the chair, you laugh. “Thank you, kind sir.” 

Tony winks at you and then sits down in the opposite chair. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks. 

Sighing, you shake your head and take a sip of wine. “Maybe later, when I’m less pissed off. Right now, I just want to eat this delicious looking food and stare at your handsome face.” 

Tony stops eating to pose. “Is this good?”

Laughing, you chuck a piece of food at him. “I should’ve known saying that would go straight to your big ass head.” 

He pouts and clutches his chest. “Insulting me after I’ve slaved away to make this dinner for you?” 

“You probably had Jarvis help make most of it.” 

Jarvis’s voice speaks up in the room. “You would be correct, Ms. Y/N.” 

Tony scoffs. “I got sold out by my own A.I. Unbelievable.” 

“Hey, the food is great,” you say. “Seriously, thank you.” 

“You’re welcome. The night doesn’t end here, though.” 

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

After eating dinner, Tony leads you to your shared bathroom. When you walk in, you notice the bath is already filled, with lit candles scattered around the room. 

“I had Jarvis fill the bath water while we were finishing dinner. Just in case you were wondering,” Tony says. 

“I actually was just thinking exactly that,” you say, looking at him. 

Tony gives you a quick kiss. “I’ll leave you to it. I would join you, but I figured you’d want some time to yourself.”

“I’ll see you when I get out?” you ask. 

“I’ll be waiting in bed.” Tony turns to leave. 

You walk over to him and kiss him. “Thank you, Tony,” you say, pulling away. “I love you.”

He caresses your cheek. “I love you too, Y/N.” He turns back around and opens the door to leave. “Enjoy, honey.” 

After the door shuts, you strip out of your clothes and get into the hot water, sighing as you sit down in the bath. 

“I could stay here forever,” you whisper to yourself. 

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

When you wake up the next day, Tony is waiting for you in the living room. 

“Hey, honey, sleep well?” he asks. 

“Mmm, I did. Did you?” you reply as you walk into the kitchen, starting the coffee pot. 

“I always sleep great with you by my side.” Tony walks into the kitchen after you and kisses you on the cheek. “When you’re finished with your coffee, get dressed. We have a few plans today.”

“Plans?” you ask. “What’re we doing?”

“You’ll see,” he says as he walks away, heading towards the garage. “Meet me outside in 30 minutes!” 

Realizing you still have to get dressed, you quickly pour coffee into a mug and run back to your bedroom. 

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

A hair salon comes into view as Tony parallel parks the car on the side of the street. 

“Am I getting my hair done?” you ask. 

Tony puts the car in park. “We are getting our hair done. I scheduled us both for a trim.” 

He gets out and opens your car door, reaching his hand out to help you out of the car. 

As you enter the hair salon, you are immediately seated next to Tony, the both of you getting your hair trimmed at the same time. 

“Keep this same style,” you hear Tony say. “The wife thinks it’s sexy.” 

The hairdresser laughs and you look over at them. “Tony can make anything look good,” you say. 

You all continue conversation until both of your hair is finished. 

Tony goes up to the front to pay, and then grabs your hand and pulls you to the front door, leading you down the street to a nail salon. 

“I’m getting my nails done now too?” you ask. 

“Again, we are getting our nails done,” Tony says. 

You look at him in shock. “You’re getting your nails done?” 

He looks at you offended. “Of course I am. My feet could use a pedicure.” 

Both of you laugh as he holds open the door for you. A young woman leads you to two seats in the back, where you both sit down and put your feet up. 

You lay your head back and look at Tony. “Have I ever told you how great you are?” 

Smiling to himself, Tony nods. “All the time. But, it wouldn’t hurt to hear you say it again.” 

“You’re the best.” 

He looks at you, nothing but love in his expression. “So are you.”

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

The final stop of the night leads you to a dance studio. You follow Tony into the building, confused as to why you are there. 

“Uh, are we picking someone up here?” you ask. 

“No, this is date night.” 

You follow Tony into a large, back room, where six other couples are standing in front of an instructor. 

“We are dancing?” you ask, finally understanding what’s happening. 

Tony grabs your hand and pulls you onto the dance floor. He guides your hands to rest around his neck, while he grabs your waist and moves you in a circle. 

“Is this okay?” he asks. 

Resting your head against his shoulder, you sigh. “It’s everything I needed and more.” 

The dancing instructor walks to the front of the room and speaks up. “Alright, everyone, let’s gather around. We’re going to be learning a few swing dance moves. 

You pick your head up. “Swing dance?” 

Tony chuckles and tightens his hands around your waist. “Better get ready to move, honey. Even if we look like idiots trying to dance, at least we will be doing it together.” 

[buckbarnesjames]

Chapter Two

Pairings: Bucky x reader

Summary: The one where Bucky decides you need to throw things out.

Word Count: 1055

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

Bucky had put you to bed shortly after your conversation, the wine wearing off and sleepiness taking over. The next morning you wake to F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice, “Good morning, Agent Y/N. Sergeant Barnes requested I wake you,” the A.I’s voice says loudly and your eyes shoot open. You groan and clutch your forehead as the hangover sets in. “Should I tell him you’re up?” F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice sounds again and you grumble out a weak confirmation as you force yourself to sit up.

Bucky is bounding through your door minutes later, a glass of water in hand. “Thought you might need this” he says, handing you the water, “and these” he continues, pulling a pack of Advil from his back pocket and chucking it onto the bed next to you. “Thanks, Buck” you smile at him,  whilst you pop two of the pills out of the packet. “No problem, doll” he replies softly, as he makes his way to the end of your bed and plops himself down. “So...what do you have planned for today?” you ask,eyeing him suspiciously as you put your glass of water down. “Well...I googled how to help a friend through a break up” he says shyly. You’re not sure if it's the idea of Bucky googling how to help you or how cute he looks when he’s shy (despite the fact that he’s a six foot super soldier with a metal arm) but your heart flutters. You try your hardest to ignore the feeling settling in your heart - it’s way too early in the day and you’re way too hungover to start analysing things. “Oh, really? What does google say?” you ask, smirking at him and Bucky proceeds to tell you about a webpage he’d read that said you needed to ‘cleanse’. After making a joke about showering to which Bucky rolled his eyes at, he explained that you needed to get rid of things that reminded you of the relationship.

Once you had showered, got dressed for the day and eaten the breakfast Bucky went and fetched for you - pancakes with chocolate chips - you began the process of cleaning, which started with the mess you had made in your drunken state the night before. “Alright, first things first...any items that he gave you...gotta go” Bucky says as he puts your dirty bed sheets in the laundry pile that had gathered in the corner of your room. “Stuff like this?” you ask, picking up a teddy bear that Brandon had won for you on a trip to Las Vegas. “Precisely” Bucky replies, hand outstretched and waiting for you to hand the stuffed toy over. “But this is one of my favourite things…” you mumble, looking down at the bear and fiddling with it. “We can go to Coney Island at the weekend and I’ll win you a new one. A bigger one.” Bucky says and you look up at him, smiling softly now. “Promise?” you ask, raising an eyebrow at him. “Promise, doll” he says as he motions for you to hand the bear over. Reluctantly, you do. Then you’re watching as he proceeds to dump it in one of the trashbags he’d grabbed from a utility closet near your room.

“What’s next?” Bucky says, his eyes wandering around the room. “Well...there’s a bunch of his sweatshirts in the closet but…” you start before Bucky interrupts you, “Trash bag” he says as he makes his way over to your closet and flings the doors open. “But I only wear them when I’m cold! What will I wear now?” you whine. “You can go shopping with Wanda and Nat for new ones” Bucky says, looking at you over his shoulder. “Which ones?” he continues, turning his gaze back to the contents of your closet. “Or I’ll just steal yours” you shrug as you make your way over to the closet and start to point out the sweatshirts that had belonged to Brandon. “Or you can just steal mine...I’m fine with that, doll” Bucky says as he turns to face you, the sweatshirts’ in his arms. “Alright but don’t say I didn’t warn you when all of your sweatshirts go missing” you grin at him and he just chuckles at you as he makes his way over to the trash bag and unceremoniously throws the sweatshirts in.

“Last but not least, photos” Bucky says as he picks up the framed photo of you and Brandon that sits on the desk in your living quarters. “That includes photos on your phone, Y/N” he says when he notices you sadly scrolling through your phone. You nod and begin deleting photos of you and Brandon whilst Bucky takes the photo out of the frame. “What am I gonna do with the empty frame, Buck?” you say looking up from your phone when you hear him place the frame down. “Put a new photo in it...one of all of us?” he suggests, meaning you and the Avengers. You smile softly at him before letting out a sigh, “I...I don’t actually have a photo of all of us together. In fact, I don’t even think I have a selfie with any of you. It’s not like I’ve been hanging out with you guys lately…” Bucky wants to say that maybe you should have instead of spending all your free time with Brandon but he can sense your upset at having drifted away from the gang. “Come here” he says, an arm outstretched towards you. You walk closer to him and Bucky wraps his arm around your shoulder. “Open the camera” he says, gesturing to your phone with his head. You look up at him, studying his face to check if he’s serious. “You wanna take a selfie right now? I don’t exactly look great” you say, your eyes dropping to the phone in your hand. “You always look beautiful, doll” he says, with such conviction, that you decide to indulge him and open the camera before holding the phone in front of you. You watch on the screen as Bucky smiles widely. He glances down at you briefly as you snap the photo but you don’t notice - you’re too busy hoping you don’t look terrible in the photo.

