#winter has always been m’ favourite season … the snow is always so beautiful and the gloomy atmosphere is just :chefskiss:

[mwarlyn]

it is now november which means it’s winter which means it’s scaralyn’s season ❄️🌸

[snackhobi]

this is my part of the rockin’ around the christmas tropes collab with @yeojaa, @underthejoon @ladyartemesia, @ppersonna, @untaemedqueen, @xjoonchildx ✨ MERRY (early) CHRISTMAS Y’ALL

summary: yoongi is your favourite regular. he’s patient, polite, and predictable, a-large-black-coffee-to-go-please, no cream, no sugar, thank you. rinse and repeat. the seasons might change, but yoongi’s order stays the same.

and then one fateful day in winter, yoongi asks about the weekly specials, orders a cup of christmas and sugary sweetness, and everything starts changing.

pairing: yoongi x barista f!reader / word count: 14.8k / genre: coffeeshop!au, fluff, dash of smut (NSFW)

warnings: slow burn, terrible drink concoctions, pining, miscommunication (kind of/reader comes to incorrect conclusions based on literally nothing), the tiniest bit of swearing, heated makeouts, oral (m receiving), I think that’s it

a/n: I have a lot of people to thank: thank you to my loveliest most beautiful wife @yeojaa for the beautiful banner 🥺💖 thank you to @morndas for helping me name this fic and suggesting some of the awful weekly specials featured within 🥰 thank you to @yeoldontknow for letting me have multiple meltdowns at her and for letting me pick her brain about working in the music industry, and for helping me with plot points I wasn’t sure about!! 💕

also thank you to @hobi-gif for helping me brainstorm the original fic idea with her; she hasn’t beta’ed this fic because I am TERRIBLE and literally finished this like an hour before posting. that’s on me and not her. I am a shambles without her indomitable proof reading skills; any mistakes are down to me, and I apologise for that. I’ve only read this through like once, sorry in advance, I’m literally formatting this while I should be getting ready for work

Being a barista isn’t all bad.

Like, okay, you’re on your feet for hours at a time, the pay isn’t exactly the highest in the world, and coffee beans have a tendency to end up in the weirdest places (how did you get the light roast in your bra?)—but it’s not entirely terrible.

Here’s a (totally not comprehensive) list of good things about working at the Paradise coffee shop:

The free drinks (y’know, for taste testing purposes)

The free food (you probably eat more than you’re actually allowed, but who’s telling?)

Your coworkers (like Taehyung, who is—yep—currently shoving a whole mini panettone in his mouth)

Most of the customers are pretty nice, too (you have some lovely regulars)

(If you had to be more specific, there’s one regular in particular that you really, really like—)

(Yoongi appears like clockwork every week. Just after the Tuesday lunch rush, the bell above the door will sing out its greeting as he steps inside, ordering the same drink each and every time he’s here—a large Americano, to go, plain and simple and unadorned, no room for cream or milk, no added sugar or sweetener.)

(Yoongi really is the perfect customer. He has been from the very beginning, a point of quiet in a churning sea of hot, sweaty people all begging for frappés and milkshakes, the hottest point at the very peak of summer. The queue had been growing longer and longer, out of the doors as the blenders whirred their way through a neverending cascade of sugary, iced blends; the counters were a mess and all the baristas were running around and everything was chaos and in had walked this guy, all dark hair and dark eyes and dark clothes, even in the height of summer—you were ready for death at this point, hands sticky with syrup and apron streaked with flecks from almost every drink from the summer menu, and you’d braced yourself for some terse words, impatience and passive aggressive comments on the long wait—)

(—and this intimidating man had just patiently asked for an iced Americano, calm and quiet and polite.)

(You’d fallen a little in love, then and there. Fallen in love with that simple order, quick and easy to make, and fallen a little in love with the dichotomy of the man who looked like nothing but sharp edges being the softest customer you’d had all day. There was nothing rushed about his motions, no desperate need to get his drink and get away, no anger at having waited for so long.)

(He’d been ready to pay, too, no fumbling with his wallet or money; he’d tapped his card, easy and breezy and all lemon squeezy, but he’d left a tip in change, dropped almost thoughtlessly into the jar. He’d collected his cup with the smallest upturn to his lips, a tilt of his head, and then he’d left, other customers parting before him like the Red Sea.)

(The only thing that’s changed over the months is that the iced coffees of summer have changed into hot Americanos for the cooler months, autumn and now almost-winter, warding off the chill in the air. Everything else is the same; his dark eyes and low voice and patient smile, small but ever present, pressed lightly into the surprisingly soft line of his mouth.)

(So, yeah. Yoongi is your favourite customer. Even if you’ve barely spoken, really, the two of you dancing through the same short script each time he comes in—the longest conversation you’ve had so far is the one where you’d tentatively asked if he’d like a rewards card, and after a moment of contemplation, he’d quietly agreed.)

(You like to think that you’re Yoongi’s favourite server, too. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but—)

(Taehyung had been stunned into speechlessness, because, to quote his words exactly: “I tried getting him to sign up for a card last time and I swear he just pretended he couldn’t hear me? He just straight up didn’t respond? What?”)

(—you know Yoongi likes you at least a little bit.)

Anyway. You’re getting off the point. Paradise is a decent place to work, the people are nice, and the building is pretty and airy and welcoming and warm, toasty and cosy in the upcoming cold of winter. It’s one of the things that keeps people coming back, that lovely atmosphere.

Another thing that people apparently love about Paradise is the constantly changing menu. It’s not enough to have seasonal menus, no—you need to have weekly specials, apparently, to keep people interested.  It’s like a gachapon, but instead of cute little capsule toys, it’s a random mix of concoctions that are hit or miss.

“Well, I liked the Peachy Keen Jelly Bean,” Taehyung says, around a mouthful of sweet bread, still chewing his way through the panettone.

“You’d be the only one,” you reply, swiping a cloth over the counters and crinkling your nose  at the pile of coffee grounds you gather. “Iced peach tea with blackberry and vanilla and cherry and watermelon syrup has got to be one of the worst things we’ve ever served.”

That had definitely been one of the misses. This week’s special, though, is far more palatable, if incredibly sweet—Crystal Snow, a white chocolate mocha with whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar, and a crystallised sugar stick to stir in. Sugar on sugar on sugar, basically. (Your teeth ache just thinking about it.) 

But there’s always something so fun about making the winter specials, no matter how sugary they are; the smell of the sticky syrups, the swirl of cream to top off the cup, the dusting of cocoa or cinnamon, everything mulled in the sweet warmth of winter. Even if the drink you’re making is questionable, you get so excited about it, genuinely enthusiastic when you recommend them to customers, carrying everyone into the spirit of the upcoming holidays. You’d hardly describe making coffee a billion times a day fun—it’s pretty exhausting, actually—but you’ve always had a weird affection for the winter menu and the weekly specials alongside it.

You don’t upsell the drinks because you have to. You do it because you want to.

(You’re pretty good at it too. Not a flex: just a fact. Your customer service is on point.)

The only person you’ve never tried to persuade into trying something new is Yoongi. He might not be rude or short tempered, but he clearly knows what he wants, and you hate the idea of ruining the easy flow of his visits. You’re not about to embarrass yourself by asking Mr No-Cream-Or-Sugar if he’d like a drink that's nothing but cream and sugar. Asking about the rewards card had been nerve-wracking enough, even if it had been worth it for the genuinely-unintentional-but-definitely-not-unpleasant brushing of your fingers when you’d handed the card over to him.

(Okay. Look. Yoongi is patient and pleasant and polite and cute. You never thought that you’d crush on a customer, but here you are. He just… oozes masculinity in an understated, self-assured way that has you internally swooning. He looks intimidating and serious but when he smiles his eyes go soft-soft-soft, his voice a low rumble as he gives you his gentle thank you, and everything about him is just so… attractive. Even the way he holds his coffee is hot, fingers loose around the lid as he makes his way out of the café, your eyes tracing every motion as he goes. Like. Come on. Of course you’re crushing on him.)

(Just a little bit, though. Just a little bit. It’s just an itty bitty crush. A teeny weeny crush.) 

The bell above the door chimes. Your kneejerk reaction is to snap your head over to see who it is—but you hold it together, instead letting your head turn at a normal, natural pace. It’s just an unfamiliar woman, rearranging the tassels of her long scarf with one hand and holding her phone with the other as the door swings shut, and you deflate.

(... It’s a small crush, you swear. It’s not like this is around the normal time Yoongi appears and you’d thought it was going to be him. Nope. Definitely not that.)

As the woman lingers near the counter, eyes flicking between her phone and the chalkboard menu on the wall above your head, Taehyung finishes licking the panettone crumbs off his fingers.

“It’s Tuesday,” he states solemnly.

“I know?”

“It’s just past two o’clock,” he continues.

“I know,” you repeat, glancing at him quizzically. “You told me what the time was less than five minutes ago.”

“I did.”

The bell chimes again. This time, a gaggle of giggling girls come bubbling into the café, cutting you off before you can ask what Taehyung is trying to say. You go to flick your cloth at him before thinking better of it, not wanting to rain dark roast everywhere.

“Go wash your hands,” you say, just as the scarfed woman approaches the counter, ready to order. A bright smile splits your face, voice rising into its usual peppy Customer Service tone. “Hi, welcome to Paradise! How can I help you today?”

She barely glances up from her phone as she orders, asking for a latte macchiato and croissant, a distracted ‘no thanks’ when you ask if she’s interested in this week’s special. Oh well. The girls behind her, though, all seem incredibly excited when they catch wind of it; they all eagerly listen as you describe what a Crystal Snow is, your eyes lighting up as you mime piping the cream and dusting the sugar on top, laughing when they ask if they can buy extra sugar sticks to take home, because of course they can, you’d be happy to do that for them, would they like those in to-go bags? Yes, the bags are cute, aren’t they, the snowflakes are lovely, you agree.

Taehyung’s just finished wiping the steam wand when you give him the next order. You see the way his face crumples before his brows lift and his lips purse, pleading as he looks at you with big eyes, and you just roll your own eyes affectionately.

“Yes, yes, I’ll make them even though you’re meant to be on the bar, it’s fine,” you say, and Taehyung’s whole face lights up.

You’ve worked with Taehyung long enough by now to know that it takes him until at least Wednesday to memorise how to make whatever that week’s special is. And there’s not a queue, so you don’t mind taking over, pulling espresso shots and steaming milk and pouring everything together, puffing air in Taehyung’s face when he peers at your cream swirling technique. (No matter how many times you’ve tried to teach him, he’s never been able to get it right, usually just farting a mess of cream out of the nozzle and hoping for the best. Results are… mixed.) Maybe the flourish you put into dusting the sugar on top is unnecessary, but, hey. It’s fun. You smile to yourself as you give a small flick of the wrist over each drink, powdered sugar floating down like snow, and, done.

You don’t like to toot your own horn but the drinks come out Instagram perfect, each latte glass set on a tiny napkin on a saucer, sugar stick on one side, and you take a moment to admire your work.

“They’re so pretty,” Taehyung says, and your smile grows wider.

The girls all agree, cooing over the drinks in a way that only makes your smile grow even more, wide on your face. You watch as they squirrel themselves away in a corner, talking and laughing and nibbling their food and sipping at their drinks, pleased at the way their eyes widen at the first taste.

Yeah, it’s the small things that makes your time here good. Being a barista is a thankless job most of the time, as relaxed as Paradise usually is, so you try to appreciate the small things. Like having fun when you make a drink, for example. Making nice customers happy. (Having cute regulars that you can quietly ogle.)

Actually, on the note of cute regulars—

“Your 2:15 appointment is here.”

You tear your attention away from the table of girls at the sound of Taehyung’s voice. “My what—?”

There’s someone in front of the glass display, hunched as they slowly and quietly peruse the selection of pastries and food inside—and you realise with a jolt that it’s Yoongi. You have no idea how long he’s been there, so distracted with patting yourself on the back for making a few nice drinks; oh, God, what if Yoongi had seen your pleased expression? Do you look smug? You probably look smug. Great, now he probably thinks that you’re a self-obsessed clown, honking your nose like some sort of narcissist. 

“You’re spiralling,” Taehyung points out mildly, voice low enough that Yoongi doesn't hear.

His surprisingly perceptive comment snaps you out of aforementioned spiralling, and after shaking yourself off, you glance over at him. “Why didn’t you serve him?”

He shrugs. “He didn’t seem like he wanted to be served so I just left him to it.”

To be fair to Taehyung, he’s not wrong. Yoongi is staring intently at a slice of carrot cake—even if he’s never ordered any before—and it’s not until you move to your usual spot behind the till that his attention finally rises, meeting your gaze with his deep, dark eyes.

Your inner schoolgirl feels like she needs to sit down. Your entire stomach and chest is a looping mess of frantic butterflies after making eye contact with the cute boy who you’re crushing on, but you’ve got a great poker face; you’ve worked as a barista long enough that you’re good at shoving your real feelings down, none of your internal turmoil playing across your face as you smile. Customer service mode activate.

“Hi, and welcome back to Paradise. What can I get for you today? The usual? Large Americano, to go, for Yoongi?”

You’re a little softer than you would be with other customers, a little more subdued, dialing down how upbeat you normally are to match Yoongi’s level. His lips lift almost imperceptibly, the faintest smile playing across his mouth, and it takes all your strength for your knees to not immediately buckle. 

“Hi,” he says. His voice is soft and low, faintest drawl at the end of his words, and yep, just your weekly reminder that you’re enamoured with him. Cool. “Yes, please, that would be great.”

He already has his card ready, you know he does. He always does; card to pay, loyalty card to swipe, tip to drop in the jar, quick and smooth and easy. This is normally where you’d rattle off the price—as if he doesn’t already know what it is—but you pause, thinking about how intent he’d been on the pastry display, as uncharacteristic as that is.

“Did you… want something to eat, too? I couldn’t, um, help noticing that you were eyeing up the carrot cake?”

Yoongi blinks, wispy lashes fluttering. You can see the muted surprise that flashes across his face, and you wonder if you’ve misstepped, thrown off the usual rhythm of his visit. It’s an unusual step away from your regular script, an ad-lib that he wasn’t expecting.

“Uh, no, thank you,” he says. “Maybe… next time.”

He’s polite as ever, thankfully. You’re not surprised at his answer but you do have to wonder why he was looking at the cake so closely if he hadn’t planned on getting anything; you know he likes getting served by you the most, if the evidence over the months means anything at all, but you don’t think he’d stare at cake just so he would avoid Taehyung. You’re making assumptions based on the fact he just drinks black coffee and literally nothing else, but you’ve guessed he doesn’t have a sweet tooth. (The only time he’s ever ordered food had been two months prior when he’d asked for a single croissant, and nothing since. Taehyung still talks about the croissant sometimes.) 

Well, it doesn't really matter. If he doesn't want cake, you're not going to force it on him, and the rest of the transaction goes as normal. Yoongi hands over his rewards card, fingers long and knuckles knobbly and altogether lovely, pays for his Americano—made by Taehyung, cup wrapped in the sleeve that you’ve written Yoongi’s name on, black sharpie bleeding into the cardboard—and smiles at you both when Taehyung hands it to him across the smooth wood of the counter.

“Thanks.” He gives you that slight tilt of his head that he always does, and you smile helplessly back. 

He’s a gentleman, through and through, even if he looks as distant as ever; dressed in all black, his ripped jeans the only splash of lightness in his dark outfit. Maybe you’re biased, but no matter what he wears, he looks stylish, somehow. It’s something in his aura. All cool understated elegance and power. 

And here you are, in your cream jumper under the dark mulberry apron of your uniform, a flower blooming next to the name on your badge. All chirpy customer service, smiling broad and wide as you go through the same motions over and over with each new person that comes in. Sometimes you wonder what Yoongi thinks of you, as different as you are to him, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter—because he keeps coming back, doesn’t he?

“Have a nice day,” you say as he turns to go, and when he glances over his shoulder and says you too, smile soft and eyes softer, you know he really means it. 

(And if your eyes always trail after him once his back has turned, who’s telling?)

“You’re staring.” Taehyung’s telling, apparently.

You tear your eyes away from Yoongi, bell tinkling as the door swings shut behind him. “He’s my favourite customer,” you say. As if that explains why you were staring.

“You’ve barely spoken to him.”

“He’s my favourite customer,” you say again, emphatically. “He comes in, he gets the world’s simplest drink to make, is always polite, always leaves a tip, and he goes. Literally the perfect customer.”

 “Alright, true,” he says, as if he hadn’t considered that before now. “Cute, too.”

You sigh. A little wistful. “Yeah,” you say. “Yeah, he is.”

Taehyung opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something else when someone spills their drink on their floor with an unholy clattering sound, even if nothing breaks; without saying anything, both you and Taehyung raise your hands, eyes narrowing at each other.

"Rock, paper, scissors," you chant. Taehyung promptly loses, and the pout that forms on his lips doesn't disappear until he's finished mopping everything up.

(“Why do I always end up having to clean spillages?”

“Because you never win rock-paper-scissors. You always choose scissors, Taehyung. You literally always choose scissors.”)

The tradition of the weekly specials at Paradise is a weird one, truth be told. Each Monday whoever’s on the opening shift will enter the coffee shop and find that the board on the wall has been updated, the recipe typed up and laminated, waiting on the counter for the baristas. You all assume it’s the mysterious owner, who no one has ever seen, and no one even knows the name of, apparently.

“Someone has to know their name,” you’d said, once, back when you’d first started, only to receive a shrugs from everyone.

“I heard one of the old baristas say the owner’s name was Jackson,” Taehyung had said, and you’d just blinked at him.

“Huh?” you’d said, but Jimin had rolled his eyes and told you to ignore him, so you had.

This week’s drink is the Marshmallow World. As always, when you and Taehyung start your shift together, you read the recipe and follow it step by step to learn how to make it. Warmed milk, vanilla syrup, topped off with marshmallow fluff instead of whipped cream—not bad in theory, if you like sweet things, although it does pose one significant problem.

“It’s clogged my hole,” Taehyung says sadly.

You sputter on your own drink, desperately hacking your lungs out as you try to stop milk from going down your windpipe. “I’m-sorry-it’s-what,” you wheeze all at once, struggling for air.

Taehyung tilts his takeaway cup at you, gesturing at the lid. (All the mugs are still out back or on a rinse cycle so laziness had forced you to make do.) “My drink hole. It’s blocked,” he explains. “The fluff is getting in the way.”

So, yeah. It clogs people’s holes, apparently. But other than that, you have to admit it’s pretty nice, and if you drink it in the café (and thus out of a mug) then you’re fine. You just get into the habit of warning the customers if they order it to go and laugh about it with them and it’s all fine and dandy and everyone is happy.

It’s starting to get busier, now. The nights are getting longer and the days are getting colder and everyone’s starting to think about Christmas, which feels both close and far away, all at once. Close, because you still have presents to buy and there’s never enough time for it; and far, because the lights have yet to go up and Christmas songs aren’t dominating the radio yet and you have yet to experience the real winter rush. Students home for the holidays and families out to see Father Christmas and workers grabbing Secret Santa gifts, everyone desperate for something warm and soothing, hot and comforting in the face of the snow which has yet to fall. 

But there’s something in the air, that cool hush that lets you know it’s nearly here—the changing of the seasons, the burnt sunset colours of autumn melting into the iced blues and greys of winter. No matter if you prefer hot or cold weather, there’s something about the beauty of wintertime that’s undeniable.

And it’s a lot easier to sell something like the Marshmallow World on a day like this, the nip in the air almost solid, biting cold into the apples of your cheeks, nibbling at fingers that are so cold they feel frost-bitten. Once again, your genuine enthusiasm shines through, persuading people to give the drink a go, happy to add a shot of espresso for whoever needs it, desperate for caffeine to buoy them up through the day.

You’ve just finished laughing with a lovely old couple, wearing matching scarves and hats—awwww—waving them goodbye as they go to sit down, when you come face to face with Yoongi, blindsided by his sudden appearance. You’d been so caught up, once again, too busy giggling your way through the conversation with your other customers, able to persuade them to try one special to share alongside everything else they’ve ordered. 

“Oh. Uh. Hi,” you say. Your hand is still by your face after you’d given the couple a cute wave, and when you realise, you freeze. Flustered. Behind you, Taehyung is struggling to spoon the marshmallow fluff neatly on the vanilla steamer, making small noises of distress, but you’re too caught up in your own distress to really notice.

Once again, you have no idea how long Yoongi’s been there. You’re slipping. You’re normally aware of him as soon as he steps into the coffee shop. (You know, because you’re always aware of when a new customer steps in. Like any good barista would be.) Had he witnessed you enthusiastically waving your hands and talking about marshmallows and s'mores? Seen the way you'd grinned and laughed as you'd gotten excited over the weekly special, yet again?

Well, if he had, he doesn't seem perturbed at all. His usual smile is on his face, though you would swear it seems a little softer around the edges, almost fond. 

“Hi,” he says, and… that’s it. 

There’s no addition of his usual that would be great, and that’s when you realise you haven’t asked about his coffee. In fact, your fingers are still curled near your chin, almost like a claw. You clear your throat and let your arm fall to your side, fiddling with the tie of your apron. 

“Hi,” you repeat. Flounder for a second. Try to remember your usual line. “Large Americano?”

“Y/n.” Taehyung whines your name from the bar, loud enough that it catches your attention. “The marshmallow isn’t staying. Why do you keep recommending Marshmallow World? Why must I suffer through this torture? Every day I wake up and I make coffee—”

“Sorry, sir, one second,” you say, face scrunching in apology at Yoongi. 

“It's just Yoongi,” he replies, gentle, and your heart thuds in your chest. "You don't have to call me sir."

Your face feels warm. "Um, okay, Yoongi." You've said his name before, of course, said it dozens of times to confirm his order, but never like this—by invitation from the man himself, an acknowledgement of familiarity.

Taehyung makes another noise. Yoongi's expression turns into one of faint amusement, eyes drifting over your shoulder to your friend; when you turn around, you can see why.

The other barista’s managed to get marshmallow fluff all over the edge of the glass, on the handle of the cup, all the way up the spoon, on his fingers—everywhere except on the drink itself. It’s funny, in a sad sort of way.

“Wow.” You have no idea how he managed it, but you’re here to help. “Alright, go wash your hands, Tae. I’ve got this.”

The cup is a goner.  There’s no way you’ll be able to wipe off the sticky marshmallow. You’re acutely aware of Yoongi at the counter, able to watch your every move, but then you get distracted as you salvage Taehyung's attempt at a Marshmallow World. You just feel grateful that it’s a steamer so you can pour it into a new glass, not having to worry about layers of coffee and milk and foam; it’s a pretty easy fix. Good. (You don’t want to keep Yoongi waiting, as patient as he may be.)

It doesn’t take long to spoon the marshmallow on, whipped peaks in the sticky white, and by the time Taehyung returns you’re ready to present him with the picture perfect drink, not a single lick of fluff anywhere it shouldn’t be. You've got your hands on your hips as you survey your work proudly, and Taehyung sticks his tongue out at you.

“Witchcraft,” he says, and you laugh.

“You’re welcome,” you say. “Alright, shoo, go take this over to the table before they start wondering where it is.”

When you turn back, Yoongi’s watching you. Contemplative. You tamp down the flush that threatens to spill onto your cheeks, face burning, but before you can say anything, he speaks.

“Was that the weekly special?”

You blink. Blindsided. Yoongi’s never asked about the special before, never commented on the A-frame outside, the sign on the wall that sits next to the regular menu. No surprise there—why would someone who only drinks Americanos want to drink ninety-nine percent of the weekly specials you offer? “Um, yeah,” you say. “We’ve got the Marshmallow World this week.”

