#and because of how the exam schedule is set this year i've got to do MATH first thing in the morning

[revengeghoulette]

Matcha Latte w/Rose

Part 2: The Date

They go on their date!!

A/N: Bit of a time skip. It's not like the best thing I've written, but it'll do :) It gets a little steamy but not enough to be considered Spicy. Mostly edited.

WC: 3k

Sorry in advanced, you'll see. -Rev.

Playlist: The Rosy Crown

tagging: @obsidianghoul (ily, sorry I banned you), @sovaghoul @gottagho-st @clouds-bitch @crystalameoba @cheerycherrycandy-resurrected @foxybouquet @ghostlylivres @hypnoneghoul

It’s been almost 3 weeks since Swiss asked Mountain out on a date, and preparations for the midterm rush at The Rosy Crown are in full swing. Mist, Sunny and Swiss have been organizing the schedule to ensure that last year's snafu doesn’t occur again. They accidentally left The Rosy Crown with no staff for about 3 hours in the middle of the night, and they also ran out of flour and butter. They promised that moving forward reparations would begin several weeks before exam weeks to avoid any issues the week of.  

Mountain has been busy with office hours, lectures, and a garden club he offered to be an advising faculty member for. He tries his hardest to make sure to be at the cafe before Swiss’ shift ends so they can walk home together, but there’s been a handful of nights where he doesn’t make it. He regrets assigning so much homework. He makes a mental note to adjust the workload for next semester, especially since he’ll be teaching two additional courses. 

On the nights Mountain can’t make it to the cafe, he shoots Swiss a message to let him know so he doesn’t worry. If it's truly a rough day, he forgets all together. 

Swiss will do anything to spend time with his favorite person. He happily walks to campus with some snacks and a warm drink, to find him buried in stacks of papers gripping a red pen. He takes a seat on one of the comfy chairs Mountain has in his office, and reads the random magazines he has lying around.  

“Is gardening like your favorite thing to do, or what? You’ve got so many magazines here about greenhouses and what not, and you’ve got a little gardening gang now,” Swiss questions, laughing at the end, referring to the gardening club.

“It's… yeah. You know how we, ghouls, have an element attached to us? I’m an earth ghoul, hence the name Mountain. I have a special connection with the earth, so, yeah, gardening, and all things nature,” Mountain informs him.

“Oh, I guess I never really thought about it. I know we have ties to elements, but my parents weren’t very into that, I guess? They tried to assimilate more to the human culture, so we didn’t lean into it.”

After a moment, Swiss began getting a little antsy, distracting Mountain, “Honey, what is it? You're getting fidgety.”

Swiss blushes at hearing the earth ghoul call him honey. “Would you… help me connect with my elements? According to my parents, I have a mix of them. It's where my name came from, actually.”

Mountain sets down his pen and removes his glasses. “Wait. Swiss… Like, Swissarmy knife? Because you’re a multi ghoul.”

Swiss nods slowly. 

Mountain lets out a hearty chuckle, “That’s very cute, but absolutely, it would be my pleasure. I’m done here though. Why don’t we pick up some food and go home?”

Standing up from his chair, Swiss grabs Mountain’s coat and helps him put it on before walking out the door hand in hand. 

Swiss and Mountain have only been going out for a few short weeks, but their connection is so much more than typical crush. They have routines, they call each other during downtime just to say hello, Mountain continues to stop by The Rosy Crown every morning, and Swiss helps Mountain with grading or understanding typical young adult behavior. It seems like neither of them can spend the night alone anymore. There’s something tugging them together. 

They haven’t had their first official date, but all the hang outs are everything and more. 

‐

With midterms week upon them, Swiss, Mist and Sunny have been living at The Rosy Crown filling in for their student staff. Mountain has been at the shop every single day volunteering to help bus tables, or go around and restock supplies and books. 

Mist has gotten on his case multiple times about it before, claiming that it's not his job, that he’s probably breaking some sort of labor law by helping them. Mountain assures her it falls under volunteer work and she doesn't need to worry. Swiss admires that Mountain puts up with Mist’s fighting spirit and constantly thanks him for helping, but reassures him he doesn’t have to.

“I do it because I want to. No one’s forcing me to be here.” Mountain reassures him back. With a quick kiss on the forehead, they go back to their duties. 

Ever the creep, Sunny watches them interact. She’s never seen Swiss be so enthralled by another being before. He’s putty in Mountain’s hands. The forehead kiss sent her over the edge. 

He walks past her, and she takes this opportunity to corner him, “Dude. What the fuck. Where did you find him? He’s amazing! And he’s been so much help! Please tell me you’re gonna dick him down soon! Omg, does he have a sister?”

Swiss grabs Sunny by the arms and shakes her playfully. “Sunny, breathe. Calm down! He’s pretty amazing, huh?” 

“Who knew the playboy would settle down,” she teased, earning a glare from Swiss. “I'd snatch him from you, but I like the ladies. They're not as stinky.” Sunny makes a disgusted face before cackling and running away from Swiss’ reach He grins, rolling his eyes at her antics. Who knew the calm quiet child would grow up to be anything but calm and quiet. 

-

After a rough week of long nights, The Rosy Crown closes the weekend after midterms. Students are mostly gone on spring break, and the staff is exhausted. Swiss gives everyone a long weekend to recover and start fresh on the following Wednesday. 

Mountain wakes up with Swiss’ arms around him. He takes a moment to admire the features on Swiss’ face, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, and the horns protruding from his head. He was perfection incarnate. The gold flakes in his horns match the gold flakes in his eyes, his muscles defined by all the manual work he puts into baking, his tail wrapped around his own leg as if cuddling with him, there is no other ghoul that could match his beauty.  

He gets up quietly, placing the blanket over Swiss body, and goes to the living room. He knows Swiss isn’t waking up anytime soon, especially after the week they just had. Mountain brews a fresh pot of coffee and takes a seat on the couch, wrapping a blanket over himself. The air is getting crisper with the approaching winter, he can feel it in his bones, and see it in his hair. He's luckily able to glamour that. He picks up a random book Swiss has lying about, and begins to read it while he waits for sleeping beauty to wake up.

In the other room, Swiss wakes up alone. He feels around for Mountain, but he doesn’t find him. Groggy, he gets up and sees he's reading the book Mist said was good, but truth is… It’s trash. The writing is terrible, but the smut is hot. 

He wanted to stare at Mountain forever, but he was getting chilly and he looked so warm. Swiss quietly makes his way over before crawling on top of Mount, startling him. 

“Good morning sweetheart,” Mountain sets the book down, rubbing his hands up and down Swiss’ back while his face was smushed against him lower belly. He mumbled something in response, but Mountain couldn’t make it out. 

They adjusted themselves so that Swiss was underneath the blanket, cuddling Mountain on the couch. Sleeping beauty dozed off, and Mountain picked up the book again. After a little while, Swiss started to wake up again. Mount felt movement under him, so he set the book down and started rubbing the back of his finger up and down Swiss cheek gently. 

“You’re warm,” Swiss gets out in a groggy voice, snuggling further into Mountain. 

“Mm I know honey. I’m also hungry, and need more coffee. This book is lulling me back to sleep,” Swiss hums in agreement, “I’m gonna make us some breakfast, sweetheart.”

After they get up, Swiss warms up the coffee and starts to make breakfast for the both of them. Mountain complains because he was supposed to make breakfast, not the other way around, especially since he had a long week at the shop, but Swiss wasn’t having it. They argue back and forth for a little bit.

“I’m taking you on that date today. I’m picking you at 6,” Swiss announces as he places pancakes on a plate for Mountain.  

“Oh, thank you,” Mountain takes the plate. “Are you gonna tell me what we’re doing?”

“Nope, it’s a surprise. A little something I’ve been cooking up for a while,” Swiss says before taking a seat and cutting up his pancakes. “Wear something comfortable, and something you wouldn’t mind getting a little… dirty.”

“Are you going to explain?” the earth ghoul questions. 

“Nope,” Swiss says with a wink.

-

Swiss knocks on Mountain's door right at 6pm, not a minute early, not a minute late, exactly at 6. 

Mountain opens the door wearing a dark green Henley and black jeans. “Is this okay?” Mountain asks. 

Swiss is stunned, He just stared at Mountain for a little bit before stuttering out, “Oh, definitely. You look fantastic.” 

Swiss hands Mountain some flowers he picked up earlier that day. Placing them inside, Mountain locks up and walks down the steps, taking Swiss hand.  

“Where are we going?” The tall ghoul inquires. 

“Somewhere. Don’t worry about it sweetheart.”

After walking a few minutes down the road, they reach their destination: The Rosy Crown Cafe & Bookshop. Swiss lets go of Mountain’s hand and opens the door.

 “Swiss, what are we doing here?”

“We are on a date, my good sir. Come on.”

Swiss opens the doors and walks Mountain inside. It takes a moment for Mountain to take everything in. The blinds are all down, and there’s total privacy. Looking around, he sees strings of light are hung up, there’s a table with candles lit in the center and on either side there's a table placement and two dishes served. Soft music is playing in the background, creating a romantic, intimate space for them. 

“Swiss… how?”

“The ladies might have helped.” He smiles almost sheepishly up at the taller ghoul. “I hope you’re hungry.”

Swiss guides Mountain to the table, pulls out the chair for him before taking a seat himself. On the plate there is a serving of roasted potatoes, a kale asian salad, and a plate of creamy mushroom risotto with a fresh baked dinner roll on the side.

They dive into the meal prepared by Mist and Sunny. The earth ghoul talked about his uni work, biodegradable research projects amongst other things. Swiss cracked some jokes and delved more about his parents and his childhood. He grew up surrounded by humans and had very few interactions with ghouls. He met Sunny and Mist in elementary school and have been inseparable since then. They’re family, a pack, if you will. Mountain sips on his wine while watching Swiss enthusiastically tell stories from his childhood. 

As they finish their food, Swiss gathers their plates and sets them to the side, mentally noting to take care of them later. 

“I have something special planned for dessert, follow me,” Swiss stands up, and offers a hand to Mountain. He takes him to the kitchen, and ties an apron around him. 

“I want to ask what we're doing, but you’re not gonna tell me.” 

“You know me so well, but fine, I’ll tell you. We’re making cinnamon rolls.”

Swiss had pre-measured out the flour, cinnamon, butter, and the rest of the ingredients and placed them on the counter. 

“Oh, by 'we're making them' you mean I'm making them?!”

“Yes, but don’t worry, I’ll help.”

Swiss dumps the flour on the counter, forming a well in the center. “First, you’re going to incorporate a few things into the flour. Here,” Swiss hands Mountain a few things and he dumps them into the well. “Now mix them up using the fork, then make the well again.” 

Mountain does as he’s told. Swiss works on mixing the wet ingredients for him. “I’m going to slowly mix this in. First use the fork,” Swiss pours a small amount of the wet ingredients, making sure everything is incorporated before adding more. “Great, now use your fingers. Make your hand into a claw and mix it in. As it gets stickier, start to knead.  It’s going to get pretty sticky, but keep kneading. I still need to add in some more flour.”

Swiss stands back, watching Mountain mix the ingredients so gently, “You’re going to have to be a little rougher baby,” he states after dumping in a few more cups of flour.

Mountain starts to get tired from kneading since he’s been going at it for a few minutes. 

“Swiss, this is hard. I’m getting tired,” he complains. 

 That's not the only thing that's hard, Swiss mumbles under his breath. 

Swiss stands behind him, slightly pushing his hips against Mountain’s back, and helps him knead. Mountain turns his head back, they stare into each other's eyes for a second, and lean in, lips meeting at a feverish pace. 

“Let me take over Mount.” Swiss mumbles into the kiss. He quickly finished kneading the dough while Mountain stands behind him, kissing his neck, hands roaming his body, leaving a trail of flour and dried dough on his clothes, especially his ass.

Swiss sets the bowl with the dough aside, Mountain takes this as an opportunity to grab him and press him against the counter. He leans into Swiss, his ass pressing against the counter, he towers over Swiss for a moment before kissing him with all his might.

Swiss’ arms immediately go to the back of the Mountain’s head, pressing him closer to his mouth, fingers playing with his hair. Swiss pulls on his hair to see what kind of reaction he would get, and he got the best reaction possible. A moan escaped Mountain’s lips as his head was pulled back, foreheads joining after Mountain lets out a whine from Swiss still pulling his hair back. Mountain wanted nothing more to get Swiss naked right then and there.

“Mount…” Swiss whispers, fearing that if he spoke any louder, the moment would be ruined. 

“I'm gonna kiss you again.” Mountain announces in the same quiet tone. 

Mountain goes for Swiss neck, inhaling his scent before lightly kissing him in that little patch near his ear. He wants to bite, he knows and recognizes what this attraction is but Swiss doesn’t. He can't jump the gun and do something that could probably destroy their souls. 

Without realizing, he shakes his head, shaking the thoughts away, Swiss is too high on the love right now to catch Mountain's head shake. Instead, he moans when Mountain begins to kiss down the front of his neck to his collarbones. Tracing the outline of those delicate, sensitive bones. Swiss throws his head back, opening himself more for Mountain. His hands still tangled in his hair, tugging lightly every now and then. He leaves a few hickeys on Swiss collarbones before returning to his lips. Swiss feels Mountain's fangs when he slides his tongue into his mouth, both of them fighting for dominance. Mountain’s hands are gripping Swiss hips so tightly there's bound to be bruising tomorrow.

They hear a distant beeping that’s becoming louder and louder, then they realize it was the timer letting them know the dough was done proofing. Swiss pushes Mountain away softly. 

“Give me a second, and then we can continue, we should get these into the oven,” Swiss pants. 

Mountain, panting equally as hard, nods, but he doesn’t let go of him. He holds Swiss by the waist, continuing to kiss his neck while he rolls out the dough and spreads the cinnamon sugar butter on the dough before rolling and cutting them.

Placing the rolls into the oven, Swiss turns and continues to make out with Mountain. Without clearing out the counter, Mountain hoists Swiss up to the counter. The slightly shorter ghoul now towering over him. His hands start to roam underneath Swiss’ shirt, claws scratching lightly into his skin, enough to leave a faint raised line.

“Mount… more,” is all Swiss is able to get out. Mountain unbuttons part of Swiss shirt to give him access to his torso where he licks his V-line, tempted to go below his belt, but he stops himself. Maybe the coffee shop is not the place to suck his soul out through his dick. 

The timer goes off again letting them know the cinnamon rolls were done baking.

Mountain looks up at Swiss’ face, pleading with his eyes to not get off the counter. Swiss laughs and hops off, heading straight to the oven. 

“Would you mind grabbing the frosting from the fridge?”

Mountain nods and hands it to Swiss, who smears it on the warm cinnamon rolls, melting the frosting. 

Mountain discreetly adjusts himself and fixes his clothes before sitting on the bar. He can’t help but stare at the reminder of what occurred just moments ago. Hair messy, lips swollen, cheeks stained red, his shirt unbuttoned and untucked, a few scattered small hickies, little red lines peeking through his opened shirt.  

Mountain swallows hard. He tries to contain himself and let Swiss finish setting up dessert. 

“A cinnamon roll for you, but before you eat it, I have a special drink I’d to make you”

Swiss brings out a jar with green powder, and a bamboo whisk. Pouring a little bit of hot water over the green powder he put in a mug and whisked it until slightly frothy. He goes to the steamer with some oat milk in a cup, steams it then pours it into the mug and pumps some flavoring into it. 

Mountain’s eyes follow him from one station to the next, until the drink is presented in front of him. 

“I present a matcha latte with oat milk and a hint of rose. Try it,” Swiss encourages. 

Mountain takes a sip and it's like tasting a garden. The rose flavor bring out the flavor of the matcha.

“Swiss, this is delicious. It's amazing. It’s comforting. It makes me feel all warm and safe. It tastes like… home, in a way.” 

“I call it the Mountain Special. I was hoping you'd like it.”

“I love it so much,” Mountain smiles so big. He lets out a moan as he bites into the warm roll, “so good.”

Swiss chuckles. Before him there’s a big ghoul with frosting dripping from the corners of his mouth. Using his thumb, Swiss cleans off the frosting before sucking it clean. 

“And I love you, Mountain.” 

-

After cleaning up the kitchen, Swiss walks Mountain back to his apartment, hoping to stay the night and finish what they started in the cafe.

“Thank you for the wonderful date, Swiss. I loved every moment of it. I adore you so much. Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure, Mounty.”

“Um, I know you probably want to stay, but I… uh kinda need time to process tonight, if that’s okay,” he explains, twisting his fingers, obviously nervous of some sort of negative reaction.

Swiss is unsure of what to say. “Yeah, no, yeah, that’s okay! I’ll call you tomorrow. Get some rest.” He leans in to give him a kiss, but Mountain turns, his lips landing on his cheek.

“Thanks. Have a goodnight, Swiss, get home safely.” Mountain enters his apartment leaving Swiss confused outside. 

Staring into the darkness of his apartment, he closes his eyes, leans his back against the door. 

“Fuck.” 

He exhales as tears roll down his face. 

Part 3, soon, sorry

#revenge works #Matcha Latte #the band ghost fanfic #the band ghost #ghost the band #swiss ghoul #mountain ghoul #swissalps #mist ghoulette #sunny ghoulette #steamy make out session #angst? #barista swiss #professor mountain #coffee shop au #my fic #idk if that was a good dinner to serve but whatever #i dont go on dates

[deadcrowcalling]

me remembering exams start next week

#they start on a MONDAY #in first period like bruh #at least give me a day to mentally prepare myself #and because of how the exam schedule is set this year i've got to do MATH first thing in the morning #bro it's gonna be like 8:00 AM #and i'm gonna have to do math #i'm literally like a few years away from being an adult and i still don't know my 7's and 8's times tables #like i know 1-6 but that's it bro #how am i supposed to do math at 8 in the morning broo 😭 #i am NOT finding the area of that shape fuck you #i want to be asleep in my bed not drawing triangles with the old broken protractors #i am not fixing to do math that early in the morning i'm sorry im not #it is 8 AM BRO i want a BAGEL and to watch reruns of FRIENDS while im half awake #not doing MATH #FUCK MATH BROO #i hate math #im yapping im sorry #yap yap yap #i hate math so much #i'm dropping out istg #but i cant #gotta finish the end of year exams for neil 😔 #do it for neil guys #gays can't do math #i sure can't #wheres cameron when you need him #can bro come do my homework #at least help me do it pls #that's all i ask #wheres a smart ginger kid when you need em

[taasgirl]

say something pt 3.

summary: although playing for the same club, pedri and y/n cannot stand the thought of being around each other. enemies to lovers for all my slow burn girlies out there - i got u

a/n: not proofread and all in english + more installments coming soon!!

