#(i’d close my bedroom door but then he just Relentlessly Scratches It)

[theaterism]

once again i am awoken at 4am by Cat

#|☆| ooc #(i’d close my bedroom door but then he just Relentlessly Scratches It) #(embodiment of the ‘let me in!!!!!!!’ meme) #(anyway i pet him so now he’s totally content and peaceful again) #(i’m going back to sleep agdgd) #tbd

[throughtheinterstices]

massive and small stars

❝ you were a massive star destined to burn for a few hundred thousand years, culminating in an inevitable explosion. kuroo tetsuro was the sun, a small star, bound to give light for several billion years. the difference between the two of you makes you ask him how he manages to keep his light. ❞

pairing. kuroo tetsuro x fem!reader

genre. college au where you and kuroo are apartment neighbors, implied comfort 

word count. 1.7k words

warnings. themes of burnout due to the pandemic

a/n. reblogs are very much appreciated. i’d be happy to hear your thoughts too. 

HAIKYUU MASTERLIST • AO3

You are by no means an astronomer. You are studying to become a physician. You are a hundred and ten percent certain of this fact. But as you lie limp atop your unmade bed, your mind can’t help but ponder on stars, how they are made, and how they die.

The lifetime of stars depends on their size. Massive stars exhaust their energy much faster and are only able to last for a few hundred millennia. Small stars, on the other hand, burn slowly, allowing them to exist for several billion years. 

You have always been told that you were destined to be a star, to burn brighter above everyone else. You are fated for brilliance, they said. All your life, you are convinced by their words.

Entering college, you believe it is your time to shine. Your days in the dust are long gone. All the ashes and gas are finally going to pool together as the enormous celestial body everybody expected you to be. You are finally away from the drama of high school. You’re supposed to be joining organizations, getting good grades, making lots of friends, and living.

You were supposed to be doing all of that. You were finally safely moved into your one-bedroom apartment near a prestigious university in Tokyo, aching for all of it.

Then the pandemic hit. The club fairs turned into online zoom meetings. The good grades turned into just-above-the-passing-rate marks. Those friends turned into monotonous group chats about academic requirements. Living turned into surviving.

You are destined to be a star, they said. Indeed, you feel like a massive star. You expected too much, gathered too many particles from the universe, that you ended up an immense ball of burning gas about to explode in the near future. You are so close to wearing yourself out. You try everything to avoid it.

You turn up the volume of your favorite songs because maybe it will drown the negative voices in your head.

You bathe yourself in sunlight because maybe it will overpower the darkness slowly wrapping itself around you.

You soak yourself under the shower for hours because maybe it will wash away the dread and anxiety.

You laugh humorlessly.

As if.

As much as you were predetermined for greatness, you are designed for destruction as well.

You look at the time. 5:11 PM.

There’s still time before he comes. You can still take a nap. You’ve been a light sleeper for the past few months anyway. You’ll hear him knock.

The knock comes two hours later, 7:00 PM sharp.

“Good evening,” Kuroo Tetsuro says.

You mimic his greeting weakly.

Kuroo Tetsuro is your university apartment neighbor. You became friends a month into the pandemic, when he came to your rescue after you almost burned down your apartment (you left the stove on while you were in the shower). Since then, the two of you had formed an unusual partnership. He was in-charge of half of the groceries and cooking the main course. You were in-charge of the other half of the groceries and preparing dessert. You took turns with the dishes.

You’re grateful for his companionship. Somehow, being able to interact with another person face-to-face lessens the gravity of the whole situation.

Today, the weight is just a tad bit heavier for you. You barely have the energy to contribute to the dinner table conversation. You just nod along and give a few replies here and there.

After catching his fingers lingering on his phone and after noticing his sensitivity toward notification sounds, you sense that the weight is heavier for him too.

“Expecting a call?” you ask, getting a bite of tonkatsu.

“Hoping for one,” Kuroo answers, picking at his own food.

“She cut the call short again?” Whether it was his mother or his sister, you don’t bother asking. It was always between the two of them anyway.

“Didn’t even bother answering,” he says. That explains it.

You offer him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

He scoffs. “’S not your fault.”

You know that. Still, you wanted to help him.

There was only one thing you can think of at the moment.

“Dessert?” you offer.

His face lights up a bit. “Yes please.”

You give him a small smile and stand up to reach for the newly-bought mochi.

 The days after, you still feel the looming sense of your inevitable combustion. Exams were still difficult. Readings were still extensive. Social interactions were still monotonously online. Club participation was still nonexistent.

 You turn the volume of your music a little higher. You stay under the sun a little longer. You soak under the shower head a few minutes more.

Yet, you still end up on your bed, drained. Nothing’s changed.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is him.

Seven o’clock sharp, he’s there, knocking on your door (tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap—a unique pattern he uses every time). He still cooks you dinner. He still talks to you about his day. You never see the light leave his eyes.

Kuroo Tetsuro was a star by his own right. He was the sun, bright and warm. You are always sure of his presence. You sense the remnants of his radiance the night before in the early morning just as you wake up. You hear the warmth in his boisterous laughter through the thin walls of your apartment. You feel his blazing passion for the sport that he loves when the sound of rubber on skin hits your ears (or sometimes it’s the sound of things getting broken).

Kuroo was the sun, a small star. Small stars don’t go as loudly as massive stars do, and they stay around for much longer. But they still cease to burn once they exhaust their fuel.

You wonder, sometimes, how Kuroo manages to keep his light burning.

There are days that the darkness creeps into his being. You’ve seen it. On days when the knock on your door isn’t as loud and lively, when his hands aren’t as nimble in slicing onions, when his laugh doesn’t ring the right way. And you know that the sun, like massive stars, like all stars, will collapse.

But he doesn’t.

He still calls his mother and sister relentlessly, trying to rekindle what was once there. Despite the social barriers that the pandemic has built, you can hear him still laughing loudly with his friends on video calls. Despite the halt in sports activities, he keeps his love for volleyball burning.

It makes you rethink whether he is a star in the first place. Something as brilliant as he is, who manages to burn bright despite everything, is something out of this world.

 You ask him one day.

On this particular day, he shows you a meme, “Are medical students who graduated online called google docs?”

You give a skeptical look at the idiot who was hysterically cackling himself to death.

“Why do you laugh at this as if it’s going to solve all of your problems?” you ask him.

The premise is anything but serious. Yet, you feel like he knows what you’re talking about.

Kuroo tries to regain some composure.

“It won’t,” he says, moving a hand across his all-time bedhead. “But hey, at least even with all my problems, I was able to laugh, right?”

 Huh.

You stare at him, as if seeing the sun for the first time in a long while.

The next day is still loaded with tests and homework. You still feel dumb. You still have no friends and no clubs. You still turn up the music. You still linger under the sunlight a little while longer. Your time in the shower is still a bit lengthier.

This time, you allow these things to make you smile.

Six fifty-nine—you are by the door, waiting.

Tap, tap—

You open the door before he finishes knocking.

“Good evening,” you greet first.

“Good evening,” he says, a bit taken back.

You hum your favorite song as he cooks sanma shio yaki (which you know is his favorite) and talks about his day.

Later, when you are preparing dessert, he asks, “Did anything good happen today?”

You think about it. “Hmm… Nothing in particular. Why?”

“I just… haven’t seen that smile in a while.”

Your fingers stop cutting midway across the strawberry shortcake you bought two hours before.

“Hmm?” You glance at him in your periphery.

“Yeah. It looks pretty.” 

You take a sharp breath in.

You sense him take in his words as well.

You slowly turn your head back. As you expect, Kuroo Tetsurou has his hands scratching the back of his neck, trying to avoid your gaze.

Well, I’m not going to be the uncomfortable one here.

You allow yourself to tease him. “I do look pretty, don’t I?”

He glares at you. “As if!” But you see his ears flush pink.

You return to the strawberry shortcake that you were cutting.

You feel the edges of your lips inching their way closer to your eyes.

It’s been a while since you felt this way—this light. At the back of your mind, there were still essays to write, exams to study for, professors to impress, parents to make proud, and yourself to fix. The problems will never disappear.

And it’s not as if louder music, stronger sunlight, more bath water, and cornier jokes of the guy behind you could solve all of them.

But maybe if they can make you smile despite all the problems, then maybe… maybe you’re going to be okay.

Whether you are a massive star or whether Kuroo Tetsuro was the sun, you don’t know for sure.

You are by no means an astronomer. You are studying to become a physician. Instead of concerning yourself with celestial bodies, you should be concerning yourself with the human body.

From all the things that you were taught in medical school, this is something you know by heart: humans are made of the same elements as the stars are.

They are the same, yet they are different. Stars burn bright. And borrowing Guy Consolmagno’s words, they will end “either in a bang or in a whimper.”

Humans are different. They can burn unyieldingly without ceasing. Kuroo Tetsuro has proven that to you.

At present, that is all the reassurance that you need.

HAIKYUU MASTERLIST • AO3 LINK

#haikyuu #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsuro #kuroo x you #haikyuu fic #haikyuu fics #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu college au #kuroo fic #kuroo #haikyuu x you #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tetsuro x you #kuroo tetsuro fic #massive and small stars #through the sunlight

[seeyalaterinnovator]

Miracle Aligner | Alex Turner Imagine

Synopsis: Miracle aligner inspired, soft thigh kisses and tender caresses when he comes home early (fluffy, kinda sexy)

Word Count: 1.2K  

Author’s note: This is my first posted piece for Alex... I didn’t want to get  NSFW because this song just is so sensual, not necessarily smutty. Hope you enjoy <3

Another evening had drawn to a close and it was time for you to settle on the couch with a book in hand. You had managed to discard your clothes from the day, opting to change into one of Alex’s button ups that he had left behind, loosely hanging over your chest. The familiar scent of him still lingered in the fabric, a hint of cigarette smoke ever present in anything of his. It had become a comfort on these long stretches where he was touring or off recording. 

You had lit several candles, placing them in various spots around the living room. The soft yellow light they provided was your favorite for snuggling up on the couch with a book, where you would eventually nod off for the evening. Legs entangled in a throw blanket, you lounged back with some sappy romance novel that Alex would surely relentlessly tease you about if he were there. It was quiet, save for the occasional gust of wind that whistle against the window. 

Just as your eyes had started to grow heavy, about to succumb to the sleep that was washing over you, you heard the front door creak open. Stretching over the back of the couch, you saw a familiar form walk through the door. 

“Alex?” You called out, quickly discarding the blanket you were cuddled in and hopping over to the door. “Yeh babeh, ‘s meh.” 

You hadn’t been expecting him for another week, otherwise this wouldn’t have been the state of the apartment, dimly lit and slightly messy - not that he cared, he was just happy to see you. Excited, you threaded your arms around his torso and squeezed tightly, eliciting a small chuckle from him. His hands snaked around you as well, pressing into the curve of your back to pull you into his embrace. “I didn’t think you were coming home for another week?” 

“Fought I’d surprise yeh, we wrapped up earleh.” As he spoke he inhaled deeply. 

When you pulled away, you took in the sight of him. He looked sleepy, soft if you will, standing in front of you. His hair was just a bit longer than it was before he left, curling just slightly at the ends. “Come, sit down.” You urged, lacing your fingers in his and pulling him back into the living room. 

You took a seat on the coffee table, and for just a moment he towered over you, admiring the sight he had been so patiently waiting for. “What?” You asked innocently, smiling brightly up at him. 

“Mmmm.” He hummed deeply, before lowering himself to his knees, happy to be in your presence. Eye level with you, he leaned in, closing the gap in order to first place a kiss to the center of your forehead. He licked his lips, wetting them briefly and then kissed your lips, his hand coming to to caress the side of your neck, thumb grazing over your chin. 

Before you could get carried away, he lowered himself again, this time contently kneeling on the ground below you. A sweet smile pulled at your lips while you reached out a hand to smooth over his hair, caressing the back of his head for a moment, nails scratching against his scalp through his brown locks. 

Alex knelt before you, long fingers splayed over the expanse of your outer thighs, fingertips softly kneading the tender flesh. Those beautiful brown doe-like eyes peering back up at you, a few stray strands of hair falling in front of his face. He looked so beautiful in times like this, where it was just the two of you enjoying, exploring each other like it was completely new territory. 

A contented hum passed your lips as his head dipped down to bring a tender, chaste kiss to the inside of your knee. His lips were warm in comparison to the chilly winter air. “Alex..” You hummed, chuckling lightly when he brought one of his hands to your other knee so as to push your legs open a bit more, granting him better access. “Yes me love?” he responded, head resting on the fleshy pillow your thigh allowed. 

Your words seemed to fizzle out, distracted by the picture splayed out before you. He looked so soft, so incredibly delicate as he blinked up at you, the longing evident in his gaze. The candles flickered, casting soft shadows across his face, further contouring his sharp jaw and sly smile. “Tell meh wha’s on yer mind.” He pleaded, dragging the tip of his nose along the curve of your knee, his hand curled around the back of your calf tenderly. 

You took a moment to ponder what was truly on your mind, but you could only come up with him. So many nights spent alone in your bed, wondering what he was doing at that exact moment - but you didn’t have to wonder anymore. He was right in front of you. “I’m just so glad you are back. I’ve missed you.” You smiled, threading your fingers through his slicked back locks. 

“I missed yeh too.” He admitted, leaning in to place another kiss to the inside of your thigh, this one lingering a little longer than the last. “Been missin’ this lots.” His voice quieted, deepened as yet another kiss was given, this one more open mouthed, hot and wet. His teeth nipped at the flesh a bit before he pulled back, hovering over your thigh, eyes impossibly gentle and happy. 

“Evereh night I wished yeh were wiff meh. In me arms.” He whispered, words ghosting over your skin, raising soft tingles up your spine and over your arms.  “Been waitin’ for this.” 

Alex never failed to make you feel loved, adored even. Even on your worst days he always seemed to find a way to make you feel like one of the starts that littered the sky, shining brightly. Despite what he’d tell others, he had a way with words when it came to you, as if he was actively writing a song about you in his head. Your stomach fluttered as he dragged a knuckle along the length of your inner thigh, inching closer to the hem of his shirt that was bunched lazily around your waist. 

“Alexander.” You blinked down at him, urging him on with pleading eyes. 

His hand continued up further, dipping under the shirt to splay over your stomach, gripping slightly at the flesh that was all his for the taking. He stayed like that for a moment before trailing his hand toward your hip to keep you from wiggling away. His nose nudged against your thigh as he trailed a line of kisses up up up, all the way to the crease where your thigh met your hip. 

A softhearted gasp dripped from your lips, forever at Alex’s mercy. He chuckled again, reveling in the soft feeling of your skin underneath his own. “Wha’ yeh need babeh?” He asked, searching for whatever it was that would make you happy. 

“Just you my love.” You whispered, ready to be at his mercy. 

Alex nodded silently, shifting so that he was standing, scooping you up in the process and heading off to the bedroom with you, where you’d happily spend the night enjoying each other’s embrace, or something along those lines. 

#imagine #alex turner imagine #alex turner x reader #alex turner #fan fiction #fan fic #drabble #alexander turner #alex turner fan fic #arctic monkeys imagine #fandom #am #miracle aligner #the last shadow puppets #tlsp #reblogs appreciated!

[fireblaze5555]

Eavesdropping

Quick little oneshot that was stuck in my head.

Matt strode up to the door of an apartment in a less than ideal corner of Hell’s Kitchen and knocked on the door. It was a struggle not to pound on it relentlessly until there was a response. He heard a heartbeat in the small apartment spike for just a second before it went deadly calm, followed by the subtle sound of metal sliding across fabric.

His impatience flared so he knocked again, a bit more forceful this time. The occupant approached the door with what would have been silent footsteps if had been anyone other than Matt. There was a curse and the hot flush of anger from the other side of the door before it snapped open and the sound of a gun being re-holstered filled the air.

“Christ, Murdock, you startin’ to take your sermons door to door?” Frank’s voice held no small amount of contempt but his posture relaxed as he regarded the other man.

“I know she’s here Frank. I want to see her.” he said, trying to keep the snarl out of his voice.

Another flush of anger, held barely in check, “Is that right? Seems to me she wouldn’t be hurt right now if you’d done your fuckin’ job, Red.”

