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gr-ogu · 3 years

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Hello! As requested, here is a tutorial on how I make my gifs. I would like to preface this by saying there are many ways to make gifs, and there’s no right or wrong answer imo. This is just how I personally go about doing so!

I will be using PS CC 2017, but as long as you have the video timeline option, it shouldn’t matter too much; on any version of PS, you should be able to adapt anything I mention here! You will also need some kind of screen recording software. I’ll talk a little more about that under the cut.

To start, you need the source material you will be making the gifs from! I get mine from snahp(.)it (avoiding links so tumblr hopefully doesn’t banish this from the tags lmao) and I always opt for either 1080p or 2160p. Not all laptops will support 2160p as it’s 4K, but either works great! You just want your gifs to be the best quality possible.

Next is where the screen recording comes in. I don’t use the screencapping method to make my gifs (where you use a program to cap a clip and then load those caps into a stack in PS). This isn’t for any particular reason… it’s just how my friends, (who very kindly taught me to gif), had always done it, so it’s now how I do it too. Personally, I find the quality to be just as good as the screencapping method, and have never noticed a difference between the two.

As I have a PC, I use the software built into it for screen-recording. If you go here: theverge(.)com/2020/4/21/21222533/record-screen-pc-windows-laptop-xbox-game-bar-how-to – you can see how to use the XBOX screenrecorder to record from files you have d*wnloaded. This also works on some streaming sites, but I think it depends on what browser you use. Personally, I recommend Firefox, as that seems to bypass a lot of the blocking and ads that occur when trying to do this sort of thing.

For MAC users, I have been told handbrake works well, as it converts MKV files to MP4, which can then be used to make gifs. You only need to convert part of the file to MP4 depending on how much you want to gif, and this also bypasses the screenrecording stage, as you can edit MP4 clips on Quicktime. I am told you can split them into smaller clips by going to edit > trim and it saves the new clip!

I have also used anyvideoconverter for small clips, but I can’t say what it does to the quality of your video, or how big of a file it lets you put in! With the XBOX screenrecorder, it doesn’t matter what type of video files you get, as the recording will save to MP4 anyway.

LOADING YOUR FRAMES

Now, go ahead and record whatever clips you want to gif. Make sure you have the video timeline open, by going to window > timeline. Then, go to file > import > video frames to layers.

Next, select and open your clip from where it has saved (with the XBOX recorder, it saves in video > captures). You should see a little window pop up, where you can move the sliders back and forth to clip your recording to whichever part(s) you specifically want to gif. I recommend trying not to load a lot of frames into photoshop at once, but I would be a hypocrite to say that, since I do it a lot lmao. Just be patient if you do!

Once you have chosen the length, click okay. Never, EVER, I repeat NEVER click the button that says “limit to every __ frames”. This really ruins the flow and quality of your gif—it’s better to have shorter, but smoother gifs, I promise. And with tumblr’s new 10 MB limit, it shouldn’t be a problem anyway!

Then, your frames should open up. What we want to do is make them into a smart object, so we can edit all the layers at the same time. To do this, click the small button in the left-hand corner. ALWAYS click this first. If you don’t, it will only convert the first frame to a smart object and the gif won’t work.

Give it a second to sort itself out, then, on the right-hand side, select all your frames at once using the shift key.

Then, go to filter > convert for smart filters. This might take a minute. Don’t click anything else in case PS gets angry lmao, just leave it for a second and it’ll do its thing. The more frames you have, the longer it takes! Now we have our gif, but it needs to be cropped, sharpened and coloured!

CROPPING

You want to start by selecting the rectangular marquee tool on the left-hand side, then drag it across by clicking and highlighting the area you would like to crop your gif to, like so:

What I tend to do is select everything inside the black lines you sometimes get around your gif (this depends on what file you d*wnload), and also the tiniest bit inside the sides. This is because I’ve found if you crop it right up to the edge, you get a tiny bit of transparency on the sides of your gifs, which I’d rather avoid.

Once you have your desired selection, go to image > crop. Now, the dimensions for tumblr are 540px width, so all your gifs have to be that width. However, the length is up to you. I really like big gifs, so sometimes I even make a full square, or even longer. It’s entirely up to you, and what kind of set you want to make.

For the purposes of this gif, I will stick to what I usually go for, 540px by 350 px. This will mean you’ll have to crop some width off, but that’s okay, since Marisa isn’t central anyway. The cropping is always trial and error for me, as sometimes people move out of the frame within in the gif. The best thing to do is just try it, and then move the slider in the timeline window at the bottom to see if the person stays inside the gif, and if not, adjust accordingly.

Next, go to image > image size:

In this box, if I put the width as 540, the gif is a smaller height than I want, as it keeps to the dimensions of the gif when you load it into PS. That’s okay, just put the height you want instead, and we’ll crop off the excess.

Then click OK. Using the rectangular marquee tool again, we need to remove the excess width. Part of the reason I like this version of PS is that it tells you the width of your selection as you do it, but you can always use the ruler as a guide, and check the size of your image by going to image > image size again.

Again, use image > crop, and your gif should now be the correct size!

You can also use the crop tool in the timeline window to crop the length of your gif:

However, I tend to wait until later on to do this (which will be explained further down!)

SHARPENING

Next you want to go to filter > sharpen > smart sharpen.

These are my settings. However, 0.4px is very sharp, too much so, but that’s easily fixed.

Go to filter > blur > Gaussian blur and then set it to 1.0.

Now on the right-hand side, we need to reduce the blur, so double click the little adjustment button, and change the opacity of the blur. I usually go for 20-30%!

Then click OK, and that’s your sharpening done!

COLOURING

I picked this scene on purpose as it’s dark, so good for showing how to colour a gif. I have a base psd which consists of some very basic adjustments, but it mostly exists so I don’t forget what adjustment layers I like to use. I adjust them every time I make a gif, essentially colouring each gif from scratch.

In this case, the psd actually makes it darker. So, what I will do is turn each layer off, and adjust as I go. A lot of people say using lots of adjustment layers ruins the quality of your gif… I have never found this to be true, as long as you are gentle with them. If you whack the brightness right up to the top, it’s going to ruin your gif no matter if you use 1 adjustment layer or 100. I would just say use your common sense, and adjust a little at a time!

I start with a simple black to white gradient map set to soft light, because I think it helps you see depth once you add some brightness to it. I usually do this on about 10%, or more if needed. It’s probably unnecessary, I just like how it looks!

Then, I move onto using curves and levels. This is where things can diverge depending on who you’re colouring. If this person is white, it doesn’t matter too much. If they’re not white, you don’t want to white wash them. My best advice is to play around with it. By adding vibrance and other (usually the red) selective colour settings later, you can ensure you don’t change the person’s skin tone from what it originally was. You can also use layer masks at varying opacities (various shades of grey), on your curves and levels, to remove some brightening so that you’re not changing anyone’s skin colour. Just brighten slowly and check in with yourself honestly about how your gif looks.

Some people don’t like using levels, or curves. It’s completely up to you. I tend to use both because levels are good for bringing depth, even if not brightening (though I like to use them for that as well).

One thing you can do is use the white point of the gif to make PS adjust the curves itself, however I like to drag the sliders myself and see what it looks like. Just make sure it’s not too bright, as we will be using further layers to brighten more, after.

Next is levels. The slider on the left controls the black point, the one in the middle controls the midtones, and the one on the right controls the white points. The black brings depth, the midtones adjust the overall brightness, and the white points produce stronger highlights. Again, you’ll get a feel for how this works as you practice. Just don’t use the white point excessively, especially if your characters are not white.

Then I add vibrance (+20!), because we’ve removed a lot of it when lightening the gif. Next is exposure, which I find brings out the highlight and shadow areas more effectively:

Then colour balance! This helps with scenes that might be a certain colour, i.e. too blue, too green, too red, etc. Moving the sliders in the opposite direction of the colour your gif is will counteract it. The best thing to do when accounting for different colours, is to make a new layer every time you change colour, so that you don’t get confused. I always add a new layer for colour balance and selective colour if I want to change more than one thing. So one for red, one for yellow, one for pink, etc.

A layer of brightness just to make the gif pop, and because the scene is extra dark, I added a very gentle extra curves layer:

SAVING YOUR GIF

Time to save the gif. You can go ahead and file > export > save for web (legacy) now, but then you’ll have to reopen the gif to reset the frame rate from 0.07, to 0.05. Instead of doing that, I use a modified action. The original was made by the very talented @elenafisher! So I do not take credit for that at all. You can find the original here: elenafisher(.)tumblr(.)com/post/190817437374/gif-sharpening-action-2-preview-download and in my resources tag. Please reblog it if you’re going to use this!

To use an action, first make sure you have actions turned on in window > actions. To load in your action, go to the little lines circled, and then load the action from your downloads:

Obviously if you don’t want to sharpen your gifs yourself, you can use the action as it is, and it will give you a beautiful glowing effect. If you’d just like to use it to flatten your gif into frames like I do, make sure to take out all the items I have highlighted:

Until it looks like this!

Make sure you have the layer under the file name highlighted, and then click the play button at the bottom! (If you get a screen saying select all frames cannot be found, don’t worry, just click continue!) You can delete the layer that does that if you want, I just keep it in case I realise I’ve forgotten to do something, because you can click cancel and edit your gif before you flatten it. Of course you can undo the steps to get back to the smart object version of your gif, it just takes longer!

And now your gif is in frames and set to 0.05 already, so you don’t have to change the speed! All you need to do now before saving is change the gif cycle to “forever” in the bottom left-hand corner:

Then to save the gif go to file > export > save for web (legacy). Sometimes, the gif is bigger than the tumblr 10MB limit. You’ll be able to see this in the bottom left-hand corner of the gif save settings. If this is the case, I like to preview the gif, to see whether it would be best to cut frames off of the beginning or the end, or both. When you’ve decided, you can select the frames at the bottom, and in the right-hand side panel, and delete them both using the little bins/trash icons.

I keep checking and deleting frames until I get the gif under 10 MB! Just don’t delete frames from the middle, as then you’ll have the same issue as if you selected “every other frame” when making the gif: it won’t flow!

Lastly, these are my save settings:

So that’s it! That’s how I make all my gifs. Blending I do when the gifs are in the grouped, smart filter stage, whereas text I add on during the framing section above! Really hope this is helpful, please feel free to ask any questions you may have! 💖

#gif tutorial #tutorial*#completeresources #yeahps #chaoticresources #allresources #mikesmom #usergeo #userava #usertix #usersmile #usertom #if you'd like me to cover anything more advanced just shout #i wanted to show how i add text too but tumblr wouldn't let me add any more pics #but people can let me know if that's something you'd want!

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simtanico · 3 years

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Hi! I don't know if this is an annoying/difficult question, sorry if it is, but do you have any advice at all for modelling sims based off real people? Your sims are SO crazy good. When I try to make them they end up looking... eh... Vaguely like the person? But there's a huge gap between that and some kind of 'spark' some simmers seem to manage to capture.

Hello! Definitely not annoying. Difficult, as in how difficult it is to answer? Maybe. I'm gonna go off on a couple of tangents. But I'm gonna try my best to explain the process. Which isn't really much of one sorry.

There's a handful of tutorials and tips out there regarding reference photos and like... proportions and all that so I won't cover that.

I use that as a general guide of course, but mostly I just save some photos of the person at various angles and focus on one feature or two at a time. Literally going back and forth between reference photo and my game. I think if you try to get everything at the same time, it really makes it easy to get frustrated with whatever your sim looks like at the moment. Making sims in general is a combination of a LOT of things depending on your style.

I can point out ALL the flaws with my sims based on real people. In my experience, it’s about getting the defining features of a person close enough to the real thing so that it resembles them. I don't think you need a complete copy to get the point across, however i do think some people and features are harder to emulate than others. I've been working on some sims for YEARS, and they still don't work out lol

and take a look at this progression on my sim based on Z4ne H0ltz starting back in 2015!

that first screenshot:

Personally, I get a little lost if I work on a sim too much all at once. I find some time away makes me less tired and frustrated. Just pace yourself :)

Also if you need any help, shoot me a message here or on discord. I promise I don't judge or anything.. it's sims who cares lol

TO START...

I suggest starting with the head and its shape. Starting off with a game-generated sim, the first slider I get to is head width. It's usually too dang wide for my tastes. And then adjusting the general position of the the features. You can always change things later, so you don't have to know exactly what you're going to do, but as I've mentioned before, sculpting sims up in CAS is just practice with sliders! Also in the long run, you may want to use Pu+Chi House's Smooth Face Normals slider! I attempt to explain and show what it does here. I've uploaded the slider here: https://simfileshare.net/download/984204/

This is gonna be a doozy sorry in advance if the read more doesn't work

SLIDERS SLIDERS SLIDERS

Big sliders like Pu+Chi House’s face shape sliders dramatically change the face shape, and it could save you a lot of time! I highly suggest using these to get rid of the weird large jaw sims can get.

Play with different sliders and how they interact with one another! Example: jaw width and Cheek Fullness affect the same area. if you need a wide jaw and don’t want cheek distortion, you can use cheek fullness, lower the jaw width slider and then edit the cheekbones from there

Knowing what sliders move what and how it can work to your advantage is key! I cover this in my reply post about noses.

For visual reference:

I start out with my nose but I want the nostrils to sit further on the outside

so i go in and use the nose width slider and raise it to widen the lower nose:

Then lower the nostril scale slider

Comparison:

as you can see, i kind of achieved what I wanted, but also widened the nose tip too! Welp, that takes another slider I have, Tip Width. And I'll adjust that accordingly! It's really just a matter of what you're going for and what you're going to have to compensate for as a result!

That said, our community has made some awesome sliders that open up so many possibilities and even eliminate the need to do that multi-slider tango. I wouldn't even know where to begin (wish I wanted to make videos because I could talk for an hour about sliders)

For example @pitheinfinite made sliders that can make sims look better and more realistic, I'm jealous at what they've achieved!

They have their Inner Corner to Nose slider that moves an area of the sim's face hat make eyebags and the shadows and lines appear farther out from the inner eye. It saves you from having to use cheek sliders to mimic the effect and thus ruining the face shape you have going

It's truly an INDISPENSABLE slider. One of many!

Since I make sliders, I usually just make some to specifically fix whatever issue I'm having. Granted they're made with general function in mind, which makes my cheater-y way of making things happen more useful in the future. I have about 50 experimental unfinished sliders in my game and can tell you that all my current sims use them for some reason or other. So I'm not working with nothing, I guess?

EYE SPY 👁

The best way to really get nice accurate looking sims is the eyes.

Pay attention to the slant of the eye, the shape and position of the upper and lower eyelids. you can use the game’s Eyelid Height slider, and AWT’s Eyelid width and height sliders (and many more)

and especially where the iris (green) sits relative to the eyelid. getting that shape and eyeball positioned correctly really makes a HUGE difference

I do suggest Bloom’s Eye slider (left and right) that rotate the eyes left and right. That along with their Lazy eye sliders can give your sims a less symmetric face and position the eyes to be FAR more accurate and realistic than the default.

I also recommend their vertical sliders (Eye lift or drop) to help with eye positioning.

I can't stress the importance of the right contacts or eyes for your sims. Of course it all depends on how you make your sims's eyes and all that. Take the last sim i posted about. It took forever and a half to find the right contacts that didn't need severe or intense editing to capture the same vibe the person he's based on. The problem is pretty persistent for me, and I am just speaking for myself when I say this is necessary. Iris size, shading, recolorability, detail, catch lights, and pupil position are things to consider for your play style and preferences.

In addition to seeing what eyes will do the trick, I do edit the catch lights in the screenshots to give the eyes a different emotion or look. (I use defaults that get rid of the game-generated catch lights, and supernatural eye glow.) It's nice when that's all it is and I don't have to go in and photoshop things in and out to make them look human lmao

Perfect, schmerfect

And just know that as long as you have the same vibe or look going on it doesn't need to be perfect! Things will evolve over time, and you can change and perfect things as you go along, but close is better than trying to achieve an exact replica. We are working with the limitations of sliders and the optimized meshes they work on! So yeah there might be jagged bits or the profile might not exactly match and some things might not be accurate, but that's okay! Considering what sims look like at their default, you should be proud! I use the same mf eyebrows on all my sims basically and I tell myself they're just placeholders (yeah, right), but I manage to make them work with what I have!

Sliders, Makeup, and Skins, oh my!

a good base skin is critical, but not the end of the world if you pick the wrong one. They determine kind of definition and types of features highlighted on a sim 100000% and you might lose a feature you like or dislike when you change them! Feel free to switch up between skins you have to find the best fit.

Makeup can be a game-changer though!!! Any details you can add and help make your sim look the most like the person you're basing them off can go MILES.

In some cases, I've actually gotten really interesting results trying to get my sculpt as close as possible to real life references so the makeup makes a difference but don't define the features by themselves. Still, though, I utilize makeup up a LOT. [remember that if you use Nraas, you can layer makeup. Right-clicking makeup will also remove it if it's applied :)]

Here's the last sim i posted about when removing makeup:

no nosemasks really replicates the face-claim's nose (too shiny at the lower part) but it'll do 🤷‍♀️

Freckles, eyebags, highlighters, face shadows, pores, nosemasks, etc are all great!!

The way you move your sliders WILL effect how these look, so don't rely on makeup that adds super-specific detail or goes over an area you know is a jumbled mess because of sliders!

I do have a mess of recommendations and wcifs for skins and makeup. replies tag | wcif tag

[also I love compiling wcif cc lists for my sims it's great]

Finally, I appreciate your comment about my sims, mainly because I know they're not ever really exact copies or as close as I want to be to their real life counterparts, so thanks!! I've seen fellow simmers get really good results without messing as much as I do and I love when people can make really good maxis match likenesses because it's just so damn cool! It's truly a talent. I'm not one of those lucky few, but I like to try my way at it anyway. After what feels like some good progress I'll post a pic here. Even after doing this forever I don't feel like I'm an expert or can get good results in a shorter amount of time, but it's just fun to see the progression (or regression) of how my sims look.

#long post #replies #no tutorials just rambling and vibes~~~~

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marveldc-imagines-hub · 3 years

Text

That One Valentine’s Day Special (Captions)

Anon said: “Hello!! I saw that your wandavision requests are open and I had to request something! I’m so obsessed with Vis right now, it’s very bad. I can’t think of any specific plot ideas, all I know is that I would really love to see some fluffy Vision just head over heals in love with reader. Kisses, cuddles, all that jazz. Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️”

Anon said: “maybe a request where it’s valentines and the reader and Wanda team up to get really dressed up and make an amazing dinner to surprise Vision, but when he comes home and sees them both he’s so flustered that either like has a shutdown or faints? And then obviously Wanda and the reader panic and spend the evening taking care of him and also teasing him for being so adorable/fainting? Thank you!!!”

A/N: Combined aspects from both of these requests to make an ooey gooey Valentine’s Day special (which got belated because I lost half of the writing when I transferred it from doc to Tumblr post :’D)!

Don’t think this is the type of dressed up you meant but I hope you like it, either way! The type of nightwear I was going for with Wanda was something like this.

Subtitles/Captions Masterlist

Tip Jar

Word count: 7,117

Warnings: Valentine’s Day sap. Lingerie, passionate kissing, and everyone being flirty (nothing graphic). Reader makes a really, really, just terrible pun in order to compliment Wanda. This was edited very late at night, so there might be a few errors.

