#you go to her apartment and she owns like 4 mugs and eats solely on paper plates so she doesn't have to do dishes

[ganonfan1995]

Not to yuck anyone's yum, but it's wild how much trad-wife botw Zelda content exists.

[youngjusticeslut]

And They Were Roommates (Chapter 4)

Fandom: Young Justice Links: FF.net // AO3 Characters:  Artemis Crock, Jade Nguyen, Roy Will Harper, Lian Nguyen-Harper Ships: Light RedCat Summary: With Artemis gone for the day, Jade receives an unusual offer from her husband Rating: T Word Count: 1951 Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters. 

Roy hardly looked her way anymore.

It was a startling difference from when they first started to see each other. Seven years ago, running into him on his desperate attempts to find Speedy had been fun. Roy hadn't exactly felt the same, but one could only deny a raging boner for so long. Once he'd finally let his morals slide, that's when the real fun had begun. Nights of furious passion, pressed up against walls and nearly screaming from the pain of pleasure. Frantic pounding, moans of delight; just the thought could make Jade smile.

There were the other moments, too. Roy toyed with her hair when he thought she was sleeping. Pressed side by side, lips turning blue in Vladivostok, sharing a bottle of questionable vodka to keep warm. Nights where she sat on the tile floor of a bathroom, holding his broken form as he sobbed in her lap, shaking from withdrawal. And more recent nights, where both of them lay in bed, watching over their sleeping daughter as if their lives depended on it.

Jade wasn't fool enough to think that Roy would be fixed once Speedy was found. If her sister's boyfriend hadn't died, he might of been back to himself by this point. Three months ago, he was smiling again. Sleeping for a few hours every night. Improving, but not for her sake. Lian was what motivated him to get out of bed in the morning. That all changed the moment he got the news. It was like the months of work she'd put in hadn't even happened. In a matter of minutes, Lian had been handed to her and he was out the door before she could stop him.

Three days had passed before he came back home, reeking of every booze under the sun. Roy's eyes were bloodshot, but focused. He'd mumbled something resembling an apology, unable to look at her. Jade could have said something, offered a condolence for his dead friend. But instead she remained silent, watching as he dragged himself to the shower. After a week of watching him skulk around their temporary apartment, she made the decision to move to California.

When she brought up the idea of Artemis moving in with them, it wasn't solely for her sister. Jade was selfish, she would be the first person to admit that. Before her sister's arrival, she could count the number of non-Lian centric conversations they shared on two hands. Some days, one hand was sufficient. It was maddening to watch her husband interact with everyone but her. She lay awake at night in their bed, body aching for something while Roy kept himself busy. At least Artemis provided someone else to talk to.

"Jade?"

She looked up from her yoga mat, ponytail falling against her shoulder as she straightened up from downward-facing dog. Her husband stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding Lian. She wasn't surprised that either of them were awake, despite it being just past dawn. She raised a brow at Roy, urging him to continue.

He flushed, averting his eyes as Jade pulled down her shorts. "Artemis is gone."

"She had a thing today. Mentioned it last night." Jade stretched her hands out in front of her, lengthening her muscles, tight from waking up not too long ago.

"Oh."

She held back the scowl that tried to curl on her lips; Roy hadn't bothered to hide his disappointment. Conversation over, Jade maneuvered herself up on her hands again, exhaling once she was upside-down and comfortable. Through her position, she could still see his feet. "Need something, Red?"

"I thought I'd make breakfast."

Jade huffed. "I'm in the middle of something."

"After, then. It'll be ready when you're done." Roy's feet retreated to the kitchen when she didn't answer. Doing her best not to grumble, she focused instead on keeping her breathing long and even to relieve the tension in her shoulders. To an outsider, his offer of breakfast would be seen as a peace offering. But Jade knew better. Breakfast would be a silent meal, punctuated by their daughter flinging Cheerios at them and Roy's pathetic attempts to get her to stop.

The smell of eggs wafted through the small apartment. It was accompanied by bacon, and toasted bread; they didn't keep it fancy at Chez Nguyen-Harper. Jade finished before he did and debated whether or not she was awake enough to deal with him more than she had to.

Lian giggled from the kitchen.

Despite her apprehension at spending more time with her husband, Jade smiled and entered the kitchen. She hung by the doorway, trying her best not to make a noise at the sight she found. The bacon was frying on the stove, but Roy crouched by the counter where their daughter sat, completely enthralled as her dad sang to her in an exaggerated, high-pitched tone. The baby couldn't contain her giggles, beaming wide and pawing at her dad's face, encouraging him to go on.

"Is Lian… sleepy?" Roy asked. Their daughter shook her head, laughing again. Roy smiled and poked her tummy. "Is she… sad?"

"No!"

Roy gasped. "No? Then I guess Lian must be… hungry!" he exclaimed before he scooped her up, covering her face with hearty kisses. Lian squealed in utter delight, kicking out her legs and unable to stop her laughter. Even Jade had difficulty containing herself; she was quick to wipe away any genuine pleasure the moment Roy turned and saw her there. He immediately cleared his throat, holding Lian closer.

"You saw all of that, didn't you?"

"It's not a crime to love your daughter," Jade waved off, brushing past him to make herself some tea. To her surprise, the electric kettle was already on, water hot and ready to go. "I would know."

"Our daughter," he corrected. Lian turned her head and grinned when she saw her mom, eagerly calling out and reaching for her. Jade grinned back at her, plucking her from Roy's arms and giving the top of her head a kiss.

"Sounds like you were having fun with Daddy." Lian nodded eagerly, reaching for a loose strand of Jade's hair and tugging hard. It was her favorite pastime, one that she hadn't grown out of yet. "Lian, that hurts," Jade muttered, trying to wrangle her hair from her daughter's grip. Lian didn't budge, and instead yanked harder until Jade's ponytail was completely askew.

"I can help," Roy offered.

"I'm fine." Jade finally managed to release her daughter's hand and set her in her highchair. "Cereal?"

