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lemonlover1110 · 17 days

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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Toji Fushiguro & Satoru Gojo

[Chapter 1] The Ideal Woman

Story Masterlist

Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x f!Reader x Satoru Gojo

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*So excited to share with y'all, very Toji heavy first chapter but remember this is a love triangle

Toji has never been more miserable before. The man should be happy, he should be thrilled for his best friend, but he’s not. He’s never been the biggest fan of engagement parties, but this is just another level of discomfort. Spoiled brat Satoru Gojo always gets what he wants, and what irks Toji the most is that what Satoru gets is never something the average man can come close to achieve.

Satoru has the perfect job, great looks, charisma, talent, money, and the one that pisses off Toji the most, the perfect woman. Satoru’s girlfriend– Well, now fiancée, is the woman of every man’s dreams. At least the woman of Toji’s dreams.

Toji has never felt jealousy like this. Toji’s unlucky, he knows so, and he’s felt jealousy hundreds of times before, but never like this. He’s green with envy because he should be the one to hold your hand and parade you around as his fiancée, not Satoru. Satoru already has everything a man wishes for, couldn’t he have left you alone?

Satoru is just too greedy, he has to take everything for himself, and Toji slowly begins to resent him. Toji clenches his jaw, watching a very proud Satoru gloat about you and about the perfect proposal that he made last month. He makes sure to emphasize just how expensive it all was but without actually mentioning any prices.

“Toji.” You call out his name, breaking him from his thread of endless thoughts. He’s startled when he sees you, rightfully so. You sprung on him out of nowhere, not that he minds. You chuckle before asking, “Why are you here all by yourself?”

“Just needed a moment alone.” He answers, and you smile at him. He smiles back at you, trying to mask his unhappiness and frustration. He looks at you over again, looking as beautiful as ever tonight. He swears you can’t get more beautiful, but you prove him wrong each and every time. He’s mad that he can’t tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman that he’s ever seen; a simple ‘you look good’ or ‘that dress looks nice on you’ isn't cutting it, but it’s the most he can say without sounding weird.

“You know, I’m mad at you.” You proceed to tell him with a laugh, and he raises his brows. He knows you can’t be too serious since you’re laughing, so he chuckles as well.

“And why is that? What did I do this time?” He asks, and you hold up your left hand, one that is adorned by a beautiful diamond ring. Toji nearly rolls his eyes, and he knows immediately what you’re about to say.

“Why didn’t you congratulate me on my engagement?” You both say in unison, however, he puts on a mocking high pitched voice, attempting to mimic you. He’s amused by the frown that comes into your face. You cross your arms, dramatically turning to leave him, but his hand goes to your arm.

“I thought congratulating Satoru was enough.” He claims, but he knows that isn’t the right response because you roll your eyes. “Oh c’mon–”

“I thought we were friends.” You point out, and Toji chuckles. He hopes that you aren’t all that upset, you should know that he isn’t all that great with congratulating people– Especially about something that he isn’t all that excited about. “I thought of having you as a bridesmaids but it seems you don’t care about me all that much.”

“My bad. Congrats on your engagement.” He says, and you scoff. Toji can drag this on for the rest of the night so you’ll stay by his side. He sees the eyes that are searching for you, waiting to congratulate you and talk about your future plans. But your back is to them, your attention fully on him.

“Congrats? If you were anyone else I’d say you’re mad about this.” You claim, and Toji nods in response. He’s being serious, he’s never been more serious in his life before but he knows that you won’t take him seriously.

“Totally.” And he sounds sarcastic. There’s no reason for you to doubt him, Satoru and him are like brothers. Granted, Toji is a much older brother.

The conversation shifts, and you get carried away. You seem to forget it’s your own party, people are looking for you but you’re joking around with Toji, talking about the latest romcom you’ve watched. He’s never laughed so hard before, but he swears you bring something out of him.

“There’s a sequel coming out, we should watch it together.” You suggest, and he nods in response. He would be a fool to pass up on the opportunity to spend time with you. And he won’t lie and say that he hates the movie that you’re talking about, because he also watched it and he found himself entertained.

You’re so engrossed with him that you’re shocked when you feel a pair of arms wrap around your waist. Your hand goes over your heart, your heartbeat going what feels like a thousand miles a minute. You glance back at your fiancé, who has a smirk on his lips.

“I was looking for you.” Satoru says, and Toji tries not to roll his eyes. He feels as if Satoru does it to show off. The bastard knows just how lucky he is, and Toji hates it.

“Sorry, babe.” You apologize, and Toji wants to chime in and tell you that you don’t have to apologize for that. Why should you? You were just talking to him, no harm in that. “But you were busy too. Too busy showing off, that you forgot about me!”

“I’m sorry, babe.” Satoru kisses your cheek, making Toji’s jaw clench. His chin rests on your shoulder before he finally acknowledges Toji, “How are you doing, man?”

“Bored.” Toji doesn’t really bother thinking of another response. Satoru is taking you away for sure, and Toji has nothing else to do there. “I’m leaving.”

“Aw, no! Stay a little longer.” You protest, and a subtle smile comes onto his lips. It’s nice to know that he’s wanted around by you. It’s tempting to stay a little longer, but he knows he can’t stay by your side. Satoru hums in agreement, of course he does, why wouldn’t he want his best friend around? Toji thinks about it, but you tell him something that makes his decision. “I want to set you up with my friend.”

“I–” Toji is a bit taken back by your words. Right… Why wouldn’t you want to set him up with a friend? He clears his throat before telling you, “I have to pick up Megumi. I’ll see you two soon, congratulations.”

Before you can argue with him more, he brushes past you and makes his way out of the house. You’re left to gather your thoughts before looking back at your fiancé. It’s almost as if he can read your thoughts, and he laughs. “You know he isn’t a big people person.”

“He’s acting weird.” You claim, but you won’t tell him more. You grab his hand, and lead Satoru elsewhere, going to talk to other people that are dying for your attention. After all, you are the ones being celebrated tonight.

“My mom wants to talk to you.” Satoru brings up, and you let out a sigh. You adore the woman, but ever since the topic of marriage came up, she’s been trying to plan her ideal wedding and pushing the ideas on you. Lately that’s all she can talk about, so it’s fair to say you aren’t in a talkative mood.

“How about…” You begin, and Satoru furrows his brows. It’s clear that you’re avoiding his mother, and he knows why. But how rude would it be to just run away like that? Especially since you’re hosting the engagement party in her home.

“C’mon, we’ll keep it brief.” He takes the lead, dragging you to where he last saw his mother. She isn’t there though, and you take it as your gift from the universe. You’re fighting back a smile as you look at him.

“Where is she?” You ask him, and Satoru briefly searches for his mom, but doesn’t care enough to walk around and ask where she is. He shrugs and a smirk comes to your lips before you bring your lips up to his ear, “Do you want to sneak away?”

“You’ve read my mind.” Satoru doesn’t have another reason to stay, and being around so many people has him overwhelmed. Sneaking away is the best idea that you’ve had so far tonight. You’re giggling like children while you run out of the house and into the empty quiet backyard.

“Why did you invite so many people?” You ask Satoru as you run to the sofa that’s on the patio. You sit down next to each other, although Satoru would argue that you’re almost sitting on him with how close you are– Not that he minds. You’ve done worse.

“What do you mean? They’re all people that you want at the wedding, if anything blame yourself.” He points out, causing you to glare at him. He realizes his mistake, and hopes that a peck on the lips will make you forget. “But you’re right, there’s too many people here.”

You rest your head on his shoulder, your hand going to his chest. Your eyes glimmer as you stare at the diamond that you’ve been dying to get for the past few years. It feels surreal that you’re one step closer to your goal.

“It fit perfectly.” Satoru comments, grabbing your hand and staring at the ring. He chuckles before confessing, “I was worried it wouldn’t fit.”

“Good thing that you know me better than anyone.” You respond, as Satoru lets go of your hand. Your hand goes back to your side, as his arm wraps around you.

“You know, no matter how much I get to know you, I still feel like I don’t.” He shares, making you perk up your brows.

“Well, I don’t think there’s anyone here that knows me better.” You answer, and Satoru bites down his lip. He’s not going to argue with you even when he feels otherwise. You’ve spent the past five years with each other, and Satoru’s mind goes blank when he’s asked about your favorite color.

You look up at him, watching how he stares off into the distance. You kiss him, causing a smile to come to his lips. His lips meet yours again, but instead of pulling away quickly, they remain on yours. He kisses you multiple times, he does it until you put your fingers over his lips to stop him. You know it’s a matter of a couple more kisses before Satoru loses control.

“Do you think they’re looking for us?” You ask him, and he looks back at the house. They most definitely are. But it doesn’t matter. He’s out here with you, and that’s all he wants.

You’re all he needs.

“We should go back in soon.” Satoru says, and you hum in response. However, you don’t make a single move.

“Give me a minute. I like it better here with you and only you.”

“You’re back!” You exclaim when your eyes land on Toji again. Everyone is leaving, but Toji makes a sudden reappearance back in the party. His eyes light up when he knows that you cheer up as you see him.

“Your boyfriend called me to come back. It was, and I quote, an emergency.” Toji does air quotes with his fingers as he walks over to you. You tilt your head to the side, curious as to why Satoru called him back here.

Realization sets in, a smile coming to your face, which confuses Toji even more. You grab his hand, leading him to where Satoru is. You correct him on the way there, “Satoru is now my fiancé. Get it right, Toji.”

“My bad.” He can’t help but roll his eyes since you’re not looking at him. Right, your fiancé. That bastard sure is lucky. You can call him out a million times for it, but he’ll still refer to Satoru as your boyfriend.

“There he is!” Satoru points out, stopping his conversation with one of his friends to redirect his attention to the star of the night. That’s what Toji feels like at least, especially after getting a message just as he was getting home. “Sorry about texting you to come back again, I just had something to ask and it couldn’t be over text.”

“What is it?” Toji sounds irritated, which he is. What’s so important that he had to drop Megumi off with the neighbor? Toji would rather be anywhere but here. He’s never really cared about the fact that you’re together, even when he has clear feelings for you. Toji has always felt that you and him act more like a couple than you and Satoru– but tonight, he’s reminded that you’re not together.

You’re engaged to Satoru.

“I had a question for you… And I didn’t want it to be over text.” Satoru says, and Toji cocks his brow. How important can this question really be when Satoru completely forgot to bring it up earlier. Toji doesn’t care to ask what it is, he waits for Satoru to ask the important question. Satoru has a cocky expression on his face, at least that’s how Toji views it. “Aren’t you going to ask?”

“You’re the one that has a question, I’m listening.” Toji barely hides his annoyance, but Satoru thinks it’s because Toji was asked to come back, which is only part of it. Toji crosses his arms, waiting patiently for Satoru to speak.

“I was talking with Suguru back and forth about it. In the end, we both agreed that you were the perfect best man.” Satoru shares, and it takes Toji back. Satoru might be Toji’s best friend, but Suguru is Satoru’s best friend. He imagined he would be asked to be a groomsman, but not the best man. It makes Toji furrow his brows, and ask,

“The perfect best man? Why?” Which isn’t the answer nor reaction that Satoru was expecting. Satoru doesn’t know what he was expecting, truthfully. Toji is a very emotionless person, he obviously isn’t going to weep in joy at the proposal, but Satoru expects some sort of reaction that is not this.

“Huh?” Satoru can’t help but reply. You watch the interaction, wondering the same thing as Satoru. Satoru’s friend leaves, not wanting to be caught up in the middle of anything. He trusts Satoru won’t do anything rash, but not Toji. No one in the place really trusts Toji for whatever reason.

“You have other options, and I’m not even your closest friend.” Toji answers, and Satoru laughs. Toji isn’t wrong. Satoru just finds it amusing that Toji doesn’t immediately figure out why he’s asking though.

“Don’t you remember, Toji?” You tilt your head to the side as you look at the man… Well, he obviously doesn’t. Toji looks puzzled, should he know? You look at your fiancé and frantically shake your head, doing a cutthroat gesture at him. Satoru has a mischievous smirk on his face, and you watch him lick his lips. He’s going to let it slip.

“Well, the night that we met, you were the one that introduced us because–” Satoru begins, and you feel your face warm up. You can’t let Satoru finish the statement because you swear you’ll die of embarrassment. Toji clearly doesn’t remember, and he doesn’t need a reminder.

“Don’t you dare!” You cut him off, but it’s too late because a lightbulb turns on above Toji’s head and he remembers the details. He bites his tongue, and mentally curses himself out because he completely forgot that– He probably forgot about it because he regrets that decision so much.

“I remember.” Toji ends up saying which makes you want to crawl in a hole and die. Toji sheepishly smiles before saying, “I guess, I have no other option now.”

“You don’t.” Satoru takes it as a joke, at least that’s what it seems when he lets out a laugh.

“Okay, now hug!” You tell them as if they were dolls, and both men roll their eyes. It’s not the first time you say this, in fact, you tend to do it a lot. But they always listen, and they lean in for an awkward hug.

“I swear she always wants to see us touching.” Satoru murmurs as he pats Toji’s back.

“Just make her happy, man. Prepare for marriage.” Toji responds, patting Satoru’s back as well. They let go and you’re almost jumping in excitement. Toji directs his attention towards you and asks, “Now why are you so happy?”

“I can set you up with the maid of honor! Oh you two would make the perfect couple.” You exclaim, grabbing his hand and dragging him away. It’s what you’ve been doing all night.

“Oh c’mon, I don’t want to.” He says, but he still moves his feet. “I don’t trust your judgment when it comes to setting me up with someone.”

“I know that you two will get along.” You claim as you lead him to your friend. She must be somewhere, but you can’t spot her. You bicker back and forth as you keep dragging him along. You finally come to a stop after five minutes, your hand still holding on to his wrist. “I guess she left.”

“Good.” Toji answers, getting your gentle hand off his arm. He doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. The place slowly becomes empty, and the few people there are just staring at the two of you. He didn’t care earlier but now it’s easier to spot you. Toji clears his throat, “Go back to Gojo.”

“I’m mad at him.” You respond, and he wonders why you say it.

“What did he do now?” Toji questions, saying so in a very amusing tone.

“He reminded you how we met, it’s so embarrassing to think about now.” You reply and Toji bites his tongue. You aren’t wrong, he’s thinking of how wrong he was.

“Without me, you wouldn’t have met the love of your life.” He comments, and he can’t believe the words are leaving his lips. He just doesn’t want you to feel self conscious about it.

“I guess you aren’t wrong.” You say, grabbing his arm again so you can drag him back to Satoru. He’s the one that you can’t find this time around though, and you look everywhere in the house but he isn’t there. You end up in the backyard again, and even though he isn’t there, you stay outside.

“Where the fuck did he go? Did he leave without me?” You ask as you take a seat on the same sofa from earlier. Toji chuckles, walking behind you to take a seat near you.

“He wouldn’t. He’s probably in the bathroom.” Toji replies, before you sit in silence. He’s watching you as you’re looking up at the night sky, and Toji wants to look in the same direction, but he finds you more interesting to look at. Satoru really is so fucking lucky.

He thinks of what to say. Conversation flowed so easily earlier, but right now his mind is filled with regret. He thinks of what to ask before looking up at the sky as well. It really isn’t all that interesting, he doesn’t know why you keep staring at it.

He points up at a celestial body in the sky, unsure of what it is, “Is that a planet or a star?”

“Um…” You’re looking, trying to see what he points at. You have to scoot closer to get his perspective. Your head is hovering over his shoulder until you finally see what he looks at. “I think a planet, I’m not sure.”

“What’s the difference between them?” Toji asks, and you look up at him. You’re so close, and you don’t seem to notice; anyone that could walk by would get the wrong idea.

“Like… What’s the difference between planets and stars in general? Or from our perspective?” You respond, and he gives you an unamused look.

“Do you think I’m a dumbass?” He can’t help but answer, and you burst into laughter. Your laugh is infectious, making him chuckle as well. A sudden sadness comes over him, realizing that he’ll never get the chance to have you by his side– Not in the way he wants at least. But it’s okay, he’s happy watching you from afar.

“I’m sorry.” You wipe away a tear that escapes your eye. When the laughter subsides, you end up saying, “Actually I don’t know. ‘Toru is the one that likes astronomy.”

“Then why did you look?” He ends up saying, and you shrug.

“Just wanted to see if I could figure it out on my own.” You say. You realize how close you are to him, making you move away. Your face gets warm again as a question pops into your mind. It’s extremely inappropriate to ask, so you won’t let it slip.

You’re zoning out, staring off into the distance, which is easy for Toji to notice since his eyes are on you. He asks, “Is everything okay? You seem thoughtful.”

“If you weren’t married at the time, would you have still rejected me?” The words slip out of your mouth, and they make Toji’s eyes widen. He didn’t expect that question from you. “It’s nothing like that! I’m just curious because I do get kind of awkward when I remember it.”

“I mean, does it matter now?” Is the best answer Toji can come up with because he won’t risk the friendship he has with Satoru by answering truthfully, but he doesn’t want to lie to you either. Toji adjusts his posture before saying, “Think about it this way. If I hadn’t rejected you, you wouldn’t have ended up with Satoru. Instead, we would’ve had a messy affair, our relationship would be a fucking mess, you would’ve been stepmom to a stinky kid, and we probably would be unhappy.”

“You have to stop calling Megumi stinky! He’s so cute.” You’re quick to defend the child, and Toji laughs. “You’re right. Sorry for asking, it just hurts my ego.”

Toji doesn’t want to keep talking about it in case he says something he’ll regret. He waits a moment before mentioning, “We flushed his fish down the toilet yesterday.”

“Oh you’re awful, why are you smiling about it?” You call him out, not wanting to laugh as well. “Isn’t this the second time this happens?”

“My bad, I’ll get better at reading labels and not feeding the fish powder cleaner.” Is his way to apologize, but he shouldn’t say it to you, but instead to Megumi. It’s not like he knows anyway. No harm, no foul.

“Why did you put those two together anyway?” You ask as you stand up, heading back inside. Toji does the same, not wanting to be left alone.

“My place is a mess.” Toji answers, which isn’t shocking.

“Tell me about it.” You respond, and Toji is about to make a snarky remark back, but you spot Satoru immediately when you’re back inside, and that’s where your direction goes. You yell out his name, and run to him with open arms.

There’s almost a pout on Toji’s face when you hug and kiss Satoru ever so lovingly. He shouldn’t feel upset, so he tries not to. He looks away, reminding himself that you’re engaged to his very own best friend.

In the end, he’s wishing the best for the two of you, hoping that nothing bad happens during your engagement. He wouldn’t want you two to split, as selfish as he is.

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irisintheafterglow · 4 months

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what if all i need is you? (college bsf!suguru x you)

summary: after failed attempts to find a date to a relative's birthday party, your best friend acts as your fake boyfriend.

wc: 2.8k

cw/tags: fake dating, best friends to lovers, first kiss, implied fem!reader but no specific pronouns used (wears makeup and heels), swearing, mentions of drinking and smoking, reader is kinda mean at the beginning but they're just stressed, satoru being satoru

note: back on my suguru bullshit! hope you enjoy :))

likes, replies, and reblogs are appreciated <33

“You remember the plan?”

“Yep, I had it down the third and fourth times you repeated it.” You send him a glare out of the corner of your vision, carefully pulling the mascara wand up across your lashes. The dim car lights weren’t the ideal environment to finish getting ready, but whatever time you could waste out here was time you didn’t have to spend at the party.

“It’s all there. $250, like we agreed,” you say without looking at him as he flips through the stack of money from the yellow package hiding in the glove compartment. “I’m not giving you more, so don’t ask.”

“Wasn’t going to,” he reassures you, watching as you tensely tap fine glitter onto the inner corners of your eyes and spread it over your cheekbones. He inhales and you already anticipate what he was going to say. “You know, I really shouldn’t be taking your money–”

“I don’t care that you don’t want the money, Suguru. It makes me feel better, so please, shut up and take it,” you state for what felt like the tenth time. He sighs in defeat, eyeing you like you were a tiger pacing around a cramped cage in a zoo. Having your best friend go with you as your fake date to a relative’s birthday party both complicated and simplified things at the same time, which made you all the more tense for what might happen.