Matt’s face contorted around his own anger and no small amount of guilt, “You weren’t there, like usual, so I don’t think you get to play that card. Let me see her.”

Frank wanted to fight but the words must have struck a nerve cause he released another curse before stepping back from the threshold to allow the other man to enter.

Before Matt got too far into the apartment, following her heartbeat to the small bedroom, Frank caught his elbow and forced him to stop. His voice was gruff, full of warning and a touch of weariness, “She finally got to sleep not too long ago, if you wake her up I’m tossing you off this building.”

He gave a begrudging nod before continuing to where Karen was nestled under several covers and appeared to have a companion in the shape of a large dog in the bed with her. Matt could smell sharp antiseptic and a bit of blood from the fresh wound and felt a wave of guilt and anger wash over him. Without thinking, he strode into the room, intent on being absolutely sure that she was okay despite the fact he could hear her steady heartbeat.

As he got to the bedside though, there was a low growl that he could feel down to his bones as he sensed the dog step over Karen protectively, daring Matt to take another step towards her.

He could practically feel Frank’s amusement behind him, he doubted the man had any intention of calling the dog off. As quietly as he could manage, Matt bit out, “I’m not going to wake her, could you stop being an asshole and call the dog?”

There was a moment of silence before Frank gave the soft command, “Heel.”

The dog’s head turned to Frank but his feet remained planted before he gave plaintive little whine. Frank’s voice took on a more commanding note, “Fenris, heel.”

With another whining huff the heavily muscled, sleek blue-grey pit stepped off the bed and dutifully marched over to Frank, sitting down heavily at his side with no small amount of disdain.

Matt gave a small nod and a quiet, “Thanks.” 

Frank clicked his tongue, crossing his arms over his chest, “Don’t thank me, you’re lucky he listened. When she’s here, I’m not the boss anymore.

Matt tried not to think of the familiarity that implied before kneeling down at Karen’s side. He ran a careful hand down her arm, reassuring himself that she was in one piece and finally allowed himself to take a full breath since she sustained the knife wound to her shoulder just a few hours ago. It had taken him nearly all of that time to figure out where she had disappeared to, he had checked her apartment, his and Foggy’s as well as local hospitals. She had just vanished and it left him in a panic.

Frank’s apartment was the last place he thought to check and while he was relieved to have found her, he was not pleased that she had chosen to come here of all places. Why did she even know where Frank lived?

“You patch her up yourself?” He asked instead of the burning questions of why she was here, why she was comfortable naked in his bed, why her scent permeated the place more than it should for only being in the apartment for a few hours.

Frank was absently scratching at the broad head of his companion as he answered, “Nah, friend of mine was over when she showed up. He was a medic in the corps, only person I would have trusted to clean her up.”

There was reverence in his voice but he didn’t say anymore on the matter.

Matt took a few more minutes to simply listen to Karen breath and the steady rhythm of her heart. To his credit, Frank let the other man take his time, it seemed they had a sort of camaraderie when it came to Karen Page and her ability to find trouble and get hurt.

Finally, he stood and made his way back across the small room. Before he made it two steps Fenris had left Frank’s side with a huff, returning to the bed to settle curled against Karen’s legs, resting his chin on her hip with a quiet whine. It appeared even the dog had anxiety when it came to Karen and her escapades.

Matt followed Frank into the living room before passing him to reach the front door. Before he left though, he turned back with a deep scowl. 

“She shouldn’t be here Frank. You’re still killing people, still making enemies. She’s going to get hurt.” He tried to keep his voice level but there was still some disdain in the words.

There was a heavy sigh and when Frank spoke he was angry but there was also resignation there as well, “Save it, Murdock. You can’t tell me the cases she works on for your law firm doesn’t put her in dangerous situations, not to mention you have no small amount of enemies. Besides, I don’t know if you’ve ever told Karen Page not to do somethin’ but it doesn’t work. I’ve told her a hundred times and it didn’t make a goddamn difference to her.”

It was Matt’s turn to release a resigned sigh, he couldn’t really argue that point. Karen was going to do what she wanted, he tried not to let it sting that what she wanted didn’t seem to be him anymore. 

“Yeah, well, I’m going to try to talk some sense into her. She already puts herself into too much danger, she shouldn’t be hanging around with a mass murderer too.”

There was an abrupt snort of amusement, “Good luck with that. Be sure to have the salve ready for when she rips you open.”

Matt turned, there was nothing left to discuss at this point. Karen was safe for the moment, while he didn’t particularly like Frank, he knew the man wouldn’t hesitate to protect her. Stepping through the front door he said, “I’ll be seeing you, Frank.”

“Don’t do me any favors, Red.”

Then the door closed with a click that echoed through the bare hallway.

He’d made it to the stairs when he heard Karen come awake with a small start and a hiss of pain. He had already half turned to go back when he heard Frank’s low voice.

“Hey, you’re alright. I’m here.”

Her voice was quiet and hoarse when she answered, Matt had to cock his head to hear more clearly, “I thought I heard another voice. Is everything okay?”

A snort, “Yeah, Murdock tracked you down here, come to check on you.”

There was a flare of anxiety from her, “Is he okay? He wasn’t hurt was he?” There was a rustling of the covers like she was moving to get up.

“Hey, hey, he was fine.” A heavy hand settling over fabric, “No more banged up than usual.”

A heavy silence before a dry tone, “That doesn’t really mean anything, his usual is generally pretty banged up.”

“You got a point there, ma’am, but he was fine. I’d have told you if he wasn’t, now lay back down before you pull one of those stitches.” There was gentle affection in the reprimand.

“Actually, I’m kinda hungry. I think it’s the medicine Curt gave me, do you think you could order something from that place we like?” She sounded tired and hopeful.

“Yeah, I can do that if you promise to stop trying to undo all of Curt’s hard work.”

Matt was having a hard time reconciling the deep gentle tone Frank was using to banter with Karen to the one full of rage and retribution that he often heard from the other man. When had this familiarity happened? He knew they had been in touch but he was starting to think there was a lot more to it then he suspected.

A soft, breathy laugh pulled him out of his thoughts and confirmed his fear.

“I could think of something that may be worth pulling a few stitches.” Karen whispered in a low voice that Matt had never gotten the chance to hear from her.

There was a grunt from Frank that turned into a growl before Matt heard skin gliding over skin. The unmistakable sound of lips coming together, punctuated by the rustling of fabric. Frank’s rough palm moving along the delicate skin of her arm, both heartbeats doubling and a soft breath that was dangerously close to a moan escaping Karen.

Matt flushed and hurried the rest of the way down the stairs and out of the building. At least he had the answer to all of those questions. He needed a drink.

------

Later, as Karen was carefully tucked into Frank’s side and Fenris was nestled into the crook of her knees, she glanced up at Frank.

“What did Matt say?” she asked.

A small chuckle reverberated through his chest before he answered, “He said he was going to talk some sense into you so you stop hangin’ around me.”

Her face flushed with indignation, “Good fucking luck with that.”

Frank’s amusement was evident as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before settling further into the pillows and tucking the blanket gently over her injured shoulder. Fenris gave a few lazy thumps of his tail and it didn’t take long before they were all sleeping soundly.

Also on  Ao3.

#kastle #frank castle #karen page #frank castle and karen page #frank and karen #I love them #fanfic

[daemongal]

Snow day

So this ended up getting finished a day late, but this is a fic I wrote for @copper-wasp for secret valentines! Hope you enjoy some fluffy fun times with Dante in the snow ^.^ 

Warnings: None!

Word count: 2300

Your eyes slowly adjusted to the light in the room as you woke, body warm and safe from the winter air under the thick quilt with Dante’s heavy arm was wrapped around your waist holding you close against his chest. You yawned quietly, stretching your legs and neck before letting out a light groan. 

You had made plans with your boyfriend for Valentines day and you knew you would need to get up and pull yourselves around eventually, a highly unappealing thought from your current position. After a few more moments you threw off the blanket, hissing as the cold hit your skin.

You heard an unintelligible grumble as the arm around your waist tightened, stopping any attempt of lifting yourself up.

“Mmm, stay a little longer babe. We’ve got all day.” He nuzzled his face between your shoulder blades, planting a few lazy kisses against your skin. You sighed, melting into his hold before twisting yourself to turn over so you could face him. He squinted before opening one eye, expression immediately softening as he met your gaze. You pecked him on the nose before nuzzling into his chest with a content sigh. 

“I’ll go make us coffee if you let me move.”

“No.” He replied abruptly, pressing his lips against the top of your head. “I’m holding you captive, that’s it.” 

“Oh no, the cuddle monster has captured me,” you spoke dryly, voice heavy with sarcasm, “whatever shall I do.”

“Hmm, if you pay the toll he just might let you go for the promise of coffee.” You smirked, lifting your head to see his eyes scrunched closed and his lips puckered. You ran fingers lightly over his jawline before pressing your lips to his in a gentle, chaste kiss. Dante’s arm lifted from you as your lips left his.

“Fine, I’ll let you go; but this was a one-time deal capiche?” 

“Oh mighty, generous cuddle demon,” you spoke as you lifted yourself from the bed, grabbing your discarded dressing gown from the floor and throwing it over yourself, “I thank thee for taking mercy on me.” You stretched your arms, revelling in the rewarding chuckle you were granted. 

You reached for the curtains, planning to let in a little natural light to make sure Dante didn’t fall back asleep. You pulled the curtains apart, mouth dropping open as you were met with the view of completely snow covered streets, thick layers of untouched white as far as your eyes could see. Your gawking must have caught Dante’s attention as he quickly appeared behind you, chin resting on your head to check out the view. 

He whistled in surprise, lazily throwing his arms over your shoulders as you continued to look on in stunned silence. You didn’t even know it snowed in Capulet, many winters had gone by with not a single flake falling from the sky, now suddenly the streets were covered with a layer thicker than any you’d seen before.

“Well, as much as I’d love to say our plans are still on, I don’t even think Cavalierre would manage through snow that thick, especially not if I have you in tow; it’s not worth the risk. But look on the bright side,” his arms suddenly slipped around your waist, picking you up effortlessly as you let out a surprised yelp before he span you on the spot, “snow day!”

You couldn’t help but get caught up in his child-like enthusiasm as you threw up your arms in the air in delight. He placed you back on the floor before quickly turning to scoop up his clothes and start getting dressed.

“C’mon! It’s all fresh and untouched, we gotta be the ones to run through it first!” He hastily pulled up his trousers, hopping on one foot across the room while putting on a boot. You giggled at his excitement, grabbing some clothes from the floor and getting dressed as quick as you could. By the time you were done, Dante was already downstairs, grumbling at the front door.

“Ahh shit. Wind must have blown a snow drift against the door and it won’t open.” You passed him a puzzled look.

“Surely you’re strong enough to just, you know, push it.”

“Well, I mean I could but it’ll probably break and I don’t think Vergil would be… best impressed if it needed fixing… again.” He had a fair point, Vergil’s wrath was not something you particularly wanted to bear witness to any more than was necessary.

“Soooooo… how are we gonna get outside then,” you questioned, “we can’t waste snow day cooped up in here!” Dante’s brow furrowed in thought as he considered his options, turning to stare at the door once more.

“I mean, a new door shouldn’t costs that much ri-”

“Don’t break the door Dante,” you interjected as he threw up his arms in defeat with an exasperated ‘fine’. Suddenly his eyes lit up and a smile spread up his cheeks, the kind of smile that normally means he’s up to no good. He dashed past you to head up the stairs and, after a roll of your eyes you decided to follow.

“Okay, so what genius plan have you hatched up this ti-” you were cut off abruptly as you were lifted from the ground by arms that were suddenly back around your waist. “D-Dante, what are you doing?!” you yelled over your shoulder as he walked you backwards towards the bedroom, specifically to the bedroom window. 

“Just taking a shortcut is all.” You glanced over your shoulder to see that the large bedroom window had been lifted fully open as the bitter outside wind blew into the room. He scooted himself backwards until his back was flush with the window, a large grin on his face. You opened your mouth to object before he cut in. 

“Brace for impact!” 

On his words, he threw himself backwards with you, free falling through the air as your words of objection were lost behind a shocked scream. 

All the air left Dante’s lungs past your ear as you hit the ground bunched against his chest. Luckily for you the snow and the body of the half-demon more than cushioned the fall, but it didn’t stop you from letting out a whine of discontent. Dante groaned beneath you.

“Okay, that seemed like a great idea in my head, but it turns out,” you heard the crack of his neck as he twisted his head left and right, “probably could have done with a bit more snow to get away with that.” Now was the perfect time for you to be concerned, however your boyfriend was a super healing half-demon, and he just gave you the fright of your life. Instead you opted to grab a handful of snow, sitting yourself up and turning to throw it straight into his face.

He spluttered, shaking his head as a dog would when wet, quickly sitting up with you.

“Hey! I could have been seriously hurt and that’s the first thing you do!” You grabbed another handful, repeating the action before he pushed you off his lap and into the snow. You huffed with a smirk on your lips, turning to reach for more snow to weaponise. 

You spun, readying your quickly put together snowball before feeling the impact and sting of your cheek as a snowball hit you square in the face. You looked up, mouth agape at the cheek of it to see him nonchalantly juggling another snowball in his hand with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Don’t give whatcha can’t take sweetheart.” You smiled, eyebrows scrunching in determination as you hopped to your feet, brandishing your own snowy weapon. The surrounding snow was quite deep, coming up just past the half-way point of your shins.

“Now we both know I can give as good as I take, right baby?” You noticed his eyes darken for a split second as he gazed over you with an intensity.

“Oh it’s on.” the snowball fight that ensued was disgustingly one-sided. Naturally he dodged each of your throws like it was nothing, countering it perfectly with ones of his own. For each one you proudly dodged, another quickly followed, although he was kind enough to not hit you in the face every time. 

You know you should be mad at how proudly he displayed his obvious advantage, but he knows that you hate it even more when he lets you win. Sure, that means that even small victories are few and far between with him, but it always makes them all the more sweeter. When you manage to dapple his coat with a few stray flakes of snow, it gives you a little shot of pride; not very long-lived pride, but pride nonetheless.

After a few minutes of being relentlessly pummelled you dropped backwards into the snow in defeat.

“I yield, oh mighty cuddle demon! I’m no match for your prowess.” You splay out your arms and begin to move them up and down through the snow, opening and closing your legs at the same time. Dante stood over you, a puzzled look on his face.

“What’re you doing, waving around like that?”

“I’m making a snow angel,” you answered, arms stilling when the confused look didn’t leave, “you do know what a snow angel is right?” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Erm, should I?” You sat up in shock, slowly standing trying to not disturb the pattern left in the snow.

“Look, it leaves an imprint that looks like an angel, see?” 

“I mean, I kinda see it. Pretty cool that it can give you wings like that though.”

“Yeah! Why don’t you try it?”

“Me, making a snow angel? Don’t you see the irony in that.” He paused, that thoughtful scowl appearing on his brows again as he carefully glanced around as if checking for something before smirking and tapping his forehead. “I got a better idea.” 

A bright flash filled your vision as you turned your head, squinting from the intensity before setting your eyes on the hulking form of Dante’s sin devil trigger. His jaw was set in an almost permanent smile in this form due to his large teeth, but you knew him well enough to recognise the grin hiding underneath.

He stretched out his huge arms and spread his wings, collapsing backwards into the snow. He lay for a moment, making sure the imprint was made before throwing himself up to his feet to look upon his masterpiece. You lifted your hand to muffle the laugh escaping your chest as you saw his shoulders drop as he looked down.

There was a large, shapeless patch of road visible right where he was laid. His warm body in this form not only melted away any snow under his body, but also most of the surrounding snow too. You could hear a distorted grumbling as you did your best to stop laughing to move to his side.

“Well it’s… definitely something. A snow… blob maybe?” you tried to fight back your laughter as the grumbling intensified. “I mean, if a behemoth belly flopped from the sky, directly into that spot, that’s probably… what it would l-look like-pffft.” you burst into laughter at the completely unamused look on the half demons face, made even funnier by the form he was currently in as he crossed his arms across his chest and turned away from you petulantly. 

You were nearly doubled over, tears streaming down your face as you fought to catch your breath, bursting once again when you saw him kick at some snow to try and cover up your own snow angel, only for the snow to melt on contact.