Lian nodded, slamming her hands down on the tray until a bowl of Cheerios was set before her. Only once her hands were full of cereal did she finally calm down. Roy set Jade's tea on the table for her, returning with their plates right after. "Thanks," Jade muttered, taking a seat.

As expected, they ate without speaking. Jade browsed the messages on her phone, trying to ignore the Cheerios flying every which way. She'd clean it up later, probably. She had a few emails that needed replying to. Important emails, but ones that could wait until she was alone. If she were a normal person, she might have sent a text to Artemis, asking if she was okay. Or she'd send a picture of Lian to her mother. She did neither of those things, instead deciding to browse the news.

"Anything good?" Roy asked.

Jade shook her head. "Quiet day."

"Did Artemis say when she was coming back?"

She snorted, ignoring the annoyance budding in her chest. "What's it to you?"

"Aren't you worried? You're the one who asked her to move in with us."

Jade took a sip from her tea, opening up another news article. "She's a big girl, Red. I'll tell her you care."

"Forget it. You're impossible today." She closed the tab on her phone, leaning back against the chair; something was up. In the seven months they'd been living together, this was the first time he attempted to make conversation. "What?" Roy asked, seeing her look. She didn't respond immediately, instead watching as he plucked a stray Cheerio out of his coffee.

"You want something."

Roy smirked. "Impossible, but perceptive," he noted, bringing the mug to his lips. Lian whined in her highchair; Jade looked at her and noticed that the Cheerios were gone. She tore off a small piece of her bacon, handing it to her..

"So?"

"Hm?"

Jade narrowed her eyes. "If you want something, Roy, you have to say it."

He sighed, glancing at Lian to make sure she was eating the bacon before clearing his throat. "Artemis mentioned that you wanted her to babysit Lian tonight."

In all honesty, Jade had forgotten that she'd asked that. Still, she played it oblivious, taking her mug in her hands. "What's it to you?"

"I don't know, I…" Roy trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought you had sparring planned for us, or something."

"Nope."

"Oh." Jade couldn't deny her confusion at his disappointment. She was all the more surprised when he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Do you… want to do something anyway?"

"Do something?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since we had a night to ourselves."

Jade set the mug down, folding her arms across her chest. "You want to go out tonight?"

Roy shrugged. "Don't sound so surprised. We're still married, aren't we?"

"I'm surprised you remembered." It came out colder than Jade intended. The words were enough to push Roy away. He picked up his plate and carried it to the sink, starting to wash the dishes. Jade sighed, her appetite finished. It was just like her to ruin a moment. For months she'd wanted their relationship to progress, and in one conversation she'd ruined it.

She carried over the dishes to the sink, pausing by her husband. "You want to go out tonight?" she repeated.

Roy turned the water off, his hands limp in the sink. "I'm trying, Jade. But not if you don't want me to." He took the plates from her and continued to wash them as if he hadn't said anything. Jade swallowed, knowing he was right. If she wanted it, all she had to do was reach out and take it.

"I don't want to spar," she said, unbuckling Lian from her highchair.

"We don't have to. We can go see a movie."

Jade almost wanted to laugh. In all the time she'd known him, they'd never once been out on a real outing. But things were different now. Things were changing. "Nothing cheesy, Red."

He lifted his head, and her heart ached at the hope lingering in his eyes; it had been a while since she'd seen him look at her like that. Roy waited for her to change her mind, to laugh or curse and shut him out like she'd always done before. But nothing came. Jade rested Lian on her hip, trying to tug the hair tie out from her mangled ponytail. "Artemis will be home by seven."

"Perfect." Roy walked over, moving her hands away from her hair. She held Lian as he gently fished out the hair tie, kissing the top of her head before handing it back to her. "Seven it is."

[jenhikes]

The Pistol Ultra Run - 100 Miles

The ultramarathon.  Not many people know what one is.  In fact, very few people tend to even know the distance of a marathon.  When people ask me what an ultramarathon is, I let them know it's any distance longer than a marathon, anywhere from about 30-100 miles (sometimes even up in the 200's these days!)  Now that I'm no longer running for hours at a time most of the week and my body is starting to feel more like it should, I am able to reflect on what it's like to complete 100 miles in less than a day and a half.  

Prerace -

The mini expo for this race is always the day before the race and I rode out there with some friends of mine to pick up our bibs and our swag.  The swag this year was great - a running duffel bag with a separate shoe compartment (which holds 2 pairs of my smaller shoes!), one of those towel/seat cover things that you can use to keep your car clean during a smelly run, a free pair of Injinji socks for the 100K and 100 milers, and then a "choose your own swag" table where you could get stickers, koozies, chocolate, chapstick, etc.  There was an option to buy a hoodie, tech shirt, and then, of course, they had the Pistol Store where you could buy other various merch - pint glasses, stickers, shirts leftover from previous years, etc.  Another fun option was the gear swap table, where you could leave and take things as you pleased.  I got a really awesome Pearl Izumi cycling shirt.  

Morning of - 

I was planning to wake up at 5 a.m. to have time to get ready and get picked up by my friends so I went to bed early the night before.  Unfortunately, I woke up at 4 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep.  Since I was about to be awake until easily 2-3 p.m. the NEXT DAY I wasn't super happy about this.  I got picked up at 5:45 and we got to the race before 7 a.m.  Since this race allows you to crew out of your vehicle, we wanted to get there early enough for a good parking spot minimal distance from the actual course.  Panera Bread supplied free bagels to the runners so I was able to eat before the race.  Obviously, we took some photos before the start!  The 50K runners start 5 minutes before the 100K and 100 mile runners just to thin out the crowds a bit.  The 50K runners take off and we line up at the start.  Before I know it, months of training are now about to start working for me!

