#dan said it’s on pause and if he ever wants to return he can and phil was like we can just post like a video a year

[sosaysdean]

what the FUCK is going on with Dan and Phil. also yeah bring back danandphilgames it got me through my 2018 depression era i need it my children are starving.

they just be doing whatever

#that whole video was really funny #especially cause Dan was like yea cocaine threesomes getting drunk and phil was like animal crossing ! #😭😭😭😭 #dan said it’s on pause and if he ever wants to return he can and phil was like we can just post like a video a year #so. mayhaps sims video one day #ask #anon

[ameliawarnerr]

POV: MC is drunk at Aurora and she texts Jake. 

One-shot (but with two parts. Two-shot? Maybe I'm drunk)

Part-1

Background story: When Jake could finally get free of the dark-web world, it was too late. MC told him that she'd moved on and it was best for both of them. But she confuses Jake again, texting him after she gets wasted. And Jake is confused and not at all happy about her recklessness. 

—Jake—

I stare at the screen, eyebrows creased in confusion. My mind is debating if her phone got hacked or it's with the likes of Dan. But then I reread the message, using more of my intellect and pausing the emotions at war. 

MC: IM AT AURORAA AND IF U DONT COMW AND GET ME I WILL SLEEP WITJ THE 1ST GUY I SEE! 

MC: bringg moneyyy some bitcj stole mine

No, it's definitely her. There's no debate about that. I barely pay any attention to the second message. My mind is still stuck on the first one. It's really unsettling. Despite how I've been upset with her, hardly seen or talked to her the past few weeks, still I want to get there as fast as I can. I cannot bear the image of the otherwise scenario. 

My emotions resume the war. I've never understood her entirely before but this is simply beyond my understanding. She went into heavy details explaining to me how she has gotten over me while I was away and how my barging into her life again isn't good for either of us. While I was on the run, making a new identity for myself, cutting ties with anyone who could pull me back into that long stretch of ruin I've been living in, I considered many outcomes. This is one of the more unlikely ones. Or maybe I didn't want to think about it so I didn't consider it fairly. 

She was already having a hard time telling me all the reasons I didn't want to hear, so I left. Ever since then, I've stayed at Lilly's place and it's a relief that her friends usually hang out at Cleo’s or Jessica’s. I haven't seen her or talked to her since then but I couldn't help asking Lilly how MC was doing every once in a while. Lilly would always tell me that MC felt like a different person and that I should talk to her. I refused. I simply couldn't bring myself to. 

I can't understand if she doesn't want me anymore then why am I the one she's texting when she's wasted at a bar. I guess I’d have to wait until she's sober. I feel a ting of hope and my mind calling me an idiot. 

I stop my car in front of Aurora’s front door. Usually, people are entering and exiting at every hour but as the street gets darkened, no one is seen around. Of course, it's 2 am. Why would anyone be here at 2 am when only a month ago a girl was abducted and another was found dead? And obviously, that anyone has to be MC. 

Sometimes her recklessness throws me over to the edge. 

I rush inside. All lights are shut down, only two of them shine at the counter. One male waiter cleans up the leftovers on the tables while another walks to the kitchen, loosening the knot on his apron. At the counter, MC is seated on one of the high stools, her head resting on the counter while her hands move above her head as she's explaining or complaining about something to…well, to the bar owner. Phil Hawkins. 

He's bent over to the counter, his arms set on the counter as he's nodding while grinning. His eyes fly to me as I near them. I notice that her phone is left unlocked on the counter with our chat opened so Phil isn't surprised to see me here. I have only met him once and let's say that didn't change my dislike for him. 

“We’ve only met once. And it feels like I've known you for years.” He says, straightening. 

I raise my eyebrow at him. “I don't return the sentiment.” 

Then as I stride to the counter, beside MC, I understand what he meant. 

MC is wasted, talking about me while being totally oblivious of my presence. “And I told him, Phil. I told him. You know what I said?” Her hands are moving vaguely, her voice is uneven, getting high randomly. It's sort of cute. “I said,” Her voice becomes a bit stable as she tries to deepen it. “I will know your identity soon.” 

I can't believe she's with a… decent looking guy, somewhat and she's still talking about me. I don't know how to feel about that. But I guess this just reminds me of what we could've had, could've been.

“And you know what he told me then? I remember it as clear as the day as we speak.” She moves her hand hysterically. I bite back a laugh and I look at Phil doing the same. 