Your only reprieve from laughter was a number of sneezes as you suddenly became aware of the dampness of your clothes with the blowing of a sudden brisk breeze. You laughing came to a halt as you sniffled and hugged your arms into yourself.

You jerked as you felt large arms around your waist once more, unable to react as he dropped to the floor with you, placing you in his large lap still triggered.

“What the-” he hugged you tight, cutting you off as his large wings circled around your body.

“Gotta warm you up.” His distorted voice rang deep from his chest as you felt the heat radiating from his wings over your body, arms and legs acting like a heated blanket wrapped around you. You relaxed into his hold as the chill against your skin quickly eased, replaced by a comfortable warmth. 

You leaned your head back against his chest, glancing up into the sky, inhaling a short breath as you saw the flakes of snow slowly falling once more, melting and evaporating as soon as they came close to Dante. A smile spread up your cheeks, a warm giddy feeling spreading through your chest as you heard a gentle growl coming from the half-demon behind you, a sound you could only equate to the purr of a cat.

“I know this probably wasn’t what you had planned, but so far, this has been the best Valentine's day ever. He nuzzled his face gently against the top of your head before de-triggering and lifting you up in his arms bridal style. 

“Mine too sweetheart.” He pressed his lips to yours in a passionate kiss as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him close. You continued smiling as he kicked away the snow in front of the door and walked back in to the office with you. “Now how about I run you a bath, you’re soaked through.” You pecked him on the cheek.

“As long as you join me.” A cheeky grin spread up one side of his face.

“As if you needed to ask.”

***

I apologise for any blatant errors, my editing was pretty rushed D:

#dmc #devil may cry #dante #dante x reader #fluff #fic #snow #valentines day #my writing

[dreamingoftaron]

I’ll warm you up

Warnings: smutty smut smut ;)

Pairing: Taron x female!reader

Summary: Getting caught in the rain on the way home from work leaves you coming home to Taron drenched and freezing, until he finds the perfect way to warm you up..

You came back to reality as the pitter patter of rain on the train window caught your attention. You were caught in your own thoughts again, this wasn’t an unfamiliar occurrence on the commute home, with the tiredness of your long day at work setting in and the general uneventful ness of the journey home your mind always managed to wander, but it always went to the best of places, your amazing boyfriend. Taron, always Taron. His lips ghosting your neck, his fingers pressing into your inner thighs, the way his mouth felt when he made his way towards your- “Excuse me”? You were ripped from your beautiful daydream once more as a meek voice invaded your ears. “May I sit here”? Asked a sweet looking elderly woman gesturing to the seat next to you where your handbag was placed. You smiled kindly. “Oh of course, I’m so sorry”. She smiled as she sat down next to you, seeming to drift off into her own little world just as you had moments before. You wondered what she was thinking about. Trying to keep yourself awake you looked around the train carriage when you head a voice announce the station name you were stopping at. You internally beamed, you were only 3 stops and a 10 minute walk away from home. Which meant only 20 minutes until you were with Taron..

 You ran the last street home as the rain began to pick up again, (honestly the one day you leave your umbrella at home), and make it to your front door, the porch light was left on for you and you could hear music coming from the kitchen. You smiled to yourself imagining what Taron was up to, swaying around the kitchen singing along to George Michael. You reached for your keys in your pocket and immediately dropped them, your rain soaked hands from the walk home making you a slippery mess. “Fucking shit” you sighed as you bent down to retrieve them. The minute your hands brushed your keys you heard the door open, Looking up you saw Taron looking down at you smiling, clad in a stain smeared apron and clutching a wooden spoon. You took in the man that stood before you and smiled, what a man he was, a goofy one at times, but he was beautiful and he was yours, and he took your breath away every time you saw him.

 “Awh, baby! Did you get caught in the rain again”? he asked concerned as he helped you up and inside, “Yeah, I forgot the umbrella again’’ You pouted, “Oh come here, gorgeous” he said as he puddled you in for a cuddle, your hands instinctively wrapping around his middle. You looked over his shoulder to the source of the music you heard earlier and the delicious smell enveloping you. “What are you cooking, handsome’’? “Well” he started “With the weather being so cold, and knowing you would’ve had a hard day, I thought I’d make us a nice curry!”, “You deserve a break from doing everything my love and this is a perfect dish for a day like today, nice and warm” He smiled as he said this. You couldn’t help but giggle at him, he was so considerate and always did whatever he could to make you happy. You smirked up at him, “Curry being your favourite food wouldn’t have anything to do with tonight’s dinner would it”? He smiled, defeated and looked at the floor. “Okay, I may have been craving a curry also, you caught me” he laughed raising his hands up. You hugged him tighter and giggled into his broad, muscular chest breathing him in. “No it’s wonderful baby, and you’re right, a curry is a perfect warm meal for a cold night” You shivered against Taron at the thought of a hearty meal warming you up from your freezing state.  “Jesus Y/N you’re trembling’’ Taron said as he pulled you even closer. “I’m sorry babe, I should’ve rugged up more for today’’ you replied. “Don’t be silly. This just means the curry has to wait, you need to be warmed up now”. Taron moved away from you to turn the heat off on the stove and made his way back to you smiling. You looked up at his face confused, but the look in his eyes said enough, before you could realise what was happening, Taron had lifted you up around his waist, holding you and was running to your shared bedroom. You squealed in delight as he laid you down on the bed as softly as possible for the speed he was running, and pressed himself on top of you kissing you and grinding his hips down into yours. You instinctively moaned at the contact into the kiss, running your hands up his back, lifting his shirt slightly. “You like that do you”? he asked as his lips made their way from yours down your neck. Your heart quickened as you could feel that Taron’s lips were getting closer to your sweet spot, and your breathing hitched as you felt Taron’s hands make their way over your stomach and up inside your shirt, landing on your clothed breasts.  Your body instinctively bucked up into his at the contact and he smiled into your neck at the response. He detached himself from you momentarily to take your shirt off. Eyes glistening he marvelled at your body. “Wow” he said breathlessly, “How did I ever get so fucking lucky”? You giggled bashfully. “You say that every time you see me, baby” you replied. “Because it needs to be said Y/N, you’re a goddess”. With that you sat up and ripped Taron’s shirt off his body, connecting your lips once more, laying back down. Your lips fought for dominance as Taron skilfully reached around you and removed you bra with one hand, grabbing you instantly and moaning into the passionate kiss. You fingers roamed his back as his lips moved from yours down your neck again, and finally to your chest, He looked at your breasts one last time before he looked at you with a devilish smile and latched his mouth onto one of your perky nipples. Moaning your hands created crescents along his shoulders as his mouth worked it’s magic. Taron made sure to switch between each breast giving them both the same amount of attention. Your left breast being tweaked by his hand, and your right being lapped at with the occasional cheeky bite. You were a moaning mess beneath him. In the heat of the moment you must’ve missed one of Taron’s hands leaving you because the next thing you felt was your skirt and panties being ripped off your body with a throaty growl from Taron. You looked down at him in amazement as he gripped your thighs, lowering his head down breathing you in. “Baby what about you”? you asked feeling guilty that Taron had just spent the past 10 minutes on your breasts. “Don’t worry about me gorgeous, Just let me make you feel good’’ he replied with loving eyes and a devilish smirk, a look only Taron could pull off. His lips met your thighs licking a trail upwards to where you wanted him most, only to come back down the way they came, leaving kisses and bites in his wake. He left his love bites and kisses all the way back up your thighs until he couldn’t control himself anymore, diving in between your legs latching himself to your heat, sucking and nibbling your clit. You looked down at him, your hands flying to his hair as a scream left your lips, you’d never known pleasure the way Taron gave it to you. Hearing the way his lips moved against you, watching the way his jaw moved and clenched as he devoured you, and seeing his eyes look up at you with a look you can only describe as pure lust and hunger, the way a lion would stalk it’s prey almost drove you over the edge. Moaning his name at the top of your lungs and pulling at this hair, he added two digits in to you hitting the target straight away, curling the way he knew you liked. You began tearing up at the overwhelming amount of pleasure he was giving you he moaned into your heat at the mere sound of your approaching orgasm, to him the most beautiful sound in the world. Then, he stopped. You looked down at him, chest heaving as you watched his movements. He arose from in between your legs slowly to sit on his knees, taking the hand he used on you and licking it clean, moaning over his fingers as you watched him, a cocky smirk spread across his lips, he knew he was the only man who could do this to you. You watched him as his hands went to his belt, with a cocked eyebrow, slowly unbuckling, removing and ridding himself of his pants and boxers, leaving him standing there before you in all his glory. And what a glory he was. He leaned back onto the, bed making his way back up to you, stopping at your face to leave a sweet kiss. “Y/N you are the most beautiful woman to walk this earth” You smiled up at him sweetly but before you could even respond to him, you felt the tip of his member teasing your entrance, slowly he added more and more of himself until your hips were connected, you were both overcome with pleasure. Taron’s forehead falling against yours as he felt you walls engulf him, he breathed heavily against your skin. Your lips ghosting each other’s as you stared into his eyes. “Is this okay baby”? he asked sweetly “Taron don’t you dare stop” you whined which gave Taron all the confirmation he needed to begin moving into you. He kept a slow and sensual pace to begin with full of passion, a pace which allowed you both to feel every part of each other. A string of moans left both your lips as Taron sped up, his hips snapping against yours with force and speed, losing himself in you. Taron’s head made it’s way to your neck where he left bites and kisses, trying to make himself last longer and heighten your pleasure. “God Y/N you’re so tight baby” he moaned into your ear breathlessly.  “Only for you” You moaned back sensually, nibbling his earlobe as you went. His head snapped back up to watch you at your words and he began pounding into you relentlessly making you see stars. “Ahhh fuck! Taron I- I’m gonna come” You screamed, your nails scratching down his back as your eyes began to close. His hand grabbed your face causing you to open your eyes, “Uh uh beautiful, eyes open. I wanna watch you fall apart” His hand held your jaw in place, looking into your eyes as he watched you lose yourself. At his words your legs wrapped around his hips and you screamed his name. Having the most earth shattering orgasm of your life, Taron watched you and soon lost himself watching you come undone, watching the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. To him you were intoxicating. Taron’s hips thrusted a few more times, riding you both through your orgasms until you felt his weight fall on top of you. You held him as he regained himself. He looked up at you from his place on your chest, completely love stricken, and moved up to place a kiss on your lips. He rolled onto his side pulling you with him and wrapping you in a warm loving embrace. “I hope we’re warmed up now, gorgeous” he said as he smiled down at you with loving eyes. “Definitely baby, can you do that every time I come home”? “I’m sure we can arrange something.” He teased. You both giggled together and nestled further into each other content and in love. “Oh no my curry”! Taron whined, defeated. “Fuck the curry, you gave me all the warmth I needed”. You replied “Now come here” You smiled pulling his face down for a kiss as you both settled down into bed for the night wrapped in each other’s love.

#taron egerton #taron egerton smut #taron x reader #taron egerton imagines #smut

[songbirdstrivestothrive]

Son: II

A/N: **Posting the full chapter here because ff.net is glitching a little this morning and I’m not sure what you’re seeing as an end user.** This series could have literally been one chapter but I just get too excited and can’t wait to share with you guys LOL. Here is The Morning After. A little more romance and a lot less crying.

Olivia wakes up cold the next morning, and when she rolls over she quickly figures out why. She blinks in the semi-darkness, looking around for a clock, but before she can get up the low rumble of his voice comes from outside the bedroom door. He re-appears a moment later, in his boxers, pressing the end call button on his cell phone.

“Oh…did I wake you? I’m sorry,” he breathes, doing a double take when he sees that she’s awake.

She shakes her head, watching him cross the room. “No, I just—I woke up because I was cold.”

His eyes warm and he sets the phone aside, climbing back into bed. He rolls onto his side and holds his arm up while she cuddles into his chest, tucking the blankets around her body.

“Better?” he murmurs, pressing his lips against her forehead.

She hums, tucking herself into his chest even more, pressing her nose against his neck.

“Geez, your nose iscold,” he chuckles, tightening his arms around her.

“Who was on the phone?” she asks softly, curiosity getting the better of her.

He yawns, nuzzling his lips into her hair. “Morning briefing. I want to take some time up here, but, I told them I still want to be briefed every day.”

“That’s good,” she yawns, catching it from him, “You should do what makes you comfortable.”

They’re quiet for a few minutes, and his warm palm rubs slowly up and down her back.

“When did you steal my clothes?”

She smiles against his collarbone; she’s stolen a long-sleeved thermal shirt from his Camp David closet. “After you fell asleep. I was too cold without a shirt.”

“We’ll get some of your things up here today,” he says, and then adds quickly, “If you’re staying. I—I know this wasn’t exactly planned—“

“I’m staying,” she whispers, reassuring him.

After another minute, he takes a breath like he wants to say something, and then stops. She lifts her face from his neck and moves up to share his pillow, meeting his eyes as her hand comes up to cup his cheek.

“Don’t you dare be sorry,” she warns softly, reading the apology written all over his face.

“Liv, I’m sorry—“

“You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“Like hell I don’t,” he breathes, eyes widening, “You had to drop everything—“

“I didn’t have to do anything. I’m here because I wantto be here with you—no, look at me—“

He’s looking down, and she waits for him to look at her again.

“—I love you,” she says softly, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb, “And I know I don’t say that enough, but…I love you. Do you believe that?”

Fitz swallows thickly, and then nods, still holding her gaze.

“Then pleasebelieve me when I tell you there is nowhere else I’d rather be,” she murmurs.

He still looks apologetic, glancing down between them. “I shouldn’t have let myself lose control like that. With you.”

“Fitz, there is no should or shouldn’t. You can cope however you need to cope.”

“Did I hurt you?” he murmurs, brows furrowed, cradling her cheek like she’s made of glass.

“Baby, no, of course not,” she breathes, reaching up to smooth his hair.

Before she can say anything else, he cups her between her thighs, gently rubbing the heel of his hand over her pubic bone. She hisses a little before she can stop herself, because she issore and tender, more than she’d realized.

“Fuck,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against her neck, “I’m sorry, Livvie, I didn’t—“

“—stop. Look at me.”

Again, she waits for him to lift his gaze back up to hers, and she cradles his face between both hands, looking at him with gentle, serious eyes.

“It’s okay,” she says firmly, making sure he hearsher, “You didn’t hurt me. I’m a little sore, now, but last night…you didn’t hurt me. Okay? It’s okay.”

He stares into her eyes from a moment, still not looking like he fully believes her. But eventually he seems to let himself off the hook a little, and he exhales, nodding.

“Okay.”

When he kisses her this morning he’s soft, and tender. He presses his lips against hers with deliberate, focused pressure, and she can feel the ‘I love you’ that he isn’t saying. She sighs and threads her fingers into his hair, angling her body for more contact until he finally crawls on top of her. He fits himself between her thighs and settles with gentle pressure, hovering over her supported by his forearms.

She’s not shy about the fact that she wants him, sighing into each kiss, trailing her palms up and down his bare back. But she can feel the hesitation in his body and she lets their kisses slow down, until he stops altogether and leans his forehead against hers.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” she murmurs, cradling his face, “I just…missyou.”

“No, I do,” he sighs, brows furrowed, “But I—after last night…I couldn’t, and then—I don’t want you to feel like—“

Like I’m using you.

Liv instantly hears what he isn’t saying and presses her finger to his lips, making him look at her. “—I don’t feel that way. I could neverfeel that way. I just want to live this day with you, whatever that means. One hour at a time, if that’s what you need. What do you need?”

He starts to let himself sink into her, slowly dropping all of his pretenses, really letting her in.

“I need to not—I need to live in this bed with you for a little while—“ he murmurs, closing his eyes, “I don’t want to face what’s out there yet, I need—I need a break, I need a minute—“

“—then we stay here,” she soothes, rhythmically rubbing the pads of her fingers through the perfectly groomed hair at the base of his neck, “We’re going at your pace. We’ll stay here and sleep. Or not sleep. I’m with you.”

Fitz kisses her forehead, sweet and soft, then her cheek, and finally her mouth. When he pauses to rest his nose beside hers, he makes her favorite sound, and her hips shift unconsciously. It’s barely audible, so quiet that she can only catch it when the air is still and silent. It’s not a sigh, or a moan, or a hum; it’s the softest exhale from somewhere deep in his throat, like the afterthought of a growl. It’s the sound he makes when he’s thinking about being inside of her, and it always meltsher.  