Miles 10-30 - 

The first 50K of this race was great.  I ran the 50K distance last year and it didn't feel too difficult.  I ran with two other friends for most of these miles and we chatted and kept attempting to slow our pace as to keep our legs fresh.  When you're used to running a certain speed and you're slowing yourself down by nearly 2 minutes per mile it can be really hard to keep yourself in check.  Other than our first 10 mile lap, we began walking all the includes as well.  Saving energy is so important when you know you have 24 more hours on your feet!  The morning started off gray and misty, but the sun shone brightly throughout the afternoon and during the third lap of my race the heat started to beat me up.  Thankfully, the aid stations had popsicles and ice, so that was extremely helpful!

Miles 30-60 - 

The friend I came to the race with was battling nausea all morning due to the heat.  Several times I went on ahead to let him try to rest up.  By the end of lap 4 though, he was feeling rough.  I changed my shoes at the end of this lap and headed back out, trying to keep his mind off his stomach.  On lap 5 is when the weather started to turn.  It was around dinner time for most folks when the winds started to shift and the air had that thunderstorm smell.  By the end of lap 5, we were dealing with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning.  In fact, lightning struck the sidewalk at the school near the start line when we were only about a quarter mile away!  It was at this time my friend's stomach really was beating him up and he decided to take a break, so I went on alone. Lap 6 was slower for me, but I was walking at a really great pace in the 16-minute mile range.  Of course, the darkness was starting to set in and the 50 milers, who started at 8 p.m. (at the 12-hour mark) were now out on the course.   Now, the 50 milers start this late to give the 100-mile runners someone else to see out there in the dark.  For me, this was so incredibly defeating.  These runners with their fresh legs were powering past me while I was feeling sore and tired from the hot day followed by the nasty storm.  I came in to mile 60 and I was definitely not in the best head space. 

Miles 60-70 - 

These 10 miles get a paragraph all their own.  This is where I fell apart.  Since the rain had definitely stopped and the course dried out, I decided to put on my thicker-soled shoes for the padding.  When I went to change shoes, I didn't have the socks I thought I packed for these laps and I had a mini meltdown.  Then, when I went to put the shoes on, my feet had swollen so much that they physically hurt to walk in.  As I passed through the start line to head out for lap 7 I had a text from my two friends asking where I was.  I answered I was crying and changing my shoes.  They told me to cry it out and get moving.  Progress was slow to the aid station 2.5ish miles away.  When I saw my friends there they had decided to stop at 100K (they were half a lap behind me), but they were going to help me finish.  I broke down ugly crying and they told me exactly what I  needed to do to finish before the cutoff.  I cried a little more and they pushed me out of the aid station.  The next 4 miles were the most painful thing I've ever done and I was barely walking 2 mph at this point.  I was crying.  I've never felt that much pain.  At Woody's aid station, about 4.5 miles from the start point, I had been on this lap for 2 full hours (when it usually only takes me 3 to walk the full 10) and I cried some more.  The volunteers asked me what hurt and when I told them they let me know that it was COMPLETELY NORMAL at this point in the race to feel this way.  They talked me down and told me, again, how to get through the laps.  I walked another mile before sitting down on a curb because I couldn't take another step.  At this point, I knew NoKey was coming in about an hour, but I was going to quit.  The best 'trail angel' I ever met comes into my race at this point.  Rebecca, the volunteer course monitor, asked me if she should call the RD so I could quit.  I cried and asked her to help me off the ground, which she did.  She walked with me back to the aid station 2.5 miles from the start line.  We talked the whole way, and when she left me at the aid station she triple-checked with me that NoKey was coming.  I gave her his description and told her he was headed my way when he got here.  The folks at the aid station fed me ibuprofen, two go-gurts, and offered to let me warm up.  After sitting for 10 minutes or so, I stumbled away.  I later learned the volunteers were super worried and thought they shouldn't have let me walk.  NoKey met me about 1.25 miles from the start line and walked me up the hill.  By then, my ibuprofen had kicked in and I was ready to head out for another lap.  

Miles 70-90 - 

With the worst behind me, my friend who wasn't feeling well came out and walked with me for about 10 minutes.  He reiterated I should keep going, gave me a strategy, and told me I could do it.  I hugged him and NoKey and told NoKey to come find me in 3 hours.  I did miles 70-80 in 2 hours and 50 minutes, and I even managed to shuffle-run a little.  When I got back to the aid station, the volunteer who basically thought I died was shocked.  "HOLY HELL!" He said when he saw me booking through.  Everyone was super excited and it gave me renewed energy.  When I was getting ready to head back out for miles 80-90 I had slowed down a bit and I was at a mere crawl when it came to walking up the now monumental hills on the back half of the course.  The sun came up during this time as well and now I was worried I'd run out of time.  When I met up with NoKey again to walk up the hill to the start line, I told him to go in and get me a pacer for my final lap.  He told me he'd do the whole lap with me, all 10 miles, despite being in his sandals.  As I shuffled through the start line for the final time, the RD told me to keep moving and I'd be fine.  The volunteers at the start all cheered for me and told me I could do it.  

Miles 90-100 - 

The final lap was super, SUPER emotional for me.  I felt like I was hardly moving, but NoKey told me I was moving really well.  In retrospect, I honestly was moving better than most everyone still out on the course at this point.  It didn't feel like it at the time, that's for sure!  When I was headed back in for my last 5 miles my swollen feet were throbbing and my quads were killing me, but NoKey never lets me stop moving.  As we neared the aid station for the final time, the volunteers all congratulated me and the crying started again.  The hill going up to the high school felt like it would never end.  The final half mile, I was able to pick up my pace to a gentle run, and I rounded the corner to the finish line with arms raised, tears streaming, and legs that refused to quit.  My final time was somewhere around 28:40:00 (I'm not sure right now, as the race results need to be verified still).  My body and my mind were in total shock that the months of hard work finally could end.  