"Sir, can I get an extension on this? I've got a game the same day." The room was small enough for me to get my voice across. We had finished learning all the content and were just revising and studying for our exams.

"Talk to me after class and I'll see what we can do." I hated asking for extensions and grants on assessments, and I could almost hear everyone in the room roll their eyes every time I asked for one. I was also avoiding Alex. I last saw him at my match where I blew him off. I was planning on talking to him about everything. I really felt bad about how I was treating him.

As the professor wrapped up class, I began packing my things into my duffel. I had training later today, but I was absolutely dying for some food.

I followed everyone down to the exit and stopped at the desk. "Listen Y/N, we're all quite aware of your commitments to football." The Professor, Mr Lanigan, was filing papers into a binder. "But we've awarded you too many grants. I'm sorry, but for this paper the day you are sitting the exam is set in stone."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. They generally were totally fine with my footballing schedule. "I can't make it then sir. You know how strict they are." He looked at me sympathetically.

"You're a bright girl. you'll figure something out." I walked out after thanking him, but I was pissed. There was no way I could sit that test. Barca were strict. Missing a game for university was a big no no, they were already being flexible with me, allowing me to attend lectures during the day.

After a quick pitstop to the closest cafe on campus, I decided to walk back to the apartment. I needed to collect my thoughts and find out a way for me to attend my assessment while also getting to my game on time and prepared.

While walking through the streets of Barcelona, I was stopped numerous times by fans asking for my photo. Now it wasn't uncommon for me to be stopped, but I took at least 30 photos today which was way more than usual.

As I got back to the apartment, I was greeted by a sleepy Salma. "Morning girly." She was still in her pyjamas, obviously looking for something to eat. "Sal it's 2pm." She shrugged, making me laugh.

"Hey I need to get to football a bit earlier, I've gotta talk with Jonatan." Salma opened the fridge, "Yeah that's fine, I'll drive."

"So do you know what time your exam is?" I was sitting in Jonatan's office, begging him to help me figure something out. "It's from four until five." He shook his head at my response.

"I'm sorry Y/N but you won't be able to make the game." I wanted to throw my head back in anger but I didn't. "Please, is there anything you or the president can do? I can't miss this exam and I can't miss the game." I had found out that the game that I was set to miss because of my exam was an El Classico. I wasn't going to miss that.

"That's not in my power. You must speak to your university and make a decision." I could feel my eyes swelling. It may just seem like a game, but I had been dreaming of an El Classico at the Camp Nou my entire life. This was the first year that they had decided to play the derby at the iconic stadium, and I wasn't going to miss it for the world. "I hope you can figure it out. I'll see you on the field." He stood up and helped me out of the room.

I couldn't look at him as I felt the tears come on. I walked down the hallway with my head down, trying as fast as I could to get back to Salma's car. She had given me keys and trusted me to drive it even thought I still didn't have my license. And right now, it seemed like the perfect place to cry.

I continued walking and picked up my pace. That was until I walked straight into someone. The apology came out of me before I could even look up.

It was Pedri.

He was holding my arms, and was concerned when I looked up. "Y/N are you ok?" I was so angry. I needed to just get all my thoughts out.

"No I'm not Pedri. Everything is so fucked." My voice turned croaky but I kept speaking.

With his hands still on my arms, he pulled me into a random office with him, he told me to keep talking.

"I just can't do school at the same time as this. Why did I think it was a good idea to play football. Or go to university." I had begun crying. "And now I have to either miss out on one of the most important exams I will ever take, or miss out on the most important game of my life." I wiped the tears from my cheek and continued as Pedri stepped closer.

"And I'm sorry if this is gonna come off as rude but I have to go to uni. My job is not as permanent as yours." He pulled me in and held my tight, lightly running his fingers through my ponytail. "If I fuck this up then I need a backup. And there's just so much pressure to do both. I can't handle it anymore Pedri."

"It's ok baby, let it out." I couldn't stop crying. I had bottled these emotions up for too long, and they needed to come out. I just wish it wasn't Pedri who would have to see me like this.

We stayed like that, me in him arms for at least another minute while he reassured me. When I pulled away, he picked up my chin and wiped away a tear. "You're a pretty crier." I lightly smacked him, sniffling. "We should probably get to training Pepi." He agreed, and walked out with me.

We walked down to the changerooms together where he then spoke up. "You can talk to me if you need. I may not be able to relate to you or your situation, but I can understand you." I hugged him. It was all I could do, no words were coming out.

I stepped into the women's changeroom and was met by Salma's eyes. "So what did he say?" I shook my head at her. "He can't do anything."

She got up from her seat to hug me. "You smell like cologne." I blushed into her shoulder, I wasn't gonna tell her about what happened.

"And girls, please make sure you're on time tonight." Lucy spoke to us all as we finished up training. Tonight was the some type of ceremony for our sponsors. These fancy dinner happened almost fortnightly, however it wasn't often that we all had to attend.

Lucy was definitely targeting us. Salma had made us late so many times, walking in awkwardly when someone was mid-speech.

"Oh and the boys'll be there too." The whole changeroom groaned. As much as we were 'one club', we couldn't stand the guys. It was something about their cockiness that really pissed everyone off.

"Girl you look fire. Surely your trying to impress someone tonight." Salma nudged my shoulder while I was putting on my make up. "Watch it Paralleulo, one wrong move and my lipstick becomes foundation."

I chose a gorgeous blue and white dress. It wasn't too formal, but also not to casual - the perfect pick.

"Oh and I'm not driving. Pedri is picking us up." My eyes widened in the mirror. Pedri. Driving us. Pedri? "Don't give me that look girl, I know you wanna jump in his pants."

"That's gross Salma. When will he be here?" Salma peeked out the window. "Now. Him and Gavi are outside." I ran to the window, finding Pedri and Gavi dawdling on the sidewalk. "Come on Sal, let's go down."

Once we approached the two boys, Salma ran to Gavi, giving him a big hug. Pedri and I locked eyes. He smiled awkwardly before coming closer to me. He wrapped his arms around me and I did the same. "You look great." We peeled off each other as Pedri went to Salma, and I to Gavi.

"Alright guys come one we don't want to be late." Gavi ushered to us as we packed into the car. He offered the front seat to me, basically forcing me to sit in with Pedri.

"Y/N chuck on some music, let's see what you've got." Pedri helped me connect the bluetooth to my phone, and soon enough, I had the car pumping to some 2000s pop.

The trip didn't take too long. We were on the road for about 30 mins and it was truly enjoyable. Salma led most of the conversation, but soon enough Pedri and I warmed up.

"Oh guys, does anyone wanna go out after this thing? I'm happy to drive around?" Pedri called out to us, he turned he head to mostly face me. I smiled at him, "Yeah actually that would be great." Salma spoke after me, "Surely we go and pick up some McDonalds."

"Do you know what this is actually for?" Pedri leaned into my ear. We were seated at a table together with some sponsors. Literally just us. "Boy don't ask me, I'm still half asleep." He chuckled at my response.

We spent a decent amount of time talking to the people at our table, most of them were major sponsors of the club. "So Y/N, you think you'll be able to fight for Champions League this year?" The short man opposite me asked. "Of course, I've always got space for silverware on my shelf." Everyone around me laughed, the found my cockiness funny. "Atta girl." Pedri rubbed my back gracefully.

"This is boring." He was playing around with the food on his plate. It was some type of concoction of left-over steak with a dark red sauce. "Shut up and eat your food Pedro." He rolled his eyes before sticking his fork into one of the roast potatoes on my plate. While looking straight at me, he ate it. "Hey don't eat my stuff." I smacked him on the shoulder.

"So how long have you two been dating for?" Pedri practically choked on his food. "Huh?" I looked at one of the women sitting a few seats down from me. "How long have you two been together? I mean with that much chemistry, it's gotta be a few years." My cheeks turned rosy.

"Umm." I cut him off "Oh we're not together." Despite how loud the venue was, I could hear the silence radiating from our table. "Oh woah, I'm sorry. I really thought you were- never mind." I smiled at her almost apologetically.

I leaned over to Pedri. "I'm just gonna head to the bathroom." He nodded.

I walked straight to the bathroom to touch up my makeup. I was feeling flushed from what that woman had said. I didn't think we were too affectionate, or even flirting. Well at least not a lot.

I fixed up my hair before pushing open the door. As I walked through the narrow hallway, I felt a hand from behind pull me in.

I spun around and was immediately pulled into a kiss. Pedri had one hand on my cheek and the other on my waist, kissing me relentlessly.

As I pulled away, I smiled at him. There were faint lipstick smudges on his lips. "You need to stop making out with me outside bathrooms." I punched his shoulder playfully.

"Come here." He pulled me back into him, this time his hands were exploring my back. "You're so gorgeous." I kissed him harder to shut him up.

When we had finally stopped kissing I laughed. "Go to the restroom and clean that lipstick off your face." Concerned, Pedri tried to wipe it off. All I could do was smile. "I'll catch you back out there."

"You good?" Salma had caught me as I entered back into the show room. "Your hair's a mess." I rolled my eyes as we made our way towards the table. "Where's Pedri?" I raised my shoulders.

"Holy shit. You just fully fucked him huh?" I smacked her. "Shut up Sal." She was in awe. "I was wondering where you two went holy shit." I turned her around to face her away from everyone, and from the hallway out walked Pedri.

"You slut." Her smile was from cheek to cheek. "We kissed now please don't say anything." She couldn't stop looking at me.

I found Pedri again and sat back down next to him. “And to think that only a few days ago you smacked the shit out of me.” I laughed at what he said. I stood by my decision to smack him up - he deserved it.

Halfway through the dinner I got a message from Alex, I immediately began responding to him. I needed to tell him how I really felt.

He was asking me for some notes from class. Something about interview techniques. I told him that I was happy to send them through but only when I had gotten home.

“Who you messaging?” Pedri was staring at my phone. “One of the boys in my class - you’ve seen him.” He nodded his head, still reading the incoming messages. Alex was asking me when we could meet up next. I instinctively told him tomorrow. I wanted to right some wrongs with him. He was a genuinely sweet guy, just not the guy.

Swing by mine tomorrow - I need to talk to you

The car ride home was pretty silent, we didn’t end up going to McDonalds and instead Pedri drove us straight home. He hadn’t really said much since we kissed. I put my hand on his thigh, only for him to move his leg away.

When we had reached the apartment Pedri didn’t bother leaving the car. “Come on ladies, I’ve got you.” Gavi walked us to our rooms, and explained how he was gonna go clubbing now with Pedro.

“Don’t get too drunk yeah?” I patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah and don’t let her boyfriend get too drunk either.” I gave Salma a death stare. “Who Pepi?” She smiled at him. “Did you two…” he didn’t finish he sentence. “No we didn’t sleep together god.” He laughed and ushered us inside.

As soon as I had taken off my dress and removed my makeup, I landed straight into my bed. “What’s up with you girl?” Salma opened my door.

“If this is about Pedro… just trust me, he’s literally in love with you okay? Yeah he’s an angry dickhead, but he does really care for you.” I rolled over in my bed “He’s so confusing Sal.”

After what seemed like the longest sleep in of my life, I was woken up by the sound of my phone buzzing. Alex was messaging me about when he should come over - I told him in an hours time before taking my phone out of the charger and checking instagram.

Well if that wasn’t a huge fucking mistake.

Each photo and video in my feed was of Pedri making out with some girl. And that girl wasn’t me. I tried not to immediately jump to the fact that it was last night, but his coat jacket and blue button up were far too recognisable.

I went looking for more and felt my heart shatter when I saw the girl sitting on his lap. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her tight to his body.

I found even more videos until I couldn’t bare seeing what I saw. Salma cautiously walked into my room. “Hey babes.” She sat down on the end of my bed. “Have you seen the fucking videos?” She looked at me sadly. “Aw come here.” She wriggled her way up to me, holding me as I felt the tears begin to fall.

“I thought he liked me Sal.” She brushed her fingers through my hair. “He does Y/N, he’s just really fucking stupid.”

To me, this feeling was worse than a breakup. We weren’t together but that’s what made it worse. He wasn’t even cheating on me. God he was just out clubbing and making out with a hot girl.

The tears fell effortlessly down my face. “I never want to see his stupid fucking face again.”

“So, has the club figured anything out?” My professor asked. I knew that he was trying his hardest with the university, but they wouldn’t budge. “Nothing sir. I’m just gonna have to bite the bullet and hope they don’t kill me for missing an El Classico.”

He looked at me sympathetically. “Listen, I’m gonna try for one last push. I’ll see what I can do.” I thanked him once more and left the building. Alex was outside waiting for me - I told him that I was too unwell to meet up yesterday.

“Hello beautiful.” He kissed me on the cheek and took the tote hanging off my shoulder. “Are you still okay for lunch?” I nodded at him, and soon enough we were in his car.

He was driving us to a local Thai restaurant - apparently it was his favourite. When we entered, I realised it wasn’t just a Thai restaurant. It was undoubtedly one of the fanciest restaurants I had ever been in. “Oh wow Alex, you really didn’t need to do all this.”

“It’s honestly nothing if it means I get to spend time with you.” I blushed and picked up my glass of water.

“So what’d you need to tell me?” His eyes were on the menu but still directed his voice at me.

“Umm.” I had no idea what to say. If Pedri wasn’t a complete and utter dickhead - making out with randos right after me, I would’ve told Alex that I wanted to end things.

But if Pedri really didn’t feel the way I thought he did, then I wasn’t going to waste my time or energy on him. “You know what, it’s nothing.” He smiled at me.

We were sat for at least two hours, letting ourselves completely loose; talking about anything and everything. As we finished up, he insisted that he paid. “Please, seriously it’s my treat.”

After lunch, we took a leisurely stroll close in the Botanic Gardens. Alex couldn’t stop taking photos of the flowers, and after a few accidental brushes, our hands were interlinked.

“Y/N you know I really like you right?” We walked past a grand oak tree, I smiled assuringly at him. “Like I genuinely see you as someone I want in my life for a long time.”

I froze. I liked Alex sure, but I wasn’t ready for that type of commitment. “Alex, I genuinely do enjoy spending time with you but I can’t commit to anything right now.”

His head dropped. “I’m sorry.” He rubbed my hand. “I understand.”

“Omg Y/N! Please can we get a photo?” I immediately dropped his hand. “Sure girls.”

Pedri’s POV

“The fuck is this shit?” I threw my phone across the room. “Calm down Pepi what is it?” Gavi called out to me.

“Is it Y/N?” He walked into my room and picked up the phone one the floor. “Oh shit.” He muttered to himself.

“So did that kiss mean nothing to her?” I practically shouted at Gavi.

“Oh, so she can’t go out to lunch with some random guy, but you’re allowed to make out with the first girl that jumps on you?” He chucked the phone at me.

“Salma called me and Y/N is pissed Pepi. That girl is absolutely head over heels for you, but you can’t control your dick enough to see how good she is to you.” I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah well what the fuck do you expect me to do when I see her messaging a guy, telling him to come over right after I fucking confessed my feelings to her?”

“I always knew she was whore, I just didn’t expect her to fucking use me.” Gavi slapped me. Right across the face. “Don’t call her that.” I stared at him. “Get the fuck out.”

“You need to talk to her Pedro. She’s really hurt.”

you know the drill! lmk if you like this series and want to be tagged in the next!! some accts wouldnt let me tag so sorry if that was u.

if you have any reqs pls submit them, i'm working on a few rn!!

@poppyflower-22 @girlidekanymore @heli991113 @xxenia14

#football #football fanfic #football imagine #enemies to lovers #pedri #instagram au #fc barcelona #football social media au #pablo gavi #pedri fic #pedri x you #pedri x reader #pedri imagine #pedri gonzalez #gavi #salma paralluelo #football fic #footballer #soccer #barca #barca femeni

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Being a Hunter and Mentor

to Gon and Killua

*it's was the most generic hxh gif I could find 😅

Hunter x Hunter characters (probably a large variety of them) x gn! Reader

Warnings: light Swearing, Hisoka

A/N: I'm currently on a HxH fixation because I've binged the entire series 😃 I wanted to try my hand at some headcannons because I have zero self control ✌🏻 back to the regularly scheduled programming Thursday!

Honestly YN, I'm not sure which job is scarier

Being a Hunter or dealing with everyone else who is also a Hunter 😐

Because like, it's a lot

Like I'm exhausted just watching the anime I can only imagine how you feel

Let's just say you passed the Hunter exam on your first try 💅🏼

Honestly ✨️MATERIAL GWORL✨️

You've been a pro hunter for about 5 years now

Love that for you

It's a lucrative business and you absolutely love your job

You meet all sorts of interesting people and get to do some amazing things

One of those interesting people just happens to be Ging Freecss 🙃

At first, he seems like a nice guy and I'm sure he is

But then he ruins it 😐

"YN when my son comes looking for you, I want you to make his life miserable. Teach him but make him miserable"- Ging

You 👉🏻👁👄👁 pardon

First off all, this man's has a son ✋🏻

Not only that but he wants you to make his child's life miserable?

"Wow dad of the year much?"- you say

"Never claimed that YN, just please do this for me. I owe you one"- Ging says before he disappears just like he did from Gon's life

OH BURNNN 🔥

I'm so sorry Gon 😭

You can't tell me he wouldn't be all "ITS OK MY DAD IS THE COOLEST :D"

NE WAYS you continue on your life's path until you "accidently" bump into a less than friendly white haired boy

"Watch out!"- he yells

"Excuse me?"- You 😃 🔪

"Killua apologize! We are so sorry!"- a black haired boy says looking at you

Boy does he look familiar 🙃

"Quite the temper you got on you there kid. No worries, it would take more than a child to knock me over"- you

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME??"- Killua, giving Bakugo level anger issues 💥

"I mean we are children technically. I'm Gon by the way"- Gon says extending his hand

Finally the prophecy has come full circle 🔵

"Ahh yes, Ging's son. Nice to meet you, I'm YN"- you say

Gon 👉🏻😐😳🤩 you know my dad!

"I do! In fact, you're dad told me that when I meet you, I'm suppose to make your life miserable" you add

Gon 👉🏻😃 whet-

"But since your dad is kind of a jerk, how about this? I'll show you a few things and send you on your way"- you say

Gon 👉🏻🤩 yes please!

Killua 👉🏻😐🙄 whatever

*intermission*

Dear YN it's me, the person writing this headcannon set, just making sure you are ok because like do you know what you are getting yourself into??

