#you can be like greta get over that

[margareturtle]

I can confidently say that TWP will either be my second or third favorite TSC series.

Is it out yet?? No. But it’s gonna be spectacular!!

So why does it not have a chance of being first?

Well I fear it will never outrank TDA as #1 as it will never have TDA’s nostalgia factor which is key!!

But that’s what you get when you wait till 2026 to come out 😤 (no me with my high school obssession glasses on)

[greencarnation]

i liked barbie but acting like greta and margot not getting nominated is the biggest feminist issue of our times is so silly. 2 mothers are killed per hour in gaza. women are using tent scraps as sanitary products. women are getting c-sections without anesthesia. fuck off with your white feminism and award shows

[brionysea]

people get so mad when you say "maybe this previously romantic thing is platonic" but no one gives a fuck when you say "maybe this previously platonic thing is romantic". I wonder why. truly baffled. couldn't possibly figure it out.

[alilaro]

the barbie movie should be state-sanctioned mandatory viewing

[welcometogrouchland]

Getting back into comics is fun. Minus the Getting Back Into Comics part of it all

[stealingyourbones]

Fic prompt, Young Justice era:

Robin(Tim) and Superboy break into the Fenton Ops Center after discovering a faction of the DEO that was created exclusively for dealing with ghosts.

They came across this sub-agency while combing through hacked documents after saving Greta, and found out the Department of Extranormal Operations formed the Ghost Investigation Ward and gets special ghost-hunting weapons from mad scientist inventors in a small Illinois town.

Danny (with his sharper senses) hears the break in and goes to investigate with the Fenton Creep Stick. Robbers get hired on occasion to steal inventions that aren’t patented yet. He hears movement just on the other side of the door and goes in swinging. Hits Superboy in the back and makes him stumble, which causes serious alarm from the two heroes.

“That actually almost hurt!” Superboy says in surprise, staring wide-eyed at the new kid holding a splintered baseball bat.

“You cracked the Creep Stick,” Danny stares at the bat with his mouth open. “I didn’t know it could break.”

“Rob? I think this guy has powers.”

Danny looks up, blinking in shock, “Your name is Rob? And you became a Robber? Dude. You don’t have to define yourself by what your parents named you.”

Superboy tries to hide his laughter while Robin sputters. “I’m not - They didn’t -”

“Oh!” Danny has an epiphany. “Did you name yourself that? I chose my name too, but I’m just Danny. I didn’t go and name myself after an illegal profession. Like, can you imagine if I was an arsonist named Bernie? Or a skeevy car salesman named Otto? I know it’s hard to choose a name when you’re trans, and, I gotta admit, being a robber named Rob is hilarious, but there’s more options out there, I promise. For names and career paths.”

Superboy is wheezing at this point and Robin’s face is near fuchsia. Instead of addressing any of that, Robin gets angry.

“We aren’t robbers! We’re heroes! I’m Robin. that’s Superboy. Your parents sell weapons that hurt people and we’re here to stop that!”

Danny tosses the broken Creep Stick over his shoulder and smiles wide.

“Why didn’t you say so! Oh man, this is great. I’ve been sabotaging their stuff for years. If you’re here to help I’ve got a couple projects you can definitely smash.”

.

[sunflower-gvf]

thinking of steddie eating me out together!!!!

you're not even sure how you three ended up like this. steve and eddie lay on their stomach's between your shaking legs, their tongues lapping at your juices like they need it to survive. steve moves his tongue to dip inside your dripping hole, moaning into your core at the taste of your slick. eddie's mouth sucks at your clit, making you moan loudly. steve pulls back, slipping two fingers into you, "oh that's it, baby, let us hear how good it is." he says with a shit-eating grin. tears prick at your eyes, it just feels so good. you look down, locking eyes with eddie. he smirks around your clit and pulls back for a moment, "like fuckin' candy, sweetheart, could do this forever." is all he says before diving back in, his tongue brushing over steve's as they lick over your clit, steve's fingers pumping in and out of you. eddie's tongue laps at steve's, the lewd sight pushing you closer to the edge. "she's getting close, eds, can feel how fucking tight she is." steve mumbles around your pussy. eddie licks at steve's tongue on your clit once more before smirking at you, "soak our fucking faces, baby."

it's safe to say you do exactly what eddie says.

a/n: omg it's been forever since i've written like anything! send in requests for stranger things or greta van fleet!!

[ivysprophecy]

slim pickins

warnings; bad date? mentions of sex, cursing underage drinking and yes i meant for it to be written poorly i was trying to keep the humor of the album in the writing

masterlist | p. 2

no pressure tags; @murdockcastleslut @kimoralov3 @arkofblake

word count; 1911

summary; youre tired of not finding a decent guy who will treat you right and lay you right. at least not one you've known since you were kids. however you just cant help yourself. besides its slim pickins out here you take what you can get.

divider by @bernardsbendystraws

i wanna make one thing clear, when i say there are no good guys left i do not wanna hear about you and your boyfriend of three years that can cook and loves your mom.

thats exactly what im talking about maddie!!! i dont give two fucks that he took you to barnes and noble and bought you every book you wanted.

they are all taken. its plain and simple.

which is why even with a full roster, im stuck taking fucking zander, yes with a z, to my friends' kegger.

i mean yea hes cute. hes tall, built but not that gross kind of muscly. but if were being real i shouldve known better when he was joking about being a male stripper when hes a ginger.

and i can tell kie is judging me, rightfully so. her side eye is lethal. when i introduced him to everyone she asked him about his greta van fleet tee and he said he didn't even know it was a band.

needless to say pope had to drag her away.

after that incident i decided it was best if we tried to talk away from the rest of the group. boy was i wrong.

"so what do you like to drink? ill go grab us something," i offer trying to start the conversation, also avoiding the usual problem with taking a drink from men.

"im good with whatever"

i like to think im not a violent person, but im about to be.

"does a beer sound okay?" i ask him grabbing a twisted tea for me from the cooler.

"sure thing." god why is he acting like such a bitch? i should ask him if he's on his period.

i hand him the can, our fingers brush and its my final clue for the night that i am definitely not going home with him. no spark at all. hes done just about everything else to piss me off.

he did the thing where he licks his lips exaggeratingly looking me up and down, making a point to make sure i saw.

he walks so slow for being 6'3.

and finally he tried to mansplain my career to me. i'd had just enough when he opens his mouth again

"ew, you like twisted tea? who likes sweet tea?" his face contorted in disgust, it was about to contort from my fist breaking his goddamn nose if he keeps talking to me like this.

"we literally live in the south dude." my face could not make it any clearer i am so done with this guy.

"still, sweet tea is disgusting. im not kissing anyone that drinks that nasty shit."

"who said i wanted to kiss your nasty fucking mou-" i was interrupted by the sound of a very familiar giggle behind me as his arm wrapped around my shoulder, the smell of his deodorant and sea salt that cover his skin start to put you at ease.

jj was always there when you needed him, sometimes even when you didnt but right now you couldn't be more grateful. "im glad you found those mama i got em just for you. remembered theyre your favorite. right?"

and you wanna know the best part? zander is shaking already pissed off that jj is at my side. territorial i guess.

"you mind?" he asks him nodding his head at me like im not even there.

jj cant help but laugh at him "yea bud i do mind. she's hanging out with me tonight. have fun with your ipa dick." and with that he steers us off to where the rest of the pogues are.

but not before i can look over my shoulder and give the ginger an innocent smile and a shrug as if i had no control over the situation, when really id pick jj over anyone else.

"you owe me a big fat kiss mama," jj whispers in my ear walking us over to where our friends are standing, drinks in their hands laughing and chatting up a storm.

"in your dreams honey."

"every night all night," he quips back before i shove him off me.

now before you give me shit, jj and i have had our fair share of fun, but unfortunately im starting to look for something more serious.

watching john b and sarah be disgusting together is getting to my head. popes got something going on with cleo and im starting to recognize the pattern. and before i know it everyone will be in love if i don't start making an effort in that department.

random casual hook ups aren't doing it anymore, especially considering they aren't even that good.

unless theyre with jj.

but hes not an option, theres too much drama. too much history. too much too much too much. im not what he needs and i know for a fact he doesn't want me in that sense.

is that a bit dramatic? probably.

i mean hes a great lay, he's hilarious, he's got that blue collar kind of muscle, and he genuinely cares about me.

so of course im not going to date him, why would i?

what do you mean make good decisions? id rather do things in the most difficult way possible!

"y/n youve gotta stop giving those guys a chance, im starting to feel bad for you."

"you try finding a decent guy in a ten mile radius." i glare at him, obviously not wanting to joke about this right now.

he sticks his hand out in front of me, "fine i will. let me see your phone."

curious to see what he will do i hand it too him unlocked, he swipes and taps for a few moments, smiling down at the phone before handing it back to you.

when you look back down at the screen all you see is your instagram open with his stupid fucking smiley face on the screen.

he took a picture of himself and posted to my story. written on the screen in bubble letters in my favorite colored heart 'my favorite guy <3'

"i think he's your best bet." that same smile facing back at me now, cockier than ever. so smug i wanna kiss it off his face

i cant help but roll my eyes. "jj im serious! at this rate im going to die alone. every decent guy is taken or unavailable. all i want is someone funny, kind, and attractive is that too much to ask for?"

"im right in front of you mama you dont gotta look far."

"jj we both know we're not the serious kind of relationship im talking about."

"you can think what you want too but ill be here waiting for that kiss you owe me."

"i think all that tequila youve been sipping has gone to your head maybank."

he stands in front of me, taking his signature red cap off his head and putting it on mine smiling down at me, "what do they say in those books you read? you wear the hat you ride the cowboy?"

"this no ten gallon hat and you are no cowboy."

we laugh at each other, its always been easier to do that then actually talk about our feelings. so i put his hat back on his head, backwards the way he i likes it.

"cmon y/n/n, have a few more drinks, relax and hang out and ill make you feel all better later yea? its what im best at, you know."

"its gonna take more than a few more teas to convince me jj"

"what about that thing you like that i do with my tongue, huh mama? doesnt that sound pretty good right now? i think it does."

"i give you one fucking compliment and it goes straight to your head."

"technically its about my head so that makes perfect sense," he hands me another can with that stupid signature smirk of his and his stupid sexy hat backwards. i hate to admit it's working on me.

just like it does every other time.

i squint my eyes at him taking the can, rolling the idea around in my head. "fuck it. its not like anyone else is offering," i take a big sip of my drink.

jj pumps his fist in the air like a victorious idiot giving a few woots and hollars before picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder despite my wishes.

"jb!!" he shouts turning around to face him, "we're headed out!"

john b looks at the two of us shaking his head at how im kicking my feet to wiggle out of jjs oddly strong grip. "make sure you change the sheets when youre done!"

oh my god he did not just say that. "fuck both of you!"

jj just laughs carrying you back to the chateau like a kid who's excited to use a brand new birthday present.

"what happened to letting me have a few more drinks before we left??"

"youre just too irresistable mama, gotta have you now,' he gives my ass a light slap for good measure causing me to roll my eyes for the 600th time tonight.

"are you gonna put me down now?"

he pretends to look like hes thinking about it, "i guess. only so i can watch you walk away," he does as he says helping me get my feet on the ground.

"youre a pervert."

"no im flirtatious, and you love it, you know it makes you blush i see it. now go on and give me a lil walk yea?"

oh im gonna kill him...

oh wait! im gonna kill him!

"okay... fine. but no touching until we get home," i smile walking away exactly like he asked, but i know behind me he is a puddle of mud. standing still, about to start begging me to let him.

he finally catches up after a few seconds "mama please- cmon thats not fair. you look too good in those shorts you know i cant wait that long. just wanna feel you."

i cant help but giggle at his words, its honestly adorable how mopey he gets. like i just kicked his puppy or something.

"hands of jj i mean it... not until that door shuts behind us."

it didn't really matter that i can see the chateau or that ill be there in literally a minute.

its actually painful for jj to not be able to touch me as he pleases.

i turn around to face him with a cheeky smile. "you want me maybank?"

and of course he nods so hard it looks like his head is going to fall right off.

"come and get me," running towards the house, i can see the moment when his reflexes kick in, his boots thudding against the ground as he gains on me.

just before i can make it to the poarch jj wraps his arms around me, lifting me a few inches off the ground and spinning me around in a fit of laughter.

"okay! okay okay okay you win- you got me."