Post Race - 

I was ushered inside by a volunteer, and as I was making it inside I see Rebecca, my trail angel, who had come back to the race because she had forgotten her bag.  I thanked her and hugged her, crying of course, letting her know how much she helped me in the middle of the night.  I went inside to collect my belt buckle and finisher hat only to be told I was 2nd in my age group.  I also got a coffee mug and a giant bag of chocolate!  I took my finisher photo and the photographer had NoKey come take a photo with me since he was my "crew" for the final difficult miles.  I grabbed some food and cried with some of the other participants as well. I threw on a pair of slippers for the ride home.  I got home and showered and fell into bed for a well-deserved 5-hour nap.  

The Days After - 

My feet are so swollen they burn after I wake up on Monday.  I've got busted blood vessels in my right foot and three of the biggest blisters I've ever seen (which I equate to the swelling more than anything else).  I was fortunate enough to use a hot tub, get a chiropractor adjustment, and get a sports massage on Monday afternoon.  Monday night I'm even able to walk my dog, albeit in a pair of flip flops since my feet can't fit into regular shoes.  By Tuesday, I've got normal shoes on, the blisters are drying out, the swelling is nearly gone, and I'm able to spend about an hour at a time on my feet before getting worn out.  Three days out, I'm doing even better.  I'd say I'm only about as sore as I would be from running a really hard marathon or technical trail for around 15 miles.  

The Race Itself - 

For those wondering about The Pistol Ultra, I absolutely recommend this race despite all the pain I endured during it this year!  This was my first ever ultra distance when I ran the 50K last year and I knew I wanted to use it again for my attempt to go 100 miles.  The aid stations, volunteers, and general experience CANNOT be beaten. The fact that you really only need to carry a minimal amount of fluids and really no food because of the nature of the course and placement of the aid stations really takes a lot of stress out of the planning. This is an urban ultra, so it's on pavement the entire time.  It's really tough on the body.  There's grass right next to the pavement though, so you can get some relief when you need it.  Because you're doing out-and-back "loops" on the greenway, you really get to know your other participants and there were so many people cheering for you every time you saw them.  There was so much encouragement from the participants themselves, as well as the volunteers.  If it hadn't been for the middle of the night Woody's crew and Rebecca on her bike I very well may not have finished this race.  It's the support like this that makes the race what it is.  

So, I'm only a few days out from Pistol and I can safely say I'm still not ready to say I'd ever do another 100-miler again.  I am willing to take on the Double Barrel challenge next year (the 50K and 50-mile race for a total of 82 miles, with a few hours of break time in between).  The 100-mile race really brought me to a whole other level of endurance I've never experienced before, even with doing multiple thru hikes!  I'm already planning my return trip next year.  

Would you ever consider doing 100 miles at a time?  Have you ever run an ultramarathon?  What is the furthest distance you've traveled on foot in a day?

[madelinecoffee]

An Unexpected Meeting | Part 2

Summary: Part 2: Lucas and Riley are going great. He wants to ask her to move in, but it doesn't turn out how he planned it.  A/N: Part 2, you all have @grapes-day and @frankchurchillsaysrelax to thank for me writing a part 2. Christine encouraged me a while ago to try my hand at a multi-fic and Fai persuaded me to continue this story onward. Pairing: Riley x Lucas, Maya x Josh(mentioned)  Words: 3,035 Part 1 

Zay’s not even surprised when he heads to the kitchen this particular morning to see Riley in one of Lucas’ college shirts and pajama shorts glasses on her face and hair in a bun cooking pancakes. Her and Lucas had been dating for around 4 months now, they got together shortly after their unexpected meeting and she basically lives with them. Her Uncle Josh and Maya had been dating for a while but in the recent months they had been spending a lot of time at her shared apartment. While the brunette loved that they were so in love and finally together without Josh pushing the ‘3 years’ excuse on Maya she did not need to be witness to the physical displays of love they were fond of showing in her apartment. It lead to her spending more nights in Lucas’ bed than her own, and spending the majority of her time with the boys.

She’s not complaining though, her and Lucas’ are great and she loves spending time with Zay.  Zay isn’t complaining either, neither him nor Lucas are that good of cooks and Riley loves being in the kitchen. Especially on the weekends, Riley likes to make a nice breakfast for the three of them when she stays over. And today she’s whipping up pancakes.

“Good morning Riley, where’s lover boy?” Zay asks her with a smile as he starts making the coffee for the three of them.

“You mean the hibernating bear? He should be up soon, you know he starts to get up when he smells food.” Riley giggles as she flips the pancakes. True to her word Lucas stumbles out into the kitchen shortly after, just as she’s finishing plating the pancakes. She can’t help but admire him in his plaid pajama pants and old t-shirt; his messy bed head and slight look of confusion only increases his cuteness.

“ ‘Morning’” he greets Zay before he greets his girlfriend with an apprising smile as he sees her in his shirt, “And good morning beautiful” Riley blushes slightly at his words, unable to control the butterflies in her stomach

“Good morning love, I figured you be out for food. You don’t want Zay to eat it all.” Riley gives Zay a playful wink as he gives her a jokingly shocked expression. “I’m going to put these down and wash my hands do you think you could get me some coffee?” Riley asks Lucas with a hopeful look. 

He chuckles and nods his head; her obsession with coffee was a serious thing. She figured she hadn’t gotten hers yet because her hands were covered in flour and pancake. He grabbed her favorite mug and his favorite mug and fixed their coffees. He smiled as he looked at their mugs. He learned about Riley’s obsession with mugs shortly after he met her. If she could get her drink in a mug she’d be immediately happier. Even if it wasn’t hot, she liked her juice or water or wine whatever she was drinking out of mugs. She had a small collection of favorites back up in her apartment, and when Lucas noticed that she was spending more and more time at his he got her a special mug that matched his own favorite. Riley’s was purple with a little teddy bear holding a coffee mug and his was blue with the same design. He had gotten them the mugs after she told him about the loss of her childhood bear and she just about cried at the sweet gesture.

He sat down next to her at the table and grabbed her hand as they all ate breakfast together chatting at laughing.

“So Riley, any other plans for the day? Besides Maya coming over here for diner of course.” Zay asked with as they ate.