“Would you recommend it?”

You can’t help it. You light up. You love when customers ask for recommendations, and the fact that it’s Yoongi—whose blood must be made of coffee at this point—who’s asking about it? Americano Yoongi, asking about something without caffeine? Black coffee Yoongi, asking about a weekly special that’s nothing but sugar and sweetness? Something inside you switches on, a Christmas tree, all flashing lights and shimmering tinsel and excitement.

“Oh, if you like sweeter drinks, absolutely! It’s great for a cold day like today,” you gush. Maybe you should reel it in, far more exuberant than you usually are with Yoongi, but. You can’t stop. “It’s warm milk and vanilla, so it’s a lovely comfort drink, and we can add a shot of espresso too if you were wanting a little pick-me-up. And then you’ve got marshmallow fluff on top for some extra self-indulgence. We were meant to, uh, toast the top, actually, but we don’t have the necessary health and safety clearance for blowtorches. I guess you could do that at home if you really wanted to. Everyone likes toasted marshmallows, right?”

Yoongi hums, and you wonder if you’ve maybe gotten ahead of yourself. Oversold it. Maybe he was asking out of curiosity. Just because he’s asking about it doesn’t mean that he wants one—

“Can I get a Marshmallow World, please? Large, to go?”

—or maybe Yoongi is an official convert to the world of sweet drinks, changing after a lifetime of drinking unadorned, unadulterated black coffee. Holy shit. Holy shit? Holy—

“And a large Americano to go, too, please.”

(Record scratch. Freeze frame.  

Yoongi of-the-black-coffee is ordering his usual drink, and another. Both large. Too much for one person to reasonably drink before one of them got cold. He’s not ordering for one person; he’s ordering for two people. Of course Yoongi wouldn’t order something as heart-stopping as the Marshmallow World—not for himself, anyway. 

Mental maths. Two plus two is four, four plus four is eight; one large Americano and one Marshmallow World is two people. Yoongi and one other person is two people, a couple of people, a couple—

Oh, God.

A couple.

You’ve been crushing on a taken man.

You know how they say your life flashes before your eyes before you die? It’s sort of like that, but rather than remembering your life, you immediately recall every moment over the months where you’ve looked at him or thought about him with even the smallest iota of longing and you want to crawl under the counter and never come out. 

You feel weirdly guilty. Like… like you’re some sort of unintentional homewrecker. Even though, you know, you thought Yoongi was single and you haven’t made a single move on him and nor had you had any plans to. The guilt bubbles up inside you anyway.

All at once, you feel immensely, incredibly embarrassed. Of course he’s taken. There’s no way he wouldn’t be, as attractive and nice as he is, and you’ve just been sat here crushing on him like a big dumb idiot. 

You are the worst.)

You manage to squeeze this internal breakdown into the span of a few seconds. You’re grateful that you have your customer service face locked on, giving nothing away—from the outside the smile looks just like that, a smile, rather than the rictus of deathly mortification it actually is, burning through you like a wildfire. 

Yoongi seems none the wiser, just patiently waiting for some sort of acknowledgement of his order. Most of your brain power is still taken up with the mish-mash of humiliation and guilt that’s roiling through you. Luckily, though, the part of your brain that’s still in the moment (trying to drag you back to the real world, shame-faced as you are) forces you to move before things get weird.

“One large Americano, one large Marshmallow World, both to go.” You tap the drinks into the till on auto-pilot, dimly noting that Taehyung’s been pulled into conversation with the old couple at their table, having delivered their drinks and food to them. It’s just you behind the counter, no one else to man the coffee machines. “Let me get those started for you.”

Luckily, making the drinks means you can turn your back to Yoongi, oscillating through the five stages of grief as you fiddle with hot milk and coffee grounds and paper cups. You always take pride in your work—especially when it comes to Yoongi—and you take even more pride now, determined to make these drinks as lovely as they can be. His Americano is fairly simple, but the Marshmallow World requires a bit more finesse, and you lavish attention on the fluff, swirling it beautifully, even though you know it’ll stick to the lid anyway. 

(Okay, listen. Whoever this person Yoongi is seeing must be as nice as he is. They both deserve nice drinks.)

There’s something sweet about it, actually. Before the lids go on, you spent a second staring down at the drinks and the juxtaposition between them; black coffee and white marshmallow, bitter and sweet, night and day. It’s lovely, really, these two opposing things coming together. You wonder what Yoongi’s partner is like. Exuberant and bright, rather than his subdued warmth? A balance, yin and yang, opposite but complementary. 

(Isn’t that a nice thing to think about? Finding someone who’s different to you but matches you so well?)

You firmly press the lids into place, making sure they’re secure. The protective cardboard sleeve of Yoongi’s Americano has his name—the name you’ve memorised, written out countless times—while the Marshmallow World has a scrawled happy face, and an enjoy! on it, for this mysterious person who likes sweet drinks. You do sincerely hope they enjoy it. You really do.

“The fluff blocks the hole,” you warn, sliding the cardboard tray for both drinks carefully across the counter. “It’s probably a better idea to just take the lid off.”

Something flickers across Yoongi’s face, too fast for you to identify. But then he nods, lifting the tray up with equally careful hands. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he says. 

He’s always polite to everyone, Taehyung and the other baristas, but he seems to smile at you the most. He’s smiling at you now, curling at the corners of his lips, and you smile back, fighting through ten layers of embarrassment and self-inflicted shame to do so. Just because he smiles at you the most doesn’t mean anything. You can smile at people and not have it be weird; it doesn’t mean you return their ill-fated attraction.

Why, oh why, oh why.

By the time Taehyung returns to the counter, having escaped the chatty, kind clutches of the elderly couple, Yoongi is long gone. Your fellow barista finds you crouched down in front one of the cupboards with your head in your hands.

“Y/n?” He sounds incredibly concerned. “Are you okay? Do you have a headache? Are you sick?”

You let out a quiet noise, a mix between a whale dying and a hippo trying to swallow porridge, muffled into your palms. “I’m such a doughnut,” you say. “Just an absolute doughnut.”

Taehyung crouches beside you. “A glazed doughnut or a jam doughnut?”

Your hands drop away from your face as you think. “Plain,” you say, eventually. “Unglazed. No toppings or fillings.” A little sad and disappointing. It seems fitting. 

Taehyung puts a hand on your shoulder, warm and comforting. “Do you want to talk about it?”

You feel embarrassed all over again, thinking about admitting your (now-squashed) crush to your friend. It was stupid in the first place, crushing on a customer, especially as you’d barely spoken to him; Yoongi might be cute, and nice, but your crush was silly and dumb and you’d been silly and dumb not to think that he was already in a relationship.

“I’m fine,” you say. “Just going through it. And by ‘it’ I mean life generally, you know?”

Taehyung makes a noise of understanding, patting your shoulder. “Big mood,” he says sombrely. He always knows what to say, empathetic to a fault.

“Uh,” a customer says, craning over the counter to see the two of you. “Sorry to interrupt, but can I get a refill on my coffee, please?”

That effectively kills the conversation, which is good. Keep yourself busy and distracted. By the time you see Yoongi next week, this crush will be dead and gone and you’ll be fine. Just fine. Absolutely fine.

He’s dyed his hair.

It’s a Tuesday afternoon, the café is full of people, and Yoongi has dyed his hair.

You’d spent all of last Tuesday alternating between all-consuming guilt and embarrassment, Taehyung catching you with your head in your hands in one moment and furiously cleaning the steam wand the next, channeling your tumult of emotions into anything that will distract you. 

It had worked. Mostly. You’ve had a week’s worth of time since, to get over this month’s long crush, your brain consistently reminding you that Yoongi is in a relationship, with someone who’s probably lovely and attractive and all around just wonderful (just like him). You remind yourself about this every time you find coffee grounds under your nails, or notice milk flecked on your apron, soured and off-white after a day of work; your life isn’t a meet-cute, and you’re not the cute barista who falls in love with the cute regular. You’re the tired barista who makes more cups of coffee in a day than most people probably drink in a year, and Yoongi is the cute regular who’s already in a long term relationship and comes to Paradise just because he likes the dark roast you use. That’s as far as it will go, because this is real life, and not a romance film or novel. (Even if you wished that it was.)

You’ve come to terms with it. Really, you have. But then he has to step into the coffee shop looking like that, his hair bleached so blond it almost looks white, silver hoops in his ears, and he’s still dressed in dark clothes but he’s wearing glasses, no, this isn’t a drill, Yoongi’s dyed his hair, he’s all light and dark, soft and sharp, and you want to crouch behind the counter again. Because he looks so good and of course he’s in a relationship because he’s hot, and you feel dumb for not having realised it sooner.

You can’t hide behind the counter, though. There’s a queue of people, all waiting for your attention and your time, and it’s still just you and Taehyung; none of your usual Christmas temps are back yet, still away at uni, hence the we’re hiring! posters that are up for all the customers to see (and mostly ignore). The seasons are changing and the weeks are passing and the really eager people are starting to think about Christmas shopping; you swear you don’t even need a calendar, able to trace how close you are to Christmas just based on the amount of foot traffic the coffee shop gets. You’re definitely hitting peak.

But it’s fine. You have this down to a fine art. You and Taehyung are both good on the till and scarily efficient at making drinks and plating food, dancing past each other with an ease that only comes with time spent working together and friendship alongside.

People aren’t ordering the weekly special as much, either, not today. You can’t blame them. Candy Cane Dreams is a white hot chocolate, flavoured with mint and coloured green, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles of candy cane bark and red and green drizzle too; it’s… pretty overwhelming. So it means you don’t have to take over for Taehyung from the bar, focusing on smiling at customers and soothing them after their wait, taking their orders and shuffling them along as quickly as you can. You keep a smile plastered on your face as Taehyung pulls espresso shots and grabs tea bags and heats milk, routine and familiar.

When Yoongi steps up to the counter, you’ve barely had time to mentally prepare yourself, so focused on serving everyone else in the queue; it feels like a slap to the face, a kick to the knees, but then you take one deep breath and exhale. Long, deep, slow, forcing air out of your lungs and thoughts out of your mind, and you smile.

You’ve been so careful up until this point, wanting to keep Yoongi happy, wary of misstepping—but he’s just a regular customer. You feel more confident, now, less worried about breaking this tenuous thing you thought you’d had; less worried about what you’re doing being construed as some weird, roundabout way of flirting, because. You know. He’s in a relationship, so it doesn’t matter either way. He’s definitely not interested. You can talk to him like you would anyone else. 

So you say: “You dyed your hair.”

And, just like you suspected, Yoongi doesn’t seem bothered that you’ve broken your usual script. “Oh, yeah.” He reaches up, touches his head, as if he’d forgotten. “I did.”

“It looks nice,” you continue, because it does.

He’s smiling back at you. He looks pleased; maybe a little bashful, even, as surprising as that is. “Thanks,” he says, warm and genuine. (The tiny gremlin of a crush that’s still lurking in your soul lets out a wistful sigh.) “Can I get a large Americano and a—” he squints at the board— “large Candy Cane Dream, please?”

(One plus one is two, Yoongi and his other half, the sugar to his coffee.)

“Sure!” Your voice is bright. “I’m guessing the Marshmallow World went over well?”

There’s a brief beat of silence, but you don’t notice, too focused on typing Yoongi’s order into the till.

“Yeah, it was great,” he says after that moment of quiet, and you smile. Good. You’re glad they enjoyed it. 

“I’m really happy to hear that,” you say, genuine and bright. 

“What’s actually in the, ah, Candy Cane Dreams?” Yoongi asks, and you laugh, leaning forward conspiratorially.

“It’s horrendous,” you say in a low voice, as if you’re sharing a secret. “Have you ever seen green hot chocolate before?”

You’ve never spoken to Yoongi like this, easy and light, and it’s… nice. He gives no indication of surprise at your sudden friendliness after months of barely talking. If anything he looks pleased, and at one point he even gives you a smile you’ve never seen before, wide and wonderful, flashing his teeth and gums. (The crush gremlin rattles at your ribcage like prison bars, trying desperately to escape, but you don’t give it a chance.)

“Alright, let me just swap with the other barista, he’s still not gotten the Candy Cane Dreams recipe down.”

You hear a suspicious crunch as you make your way over to Taehyung. He turns to you with a guilty smile, edged with sugar, munching on shards of candy cane while his back is to the customers.

“You’re terrible,” you say affectionately. “Go take over on the till, I have a special to make.”

Taehyung glances over, sees Yoongi making his way down to the collection point. “Huh. Alright.”

The Candy Cane Dreams recipe might be a questionable one, but it’s definitely fun to make (watching the white hot chocolate turn green makes you feel like a kid all over again, mixing shampoos together in your bathroom and calling them potions), and maybe you’re overly generous with the candy cane bark, giving Yoongi’s beau more to nibble on and enjoy. It’s not Christmas yet but you’re already in a giving mood, so sue you. 

“Here you go.” You slide the drinks towards him, the man busy reading one of the vacancy fliers, eyes flicking away from the poster when you appear. Your lips quirk up. “Looking for a job?”

You’re expecting a huff of a laugh, a small shake of the head, but he answers you seriously. “Not me, but I have a friend who is,” he says, reaching to take the tray.

You realise your hands are still curled around the cardboard; you quickly pull away so that there’s no chance your hands will brush. (You might have shoved your crush down as far as it will go, but you have to be careful with your weak, gooey heart.) 

“We could do with any help, honestly. Your friend is more than welcome to apply.” You glance over at the queue, which is small but ever present, and you know it’ll only get worse as time goes on. “And, hey, if you ever decide for a change of pace from whatever it is you do, we’d be glad to have you, too.”

This gets a laugh from him, a warm burst of sound. (The gremlin points out that this is the first time you’ve heard him laugh, really laugh, a little raspy and a little quiet and altogether lovely; you beat the gremlin back with a stick.) “I’m better at drinking coffee than I am at making it,” Yoongi says, eyes soft with lingering amusement. “I’ll leave that to the experts.”

You might have gone off script, but the nod he gives you is his usual one, that familiar tilt of the head. “See you next week?” His eyes are dark, dark and deep, and it’s so hard not to fall into them, to fall all over again.

“See you next week,” you echo, hoping the smile you plaster on your face doesn’t look as forced as it feels, as you struggle once more. Yoongi is just nice, okay? He's just being nice, but still. He needs to let a girl breathe.

(He needs to let the gremlin of her crush wither away, instead of making it threaten to come back as strong as before, fuelled by his smile and his eyes and his everything.)

(... maybe you’re not as over this crush as you thought you were.)

It seems like the we’re hiring! posters actually worked.

“I’m Jungkook,” says the new starter, all crooked smiles and warm eyes and thighs so thick they threaten to split the trousers of the café’s uniform, ties of his apron emphasising his small waist.

(“Good lord,” Taehyung says faintly.)

It’s the last week of November and even though Jungkook is still learning the ropes, he’s a massive help, and you know he’ll be a lifesaver over Christmas. He’s eager, learns quickly, and gets stuck right in, material of his shirt straining across his shoulder blades when he rips a bag of coffee beans open with his bare hands, rather than having to use scissors like you or Taehyung. 

Taehyung watches with stars in his eyes as Jungkook pours the beans into the grinder. You cover your smile by sipping at one of the espresso shots Jungkook has pulled—full-bodied and dark, rich in your mouth. 

“This is really good, Jungkook,” you say. He looks over, eyes squeezing into a smile.

“Thought it would be,” he says, and you can’t help but huff a laugh into the tiny espresso cup. He’s cocky and competitive, telling you that he’d never made coffee before but he was going to do a better job than any of the other baristas here. He’s too endearing to come across as arrogant, though, and you have to admit that the coffee is good. (Not as good as yours or Taehyung’s, of course, but still. Pretty good.)

Taehyung coos at him and reaches out to shamelessly squeeze his bicep. “Jungkookie is a natural barista.”

Jungkook’s cocky smile turns equal parts pleased and flustered. You continue to sip at the espresso as Taehyung moons over him, then the bell above the door rings, and the mooning temporarily is put on hold. (Temporarily, because Taehyung continues to moon over him for the rest of the shift, insisting on doing the bulk of his training, which is fine by you.)

It’s the 1st of December tomorrow, so not only do you have to clean after the café is locked up, you have to put out all the Christmas decorations, too. But it’s more fun that it is work, the three of you dragging the tree out of the storage room and decorating it with a menagerie of tinsel and baubles; Jungkook lifts Taehyung so he can get the star on the tree, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s waist and hoisting him up effortlessly, leaving your friend with a pleased smile on his face.

Jungkook is new, only on his second shift, but he’s slotted in so easily. He laughs at Taehyung when he wiggles his butt along to the Christmas songs you've put on to play, and he helps steady the stepladder as you string garlands of snowflakes on the ceiling, even if he doesn’t really need to. 

He absently readjusts the reindeer headband Taehyung had unearthed from the storage room and proudly placed on his head. “Yoongi-hyung talks a lot about this place,” Jungkook comments, offhand.

If you’d heard this a few weeks ago, you probably would have fallen off the stepladder, inner gremlin grabbing your heart with both hands and squeezing tight-tight-tight. As it is you only pause for a moment, one of the larger snowflakes cradled in your palm, before you go back to your job of hanging them up. 

“So you’re the friend he mentioned that needed a job,” you say. 

“That’s me.” Jungkook grins, boyish and bright, and you laugh. “He really, really likes this café. Wouldn’t shut up about it, even before he told me that you were hiring.”

You can’t imagine Yoongi gushing about a café to his friends, but then again, he clearly is passionate about his coffee. Jungkook will know him better than you, having a real friendship rather than this patron-and-customer back-and-forth that you’ve had, so who are you to imagine what’s normal for Yoongi and what isn’t? You didn’t even know he was in a relationship, after all. You don’t know anything about the guy, really. 

“Well, we appreciate his custom,” you say. “I know Yoongi is the one who actually comes in, but you can thank his other half, too, and I hope they enjoy their drinks as well.”

You’re too busy hanging the garland to see the way Jungkook’s face twists. 

“Huh?”

“You know. Yoongi always comes in for his Americano and the weekly special for his partner,” you say.

You’re focused on stepping down the ladder without falling to see the expression on Jungkook’s face, nose scrunched and lips pursed, like there’s something he’s smelled that he really doesn’t like.

“Did he say that to you? That it was for someone else?”

“Hm?” You pause in grabbing another string of snowflakes, glancing up. “Oh, no, I just worked it out, you know? Yoongi is a religious coffee drinker, why else would he order something that’s basically hot sugar water? I think it’s cute,” you add, belatedly. “That he always comes in to grab something for them, too.” 

(You wish you had someone to do that for you.)

There’s a beat of silence. Jungkook’s holding the stepladder, ready to move it, staring at you in a way that’s weirdly intense. “I see,” he says, like that isn’t weird or mysterious at all.

Then he drags the stepladder’s rubber feet across the floor with such a loud noise that Taehyung startles, bauble falling out of his hand and shattering. Jungkook, of course, profusely apologises and insists on cleaning it up—but not before making sure Taehyung is okay, of course, grabbing his hands and looking over them, as if the bauble had broken in his palms and not the floor. 

Taehyung looks immensely pleased. You just smile quietly to yourself, roll your eyes lightly, and go back to hanging snowflakes as Jungkook speaks to Taehyung, soft and low.

You think your favourite thing about training a new starter is witnessing their reaction to the weekly special.

“So,” Jungkook says, slowly. “You put in the whole gingerbread man—gumdrops and icing and all—and just blend it?

“Yep.” Taehyung’s reply is cheery. “Straight in and whizz it all up.”

This week, it’s You Can’t Catch Me, I’m the Gingerbread Frappé which is a) probably the longest name known to mankind and b) probably the most questionable name known to mankind and c) who orders a frappé in December?

These thoughts are clearly playing across Jungkook’s face as Taehyung coaxes him to drop the gingerbread man into the blender, and you’re too busy enjoying the consternation on Jungkook’s face to notice someone stepping up to the counter—until they clear their throat, that is, and you all turn. 

“Hi,” Yoongi says.

“Oh! Hi,” Taehyung says.

“Hyung! Look!” Jungkook says.

“Jungkook, wait—” you say.

“Whirr,” the lidless blender says.

It’s chaos. Frappé ends up everywhere, splattered over the counter and the floor, splashed across the wine-red aprons of both of your fellow baristas, as close to the blender as they were—saving you from any of the sugary fallout, unwitting human shields.

There’s a beat of silence, where you all stare at each other—

And then Yoongi laughs.

You’ve never seen Yoongi laugh this loudly, eyes squeezed so hard you wonder if he can even see, almost cackling as he laughs at Jungkook’s expression, joyful and loud and free. It’s another dimension to him, another new part you witness as Jungkook wipes gingerbread and ice off his face and Taehyung stares at the mess spattered across his hands and arms.

It makes you think of a paper crane. Yoongi is this unfinished thing in your mind, each new thing you learn about him another fold that you add, a flat sheet of paper turned into something entirely and wholly new. You wish that it weren’t so alluring, watching it come together, finding out more and more about this man you’ve technically known for months, but only recently started to get to know.

(You wish that it wasn’t so easy to keep falling for him.)

Once the counter is cleaned, both Jungkook and Taehyung retreat to replace their aprons, leaving you—once again—alone with Yoongi. He’d stopped laughing to tease Jungkook, to gently rib him, but you can see the smile that’s etched on his face, the echoes of mirth written across all his features.

“We usually train the baristas to keep the lid on, I swear,” you say, and Yoongi’s face splits into another smile.

“I was going to say that it’s an unorthodox blending technique,” and you can’t help but smile back at this, even if you’ve been trying not to laugh. Professionalism barely wins out, your lips trembling as you try to hold your giggling back, but Yoongi spots it anyway, looking pleased, like he’s accomplished something by getting you to (nearly) laugh.

You’re not laughing when you have to make one of the special frappés, though. You stare at the gingerbread man as you hold him above the blender, at his cheery iced face and his cute little buttons (not the gumdrop buttons), and brace yourself to drop him.

“I’m so sorry,” you whisper, and let him go, before quickly slamming the lid on top and turning the blender on so you don’t have to look at the betrayal you’ve just committed. 

When you turn, Yoongi has an expression of sympathy on his face; for you or the gingerbread man, you can’t tell, but his face smooths the second he notices you looking at him, blinking innocently, as if there’s nothing unusual going on. It’s disarming, seeing that expression on his face, when you’d gotten used to seeing him act more reserved, but it’s cute.

(It is cute, whether you’re crushing on him or not. It’s just a statement of fact, okay? It’s nothing more than that. Even if that tiny gremlin of a crush still lives in your chest, scuffing its feet against your heart, reminding you of its presence when you least need it.)

(It digs its heels in when you put the frappé and Americano side by side, nestled snug in their cardboard tray. You slide it towards Yoongi and you’re a little too slow, fingers brushing his when he reaches for them; you’re surprised by how quickly he moves, how eager he seems to be reaching for his order, fingertips dragging across the back of your knuckles, and the gremlin kicks your heart, pulse rising just at that glancing touch. Even if you know it’s fruitless, useless, you can’t help but like Yoongi anyway.)

(“See you next week,” he says, and you can’t do anything but smile helplessly back.)

You normally love snow. You love waking up to the sight of it, pure and pristine white, adding another dimension to your familiar world—you love snowball fights and snowmen and snow angels, even if it all leaves you feeling cold, chilled right to the bone, nose running and hands freezing. The best part about winter is getting warm again, the season of throw blankets and hot water bottles, knitwear and scarves, tea and hot cocoa, all cosy and lovely and wonderful.