Tag list: @cyanide-mustard @badasspolygenderfriend (These were the only two on the tag list who confirmed that they wanted to be tagged in everything WandaVision-related; if anyone else on the Subtitles list does, just let me know!)

~~~

“Hey, Wanda?” You hollered to the woman in the other room. You were standing in front of the mirror in the Maximoff bathroom, adjusting the collar of the somewhat too-big shirt you wore.

“Yes, dear?” Your girlfriend hollered back from a couple of rooms away.

“While I definitely get the why we’re doing this,” you continued, tugging the shirt’s shoulders farther to one side, then back to the other, before giving up and moving onto your hair, “with Valentine’s Day and all, you know--”

Wanda piped up, probably to assure you that she was listening more than anything, “Yes, I do.”

You snorted. “--but is there a reason we’re doing so… much?”

As you spoke, you ran your hands through your hair, ruffling it to give it a bedhead type of look. You faltered a bit when your eyes settled on the ugly scar on your forehead that your hair couldn’t cover without being in a bizarre style. You frowned and dug a finger into the scar tissue, feeling very little other than mild pressure when you did so.

There was a pause on Wanda’s end. “You don’t think he deserves it, working so hard this past week?”

You reeled back, insecurity forgotten, and quickly left the bathroom. You walked down the hall to where Wanda was working on her own outfit in the bedroom she shared with Vision, rambling away, “No, no, no! I mean no as in no, you’re wrong, not as in he doesn’t deserve what we’re doing. Of course, he does! To be completely honest, he probably deserves it more than anyone in town--aside from yourself, of course--but… For example, we did a lot revolving around food and… Vis doesn’t eat.”

There was another pause and you halted by the closed bedroom door, mainly to pick a rose petal from where it stuck itself to the bottom of your stockinged foot but also because you didn’t want to walk in on your partner.

“But Valentine’s Day revolves around food quite a bit, doesn’t it?” Wanda said from the other side of the door. At this point in your relationship, you could pick up pretty easily how Wanda was feeling by her tone of voice. She spoke thoughtfully, which wasn’t all that concerning, but there was a certain edge to her voice that made you worried; she was going to start overthinking and scrapping the entire idea if you didn’t interfere soon.

You tilted your head from one side to the other while considering her statement before giving a nod she couldn’t see and responding, “I suppose you’re right there. Lots of holidays do, now that I think about it. Thanksgiving? Turkey. Easter? Candy. Christmas? Just… food in general.”

You glanced around as you spoke. You couldn’t see much of the house from where you stood in the hallway but you knew what to expect when you walked to the main part of the house. All of the house’s lights were off, save for a few lamps that washed the house with what would have been a low, cozy, get-comfortable-before-bed sort of light if Wanda hadn’t used her powers to turn the lightbulbs in said lamps from yellow to a red; because of this change, the dim light gave off a much more romantic energy that fit with the rest of your and Wanda’s decorating. Red, pink, and white rose petals were scattered all across the floor, starting from the front were, where Vision would be when he walked in after work and making a trail to different rooms of the house. One path led to the kitchen and dining area, where you and Wanda had spent a good part of the day preparing various sweet, Valentine’s Day- and romance-themed treats plus dinner and setting up the table with candles and flowers and a pink tablecloth that matched the pink rose petals. Another led to the living room, which was decorated in a similar nature. Thanks to Wanda’s ability to conjure, she was able to quickly clean up the area that was usually hidden under a mess of baby equipment, change the color of the throw pillows and blankets to the correct red and pink theme, and even had “floating” heart decorations that danced across the ceiling on transparent strings; the babies themselves were gone for the night, safe under Agnes’s care once she and you had been able to convince Wanda. Finally, a rose path, accompanied by ceiling hearts, led down the hallway until it made a fading stop at where were you currently stood, leaning next to the bedroom door. The bedroom itself wasn’t decorated and neither of you had really talked about the assumptions that could be made from looking at the trail, but what you had discussed was how many romantic movies Wanda was going to project onto one of the walls after dinner while cuddling would most certainly take place on the couch.

The third path was mainly to guide you down the hallway while Wanda greeted Vision from the kitchen. It was also to lead Vision to go change into his own set of comfy pajamas when you and Wanda would ultimately have to push him to do so after him grumbling about too tired to do so.

Poor thing, you thought while pushing yourself away from the wall.

Being the company’s fastest and best worker, Vision had become victim to Mr. Hart doubling his workload and as a result, the gentleman had been working like a dog for the entire past week. His days had consisted of getting up way too early only to go into work and be worked to the bone, then come home and relieve Wanda of the babies--regardless of her assuring him that she’d be fine while he rested--until he passed out on the couch sometime later into the night. You’d been surprised, after learning of his synthezoid identity, that he’d need to sleep at all but you supposed anyone would need to recharge after a day like that.

You, on the other hand, had racked up some vacation days and, after a chat with Wanda about the upcoming romantic holiday, decided to add an extra day to your weekend so the two of you could do something nice for her husband. You’d probably regret this on Monday but for now, you were just happy to have spent the day working with Wanda and were hoping the rest of the night went well.

Speaking of the woman, Wanda had been quiet for some time now, other than the sounds of rustling fabric. You decided now was a good time as any to get involved before she decided that she should do something completely different and cause all the previous work to go to waste, so you knocked. After getting a verbal invitation, you strolled in, only for a sharp inhale to almost propel you back to slam into the doorframe.

Wanda was standing in front of a full-length mirror against the far wall of the bedroom, anxiously fiddling with what little clothing she had on. She wore what looked like a bathing suit but was made out of a sheer, body-hugging, baby pink fabric and embellished with a subtle pattern of roses. Her back was turned to you but you could see from the mirror’s reflection that the piece still left plenty to the imagination with a more opaque version of the same fabric keeping her chest, the bit of fabric held snugly between her thighs, and even an upsidedown V-shaped panel that was framed by silky white bands and reached from the middle of her torso to the lower part of her hips covered. This lovely piece, clothing an even lovelier woman, was paired with similarly colored stockings of the same fabric, minus the rose pattern, and you were both surprised and amused by the addition of a string of pink pearls around her neck and one wrist with matching earrings and a pair of white low heels with a bow on the toe strap. Wanda’s hair was styled in loosely curled waves, making it look shorter than it actually was, and pushed back with a headband that could be mistaken for a minimal tiara, which was also embellished with pink-tinted pearls.

You knew that you were staring, flushed, and with eyes almost bulging out of their sockets--you knew only because you could catch part of your own reflection in the mirror, not because you could feel anything other than goosebumps-inducing tingles travel across your body--but it took Wanda laughing softly and catching your eye in the mirror to pull your slacked jaw off the floor and close your suddenly dry mouth. You eventually also tried to speak but not much other than a stammering “Uhhh…” came out and you gave up, instead choosing to scrub your hands over your face so you would at least look away.

Then Wanda dared to ask, “So, do I look okay?”

You stared at her again but this time it was one of disbelief. “I’m sorry, what?”

Wanda rolled her eyes and chuckled again at your utter belief before nervously running her hands down along a perfect set of curves. You fully believed she had no intention of torturing you by doing so but here she was, doing just that. If it hadn’t been for the awkward look on her face, makeup-free except for light lipstick and a little mascara, your gaze probably would have stayed with the path her hands made over her stomach and down to rest on her hips. You watched her gaze jump worriedly from one part of her body to the other instead.

“Look,” she continued, “I know I look okay, I know I look fine--”

Fine? Only fine? If Wanda asked you to strip naked and run through Westview while screaming her praises, you would do so without a second thought. Well, you probably would have done it regardless of what she was wearing but you wouldn’t be complaining about the extra bit of help.

“--but ever since the twins were born, I feel a little… hmph… wearing something like this.”

While you couldn’t possibly fathom how she could see herself as anything but one of the most beautiful living creatures ever, but you’d also figured out quite a while ago that she didn’t exactly see herself the same way you did. You chewed the inside of your cheek a bit before walking over and wrapping your arms around her; her own hands settled to rest on top of yours. You rested your chin on her shoulder and met her gaze in the mirror one last time.

“I suppose even goddesses have their insecure days, huh?”

Wanda laughed and rolled her eyes so hard you were vaguely worried about them rolling back into her skull. She lightly slapped your arms but still leaned back into your embrace as she scoffed, “Be quiet.”

“Wanda,” you said, “you had kids. You still look great. You look so good. So, so, so good. Insanely good. Earth-shakingly good. So pretty. Very gorgeous. Amazingly foxy. Incredibly stellar. Your mom body? Could demolish Aphrodite in a beauty pageant.”

You rambled on a bit longer before Wanda was smacking your arms again. She looked more at ease now, though, completely relaxed in your arms with her head leaning into the crook of your shoulder and one ankle loosely crossed over the other.

“Mom body.” She snorted. “Please, enlighten me further about this mom body I have.”

You quickly shook your head and gave her reflection a warning look. “Can’t. If I say much more, it’ll upset the gods. Every single one of them. I’ll be thrown into the pits for all the sinful things I’d have said.”

Wanda’s head fell back as she laughed again; you felt the tickle of her hair against your exposed neck as you grinned against her shoulder. When she settled again, you gave her a serious look, moved your lips to kiss the shell of her ear, then muttered, “But let’s just say you’re a foxy mama in absolutely every sense of the word.”

The woman in your arms erupted with laughter once more, though this time it was short and accompanied by a gentle slap to the cheek. Then her hand rested there, holding your head close as she leaned her forehead partially against yours.

“You and my husband,” she said with a little shake of her head, “and those ridiculous puns of yours.”

You nodded slightly in agreement, then tilted your head to peck her cheek. “That one really was just…”

“Awful?”

“Yeah, no, not good.” You chuckled and reached a hand up to poke her cheek. “Made ya smile though.”

Wanda hummed, squinting at herself in the mirror, then huffed. “I suppose.”

There were a few moments of the two of you just holding each other and soaking up each other’s presence.

Then Wanda just had to ask again, “Do you really think I look okay?”

It was your turn to roll your eyes. “Wanda! You’re so pretty! You’re so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so--”

“You tell me I’m pretty all the time,” she pointed out.

“I have yet to be wrong,” you countered.

She looked herself over again. Tilting her head and glancing up at you from under her lashes, she said, “You could call me sexy.”

“I could,” you agreed, “Don’t want to make you uncomfortable though.”

Wanda raised a brow. “Did I not just say you could?”

You snorted. “Was my foxy mama joke not enough? Do you know what havoc me doing so would release onto the world? Would you want the gods to reject me because of my filthy language?” You leaned your head into her neck while keeping your eyes on hers. You waggled your eyebrows and lowered your voice. “‘Cause I’ll do it.”

Wanda made a face at you, scrunching up her nose and pursing her lips in the special, incredibly cute way that only she could. Then she smiled and ruffled your hair slightly. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you calling me sexy once.”

“Oh, nay,” you insisted, “if it happens once, it shall happen a million types! An unholy, unhinged, affectionate monster shall be released from its mortal prison!”

Wanda hummed thoughtfully and made a show of tapping her chin and tilting her head. “Okay, deal.”

You rolled your eyes and smiled. Giving her cheek another quick smooch, you said simply back, “‘Kay, you’re sexy.”

She smiled back at you and did a single clap. “Yay.”

“And, hey,” you said, tapping the scar on your forehead, “even if you weren’t a level of beauty that matched an immortal otherworldly being--impossible--at least you don’t have a scar on your face.”

You saw Wanda’s gaze soften in the mirror before she twisted around in your arms to face you. She gently took your face in her hands and your eyes fluttered shut as she leaned up to kiss you directly on said scar.

“I like the scars,” she said softly, “It means you survived something, even if you don’t know what it was, and I’m happy that you did.”

Your eyes blinked back open. “Why?”

“You wouldn’t be here for me otherwise.”

You huffed out a little breath, somewhat involuntarily, and were suddenly very aware of the fact that you two were practically tangled around each other now. You squished your nose against hers in a nuzzle and said in a lower tone, “Lucky you then.”

She dropped her hands from your face to wrap her arms around your neck. She matched your tone and bumped her nose back against yours, tilting her head a bit. “Very lucky.”

It was almost like a mutual decision when your lips crashed against each other.

Having been prone to the feeling of floaty dizziness as a result of your migraines, the feeling itself wasn’t particularly jarring. What replaced the usual undercurrent of pulsing pain, however, was what made this dizziness feel heavenly instead of hellish. When you kissed Wanda, it was like immediate intoxication but instead of booze, it was the taste of the gloss on her lips and the strawberry flavor that still lingered on her tongue from your cooking session earlier that day and the mix of citrusy sweetness from her perfume and shampoo that made you think of candied orange slices whenever you inhaled. You’d always be too busy to mentally describe it while in the moment, far too concentrated on committing whatever part of Wanda’s body that you were touching to memory via your grazing fingertips and adding new scents, words, feelings, images, and whatever else to the catalog of things that reminded you of her in your head, but when you thought about the love-drunk dizziness that followed the initial intoxication after the fact, you equated it to being a little tipsy and stumbling into a warm home. Only this time, home was a woman whose arms and mouth kept drawing you back for one more kiss, and then five more, and the thing that made you tipsy was the way the air crackled with invisible electricity and magic, and the look in her eyes when your eyes fluttered open after parting.

While time seemed to slow to a stop during your and Wanda’s moment, it hadn’t actually done so at all. This was proven when you heard the front door begin to open, causing you and Wanda to practically leap away from each other. She stared at you with wide, startled eyes and you couldn’t help but note your handiwork; her entire face and neck were flushed a deep red, her hair was significantly messier than it had been previously, that the lip color she’d been wearing had been partially transferred to your mouth.

The admiration could only last a moment. “You’re supposed to be in the kitchen.”

“I’m supposed to be in the kitchen,” Wanda repeated. “My lipstick is all over your face.”

You brushed a thumb over your bottom lip and it came away with a glossy pink. “Your lipstick is on my face.”

Wanda stood in front of you, suddenly frozen except for flitting eyes and hands grasping at the air while she tried to think of something. Then, with a couple of snaps of her fingers, she remembered her magic a moment later. “Oh, I can just-- You look amazing, the shirt’s a nice touch. See you out there!” She snapped once more and disappeared in a puff of red smoke just as you heard the front door swing open and Vision’s voice drifted down the hallway.

“Darling, I’m ho-- Oh.”

Then Wanda’s voice also bounced back your way from where she was probably now perched in the kitchen. Her tone was one part frazzled, two parts cheery, and five parts flirty teasing as she spoke. “Hiya, honey! Whaddya think?”

You drew your attention from their voices to the mirror that you now stood in directly in front of. The outfit you wore wasn’t nearly as polished as Wanda’s, but it had its intimate charm. While the two of you both wore stockings, that was where the similarities stopped. Your stockings were a sheer brownish-black and you wore no form of shoes with them nor any other accessories aside from your lightly ruffled mess of hair. In contrast to Wanda’s overall body-shaping attire, the pair of high-waisted silky shorts that you wore were flowy and loose, and instead of the shorts’ matching tank top with uncomfortable lace straps, you wore one of Vision’s pajama shirts that was a similar shade of red with vertical yellow and dark brown stripes. Posing a couple of different ways for yourself in the mirror, you were pleased to find the red and yellow were an almost match to Vision’s skin and the glowing gem in his forehead; with a little more pondering, you were a tad upset that the shirt you were wearing had yellow stripes instead of yellow spots.

If it had spots, you thought, I could look like a strawberry with a thigh-high chocolate dip.

Pleased with your look otherwise, you aimlessly moved about the bedroom before hovering around the doorway where you could almost make out the rest of Vision and Wanda’s conversation. The plan in place was that Wanda was going to give Vision the itinerary for the night--gifts and cards, dinner, because there was food to be eaten whether Vision ate any or not, an indoor movie theater that Wanda would magically whip up, and the rest of the night spent in romantic snuggling bliss--and then would give you a cue. When the actual process of getting the gifts came about, you were to bring said items to the living room, being somewhat of a surprise gift for Vision in your own right. You glanced towards the bed, where a white clothing box wrapped in a red ribbon sat with a trio of cards, one each from you and Wanda and one Wanda had made on behalf of the twins, who were still too young to do much on their own.

You couldn’t be sure whether it was because Wanda had slipped up and mentioned you--it was much harder to hear them from the other part of the house after their loud introductions finished--or if Vision, clever and curious man that he was, had caught on to your and Wanda’s plan already and decided to uncover it ahead of time. Either way, you suddenly caught a glimpse of Vision turning down the hallway, hovering a few inches off the ground to probably preserve the rose petal trail underneath his feet, and jumped away from the doorway before he could see you. While you couldn’t quite make out what Wanda was saying, you could hear a slight strain in her voice as she tried to get Vision to back down from his cause, to no avail. You only had a few moments to think of something and you decided to hop onto the bed and get comfortable in a casual sitting position, moving the small stack of Valentine’s Day goodies and looking coolly off to the side just before Vision floated into the room.

The soft thud of Vision landing on his feet your attention back over to the doorway and you saw him standing there rigid in his work suit, his gaze roaming over you before respectfully glancing away--only to be slowly dragged back less than a minute later. After watching this process continue a couple more times, you decided to tease him.

“Oh, hey there, crimson toaster oven,” you quipped nonchalantly, reaching up to toy with a stray piece of hair as you did, “how was work?”

Vision’s eyes settled on yours as you watched him with a cocked head. You expected some sort of reply, and for a moment he seemed like he was about to speak. Instead, though, he settled into an almost completely frozen state, jaw clenching slightly.

At first, you were amused. Then you realized he was quite literally frozen, nothing moving aside from the whirling of gear-like shapes in his irises, and your facade broke down a bit.

“Vis?” you questioned, sitting up straighter and moving the Valentine’s Day gifts aside, “you okay?”

No response.

You frowned and got up to walk over to him. “Um, Wanda?”

The Sokovian woman appeared a moment later shimmying around Vision’s form to stand next to you.

“Is he okay?” you asked.

“Oh, dear,” Wanda murmured. You watched as her gaze turned red and she looked him over, using her powers to check that his internal functions were still working properly. Eventually, her gaze stopped at his face and after squinting at him, Wanda said, “Ah. [Y/N], it appears we broke him.”

“I’m sorry?” you choked, “Broke him?”

Wanda seemed much less worried than you felt about the implications of Vision being some form of broken. She instead smiled and stepped up to him, giving you a simple “Yep” before pressing her fingers to his temples. Her eyes flashed red again and a second later Vision’s body sagged into a much more human position. “There we go.”

You blinked and watched as Vision shook himself out, flapping his hands and then rotating his arms and neck with a grumble.

“Ah,” he said, “much better.”

You eyed him. “Everything’s chill then? His gears got, ah, de-gummed, so to speak?”

Wanda snickered. She was now tucked against Vision’s side and helping him shimmy out of his jacket.

Vision seemed to remember where he was and what was going on because his eyes flitted from Wanda to you and back. When he settled a bit more, he looked at you both in turn, his gaze making a slow, deliberate path down both your and Wanda’s bodies as he took in what each of you wore. Finally, his eyes jolted back up to meet yours, and he responded in a low, gravelly voice, “Well, right now, I’m doing absolutely marvelously.”

You grasped that everything was back on track again and a smirk graced your face. “Well,” you said, clapping your hands together and turning back towards the bed, “as long as the short-circuit didn’t fry anything, the step of the night is gifts.”

Then you were being dragged back to Vision’s side by your wrist and he had an arm around both your and Wanda’s waists. “Now, just hold on there, [Y/N]. Shouldn’t I get to spend some time with my lovely partners, especially after seeing all the effort they’ve put in? Besides, I haven’t even gotten to compliment you about your looks.” He paused and pressed a kiss to Wanda’s temple, then nuzzled the side of your neck. When he moved his head away again, he eyed the way your shirt hung loosely off your shoulders. “Is that my shirt?”

You and Wanda shared an amused glance. She’d told you earlier that day about the anniversary-Hart family dinner mishap she and Vision had had when they’d first moved to Westview, the same day you’d met the couple, and how Vision and the Harts had come home to Wanda wearing an intimate nightdress that had made Vision more than a little flustered; the story is what sparked the idea for the evening’s current attire. She ignored his comment about you wearing his clothes and decided to nudge him back to the plan as hand, brushing a hand over the suit jacket now hanging from her arm. “I don’t know about that, honey, your eyes were certainly saying something.”

Vision pouted and hummed, probably trying to come up with another reason to keep hugging you and Wanda close to his body. After a moment, he chirped, “Ah, well! I brought you each something and something for the boys, and I left everything out in the living room. We can’t open gifts without all of them, what a pity. We might as well--”

“I have an idea.” Wanda interrupted. When you looked from Vision to her, she was still smiling but her eyes sparked with a playful warning. She freed herself from Vision’s hold, much to the tall man’s dismay, and walked over to the bed. She picked up the cards and tucked them under the arm that also held Vision’s jacket, then brought the clothing box over and held it out to you. “How about I go and make sure the food is warmed up and the table is set, then get all the cards and things into one place while, [Y/N], you give Vision the one gift he should still have.”

You raised a brow as you took the box from her and watched her saunter to the door, consciously moving out of Vision’s range. “You don’t want to see him open it?”

“I saw you open one I bought for you, you get to see the one you bought him,” Wanda said simply. “And I have a feeling that we’re better off if we’re not all in the same room until things get back on track, Vision might run the risk of shutting down again.”

You gasped dramatically and pressed your free hand to your cheek. Looking at Vision with wide eyes, you whispered, “How will I warm my bagels?”

Vision narrowed his eyes and made a grumbling sound from so deep in his chest you could feel the rumble where you were still held against him. Said sound and Vision’s overall reaction so far made you perfectly happy with the idea of the night derailing a bit off course, but you knew how much of a stickler Wanda could be when she made a plan and this was just as much a night for her as it was for Vision or you.

With no further objections, Wanda walked out of the room. The heels she wore gave her a sashaying step and neither you nor Vision were particularly upset as the two of you watched her go. Then the door was shut and you two were alone.

“So,” Vision said slowly as he turned his attention fully to you, “this is what you’ve been up to instead of going to work today.”

“It is indeed,” you confirmed, “and before you say anything else, I know full well what I’ll be getting into when I go in on Monday.”

“I hope so. You’ll be working harder than I have all week.”

You hummed and chewed on your lip as you thought. “Maybe… I could just… quit my job…”

“Hah!” Vision laughed and waggled a finger at you. “No, no, no, no, no. If I have to endure it, then so do you.”

You grinned and turned away from his finger as if to avoid his complaint. He chuckled and tried to catch your eye, rambling away about Oh, the work we shall both do, but you merely twisted away further, feigning beautiful, blissful ignorance. You even went so far as blocking Vision’s face from your sight with the box you held, which made Vision break off briefly to laugh again.

“--and then, maybe someday you will come home,” Vision continued, catching you in his arms again and tugging you close to him, “and see both of your partners, looking very fetching and being even more wonderful than usual because they’ve set up and entire romantic evening, not only because it’s a romantic holiday but because they specifically wanted to plan something to help you relax after a particularly busy week.” He paused, then added, “And it might even be a little better for you than it will be for me because you actually get to eat the food that’s taken up the entire kitchen.”

You tittered, tilted your head in mock thought even though Vision couldn’t see it, and then lowered your chipboard shield just far enough for your eyes to poke out from over it. “Mm, now that does appealing. Just one question though.”

“Of course, darling.”

You waggled your brows at him. “Which outfit will you be wearing, Wanda’s or mine?”

Vision smirked just slightly but it was enough to set off a volcanic eruption of heat throughout your entire body. You felt his fingers suddenly brushing against yours as he started to gently pry his gift out of your hands.

He said, “Depends on what’s in the box.”

He snagged the box from your hands, revealing your blushing face, but instead of opening it right away, his arm moved around your waist to be with the other once more. He pressed his forehead against yours and you felt a different sort of warmth as the golden gem in his forehead touched your skin. He tilted his head closer still to nuzzle his nose against yours then--

You quickly turned your head away again, flashing him a wicked grin when he stared at you, dumbfounded. You draped your now free arms loosely around his neck, fingered brushing lightly against his neck and fiddling with the collar of his button-up shirt. You shuffled closer to him to eliminate what little space left there was between your body and his, looked him in the eye, and teased, “Careful now, Mr. Maximoff. Wouldn’t want to knock another screw loose in that gorgeous, handsome head of yours.”

Vision’s low chuckle vibrated in his chest, feeling almost like a purr against your own body.

“Or,” you added, “knock one too many screws in?”

“[Y/N].”

“Wind the gears too tight?”

“[Y/N].”

You looked at him innocently; the irritated scowl on his face was contradicted by the mischievous twinkle in his pretty blue eyes. “I can keep going.”

“Oh, I’m very aware of that,” said Vision in that grumbling voice that would probably make you implode every time if it were his regular speaking voice, “but we are never going to get out of this room.”

“Interesting hypothesis,” you said with a very serious nod. “You are welcome to test it or stop me at any time. Now, where was I?”