"oh ive got you mama, and im havin you for the rest of the fucking night," he presses a kiss to my neck hauling me inside, the screen door slamming shut after us.

am i gonna regret this tomorrow? most likely.

but what can i say? its slim pickins in this part of town.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Flufftober prompt 6: playing with hair (Brahms)

you can find the prompt list here something something yap yap idk ill think of more to say when i actually get to writing this. unless i forget to edit this segment LMAO

notes: reader is gn, established relationship, reader replaces greta/takes her place in this fic

plot: You convince Brahms to take a bath and in the aftermath you're treated to finding out how soft his hair can be

word count: 357

cw: none

Against all the odds, you had managed to convince Brahms to take a bath. A proper one, mind you... and by the looks of it he didn't enjoy it one bit. You didn't expect him to seek you out so soon after washing up, and yet here he was shoving his face into your torso as he grumbled. No doubt he was annoyed that you had drawn a bath and didn't join him.

"Maybe next time," You mumbled as you pat your hand on the back of his shoulder, trying to will him to look at you. No dice. You turned over what could be done to pull him out of his mood in your head, your hands settling on his freshly dried hair. He pushed his head deeper into your palm, forcing you to take note of his soft curls. You knew he had them before, but they were...

You frowned for a moment.

You twirled his hair in your fingers for a moment before brushing the hair off of his forehead. As expected, he had his mask on. Not that you were surprised. Now that you had thought about it, Brahms only just recently started coming out of the walls a few weeks ago. You never noticed him leaving them to clean himself, so that does make you wonder...

"You know, if you cleaned up a little more..." You massaged his scalp. "We could do stuff like this more often.."

He glanced up at you. "Maybe if you let me I can even style your hair, if you want," You continued.

You were about to pull your hand away, only to find that he was forcing your hand back to his head. Firmly, but not enough to hurt.

"Not that I wouldn't before.. but doesn't this make you feel nicer?" You added as you went back to lightly fluffing his hair to help shake off of the remaining dampness.

A pause.

Then a nod.

A soft lighthearted huff as you trailed your fingers along his scalp.

You made it a mental note to make this a habit, though you doubted Brahms would let you forget your new post bath cuddling session.

[floralcyanide]

— 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 (nsfw)

important note: if you don't like rpf (or fanfic about real people), please just scroll past. don't be rude in the reblogs or tags or I will just block you. it costs zero dollars to mind your business and keep scrolling. tom will literally never see this. I will never send it to him. therefore, no one is getting harmed by this. rpf is written by many about many real people and has been for a long time. if you'd like to file a complaint, I'd love to see you say that writing rpf is weird to the Hamilton fandom, the Billy the Kid fandom, the Elvis/ Queen/ Greta Van Fleet/ other bands and singers fandoms, (especially the k pop fandom. I pray you survive if you do.) etc etc. basically, just ignore this if you don't wanna see it. have a good day (:

⌯ pairing: tom blyth / fem!reader

⌯ warnings: mentions of alcohol, consumption of alcohol, mentions of smoking, reader smokes but it isn't explicitly described (can be an ignored detail), eventual smut, penetrative sex, unprotected sex (please protect yourself with strangers), oral sex (f receiving), nipple play, cum eating, fluff if you squint

⌯ word count: 3454

⌯ summary: at your friend's christmas party, you meet tom blyth and there's a strong connection off the bat. after a little too much to drink and a night spent talking, the two of you have an intimate christmas eve together. (based on those nights by bastille.)

⌯ author’s note: I've been so busy that I haven't been able to finish this until today lol and it took ages because I kept getting distracted ((: anyway!! merry christmas and happy hanukkah, I hope everyone enjoys this (: if you don't pls keep it to yourself

divider credit: @arminsumi | @eloquentreverie | @cafekitsune ⌯ masterlist ⌯ taglist form

this fic has been cross posted to ao3.

ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴘʏ, ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ, ᴀᴏ3, ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ɪɴ ᴀɪ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴛɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

You’re nursing a glass of half-sipped champagne, trying your best to pay attention to what your friend is saying to you through the pounding music. Being social with them is the least you can do, considering this is their holiday party you’re attending. And they’ve supplied the alcohol that you’ve helped yourself to all night. This is one reason why you can’t focus very well, but there’s another reason, too. You swear you feel eyes from somewhere in the apartment searing into the back of your head. At first, it wasn’t a big deal. But now it’s almost as if you’re scared to move in case someone is watching. Still listening to your friend, you realize you’re unable to look around to find the source. So you push away the sensation the best you can for now. A mutual friend waves at you from across the room where the makeshift bar is. Downing the rest of your champagne, you bid the friend you’re conversing with a quick goodbye for the time being. Hurrying to your friend who beckoned you over, you look at them with a raised brow when their face scrunches up into a giddy smile.

“Why do you look like that?” you ask, carefully eyeballing them.

Your friend chuckles at you, leaning into your ear, “There’s a hot guy back there who has been eyeing you for quite some time.”

Your face contorts into realization. So that’s why you’ve been feeling eyes burning into you. You hesitantly turn around, hoping you aren’t too blatantly obvious in finding who is staring. However, at this point in the night, you aren’t entirely graceful by any means. Your eyes catch onto a brunette man almost immediately, like you’re drawn to one another somehow. The man glances down at his drink before letting his eyes shoot back up to yours, his determined gaze sending goosebumps across your skin. Your friend has been too busy making you a drink to notice the tension but still manages to switch out your empty glass with a full one despite your daze.

“I’ll be right back,” you say just loud enough for your friend to hear over the song blaring through the speakers.

With the alcohol burning in your system, the atmosphere of the apartment seems otherworldly. It’s a fairly glitzy party, so you’re dressed for the occasion. Your outfit highlights your best features, allowing you to have an air of confidence. A kind of confidence you don’t usually carry. The alcohol certainly helps with that. The shimmery lighting bouncing off the walls gives off an ethereal vibe to the apartment. The dim glimmer of the room casts the shadow of the brunette man’s eyelashes onto his cheekbones. The closer you get, the more you notice about him. His aquiline nose, the contour of facial hair on his face, the tasteful and subtle golden hoop in his left ear. You see a small smile stretch across his lips as you approach him.

“I am so sorry if I’m coming off as creepy,” he shouts over the music, laughing to himself, “I promise I don’t mean to. You’re just really attractive.”

You take a moment to let your eyes take in his form as discreetly as possible, noticing his towering height and lean physique. Now that you’re close enough to properly see his face, you note that his eyes shine a hauntingly beautiful shade of icy blue. He takes a moment to study your face as well, waiting with bated breath for your response.

“That means a lot coming from someone who is also attractive. And I thought I felt someone staring,” you jokingly smile at him around a sip of your drink.

“Sorry about that,” the man rubs the back of his neck nervously, “I just never know how to approach without being awkward.”

Butterflies flutter in your stomach at the heavy weight of the brunette’s eyes on yours, your drink burning away any nervousness that had previously lingered.

“I get it,” you match his smile that has yet to wipe off his face, “I’m not the type to come up to someone I find cute. But…” you trail off, taking in the man’s attractiveness, “There’s something about you I can’t put my finger on.”

“Well,” he chuckles at you, bringing his glass to his lips before hesitating, “You’ll figure it out eventually.”

“Oh really?’ you raise your eyebrows, a playful tinge to your voice, “How’s that?”

“Do you smoke?” the man asks.

“Only when I’m drinking,” you chide. 

The two of you weave around the other party-goers toward the fire escape, and you snatch the bottle of something from your friend’s hand while passing the bar on the way out. After clambering from the window behind the tall man, who effortlessly climbed out, you take his outstretched hand. Planting your feet on the landing, you watch as the man fishes out a pack of cigarettes and a pack of matches from his back pocket. He looks up at you expectantly, patting the spot on the metal grating next to him.

“I don’t bite,” he jokes, “Not hard, anyway.”

You bite back a snort but sit down anyway. You take a swig of the clear liquid in the bottle you took before offering it to the man with a sour face. He’s in the process of lighting up, the cigarette hanging between his lips casually as he holds a lit match to the end. You watch him do this, and something stirs inside you. He takes a drag before handing the cigarette to you and taking the bottle from your hand. 

“You smoke a lot?” you ask him before taking a drag of your own, your eyes not leaving him.

He shrugs, “I picked it up while in college. It’s a bad habit I go back to sometimes.”

“I see,” you say, “I forgot to ask, but what’s your name?”

“Tom,” the brunette says, the cigarette dangling from his lips as he offers a free hand for you to shake. You gently take it.

Despite the chill of the night, Tom’s hand is warm against yours. You both hesitate to pull away, but a shy chuckle shared between the two of you causes a natural break of grip. You continue to smoke and pass the bottle to and from each other, talking about this year’s notable events in your lives. You speak for a while before more personal details begin spilling. Like how much you hate your job and how Tom missed his co-stars from his last project. Or how you both hate being single during the holidays. The more alcohol that’s consumed, the more you discuss your lives. It’s only been an hour or two, but it feels like you’ve known each other forever. 

A comfortable silence falls over the two of you. Tom looks over at you, admiring how your cigarette looked so natural in your hand. And how your hair fell perfectly around your face and how you swung your legs back and forth innocently. The corners of Tom’s lips twitch upward as he subtly moves closer to you, his thigh pressing against yours. He thinks you’re quite interesting and pretty- he doesn’t know why you’re still single when you’re such an amazing person.

You feel the roughness of his trousers against your bare thigh as you finish your final cigarette. You swish the remaining contents of the bottle around, deciding that your blurry peripheral vision means it is time to stop drinking. When you turn to offer Tom the rest of the alcohol, he’s facing you already, mere inches away. Your breath hitches as his eyes look into yours. They drop to your lips, and despite your intoxication, you feel giddy in your stomach. 

“Can I,” Tom whispers, lifting a hand to your cheek, “Can I kiss you?”

You sit the bottle down on the other side of where you’re sitting, a drunken smile growing on your face, “Of course you can.”

Tom leans in, pressing his lips to yours gently. You inhale sharply through your nose at the intense feeling of electricity between the two of you. You can taste the alcohol on him when you run your tongue across his bottom lip, testing just how far he wants to go. Your hand reaches up and cards through his dark hair, bringing him as close as possible as the kiss becomes more passionate. Tom’s free hand grasps your hip, his thumb digging deeper into your skin the harder you kiss him. Your head swims as he peppers his lips along your jawline and under your ear.

“We should probably go inside,” you pull away reluctantly, but even in your stupor, you don’t want to get carried away and fall off the fire escape.

You struggle to push up the cracked open window, and Tom giggles at you as he effortlessly pushes it open for you. Both of you climb through, and your friend shakes their head at you when your feet land firmly on the floor.

“I had wondered where you ran off to,” they chuckle, “I see you’ve met my friend Tom.”

“Uh, yeah,” you smile, looking up at him as he stands beside you.

Your friend looks closely at the two of you, noticing your bitten lips and Tom’s flushed face, “Now that the party has dwindled down, you guys can chill upstairs where it’s quiet. I have a book collection you two would enjoy.”

“Gotcha,” you nod as they walk away to mingle with other partygoers.

Looking around, you notice the remainder of the gathering is in other parts of the apartment, leaving the living room and upstairs unoccupied. Tom grabs your hand, pulling you away from the kitchen to the hallway leading to the stairs. You pull him into another kiss, Tom giggling at your eagerness as he sways slightly. He walks you backward until you feel your back against the nearby wall. Neither of you would do this on a typical day, but the energy between both of you is so intense. Your hands move underneath his shirt, your cold palms making contact with his warm skin. Tom gasps into the kiss at the contact, and you scoff, pulling away from him and grabbing his hand to drag him up the stairs.

“Careful,” Tom says to you as your legs wobble. Meanwhile, he’s struggling to climb them as well.

After a few minutes of tussling and laughing, the two of you finally reach the second floor.

“So about that book collection,” Tom raises an eyebrow, catching his breath as he grabs you by the hips, bringing you close to him.

“Only if you really want to,” you look up at him, both your and his eyes glazed over.

“I do,” Tom runs his hands along your sides, his gaze heavy on you, “Lead the way.”

You walk ahead of him, pulling him into the guest bedroom, where the books do happen to be stored in a giant bookcase along the wall. String lights around the ceiling give a soft golden glow to the room as you approach the mass of books. Tom closes the door softly as he enters the room, walking up behind you as you trace the spine of one of your favorite books. Tom wraps his arms around you, leaning down to kiss the back of your neck gingerly. You melt into his chest, closing your eyes as he travels down your shoulder. Your dress has an exposed back, and Tom is taking advantage of it as Tom falls to one knee and continues kissing down your body. He delicately unties the silk ribbon holding the two sides of your dress together, pausing before allowing it to fall to the floor.

“Let me know if you want me to stop,” Tom says.