Then, he says, “What? What did he say to you?” 

I would not be a part of this if I didn't want to hear her complaining about me. It's surprisingly funny and adorable. I don't use words like ‘adorable’ to describe anything else. I think I can't anymore– she's set the bar too high. 

She clears her throat, raising her head slightly, pointing a finger straight at the wall. “You can't. I am the hacker everyone's after. I'm unbeatable.” She pretends to be me, making her voice rough and deep but fails adorably. I couldn't help it anymore– I broke into a grin.

I decided to intervene. “I certainly didn't say anything of that sort.” 

Her pointed finger freezes at my voice. She slowly turns her head towards me as I try not to smile. But as soon as my eyes meet her, there's an effortless smile on my mouth before I can even begin controlling it. She stares at me for a moment. Her hair is a little messy, eyes squinting at me. Then she brings her hands to her mouth. “Oh my god, Phil, I summoned him.” 

I take a step forward. “Yes, you did.” I take another step forward, sliding into the stool next to her as I sweep her phone from the counter. I hold it up for her to see. “By texting me. With an awful amount of typos.” 

She snatches her phone from my head. “That wasn't me. It might be the owner of the bar– Phil.” She blames as if she doesn't see him standing two feet away from the counter. “But anyways.” She puts her phone on the counter. “You look too hot to be sent back now.” She places a hand on my chest. 

Phil coughs. “Alright. That's my cue to leave.” 

MC’s gaze follows his figure as he leaves. Then, she leans towards me and whispers, “You know, although it was true but I just said that so he'd leave.” 

I lean forward and whisper back, “Excellent plan. Next time, include me as well.” 

She nods several times. “For sure.” 

“Are you ready to leave?” I ask her. 

“Did you bring the money?” She questions. 

“Depends. How much do you need?” I place my elbow on the counter, supporting my head as I look at her panicking. 

“Well, w-well. It's about 300$.” She scratches her neck. And this time I am the one panicking. Not because of the money, of course, but because— 

“You drank 300$ worth of alcohol?” 

She blinks. “No. I broke three bottles. Phil told me he'd go easy on me so I have to pay for just two of them.” She shows two fingers, smiling. 

I try to look stoic. I look at her finger with the same grim expression and she lowers them awkwardly. I straighten, removing my elbow from the counter. I clear my throat, lowering my head, trying not to show her my smile.

I return my gaze to her. She asks, hopefully, “So do you have 300$?” 

I do. But I put my lips into a thin line, shaking my head as she frowns. “I don't have the money. But you know what? I have nothing to worry about since you're one who needs to pay.” I return my elbow on the counter. “All I'm saying is that it's not my problem.” 

Her mouth slightly opens and closes. She looks around, fidgeting a little. Then, she looks back at me. “So, you are going to leave?” Her voice is small and I almost give in. 

I shrug. “I can leave and come back with the money.” I offer and notice the immediate refusal on her face. “Do you want me to come back with the money?” 

She looks down, at her hands. “Don’t do that.” 

It takes me a moment to recover from the vulnerability in her voice. I realise as cute as she looks right now, but I still don't want her to be in his state when someone trusted isn't around her, someone who can protect her. That's when I promise to lecture her about this once she's sober. I don't care if we haven't spoken for weeks or where we stand right now. 

But right now, I'm calm, knowing she texted me and that I am here with her. 

“Why?” I ask. “Weren’t you planning to sleep with the first guy you see here? Once I'm gone, you could do that.” I do my best not to process my own words. 

She's still looking at her hands. “No, I only said that so that you'll come and get me. But it's fine if you don't want to pay for me. You can leave—” 

The last word stretches as I pull her stool closer to mine. Her legs stumble together between mine. Her head turns upwards as her eyes dart to different parts of my face. 

“You think I'm going to leave you here? I am here to get you and I would've come even if you hadn't sent me that threat of a message. Even if you had sent me a made-up word or merely just one letter or just my name, I would've come for you.” I affirm here, speaking very softly but ensuring my words hold the right heaviness for her to believe. 

“Even if you didn't know where I was?” She asks. 

“Even if I didn't know where you were. I'd find you.” I answer. 

“Even if I make you pay a huge debt and ignore you the next day?” 

“I’d be hurt if you ignored me. I don't care about the money.” 

“Even if I hurt you?” 