Well I guess we all have to learn the hard way sometimes 🤷

*intermission over*

You begin your journey with Killua and Gon

Surprisingly, everything is going smoothly

🎶 don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious 🎶- me singing to myself before I ruin your life 😅

You see, at first, everything WAS fine

You meet Kurapika and Leorio

"Wow Gon, that's awesome that YN is training you!"- Leorio says

"Yeah and that you're getting closer to meeting your dad finally"- Kurapika adds

You were training the boys in their specialized Nen abilities

Helping them to strengthen them as well as teaching them more about the world of hunting

You were walking down the streets if YorkNew City when you sensed a strange presence 🤨

"Dont be alarmed but someone's watching us. Just walk normally and don't look suspicious"- you say as you walk with Gon and Killua down the street, turning into a side alley

"Alright show yourself"- you say, gearing up for a battle

"Oh no it looks like I've been spotted"- a creepy clown looking man says emerging from the shadows

You 👉🏻😳🤨

"Who are you? Sorry buddy I don't think the circus is in town right now"- you

Oh good one YN 😜

The creepy clown man just laughs

"That's Hisoka YN, he's a hunter too"- Gon says

"Oh I've heard of you before"- you say, squinting your eyes at Hisoka

"All good things I hope" he says smiling at you

"Honestly no but I judge people on my own interactions not the opinions of others"- you add

"How noble of you YN"- Hisoka says 🤡 🔪

Hisoka totally knows who you are and let's just say he's weary

See I forgot to mention that you are not only a skilled hunter but in incredible Nen user as well

A specialist 💅🏼

Your ability is known around the Hunter world and you are one tough cookie

Your training for Gon and Killua is much like how you learned to train

"So... we just run..."- Killua questions

"Run yes but also while producing aura. Now go!"- You shout

"But YN, aren't we going to run out of energy quickly"- Gon asks

"Sure you will"- you shrug and set your things down

Killua 👉🏻🤨 so what's the point?

"The point is you do what I say"- you add

Please Killua is ready to fight you YN 😭

However you aren't as tough on the boys as Ging had wanted

You never were one to do as others asked YN 🙄

So you not only taught the boys but you nurtured them as well

Kindness goes a long way, even in the world of Hunters 🥰

Unfortunately for you, kindness doesn't extend to most of the underground of YorkNew City

Namely a certain group 👀

Or shall is say Troupe...

Look at me rhyming 😏

That's right because it's just Gon and Killua's luck that they would walk right into the Troupe's hands

Honestly 🤦 have you taught them nothing YN?

"Well I guess I should probably go and rescue them?"- You think as you head in the direction of the Troupe's hideout

You didn't PLAN for this to happen but you can't say you're disappointed

What fun training am I right??? 👍🏻

Thankfully the whole gangs here when you enter the Troupe's hideout

"Alright give me my students back"- you say as everyone watches you waltz in like you own the place

The troupe 👉🏻😐😲

Chrollo 👉🏻 😏 interesting

Gon and Killua 👉🏻😬😬

"How- how did you find this place?"- Phinks asks

"Oh its really not that hard, I put trackers on Gon and Killua so I don't lose them. I'm always losing things"- you say shrugging

Same YN, BIG SAME

"Want me to torture them?"- Feitan asks

Chrollo puts his hand up before you interject

"Don't bother, I'm only here to get these two"- you say walking up to them, studying the nen thread binding them

"Well this is unfortunate. I'm going to need someone to remove this nen thread"- you say

"You can try-" Machi says before she watches her Nen thread fall to the floor

Gone and Killua just stand there 🧍‍♂️ 👁👄👁

"Impressive YN"- Chrollo finally says

"A Nen ability like that is superior"- Illumi adds emerging out from the shadows

"Chrollo Luciler and Illumi Zoldyck, how nice to see you again"- you say standing up and peering at the two men

"YN it's always a pleasure"- Chrollo adds as Illumi nodds

"Well I'd love to stay and catch up but we need to get these two kiddos to bed"- you say pushing Killua and Gon to the door

"It's like 2pm YN!"- Killua growls

"Do you want to get killed? No? Then shut it!"- You whisper yell at the boys

"I'd love to fight you YN"- Hisoka says emerging from behind a large crate

Well would you look at the time ⌚️

"I'd love too BUT unfortunately I have plans so let's do a rain check"- you say, practically hauling Killua and Gon under your arms and out the door

I AM SPEED 💨

"Why don't we go after them boss?"- Franklin questions

"Now is not the time. Not with YN there"- Chrollo says smiling as you quickly leave the warehouse

"Seriously can you two please not"- you say as you finally make it back to your hotel

"YN you were awesome! Can you teach me more about your Nen??"- Gon says 🤩

Please the golden retriever energy ✋🏻

Killua just huffs 😤

You smile, knowing these boys are both going to be amazing Hunters 🥰

#hunter hunter #hunter x hunter #hxh #killua zoldyck #gon freecss #hisoka morow #chrollo lucilfer #ging freecss #hunter x hunter fanfic #hunter x hunter headcanons #hxh headcanons #kurapika #leorio #hxh x reader #hxh x you #hxh x y/n #hxh x gn! reader #hxh fluff #illumi zoldyck #feitan portor #phinks #machi

[thewritingofspencerrose]

Mamma Masterlist

The Lake House

Summer 2018

"Jim! Can you get the door honey?" Ellen's voice sounds from inside the house, making Quinn chuckle from my side, our luggage in his hands.

The door swings open, revealing Jim Hughes, the yelling of the boys clear as they run around the lake house. Our last summer before Q joins the Canucks full time.

"It's Quinner and Ruthie!" Jim bellows, and it's clear where the Hughes boys get their volume from. "Hi sweetie," He greets me, pulling me into a tight hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Dad," Quinn greets, making his father laugh as he pulls away, going to hug his eldest.

"Don't act like it's not clear that Ruthie is the favorite child," Jack speaks up, the chaos having calmed as all the boys crowd the hall that Jim lets us in to.

"Q," Jack greets his brother, Quinn setting down our bags for a moment to hug his brother as Luke approaches us, the 16 year old heading straight into my arms.

"Hey kiddo," I welcome, giving him a tight squeeze. "You're practically a string bean. When did you turn into a giant?"

He chuckles, giving me another squeeze before pulling away. "The same time you got old."

"Old!" I yell, shoving him back. "How dare you! I am barely four years older than you! Q, Moose is being mean to me," I complain jokingly.

"Dude, you never call a woman old, Ladies 101," Jack advices, him and Lu switching places as I pull the 18 year old into a hug. "It's good to see you Ruth."

"Always good to see you kiddo," I return, looking towards where Trevor, Alex, Cole and Jamie stand. "And hello to you boys."

"Hi Mom," Trevor is the one to respond, and from the corner of my eye I can see Quinn roll his eyes at the wild teen.

"Speaking of mom, where is Ellen?" I question the Hughes.

"Right here, sweetie, which means it's my turn for a hug!" Ellen speaks up, apron still on as she pulls me into a hug. "God, I've missed having another girl around," She all but groans.

"How does it feel, knowing our parents like your girlfriend more than any of us?" Luke asks Quinn, the younger boy wrapping his arm around his brother as Jim disappears with our luggage.

"I don't like her more," Ellen defends, pulling back with a directed look to her sons. "She's just the first girl in the family. Let me appreciate her," She requests, smiling brightly before looking to me. "Why don't you get settled sweetie? I need to borrow Quinn for a few minutes to catch up with my oldest baby."

"Of course Ellen," I assure, giving her a side hug before making my way to Jack's friends. "Now, who wants to tell me what y'all have been up to?"

"Is everything ok Mom? We talk almost every day, there's nothing to catch up on," Quinn questions as his mom pulls him into the kitchen, leaving Ruth with his brother's and Jack's friends, all of who call her mom.

"What are you and Ruthie planning about Vancouver? Is she going to stay at UMich?" Is the first thing out of Ellen's mouth. "I think you should propose before you take off. I trust her, but men will hit on her otherwise."

"Whoa Mom what? I'm not proposing just because I'm moving to Vancouver," He denies the crazed idea, not admitting it had run through his head as well. "And Rue is staying in Michigan. She has to finish her degree."

"Oh poor thing, with her exams and student teaching schedule, and you everywhere all the time it's going to be so hard for her to visit, or for you to visit."

"Isn't student teaching just a couple days a week?" Quinn questions, having thought it was just like any other class when Ruth had said she was applying.

"Honey, student teaching in 5 days a week, 7am to 5pm, on top of coursework. Ruthie said it'll be a lot but she thinks if she leaves immediately after work on Fridays she'll be able to visit you on weekend-"

"I can't let her disrupt her life and scurry around to see me," Quinn interrupts, his Mom knowing where his head is.

"Then it sounds like you have some thinking to do, Honey," She says softly. "Because that girl out there would do anything for you. Move anywhere, travel anywhere, and do everything she can to make you two work. And it sounds like you don't want that work for her."

And as much as Quinn hates it, his mom is right. He doesn't want the constant stress and traveling for her. He loves her too much for that.

#original character #the writing of spencer rose #nhl fanfiction #best friends to lovers trope #oc x quinn hughes #quinn hughes

[finnlongman]

hi, I just found your blog :)

If I may ask, how in the world did you manage to write entire books while also being a PhD student????

Is there a way to not let your PhD consume every waking hour of your life?? :') please tell me your secret

Heh, well, the first thing to note is that I'm in the first year of my PhD, and traditional publishing is slow. So the books I'm talking about right now -- Moth to a Flame and The Wolf and His King -- have been in the works since long before I started my PhD. I originally wrote The Wolf and His King in winter 2019, when I had a full-time job; I originally drafted Moth to a Flame during my full-time MA in 2020. So the PhD is only the latest thing they've had to compete with for my time and attention!

I've always been writing alongside everything else -- I wrote my first novel at 13 and I was writing the whole way through my school years, despite doing a million extra-curriculars. Honestly, I have no idea where I found the energy, but it got me into the habit of writing during lunchbreaks or in short bursts whenever I had the time, and while that's not my preferred way to work these days, it sure did teach me a lot. These days I've got two sets of edits and promo and admin, and the PhD, and my occasional side-gig as a bodhrán player in a couple of trad bands, and whatever other casual work I pick up (today I was invigilating exams), so it's always a balancing act.

But specifically, with these next two books: Moth to a Flame was largely finished before I started my PhD in October, with structural edits done; I was partway through line edits during the first month of my PhD, and then copyedits and proofreading after that. I was doing copyedits over Christmas, including on my phone during a family visit on New Year's Eve. I've been editing The Wolf and His King more recently, with structural edits also happening mainly over Christmas (working on Christmas Day, my favourite) and line-edits happening right now.

Balancing TWAHK with my PhD, or The Butterfly Assassin with my MA (since I sold it at the start of my second semester and that wasn't the best timing), has mostly been about speed and prioritisation. I'm lucky to be a fast writer and a fast reader, so I can get 7k of academic writing on paper in the course of a day or two and therefore keep the wolf (my supervisor) from the door while I run off and do line-edits. Doesn't mean I should, but it happens more than I care to admit. Likewise, I can (and regularly do) edit/rewrite a novel in the space of two weeks, even if that is also not sustainable.

But it's also about being open with my editors (and supervisors) about my deadlines -- e.g. we pulled line-edits for TWAHK forward to March, even though I only submitted structural edits at the start of February and there's often a longer gap, because I'm going to be super busy with PhD work in April ahead of a deadline at the start of May, so I knew I needed to get the bulk of the work out of the way. That means right now, I'm spending more time on writing, but next month, it'll be nearly all academic work.

On really good days I can do both, and usually write for 1-2 hours in the morning, work all afternoon, and then write again in the evenings (this is what I was doing in December with structural edits), but with chronic pain/fatigue and a changeable schedule, that's harder.

Mostly, though, I'm lucky that my adult books and my PhD are very closely related, so a lot of the research I'm doing for the books also feeds into my PhD, and vice versa -- meaning that a lot of the time, I'm multitasking. It was much harder when I was juggling The Butterfly Assassin and my MA, since they had nothing in common; I would basically just focus on one or the other at a time, and was very grateful that we got a slight extension for our thesis submission deadline because of covid or I don't think it would've been in on time.

Oh, and I also don't have a social life (thanks covid + disabilities) so there's that, too. And my house is a mess and I don't eat enough vegetables. But I don't have any caring responsibilities or dependents, and at the moment I don't have fixed hours/work obligations, so that's something.

As for how I used to write when I had a full-time job (and disabilities) (and a social life)... honestly I was definitely writing at work sometimes. And not just on my lunchbreak. 🤫

#answered #kirk-goes-to-gallifrey

[ashrillvenheim]

Awakening Past

Chapter 9

pairing: Ashley Graham x Leon S Kennedy.

Content: (+18) romance, angst, gore, erotic/suggestive themes at some point, slow burn, violence, action, self-harm, death talk,

If you're a MINOR or feel uncomfortable with any of these genres or ships, please DON'T keep reading, thank you.

Archive of our own / WORK LIST / Awakening Past Masterlist

prev/next

The cups clinked against each other. Water echoed like a mantra in the air, sliding between objects. The continuous hum of the oven became an enveloping echo, putting the cook in a trance. A deep voice hummed in the background. 

Pum

He removed the pasta from the water and placed it on some dry cloths. He followed with the filling and tomato sauce. He skimmed the instructions on his laptop, which rested on the kitchen island. His mind, totally focused, read carefully so as not to skip any steps, and just in case, he set timers so he wouldn't forget anything.

He wanted to get it right. Because he could do it right.

Pum

He lifted the lid and his stomach growled at the delicious smell that emerged from the pan. His blue eyes swept over the various items strewn across the countertop. Fortunately today Henry had let him sleep in and he had woken up at nine o'clock, which was unusual for him and thankfully he felt rested.

Since he had gotten there he slept better. He ran his hands through the water and dried them on a rag which he then threw over his shoulder. He had to admit that the morning was flying by, as it had been a long time since he had done any serious cooking. It might have been that those two years he had been working more in security than in missions, but the president's schedule didn't allow him to spend many hours at home. He had fallen out of the habit, and the burnt meatballs were proof of that. So better to focus on one thing.

Pum

Speaking of getting things done.

Pum

“ Don't you have anything better to do?”  his voice was directed at the body lying in his living room, which was throwing a tennis ball to the ceiling and then picking it up.

“ I'm doing something. “ the female voice replied.

“ You call spending half the morning lying on my living room floor something?”

The ball stayed in her hand a few seconds longer, as if her mind was remembering something, and then she threw it again.

“ It helps me study.”

“ You have such strange ways of studying.”  He paused and approached the room with his arms crossed. “And may I ask why in my house?”

She turned to look at him with her amber eyes.

“ Do you know how hungry I am since you started cooking? It doesn't smell like dog here so I can enjoy the food alone.”

“ Have you come to my house to smell my cooking process?”

“ And eat the result clearly.”

Leon arched his eyebrows with a derisive laugh.

“ Excuse me, I think I got confused, who did you say the dogs are in your house?”

He caught the ball like lightning and sketched his trademark lopsided grin. Ashley looked up from the ground at him with the same gesture.

“ I'm going to beat you up one of these days.” she snorted.

“ You want to fight? I've got more experience than you, you know.”

Ashley sat down cross-legged.

“ I might be able to put you on the spot.”

The man's eyebrow arched.

“ Are you challenging me?”

“ Next week, in the gym, after the biology exam.”

Leon stared at her trying to decipher whether she was serious or just pulling his leg.

He was foolish to think she was joking.

“ I'm going to kick your ass.” the agent's tone of voice grew menacingly aggravated, sending soft shivers through her body.

“ You're not going to hold back because I'm the president's daughter?” she joked, testing the waters.

“ Are you going to do it because I'm your bodyguard?”

“ Not a bit.”

“ Same to you.”

The timer went off, startling them both and making Leon walk back to the kitchen. He stirred the sauce in the pan and tasted it.

“ Hey Ash, come here for a minute.”

Without a second thought she got up and like an obedient puppy stood next to him. She watched Leon pick up a wooden spoon and fill it with some steaming gravy. He blew gently with one hand underneath so none of it would fall and held it up to Ashley's mouth.

“ I want to know if it's to your liking.”

She leaned over and Leon moved closer. Ashley took the spoon in her mouth and her eyes widened like saucers. She didn't move and Leon thought, for a second, that he had broken her. He tried to pull the spoon out, but she held it tightly making the man laugh.

“ Can I take it then that it's good?”

Ashley dropped the spoon and tasted noisily. The agent laughed at the happiness in the woman's expression and wiped the corner of her lip with his thumb without thinking. She tingled at the gentle caress, but shook her head to calm the growing sensation.

“ You can get back on the floor now.” the man teased, winking at her. 

Ashley grunted.

“ I'm hungry..." she mumbled, shuffling her feet and plopping down on the couch. 

She almost choked as she smelled Leon's scent multiplied on the cushions. She felt her muscles relax as she inhaled softly.

“ Be patient, I'll be done in thirty minutes.”

Another grunt, drowned out by the pillows on Ashley's face, reached him.

Leon began to assemble the lasagna in the bowl in silence, listening to Ashley's deep breathing as she lay on her stomach.

“ Are you gonna fall asleep?” he smiled, pouring the sauce over the pasta.

He heard a chuckle.

“- So you can eat all the food by yourself? No way, I was just thinking about next week.”

“ It's the last stretch, you'll be fine.” he paused, adding mockingly. “ I can always threaten the teacher to pass you.”

“ Just smile and ask them please, I'm sure they would get down on their knees.”

“ I don't have psychic powers.”

“ No, you're just a blue-eyed demon with the devil's smile and the charisma of a swindler.”

Leon put the food in the oven and scoffed.

“ I don't know whether to be flattered or terribly insulted.”

“ I'll let you decide.”

The agent took off his apron and put the rag aside to head into the living room. He stood in front of Ashley with his arms crossed.

“ Can her majesty grant me a small piece of her vast domain?”

Ashley cocked her head to one side with a crooked smile.

“ It's my couch now.”

Leon nodded.

“ And now I have a burglar in the house, you're under arrest for trespassing.”

Ashley shrieked as she felt hands on her waist try to lift her up like a sack. She turned quickly on herself, pulling out of the grip, but felt it in her side. The agent's fingers pressed into her ribs and shocks coursed through her body. Ashley squirmed in desperate laughter at the tickling.

“ NO! Please! STOP!” she exclaimed trying to wriggle away from him, but Leon drove his knee into the edge of the couch and grabbed her tightly, a devilish grin plastered on his lips.

“ You brought this on yourself Miss Graham. “ he scoffed, watching as Ashley curled into a ball, trying to protect herself with her forearms.

“ Okay! I'm moving!”

“ Ah ah, it's too late.”

Leon grinned and tortured her until she bounced off the couch and onto the floor. Ashley grunted at the blow and the man laughed sitting down in his usual corner. She looked at him indignantly and got up.