Date me for a month and earn $250! No commitment, no long-term relationships! Call me at (XXX) XXX-XXX for more info! is what the flyers that you stuck to the bulletin boards around campus proclaimed. It was a last-ditch effort to find a date to your grandmother’s cousin’s birthday party and a direct result of your family being too curious about your dating life in college. The plan was simple, in your head. You would find a random person to pretend to date for a month, bring them to the party, and then break up with them a week later. No harm done and no questions asked, right?

“Any takers on that dating flyer yet?”

“No,” you groan, letting your forehead hit the desk with a dull thud. It was harder than you thought it would be to find someone to act as your fake boyfriend. “All they want is sex or to negotiate a higher pay. They think I’m a hooker or a trust fund baby, I guess.”

“I can confirm that you are neither of those things,” he chuckles from the other side of the line. “Unless, you have some news to tell me.” You snort and shake your head, taking notice of the darkness outside your window. It must have been hours since you first started your phone call with Suguru and forced him to help you through a homework assignment, and the rumbling in your stomach was becoming a little more insistent.

“Shit. It’s late, so I’ll let you go. Sorry for keeping you for so long.” You start to tidy the various study sheets and highlighters scattered across your desk, carefully straightening the polaroid of you, Suguru, Satoru, and Shoko on the day of your high school graduation. “Thanks for helping me, even though I’m gonna forget all of this in a few hours.”

“I don’t mind teaching you again. Have you eaten yet? Because I’m starving.” The rumbling in your stomach becomes more of a growl at the mere mention of food and you silently curse him for reminding you that all you had in the cupboard was instant noodles. “If you say no and then proceed to make those sodium bombs you call food, I’m gonna hit you with an inflatable mallet.”

“Okay,” you reply. “Then, I won’t tell you.”

“Smartass,” he mutters and you hear the clinking of his car keys being grabbed from off the hook above his desk. “I’ll be there in ten. Grab a jacket; it’s chilly out.” Twenty minutes later, you’re bundled up in a hole-in-the-wall ramen shop near campus, barely able to eat from sheer anxiety. It was a shitty situation you’d found yourself in and the only way to get through it unscathed would be to disappear off the face of the planet. Your best friend seems to notice you poke at your noodles with your chopsticks and sets down his pair with a determined look. “Alright, what’s bothering you?” You shrug and avoid his eyes, leaning back into the dark corner of the booth.

“Nothing,” you mumble and he raises a skeptical eyebrow. “I’m just stressed about this stupid party thing.”

“Remind me why you need a date for this in the first place?”

“My grandma’s cousin is super old. Like, one foot in the grave old,” you state plainly and some water shoots out of Suguru’s nose as he tries to cover a laugh. “I’m serious! I’ve never known her and, from what I can gather, no one really likes her anyways.” You hand him a clean napkin with a small, amused smile while he continues to cough uncontrollably, humming at the small thank you he manages to choke out. “But, my family wants me to at least act like I have a boyfriend for the night so she can have peace of mind.” You give him a knowing look and it takes him a few seconds to put the pieces together.

“Wait, your family wants you to pretend to have a boyfriend so your grandma’s cousin can die at peace?” You nod slowly and his face contorts into something like horror and shock, unsure of whether to laugh or feel sorry for you. “Shit. Sorry, I mean–”

“No, it’s okay,” you giggle. “You can laugh. It’s fucking ridiculous. To be fair, they just told me to find a boyfriend. They didn’t specify how long we had to be together.”

“And that’s why you put the flyers up,” he concludes, “to hire someone to play your boyfriend for the night.” You nod again and he shakes his head. “You’re out of your mind.” Your jaw drops in indignance and you threaten to drop an ice cube in his ramen in retaliation.

“I think it’s a pretty smart idea,” you argue.

“What if the guy catches feelings?”

“Sucks for him. I’m not paying him to fall in love with me,” you reply bluntly and Suguru shakes his head in disbelief. “What? Is what I’m doing wrong? I’m only seeing it as a business transaction, plain and simple.”

“A business transaction that hasn’t actually transacted yet, and the party is when?” You feel your face start to heat in embarrassment. He made a good point.

“Tomorrow,” you mumble. “The party’s tomorrow night.”

“See? There’s no way you’re gonna find someone good enough in time.”

“Well, what do you propose I do? Skip it entirely and kill the old lady early?”

“That’s definitely not what I was suggesting,” he corrects. “What if you just…took me instead?” You freeze, a little shocked by his idea. It was true that a certain amount of attraction existed in you towards your best friend, something that you swore never to act on for fear of losing his friendship. You never bothered asking if he felt the same because you knew him too well; you knew how he was around girls he liked, even though the last one was when you both were in high school. Sure, it was possible that he started liking you once you started college, just like you noticed him in a different light during your first semester. But either way, you were resigned to letting the feelings come and go as they usually did. Except, the feelings hadn’t left for three years. “Are you silent because you’re mortified or silent because you’re thinking it over?”

“A little bit of both,” you admit.

“How so?”

“You do know my family has been wanting us to get together for years now, right?” An unreadable look passes over Suguru’s face, a look that you can’t decipher even after knowing him for so long.

“I’m well aware. Your parents have pulled me aside several times trying to pass along family heirlooms to use when I inevitably get on one knee.” Your eye twitches and you make a mental reminder to scold your family when you see them next. “But why is that an issue?” Truthfully, it wasn’t that much of an issue if you set aside your own feelings. Having Suguru there meant that he already knew the dynamics of your family, how to handle your relatives, and had a general grasp of what to expect at the party. It simplified things, but your own harbored feelings complicated any thought of acting like a couple. It would feel too real and you knew how much it would hurt when the clock struck midnight and you went back to being friends. That’s a little too much to unpack over ramen, though.

“I just don’t want them making you uncomfortable,” is what you settle with telling him. Something like disappointment blinks across his face, but disappears just as fast as it comes. It’s replaced with a wry smile, one that makes your head fuzzy and stomach bubbly.

“They won’t. My only focus is you,” he promises before launching into a new conversation about his latest biochem project. Now, ten minutes after your heels crossed the threshold of the front door, Suguru was doing a little too good of a job of only focusing on you. Even though the music of the venue blares and there’s enough family and friends to stampede you like poor Mufasa in the Lion King, Suguru doesn’t seem to care about any of it. He falls into his role as your ‘boyfriend’ as easily as the last piece of a puzzle being maneuvered into place, holding your hand with a steady grip, then snaking it around your waist, and sending you fond smiles when nobody's watching. Your parents are delighted, to say the least, and drag him away from you at the first available moment. You settle in a corner of the ballroom with a small plate of pickings from the dessert table and wait for him to return from his interrogation with your parents.

“It’s about time you two got together,” a familiar, sing-songy voice says quietly from over your shoulder and you flinch, instinct telling you to stab him with your ornate plastic fork. You turn and find your other best friend wearing a tie and a shit-eating grin, tucking a silver hors d'oeuvres tray under a lanky arm.

“Satoru! What the fuck are you doing here?” You glance around to see if anyone has noticed you recognizing a random waiter and, thankfully, everyone is too engrossed in gossiping about your fake boyfriend for the night.

“I’m Suguru’s backup just in case things go south,” he drawls and you pinch the bridge of your nose with two fingers. “Here to cause a scene if something goes wrong.”

“You’re here to sabotage my relative’s birthday party?”

“Here to potentially sabotage your relative’s birthday party.” He sticks up his index finger in emphasis and you groan, rolling your eyes and popping another small brownie into your mouth. He copies you, plucking a cupcake from your plate and swallowing it in one bite. “I gotta say, it took you long enough. I’ve been in agony watching this entire thing pan out.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Are you high?”

“Not right now, no, but maybe later.” He shoots you a grin even though you know full and well none of you smoke. “I’m just saying that I’m happy you’ve finally realized your feelings for each other.”

“What feelings? There’s no feelings,” you lie straight through your teeth and he sees through it like glass.

“I may be stupid, but I’m not blind. If you don’t see that Suguru likes you back, then you’re the one with vision problems. Sucks for you.” He shrugs and you flick his arm lightly, glaring daggers at him but unable to fight down the curiosity poking at the back of your mind.

“You think he actually likes me back?”

“He’s liked you since senior year, idiot,” he scoffs like your question was a funny joke. “I’m not here to fill in if he gets food poisoning from the questionable shrimp cocktail; I’m here to support either of you if your feelings get in the way and your dumbasses can’t communicate efficiently.”

“That’s…really thoughtful of you, Satoru,” you mutter and he raises one eyebrow teasingly.

“Wasn’t my idea. It was Suguru’s. ‘In case something happens and they’re not comfortable with me taking them home, for whatever reason.’ That’s what he made me promise and why I’m pretending to be a waiter for the night.” His attention darts upward to his best friend approaching your table and he pats your shoulder encouragingly. “Speaking of. Go get your man.”

“I hate you, Satoru.”

“Yeah, yeah. Love you too.” He knocks his shoulder against yours before disappearing into the kitchen, on his way to probably steal a bottle from the wine cellar.

“Uh oh, looks like you’ve found my undercover operative,” he jokes as he sets a drink in front of you and steals a cookie from your plate.

“Actually, he’s the one who found me. You should fire that guy for blowing his own cover,” you remark and the corner of Suguru’s mouth turns up into a smirk. “It’s nice of you to ask him to be here in case something went wrong.”

“I’m an engineering major. We plan for the worst case scenarios.”

“What’s the best case scenario?” His eyebrows furrow in question but you don’t relent. No turning back now. “What’s the ideal outcome of this situation, besides the money?” He thinks for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek when a slow song starts playing through the loudspeakers.

“Dance with me,” he replies, holding out his hand for you to take. Way to change the subject. “Please?”

“You’re not getting out of my question.” You let him lead you to the dance floor, trying not to get goosebumps as one of his hands finds your waist and the other laces his fingers with yours. “Why’d you offer to do this with me, anyway?”

“What, dancing? Or coming with you to the party?”

“Second one.” That unreadable look crosses his face again, the same one from the ramen shop when he first brought up being your fake date. It felt like anything he said was just covering up a truth that you both were dancing around; but, something in the air made you want to face that truth tonight.

“Because I’m your friend,” he murmurs and you can’t help feeling a little let down by his answer. You let it show in your face, but he’s avoiding your eyes. “That’s what friends do for each other.” He clears his throat and tries to blow a stray strand of black hair from his face, going deathly still when your own fingers brush it away and tuck it behind his ear.

“We’re just friends?”

“What do you–”

“What if I wanna be more?” His eyes finally snap to meet yours and his pupils are blown wider than you’d ever seen before, deep and dark and staring at you so intensely, you’re glad he’s supporting your waist. His throat bobs as he swallows thickly, his gaze flicking up and down between your eyes and your lips.

“I don’t wanna mess this up,” he whispers so quietly that you wouldn’t hear it if you weren’t inches away from his face. “I don’t wanna mess up what we have.”

“I don’t think we would be messing it up,” you point out just as softly. “If anything, we’d be making it better.” His thumb comes up to trace the outline of your jaw, sending chills up your spine.

“Are you sure that you want this with me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be sure?”

“I don’t know, because I feel like I don’t deserve you and–”

“Okay, stop talking,” is the last thing you say before you tilt your head up to press your lips against his. You’re careful and frustratingly gentle, giving him ample opportunity to pull away and reject you. But, to your delight, he kisses back with more fervor than you, like he’d been waiting for years to experience this feeling. He sighs into your mouth as you grab the collar of his button up and pull him even closer, his hands holding firm at your waist until you pull away to breathe.

“Make sure you take down those flyers once we’re back on campus,” he breathes into your ear. You let your eyes flutter shut and hum in assent, leaning your head against his.

“Why do you bring them up?”

“Because your fake boyfriend just got promoted to real boyfriend.” You initially dismiss the single click and bright flash as the photo booth serving its clients, but are also equally unsurprised when Suguru meets you outside your 9:00 A.M with a Polaroid between his fingers of you two dancing at the party. And the caption?

First kiss! (Taken by Gojo Satoru, ultimate wingman)

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

#suguru x you #suguru x reader #suguru x y/n #geto x you #geto x reader #geto x y/n #suguru geto x you #suguru geto x reader #suguru geto x y/n #jjk x you #jjk x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk fluff

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eternally-racing · 4 months

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off limits | logan sargeant

pairing: logan sargeant x Leclerc! reader

genre: fluff, maybe angst if you squint

wc: 1.6k

warnings: none (i think)

summary: Your brother Charles always likes to say you're off limits, but what happens when you finally meet a driver who doesn't know who you are?

- - - - - -

“You remember my little sister, Y/N right?”

You roll your eyes as Charles keeps a protective arm around your shoulders. He’s acting like you’re in a room of men who all want to get in your pants, when in reality your brother has kept you locked away from the rest of the grid as best he can over the last few years. It made sense when you were younger, but it’s definitely gotten on your nerves, especially on days like today. It was the end of season party, and having your brother attached to your hip at the club was I’m sure not your or his ideal plan. You had begged for him to let you come - you said it was only fair as a trade off since he made you listen to his rants pre and post-race all season long. You get that motorsports is his world and you’re only a guest, but a little more friendship on the grid wouldn’t hurt.

You’ve noticed yourself get a couple more looks over as you’ve grown up over the years, and when Lando walks over and wolf whistles as he shamelessly checks you out, your brother is already telling him to watch it while he watches the British driver give you a hug. “You know where to find me, pretty girl” Lando finishes with a wink before he heads off to join the rest of his friends. It’s all good fun between you two and you know it’s nothing but playful banter as you both like to get under your brother’s skin, but Charles doesn’t seem to quite feel the same as he’s shooting daggers at the curly haired boy walking away from you both.

Charles has always been overprotective of you, especially around the other boys in motorsport. He’d say that none of them would ever be worth your time, that he sees the way they go through women like crazy and that the way they treat their partners would never be good enough for his darling baby sister. Through his years on the grid he had made it clear to everyone that you are and will always be off limits, something that has always irked you to no end. You were more than old enough to make your own decisions, though it seems like Charles will always see you as his little sister.

There’s only one other boy that Charles let you get close to over the years ("let" is a stretch, it was more a reluctant acceptance as it happened), and you can’t help but smile as he walks towards the two of you with open arms. Max and you became friends one day as kids when you scraped your knee on the pavement at a karting race while running away from Charles and he stopped to help you find your parents while you were sobbing - the rest was history.He may have had his ups and downs with your brother, but Max was someone that you knew you could always count on when it mattered. He puts on his best fake bodyguard voice as he comes up to you and Charles and says “Is this man bothering you, young lady?”, earning a laugh from you and an eye roll from your brother.

Soon you’re begging the Dutchman to save you from Charles’ wrath, and luckily with the promise of being his padel partner in the new year he quickly agrees. Charles tries to put up a bit of a fight but before you know it he’s yelling “make good choices” as he’s being whisked away to get a gin and tonic with his self-appointed drinking buddy for the night.

It’s been so long since you’ve been at one of these events, let alone been able to walk around without your brother, so it feels very much like unfamiliar territory. A vodka cran seems like a good place to start, and you settle in easily at the bar while surveying the scene in front of you. Maybe Charles was right, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into - there’s so many people everywhere and everyone seems to know everyone. There’s got to be a few faces you know in this sea of people, like George’s girlfriend or Danny’s sister, the only problem is getting through it. You’re doing a good job staying under the radar as you squeeze through the crowd until you find yourself colliding head first with someone, your drink absolutely flying into their chest.

All you can think is “fuck, I should’ve drank a gin and tonic instead too” as you rub mercilessly at the red liquid on the mystery boy’s chest with the one flimsy napkin the bar gave you. It’s only when he replies back with “It’s seriously okay, gin and tonics taste like shit anyways.” in an accent that you can’t quite pin down do you realize that you accidentally have been talking out loud. Your cheeks are beet red and you’re starting to miss the comfort of having your older brother around you.

“I’m Logan” the boy in front of you says with a smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”

You don’t think you’ve ever said yes to something faster in your life.

The conversation flows so naturally between you and Logan. It makes sense that you’ve never met him before today - he’s new on the grid and doesn’t seem to be close with any of Charles' friends. The freedom you feel is refreshing - it’s been a long time since you got to know a guy like this, just one on one talking to each other. Of course there had been the blind dates that your friends had tried to set you up on but there were all just a little bit off. None of them felt like this.

“I meant to ask you earlier, did you come with someone to the party tonight?”

The question makes you freeze up because you’re having to face the reality that Logan may be one of the only people who don’t know that Charles is your brother in this entire party. Is it selfish that you want it to stay that way?

“Oh, um, I came with a friend of a friend who dragged me here tonight.” The lie falls off your lips all too easily and you’re not even sure why you did it. Logan had been nothing but a gentleman all night and you don’t think he would treat you differently for being Charles’ little sister. Maybe you just wanted to see it for yourself, what could happen when people didn’t feel threatened around you because of your older brother. Luckily, Logan doesn’t think twice about your response and you’re grateful for that.

The bass booming through the club is making you start to wiggle in your seat, and it’s enough to make Logan laugh and ask you if you want to dance. Who could say no to that American smile? You’re dragging him up to dance, shimmying your shoulders in a way that only confirms that you’re as bad of a dancer as you mentioned to Logan earlier in your conversation. At first it’s all so playful, Logan twirling you around and hyping you up, but as the music gets more sultry you and Logan do as well. It’s like there’s two magnets pulling you both together until you’re pressed chest to chest. Logan’s hand around your waist just feels so right. Your heart is beating so fast you’re worried that he might actually be able to hear it himself - he’s so close to you that you can feel the heat from his breath on your neck. The conversation has slowed between you two but you feel like you understand him perfectly. You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol or the boy in front of you that’s making your cheeks so red, but you know that you don’t want this feeling to stop.

“Will you kiss me, Logan?” you’re looking at him like you can see the universe in his eyes, and simultaneously hoping that he can't see how nervous you are in yours.

You’re trying not to get carried away, but it’s hard not to. Kissing Logan just feels so right. You grab his shirt by the front in an effort to get closer to him, you want to feel him, and Logan reciprocates by pressing his hands even further into the dimples on your back. You’re not sure how long you go on like this, you both making out like love-sick teenagers. All you know is that you can’t get enough of him, and based on the way Logan reaches out to caress your cheek, you hope he feels the same. You’re trying to memorize every single part of him, just in case this is all you get to have of him. As his hands start to dip lower and lower your heart beats even faster, and you let your hands trail further down his chest along with the tempo of the music. This moment feels infinite.

It’s not until you feel a hand on your shoulder that the spell is broken as the two of you are shoved apart. Logan reaches to pull you behind him, but once you see a pair of green eyes that are identical to yours staring you both down, it’s him that you want to protect.

“What the fuck are you doing to my sister, Sargeant?"

----

author's note: this was such a fun one to write! i think a part 2 to this could be a lil crazy and fun so let me know if you want that too <3

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bejeweledreverie · 3 months

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Where The Ocean Waves Met My Anxious Heart And Your Strong Embrace

wc: around 1.5k

warnings: reader almost drowning (as a flashback), mentions of fear of death, panic attack, written in 1st person, english is not my first language, ooc rafe?, fluff, not fully proofread

a/n: AAAA my first fic and i am not sure how to feel about it. truly hope it makes sense. comment if you want to be added to the taglist for future fics (ideally would love to put out one fic every week but we'll see how that goes ;-; )!! if you liked this, please comment and reblog <333

p.s. can't decide if the title fits this at all

I never liked him. In fact, I want to gag anytime the name ‘Rafe Cameron’ leaves someone's mouth. He had somehow (unsurprisingly) lived up to his title in the Outer Banks, the Kook Prince. An arrogant and cocky asshole was all that he was to me.

I never really cared about the whole Pogues and Kooks thing. I was friends with both, in fact Kie, Pope, John B and JJ were some of my closest friends. Just because I live in Figure Eight, doesn’t make me better than those who live on the Cut. That is what my parents always taught me, since both of them also used to be Pogues.

But I was never gonna live it down when it came to the eldest Cameron offspring. He always calls me ‘the rip-off Kook’.

Sarah and I have been best friends since forever, but I never got along with Rafe. Ever. Even when we were kids, he always annoyed me, trying and often succeeding at pissing me off or upsetting me.

You would think that we would’ve grown out of our childish antics as time went on, but it only got worse. We could never pass each other without sending glares or saying snarky remarks.