I hesitate. “Doesn’t matter. I'll get over it.” 

“And even if I make terrible jokes?” 

“Especially when you make jokes. Terrible or not.” 

She eases into a smile. I raise both my hands, fixing her hair with a smile. At last, I rested them on her shoulder. “Let’s go?” 

She nods. I nod back. “Just so you know, I’m not saying anything right now because you're too drunk to remember but once you get sober, I'm giving you a lecture about this stupid thing you did.” I can't help but to think what if I didn't see the message, or she couldn't find her phone. I don't particularly like Phil after tonight but what if he wasn't here or she had gone to some other place. 

“Good luck to her.” She says. And I laugh out loud, grabbing her phone and shoving it in my pocket. I put the money on the counter and turn to her. “Are you cold?” I ask her as I stand. 

“Cold? No. I'm extremely hot and a warm person. You were cold when we first talked.” She points a finger at me, accusingly as she tries to stand. 

“I’m sorry. Forgive me. If it makes you feel any better, I don't know who that person was anymore.” I put a hand around her waist as she leans into me. We walk towards the exit. 

“Really?” She asks, looking at me. 

“Really. He was so reserved and guarded.” I say, matching her accusing tone. 

“I know, right? He would ask me about all my findings on the case and wouldn't tell me anything he'd do all day.” She threw her hand, expressing her annoyance. 

I grin. “Really? He did that to you? That's so unfair. If I were you, I would never work with him.” We reach the door. I hold her with one hand as I opened the door. 

“Well, I wouldn't do that.” She says, unsure. 

“Why not?” I ask as we walk towards my car. It's been a long time since I've talked to her. I can't stop myself. I don't want to waste any second being silent. Turns out, I really don't know who I was before I met her. 

“Well, he would say ‘good job, MC’. I liked that.” She says, mimicking me. 

We reach the door to the passengers' seat. I hold it open for her as she stumbles onto the seat. She wriggles a little until she's comfortable. “Finally.” She eases back into the seat. Then, she looks at me. “I knew texting you was the right thing to do.” 

“Good job, MC.” 

She stares, processes, then she blushes. I close the door, smiling in an idiotic manner. When I enter the car, she removes her shoes. She sits comfortably putting her leg on the seat, looking at me, expectantly. 

“You want something from me?” 

“Say that again.” 

—To be continued—

Part 2

#jake duskwood #duskwood #writing #duskwood fandom #duskwood fanfic #duskwood fanfiction #jake_duskwood #jake x mc #duskwood jake x mc #dan duskwood #jessy_duskwood #phil duskwood #duskwood phil #mc x jake #jake x reader #jake

[callmewrinkles3]

Deal.

July 2018

Em still wasn't sure why she'd agreed to do this. She could have left. She could have walked away and pretended that Dan never sent that text, that she'd leave Dan alone and pretend they'd never met. That Monaco never happened. It would have made her life easier.

But Dan had actually called her and she couldn't turn him down over the phone. And without thinking she told him to meet her at her favourite cafe in Ealing, close to where she'd been to uni. So she was sitting there trying to get some work done before he arrived. She'd nearly texted him to go to the Pret down the street, somewhere unfamiliar, but she deleted the message. A familiar place would be better for her nerves, Sue grinning and starting her latte as she walked in and asking how Em was and what she was doing.

She sat in the corner with her coffee and a chicken sandwich that Ron handed her with a smile and a greeting. She'd have loved to say that she didn't notice Dan walking in, but she did immediately. It was too small to not notice someone arrive, but that curly hair was too much to ignore. He came straight across to her with his broad smile and she couldn't help but return it.

"Hey Emmy, what're you drinking? I'll get one."

"Caramel latte, just tell Sue it's for me and she'll know." It took five minutes before he was back, one of the little trays in his hands carrying everything. There was a coffee for each of them, a blueberry muffin for her and a noodle salad for Dan, with a slice of cake in between them on the table to share.

"The woman at the counter said this is your favourite, is that right? I guess you come here often."

"Yeah, I used to work here in uni. Still pull shifts if they need a hand and I have time." Em took a sip of her coffee, smiling at the taste. "Congrats on France, by the way. And happy birthday, I hope it's a good year for you."

"Thanks, we're doing drinks after Silverstone for it. At least I got to finish the race this time! Plus some good points. But how are you? How was the last few weeks?"