“You want me,” she whispers, touching his top lip with the tip of her tongue.

He hums, leaning to the side to firmly trail one of his hands over her body. “I do. I always do.”

She arches into his hand, breath catching when he cups her breast, lightly tracing her nipple through her shirt. “I haven’t made love to you in two months and twelve days, and I would very much like to bring that back to zero.”

“Do you always keep track?” he asks, with the slightest hint of a smile.

“Like you don’t?”

She teases him carefully, taking his cue to lighten things up a little.

He nips her bottom lip, and then wets it with a stroke of his tongue. “It’s actually been two months fifteendays, not twelve.”

Liv groans playfully, wrapping her legs around his hips. “Good lordthat’s a long time when you say it out loud.”

He nuzzles into her neck with a soft chuckle, dragging his lips back and forth before he sucks a torturously slow line of kisses to her shoulder. Her whole body breaks out into goosebumps and Fitz hums, tugging on the neck of her shirt, trying to get to her collarbone.

“Here,” she murmurs, wiggling around to pull the shirt over her head.

His skin is warm when they come together and she sighs happily, threading her fingers into his hair. He noses at her chin until she tips it up, grinning while he sucks kisses down her throat. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, content to let him map her body with his mouth, still surprised that he knowswhere to linger. She’s breathless faster than she can keep up with the assault of lips, tongue, and teeth, writhing slowly in his arms.

After a few minutes, he’s between her thighs, cursing and rubbing the tip of his nose against the damp fabric of her panties. He snaps the band with his teeth, teasing her while he works his fingers underneath the fabric and pulls it off. He sits up to look at her, and she moans softly when he delicately rubs open lips against the inside of her knee. She’d neverknown she could enjoy someone kissing her thighs so much, until him. Her memories from their first time are still in focus, and she vividly remembers reaching up to ground herself with pillows when he’d started to suck those warm, open-mouthed kisses against her soft, tender skin.

The apocalypse could be in full swing outside, and she knows he would stilllick her out like they have all the time in world. He delightsin teasing her, in turning her on, in making her ache and swell for him. After he’s languidly kissed up and down her thighs, breathing over her core to make her whimper and sigh, he settles down onto his stomach and loops his arms underneath her legs.

She can’t help but moan and flex her hips impatiently.

“Baby.”

Fitz reaches for her hands, bringing her down into the moment with him before he starts to make love to her with his mouth. He lovesto love on her this way, and it’s part of what makes it so good. She can’t breathethis morning while he pulls and sucks on her clit, relentlessly coaxing her closer and closer to the edge. He moves with her while she writhes and pushes against him, sighing and growling in between breaths, listening to her stuttered inhales and whimpers.

She puts her hands in his hair when he makes her come, scratching over his scalp while the waves carry her away for a minute. When she comes back into herself he’s kissing her pubic bone, gently pressing warm kisses across it in one direction, and then the other.

He’s kissing it better, she realizes, and the thought makes her smile while she catches her breath.

“Come up here,” she breathes, reaching for him.

He doesn’t comply immediately, kissing across one more time, but then he crawls up into her arms.

“So beautiful,” he rasps, kissing her languidly, “You’re sogorgeous.”

She hums and sucks on his bottom lip, pressing her tongue into his mouth. “Oh…I can’t—make love to me. Want you.”

They work his boxers off together, and he sinks into her after a few strokes of her hand, pressing close and groaning into her mouth.

“Hello, Mr. President,” she sighs softly against his mouth, when the full thickness and hardness of his cock fills her.

He lets out a relieved sound that’s half chuckle, half groan.

“…so good…you feel so good…Livvie…”

Feeling him everywhereis the most exquisite pleasure; he’s full and warm inside of her, solid on top of her. She wraps her body around him and holds him, cradling his jaw while they breathe and kiss.

“Don’t move yet,” she whispers, squeezing her thighs around his hips, “Just kiss me. Just be here.”

He needs to bury himself in her, and she knows it. He needs to feel surrounded, and safe, and cradled, and he would neveruse those words or ask her for it; but she knows he needs to lose himself in her.

“…kiss me…”

“…Liv…”

“…shhh, kiss me…”

He’s taking long breaths in between words and kisses, trying notto let his body take over.

“…ungh…Liv, can’t—“

“…shhh…”

“…are you—“

“…kiss me…”

She kisses him deeply, slipping her tongue into his mouth, scratching her nails over his ass.

“…ungh…”

“—do I feel good, baby?”

His next groan is deep and guttural, the kind of sound he makes when he’s not thinking.

“…yeah…fuck…”

“…kiss me…can you feel how wet you’re making me?”

“…fuck…”

She can almost feel his brain shut off as she talks to him, as his body starts to completely take over. His hips rock involuntarily, and his instinctual need to move inside of her starts to drive his movements. Slowly, his upper body relaxes until his face is tucked into her neck, and she wraps her arms around to hold him.

“…feels so good,” she whimpers, panting against his temple.

Finally, he doesn’t answer her.

He’s moaning and grunting freely against her skin, fucking into her with deep, rhythmic thrusts. His hands are planted underneath her, gripping the sheets, and his entire torso is pressed against her. She keeps her moans and sighs pressed right into his ear, reassuring him that he feels incredible, that he doesn’t need to do anything other than what he’s doing.

It’s hard to get him to do this sometimes, because he’s sosweet, soattentive, soaware of her pleasure; but when he lets go and just fucksher, and she knows he’s absolutely gone…it’s one of her favorite things. Sometimes, she needs it, and even though he would never admit it, sometimes heneeds it.

She can tell he’s getting close after a little while.

His rhythm changes to something more desperate, and his groans lengthen.

“…m’gonna…fuck…”

Instead of talking him through it she holds him tighter, still meeting his thrusts, and turns to close her teeth around his earlobe. He cries out, hips jerking, and she feels everything get warmer and wetter as he comes inside of her. She whimpers and moans, raking her fingers back and forth through his hair when he grinds against her oversensitive clit.  

“…baby…”

He comes hard, and loudly, growling and letting his hips jerk.

“…didn’t feel you…”

He’s barely caught his breath before he’s talking to her, trying to put his focus back on her.

“…I’m fine, baby…ooh…”

“…Livvie…”

“…you feel so good…so good…”

“…do you need—“

“—shhhh…”

She shushes him gently, still meeting the unconscious rock of his hips.

“…want you to come…”

He sounds so desperate for it that she licks two fingers and starts to work her hand in between them.

“…don’t pull out…don’t…hah…”

Her breath catches when he moves down and sucks her nipple into his mouth, lifting so that she can get her fingers against her clit. The heat of his mouth and the deliberate pressure against her clit send her into an orgasm, gentler than her first, but warm and pulsing all the same.

She whimpers and pulls him up into a kiss, breathing into his mouth, brows furrowed when the shift presses him deeper inside of her again.

“…don’t move…don’t move…”

“…c’mere…”

“…stay in me for another minute, don’t move…you feel so good…don’t move…”

“…Livvie…”

As they both start to relax and come down, she slowly drags her heels over his ass, humming and sighing. She tips her hips up, and then down again, tightening her muscles to feel the thickness of him, running her hands over his back.

“…kiss me…”

A/N: I would love to know your thoughts! Thank you for reading!

#my fic #birdy writes #olitz fanfiction #scandal fanfiction

[pkg4mumtown]

You’re Hard to Miss (Ch. 2)

CHAPTER 1

Summary:  John takes you back to his place. Did you really expect anything different after how the last chapter ended?

A/N:  Rating changed to Explicit because I got carried away (insert me shrugging and not caring). Power Over Me by Dermot Kennedy started playing while I was writing part of this, so I threw that shit on repeat until I was done with the sexiness. Also, the chapter titles are lyrics from a song called Fade Away by INNA, Lush & Simon, and Sam Feldt. This chapter took me a little longer than I would have hoped because I would get nervous when I would remember that I was gonna post this publicly, so I'd have to stop and come back to it. Thanks for reading, liking, and commenting; it gave me a much needed confidence boost!

Chapter 2: A Second Lasts Forever When We’re Together

My heart rate picked up in excitement as he slid in the driver’s seat. His car roared to life and peeled out of the lot, my breath hitching in my throat as I felt his large hand make contact with the skin of my thigh. The entire drive to his house was silent except for my whimpers as his hand teased higher and higher up my thigh while gently squeezing. I was a writhing mess by the time he pulled into his driveway and parked. Suddenly, the warmth was gone and we were scrambling to the door. Once inside, I eyeballed his couch and tugged him in the direction of it by his tie.

“Got a thing for ties?” he questioned gruffly, following close behind.

“How could you tell?” I joked, watching him sit on the couch with his legs spread wide open. I shrugged my jacket off slowly and tossed it next to him, watching him shift in his seat as he was laser focused on my actions.

“Just a hunch,” he smirked before pulling me into his lap, so I straddled his form. His mouth found mine eagerly, a moan ripping from his throat as I settled my ass in his lap. He wasted no time in his efforts, running his hands up my thighs and under my dress until it was bunched around my waist.

We were so consumed in one another that we didn’t register the tapping of claws on the floor or the slight shift in weight on the couch. John’s face had buried itself in my neck as he dragged the zipper of my dress down, pausing when he felt an all too familiar tongue on his ear and neck. John pulled his head back, glancing next to us with a disgruntled growl. I locked my eyes on the happiest pittie I’d ever seen, his entire body wiggling in excitement at seeing his owner. I could see John trying to keep his alpha composure, but it all crumbled as soon as the pittie seemed to smile at him causing him to gently scratch the dog’s head.

He was soon reminded of his current mission as I shifted in his lap and rubbed against him. His hand retreated from the dog before speaking firmly, “Dog, bed, now.”

As if he had flipped a switch, the dog obeyed and toned its excitement down. It jumped off of the couch and padded away until we couldn’t hear its nails tapping the floor anymore.

John ripped the dress over my head, dropping it over the side of the couch without a care. His mouth fused back to mine, one of his hands sifting through my hair and grabbing roughly while the other slid to my ass. I wormed my arms in between us, undoing his tie and chucking it aside before unbuttoning his dress shirt. His hands released me as he quickly, almost violently, shrugged his jacket and shirt off at the same time. He reached behind his back, grimacing as he removed the gun wedged between his back and his pants. His eyes briefly flicked to mine as he double checked that the chamber was cleared, and the safety was on before tossing it on his jacket. Something about watching him handle his gun while I was pressed against his bare chest only made me want him more. His hands dropped to his pants and worked to get them off as I framed his face with my hands. He let out a frustrated grunt against my mouth as he struggled, slightly distracted by the way my nails raked along his bearded cheeks and back around his neck. He breathed a sigh of relief as he finally undid them, raising his hips enough to tug his pants and boxers down to his knees. The action was a feat in itself but he made it look effortless.

John’s hands grabbed either side of my hips, dragging me closer and hinting that I should grind down against him. I felt his thighs shift rapidly under me as he kicked his shoes off and shook the clothing off of his legs.

“Do you care about these?” he half groaned as my panties met his bare cock. His fingers played with the waistband of the panties as he waited impatiently for my answer.

“Yea, kinda of,” I mumbled against his lips, enjoying the groan that escaped his lips as I wrapped my hand around his length.

“That’s too bad,” he smirked, mocking my teasing from earlier. He tugged sharply on either side, the material giving way too easily under his fingers. He discarded the shredded garment and brought his hands back to my ass. I held his gaze as I stroked him slowly, watching him clench his teeth as he mulled over letting me continue or not.

“Not today,” he decided, moving his hand to my wrist and pulling my hand away from him and bringing it to his chest. His brow furrowed as he fiddled with the clasps of my bra, the last offending piece in his way being removed as swiftly as everything else.

“So, there’s a tomorrow?” I asked cautiously, biting my lip.

John’s hands guided me up higher on my knees as I guided him to my entrance. His groan turned into a sigh as I sank down on him, using the cushion of the couch as momentum to set a rhythm.

“You can have as many tomorrows as you want,” he sighed against my jaw, biting at the skin that his breath discovered. He sat up straighter and pressed his large hand against my upper back to keep me plastered against him.

I welcomed the sting his teeth brought, coupled with the burn of his beard against the sensitive skin. His hands each grabbed an ass cheek, spreading and allowing him to slide in deliciously deeper. A whimper ripped from my throat at the new depth, John’s grunts muffled into the skin of my neck. I leaned my body forward, forcing him to sit back against the couch and watch with open-mouthed anticipation as I propped my forearms on either side of his head. I had better leverage this way, being able to meet his hips harder and faster. I kissed him again, possibly too roughly as our teeth clashed for a moment before his teeth nipped at my lips in retaliation. I felt my body start to tighten around him, too early for my liking but I couldn’t help it with the new angle.

“Need help?” he asked in his deep, gravelly voice.

“Yes,” I hissed as I felt his hand disappear and reappear between us, ghosting over the aching bundle of nerves.

“Mm, I’m gonna need you to beg, like I was promised,” he murmured, his voice deepening if it was even possible. He tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he waited.

“Please, John,” I just about purred as I dropped my lips to his ear.

“Please what?” he rumbled.

“Touch me, please, John, I—” I trailed off, whatever I was going to say dying in my throat as his thumb dipped back between us, rubbing circles against my clit.

I tensed in his arms, griping his inky black hair and kissing him while I shook and pulsed around him. My hips slowed as the stimulation became too much, earning me a frustrated growl from John as he tried to chase his own climax by moving my hips. In an exhilarating feat of strength, his arms tightened around me and I was suddenly on my back against the couch and his discarded clothes. The cold metal of his gun was digging into my hip, but I couldn’t find a reason to care as his hips slammed against me relentlessly, only prolonging my high and making me shake uncontrollably. My nails dug into his shoulders while his breath was hot and rapid against my neck. His ragged moans were lost as he bit into my shoulder, his hips stuttering and stilling as he came.

We breathed heavily for a while, his weight like a warm blanket over my sweat-slicked and cooling skin. I ran my fingers absentmindedly through his, now mussed, hair while his beard tickled my neck. I kissed his cheekbone, as he had yet to move his head while we waited for the feeling to return to our limbs. John eventually worked up the strength to heave himself up, protesting verbally as our bodies separated. He helped me stand on shaky legs and led me to the bathroom located in his bedroom. I grimaced as we walked, feeling the evidence of our time together trickling down my leg.

I leaned against the bathroom counter while he grabbed a wash cloth, wetting it and ringing it out before gently cleaning me. I jumped at the feeling of the cold cloth touching my hyper-sensitive skin, but got used to it moments later. I watched his eyes stare at the mirror beyond my form and look down, tracing his fingers along my hip. I glanced back, seeing the angry, red indent left by the gun’s hammer, grip, and safety.

“Sorry,” he murmured, pressing his lips against mine.

“Don’t worry about it,” I responded just as softly, nuzzling my cheek against his and briefly kissing his cheek. He used the cloth on himself, hissing at the temperature, then moved back to the sink to wash it off.

I moved behind him, tracing the scars and tattoos on his back with light fingertips. I met his eyes in the mirror, staring at me curiously as I silently admired his skin like an artwork. When he was finished, he turned around, faced me, and wrapped his arms loosely around my waist. He stared in my eyes intensely but thoughtfully, making me realize he spoke through his actions and eyes more than his words.

“You staying?” he asked with a hint of hopefulness.

“I can,” I nodded. “If—if you want me to,” I attached quickly and blushed.

“No need to be nervous, Y/N,” he smiled, his eyes hooded and relaxed. “I meant it as an offer.”

I nodded, letting him guide me to his bed and following his lead as he slid in on what I assumed to be his side. I slid in opposite of him, mirroring him as he laid on his side so we faced each other. I was oddly silent, not wanting to bug him with questions that I probably shouldn’t know the answer to. Not surprisingly, he noticed and called me out on it.

“You okay?” he mumbled the question.

“Mhmm.”

Even in the dark, I saw him raise an eyebrow in disbelief before continuing, “What’s on your mind? And don’t even think about saying ‘nothing’.”

“Just wondering,” I murmured, meeting his eyes and seeing that he was waiting for me to continue. “What do they call you in the ‘assassin’ world?”