It’s a Friday night in late June. My family and I are at Cameron's for our annual summer barbecue.

I had left my camera there a couple days prior after a sleepover with Sarah. As always, I was tasked to document the gathering, so I went inside to look for it.

And that is why I found myself in Rafe’s room, looking for my camera, that Sarah had left there for some unknown reason to me.

I had been in there a couple times before, but I never had the chance to check it out completely.

I was surprised to find the wall behind his bed covered in photos. Was he also into photography?

My eyes drifted to the window that overlooked the front yard of Tannyhill.

There was soft music playing, as our families were conversing, sipping on wine and enjoying the food. My need to capture this moment became unignorable. But as I turned to grab my camera from his desk, I saw Rafe standing behind me. I flinch from his presence.

“Jesus, can you not creep upon people like that?” I say.

“Didn’t mean to scare you, sweetheart,” he answers, a lazy smirk on his lips.

I roll my eyes at the nickname, turning back to the window.

“What are you doing in my room, Y/L/N?” he asks, as he moves to stand next to me.

“Came to get this,” I picked up the camera from the desk and prepared to snap the photo I was planning on taking before Rafe interrupted me.

“I find it hard to believe that you only came to take your camera, you wanted to snoop and find something to blackmail me with,” he says, jokingly accusing me with a smirk on his face.

“Oh Cameron, I have known you for over a decade, pretty sure I have enough dirt on you as it is,” I laugh slightly, as I adjust the camera settings.

“Really, because in all these years you have never used it on me.”

“Knowledge is power, Rafael. Don’t expect me to play all of my cards out at once,” I say, zooming in a little bit on the party in the yard.

Once I’m finished taking the photos, I turn to Rafe, finding him already staring at me. I’m used to receiving glares from him, but this time his eyes held something else. An emotion I can’t describe. His gaze was intense.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, I turned to look at the photo covered wall.

“I didn’t know you were into photography,” I say, absentmindedly admiring each photo.

Rafe looks down at his shoes, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I, uh, always wanted to try it and I ended up liking it a lot.”

My eyes settle on one particular photo. It’s a photo of the ocean, which appears to be right before the storm.

I look at the date in the bottom right corner and my body freezes.

I can feel the water filling my lungs and I can hear the storm again. The fear of death clouds my brain.

All of a sudden I’m hiccuping for breaths and I feel my legs give out.

…

It was supposed to be a stupid dare, but my stubbornness knows no boundaries.

When JJ jokingly challenged me to surf in the storm, I should’ve just laughed it off, but I didn’t.

Everything was going well, until the wave threw me off the board and I was pushed underwater.

The storm had gotten stronger, so did the waves, and I could barely breathe in when I came up, as another wave pushed me below the surface. Safe to say I was drowning.

I was so scared, but I couldn’t scream out for help. My limbs were burning from trying to stay above water and slowly I gave in.

Suddenly, I felt strong arms wrap around me and attempt to pull me out.

Then it all went black.

…

I felt Rafe’s arms wrap around me to keep me from falling as I choked out a sob. It was like I was experiencing that day all over again. I couldn’t breathe properly and I was shaking like crazy.

“Hey, Y/N, hey! Look at me. You’re safe, you’re not in the water. Just breathe.”

His proximity, my almost drowning, it was too much for me. I tried to wriggle out his grip, failing, as his arms around me only tightened.

“It’s okay, you are safe. I am here.”

I finally let myself collapse into him, sobbing into his chest. He started to rub my back soothingly, while whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

The blurry images of the waves crashing still flooded my brain.

“I thought I was gonna die,” I sobbed

His arms only tightened around me hearing that sentence.

Once I was calm enough, I pulled away slightly. Rafe was already staring at me, and once again, I couldn’t describe the emotion behind his eyes. Was it pityness? Worry? Or was it care?

No, there is no way he cares about me. We hate each other. Right?

I find myself staring back into his captivating blue eyes.

And then the puzzle pieces start falling into place.

“You saved me that day,” I state, my eyes widening with the realization.

Rafe looks away, his hold on me loosening.

Oh my god. That’s why he knew what my panic attack was about. That’s why after the accident he didn’t talk to me for weeks. Does he actually care about me?

“Rafe, why did you never tell me?” I ask, my hand on his jaw, turning his head so he looks at me.

He sighs, before getting up and walking towards his photo covered wall. He takes off the picture of the ocean from the wall and gestures to me to sit on his bed.

“I, uh,” he starts nervously, “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want things to change between us."

I sat down in front of him, waiting for him to elaborate, nervous as to where this was going.

“Y/N, no matter what happened, you were always there to call me out on my bullshit, whether that was treating my sister poorly or bullying others. You always knew how to put me in my place and I didn’t want that to change.”

I look at him, surprised.

The boy who pulled on my braids in elementary school, the boy who knew which buttons to push to annoy me, that same boy was now sitting in front of me telling me that I am the only thing in his life that he can count on.

He worriedly flips the photo to the other side and hands it to me. I take it and look at the writing on the back of it.

Once I read it, it didn’t take long for our lips to meet for a gentle kiss that is filled with years of pent up emotions and feelings that we didn’t know were there.

His hands are gently cupping my face, as if he was afraid I would break.

When we break apart, a little breathless and dizzy, I once again look at the inscription of the photo and I know that I have never been so sure about something in my life before. Somehow everything that had happened over the last 10 years made perfect sense. And even the accident made sense, because without it, we wouldn’t be here right now smiling shyly at each other.

On the back of the photo, in squiggly handwriting, were written 6 words.

The day I almost lost her.

@winterrrnight @h34rtsformilli

#rafe cameron fluff #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron x reader #drew starkey x reader #rafe x reader #outer banks #rafe outer banks #rafe cameron #rafe obx #rafe imagine #rafe cameron x you

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fumifooms · 8 months

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Laimar crumbs

I wanted to compile all my laimar/marios crumbs to be able to look back at them whenever~ These are CRUMBS and I’m not arguing that all these moments were intended romantically, I have my shipping goggles on and picking every moment I think is meaningful and shippy for these two. I'm probably gonna have to split this in parts because it's gonna get long. Part 2 link

Content warning: spoilers for ALL of the Dungeon Meshi manga! Also blood & corpses in passing

They are so repressed aghhhh. I could go on forever about how Marcille is special to Laios because she was Falin’s first friend and was the only one to follow him into the dungeon for Falin and not the job, how from the get go they were linked by something more than work and that made him feel more comfortable with her. But my Laimar thesis is essentially: they are so sickeningly-sweet domestic and complementary. Their charm lies in their old couple "we’ll argue over what to have for dinner" familiarity with each other, having 0 filter. And also they’re funny together.

They’re so domestic… The way she touches him so fondly and easily and she helps him out of his armor 😭💕 How used is she to disrobing Laios that it's such a no-brainer action for her?

Which, touching is something she does easily without being embarrassed or deeper meaning, which is mostly due to the nature of being a healer beside her affectionate touchy-feely personality (that we can especially see when she interacts with Falin or Chilchuck), but that isn’t true at all for Laios, who we see is very awkward when it comes to touching someone.

Isn’t it so very interesting how Marcille being happy and not lonely aka her wish being fulfilled is the thing that makes Laios react here? The last thing he offers before Winged Lion goes like “it seems you’ve made up your mind~” in the next page.

I've already pointed out Marcille's smile being a special thing to Laios here but it bears being posted here again.

Laios has a "I want to learn more about Marcille face" that he does with no one else just saying.

Laios is always the one she instinctively clings to.

Imagine intimately knowing someone’s worst fear and having comforted them in a moment of pure naked weakness and that instance having had such a profound impact that it subconsciously affects them and their decision making. Laios truly was Marcille’s therapy dog. Pet the dog and fears will fly out

I am SCREAMING why is Marcille the one sitting right next to Laios?? His sister just got revived and Marcille is STILL sitting closer? She’s so right hand man coded they are so partners. I’m just saying having her sit right next to him at his right all the time is so <33 For a series like Dungeon Meshi all about eating metaphors and the importance of sharing a meal? To share that meal with her at his closest?? While Chilchuck and the rest of the party have their own lives in Laios' ideal world conjured up by the Winged Lion, besides Falin Marcille is the one shown to work in close quarters with him <3 It's his ideal world and he wants her to be there to support and help him daily, help... I’m planning to make a post on just that but for now:

They’ve been hinted to be complementary on a planning level so many times. Imagine the country they’ll make together fr!

Them both wanting to stay in the dungeon kingdom, looking like king and queen <3

Not Laios baiting Marcille with him finding her cute omfg.

Laios is the one who wordlessly takes charge of caring for sick Marcille and feeding her.

I could put the whole 96 bit of Laios being all sheepish asking Marcille to stay with him, going up to elfic authorities and telling them "Mine." with Marcille under his cape as his FIRST show of kingly authority (which could represent how Marcille is a good catalyst/motivation for Laios growing more comfortable in his shoes & role and being willing to truly chase something, instead of wandering and hiding his true self. She gives him courage). Honestly the first time I read it I was almost expecting him to propose when he dragged her into the forest holy shit. He's so cute and uncomfortable with showing affection or interest help, Marcille meanwhile the gossip romantic soul of the party being totally oblivious. More on this scene in part 2!!!!!

I ALSO could rant AGAIN about the whole Marcille is Laios’ succubus aka "most alluring form" thing but that’s a complex issue and I go in depth into it in this post

In conclusion they're soulmates both platonic and romantic no one can change my mind. They are so similar. They are so opposite. Laios flees from intimacy and she chases it. They are insecure. They kick ass. They unquestionably love each other, wether it be platonic or otherwise. They get on each other's case. They value each other's input and skills.

#dungeon meshi #laimar #marios #shipping crumbs #masterpost #fumi rambles #i do be a laimar truther but i got nothing but respect for any other shipper ofc. hi farcilles i love u guys don't kill me #some of these points i might repost separatedly bc some people highly prefer short posts. Gotta spread laimar propaganda

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thezombieprostitute · 17 days

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Hummingbird - Part 8

Summary: You didn't want to break into someone's party but you were desperate to see the art at the gallery before it was gone. You're so busy trying to make sure no one sees you that you miss the ever present gaze of Steve Rogers who is wondering why you crashed his party.

Word Count: ~1.8k

A/N: Reader is AFAB. No physical descriptors used.

Warnings: Rough sex, Smut. Please let me know if I missed any.

Part 7 -- Epilogue

Series Masterlist

In the weeks following Steve made sure your move was as easy and simple as possible. During the days he gave you free reign to reorganize and redecorate whatever you wanted, except for his office. During the nights he made sure to hold you tight and cuddle you as you fell asleep. You’d never felt more relaxed than when you were with his strong arms wrapped around you.

After the dust settled from your move and redecoration, Steve suggested an art gallery visit to celebrate. You put on the dress you wore during your first art gallery date with him, the gift from Monica’s mothers. Part of you wonders if Steve knew, way back then, that you would eventually be living together. You know you certainly had no idea. It was amazing how much had changed for you since you crashed that party.

Steve finds you getting ready and he smiles at you, eyes full of love and your heart flutters. He’s so good at schooling his expressions and body language that you treasure how genuine he is with you.

“Are you ready, Hummingbird?”

“Just about. I’m guessing, given the late hour, it’ll be just the two of us at the gallery?”

“Correct. But don’t worry about it looking like a break in. I got the curator to let us in.”

“Thank you for that,” you chuckle. “I know you like the roleplay but I really do prefer the easy way.”

The gallery had a special theme for the month based around flora of all kinds. There were plenty of paintings based on native flora but the main event was a wing that had been filled with sculptures and made to look like a park. They called it the Garden of Wonders. Glass flowers, some made to look like they’d been encased in ice. Bronze trees with copper leaves, already showing signs of turning green. Marble lilac bushes where you could make out the individual petals. There were even small animal depictions mixed in to add to the ambiance. You felt like you were walking in a magical garden.

Every bit was breathtaking.

As was your custom, Steve let you take the lead. You would flit between pieces, occasionally staring, divining the most subtle of touches as he smiles at you. Steve never told you but after every visit he made sure word got to the various artists about all of the details you loved, noticed and appreciated. He never told you because he was worried it would temper your reactions or make you feel guilty for not noticing more. But he knew you’d appreciate the artists getting their due praise.

Your happiness was probably the most important thing in the world for him. You’d never once taken advantage of his power or money. You supported his plans and ideals. You were so much stronger than you thought. He smiles fondly at the memory of how nervous you were when you’d been “caught’ crashing his party. How your eyes widened in surprise when he finally got you to take him up on his offer. How deliciously evil your smirk was when you showed his guests that you were his partner, not his charity case.

True to your word, you never did tell him who it was that put those ideas in your head. He did figure it out, though, and had to agree that Carter and Lane’s faces of anger and frustration were a lot more fun than not inviting them ever again. He had to give it to you, you know how to do revenge right. You really made his social obligations that much more fun and enjoyable, making it easier for him to do his work, support his communities, keep his people paid and well taken care of.

There were still moments you doubted, though you tried to hide them. Steve hated that you could still doubt yourself, or doubt his intentions. He hoped tonight would help allay some of those.

Flitting through the Garden you pause at one of the pathways and blink. A small table had been set out. There was a small bouquet of purple roses with a card. Steve refrains from chuckling as he watches you circle the table, trying to figure out if it’s part of the display. Your eyes light up when you get close enough to see your first and last name on the card. You look to Steve and he nods as he moves behind you.

Opening the card it reads, “turn around”. You do, confusion giving way to surprise as you see the open box in Steve’s hand. Inside is a gorgeous golden ring, made to look like a hummingbird holding a blue diamond. Your hand flies up to your face in shock as tears start forming in the corners of your eyes. You search his face for any indication he’s not serious or has hesitations. Of course you find none.

“Y-you, you mean it, Steve?”

“I do, Hummingbird.”

You hold out your left hand and he gently places the ring on your finger. Of course it’s a perfect fit. Just like with the dress you’re wearing now, Steve has always been able to size you up. You smile, eyes full of happy tears, before wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

“Thank you, Steve.”

“No thanks needed, Hummingbird. You saying ‘yes’ is all I need.”

The second you had gotten home he helped you out of your dress and started kissing every inch of you. He’d ended up not being able to wait for the bedroom and bent you over the back of the couch, smacking your butt-cheeks until they were sore and your pussy was dripping wet for him. He’d barely undone his zipper before shoving himself into you, making you cry out in pleasure at the stretch.

“You always feel so good,” he grunts as he keeps slamming into you. “Always able to take me so well, like the good girl you are.” You can barely hear him over your own lewd moans. He reaches around your hips and starts playing with your pearl, making you cry out appreciatively.

His other hand goes to your throat and moves so your back is right up against him. “Look so fucking pretty with that ring on your finger. Can’t wait to make it official. Make sure everyone knows you’re mine.”

“Yes, please, Sir,” you pant. “Please mark me as yours.”

“So fucking pretty when you beg,” he nips at your skin. “Come for me, Hummingbird.” Your response is immediate and he groans as your walls clench around him. “Always feels so damn good,” he grumbles. His hips stutter as he finds his own release and he starts kissing along your back. “So good for me. So wonderful.”

He pulls out slowly and your whine is replaced by a gasp as he pushes his fingers into your pussy.

“Not gonna let a single drop spill out,” he states. “Gonna mark you in every way, Hummingbird.”

“Yes, Sir,” you gasp. “Yes, please mark me with your come, Sir! Want everyone to know I belong to you!”

Instead of switching to aftercare mode Steve gets you to the bedroom and gently pushes you onto the bed. You proudly note that you’ve ruined his pants with your slick. Steve lays over you, one of his arms holding his weight, the other continuing to play with your oversensitive pussy.

“Yes! Yes! YES,” you scream as Steve makes you come on his fingers yet again.

“I don’t recall giving you permission, Hummingbird,” Steve snarls as he nips the skin on your neck. “You’re gonna have to make that up to me.”

“Y-yes, Sir,” you moan, fighting the urge to pull away from Steve’s hand that hasn’t stopped. You’re so sensitive it’s almost painful but Steve’s hands have always made you feel so good. So have his lips, his arms, his everything.

He stands up away from the bed, finally removing his fingers. You’re simultaneously grateful for the reprieve and missing the fullness his fingers gave you.

“On all fours, facing me,” he orders and you move quickly to obey. He undresses and you let yourself ogle at his figure. You’re not surprised he’s already hard again as you wait for your next order, mouth open. “Always so eager for me,” he chuckles.

“Yes, Sir. Just for you.”

Steve puts his hands on each side of your face as he shoves his erection into your mouth. You lick, hollow your cheeks, moan, whatever you can to make sure it feels good for him. You love when he uses your mouth so roughly you’re left hoarse for hours. He fucks your mouth with abandon as you focus your energy on keeping yourself from collapsing. You can feel yourself leaking down your thighs and it only makes everything feel more debauched, more erotic, more pleasurable.

You can tell Steve’s ready to come and prepare yourself but he pulls out of your mouth. You whine and his hands guide your face to look at his. “No whining, Hummingbird. Only one of your holes is getting my come. Now get on your back.”

“Y-yes, Sir,” you croak as you move to obey. You’re slower than he’d like but he recognizes that you’re dazed and strokes himself as he watches you.

As soon as you’re on your back he pushes your knees to your chest and thrusts into your pussy. You moan appreciatively, though he doesn’t give you time to adjust. His eyes are fixated on where your bodies meet and he’s relentless in his movements. One of his hands moves to your overly sensitive clit and starts rubbing. You gasp at the sensation and he groans as you clench down on him.

It doesn’t take long for you to become a babbling mess of, “please, Sir,” “yes, SIr,” “thank you, SIr,” “need to come, Sir, please!”

“Go ahead, Hummingbird, come all over my cock. Push me over the edge.”

“Thank you, Sir,” you scream as you fall apart. You’re so lost in your own pleasure you don’t hear Steve’s pants and grunts as he spills into you.

The next morning you wake up in Steve’s arms and smile at the ring on your finger. You snuggle in closer to him and he sleepily kisses your hair.

"Good morning, Mrs. Rogers," he coos.

"We're not married yet," you gently chide.

"No, but we will be soon enough. And hopefully by then we can start looking into making a nursery." You feel your thighs clench at his words and he chuckles, "maybe should go a few more rounds to make sure it sticks."

Part 7 -- Epilogue

Series Masterlist

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rhoorl · 17 days

Text

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 16: The Countdown

Series Masterlist | Chapter 16 A03 Link

Word Count: 8.8k

Previously on As the Mule Falls: Benny and Vanessa went on a date. We learned a bit about a woman from Santiago’s past. Frankie got things prepared for a little weekend trip up to Atlanta to celebrate a big milestone.

In this Episode: Another Benny-heavy episode as the guys get him ready for fight night. Similar to the last episode, we’ll jump through time and will end the Saturday before Benny’s fight. We also have another neighborhood party!

Chapter Warnings: This one is pretty fluffy, just some swearing. Special thot warning - Cousin Joel, Marcus being a sweet brother-in-law, the boys spending time at the gym. Frankie in his menace era. Benny is a flustered, adorable mess. David comes with his own warnings.

*Cue the theme music and roll opening credits*

11 Days to Fight Night

David: Ok since when has Will had a motorcycle?! Katie you have to keep us updated on stuff like this.

Megan: If we had a neighborhood newsletter it'd be the lead story this week 😂

Ty: Don’t give him any ideas…

Katie: Sorry…he just got it

Olivia: Have you taken a ride yet?

Melissa: 💀

Olivia: On the motorcycle

Oliva: Shit! 🫣

Ty: I thought for a second D took your phone

Megan: 😆 aw Liv, we love you never change.

Oliva: Quick someone please change the subject. I am so sorry Katie!

Katie: 😘

David: Anyone up for another party? We haven’t welcomed the new neighbors yet.

Megan: Lulu and I were actually talking about that!

Lucille: Yes! I am happy to host! Maybe this weekend?

David: Theme?

Megan: Do we need one?

David: ….

Megan: The theme is Lucille is going to cook us a bunch of food and play great music. And dancing!

Ty: Ay dios mio. He’s already getting a mood board together.

Lucille: Megan - can you talk with Victoria? See what night works for them.

Megan: Great idea! Katie you’re in charge of the boys!