[jubesy]

Hi! Ill ask... 29, 37, and/or 44 for the prompt meme. Do whichever fandom/pairing speaks to u ^_^

Thank you, my friend!! I’ve really been wanting to write for the Sk8 the Infinity fandom, but I wasn’t sure if I should jump into a whole fic when we’re only halfway through the show, so...this is a perfect way to sink my teeth into Matcha Blossom without committing to a whole fic (yet).

Matcha Blossom #44 “Close your eyes.”

Also available on Ao3.

Request a drabble here!

“Are you quite finished yet?” Cherry’s deep, grumpy voice drifted into the kitchen and Joe did his best not to snort.

Normally, Joe would whip him up something quickly. Be it whatever was left of the night’s special or just something easy that he knew Cherry would like. But tonight, he had plans. There were a few new menu items he was thinking about adding and he needed his favorite taste-tester’s opinion.

“At least pour me a glass of wine, you inhospitable--”

“C’mon, Kaoru, you’ve got water and a cup of lemon sorbet,” Joe offered, still finishing up his last plate.

“I’m not eating dessert first, you heathen,” came Cherry’s snippy reply.

Joe did laugh this time. “It’s not dessert,” he began as he breezed into the front of the house. “It’s a palate cleanser.” 

Cherry was seated with his arms crossed over his chest. He quirked an eyebrow. “And I’m meant to cleanse my palate before I’ve eaten anything?”

Ignoring the question, Joe placed the first of four plates in front of his habitual free-loading cheapskate of a childhood friend. But he didn’t remove the cloche covering it. “Close your eyes.”

At that, Cherry fixed him with an unimpressed look. “Kojiro--”

“Humor me,” he urged with his signature smile. The one that made girls swoon, but only caused his current guest to roll his eyes.

“Fine.” Cherry did as he was told, letting his eyes slip closed. His nostrils flared as Joe removed the cover from the plate. “It smells good, at least.”

Joe clicked his tongue. “Like you’ve ever had a bad meal here.” Then he added, “Plus, you always eat for free, so…” 

“Yes, well, at least it’s worth the price.” He titled his head slightly. “May I open my eyes now?”

“Not yet.” Joe bit his lip to hold in a chuckle at the little growl he received in response. “I want you to taste it first.”

“Kojiro…”  

“I know, I always say you eat with your eyes first, but this time--” 

“Very well,” Cherry harrumphed. “Pass me the fork or whatever I’m supposed to use for this.”

Joe grinned and reached for a spoon. “First course, soup.” He handed it over.

“I’m supposed to eat soup with my eyes closed?” Cherry asked dryly.

“What’s the matter?” Joe questioned. “Afraid you’ll miss your mouth and spill it on your fancy--”

“Master,” Carla’s robotic voice interrupted. “Your heart rate has slowed, indicating that your blood sugar may be low.”

Joe started to laugh, but covered it up with a cough into his fist. “Okay, I’ll feed you if you’re worried about making a mess.” And he couldn’t be sure if it was because of what he’d said or being called out by his board’s A.I., but he noted the way Cherry’s cheeks had tinted pink. 

“I can feed myself,” Cherry snapped and scooped a spoonful, giving it a blow and a tentative sip -- as if Joe hadn’t taken his cat’s tongue into account -- before shoveling it into his mouth. The pink hue spread across his face as Cherry’s eyes fluttered open. “This is...delicious.” 

Joe had to turn his head as his own cheeks warmed. “Yeah? Not too much salt?”

Cherry shook his head. “No. Perfect ratio.” He looked up at Joe, his expression soft. “It’s wonderful.” And Joe’s heart skipped a beat.

“Good.” He cleared his throat. “That’ll be our new seasonal soup, then.” He grabbed the next covered plate and replaced the bowl and saucer. “Try this next.” But just as Cherry was about to remove the cloche, Joe tutted. “Nuh-uh. Eyes closed.” 

The glare he received in response would have sent anyone else packing. But Joe was immune. 

“Just humor me, Kaoru.” 

A pause and then, “Fine.”

Request a drabble here!

[flokive]

up all night~ a.i.

It's not true

Tell me I've been lied to

Cryin' isn't like you

The red liquid slowly comes to a stop as you place the finger smudged wine glass on the floor next to you. The sweet yet bitter aftertaste lingers in your mouth as you slowly swallow the wine. Your fingers fumble with the lonely cork as you replay the previous days in your head. As you wet your lips the bitter taste mixes with a salty flavor, you realize you’ve probably started crying not too long ago.

Your fingers leave the cork alone again as they blindly search for the stem of your glass. You take in the last remaining droplets of wine, replacing the salty taste with the familiar sweet yet bitter one.

Alone. Again.

What the hell did I do?

Never been the type to

Let someone see right through

You wonder where it all went wrong. You wonder whether it was something you did, or didn’t do. Whether there was something to be done to make sure this all wouldn’t have happened.

Probably not.

There’s a big chance this all would’ve happened anyway. Maybe later, maybe sooner. It was, as people might suggest, bound to happen. Or maybe, your own mind made you believe that this all wasn’t some weird twist of fate. Coincidence. Something that was written in the stars and would’ve happened one way or another. It always did, why shouldn’t it now?

Maybe it was just your mind playing tricks on you, making you see and believe things that weren’t actually happening. But you weren’t ready for that conversation. Not now anyways.

Maybe won't you take it back?

Say you were tryna make me laugh

And nothin' has to change today

You didn't mean to say, "I love you"

I love you and I don't want to

He loved you. He clearly said it.

His face flashes before your eyes. The smile his lips formed when you stood before him. The way his lips parted, sounds coming out but you couldn’t really grasp the things he said to you.

He called out your name, twice. His eyes reflected the fairy lights that were hung up in the trees next to you. They made his eyes look like little diamonds. Little stars in their own little universe. An apologetic smile tugged at your lips. He returned an adoring smile and grabbed your hands before repeating the sentence you didn’t think you’d ever hear again.

“I love you.”

Up all night on another red eye

I wish we never learned to fly

Maybe we should just try

To tell ourselves a good lie

I didn't mean to make you cry

You didn’t respond right away. You were taken aback by his confession.

“You, love. Me?” Your voice was a mere whisper as you repeated the sentence over and over again. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be true. No-one ever really meant it. No-one ever really said it like that.

Sure there used to be friends who just carelessly said it when you brought them something they needed. Sure, there used to be men who just whispered that and sweet nothings after a drunken night out.

But like this? Underneath the stars? After months of tiptoeing around each other? After many stolen kisses, walks around the boulevard and nights under the stars. Nights full of laughter, and, apparently, full of love.

He smiled, nodded his head and stepped closer. His fingers interlocking with yours.

“I love, you.”

“It can’t be,” you said softly and you pulled back your hands. His eyebrows formed into a questioning look as he tried to comprehend what was happening at the moment.

“It can’t be, it’s not possible.” You said, again, and you turned around. Walking away from the man you knew you loved, too.

You failed to see his smile dropping, the twinkle in his eyes fading into two black spots in its sockets. You failed to see the way your actions hurt him, devastated him, while you thought he’d just shrug. Turn around, and find another girl to play around with.

You failed to see that he actually, did, love you.

The smile that you gave me

Even when you felt like dyin'

Your mind was definitely playing tricks on you. How could you’ve been this stupid? This ignorant of a man who was clearly head over heels with you.

How could you’ve been this fucking stupid.

We fall apart as it gets dark

I'm in your arms in Central Park

There's nothin' you could do or say

I can't escape the way I love you

I don't want to, but I love you

“Ashton,” you breathed as he opened the door.

There he stood, dark circles under his blood stained eyes. His fingers tightly grabbing the neck of his beer bottle. His lips were formed into a tight lipped stripe.

The rain slowly took a hold of your already run out mascara. You felt the droplets rolling down your skin as you forgot to bring both a coat and an umbrella when you left your apartment hastily.

“Wait,” you croaked as Ashton wanted to close the door again, your hand quickly grabbing the door handle. “Hear me out, please.”

He let out a big sigh, slightly opened the door again and looked at you with hurt eyes. The salty taste was back in your mouth the second the two of you looked into each other's eyes.

“I know, I should’ve reacted differently. I know I shouldn’t have run away and leave you at your most vulnerable. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t, thinking,”

You stop for a second to catch your breath. Quickly glancing at the man in front of you. He has put the half drunk bottle on the floor and leaned against the door post. His arms folded across his body in a butterfly like way. Comforting himself.

“Out of seven billion beating hearts I thought I fell for the one that didn’t beat for me. I truly thought I fell for the one who didn’t know my love for them existed. But I was wrong. So. Wrong.”

You took a step closer, at this point your clothes clung against your body and your make-up was probably all run out. You tried to put some loose strands of hair back behind your ears but the downpour just pushed it right back on your face.

Your fingers found his elbows and he let you run your cold hands up his arms to cup his face.

“Ashton, there's nothing you could do or say. I can't escape the way I love you,” your fingers softly stroked his cheeks, followed the lines of his eyebrows down to his lips.