“I have to edit some photos for a shoot I did this week. I should probably go home, but my laptops already here so we’ll see where I end up for the day.” Riley answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Well you know you’re always welcome here beautiful” Lucas told her giving her head a kiss.

“Yeah you basically live here, I’m surprised you haven’t just moved in yet.” Zay said with a chuckle quickly noticing Riley’s red face and the look Lucas was giving him. Lucas had been trying to think of how to ask her to move in with him for a few weeks, and Zay knew this. In fact everyone knew, Josh had plans to move in with Maya once Riley had moved out the only person who didn’t know was Riley and from the looks of her expression she was oblivious to it. Lucas just wanted the moment to be perfect, and he couldn’t think of a way to make it yet.

They all helped clean up from breakfast and after Riley got comfortable on the coach with her legs over Lucas lap as he and Zay watched TV. These were the moments Riley loved most about being with Lucas, they could just be and it was enough to feel his hands on legs and know that he was there.

It didn’t take her long to finish editing her photos; once she finished she switched over to leaning into Lucas chest giving him a sloppy side hug that Lucas quickly reciprocated.

“Hi” she said shyly as she snuggled deeper into his chest

“Hey Princess” Lucas responded quietly using his fingers to trace the small scar on her cheek. Her cheek had healed nicely after Ryan, but she was left with a thin white scar that no one but Lucas ever seemed to notice. He always touched it so lightly or gave it the lightest kiss. He was currently stroking it gently staring into her eyes as she started into his. He couldn’t help think of how lucky he was to have met her, but hating that Ryan was a part of it. He gets lost in the memory of a few nights ago when him and Riley where lying in his bed.

“I don’t know why.” Riley says quietly to him one night

“Why what princess?” He asks her stroking her arm as she laid her head on his chest

“Why Ryan’s still so hung up on me. We went out twice sophomore year and the dates were both terrible, and I told him I wasn’t interested then either. But he was always making sexual comments towards me or trying to make a pass every time he saw me; it made it hard to be at Zay’s. Its one of the reasons him and Zay stopped rooming together too. And he still won’t leave me alone now. I wish he would just leave me alone.” Riley tells him as she draws little circles on his chest

“What? Wait, you mean you’ve seen him recently?” Lucas tries to keep the anger out of his voice; he doesn’t want Riley thinking he’s mad at her when his anger is solely directed towards Ryan. Riley nods against his chest.

“Yeah…he’s just around. Like I’ve seen him at Topanga’s or by the park near here that I take photos at sometimes. I never stay though once I see him I just leave, he hasn’t done anything but he’s just always around. I just wish he’d leave me alone. I just want to be with you only.” Riley tells him, her voice shy.

“Well Princess we’re together and he’s not going to change that. And I’ll try to keep him away from you. Okay?” Lucas asks her giving her a squeeze

“I know you will, and if does hurt me you’ll just take care of me right? Like you did when we first met?” Riley looks up at him with hopeful eyes

“Of course beautiful, I’ll always take care of you. I’ll take care of you as long as you’ll let me.” Lucas can tell Riley’s getting sleepy and pulls the cover over them.

“Even if I want you to take care of me forever?” Riley asks as she closes her eyes

“Especially then.” Lucas answers giving her head a kiss before he closes his own eyes

Lucas is jolted out of the memory when Zay makes a comment.

“Would you two stop staring into each others stupid stupid eyes? My god.” Riley shoves her red face back into Lucas’ chest as Lucas laughs heartily at Zay.

“Zay, you’re the one who kept telling me how perfect we would be together, now let me enjoy it.” Lucas responded with a raise of his eyebrow

“Touché” Zay grumbled quietly back

A while later Riley was in Lucas’ room trying to figure out which shirt to wear, she wanted to be comfortable but she didn’t want to just be in a t-shirt. She was looking through her drawer in her bra and leggings when Lucas came in. She let out of a frustrated sigh flopping onto to the bed face down. Lucas chuckled lightly as he sat down next to her and stroked her back trying to not get too distracted by the fact that she wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“What’s wrong Princess?” Lucas asked her with a knowing smile. The initial response was muffled. “Princess I can’t understand when you talk into the bed.”

Riley raised her face slightly and turned it to look at her boyfriend, “I said I couldn’t find a shirt in my drawer. And like I know I could go back to my place but just urgh. I should bring more than just pajama shirts to my drawer.” Riley rambled and she felt Lucas get off the bed she sat up and saw him coming back with her favorite blue flannel of his.

“Why don’t you wear this huh? I know you like how soft it is and I know it’ll look better on you than on me.” Lucas told her with a smile and shrug. “Plus I know, Princess, you like wearing my clothes when they smell like me and I wore this a few days ago.”

Riley jumped up and hugged him grabbing the shirt and putting it on. “Thanks Luke, I’ll make sure I bring more shirts next time I come from Maya and I’d place.”  Looking at her then Lucas knew this was the moment.

“Or Princess you could just bring them all here, and never go back to Mayas.” Lucas told her with a wide spread grin, to which Riley gave him a confused look. He chuckled at her grabbing her hands, “What I mean is, move in with me. You practically live here anyway, lets just make it official.”  

“Yes!” Riley proclaimed jumping into Lucas arms, he was quick to catch her. “Oh my gosh.  I have to tell Maya, Uncle Josh can just move in he basically lives there anyway! We can tell Maya when she comes over for diner! Oh my gosh wait what about Zay is he going to be okay with me moving in?”

“Princess slow down, take a breath. And yes Zay knows, actually all our friends know I was going to ask you. I’ve been trying to find a special way for two weeks. But I just couldn’t wait any longer and you just look so cute in my shirt.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek before she grabbed his face and gave him a soulful kiss.

“I’m so excited! Ah! I can’t wait to tell Maya this night is going to be amazing!”

As the couple expected everyone was excited for the happy couple, Maya was especially happy that Josh could move in with her. Their night was filled laughs and good times. Then there was a knock on the door. Riley sprung up to get it.