David: I’m not jealous at all 🙄

Frankie propped his elbow up on the armrest and looked out the window as the plane made its descent. The early morning flight meant there were actually a few open seats, including the one next to him in the exit row, for which he was grateful.

His weekend trip reinvigorated him. It went as perfectly as he could have imagined it, save for the constant rain but even that wasn't a problem since it meant they got to stay in. All the anxiety he felt leading up to the trip about revealing parts of his past to Jo evaporated the second she took his hand, rubbing her thumbs across his knuckles. She appreciated Frankie's openness and willingness to share some of the deepest, darkest parts of his past. But what meant the most was when she said how proud she was of him for reaching his milestone.

The distance was not ideal. All they wanted to do was spend every day, every moment with each other. He wanted to wake up to legs tangled and sheets rumpled. She wanted to surprise him at his job one day with lunch. They wanted to cook dinner together at night and settle in and watch a movie or play a game.

But for now, their physical time together would be relegated to a more sporadic schedule. She was gearing up for a busy time at work, but they made plans for the following weekend for Benny's fight. Frankie was already counting down the days when he could see her and introduce her to everyone. That thought brought a smile across his face; the pride he'd feel about showing off his girl.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even realize they were landing until the wheels hit the tarmac. He quickly pulled out his phone, knowing exactly who his first text would be to.

Frankie: Just landed. Miss you.

Jo: Good! I miss you too. Got to the office a little bit ago.

Frankie: You weren't late right?

Jo: Nope, all good! Gotta go to this meeting but tell Benny I said hi!

Frankie: Have a good day mi cielo. Talk later

Jo: xoxo

10 Days to Fight Night

“Fish, can you help me with something real quick?” Benny panted as he racked up the bar onto the squat rack.

“With what?”

“Can you…uh…take a picture?” He turned around, offering Frankie his phone.

Frankie furrowed his eyebrows. “A picture? Of what?”

Benny’s eyes looked left and right. “Um…me?”

“Can’t you just do like a selfie or somethin’?” Frankie leaned against the weights.

“No…it’s more of an…action shot. C’mon Fish, it’ll take two seconds.” Benny walked over to an open space, peeling off his shirt so he was left in just his black basketball shorts. He flipped his baseball cap around and got into a plank. “Just take a couple of me doing pushups.”

“Por amor a díos, Benjamin. What the hell?” Frankie shook his head laughing.

“C’mon, Fish,” he grunted through another rep, the pendant of his chain hitting the floor each time.

Frankie tried his best, even bending down on one knee to get a better angle. “Ok…see what you think.”

Benny chewed on the inside of his cheek as he scrolled through the mostly blurry photos. He was about ready to prop up the phone against a dumbbell and try it again but managed to find a clear one that showed off the definition in his shoulders. “Good, thanks, man.”

“Hey…um…think you could… never mind, it’s dumb.” Frankie rubbed the back of his neck, walking back towards his water bottle. “Who’re you taking that for anyway?”

“It’s for uh…my Instagram…damn that sounds really fuckin stupid to say out loud. I'm a grown-ass man,” Benny chuckled.

“Hoping that someone in particular sees it?” Frankie raised an eyebrow, lightly punching Benny in the arm.

“Yeah…kinda,” Benny blushed, eager to change the subject. “What? Like you don't send any pictures to your lady.”

“Uh…that’s actually what I,” Frankie sighed, shaking his head as Benny’s face lit up with the realization of what Frankie was trying to ask about earlier.

“Oh hell yeah, Fish! Tryna show off all that hard work aren't ya,” he winked, slapping Frankie in the stomach.

Despite the focus on Benny and getting him in ring shape, Frankie reaped some benefits from their daily gym trips too. Recently he noticed his shirts fit a bit tighter across his chest and arms, a fact Jo was all too pleased about during his little weekend getaway.

They'd exchanged photos over the past couple of weeks, but they had been pretty tame. Mostly silly selfies as they went about their day. This morning, however, Frankie did manage to send one of himself shirtless, brushing his teeth which seemed to get quite the reaction. He was having fun and feeling playful.

“Can you help me?” He looked over at Benny who sported a lopsided grin.

“Hell yeah!” He led Frankie back to the locker room. They stood in front of the mirror as Benny gave him tips on how to pose and hold the camera, taking a couple of his own to show as an example.

“I dunno man, this feels kinda dumb,” Frankie winced, looking at himself in the mirror.

“Stop it…she’s gonna love it. You’re lookin’ good these days, Fish, show it off!” Benny shook him by the shoulders, making Frankie’s shy smile grow more confident. “I’m tellin’ ya, send her one of those and you’re in for a good night later,” he winked.

Nine Days to Fight Night

Will and Santiago finished the work on Melissa's backyard earlier than expected thanks to some extra help from Connor. It was perfect timing, with a little over a week before Benny’s fight. All the guys rallied around Benny, helping him prepare however they could.

Today started with an early morning jog around the neighborhood. Benny, Will, and Connor ran together, the younger boy pushing the older two to keep a faster pace. Frankie followed on a bike, barking out encouragement. Meanwhile, Santiago sat on the Millers’ front porch drinking a coffee and reading the paper, giving the guys a little wave each time they came around the block.

“Nice, that was your fastest yet,” Frankie stopped the bike and clicked off the stopwatch.

Benny stood bent over trying to catch his breath while Will took off his shirt to wipe the sweat off his brow, tucking it into the waistband of his red gym shorts. Santiago strolled down the driveway with some water bottles as David drove by, giving a polite wave.

“It was all this guy,” Benny panted, patting Connor on the chest. “Your coach is gonna make you run the drills this season man,” he chuckled.

“Happy to help. You feeling good?” Connor asked as he took the cold bottle from Santiago.

“Yeah. Cardio wise I feel great.”

“You testing out that cardio in your free time?” Santiago smirked as Frankie smacked him on the back of the head, cutting his eyes over to Connor.

“He hasn't even kissed her yet,” Will added before dodging out of the way and hiding behind Frankie to avoid a slap from Benny. The guys broke out in a fit of laughter as Benny blushed.

“She’s excited about the fight,” Connor said as he took a long drink of water, eliciting confused looks from the guys. “What? She cut my hair earlier this week so it came up. Thanks for noticing by the way,” he teased as he removed his baseball cap and ruffled the top of his hair.

Santiago assessed Connor’s haircut with a sharp nod, approving Vanessa’s handiwork. “Looks good, kid. Maybe I’ll go and see what those hands can do.” He winked at Benny, getting a sense of glee at seeing his fist ball up and his nostrils flare.

Oblivious, Connor continued, “She gave an awesome scalp massage, she has long nails so it helps to…” He stopped when he saw all the guys looking at him with blank stares. Benny’s mouth twisted while the others tried to hold in their laughter. Finally, Will’s snort made them all bust out laughing.

“Better be careful there C,” Will smirked.

“Oh…ah…sorry Benny, I swear I didn’t mean it like that,” he winced, fearing he’d offended Benny.

Benny clenched his jaw, before taking a deep breath. “All good lil dude,” he patted Connor on the back. “I’m used to these guys being assholes…so…what did you guys talk about?” He raised his eyebrows.

More relaxed now knowing Benny wasn’t mad, Connor told them about how she seemed excited to watch Benny but a bit nervous too. “She mentioned something about how Victoria is going to be there to help too?”

Benny shifted from one foot to another, feeling butterflies in his stomach at the thought of her excited to see him in action. “She…uh…yeah, Vic’s gonna help tape me up before the fight, you’re off the hook, Fish.”

“Ha, I see what you did there!” Connor laughed as they all groaned.

“You've been over there every night this week,” Will observed, taking a long drink of water.

“Vic has been doing some treatments…to help me with recovery. Now that I’m getting older, I'm feeling it a lot more than I used to…now I know how you all must feel,” Benny smirked.

“Vanessa hasn't been helping you with some extra um…treatmen-” Santiago could barely get it out before bursting into another fit of laughter.

“Hey, you boys are having too much fun,” Lucille joked as she wheeled her trash bin to the curb.

“Lulu, qué estás haciendo? Trash comes tomorrow not today,” Frankie knitted his brows taking the bin from her and walking it back up her driveway.

“I thought so, but David told us it was a special day and to take it out to the curb right away and…well never mind,” she shook her head. “You boys are coming over on Saturday, right?”

“Wouldn't miss it for the world, Lulu,” Will regarded her with a soft smile.

“Are you cooking Lulu?” Benny's hopeful look made her laugh.

“Sí mi amor, I am starting today. And I'm making some extra empanadas just for you…although I hear I have some competition,” she winked.

“What? Someone else is making empanadas?” Benny scoffed. “Doesn't matter, I know where the best ones are made darlin’.”

“Ah well, vamos a ver, I think you may like these more…you boys going to the gym?”

“Yeah, one last hard workout today and tomorrow, and then it's all maintenance, right Benjamin?” Frankie clapped a hand on Benny's shoulder.

“You're coming next week to watch right, Lulu?” Benny's puppy dog eyes made the biggest smile come across Lucille's face.

“Por supresto mi vida, I’m looking forward to it.”

Eight Days to Fight Night

Today’s gym session was especially fun because everyone got into it. Connor and Benny started off alternating between jumping rope and running sprints on the treadmill. Of course, they had to make it competitive and see who could jump rope the longest without messing up or who could run for the fastest speed on the treadmill.

Santiago and Frankie spent time lifting, getting a chance to catch up on each other's week. Will went off to a corner to do an ab circuit. When Benny finished his cardio, he and Will faced each other on the ground to do one of their patented Miller Push-Up Contests. They'd started doing this as kids and it became something Benny would do to lift everyone's spirits during missions.

Each time they came up for a pushup, they extended one arm out to slap hands before going down for another push-up. Will rolled his eyes because Benny wanted to push the pace rather than go at the slow and methodical one Will set. Like always, they ended up play fighting, with Benny putting Will in some kind of WWE-style hold.

“Ok, ok you two break it up,” Frankie chuckled. “C'mon Ben, let's get some sparring in so we can all go eat.”

Seven Days to Fight Night

"Bean what the fuck is a 'thirst trap' and why did Sarah say she saw it on your Instagram? Jesus I don't even know what half of that shit even means," Joel muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sat in his truck outside of Steph's house.

“Oh…ah…I dunno man, you know the kids and how they talk, can't keep up,” Benny tried to laugh it off but Joel pressed on until he finally revealed what that phrase meant.

“What kind of picture you posting Ben? My daughter, your niece, is on that app!”

“No, no, it's just a selfie in the mirror at the gym. I had my shirt off, it's what she'd see at the beach, man, nothing worse than that.”

“Hmm…” Joel rolled his eyes, “It's not you I'm worried about…why'd you post that anyway? Not enough havin’ all those stay-at-home moms at the gym goin' crazy for you.”

Benny could practically see the smirk on Joel's face. He knew he could try and bullshit his way around this, but Joel would get the truth out one way or another. “I…shit this sounds so fucking silly, I'm almost 40 for fuck’s sake, but…I was kinda doing it hoping someone would see it.”

“Someone in general or some specific? Is it for Nox?”

“Who the fuck is Nox?”

“Your girl…you said she drove an Equinox, so I’ve been calling her that in my head,” Joel chuckled.

“Nox…” Benny tilted his head. “You never gave Amy a nickname...”

“You didn't answer the question, Bean.” Joel countered.

Benny leaned back in his dining room chair, pausing from the drawing he was absentmindedly shading as he talked with Joel. “Yeah,” he said softly.

“Ha, I knew it. Trying to remind her what she's missing when you're not around?”

“Ahh…well…”

“Y'all’ve done stuff right? Will said you've been at her place like every night this week.”

“No man…I…we almost kissed last weekend but her sister and brother-in-law got home from their date night,” Benny scratched his scalp as he continued, “I dunno…I haven't felt nervous like this around a girl like…ever.”

“Well, she sounds special Bean…I'm looking forward to meeting her.”

Benny sat up straighter in his chair, “when's that gonna be?” He eagerly anticipated Joel's response.

“Well, that's kinda why I called. Dropped Sarah off at Steph's for her two weeks and we got to talkin’…the county is draggin’ its feet on these permits and some of the materials we need for this job are back ordered so I'll have some downtime while Sarah is with Steph…looks like it's going to line up with your fight.”

“Holy shit! You're coming? Fuck yeah!” Benny pumped his fist in the air.

Joel chuckled, “knew that would get you excited. You actually have Steph to thank for this one, she made the decision for me…says I need to take a vacation.”

“I can't remember the last one you went on.”

Joel shook his head, “Hey Tommy, Sarah, and I went tubing last summer…or was that two summers ago…”

“My point exactly J, plus that wasn't a vacation. So is Tommy coming with you too?”

“That's the plan, as long as he doesn't do anything stupid.” Joel rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand.

“Oh shit, it's gonna be a hell of a week with you two down here.”

Joel smiled as he drove, listening to Benny go on and on about the different things he wanted to do while his cousins were in town.

“...and Pope mentioned this cigar shop, we were thinking of getting some to celebrate but I dunno I don't wanna jinx anything and -”

“Ohhhkay Bean, gonna stop you there. I'm about to head in to grab some food. We'll chat later…try and I dunno dance with Nox at the party tomorrow night, put on that Miller charm.”

Six Days to Fight Night

“Mmm, it smells so good in here hermanita,” Victoria walked through the door with Nico and Mariella in tow.

“Thanks, got the last batch going,” Vanessa said over her shoulder, careful not to take her eyes off the hot oil.

“Oooo Tia you made empanadas?” Nico bounded over, getting his hand slapped by his mom for reaching for the tray Vanessa had already neatly assembled.

“It's ok Vic, he can take one. Here mi amor take from this plate, those are the guava y queso ones.”

“My favorite! Gracias, Tia!” He managed to say between bites.

“Cooking up quite the storm huh?” Victoria regarded the counter which included a glass dish full of boiled yucca, a container of citrus-garlic mojo, two types of empanadas, and a tres leches cake.

“We can't show up empty-handed,” Vanessa fished out the last empanada and placed it on the paper towel-lined plate.

“Well you know what they say…fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach,” Victoria giggled as Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Speaking of his stomach, d’you see his Instagram? Ay Papi! She wiggled her eyebrows.

Vanessa blushed as she started packing up the empanadas into containers. “Um…yeah…I mean, I think I saw it when I was scrolling.” In reality, Vanessa set up notifications for Benny’s posts, so she immediately saw yesterday’s gym selfie. Not wanting to seem too eager, she waited about an hour or so after he posted before she actually liked it.

“Hmm…sure. Anyways, what are you wearing tonight?”

Vanessa sighed, “I don’t know…it’s a casual backyard party so nothing too fancy.”

“C’mon,” Victoria grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her up the stairs holding Mariella on her hip. “Vamos, Nico…let’s help Tia figure out what to wear tonight.”

Frankie took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. Benny's words from the other day were in his head encouraging him to show off all of the hard work he'd been putting into the gym. As he contemplated which of his colorful, silky buttoned-downs to wear, a thought popped into his head. Earlier, Jo sent him a picture of her outfit before she headed out for the night with a friend. She looked gorgeous, but of course, she did. That photo would be in his head all evening, so he thought it would be fun to return the favor.

He pushed back from the mirror and pulled the bill of his baseball cap down low so that just his mouth was visible. He checked the angle of his phone making sure he was in the frame before looking down and snapping a couple of photos. He sighed as he scrolled through them. This was so unlike him, but he had to admit, it was kind of fun. He got a little rush of doing this for her, curious what her reaction would be. Having fun like this, being silly and carefree and just being in…love? Is that what he was feeling? It had been so long.

“Alright, let’s see what you think baby…” he muttered to himself as he hit send, immediately putting the phone down on the counter and walking back to his closet to figure out which shirt to wear.

Bucky enthusiastically greeted Katie as she walked into Megan's house. He was excited to see her, sure, but he was more excited about the tray of little Cuban sandwich sliders in her hands.

“Bucky, no no this isn't for you…maybe your mom can give me one of your t-r-e-a-t-s instead,” she winked as Bucky jumped up on her legs. “Ohhh ok, note to self, he knows how to spell,” she laughed, rounding the corner into the kitchen where Megan and Connor were getting their stuff packed up.

“He acts like we never feed him,” Megan laughed. “You've got it good my man,” she looked down at Bucky who gave her big puppy dog eyes. “Don't…ugh dammit it works every time,” she laughed as she grabbed a Milkbone. “Damn you Benny Miller. He got Bucky addicted to these damn things so I had to go to Costco to get more,” Megan gestured to the new treat container as Connor snorted.

“Speaking of Benny, how’s it going with the training, C? Katie leaned against the counter.

Connor sat at the kitchen table, “Oh pretty good. I feel like this week it's all really clicked for Benny. He seems to be having fun. Plus he got some good news, so that put him in an even better mood.”

“News? What news? Ooo something about Vanessa?” Megan asked.

Connor absentmindedly scrolled his phone, “Nah, no it's about his cousins from Texas they're coming to town.”

Megan and Katie looked at each other, a smirk forming across Megan's face. “Cousins from Texas huh?”

“Yeah, Benny was excited about it,” Connor added.

“I guess we'll see if all of Melissa's detective work paid off huh?” Katie tried to sound neutral but she knew Megan was onto her.

“You gonna give David that bit of news or am I?” Megan raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, your kid was the one who had that little tidbit, so it's all yours Meg,” she winked.

With Frankie headed to a party at Lucille's tonight, Jo finally took her neighbor Bea up on her invitation to join her and some friends for a trivia night at a local brewery. They finished the first round and awaited the results, so she had time for a quick trip to the restroom. She checked her phone out of habit, not expecting to see any messages from Frankie. Her stomach did a little flip when she saw she had a message from him – and a photo at that. Intrigued, she leaned against a wall and looked over her shoulder to make sure no one could see her phone.

Frankie. Without a shirt. Wow, he looked good. And the part that made the slick start to pool between her legs was the little smirk she could see from under his baseball cap. It reminded her of a week ago, looking up at him as he was buried inside her, one of her legs wrapped around his waist. She pushed her thighs together for some relief before responding.

Jo: 🫦

Jo: Benny is teaching you well there Morales

Frankie: Thought you might like that

Jo: Call me later

Jo: Actually, we should FaceTime 😈

Giving herself one last look in the mirror, Vanessa fussed with her hair before heading downstairs. She could hear Victoria going over the kid’s nighttime routine with their cousin Maria, who agreed to come over and watch them for the evening. She smiled when she saw Nico lying on the couch playing a game on his tablet, watching him as she turned the corner into the kitchen, she nearly ran into Marcus.

“Vandy!” He narrowly avoided crashing into her and took a step back to take her in. “Wow…you look beautiful,” he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “He’s going to love it.” He whispered in her ear.

She shyly smiled, “It’s not too much?”

“No, you look perfect.” He winked as he walked over to the kitchen island to help pack up the food they were taking to Lucille’s.

“You don’t look too bad yourself Buck, is that the guayabera Tio Gerardo got you?”

Marcus looked down at his black linen dress shirt, “Yeah this is the one. Some of the guys wear these to the office and now I see why, they’re comfortable as hell,” he chuckled.

Lucille hadn’t thrown a party like this in ages. It felt nice to have the house full of people, the music playing, and the aroma of food wafting throughout. She was thankful to the boys for helping her get the backyard in order. Frankie and Benny set up a beautiful display of twinkling string lights among her trees while Will and Santiago and Connor constructed a dance floor and moved furniture out of the way.

A group congregated in the kitchen, David holding court as he took stock of all of the delicious food Lucille had on the menu. He let out a loud whoop as the Delta Force guys arrived. All of the neighbors showered them with hugs and warmth. In their own ways, each of the guys relished this. It was nice to have people genuinely excited to see them.

Everyone decided to take the party outside, helping to carry out various dishes and containers. Once everything was set, Benny reached into a cooler to grab a beer. He heard Lucille excitedly announce that the guests of honor were there. Turning around, he immediately locked eyes with Vanessa, like a magnet that found its other half. He let out a breath as he saw her. Fuck, she looks beautiful, no idiot, she looks gorgeous, he thought to himself. Will patted him on the back, but Benny couldn’t hear what he said. It was like everything was in slow motion.