You turn around and walk to the bed, allowing your dress to fall behind you. Sitting down, you motion for Tom to come over to you. His eyes scan your face, avoiding your intricate and deep-colored underwear as he stands up. Tom stands between your slightly parted legs, and you move your hands to the lapels of his black blazer, pushing them open. He discards it from his arms and to the floor before pulling his t-shirt over his head. You try not to ogle at his perfect body, but your hands wander anyway. Up his abdomen and across his chest until you reach his neck, where you pull him down for a heated kiss. Tom lightly pushes you onto the bed, and you move to the pile of pillows to rest your head. He climbs over you, caging you underneath him. Before you can react, Tom pulls your legs up around his waist as he rests his body on yours. His lips hover over yours, his darkened eyes boring into yours much like they did the back of your head earlier in the evening. 

“Don’t stop,” you say, crossing your ankles behind Tom’s back.

Tom attacks your neck with hot kisses and soft bites, your hand grasping the back of his head. As his body relaxes into you, his weight presses you against the bed, and you feel how hard he is. You lift your hips to lightly grind into Tom, and his soft bite into your collarbone turns harsh in reaction. He continues downward, slipping his fingers underneath the straps of your bra and sliding them down your shoulders. You arch your back so Tom has the room to unclasp the band and remove the garment from you. He wastes no time resuming his kisses on your sensitive skin, avoiding the areas you desire his kisses most. You gasp when Tom lets his hand brush against your breast, his thumb circling your nipple softly. A small moan leaves your lips, and Tom glances up at you through his lashes to gauge your reaction. He admires how your eyebrows crease momentarily in pleasure, so he circles his thumb again. You moan louder this time, craving his touch without hesitance.

“Please,” you sigh, “Don’t hold back either.”

Tom hums in response before dipping his head down and enveloping your nipple in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue teasingly. He rubs your other nipple with his thumb, simultaneously stimulating you. You whimper, heat from your still buzzed body rushing to your clit. Your hips roll in response, and you’re sure Tom can feel your dampened panties against his chest. He gives your nipple a sharp tug with his teeth before focusing on your needy core. He leaves an open-mouthed kiss on your clothed heat before removing your underwear. Still buzzed from all the alcohol earlier, Tom tries his best to be soft with you despite the pit of desire growing between you. You want him- all of him, and you want it now. And Tom wants you. Before you can speak, Tom’s warm mouth meets your folds, his tongue lapping at your arousal. You squirm from the sudden stimulation, but he stills your hips with his grip. A hand flies to Tom’s mussed-up hair as he plunges his tongue into you, his nose pressing to your clit. He inhales your scent, and it intoxicates him more than alcohol ever could. Shaking his head, Tom’s nose rubs against your clit perfectly as his tongue fucks you. Your whole body is up in flames, your fingers tightening in his hair. 

You’re muttering incoherent praises as you ride Tom’s face. He replaces his tongue with two of his fingers, your relaxed wetness allowing him to slip them in easily. They scissor against your fluttering walls as Tom sucks on your bundle of nerves. Your fuzzy mind keeps you from hiding how good his mouth feels on you, and your moans grow louder. His mouth leaves your cunt abruptly before reattaching to yours, silencing you immediately.

“Gotta be quiet,” Tom huffs against your lips, “People are still downstairs, love.”

You wrap your legs around him again, grinding yourself into his still-clothed cock. He’s the one to moan this time, slipping his tongue into your mouth and letting you taste yourself. You unwrap your legs and work to unfasten Tom’s trousers, pushing them down his thighs. He kicks them off the rest of the way, along with his underwear, as he continues to kiss you. You reach down between your bodies and palm Tom’s length, to which he groans into your mouth. You guide his tip to your entrance, allowing him to comfortably push into you. Your hands grasp Tom’s shoulder blades, your nails lightly digging into his skin with every inch that enters you. You whimper in pleasure at him finally being inside you after longing for it all night. Tom bottoms out with a content sigh, also elated at the feeling of you clenching around his length after craving it for so long. 

Your chests heave against one another, your forehead pressed to Tom’s. His enticing blue eyes meet yours as he slowly pulls out before slamming his hips against yours. You gasp, arching your back and letting butterflies swarm in your belly when Tom kisses the corner of your mouth. He fucks into you again, slowly building a steady pace. Your lips barely brush against Tom’s as he snaps his body into yours. Your buzz has now faded away, allowing you to feel him entirely sober. He sneaks his hand between you and presses his thumb to your clit, making you hiss at the sudden stimulation. Your head pushes against the pillows, exposing your throat. Tom lets his hand lazily wrap around it, not squeezing but instead holding it as he grazes his teeth on your skin there as he kisses your neck. 

“Feel so good around me,” Tom says dazedly, and you feel his eyelashes flutter under your jaw, “So gorgeous.”

Your hand rests in his hair again, gently combing through his locks as he rocks into you faster. His weight on you, his thumb still rubbing your clit, and his hand around your neck seals the deal for you as he plows into that sweet spot inside you. 

“Tom,” you moan, “I’m close.”

“Me too, baby. Me too,” he whispers into your skin, leaving soft kisses in contrast to his rough thrusts.

“You feel so good,” you mutter, your chin resting on Tom’s head.

Tom lifts your leg and places it on his shoulder, allowing him to hit a new angle inside you. You bury your face in his hair to deafen the cry that escapes you in response. 

“Right there,” you pant, your hands desperately holding onto Tom’s hair as your mouth hangs open in silent pleasure.

Tom breathes heavily into your neck, using all the energy he has left to mercilessly fuck your weeping cunt. You feel your stomach tensing, alerting you of your impending orgasm. Tom chants your name as he firmly presses his thumb into your clit, causing the tightly wound knot inside you to snap undone. Your thigh clamps into the side of Tom’s neck while the other shakes against the bare skin of his sweat sheened back. The feeling of your tight pussy pulsating around him makes Tom explode inside you with a gasp. You grip Tom’s hair desperately as you milk him of everything he has, his thumb still not letting up on your clit. Another orgasm washes over you suddenly. This time it makes you convulse, your cunt gushing around Tom and dripping down your thighs as you cry out in pleasure. 

“Fuck,” you gasp for air, Tom pulling out of you.

He moves down to your pussy, cleaning up the cum spilling from you with a hungry tongue. You’re so sensitive that your thighs slam into the sides of Tom’s head. He suckles your clit for a moment for good measure, making you writhe underneath him. You pathetically whimper when he pulls away, finally catching your breath. Tom returns to his previous position on top of you, his face buried in your neck. He wraps his arms around you, softly stroking your skin. 

“Wow,” you giggle, letting your nose dig into Tom’s brunette hair.

“Yeah,” he smirks, “You’re amazing.”

“That’s all you, I’m afraid,” you say.

Tom hums, “I disagree, sweetheart.”

He rolls over momentarily, lifting the duvet for you to climb under. He embraces you again, holding you close as if you’ll disappear like some sort of dream. You wrap your arms around Tom’s, smiling as he presses his nose to your hair. 

“I still haven’t put my finger on it,” you say after a moment of silence.

“Hmm? On what?”

“That something about you.”

“I guess you’ll have to stick around and find out, then.”

“Deal,” you chuckle, “Merry Christmas, Tom.”

“Merry Christmas, beautiful.”

taglist:

@barbaraelaine @devotedly-sassy @nowitsmissing @arzua10 @screamqueenpink

[sgiandubh]

Greta's smile

For a flickering moment, that funny and fresh girl I so longed to see seems to be back:

[Source: the third Lauren of the week, but the only legit one: https://www.instagram.com/stories/laurenlyle7/3386613990920595818/?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MW5nNHk3NnNtNG9tdQ%3D%3D]

and...

[Source, heh: https://x.com/displaceintime/status/1799779664141107252 - it is a reel, not a picture - for those who never get the concept of screenshot)

Oh, my: the Sibyl of Tydavnet can smile and even curse (wow! 👍). Best part? It looked organic. Could that be that they are reading us? I'd bet the farm and throw in Baby, the (adored family) Lab, on top. Sorry, naysayers - see for yourself: and yes, it must hurt AF to be wrong, right?

And yes, they clearly cannot stand each other anymore, right? Idiots will always be idiots, for sure.

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7_iZxQMiHI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]

I have watched this reel very carefully about ten times. Slowed it down. I think the fleeting moment speaks volumes about the real state of play.

Let's have a closer look: the fan asks for a pic, lips purse immediately, a bit uneasy/unsure how to act, because the bearded minder is immediately aware of the unplanned photo opportunity. And hovering like Juliet's Nurse (if you read, you know what I mean - if you don't, that's not my problem):

Lips are still pursed and I think that guy's look is everything. The least one can honestly say, it's that he is not pleased. Not pleased at ALL:

His arm is immediately over her shoulders. It is an old, protective gesture. A reflex. We have seen it a bajillion times, both in the series and real life. You know what I mean and even across the street they know what I mean - but it's an inconvenient truth. As fuck.

His arms goes lower, grabs her and she does not cringe or look repelled. Quite the contrary: she immediately relaxes and leans in (that first smile to the fan was a bit tense). The minder has lost that one and he shows his disappointment. If that is fan service, I am the Pope.

I think you should watch that reel, too. Because I think it is very telling: no matter the pressure, the idiocies and the crap they throw at us and each other, they always seem to find a way back. And that, my friends, is very, very good news. So good, in fact, that I might pour myself a gin tonic (always Tanqueray). Sláinte.

[formulauno98]

Yacht Girl Summer - Chapter Eleven / Chalet Girl Winter - Friday - George Russell x Reader, Toto Wolff x Reader

Word Count: 8.7k - Yes I got over my writers block and wrote a triple length chapter. I previously promised one final chapter but I've had to split it up so there will be fourteen chapters in total.

Warnings: 🌶 Some very PG mild spice but 18+ only.

Author’s Notes: Disclaimer, purely fiction. No use of Y/N and minimal descriptions because I want everyone/anyone to be able to enjoy this.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

You and Toto arrived at his chalet just as the late afternoon sun was dipping behind the peaks of the Austrian mountains, casting your surroundings in a soft, golden glow. Guests were due to arrive that evening so ever the proud host, Toto had insisted on arriving a few hours ahead to ensure the chalet was up to his exacting standards.

After a short flight, the drive from the airport had been quiet, with Toto’s driver quickly navigating the sweeping snowy roads whilst Toto sat beside you in the backseat, engrossed in answering emails on his iPad and occasionally glancing across at you, covering your hand with his.

You had spent the journey from the airport in silence, wrapped in thoughts of the past few months and how quickly things had changed. You’d gone from a troubled relationship with George to something entirely different with Toto and life felt much easier, albeit surreal. Toto was like a breath of fresh air. Considering he was much busier than George, he listened to you, valued your opinions and remembered the small details. You finally felt like your own person again.

– – –

“Wow,” you exclaimed as you stepped out of the car, the sting of cold mountain air hitting your face as you stretched your legs. Toto had undersold you his chalet, it was enormous, a wide expanse of rustic wood and sparkling glass, perfectly nestled in a small valley in the heart of the mountains, set back from the road.

“You like it?” said Toto, coming to your side and taking your hand in his as you took in your grand surroundings.

“Well I’ll reserve judgment until I get the full tour, but on first impressions, yes it’s beautiful,” you said, stretching up to kiss him on the cheek. 

Toto smiled and led you towards the heavy wooden front door, “Come on, I’ll show you around.” Turning back towards his driver, he added, “I’ll come back for the bags.”

The door creaked open easily and you were immediately greeted by a wave of warmth and the scent of fresh pine and woodsmoke. Toto squeezed your hand gently. “Welcome to my favourite place in the world.”

“I think I can see why,” you replied, marvelling at Toto’s mountain home. Having so far spent the majority of your time together in London, you hadn’t yet been to any of Toto’s houses and you were looking forward to having a good look around. The foyer was breathtaking, intricate wooden beams arched overhead, an impressive staircase wound upwards to the galleried landing on the second floor and large windows framed the snow-covered peaks outside. It was picture-perfect, almost like something out of a movie.

“I’ll show you around in a minute,” Toto said, before stepping forward to greet an older man and woman who had seemingly appeared from nowhere, introducing them as Greta, his House Manager, and Claus, his Chef. You blushed furiously as he introduced you as his girlfriend. It wasn’t a conversation you’d had yet but it was comforting to know that he was serious about your relationship and wasn’t afraid to tell people. 

“Lovely to meet you too,” said Greta, eyeing you curiously, “Here, let me take your coats. Toto, do you need me to send someone for the bags?” 

“Thank you Greta but that will be okay. I will bring them,” said Toto as he passed both of your coats to her. He turned back to you, “Why don’t you look around while I get our things?”