It took a smirk and a raised brow to kick Vision back into gear but then you were grabbing his face and laughing against his mouth as he all but threw himself at you.

Kissing Vision was quite different than kissing Wanda, although no less addictive. Wanda’s kisses always felt needy but not in the way that one would think. Her kisses always felt like she had been lost up until the very moment your lips would touch hers, and then she was finding refuge and trying to absorb every bit of warmth and comfort that came from the way her mouth melded against yours before the kiss ended and she was alone and lost again. She almost always felt soft and sweet against you but you could feel a wild, restrained power brewing just underneath, and her power seemed to draw out and entangle itself with a power of your own, whatever that power was; the kisses never seemed to last long enough for you to figure that piece out.

When you kissed Vision, you could never get the idea that you were kissing someone not totally human out of your head, but in the best way. One of your favorite things to do whenever you kissed him was to run your hands over his skin and explore every single uniquely intricate thing about him, like the way his skin somehow felt soft and dense at the same time and how it was just slightly textured with lines and grooves that felt inhuman or the way that he didn’t really have a heartbeat or a pulse but rather a gentle constant rumbling of whatever gave him life doing its job, and sometimes this rumbling would jolt or slow depending on where you focused your ministrations. No matter his current state of being--exhausted, flustered, distressed--he was always strong and steady under your hands like he was ready to catch you if you suddenly misstepped or fly you to safety at a moment’s notice should the need arise. You couldn’t help equating the way his mouth worked against yours with the phrase “built to please”; he was always curious and searching in the way his hands and mouth roamed, and he seemed to get the most pleasure when he figured out exactly what you needed and did that--and he was much more often than not oh so very right.

While Wanda felt wild, Vision felt grounding. When you were kissing Wanda, you were so focused on her body and yours and the energy that wrapped the two of you up in a magical cocoon that you felt like you could start bursting at the seams at any moment. Kissing Vision got you much more out of your head, to the point where you were merely exploring him as much as he was you, which led to the occasional knocking of teeth or finding a ticklish spot that caused the kiss to break into giggles and teasing; maybe you would go back to kissing or maybe the two of you would slip into a conversation so seamlessly that you wouldn’t even notice until a couple of hours had already passed.

You often wondered if, when you weren’t around and your partners kissed each other, if either of them felt the same thing that you did. You wondered even more often how Wanda and Vision felt kissing you.

This time, though, it was Wanda’s voice from a couple of rooms away, muffled but noticeable, that finally broke the two of you apart.

“Any day now,” she hollered, although there was no trace of irritation in her tone. “It’s not like we only have a few hours left to celebrate Valentine’s Day or anything.”

Vision’s face scrunched up and he eyed the wall that separated the kitchen and bedroom via another room in between. “Mm, she’s got a point.”

You pursed your lips and squinted at the wall as if you would see red magic permeating it if you did so for long enough. “Do you think she X-rayed us?”

Your partner let out a short little chortle as he disentangled himself from you and looked over the box he’d managed to hang onto during your kissing session. “Even if she did, not like it’s going to be any different once we’re all in the same room together.”

“Good point,” you said. “Mm, more kisses.” You were still curious, though, so you hollered back to Wanda, “Hey, magical girl, did ya see me kiss your husband?”

All you got was a laugh back, which had you smiling.

Then you turned back to Vision, who was toying with the box’s bow, and said, “Alright, Vis, happy Valentine’s Day. Now give me your tie and your pants.”

You and Vision joined Wanda in the dining area shortly, Vision now dressed in a dark blue set of silky pajamas that matched your own shorts of the same shimmery fabric. Wanda had lit the candles not only at the dinner table but also around the rest of the house and she’d set proper places for three at the dinner table, although only two of the places had been served with simple dinner and various sweet, gaudy treats. After the three of you sat, Wanda gave Vision his cards: a beautifully designed one with a poem on the front and a lengthy handwritten letter on the inside from Wanda, a handmade one with bad Valentine’s Day puns and flustered ramblings all over it from you, and a “hand-drawn” one from Tommy and Billy that had really been drawn childishly by Wanda again as the babies were still too young to do so themselves. As he’d mentioned earlier, Vision had gifts of his own, which included a Valentine’s Day cupcake of your favorite flavor that he had snuck from work for you, cards and flowers for each of you, and a pair of inversely colored, Valentine’s Day themed stuffed puppies for the twins. With Tommy and Billy mentioned, Vision questioned their whereabouts and was surprised that Wanda had even let them out of her sight, though somewhat appreciative.

Dinner was next and went fairly quickly. You and Wanda ate a late dinner while the three of you conversed, mainly about Vision’s day and overall week but also you and Wanda explaining how you’d planned and prepared for the date without Vision being any the wiser. Vision made a comment that he, as an incredibly smart individual with a very expansive range of knowledge, should have noticed something sooner, which led to another bout of teasing from primarily you about how he’d fried his batteries when he saw his partners dressed up in pretty clothing and one of his shirts. Then topic conversations bounced around aimlessly for the rest of the time until both you and Wanda had cleaned your plates and even helped yourselves to some of the other goodies. Vision absolutely refused to let either of you do cleanup work, so you convinced Wanda to go change into something a little comfier--“At least take off those pearls and heels. Don’t really mind the rest of the outfit, though.”--and then went over to prepare the living room for movies by bringing over a few more treats to snack on, cleaning off an area for Wanda to magically project movies on the wall without clutter, and turning the couch into less of a decorative scene and more of a nest of red, white, and pink pillows and blankets.

Finally, the three of you settled onto the couch with Vision in the middle. That wouldn’t last for long, though, as you each grabbed a blanket or pillow and shifted yourselves into a big, fluffy, snuggle pile. You and Wanda managed to end up squished between Vision’s arms, where both of you could comfortably rest your heads on his chest. You could also slip an arm around Wanda and absentmindedly run your fingertips underneath the hem of the pajama shirt she now wore--another of Vision’s; it was a light blue and white striped button-down--and over the rose patterns of the sheer fabric hugging her hips. Instead of starting the movies right away, the three of you laid in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company.

Vision briefly had to unwrap his arms to stretch and yawn, the yawn something that wasn’t entirely necessary for him. After placing them back, he murmured, “We don’t normally celebrate these types of things, do we, Wanda?”

Wanda’s eyes fluttered open; you had been watching her lay in quiet, cozy peace and she smiled sweetly at you when she caught you. “Goodness, no. We’ve proven time and time again we’re not exactly the remembering type when it comes to holidays. Holidays, events--”

“Anniversaries,” you offered with a little grin. “Especially those that coincide with meetings with bosses.”

Vision groaned softly. “A minor disaster.”

“Ended well though,” Wanda pointed out.

“And provided the idea for this whole thing,” you added.

Vision hummed thoughtfully and you felt his hand run down your back. “That so?”

“You getting flustered over sexy nightwear?” you said. “What potential.”

Wanda snickered. “What potential indeed. We broke the man.”

“Well,” Vision grumbled, his arms tightening slightly around both of you, “I assure you I’m doing fine now.”

You whispered into his chest, “Only because Wanda put on a shirt.”

Your trio broke into tired chuckles, which then faded into warm silence. It continued for a few moments before Vision pointed out that the movie-watching part of the night didn’t necessarily need to happen.”

That you sitting up and reaching for a movie list you’d compiled much earlier in the day.

“We must watch at least one movie,” you demanded, “and that movie is Grease.”

78 notes · View notes

wlw-lovestruck-fiction · 3 years

Note

I'd like to see how you think Vinca would admit she has feelings for MC, as if she couldn't take it anymore and admits to being in love with her.

“So you didn’t come to nag at me? At all? You’re just… just going to sit there? Silent?”

As she had done for the past hour, Vinca thoroughly ignored you. Never mind the fact that this was your shop, during your shift. You had gotten accustomed to Vinca hanging out here, to her snark and jokes and intense gaze, but today she was…

Weird.

“I like this silence,” you muse, tinkering with the price tags on some of the bikes. “I feel like I can actually think, for once. It’s amazing what not being insulted every second does for your humor. Didn’t think I’d ever feel peace with you on the same room.”

The silence stretched, thick. It irks you, makes you shift uncomfortably.

“Then again, having you like this is just so weird. Did something happen? Something must have happened. Was it Laz again? What did he do?”

You turn your head just slightly. Vinca jerks her head to the side, blue eyes as hard as little diamonds, staring into the door so hard you’re afraid it’ll burst into flames.

Did you just catch Vinca staring at you…?

“Okey, what’s up? You’re creeping me out.”

Vinca was the sort of person to run you over with her opinion or thoughts, never afraid of the consequences, her pride a stubborn shield. It didn’t make sense for her to hesitate, to keep silent.

“If you don’t tell-”

The bell jingles. You sigh, standing up, going to greet the costumers. It’s a little boy, vibrating in place, eyes darting around everything offered in the store. His mother walks in a moment later, giving you a small, apologetic smile.

As you help the boy decide what bike he likes the most, your gaze wanders towards Vinca again, catching how fast her gaze drops towards her phone.

You’re so kicking her out for creeping you out later. Once you finish your shift, you might coax what’s troubling her so much with some ice cream and that movie she likes.

“Will I faster than mum’s car with this, miss?”

You blink down, a delighted smile spreading over your face. “What?” You giggle, crouching, too focused on the little kid to notice how Vinca reacts to the sound, eyes snapping towards you, wide with wonder. “Oh, I don’t know. How fast are you?”

He puffs out his chest. “Faster than The Flash!”

His mother gets this blank expression, probably recalling some sort of accident. You recognize it well enough – it’s the same expression your mom always gets when she talks about the pot incident you had had when you were small.

The next few minutes are spent lightly teasing the boy, his mom admonishing him from running around so much, and a successful purchase moments later.

“Remember to drive safe!” You shout, just before the door closes.

“He’ll probably crash,” Vinca huffs, somewhere behind you.

“Oh, so now you’re talking?”

When you turn, your first thought is that Vinca probably is sick and that’s why she has been acting so weird. After all, how else would you explain the red tinting her cheeks, spreading down her neck?

She’s a full-body blusher, huh, you muse, momentarily distracted.

Hold on… full-body… Blush? Wait, Vinca is blushing?

“Is everything-”

“You’re- You’re good with kids.” She interrupts, gaze wandering.

“Not really, he was just…” Your eyes narrow, catching the way she’s moving. Slow. Uncertain. “Don’t change the topic. Why are you-”

“Shut up for one second, okay?” She snaps, back to her usual self. You blink, confused but not startled, used to her abrupt change in humor. “I just.” A pause. Her eyes flick towards you, and she takes a deep breath. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

“I’m in the middle of my shift-”

One snap of her fingers, and a demon materializes near the counter, expressionless.

“You have to be kidding-”

Her hand snaps towards your arm, claiming it in a vice-like grip. Vinca proceeds to drag you out of the store and into her car, occasionally adjusting her grip and making it gentler, and you only sigh and follow her, deciding do keep silent for now.

Seems like we’re getting that ice cream a bit sooner.

Curiously, Vinca doesn’t head to that ice cream parlor you usually frequent, choosing instead to lead you out of town. The place she wants to go instantly clicks in your mind, memories of a fight – the fight where you had first learned of demons’ existence – flashing behind your eyes.

“Are you going to perform another ritual?”

“No.” Vinca says, dryly. “I would never do something to hurt you.” There’s a pause, but you don’t make any comments. You can tell she’s not quite done talking. “When… when I did it the first time… the ritual, I mean. And it- when it didn’t work out, and you got hurt – cursed with being Dorran’s vessel, I felt so… miserable. I’m not any better than him. Considering how I acted, and all.”

“Hey, you helped me get exorcised. That must count for something.”

“I could have done it sooner.” She huffs. You can see her eyes darken, lost in memory

You shrug. “You were desperate, back then. And you’ve changed a lot. You actually care about me now, for one.”

Her lips thin. “Yes.”

That makes your thoughts skid into a stop. You expected her to huff, glare at you, and say something similar to ‘don’t let it get to your head, pipsqueak, you aren’t that important’.

But Vinca doesn’t look like she’s going to add anything of the sort, so you just stare at her, mouth agape.

“Did you just admit you care about me?”

You see her take a deep breath, feel how her grip tightens against the steering wheel. Her gaze is locked on the road, resolute. “Is that too hard to believe?”

You begin to say yes only to clam up when you detect the edge on her voice. “I’m just… surprised. You don’t usually admit how you, uh, how…”

“That’s going to change, starting now.” She says, guiding the car to a gentle stop near the abandoned factory where everything had transpired. She motions at you to get out of the car and heads inside at a brisk pace. You fumble with your seatbelt and hurry to follow.

The shadows loom, threateningly. Your gaze is drawn towards the center of the room, the traces of a circle barely visible. “I’m listening, then. To everything you have to say.”

You join her, sitting just a few meters near the entrance, backs against some boxes left there a lifetime ago. Vinca closes her eyes and sighs, deeply, and you only watch her. Watch the arch of her back, the knives on her dress glinting against the pale beams of light that manage to sneak through the windows.

“Just a heads up, but I didn’t expect this.” She finally says, after minutes of silence. “I thought I had better tastes.”

“In… what? Abandoned factories?”

“No, in- agh, just listen. I used to think you were someone I’d enjoy breaking, you know? In the show.”

“Oh yeah, I remember all your challenges.”

“But you turned out to be tougher than you look. And smarter, too, even if you sometimes make dumb decisions. Like following me to an abandoned factory minutes before a ritual.”

“I didn’t know you were going to-! But okey, yeah, fair point. It was a bit stupid. I should have called the cops on you.”

“Right, well. And then you powered through Dorran’s manipulation – I have to hand it to you, that was pretty badass. And throughout it all, you’ve… I used to think you were after me because you wanted an adventure. I mean, I’m hot, I’m rich. What more is there to love? But-” She throws you significant glare when she sees your mouth open, and you obediently close it so she can continue, “I understand now that it was never about the adventure. You just… wanted to get to know me. Not Pride, just me. Not the woman involved with demons, and not the woman involved with ghosts. You just wanted me, as I am, imperfect. And you never… you were never pushy about it. I could see it in your eyes, how you were connecting the dots about everything, but you never used it against me.”

“I never would have,” you mutter, gently. Vinca’s breath comes out in quick puffs of air. She’s visibly nervous, twirling one of her tiny knives between her fingers, her blush beginning to spread over her chest.

“You… somehow, you… I’ve felt it before, you know. Flings. Something destined to shatter when the other person can’t put up with me anymore, but with you, it’s… it’s different. I don’t feel like it will shatter. You keep me on my toes but I never feel like I will fall. You make me feel alive when all I want is to hide myself from everything. Somehow, I…I’ve come to love you. I’m honestly impressed, pipsqueak. I really thought I had better tastes.”

“What can I say?” You shrug, trying to be smooth but failing because your heart is thundering against your ears, your voice too soft out of the sheer wonder you are feeling right now. “Doing the unexpected is my passion.”

“You are too damn dorky.” Vinca hisses, turning her head just slightly. “I am ashamed of myself for loving- for falling in love with someone like you.”

You reach for her, and she lets you guide her so your eyes meet, sparkling blue against warm chocolate. You inch a bit closer, feeling her warmth envelop you. “Didn’t you just say I’m impressive?”

“I’m taking it back.”

“No can do, Wren. You fell in love with me despite, or should I say because, of my dorkiness. I’d say your bitchiness and my dorkiness complement each other quite nicely.”

Vinca groans. You can feel the vibrations of her voice travel down your hand, making you smirk even more, leaning closer, closer-

“Why did it have to be you?” She laments, but closes the distance despite it all, her movements intense and sure and glad. You can feel the heat of her skin, of her blush, pressed against yours as she quickly takes control of the kiss, pushing you backwards, curling herself around you.

Happiness surges inside of you. You smile into the kiss, melting against her.

You’ve both come a long way. This place, gray with memories of a fight, quickly takes on another meaning. One of acceptance, of overcoming challenges that kept both of you rooted into the past. With Vinca, you feel like you can finally leave it all behind.

#Anonymous #answered #vinca wren #swm vinca #lovestruck #lovestruck swm #sin with me #swm #lovestruck vinca #fluff #touching thursday #vinca x mc #lovestruck fanfiction

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fundielicious-simblr · 3 years

Text

(Valentina’s POV)

Happy Harvestfest! I volunteered to host this year, meaning we had 21 people descend on our quiet little cottage out here in Brindleton Bay. I loved having my parents, all my siblings, and all my nieces and nephews around and filling up the house, it definitely brought be back to growing up at home with all 10 of us before we all got married and moved away. My mum said it was nice to have a change of scenery and be out in the countryside for Harvestfest, whilst Newcrest where we live is itself already outside of the commotion of the city since my grandparents wanted to raise their family away from worldly influences, out here where we live it’s truly the countryside where you can appreciate nature.

The family is under the cut!

Ryan (56) and Clare (52) Paulson

My wonderful parents are still so in love with one another with this year marking 32 years of marriage for them, 10 children and 9 grandchildren later and you’d think they were still newlyweds! Dad is still working in tech programming and at this point has helped create many Bible and devotionals apps that help other Christians get closer to the Lord, his current plan is to work until he’s 65 then he can retire and support the family with the pension that he’s earned as well as the money he gets from the apps. When she’s not homeschooling my youngest brothers (the only two left being homeschooled), my mother is either writing or teaching music. She helps coordinate the music at church, with the Winterfest nativity play music being her current project, and whenever the band/orchestra play she’s usually the one that has arranged the music, as well as guiding the players through the song. In the new year Newcrest Baptist is running a music camp, so she’s been preparing for that mainly; my cousin Zoe and I will also be teaching at camp so we’re all looking forward to the new year.

The Paulson Family - Carter (30), Madelynn (27), Lester (6), Fitzwilliam (1)

Carter and Madelynn have their 2 boys and right now are enjoying the different experiences that come with having a child and a toddler. Madelynn is homeschooling Lester as well as having him to go a christian homeschool co-op in their area twice a week, to further enhance his learning. Fitz is a year old and so just tags along with whatever Lester does, Madelynn goes through the toddler basics with him, but mostly focuses on Lester right now. This winter they’re going skiing with Madelynn’s family, her father is supporting their local conservative candidate in the election and the fundraiser is being held at a wonderful ski resort in the mountainous region.

The Townsend Family - Eric (32), Valentina (29), Aria (8), Ansel (6), Asher & Abbott (2)

We’re all good over here! I’ve started the school year with Aria and Ansel and both are progressing wonderfully, it’s amazing how much these kids love learning and I’m encouraged by their enthusiasm! I’m starting a rudimentary course with the twins to get them hopping on the learning train, they’re so interested in what their older siblings are doing that I thought it best to jump right into school with them. Eric and I have been thinking about getting some farm animals, we took the kids to the farmer’s market the other day and they were enraptured by the chickens, goats, cows, and sheep. It would be great to have the animals, we’d get fresh animal produce that’s homegrown to add to our fruit and vegetable garden produce, as well as a learning opportunity for the children to learn about animals and to learn the responsibility that comes with taking care of animals. This winter, other than learning about plants that flourish in the winter, we’ll also be focusing on learning all about animals and how we care for them. We want to be ready to welcome any animals that we might get onto our little homestead in the coming spring. I’m also working on what I’ll be teaching at music camp hosted by Newcrest Baptist in the new year, when I think of opportunities like this I can’t help but thank the Lord for my parents, had my mother not poured into us and taught us how to play instruments then I’d never be blessed with this opportunity to teach others.

The Paulson Family - Alan (28), Tessa (21), Charity (1), Edgar (6 weeks old)

Alan and Tessa have had the most recent addition to the family, 6 weeks ago Tessa had their second child, a boy they named Edgar! Tessa truly inspires me, she barely had the time to recover after having a baby before loading up to travel down here with everyone! She’s such a blessing, I was talking to her on how she handled travelling with a 2 children under 1 and she made it sound so easy! If they keep going at their current rate then they’ll have another baby by next Harvestfest - how wonderful! This winter they’re travelling to Sulani with Tessa’s family, they’re excited to have the sun and the ocean instead of frigid air and snow as they celebrate the birth of our Lord!

The Crocker Family - Gregory (28), Kristyn (25), Kayla (1)

Kristyn and Gregory are enjoying life with little Kayla, they’ve had a wonderful time adjusting to her joining and family and love it. She’s the first granddaughter on their side of the family as Gregory’s sisters have had all boys, so she’s definitely being spoilt at home! Kristyn has always had a great love of children, and she’s been open with us sisters about praying for another child soon. They’re staying in Oasis Springs this winter and celebrating Winterfest with Gregory’s family.

The Crawford Family - Tucker (26) and Sabrina (25)

The newlyweds have been loving this new season of life together! Sabrina called me and told me that she’s been loving married life way more than she thought she would. She and Tucker honeymooned in a little cabin tucked away in the woods up by Granite Falls; after a couple gets married and goes from limited physical intimacy to being married and being allowed to do everything, it is quite an adjustment to get used to. It’s good for them that they got that time together because they’ve got a packed schedule soon after this. They’re travelling with the Crawfords to sing at churches in the area for the winter, and after that they’re back on the farm for the springtime harvesting and to prep for the summer harvest and their summer tour. It’s been great to have my sister living in the same area, during times when they are home we try and coordinate when we can see each other.

Jarrod (21) and Madison Jenkins (19)

We’ve also got a newly engaged couple on the block! Jarrod proposed to Madison when he was on a visit to see her in Evergreen Harbour, they had just finished church when he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him! They’re planning for a winter wedding, meaning that they’re also planning around our cousin Charles and his wedding; hopefully they can nail down dates so that we can all make it to both weddings. With a family as large as ours, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how the rest of the singles do it when it comes time to plan their weddings, since Celeste is the last girl left my parents only have one last time to be the wedding hosts.

Celeste (27), Zachary (19), Conner & Jarrett (16)

Celeste is truly thriving in her singleness, when she’s not at home serving others she’s travelling around visiting those of us who moved away and investing in the lives of her nieces and nephews. She also spends time investing in the lives of those around her, she travels with our cousin Macie to different young ladies’ retreats and they both counsel and guide young ladies on how to better their walk with the Lord. This winter she’s joining Macie and a few other youths from our Newcrest Baptist on a missions trip to Selvadorada, so that’s another thing to add into our families already hectic winter.

Zachary is also enjoying his new status as an adult, he’s started working part time for a lawn services company run by a member of the church and a friend of the family. He’s also joining Celeste on the missions trip to Selvadorada this year, it’ll be his first time out of the country so he is very excited!

Conner and Jarrett are enjoying their time as the youngest kids in the family, they’re quite self sufficient at school meaning that they’re working through it quite quickly and are on track to graduate early! It’s always great when we get to see the boys, Ansel is old enough for them to bring him along when they go on outings, so it was great to have them here together.

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bidoldaccount · 3 years

Text

Grow As We Go - THREE

Word Count: 2,029

Tags: baby abandonment; baby jack; new parents; implied neglect (on mothers part); supportive castiel; fluff; Doctor rowena; AU: modern setting; Mechanic Dean; Teacher Castiel

ONE ; TWO

Read on AO3

Read on Wattpad

Dean groaned as a ringing sounded throughout the room.

"It's Saturday, turn your alarm off," he grumbled, turning to cuddle into Cas' chest. Cas groaned beneath him, patting his back.

"It's the doorbell," he said. Dean whined as Castiel stood up, Dean falling to the bed. Cas grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the laundry basket and slipped them on before shuffling out of the room. Dean followed him with his eyes and laid back with a groan as soon as he was out of sight. He pulled the blankets over his head, waiting for Cas to come back. It was probably just a package, Dean was waiting for a car part and Castiel was always ordering books or supplies for the kids in his class. Dean just hopes it has nothing to do with glitter this time.

"What the fuck?" Dean flipped the blanket off of his head, looking towards the door. "Um, Dean?" Dean shot out of bed at the panicked, confused tone of Cas' voice. He didn't bother with pants as he threw the bedroom door open and looked towards the front door. Dean stopped in his tracks when he saw what Cas was staring at. There on the welcome mat was a car seat, and inside of that car seat was a sleeping baby.

"Is it real?" Dean asked, slowly approaching the door.

"Why wouldn't it be real?" Cas asked in a hushed whisper.

"I don't know, maybe one of our friends is trying and failing to be funny," Dean threw his hands up. Cas thought about it for a second, slowly looking back at the car seat. He bent down and gently touched it, pulling back when it snuffled.

"It's real, it's real, it's real," he sprang back. Dean shuffled a bit closer, peering down into the carseat.

"There's something under the blanket," he said, tucking his hands close to his chest. Cas bent down again, very carefully peeled the blanket up and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Dean then peered outside.

Dean

His name was printed messily on the front of the note, his heart sank as he opened it.

Dean, I'm sorry. I thought I could do it but I don't have the support or money, and if I'm being completely honest, love, to take care of a baby. I know you probably don't remember me, but my name is Kayla. We met at the Blue Moon Bar, you're the first person I had slept with in months. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew you were the father. I tried, I really did, but I didn't feel like a mom, and he just cried so much. I'm so sorry for doing this to you, I really am, but I know he will be better off. This is your son, his name is Jack. I didn't have much because I couldn't afford anything but what the hospital gave me. I'm sorry.