She paused, trying to work out how to make it sound more fun than it had been. "You know, the usual. Working, making sure Blake's apartment doesn't fall apart while he's running around the world."

They both took a bite in the awkward silence that had fallen between them and Em waited for him to speak. It had never been awkward between them before.

"I owe you an apology." It was the most serious she'd ever heard him before.

"Dan-"

"No, Emmy, please. I owe you one. I shouldn't have just ignored you, that was wrong and I'm sorry. I know it doesn't fix it but I didn't mean to. Yeah I was busy, but I shouldn't have. I promise I didn't want to. Work was insane and with the way my schedule is I didn't want to bother you when you have enough going on." She watched him take a few seconds to work out how to phrase what he wanted to say and let him pause. "I'm sorry. It wasn't a one night stand, and you're my friend. I don't want us to lose any of what we have."

"You don't need to apologise, Dan. We both did it."

"Yeah but I w-"

"Look, Dan, I still want to be your friend. I still want to hang out with you and spend time with you when you have it, and we both know you don't have much." She took a breath to get the rest of what she needed to say out, "But I don't think we should sleep together anymore. You mean a hell of a lot to me, and if we keep sleeping together we're going to fuck up eventually. We can be friends though, right?"

"Yeah. Friends." The smile on his face didn't fully reach his eyes and that hurt Em, but she knew it was the right call. And if he didn't want to be her friend he could fade out of her life. It'd be fine. They stayed quiet eating for a few moments.

"So you're coming to Silverstone, right? I organised a hotel room for you."

"Dan..."

"I have your pass!" He pulled four passes from his jacket, lanyards wrapped around the neatly stacked batch. "You don't have to take a flight this time. Please? As my birthday present?"

"I have your birthday present, actually. It's not much, but here." Em felt so silly pulling it out of her bag. The book was carefully wrapped in blue paper. She'd seen Jack Brabham's autobiography in her favourite second hand book shop the week after Monaco and picked it up. Trying to think of a birthday present felt impossible for the man who could have it all. Now sitting in front of him it felt ridiculous to give a Formula One driver a book about one? Stupid. But Dan was opening it so she couldn't take it away.

"It's for me?" Dan asked, oblivious to Em's internal freak out. "Emmy you didn't have to."

"It's nothing. Like seriously, it's nothing. I don't even know what I was thinking when I got it, but you said you wanted to start reading more and I thought it'd be nice."

She took a sip of her drink and looked down at the table for a moment, wanting to give him a couple of moments to act like he was happy instead of just seeing disappointment on his face. Why did she think this was a good idea? Stupid. Stupid.

"You saw this and thought of me?" He smiled as he held it up. A real smile.

"I mean Australian, driver, it made sense in my head. I know it was a stupid idea."

"Emmy it's perfect. I love it. Thank you, seriously. Dad used to tell me stories about watching him drive when he was a kid, he'll love me saying I have this. I love it."

"Glad you like it." She smiled shyly, picking off a piece of muffin to pop into her mouth. "Can I think about the race?"

It was absolutely a lie. She knew she'd say yes. She knew it. There was nothing those brown eyes couldn't make her do.

"Of course you can. But if it helps in any way, I have to say I'd love to see you there." Dan insisted. As much as Em hated to admit it her heart began to melt just a little bit.

#call it what you want fic #ciwyw drabble #f1 drabble #formula 1 drabbler #formula one drabbler #daniel ricciardo drabble

[solacium]

fandom: honkai star rail relationship: jingyuan/blade word count: 500 rating: G summary: there's not much to say here, it's just a thought i had that grew into a little scenario. written in second person. blade returns to the luofu. jingyuan hopes to see him.

read below or on ao3 (edited formatting)

imagine the only person you know of who has any memory of what happened all those years ago is so far away, and even then, no longer same person you knew back then. then again, the same could be said of you, too. you watched your shifu fall to the mara, had to subdue her yourself; you watched everything you ever loved fall to pieces before your eyes; you learned that violence only leaves behind a bigger mess, learned to become sharp and wily and play your cards right.

when you hear of his return to the luofu, your heart leaps, despite yourself. you're not alone anymore. even if you never speak again, even if he blames you, you blame you; you know exactly what he would say to you, given the chance. you know it would hurt. you would give him the chance any day.

anything to feel less like the luofu is too big, life is too long, and no one remembers the truth of what really happened but yourself.