Vanessa wore a simple forest green wrap dress with a floral pattern that hugged her curves in all of the right places. The straps of the garment were delicate and the neckline formed a modest v, showing just enough cleavage to leave something to the imagination but also enough to make his mouth water. His eyes honed in on her collarbone, wondering what it would be like to pepper kisses along it as he moved his way up her neck to behind her ear and…

“Ben? Earth to Ben?” Santiago chuckled next to him.

Benny shook his head to bring himself back to the present. “Hmm?”

“You’re staring, Bean. Put your tongue back in your mouth and go over there and say hi.” Will added as Frankie smirked.

“Shit. Yeah, ok.” Benny smoothed the front of his short sleeve blue button down, undoing another button because it suddenly felt like it was a thousand degrees outside despite it being a very pleasant evening.

A crowd formed around the new arrivals with everyone eager to welcome them to the party. Benny made a beeline to Vanessa waiting impatiently but respectfully as David chatted with her.

“Girl! Stunning. Tens across the board on this. I didn’t know you had this little figure on you mama!” David winked.

“Aw thanks, you look great too!” Vanessa blushed as she caught Benny’s eyes from over David’s shoulder.

David followed her gaze. “Ah, Benny! Hey, d’you hear we have more empanadas? Vanessa made some too, so now we don’t have to fight over all the ones Lulu made. Although if we did actually fight you’d kick my ass so…” David chuckled.

Benny snorted as David excused himself, taking the opportunity to ask Will about his new motorcycle. “Hi,” Benny looked at her with a soft smile, pushing the hair out of his eyes.

“Hi,” Vanessa replied, a bit shaky.

For as much as he was in awe of her, she was equally as mesmerized by him. He’d been almost exclusively wearing a baseball cap since they met, so she hadn’t noticed that his hair was getting a little bit longer. His shirt fit him perfectly, showing off all of the hard work he’d put in at the gym. She looked down at his chest, appreciating the fact that he had a few buttons undone. His chain glimmered as it sat nestled into some sparse hair on his chest. He looked like a model and Vanessa couldn’t believe he was standing there talking to her.

“Y-you look absolutely beautiful,” he gave her a quick but appreciative up and down, trying his hardest not to let his eyes linger for too long.

“You clean up pretty good yourself Bun,” she smiled back, brushing some lint off his shoulder. Her stomach did a little flip when he chuckled at the mention of his nickname.

Benny looked over his shoulder as Marcus and Will moved dishes and plates to make room for the newest additions to the buffet. “D’you make all of that?”

Vanessa nodded, looking down feeling her face getting hot as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah…spent most of the day doing it.”

“Well, I’m excited to taste you…I mean your um…whatever you brought. What ah, what did you make?” Benny rubbed the back of his neck, thankful it was dark outside and she couldn’t fully see how red he was turning.

“Want me to show you?”

“Absolutely, lead the way boss lady,” Benny winked, letting her walk in front of him so he could check her out, noticing that she put a little extra swish and sway to her hips.

Lucille stopped for a moment as she walked outside with another plate of empanadas and croquettas to refill the trays. She took in the sight of her backyard so full of people, of laughter, of music, it brought a tear to her eyes. She wished her Julio could be there to see how their little neighborhood had grown. With a deep breath, she set down the plate and turned to see everyone starting to hit the makeshift dance floor thanks to David who has commandeered the speakers.

“Vamos bailar Lulu?” Marcus winked, extending his arm out to her which she happily took.

“Habalas español muy bien Marcus,” she complimented as he led her onto the dance floor.

“Well, I had to learn quickly. Had to know what my mother-in-law and her family were saying about me,” he chuckled.

On the other side of the backyard, David dragged Olivia onto the dance floor, to the cheers of everyone including her husband Chris. They didn’t get out much and were so thankful to Aria for coming over to babysit so they could have a night with their neighbors. Santiago twirled Victoria around, the two keeping up with the quick beat of the song.

In a move that surprised most of the neighbors, Will was eager to get out on the dance floor, bringing Katie along. Although she was a bit unsure of how to keep to the beat, she was pleasantly surprised to see Will take the lead.

“Where'd you learn to dance like this?” Katie giggled as she held one of his hands and lightly rested the other on his shoulder.

“Learned a few things from my exes,” he winked as she rolled her eyes.

“Didn't pass along those tricks to your brother?” She nodded towards Benny who was sulking in the corner nursing a beer as he watched everyone.

Will shook his head as he twirled her, “Tried…we finally found something he's actually not good at,” he chuckled before cutting his eyes over to check in on Benny. With a sigh, he added that Benny's ex used to make fun of him when he tried to dance, one of the countless ways she found to tear him down.

“Aww poor Bean,” Katie pouted, sneaking a look at Benny as Will spun her around again. She noticed Benny's eyes were glued to Vanessa who sat twirling her Solo cup and politely chatting with Ty at a table.

“He'll get his big boy pants on soon,” Will smirked.

“So…your motorcycle is the talk of the neighborhood,” she teased.

“Ha yea,” he twirled her before bringing her back in close. “I have to admit, it's been kinda fun, you should go with me sometime.”

“No way,” Katie shook her head. “Couldn't pay me enough money to do that…but I know someone who would,” she arched her eyebrow.

“And who is that?” Will looked skeptical.

“Miranda, my coworker. She's been watching this show about a motorcycle gang and it's kind of a thing for her now,” she chuckled, noticing Will's ears getting red.

Despite the fact that the two of them had moved on from anything romantic, Katie still had love for Will and wanted him to be happy.

“Oh c'mon, I think you'll like her. She's really sweet and super smart.”

“She been helping you with that big presentation for work?’

“Yeah! Poor thing, she's been juggling a lot because of…well, she has a lot of responsibilities at home. But yeah, we both are looking forward to Monday being over with,” she chuckled.

“You gonna dance with her or what?” Frankie leaned against the wall, turning his head to look at Benny who stood chewing on the inside of his cheek and looking down at his feet. He kept missing the occasional hopeful glances Vanessa tossed over her shoulder. Frankie sighed, shaking his head, “Well if you won’t, I will.” He pushed off the wall and strode over to Vanessa.

Vanessa heard someone clear their throat behind her and she felt a lump form in her throat.

“¿Quieres bailar?”

She tried to hide her disappointment that the voice behind her wasn’t the one she was hoping for. Turning around she saw Frankie looking down at her with a soft smile. He looked so much like her ex she had to do a bit of a double take. “You’re sweet. It's ok, Frankie, I don't really like this song anyway,” she forced a tight smile.

“C'mon,” he leaned down and lowered his voice, “show him what he's missing.” He offered her his hand with a wink.

Vanessa chuckled to herself and with Ty’s encouragement took Frankie up on his offer. She stood up from the table, smoothed her dress and placed her hand in Frankie's as he led her to the dance floor. Victoria cheered and Lucille clapped as she welcomed the newest couple to the dance floor.

Benny scratched the back of his head and took a long swig of his beer, wishing he could get past his insecurities. He watched everyone carrying on and having fun, but really he was only watching one person. He couldn't take his eyes off Vanessa. The way her nose scrunched as she giggled at something Frankie said, the way she tossed her hair, the way her hips swayed.

Frankie kept a respectful hand at her mid-to-upper back, but still brushed against some of her exposed skin making Benny’s fingers twitch. As she twirled around again he saw her smile, a smile he swore could light up a pitch-black room. He was so caught up in this trance it didn't even register that Megan had walked up next to him.

“You know, you strike me as the kinda guy who is the first one out on the dance floor no matter what the music. Didn’t peg you as the wallflower.”

“I…ah…I’m not a good dancer,” he pulled his lips into a tight line.

“I don't think she'd care,” she nodded towards the dance floor.

As the song ended and another started, a musical chairs of sorts ensued as everyone switched partners. Marcus kissed Lucille's hand and passed her off to Frankie just as Victoria crashed into her husband's arms in a fit of giggles. Santiago danced with Olivia after Melissa walked away from him, while David whisked Katie around, leaving Will and Vanessa. Even though Will had been nothing but sweet to her, she was still intimidated by him, like she wanted to make a good impression.

“Wanna dance darlin'? I’m not as good as Fish but I can hold my own,” he chuckled, looking down with a shy smile that reminded her of Benny.

“That's ok, as long as you're having fun that's all that matters,” she smiled, taking his hand.

Somewhere between the second verse and the bridge, Will’s eyes clocked Vanessa stealing a glance over at Benny.

“Dancing isn't really his thing, at least not fast songs like these. For as good as his footwork is in the ring, he's not the most coordinated on the dance floor...’specially when there's a pretty girl in his arms distracting him,” he winked, which made Vanessa's cheeks feel hot. “He just doesn't wanna look dumb, it's nothing on you sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Will. Hey, you know for a gringo you dance really well. Took Marcus forever to learn,” she giggled, making Will break out into a huge grin.

As the song neared its end, Will tried to subtly get Benny's attention while also making sure Vanessa was having fun. Finally, he caught his brother's eyes and gave him a stern look that said get your ass over here now and dance with her.

Benny finished his beer and took a deep breath, willing his legs to move even though it felt like he had cement blocks tied to his boots. Thankfully, the tempo slowed down considerably for the next song, easing some of Benny's anxiety.

Vanessa's back was to him as approached, which gave him another chance to admire her even though he could feel Marcus and Victoria's eyes on him. He cleared his throat and tried to muster some of that Miller charm, “S’cuse me miss, this guy bothering you?”

Will smirked, looking down to see Vanessa's face light up at the sound of Benny's voice. He let her go putting up his arms in surrender, “just keepin’ her company waiting for you,” he snorted. “Thanks for the dance darlin’,” Will kissed her hand and made his way over to Olivia since Santiago had bounced to Katie.

“Hi,” Benny smiled, suddenly feeling like a middle schooler who finally worked up the courage to ask the pretty girl to dance.

“Hi,” Vanessa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I…um…” Benny's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his mind went blank.

“Here, give me your hand, Bun,” Vanessa reached her hand out. She guided his hand to her waist, placing it lower than Frankie or Will's hands had ventured. She rested one hand on his shoulder and with her other she threaded her fingers with his. “There, now rock side to side. See? All good.”

Benny shook his head before a mischievous smile danced across his lips. “Not yet.” His fingers dug firmly into her back as he brought her closer, their bodies flush against each other. She let out a surprised giggle which was music to his ears. “There. Now we're good.”

Vanessa dropped his hand, seeing his brows slightly furrow before relaxing again as she wrapped both of her arms around his neck. They swayed side to side, completely off the beat but it didn't matter, they couldn't hear the music anyway.

Benny willed himself to keep it together but his eyes fluttered closed when Vanessa started lightly scratching the back of his neck with her fingernails. He wanted so badly to feel her fingers through his hair, to feel her tug on it while he….he took a deep breath and tried to think about puppies or baseball, anything that would distract from the fact that his body was pressed up against hers. An abrupt inhale made Vanessa's eyebrow twitch.

“Are you ok?” She recoiled a bit.

Vanessa's words pulled Benny back to the present. “Hmm?”

“Did you just fall asleep on me?” She chuckled.

“No, no…I'm just really relaxed…the way you're scratching the back of my head, it's um…” He trailed off laughing to himself as he shook his head to rid his mind of the dirty thought that flashed through it.

“Sorry, I…didn't mean to…” She moved her hands back to his shoulders.

He shook his head and with a smile gently placed her hands back around his neck as his hands then traced down her sides, before finally resting on her hips. “No, it's ok, I like it,” he licked his bottom lip, deciding to test things just a little bit. “You’re just distractin’ me a bit is all…” he looked down at his feet.

“Oh…well, I think you're doing a good job.”

“You're a sweetheart, but you and I both know I'm shit at dancing,” he said with a lopsided grin.

Vanessa's eyes narrowed as she stopped, bringing her hands down to Benny's biceps. “Don't say that about yourself. I'm having fun. Aren't you?”

The corner of Benny's mouth curled up as he nodded. “Course I'm having fun. I somehow convinced the prettiest girl here to dance with me and my two left feet.”

Vanessa tried to stay calm and coy, but inside she was exploding at not only what he said, but the way he was looking at her.

“Well, you can't get any better unless you practice right?”

Benny smirked, feeling bolder seeing her reaction to his flirting, “You tryna help me then? Help me…practice.”

“Maybe,” she bit her bottom lip, their eyes locked on one another.

Benny took a deep breath through his nose as one of his hands snaked its way to the small of her back, resting at the top of her ass. Hearing her breath hitch gave him an extra boost of confidence to affirm he wasn't misreading this entire exchange. “Well, darlin' I wonder if I may bother you for some um…private lessons…you know, so I can get better,” he winked.

Vanessa could feel her heart pounding in her ear drums and the wet spot in her underwear growing. She gave him an up and down and leaned in, nodding so he'd lower his head toward her, “I tell you what, you win your match and,” she leaned in further and whispered in his ear, “let’s skip the lesson and I’ll give you a little private dance instead.”

“Fuuuuck,” Benny let out a shaky breath and Vanessa swore she felt him instantly get hard. His grip tightened on her. She smiled to herself seeing the effect she had on him. I've still got it.

She giggled and leaned into Benny, resting her head on his chest and they continued to rock back and forth. Her mouth was dangerously close to his chest, thanks to the undone buttons. It took everything in her to remember where she was and who was around because all she wanted to do was grab his chain with her teeth and drag him to the nearest bathroom. She hadn't felt like this about anyone since the early days of dating Luce.

Benny cleared his throat and she looked up to see his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed, sensing he was a bit flustered. “Y’know, it's gonna be a hell of a long week till Friday knowing that’s what’s waiting for me darlin’, but I'm patient. I can wait,” he winked. “Do I get to pick the song?” He raised his eyebrow which made her giggle.

“Nope.”

They continued to giggle and talk in whispers, as one song bleed into the next and the next. They didn't even realize they were the last two on the dance floor. Looking around Vanessa felt a bit embarrassed, but she saw that everyone else was off talking or eating leaving the two of them in their own little bubble. A yawn escaped, the excitement of the day finally starting to catch up with her.

“Tired?” Benny looked at her with some concern.

“Yeah a little…woke up early so I could start making the food.”

“You um…going to head home?” Benny asked, a little sad that their evening would come to an end.

“I should…we're talking the kids to the aquarium, so I could use the sleep,” she smiled.

Benny cleared his throat before locking eyes on her again, “Mind if I walk you home?”

Her first inclination was to say no, that she could handle walking a few houses down the street by herself. But seeing how earnest Benny looked, she thought she'd take him up on the offer. Plus, she knew Victoria would rip her a new one if she left this hanging. “Yeah, I'd like that.”

Victoria saw Vanessa give her the signal that said she wanted to leave. After 10 years of being in the family too, Marcus picked up and saw it too.

“Should we start packing up since Vandy is leaving?” He asked.

“Not yet mi amor, I think she has an escort home. I still feel bad that we cock blocked them last week. C'mon let's get another drink,” she winked, squealing a bit when Marcus lightly swatted her ass.

Normally a fast walker, Vanessa deliberately slowed down her steps to prolong the walk back to the house. She and Benny walked closely side by side, their hands occasionally brushing against each other until one time where Benny reached for her hand and she took it. They both struggled trying to mask the massive grins on their faces.

“I had fun tonight,” Benny looked over.

“Me too. I really like it here, everyone’s so nice. Feels like it was the right decision to move here.” She whispered to herself.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. Occasionally Benny’s thumb would rub up and down her hand.

When they finally reached the Pike residence, Vanessa turned around, still holding Benny’s hand. “Well … this is my stop.”

Benny looked up at the ceiling of the porch with a smile before returning his gaze to her, “Yes this is.” He stepped a little bit closer, hearing her breath hitch. All he wanted to do was cup her cheek and kiss her, but he didn't know if it was too soon…or if he'd be able to control himself because he wanted to do a lot more than just kiss her.

“Y'know I didn't have dancin' on my bingo card for tonight, but I'm glad I was able to check that off.”

“What else did you check off?”

Benny gave a mischievous smile, a playful glimmer in his eye. “Hmm, let's see. David made a comment about Frankie's hair. Check. Delicious food. Check. You played a big role in that last one by the way.”

She blushed at the comment, giddy that he enjoyed the food she made for the party. “I'm happy to cook for you whenever you want.” Her eyes darted back and forth between his as he stepped a little closer. “What…um…what else did you check off tonight?”

Benny snorted, “Melissa avoiding Pope, that counts for two.”

“Sounds like a pretty packed evening.”

“It was…pretty awesome night I'd say. But I am missing one thing I was kinda hoping for.”

“Oh yeah? What's that?”

It was now or never. Benny could hear Joel’s voice in his head telling him to go for it, so he took a deep breath. “A kiss.”

“Well, I'm sure the ladies would line the block if you’re offering,” she smirked.

He shook his head. “No, not just any lady. I had a…uh…very specific one in mind.”

She stepped a little closer as he sucked in a breath. “Tell me about her.”

“Well, she's smokin’ hot,” he said with a lopsided grin which made her giggle. “She's got the most beautiful smile, her laugh instantly makes me feel better, and her eyes…” he trailed off. “Yeah, I can get lost in them. But as beautiful as she is on the outside she's even more stunning on the inside,” he ran his hands down her arms and stopped to take both of her hands in his. “She’s smart and kind. Plus she's an amazing cook. She's kind of a catch.”

Vanessa steadied her breath and smiled, feeling like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. “Well, I didn't think Lucille was your type but I can see it,” she teased.

Benny threw his head back in laughter. She loved seeing the way his entire face lit up when he laughed.

“No way I'm taking Frankie's girl from him,” he chuckled, licking his bottom lip and returning his gaze to Vanessa.

“Well, this…great catch…seems pretty special. I hope you're able to kiss her.”

“Yeah me too.” He looked down, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed and mustered up the courage. “Vanessa, I…” he let out a little chuckle, trying to suppress that nervous feeling he felt in his stomach before doing something that scared him.

Ever since he suggested walking her home he thought about kissing her. But seeing her now, the way the soft light of the porch glowed around her, she looked like an angel. And she was looking at him in a way that made him feel like the most important person in the world – a fact that made him feel both unworthy but also like he could conquer any obstacle.

He brought his hand to cup her cheek, his calloused thumb caressing her soft skin. He willed his mind to not wander to how soft she must feel in other places.

“Vanessa…I really like you. And I…” he closed his eyes, shaking his head with a chuckle. Composing himself, he decided to just take the plunge. “Can I kiss you?”

She enthusiastically nodded, knowing she couldn't trust herself to form a sentence. All she wanted to do was kick her feet and squeal with excitement.

“Yeah?”

“Yes, please,” she whispered.

He slowly lowered his head, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue as he moved his hand from her cheek to her neck. Their lips softly touched, both of them stunned but utterly giddy that they'd gotten to this point.

Benny pulled away, resting his forehead on hers and nuzzling her nose as they both smiled. “That was…wow…can I do that again?”

Vanessa tugged on his shirt, their lips crashing together. Benny walked her backward, his hand extending out behind her so he could catch the wall, guiding her to rest against it. With one hand still cradling her neck, his other trailed down her body.

She opened her mouth a bit wider, giving him permission to test the waters further. He softly licked along her bottom lip as started to explore. A soft moan from her was all he needed to push himself right up against her groaning as her hands found his hair and tugged slightly.

From a distance, they could hear some whooping and cheering from Lucille's house, instantly transporting them back to reality and the fact that they were making out on a porch. Benny pulled away, his thumb caressing her kiss-swollen lips.

“Can't believe we were able to do that without getting interrupted.”

Vanessa let out a soft giggle. “I know…Benny that was…”

“Perfect.”

“Yeah.” She brought her hands down his chest, stopping to play with the pendant at the end of his chain as his hands lightly rested on her waist.

He let out a shaky breath, “I want to kiss you again darlin' but I won't be able to stop,” he smiled as she giggled. “I…um…I want to do this right.” He pulled back, both hands moving to rest on her waist.

“Me too. I don't want to rush this.”

“And what is…this?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Well, I'd like to explore that, if you're up for it.”

“Yeah, I'd like that.” He kissed her again and he'd never felt more invincible like he could take on anything as long as she was by his side. He trailed kisses down her neck, lightly tracing her collarbone with his tongue, in a move that made goosebumps appear on her skin as she mewled. He kissed up the other side of her neck. “I really can't fuckin wait until I win that fight now,” he whispered in her ear as he grabbed a handful of her ass and grinding his hardened length against her.