It’s a bit different when you have to work all day, though. You watch as the snow on the streets outside is threatened by the spray of salt and a thousand spinning car wheels and busy feet, ice turned to slush water; for now the snow is winning, though, and judging from the weather forecast, you think that’ll be the case for the rest of the day. You hope it lasts through to tomorrow, too; by the time you get home you’ll be too tired and it’ll be too dark to play in the snow, and it leaves you feeling disappointed and sad. 

(Winter is lovely but it can be a hollow season, too, something about the leafless trees and fogged windows making everything feel like an empty dream.)

At least Paradise is warm, even if you’re cooped up inside, safe from the still-falling snow that keeps trying to turn the world into an untouched, frozen wonderland. It’s quiet in the coffee shop today. Only the bravest of people have ventured out into the not-a-blizzard-but-basically-a-blizzard, plastered against radiators and putting drinks to their faces, letting hot steam heat their cold cheeks.

It’s why you’re both surprised and unsurprised when Yoongi appears, bell chiming above his head as the door swings shut and he stamps his feet on the front mat, knocking snow off his boots. He somehow looks disgruntled and soft all at the same time, a royal blue beanie on his head forcing his fringe down to sit messily over his eyes, bundled up warm even if his face is scrunched up and his cheeks are red from the cold.

“I hate cold weather,” he tells you once he reaches the counter, gloves peeled off his fingers so he can reach for his wallet, his nose tinged pink as he sniffs.

You proffer him a box of tissues. “You look like you need it,” you say gently, and he smiles at you, a warm hearth in the cold winter.

“Thank you.” His voice is equally as gentle as yours, and something aches in your chest.

It’s just you behind the counter right now, so you take Yoongi’s order and make the drinks too—one large Americano and one large Latteggnog (a basic latte made with eggnog instead of milk, rich and thick and creamy), this week’s special: everyone’s favourite Christmas drink, but with a twist of coffee. 

The quiet gives you time to think. Jungkook and Taehyung are out back, the older barista coming up with the most ridiculous excuses to take them away from the counter; you don’t mind that they’re taking the time ‘counting the coffee beans’, as deserted as the café is. 

The café is practically empty and Yoongi hates the cold but here he is, venturing into the ice and snow to get this person he cares about the drink they want, because they’re that special to him. (You hope they realise how lucky they are.)

You’re normally okay being single. Don’t really think about it. But there’s something about today, this moment, that has you reflecting; Taehyung has this budding thing with Jungkook, Yoongi has this steady thing with his love, and here you are, by yourself, alone. It’s hard to summon up your usual energy, going through the motions as you make the drinks. You tilt your head forward, dusting nutmeg on the eggnog latte, watching the way the sprinkle of spice settles delicately and softly in the foam. No flourish, no flick of the wrist, not today.

(There’s two cups in front of you now, but later, when you’re home, there’s just going to be one. Yours. Yours, and no one else’s.)

(When you get home, you’re going to do what any self-respecting single person would do: order too much takeaway, rewatch The Good Place, get emotional over Eleanor and Chidi’s relationship—they’re so different but they’re so perfect for each other, why can’t you have that?—mope for a bit, rewatch The Princess Bride, get emotional over Westley and Buttercup—where’s your cute farmboy who saves you from an evil prince?—mope a bit more, before finally climbing into bed and hugging a pillow to your chest in the space of having someone else there. You know. Perfectly normal single person things.)

When you turn to Yoongi, drinks ready and raring to go, you’ve forced a Customer Service Smile onto your face. They say that just the act of smiling makes you happier, right? Maybe if you smile hard enough, you’ll cheer up, chasing away this sudden sadness that lingers in the back of your throat, scratching at your lungs like black ice.

“Here you go!” Your voice seems too loud for the quiet hush of the café, but you roll with it anyway. “Enjoy your drinks!”

Yoongi takes them from you, hands carefully cupped around the tray, but his eyes don’t leave your face. He doesn’t return your smile, as convincing as it should be (even Taehyung struggles to tell between your real smile and your work smile, sometimes); he stands for a moment, looking at you.

You think he’s about to say something when he clearly thinks better of it. He tilts his head, like he always does, but you’d swear his expression is tinged with concern. “Thanks,” he says. Pauses. “The roads are really icy. Get home safe, okay Y/n?”

Blink, blink. Your eyelashes flutter. You suddenly realise that he’s never said your name out loud, never had a need to, even if he must have known it all along from the badge on your chest. It sounds so good in his mouth, soft and safe.

 “Oh,” you say, slow with surprise. “Thank you. I will. You, too.”

Yoongi nods again, as if to himself, before he turns to go.

He stops one more time before he goes. He stands at the open door, glances over his shoulder before he steps out, dark eyes meeting yours, as if checking that you’re still there, still tethered to the ground. Seems satisfied when he finds that you are. He gives you one last smile, all soft around the edges—that’s something you know intimately about Yoongi, that he’s soft through and through, even if he can look sharp, as cold as the ice outside—and then he goes, back into the falling snow to deliver a steaming sip of warmth into the hands of the person he loves.

(Your heart aches.)

It’s the week before Christmas. The whole world has that feeling it always does at this time of year—excited and bright, if a little frantic, the hanging lights in the city a backdrop to people’s last minute shopping, their breaths pluming out into the air as they rush around in the cold. The whole world feels full of life, that final push towards the end of the year; the hearth fire of Christmas before that weird in between before the new year, that held breath of potential, before the clock ticks over and the world is thrown into the next year.

Paradise has been busy. It’s like summer, only instead of sundresses and shorts, everyone is in knitwear and scarves, shivering as they wait to be served, desperate for a drink to warm them up, something to eat to fill their bellies. You spend more time in the coffee shop than you do at home, pulling overtime shifts to help your fellow baristas out—everyone thinks Christmas is a time of relaxation and coming together, but it doesn’t feel like that when you work in a customer facing job, oh no. It’s just non-stop busyness and being rushed off your feet.

(You’d barely had a chance to speak to Yoongi, café full when he’d stepped in, your pace frenetic as you’d danced around behind the counter with Taehyung and Jungkook; you’d slid his drinks towards him, his Americano and the special, and maybe your smile had looked more harrowed than you thought because he’d caught your hand and squeezed it.

“I hope you get a chance to rest over Christmas,” he’d said, concerned and sincere, as you’d stood in stunned silence, not expecting that almost-intimate touch, gentle against your skin.

“I will,” you’d said eventually. Yoongi had seemed to suddenly realise he was still touching you, fingers clasped around yours, and he’d withdrawn quickly, giving you a smile that felt like a whispered secret, before leaving you to deal with the ever-growing queue.)

Suffice to say, it’s been a long week, and you’re tired, and your feet hurt after all the running around you’ve been doing, and you just want to go home. You just need to finish the close, need to finish setting everything up for the open tomorrow, need to finish cleaning everything, and then you can get some sleep.

At least, that’s what you thought. Instead, you’re standing across from Jungkook and staring at him incredulously. You can feel a headache coming on.

“Wait.” You pinch the bridge of your nose. “What do you mean, we need to deliver some coffee?”

You don’t know if Jungkook is being deliberately obtuse, but he just stares at you as if you’re the one talking nonsense right now, and not him. “We have a customer order to deliver,” he says.

“Yes, I gathered that,” you say. “I just mean, why did no one tell me sooner?”

Paradise doesn’t do deliveries, as such. You cater for events, and you technically do deliveries then, but it’s less ‘one coffee to go’ and more ‘enough sandwiches and pastries and bagels and coffee to feed an entire office’. It’s not that you can’t bring someone their order directly, it’s more that you just… don’t.

“Taehyung took the order,” Jungkook says, as if that explains everything.

You pinch the bridge of your nose again. You can’t ask Tae about it, the other man having had to leave just as you’d been about to flip the sign to closed (‘Jimin says Tannie peed in his shoes again! I have to go clean it up! I’m so sorry, I swear I’ll cover a close for each of you next time!’), so it’s just you, and Jungkook, and the slip of paper on the counter between you. You’ve worked with Taehyung long enough to trust his judgement and his decisions, as inexplicable as they might seem sometimes, but you do think it’s weird that he’s taken this delivery on board.

“It’s not too far from here,” Jungkook adds, peering at the address on the paper. “It won’t take long.”

“We have to finish closing, Jungkook,” you say. 

He shrugs casually, carelessly. “I’ll do it, I don’t mind. You can just do the delivery and then go home straight after, it’s whatever.”

“It’s not whatever,” you mumble. “Why can’t you deliver it?”

“You’re the senior barista, you’re a better representative of the brand,” he says, and you have no idea where he pulled that from. (You blame Jimin. You know they’ve had shifts together, and Jimin is too smooth-talking for his own good.)

As much as you want to argue, you can’t help but cave, because the prospect of getting home early is one that you’re not about to sniff at. (You’d worry that Jungkook would get home late, what with the amount of prep he still needs to do for tomorrow, but you half suspect that Taehyung will reappear at some point, anyway.) You’re too tired to want to argue. “I just want to say this is a one off, and normally we cater for events, we’re not really a delivery service, okay?”

“Duly noted.”

It’s a simple enough order, anyway—it’s just two drinks. The first is a large quad shot latte with caramel and toffee syrup, extra whipped cream and cinnamon on top (something you’d definitely order, you think, indulgent and milky and with enough caffeine to kick you up the ass). Jungkook dutifully cleans as you start the second drink. The special this week is far, far less sweet than normal; a Rudolph the Red-eyed Reindeer: a simple red eye with a pinch of holiday spice, coffee with an extra espresso shot and topped with cinnamon and nutmeg. You take in a deep breath, swallowing down the warm smell and letting it flow through you before you double check the details on the note.

It takes you a second as you squint at the address, wondering why it looks familiar—and then you pause. This is Yoongi’s office, you think to yourself, and it feels a little like there’s an apricot pit sitting heavy in your stomach, heavy and hard. Paradise had catered a breakfast for them last week, and it hadn’t been on your shift and so you hadn’t gone, but—you’d heard enough about it from Jimin, the type who gets to know everyone and everything the second he walks in the door. You’d heard about the team that Yoongi manages, found out that Yoongi works in music, in artist and repertoire, and when you’d had the chance to Google exactly what that meant, you’d been bowled over. He has such a complex, high skilled job, and here you are, struggling to get a job with your degree, hence the barista thing. (Thanks, economy.)

You hastily shuffle past the address, trying to ward off your sudden sense of inadequacy, focusing on the name instead. What sort of name is Suga? you think to yourself, and then shrug. Probably one of the workers had enjoyed the breakfast the other week and was still hanging around before going on holiday for Christmas, or something.

“Alright, I’m off.” You’re ready to advance into the cold outside: coat on, scarf looped around your neck and hat secure on your head, cardboard tray of drinks clutched in your hands. “If you need help closing, just call me and I’ll come back, okay?”

“I won’t, but, thanks,” Jungkook says, equal parts self-assured and reassuring. “Don’t fall on your ass!”

It is icy outside, the entire world a winter wonderland, beautiful but cold and daylight long gone; snow drifts slowly from the sky above, dusting your shoulders and the top of your hat, flakes caught so softly by the weave of your clothes. It’s the kind of day that’s perfect spent indoors, curled up with the people you love, warmed through and through—and here you are, picking your way across the pavement slush to deliver a coffee to someone. (You’re not even getting paid for this.)

At least it’s not too far, really, just a few blocks away. The building is small, which is a plus, because it means you won’t have multitudes of rooms and offices to trawl past to get to your destination. The receptionist is more than helpful, too, when you say that you have a delivery for Suga; she gives you exactly directions and then she smiles at you, pleasant and pretty and lovely, and that gremlin that’s still clinging desperately onto your feelings for Yoongi whispers: what if this is Yoongi’s girlfriend? She’s beautiful.

Shut up, you think, before smiling back and thanking her, and heading on your way.

This close to Christmas you’d think that the building would be almost empty, but you’d be wrong. It’s not a buzzing hive of activity but there are still people walking around, speaking behind closed doors or laughing through open ones, decorations and tinsel hanging from the ceiling. Up ahead you see a someone come out of a room, shutting the door behind them before they walk in your direction. It’s a man who looks like he’s just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine and as you pass in the corridor he pauses, raising his eyebrows at you. Not suspicious, just surprised.

“Uh, I have a coffee for Suga,” you say without prompting, as if he was about to accuse you of some sort of nefarious scheme and your coffee delivery is the only thing saving you from that.

“Oh,” mister-model-handsome says, suddenly smiling widely, like this is all perfectly normal and not weird at all. He’s got some of the poutiest lips you’ve ever seen. “You’re nearly there, he’s just down the corridor and on the right. Have fun!”

“Uh, you too?” you reply. (Is he Yoongi’s boyfriend? He’s tall and broad shouldered and incredibly attractive, with the type of smile that makes people’s hearts race, and Yoongi definitely deserves someone like that.)

Your destination seems to be the office the (probably) model just came out of. You look around the corridor, which seems to be deserted now, the hubbub of people elsewhere in the building. You knock quietly, not wanting to disturb the hush that’s filled the air around you.

A beat. Then: “Come in,” someone says, voice muffled through the door.

It swings open easily at your touch. You stand on the threshold, mouth open around the announcement of your delivery when the words die on your lips.

Yoongi’s there, sitting behind a desk and his head bowed as he scribbles something in a notebook. He doesn’t look up. “Shut the door,” he says. Dumbstruck, you do just that, and it’s not until the door’s quietly clicked shut that he starts to raise his head. “Hyung, I already said that I don’t need to eat—”

And then he spots you standing there.

He stops mid-sentence, mouth open, eyes widening. He looks as shocked as you feel, utterly taken aback and agog, and even now you can’t help but notice how good he looks. He’s in a black button up, sleeves rolled to the elbow and top button undone, revealing the pale skin of his collarbones. It’s another juxtaposition, the Yoongi that you’re familiar with (an aura of effortless authority and attractiveness) in a place you don’t know at all, completely professional, his desk neat and the entire space put together. There’s a tastefully decorated tree in the corner but it doesn’t throw off the balance of the room at all. 

“Uh.” You cough lightly. “I have… a delivery… for Suga?”

Yoongi stares at you.

“Is this… not the right room? I can go,” you mumble, gesturing over your shoulder with a thumb.

This seems to snap Yoongi out of whatever thoughts he was having as he shakes his head. “No, this is… Suga’s office,” he says. “I just didn’t order any coffee.”

You open your mouth. Shut your mouth. You don’t have an Americano on the tray, but he’d probably like the red eye, coffee with extra coffee, no sugar or cream. Just a little pinch of spice. 

“Maybe it was a surprise, or something? Couples get each other gifts all the time.”

Yoongi’s lips quirk up. “I’m not really the type that gets surprised with gifts.”

Something about this strikes a discordant note in you. He’s always delivering gifts of coffee—he deserves those expressions of love returned to him. You can’t help but say as such.

“You’re always giving gifts, though,” you say. “Those weekly specials. I wouldn’t be surprised if your other half is returning the favour.”

Blink, blink. He looks perplexed. “I don’t have an other half?”

Your mouth opens again. “Uh,” you say eloquently. “What?”

“I… don’t have an other half? I’m… single?”

“You’re…” Your face scrunches up, wrinkled in confusion. What? He’s… what? “But you always buy two drinks?”

Silence. Then: “I… the Americano is for me,” he says. “I usually just pour the special away. I only started ordering them because you got so excited talking about them and making them. I never planned on drinking them.”

Your mouth falls open, soft around a quiet breath, a soft oh. “You—wait. You ordered them because I got excited about them?”

Yoongi’s eyes are so dark, so gentle; melted chocolate, warm. “You started to talk to me more, after the first time I did,” he says, and you know you had. Because you thought it was safer to talk to him, though you were secure in the knowledge he wasn’t single—but he is single. “So I kept doing it, because I wanted to talk more to you. I thought you knew? And that’s why you started having real conversations with me.”

You’re frozen in place, eyes as big as dinner plates. Min Yoongi, your futile crush, who looks as sharp as a knife but is as sweet as spun candyfloss, has been coming back week after week—for you. He’s not in a relationship, and he’s been flirting with you.

Or at least he thought he had been. You, however, hadn’t even realised.

“I was going to ask you on a date after Christmas,” he continues, calm and steady, as if your brain isn’t melting. He’s still sitting behind his desk, and there’s something about his tousled hair and bared lower arms—watch on one wrist and a few bracelets on the other—that has your heart pounding, that casual air somehow not at odds at the weight of the surroundings. Because the world is a backdrop to Yoongi, and he makes it work.

“What the fuck,” you say. You realise you’ve never sworn in front of him when something flickers in his eyes; not a bad flicker, no. Definitely not. “I thought you were taken.”

“I’m very single,” he says lightly, belying the weight behind the words. And then his eyes drop to your hands. “You said you have a coffee for me?”

Which leads to this: Yoongi, in his chair, you, leaning against his desk. He’s taken the red eye (of course) while you sip at the latte, relishing the punch of espresso, the flavour of the syrups.

You’re both staring at each other as you drink, air in the room growing thicker by the moment, when Yoongi breaks the silence. “This is probably the only weekly special I’d actually want to drink.”

You can’t help but laugh. “Black coffee with more espresso? That’s you all over,” you say. “The other specials aren’t so bad, though. I think you just need to give sweet drinks a chance.”

You’re speaking without thinking, but the second those words leave your mouth, the air turns electric. Yoongi’s still staring at you, unwavering and intent, and everything inside you is melting, leaving you flushed and hot. The smile hasn’t left his face, which had been warm but it’s changed, evolved, edged with something sharper.

“If you say so,” he says. His eyes are on your lips. “Let me try?”

His fingers are so gentle on your face, hands cupping your jaw as he tilts your head down. All your thoughts leave you. There’s nothing in your mind but Yoongi, his warm hands and dark eyes, the heat of his body so close to yours, his mouth; you can’t help but look down, tracing the shape of his lips with your gaze, a small soft pout that’s so at odds with the weight of his intensity. 

When he kisses you, it’s featherlight. Barely the softest of pressures, the potential of something more—and then he pulls you in deeper, and there it is, that heat flickering in your stomach jumping into a full fire. The kiss turns hot and wet as he licks the flavour of caramel and toffee syrup out of your mouth, and he tastes like coffee, dark and bitter; you make a noise against his lips and he swallows it down, pulls you closer.

You’re straddling his knees, a little awkward and cramped in his office chair, but you don’t care. You’ve been wanting to kiss Yoongi for so long, even when you felt like you shouldn’t, thought about his dark eyes and pink mouth, the curve of his lips, the paleness of his hands; a steadying presence around your waist, holding you in place.

When you pull apart, Yoongi’s lips are flushed, kiss swollen. It looks good on him. Really good on him.

“I’ve thought about that more than I’d like to admit,” he says, and you can’t help but feel warmed by it, the realisation that you’ve wanted to kiss him but he’s wanted to kiss you, too.

“This really isn’t comfortable,” you say, wriggling a little—your ass is starting to go numb, sat on Yoongi’s knees—and Yoongi sucks in a quick breath at the way you’re all but squirming in his lap, even if he doesn’t say anything.

Oh, you think. 

When you move away, he lets you go without protest, hands sliding off your waist. It’s not until you fall to your knees that Yoongi realises what you’re doing, his eyes widening.

“Y/n,” he breathes. “You don’t have to—”

“Please, Yoongi, I’ve wanted to do this for months,” you say. Maybe it was a little crass to start with, wanting to get on your knees for a man you barely knew just because he was hot and polite to you, but now you know he wants you back. You’re not about to let this opportunity pass you by, staring up at him between his knees, hands braced on his thighs. “But if you want me to stop, I’ll stop.”

He looks torn, just for a second, eyes darting away from your face and to the door. It’s shut, but it’s not locked, and though the building is quiet there’s nothing to say that someone couldn’t walk in at any second.

Without thinking, you lick your lips. Yoongi’s eyes flicker back at the motion, watching how your tongue moves, and you can see how he crumbles.

“I don’t want you to stop,” he says, and you dig your nails into his trousers, electricity shooting through you.

“You’ll have to keep your voice down,” you warn, and reach for his zipper.

It’s a struggle for him, you can tell. He’s already biting his lip by the time you’ve tugged his trousers and boxers down, hardening under your grasp, and you knew his dick would be as pretty as the rest of him. You don’t have the luxury of worshipping him the way you want to, acutely aware of the fact you’re in his office, but it doesn’t mean you’re not going to make Yoongi feel good. It’s dirty and messy, the way you suck his cock into your mouth lewd and wet, lavishing attention on the most sensitive parts; his hips jump as you circle the head with your tongue and jerk the rest of his length with a hand. 

Everything’s sloppy with spit and precum and Yoongi’s biting off curses, hand tightening in your hair as you take in as much of him as you can, relaxing your throat and swallowing him down, down, down. When you look up at him through your lashes he looks wrecked, the paleness of his skin flushed pink, and you can’t wait to see that all over. Can’t wait to see Yoongi entirely bare in front of you, when you have the luxury of time and pleasure.

But there’s something about this, too, that has your heart racing, cunt throbbing. You’re running your spit slick lips down the side of his shaft, tonguing the throb of the vein there, when you hear footsteps nearby, muffled through the door. It doesn’t sound like they’re coming in this direction and Yoongi seems almost entirely lost to the feeling of your mouth on him, but you flick your tongue across the spot where the head of his cock meets the shaft and he bows forward, swallowing down the noise that threatened to spill from his lips. He’s so fucking hot like this, falling apart under your hands and mouth, and you know he’ll give as good as he gets.

“Gonna cum,” he rasps. You smile up at him before taking his cock back into your mouth, jerking him off hard and fast as you lick and suck—and when he cums it’s with a noisy exhale of breath, a muffled groan, and even as you’re swallowing down his cum and mouthing at him until he winces with oversensitivity, you’re imagining what he sounds like when he doesn’t have to be quiet.

He’s not shy, either. You’ve barely tucked him back in when he’s reaching for you, kissing you. There’s no taste of coffee any more and you shiver, molten and boneless at the way his tongue presses into your mouth.

“Still want to take me on a date?” 

You’re being cheeky, voice light as you joke, but Yoongi’s responding look is equal parts serious and affectionate. He sweeps a thumb over your cheekbone and you relax into his hands, feeling like a cat that got the cream. Here you are, on your knees in his office, the glittering lights of his Christmas tree thrown across your hair and skin, warmed by the touch of a man you’ve wanted for months but never thought you would get.

“Of course,” he murmurs, gentle-gentle-gentle, as if you hadn’t just sucked his soul through his dick—and you love that about him, love his inherent soft core, his big heart. You might not know him as well as you’d like—not yet—but you already know that much about him. “I owe you a present, too.”

Your face scrunches. “What, because I gave you a blowjob?”

At this he laughs, mouth split wide and gums on show as his whole body shakes with the intensity of it. “No, because you brought me a coffee,” he says. He still has your cheek cupped in his hand, palm warm against your skin. “But if you want to say it’s because of the blowjob as well, then sure.”

“There’s plenty more where that came from.” You smile at him, gentle expression at odds with the meaning behind the words and your position—still on your knees.

You don’t know if they ache when you stand, because Yoongi is kissing you again, distracting you. And it’s easy, this back and forth you have, comfortable as you finish the (now lukewarm) coffees and get ready to go, because Yoongi insists on walking you home. Because he’s a gentleman, your gentleman, and he even holds the door open for you.

You’re not sure if you can reach for his hand, if that would be too forward in his place of work, if he doesn’t want to when this thing between you is so tentative and new. But you’re barely halfway down the corridor when he stops you with a gentle hand on your arm; when you look over, he’s smiling at you, and then tilts his chin up.