He laughed partially through his nose, as if he was expecting a question far heavier than that, “They call me by my name, usually. John Wick, John, Mr. Wick…” he listed, shrugging and smiling at the odd question.

“Oh, come on, you’re telling me you don’t have a crazy code name like—I don’t know—Obsidian, or something?” I pushed, wrapping my arm around his shoulder to rest my hand in his hair.

“Obsidian?” he laughed, “Really?”

“I’m serious!” I snickered.

“Okay, but I didn’t pick it, alright?” he clarified. He cleared his throat and purposely made it deeper, “They call me The Baba Yaga.” Before I could ask what that meant, he continued in the same voice, “The Boogeyman.”

His tone of voice sent goosebumps along my skin, and I was torn between laughing and jumping his bones again. I, oddly enough, chose laughter and watching his face contort in confusion.

“Sorry, I just—Obsidian doesn’t sound so cliché after that,” I laughed softly, covering my mouth with the pillow. “Sounded kinda hot, though,” I winked.

“Not the reaction I expected, to be honest,” he shook his head with a smile.

“I’m just trying to picture you being scary enough to be named after a fictional horror character. It’s a little hard after I just watched you turn into a pile of goo for your dog,” I grinned.

“Trust me, you don’t want to find out. What you saw today was nowhere near close,” he sighed, rolling his eyes slightly.

“Yea, okay, Boogeyman,” I murmured with a sleepy smile and turned over, so my back was facing him.

“Oh, hush,” he muttered, wrapping his body around mine. He wormed his leg in between mine and wrapped his arm around me until his hand sat at the base of my neck. He buried his face in my neck, breathing deeply and attempting to drift off as he assumed I did, too.

Just when I felt his breathing begin to even out I spoke up again, “So, do you have like a bat cave, too?”

All I could do was yelp as he sank his teeth into my shoulder to shut me up, which morphed into a fit of hushed giggles from the both of us, in the otherwise quiet and dark room.

A/N:  Alright, thanks for reading. I think this is the last chapter, so I'll probably be exploring one-shots with imagines next.

Tags: @cuttlefishcatfish @synesthesiasocks @anita-e-taylor

#john wick x reader #john wick x you #john wick fanfic #keanu reeves x reader #Female reader

[drabblesanddreams]

Endless nights- Dazai Osamu x Reader

Hey everyone! I’m back with another drabble although this one ended up being longer then i originally planned. Anyways it’s my first time writing for Dazai and I’m still not used to writing in general so please leave any feedback if you can:) I’d like to improve my writing as well as writing Dazai’s character as it’s actually quite hard to capture.

There’s probably a lot of mistakes too as i couldn’t bring myself to reread it again lmfao

Fandom: Bungou stray dogs

TW: none

Summary: Basically a suicidal bandaged freak breaks into your apartment in the middle of the night.

Word count: 1.7k

Somewhere, in the city of Yokohama, lied a sleeping figure, all curled up in the warmth of their bed as the moon shined in through the small window overhead the bed. That person in question would be [name] who was sleeping soundly in the comfort of their room.

 It had been quite the tiring day, you see, [name] worked in the Armed Detective Agency as a detective which was amazing as it was tiring. [name] almost received a fatal blow in the last mission but was thankfully removed from harm’s way by Atsushi’s quick thinking. 

They had luckily managed to escape with a few scraps here and there, hence why [name] had gone to sleep a little bit earlier then they were used to.

Suddenly, a loud crash broke the serene silence and caused the once asleep detective to shoot up from their bed.

 Wincing at the ache that followed from their wounds, [name] quickly rubbed the sleep out of their eyes as their heart hammered intensively in their chest. It seemed as if there was an intruder in the apartment.

God damn it, [name] really did not have time for this.

Quietly slipping out from under the thin cotton sheets, [name] quietly crept to the closet door on the opposite side of the room. 

Carefully wrapping their hand around the doorknob, the [colour] haired detective pulled it open. A loud creak was drawn from the movement and [name] winced. Out of all the things in the world, if this was how they were to die, [name] would be royally pissed.

The [eye colour] individual crouched down, quickly reaching their hands into the closet and rummaged through the miscellaneous objects, trying to seek the object in question. Finally, [name] pulled out their worn-out bat and stood up swiftly and tiptoed out of their bedroom.

Another sound was heard, this time sounding like broken glass. [Name] nervously brushed a stray strand of their [hair color] hair. Out of all the apartments in Yokohama, why did it have to be me? The young detective thought miserably as they internally wept. 

Holy hell, they wouldn’t admit to this anybody, but they were quite terrified right now. Take someone out, okay no problem that they can do. But this situation felt like a scene right out of a horror film.

[name] tensed as they heard footsteps come down their way and quickly, [name] pressed themselves against one side of the corner of the wall by their room.

Okay, [name] thought as the sounds grew louder, on the count of three.

One…

 Two…

 THREE!

Screaming out of pure fright, [name] rounded the corner quickly and squeezed their eyes shut as they swung the bat down with all the strength they could muster.

A loud smack filled the apartment, inducing a pained shot.

“OW! [name]-chan, what was that for?!”

Blinking haphazardly, [name] tried to place the familiar voice before their eyes widened marginally. Quickly, their hand shot to the wall and flicked the light switch on.

Holyfuckingshit, “Dazai?!” [name] cried out in disbelief at the site before her. In all his glory stood The Dazai Osamu, bandages and all. He was crouched slightly as his hand was covering his nose, “[name]-chan why would you hit me!” he whined out. But the shock was gone from [name]’s system and instead anger replaced the feeling.

“Why did you break into my apartment, you suicidal maniac!!” the smaller person in question shot forward, grabbing onto the taller man’s shoulders and shook them slightly.

“[name]-chan, Wait wait wait! I have a perfectly reasonable explanation!” he exclaimed back, flinging his hands wildly in the air. [name] ceased their actions and removed their hands from the brunette. 

The [hair colour] detective took a step back, crossing their arms as they squinted their eyes suspiciously, daring the taller man to go on.

“You see,” he started, “I had this incredible idea!”

“I was walking home before I stumbled upon this gorgeous river,” he continued dramatically and [name] narrowed their eyes further. This better not be what I think it is They thought.

“And I was thinking, seeing as you’re a beautiful [gender], you could aid me in what could be the perfect double-suicide!”

He earned another hit to the face for that one.

“Stop laughing! I’m angry!”

“I'm sorry but you're really cute like this.”

“Yeah, and you're really cute with a bruised nose.”

Dazai was now seated at the round table of [name]’s kitchen, watching the small figure angrily mutter to themselves as they rummaged somewhat violently through the freezer. 

There was no doubt in mind that [name] was still quite annoyed by what or who exactly abruptly woke them up from their peaceful sleep.

[name] stood up suddenly before glaring at Dazai and whipping a small bag of chilled vegetables at his face.

“Here,” they grumbled as they took the seat before Dazai, sitting down. A brief pause followed,

“May I propose, [name]-chan, treating me from this awful wound,” he proposed, “one that has not just wounded my exterior but also wounded my heart!” he finished lamely, pressing a hand to his chest as if he was really wounded. [name] rolled their eyes at him, “No”.

“But-“

“No.”

“But!”

Dammit, [name] felt their resolve weaken in response to the adorable pout that Dazai looked at them with. [name] averted her gaze from his beautiful brown eyes and quickly reached for the bag in his hand’s, “Fine you baby, if it gets you to shut up.”

Ignoring the shit eating grin on his face, [name] pressed the cool bag to his face a little more forcefully than necessary, smirking when it drew a whine from the other detective, “[Name]-chan! So cruel!” he cried out.

After a few minutes, [name] withdrew the pack from his face, leaning in to inspect the damage that was done. 

From this distance, [name] could make out the several shades of brown in his eyes which were oh so beauty-No, this was not the time. 

Dazai smirked, “[Name]-chan, if you wanted to get this close to me all you had to do was ask” he purred suavely, hands making their way to their hips.

Slapping one of his hands away, [name] ignored the protests from the man while leaning back in their chair sighing exasperatedly, “Why are you even here?” [name] inquired.

 “I told you, I-“ Dazai started but was swiftly cut off. “No, you idiot,” [name] rolled their eyes, “why are you really here?”

His expression briefly morphed into one that resembled desolation before he glanced out the window of the small kitchen. Judging by the silence that followed, [name] thought that he was just going to stay silent before he then spoke.

“Say, [name],” his voice lowered, “Why do people fear losing something that they do not even possess”.

All signs of humour were gone from his face and instead, he looked back blankly, eyes strangely empty. [name] was stunned for a moment, it was rare that Dazai’s joking persona would drop and [name] was unprepared every time.

When a minute passed without [name]’s response, the remaining hand on [name]’s hip gripped onto the cloth of their pajama and he looked at them with an expression they couldn’t identify, pleading silently for something that [name] was unable to provide. 

There was something [name] was clearly missing, his actions eluding to a concept beyond [name].

[name] looked wordlessly at him, as his gaze shifted to one of the several scratches on their face from the mission the day before. 

[name] felt their cheeks heat up and their heart pounded away strangely. 

[name] looked down, thinking back to when she received her injuries. Dazai had been uncharacteristically silent back then before he teased them relentlessly once they were healed up.

 Of course, all [name] could remember was his lingering touches as he slung his arm around, they or the way he stared at them with an unreadable expression when he thought they wouldn’t notice.

The irrational part of their mind brought up the idea that maybe he cared for them like really cared for them. [name] diminished the thought as soon as they thought it, no, it would be silly of them to think that.

 Dazai was someone who was bigger than they were, he was not that simple of a man to simply like someone. He was a mystery that [name] was consistently trying to solve.

[name] shifted uncomfortably in their chair, as they struggled to meet his gaze again. Why the hell would he ask them such a question, and more importantly, how were they supposed to respond when he looked at them like that?

“I..” [name] dropped their gaze downwards and just as they got the bravery to reply, Dazai stood up abruptly. “Just kidding!” he sang sticking out his tongue cutely. [name] blinked blankly at the sudden change of tone, his mask back on.

“Anyways, I should let you go back to bed, my dear [name]-chan,” he teased, “otherwise you won’t get your beauty sleep!” he winked at them turning around to make his way out of the kitchen. 

[name] sat unmoving for a moment, staring at his departing figure. Unconsciously, their hand shot out and grasped onto the sleeve of his brown trench coat before blinking rapidly at their actions.

What the hell am I doing? [name] thought to themselves.

“[name]-chan?” Dazai asked, his brown eyes going back and forth between their face and the hand on his coat. Their hand dropped slowly from his sleeve and instead slipped into Dazai’s hands, shifting slightly so the fingers were intertwined. [name] felt their cheeks heat up before saying,” you can’t go home.” They stated.

Dazai tilted his head in response, staring cutely at the figure before him.

“Y-you see, you broke my stuff and I have to make sure you take responsibility for it in the morning!” they hurriedly explained. 

A smile formed on his face at the poor explanation, “Is that so?” He hummed and [name] nodded a little too fast. “I can’t just trust you to show up in the morning, you know…” they quietly finished off.

The smile grew on his face and so did the rate at which [name]’s heart was beating in response. Standing up, [name] tugged their linked hands to the direction of their room. 

Maybe one night, [name] would have an answer to that question and would also be able to decipher that particular gaze he looked at them with. But tonight, was not that night, no, tonight was for sleeping.

And so there they slept soundly for the remainder of the night.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd imagines #bsd imagine #bas x reader #bungou stray dogs imagine #bungou stray dogs x reader #dazai osamu #dazai osamu x reader #dazai x reader

[jordyjensen]

Some shit that either might be going down or i’m mad. Either way i’m creeped and intrigued at the same time.

Since at least 2013 I’ve been experiencing visitations by an entity known as the hatman.(The hatman is an entity known to cause night terrors and sleep paralysis, To me he appears as a tall man in a cloak and a stetson style hat. 

He is blacker than anything it’s like looking at a black hole. he has no features that I can see, just darkness that light cannot seem to penetrate). Most of the visitations consisted of repeated nightmares of the same locations, but where the conversations would be different. It would I would either be in what to me felt like a run down hospital, or an underground carpark, hospital stairwell kind of setting. Or in a dismal academia type of setting. It always felt dreary and uninviting. Like I just had to find my way out of there. Aware somehow, in the back of my mind- that the hat man was watching and waiting to corner me. And when he did, He would talk. I would hear him/feel his words in my head and my bones, But he never physically spoke. I could understand him but it never makes sense and I can never remember what it is he actually said. Its weird. There is this overwhelming sense of dread. Like nothing I’ve ever felt or encountered. Then theres the sleep paralysis. 

 I ignored itto begin with, As I had- at that moment in time been going through some turmoil in my life (abusive partner, drug addiction)- But he didn’t stop when I left that relationship, and it didn’t stop during subsequent ones either, It didn’t stop when I stopped drug use. Infact- it intensified, and people around me were starting to experience things too. Especially those people who at first had told me ‘’it’s all in your head’’  and ‘’Don’t worry, it’s not real- it’s just the drugs’’. They started seeing it too, I would see it while I was awake sometimes. That was the worst because I couldn’t just put it down to tiredness or being a nightmare anymore.  However, For the last I’d say about 3 years- His ‘’visits’’ have lessened. and in their place is another one (Or even the same one, but this time choosing to appear differently- I have no idea if it’s the same entity or another one...all I know is they don’t seem to be around at the same time- hence the conclusion they might possibly be the same entity). Anyway-

The second entity I am about to tell you about now, began making appearances around 3 years ago, Like the first entity- it started with unpleasant reoccurring dreams.

In the very first appearance I can remember- It seemed very early morning, around dawn, the sky was grey- and I became aware of a tapping at the door, I answered the door to find nothing, So puzzled- I stepped out onto the top step. Our house is situated on a hill and overlooking fields and valleys. It is a really pretty view from the front of the house. Anyway, Standing in the drive at the bottom of the stairs is a man. He’s dirty, dishevelled and the easiest way to describe his appearance is wild, birdlike. Almost native american in the way he’s decoraed with feathers and whatnot, But he has feathers growing out of his flesh. In the dream I asked him something along the lines of who are you? can I help you with something? I don’t remember anything he said, but I do remember him suddenly grabbing a hold of me and  taking off into the sky, like literally jumping on the spot but instead of coming back down, continuing up into the sky, the speed and air made my eyes sting and water and my stomach was feeling like it was about to fall out of my arse. Then for some reason were standing on a pylon, just overlooking the scenery for miles.  I remember nothing of what we talked about. I do remember asking his name and he brushed it off but I felt strognly it was connected to the letter ‘’M’’.  of course I brushed this of as a bizzaro dream and in honesty, was just happy to have a less scary dream than the ones i was used to with the hat man!. 

Now this is where things get odd, I notice when I wake up there is a big crow making a right racket outside the bedroom window. and it’s windy as FUCK.  Pretty soon I begin to notice lots of odd things, crows and ravens turning up all the time whether it be on tv, in magazines, books,  In these dreams Nothing particularly awful seemed to happen, it was more a sense of uncertainty or worry, The best way to describe this feeling is to think of being in this scenario: You’re a very anxious person, very socially awkward and you don’t have many friends or family, the only person you really see or talk to is your spouse, you have agoraphobia as a result of the social anxiety so don’t go out much...However, You find yourself in a nice quaint little seaside town- granted it’s the middle of winter, pissing it down with rain and always near dark. You struggle up a long, steep hill to a run down hotel/bar- everyone in there seems to look at you as if they know you and all of them beckoning you to join them and drink with them, but you become aware of your spouses sudden absence, S/he has everything, the house-keys, the money ect ect, and quite frankly you are like a frightened child w/o them....You are trying desperately to think where they might have gotten to, you rush around hoping to see them or someone you recognise but everyone is in your way or trying to engage you in conversation. Imagine that kind of feeling.

Anyway in the dreams, There is often a backdrop of said seafront, stormy seas, rocks, There is a narrow walk way leading down at the side where the sea goes off into sort of a stream down a hill, Just off the main promenade/road where all the little tea rooms and gift shops are located.

The hotel is OLLLLLD and completely in need of refurbishment, it’s falling apart, dirty brown net curtains that were obviously once white or cream, The rooms have peeling wallpaper, ancient furniture, they look like they were decorated in the 60′s but never maintained. 