Kayla

"Fuck," Dean breathed.

"What does it say?" Cas asked softly. As Dean was reading, Castiel had brought the carseat inside and closed the door. Dean handed it to Cas, slowly lowering himself down onto the floor. There was a trash bag beside it that Dean hadn't seen as first, so he reached for it as Cas read. It wasn't tied, so he pulled it open and started sifting through it. There were a few diapers, an almost empty pack of wipes, a few onesies, and a birth certificate. Dean pulled it out and cursed softly at it.

"Do you think she's lying?" Cas asked softly, lowering down onto his knees beside Dean.

"He's three months old, if she got pregnant that night, that was almost a year ago, it adds up," he shrugged.

"Fuck," cas breathed. "Maybe you should get a paternity test, just to be 100% sure?"

"Yeah, that's, that's smart," Dean nodded, swallowing hard as they both stared down at the infant. "I gotta call Bobby, tell him I won't make it in," Dean slowly rose to his feet, breathing shakily as Jack shifted in his car seat. It was old, a gray that was fading and dull, it looks like it could have been taken from the garbage. Dean forced himself to look away, turning for the bedroom.

Bobby gave him a little bit of shit at first but when Dean explained what was going on, he told him to take all the time he needed. When Dean walked back to the living room, maybe ten minutes later, Cas had taken Jack out of the car seat. Dean approached slowly, peering over Cas' shoulder at the infant cradled in the crook of his elbow.

"He's so tiny," Cas whispered. He was right, without the blanket, the boy probably wasn't much heavier than he was at birth.

"Kids almost got a full head of hair," Dean said, his heart pounding in his chest. He slowly brought his hand up and touched the boys head, just hovering and running his thumb gently over dirty blonde hair.

"Do you want to get dressed so we can go to the hospital?" Cas asked, peering at Dean over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I," Dean nodded. "I'll be like five minutes," he said.

Dean threw on jeans and a tee shirt, and brushed his teeth before walking back out to Cas. He wasn't positive that he was even breathing at the moment. His hands were shaking as Castiel passed the baby into his arms, his eyes went completely wide when he was fully holding the boy.

"You good?" Cas asked softly.

"I think so," Dean nodded stiffly. Cas hesitated at his side, gently touching his lower back before leaving him and Jack alone in the living room.

"Okay, Jack," the name was foreign and stilted on his tongue. "No offense to you, you know? No hard feelings if you're not my kid, I just, you understand right?" He rambled as he slowly lowered himself onto the carpet. Jack wriggled a bit as Dean adjusted him so he could grab the trash back and dump it out. He gently lowered the boy onto the carpet, watching as his little limbs splayed out in a mock stretch as his eyes opened. He had bright green eyes that made Dean's throat close up. He blinked up at him, his calm breath hitching a bit.

"It's alright, buddy, I'm just going to change you," Dean said as he carefully unclasped his onesie and moved it up. His diaper was practically falling apart, one of the tabs were unstuck and hanging open. "I bet this was really uncomfortable to sit in, huh?" Deans face twisted down as he removed the overfilled diaper, sucking in a breath at the rash that had built up. Jack started wailing as soon as Dean started wiping him down. "I know, buddy, I'm so sorry. I have to clean it or it's going to get worse," he winced as Jack thrashed. He didn't see any rash cream, so he finished wiping the baby down and put a fresh diaper on him, then carefully maneuvered the onesie off. It was soaked through, so Dean tossed it in the empty trash bag with the diaper. Jack was still crying as Dean put another one of the onesies on him. as soon as he clasped it, he scooped the boy up and held him to his chest, standing up to gently bounce him.

"Shh, it's okay, we're all done," Dean comforter, gently rubbing Jacks back.

"Is he okay?" Cas asked as he walked out of the room.

"Yeah, he has a terrible rash, Cas. I," he stuttered, his throat closing. "I know she said she could afford much but this is just fucking neglect," he choked.

"Okay, it's okay," Castiel walked over, gently cupping the back of Dean's head. "He's okay now. We'll take him to the hospital to get checked out, things like this are weird, they'll have to call CPS and they'll have to decide where he goes because technically you're not legally the father," he said.

"But my name is on the birth certificate," Dean said, his stomach clenching.

"Yeah, but you didn't sign it, a woman can write any mans name on the birth certificate but that doesn't make them the father. You could try for emergency custody but they really have no proof that you're related. We're just going to have to see how it goes. We'll take the note, show them there was abandonment on the mother's part, you just have to be as cooperative as possible, this process is hard," Castiel explained.

"You're freaking me out, Cas," Dean said, his face hot.

"I'm sorry," Castiel smiled tightly, his eyebrows still knitted together.

"What if, what if he's not mine? He's just going to go into the system? Then what?" Dean breathed out heavily, his grip on the baby unconsciously tightening.

"Dean, there's nothing we can do except everything they tell us to do. Okay? Just breathe," Cas squeezed his shoulder, guiding Dean through two deep breathed.

"Okay," Dean swallows. "Okay," he blinked hard, trying to gather his bearings.

"We'll have to get a new car seat, I doubt this thing would pass a state approval," cas said, poking the car seat. Dean only nodded as he strapped Jack in. Cas was right, the straps didn't even tighten all the way. He barely remembers Kayla, but if this is how she was caring for his child- if it is his- he really fucking hates her.

Castiel rides in the back with Jack, his hand pressed securely against him to make up for the loose straps. The hospital is a ten minute drive, and Dean white knuckles the steering wheel the entire way there.

"Hi there, how can I help you?" A blonde, wide smiling, nurse greets them when they walk in, and Dean holds Jack tightly as Castiel explains their situation. Her smile falters as she flicks her eyes over to Dean, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"I'll see if there's someone available in pediatrics that can take a look," she said softly.

"Thank you," Castiel returned her smile and guided Dean over to the chairs. Dean sat stiffly, gently shushing Jack when he cried. His foot tapped incessantly on the floor, his knee shaking up and down with it. Cas gently slid his hand onto his knee and he slowed down the movement but didn't stop. He laid his cheek on Jack's head, slowly rocking him.

"He's probably hungry," Dean blurted out after they had been waiting for five or so minutes.

"You're right," Cas nodded and stood. Dean watched with wide eyes as cas walked up to the nurse at the desk. Dean bit at the inside of his cheek, worrying the skin with his teeth as he watched them. Jack fused against his neck, his lips trying to latch on.

"She's going to get us a bottle of formula," Castiel said when he sat back down.

"How'd you do that?" Dean asked.

"Well they give formula and stuff to new mothers so it's not like they don't have the stuff. I already explained our situation so she knows we don't have anything for him," Cas shrugged. Dean only nodded, his limbs still trembling.

The nurse brought them an already prepared bottle of formula, and a tub of what she said they used. Dean thanked her profusely as he took the bottle with shaking fingers.

He had to pull the bottle away several times so Jack would breathe between gulps. Deans eyes filled with tears as he fed Jack, watching the boy greedily suck from the bottle, his eyes darting around the room.

"Mr. Novak?" The nurse that helped them caught their attention after about twenty minutes. Cas stood up first, approaching the nurse and the doctor she was standing next to.

"This is doctor Macleod, she's a pediatric specialist," she introduced.

"Thank you so much for seeing us," Castiel said as he shook the woman's hand.

"Of course, I'm so sorry it has to be under these circumstances," she smiled softly as she looked down at Jack. "Please, follow me."

#Destiel #Dean winchester #castiel #destiel fluff #jack kirby #baby jack #new parents #modern setting #alternate universe

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youarejesting · 4 years

Text

Limited Edition. Once More

[FULL MASTERLIST] [Limited Edition Master list]

Beta: N/A Rating: All audiences Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Fluffy Fluff, Adventure. Pairing: Bts x Friend!Reader Words: 1k

Summary: It is your first time buying proper merchandise, there are new chibi figurines and the first person to order will recieve a limited edition set. But what happens when BTS have gone missing without a trace and a few days later you receive your package. The box says congratulations, you open to find your limited edition figures, they look so lifelike. OH WAIT! it’s cause they are.

You arrived in Seoul and escorted through the airport to a luxury taxi which took you to the BigHit building. Walking through the building behind a man in a suit, you wondered if this was what you wanted? If this was where you truly belonged?

There was only one way to find out and you were going to try your best to create a new life here. One that you were proud of and felt you were really getting the most out of it. There were so many things you had never experienced and you hoped you could check off your bucket list one item at a time.

Feeling like everything was falling into place, there was a nervous feeling within you that stemmed from the fact you were going to see them again. But they weren’t the tiny boys you had looked after, no, this was the real life global group/band/idols. Well, however they preferred to be referred to they were famous, billionaires even and then there was you.

You were a kind person, and a hard worker and that was all you could offer them. The idea that you could see them and hang out was obviously wishful thinking. That was the most nerve racking part that you would get there and they would be polite but too busy to actually hang out.

But that was your job, to just hang out with them, and assist their manager with the boys' moods. So you were going to give it all you got. Giving them the benefit of the doubt that this would all work out, there was no real point of getting anxious before you even knew the situation.

“This will be your office” The man guiding you on your tour through the building gestured to the room.

“It attaches to mine and please see me if you need anything?” Sejin grinned walking over and giving a handshake bowing his head. You repeated the action both your hands cupping his trying to seem eager and polite.

After shaking hands with Sejin, he walked you around your desk explaining many different aspects of the job. The job seemed quite easy and you would be lying if you said you weren’t excited.

After seeing the schedule lined up you were excited to see the boys were free for a week where they would be going to shoot a show called BTS in the Soop. Sejin explained that you would be accompanying them, “It is work but it is a week away for them to be free and explore their hobbies and bond so you are quite welcome to play alongside them.”

“That seems exciting,” You smiled turning the page to see a leaflet with instructions and requests for items. “What is this page for?”

“Mister Bang said to get anything you wanted for the trip as you will be a big part of the whole week” Sejin took the page, “Some of the boys requested canvas’ and computer games, so do you have anything in mind?”

“I always wanted to build a miniature house, learn some korean recipes, I want to bake and decorate a wedding cake, and even try my hand at making a song.” You breathed writing a few things down and handed it back for them to go source some of the items ready for packing.

“Would you like to see the boys’ they have been playing in one of the studio’s they have been doing some weird dance projects,” Sejin said with a sly grin. You nodded looking around as you were guided to a small studio where you heard music and giggling. “You can go in, they told me to bring you here when you arrived”

With no further words, he left you to your own devices in front of the door to the studio. Where you contemplated for a moment on whether or not to turn the handle. After a brief moment of hesitation, you took a deep breath grounding yourself before stepping through the threshold.

The scene before you was of seven tiny young men running around in front of the camera, you couldn’t help but giggle as you saw Namjoon fall flat on his face after his foot got tangled in a chord.

You giggled and took a step into the studio where they were recording remakes of their music videos and dances. The group of tiny Bangtan members ran over cheering and raising their hands.

“Why are you so small again?” you asked, concerned that someone had tried to sabotage them once more and they laughed.

“We were playing and making a music video as Tiny Tan” you took a deep breath trying to process their reasoning behind the situation that was a replica of their past unfortunate predicament.

“So let me get this straight,” You asked, walking over to the machine situated on the back wall, “I went to all that trouble to save you, and you just turn yourself back into chibi figurines?”

“Uh… no…” Jimin grinned his voice getting higher in pitch as he tried to lie. “Ok yes, but it isn’t unfortunate anymore, we decided to make an unfortunate situation into a rather fortunate and beneficial situation for us.”

You hadn’t noticed that you had walked further and further back until you were under the machine and Jungkook had climbed up onto the desk and hit the button. In a blinding light you felt a weird pressing feeling like you were being squished and then it was over.

When your eyes finally opened, your perspective had changed. You seemed much lower to the ground and when you looked at the boys you realized you too had been resized.

“Isn’t this fun, now we can play.” Hoseok shouted, running you around the room with you in tow.

“I am scared what if we are stuck like this?”

“Well then you will learn to adjust” Namjoon patted your back reassuringly.

“I mean we all learnt how to live small you can too” Yoongi yawned from his spot lying on an abandoned hoodie.

“I mean it wouldn’t be the worst, imagine how much you would save on food consumption.” The thought ran through your head for a moment before Seokjin and Yoongi grabbed your hands and pulled you into the camera's view. Where you all began playing and dancing to their music.

Tags: @victory0461 @gqmf-bangtanmama @simplymemyself

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soheila-1996 · 4 years

Text

My story- part three

HI! This part was especially hard to write for me. I’ve found that writing about it is helping me get a lot off my chest though.

My little disclaimer:

I have epilepsy. This details my seizures, I can’t speak for everyone, everyone’s seizures/ experiences are different. This is graphic. Seizures are messy. They aren’t fun and it felt wrong to make it out to be cute when they really aren’t. Pretty much all the things that happen in the plot have happened to me. Well, I’m not married to a king or live in a palace so…there’s that but everything else is accurate. There may be some jokes about it here because I do joke about it sometimes. It makes me more comfortable and I find it helps relax everyone around me. I’m also writing about it because there really aren’t that many fics written about it and I think it’s important to shine light on it.

Any feedback is really appreciated! :)

Tagging people who shared the last part. You don’t have to read it! I just thought you might want to see what happens: @kacie-0156, @texaskitten30, @cordonianroyalty, @kingliam2019, @bebepac, @kingliam-rys, @cordonia-gothqueen, @kimmiedoo5, @bbrandy2002, @loveellamae, @bobasheebaby @losingbraincellseveryday @marshmallowsaremyfavorite

Paring: Liam and Riley

Warnings:⚠️⚠️ Mention of miscarriage, panic attack, blood, almost becomes smut but doesn't. ⚠️⚠️

Word count: 6,767 (are these too long? Let me know! )

(Riley's POV)

It was now a couple of days later after the incident at The Five Kingdoms festival and I was back home now. I finally got out yesterday evening. Thankfully, again, only my closest friends, Bastien and Liam knew about what had happened.

It had been hard enough explaining it to all of them.

I had been terrified that Liam would take me up on my offer and get out while he still could. I know he wouldn't but seeing how upset he was and knowing I had caused it...broke my heart.

I just want it to go away.

Liam had insisted that I have a few days off of work to adjust to being back home again. At first I objected but I had learned quickly that I wasn't going to get my own way. I knew when to choose my battles.

Liam had headed to his office earlier this morning and now I was stuck with Drake. Who apparently had now been appointed as my babysitter. I understood why Liam didn't want to leave me alone. I was actually kind of scared of being alone after what had happened. It was just another traumatising experience to add to the forever growing list of them.

Hanging out with Drake wasn't the worst thing in the world. We’d sat binging some Netflix and Hana and Maxwell had also stopped by this morning. However, I was growing agitated I hated sitting and doing nothing so I decided to go and shower. I hadn't had one for a few days and I felt dirty, my hair greasy.

I honestly think Liam has told Drake to follow me everywhere and not let out of his sight since he had really objected to me going to have a wash. Of course, I didn't listen to my friend and headed down the hall and into the bathroom.

After a long debate, I left the door unlocked just in case something happened. I doubted it would, I felt fine, I had taken my medication that morning. Everyone just needed to relax. I know what I’m doing.

I turned the shower on then slipped out of my clothes. My muscles don't ache as badly as they had the other day but I’m still sore from the bruises that mainly were on the back of my arms and legs after they had violently assaulted my bathroom tiles.

The hot water felt nice against my somewhat still battered and sore body. I washed my hair and body then stayed under the water for a while. This was the first time I had been alone since the other day.

I was interrupted, pulled out of my head when Drake knocked on the door, “Brooks, you okay?” he yelled through the wood.

I rolled my eyes then yelled back that I’m fine.

So much for them promising not to treat me differently.

It was about half an hour later and the water had started to run cold. It was time to get out. I stepped out of the shower and took down the towel that I had left on the rack to warm up. I grabbed a smaller one for my hair on the way out.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Drake leaning against the door. I brought one of my hands up to my chest as the other held up the towel. “Do you often lurk outside of bathrooms while people are showering? I asked, still trying to get my breath back from the sudden scare.

Was he trying to give me a heart attack?

Drake hesitated to answer my question, I was getting cold and was practically naked, so I shook my head, rolled my eyes and passed him by and walked down the hall to my bedroom to change.

It was later that day now. It had been slightly awkward after the shower incident but other than that it was okay. We spent the rest of the day binge watching locke & key on Netflix. We were both sitting on the couch after finishing watching another episode, I glanced up at the clock hung up on the wall beside me. It was nearly six and Liam had texted a little while ago to say he should be back around then.

“Liam, should be back soon. You can go now.” He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head and sighed, “He’ll be here in five minutes. I’ll be fine.” He looked hesitant to me. “I promise.”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” I repeated, annoyed.

“Okay,” Drake nodded, getting to his feet. I think he knows that I want some time alone before my overprotective husband gets home. We walk over to the front door, by now it’s only three minutes. Not much can happen in three minutes.

Drake lingered by the door, hesitating to turn the doorknob. “Drake,” I warned.

“Okay, I’m going.” He opened the door and turned to face me at the threshold. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I didn't answer and shut the door on him. Everyone’s overprotective behaviour is starting to get on my nerves. I know the other day could have gone very differently but I’m alive and I’m okay. Hopefully with time everyone will chill a bit.

I had just sat down on the couch when I heard the door open and my husband's shoes squeaking on the floor as he made his way to the living room.

He slipped off his jacket and threw it over the back of the couch and rolled up his sleeves after taking out the cuff links I had given him as one of his presents for his last birthday, he then leaned over the back of the couch to give me a quick kiss.

“How are you feeling, love?” Liam asked as he sat down beside me.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, “Everywhere is still a little bit sore but other than that, I’m good.” Liam nodded. I know he would’ve asked me to elaborate on just saying ‘i'm fine”, so i had decided to do that unprompted.

Liam asked me about Drake, saying that he had passed him in the hall on the way back but I soon changed the subject to how his day had been. His meetings went well, he got paperwork done. By the sounds of it he had had a productive day.

It was now a little bit later into the evening. Once every week we’d cook dinner together, it has been a long running tradition now and it is the only bit of normalcy I've had in the last couple of days.

Liam and I were in the kitchen both occupied with chopping vegetables for the soup we were making for dinner. It turned out that we both had a passion for learning how to cook, it was a nice, normal activity to do together after a long day of running our amazing kingdom.

I had just finished chopping off the ends of the couple of carrots that laid on my board. It placed my fingers strategically on top, using my knuckles to guide the knife down. It was probably a safe way to do it since I often nick myself with the knife.

I glanced to the side after chopping my vegetables to hear Liam’s knife hitting the wooden board below as he sliced a couple of leeks in a quick concession. The sound was rhythmic and quite satisfying. I turned back to my station to cut the celery after putting the now chopped up pieces of carrots into the pan beside me. As I was doing it, I slightly glanced over my shoulder at Liam. His tongue was slightly sticking out between his teeth as he concentrated on the task.

“Careful now, Love. We wouldn't want you accidentally slicing off a finger, now would we?

” He told me. I could see the smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. He’d caught me staring.

“No, we wouldn't,” I agreed and turned to face the board properly with a smirk of my own.

A few minutes later, I was still standing chopping vegetables when I felt Liam’s arms snake slowly around my waist so not to startle me.

“Can I help you?” I asked, a smile dancing across my lips. It had been so long since we’d been this close to each other. Liam had been keeping a distance, we hadn’t been intimate with each other since before our anniversary. It was like he thought that if he so much as touched me I’d have a seizure.

I turned around in his embrace and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’ve missed you,” I say, honestly.

He gave me a small smile, “I’ve missed you too.”

I stood up onto my tip toes and placed a kiss onto his lips. He instinctively kissed me back, His hands travelling down to hold me by my hips. His lips soon move from my lips and down to my neck. A trace of a moan fell from my lips. How I missed being this close to him.

That seemed to have gained Liam’s attention and he pulled away from me and took a step back. “What’s wrong?” I asked, confused as to why he had stopped all contact.

“Are you feeling okay?” He asked me, seriously. I looked up at him, my eyes creased in disbelief as I rolled my eyes at him.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, “I feel fine.” He looks unsure. I love this caring side of him but he doesn't need to constantly be worried about me. “Li, I’m okay.”

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his waist to pull him into a hug. I felt him lean down and place a kiss onto the top of my head. “I’m just worried about you,” he said quietly.

“I know but I don’t want you to be.”

“I thought I was going to lose you.” I felt his arms tighten around me as his posture stiffened at just thinking about it. I wrapped my own arms tighter around him giving him the comfort that he so desperately needed from me in that moment.

“I’m sorry that I scared you,” I whispered. I feel that almost overwhelming guilt returning.

“You don't need to apologise. It’s not your fault, okay?” I nodded. “I love you so much, Riley.”

“I love you too, Li. Now, will you kiss me?” I asked, looking up to meet his blue eyes with a cheeky grin spread across my face.

He leaned down and placed a peck onto my lips. He chuckled at my annoyed expression when he pulled back. “We need to finish making dinner before it gets too late.”

“Okay,” I agreed, annoyed.

We had finished making our meal and we were now sitting at the table. A bowl each of our homemade soup in front of us both. We ate mainly in a comfortable silence.

“What did you and Drake do today?” Liam asked, as he placed his spoon down into the now empty bowl.

“Watched Netflix,” I say, shrugging, “That’s basically all we did all day. Max and Hana stopped by this morning, we watched Netflix with them too,” I explained.

“It sounds like you’ve had an entertaining day.” I nodded in agreement. We had watched a lot today, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly.

It was now a little bit later that night, we had washed all the dishes up and were now sitting cuddling on the couch, our limbs wrapped around each other’s and my head resting comfortably on his chest.

The tv was playing in the background but I wasn't paying attention to it. I was looking at Liam. I am so incredibly lucky to have someone like him in my life. He’s the most amazing, caring person I've ever met.

“You’re staring again,” Liam muttered. I could see the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as he looked down at me.

I moved from my comfortable position to climb into his lap and kissed him. My hands lacing through his dirty blonde hair.

“Riley-” he said, when I pulled back for air.

“Just kiss me,” I ordered and unexpectedly, he obeyed. I slipped my tongue in between his parted lips as one of his hands travelled up my shirt to cup my left breast.

All of a sudden that almost electric feeling goes away and it’s replaced with an all too familiar one. My stomach rolled as I jumped off of his lap, I stumbled once I was on my feet and fell down onto my backside.

Liam jumped up and crouched in front of me. I can see the concern etched across his face as well as the confusion.

“I’m sorry,” He said quickly, panicking. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” He tried to offer me a hand up but I didn't take it, deciding to get up on my own, which was now not such an easy task. My arm had started to go numb as another wave of nausea hit me.

I sluggishly turned over so I was now on my knees, I shakily got up to my feet, using my right arm that was still working to assist me.

Liam tried to steady me by putting his hands on my shoulders but I shook them off. The world around me starts to fade away, my thoughts start to disappear, my hearing dampens.

Why is this happening again?

(Liam’s POV)

I’m not quite sure what’s happening. Everything was fine now it’s not. I’ve got an inkling of what's happening but i really hope I’m wrong.

Her eyes darted around the room as she started to sway back and forth on her feet. I briefly met her eyes but she promptly looked away from me and started to stumble away.

She was heading to the living room door when she suddenly stopped and doubled over. Not a second later she started gagging, I leapt forward to gather up her hair as she puked.

“I’m sorr-” She started, her words slurred as she stumbled back against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her to prevent her from falling.

“Riley, love, are you going to have a seizure?” I asked. I knew by now I wasn’t going to be able to get a coherent response from her.

She shook her head vigorously, “N-no. I’m glood,” she insisted, but her slurred speech, her vomiting and her incoordination certainly was telling me otherwise.

“Why don’t we lay down?”

“N-no,” She replied like I imagine a defiant toddler would do so. I know she's scared but I don’t understand why she won't admit to what’s happening. She tries to push me away from her but she’s too weak and uncoordinated to do so.

Her knees buckled from under her, I wrapped my arms around her and safely lowered her onto the floor. “Okay. It’s okay, love, just relax. You’re alright.”

I quickly stood to grab my phone off the coffee table and a pillow from the couch. By the time I arrived back she looked even more out of it, if that was possible.

I gently placed the cushion under her head. “It’s okay,” I told her, when she started to try and squirm away. I knew she wouldn't be able to get far. She can barely move her limbs now.

“I’m s-orry,” She said in a small voice that made it difficult to understand but I somehow did.

“Shhh, it's okay,” I tried to console but I don’t think it’s doing much.

“I l-love you,” she said. I can hear the fear laced in her voice. I ran my hand through her hair as I got the timer up on my phone.