“ Have you got angry your majes-”

Cutting off his sentence she threw herself on the opposite side and landed her legs on Leon's thighs, tensing him all at once.

“ That was cheating.” She muttered looking up at the ceiling in an attempt to hide her blush. He smiled and dropped his head back, leaning back. His blue gaze was riveted on the lamp above him, as if in it lay the answer to all his problems. Though the real reason was so he wouldn't stare at the smooth bare legs in his lap.

The two of them stood in silence for a few long minutes, listening to the hum of the oven and the clatter of the cheese melting.

“ I'm nervous.”

Leon blinked suddenly and straightened up to look at Ashley, who was still focused on the ceiling.

“ Why would you be?”

Because she couldn't afford to fail.

Because what she saw a year and a half ago was something that had to be taken care of and if she failed and didn't graduate she wouldn't be able to prepare for an expedition. 

She couldn't use Narsson, not when she knew nothing of her real motivations.

She couldn't bring her into it. 

There was only her.

No.

She was no longer alone.

There were people who had gone through that one.

“ After so much effort I know it's harder to fail, but I can't help but feel that little bit of anguish.”

Leon's chuckle made her look at him and prop herself up on her elbows.

“ Would it surprise you if I told you I went through the same thing at the Academy?”

Ashley smiled and stood up, still with her legs over him. He rested his arm on the back of the couch.

“ The infamous Leon Kennedy nervous about an exam?” she joked, and this time the smile on the agent's face was sincere, even a little... sad.

“ So was I when I applied for the position in Raccoon City, when I went on my first mission as an agent, when I went on my second, and when they sent me after you.”  his blue orbs sank into her with a tinge of nostalgia. - every time I've had some important event I've gotten nervous and I still do.

Ashley leaned back on her arm looking at him with a curious air.

“ Well, you don't look like it. When... you came for me in Spain you seemed... stone. At first I thought you were immutable.”

“ Yeah, maybe I give that impression, I guess in this job you have to show your emotions as little as possible.” His gaze lowered to his lap where Ashley's legs rested and he noticed subtle, barely visible marks.

Scars.

His hand moved unconsciously and he touched with his fingertips some of them as he continued to speak. - But there are times when I think I lose the ability to feel, to... be human.

The hair on the back of Ashley's neck stood up at the shocks of those fingers on her skin. But she didn't move. She listened to him, wanted to hear him open up to her.

She cherished those moments when he decided to confide his feelings to her.

“ But you know what?” it was a soft voice, barely a whisper that reached his ears, turning to his golden eyes waiting for her to follow. - I have never thought you were less human, in fact, as I have gotten to know you I have seen that you are more human than some people, Leon. No matter how many missions you do, there are things you can never stop feeling, because if you did, it would be like losing your reason of being.

Leon's hand stopped and rested his palm on her twin enjoying the softness of her skin.

“ Wow, Miss Graham, you seem to have some experience, may I ask from where?”

She smiled.

“ You flatter me Mr. Kennedy. Let's just say I once knew a man from whom I learned things that neither books nor professors can teach.” Her lips broke into a sweet smile that melted him beyond repair. “ Maybe I can introduce you to him someday, he's a grouch, but he's a good person.”

And then she would tell him that he was the charismatic one. 

When she smiled like that and talked like that, it was hard not to be swept away. Her voice filled him up and rocked him hopelessly. She knew how to talk to him, how to soften him up and make him unable to say no to her. There were times he hated that she knew him so well but deep down, he was grateful to have a person he simply surrendered to without feeling vulnerable, if not accompanied.

He patted her legs supportively with a smile.

“ You'll do fine. You can always try again, but you've studied hard, you've turned in all your assignments and you understand the subject matter, trust your instincts like you did when you came looking for me all the way to the other end of a government camp.”

Ashley reddened at the show she put on two and a half years ago and laughed nervously pulling her legs away from the man's lap, both feeling the sudden chill on their skins.

Leon got up to go get the food out of the oven and Ashley jumped off the couch as the delicious smell flooded the room. Leon set the platter down on a board and brought out the serving dishes.

Ashley watched him like a cat from across the isle. Her amber eyes fixed on the agent's broad back and her mouth salivating at the intense smell.

“ I don't know if you're going to eat me or the plate.” he joked, grabbing some silverware and taking it to the dining room.

Ashley took the plates and joined him.

“ You might make a good side dish, with a little sauce you're sure to be tasty.”

This time it was Leon who rolled his eyes and heard her laugh as they both sat down and Ashley poured the drinks.

“ Is this lemonade?” Leon asked looking at the glass and taking a sip.

“ Yeah, I haven't made it in a while and now that it's starting to get hot I think it was a good time.”

The agent tasted it in his mouth. The taste of summer, of sun and heat against his bare skin. The sweetness that slid across his tongue like a caress accompanied by a subtle acidity and fruity touch.

“ It's delicious.” he told her, taking another sip and seeing how she smiled gratefully, taking a piece of the lasagna.

“ Let's see how it is.”

She blew on the steaming bite and then chewed. Leon watched her for any sign of displeasure, but saw nothing.

He only perceived the dilated pupils of her surprised eyes and her cheeks flushed with happiness.

“ It's... amazing... Leon, I've never tasted such a good one.” the joy in her tone caused his heartbeat to subtly quicken.

“ I'm glad you like it.” he ate this time, feeling the excitement run up and down his body.

And so it was, a quiet Sunday lunch followed by a calm afternoon.

Leon suggested going for a walk with the dogs to calm Ashley's nerves. There were times when they chatted, times when they stood in silence listening to the wind move the branches.

The sun passed through the leaves timidly, occasionally catching glints in their hair. The dogs ran and played with some of the children in the park. Those who recognized the animals turned to greet their owner and she responded, even approaching them to ask how they were doing.

That and trying not to die every time they turned to Leon and asked if he was her boyfriend.

“ No, I'm an old friend she hadn't seen in a while." he would reply each time, with a smile trained to perfection.

Ashley would have to get used to it, at least until the mercenaries' intentions became clear.

Then they would probably send Leon and Patrick to investigate about it and split up again.

She didn't mind. She was happy to see that he was safe and sound. She might want to continue to maintain a relationship through messages, she didn't want to lose the friendship she had acquired this past month.

They lost track of time and found themselves at the other end of the neighborhood in the middle of the sunset. The small hill they had climbed allowed them to see the vast fields stretching out in front of them. The warm rays caressed their faces gently and the reflections shone in their eyes.

Leon turned to his protégé and was struck by the way the light reflected off her amber orbs and blonde hair.

She looked like she was made of gold.

Her irises sparkled as bright as freshly polished amber and her golden hair, pulled back in a small half-ponytail, waved playfully.

Sunset was definitely her color. All those warm tones enveloped her like fire.

Ashley felt the agent's gaze and turned to him.

“ Is something wrong?” she asked with a smile.

“ I was just thinking.”

“ Can I know what?”

How long would it last, that calm, what would happen once the truth about the mercenaries came out? 

He liked that quiet, a breath of fresh air in eight years that he didn't think he'd ever have again. He was working, yes, but he felt free from the chains he used to have. He wanted to treasure all that time and although he knew it was selfish and irresponsible, a part of him wished the mercenary would never regain his memory.

But he knew it wouldn't last.

That it was all destined to end.

He didn't know if it was right to keep Ashley's number and chat with her when he wasn't there anymore.

She was still the president's daughter and he was a secret department agent. Maybe when her father's candidacy ended it wouldn't be the same, or... no.

He didn't want to think about that. It was just conjecture that wasn't going anywhere.

He smiled back at Ashley.

“ I'm going to have to change my exercise routine this week, I've been eating too much lately." 

She laughed playfully and reached over to him to suddenly pinch his waist.

Leon jumped looking at her in bewilderment.

“ You can give me what's left over from the lasagna if you think it's too much.”

“ Try to take it from me if you can.”

Like lightning he ran down the hill, swearing to her that there would be no more of that dish. Ashley called after him and ran after him like a gazelle.

Yes, this was fine, they liked it.

**

And so came exam week.

One week.

Five days to define whether she was qualified to graduate or not.

Ashley went into her first test with her heart in her throat, but her bodyguard managed to calm her down with a freshly made hot chocolate in the morning.

She had to admit she was glad to have him by her side.

She managed to focus on the three and a half hours each exam lasted. Leon would stand at the entrance guarding the room and every now and then a few professors would approach him for a chat. There was even one who asked him to cover for a few minutes while he went to the bathroom.

At the time she never believed that chalk could be lethal.

The rest of the day Ashley kept referring to him as "Professor Kennedy". It turns out that some students believed that without the teacher they could take advantage and cheat on the test.

What they didn't know was that Leon had the eyesight of a hawk.

And the aim of an angry llama.

Those two students were hit with a chalk each, but no one saw when he threw them, but it was enough for Leon to walk down the center aisle that they didn't even think to talk back.

It was a special case, but what fun it was to see him in the role of supervisor.

His serious and intimidating demeanor kept the students from staring at him, only when he turned around did they stare at those jeans that looked so good on his glutes.

Yes, maybe for some people he was more of a distraction than anything else.

Shortly thereafter the professor returned and he went back to his corner.

It was rather monotonous

They would arrive at the university, stop by to see the lists so they knew which classroom to go to, and Leon would wait for Ashley at the entrance. Then they would go to the cafeteria for a drink or lunch, depending on when their second exam was.

Leon would ask her some questions about the subject matter to help her with the final revisions.

That's how they spent Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday was more or less the same. They went to see Narsson first, chatted with Maria and Patrick and during that time Ashley took the opportunity to work some more on her final presentation.  Leon watched as she put on her headphones while she wrote and subtly bobbed her head up and down.

“ Hunnigan told me that the president is thinking of contacting the BSAA” Patrick informed in Leon's ear.

“ They may be related to some of... you know.” Patrick asked, looking at Kennedy. He stared at the table as the pencil fiddled between his fingers.

“ If so, it means that whoever hired them has a special interest in that type of weapon.” he paused. “ But what do Narsson and Ashley have to do with it?”

The three of them were silent. They hated being in the shadows regarding the investigation into the attempted kidnapping of Narsson. Leon was even beginning to wonder if the mercenary had remembered more than the doctors credited him with.

“ He also told me that the boss has asked Hunnigan to have a personal debriefing with him.”

“ Uff, I pity the mercenary, Hunnigan has no mercy.”  laughed Leon.

“ Hey Ashley.”  Narson caught the blonde's attention in her native tongue. “  Could you come with me to the doctor's appointment today?”

Leon looked up at Ashley and saw her hand stop.

“ Do I have to go?”

“ Sasha has family business to attend to and Maria has paperwork pending. Come on, you got out of the week you had to take me.”

Ashley stared at the papers. 

It was true that she had gotten out of taking her to the hospital the week after the accident, thanks to Sasha and Patrick, but this time they weren't there to get her out of that one too.

“ Is it going to be long?”

“ Just sign off on the checkup and return the crutches.”

Her student ended up sighing in defeat.

“ Okay”

Narsson smiled cheerfully.

“ Thank you.”

The blue gaze shifted to his protégé and she raised her head to meet him.

“ We have to make a short stop at the hospital.”  Her voice was almost a whisper.

She knew Leon wasn't fond of health centers either and didn't like having to drag him to places uncomfortable for him, but she saw him nod with nothing to add. She wondered how many times he would have passed through the hands of doctors since Raccoon City and after all the missions he'd been sent on since then.

“ How is the presentation going? “ she then heard Narsson speak for everyone's understanding.

“ Well, I am organizing the last points for the presentation.”

Emma nodded.

“ Tomorrow I have the meeting with the rest of the defense jury, I will let you know who the professors are.”

“ Thank you.”

“ When do you have the work presentation?” Maria's voice reached her.

“ Next week, but I want to finish these preparations to have the weekend off, I want to rest.”  She made some last notes in her notebook and looked at the time.

She gathered her things to head to her exam.

“ I will come for you when the test is over.” she said to Narsson in her language.

The greenish eyed woman smiled and nodded and then wished her luck on the exam.

“ You can stay here, Leon, the classroom is very close.” she said, wanting him to chat more with Maria and Patrick.

“ And miss the chance to throw chalk at the cheaters? no way.”

They both laughed and said goodbye.

This test was the easiest of all for Ashley. She finished it in barely an hour. From the moment she turned the page, she hadn't taken her pen down. 

Leon remembered his theory test at the Academy, when he was told that he looked possessed when he concentrated on answering all the questions accurately. In his mind he couldn't help but sketch a smile.

There were things about him that he saw in Ashley that were similar and at the same time different. It was a curious thing.

As the hour passed Leon saw her look up at the window. The sky had clouded over and the first drops began to hit the glass.

She rested her chin on her palm and stared outside as she twirled the pen in her other hand.

The musty smell flooded the room and the rattle of the drops echoed off the walls. Ashley looked preoccupied, engrossed in an infinite spot on the University lawn.

The occasional chair could be heard sliding and a couple of students handed in their exams with pale faces. Ashley shook her head and took the opportunity to hand hers in. 

She and Leon walked out of the classroom into the empty hallway.

He turned to her when he didn't hear her utter a word.

“ Is something wrong?”

The woman frowned subtly.

“ No... but I feel... a strange sensation, like a bad feeling.” She paused and then waved her hand, playing it down. “ It's probably just nerves. I still have some exams left.”  she turned to him. - Besides, we have the fight tomorrow pending.

Leon laughed, putting his hands in his pockets.

“ Are you sure? You can still quit.”

“ Need I remind you that I've been training with Dana for over a year and a half?” she smiled mischievously. “ I'm not afraid of you.”

Before she realized it she was cornered against the wall, gloved hands on either side of her head. Leon looked deeply at her, his irises dimly darkened. 

Ashley's heart skipped a beat as she felt so intimidated by the man's strong body so close to hers.

“ Maybe you should, princess.” It was a playful tone, but compounded in warning. His lopsided smile gave him a fierce look and for a second Ashley didn't know what to do. She just looked at him, sinking into those sapphire orbs, feeling cornered... she saw him part his lips again.

“ You want to fight a government agent, gorgeous.”

Gorgeous, that was a new one.

That menacing aura awakened a part of Ashley, making her smile and take half a step toward him, defiantly. Their faces dangerously close and with a glint shining in their eyes.

“ I spent two months watching you fight, maybe you should be careful I've learned your tricks.” Leon's pupils dilated for a second at the purr in Ashley's words, like a feline approaching calmly and elegantly, but ready to attack at any moment.

Knowing that more... threatening side of her... he liked it, and in ways he wouldn't have thought possible.

He dropped his hands without taking his eyes off her, still with that amused gesture on his lips. 

His body vibrated at the situation, that mischievous amber gaze challenging him, inciting him in ways that drove him crazy. He rested his hand on his hip and let out a chuckle.

“ As long as you don't break my neck with that suplex you learned is enough for me.”

She watched him still with their bodies close enough to sense Leon's heat. Ashley reached up and adjusted the collar of the agent's jacket with a mischievous grimace.

“ I have other ways I could break your neck.”

This time it was Leon who was speechless and gave her a puzzled look. He saw her laugh and walk away without giving him any further explanation. He walked after her, but his mind was still on that cornered and confused look, the same as last Saturday, the same as that night in a tiny abandoned cellar.

No, stop it.

He shook his head to push those thoughts away. 

It was neither the time nor the place. None of those memories were supposed to give him all those tingles.

**

Narsson stared at her two escorts, who grunted at the same time. The glass doors slid open and the three of them entered the hospital reception area.

“ You're going to scare people.” Emma told them.  Leon and Ashley clicked their tongues and kept their grumpy dog faces on.

Narsson would never have thought the two hated hospitals so much. What the hell did they live in Europe?

“ We're going to wait for you here.” Ashley said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“ Aren't you coming upstairs with me?”

The blonde arched her eyebrows.

“ Do you need me to sign something?”

“ No.”

“ Then no.”

Narsson snorted a groan and headed for the elevator.

The two stepped aside and leaned against the wall. Leon watched as Ashley's irises sped around the room, then took a deep breath and exhaled with a grunt.

“ I hate the smell of disinfectant.” Leon mumbled, earning a restrained chuckle from Ashley.

“ I'll trade you, I smell everything but disinfectant.”

Her face was serious and calm, though he could sense the discomfort in her slightly twitching fingers.

Ashley sighed and tilted her eyes toward Leon, grateful that she no longer had to raise her head as she had when she first met him.

“ It had been a while since he'd been in the hospital.” she mused, catching the agent's attention.

“ When was the last time? - he asked.

“ Since we got back. If you count my visit to the vet, the second.” she paused to look at him “ and you?”

Leon was quiet for a few seconds. Remembering how he woke up in a hospital in Spain after being pulled out of the mines.

But about that Ashley knew nothing and he could no longer think of a way to tell her without worrying or angering her.

So he opted for what he usually did. Keep it to himself.

“ Since a year and a half or so ago, when I had my checkup after coming back from Spain.“ He fucking hated lying to her.

Ashley watched him for a few moments, waiting for him to add more, but when she saw that was the information he was planning to give her, she looked away, fixing her eyes on the floor.

Sooner or later she had to tell him. Maybe when she managed to form an expedition... maybe then she could finally do it.

She took another breath and tensed.

Leon stretched his neck seeing in the waiting room a lady taking off the stocking covering a bandaged foot to scratch it.  Then he heard his companion move.

He saw Ashley walk over to a nearby nurse.

“ I think that lady needs help.” the blonde pointed out to the woman.

The nurse looked at her quizzically for a moment, but decided to approach the woman just in case.

Ashley returned to Leon's side and a second later the nurse exclaimed for a wheelchair and took the lady away in the blink of an eye.

He turned to the blonde, confused.

“ Did you know that woman?”

She denied.

“ No, but what I smelled needed attention.”

“ I thought you were dizzy from all the smells in the hospital.”

“ Gangrene has a distinctive odor.”

The officer blanched and looked down the hallway where the woman had been taken and then back to her.

“ You may have saved her life.”

“ Maybe, she'll probably lose her foot, but she'll survive.”

Leon was surprised at how calmly she said those words, Sure she's all right?

“ You say that very calmly.”

She shrugged her shoulders looking at him and then she saw that twinkle in his eyes.

“ It makes me sad, I admit it, but I've done what I could, I'm not going to think about what I could have done if I had known it before.”

He listened to her attentively, surprised by her words. Definitely if they had spoken two years ago she would now be nervous about that lady, distressed that she hadn't realized it sooner.

But she was being realistic, something he sometimes struggled to be.

He felt those words like a cool breeze, a subtle reminder that he shouldn't succumb to his guilt monsters, just like they did in Racoon city.