“Oh!” You stare at the huge bundle of mistletoe above you, tied with red ribbon and messily taped to the ceiling. It brings a smile to your face. “Oh, how cute.”

The hand on your arm shifts down. Yoongi weaves his fingers with yours.

“You know about the tradition, right?” There’s a twinkle in his eyes, and it’s not just from the lights from the ceiling above, turning his dark eyes into warm chocolate, deep brown. “Kissing under the mistletoe?”

You can’t help but blink, surprised at his sweetness, his forwardness. There’s nothing to say that someone couldn’t walk by right now, to see the two of you hand in hand under the mistletoe, but Yoongi doesn’t care at all. He’s staring at you like you’re the only other person in the world, and you feel like a fountain of champagne is bubbling inside you, heady and sparkling and light.

“I think I’ve heard of it,” you say, and he’s still smiling, a small thing, just for you. “Do you think you can show me?”

And he does, with his hand in yours, your lips against his, and up above, the mistletoe sparkles.

(Your phone rings. Caller ID says it’s Taehyung, but when you pick up, he’s not the one who speaks.

“So.” Jungkook sounds knowing, his voice bordering on smug. “How did the delivery go?”

In the background you can hear someone crowding close, put it on speaker, Kookie, I want to hear too, and you can’t help but smile at Taehyung’s eagerness.

“Good,” you say. Yoongi’s palm is warm against yours and you swing your joint hands together, looking at him, entranced by the way the snowflakes dust his eyelashes. The sky above is dark and the wind around you is cold, but the man beside is so bright and warm. You feel wrapped up in it. “Yoongi says he’s going to kill you, by the way.”

“He won’t,” Jungkook says cheerfully, loud enough that Yoongi can hear. He looks fond.

“Well, tell Taehyung I’m going to kick his ass for lying about Tannie peeing on Jimin’s shoes,” you say.

“You won’t,” Taehyung says, equally as cheerful, and you can’t help but smile.

“No, I won’t,” you say. 

You think about the seasons. You think about the man walking beside you; the man who says he hates cold weather, but has kept his gloves off so he can feel your hand against his. The man who came out in the snow to order a drink, just to make you smile. The man who looks like winter but feels like spring, something cold bursting into potential, new life.

In the depth of winter, under the snow and twinkling Christmas lights above, Yoongi squeezes your hand.)

taglist: @beyoncesdragon​ @vensulove

[cacoetheswriting]

christmas alphabet - spencer reid

a/n: request: this is just fluff, no warnings in place. enjoy!! 

A = After Dark (a date after dark? late night cuddles? surprise mistletoe?)

On cold winter evenings, when Spencer is not travelling for work, the two of you like to cuddle up on the coach under a fluffy blanket. A cup of hot chocolate in hand; with an even number of marshmallows each. The night is either spent discussing both of your days in detail or watching old Christmas classics, like Miracle on 34th Street for example. 

B = Baking (how does baking sweets go? for or with someone?)

The brunette doctor is skilled at literally anything he sets his mind to, but baking is not his forte. The kitchen always ends up a huge mess, and whatever concoction he was attempting is dangerous to eat. However, Spencer enjoys baking with you. Together you make a quite the team and the gingerbread cookies are a big hit with the rest of his team.

C = Cold (it’s cold out! how do they react to the freezing winter air? does someone else help with fighting the cold?)

Spencer enjoys the lower temperatures, they’re a nice contrast to sunny stuffy Las Vegas where he grew up. You on the other hand struggle with the crispy icy air and often find yourself stealing his scarf for extra warmth when you’re out and about. 

D = Date (christmas date! how is it asked? where do they go?)

You ask the brunette agent to go ice-skating with you. Spencer is reluctant at first but you hold onto him tight and any fears wash away. You whirl together around the rink in slow circles, simply enjoying the moment. 

E = Evening Dance (a night at a ball? or maybe just silly dancing in the kitchen?)

Spencer catches you one wintery morning humming along to Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley. He gently takes your hand in his and the two of you slowly sway around the living room.

F = Fireplace (how do they spend their time by the fire? hang stockings? fall asleep on each other?)

The two of you bought stockings with your initials, a lovely red pair with a fuzzy top. Since there is no fireplace at your place Spencer hung them underneath your mounted television. And whenever you feel like cozying up on the coach together you simply turn on a ten-hour fireplace video on YouTube.

G = Grateful (how grateful are they to spend time with others? enjoy being alone or with others?)

The hazel-eyed doctor is extremely grateful to spend time with you, not only over the holidays. While he likes the occasional meet-up with his team for after work drinks at their favourite bar, Spencer definitely prefers spending time with you alone. He's loves comfortable company more than anything.

H = Hosting Family (how does family work? are they invited to others, or stay with their s/o?)

While Spencer would love to spend Christmas with his mom, his unpredictable hours don’t usually allow him to make set plans. Therefore instead you decide that you will spend the holidays with your family, and if by chance he is free to join he will. 

I = Invitation (a sudden invitation comes up! what’s it for? how do they react?)

An invitation arrives for dinner with his team and their loved ones on a faithful Saturday in December. Of course Spencer asks you to accompany him; he wouldn't have it any other way. You’ve met his friends before so you shouldn't be nervous, but yet for some reason you were. This occasion felt different somehow. More intimate. 

J = Just In Time (the present arrives just barely in time! how do they rush up to hand it to them? do they wait for the perfect time?)

Spencer spent weeks trying to decide what to get you for Christmas. Nothing he thought of seemed right. You weren’t a material person, which is one of your many qualities he adored. He wanted your present to be thoughtful, he wanted something meaningful. About a week before the holidays, he came across a website that sold customisable star maps. He ordered one then and there - a map that showcased the stars the night you first met.  

K = Kiss (how do they react to a kiss? flustered? happy? surprised?)

When Spencer first kissed you it was gentle, almost timid. As if he was afraid to fully let himself go. Now when he kisses you he does so with all his might and immense passion. He cups your face with his hands and pulls you in as close as humanly possible. 

L = Lights (christmas lights are important! how do they hang them? around the house? on the tree? outside? what kind of shenanigans go on?)

The brunette agent had given you a key to his apartment. One night in late November he comes home after working a case to find you already there, tangled in a rope of lights. You tried to surprise him by slightly decorating his place for the holidays, but instead found yourself entwined. Spencer can’t help but chuckle at the sight. He sets off to help you; after taking a picture to commemorate this precious moment.

M = Mistletoe (how do they react to suddenly being placed under a mistletoe with their crush/lover?)

He gets flustered at first, mainly because you’re in public and everyone is watching. But the second your lips brush against his the whole world dissolves and he gets completely lost in you. 

N = Naughty or Nice? (how has your character been this past year? are they a trickster or a good of heart?)

Definitely good of heart. Spencer is one of the kindest people you have ever met. He’s caring, he always puts you first and stops at nothing to make you happy. The only time you could describe him as naughty would be in bed.

O = Opening Presents (how do they react to opening presents?)

Eagerly, although very neatly. Even though he is extremely excited to see what you got him, the hazel-eyed doctor rips off the wrapping paper so precisely that it is actually good to reuse.  

P = Packaging (wrapping presents is never easy. how do they fair?)

Packing presents with Spencer is just as organised. All the pieces of the festive wrapping paper are a perfect size for each gif and the ribbon is measured before cut to the correct length; so that there is no waste. 

Q = Question (how do they confess? is it the big question, or something smaller but just as intimate?)

“Y/N?” Spencer catches your attention. You look up from the book in your lap and meet his honey gaze. “Yes?” “How would you feel about spending next years holiday in a cabin somewhere? Just the two of us?” A smile spread across your facial features. “I thought you didn't like to plan that far ahead, especially around Christmas time.” You teased. He smiled back at you. “I don’t, but with you I can break a few of my rules.”  

R = Relaxing (how do they relax with their s/o? the best ways? the cutest?)

Watching Christmas movies, cooking, discussing various topics, or sitting in comfortable silence and reading. Simply enjoying each others company. 

S = Snow (how do they like the snow?)

Spencer likes to share uncommon facts about the snow; more than the weather phenomenon itself. “Snow is actually translucent, not white.” The brunette doctor chimed as the two of you looked out the window admiring the first snowfall of the season. “It’s the light reflected off a snowflake’s faceted surface that creates its white appearance.” 

T = Tree (how do they decorate their tree?)

Gold fairy lights intertwined with a simple white wreathe hung loosely around the Christmas tree at your apartment. Mixed between the more traditional-looking gold bobbles were various fancier ornaments that reminded both of you of your relationship, such as: a stack of books,  R2-D2, fast food items, gin bottle, a coffee cup. 

U = Undying Love (how did they fall in love? what was the real moment they found out?)

Your constant smile and positive outlook on life, not to mention your delicate beauty, lured Spencer in right from the start. He fell for you hard and pretty early into your relationship. And now not a day goes by where he doesn't tell you just how much he loves you.  

V = Villa (how is it in their house? festive? normal? candles?)

Apart from the decorations you had plopped around, the doctors apartment remains normal. The two of you have focused more of your time and energy decorating your place - from the living room to the kitchen and bedroom, there is even a miniature Santa in the bathroom. 

W = Wish (what is their biggest wish for the coming year? or in general?)

Spencers biggest wish for the coming year would be to keep evolving in this relationship with you. He hopes to grow even closer with you, learn more about you and explore the world with you (if he ever gets the time off work). 

X = eXcitement (general excitement about christmas? love it? hate it?)

He’s excited because you’re excited. Seeing you so happy around the holiday season warms his heart and he hopes he’ll get to cherish these moments with you for years to come. 

Y = You (how does their s/o react to them being beautiful? handsome? to them in general in the christmas season? how in love are they?)

The brunette doctor constantly reminds you how perfect you are. Whether you’re dressed up for an evening at the bar with friends or simply sitting on the sofa in a matching wintery pyjama set, Spencer will be sure to point out just how beautiful you look. You of course do the same. There is something about hearing you say how handsome he looks that makes his heart skip a beat. 

Z = Zzzz… (how do they sleep? lots of blankets? none? cuddled closely to their loved one?)

Wrapped up in a large duvet and blankets mainly because you get cold during the night. Spencer’s arm is placed gently yet firmly around you. He holds you close, quietly snoring into the crook of your neck. 

-

masterlist

[myyearofreading2021]

Book 22: Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables, #2) by L. M. Montgomery

Started: 8th of August Finished: 22nd of August

Oh my God! I think I actually liked this better that the first one?! How could that be? I loved returning to Avonlea and seeing old friends, ang getting acquainted with new ones. This book just felt like a warm hug from beginning to end. My favourite book of the year by far.

All of the stars! ☆☆☆☆☆

Seasons: All of the seasons!!

Armchair travels: Prince Edward Island, Canada

Quotes: “What a nice month this November has been! […] November is usually such a disagreeable month … as if the year had suddenly found out that she was growing old and could do nothing but weep and fret over it. This year is growing old gracefully … just like a stately old lady who knows she can be charming even with gray hair and wrinkles.”

“How dear the woods are! You beautiful trees! I love every one of you as a friend.”

“I’m sure I shall always feel like a child in the woods. These walks home from school are almost the only time for dreaming … except the half hour or so before I go to sleep.”

“We’ll make friends with wind and sky and sun, and bring home the spring of our hearts.”

“After all, when one can see stars and skies like that, little disappointments and accidents can’t matter much, can they?”

“After all,” Anne had said to Marilla once, “I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”

“on this particular day it seemed as if December had remembered that it was time for winter and had turned suddenly dull and brooding, with a windless hush predictive of coming snow.”

“That is one good thing about this world … there are always sure to be more springs.”

“I have put out a lot of little roots these two years,” Anne told the moon, “and when I’m pulled up they’re going to hurt a great deal. But it’s best to go I think, and, as Marilla says, there’s no good reason why I shouldn’t. I must get out all my ambitions and dust them.”

“Oh, of course there’s a resk in marrying anybody,” conceded Charlotta the Fourth, “but, when all’s said and done, Miss Shirley, ma’am, there’s many a worse thing than a husband.”

“Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like and old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps… perhaps… love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from it’s green sheath.”

[maatryoshkaa]

Stray Kids as Roommates | Thread

some roommates-to-lovers fluff coming at you!

Bang Chan

You guys are the pair that n e v e r sleep

Turned his room into a home studio; probably would have thrown out his bed and turned his room into an office if you hadn’t stopped him

You often fall asleep to the sound of his humming and tracks muffled through your bedroom wall

You see the most of him during exam season, while pulling all nighters

He’s always in the kitchen making his 14th cup of coffee when you get up to go to the bathroom at 3 am

Lots of deep, meaningful conversations over late night snacks

You swear you’ve heard him talking to his Goku figurines during the unearthly hours of the morning

You’re the only one Chan lets ruffle his fluffy dandelion bedhead in the morning

Takes care of you more than he takes care of himself

Always asks you how your day went when you get home and insists on listening even when he’s been awake for over 48 hours

Always there to give you advice and comfort you when you’re feeling down! A living breathing mental health hotline

Walked into your room when you were studying for finals at 2am

You were in your pajamas, hair a mess and eyes barely open

And that was when Bang Chan decided he was in love with you

Ah, the couple with matching bags under their eyes.

☽ Read the rest of the boys under this cut! 

Woojin

Fried chicken takeout for dinner is a big Friday night thing

Kind of like a big moral support teddy bear, his hugs are the greatest

You steal half his closet in the winter because his hoodies are the comfiest

Literally the dad of your household

Checks up on your health and how you’re doing every now and then

Pushes you to finish your work and makes sure you’re not procrastinating

Honestly, your grades are soaring thanks to him

Helps you with homework

Your parents love him

Always saves and brings you good things to eat

Tucks you in at night when you can’t sleep nyahh i’m soft

And a couple times, when you wake up shaking from nightmares, homesickness or stress, he’s always there to comfort you, lying there until you fall asleep again.

“Woojin?”

“Yeah? Shh, don’t worry, I’m here.”

You always sit outside the bathroom and listen to him sing in the shower

Until he suddenly opened the door in nothing but a towel and you couldn’t face him for weeks

He thought your furiously blushing face was the cutest thing he’d ever seen and teased you about it, 

Until you finally kissed him to make him shut up

Hint: it worked wonders.

Minho

Saturday night dance battles are a t h i n g

Doesn’t do any chores unless he notices you’re feeling tired

Tried to cook once and probably accidentally gave the both of you food poisoning

Remember when he cooked rice cakes in the unwashed metal pan I’m--

Likes you a lot more than he lets on

Like, you’d mention craving a certain food or not having saved up enough money for something, and voila, the next day it’d be sitting on the kitchen table.

“What? It was on sale, just lying around. Don’t think too much of it.”

Clowns you for every little thing, but the moment he hears someone make fun of you, it’s on sight

Bicker like an old married couple, lots of back and forth catfights

Evenings falling asleep on the sofa, both tipsy and giggling while his two cats snuggle up around you

Arguing over who the cats love more

Endless crackhead antics; the neighbours probably hate you

Insists on walking his cats around the apartment complex, when in reality he just wants to spend more time with you

Everyone already knows you’re basically dating but you’re both too stubborn to admit it

Probably hooked up once or twice, or more than once or twice ;)

Changbin

Honestly when you first got him as your roommate, you were terrified

Because this 5’6 ball of dark is intimidating as frick

Realized how soft he really was when he whipped out his Munchlax plushie

Petty arguments with him are impossible because he speaks so fast

So you just let him win

Makes you kill the spider

Always manages to convince you to watch horror movies at 1 am

Probably as an excuse to have you in his arms if you get scared ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) he thinks he’s slick

Perfected the “stretch and put his arm around your shoulder” move

Made a special playlist for everything you do together: good vibes for breakfast, upbeat jams when doing the chores together, chill indie mixes for cozy evenings in doing work

Insists on helping you around the house

Bringing you fresh ice coffee, cookies, and convenience store hauls whenever he gets off work

“B-but the Peperos were on a buy one get one free sale 👉👈”

Suggests playing the pocky/pepero kiss game to which you smack him in response

But you end up giving him a quick peck anyways, and he freezes, stunned

You run off, face red, Changbin chasing after to you with a wicked grin

“What was that? Is that buy one get one, too, because I want another oneeee!”

Hyunjin

The chillest roommate, but when he gets hyper oh m y

I ain’t gettin no sleep cos of y’all, y’all not gettin sleep cos of me

You have to wake him on the weekends because this boy would sleep until the evening

You want to let him rest, though, since he’s always out and working so late ;(

Secretly takes so many candid, soft pictures of you and saves them as his wallpaper

Loves to take you shopping and dress the both of you in matching #OOTDs

Hypes you the heck up

“She’s sister snatched today! Skin glowing, outfit on point -- oh look at that SMILE! Do the thing again -- oh my gosh. You’re killing it, y/n!”

Gives you fashion advice and beauty tips, although you keep bugging him for his skincare routine cuz damn

Probably share skincare products

Always do face masks together but fail at keeping them on because the two of you keep laughing at the stupidest things

Sometimes he has to put you to bed when he comes home late, and you’ve fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him to get back

Can’t resist kissing your forehead sometimes when tucking you in

At moments like these, he finds himself wishing for a sliver of a chance that you might feel the same way he has

He’s honestly so damn obvious though, getting you matching “roommate” things when he goes out -- plushies that remind him of you, little snacks when you’re down, cute accessories, you name it

This boy also forgets that he talks in his sleep -- and is very hard to wake up

So one morning, you’re leaning over his bed, about to shake him awake, and hear him mumble

“y/n, y/n, y/n...i like you sooo much...what do i do?”

You nearly choke on your toast, effectively waking the boy up, and he stares at you, half-awake and mortified.

“What? Did I--did I say something in my sleep?”

The smug, blushing smile spreading over your face is enough to send him diving back under the covers as you begin to tease him

Jisung

So comfortable to be around, he’s basically your best friend from day 1

Except for the fact that he’s so. Damn. LOUD

Noise complaints filed from the neighbours, the landlord, the neighbour’s dog, you name it

Another soft bean whose bedhead you love to ruffle

I mean have you seen My Pace dance practice? That boys mane has a mind of its own--

Brings you lots of cakes and pastries from cute bakeries when you’re stressed

A responsible boi™ ! always helps you out around the house.

Grocery shopping together? What a concept

Except he piles the cart with chips and snacks when he thinks you’re not looking

Lots of late nights binging movies on Netflix

This boy loves moves

But he loves them even more when he watches them with you ;D

Afterwards, you’re both too lazy and comfortable to move, so you end up falling asleep cuddled up against each other

Always runs away and hides when you ask to see his songs

You find scraps of hastily scribbled lyrics and ideas strewn around the house all the time

Little phrases like “i think i love you” and “my heart beats impossibly fast when i’m with you”

So you manage to collect enough to bring them to him and tease him about it

Jisung gets all quiet, though, instead of whining like he usually does, and you quickly apologise, thinking you’ve gone too far

You reassure him his writing is amazing

“It’s not that.”

He finally looks you in the eye, the intensity of his stare making your heart stop for a moment.

“They’re about you.”

Oh, how the turn tables.

Felix

i hate him sm, blease

Why did you even agree to room with him

Rooming with Felix is a one way trip to insanity -- we going ✈️✈️ acid trip

You can hear him yelling yeets and yeehaws when he plays Fortnite while you do your homework, and you swear you’re t h i s close to putting his head straight through his screen

Video game marathons when you’re not busy though, you have to admit, are the bomb

Probably convinced you to make TikToks with him

Makes you do all the viral challenges, including the couple trends

Honestly the most fun guy to be around ever

Your daily dose of memes and sugar

Knows when to be down to earth and serious, though!

Gives the best massages when you’re overworked and runs you a bath, promptly ordering your favourite takeout and making sure to feed you

Building pillow forts together on rainy days and snow days, and having sleepovers!

Binging vine compilations together during said sleepovers

Sending each other memes at 1 am when you’re both simultaneously procrastinating on homework

You basically became a couple without really going through the confession stage; it just sort of happened

“Hey, ‘lix?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I think I kinda like you.”

A sideways smirk. “Well, yeah, you’ve dealt with me for this long.”

The best-friends couple: soulmates, and, more importantly, partners in crime vine

Seungmin

Sweetest roommate!! Honestly you feel bad for even asking him to do chores

Has a bit of an evil side, though

One second he’s flashing you an angelic smile, the next he’s roasting you for your selfie skills on your recent Instagram post

You make one (1) complaint about the living room being messy, next thing you know you wake up and it’s spick and span

Cooks?? Really hecking well?

Sometimes you wonder if you signed up for a roommate or a housekeeper

Your apartment is so clean

Taking evening strolls together after dinner and taking pictures at the park

Walks you to and from work/school like a little puppy, and gets anxious if you’re late coming home

Doesn’t know how to show how much he cares about you and gets frustrated with himself

So he indulges in the little things, like packing you cute little lunches with sticky notes on the containers

Little notes around the house on days he stays out working late, like make sure you’re eating! And don’t sleep too late!

Honestly, you fell for him the moment he first smiled at you

Once, he was working overtime nonstop, and you didn’t get to see him for over two weeks

When he finally came home on time, you couldn’t help tackling him in a big bear hug

After he got over his initial heartbeat racing a thousand miles per hour, he dropped his head into the crook of your neck, hugging you back tightly

No words were needed, you missed each other’s presence so much, it seemed to say itself

I love you, and I missed you.

Jeongin

Is this boy even old enough to rent out a room? He is babie

So incredibly shy when he first meets you, but warms up quickly

Owns animal-printed pajamas and onesies

You both had a mini celebration when he got his braces off, complete with banana milk and animal crackers

You are both babie

An early bird, always wakes up before you

You wake up to him shaking you and laughing at your scrunched up face

“Wake uuppp, y/n, you’re going to be so late!”

“Ergghhhh.”

Can’t clean to save his life; always ends up breaking something or knocking things over

So he’s in charge of doing the laundry

Had a fat mental breakdown when he realised that meant your underwear

Your apartment is littered with figurines and plushies that both of you collect and don’t have the heart to clean out

“Jeongin, where are y----” you stop. “Why are you lying face down on the ground?”

“...we’re out of banana milk.”

Another hidden evil bean who clowns you for everything you do once he warms up to you

Baby boy!Jeongin switches to Savage!Jeongin in a matter of seconds

Also makes you kill the spider

Helps you cook, but only if you tell him how to do everything or he’ll freak out

Putting mukbang channels on the TV while eating together and watching in comfortable silence

Loves watching you eat and has a million derpy pictures of you saved on his phone

Poor boy has no idea how to tell you he’s falling head over heels with you

Accidentally blurts out “I like you” during a screaming contest

Lots, I mean LOTS of awkward laughing as Jeongin feels his face heat up, watching yours do the same

The longest moment passes, and Jeongin is getting ready to disassociate when you’re finally able to open your mouth and scream back,

“I like you, too!”

Baby boy found his soulmate.

[mistiedwagonfyre]

M(erry) Monday: Just Some Get to Know You Stuff...

So I got these from moonysmind so I should probably @ them... 

@moonysmind-blog

Ok, let's get this party started! 

1. Do you prefer writing with black or blue pen?

Blue if I'm writing something, black if I'm outlining a paper. But overall, black pens are my go-to just because I have more of them. I seriously need to stock up on blue pens... Also, who uses a red pen for anything other than corrections just because that's the way they've been taught? 

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or the city?

The Country. Or somewhere in the middle. I just feel like I'd be able to manage less people over more people and get to know them more personally. And, let's be honest, the country has gorgeous skies and sprawling fields and meadows. And it feels like you could take a deep breath and just absorb the atmosphere. 

3. If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?

Balance. It would help in everything because yours truly is a ball of clumsy fluff.