“I’ll get it! Since its my apartment now too. Riley stated with a giggle as she opened the door not expecting who was on the other side. There stood Ryan and from the looks of it he had had a few drinks, he had a glazed look in his eyes as he took in the brunette in front of him. He made to grab her arm but she jumped out of the way and ran to Lucas shouting his name. Riley had only told Lucas but she still had the occasional nightmare about Ryan. She had never been a fan of his, but was especially scared of him since the last time he was here.

Lucas was confused as to why his girlfriend was hiding behind him and clutching onto his shirt for dear life. That was until he saw Ryan stumble into their home and it all made sense.

“Riley! And I see Blondie here’s too! Now it’s a party.” Ryan slurred at the group trying to make eye contact with the brunette who had head slightly peaked out under Lucas’ arm. But Riley was having none of it . All Lucas wanted to do was pick this scum of the earth up and throw him out of his home and get him away from Riley. But he knew he couldn’t leave his girlfriend, especially with the way she was gripping his shirt. He was thrilled when Zay stood in front of him and Riley and directed his comment toward Ryan.

“What the hell are you doing here Ryan? I’m pretty sure Lucas throwing you out of our home last time wasn’t an open invitation to come back. And I’m sure after what you did to Riley she doesn’t want you in her home either.”

Maya was quick to back Zay up, “You better get the hell out Ryan. You don’t mess with my Honey and get away with it.” Maya raised her little fist and Ryan could tell by the fire in her eyes that she was not someone to mess with.

“Finnneee I’ll go” Ryan stated with a droopy smile, as he started walking away Maya and Zay moved to the side of Lucas. And Riley came out and stood next to Lucas as he put his arm around arm shoulder pressing a kiss to her head. But just before Ryan actually went out the door he made a be-line for Riley.

Before anyone could react he roughly pulled her by the arm towards him. Riley was positive this was the second time he would be bruising her as he dragged her along. “NO!” Before anyone could react Riley ripped her wrist out of Ryan’s grip launching herself into their coffee table. She cried out in pain as she fell down on her wrist and tears started coming down her face as she cradled it against her chest.  

“That’s it!” Maya rushed over and pushed Ryan out of the apartment and gave him a threating look while telling him, “If you ever and I mean EVER come to their home again I will make sure you never have children.” With that she slammed the door in his face making sure it was locked she turned to her best friend.

Lucas had already pulled her into his lap and was cradling and her soothing, petting her hair and kissing her head. It seemed to be helping because soon her sobs turned to quiet tears.

“Hey Maya can you get Riley some ice? I still want to look at her wrist but I know it needs ice.” Lucas asked while he continued to hold Riley close to him as they sat on the ground. Maya nodded and went to get the ice for Riley.

“Hey Princess I’m going to look at it okay? It might hurt but I want to make sure nothing is obviously broken, okay?” Lucas asked as gently as possible. Riley nodded with a sniffle and watched as Lucas gently took her wrist in his hands. She winced slightly when he moved it. “I don’t think its broken Princess, it might be sprained. But either way the ice will help and I know something that’ll help even more.”

“What will help more?” Riley with a shaking voice

“This” Lucas gently took her hurt wrist and gave it a gentle peck, “There a magic kiss so it’ll heal sooner.” Lucas looked proud as Riley giggled at his lame joke.

Maya had come back with the ice but didn’t want to interrupt their sweet moment, and it seemed Zay didn’t either. He was just standing and watching them in awe. They were clearly perfect for one another.

It took Lucas a moment before he noticed Maya had the ice. “Why don’t we watch a movie while Riley ices her wrist?” Lucas asked as he looked at his two friends, they nodded and everyone settled into their spot. Riley refused to leave Lucas and found her spot snuggled in his lap on the big chair in their living room. He held the ice as they watched The Princess Bride a favorite of the gang. Once the movie was over Maya went back to her apartment, and Zay retreated to his room.

Lucas noticed that Riley was getting sleepy as she struggled to stay awake. He picked her up and carried her to their room. Helping her get changed without bumping her still sensitive wrist. He got helped her get into bed and she quickly snuggled into his chest breathing a sigh of relief. Lucas stroked her hair and gave her head a kiss as they laid together.

“Today was definitely not how I thought it would go, but I’m glad you’ll be sleeping next to me every night from now on.  You’re the only one who helps with the nightmares and I’m sure I’ll have some tonight.” Riley mumbled sleepily

“I’ll always be here to chase away your nightmares Princess, either in your dreams or real life. Today was not how I thought it was going to be either but I’m glad that from now on no matter the day, I’ll get to end it next to you.” He felt Riley smile into his chest and turn and give his arm a kiss but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to Lucas knew what she meant. They continued to lie together until they both drifted off, still in each other’s arms.

[cacchieressa]

@thatgirlnevershutsup​ tagged me so here we go: Rules: List the first five* lines of your last 20 stories (or however many you have altogether. WIPs count). See if there are any patterns. *or so 1. and gravity, scientists say, is weak (Star Wars, Anakin & Obi-Wan [Obi-Wan/Satine]) Before he heads to Padmé's apartment, Anakin stops off at the quarters he still nominally shares with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to change into clean clothes. Normally, he wouldn't bother, but Padmé doesn't like it when he gets engine grease on her furniture and he's currently covered in the stuff. When he opens the door, he's surprised to find Obi-Wan sitting at the table with a bottle of Tevraki whiskey in front of him and a mostly empty glass in his hand. "I thought you'd be out on the town with your duchess girlfriend," Anakin says, teasing. "She's not my--" Obi-Wan stops and sighs, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. 2. Everything That Rises Must Converge (Star Wars, Obi-Wan, Leia, Luke, Vader) Ben woke from a nightmare, one he hadn't had in years, of Anakin burning on the bank of a river of fire, calling out to him for help. He felt chilled to his bones, cold sweat drying on his skin. It was not yet dawn, but he knew he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that day. Perhaps not for a few days to come, if he was going to be plagued by old nightmares. The Force was shifting, unsettled, around him, unnerving after his nightmares.