“I love you too.”

Her face fell blank, expressionless and less than a second and she started seizing, I quickly pressed the button to start the timer. It was about thirty seconds in and some blood started to trickle from the corner of her mouth. I wiped it away from her mouth with the bottom of my shirt, since I wasn't wearing a jacket

The shirt was white and would probably stain but that didn't matter. All that mattered was getting her out of this safely.

I continued to whisper comforting things to her as her seizure continued. I knew she couldn't hear me...but it was better than doing nothing.

I glanced down at her phone screen. It was coming up to four minutes but it felt like it had been going on for hours. “It’s alright, love.”

The timer had just hit the four minute mark and her movements started to slow down. “Good girl. There you go.” 4:04 was on the timer as I reached over to stop it, making a mental note of it.

About a minute later her eyes started to move and I knew that I needed to back up a little bit to give her some space.

(Riley’s POV)

My eyes opened and immediately I noticed a figure in front of me. I don’t understand what’s going on.

Where am I?

What happened?

I started to regain control over my body. I sloppily moved my right hand up to my mouth. It felt sore and something tasted metallic. When I brought my hand away I felt something spread over the back of it. I wasn't sure what it was though. My vision is still blurry.

….Where am I?

Just then my hearing started to return to me. The voice talking to me sounds like it’s a million miles away. I don't turn to look where it’s coming from though. I’m trying to determine what the substance is on my hand.

“It’s just a little bit of blood, Riley,” the voice told me but I’m not really paying attention to it. My ability to understand what the voice just said hasn’t come back to me yet.

I recognise that voice but I can’t quite place it. Everything is still confusing.

My vision properly came flooding back into focus, I looked up to be greeted with a pair of bright blue eyes.

He tilted his head at me.

“Hi, Riley. It’s okay, we’re in the living room, you had a seizure.” I nodded my head understanding...kind of. It still felt fuzzy.

“I’m bleeding,” I said after I touched my mouth again and my hand came back with a little bit of the red substance on the back. I’m not alarmed by it though. Just a little confused.

“You bit your tongue a little bit,” he explained. I started to sit up, rather unsteadily. I felt Liam come to sit behind me and I rested my back against his chest.

I’m tired.

A thought of a few minutes had gone by before it spoke again. I feel much more alert now, I’m still really tired though.

“What happened?” I asked,everything is still a little blurry. I don't really remember what led to this.

“You had a seizure.” I think he’s already told me this but I don't remember.

I nodded, “Oh.”

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Liam asked me.

I thought for a second, more occupied with trying to remember what led to this rather than answer my husband’s questions. “Muscles hurt, my tongue- the usual,” I mumbled, still a little groggy.

We stayed on the floor for a little while longer. My gaze shifted to look all around the room, I noticed my puke near the door- why was I heading towards the door? It then shifted to the couch- Shit.

My cheeks flushed red and an overwhelming feeling of sadness and...shame sinks in. My posture stiffened and I’m sure Liam noticed because now he’s asking me what’s wrong.

“I-I’m fine now,” I said awkwardly, I moved out of his grasp. My body still feels weak but I managed to unsteadily get to my feet.

Liam stood too, eyeing me cautiously. “Riley, are you okay?”

“Yep,” I reassured with a forced smile. I know Liam is aware that I can get a little ‘seizure drunk’ when I’m coming round, I’ve told him about it, that i can say stupid things. I’m hoping that what he thinks this is and lets it be.

“I’m really tired. I think I need to go to bed.” With that I scurried off to our bedroom and climbed straight under the covers.

It was about ten minutes later when I heard the door open. I’m not asleep but I pretend to be. That was so embarrassing. It’s like what happened with Ben all over again.

I feel the warm droplets fall down my cheeks. I can’t hold it in anymore and so I started sobbing, my body shaking with them.

I felt Liam climb into the bed and pull me firmly against his chest. “What’s wrong?”

“All of it,” I said in disgust as I thought over what had just happened, what kept happening.

“I don't understand,” Liam told me, “What are you talking about?”

“Epilepsy. It’s too much. I’m too much,” I explained to him between my sobs.

“That’s not true,” Liam said, adamantly, “Your epilepsy doesn't matter to me, Riley. You matter to me. Please, talk to me. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

I started speaking a few minutes later after I had calmed down. “When I was eighteen I was at my boyfriend's house. He didn't know about them, this was during a time of my life where they were so uncontrolled. I had been sick with a stomach bug and because of that I hadn't been able to keep any of my meds down so I had been having seizures, more frequently anyway. I had been off school for a while recovering from it, that's all he really knew,” I explained, “This was like a week or two after I had started to get better. We were making out- I thought we were going to have sex but I felt a seizure coming on. He decided to film it rather than help me and sent it to all of his friends. Luckily his mom was home, if she wasn't I’m not sure he would’ve helped me. He was….horrible to me after that. He was always pretending to have seizures, so would most of his friends, who would make comments about how I “looked possessed” he made my life hell for the rest of that year. I guess this just reminded me of that.”

Liam was silent for a few agonisingly long moments. “He was an idiot and didn’t deserve you,” he said after some time. He pulled me closer against him, if that was even possible. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Riley. You. Are. Perfect.”

I didn't say anything. I was so scared that history was going to repeat itself that I didn't stop to think that Liam isn't one of my ex’s. He wouldn't abandon me because of something I have no control over. I’m not thinking rationally, I never do after a seizure but now that i’ve heard it from Liam himself, I'm starting to feel better about the situation, I’m thinking clearer. I don't get the chance to respond because I fall into a blissful sleep wrapped in the safety of my husband's arms.

It was a couple weeks later now and I had still been having a seizure and so our trip to the island had been postponed since I was still unaware of what was triggering them. I was back working so maybe it was the stress from that, maybe my dosages needed changing... I don’t know. It was weird.

Liam, my friends and I along with the rest of the Royal Council were attending the monthly meeting, discussing how things were going, where more money needed to go...the usual.

Neville- the pompous ass was attending this one. I hated the man with a passion, after all the snide comments he had made about Drake and I, how he constantly still throws himself at Hana even though she’s expressed that she has no interest in him. He was just an awful person in my honest opinion. We haven't quite gotten to why he was here yet. Apparently he had a proposal for something no doubt ludicrous.

Liam had just asked my opinion on giving a local children's hospital more funding. “I think it’s a great id-”

(Liam’s POV)

I’m looking down at my notes as Riley begins speaking, giving the council her opinion when she suddenly stops talking in mid sentence.

I immediately looked up to turn to her. She’s staring off into space, her expression blank. I tried to call out to her but I got no response. I quickly shot Drake, Hana and Maxwell a look. We all know what this is...an absence seizure.

“Do continue your majesty,” Neville said, butting into the situation like usual. I looked over to see the man sitting opposite me.

“Not now, Neville,” I warned. I turned back to Riley, looking down at my watch. She should be snapping out of it anytime soon. They don’t normally last very long, 15-30 seconds at the longest.

“-ea,” she said, finishing her sentence like nothing had happened. She looked around, confused as to why we were all staring at her.

“It’s okay,” I reassured, gently rubbing her arm. I saw her eyes widen as she looked down into her lap, her cheeks flushing a deep red. I followed her gaze, seeing her pants are now soaking wet.

I quickly returned my attention to the rest of the council. “I think that's enough for today,” I told them, the majority of them all stand except Neville.

I turned to look back at the man as the rest of the group disperse from the conference room to give Riley and I some privacy. Our friends probably already knew what had happened and had left without question.

“Neville, get out,” I said in an authoritative tone that was giving him no room to argue with me. “Now.”

Thankfully the difficult man stood up and left with the huff, allowing the wooden door to swing shut behind him.

I turned my attention back to Riley, “Are you okay, love?” I asked with so much concern laced in my voice.

“I wet myself,” She said, quietly, embarrassed.

“That’s okay,” I told her, giving her a reassuring smile. “We’ll head back to the apartment and then you can get cleaned up and change, yeah?”

She nodded.

I stand first, holding out a hand to her but she doesn't take it and stands by herself. I let my arms fall back down to my side as Riley heads to the door, pulling it open.

I quickly made my way after her, surprised to see Neville lurking in the corridor. “Your majesty I-” I saw Riley pull her shirt down more in an attempt to cover the wet patch but I concluded it was still very much visible by the look I saw on Neville's face as he looked my wife up and down. “-Oh.”

Riley didn't say anything and brushed passed him in a near jog. Neville looked up at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Neville, if you so much as breathe a word of any of this, you will regret it. Understand?” He nodded, giving me the conformation I needed, then I jogged after my wife.

(Riley’s POV)

I quickly ran past Neville and towards the apartment, ignoring anyone I passed on my way. I felt the warm tears pricking at my eyes.

Why did this have to happen to me?

What did I do that was so bad to deserve this?

Soon I arrived at my front door and yanked it open. I attempted to shut it before Liam arrived but he slipped in before I could close it completely.

“Go away,” I said, my voice defeated. I was standing with my back facing him. I’m so incredibly embarrassed.

“Riley,” he said calmly, “Look at me.”

“JUST GO AWAY!” I screamed, turning around to face him. I didn't want Liam or anyone to see this.

A few tears trickled down my cheeks and Liam didn't hesitate to wrap me in his arms.

“Hey, it’s okay,” He tried to soothe me but it wasn't making me feel better.

I pulled back slightly so I could look up at him. “How is any of this okay? I just wet myself in a council meeting and N-Neville saw and I- What if he tells everyone? I- I d-don’t k-know -w-why this keeps happening. I-I don’t-”

“Riley, look at me,” He prompted, interrupting my flurry of questions.

It feels like someone was sitting on my chest.

I can’t breathe.

He took both sides of my face into his hands. His bright blue eyes meeting my own. “It’s okay,” Liam said, trying to soothe me but it wasn't working. The panic I was now feeling had already gotten its vicious claws in and I couldn't shake it off.

I was crying again.

I’m scared.

(Liam’s POV)

I hate that I can’t do anything to stop this. I hate that she winds herself up to the point of a panic attack because of something she can’t control.

She was crying again and her breathing was getting worse. She was only getting a few gasps of air now and again.

It’s killing me to see her like this.

I'm trying to keep my own panic at bay. Both of us panicking wouldn't help in any capacity. “Ri, look at me.” Her panicked filled gaze looks up at me. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Copy me, okay?”

She nodded.

I took in a deep breath in through my mouth and exhaled out through my nose for a few seconds. “Give that a go. In through your mouth, out through your nose,” I explained.

I demonstrated again for her. She closed her eyes as she took in a big gasp of air and held it for a few seconds, with some difficulty, then let it out through her nose for a few more seconds. “Good girl. Try it again.”

I placed a hand on the side of her face to get her to look at me, I wiped the stray tears that ran freely down her cheeks away with my thumb. We breathed in and out together until her breathing started to slow back down to a more manageable rate.

“Tell me five things you can see.”

I watched her just looking around while trying to work on slowing her breathing down. “You, the dogs, the front door, our wedding photo on the wall, the living room door.”

“Good,” I nodded. “Now, four things you can touch.”

“You, my rings, me-”

“That’s it. One more thing,” I encouraged her. She looked around us then back to me.

“The dogs.”

I nodded “Now, three things you can hear.”

“My voice, the radio in the kitchen and you,” she said. Her breathing almost returned back to normal. She’s no longer taking in strangled breaths between her cries, she’s almost completely over it, thank god.

“Two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste now.”

“Erm...your cologne and my perfume.”

“Now one thing you can taste.”

“Blood.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Blood?” I asked in concern.

“I bit my lip on the way back to stop it quivering,” she explained.

“Are you okay?” She nodded her head and gave me a small, reassuring smile. “Did you take your medication this morning?” I asked, curious why the seizure had happened.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

Her eyes narrowed, “Yes, I’m sure it took them. I took them when I got up. Why?”

“You had a seizure Riley. That’s why.”

“It was only an absence. It’s not a big deal,” she insisted. I could tell she was growing agitated. She often got defensive over taking her medication.

“It was still a seizure Riley. It doesn't matter that “It was only an absence”, I’m just trying to make sure you’re alright. I love you.”

“I’m fine. I took my meds, I remember taking them, look in my pill box if you don't believe me.”

(Riley’s POV)

I’m getting angry, I can feel it. Why does he feel the need to treat me like a child?

I just want our relationship to be a normal one. One where my husband isn’t constantly obsessing over if I took my medication, that I've been taking for a very long time everyday and I rarely ever forget to take.

I’m uncomfortable too. My pants and underwear are soaked, I just want to go and have a shower and forget all about what happened.

I don’t want my epilepsy to constantly be a topic of conversation.

I turned away from him, sighing, “I'm gonna go shower,” I told him, heading off down the hall to our bathroom.

I shut the door behind me, I went to lock it but remembered our agreement not too it ‘just in case’, so I didn’t. Going to the bathroom or showering with the door unlocked was nothing compared to when I was a teenager and had to wash with a baby monitor in the room ‘just in case’. I understood why though. I understand that it’s scary but it’s bad enough when it practically controls my life.

My days are filled with ‘what if’s’ and ‘just in cases’, it’s like I'm not allowed to do the things I want to do on a chance something could happen.

Don’t people realise that I’m always scared of what could trigger a seizure? I’m constantly terrified that I’m going to have a seizure and not wake back up. Do they really think I’m going to be reckless and not take my meds? Really? When it’s all I think about.

I feel so...alone. All the time.

It's like it takes everything away. It takes up so much energy and I’m tired of it.

It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember but it's a part of me that I hate. It’s that part of me that makes me different from everybody else, I don't want to be different, I want to be normal!

It just never ends.

I hate that my friends and family are always worried about me.

I hate that when I’m not feeling well I feel like a burden to everyone. I hate that I sometimes have to ruin their plans or what they’re doing so they can take care of me.

I hate that it’s ruined relationships.

I just want it to all stop. More than anything in the world.

I slipped my clothes off, then turned the shower on and was soon standing under the warm water again. I cleaned myself up, washed my hair then got out and wrapped a warm towel around me.

Something had clicked while I had been in the shower. I headed over to the sink and pulled open one of the draw and rook out what I needed that had been laying at the very back of the draw for some time now.

It was sometime later when I left the bathroom, I only had because Liam had knocked on the door scared, frantic that something had happened to me. I had called back to him to say that I was fine then left the room, dropping my dirty clothes in the laundry basket on my way to the bedroom.

Liam had started to follow but I had politely asked him to leave me alone. I need a little time to just...process what I had just discovered.

So many things were going through my head.

It was nearly an hour later when I came out of my room and headed into the living room where Liam was sitting on the couch with his laptop resting on his lap.

“Can we talk please?” I asked him. My voice cracked a little bit.

He nodded, looking up at me with complete and utter concern in his eyes at my tone of voice and my red, puffy eyes that were now worse than the last time he had seen me.

He closed the lid and placed his laptop down on the table in front of him. I took a seat on the other end of the couch to where Liam was. I wanted- needed space.

I brought my legs up to my chest as I leaned up against the arm rest. I slipped the cushion out from behind me and brought it against my chest as I absentmindedly twisted the tassel that was connected to the corner around my fingers. I always played with something when I was anxious or scared. It helped me take my mind off of things and right now that’s exactly what I need.

I saw Liam’s gaze quickly flicker down to look at what my fingers were doing.

“What’s wrong, Love?”

I swallowed thickly and took in a deep breath. I felt him take my hand that had been playing with the tassell into his own. “Talk to me,” he pleased, “Are you not feeling well?”

“It’s not that,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m pregnant.”

I saw a spark of pure joy in the man's eyes before his face took on a more serious expression when he noticed the look on my face. “I- what’s wrong?”

“I need to tell you something,” I explained. My voice wavered, my bottom lip quivered. .

“Talk to me,” he pleaded with me, “Are you not happy?

A few silent tears feel down my cheeks. “It’s not that. It’s...complicated. I need to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone.” My eyes are welling again with tears. I thought that I’d be able to talk about it with it completely breaking my heart but apparently not. I had never let myself feel anything when it happened.

I looked up from my lap, up to Liam. He shuffled closer, taking my hand once again. “You can tell me anything. You know that.”

I nodded in agreement but just because I could tell him anything didn't mean it was always easy.

I sniffled and wiped at my eyes.

“D-during my last year of high school I had a friend called Jacob,” I started, my voice cracking. “We weren't really that close of friends until everything with Ben happened. We ended up getting closer, a little while later we started dating and then a few years later I found out I was pregnant,” I said, quietly. I know If I carry on talking, I’m going to cry, so I stay quiet for a minute. I took a minute to get myself back together and think of a way to explain all of this.

“ It- It wasn’t good. I kept having seizures, I was constantly scared that they’d be born with something wrong with them because of me or I was going to hurt the baby or and that’s erm...that’s what happened. I was only just over three months along. I was in the house when I started to feel one coming so I went outside to find Jacob. Sometimes they come on quicker than others. Sometimes I don't always get such a good warning and that was one of those times,” I explained. I bit my bottom lip to try and stop it quivering. It didn't work and a sob ripped out of my throat.

It’s hard to explain what i’m feeling right now other than saying that I’m...heartbroken. Even that can’t explain it properly.

“ I-I was…. walking down the outside steps…. and then….I don’t know. I fell... I landed on my stomach…. I- I lost the baby and I- I’m really scared that It’ll happen again….I-I d-don't want to do that to you….. I- Liam I d-don’t t-think I c-can t-trust m-myself.”

I try to get out of Liam’s grip as he pulls me towards him. “Riley, It’s okay, calm down,” he told me as he pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arm tightly around my trembling body.

I stopped fighting against him, I need this right now. I need to be close to the one thing that makes me feel safe. “I-I’m r-really s-scared,” I stuttered through sobs.

“Whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, we’ll go through it together- like we always do. Like we always will.” I can hear his voice waver slightly as he speaks. I know he’s trying to hold it all together for me. “You mean everything to me Riley and you always will. No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you.”

#my story #tw seizure #the royal romance #liam and riley #trr #tw miscarriage

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peace-coast-island · 3 years

Text

Diary of a Junebug

Off on a nautical adventure!

We're sailing the Stone Glass Seas, exploring uncharted territory and enjoying the breeze. Rocky and Chrissie are here with some friends to go on a sailing adventure where they happened to run into Gulliver. So they made a stop at the camp and invited us campers to tag along because the more, the merrier!

It feels like forever since Rocky went sailing, which seems surprising since that's his thing. But with him and Lex busy with Talia and now Kessa, sailing has taken kind of a backseat. Of course, Rocky showed us pics of baby Kessa - who is adorable - and Talia, who's walking and talking now. As for Rocky and Lex's wedding, they're aiming for next year - preferably before baby number three comes along, they joke.

Now that Rocky and Lex are out of the newborn stage and have fully adjusted to two babies, they finally have some time to themselves. Chrissie's been helping out a lot as well as serving as sort of a peacemaker between Rocky and their uncle. It's not that they don't get along, it's just that McMann's the old fashioned type so the fact that his bisexual nephew's in a relationship with an enby and they have two kids while unmarried is kinda hard for him to wrap his head around. He does like Lex though and is actively making an effort not to misgender them and such, so at least there's that.

Joining them is Emma with her nieces and nephew. Emma just made the move to Cityburg about a month ago to move in with her brother and his kids. Despite working her ass off for six years in college, Emma was down on her luck, forced to live off her parents. When they told her that they were gonna kick her out, Danny stepped in, which they weren't too happy about. The kids are all for it as Emma's the favorite (and only) aunt and Danny could really use the help.

Margie, Rusty, and Linda like having Emma around and she likes being with them. Danny's a nightclub entertainer at the Cocktail Cabana who occasionally travels so he's not home all the time. Things haven't been easy since his husband and eldest daughter passed away last year, forcing Margie to take over as caretaker as well as housekeeper. While Emma and Margie have always gotten along like sisters, there has been some undercurrents as to who runs things around the house.

When the twins invited Emma to go sailing, she suggested bringing the kids along since Danny will be traveling that week and the kids are off from school. Emma also hopes to work things out with Margie, who she thinks has forgotten how to be a teenager. Now that we've been out on the sea for a couple days, I can see what she means. We all feel bad for Margie as she was forced to grow up quickly and as a result, she also became protective of her family.

Rusty and Linda are up to their own mischievous ways as usual, always keeping Emma and Margie on their toes. Sherry's presence is sorely missed - she was more than just Margie's partner in crime, she was also the ringleader of the Amos-Thomas siblings. A part of me had hoped that Sherry would make a miraculous recovery, but as time went on, all hopes of that diminished.

On a side note, Sherry would've turned sixteen last week - and the month before would've been Terry's birthday. So that's another reason why Emma decided to take the kids along - to give them a distraction so they won't be at each other's throats. And it's definitely been helping, especially for Rusty and Linda, who are having a great time right now. I think it's working for Emma and Margie too - or at least Emma can talk to her without feeling like she's walking on eggshells. I hope things work out for them.

While on our way to Wavy Shores, we ran into Gulliver, making his round trips as usual. Along with the usual treats he brings back, he also has some passengers tagging along. Through his travels, Gulliver often runs into villagers - most who I've never met before - and sometimes they join him on his voyage, later joining us at the camp. I'm pretty sure Gulliver talks up about the camp but I'm not complaining - the more, the merrier! So not only we got treats and maps, but also new friends to look forward to when we get back.

Wavy Shores definitely lives up to its name. Dixie first came across this place by accident and became mesmerized by the landscape. Given her stories about the shores, Rocky had to see it for himself. In fact, a good number of the places on the itinerary - aside from uncharted territory we plan on exploring - were places Dixie have been to. Rocky's been living the dream spending a lot of time with Dixie as she's basically a role model for him, the one who taught him how to sail. It's cute seeing his eyes light up whenever he talks about Dixie!

Everything in Wavy Shores is, well, wavy. Even the sky looks like a blend of wavy colors, contrasting with the sand dunes, the rocks, and the deep blue sea. It's so fascinating to look at - nature is amazing!

To the southwest is Polka Dot Leaf, a floating island known for its coral castle ruins. The exact location is a bit tricky to pinpoint because the island tends to shift due to the rough waters. We lucked out as around this time of year the seas are much calmer so it's all smooth sailing from there - I'd hate to get stuck in the middle of a storm.

The reason why it's called Polka Dot Leaf is because from above that's what the island looks like. It's one of those places that nature is slowly reclaiming, overgrown with seaweed brambles and seabloom blossoms. Walking into a coral castle ruin feels surreal, like I'm expecting the room to transform into another world.

What happened to the island's inhabitants remain a mystery, which adds to the appeal and mystique. Bedrooms with unmade beds, a kitchen sink full of chipped dishes, a desk full of yellowed papers covered in scribbles, a basket of laundry waiting to be folded - all of that, frozen in time. So many untold stories left behind.

To the east lies Summer Grove, a rainforest that is home to many rare butterflies. I've never seen so many colorful butterflies at once! All those colors and shapes - it's amazing to witness! Not to mention how majestic the butterflies are, fluttering about against a sea of green. We also enjoyed the tropical fruits and swimming at the lagoon. The weather was incredibly warm, but not overly humid or hot - which I'm grateful for or else I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the scenery as much and that would be a huge shame.

Then north we went through the Pearl Breeze Current to the idyllic mountains of Quill. Sailing through the Pearl Breeze is no easy feat as the current can be quite tricky to navigate, especially if you're not an experienced sailor. We were on the edge of our seats in our life jackets, holding our breaths while Rocky braved the waters. It was rough, but we made it!

A couple hours later we made it to the mountains and checked into a hotel for a well deserved rest. It's a good thing we weren't too far from land because I wasn't sure how much longer I could handle being at sea after the ordeal with the Pearl Breeze. Aside from a bad headache, an early rest did the trick along with some aspirin and a cool wet cloth.

The next day we went hiking in the mountains, where we came across a cave full of paintings and little iridescent crystals. Exploring the cave was a lot of fun, especially for the kids. Margie and Chrissie put their Chickadee Scout skills to use by guiding us through the tunnels, leading us to an old fountain covered in gothic roses. At first we thought the fountain was broken, until Rusty noticed that the overgrown foliage had blocked something. After a lot of tugging and pulling, a huge burst of water came out, soaking all of us. It was like the fountain came to life, showering us with crystal clear water and gothic rose petals.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped by a shop to change into some dry clothes. Everything looked so nice that it was hard to choose what to wear! Lately I've been into muted neutrals and florals and the store just happened to cater to my interests. Eventually I settled on a dusky pink floral dress with a maroon cardigan and then splurged on a lacy white blouse paired with a brown floral skirt. And then after that we browsed some other shops before grabbing dinner and heading back to the hotel.