4. Do you drink your tea or coffee with sugar?

Heh, I drink hot chocolate with marshmallows so...

5. What was your favourite book as a child?

Anything I could get my hands on. I. Love. Books. My favorite series as a kindergartener was the Magic Tree House tho.

6. Do you prefer baths or showers?

Depends on my mood. Baths are for when I've got tons of time to just relax  and get my mind off things and showers remind me of rain and I love them too. I take showers more often but that doesn't mean anything.

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which would you choose?

This is a hard one cuz I love all things mystical and magical... 

My immediate thought was a dragon but they get killed a lot in the myths and they're almost always stuck guarding something. Then I was like, ok then. What about a phoenix? So ya, I'd be a phoenix. Don't get me wrong, I'd totally go with all the mythical creatures and just cycle through them all, just if I had to choose just one it'd be a phoenix. Maybe, since I'd technically live forever, I could meet every single mythical creature ever. That'd be pwetty cool...

8. Do you prefer reading paper or electronic books?

Paper. It's what I've grown up with. I know, classy me. Also, there is nothing quite like the smell of a new book. Just sayin'.

9. What is your favourite item of clothing?

Punny t-shirts. All I'm gonna say.

10. Do you like your name? Would you ever change it?

Yes. If I had to change it, I'd love to be Reyna or Luna. Otherwise, I'm keeping it.

11. Who is a mentor to you?

Mostly myself. I taught myself to draw, anyhow. If not me, my mom or my newest art teacher or my neighbor. 

12. Would you ever want to be famous? If so, what for?

Yes and no. I want to inspire people (whether with art or my quirky personality) but don't want the pressure that popularity and fame brings. 

13. Are you a restless sleeper? 

If being a night owl counts as restless, then yes. If being a deep sleeper when I am actually asleep doesn't, then no.

14. Do you consider yourself a romantic?

Considering I like guys who are chivalrous and funny... yes?

15. Which element best represents you?

Water. I'm chill until all my suppressed emotions rush out. You can't hold back the ocean forever. And you can't prevent the inevitable: Me being weird. Just ask my sister, she thinks I'm insane (which is probably accurate). Also, I may seem shallow on the surface, but I can actually be very deep sometimes. I could go on and on about my relationship with water, but that's a tale for another time.

16. Who do you want to be closer to?

Everyone. I love strengthening relationships with people. It makes the group stronger as a whole.

17. Do you miss someone at the moment?

Always.

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory.

I'd love too, but then storyteller Mistie will appear and this list will become infinitely longer. You'll have to ask me in my questions tab if you really want to hear one. 

19. What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

Can't decide which is weirder: Watermelon with taco seasoning or raw onion with mustard... Both are equally delicious in the summertime at a BBQ.

20. What can you see outside your bedroom window?

A ladder, some rocks, and a dead vole. My old room had a much better view... 

21. What are you most thankful for?

My Savior

22. Do you like spicy food?

Not particularly, no. 

23. Have you ever met someone famous?

Alex Boyé. He went to a really unsanitary restaurant before he came to our house one time and puked all over our newly waxed floors. I feel bad for him. Everyone but him knew not to eat at that runofthemill A&W on the way up. He still put on a mini concert for us tho and that was pretty considerate of him, because he did it even though he can't have felt like doing it.

24. Do you keep a diary or journal?

Yup. I've got entries from back in kindergarten, amazingly. Granted, back then I wrote in pictures.

25. Do you prefer to use pen or pencil?

Pencil. I'm human, I make mistakes.

26. What is your star sign?

Well, I was a Pisces. But then they discovered that there are more stars in the sky, just like there are more fishes in the sea, and just bunched a bunch of Pisces together so now I'm Aquarius. I'm still a Pisces at heart tho.

27. Do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy?

Crunchy. Better texture. Soggy cereal is oatmeal in my mind and if you want oatmeal, you actually make oatmeal, not let your cereal sit out for who knows how long. 

28. What would you want your legacy to be?

Legacy is a tricky thing. You've gotta know what people are gonna think of you down the line. I want mine to be simple: she wasn't afraid of who she was and what others would think of that. She was herself, and that's all that matters. I feel like that's the best legacy I could have for the future generations who will grow up in a world of trial and tribulation.

29. Do you like reading? What was the last thing you read?

ABSOLUTELY! I just finished Lodestar from Keeper of the Lost Cities. I shoulda read these books years ago but they're still fan-freaking-tastic! 

30. How do you show someone you love them?

I guess my love language is acts of service or whatever. So I'd probably serve them and do tons of sweet things for them. 

31. Do you like ice in your drinks?

No, it makes it all watery. Blegh.

32. What are you afraid of?

Lots of things. I just only realize when they come along and forget what they are afterwards. Sure, it may seem nice, but it makes the terror of coming into contact with them once more infinitely more terrorizing. But bugs are extremely horrifying. And so are arachnids.

33. What is your favourite scent?

Rain with freshly mowed grass and newly printed books at a campfire with Smores by the seashore. No one will ever be able to create this magnificent scent. 

34. Do you address older people by their first or last name?

Depends on how close we are.

35. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life?

Does this mean that everything is free? Well I'm gonna stockpile food and stuff and then ship them off to 3rd world countries. I'd try to save as many lives as possible. Or I could go there in person to deliver said goods... Yup. I've decided that that's what I'm gonna do!

36. Do you prefer swimming in pools or in the ocean?

Pools have a veil of safety but the ocean is much more beautiful and alive. Also, the smell of chlorine is gross. And the taste. Blegh.

37. What would you do if you found $50 on the ground?

If it looks old and worn and dirty like it's been there a while, imma take it. Chances are whoever lost it has been long gone so I can actually take that $50 w/o feeling guilty. Otherwise I'd leave it there.

38. Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you make a wish?

Heh, I used to wish on airplanes, satellites, and planets because I thought they were 'special stars'.

39. What is one thing you would want to teach your children?

To be kind, even when it is inconvenient. I don't know how many times someone has held the door open for me even when it seemed much more convenient for them to just go inside where it is warm and just let me open the stupid door on my own. 

Maybe I'd teach them that even the smallest acts can have the biggest impact. One of the two. Probably both.

40. If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it?

Heh, you're talkin' to the girl who doesn't want her ears pierced. No way in heck am I getting a tattoo.

41. What can you hear right now?

Music and the sound of my thoughts.

42. Where do you feel the safest?

In a book.

43. What is one thing you want to overcome/conquer?

Darkness and fear.

44. If you could travel back to any era, which would you choose?

The one with Michelangelo, Leonardo, and all those other guys that the ninja turtles were named after.

45. What is your most used emoji?

It's not even an emoji. It is literally XD. Either that or (^^) 

46. What is your favourite season? Why?

Torn between winter (snow), spring (life coming into bloom), and fall (all the pwetty colors).

47. How would you spend your ideal day?

On a window seat during a thunderstorm either sketching or reading a book all wrapped up in a blanket. Preferably with a cat. Sipping warm apple cider or hot chocolate with marshmallows.

48. Describe yourself using one word.

Me.

49. What do you regret the most?

Not realizing certain things sooner.

50. Invent your own word. What does it mean?

Crushyblushy (adj. n.)

The general mannerisms an individual enacts around people that they like (specifically in crush and/or love situations).

syn: awkward, quirky, shy, blushy

ant: confident, flirty, aplomb, able

[mamabearcat]

NaLu Fic Recs - SFW

Sooo, there was a bit of chat on the NaLu Discord about fic recs. I have read a lot of fan fiction; for a while there I had terrible insomnia, and I would go to bed, read fics all night, and then get up and start my day. 

But now you get the benefits! Here are just some of my favourite SFW fanfics. All these are completed fics on Fanfiction.net I have heaps of favourites that aren’t completed, and may never be, which is a little heartbreaking, but just the nature of the beast I guess. 

But, I digress - behold, a list of SFW fanfics for your viewing pleasure...and remember, if you read, give the writer some review love.

One Shots

Just Fine by Sofiesticated:  After being tortured for months, Lucy has begun to isolate herself, trying to assure people (mostly herself) that she's fine, but a certain Dragon Slayer doesn't give up on her so easy. Rated: Fiction M - English - Hurt/Comfort/Romance - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Words: 1,986

Play List by GeminiMab:  Every one loves new tech toys right? Well Lucy does! Unfortunately so does her team. Lots of friendly feels and a few sweet moments. Just a fun story that's worth a read for a laugh- Rated for cursing *I do not own FT or any of the other copyrighted material found within. I only own my plot line and insanity* ****Mostly placed Post Manga but could go anywhere after Tartarus**** Rated: Fiction T - English - Humor/Friendship - Team Natsu - Words: 6,328

Gift of the Sea by notjustanyfangirl:  Natsu is intrigued by the sad blonde girl that comes to the pier every evening, and decides to do something about it. An unexpected friendship leads to unexpected revelations. Mermaid!AU Rated: Fiction T - English - Adventure/Friendship - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Words: 6,458

Are You Still Watching by HerFairy:  Lucy needs a break from her overbearing father. What better way than watching Netflix over someone's shoulder at the library?Rated: Fiction K+ - English - Humor/Romance - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Words: 2,290

Love Me Now by Chikachoo:  Lucy had been through many bad experiences but this time almost broke her. She had never wished for the presence of a certain dragon slayer, with hair the colour of cherry blossoms, more than now. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Angst - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Words: 5,439

Cops and Robbers by Rivendel101:  Lucy wakes up to the sound of running water, a blinding light, and a crick in her neck that tells her she had a really rough night. Though, she probably could have deduced that without the pain, considering she's pretty sure she fell asleep in a bathtub last night, according to her slightly hazy memory. (Rated for language and inappropriate thoughts by Lucy) Rated: Fiction T - English - Humor/Romance - [Natsu D., Lucy H.] - Words: 3,120

One Other Thing by xxSiLvErDrAgOnxx:  After Chapter 489 - Natsu and Lucy are sent home after their battle with August for some R&R because of an injury Lucy sustained, while the Guild plans its next move. Lucy's stubbornness brings out Natsu's frustration which only serves to irritate Lucy when she misunderstands the intention behind his words. Rated: Fiction T - English - Fantasy/Romance - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Words: 4,908

Together by SolidScriptJess:  "So don't you ever for a second think that I would wish to trade you. You're the light of my life you aggravating, irritating, loud, weird, caring, selfless, strong, beautiful girl. I love you so much." NaLu one-shot in which they've just moved in together and Lucy is trying to come to terms with the fact that Natsu had been engaged to Lisanna before he met her.Rated: Fiction K+ - English - Romance/Angst - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] Lisanna S. - Words: 2,814

Eye of the Beholder by madartiste:  Natsu realizes something about Lucy after seeing her in her old habitat. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance - [Natsu D., Lucy H.] Erza S., Gray F. - Words: 2,915

Plan H by Toxineena:  So far, Erza and Gray were on plan H; H for hot spring. Needless to say, Natsu and Lucy hadn't been very cooperative. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Humor - Natsu D., Lucy H. - Words: 4,834

Plan I by Toxineena: It was like his heart was just saying: Her. It has to be her, and no one else. Sequel to Plan H. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Humor - Natsu D., Lucy H. - Words: 6,911

Thoughts from the Bathroom Sink by Tonoxic:  It felt kind of weird looking at her work from between his legs. Funny thing is he didn't even come here for this. In fact, he didn't even know she could do this. He was going to wait till morning for that but as soon as he had stepped into town, his mind instantly thought "I wonder what Lucy is doing?"  Rated T for angry Lucy's swearing.Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Words: 2,433

Snow White and the Fairy Tail Mages by InLoveWithFairyTail:  The Fairy Tail gang decides to act out the classic story of Snow White! And it went well! Hahaha, no. No, it didn't. If it did, what would be the point of this story? "Our bedroom door's open!" "Wait one f***ing minute, we sleep in the same BEDROOM?" Rated T for swearing. One-shot.Rated: Fiction T - English - Humor/Parody - Team Natsu, Laxus D., Mirajane S. - Words: 4,276

Sausages – A Breakfast Story by Aryndiel:  Lucy needs some cheering up, and Natsu is just the man for the job. But the advice he's getting seems a bit strange. Will breakfast really help? More importantly, is Gray's face going to freeze that way? Why did Bixlow just spit his beer? What's wrong with Romeo? And will Gajeel ever find the answer to the question everyone's wondering about?Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Humor - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Words: 3,915

 Chapter Fics

Winter’s Blight by McSquidster:  Natsu had trusted Gray with Lucy's life, and the raven haired boy would be damned if he let their captors do anything to her. Nuclear Winter AU. Warnings: Mentions of rape and cannibalism.Rated: Fiction T - English - Suspense/Hurt/Comfort - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] Gray F., Jackal - Chapters: 5 - Words: 43,430  

Cops and Writers by jrhcomet:  Lucy Heartfilia, accomplished author, is in for the ride of her life when she teams up with Detective Natsu Dragneel to solve cases around Magnolia. (Castle with Fairy Tail) Please review, this is my first fanfic and tips are always welcome! I do not own Fairy Tail! Only this plot is mine. Rated: Fiction T - English - Humor - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Chapters: 23 - Words: 31,509

Life in Technicolour by stopnatsu:  Lucy Heartfilia has grown accustomed to seeing life in black and white, but she dreams of a more colorful world. Desperate to find where she belongs, she leaves her life behind, intent on fulfilling her childhood dream of seeing a rainbow. Will she ever be able to see the beautiful colors of legend? And is it true you can only see them once you meet your soulmate? Rated: Fiction T - English - Drama/Romance - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Chapters: 29 - Words: 92,011

Virtual Flames by MizzyPlatinum:  A blossoming internet (Tumblr) friendship soon develops into something more. Nalu. AU. Slice of life. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Humor - [Natsu D., Lucy H.] - Chapters: 89 - Words: 241,288

Begin Again by waiting-for-you443:  When journalist Lucy Heartfilia is welcomed home from work by her boyfriend's fists, she does what most would do: calls the police. But when your psycho ex-boyfriend is a cop, things get complicated. It'll take a pair of rookie detectives, a journalist, and the entire Magnolia Police Department to ensure Lucy's safety. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Suspense - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] Gajeel R., Team Natsu - Chapters: 11 - Words: 51,737

Big Sister Lucy by Kayla the kawaii gurl:  All she wanted to do was help young girls follow their dreams and find themselves. She never thought that she would be gaining a little sister and much, much more. AU NaLu! Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Chapters: 25 - Words: 82,041

What Bloomed in the Heart of Winter by starmini:  A chance encounter with the Maiden of Spring sets off a chain of events that threaten the order of the seasons and the fate of the world. The Lord of Winter is willing to plunge the world into chaos for the sake of his desire. Yet, the Lord of Summer and the Maiden of Autumn will fight to stop him. Rated: Fiction K - English - Romance/Drama - Erza S., Gray F., Lucy H., Natsu D. - Chapters: 11 - Words: 28,685

One of the Boys by stopnatsu:  "I love you, Natsu," Lucy had whispered. Natsu smiled and replied, "I love you too, Luce. Like a brother." Nalu AU in which Lucy and Natsu are childhood best friends. Oh, and she's desperately in love with him, but he's too dumb to notice. After leaving to attend an all-girls' prep school, she returns, a changed woman. But will he even notice? Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Drama - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Chapters: 18 - Words: 54,533

Warm Feelings by Checkmate-13: Fairy Tail is forced into a team building activity that revolves around anonymous compliments. The consequences of these messages may have a bigger impact than they bargained for. NaLu. Gruvia.Rated: Fiction T - English - Humor/Romance - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] [Gray F., Juvia L.] - Chapters: 12 - Words: 37,794

Salamander and the Deadly Flu by Hejmdal:  Because given the right circumstances even the hyperactive dragon slayer can become an innocent victim to the "dangerous" disease. Rated for minor swearing (NaLu). Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Humor - [Natsu D., Lucy H.] - Chapters: 25 - Words: 84,054

Possession by HawkofNavarre:  She didn't belong to him...yet. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Friendship - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Chapters: 20 - Words: 85,998

[capture-a-trip]

7 Destinations in India Where Witnessing Snowfall is Guaranteed

You’re sure to be in for a treat as you see snow fall over the lush green hills of Kerala, or even during your stay at the Taj Mahal. You just can’t miss out on the experience and all that beautiful atmosphere! If you have been reading my articles, you would know that I love snowfall. Having had the opportunity to witness this beautiful ice crystals falling from the sky, it has always been a gift, and nothing less than a dream come true! India is one of my favourite destinations to witness this amazing natural phenomenon because we just get to see it every day and there are places Uttarakhand trip that you can visit every year as well! There are various places in India that become synonymous with snowfall.

Also, depending on where you’re going to visit, you may have different experiences altogether. India is a country of unbelievable beauty, with pristine landscapes that make you want to escape the real world. However, there are some places in this country where you are guaranteed to see snowfall in winter. So, grab your jacket and read on.

List of Best Places to See Snowfall in India

Manali in Himachal

Mussoorie in Uttarkhand

Shimla in Himachal

Gulmarg in Jammu & Kashmir

Auli in Uttarakhand

Dhanaulti in Uttarakhand

Narkanda in Himachal

Manali: For Outstanding Views and Chilling Vibes

Experience the thrill of riding on a camel ride in Manali. Have breath-taking views of snow-covered peaks and enjoy the icy chill of it on your face. The month of November promises that Manali will be covered with white powdery snowfall. Manali Tour Package, a city that enjoys snowfall views every season, is becoming one of the most romantic tourist destinations. The best way to enjoy the scenic beauty and chills of this beautiful city is to keep it simple by simply sipping your hot cup of tea while enjoying the view at the cafe. Moreover, book a hotel or homestay here and enjoy some of the adventurous activities in nearby areas like Solang valley and Kufri.

Mussoorie: For that Impregnable Stroll on the Mall Road

Mussoorie is a perfect destination to see snowfall in Uttarakhand. However, to witness a good amount of snowfall, it is best to plan a visit to Mussoorie between mid-December and mid-February. Another famous and popular tourist destination in Uttarakhand, Mussoorie features a large and beautiful garden. A perfect place to see snowfall in Uttarakhand Tour Package, the town is known for its scenic beauty and picturesque surroundings. One of the best things about Mussoorie’s Mall Road is the snow in winter. Grab some friends and family and don’t miss this impregnable stroll on a winter walk in Mussoorie.

Shimla: For the Best Family Holiday

Shimla is a popular destination for winter holidays. It is one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. If you are looking for a holiday that offers snowfall, Shimla will not disappoint you. The best time to visit Shimla is between December and February but don’t be surprised if you see the city swarmed with tourists. Thanks to its proximity to snow-capped mountains, Shimla has emerged as one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in India.

Gulmarg: For the Best Skiing Experience

Gulmarg is widely acclaimed as the best skiing destination in India, not only it has the best slopes, but it also greatly boasts one of India’s highest and longest cable car projects, Gulmarg Gondola. It makes it easy for skiers to go up to 3,500 m above sea level with ease and reach their desired destinations by using this cable car. It is so famous that you will find many visitors coming here just to ski on those slopes. Mid-January to late February is the best time for skiing in Gulmarg. The snow conditions are good, and this is the change that you have been waiting for, it’s time for you to experience the finest of skiing with your friends or family members.

Auli: For a Memorable Skiing Experience and Himalayan Views

At Auli in Uttarakhand, you can experience skiing and snowboarding in India. The resort is 20 minutes away from the city of Nainital and offers stunning views of the Himalayas as well as the Auli River, which forms a natural boundary between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The terrain at Auli features several slopes and runs, with higher snowfalls during December — March. Auli is one of the most scenic locations in India and a must visit places for all tourists. Auli offers you many things like snowfall, skiing and snowboarding which will surely take your breath away!

Dhanaulti: For A Quiet Yet Fun Holiday

Dhanaulti is a small, serene town that lies amidst the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand. For those who want to spend some quiet time with their family or a partner, Dhanaulti is the best place. If you are looking for a quiet yet fun holiday, Dhanaulti is the perfect place to visit. It has a vast area to explore and has multiple places of interest around it, so no need to rush anywhere. If you are a person who loves silence, Dhanaulti is the place for you. The capital of Uttarakhand is one of the most peaceful places in India and we have reason to believe that it will also be a great match for your next getaway holiday.

Narkanda: For Enjoying Snow to the Heart’s Content

If you’re looking for a place where temperatures are pleasant even in the winter, you should visit Narkanda. It lacks any potential of becoming the best winter place to see snow but still has plenty of fun things to do during the season. The snowfall here is mostly recorded in the month of December but then in November also, it is not an unusual sight. Narkanda is also gaining popularity gradually for offering an opportunity of skiing. This makes it a delightful destination to visit during winter as well as summer season. It offers pleasant weather throughout the year and makes its visitors rave about its scenic beauty.

[mydarlingfelix]

Get to know me tag(s)!

Tagged by: @hyunjinh  @felox-the-great @jaeffreyy @squishywoojin @welcometochanskitchen @dabkingfelix @mosquitofelix

Hi! I’m Summer btw (Ik it’s not in my bio), but I just go by Sum or other nicknames lol *I also just put multiple “get to know me” tags in 1 lol THIS IS A SUPER LONG POST IM SORRY However thank you for tagging me!! I Love you all soOoOo much!

Bold Thingy Tag

1ST RULE: tag 9 people you want to get to know better

I think everyone done this already fkjdjgb

2ND RULE: BOLD the statements that are true.