The streets are very narrow and the buildings are tall, old-fashioned English seaside style buildings (in the dreams, Not where I live-there is  no sea or sand around my gaff) Also- I haven’t mentioned this, as not sure if it’s important/relevant to the happenings since I’ve read other peoples similar accounts and they are living allll over the globe, but just in case it has any relevance I live in England, Yorkshire if you want to be  really precise)

In the first dreams, I would become aware of a crow or raven that would always be near by, it would always be crowing. In later dreams, it would be that I would feel compelled to open up one of the dirty, sash windows and there would be a crow perched directly on the opposite building on the window ledge, an it would always fly straight towards my window, sometimes I would hasten to close it before the bird can get in and it will peck and scratch at he glass all the while crowing it’s head off, In others i would be amused by the bird coming over and it would get inside the window, where it would fly around madly and fly at me (obviously this would always shit me the fuck up in the dream enough to actually wake me up in the real world)  

In Later dreams, he appears like the dishevelled man from the first dream, sitting down in chairs in what appears to be a crap little pub, the kind that you find in the arse end of nowhere (where its only usual customers are people similar in looks and personality to  Claude Greengrass off heartbeat and Shadrach off emmerdale) Its like he would be wanting me to join him but i’d always feel a sense of No man what the hell? You scare the living fuck out of me for no reason and then offer me a drink? No mate- think i’ll pass’’.  I would always immediatly wake up from these dreams, to find in reality, the big crow ever present outside, ever shouting away to himself day or night, rain,shine,snow or gale (though mostly gale i’ve noticed) (Over the last 3 years I’ve started to recognize and become familiar with this particular crows call and recognize it over other crows) It’s always super windy too, like gail force windy when that crow is about. Wether it be summer or winter. Midnight or lunchtime. 

Then by chance I heard mention of the valravn. And that then led me on to Malphas. I have the really strong pull towards the name Malphas. I think this could potentially be the (or at least one of) the entities I’m dealing with.

I don’t know why, I can’t think of a reason for it to be him as I’ve certainly not invoked any demons (at least not knowingly) Or even tried to. I’m not the sort of person who would have balls enough to go messing with things I don’t understand completely). 

I’ve today discovered other people who have had similar accounts of Malphas (and the hatman) and it is for these reasons I am somewhat open to the idea that these might not just be dreams. This shit might have actually gotten real. 

Recently Malphas has been pretty relentless, And the most recent dream was the most disturbing one yet. In this dream he appears, beckoning to me as usual, with a friendly ‘’It’s ok, i’m your friend’’ look. But getting closer I become aware he is surrounded by a massive group of crows/ravens all of them seemed to be attached to him at the waist by black cords that seemed to be made of a similar black matter that the hatman appears to be made of like a black,shadow like matter. The birds were flapping wildly to escape their bonds, screaming a hellish murder. all the while Malphas seemed to be loving every moment of it. I woke up again, to the crow outside screaming as per, with gale force winds rattling through the house. 

At this point i’m wondering what the deal is, what I’ve done to both anger this guy and cause him to relentlessly stalk my waking and sleeping lives.

Why did he even get involved in the first place? 

I might get answers in later days, or I might just get sicker until I die and my soul is claimed to an eternity of terror and torment. Who the fuck knows? Not fucking me!. 

#nightmares dreams demons #the hatman shadow peoplesleep paralysisghostsparanormalpossibleinsanityhauntingsghosts

[sealpointselkie]

Big Ben

A big thank you to @vex-bittys who wrote a very sweet adoption scenario for my lovely full-size King (UF!Papyrus) Skele-Lamia. I hope you enjoy reading this!

(Please forgive the editing at this point. This is the first time I’m posting a story on to Tumblr and I’ve just realized I have NO idea how formatting works here. This is a copy-paste from an email. -_-;; I’ll do better on the next one.)

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

I fill out the paperwork that Vex provides for me, pleased with how my kittens have reacted to the big King Lamia. I felt confident that Vex picked out the perfect match for my family! I paused when I came to the “Lamia’s Name” portion of the form – I wanted to ask his opinion before giving him a name but I also didn’t want to interrupt the sweet scene of him snuggling my fur kids.

I cleared my throat quietly to get Vex’s attention: “Could I give him a name for now and then let you know if he doesn’t like it and we need to change it?”

Vex nodded encouragingly, “Yes, of course! That’s no problem. Here’s my card and the shop’s address is on your copy of the adoption papers in case you have any questions or concerns!”

I thanked her quickly filling in the name: Big Ben. I then double checked that all the paperwork was filled out properly and was in order.

After a few more formalities I escorted Vex to the door an thanked her for her thoughtfulness. A home delivery was something I hadn’t even considered! I promised to visit the shop soon, just to see all the Lamias in one place and to let Ben visit any friends he left behind. I waved as Vex left and only closed the door softly once she was  out of view.

I returned to the living room to the room filled with pleasant rumbling purrs. The Lamia’s purrs were an octave lower than the cats, it was almost more felt than heard, his eye sockets were closed and he wrapped his coils loosely around himself an the two felines. Beacon was happily purring along with his constant mid-frequency vibrations - kneading happily on his brother’s back. Bumble Bee was the quietest of the three with his short breathy purrs; his eyes like slits in a doze, enjoying his “massage”. I smiled and snapped a quick picture with my phone, quickly making it my new background screen. They looked so comfortable that I figured I could show my new friend around later so I made myself comfortable on the couch, pulling out a book to read.

After a couple of hours the sun had started to go down and I checked the time on my phone to confirm that it was the kitties’ dinner time. They were all still snoozing in a loose ball in the middle of the living room so I figured I’d get their food ready and they could eat when they woke up. I went to the kitchen and got a fresh bowl grabbing a tin of their food and opening with a satisfying shlick sound. I felt a bump at the back of my legs as Beacon took his usual seat between my feet. They could really move when they wanted to! I reached down and scratched his ears looking over my shoulder seeing Bumble Bee pass by doing his usual slow, cowboy strut down the hall to where I keep their dry food and water. About 30 seconds later the Lamia poked his head around the corner and I felt butterflies in my stomach. Since I met him he was trying to keep himself small so not intimidate the kittens; I hadn’t realized how TALL he was when he sat up on his coils! He had to be at least half a foot taller than me… Which was probably average for King standards, but it would take getting used to! I wave at him shyly then turn around to finish food preparations. While I was happy that the King liked my kittens, the two of us hadn’t interacted much. My darkness told me that he liked the cats more than me and that I was just an afterthought. I tried my best to bury that feeling - we barely just met, there’s still time.

When I finish I slowly make my way to the hall; Beacon wobbling between my legs, nearly tripping me at least twice on the short walk through the kitchen to the hall. I sigh in frustration, this was our usual song and dance, especially if I was holding something hot and likely to spill. Poor kitten likes to use the inside of my shins to help him keep his balance which, of course, throws off mine! The Lamia slowly worked Beacon from between my legs and helps him balance using his hands and forearms as the catling slowly follows me (and his food). I place the food down in its usual position and the kittens are immediately on it, lapping enthusiastically. I give them each a couple of strokes but they were to engrossed in eating I didn’t get any response. I turned to the King, who was still “standing” a respectful distance away from me – as if he wasn’t sure if he’d disturb us. I sympathized; I think he’s as nervous about me as I am about him. Probably worse for him, he was in MY home. Usually I’d go to the  shop for an adoption and we’d be able to meet on more neutral terms before deciding a home-visit or adoption was in order.

I smile at him and extend my hand, inviting him closer: “Would you like to see your room now?”

“My room?” he rumbled, coming forward to take my outstretched hand gently.

“Yes! I want you to have a space of your own where you can get away from me and the cats! My space is my bedroom, so please ask permission before entering and I’ll do the same for your loft. Oh, there isn’t a door but there’s a staircase. Please always make sure that you close the pet gate behind you: stairs are really dangerous for the kitties since they could tumble down the steps and hurt themselves. Okay?”

The Lamia nodded solemnly.

“Perfect!,” I beamed; pulling gently at his hand I invited him to follow me up the steps. He closed the pet gate behind us as we mounted the steps to the loft.

I let go of his hand when we made it to the loft: “Here we are! Please feel free to rearrange the furniture to your liking and let me know if you need anything! I’ve got you a bed, a heat lamp and a chest for storage…”

I glanced at the huge Lamia, he seemed to be taking the space in – but it was hard to get a read on his expression. My darkness started whispering again as I watched him observe the space. What if he doesn’t like it? Did I forget something important? Is he disappointed in me? He eventually slithered over to a low bookcase I had set up for him about three-quarters full of different books. He ran his hand over the top of the case, eye-lights flickering over the titles.

“I heard Kings like to read..,” I interrupted shyly as his eyes met mine again. “I’ve read most of those already, but I’m the kind of person who likes to read books multiple times. So I thought… If you want of course! That you could choose one and we could read a couple of chapters a night? We could do it in the living room and give Beacon and Bumble Bee an excuse to climb all over us…”

The King slithered back to me quickly eye-lights like bright stars in his sockets: “Yes, please! I’d like that very much!”

His tail was wiggling in excitement and his hood positively quivered, this was the first time I really felt like he was smiling at me and I couldn’t help but grin back at him.

“Oh… By the way. Vex’s paperwork asked me to name you…” the Lamia retreated slightly, so I wasn’t craning my neck to look at him. “Now… You don’t have to keep this name but.. I was wondering if you’d like to be called Ben. Big Ben.”

His eyes narrowed, I think he got the reference, and then he slowly wound around me in a snake hug.

“I like Ben. I am big.,” he said, proudly.

“You are.,” I agreed immediately. “Just to warn you - I like to give nicknames.”

Ben began to rumble with purrs, “Like what?”

“Benny Hill, because when you lie on the floor you look like a hill.” I said, patting the thickest part of his tail.

Ben scoffed good naturedly.

“Udon…,” I continued, relentlessly.

“Why Udon?”

“Because you are the thickest noodle I’ve ever seen!”

Ben spat in outrage, flaring his hood. My stomach dropped, I felt paralyzed. I thought I had gone too far when the rumbling of his purrs got louder, passing through my body and tickling me pleasantly. I giggled from the feeling and leaned into his hug, going almost limp in relief.

Vex was right, he was the perfect match for me and my family!

#vex-bittys #lamia!tale #bittybones #adoption scenario #my big boy #slice of life

[weasleygirlalways-blog]

Relaxation

Title: Relaxation

Author: Me

Pairing: George/Rory (OFC); minor George/Rory/Fred

Summary: Rory is stressed out. George helps her unwind.

Rating: R – definitely. There's a bit of language…and a LOT of sex.

Author's Notes: Inspired by this video/audio.

George stepped up behind me and slid his arms around my waist. "Hello, love," he whispered softly in my ear. His warm breath on the back of my neck made me shiver. I could feel his lips moving slowly from my ear to the back of my neck as he pulled me tight against him. "You drive me crazy, sweetheart," he groaned, and I could feel the rumble in his chest when he spoke.

His hands moved from where they rested on my abdomen, one curling against my hip, the other sliding up my ribcage to cup one of my breasts. "Fuck, Red…I need you," George moaned, making my eyes go wide. Not just the language, which in itself was not like him. His tone of voice, soft and sensual but with a hard edge to it that let me know he was not kidding. And the admission itself made me weak all over.

"I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you in the store today, you know that?" he asked me, his voice rough with desire. "Honestly, I don't know how I got anything done. Lee kept threatening to hex me if I didn't keep my mind on my work."

Unconsciously I jerked in his arms. "He'd damn well better not…or I'll…"

George laughed, and the sound hit me right in the gut, warmth unfurling with every rich note. "That's what I told him."

His mouth now moved to trace down my collarbone, his hair tickling my bare neck. The hand cupping my breast was kneading gently, calloused thumb grazing the cloth covered nipple. My head fell back and my eyes closed as I reveled in the sensations. "Like that, do you?" his deep voice reverberated against my skin, causing an outbreak of goosebumps.

"Merlin, George, what are you doing?" I asked, trying not to squirm and show how much he was affecting me. This close to him I could feel how much he did indeed want me…and I don't just mean the growing hardness pressed up against my back. As tight as he held me I could feel the tautness in his arms, the slight trembling as he fought not to spin me around, pin me against the wall and take me right there. Not that I would have minded, but I got the distinct impression he was building up to something. And I was curious…

"What does it feel like I'm doing, Red?" he growled in my ear.

That sound made my gut clench. Holy hell but does that man know just how to use my weaknesses against me. He'd known for years how much I loved music and other beautiful sounds. With my eyes closed, my main sense was now hearing and he was taking full advantage of that.

"It feels…like…you're…seducing me, George…." I gasped. His hand on my waist had shifted to rub softly against my panty-clad core, every movement making it more difficult to speak.

"Ten points to Gryffindor." The darkness in his voice nearly made my knees buckle.

Before I could even breathe, he grabbed my arms and spun me around. My eyes flew open in surprise. His hands briefly cupped my face as his eyes gazed into mine. "I love you, Rory," he whispered as his mouth captured mine. I let out a small moan when he wrapped his arms around me, holding me so close you couldn't fit a feather between us, lifting my smaller frame up closer to him. I obligingly slid my arms around his neck, his tongue sliding into my mouth. He tasted like chocolate and firewhiskey.

Gently digging my fingers into his shoulders, I kissed him back, pouring every bit of the desire he'd sparked in me into the kiss. ::I love you, George,:: I told him through our bond.

One of his hands slid up into my hair, tightening a fraction at my words. Slowly George walked forward until my back hit the wall. He deepened the kiss, both of us moaning at the sensations evoked by my being trapped between his body and the wall. ::I want you, Red. Now.::

I pulled away from him and just looked at him. I let him see everything I was feeling at that moment…how much I loved him…how much I wanted him too. ::Then take me, George. Please…::

With a wolfish grin, he apparated us into our bedroom and laid me down gently on the bed. Turning quickly to the door, he cast spells to lock it and soundproof the room. Seconds later, our clothing disappeared, courtesy of a whispered word of wandless magic from my brilliant prankster. "I'm sorry, love…I need you too badly to take the time to undress you properly," he apologized, but I put a hand to his mouth as he crawled over me.

"Shhh…" I whispered as his body covered mine. "I need you, too, George…you can go slower next time," I told him softly as he slid inside me. I threw my head back and moaned loudly at the delicious feeling, wrapping my legs around him to keep him close.

George began to move, his thrusts becoming faster and harder. His mouth latched onto my neck, sucking hard enough I knew he'd leave a helluva mark. A sweet pressure was building inside me and I pushed back against my lover, our bodies moving in perfect sync. "Please, Georgie…" I whined, needing release more and more with each thrust of his hips.

"Please, what, Red?" he asked, and there it was. His telltale smirk…the one that tilted the left side of his mouth up and made his eyes light up. The one that said run like hell because he was about to cause serious amounts of trouble.

"Damn it, George," I swore viciously, glaring at him. For a split second, I wanted to smack that smug arrogance off of his face. He knew damn well what I needed. He just wanted to hear me say it.

"Say it, love," he coaxed as he pulled out of me, smirk widening.

I made a sound that was half impatient groan, half pleading whimper. I knew it. "Bastard," I hissed, my hand shooting out to reach for him, but he was too quick. He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together then effortlessly pinned that arm above my head.

He shook his head at me, smirk still firmly in place. "All this fuss over two little words, Red…"

"I thought you were the one who needed me," I ground out through clenched teeth.

"I do, Red. Oh you have no idea how much I need you…all of you."

That's when it dawned on me what he was doing. (See there's a reason I wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw.) He had noticed how stressed out I had been all week, worrying over the upcoming expansion of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes into Hogsmeade. And he was trying to make me see I needed to relax…if only for this brief moment in time. He did want me…not just my body…but my mind…and the attention that went along with it. All week I'd only been half there when downstairs in the shop. My body might have been there but my mind was racing ahead to all the things we still had yet to do.

"Oh, George," I whispered, tears in my eyes as I realized the intent behind his seduction.

"Yes, love?"

Sliding my free hand up to caress his cheek, I felt the tears fall as I said, "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Red." Leaning down, he kissed the tears away. "Now…is there something you need to tell me?" he asked, his free hand softly stroking my belly as he effortlessly slipped two fingers inside me, sliding them back and forth, in and out.