The hurt in his eyes made way for something else. Hope? Maybe? There still was a piece of pain left but you could clearly see the universes you’ve come to know and love, return in his eyes.

“I love you,” you breathed before you cupped his face again, pushing your lips against his.

“I love you, too,” he whispered against your lips as he pulled you closer and closed the door behind the two of you.

[hela-avenger]

poison & wine- part 33

Author: hela-avenger

Word Count: 1829

Summary: Prince Loki of Asgard is in need of a date to take back home. That’s where you come in with a task of your own to make the whole trip with an insufferable prince worth it. Too bad that things don’t always go as planned and you end up giving more than you can take. Fake-Dating AU.

A/N: I believe the gif should be enough of what this part is all about. Thanks for reading everyone! I know we’re in dark times now but it will get resolved! Keep an eye out for a bonus part on Saturday!!!

poison & wine masterlist

You hope your entrance isn’t noticed by everyone in the compound but the Bifrost is anything but subtle. You didn’t have the mind to explain to everyone why you were in a wedding-like gown and had appeared without a royal prince by your side. You find yourself in luck as you manage to sprint into the nearby visitor’s lodge without being found. 

“Welcome back Miss Y/N.” 

“FRIDAY,” you greet hastily as you step into your room. “Where is everyone?” 

“They’ve been called to a mission. Would you like me to send a message to them?” 

“No!” you shout as you try to take your dress off. “No, I uh… I don’t want to bother them.” 

You continue to struggle with the dress and let out a muffled scream as you notice the row of buttons that line down your back. 

“Goddammit,” you cry out. “This stupid dress!” 

You continue to attempt to rip the dress of your back but the gown doesn’t allow for its destruction. The tears are burning in your eyes and you knew there was no point in trying to stop them. You had every intention of making a swift escape but nothing was going your way. It wouldn’t be long until Loki came chasing after you if he cared enough to do so. 

“Do you wish for me to call you some assistance Miss Y/N?” 

“No! No, please,” you manage to stammer out as you wipe your tears away. “I wish to keep my return secret.” 

“I believe your arrival has been noticed.” 

“By who?” you ask confused. “I thought everyone was gone.” 

“Not everyone…” 

Your panic shifts at the sound of his voice but you turn around to meet him.

“Bucky...” 

His frame took up most of your doorway but as imposing as he was, he held himself modestly. You took him all in noting the familiarities and the differences easily, but with everything that had changed, the long hair and dark scruff, you could still see the soldier you once had the pleasure of knowing. 

Bucky Barnes was like a glass of aged whiskey. With the time passed, he had become a bit rough, but still held a hint of his original sweetness.

You can’t ignore the warmth that spreads through your chest at seeing him again. The influx of memories of him was hard to ignore.

You embrace him instantly realizing how much bigger he’s gotten since his years in the war. 

“Y/N,” he breathes out as he hugs you back. A laugh vibrates through his chest and you can’t help but join him in it. “You look… exactly the same.” 

“So you remember me?” you ask as you pull away from him. 

“It’s hard to forget someone like you, doll,” Bucky answers slipping into his 40’s slang easily. “It was hard to believe that you were still alive but Steve…” 

“Of course,” you mutter with a shake of your head. “Steve was supposed to keep his mouth shut about me but that boy can’t keep a secret to save his life.”  

“He really can’t,” Bucky agrees. “But it was good to know. We both lost a lot and some things can’t be so easily replaced..” 

“Yeah, I know how you feel,” you answer knowing how time could take and take without ever giving back. “It’s good to have you back, Buck.” 

“It’s good to be back,” he states before frowning. “Except it seems I’ve missed something.” 

He takes in the gown you’re wearing and you’re mortified at being caught in it. 

“I gotta be honest, doll, I didn’t remember you as a runaway bride.” 

You try to laugh at his joke but all the reminders of Asgard come crashing back. The pain, the heartbreak, the utter humiliation. Your eyes begin to sting again and you’re embarrassed once more to find yourself on the verge of tears. 

“I’ve clearly said the wrong thing,” Bucky stammers out in concern. “What’s wrong, Y/N?” 

“I’m sorry,” you whisper as your throat continues to tighten. “It’s just… a lot has happened and I haven’t had the chance to process it all.” 

“Does the dress have something to do with it?” 

You just nod unable to speak anymore.

“Ok, ok, doll,” he whispers trying to calm you. “Will taking it off help you?” 

You nod once more and turn around allowing Bucky to undo the row of buttons that had caged you into a suffocating reminder of a certain dark prince. 

“What happened?” he asks. 

You knew this wasn’t wise. You couldn’t open up your heart to a man you had a deep history with, but your heart was broken and you were tired of carrying the weight of what happened with you for much longer. 

“I went to Asgard with Loki. I wanted to find my father,” you manage to explain. The dress loosens and you’re quick to hold the material from falling even lower. Being a gentleman, Bucky is quick to avert his stare allowing you to pull on some of the spare clothes you had left behind. “You can turn around. I’m done changing.” 

Bucky looks up once more and takes notice of your red, swollen eyes. You’re quick to look away focusing instead of pulling out your second suitcase from the closet and packing it up. 

“Ok, and what did you find?” Bucky asks as he watches you throw your clothes into the bag. “Why are you running away from it?” 

You stop briefly trying to formulate a response. 

“I uh… My father ended up dying,” you answer. “Quite some time ago.” 

“I’m sorry,” Bucky frowns. “But why are you packing your bag? Why are you leaving? You just got back… and you came back alone. If you went with Loki, why didn’t he come back with you?”

“Bucky, I-,” you whisper trying to wrap around the influx of questions he’s asking. “I can’t tell you. I really don’t want to.” 

It seems your hesitance to offer an explanation allows Bucky to find the answer on his own. 

“This has something to do with Loki.” 

You look up at him desperate for him to leave things be, but Bucky is too protective and you can see him jumping to conclusions. 

“He didn’t do anything,” you explain as you wipe the stray tears that had managed to escape. “I… I spent a week with him and we got close. Too close. And he… he did so much for me. He sacrificed himself over and over again just to keep me safe… just to help me find who my father was. Loki… he’s completely misunderstood and I somehow managed to catch a rare glimpse of the real him. A glimpse of him being utterly good and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with him.” 

“Then what went wrong?” 

“He doesn’t feel the same way,” you answer with a shake of your head. “I thought… I thought maybe he did, but he rejected me so harshly in front of the entire Asgardian population and all because of that stupid apple!” 

You knew there were details missing in your recounting but you couldn’t bring yourself to tell them all. Your heart was already broken and there was no point in breaking it some more.  

It doesn’t seem to matter as Bucky pulls you into another embrace allowing you the comfort you needed. 

“I can’t stay here, Bucky,” you sigh tiredly. “Loki is bound to come back and I can’t face him. Not with all that happened in Asgard. I’ve made a mess of things because I couldn’t discern friendship from love.” 

“How are you so sure that he doesn’t love back?” Bucky asks you. 

“He told me to leave so I did. In fact, he yelled at me.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Bucky whispers glancing down at you. A hint of a smile was on his lips. “It’s hard not to fall in love with you, Y/N. I would know.” 

You can’t breathe. Not with the way he was looking at you. His eyes spoke more than words ever could and it took your breath away. 

“I’m flattered, Bucky, but…” 

“...our time has passed,” Bucky finishes for you. “I know.”  

“You and I have changed since the last time we saw each other.” 

“Yes, we have.” 

Bucky lets you from his hold smiling sadly at you. 

“You should go.” 

“Bucky…” you whisper in surprise. 

“If Loki knows what’s right for him, he’ll be coming to find you,” Bucky explains as he zips up your bag. “And you don’t want that, do you?” 

“I don’t know what I want,” you answer honestly. 

“You love him which means you want him,” Bucky states. “You can stay and wait for him. Demand the answers you rightfully deserve or you can run away. Ignore all that’s happened up there. Heal from your broken heart on your own.” 

You think about it briefly weighing the pros and cons of both options. All your emotions were still pressing in your chest, but the pain was winning overall. Hope and love were long gone. 

“What is it that you want, Y/N?”

The answer suddenly comes clear to you. 

“I’m really tired, Buck,” you breathe out. “I just want to go home.”  

Bucky nods recognizing your need to return to an old comfort that you were lucky to still have. 

“Then go,” he tells you.

“But you just came back…” 

“I’m not leaving anytime soon,” Bucky assures you. “Don’t worry about me. We’ll catch up when you decide to return.” 

Bucky was allowing you a clean break and you would be dumb not to take it. You pick up your bag and offer him one last glance. 

“Thank you for this, Bucky.” 

“No need to thank me, doll,” he answers with a small smile. “Running away... Might not be the best coping mechanism but the distance can allow some much-needed clarity and that I can understand.” 

“Tell everyone I’m sorry,” you hesitate to continue but find yourself doing so. “Tell Loki… Tell him…” 

You don’t know what message to leave for him and yet Bucky seems to connect the dots before you can. 

“I’ll tell him,” Bucky nods. “I’ll tell him you had to save yourself.” 

There’s nothing holding you back anymore so you wish Bucky goodbye and take your leave. 