APPEARANCE: - I am 5'7 or taller - I wear glasses - I have at least one tattoo -I have at least one piercing - I have blonde hair - I have brown eyes - I have short hair (idk it’s growing) - My abs are at least somewhat defined - I have or had braces

PERSONALITY: - I love meeting new people - People tell me I am funny - Helping others with their problems is a big priority of mine - I enjoy physical challenges - I enjoy mental challenges - I am playfully rude to people I know - I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it - There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY: - I can sing well - I can play an instrument - I can do over 30 pushups without stopping - I am a fast runner - I can draw well - I have a good memory - I am good at doing maths in my head - I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute - I have beaten at least 2 people arm wrestling - I can make at least 3 recipes from scratch - I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES: - I enjoy sports - I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else - I’m in a orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else - I have learned a new song in the past week - I exercise at least once a week - I have gone for runs at least once a week in warmer months - I have drawn something in the past month (Lucy wanted to be drawn for her bday and I did a watercolor portrait thing ig? for her) - I enjoy writing - Fandoms are my #1 priority- I do some form of Martial arts

EXPERIENCES: - I have had my first kiss - I have had alcohol- I have scored a winning point in a sport - I have watched an entire TV series in one sitting - I have been at an overnight event- I have been in a taxi - I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year - I have beaten a video game in one day - I have visited another country - I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

MY LIFE: - I have one person that I consider to be my Best Friend - I live close to my school/work - My parents are still together - I have at least one sibling (I have like 5)- I live in the United States - There is snow where I live right now - I have hung out with a friend in the past month - I have a smart phone - I own at least 15 CDs - I share my room with someone

RELATIONSHIPS: - I am in a Relationship - I have a crush on a celebrity (?) - I have a crush on someone I know - I’ve been in at least 3 relationships - I have never been in a Relationship (not a healthy one at least)- I have admitted my feelings to a crush - I get crushes easily (It’s disgusting, wtf is wrong with me. I don’t need feels) - I have had a crush for over a year (Umm kinda he’s just really really cute. I talked to Dain about this before) - I have been in a relationship for over a year (but not currently) - I have had feelings for a friend

RANDOM: - I have break-danced - I know a person named Jamie - I have had a teacher that has a name that is hard to pronounce - I have dyed my hair - I’m listening to a song on repeat right now - I have punched someone in the past week - I know someone who has gone to jail - I have broken a bone - I have eaten a waffle today - I know what I want to do in life - I speak at least two languages - I have made a new friend in the past year

Alphabet Soup Tag

A: Age - “I’m 19, you fight me?” B: Birthplace - Cali C: Current time - As I’m during this 1:26pm D: Drink you had last - Water, but also Thai Tea Boba E: Easiest person to talk to - F: Favorite song - None G: Grossest memory - My cousin’s and I were doing a auntie and niece day and went theMall and I saw this girl throw up on the second floor in Forever 21. I felt sorry for the workers...  H: Hogwarts house - G I: in love? - nah, never gonna happen J: Jealous of people? - It’s only a human aspect, you’re only truly horrible if you do something nasty to others because of that feeling K: Killed someone? - Not yet lmfao L: Love at first sight or should I walk by again? - No thank you M: Middle name - Summer N: Number of siblings - 5 O: One wish - None P: Person you called last - My mom Q: Question you are always asked - Idk tbvh R: Reason to smile - Idk things make me happy S: Song you sang last - The Unit No way (I dont remember the unit colors)  T: Time you woke up - 6:43am  U: Underwear color - White  V: Vacation destination - South Korea, Japan, & idk the other one, but honestly my goal is to visit all my mutuals before I died lmfaooo W: Worst habit - Not caring, sleeping in, getting distracted easily, being anixious all the time.  X: X-rays - Teeth Y: Your favorite food - I have a lot... Z: Zodiac sign - Gemini

🥛 Colour(s) I’m currently wearing: Black... Just a lot of black (I need to stop wearing sm black omg)  🍥 Last band t-shirt I bought: I don’t ever buy clothes for myself, idk when was last time? Maybe during the Got7 concert?  🥛 Last band I saw live: Got7 (Fly In LA: Day 1) and Paradise (A Hmong Band)  🍥 Last song I listened to: Rn I’m listening to The Unit’s Cherry on Top  🥛 Lipstick or chapstick: Idk... I wear lip tints.  🍥 Last movie I watched: Ever Wonder? (idk it’s a true story about the creation of wonder women)  🥛 Last 3 TV shows I watched: Wanna One Go, Wanna One x Aimgo TV, and The Unit 🍥 Last 3 characters I identified with: Kora, Steven Universe, & Ken Kaneki (idk for this part, I never thought about this fkdfdkgd)  🥛 Book I’m currently reading: Books for my classes njfdkjd 

What’s my name? (Imma just put my initials) 

M. S. L.

What’s my nickname?

Sum, SumSum, SumShine, Summahh Girl, Tsumdere, Chee, 

How old am I?

“I’m 19, you fight me?”

What got me into Kpop?

SJ- Sorry Sorry, but Got7 made me offically stay and learning everything about the kpop fandom

What’s my favourite Kpop group?

Rn W1 (the most)

Who’s my ultimate bias?

Park Jihoon

What groups/artists do I stan?

Too many to count, you all can ask my personally if you want lol

What groups/artists do I casually listen to?

A lot, I try to be diverse, but what’s good music is good music to me. Feel free to suggest me some :D

What artists do I listen to that aren’t Kpop?

Ahh I’m lazy, but just good sounding music. Calvin Harris just popped up in my head. fknfkjskfnj 

Who’s my bias and bias wrecker from my ultimate group(s)?

Omfg

Wanna One: Park Jihoon & Kang Daniel

JBJ: Kim Donghan & ??? (They’re all messing me up rn)

SK: Felix & I think Hyunjin? Idk

What’s your favourite song(s) to sing/hum?

It’s recently been Chungha’s roller coaster lol and The Unit songs  

What are your favourite flower/tree/plant (all 3 or whatever you have an answer to)?

I really love plants and flowers in general, however Peonies are one of my many faves!! 

Favourite colour(s)?

Pink, blue, purple, black, white, and gray

What do you always doodle (if you ever do)?

Umm yeah I always doodling, but I try not to because I want to be able to focus in class haha. 

How do you take your coffee/tea? If you don’t like those what’s your fav warm drink?

It probably like 20% coffee and 80% french vanilla cream nfksjfgsbjg sometimes I add a lil milk too 

Favourite candle scent?

Anything flowery, but i really like sweet pea smell lol. I don’t any candles yet, so I don’t quite know which I like more yet. Soorrryy

Sunrise or Sunset?

Sunset! The colors are soo pretty and like it doesn’t require me to wake up from my sleep lmfao. The transitions of day and night it just so beautiful! and the stars that start peeking through the dark sky! 

What perfume do you wear if any?

I don’t wear perfume? I have them at home but in my opinion I feel like if you’ve showered and smell nice why try to mix more scents onto you?? and I don’t really need it? DONT WORRY I AM CLEAN NFJSNJF idk if I make any sense

What’s your go to dance move when you’re alone?

-

Favourite quote?

“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.” ― Carl Sandburg 

&  “We ran as if to meet the moon.” ― Robert Frost  

& also 

“The moon and stars just for you my love” - Me lol 

Favourite self care thing(s) or routine(s)?

Umm... Drawing. Showering and putting a face mask afterwards. Painting my nails. It’s more like small things, especially like painting my nails and drawings are things I can’t do often because I try to focus on school, because ik I’m bad at focusing. Sleeping and reminding to just eat, when I get too busy and focused I tend to skip meals. njfkdsnfj s

Fuzzy socks or House slippers?

OMFG BOTH THAT’S LIKE THE BEST COMBO! I have these pinky and purple house slippers I got aND IT’S FUZZY KSFJ SK IT’S SOOO CUTE OMG!! I love. nfjdnfd 

What colour are your eyes? 

Dark Brown

What’s your favourite eye colour on others?

Hazel, black, and gray

Favourite season? why?

Autumn and Winter (Ik contradicts with my name) but I love the rain! and cloudy weather! The sound of rain is calming and being inside while hearing the rain is nice. I really love Spring too when the flowers begin to bloom and like it’s a fresh type of feeling when spring hits lol.

Cheek, neck or nose kisses?

SJFNKFS Honestly depends on my mood  (´•/// ω \\\•`) but I like cheek kisses because softtt

What does your happy place look like?

My room on a rainy day with my fairy lights flickering

Favourite breed of dog?

YO OKAY SO I SAW THIS FB POST ABOUT THIS DOG BEAR AND I WANT A DOG BEAR IDK WHAT THEY’RE CALLED JKFDFHKSF. My dad is a dog breeder as a side business, so I grew up with pitbulls, pocket pits, american bull dogs, frenches, and now ‘exotics’ are the trend atm. 

Do you ever want to be married? If so what colours would you pick for your wedding theme?

Umm yes and no? I’m not sure. If I have an American wedding I like to stick to a traditional white with maybe a peach and light pink here and there, but for sure I would love to do a traditional Hmong wedding. 

Silk or Lace?

Silk feels nice, but I like lace too :)

Favorite weather?

SF type of weather 

[yeoldontknow]

Run Me Through (M)

Author’s Note: so...being 100% honest, it’s been about four years since i’ve written smut of any kind. and, as excited i was about doing this, i was and am really, really nervous. i’m rusty as hell, ok, so i hope that this is at least somewhat good? i usually have many chapters of tension preceding any smut. also, anon said snapshot so i did it in my usual snapshot style and i really hope that’s what you wanted? bro i am so sorry if i disappoint you and all the rest who read this. if it makes you feel better im in love with this yixing who was based on THIS yixing, i literally don’t remember the last time i was so soft for a person. 

Title taken from this Perfume Genius song (spotify link, it’s not on YT im so sorry)

Pairing: Yixing x Reader (oc; ambiguous gender)

Warning: explicit sexual content; strong language

Word Count: 1,461

The day you decide you love him is the day he sees snow for the first time.

It’s when you see him, standing barefoot in the gentle snowfall, looking as though everything he knows about the world is changing for the better, that you realize to love a person is an all encompassing need to know, and learn, and memorize all their best parts until you could be their echo. That love is about accurate inference and an understanding of all their smallest details until you could only be surprised by how deeply you know them. And it is on this day that you learn Yixing’s favourite season is winter.

Cupping a warm mug of tea in your hands, you lean in the doorway of your apartment as you watch him twirl, eyes cast skyward and mouth agape in wonder. You think it’s the way his fingers wiggle in the space between flakes, or perhaps the way he hums contentedly at all the magic he’s finally discovered, that makes you pause and remain silent. He should really be wearing a coat, should really have his shoes on, but you can’t scold him. Not now. Not when he’s holding the entirety of the world in his arms, and smiling, and so heartbreakingly beautiful.

After one rotation he spots you, unmoved and in love, and beckons you to him, eyes sparkling and mouth laughing. So you follow, borrowing from his nature and letting your bare toes become wet and cold and numb with nothing but a jovial need to be near him. He pulls you into his arms and you cradle your tea between your chests, letting him nuzzle against your forehead with a calm giggle.

If he ever asked, you would say it was the way he asked ‘why do people think of winter as a season of death when I’ve never felt so alive?’ that made you yearn for him in a way that transcended language, but really it was how is hair clashed so intensely with the slow accumulation of white that made you wish winter lasted longer in England - that it could last for as long as you planned to let him hold you. 

Light changes a person, morphs their features and turns them into myth or legend; your memory of them changes at the whim of how light chooses to bend around them. And really, it was for this reason that you always hated blue - not the colour of it on fabric but the neon sign shade, the cold shade that made every person beneath it look dead, dying, or lost beyond their years. You think this is why you always avoided Leicester Square, the blue lights of the clubs, restaurants, and cinemas all battling for dominance on the skin of every face in the crowd. 

But Yixing, he darts through and beneath each somehow looking younger and younger with each step. What began as a date for dinner and a movie has become an adventure in learning how Yixing is the only one who can bend light to his whim.

Beneath the blue light of the Odeon cinema, Yixing does a simple thing - he reads a showtime. Anywhere else and this moment would be been lost, trapped in a universe that never will never belong to this you, and you would never see Yixing as someone new and more brilliant than you could ever imagine. It is now that you decided blue was made for him, a colour created at the dawn of time and intended only for him, belonging to him in a way you would define as chemical - a match made entirely of atomic necessity.

It astonishes you, really, how the colour on him seems to reveal a secret, a new side of him that peeks out to play in the shadows and whispers stories of love and longing.

You fall in love with him again the minute he steps back into bright, white lights and back into his familiar skin. You fall in love with him again and decide to paint every light in your house shades of blue, green, red, and gold, and watch the way Yixing turns into a kaleidoscope of human proportions.

When his lips touch yours, moulding against your skin as if the very act was a creation of art, you always feel ravenous for the totality of him. His hands, cupping your cheeks, become the spark to a blaze in your soul, a warmth that spreads along your skin and into your chest. This, you know, is how it always starts. Gentle and soft, holding you like you’re delicate and fragile and perfect, like he’s scared that the force of his love could break you.

This is how it starts, but it is never how it ends.

You stroke his length with eyes wide open, and he stares into you - straight through to the heart of you - and whimpers. From your touch, from love, from desire, you can’t be sure but you can feel his heart racing against your chest and you think this is what mutually assured destruction really means. It’s not about harm or bloodshed, it’s about coming apart in each other’s hands and being reborn in the ash.

After several strong, long strokes, he shakes his head and bites his lip. 

‘Need to be inside you,’ he whispers, sighing against your lips and too frazzled to really kiss you.

You simply nod, spreading yourself wide for him and hoping that he fills you, that he marks you, that he takes you and keeps you with him always. He pauses at your entrance, bashful and careful and waiting for your signal, before burying himself inside you to the hilt.

With each thrust, each press of his fingers into your hips, you feel like temporalities are colliding. Your mind is racing with the things he’s said and your ears are ringing with the things he is saying. 

‘How are you always so tight?’

‘You take me so well, I feel like you were made for me.’

‘Don’t cover your mouth, I want to hear you.’

‘I will never have enough of you. Your taste, your voice, your smell. I live to get drunk on you.’

He fucks you like he wants to set fire to your skin. You never knew he was so greedy, never knew that he loved you like he wanted to put himself beneath you - trapped just below your skin to say that he isn’t just yours, you are his and you are one. You never knew you needed him to be this way, never knew that sweat could feel slick like gasoline and only then, with your body becoming a torch, do you really understand what it meant to burn for a person - to ache for them so intensely you feel your tether to reality start to dissolve.

You come against him with a shudder, a howl that’s both victorious and distant, your mind swimming with nothing but words of love and ecstasy. And he comes with a laugh, a laugh so passionate and pained, your heart physically starts to hurt. You could cry from how much you love him.

‘What was that?’ you ask in the aftermath, his face pressed against your chest, calm and dreamy.

‘I’m so in love with you I thought I was breaking apart. I wasn’t even upset.’

‘Me too.’

Sex with Yixing was always satisfying and transcendent, but, unlike past relationships where you’ve said sex was the best part, the best part with Yixing was waking up in the morning.

It was always worthwhile to push through your bleary eyes and your dry mouth, if only to see the way he had subconsciously crawled to your side of the bed - taking it and you over with one arm over your waist and one leg around your calf. He was always twisted slightly on his stomach, arms stretched like was testing his wingspan, mouth soft, and warm, and pink.

Hogging the bed was something you always found irritating, but Yixing turned it into an act of elegance, a performance art piece that always left you surrendering to his dominance.

Minutes always drift into a conceptual nothingness, your eyes locked on him and your fingers stroking his hair while your thoughts swim in nothing but how warm he makes you feel. Sometimes, you think about getting up before him, about surprising him with breakfast, but these thoughts always die quickly.

Why would you leave his arms before he could greet you with his adoring, fluttering eyes?

Why would you leave his arms before you could watch the smile spread on his face as you came into his vision?

Why would you leave his arms at all?

[soletuscreate]

so i haven’t made a personal post since 2015???? maybe 2014????? and my blog has been mostly a queue for several years and any life updates i have posted have been in tags of reblogs so hello again

i’ve been tagged in many tag/ask games over the past forever and i’ve started to feel bad for never doing it and i’ve started to miss doing personal posts again so this will be a very long posts of asks games that i never got around to doing (under a read more) so feel free to keep reading if you haven’t heard anything since i was 20 year old laura and want to hear more about 23 year old laura

(these are all tag/ask games i’ve been able to find in the past year so thanks to everyone who has tagged me in games this year! and apologies if i never got to earlier ones, i hope to do more in the future as i’m tagged in them)

Tagged by @jessiemueller​

RULES: WE’RE SNOOPING ON YOUR PLAYLIST. SET YOUR ENTIRE MUSIC LIBRARY ON SHUFFLE AND REPORT THE FIRST TEN TRACKS THAT POP UP! THEN CHOOSE TEN ADDITIONAL FRIENDS.

 1. Girls/Girls/Boys -Panic! at the Disco  2. Seasons of Love- Rent (the movie version)  3. Take It Back- Ed Sheeran  4. 18- One Direction 5. Vanilla Ice Cream- Laura Benanti (She Loves Me 2016) 6. Migraine (Live from SXSW)- Twenty One Pilots  7. The Sun (Interlude)- Jukebox the Ghost  8. Making the Most of the Night- Carly Rae Jepsen  9. Disloyal Order of the Water Buffaloes- Fall Out Boy 10. Bibia Be Ye Ye- Ed Sheeran

Rules: Complete the survey and say who tagged you in the beginning. When you are finished tag 5 people to do this survey. Have fun and enjoy!!!

Tagged by @jessiemueller​

1: Are you named after someone? my mom had a doll named laura when she was little but otherwise she just always liked the name

2: When is the last time you cried? weirdly i don’t remember???? but it was probably in the past week

3: Do you like your handwriting? yes it’s neat and i get compliments on it but it’s very small

4: What is your favorite lunch meat? ham/turkey/chicken

5: Do you have kids? no and i don’t plan to (but can’t wait to be gay aunt laura)

6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? probably??? maybe??

7: Do you use sarcasm? always

8: Do you still have your tonsils? yes

9: Would you bungee jump? probably not but it would be a battle between impulsive!laura and anxious afraid of heights!laura

10: What is your favorite kind of cereal? frosted flakes 

11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? never

12: Do you think you’re a strong person? -dennis reynolds voice- not physically emotionally??? it depends

13: What is your favorite ice cream flavor? americone dream 

14: What is the first thing you notice about people? how friendly and extroverted they are 

15: Red or pink? red

16: What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? i don’t like being so short but i deal with it 

17: What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? grey jeans and no shoes just socks (but my shoes are grey also)

18: What was the last thing you ate? apple cider doughnut

19: What are you listening to right now? king of anything- sara bareilles

20: If you were a crayon, what color would you be? purple orange or yellow

21: Favorite smell? vanilla or orange

22: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? the pharmacy but if it’s a person then my sister

23: Favorite sport to watch? if i had to watch a sport it would be hockey

24: Hair color? brown

25: Eye colour? brown

26: Do you wear contacts? i’ve worn them since 4th grade but i plan to switch to glasses because my prescription is very strong and contacts are starting to bother my eyes

27: Favorite food to eat? pizza or 

28: Scary movies or comedy? comedy

29: Last movie you watched? according to netflix it was short term 12 (last year though i don’t watch many movies) but it was probably carol/waitress/imagine me and you 

30: What color shirt are you wearing? blue and grey

31: Summer or winter? summer i don’t like being cold 

32: Hugs or kisses? hugs

33: What book are you currently reading? none i don’t really read anymore unfortunately

34: Who do you miss right now? my sister

35: What is on your mouse pad? i don’t have a mouse pad

36: What is the last TV program you watched? grey’s anatomy

37: What is the best sound? snow crunching, skates on ice, kinetic sand cutting videos

38: Rolling Stones or The Beatles? neither but i guess the beatles??

39: What is the furthest you have ever traveled? los angeles when i was in high school

40: Do you have a special talent? i remember everyone’s birthdays without trying

41: Where were you born? boston!!!!!

tagged by @thefaultinourscarves

A- Age: 23

B- Biggest fear: as much as i want to leave school i don’t want to actually have to get a job and live independently 

C- Current time: 2:00 am

D- Drink you last had: diet pepsi

E- Everyday starts with: coffee, tumblr

F- Favourite song: there’s at least 10 but my brain keeps playing perfect places by lorde 

G- Ghosts, are they real: definitely

H- Hometown: boston/around boston massachusetts

I- In love with: all of my faves (besides sara bareilles) coming back with albums this year

J- Jealous of: people who supposedly have their life after school (although i know nobody really knows what they’re doing), wlw with girlfriends???

K- Killed someone: no?????

L- Last time you cried: probably in the last week 

M- Middle name: elizabeth

N- Number of siblings: 3

O- One wish: right now it’s to finish my thesis and graduate already 

P- Person you last called/texted: called: my sister texted: also my sister

Q- Questions you’re always asked: “what are you doing”

R- Reasons to smile: cats exist, lots of new music, being gay also to quote ari “the world is beautiful!”

S- Song last sang: i bet you look good on the dancefloor- arctic monkeys

U- Underwear colour: black

V- Vacation destination: usually the cape but if i could go somewhere ireland??? probably

W- Worst habit: changing the subject in the middle of a sentence or otherwise losing focus on something and switching tasks in the middle of doing something

X- X-rays you’ve had: hands feet and my knee because of arthritis

Y- Your favourite food: pizza

Z- Zodiac sign: gemini

tagged by @cassiopeia-chasing-the-moon​

rules: answer the questions and tag 20 blogs you want to get to know better

name: laura

family name: sheepan (close enough and what i use here)

gender: who knows anymore

star sign: gemini

height: 5 feet

age: 23

favorite color: purple

time rn: 2:05 am

hours of sleep: anywhere from 5 to 10 because of summer but could be more or less or average when the school year starts

lucky number: 6

last thing you googled: ed sheeran’s tour setlist and also what jimmy fallon’s ben and jerry flavor was for a previous question but decided it wasn’t one of my favorites (still good though)

favorite fictional character: sarah manning, cosima niehaus, alex danvers, juliet o’hara, rory gilmore, paris geller, lorelai gilmore

blankets you sleep with: 1 in warmer months 2 or more in the winter

favorite artists: sara bareilles, taylor swift, ed sheeran, lorde, haim, the summer set, jukebox the ghost, one direction, all time low

dream trip: ireland??? australia?

dream job: counseling, either grief counseling or in a school 

what you’re wearing right now: jeans and a long sleeved shirt

follower count: 1,958

posts: 102,824 i’ve been here forever and used to hit post limit EVERY DAY 

what do you post about: being a lesbian, cats, tv shows, bands, musicals?? i would get into detail but that would take forever 

most active followers: emofrenchfries, bookaddict7342, wenamedthedogkylo, themovieofmylifeasiliveit

when did your blog reach its peak: 2012-2013

why did you make this blog: charlieissocoollike made a video about tumblr and my friends from high school started making them 

do you get asks on a daily basis: no but occasionally i still do

why did you choose your url: it’s a dumb and outdated taylor swift reference from her unicorn shirt she wore in the 2013 ama’s + ‘after plaid shirt days’ i’ve been wanting to change it for a while but i still have to decide to what

countries you’ve lived in: united states

favorite fandom: orphan black??? sara bareilles fandom??? i guess??? fun and in my experience low fandom drama

languages you speak: english

favorite films: carol

last article you read: probably something about forgiveness for my thesis project

last thing you bought online: super smash bros for 3ds

last person you dreamt of: i don’t know???? i don’t remember a lot of my dreams

a recurring dream: literally adulthood and moving out of my house

phobias/fears: i’ve been developing irrational fears about driving, but also heights, public speaking, the general future

how would your friends describe you: funny, gay, smart??? i guess?? passionate??? loyal??? i haven’t asked recently

if you had $$$ to spend what would you buy first: a car?? clothes???

shuffle your song library and list the first three songs that play: guns for hands- twenty one pilots, undertow- sara bareilles, one night- ed sheeran

TAG GAME

Tagged by @jessiemueller​, @justputyourheartintoit​, @cassiopeia-chasing-the-moon​

rules: answer the questions and tag 20 blogs you’d like to get to know better

nicknames: lau (like law) very occasionally, sometimes laur but only by my roommate

time right now: 2:29 am

last thing i googled: ed sheeran’s tour setlist and also what jimmy fallon’s ben and jerry flavor was for a previous question but decided it wasn’t one of my favorites (still good though)

fave music artist: sara bareilles, taylor swift, ed sheeran, lorde, haim, the summer set, jukebox the ghost, one direction, all time low

song stuck in my head: anything from melodrama by lorde (usually perfect places, green light, hard feelings/loveless)

last movie i watched: probably carol

last tv show i watched: grey’s anatomy

what i’m wearing now: jeans and a long sleeved shirt (blue and grey)

when i created this blog: march 2011

the kind of stuff i post: tv shows, gay stuff, cats, aesthetic posts, musicals, bands

do i have other blogs: i have a journal blog and a 100% 1d blog

do i get asks regularly: very rarely now but sometimes

why did i choose my url: an outdated taylor swift reference (2013 ama’s unicorn shirt + ‘after plaid shirt days’)

gender: who knows anymore 

hogwarts house: hufflepuff

pokemon team: instinct

fave color: purple

average hours of sleep: 8-10 if i don’t have to set an alarm otherwise 5-8

lucky number: 6

favorite characters: sarah manning, cosima niehaus, alex danvers, juliet o’hara, rory gilmore, paris geller, lorelai gilmore

dream job: right now counseling (either grief or in a school)

number of blankets i sleep with: usually 1 but in the winter 2 

tagged by @thefaultinouscarves, @teaspoonemotionalrange​

Name: laura Nicknames: usually none but rarely lau (law) or laur Zodiac sign: gemini 
Height: 5 feet Orientation: super gay Ethnicity: white Favorite fruit: strawberries? Favorite season: spring Favorite book: the fault in our stars or harry potter (4 or 7) ((i know these are boring choices but i don’t read much anymore)) Favorite flower: daisies? 
Favorite scent: vanilla/orange Favorite color: purple Favorite animal: cat/penguin Coffee, tea, or hot cocoa: in order: hot chocolate, coffee, tea Average sleep hours: 8-10 Cat or dog person?: CATS Favorite fictional characters: sarah manning, cosima niehaus, alex danvers, juliet o’hara, rory gilmore, paris geller, lorelai gilmore 
Number of blankets you sleep with: 1 or 2 Dream trip: ireland but if we’re being really ambitious australia  Blog created: march 2011 Number of followers: 1,958  

rules: answer the questions with the first letter of your name, then tag 10 people. if the person who tagged you has the same initial, you must use different answers. you cannot use the same word twice.

tagged by @jessiemueller​

what is your name? laura a four letter word? love a boy’s name? lawrence an occupation? lawyer something you wear? lace a color? lilac a food? lime a place? louisiana something you shout? look out! a movie title? love, actually something you drink? lemonade an animal? llama a type of car? i got run over by a lexuuuuuuuus title of a song? love song- sara bareilles

Tagged by @jessiemueller​

♡ if i were a month: february, june, july, august, october

♡ if i were a day: saturday

♡ if i were a planet: venus

♡ if i were a god or goddess: aphrodite? athena?