Westward bound we headed to Greenaway, an archipelago known for its rare and unusual gems. At the center of the island is the famous volcano, a marvelous sight to see according to many adventurers. Rocky and Chrissie's uncle visited there about thirty years ago, witnessing an eruption when the village he was staying at was forced to evacuate. Since then that part of the island has been abandoned, though as of last year part of the outskirts is no longer restricted to the public.

Chrissie was hoping to find the house McMann rented along with some stuff he had to leave behind. It was long shot, especially since most of the area's buried in volcanic ash, but we figured that it wouldn't hurt to take a look - as long as it's safe. So we did, and as expected, we couldn't get too far because the entire village's pretty much gone. But we were able to figure out the area where McMann stayed based on the lamppost that served as a landmark - one of the few things that wasn't entirely buried in ash or destroyed in the eruption. It's eerie, looking at the remains of what was once a busy place.

Now we're sailing north, to Sunstone Caves. According to Dixie, the island's a floating desert in the middle of nowhere. It's a long ride - at least three days - so we have to be prepared for anything. While out on sea, especially with no landmarks to spot or keep us on track, time can stretch and bend in unpredictable ways. Luckily we're well stocked with supplies and good company so that'll make the time go by smoothly.

Being out here surrounded by sea and sky, it makes me feel so small. Compared to the sea, I'm a tiny little speck floating about. There's so much of the world around me, so much that I don't know about - it's something that keeps me going. The fact that there's so much to see, to explore, to experience - sometimes you get lucky and suddenly all these far off places you've never dreamed of seeing are within your grasp.

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble

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thewickling · 4 years

Text

Winding Moonrise - 7 to 9

I got around to making a Winding Moonrise masterpost to make finding parts easier.

As five arrives, Lan Wangji comes to himself, uniquely refreshed. Never had he slept in a day in his life, but this cloud-like sensation of zen is what he imagines it feels like from all the stories he’s heard. His chest swells with calm. His arms warm with peace. His mind shines with tranquility.

Opening his eyes, understanding washes over him. Wei Wuxian’s billowing fringe blocks his face but undoubtedly this is his moon sleeping in his embrace. His breath catches in his throat.

His limbs lock. His heart speeds up. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Each beat grows heavy.

His ears protest reaching for sound he hasn't quite registered that lulled him into the best sleep of his existence. The phrases of their hearts beating not in sync but in accompaniment of each other lingers in his mind as his galloping pulse sullies what little remains of the melody they improvised throughout the night until it separates to pieces that can no longer be recognized as one. This subconscious duet diverted to different tempos, where one played at pleasure and the other speeding up into an uncoordinated gallop, in the twilight summoned an overwhelming sense of lost in him. The grief gutted deep for something barely realized he ever had. Even as he slowed his own pace and adjusted his placement, he could not recapture that easy, effortless work any more than a child experiencing the beauty of moon could chase moonlight and bottle it.

That is what Lan Wangji would think if he were capable of thought. All he did was stare at Wei Wuxian. With an indescrible feeling in his chest, he regretted how that song was gone yet he if continued to sleep he would have never realized it was playing.

Cough.

Reaching out with his ears, he catches Lan Xichen's familiar voice.

Did he appreciate that he was saved from this situation or regret he could not appreciate Wei Wuxian for longer? Then again, now that he was awake, he no longer had any right to impose his proximity on Wei Wuxian. He exhales.

Untangling himself from Wei Wuxian's sticky limbs, he tucks the other in. He inhales more carefully than he needs to, drawing all of their mingled scents into his lungs. The smile that graces his lips is bittersweet.

As he steps out the door, Wei Wuxian kicks his leg out.

His xiong glides through the hall as soon as he steps out. Lan Wangji automatically falls into place beside him. Their direction tells him exactly where they are heading: his uncle's study.

He's taken this path thousands of times. He lost count how many times quietly entered and stopped at the entrance for confirmation of his presence before taking a seat in one of the two lacquered wooden seats. Lan Xichen circles to stand by Lan Qiren's right.

Lan Qiren sits at his desk. Despite the morning, stacks of papers dominate his in box. Without looking up, he asks, "Have you told him?"

Lan Wangji shakes his head.

Observing his youngest nephew, he dictates, "Tell him."

"No."

Folding his fingers together, he repeats, "No?"

Lan Qiren considers himself just, but when it comes to his nephew and that Wei Ying his calm is more akin to a calm before a storm. That one sound takes all of his patience.

"Mnn." Lan Wangji stares. His back remains unyielding. His shoulders firmly set.

"You!" He grinds his teeth. A part of him hates that he's encouraging Lan Wangji to fraternize with Wei Wuxian, but the rest of him has responsibilities to the pack. "You already brought him back. Tell him."

"Is that an order?" he asks, looking beyond Lan Qiren to Lan Xichen who took over the pack several years ago.

He smiles helplessly. "Lan Zhan, uncle worries about you. Wei-gongzi should know."

How Lan Wangji lamented to the moon the last dozen of years hangs unspoken. Perhaps another wolf may live well after rejecting one's mate, but Lan Xichen thinks that is not the nature of their pack. From their ancestor Lan An to his own father to his didi, the death of their mate weakened their will. Lan An secluded himself as did their father. Lan Wangji barely found himself again after Lan Sizhui arrived. So this refusal confounds him.

"I refuse." His gaze relays his determination. He understands that finding a mate is a blessing; losing a mate is a curse. Few ever have the opportunty to discover a second. That Lan Wangji did not past from heart-sickness was deemed a miracle by their pack. Now that his mate lives, rejecting spits in the face of the moon. Yet Wei Wuxian still fears dogs, after he asked if their pack walks in wolf skins around their lands, so he won't impose that unfair choice on Wei Wuxian.

"Tell me. Why refuse your mate?" The last word twists on Lan Qiren's tongue. Despite the origins of their pack, since his xiong's stupidity, he holds no fondness for fated mates. "You fought so hard for him to be accepted. Why is he unworthy now?"

He isn't, I am, he thinks. Sharing that they are mates, with all that he should as a hunter, with the goodness that composes Wei Wuxian, would he reject Lan Wangji? He can't force Wei Wuxian into a fate-bond. This is the only path for them. He simply repeats, "I refuse."

"You argued for him to be accepted. Now it isn't worthy?" Lan Qiren prods. "He knows about our pack.He's a danger."

"Do you plan to hold him?" Lan Wangji recites, "The pack prohibits imprisoning one's mate-"

"Lan Zhan," he shouts. His face bursts red. He trembles with fury at the implication that he is behaving like his older brother, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji's biological father.

Lan Xichen steps between them both. "Perhaps, we should discuss this later. He only just found that Wei-gongzi is alive. We should give him more time. Let's discuss this again later."

He bows as he exits the study.

Knock. Knock.

Wei Wuxian rolls over, cracking open one eye. He shouts, "Why is someone making noise so early?"

The door opens a tad. Lan Sizhui warns, "Excessive noise is not allowed."

"Can we enter?" he adds a second later.

"It's your place."

Lan Sizhui enters swiftly followed by Lan Jingyi. Two or three others hover at the doorway uncertain. Only Lan Sizhui had been sent with Wei Wuxian's garments, tagging along most certainly broke a rule or two. At the very least, it was impolite to crowd Lan Wangji's guest but in the end they were curious teenagers.

As the air circulates, a pleasant aroma hits them. The room most certainly smells of Lan Wangji's clean and pure scent. If words had to placed to it, picture a forest with a lake in the center that draws in water from the sea.

"What are you doing?" Lan Jingyi asks, staring at Wei Wuxian's still prone figure.

Pushing half-up, he rubs his back. He jokes, "I can't move. Your uncle is quite aggressive."

"Don't speak nonsense."

Lan Jingyi barely manages to swallow a curse. The other Lans back up. Everyone of their pack knows that Lan Wangji's mate died. None of them would ever dare to imagine Lan Wangji as frivilous enough to indulge in a single night of pleasure.

"Fine, fine. I'm wrong." Shaking his head, he points at Lan Sizhui. "Is that for me?"

He nods. "We had your clothes washed. If that isn-"

"Great!" He stands. His limbs protest. Sleeping atop another person is not the best for a weary body. He stretches. "I can head out."

"Leave," Lan Sizhui asks.

He nods. Thinking of the vampire he left behind in the mountains, his stomach grumbles. He rolls the knots out of his shoulders.

"You'll need an escort." Lan Sizhui says.

He quirks his head, questioningly.

"To enter and exit, you need permission or the wards alert the pack elders," Lan Sizhui explains.

"Ah."

Lan Jingyi interjects, "I'll take you."

His motives are written on his face. He wants to mess around off pack lands. What would be more interesting than following a hunter around?

A deep voice clears itself.

Lan Jingyi jumps like pup. Stepping to the side, he eyes Lan Wangji sheepishly. He inches behind Lan Sizhui.

"Uncle." They all greet in unision as if there was an invisible conductor guiding them.

Lan Wangji nods. "You plan to leave."

Wei Wuxian answers, "Yup. There's a tied up vamp to interrogate."

He angles his head.

"Don't worry. He's inside an array and I left a guard behind. I'll figure out why he took Xiao Zhui." He salutes.

Biting his cheek, he asks, "Would it impede you if I accompanied you?"

His normal protests die on his lips. A werewolf can handle themselves near vampires and of course a father wants to question the criminal who took his son. Grinning, he says, "Ah, don't you have work?"

"I took a Sabbitical."

Lan Zhan would drop everything for his son, he thinks. Glancing behind Lan Wangji, he wonders how the perfect gentlemen will respond to the magic he trends toward. He might as well join up with Lan Wangji if both of them are investigating anyway.

"Sure."

It surprises everyone when it is Lan Sizhui, not Lan Jingyi who asks, "Can I come?"

"Sizhui was there! He might remember something important. I'll go to guard him. It'd be a good experience for us to go," Lan Jingyi start off his support.

Scanning the eager and curious expression of the younger generation, Wei Wuxian rubs his neck. A tiny part of him overlays the memory of his own youth looking up to his seniors with admiration. He always went along if Lady Yu did not stop him.

"Ask your uncle," he says, offsetting their hopes onto someone else.

Lan Wangji shakes his head. "It isn't safe."

The trio at the door drops their head, disappointed.

"Sizhui and I are older," Lan Jingyi whines.

"Lan Jingyi." Lan Wangji only states the name and Lan Jingyi seals his lips.

Lan Sizhui frowns. Staring at the ground, he acquiesences. Somehow his quiet accceptance projects more disappointment than Lan Jingyi's loud protest and the others' lowered posture combined.

"Let's ago!" Wei Wuxian averts his gaze. Somehow their downcasted aura makes him want to sneak them along. The sensation creeps up on him like a vestigal instinct after all when it came to his own youth he lead Jiang Cheng and all of their cousins on tons of adventures aganist their elders's suggestion.

#MDZS #No to Mild Sads #Winding Moonrise #Wangxian #wick writes #Okay I keep delaying the plots and sads but we will get there

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queerchoicesblog · 4 years

Text

The Carpathia (SC Titanic, Zetta x Adele Series, Ch. 13)

So, folks, here’s the new chapter of the series. Thank you so much for your support, hope you enjoy it!

Little disclaimer-favor: especially since the tags don’t seem to be working anymore, if you do enjoy it, please consider supporting the author & sharing this. A little gesture that means a lot!

Word Count: 3000+

Zetta x Adele Tag: @storyscaped @storyscapefanficarchive @marmolady @animus-and-anima @hayley-carter19 @escako @everlastingchoices @andrxrneda @aestheticsayeed @indescribablechoices @ahrielstuff @bornonawdnsday @nazario-sayeed @h-doodles @adele-serda @marlcasters @brightpinkpeppercorn @nightwhite13 @ramenwithaspoon @michelleconnoly @charliejane-blog @ghost-of-yuri @choicesgremlin @shadeofangelus @lanzhansguqin @orange-elephants

Zetta x Adele Series Tag: @eternal-langdon @nydeiri

➡️ Ch. 1, Ch. 2/1, Ch. 2/2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8/1, Ch. 8/2, Ch. 9, Ch. 10/1, Ch. 10/2, Ch. 11/1, Ch. 11/2, Ch. 12

____________________________________

The lights of dawn warm our cold cheeks as hope kindles again in our hearts after the horrors of the night. A wave of relief wash over us all as we see another steamer, our savior, slowly reduce its speed until it comes to an halt not far from us. Waiting for us. Those who still have an ounce of energy in them cry tears of joy: never such sight has been more blessed. We are safe. We did it. Thank God we did it. "Is...is that real?" Adele's voice is barely a whisper. She hugs herself as she tries to sit straight, her eyes searching the horizon. I am about to say something but her sister anticipates me. Turning her head back towards us after spotting the ship, she gives a little cheer. "It's a ship! It's a ship!" she confirms with another cheer. Then she smiles broadly at Adele and meets my eyes again. "You were right, ma'am! You were right!"

The relived happiness exuding from here is heartwarming. You could see that could she, she would jump up and down and hug everyone at reach. The gleam in her eyes is almost blinding: she put all the fears of the night behind her and is now focusing back on the moment. On living. On this new dawn. "Why, I'm always right" I say jokingly, winking. I'm surprised I can still do that after tonight. But after all, a few hours ago I was winking and sharing a little joke with my love at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. Despite everything, despite the impending tragedy. "And it's Zetta for you, honey" I add as the officer stands and give our oarsmen the order to row us towards the steamship. It takes time to coordinate all the lifeboats in this sea of ice. We can see it now in the morning light: we're surrounded by a web of icebergs just like the one I saw with horror from the deck. They're everywhere, cruel testament of the mournful events of the night. Why no one spotted it? Why were we racing at high speed? I decide to leave my questions unanswered and hug my love as we move again. They don't matter now. All that matters is that we're alive. It takes hours and hours to line all the vessels alongside the steamship called 'Carpathia' and bring us all abroad. Which is easier said than done. Those who can climb up rope ladders, others are hoisted up in slings and the children in mail sacks. Our vessel is among the last ones to be boarded so when I finally set foot on the main deck of the ship, it is already crowded with passengers from the Titanic. As I take a few steps forward, the scenes of joy I witness move me to the point that I distinctly feel a lump forming in my throat and my eyes welling. I probably needed this: thee has been a moment I started losing hope to see this beautiful dawn. And this sight is...another dawn, in its own way. Families and friends reunited and hugging each other, cupping their faces and crying all the tears they've suppressed so far. It's a balsam to my aching heart. I hear someone saying something near me but I cannot tell if they're talking to me. I turn and a stewardess is standing at my side, handing me a wool blanket with a gentle smile. I smile back at her and wrap the blanket around my shoulders. I am freezing despite James's jacket so I am eternally grateful to her when a little warmth embraces me. I savour the feeling for a moment then I search my companions. They are all standing a few steps away. Hileni pulled Adele into a tight hug as Sabine is gathering blankets for them. Matteo and Jamie awkwardly stand side by side. Jamie is saying something I cannot hear that makes Teo shake his head but my nephew insists. He looks like he's begging him. It seems to be important...I can only hope he's not being unreasonable again. I walk towards my dear ones and approach my little Napoleon. Dark circles frame her bright eyes and mine too, probably. The night was rough, to put it mildly. We share a tired smile then I hug her. She tenses up at first, not expecting it, but soon relaxes in my arms. We're soon approached by another steward who invites us to follow him. They're gathering the rescued passengers in the dining rooms and serving coffee. We share a look and oblige him. We leave the deck and follow him and other passengers down a series of corridors and stairs. We must look like ghosts to the Carpathia's passengers stepping back at our sight. They wanted to witness this historical moment but they didn't know we would look that bad, I read it on their bewildered faces. When we finally reach one of the dining room a waitress welcomes us with a sympathetic smile and guides us inside. The room is almost full, only a bunch of table are still available. We all follow her, except James and Teo. We are already heading towards the table the waitress pointed when they leave. Last thing I hear from them is Jamie asking directions for the infirmary then they're gone. I'm too exhausted to inquiry further: if they're hurt or sick, the ship doctors will take care of them. We will check on them later. The waitress invites us to take a seat into a table nearby, before turning to attend other passengers. The table is a bit small for all of us but we hardly notice. We seat in silence until steamy cups of coffee are served. I take a huge gulp that almost burn my tongue but it's...resuscitating. The hot coffee injects new life in my veins. Surprisingly, Hileni is the one breaking the silence. "I've...I've heard that it was your birthday yesterday, ma' - I mean, Zetta" she says after clearing her throat. It's still quite weird to her to call me by my name only or so it seems to me by the way she stutters over it. "Belated congratulations" Hileni adds with a sheepish smile, her eyes wandering from me to Adele as if checking if she said the right thing. I wonder what exactly she knows about us, how much my love told her. Not knowing if I'm just an employer or something more than that in her mind, I thank her and flash her a grateful smile: I almost forgot yesterday was my day. I raise my cup and repeats in my best acting voice the words I said at my party: "Thank you, old friends and new, for being here with me to celebrate my twentieth birthday" They ring a bit hollow now, away from the Café Parisien. Adele and Sabine smile weakly, probably reminiscing when they first heard them, while Hileni looks at me with amused curiosity, raising her own cup. This time I change my next line, though. "...And that's all that matters now. All of us being here, together, drinking coffee at this table on another ship" I embrace all of them with one look. "It's the best birthday gift I could ask for after last night. I wouldn't trade it with anything" I add softly and God knows I mean every word. It's the first time that I see Sabine almost on the verge of tears at my kind words. I place my hand on her shoulder and squeeze it gently as she tries to shake the lump in her throat off taking a gulp of coffee. I continue sharing details of what a beautiful work my little Napoleon and Adele did with the decorations with Hileni. I know it may sound silly -some would even say disrespectful maybe- now talking about those things but my mind is frozen and it's the only happy thing that comes into my mind at the moment. For some reason I feel like I should talk, say something even little things like that to prevent us from drowning in our sorrow. I know that moment will come and I dread it: when it will all sink in, we will be shattered and we will need each other. For now I must try to fill the silence, the void...to patch our wounds even if temporarily. Adele is awfully quiet but her sister listens with interest and...gratitude, I cannot tell. Sabine tries to recover, sipping her coffee and adjusting her blanket. I'm telling Hileni that I will teach her how to waltz too when we will be in America and recovered from this tragic night, that Sabine and I will show them both around when someone startles me. All of us, to be honest. A hand grabs my shoulder and I turn to see a young woman standing at my side. Her hair and overall look dishevelled, she either refused or let go of her blanket as she's just wearing an unbuttoned wool coat. It takes me a moment to recognise the young lady Sabine and I bumped into as we ran to the promenade and saw the iceberg. I suddenly remember as a flash her walking past us at the arm of a young man. Now the look on her face is no longer numb...what's in her eyes is pure dread and frantic despair. "Pardon me, ladies, but I was wondering if you could help me? I'm looking for someone, maybe you've seen him. Here's a picture of him!" Both her voice and her hands shakes as she show us a miniature picture on the inside of her necklace. The young gentleman who was with her on the deck. In the picture he's wearing a uniform and a dignified smile is curling his lips. I grimace as we take a look and she continues, almost feverishly. "Name's Henry, Henry Atherton. He served in the Navy and...and he has quite an accent when he speaks, he's from Liverpool..have you seen him? We separated on the deck, he said he would get the next lifeboat I- I didn't want to go without him but he insisted saying we will be meet again when rescued but I can't find him anywhere, have you seen him?" My heart sinks as we all grimly shake our head saying that sadly no, we didn't see his Henry. Her face falls too but she won't surrender so soon. How long has she been searching for him? I wince at the thought of it. Sabine suggests her to go to the main deck: many survivors are still there or to ask directions for the other dining rooms. The young woman nods frantically and announces that she will go back to the deck. "Godspeed, we will come find you if we see him, Miss...?" I add as she's already resumed her search. She turns back and share her name before fighting her way through the crowd. Silence falls at our table as we share un uneasy look. I noticed a ring at her finger, I wonder if they're married, maybe even newlyweds. Maybe they decided to honeymoon on the Ship of Dreams...I pray she will find her Henry and her heart won't be broken in such a tragic way. In the days that follow, three days that resemble a haze, we soon realize that so many hearts broke or are bound to be shattered: so few of us made it to the Carpathia. Which means too many poor souls went to their watery grave. Fathers, husbands, wives, friends, crew, maids...even children. I hear that lifeboat 12 was filled with the corpses of those who froze to death on the vessels waiting for our rescue and abandoned there. I'm grateful I had already left the deck by that time and was spared such a sight. On a bright note, it seems the officer who came back to look for survivors manage to save three people in the end. The joyful hugs of sweet reunions of the first day become rare as hopes die when so many loved ones fail to reappear in the crowd. One of them is Henry: if he was here now, the poor girl would have no reason to sob uncontrollably in the arms of a maid. As we sail towards New York our hearts fill with a weird mix of relief of being alive and sorrow for all the lives lost at sea. Sabine takes charge of our group. I remember she mentioning being used to grief as she buried her family when she was young, and she tries her best to comfort me and the others. She tries to keep us busy, no matter how silly the tasks she suggests sound: "if the hands are busy working, mind aches less and heals faster", she explains, probably translating a motto a wise relative used to say to her. So she braids Hileni's hair and converses with her in French, or suggests card matches or literally anything that would prevent us from be quiet. Teo and Hileni sometimes oblige and joins her while James is ever absent. Always somewhere else, always lost in his own thought as if losing himself in a stupor. I wish I could talk to him but I have no words for him. Not now, at least: the wound is still too fresh. I return him his jacket and quickly hug him but that's all I can do for him. The one who concerns me most is Adele, surprisingly. The girl who left me speechless with her silver tongue during our short trip is now as quiet as a tomb. She tries to shake away her sadness when Hileni is around but the light in her eyes is fading. It's a terrible thing to see and it makes my heart aches even more. I find the idea of separating from her unbearable and I can only hope my closeness helps her somehow...even if I start doubting it. I escort her around the ship for walks because I can't bear the thought of her succumbing to her grief. I hold her close, uncaring of what others may think, but she's a ghost, a shadow of her usual self. I try not to think of what awaits me in America and make sure she eats, sleep, survive. I caress her hair hoping my presence is of some comfort to her. Maybe America will do her good too as it did for me. After the first year with Franz, that is. Maybe a change of scenery, a new job away, a new place to belong will help her moving on. Away from her past in England, from danger and this watery graveyard. I hope so...I can only hope so... One night I wake up before dawn and see her spot empty. A wave of dread runs down my spine as the worst thoughts crowd my mind. The others are sleeping, they didn't notice. Without thinking twice, I wrap a blanket around my shoulders and start looking for her, stopping every member of the crew on my way. Have they seen her? It's one of them telling me that he thinks he saw a girl meeting my description heading towards the main deck. I ran there full speed as I picture the worst: Adele diving overboard, Adele disappearing or freezing in the chilly night...but Adele is doing nothing of that. She's just...crying. She's crying, hugging her knees on a bench facing the ocean. Tears stream down her cheeks and she looks into the distance, into the darkness. I notice an officer nearby, probably wondering whether he should intervene, but when our eyes meet I gesture him I know the girl and he could resume his patrol. I walk towards her trying my best not to upset her. She doesn't seem to acknowledge my presence, lost in her own thoughts and sorrow. When I'm close enough, I reach out and caress her hair. My touch is gentle but sadly I startle her anyway. She looks up and meet my gaze: her eyes are puffed and red, I wonder how long she's been here alone on the desert deck. I smile down at her and nod to make room for me. She hesitates for a moment then scoot over and let me sit beside her. I wrap the blanket around her too and pull her close. We don't have to talk now, I can stay here, quiet and let her cry but she doesn't have to be alone. I kiss her forehead and caress her cheek: I'm right here, my love. Adele rests her head on my shoulder, grateful that I'm not forcing her to find words for the grief she's mourning. She holds on to me, wrapping her arms around my waist as if I am an anchor, her anchor in the storm shaking her soul. I stroke her back as her tears soak our blanket but I don't care. What I care and hope is she will feel a bit better after this: her wounds will take time to heal completely but grief needs tears at some point. When her breath slows down and normalises again, I sigh in relief: the storm is subsiding. That's when she speak, her voice hoarse from crying. Her words flow like waves and I'm glad she's opening up and not letting her sorrow eating her out. She's scared and broken. The horrors of that night are still vivid just like the memories of those left behind. The future is uncertain: she has lost everything, even the little she had, her savings...what are they gonna do in America? She blames herself: it's all her fault, she should have never dragged Hileni into this, how can her sister forgive her? However, I feel the real question here is how my love will forgive herself... I would like to say something but she continues. She has lost everything, including the only friends she made on board. "You and Sabine excluded, obviously" she adds, making me smile a little. I ask her who she's referring to. With a heavy sight, she explains she has not seen her cabinmate ever since. They parted ways on the ship, the water was rising fast in the Turkish Baths when she gave her friend directions to the decks. Adele is worried she didn't make it. "She broke her leg in the collision" she explains grimly before adding. "She provided the posters and pictures for your party. She...she had this dress made for me" Oh right, I think I remember. The cabinmate who is a huge fan of mine and works for Maison Lucille? I ask if it's Corinna she's talking about. "Her real name is Lena" she says but I glad to see her lips curl into a weak smile at my question. Then her eyes fall on her blue jacket and she goes quiet again. She categorically refuses to take it off. Ever, not even to replace it with something warmer. A sudden realisation hits me. I ask her if another friend gave it to her even if I already know the answer. So that's how I learn about Charlie Stoke, brave young steward who helped my love without never asking anything back. A fast friendship as it happens on ships, a friendship tragically interrupted. They parted ways in the engine room, she says. As soon as I hear it, I turn her to face her. My stomach turns at the mere picture of it. "The engine room? You went down there when the ship was sinking?" I ask searching her eyes. I am grateful I get to know this now: if I had known back then, I would have been shattered, utterly defeated. My foolish desperate love... "Yes, all the corridors were flooded and it was the only way out, he said. He was...right" she explains then she lowers her eyes and fresh tears run down her cheeks. "He didn't join you on the deck..." I wince, connecting the dots. No, he stayed down there to help the firemen keeping the lights on till the very last minute. That poor boy gave his life to save our, so many other lives who will never hear once of him. I immediately understand why he and Adele became so close friends in such a short time, two selfless and idealist gems casting a light so bright in this delusional world. I suddenly wish I got the chance to know this Charlie, we were strangers yet so close at my party... I caress my love's face as she regrets not saving him. She tried to stop him but he didn't listen to her. But then, maybe he would have been furious to her for not respecting his decision, his sacrifice. He allowed her to stay a bit longer but then encouraged her to go to the boats and survive this ordeal. "And I respect his decision, he saved my life and Matteo and Hileni but I feel...so lonely now. Without him and I know it's selfish of me when he-" Her voice breaks as her grief strikes hard. I pull her into an embrace and cradle her into my arms. I'm so sorry, my dear love, I'm so terribly sorry... When we part, I brush her hair away from her face, gently, and lean closer and kiss her tears away. No one is in sight or near enough to notice us. Then, I meet Adele's troubled gaze. It softens as I cup her face, stroking her wet cheeks with my thumb. "You are not alone, Adele, no matter how lonely you feel in the aftermath of this tragedy. You have Hileni and it's because of you, thanks to you she's here, quietly sleeping belowdecks. You went down to the belly of that ship and brought her to safety. You saved her. And Teo: you remember how you stood up for him with that officer? You fool" I smile tenderly at her, even if my forehead had certainly covered with cold sweat back then. "And Sabine! I'm pretty sure she has a liking for my former secretary. Tomorrow or when we reach shore we will try and find your cabinmate too, huh? If she's anything like you, I bet she's here somewhere. And...most importantly-" I take a pause: I want her to remember what I'm gonna say next. "You have me, Adele. You will always have me. I don't want to part from you anytime soon. I'll find a way, we'll find a way and- and maybe I can help you starting anew in New York, huh? I would gladly do it, if you let me. No, don't give me that look, my dear suffragette, I know you're an independent woman, I just wanna help" Adele suppresses a giggle at my last comment but I'm sure my words moved her. In full response, she reaches out and places her hand over mine. I follow her gesture and intertwine our fingers after one last stroke to her cheek. I look down at our hands as I choose carefully what to say. "I still want to believe that a renaissance is about to come. Mine, yours" I search her eyes again. "It's always darkest before the dawn, sweetheart, but our renaissance is just out there. I'm sure of it" Adele ponders my words then offers me a weak smile where I sense a little sparkle of hope. She rests her head on my shoulder again, pacified, and asks me if we can stay there a bit longer. Who am I to say no to my troubled Angel? "Tell me about New York. Is it bigger than London?" she whispers, cuddling up to me. I smile to myself at the thought of the city that I call home. The idea of sharing it with Adele makes me unbelievably happy. I tell her of the boulevards and high buildings, so high they look like they're touching the sky. Then the parks, my beloved Central Park, and the theatres, the cafes and restaurants, the movie theatres...the atmosphere. I have never been in a city like that. It's thrilling, vibrant but also quiet and comforting. You just need to know where to find what you look for. I savour the feeling of joyful anticipation of guiding my love through the streets and my favourite spots. To host her at my place and chat freely with her, not needing to refrain our affection. A smile is still lingering on my lips as I conclude my speech and press a quick kiss on the crown of her head. "You'll love it, Adele. I'll show you"