It was a miracle she was able to remain standing and not dissolve into an instant puddle. Feeling his warm breath against her ear and hearing the need in his voice, it was intoxicating. They made out a little bit longer, neither one wanting it to end but knowing if they continued things would escalate to a place they both wanted to go, but weren't ready for yet.

Benny kept trying to say goodbye but ended up kissing her, both of them giggling as they continued to explore with their hands and mouths.

Vanessa pulled back, cupping his face between her hands. “We are definitely going to get interrupted soon, I'm surprised we haven't yet.”

“You're right. Can I see you tomorrow?”

“I'd like that. You get home safely Bun.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Next Time on As the Mule Falls: Friends. The long-awaited arrival of Cousin Joel is here. He arrives in the next chapter oh my am I excited. We’ll also gear up for fight night.

A/N: Hi! Woof that was a long chapter but we had a lot to get through, didn’t we? I mentioned this after the last chapter, but I’m experimenting with doing a few little side stories/extras for this main series. I’ve written two stories - Strike a Pose (Benny x Vanessa) and Weathered In (Frankie x Jo). You don’t have to read them to keep up with the main story, but they add a little extra to the whole experience. We’re gearing up for a storyline I’ve been tinkering with since the fall and am so excited about it and hope you all love it as much as I do.

On a personal note, I’m headed out for a work trip and then vacation, so I’m hoping to get some writing done but we’ll see. Until next time! Thank you as always for reading, sharing, or sending me a message about this story!

Taglist: @goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @noxturnalpascal / @periodtsparadox / @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk / @chaoticfestninja / @beboldbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain / @pimosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @inept-the-magnificent / @perennialdoll247 / @for-a-longlongtime / @readingiskeepingmegoing / @harriedandharassed / @musings-of-a-rose / @anavatazes / @sherala007 / @midnightraain / @partyofone3413 / @inthedarkestnight / @millennial-teenybopper / @csarab615 / @darkheartgatita / @southernbe / @weho2kcmo / @itspdameronthings

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#triple frontier #triple frontier fanfiction #triple frontier fic #frankie morales #benny miller #friends thank you for patiently waiting for cousin Joel - he's arriving in the next episode

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harlowcomehome · 9 months

Text

This wasn’t the plan:

This will be a series with multiple parts. 👀

Jack sat in the backyard with Urban, watching as his niece and nephew played together. Urban was sipping on a beer and Jack sat in the chair beside him.

“There’s no greater feeling” Urban interrupted his thought process before taking another sip.

“Hmm?” Jack turned to Urban pretending he hadn’t heard.

“Being a dad! I know it sounds lame but I really don’t know what I’d do without those two” he pointed at his kids who were currently climbing all over their mother.

“Hey!” Urban's wife Alessandra giggled. “I think you mean three!”

“Of course, I meant you too!” He threw his hands up defensively earning a small laugh from his best friend who was still deep in thought.

Jack had always put his career first, meaning everything else had inevitably taken a backseat. His relationships never blossomed into much more than the occasional several-month “honeymoon phase” before things fizzled out. At first it didn’t really bother him but as everything changed around him he started worrying more and more about the timeline he had in his head.

Urban, on the other hand, grew successful with his photography business and started creating his own path. He had more time for himself, and before anyone knew it he found himself falling in love and creating a family of his own.

Jack had always wanted the white picket fence, two kids, and a dog lifestyle. He never said it out loud, maybe it was the fear of being looked at differently by his friends or just the fear that it would never actually happen.

Jack was happy for Urban, there was never any reason to be bitter. Urban supported Jack and continued to no matter what career moves he chose, Urban had never turned his back and never wavered with loyalty.

It was still shocking to see him take on two new roles. He was now a husband and a father and if you had asked Jack a few years back if he ever saw his best friend settling down he would have laughed but Alessandra was truly meant for him.

Jack enjoyed his role as “Uncle” and took it very seriously. He was present for every birthday and every holiday, seeming as how his life had finally begun to slow down.

He decided to take two years off from touring and focus on making new music and exploring other avenues, that’s what his statement to his fans said at least.

Jack wanted a family and he knew the option of knocking up a random fling wasn’t ideal. He didn’t want anyone jeopardizing what he had worked so hard for. He also didn’t trust anyone enough to share such an intimate part of life with him, a curse of the job, unfortunately.

Urban noticed Jack was deep in thought again, patting his thigh and giving him a nod. “What’s up? Why’re you being so weird?”

“I’m just thinking” Jack chewed his bottom lip nervously.

“Thought I smelled smoke” Urban joked earning a belly laugh from Jack. “Talk to me though, what’s going on?”

Jack sucked his teeth, it was rare he found it hard to explain himself to Urban. Urban had seen him go through just about everything in life. Urban had seen every raw emotion Jack possessed imaginable but he still couldn’t figure out how to say it.

“Dude, you’re scaring me” Urban pulled his patio chair closer to Jack.

Jack chuckled nervously, the lump in his throat felt like a boulder he just couldn’t fathom swallowing. He wanted to say it and it was on the tip of his tongue until his niece interrupted him.

“Uncle Jack, can you come play princess tea party now?” A very cute, mini version of Urban threw her head back in frustration as she had been waiting as patiently as she could for the last thirty minutes.

“Wait one second sweetheart, your uncle and I were talking about-“

Jack shook his head, “I can’t keep the princess waiting! I already promised and I brought cookies!” Jack grabbed the package of macaroons he had beside him and grabbed his niece's hand.

“Those aren’t cookies!” Urbans daughter giggled as Jack walked with her.

Urban wasn’t frustrated but more so concerned as he watched his best friend sit in the grass with his kids, playing “princess tea party.” He wondered what could be on Jacks mind that made him so conflicted to talk to him.

Alessandra quickly stole Jack's spot now that the kids were distracted. “What’s going on with Jackman?”

“So you noticed too?” Urban kept his eyes on Jack who was seemingly normal now that he was talking with the kids.

“He just doesn’t seem like his usual self” Alessandra admitted to noticing Jacks abnormal change in attitude.

“I don’t know what’s going on with him” Urban shrugged, “but I’ll find out soon enough.”

#Jack Harlow #Jack Harlow concepts #jack harlow blurb #Jack harlow x reader #jack harlow fanfiction #jack harlow imagines

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scumbagjaeger · 1 year

Note

what do you think the AOT guys would major in college?

COLLEGE MAJORS WITH THE SNK MEN

starring: Eren, Jean, Armin, Connie, Porco, Reiner, Levi, Zeke

rating: sfw!

notes: Thanks so much for the ask! I really appreciate your support(: I actually plan on doing a college series with each of the snk men having individual sets of drabbles, so this goes along perfectly with that!

EREN:

- I’m going to say Computer Science SOLEY because my Com Sci friends always seem to hang out on campus?

- Like not even in class, idk why but Eren’s just constantly there??

- Hanging out in the cafe, lounging around the courtyard, bowling in the recreation room, etc. No one’s ever heard him say “I gotta go to class”

- The man acts as if he doesn’t have a class to go to

- Most of his work is actually just completed at night anyway, when he’s not out at parties or with friends he stays up all night doing his homework

- Doesn’t really talk much about his classes but he probably does really well in them actually

- He probably doesn’t have too many Com Sci friends because he’s a bit intimidating in class? Hood up and headphones usually in or around his neck?

- But somehow he’s a social butterfly outside of his major, knows someone from every single one of your classes somehow

- I feel like freshman year he probably went overboard with parties? By the time he’s a junior he probably eases up on them, opting to stay up late doing his classwork last minute

- He might work at the campus tech office helping repair laptops for students! It’s better than working at a coffee shop in his opinion

- Probably plays intramural sports like soccer? Volleyball? Just for fun, probably decent at most group sports

- “Just for fun” but gets mad at his friends when they don’t attend his games “Eren I had an EXAM” “Don’t care, you should have rescheduled”

JEAN:

- My college headcanons for Jean are lowkey inspired by this annoying kid from high school who grew up and became hot? We had a love hate thing for a while😌

- So I’m going to say Poli-Sci just for that? But also I think it would actually fit Jean a lot

- He wants to see change in the world and he won’t have much patience for hypocrisy or overall assholes

- “Oh you don’t like (political candidate)? You think they’re the antithesis of American ideals? Name one of their policies. What does it about?”

- He’s really good at figuring out which of his peers just seem to parrot back things they’ve heard, yk? Like the students who memorize a Ben Shapiro argument but then cannot comprehend or form their own opinion?

- I think he’d be super understanding and accepting of other ideas, and honestly do a really good job of explaining both sides of debates?

- Understands that a lot of people shy away from actually investigating their political ideas and values because it can be intimidating, so he’d love to just talk to you about things and he’d make it really easy to understand

- Honestly I think he’d be a really good college professor someday, I bet he’d consider that as a career path once he saw his classmates turning to him for help

- He would want to be involved with the student political field on campus, councils and boards to advocate for his peers— I’d even imagine his classmates recommend him to join the student council

- But he wouldn’t have time for that(‘: he needs his time away from school sorry

- That’s his excuse to go out with friends a lot and fuck around

- At various parties throughout the week, bars, events, etc etc man’s a bit popular

ARMIN:

- Double major in History and Anthropology!!

- You already know this boys a total braniac

- Takes the most specific but random history courses in hopes of “really developing a broad spectrum of historical context”

- I was a history major and I took a nonhuman/abstract history course? I think Armin would hate a course like that at first, but then it ends up becoming his favorite

- The concept of my course was that studying nonhuman history (like animals or nature) reveals a lot about the people who did the research? And what they were passionate about?

- I did my final research paper on Greenland Sharks and how they live for hundreds of years, and how I’m fascinated by them because I’m fascinated with mortality? And so my paper juxtaposed a race to find the “key to immortality” through Greenland Shark DNA, and the history of death and our conscious awareness of death… I think Armin would eat that shit up

- One of the students who goes into their professor’s office hours just to talk to them about their theses and concepts

- Keeps in touch with his professors after he graduates too!

- Volunteers at the Student Writing Centers to help other undergrads with their papers, just reads through them and gives them some feedback

- Also takes a few creative writing courses!! Might have a poem or short story published in the student-run literary journal! He frames his copies on the wall(:

- As far as off campus activities he probably is active in lot of clubs or groups! Especially things like DnD! He is the Dungeon Master for his campaign

- But also involved in student orgs and clubs, loves checking out the activities board and exploring what the campus events are’

CONNIE:

- Business Major

- So sorry to all of my business major friends and anyone following me who’s a business major

- But at my school it was a joke? The major for people who didn’t know what they wanted to do?

- One of my friends had to decorate a Monopoly board for their final

- He’d probably pay Armin to write his papers? Or try to at least

- Honestly I bet he’d take the most random electives though? I don’t know how many Business majors need but his are so diverse and he’s super engaged in all of them

- Might take a Ping Pong course as a joke (my school offered one) but then takes Atmospheric Science? Imperial Russian History? Yoga? Latin??

- He claims it’s so that he can be a one-man-team in trivia nights and smoke everyone else

- But honestly I think he’d just have a lot of fun learning all of the random stuff!

- Habitually five minutes late to every class, but I think his professors would really like him otherwise?

- He’s extremely active and involved in class discussion, even if he’s just cracking a joke or giving an opinion

- If he’s not in a frat himself, he’s probably super close to all of the frats in town and gets invited out a lot!!

PORCO:

- Architecture Major

- Have you ever seen those “Architecture Majors be like: I have a whole building due on Friday 💀”

- He’d get so offended by those omg?? “That’s literally not true” or “Ha ha it’s funny when you say that but I actually have a model building I need to make”

- But the mode is made out of foam board and toothpicks or something bro chill

- Probably has glue on his fingers like 24/7? Hates building models with a passion. Especially with their super quick curing glue?

- Might actually make Armin help out with his models since Armin paints DnD and Warhammer models??

- I think Porco would prefer the design aspects of architecture and not the hands on part as much

- Is on the school’s soccer team! So he is usually at practice after school

- Probably hogs a squat rack or a bench at the campus gym, sorry not sorry

- I mentioned this in my college Porco headcanon set but I think he’d also go on runs daily around campus in the morning

- Probably one of those guys who brings around a gallon jug of water or a protein bottle

- You can tell Porco is nearby when you hear the protein bottle shake shake shake shake shake (yk with that little metal ball in it)

REINER:

- Okay I struggled with this one but I think he’d start off as a anatomy/physical science major? But then might switch off and go into education 😭

- I just think he’d be a great elementary teacher okay

- At first he’d want to go in to become a Physical Therapist?? So he’s super knowledgeable on anatomy and physical training

- Also on the soccer team, maybe the captain even! He leads warm ups and he’s super observant when it comes to his teammates and their physical capabilities (makes them personal workout routines and Bert is the only one who follows it precisely)

- I think halfway through his sophomore year he realizes that being a physical therapist isn’t what he wants to do? It’s work he’s good at, but does he like it?

- So he switches to be an education major!

- Honestly I could see him becoming a gym teacher or a general primary teacher!!

- He’d be really honored with the opportunity to make a difference in kids lives

- I know that teachers are horrendously underpaid (I’m studying to teach myself), but also shuts people down when they make tease him about that because he’s so proud that he’ll be aiding in the education and support of children!! He’s not in it for the money!

- Works at the gym, basically lives at the gym

- I think he would also be super passionate about activities on campus and school pride?? He and Armin are at every event hahah, his closet is full of different free r shirts he’s picked up

- Not necessarily popular by any means, but his classmates ADORE HIM! He’s super kind, the kind of classmate who will raise his hand and ask the teacher to repeat something or explain it further, even if he knows the content but if he knows a peer struggles with it?

LEVI:

- Literature major, maybe a philosophy minor??

- Similar to Zeke, I always imagine him as a grad student or TA

- One of the snarky, no nonsense students who will shut down his peers if he doesn’t agree with them

- Open to debate his ideas, but no one seems to want to 💀 he’s just a bit intense

- Probably one of those people who gets mad when his essay gets a B+ “I don’t think the Professor was able to comprehend my views, if he did he would have given me an A”

- As a Graduate Student he may teach a class to the undergrads and he’s super engaged with the content, and will just talk and analyze the stories for the class if they don’t participate??

- But he will not tolerate missing assignments

- As a philosophy minor he probably appreciates a lot of the history and context behind the philosophy

- Also probably laughs a bit at the pompous nature of most of his peers? Their whole “nobody understands life like I do” thing?

- Might secretly fuck with his peers by saying the most absurd and ridiculous things in a deadpan way to get them to agree with him “Dwelling on death is like thinking you need to shit soon, but not knowing when you need to go.” And then he waits and stares at them. “Yes, Levi, I agree completely”

- I think he’d be a columnist, or studying to be one? Journalism might have been a better route for him but I think he’d appreciate his courses on classical literature too much to not take them

- Might even take a creative writing course or two? Stays up all night in his apartment, under a poster that has the Ernest Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed”

ZEKE:

- Biochemistry loser nerd science man

- I always imagine him as a med student?? So if he’s not in biochem he’s already in med school, a couple years older than you!

- Probably wants to go into neurology or oncology, something intense!!

- I also think he would have taken a lot of history courses as an undergrad though? Enough that his advisor suggests he just gets a history minor

- I don’t know how this man has the time but he’s probably a research assistant for the chem labs or a TA for some of the history courses he liked taking

- He’d probably be a little pretentious about it, saying that TA-ing his history courses are the most relaxing part of his day

- Like shut up we get it you’re a nerd

- But honestly the biochem courses are extremely hard?? Especially if he’s a lab tech or RA!

- He’s probably one of those students who believes that through enough pressure he’ll become the perfect student so he does not take care of himself (🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m that student)

- So any free time he has he dedicates entirely to school or other resume filling activities that he can on campus

- I love the HC of him coaching little league baseball though? That’s probably the one time that he’s just a regular guy lol

- Makes sure his Tuesday and Thursdays are light on course load so that he can take the train to his hometown and coach the kiddos, might hit a bar with his biochem friends on Thursday nights afterwards

Thanks so much for the ask!! This was honestly one of the more challenging requests to do but one of my favorites?? Since I’m trying to come up with a little college series for each individual character, this definitely gave me some inspiration, you’ll likely see more come from this, so I hope you enjoyed(:

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hoedamn-eron · 5 months

Text

baby, please - part 14

You and Santiago go furniture shopping for his apartment. You don't expect to be invited to a Halloween party.

Warnings: Mentions of being sick, so emetophobia warning. Unrequited feelings (👀👀). Some swearing. Teasing between Frankie and Santi, standard bro's. Lightly proofread so definitely some mistakes in here. Word count: 3,616 F!Reader, no use of Y/N.

I'm BAAAAAACK. Sorry it took so long to get this out. Ideally I wanted it out for before Halloween but here we are, nearly at Christmas. My bad!

Also this feels just...a little stale to me. I tried re-writing it and going in a different direction but it just wouldn't fall into place the way I wanted it to. But I think that might be a me problem, and I will probably look at it differently once I'm back into the swing of things.

And I know we've already done a shopping trip with Santiago but I need it for the plot, okay?

Part 13 ● Series Masterlist ● Part 15

He came again with the truck.

Now was the day to really ask about the car, right? You were twenty-four weeks pregnant; he needed a car. There was no room for two babies in this truck. Oh, but you don’t want to ask him, it was rude, it was up to him if he got a car or not. And honestly, the truck was probably the best thing for today, since he’s planning on buying an entire nursery, twice.

No, he needed a car. You’ll gently ask him today.

Santi had finally cleared out his spare room, and he and Frankie had deep cleaned it and gave it a new coat of paint, and it was now ready to be filled with furniture. He had told you that you weren’t allowed to go in the room until the babies were born as there was a small gender thing in there and he didn’t want to spoil it for you.

“I’ve already looked online with Frankie and his wife, and I have an idea on what I want to get,” Santi said to you as you set off from your apartment.

“You could have ordered it online,” you say. “It’ll be easier for you.”

Santi shook his head. “Nah, I like to see the stuff before I buy it. Also, I need your input.”

You nod and hold back your joke about him being an ‘old man’. You weren’t sure why he needed your input, but you weren’t complaining about spending a day with Santi. Your cheeks warm as you think back on the last few weeks. You hadn’t brought up the fact that you were probably (definitely), stupidly in love with him, and you weren’t going to. You were embarrassed enough that you were practically getting off every night to the thought of him.

Damn your hormones.

“How’s your morning sickness?” Santi asked as he focused on the road.

“Oh, uh…nearly gone, actually,” you say. “It’s just once or twice a day now, or if I drink orange juice. Not sure why they’ve decided now to hate orange juice.”

He nods at you before smiling. “Good. I’m glad. I know it was getting you down.”

You bite your lip to stop yourself smiling like a love-struck teenager. “Yeah, it was.”

You doze against the window of his truck until you arrive to Ikea. As you pull into the busy parking lot, you couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness about the day ahead. It was more than just a furniture shopping trip; it was a glimpse into the future of your babies’ life with Santi, and the thought of that made your heart race.

Santi parked up as close as he could to the entrance and helped you out of the truck (you will mention the car today). You wobble a little as your centre of gravity was starting to work against you, but you steady yourself by holding onto Santi’s arm for a second before letting go, your cheeks burning. You don’t look at him as you both walk into the Ikea, and you grab a cart before Santi takes it off you.

“I have to push a double stroller soon, Santi,” you say, grinning at the look on his face. “I’m able to push a cart.”

With that, you make your way into the large store before he could say anything, Santi soon following you.

A feeling of togetherness washes over you as you pause every now and then and talk to him about your new house, how it’s big enough for you to fill with furniture. The excitement in your eyes was contagious as Santi navigated you both through the maze of furniture displays, joining in with how the kids would be able to play in the back yard with all the space you’ll have. Your heart swells at the image.

You’d been imagining two boys, with your eyes and Santiago’s hair. Tanned skin and your nose, and you could see him taking them to baseball games in those jerseys he bought when you both went shopping.

But sometimes you saw two girls, taking after their father in everything. Down to the curly hair and dark eyes and dressed in those Metallica shirts he was still fawning over. He’d probably get them all matching caps.