Bucky watches you go. Keeping an eye on you as you get into your car and speed off. Your car disappears past the secured gates and Bucky knows it won’t be long for Stark’s A.I. to notify its maker that you had come and gone without his knowing. 

With a sigh, Bucky turns back to the compound before another flashing of lights shooting into the lawn captures his attention. A man regaled in golden armor appears and Bucky doesn’t need an introduction to know that this was the anticipated and feared Loki. 

“If you’re looking for Y/N, she’s long gone.”

poison & wine tag: @damalseer @just-the-hiddles @jessiejunebug @nonsensicalobsessions @smollest-soybean @assassinoftheworld @readerbandit @doyoufeelikeayounggod @strangemcuvlogs @ha-tep @i-dont-know-eiither @gene-king @day-dreaming-fox @bn-studies @is-it-madness @devilbat @victor-criss-bish @skinny-macncheese @musicconversedance @baby-bunnyxn @fandoms-allovertheplace @marvelloonie @jinxjinxednova @queenmuahaha @accio-boys @eternalqueensworld @umlvk @roger-the-reindeer @punkrockhufflefluff @your-local-abyss @horsesandwolvesaremyanimals​ @rogerrhqpsody @imsad420 @pandacookieowo @justnerdystuffs @hanoi15​ @oneprolificqueen​ @nikki-who-likes-coffee​ @fandomrelative​ @nikki419ninja​ @onedollarduck​ @help-i-need-a-social-life​​ @ephemeraljade​ @catsladen @amwolowicz​ @captainmarvelnerd​ @thegirlbeyondtheuniverse​ @ddaeing​

Loki Tag: @unicorniorosacomefrutillas @thesilentbluesparrow @oddly-drawn-muse @josiehosiedaninja @hp-hogwartsexpress @sadwaywardkid @wolf-lover74 @sizzlingbarbarianglitter @sigyn-njorddottir @aoirohi​ @defunctcherrybomb​ @steve-rogers-personal-hell​ @steve-rogers-personal-hell​@horsesandwolvesaremyanimals 

All Works Tag: @jmb959 @astudyoftimeywimeystuff @hellocookiecutter @steve-rogers-personal-hell @buckybarnesyard @not-zari-tak @strangersstranger @thefridgeismybestie​ @moonlightprime

[jungkookiebus]

Birdwatcher | intro | kth

Genre: nonidol!au, spy!au, eventual possibility of angst, smut maybe? who knows Pairing taehyung x reader, but his fic is from Tae’s POV Word Count: 2.3k Warnings: mentions of weapons, use of a gun, spy stuff and more spy stuff, there is violence in the way of a tussle but nothing gory, there will probably be future violence Summary: Kim Taehyung, or codename Nova, has always run a tight ship when it came to espionage and in the last seven years you haven’t had the faintest idea of his actual job. It all came crashing around him when he received a message from a mysterious woman in an alleyway who knows too much and whose words are laced with poison when she threatens you. If there is one thing that Taehyung doesn’t take lightly, it’s threats against his most precious asset. 

“This is inconvenient,” Taehyung muttered under his breath.

He sat behind the wheel of his car, decked out in his expensive suit, ready for the evening, until those plans got pushed back a little. His hands clutched the wheel as he stared straight ahead, headlights illuminating three men standing in the alleyway. He only wanted to take this way as a shortcut, but he had no idea he was being tailed and he wanted to kick himself for not paying more attention. Slowly, he reached down for his phone and long pressed the one, dialing your number. His headphones were still in, so he sat still as the sound of ringing filled his ears, willing you to answer your phone quickly.

“Hey,” you said breathlessly. It sounded like maybe you were just getting out of the cab.

“Hey, babe…,” he started.

“Don’t tell me you’re running late at work again.”

“It’s a minor thing. I’ll barely be late.”

“You better promise, Kim Taehyung.”

“I promise. I love you.” He always said it with such conviction. Who knew when he’d get to say it again if at all?

“I love you.” You sounded happy, hopeful, and in complete ignorant bliss which is where he wanted to keep you for forever.

The line went dead as you hung up the phone. The three men were slowly approaching his car as he went through a mental checklist of what he had. Swallowing hard, Taehyung stepped out of the car, hand on the door as he stood behind it.

“What can I do for you gentlemen this evening? I have somewhere to be.”

“You’re not going anywhere, smartass,” one burly man snarled.

“There’s no need to be rude,” he mock pouted.

“This is the end of your run, Nova.”

Nova. Taehyung’s code name within the agency and famous on the lips of all criminals. He was illusive and always out of reach, there before you knew it, and gone before you could blink. Master of disguise, languages, and weapons; he had it all. To you, he was just an exec at a top marketing firm traveling for work and staying late to work on projects. He even had the façade; the agency having rented out a floor in a high rise downtown and equipped with “employees”. They registered the fake company name, employees had badges with the company logo, and all were briefed on what to do if visitors were to arrive. When there was no one besides the agents, they worked hard to procure information for Taehyung, booked him flights, gave him intel, and prepared his missions. When you came to visit, you would see the same faces, say the same names, talk about past and future projects and no one missed a beat. Taehyung was grateful for the front when it came to you, keeping you out of harm’s way as much as possible.

“What makes you say that?” he asked while unbuttoning his suit jacket so that he could get to his chest holster easier. The light from his headlights obscured their vision to what he was doing. He stepped lithely around the door to stand in front of it and face the men.

“Don’t come any closer!” one man said holding up a gun.

Taehyung smirked as he heard the nervousness laced in the man’s voice. His stance was off, he noticed, and his grip on the gun was loose. What a shame.

He was unnaturally fast in his movements, having already mapped out how this would go from the beginning. Even before he made the phone call to you, he was planning out his moves. The closest thug moved in fast, but Taehyung was faster. Bent at the waist, his left leg came up and around, foot connecting with the side of the man’s face. Temporarily stunned, the man moved backwards and the next was already on top of him but before he could close in, Taehyung dropped down, hands planted on the asphalt as he swept his right leg around and knocked the second man onto the first. Standing fast, he jerked his arm in front of him, releasing a small device from within his sleeve and held it in his palm facing the next man. Within the second he closed his eyes; he pressed a button that flashed a light so bright it thwarted the man in his path. Taehyung kicked out directly in front of him, foot connecting with the man’s chest as he flew backwards into the brick wall of the nearest building. The second man was on his feet once more and charging in Taehyung’s direction with a snarl. Reaching into his suit jacket, he undid the clip on his holster and drew the gun, pointing it at the man who had now stopped short.

“I don’t have to kill you,” Taehyung panted.

“Yea, but I gotta kill you.”

From seemingly out of the nowhere, the man pulled a knife from somewhere behind him and swiped close to Taehyung who felt the breeze from the man’s swing. Moving backwards and ducking, Taehyung was expertly dancing around the man as he swung wildly.  

That was when his phone rang. The small trill of the ringtone he had assigned to you filled his ear as his phone vibrated within the car. He could simply not answer, but then you’d start to worry, and he couldn’t have you sending the troops to look for him. Reaching up quickly, he pressed the button to answer.

“Hey!” he tried to keep his breathing even as he dodged yet another sloppy blow from the man.

On the next upswing he was able to connect with the man, grabbing his wrist and twisting it back painfully.

“Where are you?! Whatever is going on at work can’t be that important, Taehyung.” Your stern and angry voice filled his senses. In any other situation and if he were any other person, he would probably be upset with you for acting so unfairly, but honestly, the sound of your voice put him at ease and allowed him to focus.

“I swear I’m going to be there soon, baby, just don’t go home.”

He continued to twist the man’s arm until he was down on his knees, face twisted in pain before Taehyung landed a punch square between the man’s eyes, knocking him out.

It was when the hair raised on the back of his neck that Taehyung knew something was wrong.

“I’m expecting you here in less than fifteen minutes.” Your voice broke through his thoughts as he looked around quickly, trying to find the source of his uneasiness.

“Yea, less than fifteen minutes. I’ll see you there,” he said before ending the call.

The alley was quiet save for the sounds of the city.

“Oh, Nova.”

The voice was smooth with an edge that could cut glass. A woman in dark clothing stepped out of the shadows. A dark, wide brimmed hat cast her face in shadow. She wore a long, black jacket and from what he could tell, a dress and high leather boots. He examined her from head to toe as she stood in the middle of the alley.

“I see you took the bait.” He heard more than saw the smirk.

“Who are you?” He raised his gun again, body ready if anything were to happen.

“It’s irrelevant who I am, but more of what I know…Kim Taehyung.”

His breath caught in his throat as she uttered his name. The thing that was most sacred to him and only known by those closest to him was now public knowledge to someone he didn’t know.

“How do you know my name?” he asked as his grip tightened on the gun.

“Yet another irrelevant question. Come on, Taehyung, I know you’re smarter than that.”

“Iris?” Taehyung whispered.

He heard the extremely faint hum of his A.I. whir to life in his ear.

“Hello, Nova,” the soft melodic, yet robotic voice sounded in his ear.

“Facial scan.”

“Scanning.”

Taehyung was always equipped with contacts so that Iris could assess his surroundings and report back to him within seconds.

“Her face does not come up in any databases but based off slight difference of color at her hairline and the smoothness of her hands compared to the discolored skin on her face, she is in disguise. Voice recognition also does not pull up any files.”