#storyscape titanic #zetta serda #adele carrem #zetta x adele #zetta x adele series

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non-stop-imagines · 5 years

Text

The New Recruit

Pairing: Quentin Beck x Black!Reader

Word Count: About 3k

Summary: Quentin falls for the new Stark Industries recruit hard and fast.

Warnings: A curse word, Quentin gets mad, not sure if its a FFH spoiler or not, but if you haven't seen it, it might not click; also gets a little steamy at the end

A/N: Okay, so I wrote this in half a day after fervently thinking of the plot at 3am. I can say that this was fun to write and I'm excited to add to the still low collection of Mysterio/Quentin Beck works. Hope you guys like it. Love y'all!💖💛💖💛💖💛

UNIVESAL TAGS LIST: @avc212 @beautifulwisdom2001 @iamzion-therealhabesha @cheychey10142 @jetaimeamore @thottio

Masterlist

_____

"Y/N, can you rush these documents to Frank down the hall, please?" Your supervisor asks, nose deep in her innovation, preparing it to be tested at the Stark Expo that was to take place in less than 3 hours.

"Of course. Would you like me to bring you back anything? Coffee or something?" You stand from where you sat at a workbench and take the file from her hand.

"No thank you. If you want you can get something for yourself, though." She looks up from her machine and smiles. You smile back and nod, leaving the room and being sure to close the door behind you. You begin to quickly make your way down the hallway, flipping through the pages in the file, lightly skimming them. It doesn't take long for you to reach the other scientists office, and after you hand off the files, you decide to make your way to the break room to get coffee. You pull your phone from your back pocket and begin to answer emails on it as you walk to the break room, taking small intermediate glances in front of you to be sure you wouldn't run into anyone. Unfortunately, just as you were getting ready to turn into the room, you bumped fairly hard into another person trying to make their way into the break room, making you both take a few steps back to keep from falling.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I should have been paying attention to where I was going." The guy takes a step towards you and hovers his hand over your shoulders. You look up into his fairly large bright blue eyes which displayed only concern for how you were.

"Oh, no. It was my fault I should have waited to answer these." You wave your phone and giggle a little, nervously fluffing your frohawk. "Are you going in?" You begin to reach for the door knob but the guy beats you to it.

"Yeah. Uh-here." He twists the knob and pushes it open letting you in first then following behind you. You make your way to the Keurig machine while he walks over to the vending machine in the corner. "I'm a Quentin, by the way." He turns back to you after vending a snack. You push down the top of the machine then turn back to look at him, wide eyed.

"Like, Quentin Beck? The creator of the headlining technology being showcased tonight?" You took steps towards where he sat at a table that increased in tempo with every movement forward. You sit down in the chair next to him but turn it so your able to face him.

"Yeah, that's me." He grins, cocky and flattered. He rub his stuble a bit while his ego quickly dulled as he admired your starstruck expression. The way your eyes lit up and widend, how your lips looked turned up in your wide grin, and the way you subconsciously twisted a curl from your frohawk around your finger.

"The work that your doing with augmented reality is amazing! I've been following your work for a couple of years now actually." You gush, startled when you hear the gurgle from the Keurig. You get up from your seat and make your way over to it, unnecessarily adjusting your cup.

"Well, thank you hun. I'm flattered, uh…" His face scrunches and eyebrows furrow as he tries to go back in his brain to figure out if you already told him your name.

"Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N. Sorry, I just realized I didn't introduce myself." You turn around to lean against the counter.

"No need to be sorry." He quietly repeats your name to himself, rubbing his bottom lip. He soon stops and points at you, tilting his head, squinting his eyes and letting a small grin tug at the sides of his thin lips. "You're the new one. The one that got recruited to come to Stark Industries right after college."

"Oh, uh-yeah. A proud accomplishment of mine." You giggle and turn around to finish making your coffee, pouring in a hefty amount of creamer and sugar.

"So, how's it been, new recruit?" Quentin opens his bag of chips and pulls out a chip, eating it in one bite.

"Fine. Nothing all that great." You move over to the fridge and pull out the milk and pour some in, then finally place the top on the cup.

"Hmm… you workin on anything special?" He takes another chip than offers you one by nudging the bag towards you as you make you way back over to the table and sit. You accept the offer and grab a chip.

"No one has kept me on their team long enough for me to really work on something. I've just been passed from project to project. It's actually kinda annoying." You take a bite of the chip, eating it then chasing it with a swing of coffee. You look up to see Quentin's worried face, so you continue your words. "But I mean, I guess I'm pretty lucky to receive a position like this right out of college. It could be worse." You finish the chip and take a swing of coffee, taking another chip as Quentin tips the bag towards you again.

"You shouldn't settle though. From what I heard about you, anyone would be lucky to have you on their team." You nervously avert your eyes but smile to yourself as you eat your chip. "How about this," he lowers his head so he could make eye contact with you again. "You accompany me backstage today during the expo when Stark unveils my tech. And then after we'll talk about you joining my team." His lips grow into what seems to be his signature charming grin.

"I guess I could do that." You giggle. He just nods at your confirmation, leaving you both sitting there mesmerized by one another. At one point something told him to check his watch.

"Oh, we've been here for a while. Almost 20 minutes." He gets up from his spot, but doesn't move until you're up too. Once you guys get to the door he opens it for you, in which you nod your thanks and then he follows you out.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later. It was nice meeting you." You smile, fluffing your frohawk again.

"It was nice meeting you, too." He nods, then turns to walk away but abruptly stops and turns back around. "And, uh, I'll meet you at the backstage entrance, okay?" You nod your confirmation, allowing him to turn back around to head to his office. You nod once more to yourself then turn on your heels to quickly make it back to your supervisor's office.

_____

You move as quick as you possibly could in your simple black heels and surprisingly tight black skinny jeans to the backstage door, quietly opening it and looking around for Quentin.

"Hey," his sudden whisper startled you, causing you to let go of the door to cover your mouth, but then quickly recover in order to grab the door in time to quietly guide it shut. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" He whispers, trying not to laugh loud. All you could do was quietly chuckle with him. He looks you up and down loving how your mandatory all black outfit looked on your, you heels and jeans and you flowy chiffon blouse.

"It's fine. I'm just naturally very jumpy." You quietly giggle. You let your eyes roam up and down him once, first appreciating the way he looked in his black turtleneck, then chuckling a bit at how the size and color of his eyes makes them seem as though they glow in the dark.

"Come on, he just started." Quentin grabs your hand and pulls you over to stage right. He makes sure that you have a good view of the stage, grasping your hand a bit tighter in excitement as you two get settled. Your eyes flash between the stage and Quetin as the presentation presses on. You watch as a Tony walks across the stage, appearance altered by the device. Once everything disappears, he goes on to explain the therapeutic implications the device could be used for, which causes Quentin's grip to tighten. More time goes by and Tony soon gets to the title he decided to give the device: Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, more easily known as B.A.R.F. This causes Quentin's grip to tighten even more, and you receive sudden pull once the laughs and applause began.

"Quentin…" you strain to whisper, pain starting to shoot through your hand.

"Are you hungry?" The way he asked was stern but caring as he lightened his grip when he began to feel you wiggling your fingers to gain back feeling.

"Uhh- I guess-" You were pulled again out the backstage door to the hallway. "Okay, I dare you to pull me again."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. Um, let's go get something to eat." His eyes seemed darker and he is obviously flustered.

"Ok. I just need to go get my things." You turn to go, but are stopped by Quentin's hand on your wrist.

"Thank you." Was all he could muster. You grin and nod the go to get your things.

____

"I just can't believe this technology that I have devoted the past two and a half years to perfect has basically been showcased as a play thing. And he FUCKING NAMES IT BARF, REALLY!!!" Quentin slams his hand down on the table, making you and the few people that still sat in the diner jump. You reach for his hand, grasping it with both of your hands and begin to rub his fingers. You can feel his hand physically lose tension as he continues. "He made a mockery of my work, Y/N." His head was lowered on the table right in front of his plate of food so his words were muffled but still audible.

"I mean, sure. B.A.R.F was a bit much, but what Tony wants to do with the tech is actually quite remarkable." You continue to rub. "Using it as a therapeutic device would allow people to go back in their mind and attempt to face their trauma head on if they wanted to." You finally remove your hands from his, adjust your blouse, and pick up a couple of fries to dip in your dipping sauce and eat.

"Well when you put it that way…" He groans and rubs his eyebrows, then grasps his BLT to take a bite. "I guess it's just… in the abstract of the research I had to do, it clearly states the intended purpose-"

"The purpose was just altered in a way that seemed to better suit the device in Tony's eyes." You dip a chicken strip in your ranch, taking a bite and giving yourself time to think. "Listen, from what is shown about Tony, I can tell that he can be an ass sometimes, but I know there's some good in him somewhere. Maybe this was a first step towards that better Tony or something." You shrug and take a sip of your lemonade. Quentin just looks down, purses his lips, and hums, then takes another bite of his sandwich. After a moment, he looks back up at you, grinning and bright blue eyes sparkling.

"How did you do that?" He chuckles.

"Do what?" You wipe your hands with a napkin and reach up to play with your hair a bit.

"Calm me down so fast. I'm typically a hot head." He furrows and lifts his eyebrows as his charming grin morphs to a questioning one.

"Oh, I have a naturally calm disposition, I guess." You say confidently, over exaggerating your facial expression and puffing out your chest, but jumping at the sound of the front door bell as someone enters. Quentin tries to bite back his laugh but couldn't do it and bursts out laughing, and you couldn't help but join in.

"Sure you do, hun." You heart skips at his pet name for you as you finish laughing. You pull your phone from your pocket and check the time. It was close to midnight. Quentin does the same and check the time on his watch. "Oh, it's almost midnight. Umm… I guess, you know if you don't mind, once we're done eating, I could walk you home." He shrugs and avoids eye contact, pursing his lips again, and grabbing a few fries to eat. You think for a moment, realizing that you still only met him today. You examine his body language, realizing that he's preparing for your rejection which you still consider. After a minute of pondering you decide to go against your better judgment.

"I guess that wouldn't be too bad." You giggle, finishing a chicken strip as Quentin looks back up at you.

"Great." He responds quickly, giving you a bright smile.

_____

You and Quentin walk out the elevator down the hall to your apartment hand in hand. You were practically skipping, swinging his arm with yours with each bound as he watches you, grinning at you like you were the moon and stars. You do this until you get to your door.

"Welp, this is my place," You turn to face him, but keep your grip on his hand.

"Thank you again, I probably would be in a bigger funk if you weren't there to calm me." He pulls you closer to him and then brings his arms around your torso, your first instinct to this motion was to bring your hands to his chest.

"Well, I'm glad I could help." You voice ended in a whisper as you looked deeper into his eyes. You guys maintain the closeness for a while, wishing you could stay like this forever, but knowing you couldn't. Quentin takes and extra moment to bring his face to your hair, inhaling.

"I should go." He mumbles, pulling you closer.

"I guess." You breath, closing your eyes as you feel his lips connect with your forehead. Once the feeling is lost you look up at him, backing away as he did, holding hands for a moment then fully pulling away.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He turns and slowly walks toward the elevator, but turns back around. "And we'll see if we can get that team change." There was that charming smile once again slowly disappearing as he turns toward the elevator again. You watched him, not wanting to leave. You thought quick, thumbing through ideas until-

"Quentin!" You call after him. He swiftly turns back around but stays where he stood down the hall. "I-uh-there's -um- something that I need your help moving. In my apartment." Your heart rate increased with every step he took back toward you, so you combat it by taking deep breaths.

"I guess I should help you then, huh?" The mischievous glint that appeared in his eye hypnotized you, but you visibly shook yourself out of it and turned to unlock the door, earning a low chuckle from him. You open the door and step inside, feeling Quentin close behind you. You hear the door close behind him and, after taking one last deep breath, you turn to look at him, fiddling with you bag's strap. You watch as his eyes lead from your shoulder to the floor, subliminally signaling you to drop you bag. You do so and then fiddle with your fingers.

Quentin's eyes darken again, but this time they seemed lust filled as he licks his lips, loving the way your brown skin looked under the light of the dull, lone lamp. Not even a moment later, he pulls you in by your belt loops and dips down his head to capture your lips. The pace of the kiss quickened immediately, the lustful tension that grew between you two finally being released. You pull him closer to you by placing an arm around his neck, lacing your hand through his hair as your other hand perched on his jaw, thumb running over his stubble. He moves his hand, running them up your shirt, loving the feeling of your bare skin on his hands. The kiss deepens as the battle between tongues begin, but you were no match for his as he dominated the entire time. You did attempt to take control by pushing him back into the door, removing your hand from his jaw to up his shirt, stepping forward a little so his thigh was in-between your legs. He pulls away leaving both of you panting.

"Honey, honey, wait. Are you sure you want to do this? Cause if we start this, there is a very small chance that we'll stop." He was out of breath, but his cocky smirk still held a great amount of power. You watched his face as his expression softened, waiting for your answer. You reach up and cup his face with both hands, pulling his face down and placing a deep kiss on his lips. He syncs the movement of his lips with your and brings his hands back down to your hips. The kiss stayed lustful, even with the absence of tongue, until you finally pulled away.

"I guess you're right again, Beck." You, stroke his cheek one more time then back away, pulling your phone from your back pocket. "Here. Put your number in." You hand him the phone then turn around to place you bag next to the table you see upon entering your place. You turn back around and receive your phone from him, looking at the new contact on your phone then up at him. "I'll text you my current supervisor's email so we can get the team switch situated." You voice was cocky as you stepped closer to him.

"Y/N, you really are something." He smirks, then bends down to give you one last deep kiss. He pulls away and reaches back to open the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." He grins, eyes smiling more than he was.

"See ya tomorrow." You grin back, biting back the wide smile you wanted to show. He waves one last time the turns to get to the elevator. You close your door and press your back against it, sliding down to the ground and dreamily sighing.

#black reader #marvel imagine #marvel #spiderman: ffh #spiderman: far from home #quentin beck #quentin beck x reader #quentin beck x black reader #mysterio x reader #mysterio x black reader #mysterio #quentin beck imagine #mysterio imagine

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yoonminos · 5 years

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pretty birthday boy (dirty pretty things #1) [part 2 here]

↳ pairings: jungkook x female reader

↳ genres: smut and fluff (if you squint enough to find it) | words: 7k

↳ warnings: explicit sex; dom/sub undertones; switch!jungkook, switch!reader, dom!reader, sub!jungkook; established relationship; pegging; spanking; sex toys; anal sex; slapping; snowballing; jungkook wears lace panties but idk how to tag that so there's that.

↳ summary: It's Jungkook's birthday and you throw him a surprise party with the help of your friends. The thing that surprised you, though, was Jungkook buying himself a gift and asking you to use it on him.

It is Jungkook’s birthday and that’s how you find yourself running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room of his apartment to make sure everything is in order. All the booze and snacks already placed around with some decoration that you crafted with the help of his flatmate, and one of your closest friends, Jimin. You take a breath, things look good and ready. You smile at the thought of Jungkook’s reaction once he gets to the apartment and sees the surprise.

It doesn’t take long for the closest of your mutual friends to arrive along with some of Jungkook’s classmates that you don’t know that well but that Jimin managed to get in contact with. You and him have been the masterminds behind all this. Jimin on charge of tricking Jungkook into going to a bar after their practice today, supposed to pretend that he forgot something in their apartment and having to go back last minute before their plans.

When Jimin texts you that they are on their way to the apartment, you and all the guests huddle in the dark behind the furniture of Jungkook and Jimin’s living room. A giggly Seokjin is by your side and you have to bite your lips to not join him in it, slapping him lightly in the arm to shush him. A sudden feeling of excitement running fast through you and keeping you on edge until you hear the noise of the door opening, the click of the light switch. From then on, it’s chaos.

Everyone is jumping from their hiding places and yelling “surprise!” and singing happy birthday to him. All you can really focus on is Jungkook’s reaction. His wide eyes, quickly taking in everything in front of him and slowly gaining the prettiest of glimmers to them as he starts to cutely clap along to the song. When it's over and everyone is cheering loudly, the biggest smile is spread on his lips and his friends get to him one by one. He hugs them, tells them his thanks for the congratulations and it doesn’t really take long before his eyes are searching for yours, finding you in the middle of the room watching him.

He’s smiling at you, all bright and warm and you can feel your chest bubbling with the exchange. You bite your lips in an attempt of containing your own big stupid smile then nudge your head to the side in a way of telling him to finish greeting his friends first. He does, too polite not to. It’s only when Sunmi, one of your best friends that you met through him, drags you through the small crowd, yelling at some of the people huddling around him to “let her say hi to him!” that you finally get close to him.

You feel your cheeks warming a bit under all the attention, but you’re finally standing in front of Jungkook so it doesn’t really matter.

“Hi, birthday boy.” You manage to say lowly, eyes focused on his that keep on flicking with amusement and fondness.

Jungkook is poking his tongue on the inside of his cheek, eyes are narrowed at you as he shakes his head and clicks his tongue.

“You little menace.” He finally tells you, a low chiding as his hands come to wrap around your waist, pulling your body closer to his. Your own hands finding purchase in the front of his jacket.

“All that dodging today was because of this? I can’t believe you really let me think you had to study over hanging with me in my birthday. All those lies! That hurt, y/n.”

“Well, it’s like they say. A little pain truly goes a long way, doesn’t it?” You cheekily reply and, as soon as you do, he is groaning with a fake tone of disgust to it, throwing his head back a little.

“You’re so crude and, literally, no one has ever said that. I hate you.”

You laugh lowly, releasing one of your hands from his jacket and moving it upwards, fingers wrapping around his chin and tugging it back down to you.

“Nah, you love it.” As you say it, you're standing on your toes and reaching up to plant a little kiss to the tip of his nose. When you settle back on the soles of your feet, Jungkook is smiling down at you with so much that you feel instant warmth pleasantly spreading everywhere on your body.

He leans down and his lips touch yours, only for the briefest of seconds.

“Thank you. This is amazing.” Jungkook murmurs softly, every syllable a gentle breath caressing over your lips. His forehead coming to rest over yours and you move to comfortably wrap your arms around his neck.

“I specially love the decoration that will surely haunt me until my dying days.” He adds.

You laugh again, this time a little more loudly. You and Jimin had made sure to print his worst pictures, make stupid collages and photoshop him in all sorts of weird situations. Both of you having to stop every ten minutes from laughing fits so strong that made you cry. It had definitely been worth skipping class for.

“Jimin helped me with that. You know how it’s always go big or go home with us, baby.”

Jungkook hums his amusement over your lips, closing the gap between your mouths again. This time, he lingers a little bit more. His tongue teasing over the seam of your mouth and asking for entry. You open up for him, tongues meeting in a slow pace but still taking deeply everything that they can. Your fingers caressing the soft hairs on the back of his neck as his thumb presses and draws comforting figures and mindless patterns by your waist.

And, as easy as that, everything is Jungkook. His unique sharp taste mixed with the vodka lemonade he just had that you drink off his tongue. His sweet scent swarming all around you and making your head hazy. His firm broad chest pressing over yours, long fingers wrapping perfectly around your waist and, somehow, it's not enough. You want more.

You press your body closer to his, your fingers tugging on his hair and trying to shift his head for a better angle, one that allows you deeper. He entertains you for a little bit longer, fingertips digging further on your waist as his tongue drags and slides over yours with more purpose, more want, before he is pulling back, teeth coming to bite gently at your lower lip as he breaks the kiss.

You whine lowly as a complaint, opening your eyes with a pout already set on your lips.

“Later, baby. We have a crowd to entertain.” He tells you with an amused smile, pressing a quick peck on your pouty lips before he is tugging you by the hand and leading you to the improvised dance floor that currently is set in the middle of his living room.

A few hours and a couple of shots later, Jungkook is finally tugging you free from Jimin and Sunmi’s hold - you’ve been dancing with them for a little while, Jungkook socialising with some of his other friends - and guiding you to his bedroom. Once you're inside, he is quick to press you to his closed and locked door. His hands finding your wrists, fingers wrapping around, pulling them up and pining them over your head as he presses his body further into yours, hips pressuring perfectly over yours.

He is staring you down, something searching in his brown orbs that you can’t quite decipher yet. You’re about to ask him about it when his lips find yours, a hungry and searing kiss that has you groaning over his mouth. He takes, deeply and quickly. Tongue flicking over the roof of your mouth, tangling with yours in a demanding manner that soon enough has your whole body curling and tightening with desire, your heartbeat hammering wildly on your chest.

Then, he is guiding your head to the side, adjusting the angle and you can only follow. His tongue reaching even deeper, dancing with yours intensely and messily, just as you both like it. When he sucks on your tongue, you moan. Push your own hips against his and find pleasure in the low groan your action gets out of him. That’s when he backs his head away from you, biting your lower lip and slowly dragging it throughout the release. You take the opportunity to catch your breath, your chest already going up and down in a harsh pace under his.