“I could get them a swing set,” you say. “I loved the swing set at my grandma’s house.”

“Yeah, corazón, I think they would like that.”

“And a pool, maybe. Not a big one, but a decent sized one.”

“You can do all’a that now with your house,” Santi says as you both go deeper in the Ikea. Eventually, he does take the cart from you, and you let him with no complaints.

The first stop should have been the nursery section, but you stop in the toy section. You know, you know, you have bought enough toys for your kids, and Gabrielle has donated enough to you too. But you ‘don’t have this bear,’ or ‘that dinosaur,’ and you throw them in the cart. You grin at Santi as he shakes his head at you, smiling fondly. After a few more additions to the cart (where Santi had to physically pull you away), you finally make it to the nursery section.

As you walked through carefully arranged cribs, changing tables, and adorable baby bedding sets, Santi's enthusiasm was evident. It was obvious he had done his research, and you watched him with probably heart eyes as he discussed the pros and cons of different options with you, valuing your opinion on every detail whenever he asked you.

"I was thinking something like this crib," he said, pointing to a sleek, white crib with some wooden accents and a drawer underneath. "What do you think? Is it too minimalist?"

You shrug, bending to look at the label, checking out the dimensions. “It looks good. But yeah, it looks a little plain. Does it match the nursery at your place?”

“It does,” he says. He looked around. “But everything does, really. Everything’s so…white.”

You let out a giggle as you look around too. “There is a lot of white. I suppose it’s gender neutral.”

“Suppose I could get some sheets to bring in some colour,” Santi mumbled. He looks at you with a grin. “It is a nice crib.”

“And it turns into a toddler bed for when the time comes,” you say, nodding at the product information.

“It has a matching chest of drawers,” said Santi, taking a few steps away from you and to the rest of the furniture. “And changing unit.”

“Ooh,” you say, following him quickly and taking a look. “Oh, I like the chest of drawers.”

“Yeah? Should I get them then?” Santi asked you.

“It’s up to you, Santi, these will be in your apartment, not mine. If you like them and you think they’ll go well in the room, then you should get them.”

You back and forth with him over other pieces of furniture, like whether he should get a rug (“I think it’ll bring the room together nicely.”), or a chair in their room for feeds (“It would make it easier but I’ll probably end up on the couch anyway.”), and after a while, the room started taking shape in your mind as Santiago put more things in the cart. From what you could gather, the room had a nice sage green somewhere, and Santi had chosen a blend of soft pastels and natural wood tones; you had the sneaky suspicion it may be jungle themed, based off of some of the rugs he was looking at.

You almost laughed. You could take Santiago out of the jungle, but you couldn’t take the jungle out of Santiago.

As you strolled through Ikea, you couldn't help but sneak occasional glances at Santi, admiring his dedication to making the space – his space – absolutely perfect for your babies. The way he was talking about the future with them with so such excitement and care warmed your heart, and you couldn't ignore the feelings growing inside of you. You were in love with this man.

Foolishly and despairingly in love.

“Want some lunch after this?” Santiago asked you an hour later, as you strolled through the warehouse, picking up the flat packed boxes of furniture that he’d chosen.

You nodded. “Yeah, I could eat.”

“What’re you craving?” Santi asked, grunting as he pushed another flatpack box onto the cart.

“Nothing in particular,” you say, shrugging nonchalantly as your eyes roamed over him. “I’ll have whatever you want to have.”

“Italian? I could go for a pizza.”

You nod, trying not to obviously stare and get distracted by the way the muscles in his arms move as he loads up the cart. “Sure.”

“We can stop by my place first, get this stuff to my apartment.”

You give him a look, raising your eyebrows pointedly at him. His knees. “Santi…”

He was already shaking his head. “I’ve already asked Frankie to stop by, he’s gonna help out.”

Your breath hitched at the thought of meeting Frankie. You don’t know why you suddenly felt so nervous, you were going to have to meet him sooner or later; you were pretty sure Santi was going to ask if he could make Frankie Godfather of the babies (of course you’d say yes, why wouldn’t you?).

“You don’t need to be nervous,” Santi said, chuckling, shaking his head lightly.

“I’m not nervous,” you immediately say, lying through your teeth. And it’s obvious too.

“Your face says otherwise,” Santi replies, grunting as he places the last flatpack on the cart. You internally curse yourself; you should have gotten a second one. “He doesn’t bite. He’s soft.”

“Nothing wrong with being soft,” you quip back, but Santi doesn’t reply. He just pulls the cart out of your reach, and you make your way to the check out.

After paying (you wince at the price – you offer to pay half, but Santi downright refuses) you make your way back to his truck, where an employee (practically a kid, he looked no older than nineteen, but he was built like a tank) had offered to help load. You, again, attempted not to stare at Santi as you tried not to feel so useless, but every time you reached for a box, even just a small one, Santi quickly shot you down.

“You’re carrying twins, you will hurt yourself.”

“I’m pregnant, not elderly!”

Your protesting falls on deaf ears, and Santi profusely thanks the employee for the help and hands the kid a tip. Santi helps you climb into the truck before making his way back to the driver’s side, and sends a quick text to Frankie, you assume telling him that you were on the way back to Santiago’s place.

“Want to get Carmelo’s?” Santi asked as he pulled out of the parking space.

You pull a face. “Their pizzas are greasy.”

Santi laughed as he looked in his mirrors and drove out of the lot. “That’s what makes them great.”

“Yeah, ‘great’ at giving you heart disease.”

“Okay, how about Solorzano's?”

You go quiet and think about it, before nodding. You’d ordered in with them before, and their garlic knots were to die for. Your mouth practically started watering at the thought of them. Maybe you don’t need a pizza, maybe you could just order appetisers, like the macaroni and cheese wedges, the mozzarella sticks, oh, maybe their chicken wings.

Yep, Solorzano's was good.

“Yeah, that’s fine, let’s do that,” you say.

You arrive back at Santi’s after telling him all about the food you were going to get, him laughing and telling you that you were hardcore ‘playing into the pregnant lady trope’. You pretended to take offence, telling him fact that you were just appreciating good food, that he suggested, whether you were pregnant or not.

“All right, fair,” he’d said, amused.

You try not to fawn at his laugh, but you couldn’t help it. You sighed, hopefully thinking Santi took it that you were happy that he agreed with you over your food choices.

You soon pull up to his apartment and park in his designated spot, only for a dark blue car to pull up minutes after you arrived. Your eyes widen a little as you see the infamous Francisco Morales climb out of his car and approach you both from his place parked behind Santi. He was shorter than he looked in the video, but still taller than Santi. His dark, tousled hair was hidden behind a cap, and it gave him a rugged charm, and there's something about the lines on his face that makes him look like he's seen it all but is still totally approachable. You catch a glimpse of some scars on his tanned arms, on show as the sleeves of his dark shirt were pushed up to his elbows, and it only added to the sense that this guy has some serious stories to share.

“Hey, Pope!”

“How’s it going, Fish?” Santi asked, giving Frankie a smile as they hug, patting each other on the back in a way that you would expect brothers to do. The nicknames confused you; Santi had never referred to himself as ‘Pope’, nor Frankie as ‘Fish’. “Could have tidied yourself up a bit.” Santi jokes, motioning to Frankie’s cap and old battered jacket.

“I’m doing you a favour, hermano, watch your mouth. Sarah asked me to drop this off for you too,” Frankie said, holding up a paper bag before looking at you and pointing at you with a good-natured expression on his face. “You are not to look in that bag, because it is a surprise.”

Your eyes widened for a fraction before you nodded. “Okay, yeah...noted.”

“Are you going to introduce us, teo, or did the news of twins and the financial recovery make you forget basic manners and social introductions?”

Santi gave Frankie the bird before introducing you both.

“It’s nice to meet you,” you say, shaking his hand as he offered it to you.

“It’s nice to put a face to the name,” Frankie says, letting go of your hand and taking a look at the bed of the truck, full of the furniture Santi had bought. He nodded towards it as he looked at Santi. “What did you get?”

“Everything, it seems,” you joke.

Frankie gave you a grin before turning back to Santi. “When are you gonna get a car, feo? Can’t fit car seats in this thing.”

You almost laughed in relief. Now you didn’t have to ask and feel like you were intruding.

“I’m working on it, tu idiota,” Santi replied, opening the bed of the truck. “Now help me with these boxes, you can’t expect me and my knees to do all the hard work. Don’t even think about it.”

You hold your hands up in surrender at Santi’s firm gaze, landing on you as you had reached for a box.

Santi hands you his keys and you go up to his apartment to unlock the door, Santi and Frankie following you up moments later, carrying boxes up with them, huffing and puffing together. You grin as you hear Santi grumble that they ‘felt heavier than they did at Ikea’, and you make your way down to get some of the lighter things. You grab the rug that Santi chose, along with the soft toys you’d picked out.

You eye the paper bag Frankie bought, that was sat in the bed of the truck, the curiosity to take a peek inside itching at your fingertips. You look around quickly before looking at the bag before you finally shake your head. Frankie said it was a surprise, something Santi might have organised, so you shouldn’t. You should leave it alone.

“You better not look in that.”

You smirk before looking at Santi, who was giving you an amused look. “I was thinking about it. But I won’t.”

Santi rolled his eyes in amusement as he and Frankie both grab another box. You grab one last toy before you follow them up the stairs and into Santi’s living room, placing the stuff on the couch. You go back to the truck, taking the last of the small things before sitting back and watching the two men bring back the last of the flatpack boxes. Soon, Santi’s living room was representing the Ikea warehouse with how many boxes were littered around everywhere. You spotted the paper bag sitting on the small dining room table by the open plan kitchen.

Again, you choose to let it go.

You step outside, closing and locking the apartment. You see Santi and Frankie chatting by the truck, the bed now closed, and you make your way over. You hear Santi thanking Frankie for the help with the furniture.

“Don’t thank me yet, you still need help putting that shit together,” Frankie replied. “You’ll probably need all the guys for that.”

Santi snorted. “Would love to see Benny try to put together a crib...or two.”

“Well, he put Sofía’s together,” Frankie said.

Santi went quiet at that, and the two stared at each other. You weren’t sure what was happening, but it was as though they were having a private conversation with each other, without having to say anything. You go quiet, letting them have their telepathic conversation, until you cleared your throat, breaking the awkward silence. “Would you like to join us for lunch, Frankie?”

After a few more moments, Frankie turns from Santi and gives you a small smile. “I would love to, but it’s Sofía’s birthday next month, and Sarah’s got me running around trying to get the stuff for it and she has me planning this Halloween party in a couple of days.”

“The guys say they’re still going for Halloween?” Santi asked, crossing his arms over his chest. It was as if his and Frankie’s interaction hadn’t happened. You put a pin in it for now.

“Benny said he’s still coming, Ironhead’s still unsure, since Claire’s putting a bit of pressure on him to make some solid decisions on the wedding.” Frankie chuckled before looking at you. “You should come,” he suddenly said to you. “I know it’s a bit last minute and it’s mostly for kids, but it should be fun.”

Your brain stops for a moment, not realising Frankie was suddenly talking to you. You blink at him for a moment before shaking your head. “Oh! Uh, yeah, I’ll definitely think about it. I was gonna go with my friend and her kids trick or treating – “

Frankie cuts you off with a wave of his hand. “Bring them along, seriously. Sarah loves meeting new people, she’s been talking my ear off about when Pope was finally going to introduce you to everyone.”

“Frankie,” Santi muttered firmly, a light blush coming to his cheeks, causing you to giggle.

You nod at Frankie. “Didn’t realise I was such an interesting topic.”

“Are you kidding? You managed to get Santiago Garcia to slow down and think about his future for once,” Frankie said, ignoring Santi’s very obvious glare.

You grin. “I’ll talk to my friend, see if she wants to join.”

“Great. You’re coming though, right hermano?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Santi replied. “Can’t disappoint Sofía.”

You feel your chest warm and your heart swell with the way he looks as he talks about his niece, how he was so enamoured with her. You wonder how he would talk about your kids and how he would act with them. You find your eyes quickly swell with years, and you look away from the two men quickly, wiping at them.

Damn hormones.

“Great, just let me know plans, yeah?” Frankie said, nodding at you both. “No pressure, though, if you can’t make it.”

You nod. “No worries, I'll let you know. Or I’ll get Santi to tell you, anyway.”

“Again, it was nice to finally meet you,” Frankie said, shaking your hand again. “I’ll text you later, hermano.”

“See ya, Fish,” Santi replied, giving Frankie a quick hug before the two of you watch him leave. You both wave as he drives away.

“So,” you say after a few moments, handing Santi’s keys back over to him. “What’s with the nicknames?”

“Our call signs,” Santi said, taking the keys. “Just stuck afterwards.”

“Oh, right. Why is yours Pope?”

Santi was silent for a moment before he pulled a face, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter, I think it was something stupid Benny said.”

You don’t believe him, but you won’t push. He was always a little closed off about his days in the army. “Okay. So, ready for lunch?”

“Sure...yeah,” he answers, before opening the truck door for you. He hesitates again for a moment as you turn to climb in, before he blurts out, “You don’t have to come to the party.”

You look at Santi, seeing his unsure face looking at you. “Why?”

“Don’t want you to feel obligated,” he says.

You study him for a moment, noticing his stance. He seemed a little out of sorts, nervous almost. You give him a reassuring look. “I want to go. It’ll be fun.” Then you give him a teasing smirk. “And besides, I’d miss out on hearing all the embarrassing stories about you from your friends! No way am I missing this.”

You see his shoulders relax a little at your words before he rolls his eyes. “Funny. Get in the truck.”

“You know, if you got a car, I wouldn’t struggle so much getting in and out of this thing.”

“I fucking knew the truck bothered you.”

• tu idiota - you asshole • feo - ugly

Tagged - @khonsulockley, @bluenredndeath, @superficialfeelings, @othersideoftheparadise, @beezusvreeland

#triple frontier #santiago garcia x reader #santiago x reader #santiago garcia #oscar isaac #pregnant!reader #santiago garcia x f!reader

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undreaming-fanfiction · 2 years

Text

Give and Take

It's not like I don't have a fanfic about this already, but let me just extract the headcanons from it...

Eddie hates when people tell him what to do. Steve cares for people to a degree that he's sometimes overbearing. That's not an ideal combination. But.

The thing is, both of them suck at taking care of themselves. Eddie smokes, drinks and eats any junk food he finds. He's completely willing to half freeze to death for "style". If he's preparing a campaign for the kids, he won't sleep for days. Steve could get his leg chopped off and mostly worry about slowing the party down and possibly ruining yet another one of Nancy's sweaters. He doesn't want people worrying about him to an extent of hiding his injuries or pretending they don't hurt. Eddie has never seen him go to a doctor.

So when Steve starts nagging him about eating better, more frequent, about not ignoring pangs of hunger (and even going as far as to blame himself for not seeing into Eddie's head and not preparing something for him, what the fuck), Eddie senses an opportunity. Once he swallows the incoming "fuck your vitamins and nutrients, Harrington!", he proposes a trade - he'll try to eat better, but as an exchange, Steve will let him take a look at his back. Steve's spine is a mess, his uneasy sleep and numerous injuries not helping, but he's stubbornly refusing to have it looked at. When Eddie gets concerned, he even starts muffling his grunts of pain while getting out of the bed in the morning. "So what about it, Harrington. You get a massage and I eat what you call "real food", do we have a deal?"

Steve, surprisingly to both Eddie and himself, agrees. And while it's a pain in the hankie, the plan actually works, that's a first. Steve hates being the cause of worry for others, but his concern for Eddie is even greater. So he begrudgingly allows Eddie to work the stiff muscles on his shoulders loose in exchange for a side of vegetables. He bitches about it like the drama queen he is, but he gives Eddie the disinfectant and lets him clean the injuries he's unable to reach himself, only if it means Eddie will eat three meals a day that aren't cereal, beer or cereal with beer. It takes Eddie a week of nonstop arguing, gentle persuasion and not so gentle blackmail to arrange a deal that Steve gets his sight checked and Eddie will eat the prepared meals in his fridge when Steve has long days at work.

And while Eddie sometimes wants to yell into the void that his boyfriend is wonderful, he's so loving but could he also not be this suicidal, thank you, Steve's brain slowly starts connecting Eddie's well-being to his own. He still doesn't feel fully comfortable being cared for and treated like the breakable human being he is, but he accepts it as a price for Eddie's cooperation. He tosses the massage lotion at Eddie and mutters "fifteen minutes and then I'm making you breakfast," adds a piece of fruit to Eddie's lunchbox for every bruise or scar Eddie intends to see and treat. When they can't meet, they make an agreement in advance - Steve will get a hot bath for his back and wear a long t-shirt to make sure his muscles survive the cool autumn night while Eddie calls him on the phone, angrily munching on lentils with god knows what and growls into the receiver "this is disgusting, Harrington. I'm suffering. Are you enjoying my suffering, you sadistic veggie-obsessed lunatic?!"

Gradually, they build habits. They still bitch about it, but it's a routine and it's theirs. And if Eddie sometimes forgets himself and buys carrots and a bunch of apples because hey, they were on sale and he doesn't want Steve carrying anything heavy with that back of his, or if a box slips on Steve's shoulder during moving and his first instinct is to ask Eddie if he could assess the damage, well. The bitching might as well be worth it.

(and sometimes, just sometimes, Eddie absentmindedly stands behind Steve when he watches TV and works his fingers on his nape and shoulders, losing himself in the movie or whatever Steve’s watching. When he snaps out of it, Steve gives him the look and Eddie whines, marches into the kitchen and emerges seconds later with a carrot stick in his mouth, glaring at Steve and complaining “happy now? Look what you made me do, Steve! Look what you made me do!”)

#steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie brainrot #steddie ficlet #steddie fanfiction #steddie drabble #strangerthings #stranger things #stranger things drabble #eddie is the master of passive aggressive munching #steve is convinced he's like wolverine #but without the regeneration and weapons #basically a giant bruise with awesome hair #headcanons #strangerthingsdrabble #strangerthingsfanfiction

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altheasmeadow · 7 months

Text

Nothing To Worry About

WC: 697

Pairing: Minho x reader

Marrying by convenience was never the plan, she truly thought she’d marry the love of her life. But being the heiress of many large businesses, she didn’t have much time for love, until he came. He had been her light in the dark, always there to make her feel a little less lonely throughout her young adult years, She honestly woud’ve married him, things don’t always work out that way.

“So who all is going to be at this dinner?” Lee Minho her husband wondered aloud as he dressed her up all pretty. It was one of the things she enjoyed about the arranged marriage. Minho loved dressing up both himself and her, so she never had to worry about looking the part.

“The Seo family, the Kim family, the Park family and the Bang family.”

“Kim…” He hummed, knowing that their heir was your first choice of marriage leaving a sour taste in his mouth and a tight feeling in his chest. Though they hadn’t picked to be partners it was very apparent the two had gotten very close in the time they’ve been together, feelings were developing but clouded by the fact that it wasn’t necessarily their choice to be together so neither tried to acknowledge the feelings.

“Yes.”

“As in Kim Seungmin?” He wondered yet again, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Yea, they’re partners with my father.”

“I’m aware.”

The rest of the getting ready was done in silence, she was lost in her thoughts and he was lost in her, wondering if she would be okay after their nasty breakup.

“Are you ready?” He wondered, reaching a hand out to grasp hers arning only a weak nod in return, his neutral expression turning into a frown.

The two headed off to their business dinner yet again in silence which was not a common occurrence the two could talk about everything under the sun any time of day usually. Even their personal driver looked on with discomfort.

“Do I look okay?” She wondered as he helped her out of the car, his face twisting into offense.

“You never second guess my picking, do I have something to be worried about meeting with the Kim family?” Minho was never one to be insecure but he was definitely prone to jealousy, loving to make it completely clear that she was with him without her knowing, like matching jewlery or color coordinating their outfits. It was a subtle thing but almost every always knew they were together and never bothered to try and get between the two.

“Ah Lee’s lovely to see you guys!” Mrs. Kim greeted, getting up to hug her son’s ex and her husband. All parties at the table took their turns greeting the couple until Kim Seungmin stepped up with a sheepish grin on his face.

“I believe congratulations are in order. The Ceremony was beautiful. Could’ve done with some blue though.” He hummed before turning on his heel and walking away leaving her to balk at the broas shoulders.