You nodded, still overwhelmed by the grandeur of the place and the way Toto had introduced you. As he headed back outside, Greta and Claus busied themselves, leaving you alone in the spacious foyer. You were immediately drawn to a console table across from you, laden with elegantly framed photos. Picking up a small silver frame you smiled as you clocked a photograph of Toto and the woman who had caused your first quarrel - his sister. They looked to be in their late teens, smiling and laughing at the camera with identical dimpled grins. In hindsight you felt stupid, the family resemblance was strong.

“Found something interesting? Toto said, having reappeared behind you, carrying your bags inside with ease. 

“Just a little.” you said, placing the frame back down from where you’d taken it, “It’s nice, you have more photos here than on the yacht.”

“Well, it’s the family home. They all come here for the holidays,” said Toto, placing the bags down gently at the foot of the stairs before stepping closer to you, his hand coming to rest on the small of your back. “Come, I’ll show you the rest of the house.”

He led you through the spacious living room, where yet more floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the valley below. As the afternoon sun waned, soft light from the large stone fireplace cast a golden glow across the room. It was cosy as hell and you could already imagine spending the evening here, curled up on one of the large cream sofas with a glass of wine and a book.

“This is the heart of the house,” Toto explained, gesturing to the living room. “We designed it to be a place where everyone can gather and relax.”

“I love it,” you said, clocking the carefully chosen details, the thick sheepskin rugs and the luxe throws draped over the sofas. It was certainly very Alpine. “When you say we…?”

Toto smiled, admitting “My interior designer and I. I know what I like but have no idea how to find it.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” you said laughing, “You’re a busy man!”

Toto’s eyes twinkled as he pulled you from behind into his chest, bending down to whisper in your ear, his voice low, “Is that so?”

Turning around to face him, you stretched up to plant a soft kiss on his lips, “Far too busy to select cushions.”

“I know my favourite cushions,” said Toto, his expression deadpan before he reached his arms behind you to lightly squeeze your ass, making you squeal.

“Ahem.” came a voice from a doorway on the other side of the room, interrupting the moment. It was Greta.

“Sorry Greta,” said Toto, his mouth quirking with a smirk, “I was just giving a house tour.”

“Sorry to interrupt but Andreas wanted to know where the bags need to go,” said Greta, blushing as she couldn’t quite meet Toto’s eye.

“In the master suite.” said Toto, “Sorry I should have instructed him.”

“No worries, I will let him know.” said Greta with a polite smile, turning to leave before suddenly turning back, “Can I get you anything? A drink? A snack? Claus is preparing the evening service but it is long to wait until then.”

Toto turned to you, his eyes kind as he clocked that you were not used to having staff. “Would you like anything?”

It was your turn to blush as you felt like a spoilt brat, “Oh no, I’m fine thank you, maybe I can come and grab a tea later?”

“Sure,” said Toto and Greta in unison, exchanging a somewhat strange look. “I will show the kitchen on my tour, Greta.”

“Very well,” said Greta, ducking out of the doorway and leaving you alone once more.

“Sorry about that, I know you think I am an idiot for having staff but as we don’t use this house often it is better to have them to keep things running,” said Toto, looking a little embarrassed.

“Not at all.” you said, before adding, “Well… I’m not used to it. I know you had the crew on the boat but that feels different because you need them to sail. I can always get my own drinks.”

“I know.” said Toto, “I’ll have a word with Greta.”

“Thanks,” you said, stretching up to kiss him once more.

He smiled, clearly pleased with your reaction. “Come, there’s more to see.”

As promised, he led you to the kitchen next, a modern space with light wood cabinetry, sleek appliances and a large island at its centre. Claus was busy expertly chopping vegetables as Toto caught his attention.

“What’s on the menu?” he asked, smiling at the older man.

“The usual.” said the older man, smiling before gesturing to a large pot simmering away, “And Greta has made Glühwein.”

“What’s that?” you asked, unaccustomed to Austrian cuisine.

“Mulled wine.” said Toto, pulling you towards the stove before lifting the lid, “Here, smell it.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, turning to Claus since it was clear that he was the voice of authority in this kitchen. He nodded approvingly so you bent down to take in the aromatic mix of cinnamon and spices. “It smells like Christmas!” you exclaimed.

The two men laughed at your enthusiasm. “You will love it,” said Toto. 

“Looking forward to trying it,” you said to Claus.

“Oh, it is not me who makes it, it is my wife,” Claus said, beaming.

“Claus and Greta are married.” explained Toto, as he clocked your look of confusion, “It makes sense since they live here together.”

“I see,” you said, “Is this common in chalets?”

“No, I just lucked out,” said Toto smiling at Claus.

“I think you’ll find we are the lucky ones,” the older man replied, “Now, please young man, leave me alone so I can carry on getting this food ready for the guests.”

Toto laughed at the man trying to shoo you out, “Okay but we will be back for tea.”

Claus shook his head before returning to chopping, adding sarcastically, “I can’t wait.”

“He seems fun,” you said as Toto guided you along another hallway off to the other side of the kitchen.

“They are both great fun, and Andreas.” he replied, “You’ll see tonight.”

“Without sounding like an idiot, is that normal for staff?” you asked, not sure of the etiquette.

“Not exactly.” said Toto, “But they’re more like family than staff. You’ll see.” 

He then led you down a hallway, pointing out various rooms; there was a well-appointed dining room, complete with a grand piano, a den filled with books and games and a traditional sauna for unwinding after a day on the slopes. He then led you up a smaller wooden staircase at the end of the hallway, bringing you onto the far end of the galleried landing you’d seen from the foyer.

“Ooh secret stairs,” you said, following Toto along the landing.

“Not so secret but quicker to get to our room,” he said, stopping at a set of grand wooden double doors. He opened them dramatically to reveal the master suite. The bedroom was expansive, with another large stone fireplace at one end and wall-to-wall glass doors that opened out onto a veranda on the other. 

“I hope you’ll be comfortable here,” he said, his voice dropping slightly as he turned to you, eager to see your verdict.

You stepped into the room, admiring the luxurious furnishings and the spectacular view. The bed was cloud-like and you couldn’t wait to dive in later, “I think I will survive.”

Toto burst into laughter, “I’m glad to hear it. Although I will warn you, it gets cold here at night. We might need to cuddle up.”

“Oh really?” you asked, moving closer to Toto, liking where this was going.

“One hundred percent,” he said, leaning in to catch your lips with his, his large hands resting on your hips, spanning your waist. 

“Do you offer this service to all of your guests?” you asked, with a smirk.

“Only my favourites,” he said before gripping your hips tighter and throwing you down onto the bed.

“Heyy!” you said, in surprise, giggling as he lay down on top of you, pressing kisses behind your ear, his hands starting to roam.

You blushed as Toto’s kisses grew more playful and he started to nip at your collarbone, gradually dipping lower. “I think I could get used to this,” you whispered, threading your fingers through his hair as he trailed kisses down your neck.

Toto lifted his head, his eyes dark with affection as he looked down at you. “I hope you do.”

“Toto…” you whispered, his gaze was intense, full of a desire that made your heart race.

“Yes?” he murmured, his voice husky.

You bit your lip, trying to think of something to reply but the words got lost as you lost yourself in his eyes. Instead, you pulled him back down to you, kissing him deeply. Toto responded eagerly, his hands moving to the hem of your sweater, lifting it just enough to slip his hands underneath. 

Things were just starting to heat up when you were suddenly interrupted by your phone ringing loudly from your bag across the room. You froze for a second and then Toto sighed, resting his forehead against yours.

“You should probably get that,” he said, his eyes saying otherwise.

“Or I could ignore it,” you suggested, trying to pull him back down, but he shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

“It could be important,” he countered, giving you a quick peck before rolling off the bed and letting you up.

You groaned, got up and made your way over to your bag. The ringing stopped but the unmistakable chime of a message rang out. You reached for your phone and unlocked it, glancing at the screen, it was a message from Cara. 

We’re 15 minutes away. Hope you two lovebirds aren’t getting up to too much trouble without us ;)

You couldn’t help but laugh as you sat back down on the bed and showed Toto the message. He chuckled, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Great timing, as always.”

You smiled and started to fix your sweater, smoothing it out as you replied.

Trying my best but Toto is persistent. Can’t wait to see you x

“I guess that’s our cue to get ready for the others,” you said, slipping off the bed and heading toward the bathroom to check your appearance.

Toto watched you, clearly enjoying the sight of you walking away. “You look perfect,” he called after you.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr Wolff,” you teased, glancing at him over your shoulder before disappearing into the bathroom.

– – –

When you returned, Toto had opened up the glass doors and was stood out on the veranda, leaning up against the wooden balustrade, looking out into the darkness. The sun had fully set and the first stars were beginning to twinkle in the clear sky. You were hit with a strange feeling of deja vu as you were fondly reminded of the first time Toto had spoken to you properly, up on the sun deck of his yacht on a similar starry night.

He turned as he heard you approaching, “They’ll be here any minute now,” he said, his thumb gently reaching out and stroking the back of your hand as you joined him.

You nodded, leaning into him as you both gazed out at the night sky. “I’m glad we came here early,” you said softly. “It’s been nice, just us.”

Toto squeezed your hand, his voice warm, “Me too, but we’ll have plenty more time just for us.” 

Your eyes lit up at the prospect of more travel with Toto, “I hope so.” you said, letting him sway you gently from behind. You stayed there in blissful silence for a moment before it was interrupted by the sound of cars making their way up the drive. Toto murmured from behind you, “Sounds like we have company.”

You turned and smiled up at him, brushing an errant strand of hair off his forehead. “I suppose you should go and greet them.”

“I suppose, but you are coming down with me” he replied, leaning down to steal one last kiss before you both made your way back inside.

“Are you sure?” you said, gently closing the door behind you, “It’s your house.”

“If you are fine with it?” he said, looking unsure of himself.

“Sure,” you said quietly, a little apprehensive to greet the group, some of whom you had not seen in person since the fateful yacht trip.

“You don’t sound so sure.” said Toto, raising his eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know if it’s my place,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

“That is bullshit.” said Toto, matter of factly, “Is it because of what happened before?”

Feeling your flushed face betray you, you looked at him, “Well yes. I don’t want them to think badly of me. I haven’t seen James, John or Marion since the yacht and God only knows what George is going to say if he sees me swanning down those stairs like I own your house.”

Toto’s expression softened, “If they think badly of you, I have the number of a nice hotel down the road.”

You laughed, Toto was stubborn as ever, “You know what I mean.”

Drawing you back in close, Toto rubbed your shoulders, “I’m here and I’m not going to let anyone say anything. I want you to feel at home here. Besides, James and Cara know the situation, John and Marion likely guessed and George, well George has his friends and is bringing someone so he cannot be too angry with us.”

Raising a small smile, you leaned into the tall Austrian’s chest, breathing deeply. Toto had some kind of magical power to immediately make you feel at ease. “Thank you,” you replied, looking up at him.

“No, thank you for coming, you’ve made me a very happy man,” he said, pressing one last kiss to your forehead before taking your hand and leading you out of the bedroom. Attentive as ever, he clocked you eyeing up your luggage, “We can unpack a little later.”

“You already know me too well,” you said, shaking your head as Toto laughed, leading you back down the landing, this time towards the main staircase. As you descended the stairs, you could hear excited chatter from the foyer before catching sight of two familiar faces, James and Cara. You felt somewhat relieved that George had not yet arrived but were still nervous as to what they could say.

“Toto! You old rascal!” James called out as soon as he spotted you both, his voice teasing. 

“Old?” Toto replied with a grin, stepping forward to greet his friends. “How was the journey?”

“Not too bad,” Cara said, wrapping her arms around you in a warm hug. “We made good time in the end, have you two been here long?”

“No, about an hour, Toto was just showing me around,” you said, turning to hug James, glad that they were here and you’d have at least two friends for the weekend.

“It’s gorgeous right?” said Cara, beaming at you and Toto. 

“Indeed,” you said, politely leaning in to greet James with a hug.

“Andreas will take your bags,” said Toto, gesturing at a sandy-haired younger man patiently waiting in the doorway. He looked just like a younger Claus and you made a note to ask Toto if he was Greta and Claus’ son.

“Thank you, Andreas,” said Cara warmly.

“We’ve put you in the room with the balcony like last year,” said Toto.

“Perfect, thank you so much Toto.” said Cara excitedly before turning to you, “It’s heaven, it has its own hot tub.”

“Ah yes, I remember that,” said James, approaching his wife, making her face redden. You hated to think what that was about and exchanged a raised eyebrow with Toto.

“Spare us the details James,” said Toto in a deadpan tone before throwing you a wink.

James chuckled and threw an arm around Cara’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it PG. For now,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows, earning a playful nudge from his wife.