Taehyung wasn’t scared of a lot of things, but something about this woman rubbed him the wrong way.

“Now I’m going to need you to cooperate,” she said as he walked forward, turning a phone in his direction.

At first, he thought it was a video, but upon closer inspection it was video footage of you sitting alone at the restaurant just around the block. He lowered his gun as he leaned in closer. You sat at the table, wine glass in hand, and looking down at the delicate gold watch he had bought for you last year. He felt his heart seize in his chest with fear, but he made sure his face stayed placid.

“The man at the table behind her is one of mine. I say the word and she’s dead right before your eyes.”

He gritted his teeth, hoping his eyes were conveying the anger he felt all the way down to his gut.

“What do you want?”

“I need you to do something for me.” She smiled at the end of the sentence and her teeth glinted in the dim lights of the street, casting her in a more evil shadow that unsettled him.  

She casually strode up to him, knowing he wasn’t going to do anything to her so long as you were in danger. The closer she got, the more details he saw. She was in disguise; a good one, but a disguise all the same. The only thing that was real were her eyes. A dusty gray, they seemed even more menacing under the hat, sometimes in a shadow and sometimes not. She smelled strongly of roses and it burned in his nose as she leaned into him. Subtly, he shifted so that he was angled away. He almost didn’t want her to touch him, but she pushed upwards on her toes as she brought her lips to his ear and whispered.

Taehyung’s car fishtailed out of the alleyway, causing oncoming traffic to slam on their brakes and honk their horns, but no one existed to him as he sped down the road. Within minutes he was at the restaurant parking perfectly curbside, running past the valet, and into the restaurant. A startled hostess opened her mouth to greet him as he dashed past her and into the dining area. You saw him as he approached, worry written across his face, clothes disheveled, and…

“Is that blood!?” you exclaimed as he walked up and grabbed you by the hand.

You tried to stop him, but he was determined to get you out of the restaurant as fast as possible. The man that was sitting behind you was gone, but that didn’t stop him from scanning the room as he went. Other diners and staff stopped eating or walking with trays to gawk. Taehyung was a force normally, but when threatened he gave off an aura that no one wanted to fuck with. He had you out of the restaurant and in his car in what seemed like seconds.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?!” you yelled as he got in and pulled away from the curb, headed in the direction of home.

“_____,” he began, licking his lips and looking over at you nervously. He knew you saw the fear laced in his eyes. He was normally a strong person, a rational person. He was the type of person that never got disturbed by anything, but tonight was testing his boundaries.

“I’m going to need you to listen to me very closely. There is a lot I need to explain and there won’t be a lot of time because I need to prepare.”

He was already dialing the number to his “secretary”, that much you could see as her name popped up on the screen set in his dash.

Within one ring, she picked up and answered smoothly, “Good evening, Nova.”

“What the fuck?” he heard you whisper under your breath. Taehyung looked at you sideways, gauging your reaction to what he was about to say.

A car honked as he ran another red light, swiftly moving in and out of cars in a way you had only seen in movies.

“I’m going to need you to initiate Strawberry Protocol.”

The line went silent and Taehyung heard her clear her throat softly.

“Did you get that?”

“Yes sir, I will initiate Strawberry Protocol and inform the others. Will there be anything else?”

“No, thank you.”

And the line went dead. Taehyung looked over at you again, fear written into your every feature.

“There’s a lot you won’t understand and a lot of it won’t make sense, but I’m going to need you to trust that everything I say is true and vitally important for you to know.”

“Taehyung, what are you saying?” he heard your voice quaver as your tears began to fall.

“Well, let me just rip the band aid off and say that there is someone after me, who has threatened you, and I am,” the fake leather of the steering wheel crackled in protest as he squeezed it harder. All he could think of was her turning that video around and you sitting within feet of death, unaware of what was really going on. He had spent the last seven years keeping you in the dark, out of the way of danger, and living peacefully. But this woman, this enigma had come from the shadows knowing his name and threatening you in the same breath and that was the woman’s first mistake, “irrevocably pissed off.”

[irwinkitten]

men of mayhem | a.i

notes: here she is, part 5! we’re now getting to the build up of the final showdown. have fun! warnings: mentions of violence word count: 3.4k

donate to my ko-fi

you can find parts one thru five on this masterlist because i can’t be arsed to make a separate one for this series.

-

             When Michelle Irwin stepped out of the car, her eyes lingering on her new home, a rush of emotions swept through her as she took in the building. Looking at it five years on from the most horrific day of her life, no one would have ever thought that this had been the sight of an explosion. 

Her heart leapt in her chest as she felt herself get swept off her feet, a shriek escaping as her arms instinctively moved to wrap around Ashton’s neck. The grin on his face spoke volumes.

“Welcome home, Mrs Irwin.” She had expected this, he’d warned her years ago but she hadn’t fully believed him. But she should’ve known better as his lips found hers, an appreciative hum escaping her.

“It’s good to be home, finally.” She finally muttered and wondered if Ashton was going to set her down any time soon. 

The house had been decorated by his parents, or at least by Anne-Marie. She knew that Bert had been around purely for heavy lifting only. A slam of the front door pulled her attention back to him and the look on his face told her much more.

“Are we christening the house or just the bedroom for now?” The question was out of her mouth before she could really stop it and Ashton only paused for half a second before he began to make his way upstairs, his grip firm and unrelenting.

“Just the bedroom for now, doll. We've got visitors later and as much as I would love nothing more than to bend you over the dining room table, I’m not one for sharing.” This earned a giggle as the bedroom door slammed shut and he lay her on the bed, a grin on his lips as he tugged off his shirt.

Her eyes took him in, his physique only having gotten much better over the years of hard labour, but she couldn’t complain, especially as his hands grabbed her ankles, pulling her down the bed, leaning over her and resting his hands either side of her head.

“I think we could manage the bathroom and shower, don’t you Mrs Irwin?” His lips met hers and it was a moment before she pulled away to reply, his lips moving from her lips to her neck.

“Oh absolutely Mr Irwin. I want you to ravish me.” She gasped out as his lips worked her neck, his fingers making quick work of her mini skirt and underwear. 

By the time that they’d eventually showered and redressed themselves, lunchtime had come and gone, so they made a quick snack from the few non perishables they had in the cupboards before they began to bring in the rest of her stuff from the house in the city.

“I was going to question why you have so much stuff before I remembered that you’ve been living in that house for nearly a decade. I think it’s fair to say that it’s not as much as I’d expected.” Ashton finally got out after hefting a box of her books from the trailer to the living room. 

Michelle rolled her eyes as she eyed up the living room. Despite it being furnished, she knew they’d left enough space for her to bring a few of her own pieces into the house. 

It wasn’t too much later when the rumble of the bikes started to grow louder and casting a glance at Ashton, Michelle felt herself begin to smile.

Neither of them made to move when the roar of the bikes finally cut off, systematically unpacking the boxes that they already had. Ashton had argued to get all of the boxes in at once, whereas Michelle had pointed out that there wouldn’t be enough space. 

It took all of thirty seconds before Ashton conceded defeat and they did two boxes at a time. 

“Knock knock!” The familiar voice of Calum broke through the easy rhythm they’d fallen into and Michelle grinned as he stepped into the house, beelining for her. “There’s my favourite girl!” Laughter rang around as he swept her up into a hug, one that she readily returned. 

“There’s my favourite current VP.” She fired back, earning more laughter once she was back on her feet. Calum gave her a wounded look in return.

“You truly destroy my heart Missus Irwin.” He teased playfully, earning a punch to the arm before moving out of her way so that the others could greet her.

When it was realised that it wasn’t just the four hooligans she was used to, that was when they shuffled out into the backyard. Michael was quick to fire up the grill as the rest of the men welcomed her home and then moved through to the backyard.

“But we haven’t unpacked everything yet.” She complained to Chibs as he hugged her tightly. Bert laughed at her whine.

“Better to celebrate it now before the others come back from their gun run. We wanted to welcome you home unpacked or not.” Bert explained as Chibs finally let go of her and stepped away. “Welcome home lil’ lady.” 

She didn’t hesitate to let him wrap her in a tight hug. It reminded her of her own dad’s hugs, the feeling of safety she’d always associated with both her dad and Bert.

“It’s good to be home.” She murmured before pulling away and accepting Anne-Marie’s hugs. Since they were the last to show up, the door was closed and she got hustled through to the backyard where everyone had seemingly found their own spots.

“So no prospects and none of the newbies?” She questioned quietly. Music had already started up as she settled in the spot next to Ashton and Bert glanced to Chibs before nodding.

“We’ve narrowed it down, but there’s been no slip ups the last couple of years. Ash has ruled with an iron fist pretty much so I don’t think they’ve wanted to risk his wrath, especially after the diversion.” Chibs explained.

Michelle simply hummed at that.

After she’d left Charming after her parents had died, she hadn’t returned. It was better for them all not to risk it and give away where she lived since the boys, when they visited, always got themselves lost in the maze of the city before showing up to hers.

Two years after she’d left, they went ahead with the first part of the retaliation. The part that the Bulldogs had been expecting. Ashton had spent months planning with his three closest-Calum, Luke and Michael-before giving the group a five minute warning. There’d been no cells, no communication and the hit had been devastatingly brutal.