This gets long so the rest goes behind a cut:

3. if you find yourself lost, dig (Star Wars, Rey & Leia) Rey let herself get lulled into a false sense of security. The mission itself had seemed simple enough. "Fly me to these coordinates," the General had said, and so Rey had strapped herself into the pilot's seat of the Millennium Falcon and flown. "Stand there and look intimidating," the General had said. So Rey had stood just behind her with her face set in a blank mask and a hand on the hilt of her lightsaber while the General negotiated for the use of an old Rebellion base on Cardooine with the queen of the planet. 4. No Exit (Star Wars, Darth Vader/Ahsoka Tano) Darth Vader sat in silence as medical droids buzzed around him, repairing his life support system and replacing his damaged helmet. I won't leave you. Not this time. Ahsoka's words rang in his memory, tearing open scars he'd thought long since healed over. She was dead, or she would be soon. It should have been pleasing. 5. If You Wear That Velvet Dress (Push, Nick/Cassie) The shop is packed with uncomfortable-looking furniture and racks of clothing. It smells of steam heat, damp wool coats, and desperation. They fit right in, Nick thinks as he shoves through rack after rack of women's clothes before finding the men's section. "I'm not gonna find a tux at Goodwill," he says.
 Cassie glances over from where she's fondling a leather jacket. "Not at this Goodwill anyway," she agrees, surprising him. 6. The Extraterrestrial Elf Emergency (The Middleman, Wendy & the Middleman) "And there were no signs of any disturbance?" the Middleman asked. "Other than the fact that someone did that to my doghouse?" the witness--a local homeowner named Charles Brown--responded, gesturing towards the garishly decorated and lit doghouse in his backyard. Gold garland glittered in the blink blink blink of hundreds of twinkling red and green lights. A sign wishing everyone a Merry Christmas blinked in counterpoint. "No." 7. belief undoes your disbelief (Star Wars, Baze/Chirrut) It's not a question of belief. Baze knows the Force exists; like gravity, like time, he is subject to its effects on his life whether he believes in it or not. He’s never believed in much-–the accuracy of his aim, his ability to reload on the run, and the accumulation of credits in order to pay for the finer things in life, or at least a bed and a shower and a hot meal when the finer things (and the credits) are in short supply. People disappointed him early–-the family who died or left or failed to keep in touch when he was the one who left. And friends only last as long as the credits and Correllian ale keep flowing. 8. Bait and Switch (DCU, Steph/Jason) Steph's a lot smarter than the dumb blonde most people take her for, so she's clocked the guy tailing her across campus within the first five minutes, on the long walk from Kane Hall to the Burton Auditorium for her Literature and Civilization lecture. She can't get a good look at him, but he's tall and broad-shouldered and wearing a leather jacket, which could mean he's an annoying LAX bro who's seen too many rom-coms and thinks stalking is romantic or a member of a gang who wants to kill her. Some days it's hard to tell the difference. He doesn't follow her into the lecture hall, though, so she spends the next hour taking notes about existentialism and wondering if Sartre had visited Gotham before he formulated the maxim that hell is other people, and what he'd have thought about vigilantism. She doesn't ask the professor though. She tries not to draw attention in her classes. 9. with our way lit only by stars (Earthsea, Ged/Tenar) It was deep winter, a time when the snow came as regularly as the sunrise, and the sunrise finally came earlier each day, when Tenar awoke from dreams of the sea. She had never been one to put too much stock in dreams; life was complicated enough without adding unnecessary prophecy to it. But the dreams returned night after night for a week and then two. She could almost taste the salt on her lips, and feel the swell of the waves even in their bed of sturdy oak. "Divination was never my gift," Ged said when she finally mentioned them to him, after her tossing and turning woke him after yet another week in which the dream bore her across the seas. "But if you feel there's something you must do, you should do it." 10. Celestial Navigation (Star Wars, Finn/Rey, Anakin) "Go, go, go, go," shouts flight control and the next wave of ships launches, the roar of their engines momentarily drowning out the whine and screech of the TIEs and the X-Wings wheeling above and the staccato bursts of blaster and anti-aircraft fire. The Falcon's entry ramp vibrates under the soles of Finn's boots, but they can't take off without Luke and he's not here. Finn reaches out with the Force--Rey's in the cockpit, right where she's supposed to be, but Luke is somewhere else, his brightness accompanied by the banked fire of the General's presence. Finn's comm crackles to life, and through all the static and the noise, he can hear Luke say, "I'm with Leia and Chewie on Command One. Get on the Falcon and get out. I'll catch up with you at the rendezvous point." "Yes, sir," Finn snaps out, and pounds up the gangway. "Rey, let's go!" 11. what spring does with the cherry trees (Star Wars, Anakin/Ahsoka) It's the middle of the night shift on their second day in hyperspace when Anakin realizes he hasn't seen Ahsoka since they boarded the Resolute. It's not unusual for either of them to sleep for a full rotation after a prolonged mission, but they generally check up on each other afterwards--she makes sure he finishes his after action reports and he makes sure she eats and hydrates, and they go over everything that happened and what they could do better next time. He reaches out in the Force but gets nothing back but a vague irritation, like an itch he can't quite scratch in the back of his skull. He finds Rex in the ready room, hunched over a datapad and a mug of caf. They review some intelligence reports that have come in from Coruscant and speculate about their next deployment, and then he asks, "Have you seen Ahsoka?" 12. the dream of flight persists (Star Wars/Firefly; Anakin/Kaylee) It was easier to get work when the twins were babies. In the aftermath of Palpatine's ascension, there was a lot of chaos as the people who understood what was coming fled to the Outer Rim, and many of them needed a pilot or a mechanic (or both) to manage their pre-war freighters or cruisers. People didn't ask as many questions when they saw a grieving young father trying to care for his adorable infants on his own. Now, it's more difficult, because the kids can't just be strapped into the copilot's seat while they nap or carried around on his back when he pushes his way through a cantina or marketplace looking for a berth. They talk too much, ask innocent questions that no one wants to answer, least of all Anakin himself, and while his skills tend to allow a certain type of people to ignore his famous face, he hates having to trust his children's lives to that kind of greed masquerading as kindness. He's tried leaving them with Owen and Beru, but none of them fared well with the separation, though Beru was more than happy to keep them. They've already lost their mother; he's determined they don't lose their father, too. Not after how close they came to losing everything because of his stupidity. 