“Not on my account,” you replied, feeling more at ease. It was a relief to know that James and Cara, at least, were fully supportive of you and Toto.

Toto chuckled, pulling you to his side. “Let’s get you settled in,” he said, guiding everyone further into the house.

As Andreas handled the bags, you all moved towards the living room, settling down on the large cream sofa as Toto set about pouring drinks in the bar area.

“So,” James began, stretching out and making himself at home, “What’s on the agenda for this weekend, Toto? Skiing? Apres? Or are we just here to relax and enjoy the view?”

Toto smiled, glancing at you before responding. “Whatever you want James, but mostly to switch off and relax..”

“I like the sound of that,” Cara said, curling up next to her husband. “It’s been a hectic few months. A little downtime is exactly what you guys need.”

You nodded in agreement, knowing that Toto had been working flat-out, as had the rest of the team.

As you all chatted, the doorbell rang, meaning more guests. Toto squeezed your hand gently, reassuring you as he got up to go and greet them.

“Here we go,” you murmured to Cara, who gave you a supportive smile.

Toto returned with Marion and John in tow, the older couple lamenting the cold weather. Marion’s eyes lit up when she saw you and she immediately rushed over to hug you.

“It’s so good to see you!” Marion exclaimed, pulling you into a warm embrace. “I was hoping you’d be here.”

You smiled, relieved by her enthusiasm. “It’s good to see you too, Marion. How have you been?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” she laughed. “But we’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

John gave you a friendly nod, clearly more reserved. “Nice to see you again,” he said, shaking your hand.

“Good to see you too.” you blushed, knowing that John was likely privy to what had happened between yourself, George and Toto and must have felt as awkward as you did.

“Come, sit down, let me get you a drink,” said Toto, chiding John and Marion as they lingered in the living room.

“I’ll help.” offered John, looking unsure about sitting without Toto.

“Thank you,” said Toto as the two men busied themselves at the bar.

You settled back down on the plush sofa with your wine in hand, now beside Marion, who had just been handed her own glass by Toto. Edging closer, the older woman turned to you, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “So...you and Toto, huh? I have to say, I didn’t see that one coming. I know things with George were tense in the Summer but Toto…?”

You sighed, laughing nervously, “Me neither, but he’s just… different.”

Marion raised an eyebrow as she took a sip. “Different, how? In that he’s a man, not a boy?”

You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t deny the truth in her words. “It’s not just that,” you admitted. “He listens to me, if I tell him something, he remembers.”

“That’s important,” Marion nodded. “And rare. I was shocked- I have to say but you look much happier than you did in the Summer and that’s all that matters.” She smiled warmly before adding with a wink, “Plus, I’ve never seen him like this with anyone. You must have done something right.”

You laughed, grateful for her kind words and lack of judgment. Before you could respond, the sound of a car pulling up outside grabbed your attention. You exchanged a glance with Toto, who having poured everyone drinks had just returned to his vacated seat, both aware of who had just arrived. Your stomach tightened as the familiar hum of voices grew louder from the foyer.

“Here we go,” you muttered under your breath as Toto got up once more to greet the final group of guests.

“Is this not going to be awkward?” asked Marion, sipping her wine beside you.

“You don’t even know half of it,” you said resignedly.

“What do you mean?” asked the older woman, intent on gathering the scoop.

“It’s complicated…” you started before Cara chimed in.

“George turned up on her doorstep drunk the other night and declared his love for her. Toto then turned up for a date while George was there and they exchanged some… let’s say words.” Cara said, her eyes gleaming, “All very Bridget Jones.”

“Shit,” said John and Marion in unison, not having been privy to the full situation.

“I knew George and Toto were off with one another,” muttered John, “You were there James, at that meeting last week?”

James leant forward, seemingly less comfortable gossiping about his colleagues and choosing his words carefully, “Yes. I know they were at each other but I thought it was because of the Summer, not that there were more recent developments.”

As the older couples openly discussed your love life you wished you could shrink back into the sofa and disappear. Toto had brushed off your questions about the workplace dynamic between him and George and you wondered if this weekend was his attempt at rebuilding their relationship.

“Did Toto not say anything to you?” asked John.

“Not really,” you said shyly.

“Well, I’m sure it will blow over,” said Cara kindly, spotting your nervous look.

“I hope so,” you said weakly, the truth was that you were tense as you awaited George’s arrival fiddling with your wine glass idly. What would George say when he walked in? Would he ignore you, or would he… no, you forced yourself not to overthink.

Fortunately, your misery was short-lived as Toto reappeared with Sam, George’s race engineer and Darren, another engineer who was a close friend of George’s. Neither of them had brought their girlfriends and you couldn’t help but wonder why George had decided to bring someone when just a week earlier he was busy declaring his love for you.

“Hey,” Sam said, spotting you from across the room, his tone a little frostier than usual, “How’s it going?” 

As you got up to greet the two men, knowing that they were going to be less than friendly after what you had done to George, you almost missed George himself wandering in with an extremely tall and thin blonde companion on his arm. She was beautiful, in a polished, flawless way that made you feel immediately self-conscious. Her blonde hair was perfectly styled and she wore a cream ski outfit that looked like it had never seen a day on the slopes. She regarded you with the kind of polite disinterest some reserve for waitstaff, her eyes skimming over you briefly before returning to George. Still, something in the way she pursed her lips sent a cold tingle down your spine.

George’s eyes met yours briefly, a flicker of emotion passing through them. For a moment, the air between you felt charged, like something was still left unsaid and hanging heavy between you. It was, however, a blink and it’s gone moment as he quickly looked away and pulled his companion towards you.

“Hey,” he said somewhat awkwardly, “This is Elisa, Elisa, this is—” George began, but Elisa cut him off, stepping forward.

“Yes I know who she is,” Elisa said sweetly, her eyes flicking to Toto and then back to you. “I’ve heard all about you.” Her words hung in the air, sharp beneath their pleasant surface. There was no mistaking the underlying hostility. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Elisa,” you said, forcing a polite smile. You decided it was best to take the high road. 

Elisa’s lips curved into a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Likewise.”

“So is it your first time in Austria?” you asked, trying your best to make polite chitchat.

“No. I have been coming here to ski since I was a child.” she said coldly, “I assume it is yours?”

A little taken aback by her continuing cool demeanour, you tried your best to not let her unsettle you, “Yes, it’s so beautiful, I can’t wait to get out tomorrow.”

“Really?” said George, looking surprised, “I thought you hated ski-ing.”

“I don’t hate it, I’m just not any good at it,” you said, trying not to make things even more awkward with Elisa.

“Hmm.” said George, unconvinced, “Well it’s nice to see you. I had better introduce Elisa to the others.”

You nodded as George and Elisa made their way over to where James, John, Cara and Marion were huddled, chatting animatedly. As you stood alone you suddenly felt very out of place but as luck would have it, a hand gently tapped you on the arm and as you turned you were relieved to see Toto and Greta.

Toto must have read your face like a book as he remarked, his voice quiet, “It was always going to be awkward. But better to rip it off like a bandaid. We’re going to have George in our lives for a long time.”

As awkward as you felt in the moment, you knew Toto was right and you were somewhat buoyed by the fact that he was thinking about the future. You nodded and sighed as Greta shot you a look of sympathy, “Don’t worry, once everyone is settled, we are going to show them to their rooms so they can get ready for dinner.”

Smiling at the kind older woman, you were grateful that she too seemed to understand how uncomfortable you felt. Toto had obviously filled her in on the situation and explained the strange group dynamic.

“Hey boss,” came a voice from behind you. It was Sam, “Thanks again for inviting us!”

“That’s quite alright,” said Toto politely, “I hope it makes up for my garage outbursts.”

“One hundred per cent,” said Sam brightly, finishing his wine in a gulp before looking pointedly at you, “Although these last few months you’ve been less grumpy.”

Toto looked less than amused at Sam’s cheeky comment, bristling at the younger man’s words, “Perhaps,” he replied starchily.

Looking suitably chastised, Sam dropped his grin before stepping back slightly, “Well, I guess I should go and say hi to the others.”

“That wasn’t awkward at all,” you said, looking up at Toto.

“Indeed.” said Toto, looking weary before dropping his voice, “I should have explained that George asked me if he could invite his friends from the team and I said yes because I felt guilty if he didn’t have anyone. Then last week he asked if he could bring one more person, Elisa, and by that point, I couldn’t uninvite them.”

“Oh.” you said, “That makes sense.”

Toto grimaced as he saw George, Sam and Darren huddled in chatter, muttering “I knew it, I’m too nice.”

You and Greta laughed in unison, knowing full well that no one would ever accuse Toto of being too nice. 

“Why are you laughing?” he asked, looking perplexed.

“No reason.” you said, squeezing his hand, “I’m just messing.”

“I hope so.” Toto said, slipping his arm around your waist, “Okay, let’s gather everybody, Greta.”

FRIDAY EVENING

Having successfully gathered the group to be shown to their rooms by Greta and Andreas, you and Toto had since retired to the master suite to unpack while the guests settled in. There had been grumbles from John and Marion when they discovered that James and Cara had already been given the room with the hot tub, but Toto reminded them that there were always alternative bedrooms with bunkbeds, which quickly silenced them. 

Much to your amusement, George and Elisa had to share a bathroom with Sam and Darren, something which had seemed to rile up the starchy blonde. 

“Did you purposefully give George and Elisa the shared bathroom room?” you asked Toto as you emptied your suitcases.

Toto grinned, hanging a shirt beside you, “Maybe.”

“You are a very naughty man,” you said, tickled by Toto’s surprisingly petty streak. 

"Well, I didn’t hear any complaints from you," he teased, hanging another shirt in the wardrobe.

You laughed, before broaching a more serious topic, "Touché. The thing is, I know it’s weird circumstances but Elisa gives me the heebie jeebies. She did not like me at all, straight off the bat”

Sensing your shift in tone, Toto set down the jumper he was unfolding and came over to stand beside you, his hand resting gently on your back. "Perhaps, but you have to remember, everything she knows about you is from George’s perspective." His voice was low and reassuring. "You don’t need to be best friends with Elisa but as long as George feels fine, we will be fine.

You sighed, leaning into his touch, but a frown tugged at your lips. "Yeah, I guess you’re right. He looks okay.”

Toto nodded, "I hope so, after his… blip." He paused as if remembering George’s final outburst in your flat. "Thank you for coming and putting up with this, I know it’s not easy, but I need the team to be tight for next season.”

“I’m happy to be here,” you said brightly. It was the truth, however weird the situation was, you were grateful that Toto liked you enough to include him in his inner circle.

“I hope so,” said Toto, “Maybe if you like it, we can come back for New Year, just us?”

At that, your eyes lit up, the prospect of a romantic New Year with Toto was more than tempting, “I’d love that.” 

"Then it’s done," Toto said, kissing the top of your head. "Now come on, let’s head down to dinner before everybody wonders what’s taking us so long."

– – –

Making your way back downstairs to the dining room, hand in hand with Toto, you were greeted by the mouthwatering scent of Claus’s cooking wafting from the dining room. “That smells incredible,” you said to Toto, your eyes lighting up.

“I told you he’s good,” replied Toto as he led you to where the dining table was set, laden with candles and elegant crystalware, somewhat at odds with the rustic cuisine. Claus had prepared what looked to be a veritable feast of Austrian mountain dishes, with Greta assisting, ladling Glühwein from the large pot you’d seen simmering on the stove earlier.

Your guests were already seated and making polite small talk amongst themselves, but as soon as you and Toto entered, you could feel the shift in the atmosphere. George, Sam and Darren stopped talking almost immediately whilst Elisa shot you another cold glance. Her posture was stiff, her eyes fixed on some point beyond the room as if she were too good for the company she found herself in. George sat next to her, looking more withdrawn than usual, his jaw clenched as he stopped mid-conversation.

Thankfully John broke the tension quickly, “There he is, the man of the hour!” before adding, “And the woman!”

Toto laughed “Have you already been at the Glühwein?”

“Of course he has,” chimed in Marion, elbowing her husband in the ribs as you and Toto took a seat opposite them.

“Why am I not surprised?” muttered Toto, shaking his head in faux horror, “Are you all happy with your rooms?”

Resounding yes’ came back, although you couldn’t help but notice Elisa nudging George at the other end of the table. Having been with him for so long, you knew from his dark look that he was not thrilled but was biting his tongue. You wondered if he was trying to be on his best behaviour with Toto as it was not like him to keep his feelings in. Toto hadn’t seemed to notice but you made a mental note to keep an eye. You wondered why he had even brought Elisa as he didn’t seem overly enamoured with her, but you supposed it wasn’t your place to worry. 