♡ if i were a sea creature: do penguins count

♡ if i were a piece of furniture: desk or bookshelf

♡ if i were a gemstone: opal

♡ if i were a flower: daisy

♡ if i were a weather condition: warm and sunny

♡ if i were a color: purple

♡ if i were an emotion: according to quizzes on google: vulnerability or sadness

♡ if i were a fruit: strawberry

♡ if i were an element: water

♡ if i were a place: beach, library, my bed sleeping

♡ if i were a taste: combination salty sweet

♡ if i were a scent: vanilla

♡ if i were a song: i just want you- sara bareilles

♡ if i were a body part: eyes

♡ if i were a pair of shoes: converse 

20 facts about me

The rules: write 20 random facts about yourself so your followers can get to know you better then tag those who you want to know better (no limit) Tagged by: @teaspoonemotionalrange​ who only did 10 so i’m only going to do 10

1. i graduated with a psychology degree in 2016 and i’m currently working on a master’s degree in research psychology (focusing on forgiveness in friendships)

2. for the past 4 summers i’ve worked at a summer school in my town with special needs elementary school kids (preschool to 2nd grade)

3. i believe all time low and 5 seconds of summer are tied for the bands i’ve seen most live (3-4 times each)

4. i only got my license this summer at 23 (7 years after i got my permit the first time then it expired and i got it again last summer)

5. i have two cats (pretty girl and snowball)

6. my lockscreen is a collage of sara bareilles that i made and my homescreen is a different collage that i requested someone on tumblr to make

7. i’m supposed to be a bridesmaid for one of my college roommates who is getting married in 2019

8. i have adhd and you can see what i’m hyperfixating on if you pay attention to my reblogs (right now it’s supergirl but can also be legend of zelda (ocarina of time/majora’s mask), musicals (mostly waitress), and a lot of music you can visit my adhd playlist tag for a sort of comprehensive list)

9. if i’m at a bar (which is rare but happens) my go-to drink is whiskey and coke

10. i realized i was gay on october 24, 2013 (in the most boring way possible just sitting there and “what if i’m gay?” that was literally it)

@hightideswift asked:  Pass the happy along! When you get this, reply with 5 things that make you happy, then send it to the last 10 people in your activity! 

1. my cats

2. driving alone and getting to listen to my music

3. all my faves releasing new music this year

4. i’m theoretically almost done with grad school so eventually i’ll be working and doing my own thing 

5. late at night when i can stay up and watch netflix with snacks or listening to music without interruptions 

@bakedinabeautifulpie asked: 

Once you get this you have to say Five things you like about yourself publicly, then you have to send it to 10 of your favorite mutuals/followers (non-negotiable. Positivity is cool)

1. i’ve liked my clothing choices more now that i’ve had more money to buy my own clothes

2. i like being a lesbian and a part of the lgbt community

3. i like how passionate i can get about whatever i’m fixating on at that moment

4. i like my eyes

5. i like my hair now that it’s short

@jessiemueller​ tagged me in a “characters I relate to” post (it’s hard to separate characters i relate to from favorite characters so include the favorite ones i mentioned earlier 

alex danvers | supergirl

cosima niehaus  | orphan black

amy santiago  | brooklyn nine-nine

jake peralta  | brooklyn nine-nine

rory gilmore  | gilmore girls

paris geller  | gilmore girls

jenna hunterson  | waitress

dawn  | waitress

monica geller  | friends

[torontotravelblog]

OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO IN SUMMER (& SPRING)

Things to do in Toronto in Summer & Spring

Often overlooked by it’s loftier (literally) neighbours on the west of Canada, Ontario doesn’t get as much a look into visitors to Canada’s itineraries as say Banff, Lake Louise, or Vancouver. Canada’s largest city does have plenty of reasons to visit though.

Nestled in amongst the great lakes, Toronto gets pretty cold in winter and its residents tend to hibernate (as residents of Toronto over the last year we can vouch for this!) but as soon as the mercury turns red and temperatures start to rise to more respectable levels, the city starts to come to life. Patio terraces open, parks turn pink and then green, and boat trips to the island beckon in time for summer.

Unless you’re a snow bunny, we recommend spring and summer as the best time to visit Toronto, with plenty of things to do in the city and beyond. Given that we’ve only been here a year (!) we asked some fellow local bloggers to chip in with some of their favourites, too!

Favourite Things to do in Toronto in Spring

See the Toronto Cherry Blossoms

Spring in Toronto is a wonderful time to be here. Canadians endure long, harsh winters so when spring comes the streets come alive and the city has a sense of renewal.

One of the best parts about spring in Toronto is seeing the cherry blossoms hit peak bloom in High Park, filling the city with beautiful colors and joy. This years peak bloom is predicted to be from May 2nd-May 8th, meaning 70% of the blossoms will be open at this time. The cherry blossoms only stay open for roughly four to ten days, depending on the weather.

Each year the cherry blossoms draw tens of thousands of people to High Park, so prepare for big crowds. The city has banned vehicles from parking in High Park this year during cherry blossom season due to the popularity. Instead, consider biking to the park or taking the subway. There are also 14 other parks around the city where you can find Sakura trees, including Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto Island, and Woodbine park.

2019 was a special year for the cherry blossoms, as it marks their 60th anniversary in the city from when Former Japanese ambassador Toru-Hagiwara donated 2,000 trees on behalf as the citizens of Tokyo as a gesture of appreciation following World War II.  It’s always a joy to see the cherry blossoms bloom each spring in Toronto. I can’t wait to go see them and commemorate this special anniversary!

Contributed by Lora of Explore with Lora

Wander Kensington Market on a Pedestrian Sunday

As of May, car-free Sundays are back in at Kensington Market: located off Spadina Avenue and home to the best ethical and sustainable buys in Toronto. From 26th May 2019 until October, the last Sunday of every month will be car free so you can happily wander and enjoy street food, peruse local vendors and soak up the entertainment in a more relaxed mode.

Watch One of Toronto’s Marathons

If you are an avid runner then you would be delighted to know that one of the best things to do in Toronto for runners is to join a marathon (or half marathon or a 5K) race in Toronto and see and explore the city that way.

There are 2 marathon events in Toronto, one in May and one in October. Both marathons are in the nice shoulder season allowing runners to benefit from the comfortable weather. Both marathons in Toronto cover a number of different neighborhoods and some of the most beautiful parts of Toronto allowing you to see the city while running.

The May Marathon in Toronto also has a 10K option whereas the October Marathon doesn’t. If you are interested in seeing the downtown area of Toronto along the water on a flat course then the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October is perfect. During this course you will see Yorkville, City Hall and most of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Goodlife Marathon race in October is perfect for those who want to start from uptown and run south to downtown Toronto while benefiting from the downhill slope. During this course you get to see the castle in Toronto, Casa Loma, as well as the Distillery District.

Regardless of which marathon you choose in Toronto you will be able to see the best parts of Toronto in a non-traditional touristy way.

Submitted by Serena of Serenas Lenses

Browse one of Toronto’s Many Farmers’ Markets

With the arrival of Spring, by May farmers markets in Toronto are in full swing and are a great way to stock up on Canadian grown produce. Some of our favourites are:

Leslieville Farmers Market – Sundays – Located at Queen East and Woodward Ave, just before Coxwell

St Lawrence Farmers Market – Saturdays – Head to the tent like pavilion at the back of St Lawrence Market on Saturdays for great value produce from local farmers

Sorauren Farmers Market – Mondays (3pm-7pm) – Located in Sorauren Avenue Park in the West End Parkdale area of Toronto

Head up the CN Tower for a View of Toronto in Spring

As green creeps over the city, head to the skies (well almost) to enjoy the crisp views.

The favorite thing I did in Toronto was go up the CN Tower.  There are several highlights, starting with the elevators.  They are on the outside of the tower and have glass walls and some have glass floors as well.  They whiz up to the observation deck in less than a minute (that’s 15 miles/ 22 km per hour) – a great start to the experience.

It’s all about the views, and the tower, one of the tallest in the world, is 1,815 feet/ 553 meters tall.  There are two main observation decks, including an outside deck.  The lower of the two decks has a glass floor.  This was actually the first glass floor in an observation deck (they have one in Willis Tower in Chicago too).  It’s quite safe, but it is nonetheless kind of terrifying to first step out on glass with an unobstructed view all the way down to the ground far, far, far below (1,122 feet/ 342 meters to be precise).   The upper observation deck now also has a glass floor, so you can look from that down through the lower glass floor as well.

You can actually go even higher.  For an additional fee (worth it, in my opinion), take another elevator up a further 33 floors to the Sky Pod. You will now be 1,465 feet/ 447 m above the ground.  On a clear day, you can see Niagara Falls.  It wasn’t that clear when I visited, but the view over Toronto and Lake Ontario was still spectacular.

If all that is not enough, you can also do the EdgeWalk, where you spend half an hour attached to a harness outside on a narrow ledge, hanging over the edge 116 floors above ground.  Not for those with a fear of heights!

Prices start at $38 for the regular observation decks, and go up to $53 including the Sky Pod.  The EdgeWalk is an additional $195.  Not cheap, but sure to satisfy your inner adrenaline junkie.

Contributed by James of Travel Collecting.

Things to do in Toronto in Summer

In summer it’s almost as if Toronto becomes a different city: The cityscape is transformed from grey to vibrant green; the shorts come out, smiles appear everywhere on the faces of Torontonians, and the city comes alive with live music, outdoor theatre, and many a trip to the Toronto Islands.

Here are some of our favourite ways to enjoy the city when the sun is out.

Enjoy the Toronto Beaches

There are quite a few beaches on Toronto, on the shores of Lake Ontario, but there’s a whole area of Toronto called “the Beaches”, located to the east of Leslieville. It holds a soft spot in our hearts as this was the first place we stayed in Toronto. If you want to stay longer in this area, don’t miss the wonderful Airbnb we stayed in.

Note that the water in Lake Ontario is not recommended for swimming – either here or on the islands due to the amount of contamination that goes into the water from industry. 🙁

If you are in Toronto and looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, then head to The Beaches! Located in Toronto’s east end, this peaceful and social neighbourhood is a great place along Lake Ontario to get some fresh spring air, relax in the summer sun, or watch the leaves turn in the fall!

Besides the lakefront areas (as the name suggests), The Beaches are actually quite residential with loads of great boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants along lively Queen Street. You might stop in for a coffee at Bud’s Coffee Bar or have a drink and a bite to eat at one of the many patios that line the street.

Naturally, The Beaches are home to some of Toronto’s best beaches. Woodbine Beach is one of the largest and is a hugely popular hang out spot in the summer season. You might even feel like renting a paddle board for a morning or evening paddle along the rocky shores of Ashbridge’s Bay.

If you really want to stretch your legs, the wooden boardwalk stretches for kilometres – passing through wooded areas and along the beachfront. There are courts for beach sports, smaller green spaces, and even dog parks – all along the beachfront. Don’t forget to photograph Leuty Lifeguard Station – it’s a been a Toronto icon on Kew Beach since 1920!

Contributed by Eric from Ontario Away

Visit the Toronto Botanical Gardens

Toronto can feel like a bit of a concrete jungle at times, but there are plenty of spots which we find ourselves regularly retreating to to reconnect with nature and just enjoy time outdoors in one of Toronto’s green spaces – which come into their own in summer. We have our own shortlist of favourite green spaces in the city, the Toronto Botanical Gardens being one of them!

Located in East York, the Toronto Botanical Gardens are a delight to just wander around, or attend one of their special exhibitions, events or tours. There are Blossom Parties, Earth Day celebrations and much more – you can find a listing of events on their website.

Visit the Toronto Islands

One of our favourite things to do in Summer is a visit to the Toronto Islands, and we’re not alone. Canadian blogger Carol from Wandering Carol shared some of her tips with us:

The Toronto Islands are a great way to escape the concrete grind, and it’s a fun and fast ferry ride over from the harbour front. You can catch the ferry at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at Bay Street and Queen’s Quay, and the 13-minute ride takes you to a collection of interlinked islands. The ferries go to three different points: Centre Island, Hanlon’s Point to the east or Ward’s Island to the west. All the islands are interconnected and it’s about five km (three miles) from end to end.

One of the best ways to explore Toronto’s green oasis is by bicycle, and you can rent them on the island – Centre Island is the nearest stop for bike rentals – or you can take your own over on the ferry. Centre Island is also the stop for the family-friendly Centreville Amusement Park, where you’ll find popular children’s activities such as a merry-go-round, a small Ferris wheel and swan pedal boats.

Other things to do on the island include picnicking, kayaking or strolling the boardwalk along Lake Ontario. You can take a mini train around the island, grab a meal at one of the island restaurants or hit the beaches. Manitou Beach is the largest stretch of sand, while at Hanlon’s Point you’ll find Toronto’s only clothing-optional beach.

We’d add that for best views of the Toronto skyline fronting the lake, take the ferry back around sunset!

Shakespeare in the Park

Continuing our theme of enjoying the great outdoors in Toronto, the city’s most famous park – High Park – offers plenty of things to do; including Shakespeare Theatre Performances in their outdoor auditorium in Summer. Performances run from July 4th to September 1st this year. Tickets sell out so you’ll have to be quick with these ones.

You can find the performances and buy tickets on the Canadian Stage website.

Visit Riverdale Farm

If you have kids in tow, a visit to Riverdale Farm is the perfect family-friendly outing. Located in Cabbagetown (one of our favourite neighbourhoods for its characterful houses and interesting history) in the Riverdale East park, the Riverdale Farm offers free admission and is a working farm – kids can see the animals being fed, learn about how a farm works, and get to know the different animals.

Visit Lakeshore and the Tunnels Underneath Humber College

Head out of downtown Toronto towards Etobicoke, a modern sub-urban hub on the banks of the Lake for a different perspective of Toronto. The Colonel Samuel Smith Park is a great place to wander on a summer’s day, with views back towards the city, and we took a special tour of Humber College which took us into the tunnels of what used to be Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital.

The Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital was built in 1888 as the Mimico Asylum, and served as a home for many of Toronto’s deemed mentally ill until its closure in 1989. The tour takes you through the tunnels and into out of bounds areas of today’s Humber College and is a sobering trip through the history of the (lack of) care for those deemed to be mentally ill in the past. There’s a beautiful art exhibition, too.

Monthly tunnel tours are run, free of charge, and there are a number of other events organised by Humber for visitors, too – great for those interested in doing something completely different in Toronto! More information here.

Celebrate Canada Day!

Every year on July 1st, most of Canada gets their patriotism on and their red and white out, to celebrate the birthday and independence of their country. Typical celebration of Canada Day includes picnics, plenty of barbecues, long weekends away in cottage country, and fireworks a plenty.

In Toronto itself there are big celebrations at the Harbourfront Centre, fireworks from the Ashbridge’s Bay Park in the Beaches, and there are also Canada Day cruises in the Toronto harbour area. Happy celebrating!

The post “OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO IN SUMMER (& SPRING)” was seen first on Soul Travel Blog

Toronto Naturopathic Doctor - Dr. Amauri Caversan

[dnteverdoubtme]

💗 🐹 🌠 👀 ☀️ 💁 🌟 🐾 🎁 💙 😤 ✈️ ⚡️ 💛 💚 💎 🍀 🍰 🙀 💥 🎤 📚 😔 🐧 💫 👻 🎀 🎬

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be?

Dominic Sherwood. Jace needs a hug plus he’s my favorite celebrity atm and looks like he gives good hugs, i’m just saying. 

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?

Eevee, he is adorable on his own plus can turn into several other awesome looking pokemons; Cubone, his story makes me want to cry; Dragonite, for no particular reason, i just like him. Pichu for cuteness reasons and Beedrill cause i had this pokemon card game and Beedrill was my stronger card.  

🌠 if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?

a lot prettier since i’m a bit obsessed with symmetry. honestly i don’t think i’m a good person to rule the world, i’d have hard stances on many things, but i guess things would be better when it comes to human rights, there’d be no wars ( since i rule everything ) and a lot of tolerance so people can be who they really are as long as it doesn’t hurts anybody else, i’d legalize drugs, abortion, and shove a bunch of LGBT rights down people’s throats… idk, i want to say it’d be better because the current situation is shit, but i’d probably get a council to help me out cause this feels hard already. i don’t want to rule the world, just have the power to make stupid demands like ‘I request a Unicorn Day!’ and “Bring back Life as We Know It for a season 2!’ 

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?

i rarely remember my dreams so there aren’t many, but the last i can recall was this weird thing where i was in a house somewhere in Europe and Min showed up and threw me a surprise party, and she spoke Portuguese. a lot of people started showing up, some bands i used to know and people i haven’t talked or though about in years.. i’m pretty sure the party ended up in a fight. 

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friends?

Heelary can always put things into perspective for me, help me stop, analyse a situation and see what i can actually do instead of just freaking out and crying. Fee thinks i’m this incredible person capable of anything and she helps me believe in myself. Ana likes the same things i do, like rping and plotting stories, and she helps me see that i’m not so weird and out there as i sometimes think i am. Daniel is someone i see once a year at times but i’ve known him for over 20 years but whenever we do meet it’s like time hasn’t past at all. Min makes me feel less lonely and helps me when i’m down ( she thinks i’m a far better person than i sometimes feel i am ) and, finally, B is my soulmate when it comes to writing and such a talented person it makes me feel special that i get to be her friend. overall i’m really blessed of having this collection of ridiculously special people in my life and i chose to make this about how them make me feel but they’re all incredible and amazing on their own. 

😘 talk about your crush or partner

i have crushes in half of my friends ( the hazards of bissexuality, lol ), but i live with my boyfriend, have done it for a couple years now… we have a bit of a silly love story where i was going to leave the country and drunkenly proposed he be my fake-boyfriend for a few months before my trip just so we could go on dates and make out, no strings attached… so of course we spend a month seeing each other every single fucking day and fall in love. i never had a relationship that lasted more than a couple months prior to that, and now here i am 3 years and counting. he asked me not to leave and i stayed. so that’s it, that’s my relationship, and this whole rant says nothing about him. he’s a lawyer, a big nerd that plays MMO’s all night, a grumpy fuck and totally silly putty for out cat, Arthur. i love him.  

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

it depends… i usually have a ‘kill them with kindness’ approach to rudeness. being the kid dressed in black with piercings and tattoos when i was younger i was used to having people approach me and my friends with a general bad disposition and i loved being extra nice and cheery just to see their momentary confusion and the damn youths being polite and nice. that is not to say i can’t be a rude bitch, i’m a scorpio after all, but it usually has to be deserved. 

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)

i like my eyes a lot, they’re my best feature ( well that and my boobs, but it feels shallow to say boobs in a top 3 ). i like my writing, and i think i do it well enough to consider it a talent ( i don’t have many of those so i’ll take what i can get ) and, lastly, i guess i love my creativity, be it with stories, cooking, crafts or just imagining things, i tend to go hard about it and it’s something i love doing, creating something new.  

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it?

the deep sea, crocodiles, hippos, extreme heights, anonymity and failure, i don’t really know how to overcome any of them ( and you can’t pay me enough to get anywhere near a hippo ) but i suppose we live on through the memory of the people we somehow touch in life so i hope i can finish my book one day, and maybe live through my stories and those who read them - so i don’t know if it would work, but this is what i’ve got.

🎁 what never fails to make you happy?

rping. it gets me out of my head and helps me forget my real life troubles, being able to think for someone else, plot things and put them into writing or just express them somehow ( since i love tabletop rps as well ) i just honestly turn to my characters whenever real life gets too much. 

💙 what annoys you about some people?

so many things… mostly i guess hypocrisy and ignorance. it’s no secret this fandom for instance annoys me a lot and  it’s mostly due to the fact that some people think they can tell others what to enjoy and how to think, that they love to judge and condemn things. in the few recent times i’ve been through their arguments and rants i can tell you it’s just ignorance and hatred spun into the vague shape of social justice and righteousness and that annoys me a lot. 

😤 do you get angry easily?

i wouldn’t say angry, but i do get stressed easily and worry about things like there’s no tomorrow. i can rant and complain a lot too, but getting truly angry is something i don’t do so easily. 

✈️ what is your dream city and why?

i can’t think of one specific city, more like a feeling.. i love the idea of a homey suburban place where one can raise a family, with snow during the winter ( so i guess it’d be in North America or Europe and safer than my country is. my dream city is probably in Canada, if i had to guess, but i’ve never been there so i can’t name a specific one.

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?

i’ve answered this before in another meme, but definitely to stop time. it’s the one thing i’m always missing and, as an expert procrastinator with friends in different time-zones i could definitely use it. just imagine being able to sleep as much as you want but you stopped time before doing it so you actually missed nothing out of your day *weeps* now that’s the dream. 

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

not to worry so much about things, that the conflicts we go through when we are young become small in the future. that high-school grades mean nothing and i shouldn’t stress about them. that getting your first kiss is not that important. that the person you are in school is not who you’ll be forever and that i’d make amazing friends, just give it time.  

💚 who are you jealous of and why?

my friends. i’m not a jealous girlfriend, but i have a weird feeling towards my friends, like i’ll try really hard to bring them together and make them friends with each other because that’s always nice but if someone new comes along that i don’t know i’m just like ‘who dis’ and i stress that they might take my place until it’s clear they won’t. i’m also default jealous of all other Alec blogs out there, obliviously. 

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why?

wealth, cause money can’t buy everything but it sure as hell buys a whole lot. it enables you to worry less, to help people and to live adventures, even if you don’t straight out need it in order to do any of those things on principle. 

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be?

i wanna say i’d be Alec because then i’d get a Jace… but a very single Alec, desperately in love with my best friend - so basically i’d be season 1 Alec, k bye 

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods?

cheesecake, milky chocolate, chocolate cake/cupcakes… I’m very easy with this kind of thing since chocolate is my favorite flavor for sweets, but i also love lemon tarts and things with almonds and nuts like gianduia chocolate and nutella. 

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker?

nah, i don’t think so. i’ll do some adventurous things, but nothing like bungee jumping and shit, that’s just terrifying. 

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?

oh boy… unpopular opinions, let’s see. jalec > m@lec. Godfrey Gao was my favorite Magnus Bane. Star Wars is not all that. Friends is not so funny, neither is How I Met Your Mother. i don’t like the Beatles. i don’t like cult movies as a whole…

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself?

Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me Now. i saw this video of Jeremy Jordan singing it has been stuck in my head for days.

📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.”

Neil Gaiman’s Stardust:“A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless, really…“Do the stars gaze back?” Now, that’s a question.”

Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, I can’t find the quote and I read them in Portuguese ( unlike the other two ), but my favorite quote would be Michael’s ove confession to Mia in book four, if I’m not mistaken, I literally had it photocopied and pasted to the back of my notebook in high-school, sue me. 

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad?

that however bad i think things are i know that it gets better. that there are people out there that car about me enough to want to help and to want to see me happy. that i’m not alone, even when i think i am. that no matter how ugly the world seems there are wonderful people out there and things worth living for. 

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words

bossy, needy and witty ( that’s according to Ana ) my own reply would vary between ‘totally fucking awesome’ and ‘not very nice’ depending on the day. 

💫 who inspires you?

successful people, i don’t have one in particular but whoever gets to live their dreams is someone i’d aspire to be ( unless you’re like Valentine and your dreams involve mass murder or something ).

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why?

not really? never thought much about them, but in general i don’t assume all the legends are true unless Jace shows up and tells me otherwise. 

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?

emo circa 2004. skinny jeans, band t-shirts, cropped tops, combat boots, a lot of black and the occasional fitted dress… i love makeup so there’s that, preferably with smoky eyes, bold lips and a lot of highlight. 

🎬 what are some of your favourite films?

Pride and Prejudice, Stardust ( i’m consistent like that ), Les Miserables, Knight’s Tale, Captain América ( all of them, but specially The Winter Soldier ), Dangerous Beauty, A Cinderella Story, What a Girl Wants, She’ll All That, Memoirs of a Gueixa, The Count Of Montecristo, Pacific Rim, Disney’s Hercules, Mulan, The Lady and The Tramp, Anastasia… I like period romances, musicals, Disney movies and romcoms, that’s me. 

[divanshukashyap]

Hi there, traveler !

My name is Divanshu Kashyap, a traveller by choice, photographer by interest and writer by desire.

2017 started off with a blast for me i took a trip to shimla for the first time with my cousions. That was the time when i was done with my exams, free from anxiousness and filled with tranquilizing vibes so every travel memory is so deeply etched in my memory. I vividly remember taking a volvo Bus from Delhi to Shimla. I have pictures of myself roaming in the streets of Mall Road late at night, and loving the fresh breeze flowing over my face, delectable food and the mesmerizing views. Today, Shimla is one of the most popular hill-stations for North-Indians, and almost second nature for Delhiites to head to this charming hill-town for a quick getaway away from the city.

When hill retreats and summer getaways were being established by the British in colonial India, Shimla was definitely the favourite child. Declared the summer capital of the British Empire in India, Shimla is today one of India’s most popular hill stations and a quintessential summer getaway from Delhi. Shimla is the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayan foothills. Best known for its Victorian architecture, reminiscent of the colonial era, and for street shopping on its famous Mall Road, Shimla offers a breadth of adventurous experiences, cultural insights, and a chance to rejuvenate in the lap of the Himalayas.

There’s a reason that Shimla is known as the Queen of Hills, and if you were take a glance at the photographs i posted below, you will know why. Regal in every season, even in bitter winters, the capital of Himachal Pradesh draws throngs of tourists year after year for its pleasant summers, hilly terrain scented by pine and signature colonial era architecture. Chandigarh is the nearest major city, but New Delhi is the most often used connecting point, about 365 kms away.

Ready to explore ?

So are you Planning a trip to Shimla ? Wondering which are the top places to visit in Shimla? Here’s my list of top 10 best places to visit in Shimla on your trip to the land of the Himalayas. Rejuvenate in the lap of the Himalayas. I hope this post will help you:

1)  HATU  PEAK 

Way to Hatu Peak 

  Hatu Peak is a must go place for Adventure Lovers || Adventerous Places in Himachal Pradesh, India

HATU PEAK

  Hatu peak is located at an elevation of 3400 m/12000 ft above sea level and is the highest summit in Shimla/Narkanda region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The peak is surrounded by dense woods.

Hatu Peak is one of the most popular among adventure lovers especially trekkers and bikers. Folks from various parts of the world come to Shimla and plan overnight stay around Hatu Peak. I have been hearing a lot about this place and finally went in January’2017.

Freezed Lake

  A small lake comes on the way when we go from Narkanda to Hatu Peak. There is a small road, which goes up from right side of the main highway, when we move from Narkanda. This road leads to Hatu Temple and end near the temple only. There is a small mud house near to this lake, which belongs to Gujjars from this region who move towards lower himachal in winters and come back in summers to enjoy the pleasant weather of this place.

At Ski Point ( trekking squad )

    There is no private hotel or guest house at Hatu but lot many options are available in Narkanda which is main market around this place. At Hatu, there is a HPPWD Guest House, which can be booked, but many folks prefer to come with their own tents and there are some decent grounds around the Hatu Temple. I am not very sure about availability of water, but there should be some arrangement as Temple or guest house must be having some supply.

Hatu Peak is accessible year round and proper precautions (drinking water) should be taken at all times… In winter, this area is a modest ski area, so expect heavy snow conditions. Proper gear should be worn to deal with temperatures for the season, specifically winter ascents (in December/January) will be quite cold.

PEACE

  When we visited Hatu Peak in January’2017, temple was under renovation and closed. It was fascinated to see most of the work was done with wood and it was quite artistic. Somehow temples in extremely hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh are quite interesting and wonderful wooden arts are used to decorate it.  Hope to visit this place again and bring back a Photo Journey with temple after completion of renovation work and when it’s open.

At Hatu Temple ( trekking squad)

  At Hatu Peak @3400 mtrs. 

AT @3400 m – HATU PEAK

  From the top of the peak, the deep furrows of the valleys make for interesting views. To the north and to the east, the white capped mountains of the Himalaya are visible, even on an overcast day. The nearby highest peaks (both within Himachal Pradesh) are Deo Tibba (6001m — approximately 120km north near Chatru) and Kinnaur Kailash (6050m — approximately 100km east near Karcham). The Nandi Devi region is to the southeast, approximately 250km.

The Hatu peak offers spectacular view of the entire Himalayan ranges, snow clad mountains and in depths are the dense forests, green fields and apple orchards. Hiking is recommended to reach the peak and that is what most of the folks do if they are not bikers. Of course Bikers would always love to ride through crazy paths in this dense forest and they enjoy it a lot.

Some Hiking tips i would like to recommend :

Dress like an onion. The Quebecois have a saying, s’habiller comme un oignon, which literally means to dress like an onion, in layers. …

Start small and start early. …

Bring safety gear. …

Check the weather. ..

Take an experienced friend. …

Make tea or cocoa. …

Invest in good gear.

Be prepared to turn around..

Treat yourself to a great meals..

Here are the accessories you need : 1 woollen cap 1 pair of water proof gloves 2-3 pairs of woollen socks 1 scarf (that can cover the neck and some bit of the face) 1 pair of sun-glasses to protect your eyes from harsh sunlight reflecting on snow

A scarf is something a lot of people ignore, but it is a lifesaver. A scarf can protect your neck, your nose or work as an extra glove. This multi-utility gear is a must for a winter trek.

Keep in mind. During the day when the sun is out and you are trekking, it actually gets very warm with the layers of clothes you have on. So be prepared to peel off layers depending on the heat. At times you’ll sweat — so it makes sense to wear quick dry synthetic T-shirts rather than cotton as your first layers (which retains water longer).

The next important equipment to keep in mind is your shoe. You need a shoe that protects you from all elements and gives you grip on snow (Most crucial).

Crampons are not necessary!

2. Indian Institute of Advanced Study

Queen of hills, Shimla is known for its scenic beauty and aesthetic importance. Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) located at Observatory Hill, Shimla adds to its glory and grandeur with its historical and contemporary significance. It is not only a renowned institute for research studies but also possesses historical and architectural heritage, national pride and glory.

Viceregal Lodge: Shimla’s Viceregal Lodge was designed by British architect Henry Irwin and served as the residence of the British Viceroy of India. A fine display of Jacobethan architecture complete with Tudor-style arches and carved brick detailing on pillars, parapets and porches, Viceregal Lodge dates back to 1888. Historically, within the walls of Viceregal Lodge was where the Shimla Agreement was sealed.

This is a lovely gothic revival building with all the gargoyles peering over you. there is a wonderful grass lawn in front of the building, but you aren’t allowed to walk over it as what lies beneath is a water tank, as old as the building itself and so not safe to walk over it. (didn’t really understand why however – think they were fooling us!)

Very well-maintained building, right from the lawns to the wooden panelled interiors. it is all supposed to be teak wood and it still looks lovely. there is the lovely walnut wood roof that still looks gorgeous. some walls have this elaborate fabric covering which is even more special.

SQUAD

This was not any old building. This was the viceregal lodge. the headquarters of the british raj in the summers, the summer capital of india… the seat of all power, all authority and all decisions – decisions that affected our forefathers.

There are interesting photo-exhibits covering important meetings that took place here… there are photos of all the leaders from nehru to sarojini naidu arriving for meetings, their modes of transport and overall look. and all the photos are very well preserved.

You can ogle at the table where the key decision makers took the call on the partition between ( India & Pakistan). yes you heard me right – this is where that decision took place. and that round table they sat around is still there. you cannot touch it or sit at those chairs, but can observe it.

There is no ticket for getting access to Viceregal campus but one needs to buy a ticket to see it inside. various areas of Viceregal Lodge are well preserved. The room where Gandhi met other officials on Pakistan matter is well preserved along with various things used that time.

A Bell made of eight metals which was presented by the king of Nepal was available to be admired by tourists..

  The Indian Institute of Advanced Study is an ideal place of interest for photo-enthusiasts. This historical edifice, surrounded by a beautiful garden, provides ideal settings for photography.

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  Most of the people coming to  Indian Institute of Advanced Study, visit here to experience its amazing history, architectural beauty and glorious ambiance.

  The charisma of Indian Institute of Advanced Study has attracted historians, tourists, archaeologists and even Bollywood filmmakers.

  There is a beautiful garden in the backward of Viceregal Lodge. The garden was popular among youngsters earlier and now it’s a favorite place for tourists, kids and families to have day picnics. Some of the rare species can be seen in this garden. Like maidenhair tree, Japanese maple and white mulberry…

    A closer look at Viceregal Lodge. Each part of this building is so beautiful that one can spend days to just explore it’s style is each portion of the wall, stairs, pillars etc.

It is one of the best places to observe the sunset at shimla. we didn’t wait as we wanted to head elsewhere. If you plan in advance then you can fit it into your schedule, there is also a small shop to buy souvenirs, a cafe to eat if you are hungry that is set in the erstwhile fire station! it is a short tour. you can go with a family across age groups.

  PRICE :

tour Indian/foreigner ₹40/85, grounds only ₹20

( there are tours through the day, the last is around 4pm – get there in advance to get tickets).

  HOURS :

9.30am-5.30pm Tue-Sun, to 7pm mid-May–mid-Jul, tours every 45min 10am-4.45pm.

  3. MALL ROAD 

Constructed during British colonial rule,  is a popular and glazy street in Shimla. It is one of the major attractions for tourists. It is located a level  below the ridge .The Mall Road – is heart of Shimla, and best way to explore the awesome place is to just walk across the road and hitch at any place you want. You can eat, laugh, shop and enjoy! It is a hub of activities that tourists can enjoy.

While coming Back from Lakkar Bazar and Lower Bazaar there is a steep climb so rest between the climb and you will be fine. Going to cart road and back is somewhat easy due to availability of Lift managed by Himachal tourism, it costs Rs 10 per person on way…

The town’s lifeline, the Mall Road is the main street in Shimla. It’s the centre of all activity. Over time, colonial buildings have been overrun by kitschy boutiques and buildings. Cafes, restaurants and social hangouts on Mall Road are especially popular with locals and tourists alike.

The Mall Road Street has many popular hotels, food hubs, chaat corners, showrooms, department stores, shops, restaurants and cafes, shops that sell woolen clothes, branded clothes, handicraft items, pottery items, jeweler  books, etc. The Mall Road is also famous for its wooden furniture shops that sell exquisite wooden articles, which look like antiques. Horse riding is a popularly enjoyed activity here. You can hop on the horse and ride across the road to enjoy the various pretty sights! Another reason why this is one of the best places to go is that no vehicles are not allowed on the Mall road; making it pollution free.

MALL ROAD

All colonial structures are located on the Mall Road. The Historic Structures like Gaiety Theater, Town Hall, and Public Library are all on the Mall Road. You can particularly buy wooden articles, handicrafts; popular in Mall Road. A Himachal Emporium that offers handicraft products of Himachal Pradesh is also Located here.

One can find many eating joints like Indian Coffee House, Scandal Delights, GuptaJees Bhojnalya etc while walking towards the lower Bazaar.

Walking here at night is so much fun.

The Night in Mall Road is even more stunning. The road there goes through Deodar trees and there are lot of beautiful building on the way. In 4 days of stay at Shimla we had a most memorable and amazing time on this complete strench. 

A Walk at Night – @Mall Road, Shimla

  4. THE   RIDGE

CHRIST CHURCH, SHIMLA

  The broad esplanade extending east from Scandal Point is called the Ridge and it’s thronged with strolling locals and tourists all day. In clear weather a jagged line of distant snowy peaks is clearly visible to the north.

The Ridge is a large clearing that is centrally located in Shimla. The Ridge is considered as the heart of Shimla and is the hub of all cultural activities in the town. The Ridge is flanked by the Mall road on one side and The Lakkar Bazaar on the other side (which is a major wood crafts market). The ridge area is a reflection of Colonial era architecture that has persisted through the ravages of time and now stands as a prominent landmark in the capital of Himachal Pradesh. The ridge also provides amazing views of the surrounding verdant mountains and the valleys below which are dotted with small cottages accompanied by rhododendron trees. A walk down the Ridge is a must-do in Shimla.

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  The Ridge is a road parallel to The Mall and joins it at the Scandal Point. This road has a huge water reservoir too, supplying water to the entire city. The Ridge is famous for its events, especially Summer festival and New Year’s Eve. Major attractions at The Ridge are Christ Church, a Tudorbethan-styled library building and three statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Dr. Y.S. Parmar. Dr Parmar was the first chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. Annadale, the famous playground of Shimla is also located nearby and hosts cricket, polo and also serves as a picnic spot.

Spend some quality time with your companions exploring the Christ Church. Christ Church, Shimla, is the second oldest church in North India, after St John’s Church in Meerut. It is a parish in the Diocese of Amritsar in the Church of North India.

The steeple of the rist Christ church is visible from miles away because of its impressive neo-Gothic style of architecture and has become a major landmark of Shimla. The architecture isn’t the only reason why you should visit the church, but also because it contains multitudes of books and a large variety of sculptures as well. The church has 5 major stain glass sculptures displaying different Christian virtues such as hope, faith and humility. The Christ Church is one of the only major landmarks in Shimla that has not endured the vagaries of time and has maintained its clean and well maintained condition. The best time to visit is at night when you can enjoy the ethereal beauty of the church when it’s lit up.

               Ridge is actually Shimla’s heart. One must visit this to see breath taking Sunrise & Sunset. Couple of good cafe serves good food & drinks.

I would like to suggest that one must have an icecream on the Ridge it’s an amazing experience! Believe me!!

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WAY TO JAKHOO TEMPLE FROM RIDGE BY WALK  : 

5. JAKHOO TEMPLE 

A prominent feature in every tourist’s travel itinerary is the Jakhoo Temple that is an ancient structure that is dedicated to the God Hanuman. This temple is also the venue for one of largest celebrations of the festival of Dussehra because legend has it that Lord Ram took a break at this location whilst on the search for Sanjeevni Booti. Jakhoo houses the largest statue of lord Hanuman that stands tall at 108 ft. above the ground. The temple is situated on Jakhoo Hill that is the highest peak of Shimla, promising spectacular views of the Shivalik range and the local town of Sanjauli. You could walk up to the temple via the Ridge, or take a pony/horse ride up till the temple. One can take Taxi as well service is available from the Ridge. As far as i remember from Ridge they charge aroound 300 rupees to Jakhoo temple.

Jakhoo Temple is located on steep hills.. if u are going by your own car then u have to park your car 750 meters before temple from there you have to take taxi because the way is very steep and narrow cable car is under construction you can see hanumanji 108 feet long statue from any point of shimla.

BEWARE OF THE MONKEYS!

Shimla’s most famous temple, dedicated to the monkey god Hanuman, sits atop its highest hill, a steep but worthwhile hike of 1.2km up from the east end of the Ridge. Appropriately, hundreds of rhesus macaques loiter around the temple, hoping for gifts of prasad (temple-blessed food offerings) from visitors. They have a habit of snatching loose objects such as hats, phones and even spectacles, so bring a stick to discourage them, or rent one (₹10) at the temple gate.

This vast statue on the top of the highest hill in Shimla is a definite place to visit but mind the monkeys. They are very skilled at stealing tourists’ glasses and then it can be difficult to retrieve them. Take your glasses off at the car park and do not put them back on until you are safely back in the car. We saw two tourists lose their glasses when we were there.

6. KALI BARI MANDIR

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  The temple is a popular religious spot in Chail and is also known for some breath-taking views and sceneries as well as for trekking, popular in this area.

The Bengali hut–style Kali Bari Mandir, on the hillside above the Mall, 500m west of Scandal Point, enshrines an image of Kali as Shyamala. There are good views over Shimla from here.

The famous Kalibari Temple of Shimla is a popular tourist attraction and is situated at a very strategic location. The temple was built in the year 1845 and is dedicated to Goddess Kali who is also known as Shyamala. It is from the name of Goddess Shyamala that Shimla derives its name. The Kali Bari temple of Simla is a very well known religious place of India and people who come to Shimla never miss out on visiting this temple. The Kalibari temple was primarily located in Jakhu hill. The British brought it to its new site.

Kali Bari Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyamala, from which the hill station-and capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla derives its name. Kali Bari Temple houses a shrine of the Hindu goddess Shyamala. Shyamala has multiple aliases, including Kali and Durga.

A wooden image of the good is worshipped locally. It is a very holy and respected place of the region.

Time Required: 45 minutes – 1 hour

  Open Time: All days of the week: 6:00 AM-5:00 PM.

7. SHILAROO HOCKEY STADIUM

Shilaroo Hockey Stadium, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, INDIA – Asia’a highest Hockey ground !!!

Hockey stadium at the Sports Authority of India’s high-altitude training center is located around 50 km from state capital Shimla. we were driving towards the Hatu Peak and Shilaroo Hockey stadium came on right side of the road…

    The Sports Authority of India Center, located at an altitude of 8000 feet and surrounded by picturesque Narkanda and Hatu peaks. It was very well maintained and colorful stadium looks more magical with snow covered peaks in the background. Hills in the background are famous Hatu peaks…

  It was really amazing to see a huge green stadium on such a height. Whole stretch is full of fruit orchards and no one can imagine that such a beautiful & huge hockey stadium will come on the way to Hatu Peak….

  8. CHAIL

Chail is 44 km from Shimla. 

Into the Wild

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  Since, Maharaja Bhupender Singh, who made Chail his summer capital, was a cricket enthusiast, he built a cricket ground here, on the top of a hill, making Chail, the proud home to the highest cricket ground in the world.

Situated at an altitude of 2144 m, the area is also used as a polo ground. This ground is now maintained by the Army since it is located in the Cantonment area. Civilians are not allowed to enter the ground, though one can look and walk around the area.

The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,250 m was owned by erstwhile royal family of Patiala. It is the world’s highest cricket ground.

Chail is also considered as the hiker’s paradise. The area is away from the bustling life of the state capital Shimla.

   beautiful sunset at chail

  Tips : 

Carry camera, torch, light and fully covered clothes, proper footwears, munchies, beverages and water along.

  9. KUFRI 

Kufri is a small hill station, just 17 kilometres from Shimla. Situated at an altitude of over 2,600 metres, Kufri is nothing less than a paradise for children.

As we were short of time we didn’t get a time to visit Kufri Fun Campus & Himalayan Nature Park but i would like to suggest you to visit it, it would be fun for sure. Kufri Fun Campus an amusement park & Himalayan Nature Park, which has more than 90 hectares of temperate vegetation and several attractive animals like Musk Deer, Barking Deer, Ghoral and Tibetan Wolf in large enclosures.

The World’s Highest Go Kart Track is at Kufri Fun World so i hope you won’t miss it!

Kufri is a favourable destination when snow is in abundance in Shimla. Kufri has been a preferred destination with honeymooners for number of years.

A tiny hill station located just 17 km from Shimla, Kufri lies at an altitude of 9000 ft, and is best known as a ski destination. Although skiing season peaks between November and February, the months between April and June warrant a visit for their lovely weather. Developed as a tourist destination by the British back in 1819, Kufri is a great place to unwind—with panoramic views of the Himalayas, adventure sports, steep hikes and even a few interesting sightseeing spots.

10. SANJAULI

Astonishing sun rise in sanjauli 

  Sanjauli is a main suburb of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, under Shimla district, India. Shimla is located in the north-western ranges of the Himalayas. At an average altitude of 2397.59 meters (7866.10 ft) above mean sea level.

Cemetery

Sanjauli is the main suburb of Shimla. It has many inhabited places nearby- Cemetery road, HB colony, Bhatta Kuffar, Sanjay Van, Dhingu dhar, Shanan, Navbhar, Chaulanti and areas other side of the Sanjauli-Dahli tunnel. Sanjauli is situated just below the Jakhu Hill. Sanjauli has the Famous Sanjauli-Dahli tunnel made by British government during that time when Shimla was capital of British India.

Sanjauli has a very wide and long Market spread from Sanjauli Chowk to Tunnel. Apart from this Sanjauli has unique architecture of houses. Sanjauli Cemetery is the only cemetery in Shimla that is still in use. Presently it is used by the Indian Christians but originally it was started by British in 1921.

Apart from these top 10 best places to visit in shimla above-mentioned i would like to recomend one more place  –

Sri Sathya Sai School Anand Vilas :

This school is situated amidst lush green verdant hills in a serene and calm environment in the queen of hills, Shimla. Shimla which is known for its pine forests and apple orchards, crisp, clean air and breathtaking views . Meandering rivulets add natural beauty to the school.

This place is so beautiful and picturesque but tourists hardly know about this place! we visited this place in a hurry as we need to head somewhere else but if you plan in advance then you can fit it into your schedule.

Here are some pictures of the Place :

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What to Pack:

If visiting Shimla in the winter, carry woollens, thermals and a heavy jacket. To keep warm when it snows, boots, gloves, a cap and muffler are essential.

If visiting Shimla in the summer, carry light cottons for the day as the sun is quite strong. The evenings require a light jacket as temperatures tend to drop.

Motion sickness medication is recommended for those who are prone to sickness on winding roads.

Sunblock and sunglasses will help shield you from the strong sun at a high altitude.

  And finally, special thanks to  PANKAJ KASHYAP   & samali kashyap without whom this trip wouldn’t be possible and Bhupesh verma & vicky verma for their wonderful hospitality provided in Shimla.

So what are you waiting for? Get out and explore !

by –Divanshu  Kashyap

Travel Blogger – voyage word blog

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Thank you – 

DIVANSHU KASHYAP – TRAVEL BLOGGER

( VOYAGEWORLDBLOG )

    Top 10 Best Places to Visit in Shimla, India – VoyageWorldBlog Hi there, traveler ! My name is Divanshu Kashyap, a traveller by choice, photographer by interest and writer by desire.