He let out a soft sigh with a chuckle. She kept surprising him.

“ I'm done!”  the two turned toward the source of the voice and saw Narsson turn the corner of the hallway. “ Shall we go?”  she smiled.

Ashley pulled out the car keys and they walked back to the parking lot.

**

“ Are you dating someone Leon?”

The car hit the brakes as a pedestrian appeared out of nowhere. Ashley cursed squeezing the steering wheel and started up again. Leon caught a glimpse of the blonde and let out a snicker towards the teacher.

“ Don't you think that's too direct of a question for your student's bodyguard Professor Narsson?”

“ Oh please, don't be like Ashley, call me Emma. And I don't like to beat around the bush.”

The agent laughed in amusement and leaned his elbow on the passenger side frame grabbing a bottle of water.

“ No, I'm not seeing anyone.”

Narsson watched from the back seat, glancing at the driver for a few seconds and then at her escort.

“ Have you two ever dated?”

Leon almost spit out the water and Ashley hesitated at the constancy of speed.

“ Narsson, please.”  Ashley sighed, massaging her temples.

“ What?”  she replied.

“ We haven't had and don't have that kind of relationship, Enma.” replied the blonde as she stopped at the traffic light. “ We are friends even though he is my bodyguard and if you want to hit on him, please wait until I get out of the car and you two can talk alone.”

“ Wow, and I thought you would tell me some interesting story.”

This time it was Leon who intervened.

“ I don't think this is the best time, Professor Narsson. I don't know what made you think Ashley and I have that kind of relationship, but you're mistaken.”

Emma looked at the driver, analyzing her gestures. She had to admit she was good at keeping her composure. She looked at Leon, calm and unmoving.

“ Now I understand who you've learned from.”  the woman laughed, turning to Ashley and leaning back in the seat. “ You look more alike than I thought.”

Leon looked a little confused as to what Enma was referring to and turned to the driver who spoke before him.

“ In Europe I realized that I had to change a lot of things, of course I was going to look at the example Leon was giving me, he was the only one who could give me advice.”

The agent seemed surprised, but he didn't show it.  He had to admit he was proud of how well she handled awkward situations, but for some reason he felt a faint twinge in his chest.

But Narsson was not one to give up and kept poking her finger in the wound.

“ That's how romantic stories start.”  her voice was mocking and clearly intended to make the driver angry, but she held her ground.

“ We're not in a novel, Emma.”

“ So you don't mind if I steal him away from you for a while?”

“ I'm here you know?”

Ashley stopped the car in the parking lot in front of Narsson's apartment, unbuckled her seatbelt, turned off the engine and got out of the car.

“ Call me when you're done.”

And she closed the door.

The two watched the woman walk along the park walk with her hands in her pockets.

“ She took it better than I thought she would.” Enma then said. Leon arched his eyebrow and sat up in his seat to look at her.

“ Is that what you call taking it well?”

Emma looked into those piercing sapphire eyes.

Maria was pretty, but Leon Kennedy was something.....

“ I thought she'd get more upset. She used to do that before she came to Amherst, a little over a year and a half ago. After that week off she took she came back...different.”

The agent didn't understand what she meant. 

A year and a half ago? When he came back from Spain? What happened to Ashley while he was there? As much as his curiosity was whispering in his ear, he respected Graham's privacy. She had promised him that she would tell him everything after she cleared up any outstanding issues.

He trusted her.

“ Even so, Professor Narsson, I find it unprofessional of you to treat your pupil like this.”

Emma leaned toward him without looking away.

“ I wanted to test the waters.”  she whispered playfully. 

Leon smiled.

“ A very direct way of "testing" things, don't you think?”

“ It's worked for me so far.”

Leon stared at her.

He had to admit she was a beauty. That wavy brown hair that enhanced her greenish eyes and her laughing gaze, accompanied by a faint smile on those soft lips.

“ Do you think it worked?” he smiled teasingly. She looked at him like a feline.

“ Depends, will you take dinner?”

He had to admit she was daring. Ashley had told him a little about her.

Thirty-five years old, intelligent and elegant. Passionate about work, so much so that they used to remind her that there was such a thing as food and water.

It was a tempting offer.

Very tempting considering he hadn't enjoyed someone's company in a long time. He would be called an idiot if he wasted such an opportunity.

And for some reason his mouth didn't listen to the sound of reason.

“ Maybe. When my work is done I could make a small gap in my schedule.”

The woman bowed subtly.

“ I'll see if I can make some time for the day, Agent Kennedy.”

He let out a chuckle and got out of the car and then opened the door for Narsson.

Just as Maria had been told they arrived on time and the agent descended the stairs to the doorway to help her protégée upstairs. 

The woman arched an eyebrow when she didn't see her former protégée.

“ And Ashley?”

Leon laughed and turned back toward the park.

“ The Professor shooed her away.”

Maria turned to Narsson questioningly, but Emma played innocent and asked the man.

“ Aren't you coming up?”

He denied.

“ Ashley wanted to practice for tomorrow, and we have food to make.”

The "we have" sounded curious to Narsson, who smiled and went upstairs with Maria.

Leon said goodbye and walked with his hands in his jacket pockets towards the park. In the distance he saw Ashley sitting on the bench, petting a dog.  He watched her for a few seconds, seeing her smile at the animal a moment before the owner called him and ran off.  She watched the canine walk away with her elbows resting on her knees and then turned her head back to her hands for a few seconds.  With a sigh she looked straight ahead, somewhere in the distance and her smile faded until she was serious and staring blankly.

Leon arched an eyebrow, was she annoyed? He saw her step aside on the bench, having caught his scent from far away. The agent finished walking the distance between them and sat down next to her.

“ Is something wrong?”  he asked, leaning back with his arms outstretched on the wooden backrest. She turned to look at him.

“ No, why do you ask?”

He smiled a gently.

“ Because I know you.”

She stared at him, not knowing what to do for a moment, until she gave up.

She really couldn't when he said those things to her with that deep look, like a bottomless ocean.

She sighed.

“ Even my teacher has fallen for your charm.”

“ It's not my fault I'm so irresistible.” he boasted slyly.

She nudged him for attention and leaned back looking up at the treetops.

“ I'll admit I'm... envious.”

He turned away startled and heart racing.

“ Are you jealous?”

She was silent for a moment.

“ I'm jealous of you.”

Leon looked at her, puzzled, his eyes almost out of their sockets.

“ Of me?”

Ashley sighed, closing her eyes.

“ Don't get me wrong, I envy the ease with which you attract people without them knowing anything about you, how they are swept away by that aura of yours.”

He subtly turned in the seat toward her.

“ I thought you didn't like being approached.”

“ The ones who get close because they know I'm Ashley Graham, the president's daughter. It's just that…” She paused to rest her elbows on her knees again. “ even if it's not true, some people think I'm a whore who spreads my legs on professors' desks and that doesn't help people empathize with me, sometimes it's... hard.”

Leon looked at her, feeling a small pang in his chest.

“ The people I know don't know anything about me Ashley, I can't tell them anything, it's not much different is it?”

“ Well, the bullet scar on your shoulder and my whole back tear is the difference.”

“ That doesn't change anything.” he defended.

Ashley scoffed.

“ Leon, let's face it. A man with a gunshot wound in America is not the same as a woman with a full back tear.”

He looked deeply at her, realization dawning on him now.

Yes, he had to admit she was right. Maybe in his field of work scars were more normalized, but outside of it?

“ Are you... embarrassed by your scar?” he asked softly.

She denied with a smile.

“ No, it gives me pride to a certain extent. I'm not ashamed of the little scars, nor of my hands that haven't been as smooth as they used to be. I don't hate that. It's all part of me, but they are enough things to throw people off and now that I'm somewhat better... I don't mind so much that someone is interested in me even with these marks. I'm human after all and it's been over four years since I've had any...mildly romantic interactions.”

He watched her cheeks redden as her gaze became more elusive.

“ But at the same time I don't know if I'm ready.” she added later. 

Leon was thoughtful, somewhat accelerated by the direction of the conversation, but he took a breath and smiled.

“ It's hard to know these things Ash. Give it time, sometimes they show up when you least expect it. In a coffee you owed, on a last minute errand, pasts that come back... I'm not the best to talk about this, I haven't had a partner since I entered the service, although I do believe that the right people are found when you least expect them, but when you need them the most.”

His own words left him thoughtful, analyzing what they really meant.

"When you least expect them and need them the most."

They both looked down at the ground immersed in memories.

A honk made them both jump in place and Ashley stood up with tense fists. They saw a car next to Graham's and that's when she realized she had parked in handicapped. She motioned to the driver and ran toward the vehicle.

“ Hadn't you noticed? “ laughed the officer trotting alongside.

“ I wanted to get out of the car before Narsson took you into the back seat.”

They both laughed and got into the car to go home.

They were partly thankful, because neither would have known how to get out of the conversation they had gotten themselves into.

**

The hands of the clock echoed in the room, the only element that marked the passing of time.

The rain had been pounding on the windows since early morning and the dark clouds had made it necessary to turn on the lights.

There were sighs of defeat and papers sliding across the tables. The teacher had offered Leon a seat, which he couldn't refuse after sitting still for the previous exam.

He found himself chatting quietly with the lady, an elderly teacher who would be retiring in a few years.

No one tried to do anything strange. They had heard about Leon's unerring aim and his hearing. Partly the officer missed being able to throw chalk at cheating students, but not everything was possible, so he settled for giving them menacing looks.

This was Ashley's last major exam, biology. The next day she only had one last paper due and she would have the weekend to rest and pack up her final work.

And then she would be free.

The teacher looked at the time and announced that there were fifteen minutes left.

Some cried and others got up immediately to turn in the test. 

They walked out into the hallway, also darkened by the storm and looked the opposite way the people were going.

The woman's amber eyes turned to the man who gave a devilish grin.

“ Are you ready to lose?”

She held back a sly laugh.

“ Be careful Agent Kennedy, I've learned a few tricks.”

He cocked his head at her, his ashen brown locks darkening his countenance.

“ I can't wait to find out.”

When they heard the classroom door close as the teacher left, they walked toward the gym.

“ The janitor left me the keys, but we can only stay for a couple of hours.”

“ That's plenty for me.” he scoffed.

“ Are you so sure you're going to win easily?”

His gaze darkened and his lopsided smile was so sensual it almost gave her a heart attack.

“ You're not going to be able to walk for three days.”

Okay. Sometimes she forgot the things that could come out of Leon's mouth.  Ashley felt a tingle run down the back of her neck for a second, imagining for an instant how else he could leave her unable to walk.

" Ashley, focus."

She tried to keep her heart from racing too fast.

She had enough nerves, she didn't need to add sexual tension to the mix.

“ It might be you that gets wrecked, I have a very strong grip.”

Leon almost stumbled.

Ashley gave herself a mental slap. Yeah, well, her mouth could also process her brain's information for a change.

She didn't look at him, she kept walking while screaming inwardly.

Physically it was going to be a challenge.

Mentally? She was starting to regret it....

*

His throat went dry and he almost dropped the bottle.

She had to be kidding.  

A lot about him looking like a statue of Michelangelo, a Playboy model... But had she ever looked in a mirror? 

He saw her take off her pants and she was already dressed in a sports bra and a pair of short leggings. Her strong, tanned body was enhanced under the lights of the gym, which accentuated her musculature.

He had to admit that the climbing and Dana had done an amazing job.

His blue eyes couldn't help but slide down her athletic legs, up those gods sculpted glutes and over to her torso. Now that her back was turned to him he could see more of the scar on the criss-cross shape of her top, not quite, but the size of that wound was perfectly visible.

Yes, truth be told it was intimidating compared to the one on his shoulders. One from a bullet and one from a knife on the other collarbone, the latter a souvenir from Spain.

“ Are you ready?”  her voice brought him out of his thoughts. 

His eyes met those amber irises and he smiled.

He set the bottle down on the side of the tatami and took off his shirt.

"Blessed be the gods " Ashley thought watching those muscles tense. Pausing, for an instant at the knife scar on his right shoulder, making the memories come back to her.

But her thoughts were interrupted when she saw him toss the garment aside and stand at guard.

“ This is your last chance to surrender princess.”

Oh... this time he did. That "princess" had been mocking.

“ So is yours, Mr. Kennedy.”

Leon arched his eyebrow with a surprised smile now she was attacking his age? Apparently she hadn't been amused by the princess thing.

Better. More interesting.

They covered their hands with protective bandages and raised their fists.

Suddenly Leon saw the person in front of him change.

That laughing, cheerful look was gone.

With her hair pulled back and her pupils locked on him she looked like a predator.

Those amber, almost golden eyes looked feline.

Like those of a jaguar.

And he knew she wasn't kidding.

“ The first one to abandon or leave the tatami loses.” his deep voice echoed through the walls.

He saw her nod and they walked in circles. 

Slowly.

Their breaths slow and deep. Their gazes locked on each other.

They scanned each other closely, looking for some open spot, a vulnerable area. Leon found himself surprised with Ashley's good guard that left no weak points uncovered. Her flexed muscles allowed her to react in time to anything that came her way.

Should he wait for her to attack? Maybe that was the best option, but he had a feeling she would expect it. Surely he also thought he would hold back on her.

Honestly it was what he was going to do. As much as she told him she had trained these past two years, he had been working as an officer for eight years, not counting his years at the Police Academy. 

But again, he remembered that she had trained with Dana and with her, it was like taking a intensive training course where if you failed you ended up with broken bones.

Maybe he really did have to get serious.

Maybe she was more dangerous than he thought.

He sketched a mental smile.  

She might know a few tricks, but there was a difference between Dana and him.

Speed.

In the blink of an eye he lunged at her with his fist, but a kick was waiting for him and he blocked it with his forearms.

Leon took a step back and stood pinned in place for a second, feeling his muscles vibrate from the impact. He raised his stunned gaze to the woman and she watched him seriously.

“ I told you I've learned a few tricks. I may not be that experienced, but I'm good at counterattacks.” she snapped back to her guard. ” Are you still not going to take me seriously?”

No.

Definitely not.

Because that kick was just like the one he was doing. The one that had gotten him out of so many tight spots in Spain.

And she had learned it.

He launched another attack without hesitation. She raised her arms, but the agent made a sweep that Ashley managed to dodge at the last moment. With the leap she delivered another kick that Leon deflected with his palm and hit her with his elbow in the abdomen, but she subtly turned her torso so he wouldn't hit her full on.

It still hurt.

She grabbed Leon's arm in a headlock and turning her body, wrapped her thighs around his neck and with a downward inertia the agent fell forward, hitting the ground with his back. He exhaled at the impact and gasped, but suddenly felt weight on his chest. He focused his eyes and found Ashley sitting on his thorax, her thighs on either side of his head, keeping the agent's biceps gripped with her instep.

She was panting hard, with a victorious smile on her lips and sweat sliding down her neck and belly.

“ What, you give up? “ she gasped.

He went white for a second.

The soft ass cheeks on his chest, those thighs encircling his head and the heat of her crotch on his sternum. 

His brain went to form the most lascivious images it had created so far, but his body was quicker and reacted.

Without warning Ashley felt legs pass under her arms, only to violently crawl out a moment later. She somersaulted, landing on all fours and rolled at the last second to dodge a knee strike.

“ I'm quite flexible.” she heard him say when he saw her surprised.

He didn't give her a break.

He blocked a fist and dodged another sweep. She threw a hook and swiveled her hips dodging an elbow to throw a back kick. She caught him in the chest, but a broad hand rounded her ankle and pulled her in, grabbing her waist and driving her into the ground with his full weight.

Ashley gasped for air for a second, but followed her instincts, locking her legs around those strong hips and pinning his arms with her own.

She threw her head back with all her might, ready to charge, but he clung to her, pulling her arms and their bodies pressed together, blocking her movement.

“ We...re...you...think...ing to...headbutt...me?” his deep voice rang in Ashley's ear, sending shivers throughout her body, making her laugh.

“ I said... I was... serious.”

She heard a chuckle next to her that set off all her alarms. Leon broke away and suddenly counterbalanced to lift her into the air. Ashley gripped him tightly, but he jumped causing her grip to loosen. Like lightning, he spun on his heels, intending to throw her to the ground to knock her out, but then she released his arms.

Ashley bound him with her legs, running them across his groin like a snake and her insteps pinned behind his knees caused him to arch, Leon went to hunch over, but she ran her free arms around his neck and nape in a chokehold. Leon was too quick though and managed to get one of his hands in to protect himself from choking. She tensed her entire body and with a grunt Leon arched backward hopelessly.

They stood still.

If Ashley stopped straining Leon could pull her through the air and if he relaxed she could strangle or dislocate him.

It was a draw.

“ You could do a Suplex to break my neck.”  she whispered panting in his ear. Leon felt a shiver run down his spine.

“ And risk you breaking my back?” he laughed still tensing his body to keep from arching further. “ Where the hell did you get that much strength?”

she laughed.

“ I think the plaga altered quite a few things before you removed it from me.”

He'd figured it would be something like that. With the first kick he had been startled, but when he lifted her he saw that she was heavier than when they had met in Spain. To what extent had the plaga affected her physical structure?

The two struggled for a few seconds, trying to find a way to come out on top and win.  Their gasps and grunts intertwined in the silence of the gym and only the sensation of their burning bodies filled their thoughts.

Until the phone rang.

It almost gave them a heart attack, but they didn't let go.

“ Aren't you going to pick up?”  said the agent maliciously.

“ I don't trust you.”

The man's broad free hand slid to the thigh at his hips causing her to tense up. Finally Graham cleared her throat and let go of her legs and then released the agent's neck. He grunted, stretching his muscles and watching her go to the bag on the edge of the tatami.   She picked it up as she grabbed the bottle of water.

“ Tell me Narsson.” she drank waiting for her to respond.

“ I don't know how the hell she did it, but Hoffman has changed your presentation to tomorrow.”

She spat so hard that Leon was startled. He heard her cough violently, beating her chest until she was almost on her knees.

“ WHAT!!!???”

Her saucer-like eyes stared at the floor and the bottle in her hand burst under her grip. Leon watched her worriedly, seeing her face contort into a tense jaw and angry eyes with pupils shrinking in rage.

“ I tried to fix it, but she seems to have spoken to one of the jurors claiming that she had made an agreement with you to reschedule.”

Ashley froze with her body tense as a rope. She felt her blood boil like fire.

Leon had never seen her so angry. He saw her bring her free hand to her head after dropping the bottle.

“ So I have to get everything ready for tomorrow? What time?”

“ Noon.”

Ashley took a breath and a guttural growl emerged from her throat as she exhaled. Leon took a step toward her, concerned, sensing the violent aura she emanated.