I let out a cry at his touch, my hips bucking hard against his hand. It was too close to what I wanted…what George had made me desperately need…but still not enough. With my other hand, I reached up and slid my hand into his hair. Getting a fist full of his short fiery locks, I looked him square in the face. Our eyes, my hazel green and his luscious brown, locked. "George?" I said softly.

"Yes, my love?" His eyes were twinkling.

I needed him, and I wasn't above admitting it. Besides, he had put me in this state and he was damn well going to get me out of it. I poured every ounce of love and lust I was feeling into our bond. ::Fuck me, George, damn it!:: I demanded harshly, yanking his head down and kissing him hard on the mouth, biting his bottom lip for emphasis.

His laughter rang in my head as he pushed himself back inside me. "That's my girl," he crooned, lifting my legs onto his shoulders as he pounded into me relentlessly. ::Let go, sweetheart,:: he urged, his gaze reflecting back the lust and love I had projected to him.

I grabbed his hands and held them tight as our bodies crashed into each other over and over again. The pressure began to build inside me again, making me whimper and moan uncontrollably. "George, please…" I begged, my voice nearly gone. I was almost there…but still…not quite. As always, he knew what I needed, even before I did.

Sliding out of me briefly, he used gentle pressure to guide me to roll over. Pulling me onto my knees, he wrapped his hands around my hips and slammed back into me. Leaning over me, he cupped my breasts in his hands, fondling them as he fought to give us both what we needed. I whimpered and whined into the pillow beneath my head as I felt myself clench around him. He grabbed my head and I turned into the hot open mouthed kiss he gave me, crying into his mouth as my release washed over me. When the kiss was over, he was still pounding into me, causing me to cry and scream. George kept going until he had wrung every bit of my orgasm from me, his name from my lips and not a few scratches down his arms as they were all I could reach. Then as I collapsed beneath him, I could feel the flickering pulses of his own release.

George lowered himself to the bed and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as he spent himself inside me. I scooted back against him, snuggling close. With a whispered word, the blanket fell over us, enclosing us in its warmth. "You're so beautiful, Rory," he whispered, kissing my hair. "I love you, sweetheart."

He left me briefly in order to clean himself up, then crawled back under the thick blanket and pulled me into his arms. I cuddled into him, pillowing my head on his chest. "Love you too, Georgie," I murmured contentedly.

Moments later, the door opened to admit Fred, who had a huge grin on his face.

"What're you smiling at, Freddie?" I asked tiredly.

He quickly stripped down to a t-shirt and his boxers and climbed in on the other side of me. "You all relaxed now, Sunshine?"

"Wha…Oh." Damn…George had completely distracted me from the fact that unless I shut it off, Fred could feel everything I felt through our soulmate bond.

"Ooh…our girl is sexy when she blushes, isn’t she, George?"

I kicked backwards but because I was so tired it was half-hearted at best, and Fred's finely honed Quidditch reflexes allowed him to dodge the feeble blow with ridiculous ease.

"Yes, she is, Fred," George agreed with his brother. "But then again, she's always beautiful and sexy."

Fred slid an arm around my waist and curled up behind me. "That she is," he whispered in my ear. It was the last thing I heard as I fell into a blissful sleep, surrounded by the love of the men who always knew just what to do to make me feel better, especially when I didn't have a clue.

#my writing #george weasley x ofc #george weasley smut #george weasley fanfiction #george weasley fluff

[faces-in-unexpected-places]

Do You Have the Time? Episode 024: Heart on Your Sleeve

Synopsis: Jeremy and Madison have better success at using their inside voices this time.

[April 24th, 2018, 18:35]

           Leslie slowly inched her car into the parking lot to Jeremy and Madison’s apartment complex. The pavement had a steep dip between the road at the entrance of the parking lot. Even at a snail’s pace, the Leslie’s front bumped scraped the pavement leading into the lot. She grimaced at the harsh scratching sound. Jeremy frowned and nodded in complacency.

           “Sorry. No matter what you try, your car always takes the hit. You should see my neighbor’s car,” he sympathized.

           Leslie was silent until she recognized Jeremy’s building and pulled into a spot nearby. She put the car in park and looked around. She scoffed at herself in frustration.

           “Oh my god, I totally forgot, I should have taken you to your car, instead! You drive yourself to campus on Tuesdays because you teach, right?”

           “Normally, yes,” he chuckled, “Very good memory. But Madison actually drove us this morning, so she has the keys. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyway,” he explained.

           “Oh. Okay, are you sure?”

           “Yeah, yeah, it’s okay. I would have said something, otherwise.”

           “Okay…” Leslie glanced around the parking lot one more time, “I don’t see your car anywhere here. Where is Madison at?” she asked.

           Jeremy nervously hummed and sighed at the question.

           “I’m not really sure,” he said.

           “Oh,” Leslie replied, holding her gaze on Jeremy, expecting to hear more.

           He pursed his lips and faced himself straight ahead in the car, with his eyes lowered to his shoes. He fidgeted with a loose string on his sweater.

           “We sort of got in a fight earlier,” he admitted.

           “Oh,” she echoed again, “Another one?” she paused, “Sorry, that didn’t come out like I wanted it to. You know, like, I just remember you guys had an issue not too long ago in the lab, and—”

           “No, I understand,” he laughed wryly, “And yes, another one, but… not like that one before. There were… lots of things said this time. It was, uh, messy.”

           “I… can’t really imagine you being in such a messy fight?”

           “Well… I think it was a long time coming.”

           “Oh, I see,” she said, “So… what are you going to do?”

           “I don’t know,” he exhaled, “We can’t just pretend it didn’t happen. I suppose I’ll… try to talk to her about it, as much as I… dread it,” he shuttered, “I wish it just didn’t happen but… I think this is a talk we’ve needed for a while. We used to be so much closer when we were younger. I think part of that might be my fault.”

           “So, you’re going to talk to her when she gets home?”

           “I don’t see any other way to make this better. Normally, I’d try to just convince myself that I’m better off without all the drama and just distance myself or cut ties completely, but…”

           “But what?”

           “I’ve just been thinking how things used to be. Like she said, ‘why can’t we just be like we used to?’. I don’t know if we can go back to the exact same relationship we had before, but maybe it’s not such a bad thing. We can still get better. Maybe even be better than before… At least I hope,” he corrected.

           “I hope so too, Jeremy,” she said, “Can I offer some input?”

           “Yeah, of course.”

           “I don’t know everything about your guys’ history, or how you used to be, but… even when your relationship hasn’t been at its best, I can see a lot of potential for a happy and healthy bond. So… if you want it to be better, I think it’ll get there.”

           “Hmm, yeah… thanks,” he said through a long, winded sigh, “That helps… I’m not sure how, but it helps. A bit.”

           Leslie gently smiled and glanced at his apartment building. Then back to him.

           “You should probably get in there. It’s easier to jump into a freezing pool than it is to dip your toes in one by one.”

           He scoffed.

           “I actually understand that one. Okay. I’ll go.”

           Before he reached for the handle, Leslie unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned her body over towards his seat and gave him a disjointed hug. One arm wrapped around him too easily, and the other, not enough. He was taken by surprise, but clumsily reciprocated after a moment of maneuvering his arms around his own seatbelt. Leslie’s hair tickled his face as he rested his head on her shoulder.

           “Text me later tonight and tell me how it goes, okay?” she said softly.

           “Oh. Okay. Really?” he asked.

           “Well, yeah!” she chuckled, “I want you guys to be okay, too, after all.”

           “Okay. I will,” he accepted, “Thanks. Again. And, um, thank you for the hug, also,” he stammered, still holding on.

           “You seemed like you needed one. And I also just like hugs, and I don’t have many people to give them to, so…”

           “That’s okay, I can take it,” he joked.

           “Oh, but how much can you take?” she warbled and squeezed him tightly. He snorted and chuckled. He grunted and squeezed her harder, making a game out of it. Leslie furrowed her brow in the face of competition and squashed him as hard as she could. Jeremy wheezed and laughed, tapping her on the shoulder for mercy. She snickered triumphantly and let go. Jeremy caught his breath and felt his face heating up. He tried to execute his departure before she could notice.

           “Alright, so, I’ll—I’m gonna go—" he said.

           “Okay!” Leslie loudly cut him off.

           “And I’ll talk to you later tonight,” he finished.

           “Okay! You do that!” she replied, also hurrying the goodbye, “Good luck!” she said and unlocked the car doors.

Jeremy swiftly exited, waved to her as he crossed in front of the car and scurried across the parking lot to his building. He didn’t look back once he waved to her. Leslie turned a knob causing a gentle breeze of air conditioning to flow over her face and hair.

She sighed.

           “Leave it to me to make it weird and awkward.”

[April 24th, 2018, 18:45]

           Jeremy unlocked the front door and entered an empty and silent apartment. The sofa was made neatly with all pillows positioned deliberately. Nothing sat on the coffee table and their tiny TV was still turned off. Although the HDMI cable to their Nintendo Switch was hanging out from their console table. Perhaps she was home and played video games for a bit. He continued his walkthrough of the apartment. A cardboard box from a TV dinner was left empty on the kitchen counter. Seems she had eaten.

           “Madison?” he called.

           No response.

           He crept to the other side of the living room where the doors to the bedrooms and the bathroom were. He gently knocked on her door and called for her again. Still nothing. He cracked the door, but heard no protests. He peaked inside. Her oak wood desk was cluttered with her favorite trinkets. A jar of sand from the beach, interesting-looking rocks, a ceramic dish with a cactus sprouting up from the center. The bed was a mess. Pillows on the floor, sheets rolled up into a ball, stuffed animals strewn about randomly. Even more blankets were overflowing from a basket on the floor. Her dresser and nightstand drawers were partially open; he couldn’t see what was inside, but there was definitely too much crammed into each drawer. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, her mess was never able to detract from her sky-blue walls. No matter how much clutter, her room still seemed so large and open. Jeremy hummed and closed her door.

           He supposed it wasn’t such a bad thing that she hadn’t come home yet. It would give him time to think of what he wanted to say. He directed himself into his own room. He never changed his room from the off-white color it was when he moved in. Organization and storage were his highest priorities when he moved in. Small bookshelf to hold the few books he hadn’t tucked away into a box under the bed. An Ottoman and nightstand to disperse the load of storage, and a desk to work at. Bed made neatly with one stuffed robot toy laying with the pillows. Despite his fixation with organization, the dark hue of his furniture relentlessly shrunk the size of his room.

           He forced himself to his desk with a notebook and pencil to organize his thoughts. He sat for several minutes with his pencil tapping the paper, hoping the ideas would come soon. He rubbed his temples as he started to develop a headache. He glanced at his dresser and spoke up.

           “Alexa,” he projected his voice. His echo dot lit up and waited for his request, “Play ‘Love Like You’ on Spotify, please.”

           And she did.

           Still, the song did nothing to fuel his productivity. If anything, it distracted him. He followed the melody of the piano and attempted to decode the time signature and chord progression. Seconds after it started, he’d dropped his pencil and leaned back in his chair with his hands laced behind his head and feet on the table. He stopped thinking about everything. Madison. His parents. His research. Leslie. The music. It was as if he’d skipped ahead three minutes to right when the song ended. He only came to at the end of the song, when he realized his Alexa had stopped playing.

            His room fell silent again.

            He asked his Alexa to play the song again.

            He let out a light sigh, shut his notebook and got up from his desk. Rather absent mindedly, he wandered around his room, looking at his furniture until he made it over to his bed. He was tired. After being home for thirty or forty minutes, he could feel that the day had taken quite a toll on his body. The stress of teaching, research, fighting with Madison, reflecting on their parents, opening up to Leslie twice, it had all drained him of his brain power. He couldn’t bear the thought of organizing all of that into a condensed list of talking points to discuss with Madison.

            He needed to do something else.

            He dropped to his knees next to his bed and swatted his hand around beneath it until he found what he was looking for. His keyboard and a booklet slid out from under his bedframe. Afterwards, he muscled the stand for the keyboard and a stool out of his closet. He brought all the items to the living room — with the addition of his robot toy — and set them up.

             He sat on his stool between the couch and television. His robot toy watched him from the couch. The keyboard sat rightfully on the stand. Just behind the keyboard was an additional shelf on the stand that held sheet music. It held his booklet and he flipped through a few pages until he found the right page. Blank sheet music filled in with pen by Jeremy’s hand years ago. Some of the notes were smudged, but he remembered what they were supposed to play. The top of the page read “Ballroom Lullaby in C Major by Jeremy Brilliant”.

              After flipping his keyboard on, Jeremy softly played his first chord in years. C major. Easy to get himself started. He began following the bass progression of the song with his left hand. Simple way to warm up. Then, he started the melody with his right hand. The first melody always relaxed him. As the melody got more complex, he felt his throat tighten up. He wrote the song during a day when he was left home alone for the entire day to study while his mother worked, and his father took Madison to the county fair. He could never not think about that day whenever he played that song. As he played, he realized he could never not think about something related to his life at home designed by his mother when he played piano.

             About a minute and a half into the song, Madison bulldozed her way through the front door, holding a CVS bag in one hand an ice-cream cone in the other hand. Her entrance wasn’t out of anger, it was just her way; she couldn’t seem to help barging in to wherever it was that she was going. Even when she was in the middle of crying, it seemed. Her face was red, and her eyes were slightly swollen. She shot a glance at Jeremy, who was still playing. She looked serious. It wasn’t an expression he was accustomed to seeing on her. Her eyes grew wide with surprise; Jeremy hesitated and almost ceased his playing, but she shook her head and waved her hands towards him to suggest that he should stay focused.

            He continued playing.

           She tiptoed around his keyboard and plopped herself on the couch next to his toy robot. She furrowed her brow in confusion at the sight of it, then held it securely in her lap while she continued to listen. Her face was beginning to calm. Her expressions shifted between heartwarming and disgruntled. It seemed that she was just as confused as her brother. His playing got softer and slower until finally, he gently resolved the melody with the final chord.

           C major.

           The room was quiet after the song ended. Jeremy took a deep breath and tore his eyes from the sheet music to meet eyes with his sister. She forced a half-smile at him.

           “How long has it been?” she asked.

           “…I think about six years.”

           “You mean you never played after you picked it up from their house?”

           “Not until today,” he corrected.

           “Not bad for six years out of practice,” she scoffed.

           “Well. It’s not a very complicated song. It’s only four chords.”

           Madison glanced down at the toy in her hands and held it up for him.

           “You had an audience, but didn’t invite me? Rude.”

           He chuckled.

           “I didn’t know you had things like this,” she said.

           “A few. I like that one a lot, though.”

           “It’s cute,” she said and set it back down beside her.

           Jeremy turned himself on the stool to face her and held his hands on his knees while he contemplated.

           “I was thinking we should talk about… what happened today—” he started,

           “Me too,” she interjected.

           “—but I didn’t think of anything to say.”

           “That’s okay. I’ve been thinking a lot, so maybe I can go first? Maybe you’ll think of stuff along the way,” she suggested, and moved to sit with her legs underneath her.

           “Okay, good idea,” Jeremy nervously agreed. He didn’t know what to expect from her.

           “Sooo…” she started with a deep exhale, “There were a lot of things that came up in that… ‘discussion’. But first, I wanted to start with… I’m sorry.”

           Jeremy raised his eyebrows.

           “Yeah, I know, right?” she chuckled, “When do I ever say that?” she paused, “But for real. I felt like you were mad at me for a while, and it made me upset. I wanted to talk about it, and the way I went about it was… mean. I was trying to get a rise out of you. Get you really mad, provoke you, anything, just to get a reaction from you. I have a reason, but that doesn’t make it right. I should have asked you about it in a more responsible way. And I’m sorry.”

           “Well, thank you. That—really is nice to hear coming from you,” he said.

           “But I think the reason is that—I just—I feel so shut out by you sometimes. I just wanted you to talk to me… for once. Just once, I wanted you to tell me something other than ‘go away’—”

           “I never said that,” Jeremy corrected, defensively.

           “Not really, but you dropped some pretty heavy hints by not talking to me and then walking away,” she explained.

           Jeremy let out a strained sigh and begrudgingly nodded.