“Any problems, let me know,” said Toto before gesturing at the food in the centre of the table, “And most importantly, bon appetit!”

As the table came alive with plates and utensils clinking, arms suddenly scrambled and you weren’t sure where to start. Fortunately, Toto noticed your reticence and took your plate, “Here, my arms are longer, what would you like to try?”

“A bit of everything I guess,” you said, amused when you saw that George was watching Toto and started to do the same thing for Elisa.

“Here you go,” Toto said kindly, setting a heavily laden plate down in front of you, having lived up to his promise.

“Toto!” you exclaimed, “That is way too much!”

“That’s what she said,” came a voice sniggering from your side, low enough for you to hear but not Toto. You turned to shoot Darren a dirty look, “Grow up.” you said, not amused by George’s friend’s comment.

Toto raised his eyebrow as he heard your retort but didn’t say anything, now helping himself to an equally healthy portion of Claus’ cooking.

You could see Elisa fussing across from you, not happy with George’s serving skills. Something was off with her but you tried to not dwell on it and focus on the man beside you instead.

Snapping you out of your internal thoughts, Darren turned once again to you, his voice now just loud enough to draw the attention of the table, "So, what’s it like dating the boss?"

"Yeah," Sam chimed in, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Do you two talk about spreadsheets and racing strategy over breakfast, or?" He trailed off as if waiting for someone else to join in.

You shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Toto. You saw his jaw tighten for a brief moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "No spreadsheets at breakfast," Toto said evenly, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of authority that made Sam and Darren hesitate. "But if you’re curious, we can schedule a meeting to discuss it after the Winter Break."

The table went quiet for a second, before John and James laughed, appreciating Toto diffusing the situation. Still, you could feel George’s eyes on you from across the table, his expression unreadable.

"Oh, come on, leave them alone!" Cara said with a playful grin. "They have better things to do than talk shop.”

She winked at you and while her teasing was intended to lighten the mood, it only seemed to irritate George further. He shifted in his seat, his glass clattering against his coaster a little too forcefully. Elisa, noticing his reaction, narrowed her eyes and gave you a pointed look, her lips curling into a faint smirk as if she found the whole thing highly amusing. You smiled back at her, trying not to let her rile you up.

Toto leaned over and whispered in your ear, his voice low. "Ignore those guys. They’re just bored."

You nodded, forcing a smile as the conversation around the table shifted to the plans for skiing the next day.

– – –

Just as the laughter around the table started to feel natural again, the lights flickered dramatically and then went out entirely, plunging the room into near darkness. There was a collective gasp, followed by murmurs of confusion. Almost immediately Toto grabbed your hand, instantly reminding you of the power outage on the yacht all those months ago.

“Well, this is cosy,” Marion said. 

“Maybe it’s just the weather,” John suggested, but as you peered out the window, you saw nothing but swirling snow, the mountain outside completely engulfed by the storm.

“Looks like we’re having a candlelit dinner, whether we like it or not,” Toto quipped, his voice cutting through the whispers.

“Romantic, huh?” John added with a laugh, trying to keep the mood light.

"Indeed, but maybe it's more than just the weather," Toto murmured beside you, his voice calm but with an edge of concern. He stood up, squeezing your hand once more and addressed the group. "Everyone stay here. I'll check with Andreas to see what’s going on."

As he stepped away, you heard a few nervous laughs ripple through the table. The flickering candles provided a soft glow, barely illuminating the faces around you. You could just about make out Elisa in the semi-darkness, looking somewhat less irritated now, her eyes darting toward George, who was uncharacteristically quiet.

John, always the entertainer, clapped his hands together. "Well, if we're snowed in, at least we've got food and wine!" He reached for the Glühwein pot, pouring himself another glass, “Anyone else?”

Marion chuckled, "Don’t mind if I do.”

“Didn’t this happen on Toto’s yacht too?” asked Cara.

“It did!” said John, with a laugh “Somebody hasn’t been paying their power bills.”

“And who would that be?” came a bemused voice from the doorway. Toto was back.

“Some Wolff man?” retorted John, nervous laughter ringing through the group. 

“I’ll have to find him and have a strong word,” said Toto, coming back to his seat. 

Elisa crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "How long do you think the power will be out?" she asked, her voice sharper than it needed to be. You could tell she wasn’t as comfortable with the situation as she was pretending.

Toto replied, his expression serious, "The storm’s knocked out power for the whole area. Andreas is already working on getting the backup generator running, but it could take a while."

George sighed, rubbing his temples. "Of course." He glanced at Elisa, who shot him a withering look. Even in the low light, it was obvious they were both on edge.

“Relax George,” said James, “We don’t need electricity to have a good time.”

“You know, this reminds me of those old-fashioned dinners.” John added, “The kind where people actually talk to each other.”

“Yeah,” Cara agreed, “It’s not all bad. We’re not just staring at our phones.”

You caught Elisa’s eye as she glanced around the room, clearly uncomfortable. You decided to take a chance and try to bridge the gap. “So Elisa, you mentioned you ski a lot? Where do you normally go?”

Elisa looked slightly taken aback but seemed to soften a bit. “Yes, I grew up skiing. Mostly in Zermatt, sometimes in Lech.”

Not clued up on ski resorts, Toto saved you, “Nice, which do you prefer?”

Elisa warmed up as she seemed to appreciate you both taking an interest “Actually Lech, the food is better.”

Toto laughed, “That’s the correct answer, not that I am biased.”

You smiled politely, hoping to keep the conversation flowing. “That’s interesting, I’ve always found trying new food to be one of the best parts of travelling.”

George, who had been virtually silent, chimed in. “One hundred percent! Do you remember that mad restaurant in Brazil?”

Fuck. Elisa’s face dropped. Why did George have to bring up the past, even if it was seemingly innocent?

“Which one was that?” asked Toto, oblivious to George’s faux pas.

“Oh, it was just me and George.” you said, hoping to end the conversation there, “We got brave and ventured out.”

“I remember.” Sam said, unable to resist stirring the pot, “We thought you’d been kidnapped.”

“Not a racist stereotype at all…” you muttered. Sam was starting to irritate you.

“But we survived hey?” said George, “I’ll have to take you there next year Elisa.”

“Lovely,” said Elisa flatly, her frosty demeanour returning. You tried to shoot a warning look across the table at George but you knew your efforts were futile in the poor light. For someone so intelligent, sometimes he really could be dense.

Fortunately, Cara and Marion had already started discussing more about tomorrow’s plans and your worries were once more drowned in idle chatter.

– – –

With dinner winding down, Claus having served an equally generous dessert, the lights were still not back on. Toto had disappeared for a while to investigate further and shortly returned, addressing the group, “Andreas is still getting the generator up and running. In the meantime, how about we make the most of it? We can head to the games room and play some backgammon and have some drinks if you’d like?”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Marion said, her eyes lighting up. “I haven’t played backgammon in ages!”

“I’m game,” John agreed with a grin. “But I warn you, I haven’t lost a backgammon match in… well, let’s say a long time.”

James chuckled, “That’s a bold claim. Just don’t let it go to your head. I remember last time you got so cocky, you almost flipped the board.”

John winked. “That’s the strategy. Get them thinking about my ego instead of their game plan.”

Toto rolled his eyes, “I suppose I should expect a full-scale rematch then?”

James nodded. “Oh, absolutely. And don’t think I’m going easy on you, Toto.”

Meanwhile, you were chatting with Marion, Cara and Elisa, trying to keep things light.

Marion took the opportunity to steer the conversation. “So, Elisa, do you have any favourite board games, or is it just skiing and fine dining for you?”

Elisa smiled, “Actually, I enjoy a good board game now and then. Monopoly, Clue, the usual. I am not great at backgammon though.”

“Rubbish!” interjected George, “You beat me all the time.”

“Maybe you’re not that great?” countered Cara, the older woman smiling, earning a laugh from Elisa. She was most definitely warming up.

– – –

As the group made their way to the games room, the atmosphere felt lighter. John and James were already debating the rules of backgammon, while Toto was busy setting up the board. The room filled with the sound of cheerful chatter and clinking glasses, the earlier tension slowly melting away.

Eventually, John leaned over the backgammon board, contemplating it with a mock-serious expression. “Alright, let’s get this started. And just so everyone knows, I’m not playing for fun. I’m playing to win.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I’m not so sure about that one.”

Toto, who had just finished setting up, grinned. “Careful, James, he is good.”

George, finally getting into the competitive spirit, added with a smirk, “Don’t worry, I’ll be the one to put John in his place.”

Elisa, now more relaxed, sat down next to Marion, who was watching as John and James took their seats opposite each other, Toto and Sam beside John and George and Darren beside James. “I’ve missed this,” Marion said, looking at the board with nostalgia. “It’s nice to see them getting along again.”

Cara nudged you playfully. “Indeed.”

As the game progressed, the men’s competitive spirits were evident. John and James were locked in a fierce head-to-head, throwing playful taunts as each move was made. “Did you see that?” John exclaimed, looking triumphant.

James rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. Let’s see how you handle my next move.”

George, who was actively engaged, started whispering in James’ ear. Likely discussing his next strategic move.

As the evening wore on and the laughter and chatter continued, it never failed to make you laugh at how competitive these guys could be outside of work. Even Elisa couldn’t fight laughter at some of George’s more creative burns. Eventually, as the majority of the group had played, the evening was naturally drawing to a close.

Sensing this, Toto glanced around the room with a warm smile. “How about we call it a night? I think we’ve all earned some rest. It’s an early start tomorrow remember.”

The group amiable to his suggestion, the backgammon board was carefully packed away for another evening and the group slowly dispersed. Bidding the last of his friends goodnight, Toto took your hand and led you back to your room. The storm outside still raged and the power was yet to come back but Andreas had assured you all that it would be back imminently. 

– – –

Settling into bed with Toto’s arms around you, the lack of electricity and whirling storm outside brought memories flooding back of the night when the power cut out on Toto’s yacht and you’d found yourself pressed up against him in a cupboard. It had been the first time you’d considered that he might reciprocate your crush, his body betraying him as you’d found yourself nestled against him in close quarters. 

"You know…" you began softly, your voice barely above a whisper as you tilted your head up to look at him. "This kind of reminds me of that night on the yacht."

Toto’s hand, which had been tracing lazy circles on your back, paused. A low chuckle escaped him, and he glanced down at you with a knowing look. "The cupboard," he said, amusement in his voice. “When you accidentally ended up pressed against me, half-naked?”

You smirked, your fingers tracing his arm that was draped over you. “Accidentally?” you teased back. “I seem to remember you pulling me in there. I had no choice in the matter.”

“To keep you safe from things flying around the boat,” Toto said, eyes glinting with mischief. “Though I’ll admit, it didn’t exactly feel like the safest situation after a while.” His gaze dropped to your lips for a second and the air between you thickened.

You shifted slightly, turning to lie across his chest, your thigh brushing his body under the sheets. “Mmm, I do remember you being a little… distracted.” You ran your hand down his bare chest, feeling his muscles tense under your touch, desire in your voice.

Toto groaned softly, his lips brushing your ear as he murmured, "Is that how you remember it?" His tone was smooth, but there was a flicker of heat in his eyes. "I recall you being the one pressed so close against me that neither of us had much of a choice.” 

A soft laugh escaped you as you tilted your head, giving him better access as his lips skimmed down your neck. “It was a tight space. What did you expect?” you whispered, feeling the heat between your bodies growing with each touch.

Toto’s mouth hovered just above your skin, his breath warm, sending shivers down your spine. “I expected us to talk about it afterwards,” he said, his voice a low rumble, “but we never did.”

You pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze, your heart racing as you saw the intensity in his eyes. “Maybe I didn’t want to talk about it,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe I liked the tension.”

His lips quirked into a smile, his hand slipping under the covers, fingers ghosting over your bare skin. “Did you now?” he murmured, leaning towards you until your lips were barely an inch apart. “What about now? Should we talk about it? Or should we do something about it?”

Your breath hitched and before you could respond, Toto’s lips met yours, slow at first, teasing, but quickly deepening with an intensity that made your heart pound. His hands roamed over your body as if making up for all the time you’d spent dancing around each other in the past.

“You’re not flustered this time?” you whispered, your voice filled with a hint of playfulness as you broke the kiss for a moment, catching your breath.

Toto smirked, his hand sliding up to cup your face as he looked into your eyes, his gaze dark and full of heat. “Oh, I’m flustered,” he admitted, his thumb brushing your lower lip. “But I’m not letting it stop me this time.”

He kissed you again, deeper this time, his body pressing against you. You murmured between kisses, “I’m glad we’re not stuck in a cupboard this time.”