“ I'm going to rip that bitch's eyes out and make her swallow them until she chokes.”

Leon felt a shudder at the deep animal tone.

Narsson apologized once more and hung up.

Ashley stood and took a deep breath. 

She closed her eyes and exhaled. She opened and closed her hands under Leon's deep gaze. He waited, feeling the tension in her as if it were his own. 

She looked like she was going to snap the neck of anyone who came near her.

And then she bent down, picked up the clothes, dressed and picked up the bag.

“ Let's go back home, I have to pack everything.”  her voice was alarmingly calm, something that surprised him, as it reminded him terribly of her father.

That attitude of dangerous serenity was equal to moments when some people who crossed the line with the president. In those moments William's eyes turned cold and his leisurely voice promised a sentence that no one wanted to challenge.

“ Are you all right?”  he finally asked, testing the waters.

She closed her backpack tightly and slung it over her shoulder.

“ No, but I've got more important things to do than go burn her fucking house down.”

Leon gathered his things without complaint and followed her.

The storm had worsened and the curtain of water created a veil with very little visibility.  

They left the keys in the janitor's booth and ran to the car.

Silence fell between them.

Leon glanced sideways at Ashley from time to time, seeing her serious face and her hands twitching on the steering wheel. It took several minutes, during which he was unable to utter a sound, fearful of upsetting her further.

But finally he saw her body relax little by little. He was patient, he wasn't going to engage her in conversation when he saw that she didn't feel like talking. He would wait for her to open up, just like she did with him in Spain.

“ A rematch is pending.”

Ashley's voice suddenly broke the silence and Leon turned around, now with a much softer tone. 

“ You let me go first.”  he joked, leaning against the glass and looking at her with a smile. Ashley subtly turned to face him and a faint, barely perceptible smile appeared on her enraged face.

“ You know I've beaten you.”

“ We'll have to see it in the rematch won't we?”

How his heart skipped a beat when he saw her smile at the end, sketching that gesture that, for a few minutes, had seemed so distant to him.

He liked to make her smile.

“ We'll set a day.”  she said, parking in the garage.

“ Whenever you want, princess.”

There was the usual "princess", nice and sweet.

How many variations could a single word have? With Leon it seemed like a lot, and she wondered how many more he had up his sleeve. 

But now was not the time to think about that.

She let out a long sigh mentally organizing herself as they got out of the car and trotted up the stairs.

Ashley was in such a hurry to open the door, she didn't even close it as they passed.  Leon followed her being greeted by the two furballs who looked at him questioningly at seeing their owner so upset.

“ Human things, you wouldn't understand.” He smiled at her, stroking their big heads and leaving the bag on the sofa. - “ I'll help you, what do I do?”

Ashley stood still.

“ Are you sure? it's a lot of things.”

Leon nodded taking off his wet jacket and shaking his hair, leaving it messier, giving it a more... wild look.

“ Yes, I still don't have to hand in the weekly report. Your workshop is down the hall, right? I'll give you a hand.” He walked down the hallway but Ashley stopped him suddenly.

“ Wait! Wait!”

He turned around confused at the nervous reaction she was showing him.

“ Is something wrong?”

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if thinking of an answer convincing enough to keep Leon from getting suspicious.

“ I've got fragile things in there, so I'd rather do that myself while you fill the packing boxes with newspaper.”

Leon cocked his head to the side with a " yeah...sure" but didn't want to insist.

If she didn't want to tell him it would be personal. He was her bodyguard not her brother, it wasn't in his range to be gossipy with her privacy.

“ That's fine.” He nodded, shaking his brown short-sleeved shirt. “ Whatever her majesty commands me.”  he smiled teasingly, but saw that she had her head elsewhere.

She pointed to the boxes and paper and then left him to go to the workshop.

She heard Leon take the things to the living room, where she had more space and start filling the sides of the boxes. She went about bringing the first plaster models she had and wrapped them up and then placed them in their respective containers, only to take them out again and stare at them. She decided that she would wrap all the models first and then distribute them, Tetris puzzles be damned.

She went back to the workshop and stared at the whiteboard in the back, full of pictures and notes. She had turned it over, thank goodness she had managed to stop Leon before he came in. She had recently added new notes, but if Leon saw that?

He would kill her.

The hours passed and soon it began to get dark. Leon couldn't contribute much more, Ashley knew better how to arrange the pieces, so he proposed to prepare dinner for her. She just nodded and continued picking things up at full speed. She still had to organize the illustrated panels she had prepared for each piece. She still had a lot of work to do.

And very little time.

He watched her subtly, glancing at her attitude as she went about her rounds.

He could tell she was nervous, but she maintained an incredibly calm composure. If he didn't know her he'd say she even looked calm, but he could see beneath that serious expression. Her brow subtly furrowed and her lips tenuously pursed. They were small details that made the man see how furious she was.

But her perseverance prevailed. Her willpower was greater than her rage and she hadn't been swallowing a bunch of jerks to now be driven by emotions.

If she had to sleep less to get everything ready for the next day so be it. 

It wouldn't be the first time.

Leon finished scrubbing the utensils and turned to her.

“ You have the food ready.”

“ I'll finish with the list of boxes and then I'll have dinner, thank you.”

Leon gave a sweet smile, but still looked at her with concern.

“ Are you sure there's nothing else I can help you with?”

Ashley stood still for a few seconds, looking around.

“ Can you move the boxes that are closed on that side for me? That'll be enough.”

Leon nodded, moving the boxes she had pointed out to him and arranging them in a corner so she would have more room.

“ I'm going to take the dogs out, okay?”

Ashley looked at him as if she had just seen an angel.

“ You don't mind?”

He laughed, grabbing the harnesses from the hanger. He looked at the animals running towards him with their tongues hanging out and couldn't help but laugh.

“ We've become friends, so we'll be fine.”

The woman exclaimed that he was a saint sent by the devil, to which Leon responded by sticking his tongue out at her.

“ Be careful.”  she told him with a smile.

He arched an eyebrow.

“ Why should I?”

“ I wouldn't want m bodyguard to be kidnapped and locked in a basement. You attract attention.” she teased.

Leon rolled his eyes and announced that they would be back in a little while.

Ashley watched him leave and stared at the door for long seconds. Her mind stopped thinking about work for a moment and she remembered Leon's burning skin beneath her, his head almost strangled between her legs and the sweat sticking to their skins. Her heart did an ulterior flip and she had to clench her hands to try to bring herself back to earth, to stop her thoughts from wandering further, taking her to imaginary scenarios, where she wouldn't have minded feeling those big hands clasping her around the waist....

"ASHLEY NO"

It hadn't been a good idea, she'd have a hard time sleeping today, if at all.

*

He didn't wander too far. He strolled along the stone paths in the park next door. He let the dogs run free and followed with his hands in his pockets.

Memories of his childhood came back for a few seconds, the years he'd been with his aunt and uncle after his family's.

It had been a while since he had spoken to them, and even less since he became an agent. Occasionally he received letters, but he barely had time to respond. 

He remembered his aunt's dogs. Three fierce beasts that became his best friends when his parents died.

He even slept with them when he had nightmares. Their woolly fur and warmth always managed to soothe him, maybe that's why he had grown so fond of these two.

He remained thoughtful for a few more seconds.

Maybe that was also why he was able to fall asleep when he was with Ashley in Spain, maybe her warmth reminded him of those quiet moments in his childhood. That would explain why it was so hard for him to get back into the habit of sleeping alone when they returned.

He paused remembering his second trip to Spain and how cold he felt when he was trapped in the mines.

How much he missed her. So much, he even dreamed of her and the tune she used to sing in Spain that he had ended up learning and humming.

Then his mind went back a few hours.

When he had been lying on the tatami with her on top of him.

Her fleshy glutes over his pecs and her strong thighs encircling his head. 

If he hadn't forced himself to go through with the fight at the time, it would have been very exciting, although it was already so now that he thought about it coldly.

He took a soft breath, remembering the heat that had emanated from her, the fire he had felt in his chest as he sensed Ashley's most intimate area. He had to admit that if she'd strangled him with those thighs he wouldn't have cared much... nor would he have minded wrapping his arms around them and pulling her close to him to rest his lips on-.

Stop.

Don't

Go

That

Way.

He shook his head violently.

No, that was a line he must not cross, not after the effort of those two and a half years.

He whistled to call the dogs when it was fully dark and the street lamps lit the streets.  They came delightedly and walked beside him as if he had been their owner all their lives. Even he was surprised by the familiarity with which they treated him.

As if they knew him.

When he went upstairs again, he found Ashley sitting in the dining room, checking notes as she ate dinner. She lifted her amber gaze to him with a big smile.

“ Dinner is delicious, thank you.”

Her words gave him warmth and he responded with the same gesture on his lips.

“ It's the least I can do. Let me know if you need anything else.” He picked up his things from the sofa, then added before closing the door. “ What time do you want to get up tomorrow?”

“ Not too late, I have to set this up before the presentation.”

The agent nodded and said goodbye to go to his apartment for dinner. He could see that Ashley needed space, no matter how well she carried the tension no one liked someone else meddling in their affairs.

He could sense the fury she was holding back and he understood it.

Backstabbing was not pleasant.

Leon listened to Ashley flit back and forth for a while longer, probably making sure everything was in place. He decided to fix himself dinner and check emails before taking a shower and going to bed.

So far everything seemed to be quiet. Hunnigan hadn't mentioned any special news to them, she even seemed to be opening up more to Patrick.

Johnson had told him that he called her from time to time to see how she was doing and to his surprise, she hadn't hung up on him once.

It was progress, it meant a step in mutual trust.

The agent's hand slid across the keyboard lazily.

He wondered what it was that Ashley wanted to tell him after graduation. He didn't like that she kept him in ignorance, but after all, he hadn't told her everything about Spain either, especially about the accident. They didn't use to interact much anymore at that point and after that, after losing his cell phone, they didn't talk anymore.

Until they met again.

The agent couldn't help but smile. All roads led to Rome.

He closed the laptop and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The fight may have been brief, but it had been intense. To his surprise he found himself thinking about what day they could have a rematch. Maybe they could go to one of the DSO tatamis if she graduated and they couldn't use the gym.

Yes, he was looking forward to fighting her again, definitely. 

***

Her body was burning, to the point of hurting.

She couldn't breathe normally, her gasps coming from between her lips hopelessly.

She could feel the parasite writhing between her intestines. She felt shocks running down her spine trying to take control of her body.

Her steps became clumsy, watching as the plaga tried to take over her mobility.

She couldn't let it do it, she had to control it at all costs. She didn't know what she would be able to do if she gave in.

She could hurt Leon.

A hammer blow of pain struck her temple, feeling her head burn from the inside. She curled into a ball in the corner of the room Leon had left her in. She heard gunshots in the hallway and clenched her fingers around her throat, trying to hold back the growing darkness clouding her mind.

She was losing, she felt it.

The parasite's claws were working their way up her nerves to her thoughts, corrupting them, poisoning them.

She stopped hearing gunshots.

She had to do something, bind herself, restrain herself somehow before Leon came through that door.

Quickly.

Clumsily she crawled into an old closet and rummaged for something to tie herself up with. She was relieved when she saw an old sheet that she tore into strips to improvise some ropes.

Her hands stopped.

The plaga was holding her back.

Anguish grew in her as she tried to regain control of her body.

No. NO. NO. NOT NOW.

She heard a click.

“ Ashley?”  those blue eyes peered up to look at her with joy, happy to find her safe and sound.

But she wasn't.

She tried to scream, to warn him to get away from her, but she couldn't.

She only saw his stunned expression as she jumped at him.

And everything went black.

***

She rolled over on the bed tensing her muscles. 

***

"Ah..." "Hmn..."

"Aaah..." "Ah, ah...a-ah..."

Gasps could be heard in the darkness.

Panting breaths coming together in a dance of moans and grunts.

She felt hot. Immense pleasure flooding her, as the rhythm of her heaving breaths moved.

She threw her head back and as if opening her eyes for the first time blinked.

She emitted a moan of pleasure moving her hips and lowered her head to focus on the body beneath her.

She bit her lip with a high-pitched inward moan.

That naked torso, his clothes torn and tattered. Those defined, seductive muscles, that torso sculpted by the gods wrapped between her legs.

She gasped as she rode up and down on him, her bloodied hands resting on his broad chest.

“ Ash...ley...stop…” a pleading growl echoed. “This isn't...you.”

She gasped turning her scarlet orbs towards the face of the man she rode. Leon's expression, contracted between pain and pleasure, sweaty and tense, made her smile.

Ashley extended her hands, now more claw-like, toward his cheek. Leon flinched as he felt the strong phalanges clutch his jaw violently. He felt her thrust on him again, wringing another desperate growl from him, and she leaned toward him. Her tongue invaded his mouth and the taste of iron coursed across his palate. Ashley kissed him voraciously, thirsting for the taste of his mouth. When she broke away, she surveyed her handiwork, the scarlet stain outlining the luscious lips and extending down to his cheek.

The red flattered him.

She wanted to paint him more.

Ashley smiled at the image as she felt him inside her, filling her every time she moved her hips up and down, moaning at the pleasure of having him.

He was hers. Only hers.

She thrust hard into him, moaning euphorically and making Leon grunt, bound between her legs. The agent had pulled so hard on his bonds, his wrists and ankles were raw, unable to break free of the hard knots.

Another onslaught made him throw his head back in despair.

“ Ash…” he whimpered in pain.

She glared lustfully at him, sliding her claws down his torso, causing him to tense. Fingernails caressed and cut the surface of his skin, not deep, but enough to make him bleed and hiss in pain. The woman's fingers drew scarlet lines to his abs and with a smile, followed by a lunge, she sank her claws into him.

Leon roared in pain pulling at his restraints and writhing in desperation.

“STOP, PLEASE!”  he cried pleadingly, unable to continue this torture of pleasure and mistreatment. One of his sapphire eyes flashed scarlet, making his aggressor gasp. 

“ Look... you want this too..." she tore the skin feeling the warm blood slipping through her fingers as she heard him pleading between screams and prayers.

“It's the plaga talking!!!!”  he exclaimed with teary eyes. He tried to wriggle away from her but Ashley pulled her claws out to sink them into his sides this time, making him squeal more.

She moaned in pleasure, licking her fingers and painting her lips scarlet, tasting the iron and sweat of the man she had desired so much.

A snicker came from her, quickening her thrusts and feeling the euphoria grow in her as she tortured Leon.

He pleaded her name again and over and over and  over again. Tormented. Dying.

She wanted to hear him more... so much more... she wanted him to scream her name endlessly.

Her crimson eyes looked at him dementedly.

She wanted to make him hers.

Wanted to possess him.

Wanted to break him.

Tear him apart.

Devour him.

***

He yawned turning on the bathroom light and opening the tap to drink a glass of water.  It was still early in the morning.

Darkness reigned in the place and silence flooded every nook and cranny. The sound of the tap water echoed softly between the walls and the soft click of the glass was a faint note that vibrated in the atmosphere.

The man sighed and turned off the light with the intention of returning to his slumber.

A sharp thump, 

A muffled exclamation followed by hurried footsteps and a slamming of the door.

Without thinking he pulled the gun from the drawer and opened Ashley's door with the weapon raised. 

The living room dark. The windows closed.

He heard gasps, coughs and groans of pain.

His heart was pounding wildly. He saw the light at the end of the hall and walked cautiously.

The door was wide open and a gasp came from the bathroom.

Leon pressed himself against the wall and parted his lips in a soft whisper.

“ Ashley?”

He heard a muffled exclamation, followed by another series of accelerated gasps. He moved closer to the threshold and opened the door wider to see what was going on.

He found her kneeling on the toilet, arms outstretched, holding herself up. Her locks, sodden, clung to her neck and sweat trickled down her back. Her muscles trembled and twitched with each contraction.

He watched her cough again, spitting up the bile that had been left after she had vomited.

He lowered the gun and took a step toward her.

“ Are you-”

A raised hand stopped him. 

Ashley gasped, releasing herself from the toilet and sitting up on her twins. She was breathing heavily and the hand separating them was shaking violently. He saw her tilt her head toward him and between her damp locks he saw her amber orbs with the pupil contracted until they almost disappeared.

 Leon flinched, which caused her to lower her arm.

Those golden eyes looked him up and down, as if she was making sure it was him, that it was real. Ashley sighed, closing the toilet lid and pulling the pump and then resting her elbows on the surface.

“ Give me…” she gasped shakily. “ One minute... please.”

The agent looked at her with his heart pounding, but he understood the feeling, so he nodded and walked toward the kitchen.

The dogs appeared behind the sofa, frightened by their owner's banging. Leon petted them to calm them down and took a cup out of the cupboard.

When he was little and awakened by nightmares at night, his aunt used to make him a hot drink. 

He made it calmly, listening to every sound coming from the bathroom. His own heartbeat began to calm down. His heart had almost broken his ribs when he heard the first thump, fearing the worst.

As he passed down the hallway he had noticed the open door to Ashley's room. Several books had fallen and a piece of furniture was knocked over next to the window, sheets thrown to the floor and beads of sweat on her trail down the hallway.

It had definitely been a bad nightmare. Like the ones he'd had when they'd come back.

He poured the infused milk into the cup gently and sprinkled some cocoa over the surface.

He heard a deep sigh followed by slow footsteps.

The agent turned to look at her, seeing her hair disheveled and damp on her face. Dressed in simple panties and a loose-fitting, almost soaked tank top. 

He saw her eyes reddened from vomiting and her pale countenance.

Their gazes met and sank into each other. For long seconds they stood like that, watching one another. 

Ashley was trembling, still with chills running down her spine. She didn't know how long she stared at Leon, making sure that there was no blood anywhere on his body, that his wrists were sound and not torn by ropes, that the tears of pain in his eyes no longer stained a face contracted with despair.

That he was not terrified of her. 

Then Leon took a step and leaned his hip against the curb of the countertop.

“ A nightmare?”

His voice woke Ashley from that limbo of illusions created by her mind, bringing her back to reality in front of her and making her sigh hopelessly.

“ It wasn't a good idea to take that pill.” Her voice was hoarse and she tangled her fingers in her hair to get them out of her face.  

Leon understood that because of her nerves she had taken something to be able to fall asleep and it had not gone well.

He watched her calmly.

“ Would you like to sit down?”  his tone was soft, almost a purr, showing his concern for her. Ashley sensed it and appreciated it, nodding, walking over to the couch. Leon took the cup and sat down next to her, in the gap that the couch made an L.

He held out his hand to the woman and she looked down at the drink in surprise.

“ My aunt used to make it for me. It's been good for me on bad nights so far.”