As promised, they’d made sure that no children were targeted or collateral. They’d attacked one of their known bases and hideouts. And because the main group involved in the original plan had split, the mole hadn’t been able to warn the Bulldogs. 

Fifteen members of the Bulldogs had been gunned down, their own loot stolen before the building was torched. Despite having been on edge for retaliation, once Michelle had been contacted, she began to work her magic. Six more members had been sent away, and with a small paperwork error, they were housed with rival gang members who were already serving time. 

The total loss of twenty one members put the Bulldogs crew down to nine, and it eased the anxiety surrounding a retaliation, but they also knew that over the last three years since, they’d been building back up their crew and numbers were creeping back up to their thirties once more.

Michelle still worked her magic. Charlie had kept his promise and after she’d graduated, when she returned home after the funerals, she threw herself into work. 

He’d been concerned for her mental wellbeing, but with the reassurance that she was relying on her own support system, he remained in the background, throwing the weight of his name behind her. It wasn’t often that an intern impressed him, but Michelle had done it and Charlie had wanted her to succeed. 

Jen had said the same and it was late one evening when they talked about opening their own firm together. That was when Michelle took the opportunity to talk more about her life in Charming.

“It’s a strange one, Charming. We have our own issues with gangs, but there’s one, SAMCRO, they protect the residents from outsiders.” The glass of wine had been untouched as Jen took in the information.

“What, like the mafia?” Michelle grimaced at her friend's description.

“Definitely more unrefined than them. Whereas the mafia are all about money and only the top are family, for SAMCROW, once you’re in, you’re in. Of course, no women, but the old ladies, we do more than just sit at home and wait for them to come home riddled with wounds.” 

Jen studied her friend carefully before realisation dawned across her features.

“That’s why your parents died, wasn’t it?” Michelle knew better than to look away. “Holy shit. Is Ashton in the thick of it?” This earned a snort.

“More like he’s the club President.” Jen let out a breath of air before her sharp gaze held Michelle’s, the glass of wine in her hands being set down as her body shifted forward to show she was listening.

“What have you got planned and how can I help?” 

From that day they’d come together and refined her plan to open a firm in Charming. The two of them made the decision to become a partnership, and Jen’s resolve only hardened when she learned about how and why Michelle’s parents died. 

That was when the two collaborated on any of the Bulldog cases that passed their desks. 

No one had suspected them and she was grateful for that. But now it would become very obvious if they weren’t careful. Thankfully, she had roped Charlie in on the plan to get all of the Bulldogs.

He was sympathetic for her desire to take them down, and so he used his own team to keep her protected from retaliation, and had told her to continue to send the cases his way until her and Jen were ready to stand their ground. 

“When’s Jennifer arriving?” Bert switched the subject and Michelle smiled. 

“She’ll arrive the day after tomorrow. She wants me to go in and set up the office tomorrow whilst she ties up her last case. Honestly, having her has been an absolute godsend.” 

The others chuckled at her words. 

The stress of setting up a business was certainly something that Michelle hadn’t anticipated but having a second pair of hands to share the stress, certainly helped. Not to mention that she had very good stress relief in the form of her husband. 

The rest of the evening passed quietly, the men helping her move the last of her things into the house. By the time that darkness had well and truly settled, she was not only exhausted but she was entirely unpacked.

When Ashton crawled into bed behind her, his lips finding her bare shoulder, she sighed and snuggled in closer to his embrace.

“Are you glad I took advantage of our time alone when we got here?” He teased, his voice playful, making her chuckle.

“Very. I don’t think I can keep my eyes open long enough to enjoy anything like that.” She murmured gently, her voice steadily getting heavier, words slurring together.

“Rest angel, I’ve got you.” 

She was out like a light. 

-

Hearing the door open, Michelle, half buried under her piles of work, found herself staring at a young teenager, one that she’d kept in contact with since her brother's funeral.

“Lana.” She greeted the girl easily, moving from behind her desk, greeting the teenager with a gentle but firm hug.

“Hi Michelle. Alannah said you were back in town and I figured I’d come to visit. It’s been a while since I last got to see you.” And it had.

The last time Michelle had seen the younger girl, she was fourteen, but now she’d not long turned sixteen and she was truly growing up.

“It has been a while, let me just text Ash to bring an extra portion of lunch with him when he drops by and you can stay and have lunch with me whilst I try to get some order to this chaos.” Lana took the offered seat as Michelle returned to her spot, sending a quick text before she began to organise the files. “How about you tell me what’s been going on?” 

“Things have been good. Greg decided to cheat on me with Taylor, so that avenue has long since vanished from my life.” Michelle looked up from the files at that, a frown forming on her features.

“I’m sorry about that Lana. How come you didn’t text me?” Lana seemed to hesitate at Michelle’s question.

“I didn’t want to bother you with some dumb teenage stuff.” She shrugged uncomfortably and Michelle sighed.

“Lana, how many times?” 

“I know. Bobby offered to give him a fright but I figured my own revenge was good enough.” At Michelle’s cocked eyebrow, Lana flushed. “Might’ve swapped his shampoo with the shaving cream during one of their football practices. Since he never bothered with his hair much, he didn’t find out till the next day in class when Miss Hart asked him if it was some kind of new trend he was trying.” It took Michelle all of two seconds before she started laughing at the grinning teenager.

“I’ve taught you well.” They snickered between each other before there was a knocking on the door and Ashton stepped in.

“There’s my favourite girl! And my wife.” He added on, making Lana blush whilst she laughed.

“Said wife is hungry, Irwin.” Michelle warned and he grinned, holding up the bag of goodies she knew was going to be her mother-in-law’s cooking.

“Don’t worry, I’ve brought extra for your unexpected guest. Jen’s portion is in there too. How’re you doing Lana?” He took the seat next to the teenager who shrugged as she accepted the wrapped dish from Ashton.

“I’m good. Just told Michelle about what I did to Greg. Figured I’d spend some time with her since I’ve not seen her in a while and texts can only do so much.” Ashton had given her a firm look which she found herself looking away from, which caught Michelle’s attention.

“What else am I missing?” Michelle asked warily and Lana sighed.

“I found out about the club by accident.” This prompted Michelle to turn her steely gaze to Ashton. “It wasn’t his fault!” Lana added hastily, having the stern glare fall back onto her. 

“What happened?” 

“It was after my revenge on Greg. He couldn’t pin anything on me, since you always taught me to have an alibi. But Taylor suspected something so tried to corner me at school. I made a point to tell her that she couldn’t scare me into admitting to an obvious lie. Didn’t think much of it till four weeks later and I got attacked.” 

“These bastards better be in jail or so help me god they won’t be able to pick up trash off the streets of Charming.” Michelle warned, her tone dangerous. Lana gave her a frightened glance to Ashton who nodded.

“Uh, Cal told me they were Bulldogs.” Michelle froze before taking in a slow deep breath. Lana found herself looking to Ashton, lost on what to say. He held his finger up, indicating to her to wait, so she did.

“I’m going to assume there is a very good reason as to why I wasn’t told.” 

“Let her finish the story, Chelle.” Ashton murmured and Michelle glared at him before looking back to Lana. The teen needed no prompting.

“I’d speed dialled Calum, after Matty’s funeral he’d told me that if I ever needed help, to call him. I’d just about screamed help down the phone before they doubled down on their attack. He saved my life, but unintentionally showed what the club actually was.” Michelle closed her eyes, half in annoyance, half in understanding.

“Once he discovered who they were, he killed them, didn’t he?”

“It was to protect me! And I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.” Lana protested but Michelle shook her head before opening her eyes.

“That’s not what I’m mad about sweetheart. I undoubtedly believe he saved your life by doing that, but he still killed them in front of you.” 

“Actually, he killed them once he’d gotten me on his bike. He made sure I wouldn’t watch him do that.” Michelle gave Ashton a flat look at Lana’s casual acceptance and he shrugged in return.

“I’m guessing it’s almost similar to what we had growing up then?” Michelle asked him softly and he nodded.

“Her parents were more angry that she got herself attacked rather than the fact she was attacked. So Cal kinda turned into her big brother no matter how much the others tease him saying that she’s sweet on him.” This caught Michelle’s attention and Lana immediately raised her hands in surrender.

“Not true. He’s treated me like a kid sister since I was eleven and also he’s not my type.” Michelle relaxed before giving a curious look to Lana who gazed at her lap and Ashton laughed.

“You know that Cal is sweet on our Jen anyway. However. Back to the subject. We now know that someone at her school has ties to the Bulldogs. Taylor had the shock of her life when police showed up at her doorstep. But we don’t know who else might have ties to them, so Cal does the school run,” Lana grumbled at Ashton’s words but said nothing, “and we’ve been teaching her the ins and outs of the club.” 

“It’s not enough.” Michelle mused and Ashton paused in his words, letting his wife come up with something that she would be comfortable to work with.

“I mean, I don’t mind being babysat I guess. But even then, they’ve gotta be careful. Ash told me why and I kinda understand it. It’s probably why I accepted and got over the fact that Calum killed my attackers so easily.” Lana murmured and Michelle nodded.