Toto let out a low laugh, pulling back just enough to look down at you, his eyes dark with desire. “I’ll admit, this is much better,” he said, his voice husky as his fingers traced your curves.

You bit your lip, your heart racing as his hands worked their way lower, his touch setting every nerve on fire. “So... you’re not planning on stopping this time?”

Toto’s gaze flickered with hunger, his lips grazing the corner of your mouth before trailing down your neck. “Not unless you want me to,” he whispered, his breath hot against your skin, sending shivers racing down your spine.

Your fingers tangled in his hair as he kissed down your collarbone and you tugged him back to face you, your voice low and teasing. “I wish you’d just taken me in the cupboard.”

Toto groaned softly against your lips, pulling you closer, his hands gripping your hips as if he never wanted to let go. “God, I wish I had. It would have been so easy, with you in that little nightdress,” he breathed, his voice thick with desire. 

“It’s okay,” you said, letting go fully, “You can make up for it now.”

His lips found yours again, and you quickly lost yourselves in a tangle of limbs, the storm outside almost forgotten as you both melted into each other.

Taglist: @prettiest-at-the-party @noooway555 @annewithaneofthegreengable  @xoscar03 @totowolfffcheco @justzluv @kravitzwhore @bborra @a-beaverhausen@amandadesantasworld @formulaal

[hijinxinprogress]

YJ being awful at sharing things (mostly bc they’re used to handling things themselves bc there was no one for them to depend on during their childhood)

YJ is great at subterfuge and lying but they keep unnecessary things on a need-to-know basis like their favorite colors so when people are like “why didn’t you tell me?? I can help! I hope you know you can come to me if you need anything” and yj responds like a stray animal being shown affection for the first time “with what?? nothing’s wrong…go away…” but they’re always injured or about to be whether it’s physical or psychological 

Cissie didn’t tell anyone she was allergic to walnuts until Oliver almost killed her at a mandatory family dinner (they also didn’t know she was in the Olympics or dating Kon until they were cornered by reporters in public who wanted to know if Kon was aware she had a relationship with Oliver Queen) (Roy had a very one sided beef with Kon for about three weeks once he saw the interviews)

Yj is outed for smoking when Bart gets caught with weed and the jl (mostly Barry) are lecturing him about the dangers of marijuana and Wally’s yelling bc they thought it was the titans smoking while bart just shrugs and he’s like “I thought you knew, it’s not like we were hiding it” they call a meeting w/ yj but Cissie’s just like “I mean what are you gonna do about it? You’re a couple years too late to be concerned” and behind them, an irritated Kon passes a handful of bills to a smug Anita

Or Tim’s been stabbed for the 5th time this week (and didn’t tell anyone bc he’s Tim) Cassie tries to hand him tequila and Bart looks at them like they’re stupid “he can’t drink that” and dicks in the background “no he can’t bc he’s literally a baby and so are all of you!!” and Anita reaches over to Kon who’s not paying attention and he’s like “yeah, rob got stabbed like an hour ago and didn’t say anything bc he’s a squirrelly little shit” and dick launches himself across the room holding 17 medical packs (he was supposed off planet for the next three months)

Diana hears yj refer to Cassie with they/them pronouns and pulls them aside to ask if they want to change their name (hero and civilian) and why they didn’t feel comfortable sharing their identity with her and Cassie just goes “I didn’t think it was a big deal”

Most people think that Anita’s raising her children so older heroes with make comments about her being too young to be a parent or being irresponsible for being a parent so young along with how it makes them unable to trust her judgment as a hero (Steph once made an offhanded comment about Anita being a real hero for raising twins after she cussed out an older hero) but no one outside of yj learns the truth until dr. fate shows up talking about irreparable damage being done to the timeline (the nearest speedster gets dirty looks despite not being at fault this time)

Yj invites Greta to the watchtower and she meets Constantine who starts going on about her being death-touched, possessed, and rambling about dark magic so he ends up calling the rest of jl dark which is how the jl finds out about Secret years after the fact

Kon casually makes jokes about Lex’s attempts on his life, Lex and Clark attempting to win him over to get one over on each other, Lex or Clark disliking him, his death, and the period of time Kon was homeless which is usually how anyone outside of yj finds out about things going on in his life

The jl loses their shit when they learn how often yj hide each other in their homes when they don’t have anywhere else to go (batman buys trackers in bulk when he finds out Tim has a secret house) 

[demigoddessqueens]

Hello there may I request a gender who gets sugar rushes once they're on it they're just all over the place running up and down or just getting into shenanigans such as causing mischief or just being silly. Can this be with the Vox Machina and Castlevania/Nocturne.

Sure!

Masterlist 11

Alucard

He’s watching you with a half exasperated, half “they’re cute when they ramble-talk” expression

Trevor

Either he unknowingly gave you all that sugar or did it on purpose just to see how hyper you get for his amusement

Sypha

That’s it! No more sugar for you! That is, until the next time you see her and she’s just as hyper

Greta

She has to keep you from wandering off yet at the same she’s eyeing that candy too like “hmmm….maybe just one piece…”

Richter

He’s just as hyper as you, even without the candy, and encourages your antics

Dracula and Lisa

Drac himself is exasperated with your pranks and Lisa can only have so much patience before she’s like “ok that’s enough for today”

Lenore

Vampires don’t get as hyper as humans do but she thinks it’s naively cute seeing you like this, feeling a small sugar rush herself form your blood

Hector

He’s watching you flit around, trying not to laugh, but can help but burst into a fit of giggles with how you act with the Undead animals

Maria

She’s just naturally hyper and giggling like crazy seeing you high on sugar

Annette

She can’t help but laugh at some of the things you say but also tries to keep you from overdoing it on the pranks

[fandoms--fluff]

Hey I love your right is so I don’t have words to describe but I now yo have a lot of hope baby sister but they adorable that I have to ask if you could do one we’re she is only 5 months and only what to be with Hayley and Klaus and Hope but if any of the others pick her up she starts to cry or get cranki

Favoritism

Baby female Mikaelson reader x Hope mikaelson (+family)

Warnings: None, just whole bunch of fluff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Klaus bounces you in his arms while he walks into the courtyard of the abaittoir. Your rested against his chest with one arm wrapped around you and his other hand resting on the back of your head.

You move your gaze to everyone sat in the room. Hope is sitting beside Elijah on the couch, Freya is in an armchair, and Kol is in the other armchair.

Klaus civily greets his siblings and Hope, grunting when his phone starts to ring in his pocket. Taking his hand off your head, he pulls the phone out of his pocket. Marcel's ID contact shows on the screen. Sighing, Klaus answers the call.

He turns back around to face the four others, "I have to leave, seems Marcel has gotten into a bit of a dilemma" Klaus tells, not going into any detail. Everyone nods, Rebekah deciding to tag along with her older brother.

Klaus swiftly passes you to Kol since he was the closest to his younger brother.

After your dad leaves, Kol and you are just staring at eachother from where you're secured in his arms. "What?" Kol asks you (not expecting an answer), noticing how your gaze is not shifting off of his face.

You start squirming in your uncle's hold, wanting to get out. Before long, the squirming turns into tears running down your tiny cheeks.

Kol's eyes widen, not knowing what to do. He's never had any experience with this. Like at all. He was surprised when Klaus passed you to him in the first place.

Soon the tears turn into full on crying. Panicking further, Kol's eyes widened more than before and brings you against his chest to try and rock you like he's seen Hayley and Klaus do a bunch of times. It's doesn't help at all, at anything, it only makes you more worked up than you previously were.

He looks frantically over to his older siblings, "help!" Kol exclaims as he sees that they were just sitting there, staring, while he's now trying not to cry along with you.

Elijah stands from the couch and walks over. He bends down and picks you up out of Kol’s arms and into his own. Bouncing you in his arms and using the same techniques he's used with all his younger siblings and Hope when they were younger doesn't work. It only seems to have made you even more cranky than you were before.

Seeing the panicked face on her uncle's face, Hope stands up. She has a smidge of an idea about what's happening, but wanted to see how long it take her original vampire uncles or aunt to break because of a baby. Taking pity on them, and you, hearing how your cries and breathing have gotten more erratic, if she doesn't step in now, you might catch a cold, she stands up from the couch.

Hope walks over to her uncle and convinces him to pass you over to her. Sighing, he does, worries about you and doesn't want to put any stress on the teenager. Especially after what had happened when Hayley had almost died from Greta and how her son has used his niece.

When she cradles you in her arms, you immediately calm down, knowing it's your big sister. You nuzzle your face into her neck, her soft hair brushing against your cheek.

She walks back over to the couch and sits down. Her arms are wrapped tightly around you, making sure that there's no way you can get hurt. As she leans back into the comfy position she was in earlier, she feels eyes on her.

Looking around the room, her uncles and aunt are staring at her, mouths slightly agape, and eyes widened ever so much. "What?" She asks, knowing full well why they're staring.

"Did you use a spell to calm y/n down?" Elijah asks calm and collectively, unlike how Kol would be responded of he had the chance first. "No, but I've noticed how she's been only wanted to be held by mom, dad, or me. So I wanted to see what would happen if none of us were and how long it would last before I had to hold her" she explains as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Definitely no clear favoritism there" Kol scruches his eyes in mock anger and slight offense at you snuggled up with your big sister. Freya chuckles at her little brother's 'hurt feelings' about their five month old baby niece choosing wanting to be with her sister.

Hope just smirks at him, "I don't know what your talking about" she kisses the top of your head gently.

-

"What's going on in here?" Hayley's brow quirks up, she just got out of the shower. Telling by her still damp hair.

"Well your baby clearly has favorites" Kol says, flopping back into the couch with his arms crossed and a pout on his face. "I'm starting to wonder who the actual child here is, you or her" Hayley smirks and sits down next to her two daughters.

"Wow, first the baby, then the teen, and now the mother" Kol groans about how he can get insulted by all three of them in under thirty minutes. And you can't even talk yet!

Everyone chuckles at the teen original vampire, including you, copying what you hear your big sister doing and now your mama.

[goldenlikedayl1ght]

you're the one - j. cage

a/n: not proud of where my life has taken me, honestly. but this is for the love of my life, luca. hope you all enjoy! likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated! warnings: kissing, suggestive comments, johnny being like the worlds biggest flirt, nothing too crazy, but definitely a lot of sexual innuendos, teasing, inappropriate workplace relationship, kind of, light angst with a happy ending word count: 3.1k summary: you're johnny cage's assistant babysitter agent, and you're his opposite. and yet, he finds himself unapologetically into you. pairing: johnny cage x gn!reader now playing: you're the one - greta van fleet "you're the one i want/you're the one i need/you're the one i had/come on back to me"

You decide you can never be with Johnny Cage in a dingy bar on a Saturday at 11:19 PM.

You’d been his agent for around three months at this point, and you’re always with him, to the point where it became weird that you know so little about each other. And really, it’s a wonder that you lasted so long given how different you are.

You’re awkward, and there’s no harm in it, but you find yourself standing to the side of every movie set, glancing down to your phone to try and find a reason to send an email to someone to distract yourself.

Your relationship history is far and few between, you’ve only started dressing well recently, and you find yourself struggling in crowds and public speaking terrifies you.

Johnny is electric. He has no problem finessing a crowd, has no problem being the center of attention. He’s just unlike anyone you’ve ever met.

So really, you can’t say you’re shocked when you wake up one day and realize that you have in fact, developed feelings for him. It isn’t a tough thing to do, not when he’s always flirting with you.

After a rather large slump in his career, Johnny’s new movies have been doing well in both the box office and with movie watchers all over the country. Really, you became his agent at the perfect time because right after you started, he really became quite the star. Maybe the change of pace behind the camera worked out rather well.

He sort of feels bad, that you’re constantly with him. He doesn’t know when you sleep, because if he isn’t on set or doing press or getting ready to do either, he’s asleep, but every day when you show up to the set, you have a new agenda for him to follow.

When you do it, while also sleeping, eating, and taking care of your own obligations, he doesn’t know.

But one night, after three months of your help, he asks you to grab a drink with him.

(“This isn’t a ploy to get me alone and drunk is it, Cage?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”)

And that’s how you wound up here. You’re dressed more casually than he’s ever seen you, sporting this old band tee and some rather casual jeans. He can’t stop looking at you, and he’s a little confused about it.

He doesn’t get star struck often, but he has this thought, that maybe in one of Liu Kang’s alternate universes, you two ends up together. Maybe he fixes boats in a coastal town, maybe you work at the diner there, maybe you have a dog together. Maybe, in another universe, you and Johnny have a quiet life, where you don’t have much, but you have each other, and that’s enough.

“So how did someone like you end up in a place like this?” he asks, charmingly. You roll your eyes and take another sip of your beer.