As you both look at each other for a moment, hardened breaths and reddened lips, you trade a devilish smile that is enough of an incentive for Jungkook to being slowly grinding his hips over yours. You groan your approval as he starts the movement but, soon enough, you realise that he is playing with you. His pace is torturously slow, his half hard-on pressing over your clothed core and dragging away so slowly and almost gently. It feels maddening. You whine out a more, but all you get is a smirk spreading on his lips as he sticks to his pace and watches you from his half-lidded eyes.

“More.” You insist, this time more loudly and more demanding as push your own hips to meet his, trying to gain more friction.

“Behave.” He tells you, yet there’s an amused tilt to his tone.

Instead of doing as you're told, you only buck your hips up again and try to break his hold on your wrists. You can take too and he knows it too well. But this time it’s of no use, his fingers digging further into your skin and pressuring your arms back to the door, more strongly than before. You whine again but this time is different, is needy as you take a second to breath through the dizzyingly pleasure shooting down your blood from how tight his hands are around you, from how his fingers nip at the skin and pressure, from how good it feels to be roughly pressed up to the door like that, to be struggling against his hold like that. You both have always loved the defiance and the stubbornness in the power play a little bit too much.

“So needy. This is what you want, hm?” He asks you, snapping his hips once and harshly over yours. Finally.

“Y-yes.” You gasp at the feeling, throwing your head back on the door as you offer yourself to him. Jungkook takes the invitation. He leans down, teeth nipping at your exposed neck before he is kissing and blooming a delicious bruise on the skin.

When he thrusts his hips again, you move along with him. Your pelvis meeting his and the outline of his hardening cock pressuring against you deliciously.

“Fuck.” You curse before you feel Jungkook suddenly releasing your wrists, his hands wrapping around your waist as he easily shifts your body around until your forehead is facing the door, your back to him. One of his hands going down to your lower back, keeping you in position as his other roams further down, lightly caressing over your skirt.

“Looking so pretty, all dressed up with my favourite skirt. Is this all for me, baby?” He asks, warm breath fanning on your neck, rough voice in your ear that has shivers running down your spine. His teeth tugging on your lobe and making you let out a small whimper.

“Y-yes.” You answer but is comes out broken as his hand push your skirt up, the pad of his fingers lightly teasing around the band of your already slightly wet underwear.

“Such a pretty girl.” He kisses your neck and you moan as his palm comes down on your exposed skin, a not so light slap making your skin flush and feel tingly in the best of ways. So good.

“I’m-” Jungkook begins, stops when his voice comes out a bit too hoarse. Clears his throat and tries again. “I’m wearing something pretty too. Kinda still had hopes of somehow seeing you tonight.”

The sentence is enough to immediately set you on fire with curiosity and you’re turning on his hold, facing him within a flat second with winded eyes and a gaping mouth. You might be good with your surprises, but Jungkook somehow always find a way to beat you on it.

Your eagerness is translucent and, as always, it makes him chuckle lowly. You close your mouth, a small smile forming there as you watch him. You bite down your lower lip to try to contain it from getting too wide. Jungkook looks somewhat bashful, eyes shifting down to his feet as he keeps on chewing on his lip, the faintest flush adorning his cheeks. So sweet. His duality will still be the end of you, you are sure of it. Still, you will your excited heart to calm down for a second and, finally, try to speak.

“Oh, are you? Show me.”

He looks up at you, eyes searching your expression and an assured smile being offered to you before he is stepping away and walking towards the middle of his room.

You take the opportunity to marvel at him. Jungkook is wearing one of his many simple oversized black t-shirts, tucked into his light washed ripped jeans and his jacket is long gone in the heat of alcohol and bodies that his apartment has turned into. A simple, basic choice for an outfit but somehow he still looks like something akin to a god in your eyes.

He starts with the t-shirt and, as he does it, you know he is ready to give you a show. His fingertips slowly teasing inside his shirt, hitching it up only slightly, giving you just the smallest visual of his honeyed skin. Still, you lick your lips at the sight, palms already tingling with the want to touch, to take, to mark.

“Go on.” You raise your brows at him in a challenge, sounding a bit too breathless even though he isn’t even shirtless yet. The anticipation making heat simmer inside you, only waiting.

Then, Jungkook is finally bunching up his shirt higher. One of his thumbs brushing on his nipple on the way up and he gasps, purposefully loud and pitchy, a smirk spreading on his lips as he hears you curse his name in reaction. You let him have his teasing for now, you like it far too much not to.

After the shirt is finally out, you barely have the time to appreciate the skin and hard defined muscle that is exposed to you because his hands are sliding down his chest, coming to a stop by the waistband of his pants only to tease there too. Fingertips sliding in and out, playing with the button as he keeps looking at you. Waiting.

“Will I have to go there and open it myself, baby? Or will you be a good boy?” You ask, voice coming out a bit roughed up and snappy. Desire eating up all your rationale.

Jungkook bites his lips, breaking through a smile that threatens to spread on his face and shakes his head to the sides in a silent negative.

“I’ll be a good boy.” He tells you, big doe eyes looking at you through his lashes as he, finally, opens the button and pushes his pants down. You know it’s coming, but it still makes your breath catch in your throat. Still makes your mind swirl dangerously with hot and consuming need.

You two had bought them a few months ago and he had used them only a few times until today, growing more confident with it as each time went by. You can still remember clearly the excitement making you almost dizzy as you two talked about it. You two were finally talking out all of your dirty kinks and Jungkook confessed, a blush creeping up his neck and spreading prettily on his cheeks, about how he always had wanted to see how lingerie would look on him. Immediately, you picked up your phone and made the order along with him. You keep waiting for the effect to lessen in you but it hasn’t yet.

Now, here he is. Hardening cock pressed against the prettiest intricate pattern of black and delicate lace, a wet spot where the tip is compressed against and he looks so dangerously and ethereally pretty that you feel like you could cry. The sight alone is enough to make arousal spread like wildfire throughout your body, everything suddenly feeling too hot and too tight. Wetness pooling heavily in your own panties.

You decide to take the few steps separating you two, eyes drinking him up all the way. Every inch of golden flushed skin, slightly sweaty and defined, prettily decorated with the lace and you want to taste.

“So pretty, Kook. Fuck. I swear I almost can’t believe you’re real.” You tell him, a little dumbfounded and it causes the most attractive little cocky smile to appear on his lips.

“I’m real, baby.” Jungkook tells you, chuckling lightly. “See?” He asks, taking one of your hands in his and gently placing it over his chest.

You place your other hand around his waist, revels in how perfect it fits. With the one he placed on his chest, you start sliding your fingers down, scratching the skin lightly with your nails until you finally meet the waistband of his panties. There, you feel the soft lace. You place your hand on top of it and rub lightly just where the tip of his cock is pressed up on. Your fingertips reaching down, spreading slowly and closing around his hardened length, squeezing.

“No, you’re an angel.” You say it and for a moment you could swear you truly believe it. This is what angels must look like, feel like.

Jungkook lets out an airy chuckle the praise, a small moan at the touch.

“Feels good.” He breathes out as your fingers rub softly the delicate lace into his skin. Your thumb reaching to brush over his tip and pressing down at the slit, making him hiss lowly.

When you look up at him, Jungkook is already looking at you. A bit of that questioning from before still clouding his eyes.

“What do you want, baby? Tell me.” You ask, voice careful and even as you cup the side of his face, thumb brushing gently over his cheek. “Hm?” You nudge him lightly with your nose, brushing it on his. A small kiss to his lips as encouragement.

“Want you to take care of me tonight.” Jungkook tells you, doe eyes boring into yours with a bit of shyness but so much trust, so much want that it makes goose bumps rise everywhere on your skin.

And you know what it means, know what it entails. How he wants you to tear him apart, to push him out of his comfort zone and into the new experimenting zone that you two have been creating for the last months. How much it means to you two, individually and together.

You smile at him, lean in to give him another little kiss before you’re backing away again.

“Yeah, baby. I can do that.”

Those appear to be the magic words, because Jungkook is taking your hand from his face, kissing the top of it before releasing it back to the side of your body and moving. As he walks towards his wardrobe, he tells you.

“I- I got a gift. For myself.” His voice comes a bit muffled through the opened door, a few noises filtering through until he is closing it and walking back to you with a small black gift bag in hands.

“But it’s- it’s for you to use.” As he says it, his cheeks are blushing furiously and he can barely hold eye contact. It’s… cute. It makes you want to lean up and bite his cheek, but he is pushing the gift bag into your hands and the thoughts of what might be in there are too strong, too intense that you can’t do anything but pick it up from his hands and take a steadying breath.

“Okay.”

“Open it.” Jungkook murmurs, a low and nervous tinted laugh as he runs one of his hands through his hair.

And you do, a surprised oh escaping your lips while every nerve ending in your body is catching on fire from the visual of what you find inside of the bag. It’s the black vibrating strap-on harness set that you had told him about a few weeks ago and it’s gorgeous. It’s for you, it’s for him. It’s perfect. It takes you a minute to recollect and only when Jungkook calls your name, softly and lowly, is that you look up back at him but, when you do, his eyes are quick to fleet away.

“Are you sure, Kook?” You ask, one hand reaching for his chin and tugging at it so his eyes can meet yours again.

He gives you a small nod, chewing on his lips as his cheeks redden gently.

“Yeah. Trust you. Want it. If you want it?”

“Okay. Of course I want it, baby.” You let out a little incredulous laugh. You've been telling him for ages how this is something that you'd love to try, but only with someone that felt comfortable with it, that wanted it too, obviously.

It takes you two a few minutes getting around the toy, Jungkook already having studied the set and telling you everything you need to know about it. Where to turn it on, how many speeds it has and how to wrap the harness around you. When he finishes the explanations, there’s a big excited smile on his face that you want to bite.

When you finish strapping the set around you, the harness defining beautifully over your naked ass and thighs, Jungkook looks at you as if you have just hung the moon for him. Well, maybe a sexier version of that because there’s thick velvet dripping hotly from his eyes and he looks downright ready to consume you but, still.

“You look so good, y/n. Fuck, I can’t believe.” He tells you, unconsciously pressuring the palm of his hand over the hard bulge in his panties.

“Yeah? Come and touch.” You invite, smirking down at him and he is eager to get up from his place - sitting by the edge of the bed - and meet you. His eyes are burning with so much lust and curiosity as his fingertips eagerly and lightly trace the harness on your skin, before he is tugging on them harshly and making you gasp at the sudden tightness. He smiles at you, a playfulness hanging by the corner of it. Eyes sparkling with mischief.

Then, Jungkook’s hand is wrapping around the length of the toy, going up and down as if he is mapping it out, fully grasping the idea of all of it being inside him soon enough.

“Good?” You check with him.

Jungkook bites his lips and nods his head. Before you can really say anything else, he is turning on his feet and reaching for the lube that he had placed earlier on the bed. Instead of coming straight closer to you again, he is pushing his panties down and off. Cock sprinting free, hard and tip reddened, so alluringly wet that it makes your mouth water. When he finally is in front of you again and you’re about to reach out to touch, Jungkook sinks to his knees.

Firstly, he looks up at you. Waiting. It takes you a few seconds, surprised by whatever it is that he is planning, but you nod. Then, he’s spreading lube in one of his hands. Reaching up with the clean one for the length of the toy in front of him, steadying it and guiding it close to his mouth. It’s already an unbelievable and sinful sight. Again, he looks up at you through his lashes. All sweet and innocent but dark and filthy at the same time. You don’t know how he does it, why it makes you want to scream. You try to swallow it all down, to keep it cool.

“Gonna be a good boy. Open up myself for you while I try this, always wanted to try this.” As he says it, voice all roughed up and lust-filled, a little bit lost in his thoughts, you can feel your whole body trembling.

“Shit, Kook.” It’s all you can really say, one of your hands coming to cup the back of his head, fingers wrapping around the soft locks there and holding on. Because even though he is not even touching you yet, you’re the one that feels the need to hold on to something for balance.

Like that, Jungkook is tipping his hips and raising his ass up, hand reaching behind him. You can tell when he starts teasing himself, can easily notice as pleasure starts breaking starkly through his expression. His breaths leaving him in little pleasured puffs, small sighs and moans as he finally gets the first finger inside.

“So beautiful, baby.” You tell him, fingers caressing his hair and he looks up at you eagerly, head softening in your hold as he almost preens at the praise.

Soon enough, Jungkook is wrapping his mouth around the toy. Lips stretching around it as he takes it in, inch by inch, his eyes locked to yours. You keep caressing his head, encouraging, and when he seems to have swallowed everything that he comfortably can, he starts sucking on it, bobbing his head up and down at the same pace that he pushes his hips up and down his fingers.

It really doesn’t take more than a few minutes for him to begin moaning around the toy, a muffled scream as his fingers probably curl and find that sweet spot inside him. From there on, he forgets a bit about the toy, too focused on chasing the pleasure he is getting and you're the one that tugs at his hair and keeps fucking the toy on his mouth, your hips thrusting a little bit, getting it deeper inside and fastening the pace. The action making his hazy eyes focus on you, making him groan throatily around the toy.

Like that, you watch as his hips struggle to keep up with the new speed, his mouth equally struggling to stay wrapped around the toy as loud and broken moans keep tearing themselves from his throat. It only gets messier. His cheeks are flushed, long eyelashes fanning over his cheekbones as he closes his eyes. Red and glistening mouth, drooling a little bit everywhere. His thighs keep contracting and his cock twitching, leaking with precome. He looks so wrecked, so incredibly so.

“You look so good, so pretty. Mouth stuffed, drooling all over yourself. Stretching your pretty ass open for me. Wish I could record you just so you could see it later, baby. How good you look.” You tell him and your voice makes him open his eyes, looking up at you again. You find his brown orbs dark and heady, already glassed and so beautifully lost to the pleasure he is giving to himself. Gods, it’s too much.

You find yourself forcefully pulling the toy out of his mouth and quickly kneeling down in front of him. Surging forward and kissing him. Kissing him fast and rough and messy. Teeth clashing, nipping. Tongue curling, pushing and pulling heavily.

“God, I fucking love you.” You groan over his lips as you break the wet kiss, eyes searching and finding his opened mouth, trying hard to catch up his breath. Eyes still glimmering, now with warmth added to them. So incredibly beautiful.

“I fucking love you too.” He chuckles, voice all roughed up, creaking by its corners and making a thrill run down your spine.

“Bed. Let’s go.”

After you both have stood up, he is the one pushing you to the bed. Your back hitting the mattress and your body bouncing a bit before settling. As it does, you move yourself up to the headboard, to a mid-sitting position.

“Think you’re stretched enough?” You ask, knowing that the toy doesn’t have that much girth so it shouldn’t be a big change from the fingering you two have been doing for a while now, from what he was just doing right now. A change, but not one that he couldn’t take. You’ve been there yourself, so you're not that much worried.

“Yeah.” Jungkook answers, turning on his back by the end of the bed and bending slightly down to show you how easily he fits three of his fingers, pushing them all the way inside. A drawled moan leaving his lips as he does it. The visual and the sound making your mouth water, your body tremble, your core drip and soak even more. You feel so incredibly turned on and it takes everything in you to believe that boy in front of you is actually real, is actually yours. Fuck.

“Good boy.” You tell him, tone just as rough and wrecked as you feel. He turns to face you, his big brown eyes so inciting, that cheeky smirk spread on his lips.

You do the only thing you can and tap on your thighs to beckon him to join you.

“Come on, baby. Ride me. Show me how good you can really be.”

In a few minutes, he is straddling you. One lubed hand reaching down for the toy strapped to you and coating it all over as he rests his forehead on yours, his hard breathing meeting yours. You two are lost in lust, in excitement, in eagerness. It’s intense, as it always is between you, but the new element makes even more so this time around. It feels intoxicating and you wouldn't have it any other way. Your whole body feeling alight and tightened, waiting to snap.

And then, Jungkook is kissing you. Quick and deep, as if he needs as a little encouragement. You give it to him, pour all your love, all your desire to the tip of your tongue and you let him take it. Take all of it. When he breaks the kiss and gives you a little nod, you reach for his ass cheeks, grabbing and lightly slapping at them before you’re spreading them apart for him. An airy sigh escaping his lips before he rises his hips and reaches for the toy, aligning it.

You bite your lips, focus on watching his expression as he goes down, swallowing it little by little. Small gasps and endearing ohs leaving his lips, now prettily shaped in an open small circle. The prettiest furrow of concentration between his brows. His eyes are on your face but they seem unfocused, as if he can’t really see anything, just feel the pleasure building up inside him.

Once he is bottomed in, it takes him a few minutes of adjusting before he is nodding at you again. At his approval, you click on the button of the toy’s small remote for the first time and it comes alive inside him.

“Oh fuck, yes.” Jungkook mutters out, low voice as if he can’t really fully grasp the sensations he is getting to feel right now.

You can feel the low vibration close to where you’d like it to be on you, a faint buzz through the strap-on fabric that's covering over your pussy, but it’s there. And you hum your appreciation as Jungkook's moans keep on elongating, one after the other until he is basically whining.

“Okay?” You ask him, a big smile on your face as you watch his forehead furrowing, mouth opening more and more as he begins to move on top of the toy, experimenting a roll of his hips, before rising them up a little bit and sinking down again.

“So okay.” Jungkook tells you in a pleased grunt, throwing his head a little bit back and bracing his hands on your thighs. He looks beautiful, wrecked, ready for the taking. You feel him burn everything inside you.

“So full, shit.” His voice sounds a bit overwhelmed, teetering on the edge of a possible unbridled pleasure and you’re more than ready to help give it to him.

“Now fuck me like you mean it, baby.” You order him at the same time that you press the button of the small remote again. Two times. Three out of its five speeds and it has Jungkook cursing loudly.

“Fuck, y/n.” Jungkook moans out your name as your hands on his ass incite him to move. And he does, beginning to bounce up and down on the toy and picking up a pace. When he snaps his hips down, so hard and so good, you feel the vibrations ricocheting and reaching you a bit more strongly than before. It makes you want to chase it right along with him.

“Taking it so well, baby. So well.” You praise him and it really doesn't take long for his cock to start drooling with precome all over itself and your belly, an arousing and alluring vision. When Jungkook reaches for it, though, you’re quick to stop him.

“Hands on your back, Jungkook.” Your voice snaps and instantly his hands are freeing his cock and lowering to the side of his thighs, his head lolling forwards and widened eyes meeting yours with a hint of confusion swimming in them.

“No touching, okay? Ask me if you want me to touch you.” You add, this time more softly but still with a sternly tone to get your point across. “On your back.”

And he does it, crossing his wrists over his back. Cute.

“T-touch me, please.” He moans out, continuing to fuck himself on the toy.

“So needy, sunshine.” You tell him but, really, who are you to deny Jungkook anything? Though it's not the way he probably meant it, since you have slightly different plans for him today, but your hands find his nipples, index and thumb teasing and flicking over them before squeezing harshly. He moans and slows down his pace so you can continue abusing them.

After a minute, when your hands lower, fingertips grazing over the leaking head of his cock and pinching it lightly before wrapping around it and squeezing, so tight and hard, he all but screams. When you release him, he whimpers and your only answer is to give a moderate slap to his cock, getting it bouncing back, all red and wet on his belly, and that’s when he cries out your name.

“Fuck, y/n. Fuck.”

You give him another little slap and revel in his broken delicious moan. You feel like you are about to lose it, about to scream because there's so much want and need bursting and burning and consuming inside you right now that you might as well explode if you don't.

“You’re so beautiful, baby, so good to me. Faster, come on.” It’s the only thing you manage to say, your feet steadying on the bed as you begin to snap your own hips to meet his movements, fucking him harder, faster, deeper. Your boobs bouncing a bit with it and you know Jungkook is staring, eyes hungrily following the movement and can only imagine how much he wants to touch but appreciates that he chooses to obey you. His hands only lowering from his back to clutch at your thighs, to help keep his balance steady. He bites his lips, closes his eyes and keep meeting your thrusts.

When he twists his hips a little as he bottoms down and positively screams, the scream morphing itself into a sob, you know what it probably means.

“Did you find it?”

He manages to faintly nod at you and there’s bliss, raw pleasure exploding all over his face like fireworks. Your own private show.

“Don’t stop, Kook.”

And he doesn't, your hands on his waist helping to keep him steady on top of you as you both keep the fast pace as best as you can.

“I need- need more.” He reaches to touch himself again and you quickly hold his wrist with one hand, the other reaching back to slap his ass cheek. Hard and loud, just like you know he likes. He moans, it comes out broken when you slap him for the second time.

“I said no touching.”

“I won’t, I won’t. Promise. Again, please.” Jungkook sounds so wrecked, so good. His puppy eyes incredibly glassed, begging you to wreck him and you know he’s one minute from crying, one minute from having probably one of the best orgasms he has ever had. It’s maddening even for you.

You hit him again and again, his pace on top of you getting faultier and messier by the second.

“C-can I come? Please, y/n. Wanna come so bad.” He whines, low voice asking for permission and it makes everything in you tighten and curl even more, heat consuming at the pit of your stomach and shooting out to your whole body. Mind reeling in how good Jungkook is, how perfect he is.

“Not yet, pretty.” You manage tell him gently as you release one of your hands from his waist, blindly reaching for the remote by your side again.

“Can you take more, baby?” You ask, raising the device to his face so he can understand you’re talking about.

“Fuck.” He sobs again and there’s tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He doesn’t answer your question, only keeps releasing a low string of curses and airy little sounds.

“Jungkook, are you red?” You feel a faint worry starting to spread on your chest, your hand reaching to push his sweaty bangs off his forehead and eyes searching for any sign of pain in his, but your worry is put out soon enough.

“No, fuck. Green. More, yes, I can’t—Green.”

And that's all it takes for you to push up the vibrations up to the toy's full speed. It’s so strong now, Jungkook fucking it down so hard too that you can feel it vibrating lightly on you and it makes you gasp, stuttering for a breath.

Jungkook’s body starts shaking on top of you, his thighs trembling wildly, almost being unable to push him up anymore. You gather your strength and begin snapping your hips up again, as fast as you can.

“Oh my god, fuck. I’m- I’m not gonna. Oh, fuck, fuck.” And Jungkook is crying, fresh tears raking down his face alluringly, his body leaning down, unable to keep itself straight. Getting closer to you, hands and arms shaking as they clutch on the sheets by the sides of your body, knuckles white from the force.

“Come, baby. Make a pretty mess for me. Come on.”

And Jungkook actually comes, untouched and you think that this is too much, probably a dream. He keeps on coming, thick and hot, all over his abs and your chest. Beautiful.

It takes him a few minutes to come back, his body sagging over yours, toy slipping out of him as he lays on top of you. You turn off the toy and try your best to keep him comforted, to adjust so you’re not so squashed to the bed without moving him around too much. Jungkook settles over you, head turned to the side and resting on your collarbone as he keeps fighting to catch his breath.

“You did so good, Kook. So good.” You whisper lowly, fingers gently caressing his damp hair.

“Fuck, that was. Incredible.” Is what he tells you a few minutes later when he finally manages to sit back on top of you, sniffling a bit. Slightly red-rimmed eyes shining with bliss, a fucked out grin on his bruised lips, messed up and damp black hair and flushed cheeks. Pretty and wrecked. That look on him might just be the best thing you have ever seen.

You hum your agreement as he leans down again, this time face to face and kisses you. Kisses you sweet and slow, every twist of his tongue coating you with gratitude and gentleness.

“Thank you.” He mutters over your lips. “Gotta clean the mess I made now." He adds, backing away. That smug grin is on his face again as he winks at you before pushing his body down and down, until his face is at level with your torso.

“Fuck, Jungkook.”

He leans down his head, eyes looking up at you through his lashes as he peeks his tongue out and laps at his come spread on your abdomen. You feel your body fluttering with the feeling of his warm tongue on your naked skin, a bit too sensitive, too needy. Your mind spinning with how filthy what he is doing is and you moan, loudly.

Soon, he is pushing his body back up again and you open your mouth, eager for it. His lips sealing over yours, tongue dripping in and feeding you the come that he gathered and you moan again, this time at the taste of him. Again, at how dirty and deliciously filthy all of this feels. Your whole body pulsating with need.

Jungkook moves down once more, licking and swallowing all the come that was on you before he is reaching up to your breast. Nosing along it teasingly before his warm and wet mouth finally wraps around one of them. Your mouth parting in a gasp when he lightly bites at the hardening nub, your hand coming to tangle at his damp hair and tugging when he starts sucking it.

His tongue is maddening and, after being turned on for so long without much stimulation, you feel like you could probably come from this alone. At a harsher suck, Jungkook's tongue rolling around the nipple to soothe before he is sucking steady and nice again, he has you screaming out his name in a chant like manner, over and over. His eyes flickering open to meet yours, pleased and proud, lust and fire dancing dangerously in them all over again.

Jungkook releases your nipple with a small pop sound and it has you groaning. He raises his head, levelling it up to yours again. He nuzzles your nose, bites your lower lip before his fingers are lightly tapping at the strap-on still attached to you.

“Let’s get this out of you because it’s your turn now to be a good girl for me.”

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