“It’s always about protection for us. Remember at Matty’s funeral?” The teenager nodded. “That was done to honour him as family, but also as a warning to those who would dare try to hurt us when we were that vulnerable. We need something that people wouldn’t bat an eyelash at and would be passed off as unimportant-got it.” Michelle had cut off her own thoughts, her eyes flickering around the store that was their home base.

“Do you think if we talked to old man Morella next door, he’d be willing to sell the building to me? We could expand it and that way we would be able to divide it into two offices and build as we build the firm?” Ashton understood fast what she was getting at and nodded.

“What would buying a building do for me?” Lana’s confused voice broke Michelle's musings and the older woman smiled at the teenager. 

“Lana Fayette, how would you like to work for my law firm as our general secretary and all around person assistant? You’d get paid a fair rate for working and we’d make sure that it won’t interfere with your schooling. We could work out a contract that would mean that any courses you wanted to-” 

“Hold on, what?” Lana interrupted, making Michelle grin.

“No one will question me offering you a job. Protection through obscurance. Only the core members know who Jen and I are. Of course, locals know me, but they also know that Jen is the one who represents in the cases. She meets with our clients. The perfect way to keep you safe and helps me out so that we can actually have our things organised.” 

Michelle was expecting resistance, but upon seeing almost the look of desperation in Lana’s eyes, she knew that she’d hit the jackpot. 

“You mean that?” Her voice was quiet, but Michelle understood.

“Absolutely. So how about it?” 

“Instead of working around my schooling, can we work around this? I’d rather take online classes than have to go back.” Michelle thought about it for a moment before nodding.

“If that’s what you want to do, we can do that. Our names have enough pull now so no one will really question our decisions. Now let's go and talk to your parents and my wonderful husband can coordinate whatever protection detail he wants. We all get what we want and we’re going to have a nice new shiny building.” The grin on Michelle’s face made Ashton laugh.

“Wait till you have to tell Jen what you’ve just done.” His tone was smug as he watched her face fall at that thought.

“Ah crap. She’s going to kill me."

-

taglist:  @sexgodashton, @goth5sos, @malumsmermaid, @empathycth, @wildflowergrae, @calpops, @rosecolouredash, @cakesunflower, @loveroflrh, @clockwork124, @cal-puddies, @stellar5sosrecs, @ashtoniwir , @cthwldflwr, @cthla, @calmlftv, @spicycal, @liketheydidwithyou, @sc0ttish-wildfl0wer, @bluehairedtracii, @drummerboy794, @feliznavidaddycal, @ukulelecal​, @thecurlsofgod​, @converse-luke​, @madbomb​, @ccnicole02​, @youngblood199456​, @megz1985​, @lukesidentitycrisis​, @snapback-irwie​, @neonweeknds​, @666yourwitchyfriend666​, @cashtonasfuck​, @ashtaway​, @conquerwhatliesahead92​, @itjustkindahappenedreally​, @kchillout​, @damselindistressanu​, @colormekaykay​, @findingliam-o​, @sublimehood​, @singledadharrington​, @sugarcoated-pain​, @singt0mecalum​, @calumspeachy​, @colourfulcalum​, @lostincalum​, @burncrashbromance​, @asht0ns-world​, @flusteredcliffo​, @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave​, @fangirl-everythang​, @lashtonswildflower​, @lashtondaddies​, @calumssunshine​, @ambskiwi​, @abundant-stars​, @myescapefromthislife​, @lmao5sosimagines​, @beyoncesdragon​, @jae-writes-fanfiction​, @cxddlyash​, @tresfandom​, @niallisworld​, @lietomevalntyn​, @babylon-corgis​, @monochrome44​, @behind-my-hazeleyes27​, @lyllibug​, @bloodmoonashton​, @ghostofmashton​, @summerellaz​, @a-little-less-sixteen​, @cashworthy​, @smokeinherlungs​, @longlastingdaydream​, @h0tsos​, @sadistmichael​, @sugar-nico​, @sunnysidesblog​, @angel-cal​, @samros95​, @maluminspace​, @lukeinblue​, @britnicole11​, @gigglyirwin​, @everyscarisahealingplace​, @loverofcashton​, @iovehemmings​, @g-l-pierce​, @jannimoeller3​, @wildmichaelflower​, @lukeskisses​, @youngbloodchild​, @abb-lan-5sos​, @calumsbub​, @flameraine​, @here-for-the-uproars, @mateisit-balsamic​, @ilovelukey​, @castaway-cashton​, @musiclover1263​, @alloutofcashton​, @tobefalling​, @sarahshepherdblog​, @cassie-sos​, @possesedperson​, @treatallwithkindness​, @wonderlandiswhereitsatyo​, @pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles​, @ashtonlrwin​,

[philthepegacornfics]

Work Sucks | A.I.

Ashton Irwin x Reader

A/N: My work really pissed me off, and I needed to feel some sort of comfort. So now you get this.

Word Count: 659

Trigger warnings: Swearing, drinking, and work is taking advantage of you

I sighed pushing my way through the front door. A steady drumbeat was coming from inside the house, indicating that Ash was home. I kicked my shoes off and made my way to the kitchen. Huffing, I set my purse and the pack of cigarettes I bought today on the counter. Having had a long day, all I wanted to do was unwind by drinking. I pulled a half empty bottle of wine from the fridge and my favourite wine glass out of the cupboard. I wasted no time pouring myself some and downing the glass.

“Baby?” Ashton poked his head into the kitchen. I was too busy thinking about today that I didn’t notice that he stopped drumming.

“Hi babe,” I gave him a weak smile and turned back to my wine.

“Rough day at work?” he asked, making his way over to me. He stood behind me as I faced the counter. His hands wrapped around my waist and he pressed his chest against my back. His head rested on my shoulder. “You smell like cigarettes,” he hummed. “What’s wrong?”

I sighed and downed my second glass of wine. He waited patiently for me to answer.

“Remember a couple of months ago how I fought really hard to get that raise, and they finally gave it to me?” I started, setting my glass down.

“Yeah. I was proud of you and we went out to celebrate.”

“Well, I was training the new girl today. She was excited and talked a lot. I didn’t mind it, but then she told me something interesting.”

“Oh no. What is it?”

“She told me how much she’s starting out at. She’s making the same as me!” My body started shaking. I was glad Ash was holding me, otherwise I’d need to go sit down.

“That doesn’t sound right,” I felt him frown against my neck.

I sighed again, pouring myself another glass of wine. “So I asked a couple of the new people that I trained; who, I should also remind you, think of me as a manager because our actual manager is so ditsy. They’re all making the same as me.”

“What the fuck?”

“Right?! So if I didn’t push for that raise, I’d be making less than them. And I’m the one training them and answering all of their questions!” I cried.

Ash spun me around and pulled me into his chest. “That’s bullshit babe. You do so much for them and the company. Hell, they’d probably be lost without you. You deserve so much better.”

“I spent the last hour of work updating my resume instead of working,” I mumbled into his chest.

“I think Andy is looking for someone to help run some accounts and help with other projects. I think you’d be a good fit. I’m willing to make some calls,” he offered.

“Thank you Ash. I’d appreciate that. I’ll look around and apply to some other jobs too. I just need to get out of there.” I pulled slightly out of his embrace to look at him.

He nodded his head, black hair falling into his face, “That’s a good idea. I’ll help you in any way that I can.”

I reached a hand up to brush his hair back. His hazel eyes were searching my face. I quickly leaned in and placed a small kiss to his lips. 

“I'm so glad that I have you,” I whispered. “I don’t want to even think about going through this alone. You know I hate change.”

“I know you do, babe. Now, let’s finish this bottle of wine and watch some Disney movies because I know that those are your favourite.”

“God, I love you,” I groaned, spinning back around to grab my glass and the now almost empty bottle. I swayed a little from the quick movement. Ashton grabbed me by my hips helping me balance.

He let out a small laugh. “I love you too.”

[needleandhammer]

WHERE is my avengers/addams family crossover? 

The quinjet crash lands in front of a mansion built on what seems to be a plot of cemetery.

“hey Mr. Stark, that house has a large A on it just like the tower. We should go inside.” 

“Peter-”

Lurch greets them. “Youuuu raaaaaang...”

Captain is too polite to turn down Morticia’s offer to give them a tour of the house and accepts a welcoming bouquet of snipped rose stems. 

“f.r.i.d.a.y. what can you tell me?”

“There appears to be a conscious presence within the very fibers of the house.”

“So they have their own a.i. huh.”

Bruce falls into one of the house’s trap doors immediately.

Wednesday and Widow have a lurking contest.

“Can I try your hammer?”

“Why yes, young Pugsley.”

Ichabod enters through an open window and swiftly steals Mjolnir.

“Sorry, sir. Here, you can have my hammer instead. I fed it just yesterday.”

Wednesday wins.

Lurch and Thing serve beverages. 

“Your daughter has a crossbow.” Clint eyes the arrow that grazed the top of his head.

“Ah, Wednesday wants to play with you! She never would have missed otherwise.” Gomez and Tony share a good natured laugh. 

“You have a lion!?”

“You don’t?” 

“Mr. Stark won’t let us keep any pets in the tower.”

“You can have my baby brother. Mother says every home needs a feral touch.” 