Ashley whispered a shy thank you and took the cup between her fingers. She watched it for a few seconds, seeing the even layer of cocoa on the frothy surface and then lifted it to her lips. She blew gently and drank some, licking her cupid's bow under a watchful sapphire gaze.

Her eyes snapped open and she took another drink with a sigh of pleasure. Leon smiled, relieved that she liked it. He watched her drink in silence, sensing her muscles relax and her cheeks regain their rosy color. Ashley's soft sips filled the silence of the room, plunging them into a trance, which after several minutes, Leon decided to break.

“ Do you want to talk?”

She remained silent, thoughtful. She moved the cup away from her mouth to rest her elbows on her knees. Her eyes were lost in the bottom of her drink for a few moments, recalling the scarlet color in her hands, the taste of blood in her mouth and Leon's pleas in her ears.

She sighed, closing her eyes.

She felt his blue gaze on her. She knew he wouldn't force her, but she wasn't alone now, he was with her. Just like he said he would, for both the good and the bad.

She set the cup down on the small table in front of her.

“ I couldn't control my body. I was trying to tie myself up before you came back for me, but I couldn't do it.”  paused, interlacing her fingers. “ And I hurt you.”

Leon looked at her, understanding the feeling perfectly. 

He still remembered those dreams where he relived the moment he tried to strangle Ada, but instead of her, he had dreamed what would have happened if he had attacked Ashley. He understood the anguish of hurting her in nightmares, where he could do nothing but watch what his body was doing and see the light in her eyes fade out with his bare hands.

Leon watched her trembling fingers and sketched a subtle smile extending his own toward her. He took her hand and brought it up to his chest, looking down at Ashley watching his movements deeply. She pinned his eyes, watching how she held her small hand in comparison to his. She sensed a strong heartbeat in her palm. Loud and alive.

She let go of Leon's hand gently and lifted it to rest on his cheek, causing the man to sigh subtly without taking his eyes off her.

“ I'm fine as you can see.” His voice was husky and deep, vibrating every cell in her body. Ashley nodded with a shy smile, feeling slightly calmer, but for some reason her body was still restless. 

Ashley's thumb stroked Leon's cheekbone gently, memorizing the shape and warmth, past the subtle scar. She sat sideways, crossing one leg and allowing her to reach for him with her other hand, which rested on his strong neck. Leon took a nervous breath and leaned into her irrevocably.

Like magnets attracted to each other.

They drew closer until their foreheads bumped. Leon raised his broad hand, tangling his fingers in the straight golden hair and with the other, held the small hand on his neck.

“ I was hurting you so much.”  she whispered, anguish tingeing her voice.

He looked at her with narrowed eyes and ran his hand from his neck all the way down Ashley's bare arm to her cheek.

“ But I'm here princess, I'm fine.”  His whispery velvety voice made her sigh and subtly tilt her head until their noses brushed.

“ I know, it's just... this dream, I've had it before and it was the one that made me push you in Salazar's castle.”

That statement surprised him and the hand on the back of her neck became more pronounced. He continued to listen to her in whispers, watching her move closer to him, touching their legs.

“ When I coughed up blood...I got scared...I remembered the dream. I put you in a bigger trouble and Luis tried to help me, all because I was afraid of that nightmare.”

“ Princess…” Leon's whisper made her smile, surrendering to the caresses of his warm hands. “ It wasn't your fault…”

Their faces, dangerously close, whispered silently as lovers. She opened her eyes again and wrapped both hands around Leon's jaw, holding his face lovingly and pulling away slightly.

“ I know.” she smiled sweetly at him. “ I don't blame myself for it, it's just... it's a nightmare that makes me think a lot of things and... that since then I haven't had again.” she looked deeply into his eyes. “ this time I won't run away.”

Leon melted at her closeness and hopelessly moved closer to kiss her forehead with affection.  He wanted to convey to her all his appreciation and support, and he was someone who expressed himself better with actions than words.

“ I'm sorry I woke you up.”  she apologized.

“ Don't worry, I had gotten up to get a glass of water.”

With that response she seemed calmer and curled up on the couch as she leaned her head against the backrest.

“ I couldn't stop replaying the presentation over and over in my head, so I took the pill.”

Leon bent one leg on the seat and rested his elbow on his knee.

“ Why is that?”

“ I don't know if it's explained well enough.”

Leon stared at their legs touching.

“ Do you want my opinion?”

Ashley picked up the cup again and began to explain her presentation. 

She wanted to think about something else, to distract her mind from those disturbing memories that had long since surfaced. 

Surprisingly Leon found himself very interested and listening to her attentively. She was clear, to the point and very fluent in her ideas. Leon was able to follow the thread of the subject without having any idea about it. 

He felt excitement in Ashley's voice as she showed him the sketches of her schemes and the way she lived it. 

She was passionate about it and he could see it in the sparkle in her eyes.

He couldn't help but be enraptured as he listened to her and he didn't know at what point, but he ended up with her in his arms, resting in the hollow of his chest and shoulder. She had settled in next to him, showing him the photos of the models she had packed. She also explained to him the casting and chiseling process to perfect them and create as accurate copies as possible.

And before he knew it Ashley had fallen asleep on him while Leon had been looking at the photos. He lowered his eyes to her placid face and sketched a smile.

He felt sorry for having to carry her to bed.

He put the cell phone aside and went to get up to hold her in his arms, but Pepper climbed to his feet and lay on top of him.

“ Pepper!”  he called in a whisper, trying to push him away, but the dog didn't flinch.

A few seconds later Mint climbed up behind Leon and curled into a ball, blocking the exit. The man looked at the picture in disbelief and ended up sighing heavily.

He had better get comfortable then.

He leaned back in the seat very carefully, keeping Ashley from waking up. He managed to reach with his fingertips for the blanket on the floor to throw it over them.  He held Ashley's head gently and moved to the side so they could both be more comfortable. Leon watched her in his arms and saw her snuggle up against him, slipping her arm around until she rested it on Leon's waist and the agent smiled, imitating the gesture.

Finally, he closed his eyes, letting slumber return to him.

He felt the warmth of the bodies of the dogs and their owner, and his mind traveled back to those years when, even though he had lost his family, he managed to find a place to call home.

He felt small again, enveloped by the comfort of the woman at his side. How he had missed that sensation...

So he hugged her tightly, sinking into the warmth she gave him.

prev/next

#resident evil fandom #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil leon kennedy #resident evil 4 #resident evil #resident evil ashley graham leon kennedy #resident evil ashley graham #ashley graham leon kennedy #leon kennedy #leon scott kennedy #leon s kennedy #sexy leon #original story #original writing #original content #original art #original character #resident evil infinite darkness #fanfic #fandom #multi chapter #multichapter #older ashley graham #ashely graham resident evil 4 #illustration #digitaldesign #digital drawing #digital painting #digital art #digital commisions

[linzsaw]

75 HARD: day one

[x] read 10 pages - Atomic Habits

[x] 45 minute workout outside - AM outdoor walk

[x] 45 minute workout inside - PM arms + elipitical

[x] gallon of water

[x] followed diet - high protein: protein pancakes, Mexican veggie bowl for lunch, protein shake, banana, brownie and nuts for snacks, and tonight's dinner included Lemon Basil Turkey Meatballs & Creamy rice

[x] took progress photo - good thing I remembered to do this after a big meal :)

[x] no alcohol - nope, and in fact I was pretty ready to give it up and didn't even drink on NYE. I had my last drink on Christmas and not sure I'll ever go back.

Today was a huge success and I'm feeling accomplished! I honestly was in a bit of a rut for the month of December after coming back from Thailand and feeling quite broke and worn out. It felt really amazing to get back into a routine again. I set myself up pretty well for this challenge. They say that New Year’s resolutions are kind of out of place because goal setting should really begin in spring, and that this is a time for rest. I fully get that and support those who are participating in a relaxing period. For me, though, I’ve always done really well when I set my goals at the top of the year. I think monthly check-ins to make sure you’re following your set goals is crucial though! I think having a visual like a vision board or creating a Mind Movie works so well. The background on my phone is a vision board I made a while back and I’ve accomplished almost everything on it. This year, I plan to create a Mind Movie and I’m really excited! If you’re not familiar, these are short videos that you design yourself to get your mind in peak 'manifesting' mode, that you watch first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The idea is to see yourself as having whatever you want now, played out in the movie with hertz frequencies in the background. The goal is to get excited about your dreams, to stop focusing on what is and envision on how you want your life to be.

Preparation

This last week I spent some time collecting recipes, I wrote down all the things I'd like to do daily and weekly, made a workout schedule and plan, and organized a system for how to realistically accomplish these tasks/goals. I also did an intention setting ceremony last night with Yoga Girl's annual podcast which I absolutely love.

On NYE my love and I went out to eat at one of our favorite Italian restaurants and I drank a delicious mocktail that had blackberry, mint, agave, and soda water. I was definitely in bed before midnight (MST) but I did watch the balldrop on tiktok live and got my new years kiss lol. I think this was another way I set myself up for success, just knowing that I did not want to start off the new year hungover. It's not worth it to me and I've really outgrown that poison.

I wondered how well I would do with the outdoor workout with it being winter, but honestly it was really refreshing to jump out of bed and force myself to get outside. The cold woke me up and it was a great start to the day. I listening to a walking meditation. The last time I did this consistently, I very quickly quantum leaped into my dream career from a very depressing job, I passed the ASWB licensing exam by a landslide, and I started my UGC side gig career which has also been quite a success! I'm seriously so damn excited to see how life can get even better than it already is.

The self-development book I started reading is called Atomic Habits by James Clear, and I can already tell I'm gonna love it. I've heard such good things about it. It's about how to build good habits and break bad ones, noting that tiny changes in your day to day life can have a huge impact on your life long-term, whether good or bad. Here's a quote from the book that stood out to me today:

"The impact created by a change in your habits is similar to the effect of shifting the route of an airplane by just a few degrees. Imagine you are flying from Los Angeles to New York City. If a pilot leaving from LAX adjusts the heading just 3.5 degrees south, you will land in Washington D.C. instead of New York. Such a small change is barely noticeable at takeoff- the nose of the airplane moves just a few feet--but when magnified across the entire United States, you end up hundreds of miles apart."

Thanks for tuning into my journey! Can't wait to see the transformation both physically and mentally.

#75 hard #goals #atomic habits #aesthetic #inspiration #new year #new year 2024 #new years resolution

[lilliesforya]

Being tired all the time

Mid to late October

Yesterday, I went to my middle school in the afternoon because of a schedule change, usually I'm there all day. The teacher that I work with told me about the conferences going on for the third years. The school system here is different from the states in that kids work really hard to get into good high schools as opposed to us working hard in high school to get into good colleges. The kids have to meet with the teachers and their parents and talk about what school they want to go to, and the exams they will have to take. The third years are US ninth graders. Their high school is only 3 years. I felt unqualified to choose my university at 18, so I can't imagine having to choose a high school at 14/15 especially because the high school chosen will affect the colleges one can get into. The teacher has to go to all of these meetings back to back and they happen like once a month ish from now until they apply (I'm not sure of the whole timeline). He was like “this is why teachers are always dead during the fall”. And I'd agree. I have never seen that teacher not extremely busy. 

I try to remind myself that this is supposed to be fun. Despite being here to work, my work isnt particularly difficult and I ought to be having fun. More fun? I'm not sure. Considering I have set hours of about 8-4 during the week, it is difficult for me to do much. Though, today is Monday and I am going grocery shopping after work and I'm excited to pick out desserts. Last time I got these waffle pastry cookie things? They're waffles but encrusted in sugar but they're not overly sweet. I love them. I'll also be getting tricolor dango. Anyway, I want to do more stuff over the weekend. But I'm so tired on the weekends that I often don't do that much. It can be difficult to plan things because some information is not accessible to me (websites will be not updated, hard to understand, all in Japanese, etc). Or the events hosted by the Chiba AJET (chiba prefecture jet association) group are so far from me it becomes an all day event and then some. 

Even trying to convince myself to do solo traveling is difficult because I don't think that's my preferred method of traveling. Despite being in a beautiful, new place I am the same person and I have to relax my expectations of how I should be spending my time. Just yesterday, I went to a cafe in the middle of nowhere with a lady from the English circle club in my town. She is very sweet and has lived in California on and off for years, so she speaks great English. The cafe was someone's house but also not? It had a homey feeling, eccentric decorations, and the people there all knew each other. There were also 2 cats that were so cute and friendly. I hadn't seen animals in a while so this was big for me. I got curry rice for 600 yen and it had so many vegetables and beans in it and my friend told me everything was fresh from their farm or garden. I think the cafe was open late for a small event because of the full moon yesterday. My point is that I didn't know I would be going to this place until the morning of when she invited me. I hate doing things spontaneously because it makes my brain anxious and nonfunctional. I agreed despite not wanting to go in the moment because I knew it would be a fun experience regardless. I wonder if pushing myself to do things alone would have the same effect. In the same vein, I could also just let myself enjoy my solitary hobbies in peace. 

Things I've been enjoying:

Waffle cookies 

Genshin Impacts most recent story quests 

Talking to friends and loved ones back home 

Listening to music in my car 

Trying new sweets from the conbini or supermarket 

Making my students laugh/ giggle/ smile 

When the kids say hello or good morning to me at school or wave to me when they see me in the teachers office 

Trigun anime 

The sunsets lately 

The days where I make moms chicken nuggets for dinner 

I bought a winter coat for like only 30 usd and it resembles a coat one of my favorite anime characters wears

#sunsets #awe #considering myself doomed by the narrative is giving up

[huntunderironskies]

Any chance we'll see more of your writings on the Forsaken tribes? I thought they were an enjoyable way to learn about Werewolf's setting, in addition to being a satisfyingly in-depth look at the playable factions.

Hey, thanks for the ask! It genuinely makes me feel better that people are reading the original stuff I throw out,especially since it's been a rough week.

A lot of the reason I haven't been writing much here is because, well, I'm a philosophy major too now so almost all I do is write now, when I'm not reading texts so dense they might as well be white dwarf stars. Those are pretty high effort posts and I have a general idea of what I want to say but organizing it into something coherent and well-organized, even with a template, is...tough. Writing about mechanics is a lot easier for me so ironically the bits I do with Gifts and how I think a Tribe would use them/how they reinforce the group's identity is the easy part, which I think is the opposite of true for most people.

The second thing is up until a few weeks ago (ish) I was doing my final drafts for Requiem for Rome 2e. I would need to doublecheck what I wrote for Bloodlines: the Ageless but I believe RfR2e is the longest section I've ever written and even if it's not, it's easily been the most effort-intensive. Even factoring in having to hack Mergès into pieces to make it functional, interesting and distinct from every other poisoned-themed Bloodline power. I'm not entirely sure what my NDA allows me to disclose but it's prooooobably safe to say that the sections I wrote are the least surprising thing you could imagine if you know me at all.

Last factor: I don't want to guilt trip people into liking/reblogging posts but I will admit that a dip in interest/engagement is part of what made me take a pause on it and Mythology Mondays. I also still have the houserules posts to make which....yeah, that's still in the works especially since there's some games where it's extensive (trying to explain how I rejiggered The Pack's rules into Geist/Mummy/Deviant's organization rules. Pain. Suffering. Et cetera. I'll probably just have to scrap what I'm doing and just explain things in very general terms.)

If people want to see more of those I can try to brainstorm a more tenable way of doing things that means I'll post more than once every three months, likely breaking it up into multiple sections over a few weeks and focusing more on the mechanical aspects of how to play. I do still think this is a helpful niche because I know there's not a whole lot of Werewolf writers out there and the books have....I think left people wanting in some regards (which is fair, it's hard to fit in entire complex sociological constructs into a corebook.) I don't think I'm alone in thinking that Werewolf 2e got cruelly cut short and there's so much left to explore and talk about.

I'm morally obligated to pitch Chris Allen's Patreon in the meantime if you want more Werewolf content, he's probably my single biggest inspiration. I've never worked for or with him so I promise this isn't sponsored lmao. I've been subscribed at the 1$ tier for like three years or something now, and I can tell you it's easily paid off and then some.

The tl;dr is...yes, but it might not be until after exams are done and I'm on break and it might show up in a different form. I don't want to make any specific promises until then, because while there's going to be a lull for the next two weeks it's going to ramp up again a lot in April because of how my class schedule works.

#thank you for the ask! #again #jam i'm so sorry i saw your question i just had to ACTUALLY break out my textbooks to answer it and do proper academic research #it's in my drafts honest

[imtryingmybeskar]

Hello! For the end of year writing ask, please can we have G, L and N?

💛💛

Hi lovely! Thank you so much for asking!

G - Where do you think you grew the most ths year?

I am terrible for writing in fits and starts. I just can't keep to a schedule. But with Starman I did. Every week except for one when I had exams. So I proved to myself I can do it haha

Also I think my general understanding of the fundamentals of fanfic has got better. I've joined and am active in a few subreddits now and people there who have been writing fanfic for decades have helped me understand certain things.

For example; I generally write reader insert because I'm a horny bastard who loves to play with the Pedro characters. But someone pointed out to me that I write reader insert in the past tense which doesn't make a lot of sense since it's supposed to be immersive. That's why I re-did the first few chapters of Come Home. It's something so basic, but I hadn't realised I was doing it. And now I'm deep in Chapters 5/6 of Come Home I'm realising I should have done this as a third person OFC. There's A LOT more angst and hurt and trauma in there than I had initially planned on and the smut is a decent way away so I think going forward I'll keep the reader inserts for one shots and do more writing for OCs.

Always learning!

L - Which character did you write most about this year and why do you like them?

I took a LONG break from writing after Starman. It was so well received and I got so attached to the world that I needed a little distance from writing in general. I also started a new job which left me less time to write too.

So the two characters I've written most for this year are probably Ezra and Joel.

I love writing Ezra for his dialogue. His speech is so rich and I love finding the right words for it to flow properly. Eugene from The Walking Dead is my guide when I get stuck. I can always hear his voice and its a good basis for Ezra's I've found.

Joel....I've been in love with Joel for a long time. I watched playthroughs of TLOU before I ever played it and that VOICE holy crap! I love Joel for his duality. Joel gushing incoming!

When we first meet him he's a youngish father of a teenage girl. That life gets unceremoniously ripped away and we then see him two decades later as a rugged, damaged and brooding man. Except...he still has that capability for affection and we see it in glimpses with Tess when he cleans her wounds and when he refers to himself jokingly as "the romantic type" and she replies more seriously that "you have your ways".

Surviving has pummelled him and punished him but he's still standing, and the main way he's managed that is through bloody mindedness and literal brute force. But once he trusts someone, he shows he can open up.