“Well, this asshole I work for—”

“Hey!”

“He asked me out for a drink, and I don’t know if it’s because I felt obligated because he pays me, or because I genuinely wanted to, but I went out with him.”

“You’re so mean to me.”

“You make up for it, always flirting with me.”

“Can’t say you don’t like it, sweetheart—”

“Listen, Cage—"

“But you never answered my question. How’d you end up in Hollywood? We spend all this time together, yet I feel like I barely know my own assistant.”

“Agent.”

“Whatever. Answer the question.”

It’s a loaded one, no doubt, but not one you aren’t willing to answer. You find yourself unable to really keep anything from him, he just needs to know where to look for it, how to interpret it.

“I moved here from home, never

had much of anything—Family, Money, Whatever—Got an internship and before you know it, I’m networking my way to being Johnny Cage’s babysitter—”

“Agent.”

“Whatever.” You shoot back, a goofy grin on your face.

“Okay, let me ask you this,” He poises, “Favorite movie?”

You exhale, finding that a near impossible question.

“Oh, and none of mine! Then, it would be too easy!” He grins, and you shoot him this look.

You have a lot of favorite movies.

You take a few minutes before deciding on one.

“Paddington 2.”

“What?!”

“Paddington 2!”

“You cannot be serious!” He gawks. “Paddington 2 over, what? The Shawshank Redemption? Gladiator? Better than Aliens?!”

You take a minute.

“I’ve never seen Aliens.”

“What?! Big alien, tiny girl, Ripley!” He says the main character’s name in this high pitched, annoying tone.

It makes you burst out laughing, and he just laughs at your laugh.

“Nope, never seen it.”

“Oh my god! How do you work in Hollywood, and you’ve never seen Aliens?”

“Stop asking me if I’ve never seen Aliens, you know what the answer is!”

You both laugh again, and for a moment, it is perfect. There is no one else in the world except you and him, and there’s no reason to feel as if this isn’t real. There’s no reason to deny yourself the rather simple pleasure of admiring him, and there is certainly no reason to stop looking at him like you are right now.

And then this beautiful blonde woman strolls up to him. Even you can admit that she’s gorgeous.

“Excuse me,” Her voice is that of a songbird, “I don’t mean to bother you, but are you Johnny Cage? Like, the actor?”

“Indeed, I am, how can I help you?”

“I was just wondering if I could buy you a drink. Maybe we can go back to my table?”

You’re full of jealousy. You feel awful for it too, because in no way is Johnny yours.

“Uh, you know what..” He glances back at you, and you give him this weak smile.

“Go, it’s fine. Have fun, it isn’t like this is a date or anything.”

He grins at you and puts a fifty on the bar to pay for your drinks and leave the bartender a rather nice tip.

“You’re the best wingman ever, man! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

You finish your drink bitterly as Johnny goes off to flirt with, and eventually sleep with, that nice woman. You take notice that when the two of you are alone, you’re ‘sweetheart’ but when another woman strolls in, you’re ‘man’.

And that’s it. It’s 11:19 PM and in that dingy bar, you decide that you can never be with Johnny Cage. You know it will never be what you want it to be. That if it does happen, it’ll be like it is with this woman. A one-night stand, never to be brought up again. You’ll get him all to yourself for one night, and then after that, he will never be yours again. He’ll go back to being no ones, back to being the spotlights. Back to belonging to everyone, except you.

• • •

To tell you the truth, you snuck up on Johnny. After you made it clear the first day you met that you had no intention of sleeping with him, he sort of wrote you off other than flirting.

And one day he woke up and realized how desperately, horribly in love he is with you.

It happens a few weeks after your night at the bar. You were supposed to spend the night filming an outdoor scene, but it rained so hard that the stunts wouldn’t have been safe, so here you are in his living room. He had sold his mega mansion for something less expensive—Still lavish, but not nearly as expensive.

“So, do you want to go over the script and make those edits that the studio suggested or—”

“Nope.” He comes out of the kitchen holding a big bucket of popcorn. “We’re watching Aliens.”

You sigh and plop the script down on his coffee table.

“Johnny—” you say in this exasperated tone.

“Darling,” He echoes, in that same tone but more sarcastically. What a dick. You can’t help but want him. He sits with you and puts the popcorn between you, as he turns on the TV and brings up the movie. “Say what you want, but you’re my assistant, so you have to do what I say!”

“Agent.”

“Whatever! C’mon, take one night off, just watch this movie with me!”

You glance over to him and sigh. Why do you do the things you do for him? You’ll never know.

“Fine. One movie, and that’s it!” You tell him and curl up on the couch, your hand reaching to the popcorn to grab a fistful.

One thing no one ever told you was how God damn scary this movie was! You aren’t a big gore or horror person, so it takes you by surprise.

It’s really good, though you’d never admit it to Johnny, just fucking scary.

At some point throughout the movie, one of you moved over the popcorn bowl, slowly closing the gap between the two of you.

During a particularly scary scene, you find yourself jumping, right into his side, gripping his arm. Your heart is racing, but you’re so totally glued in.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” You gasp, your clutch on his arm growing tighter.

“Pretty cool, right?” He grins, noticing your grip on his arm.

“It’s fine.” He chuckles and shakes his head, leaning back on the couch.

And that was it. He was hooked. He knew how his image had been around Hollywood, and he knew that you saw him as this playboy. Which wasn’t entirely untrue, especially since his divorce.  But he wanted to make a change, wanted you to see the change, but he just couldn’t put his finger on how.

The rain is still pouring when the movie ends, when you finally pull yourself off his arm.

“I should be heading out.”

“What? You can’t drive in this.” He doesn’t want you to leave.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Just stay the night.”

“Johnny, I don’t even have clothes to—”

“I’ll give you some of mine. You can take the bed.”

You pause.

“Don’t think that this means I’ll sleep with you.”

He grins.

“Sleep in the same bed as me? Yeah. Let me do all these dirty things that I—”

You get up and head towards his room.

“I’m not on the clock, I’m not dealing with you.”

He grins and follows you.

“I don’t hear a no in there, hot stuff—”

“I swear to god, Johnny—”

You’re too busy bickering to get much sleep that night.

• • •

The movie comes out in two weeks, so on your agenda for today is fitting him for a new suit. You’re sitting, sipping a rather crisp mimosa when he comes out in this one suit. He does a nice twirl and holds his arms out, expecting approval.

He looks good. Like, good enough that you almost break that rule you made at the bar that night.

It’s been a month since you stayed at his place, and since then, things have just been different. You no longer must watch him go off and flirt with other people, because he seems to have some sort of change of heart.

You grin gently.

You put your drink down and stand up, going over to him and adjusting his tie.

He wears this black suit, except the suit coat is a deep blue velvet that is soft to the touch.

“You look great.” You tell him. He grins.

“Only missing my signature shades, good lookin’. That way you can’t tell when I’m looking at your—”

“Eyes, right, Johnny?”

“And ass.”

You laugh and shake your head, unable to comprehend that you feel anything except great love for that comment.

“So, what are you gonna wear?” He asks.

“What? To where?”

“To the premiere?”

“Johnny, I’m not going to the premiere—”

“You have to! You’re my assistant!”

“Agent!”

“Whatever!” His hands come to the dips of your hips. It’s a little too past platonic. You say nothing. “We need to get you an outfit.”

You groan. You hate shopping for clothes. You hate fancy clothes especially.

“Let me go order this to be tailored, and then we can go shopping for you. I’m thinking either blue, to match me, or gold, to compliment—”

“If I’m going to the premiere, It’ll be quietly behind all the cameras, not—”

“Then come as my date. Not as my agent, not as my assistant, not as my babysitter. As my date.”

“Don’t you want to go with someone pretty?”

He frowns.

“You’re pretty.” He tells you.

“Johnny—”

“No argument on this one, Darlin’, we’re going shopping,” he quickly kisses your forehead and walks off to go get changed and pay for his suit.

So that’s how you find yourself awkwardly fitting into this gold outfit, with black accents and the right curves to fit your body shape just right. It isn’t your body that fits awkwardly into it, it’s you. You’re not used to this level of formality.

“Come on out, sweetheart, I won’t bite!” Johnny calls from outside your dressing room.

“You’re gonna be mean to me!”

He gasps, “I would never!”

You sigh and adjust the outfit before walking back out of the dressing room.

“Don’t laugh—” But he isn’t laughing. He’s just looking at you. “You don’t like it.”

“Nononono—” he says, walking towards you and putting his hands on your shoulders. He smooths out the shoulders of your outfit, his thumb gently rubbing over your collarbone. “You look amazing.”

“I feel like a barbie.”

“You look great.”

“I’m not used to this.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be a natural.”

“Besides, it won’t matter, everyone will be looking at you.”

He hums and shrugs.

“Everyone will be looking at you, I think.”

Your face goes red.

“Johnny!”

“I know you’re uncomfortable, but you do really look amazing, honey.”

You take his word for it.

• • •

When you get to the premiere two weeks later, it’s overwhelming. People are taking photos of you two, yelling his name, asking who you’re wearing. His hand does not leave yours.

“Just relax,” He tells you gently, “Just smile, it’s all you have to do.”

You do your best, trying to focus on the feeling of his arm around you as you pose. He glances down at you, tilting his shades down to the end of his nose. You can just make out his eyes. His hand comes up to your face and tilts your chin up.

He leans in and kisses you, as the crowds around you scream even louder. It occurs to you, at this moment, that he’s only kissing you to get publicity. That maybe he’s just taking advantage of the fact that you could be his mysterious new beaux. That he doesn’t want you, doesn’t want to kiss you, doesn't want anything to do with you.

You kiss back, not having any ability to resist how badly you want him anymore. You don’t care if it’s just for the cameras. You have no desire to pull away from him, no matter how pretend it may be.

When he does pull away, you make your way off the red carpet and into a secluded corner of the room.

“I’m sorry,” he starts.

“It’s okay, I get it, it didn’t mean anything—”

“What are you talking about?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry for surprising you so suddenly, it wasn’t where I wanted to do that, but I just.. I couldn’t help myself. You’re looking so good right now..”

“Not where you wanted to do that?”

“I’ve been meaning to kiss you for a while.. I just wanted it to be romantic and amazing, like you deserve, but I just couldn't help myself.”

“Like I deserve?”

“You have a lot of questions for someone who just got kissed by me—”

“Ugh, you’re the worst!”

“Does that mean you don’t want me to kiss you again?”

“…No.”

“That’s what I thought,” he leans to kiss you again, and you gladly let him. You only break off the kiss to take his sunglasses off his face, before kissing him again. Now that you had him, the want didn’t dissipate. Especially when you feel his hands on your hips again, and you only lean further into the kiss.

You can’t believe you waited so long to kiss Johnny Cage. Why would you ever deny yourself the right to make out in some quiet corner of a blockbuster movie premiere?

• • •

A week later, you’re sitting in that bar again. This time, you and Johnny have this booth in the back of the bar, and you’re leaning against him while he tries your extremely fruity drink and cringes at how sugary it is.

“I don’t know how you drink this shit.”

“I need to get nice and drunk after the day I had. Boss was being mean.”

“Sounds awful.”

“Yeah but He’s a great kisser, so.”

He grins and presses a kiss to your head. Somehow, He is more comfortable than he has been in a long time, feeling more like himself than he has in… years, maybe.

“It’s getting late, we should get you home soon.”

“Mm, But I like drinking. Besides, when did you become the responsible one?”

“When you ordered that fourth margarita.”

“Touche.” You finish your drink and sigh. “You’re not gonna let me have another, huh?”

“Not tonight, baby.” He says, patting your thigh gently. “C’mon, get up, I’ll go pay our tab and we can get some fresh air.”

You hum and get up, leaning against him as he makes his way to pay, and then you head outside to lean against the wall. Johnny keeps you up right as you try to breathe through the liquor. Then this girl comes up to you, and grins at your boyfriend.

“Are you Johnny Cage?” She asks. He bites back a sigh and smiles to her.

“I am, Hi—”

“I love your movies! Do you want to go grab a drink with me?” she asks, flirtatiously. You’re literally standing there leaning against him, with his arm around your waist.

“I’m sorry, you seem very nice, but I have to get my partner here home.” He says, “Have a nice night.”

She seems a little sad, but she bids you guys goodnight respectfully and heads into the bar.

“Your partner?” You ask, drunk on sugary drinks and love for this man.

“Yeah, they’re pretty nice.” He hums. “A pretty great assistant. An even better kisser.”

You frown.

“Agent!”

“Whatever.”

He leans in and kisses you to shut up before you can argue with him anymore. For once, you don’t mind his interruption.