“Blue?” Minho wondered, feeling a little confused and annoyed.

“He wanted blue in our wedding, it wasn’t my ideal thing but I agreed when he and I had spoken, before the ordeal.” She explained quietly, trying to shake off her shock at the man’s boldness.

“You guys planned a wedding?”

“He planned it, he wanted to get power of the companies as fast as he could so within a few months he was already shoving wedding plans down my throat.”

“So what I’m hearing is there is absolutely nothing to worry about because he’s a psycho that you will never be interested in again?” He teased, leaning in next to her face with a grin, happy that the perfect kim son he had heard so much about had a flaw.

She hummed turning to face him a little better and placed a quick but efficient kiss on his lips causing the feline-like man to reel back slightly in shock but far from discontent.

“Nothing to worry about at all.” and the silent promise was all he needed to swoop down grasping her waist in his hands and pulling her as tight as humanly possible.

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #straykids imagines #straykids fluff #stray kids x reader #stray kids fluff #straykids #lee minho x reader #lee minho imagines #lee know imagines #lee know x reader #lino x reader

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dreamwritesimagines · 1 year

Text

Garden of Secrets - Extra Scene 2

“Are you insane?!”

Well.

That was a very valid question after tonight.

Benedict let out a breath and sat down on the sofa across from Anthony’s desk, grabbing a glass and pouring whiskey into it.

“Benedict,” Anthony said, his voice already on edge. “If this is a jest—”

“It’s not a jest,” he said before taking a huge sip of his drink. “It’s the truth.”

Anthony shook his head, pacing in the room.

“You were caught unchaperoned with her—doing what, exactly?”

Benedict pursed his lips, the faint taste of her still lingering there, her intoxicating scent tickling his nose. Even the flash of what happened just an hour ago was enough to make his head spin, and this adrenaline rush didn’t seem like it would go away anytime soon.

His silence served enough of an answer for Anthony because he gawked at him for a moment.

“…Outside?!”

“I didn’t plan this, as shocking as it may sound.”

“Did she?”

Benedict’s gaze sharpened. “Anthony.”

“It’s a rational question.”

“It’s an accusation,” he said tersely. “And I will not hear any of that.”

Anthony ran a hand over his face and leaned back to his desk.

“I accept that she’s very beautiful but what you’ve done was a huge mistake, Ben.”

Benedict frowned. “If you’re suggesting I should have left her to those vultures—”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” Anthony insisted. “Of course you have to be married now, you’re honor bound to her! You shouldn’t have been alone with her in the first place!”

No.

It wasn’t just his honor. He knew exactly what it was, and he had been aware of it for some time now, and this whole night—

Even in the aftermath, even in this situation that was going to change both their lives, he didn’t feel the slightest trace of regret or anything of the sort. His whole being was so consumed by his love for her that he didn’t think he could feel anything else even if he tried.

The circumstances hadn’t been ideal, he had to admit, and yet…

“She’s not a modiste, nor is she a habitue of those so-called art parties you like to attend.”

Benedict’s frown deepened. “How did you—?”

Anthony shot him a knowing look. “You’re hardly subtle about your past time activities, brother,” he said. “But she’s a member of the ton, a debutante with one of the richest men in the ton as her uncle, and you thought you could risk both your reputations for a tumble in the dark—”

“That’s not what that was about,” Benedict cut him off and shook his head. “I wouldn’t put her in danger like that, ever.”

A silence fell upon them and Anthony took a deep breath.

“Benedict I saw the painting.”

Benedict’s eyes shot to his as he swallowed thickly. “And you still question me about my motives?”

“You wouldn’t be the first artist who was drawn to his muse on a physical level.”

Benedict let out a chuckle. “It’s not just that.”

“Then?”

“I’m in love.”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “You’re in lust as usual, just another—”

“I’m in love,” Benedict repeated, his voice so decisive that Anthony turned to look at him better as if trying to see whether he was genuine but then pulled back slightly when a look of realization dawned on his face.

“…Fuck.”

Benedict raised his glass in a mock of toast. “It’s not lethal or contagious Anthony, you don’t have to look that terrified.”

“You’re in love.”

“Yes.”

“How do you know it’s love and not just desire?”

Benedict leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought.

“The very thought of her consumes my whole being, and no matter who I am with, no matter who I touch, no one can even come close to the euphoria of spending a couple of seconds in her presence,” he muttered. “She is in my dreams when I’m asleep and in my thoughts when I’m awake, and I feel like—her mere existence makes everything else wash away.”

“Yes Benedict, because that girl is a maelstrom.”

Benedict shook his head.

“She’s not,” he said. “She’s as annihilating as one when she wants to, but she’s not. She’s…the first ray of sunshine after the storm.”

Anthony frowned at him and Benedict smiled to himself.

“I didn’t even like painting flowers until I met her.”

“How is that relevant?” Anthony asked and Benedict took a deep breath, then shook his head again.

“Nothing.”

Anthony clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. “And what about Charlotte?”

Benedict lifted his head. “Hm?”

“The amount of disrespect—what about Charlotte?”

“What about Charlie?”

“You threw away years of courtship with her for this muse of yours and you didn’t even think about Charlotte?”

Benedict scoffed. “I don’t know how many times Charlie or I have to say this, we weren’t courting.”

“Does she know that?”

“Of course she does! She’s my best friend Anthony, not my lover and just because all of you are hoping for us to be together does not mean we’d…” Benedict ran a hand over his eyes. “We’ve never seen each other that way. If anything, I’d say Charlie will be happy for me.”

Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose and Benedict downed his drink, then stood up.

“So?” he asked. “Do I have your approval?”

“Since when do you need it?” Anthony asked back and Benedict shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s serious this time.”

“At last we agree on something,” he muttered. “Make things right with Charlotte first.”

“Anthony...”

“I don’t care what you think you two were doing,” Anthony said. “Make things right with her before you go back to your ice queen— or your Venus Flytrap, whatever it is that they call her nowadays.”

Benedict heaved a sigh. “You do realize me and Charlie weren’t going to get married with or without her in the picture?”

“I realize that you think that,” Anthony said. “Charlotte on the other hand, I have no clue.”

Benedict shot him an exasperated glare and Anthony smiled slightly, giving him a chiding look.

“You’d better know what you’re doing you goddamn rogue.”

Benedict let out a laugh. “Oh that title means a lot, coming from you.”

“I’m not the one getting married.”

“Yet,” Benedict said. “Mark my words brother, love will hit you out of nowhere. Charlie agrees.”

Anthony’s head shot up. “What?”

“She’s convinced you will fall in love even if you claim otherwise,” Benedict pointed out. “And we will both enjoy it when it happens.”

“That will never happen.”

“Tell that to Charlie, not me!” Benedict called out as he walked out of the door, then made his way upstairs with a small smile on his face.

@sarcasm-n-insomnia @spwinkles @currentlyconfused16 @junezoldyck @tarathecogsci @nightmonkeyparker @slowgabinaburninroom @booknerdlife @goatsmcgee @pastanoodles11 @jmj-key-lime-green @nervousnerdsweets @outoftheregular @foxlover89 @strawberymilktea @rexorangecouny @rosies-reign @plutorice @unsureofthe-future @mytearsriscochet @dudeidontcareaboutanything @tired-of-this-shit @crowleysqueenofhell @xoxabs88xox @noisyinfluencerstrawberry @desert-fern @sun-fiower-seed @marauderskeeper @wisteriandprose @the1999kid @pancakefancake @angelgracesworldofchaos @softcabur @omgkatherine01 @mathle0matle @claire-loves-music

#benedict bridgerton x reader #garden of secrets extra scene

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comingyourlugubriousness · 2 months

Text

Happy Birthday Yume Ume: Personal Story (Part 3/3)

Part: 1 / 2 / 3

Leona: Finally, the last question is “If you were to join any dorm other than the Ramshackle or Ignihyde, which dorm would you choose?”

Yume: *quickly, and matter of factly* Scarabia.

Leona: *smirk* Oh? Two in a row? Don’t let Radish sprout hear that.

Yume: *pouting* Shut up, it's not like that! It’s just…ALL THE OTHER CHOICES ARE SO MUCH WORSE!

Leona: *eyes widen at sudden outburst, before lowering again*

Yume: *ranting* You think I wanna deal with the Queen of Hearts dumb rules, or wake up at 6AM for spell drive drills?!

Leona: It’s 6:30.

Yume: *ignoring his interruption* Honestly I don’t mind the Octavinelle dorm vibes itself; but I would rather DIE than live with Azul as a dorm leader; or have Vil breathing down my back 24/7 about my diet and health, uh- yeah-no thanks-!

Yume: *sighs, mumbling* And no offense to Diasomnia but their weird vibes make me feel like an outsider…

Leona: *Makes a vague noise of approval*

Yume: Ignihyde would definitely be ideal, but since I can’t pick them Scarabia seems like the best choice. *shrug* I get along well with almost everyone and the dorm's mindset is something I agree with.

Leona: Mindfulness, careful deliberation, planning, considering all your options.*hums* Yeah that’s you to a fault. *crosses his arms, smugly* Maybe you should be there instead of Ignihyde?

Yume: *Immediately shutting it down.* No thanks, I can only take so many banquets and parties before I become exhausted.

Bonus question!

Yume: C’mon that last one was too easy, give me another one!

Leona: I’m only contractually obligated to ask two questions.

Yume: Boo~! *whining* C’monnnnn~!

Leona: Augh! Fine, *muttering* snot nosed brat…

Leona: If you could pick any student from Night Raven College to be your sibling, who would you choose? Other than your own siblings.

Yume: *surprised at the question* Huh…oh! Well that’s easy there's already a couple people here besides my brothers, that I consider siblings. *smiles* Like Ortho of course and- *they stop suddenly, seeming to have realized something.*

Leona:...And?

Yume: A-ah, nevermind, just Ortho. *they seem slightly embarrassed suddenly*

Leona: *raises eyebrow* You're the one who wanted to be asked this question and now you're being secretive?

Yume: Oh well… *they purse their lips and cross their arms in though* *They laugh.* To be honest I’m not sure how this person would react to the idea and…it’s something I never really thought of until now. So, for now, I think I better just keep it to myself.

Leona: *slowly* How they would react…?

Yume: …

Leona: **realizes, his ears stick up**

Leona: Hmph… *his tail flicks behind him. He looks away.* Well I’m sure they probably would care…but whatever let's move on. *He seems slightly stunned, but not unhappy.*

Yume: Oh man, wait I forgot. This part’s gonna suck isn’t it? *sigh.* Is it at least gonna be tasty?

Leona: *smirk* Guess you’ll find out. *winding up his arm* Are you gonna take your glasses off?

Yume: *dramatically, with grin* No, I’ll take it like a man.

Leona: Heh, suit yourself. *grins back. Leona pulls back his arm and throws. A breaking noise follows.*

The end! It was fun to write this but it took me a while! I find it hard to write dialogue without much description because I feel like so many things get said through actions and body language! Yume and Leona's relationship is fun and complex to write. In my mind, they both feel a sibling bond, but neither of them are really willing to admit it out loud. So it becomes this unspoken understanding over time. I think its a complicated feeling for both of them in different ways. In particular for Leona because in his life he hasn't had a good relationship with his actual sibling.

I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm working creatively on a couple different things but I also have a lot of big complicated events going on in my life right now. So sorry for the slow posts. I appreciate everyone who comments or leaves tags <333!

#twisted wonderland #twst oc #disney twisted wonderland #yume ume #yuusona #implied yume x idia #leona kingscholar mention #platonic #twst mc #twst yuu #mywriting #THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS STUCK AROUND

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mangoharvest · 9 months

Note

May I please request a Yandere Deuce??? Also please drink water!

Henlo YES. I’m SO sorry I was gone for like 5 years. I had this one since 1/18 and just barely finished, so it will def feel rushed. Sorry it took so long, and feel free to req more (that will NOT take so long lol). Also, this one is not as yandere as I would like. I think Deuce is objectively one of the less insane charas so it's hard to imagine him being true yandere if that makes sense lol.

White Knight - Yandere!Deuce x Reader

Deuce is a good kid. He really is. Sure he had a rough patch in middle school, but that’s all behind him! At least, that’s what he has managed to convince those around him of. While it was mostly true, you could always tell he was never 100% genuine. He may not have even noticed it. How his eyes shifted at the mention of a local gang spotting, or how his adams apple would bob lightly when someone brought up sneaking out to party. The man was hardly a party monster, but it had been quite a while before the opportunity to relax had presented itself. So, when you had offered to sneak him out of school to celebrate New Year’s, it was difficult to bother feigning surprise. At least, that’s what it had appeared like.

“Deuce,” You hissed, tapping at his window, “Oi… It’s me! My magishift skills are as good as your grades, so hurry and open up!!” A low blow? Sure, but it’s not as if it was a lie.

After a few moments and much more frantic tapping, said man finally came to the window, prying it open just enough for you to slither in. “About time.” You muttered, huffing from a mix of annoyance and slight exasperation. You placed your broom next to the window, mentally noting to return it later.

“Sorry about that,” Deuce muttered, smoothing down his blazer, “I was trying to get that idiot Ace out for the night. Luckily he just texted me he’s got plans already.”

“I see. Lucky indeed.”

As quickly as you had come in, you made your way back to your exit. Reaching out a hand, you offered Deuce an awkward smile. “Are you coming, or what?”

—

“I thought you wanted to get out for once.” You murmured curiously. Though no one could hear your musings from the bar, Deuce sure jumped as if he could. He had always been awkward, but you had been thoughtless enough to assume that he could at least attempt to channel whatever he had going on before NRC. How foolish of you.

You had chosen a smaller club with his help, something more low-key from the usual spots. The music was good- but not nauseating- and the bar didn’t bother to ID you since you used to run with the manager. It was the ideal situation for anyone that didn’t exactly ooz sociability; so imagine your surprise when the party-craving Deuce refused to leave your side. While this in itself wasn’t awful, he also refused to leave the wall. Getting drink refills 20 feet away was the farthest the two of you had been all night. Thank god the man was a nervous drinker.

“Your lemon drops?” The bartender offered, placing the two drinks delicately beside you. You nodded in thanks, offering a small smile as you tuck your phone away. As you paid for the drinks, another is placed down. “Oh, uh,” You chuckled awkwardly, “I think you have the wrong person for this last one.” Internally, you prayed the bartender wasn’t about to say what you think he was.

“It’s no mistake, the gentleman over there paid.” Your nervously frozen smile followed the bartender’s gaze, landing on an older man along the counter. A glass shattering snapped you out of your trance. You smiled again to the bartender, before nodding dismissively at the gentlemen and taking your two original drinks.

Much to your dismay, you only manage a step back to the safety of the wall before your path is cut off. Fuck! You mutter, barely managing to hide your disdain behind a paper-thin smile. “Can I help you?”

“It seems like you forgot something, care for some company on your way back.” Jesus christ, it really couldn’t get worse than this. Your smile quickly fades, though you're sure to keep a semi-polite tone.

“Oh sorry, I’m really not much of a shot person. Plus I’m here with a friend.” The man dramatically looks on either side of himself, shrugging before moving further towards you.

“I don’t see anyone as lovely as you here. Looks like they left you.

“Oh, no he’s actual-”

“I’m sure you’re used to that,” He shushes you. Your face morphs into one of clear annoyance. You hadn’t missed the implications in his tone, and now you felt no obligation to cater to his weird mockery-flirting. You begin to brush past him.

“I gotta go.”

“Hey hey, careful there!” His hand, which had already been uncomfortable close, grasped at your wrist. As you tugged away from him, you could feel his grip tighten. Your body begins to fill with a suffocating sense of dread.

“Can’t have you falling down and wasting our drinks.” Your glare is met with an insufferably confident smirk. Of course you just had to run into this shit stain the one time you went out on a school night.

“Hey...” Your partner for the night called, sending a shiver down your spine. You knew about how he used to be when he was younger, but this felt completely different from what he had told you. He was furious, seething at the man before him.

“Deuce,” you breathed with a sigh of relief, “There you are-” as you attempted to break away from the strange man’s grip, you could feel the pain in your wrist only increase. He noticed you beginning to flail, and yanked you towards him.

“Let go of me, you stupid prick!” You seethed, still trying to be semi discreet as to not set Deuce off. The man has an unreadable expression, before looking at you in bewilderment.

“Why are yo-”

Too late.

Before you could react, the man was already on the floor.

“Oh shit, Deuce what did y-” Before you could finish your question, said man grabs your hand. “We have to go.” he states, not leaving room for rebuttal as he starts towards the door. Wordlessly, you follow behind him. By this point, both of your drinks were on the floor, and the party had been definitely tainted by having some random man’s knocked out body on the floor. Behind you, a pair of security guards come dashing out, yelling for you to stop. Terrified, you only run faster.

–

It isn’t long before you could feel your lungs sting, tugging lightly at Deuce in hopes he would slow down a bit. He peers at you, seemingly brought back to reality upon seeing how disheveled your impromptu race had made you. Looking behind him, he bit back a frustrated growl, before focusing on you apologetically.

“Sorry about this.”

“Sorry about w-Hey!” You yelp in surprise as Deuce lifts you bridal style (quite easily too) and hastily begins running off again. It’s amazing how he is somehow faster than before, and not long until the security guards of the club give up their pursuit. The sky above you is an odd purple shade- no doubt a result of residual magic in this world. There were a few unnaturally big stars out tonight, providing light in tandem with the moon. The rest of the city slept, as only its party district was known to function around this time. Despite this, Deuce kept running, barely breaking a sweat. You could hear his footsteps echo against the stone tiles that guided your path.

“Deuce, you can stop now. I think they’re gone.” You murmur in his ear as to not startle him. His face flushes a bit, before shaking his head. “It’s ok, I’ll just slow down a bit.”

He does as he says, slowing to a walking pace, but refusing to let you down. “It’s okay, really.” He keeps assuring you, doing little to dampen your protests. Eventually, you relent.

“You’re so stubborn,” You pout, gently adjusting your arms to wrap around his neck. “My stubborn little knight.”

“A knight?” Deuce questions, face exploding to a shade of crimson only matched by Rosehearts himself. You chuckle at his antics, going further and placing a chaste kiss on his lower jaw (it was all you could reach at that angle). Deuce’s face explodes with shock, and he starts mumbling and muttering like a madman.

“Deuce.” You chide, causing his gaze to snap right onto you, before darting away and back again. He was quite adorable like this. Such a clear contrast from earlier. You had seen him worked up before, but he was really upset tonight. He looked like a bomb about to go off. The insane strength behind his punch, in addition to the unusually commanding tone he used with you made you nervous (though not in a purely negative manner). If you weren’t so sure he would never hurt you, you likely would have been scared shitlesss.

You take the chance to curl further into him, making sure to hold his gaze with a slight blush of your own. “Thank you. For tonight. I was… I was really scared back there. That man, he really freaked me out…” Thinking about what had happened earlier that night made you shiver in Deuce’s hold, making said man hold you closer with a slight grimace.

You kept going. “But, you really helped me out big time. I don’t think I’ll ever need someone to protect me as long as I have you.” You joke, closing your eyes to rest a bit before getting to NRC.

Little did you know, Deuce’s heart was racing. He felt every hair on his body stand in delight, and his face was frozen in one of disbelief and awe. Then, he chuckled. It was more akin to a scoff, maybe. You really couldn’t tell. All you could feel was his resting his head atop your own, muttering proudly, “I’ll always be there for you.”

You snuggle into his side, vaguely hearing the sound of his ringer going off, followed by an annoyed and gruff, “I’ll send the money tonight.” and some yelling from the other line. He hangs up, muttering something about Ace needing his snack money back. You nodded silently, then had a weird recollection from earlier.

You had texted with Floyd right before getting your drinks, and according to him, Ace’s phone has been broken since last night’s practice. An odd coincidence, but maybe his mom called and he was embarrassed. However, you began thinking. The man from earlier; had he been looking at you? Or had his gaze been settled past you? It was weird, too weird to feel coincidental, but not enough to really raise any flags.

Deuce was your white knight. So surely he would never orchestrate something like this…right?

#twst #yandere twst x reader #twst x reader #deuce spade #deuce x reader #yandere x reader

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