“Clint! Did you just open fire at that little girl?” Cap yells.

“Has anyone seen Bruce?”

“What’s that? Some type of knife?” Grandmama leads Widow away. “Come, I’ll show you my collection of sharp edges. It’s meant to be Wednesday’s wedding gift some day.”

“Peter, why are you up in that corner?”

“Mrs. Addams said the webs in this room are in dire need of some TLC.”

A large roaring green monster bursts through the hallway.

“Gomez! Cousin Grump dropped in for a visit!”

“No, Fester. That’s Lurch’s brother.”

“Oh no, sorry. That’s one of ours.” Tony pats Hulk’s arms.

“We’re so sorry to intrude, ma’am.”

“Not at all Captain. Grandmama has prepared enough gruel for everyone.” 

Mjolnir swings into Thor’s ready hand, but not before knocking Fester straight through the wall.

“Well done, Thor!” Gomez high-fives Thing. 

“I lost all my daggers to Grandmama,” Widow says.

“I lost my dignity to Wednesday,” Clint says.

Morticia shakes her head. “Wednesday, what did I say about emasculating men?”

“Twice a day max until I’m in high school.”

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Fester has the coolest lab! I almost fatally electrocuted myself!”

“Well, Gomez, I think it’s time for the gang to head out.”

“Oh, Tony. One more glass of wine. It’s imported from the Bermuda Triangle.”

[calumance]

The Girl Next Door - A.I.

Warnings: it’s a little angsty in the beginning, but it’s mostly fluff

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: Ashton recently became a dad, but he’s not sure what to do when the mother abandoned him and the baby. Thank god his neighbor knows exactly what to do.

A/N: I’ve bene wanting to write some Dad!SOS for a while, and this is my first attempt. I hope you all like it! Happy reading my little berries!! Feedback and requests are always welcomed!!! (Want to be notified when I post more writing? Let me know, and I’ll tag you!)

Masterlist

           Six months, that’s how long it’s been since Oliver’s mom disappeared, which was only days after he was born. Ashton hadn’t suspected anything was off until one day he woke up to Oliver’s cries only to find that all of her things were gone, and a note saying she would not be returning, and she regretted ever having Oliver. Ashton’s heart shattered, not for himself, but for the little bundle of joy she left behind. The only thing that’s been keeping Ashton from completely failing at raising a little boy by himself was his next door neighbor. Ashton had known her since he had moved in years ago. The first time he ever saw her, he was moving something in from the car, and she was walking her dog. When he introduced himself, she smiled widely and introduced herself, then her boyfriend who came up behind her shortly after. It became routine, she walked her dog every day at the same time, so Ashton would make sure to stop and say hi to her when she passed by, even though Oliver’s mom was not a fan of this routine. Right before Oliver was born, she had told Ashton about her ugly break up, and he could feel his heart break for her, it was then that he realized he had a bit of a crush on her, but it was nothing more than that, a crush.

           The day Ashton found that Oliver’s mom had left, he picked Oliver up out of the crib and immediately ran next door. When she opened the door, she was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, confused about who would be knocking on her door this early in the morning. When she saw the disheveled look on Ashton’s face, her eyes opened wide and immediately ushered him and the baby inside. “She’s gone.” He said, cradling the back of Oliver’s head. “I don’t know how to raise a baby by myself.” Ashton started to cry, which made her reach her hands towards his face in attempt to calm him. As her fingers traced over his stubble to his jaw line, his anxiety completely washed away, and his heart slowed. She didn’t say anything as she held out her hands offering to take Oliver from him. Although Ashton was confused, he carefully handed her the newborn, dropping his hands to his side. She immediately started bouncing him and cooing at him, while stepping into the her living room. Ashton stood in place, running his hand through his messy hair, until she looked back at him.

           Ashton walked over to her, Oliver now soundly asleep in her arms. She ran a finger gently down his soft cheek as Ashton’s mouth fell open in bewilderment. “I helped my mom raise my baby sister.” She said, a soft smile pressing against her lips as her eyes stayed locked on the little boy in her arms. “I was sixteen when she was born, and my dad always seemed to resent my baby sister, so I had to step in whenever I could.” She managed to pull her eyes away from the beautiful boy and look at Ashton. Her eyes met his and she immediately saw the resemblance, causing her to smile widely as she continued to sway with Oliver, “I’ve learned some other helpful things from coworkers and friends, so if you need help, I’m here for you.” Her eyes twinkling in the low light. Ashton had wanted to kiss her then, but he wasn’t sure if it was because he knew he wasn’t going to have to raise Oliver by himself, or because she looked incredibly attractive holding his son. Whatever the reason, he refrained and sighed in relief, thanking her for being so kind.

           Ever since that day, she and Ashton developed a new routine. She would wake up extra early to get ready for work so that she could stop by his house and ask if he needed anything before she headed off. Even though most days Ashton said yes, he mostly said yes so that he could see her. Only a few times has it been because he actually needed help. Every morning she would leave at exactly six, never later, never earlier. Ashton would smile at her as she walked out the door, knowing he would see her in the evening. Each evening, after work, she would stop by with things to make dinner, or carry out. She would cook while Ashton made Oliver’s formula, or caught up on his own work. They would all eat together, Ashton would sit across from her and admire how she interacted with his son. He couldn’t help that he was quickly falling in love with her. After dinner, she would help Ashton get Oliver to sleep, and then offer to help him clean everything up. She always hoped he would say yes so she could spend time alone with him, but he always smiled a soft smile and said no. She then would return the smile, kiss him on the cheek and walk home; every single day.

           Today was different though, it was Saturday, the day she always took to catch up on her own self. She would call her mother, and every time she would talk about Ashton and Oliver, she would look out her window and hope she could see him, her head ducking every time she failed to see him. It was around six in the evening when she hung up with her mother and there was a knock on her door.  With her eyebrows furrowed, she opened the door, finding Ashton on the other side. Her eyebrows raised completely seeing him standing there showered, clean shaven and dressed in a black t-shirt, black jeans and a leather jacket. His hair slicked back into a pompadour style. Ashton cleared his throat and smiled, fidgeting with his phone while he spoke. “I’m sorry, I know you usually take Saturdays to yourself, but I was wondering if you had some time to come over real fast and help me out with something?” He noticed he was fidgeting with his phone, so he shoved it in his pocket and shifted his weight, leaning an arm against her door frame. Although she hesitated, she agreed and turned to change into something a little more appropriate than sweatpants.

           As they walked down the hill towards Ashton’s house, she had her arms crossed over her chest. Ashton’s hands were shoved in his pockets and there was a soft smirk sitting on his lips. She was confused, but she followed him inside anyway. When they got inside, the lights were turned down so they were just barely lit, Ashton smiled at her and walked toward the kitchen without a word. She followed behind him, still confused on what was happening. As she crossed into the kitchen she saw the table was set, a candle in the middle of the table lit. Ashton pulled out one of the chairs and motioned for her to sit down. Without uncrossing her arms, she moved towards the seat. As Ashton pushed her chair in, she looked at him and asked where Oliver was. After Ashton sat down and pulled his chair towards the table, he cleared his throat. “Luke and Sierra have been begging to babysit, so they have him for the night.” Ashton smiled and began pouring wine into the glasses in front of them.

           She blinked a few times and looked down at herself, suddenly feeling completely underdressed. Her tongue ran over her lips as the nervousness crept through her entire body. Her arms finally uncrossing and her hands landed in her lap, she leaned forward, “Are we on a date right now?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Ashton laughed, and raised a single eyebrow. She sat back and ran a hand through her hair, it’s not that she didn’t want to go on a date with him, she just expected it to be a bit different than this. “I wish you would’ve told me, I look awful.” Her eyes dropped to her hands and she absently played with her fingers, her appetite suddenly fading.

           Ashton stopped pouring the wine and pulled his eyebrows together, “I think you look just fine.” He set the bottle down and watched her.

           She rolled her eyes and then scoffed, “’Fine,’ you say.” She leaned forward, her eyes locking with his, “Every time I’ve thought about a date with you, I’ve looked so good that you can’t keep your hands off me.” It was word vomit, and she knew it, and it was definitely not something she wanted Ashton to hear. As her face flushed a bright red, Ashton raised his eyebrows. Her eyes closed and her lips pulled into her mouth. All she could think about was running, but instead she placed a hand on her forehead and tried to hide herself.

           Ashton let out a laugh and sat back, licking his lips, “You’ve thought about that?”

           “Oh god,” she let out a laugh and completely covered her face, not being able to contain her laughter.

           Ashton laughed harder, not able to help himself. He collected himself and reached across the table, silently asking for her hand, “I’m kidding, will you please grab my hand?” She dropped her hands, exposing her bright red cheeks. Reluctantly, she placed her hand in his and the atmosphere suddenly grew thicker. Ashton ran his thumb across the back of her hand as the red slowly started to fade from her cheeks. “I’ve had this little crush on you for about six months,” he explained, locking his eyes with hers, “Seeing the way you take care of Oliver, it just makes my heart so warm. I’ve wanted to take you on a real date for a while, but I can’t ever seem to find the right time, so this is what I came up with, I hope this is alright.” His eyes sparkled in the candle light, and her stomach flipped. Not only was it alright, it was perfect.