With Ellie it's more difficult because of the obvious parallels with Sarah. But once she breaks through and he realises that he loves her too, nothing can stop him from protecting her and wanting to be close to her. Which leads to his downfall and the tragedy of TLOU2. I won't go into that except to say that I REALLY hope they do another series or 2 dealing with TLOU2. The scenes with Joel and Ellie at the museum for her birthday are some of my favourites in anything ever. I love seeing them as father/daughter. I love how fiercely they love each other and how giving and generous he is and how he's determined to give her some semblance of a childhood that she never got to experience. I love the way he looks at her, like her smile is the reason he gets up in the morning.

I think the lesson here is don't set me off talking about Joel Miller lol

N - Anything you were planning to write that never got written?

So much. I have notebooks full of ideas. I half wrote a Din and Grogu oneshot that had a kind of GoT/Robin Hobb Assassin books feel and I started to write a Fairy Tale Triple Frontier AU and then realised I actually want to smush them together and write it as an original story not as fanfic. So that's on the back-burner for now.

#ask game #lovely people asking stuff #thank you #pedro pascal character fanfiction #ezra prospect #din djarin #joel miller #triple frontier au #long post

[buckttommy]

/post/701290578415075328/hi-maybe-this-is-a-weird-question-but-since-i hii im this anon so answering 1. i'm native spanish speaker and im taking courses in english ,i'm not sure about my type of intelligence and i have like 10 per week because they are multiple courses

Hi! Sorry it took me so long to get to this; I haven't had proper "answer messages" time lately. So. My study techniques for Psychology:

Set aside 2-3 days for reading the course material in a given unit. If you have ten units in a chapter, for example, read three units one day, three units another day, four units another day. Then use the remaining days to study the Key Takeaways in your book. The Key Takeaways will almost definitely be in your exam and if your textbook doesn't have key takeaways at the end of each chapter, create your own key takeaways (i.e. things you think will be important for midterms, finals, essay questions, etc).

Color code! Color coding might not help you, but when I study, I color code according to: the name of the Psychologists/the years they lived, important definitions, and things I think will be on my exams. Psychologists are blue, definitions are green, and exam info is orange. Color coding helps me to focus my studying and it also helps me recall the information when I'm taking my tests. If a test asks me to define Generalized Anxiety Disorder, that's green, and picturing my green definitions helps me "find" the definition in my head.

STUDY YOUR QUIZ QUESTIONS. A lot of big exams (midterms, finals) use cumulative questions (questions that have been given to the student in smaller quizzes before), so when you study, make sure you're studying the exam questions and the answers you got right/wrong.

Create a schedule that works for you! Studying is time-consuming, especially when you feel like you don't have enough time, so what you do with the time you have in your day matters! Creating and sticking to a schedule is paramount for me, personally, because I'm the kind of person who will give 200% of myself to any given task. Which is great for achieving things, but not great for my continued ability to absorb information or to have a work-life balance. I use this schedule maker because it's simple, easy, and I love the pretty colors :) I try not to do schoolwork any later than 6PM on most days, or 8PM on late days unless I have a deadline to meet that same day. No matter how much work I still think I have to do, I try to stop by those times (I call them my hard stop times; my soft stop times are actually 3:30PM on most days and 5:00PM on late days) because deep down I know the quality of my work and my ability to focus are going to suffer if I'm not alert and at my best. Creating a schedule is key to effective studying, especially if you create hard/soft stop times for yourself. Give yourself permission to have late days, but not so much permission that you're working all hours of the night, because that's only going to exhaust your brain and that won't help you in the long run. If you need help making a schedule for yourself, just let me know! Seriously. People ask me to help them make schedules all the time.

Learn who you are and what your needs are as a student! I asked about your intelligence type because 1) I am the child of educators and 2) I've been studying according to my intelligence type since I was a kid and it's really helpful. For example, my main intelligences are Musical/Logical/Kinesthetic which means I process information best through music (i.e. listening to music while I study/do homework helps me retain what I'm learning/focus), logic (i.e. statistics, graphs, and other cold-hard data makes a lot more sense to me than words do), and touch (i.e. playing with fidget toys or doodling during a lecture helps me focus on what I'm hearing). Since you don't know your intelligence type, I recommend taking this quiz to help you figure out how best you need to study/what you need to study. In all fairness, a Multiple Intelligences exam is something that needs to be given by a trained professional because they can/will pick up on nuances that technology can't always, but my Psych professor gave us this link and I found my results to be highly accurate and consistent with what I've always known about my education style.

This was really long but I hope this helps!!

#study group #jack answers mail

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

So I broke 2 molars about a month back. (Shout out to Indie the Chaos Demon's fat head.) I went to an emergency dentist because my jaw swelled & I could barely talk. The first dentist I saw there was a prick who was really condescending about the fact that these needed root canals & crowns ages ago, basically indicating that it's my own fault they broke. Then he saw my cane & said "What's that for? Are you under the care of a doctor?" Well yeah I just got done telling you about a genetic condition I have that fucks up my bones so I think that answers both questions here. I flat told him I couldn't afford the work & just need them extracted. He sneered & refused. The techs & office/billing ladies who had chit chatted with me before my exam were aware of my situation (genetic condition ruins structural integrity of teeth & left me disabled raising a kid on a little more than $900 a month). They came in to give me the info the doctor told them to, then got close to me & whispered that they were sending some antibiotics to my pharmacy & the other provider would be in the next day, so call in the morning & come in. (It's worth noting that I'm always very clearly embarrassed about the state of my teeth due to all those factors & am very upfront & apologetic about the whole thing with anyone involved. Sucks since I take immaculate care of them.)

The other provider with them was AMAZING. He looked at my xrays & chart & the notes about the situation at hand. Super lovely & understanding. However, after 8 cartridges of local anesthetic I still wasn't numb, aside from a little of my lip/cheek (which wore off within an hour). He was extremely apologetic about not being able to get it done & referred me to an oral surgeon. Bonus: he said the words "after looking at your medical history, I'd probably guess that the EDS is messing up how you're effected by lidocaine." What's annoying is that 3 years ago I had a crumbling molar removed & 2 hrs of them drilling infected jawbone out with just lidocaine so... that's fucking dumb.

The oral surgeon couldn't see me in the office closest until a week from today, so I set that up because with the antibiotics it didn't really hurt if I was careful.

Then yesterday Bailey got upset & hit me in the jaw with her fat paws. I've slept 2 hours, but not consecutively, had ice on my face since about midnight, and am genuinely wondering if I can just rip them out myself & what the consequences of that would be. So I called to see if they had any sooner appointments at literally any fucking office. At 130 pm I will be going under to get these taken from my head since apparently lidocaine doesn't work properly anymore.

Super fun fact: all of this is being financed via the bank of dad (which I hate doing) but overall cost is lower than I expected given that I need to be put under.

and AND 2 days after I initially scheduled with the oral surgeon, the back molar on the other side crumbled. It's missing the entire back half, but getting it out at the same time is an extra $525 that I just don't have the ability to conjure from any source right now. So this is just my life now. My teeth constantly breaking & me scrambling to sort it out. I also have a few front ones that are getting... sketch

[inherstars]

Personal weirdness.

Weird week. Had my annual "well woman" exam, with a description of issues that the doctor seemed to find concerning, or at least worthy of interest, so now I'm being plugged full of hormones to try and set things right. Looking forward to being absolutely bugshit insane for the next couple weeks. *thumbs up emoji*

Also got scheduled for one of those awful ultrasounds where they blow you up like a water balloon. So that's fun. 2024 is really my year so far.

My Mom has been hitting the gabapentin hard, going back and forth between being completely incoherent, angry, and sweet and contrite, and I never know which version of her I'm going to get until she starts sending me texts.

Her complaining that "my phone isn't working" / "The TV is broken" are the two biggest indicators that she's high as a fucking kite, because she sits there and mashes the buttons, having no idea what she's doing, and fucks things up. Yesterday, somehow, she swapped the remotes from the living room and the bedroom, and was using the wrong one in the living room, which was causing both TVs to get completely fucked up.

She was also a bit more lucid yesterday, but still managed to drop an entire pizza on the floor (after trying to serve it on a decorative charger plate, which... I still don't understand), and was trying to convince me there was something wrong with her phone, and THAT was why all the texts she sent me were complete gibberish.

She complained that she hasn't been right since she was in the hospital, overlooking the fact that she's been self-medicating again since being released.

I am tired.

The cats have also had various levels of stomach upset for about a week now, which has been upsetting. Link -- previously healthy -- lost 2 lbs at his most recent exam, so he's in a "feed him a bit more and see what happens" period before we bring him back for another weigh-in. His bloodwork came back, like, 99.9% clean, so the next step would be an ultrasound.

We're a little past the one-year anniversary from vomit-gate 2023, in which all of the cats got mysteriously sick over a period of like 3 weeks, and then gradually recovered. We still have no idea what caused that.

But bellies seem to be back in order. Stinky poops have diminished to at least normal stink levels, and everyone is eating down to the bottoms of their bowls again.

In more positive news, we got the apple trees moved into a new "temporary" greenhouse last week, during a brief break in the weather, and I've been hand-pollinating the blossoms as they open. We're still probably a week or two from more of them opening appreciably, but it's nice to see things moving along.

The contractor finished fixing the walls in the pantry (yay!) which means that this weekend's primary focus is going to be priming and painting the walls, then replacing everything where it needs to go. Next week (assuming it didn't break in transit), he'll be replacing the solid pantry door with a half-light door, which should allow sunlight to enter through the back door and shine into the kitchen. I'm really excited to see how that looks, which is also why I want to pick a nice color for the pantry walls; it's a kind of "throw-away" room, but it will reflect a lot of light and color.

Since we'll have the paint supplies out already, my hope is to tape up the 2nd floor bathroom and finally get that painted, as well.

I'm knocking around ideas of what to bake and cook but, to be honest, with as much work as we'll be doing I'm probably going to be too knackered to do anything too fancy. But once the kitchen is cleaned and back and order, I've got plenty of time to put bread or bagels on in the morning.

I've also spent most of this week either writing or plotting, which has been really nice. I started outlining what was going to be a quick follow-up to the fairy thing I posted earlier, but it got longer and more involved, and now I want to stitch the two parts together. The first part is going to require some additional work to fill it out, which is fine.

Finishing the outline and starting on the actual writing is on my to-do list for the day.

Time to get on that.

EDIT: No sooner did I hit 'post' then she sent me a text complaining that her TV remote isn't working.

EDIT: Five minutes later and she called me in a panic, asking if her surgery is today. Whoo boy. Don't do drugs, kids.

#personal

[runnersnz]

“I am Amber, a 29 years old Taiwanese girl. I started my running journey since 2014 and Triathlon for 7 Years. I am a scuba dive instructor, love the ocean and mountain, love sharing, and always outside.

The story of how I came to start running, back in 2015, I was still hustling through college, stressing over that transfer exam. One day a mate asked if I'd be down to join this chill running team. They promised good company, cool running spots, and interesting chats. I was curious and thought WHY NOT?

We were rocking the Nike+ app back then, and the organiser was this GPS Picasso, creating awesome shapes on our running routes. So, for my first-ever run, picture this: I'm in a Superman cloak, wearing Nike Air Force kicks (not the best for running), and throwing on some short jeans. We hit the streets of Taipei, everyone vibing high and having a blast. Crazy thing is, I smashed 11km that night!

The next day my legs were screaming, but I couldn't wait for the next run. It was crazy - I never thought I could pull off running that far. It blew my mind how positive vibes could turn things around. The combo of good company, positive energy, and the thrill of running... Life-changing! It's not just about the distance, it's the feeling of accomplishment, those endorphins kicking in, and connecting with awesome humans. And the organiser's GPS art just added a whole new level of fun. And let's talk about my outfit choice – Superman cloak, Air Force kicks, and short jeans – total madness, right? But it added this fun vibe to the whole adventure. Running with a crew in a supportive setting does wonders for your body and mind.

During my study days, I was heavily into dancing, but the demands of the college transfer exam forced me to step away from the dance group because practice sessions often ran late into the night. That's when I discovered running - a more manageable time commitment and a fantastic way to connect with some genuinely cool people always up for an adventure.

Joining the running community opened up a whole new world for me. The folks I met were not only fantastic running buddies but also amazing individuals from whom I learned a lot. Every run became an opportunity to enjoy the moment and soak in the positive vibes. It was a refreshing change, and I appreciated the flexibility it offered in my schedule.

So, from being a dancer to hitting the pavement, I found a new passion that not only kept me fit but also introduced me to an incredible group of people who shared my love for running and adventure.

After running with this group for two years, completing numerous 10k and 21k races, and even conquering the full marathon with them, I had built a network of amazing people. Then, one day, someone in the group came up with the idea of signing up for a triathlon. My immediate thought again was, "Why not? Sounds like a blast. I’m in!" There was just one hiccup - I wasn't exactly a swimmer, especially in deep water. So, I opted for the easier version of the race that allowed me to use a swimming buoy. Once the decision was made I just signed up for the swim course, diving headfirst into my first-ever triathlon training. I was so pumped that I didn't end up using the swimming buoy, and even registered for a 10k run the day after the triathlon race. And you know what? I got hooked. It was mind-blowing to witness all the hard work pay off. I discovered a version of myself I hadn't really met before and realised I was stronger and more capable than I ever gave myself credit for.

One of my highlights has been Cairns IM 70.3 in 2023. All the hard work paid off. 1.9km Swim, 90km Bike, 21km RUN. Swim 40 mins, Bike 3:03, Run 1:56 - 5:47, A massive PB and pure happiness. My past triathlon before this was six years ago, and I finished it in 6 hours and 33 minutes. Back then, my run never went sub-2 hours. Fast forward to now, I achieved a running personal best in the 70.3 distance after seven years of doing triathlons. It hit me – I've never really pushed myself hard and put in the effort like I did this time. Legs were hurting, but my brain was stoked. After navigating through numerous heartbreaks in life and taking a hiatus from training when I first started travelling, I can proudly reclaim the title of Triathlete. Grateful that I'm still capable of stepping onto the course and shining once again.

Queenstown Half Marathon 2023 was another highlight. My first Half Marathon in New Zealand with a PB 1:50h! Got the transfer slot 2 weeks before race, wasn’t really training for it but just keeping fit. The weather was mint as but the run course was beyond my expectations! Thought it would be a flat road but it turned out to be rolling hills and most of them were trails. Most of my time during race was in pain and not very enjoyable. But this race has amazing scenery and reminds me that I have to be stronger!!

Now I am running for myself – not only to meet people but to stay fit, happy, and healthy. I find it nice when I can dominate my time, be dedicated, and disciplined. It's also fantastic to explore a new place through running and give myself a break from the noise in my brain caused by all the realities of life. I've found that keeping up with running is the only emotional outlet to keep my brain fresh and my mind healthy.

Since I've been away from home for years, travelling can sometimes be a bit stressful for me due to the unstable life and loneliness. People around me come and go, and most of the time, I'm always on the move. I have to relocate to a new city and change jobs every few months because of visa limitations, adapt to a new work environment, and face different challenges in each new place. So I enjoy meeting people in a different kind of way - running.  

Meeting people through running, runners from around the world all share a similar vibe – they're happy, strong, brave, and have a solid mindset. Regardless of why they run or their fitness level, I respect anyone willing to break their comfort zone, embrace discipline, and I'm genuinely happy to get to know these amazing individuals.

Staying fit makes me mentally stronger during my days wandering around the world, and it makes me feel better and happier when I feel LOST while chasing dreams. I won't stop running, and I aspire to grow stronger, both physically and mentally, continually exploring my limits.”

Amber (Tsai Huei Yu) @ambeeryu (Te Anau/Fox Glacier) – Portraits of Runners + their stories @runnersnz

[almostjollyprince]

100ish Days of Productivity: Getting through the week!

Day 2/100 - Jan 3 2024 Did my time at work writing code with one of the mid-level developers. We got a fair bit of the functionality tied to yesterday's work up and running. Because of some of the code merges, we did encounter some issues but nothing that we couldn't resolve. Also took the opportunity to write up my evaluation and get that sent over to the bossman. After work, I snuck in an hour of gaming. My current zen game of choice is Powerwash Simulator. Gotta clean that boat! Other efforts in the evening included studying some music theory (very basic stuff. I know nothing about writing music so every little bit helps) and certification studies. I also worked on designing some character tokens for one of my tabletop campaigns and various puzzles the party will encounter for the next session.

Day 3/100 - Jan 4 2024 Another day, another story. Half the team was out for various reasons so as the most senior team member present at the office it was a lot of support work to let the juniors grow. Everyone's got a vision for how they want the site to look but it's very easy to get lost in the weeds in terms of making the front end look nice, especially since we have a couple of perfectionists. I don't mind the effort, but there's a time and place for everything and we had to make sure that we had something to show by tomorrow. You can have the most beautiful web page in existence but it's all meaningless if none of the functionality works. Some buttons got remapped and components were consolidated so now there's a clear flow. Hopefully the project lead will be happy with the results when he gets in tomorrow. Oh, and surprise interview at the end of the day. After work, I cleaned up the boat a little more in Powerwash Sim. I finalized my puzzles for the tabletop campaign and started preparing a map for the players. Talked with a buddy about Palworld (it comes out later this month, supposedly). Will I play? I haven't decided yet. 'Pokemon but with Guns' isn't necessarily a new concept, but the development team involved hasn't always come through with their promises. I don't want something like "No Man's Sky on Launch Day" levels of disappointment for a game this hyped up.

Day 4/100 - Jan 5 2024 TGIF. Roads were a nightmare. Thankfully got to work in one piece. The project lead likes the current progress we have, but there's no time to really do any more coding because we have more interviews scheduled for today. Between working with IT to resolve some weird issues and the interviews, the workday went pretty quick. I also got some certification studying in, so that was nice. After work, I've finished designing the map and selecting the audio to use for the session. I'm all set to give my players a 'welcome back where you left off' sorta vibe. I like the campaigns I run (all homebrew) because I have such amazing players who all work together to overcome whatever I throw at them. What matters to me most is that the players have fun, but they'll have to work for their wins. Balancing the encounters is tough, but I have yet to be told that my battle encounters are 'unfair'. When I told my players I was using this 100 days of productivity to better flesh out the campaigns, they were... reasonably terrified. After all, if I was able to create a compelling, continuous story over the course of several years in my spare time, imagine the sort of damage I could do if I set aside some time every day to properly handle the details instead of having to improvise something that the players did (not that I have any problems with this, I'm usually pretty good at anticipating what my players will do to have a contingency plan). I also crammed in some extra studying to make up for not doing so yesterday. I'm... hoping to be all set by around early March for the certification exam.

#100 days of productivity