           “But still. You didn’t know that, then. I should have been more forward and respectful about it. So, I’m sorry.”

           Jeremy waited a moment for her to continue, but she stayed quiet. He took the opportunity to speak instead.

           “I’m sorry, too,” he started, “I haven’t done a stellar job at… telling people what I want. Or don’t want. I suppose I was trying to tell you that I didn’t want to talk, but… that wasn’t the most responsible way to do it either—”

           “Psh, I’ll say,” she joked.

           Jeremy glared at her.

           “Uh, sorry,” she quickly back-peddled, “Probably should have read the room on that one. That wasn’t cool.”

           “It’s okay. Although, I do appreciate it when you don’t interrupt me while I’m trying to make a point—”

           “Didn’t you just interrupt me a minute ago, though?” she cross-examined.

           Jeremy sighed and closed his eyes in frustration.

           “Yes, I did.”

           “And then I just interrupted you to tell you that you interrupted me earlier.”

           He closed his eyes and started chuckling. He mentally stepped aside from the conversation for a moment, relaxed his shoulders, and let himself laugh. Madison slowly joined him.

           “Can we just agree that we were both kinda pieces of shit for talking over each other and we’re both hella sorry for that?”

           “Yeah, that would probably be more efficient,” he said, “We’ll have to both work on that problem.”

           “So, since we’re here now…” she began, “do you want to tell me what’s been bothering you? I feel like it’s been eating you up a bit, and I’ll tell you it’s definitely been eating me up.”

           “Okay,” he said with a heavy breath, “It’s more like two things.”

            She grimaced but held her tongue, so she didn’t derail the topic with a joke.

            “Sometimes, I feel like you try to downplay the things that I do or say that are important to me, and if I protest, you tell me to relax or act like it’s not a big deal.”

           “Alright… not trying to disagree, but could you give me an example? Might help me understand what you’re saying a bit easier.”

           “Sure, let me think…” he paused, “What about when we were getting in the car to go to Leslie’s house for the dinner party?”

           “Okay, sure. What happened?”

           “You took my video camera with you because you wanted to make a documentary about our research—”

           “—Still doing it by the way—” She interrupted, “Ah! Shit, I did it again. Sorry, sorry.”

           “But you didn’t ask if you could use it. We’re using that camera for something that I take very seriously and it’s important to me. You started using it for something you wanted, and when I protested, you ignored me and told me that what you were doing was ‘way cooler’. I felt like you only cared about what you wanted to do, and you didn’t even respect me enough to listen to anything I had to say about it. I feel like I need to supervise you all the time, when you don’t take me seriously. And if you can’t take me seriously, I can’t trust you to handle things responsibly on your own. Things like your coursework. That really bothers me,” he explained.

           The siblings could feel their bodies becoming heavier as they fully owned their emotions and finally revealed them to one another. Madison huffed in a cumbersome manner and nodded.

           “Oh…” she sighed, “Well shit, I didn’t even think about it like that,” she scoffed, “But I guess that was pretty obvious, huh?”

           Jeremy rocked his hand left and right, giving her a so-so gesture.

           “I guess I do kinda brush you off a lot.”

           “It feels like it, at least. And it really is sad, because I actually really like the idea of a documentary-style, well, documentation of the research.”

           “…You do?” she asked.

           “Yes, of course. On the condition that it’s actually informative,” he prefaced, “But it’s not every day somebody makes a documentary about you or the things you’re doing. I think that you would have a really interesting interpretation of the research, especially as an outsider to the project,” he grimaced, “I mean, not—not an outsider, per se, but just—”

           “No, it’s okay,” she stopped him, “I get it. That’s another thing, honestly. I am an outsider to it. I don’t know what you guys are talking about half the time. You said that you felt like I was glomming onto you guys and hogging Leopold’s time and attention earlier, and I kinda am. Not trying to push you out of your own lab or anything, just that, you know, you guys are researching time travel, dude. That’s freakin’ awesome! I’m too dumb to understand it myself, but I still want to be a part of it, somehow. You guys are all so freakin’ smart. I just wanted to hang out with my brother like I used to, you know?”

           “It’s none of my business what you and Leopold do. The reality is that Leslie and I have been working together well enough, and if I ever need Leopold’s help, I know where to find him. He��s never not been there for me before,” he thought aloud, “If I feeI like need his help or guidance or opinion, it’s my job to ask. Even if I start to doubt myself or my questions because I see you two talking and working together. He’s there for me, too, whether I feel like it or not.”

           “I forget that you’re not at the same level as them sometimes, actually,” she added, “You all just work together like you’re colleagues. It’s hard to remember you’re a student who has questions, too. I can back off if you want,” she resigned.

           “No, no. Don’t, really,” Jeremy assert, “I was just feeling self-conscious. That’s my problem, not yours. And I don’t know what’s going on, exactly, but it sounds like Leopold has something he’s working through and you being around has been good for him.”

           “You talk to Leslie about it?” Madison inquired.

           “A bit. She didn’t tell me any specifics. Do you know anything about it?”

           She pursed her lips and slowly shook her head.

           “I kinda get that feeling too, but he hasn’t said anything to me either.”

           “You don’t have to stop coming to the lab. It’s probably good experience for you anyway, if you decide you want to stay with the chemistry major. Or maybe it will change your mind,” he chuckled, “But what would be helpful is trying to keep the distractions to a minimum. Maybe not playing video games at our worktable, when you’ve got finals coming up,” he suggested.

           Madison groaned at herself.

           “I know, I know,” she paused and grimaced, “Is that the second part of your beef with me?”

           He sighed and nodded.

           “Oh boy. Okay, lay it on me,” she said.

           “I’m not trying to micro-manage you when I say all of this. But I see how you spend your time, Madison. You’ve outwardly admitted to procrastinating studying for your finals by playing video games. You said that you felt uncomfortable asking me for help with your homework, and I’m sorry for making you feel that way. Sometimes I forget that the things I’ve known for years are things that you learned last week, and that you haven’t mastered them yet. We also agreed that I would help support you through school on the condition that you did well. At the very least, not failing your classes.”

           Madison nodded through his talk with a sheepish look on her face.

           “If you want me to keep supporting you through school, then you need to prove to me that you can handle it and are willing to put in the work. If you feel like you don’t want to do school anymore, that’s okay. I meant what I said two years ago. But you need to tell me so we can figure out what other expenses you can handle while you work a job, instead.”

           Madison vigorously shook her head.

           “Nononono,” she babbled out, “I don’t want to quit!”

           “Okay.”

           “For real, dude,” she persisted.

           “Okay, I believe you,” he assured.

           “I just—ah—I know I’ve been lagging behind a bit,” she sighed, “A lot, honestly. I just didn’t want to feel stupid, asking you for help. Sometimes the stuff you say just flies right over my head. But I guess I could have still asked my professors for help, before just giving up,” she said.

           Jeremy nodded and listened.

           “And I dunno. Not sure if I like chemistry, which just piles on a whole other mess of problems. Maybe it’s just the topic in general? I mean… that was mom’s job, right? Chemistry… stuff?”

           “Chemical engineering, yes,” he corrected.

           She scoffed.

           “Can’t even get the major right,” she mumbled to herself.

           “You don’t have to do science at all, if you don’t want to,” Jeremy said, “That’s just what I did. But you and I are very different people.”  

           She gestured a balancing scale with her hands.

           “I mean, we’re both pretty sick at Mario Kart,” she joked.

           “It’s okay to do something different, is all,” he chuckled.

           “That’s the thing, though, I like science! I think it’s crazy and awesome and, I mean, none of it makes sense, but it’s cool that it doesn’t all make sense! Makes me want to get to the bottom of it,” she said pensively.

           “Heh, yeah, well… me too! Maybe we’re not so different,” he smiled faintly, “Regardless, if you stay in science, there’s a decent chance you’ll have to do at least two years’ worth of chemistry courses.”

           “Oh god, really?” she groaned, “What if I switch to physics like you?”

           “Physics basically birthed the field of chemistry.”

           “It did?”

           “Oh yeah.”

           “What about biology?”

           “Well now that’s just chemistry with a twist to it.”

           “Oh, come on!” she pouted, “How ‘bout medicine? Any of those hospital jobs that you don’t have to be a doctor?”

           “Healthcare is further away but it’s foundation is still chemistry, physics, and biology.”

           “What, so chemistry and physics are just the two all-powerful god-sciences?”

           “Actually, that would be mathematics.”

           “Oh, lord, I don’t know what to do, anymore.”

            She clasped the sides of her face in distress and curled up into a ball. Jeremy snorted and gently pulled her out of her shell again.

            “You don’t have to know right now, Madison. You can switch to an undecided major and just work on the core classes that everyone needs. Give yourself time to think about it.”

           “Right. Yeah, totally. Time to think,” she huffed, “I want to try again next semester. Or this summer maybe if I can. I want to do better; I think I can.”

           “I’m sure you can,” he encouraged, “And I’ll be there, too. I’m still here and happy to help. I’ll try to… explain things in slower and easier to digest ways, if you ask for my help.”

           She gave him a light smile and took a deep breath. She rolled her shoulders back and forth.

           “Thanks, Jay,” she whispered, bittersweetly, “Err—sorry, you told me not to call—”

           “No problem… Maddie,” he said warmly, “Thank you, too.”

           She stuttered and awkwardly chuckled in surprise.

          “You haven’t called me that since we were little.”

           He slowly shrugged.

          “Old habits die hard, right?”

           “It’s weird hearing that after so long… I gotta say, I didn’t realize it until now, but I think ‘Madison’ really grew on me.”

          “Well, it is your name, after all,” he joked.

          “Yeah, I know, but it’s different. Makes me feel, you know, more matuuuure.”

          Jeremy raised an eyebrow and scoffed at her display.

          “I am now realizing that what I’ve just done is, perhaps… not mature.”

          “It’s a work in progress,” he snorted.

          “Yeah! I’m getting there!”

          They laughed in unison and slowly drew their discussion to a close.

          “So… are we good?” she asked with a hint of worry in her eyes.

          He nodded.

         “Yeah… we’re good.”

         “Am I still your favorite sister?”

         “By default, but yes, technically you are.”

         “That’s good enough for me!”

          Jeremy stretched his arms and back and started packing up his keyboard.

          “Wait! What are you doing right now?” she asked.

          “I don’t know yet. Maybe finish up some work? Might reach out to Leslie to tie up some loose ends from toda—”

          “No!” she interjected, “Oh boy, we really need to work on interrupting each other, it’s a real problem,” she joked to herself. “But no! Don’t do any of that!” she urged.

          Jeremy shook his head in bafflement.

         “Why not?”

         “Okay, one more point, and then our talk is over: you work way too much!”

         “Oh, please.”

         “No, really! You get to the lab early and stay late all the time, you’re constantly thinking about or talking about the lab, and I barely even see you eat or do something fun. For some reason you are home at a half-decent time tonight. Use that time to relax. No talking to Leslie, no talking to Leopold, no grading, no studying, no scientific paper ‘leisure reading’ – whatever that is, sounds fake— and no sciencey-writing either! Make yourself a real dinner and play video games so I don’t feel so bad for beating all your high scores. At least watch something on Netflix or something. If I have to ‘buckle down’ and ‘apply myself’ or whatever, then you have to live it up once in a while!”

          She gasped for breath at the end of her barrage of forceful self-care orders. Jeremy defensively held his hands in the air as if he were being arrested.

         “Okay, alright, point taken, I’ll ‘do something for myself for once’,” he mocked, “For the record, I was not going to talk to Leslie about work, okay? It was—uh, something else.”

         Jeremy stammered towards the end of his argument, realizing he’d made himself vulnerable to more interrogation.

          “Oh?” Madison’s interest was piqued, “Well, if not work, then what? I’m curious.”

           “None of your business, that’s what. Don’t worry about it.” he quickly shut her down.

           Madison raised her eyebrows at him.

          “Stop that.”

          She bounced them up and down.

          “Madison, stop.”

          She did not stop.

          “Listen, Jay, if need some advice or some backup —like a wingman, kinda— you could say that I’m the…”

         “Don’t—”

         “Ace up your sleeve,” she winked.

         “How would you be my wingman, if you’re ace?” he asked.

          “Dude, being a wingman is, like, the optimal position for asexuals! I don’t really want any part in this, but I am totally down to help the pilot—that’s you—score some brownie points with the… plane. Or the other pilot? Co-pilot? Or, no, they would become the co-pilot once you score enough brownie points. Hmmm, we got any brownies…?”

          “You’re getting lost in the metaphor.”

          “Yeah, but you get it!”

          “Sure.”

          “Look, all’s I’m sayin’ is that…ya got somethin’ going on. And if you need a little push to get that somethin’ in motion, I’m your man. You—your wingman, I mean. Not like, I am a man, just like, I’m your go-to, you know like—”

         “Yes, I get it,” he stopped her.

         “Okay, good.”

         “Great. Well, uh, thank you, Madison for that very… uncomfortable but generous offer. I will… uh, I’ll be in touch,” he said politely.

         “Hope to hear from you soon,” she winked and got up from the couch. She pulled a notebook and a pack of pencils out of the bag. The bag was still weighed down on the couch as she left it behind.

         “What are you doing?” he called after her.

          “If I want to do better, I have to prepare for it,” she said, “Figured it best to just get a new notebook for my chem class. My old one was all torn up and full of doodles. Gonna try catching up on a few chapters tonight.”

          “You know, I have extra notebooks. And pencils,” Jeremy said, “I could have just given you some, if you needed them.”

          “Yeah, I know. But it felt good to buy it myself. Reminds me that this is my stuff to deal with,” she said with an air of introspection. Jeremy smiled with respect at her initiative and nodded.

          “I’m gonna go study,” she said softly and turned into her room, “Oh, and I bought too much stuff at the store; finish off whatever is left in the bag, please! Love ya!” she yelled and slammed her bedroom door shut.

          He laughed under his breath.

         “Wild child,” he muttered.

          He stepped over to the bag on the couch and peered inside. Two pints of ice cream. One of strawberry cheesecake and one of vanilla caramel fudge. He took the latter to the freezer and opened up the former.

        “Love you too, Maddie,” he called to her room.

         He plopped himself down on the couch with the pint of ice cream and briefly was at a loss of what to do. Play games? Watch a movie? Talk to Leslie? Play piano? Too many options. Talking to Leslie sounded nice, though he felt that he’d done enough talking and thinking and feeling for one day. He picked up his phone.

 [JEREMY_LESLIE_CONVERSATION_START_20:08]

JB: Hey Leslie. Just finished talking to Madison about… many things. Overall, it went pretty well. I’m sure it’s not perfect, but it was a good talk to have. Thanks for being there to talk today. It really made a difference. Today has been very tiring, so I think I’m going to spend tonight trying to relax, since we’re not at the lab. I can tell you more about what happened tonight tomorrow, or soon, whenever we get the chance. You should take a break tonight, too. I think we both deserve it. Have a good night; see you tomorrow.

LG: Hey Jeremy! Glad to hear it all went well. Happy to help! Thanks for letting me know. Looking forward to hearing more about it, when you feel ready. You actually caught me while I was adding to our paper on the Google Drive. 😅 It is kinda late now, maybe I’ll call it a night and treat myself too! You have a good night, too. See you bright and early! 🤗

[JEREMY_LESLIE_CONVERSATION_END_20:12]

           Jeremy dropped his phone back on the couch, started up the Nintendo Switch and stretched out his legs on their coffee table. Madison wasn’t kidding when she said she’d beaten all of his high scores. And she unlocked two new characters, too. He really had been falling behind. He pressed the start button and could see himself grinning in the reflection of the TV while the screen was black as the game loaded.

Tonight, he would reclaim his rightful place as number one on the leader-board.

#do you have the time? #time travel #science fiction #jeremy #madison #leslie #i would have split this one up into two parts but there was no real good place to do it #this episode has been a long time coming tbh #long overdue #all-in-all i'm glad the way it came out #lmao get it? came out? bc madison is ace #well she came out to y'all but not jeremy #he already knew #this is the end of this arc #i have no more written material #which means i have to start planning the next arc heh #that might be a while from now tho #plenty of time to catch up on reading what i have so far at least #thanks to anyone who reads it! #whether you like or reblog or not i just hope u enjoy it! #also new song for the story! #written and composed by yours truly!!