13. I'm crawling on your shore (Six of Crows, Kaz/Inej) The important thing, Kaz thinks after they fish him out of the water, is that no one can tell how irrationally terrified he was. The slight shivers could be attributed to the dunking he'd taken in the harbor, rather than his horror at being submerged and almost drowned. By the time the fight is over and he's on the deck of The Wraith, he has it under control, though the cold night air is colder against wet skin and clothes. The sensation is nauseating, but he swallows it down and grits his teeth until business is handled. It takes more than an unexpected dip in the ocean to throw Kaz Brekker. At least, that's what he needs people to believe. 14. Just a Little Bit of History Repeating (Star Wars, Vader & Leia) Assassination attempts in the Senate decreased sharply after the Emperor came to power, at least the ones that took place in the actual Senate building. As such, over the years, when he was not present while the Senate was in session, security had become lax. Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to everyone in the massive room the day half a dozen assassin droids spilled out of the vents and began shooting. Darth Vader was, unfortunately, present, and able to make short work of the droids, even though he felt that the Empire would be better off if some of the sybaritic sycophants who served in the Senate were destroyed. He was no politician but he understood that it would look bad if they were murdered on his watch rather than at his command. 15. The Rumor of Rain (Star Wars, Shmi, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Luke, Rey) One of Shmi's earliest memories is of drops of water hitting her face and sliding down her cheeks--not tears, she thinks then--so she doesn't discount the possibility of rain, the way the other slaves do. (It's not until years later that she realizes they were not her tears.) Spacers are full of wild tales, more hyperbole than truth, but the galaxy is vast and Tatooine is one small dusty corner of it. The elders' stories say the desert used to be lush and green before war brought desolation with it, and there's still water out there for those who know how to look, for those the desert takes into its care. Shmi has always found comfort in those stories, in knowing that a thing doesn't need to be seen to be true. 16. There's Still Time to Change the Road You're On (Star Wars, Anakin, Luke, & Leia) Anakin frowns as he brings his starfighter in for a landing next to the circle of standing stones that mark the dead drop. Jakku is not quite as terrible as Tatooine--there's only one sun, thank the Maker--but it's still full of sand and heat. He grumbles about it as he slides down the ladder and his feet hit the ground. He's going to be finding sand in his boots for weeks, and no matter how much he shakes out his clothes, the cockpit of his starfighter will also to be full of sand, and Padmé will scold him for leaving trails of sand in her sheets. He growls low in his throat even though there's no one around to hear him. He's sure this is all Obi-Wan's fault somehow. 17. The Only Way Through (Star Wars, Ahsoka & Obi-Wan) Ahsoka glares at the flashing lights on the steering console and swears loudly when a sharp thump with her fist doesn't fix the problem. The ship reverts to real space and she braces herself, annoyed and rueful. She's survived too much to die like this, in a stolen Imperial ship that is apparently falling apart at the seams, but the Force is with her, because there's nothing nearby--no ships, no moons, no unexpected stars or black holes or gravity wells to swallow her up. She sighs in relief and sinks back into the pilot's seat, letting the tension leach from her shoulders and breathing her fear into the Force. She gives herself a couple of moments to relax and savor the feeling of not being dead yet, and then she gets to work. 18. The Wild Chance of Living (Star Wars, Ahsoka/Aphra, Vader) Whispers have dogged Ahsoka since her unexpected return from Malachor. She's used to it--rumors and gossip have followed her since she was Anakin's padawan, and she learned then not to take it personally. The distrust is also familiar, if more unpleasant. She remembers the taste of it from the war--from civilian populations and unfamiliar clone troopers, and occasionally, from other Jedi who didn't like her master--and from the years after, when she'd had to make her way hidden and alone. It's new among the Rebels, though. 19. The Black Knight (HP, Sirius/Remus) Remus placed the tray on the table with a thump, cutlery and china rattling. Sirius let out a low moan and lifted his head from where it rested against the cool mahogany. "Breakfast, sir," Remus said crisply, and removed the cover to expose runny eggs and bacon congealing in its own grease. "Ugh." "Will that be all, sir?" Sirius turned his head slowly to look at Remus. "Stop looming, Remus. Sit down." Remus's jaw tightened, the only sign of anger on his otherwise blank face, but all he said was, "Is that an order, sir?" "Yes. And dammit, stop calling me sir." 20. The reoccurring kind (MCU, Steve/Bucky) Steve still dreams of this sometimes, the whisper-soft touch of Bucky's lips on his skin, followed by the rough brush of his stubble or the wet velvet of his tongue. He used to wake up hard and aching after those dreams, frustrated and desperate and angry and sad all at once over something he wanted more than anything and knew he would never--could never--have, thanks to society, his health, the war--and once he'd had it, never have again, thanks to the ice, HYDRA, the Accords. He has it now. Bucky is warm and solid in bed with him, acres of bare skin begging for the touch of Steve's hands and mouth. He still has to fight the urge sometimes to break away and pick up a charcoal--has done it occasionally and they've both ended up smudged and gray in places charcoal probably wasn't ever meant to be. Luckily, skin is easy to wash clean, and the serum gave him an eidetic memory, so he can always draw Bucky later.

I don’t really have anything to say about them? Some should have been rewritten and some, no amount of rewriting could help. I feel like I try to shove as much exposition as possible into those first few lines to get it over with so I can get on with the story. But I am not and never have been great at first sentences. I feel lucky people bother to read my stories at all sometimes.