you get your chance. or perhaps you give it. either way, he is here. and you are here. and he speaks the words you expect to hear, exactly as you have said them to yourself, all these years. you always knew best, the cost of everything. why didn't you say anything? you didn't know. you couldn't know for sure. call it naivete, perhaps, blind faith. why didn't you do anything? why indeed.

but what could you have done? would anyone have listened? would dan feng, mad with grief? would you, yingxing?

you tell him so, watch as there is no flicker of recognition in his lightless eyes, crimson like a wraith's. he is silent, in the face of your words, quietly listens. there is anger, under his silence, but you can feel that he needs to say it, needs to hear it, needs the reminder that he is not the only one left, from a lost time.

no, you are the only one left. the only one unchanged, still alive, bitter, in a different way.

you're right, ren says. it's not a concession, it's an agreement. i don't think we would have.

you stand there in silence, with each other, and you know he has quenched this one flicker of ire, amid the wildfire of his vengeance. he nods, stiffly.

i'll be going, then. sorry for taking up your time.

you stop him, before you even know that you want to.

wait, you say, quicker than you should have, really. will you stay for a cup of tea?

he pauses, mid-stride, and sighs. a long, drawn-out breath. he turns to meet your eyes. have you nothing better to do? there is amusement, in his tone, it is not admonishment.

you shake your head, allow a small smile. not right now.

i think i will, then, he says, something tugging at the corner of his lips. it's been a while.

something in your chest unclenches. it has, you say. it has.

#fell victim to a brainworm #flash of inspiration born of karmapasta05's art honestly but i am never shameless enough to tell people i don't know #i did stuff with the formatting #there are no quotation marks #it might be dreamy it might be annoying it really depends i guess #i'm sorry if it made it annoying #jing yuan #blade #hsr #honkai star rail #jingren #jingyuan #jingyuan x blade #i'm only a little bit sorry for having the audacity to try to write them #did i even get the lore right #who knows #i read blade's lore extensively but not much else honestly #pls don't eat me #solacium.scriv

[dazaisdior]

featuring — dan heng, luma (oc)

summary — ever since the crew returned from the xianzhou luofu, luma and dan heng have had reoccurring dreams about each other, except they’re not, they can tell. determined to get to the bottom of this, they return to the xianzhou luofu.

warnings — dan heng x oc, angst, fluff, spoilers to canon storyline and dan heng’s story quest (which is slightly altered)

“i have delivered the missive about the meeting. do you have any questions, master dan heng?” a vidyadhara woman asked him. he was in his true form. luma’s eyes widened, approaching them.

despite being in a different form, they still saw him as dan heng, the same extraordinary man that they fell in love with.

their stomach tensed up when seeing the woman. they mentally scolded themselves and their intense jealousy issues and worries.

“i know that i all wish to know. thank you, miss huanxi,” he responded, giving a single nod. “you need not address me as “miss” — i am but one of miss bailu’s maids. then again, if i may be so bold as to make a humble request…”

dan heng crossed his arms, nodding. “go ahead.”

“before this goes ahead…oh, who might this be?” she asked, finally acknowledging luma’s presence. luma had been waiting patiently for a right opportunity to join the conversation, not wanting to disrupt them.

miss huanxi squinted her eyes at luma, almost out of anger. “i’m luma, but please continue your conversation,” they said, shaking their head.

“i’m speaking with master dan heng. i’m afraid this doesn’t involve you — please take your leave,” she told them, narrowing her eyes at them.

“they’re a close friend, also another one of the reasons why i’m here. please treat them as you would me. now, what was your request?” dan heng explained, making luma glance at him out of confusion. it wasn’t often someone defended them, usually they had to do all the talking, which sometimes led to violence.

miss huanxi sighed, glancing down for a second then back at dan heng. “then, i hope you don’t plan on meeting with miss bailu.” “miss bailu? the healer lady?” luma questioned, wanting to make sure.

dan heng paused, crossing his arms. miss huanxi didn’t respond to luma. “bailu is simple and innocent, incapable of ill intent. it’s natural for a servant to care for her master and share her worries. please hear what i have to say, i have good reason to be concerned.”

“perhaps you should know that miss bailu’s path to becoming a high elder was neither in compliance with proper protocol nor of her own volition — everything was a result of the stubbornness of her predecessor — dan feng. his hubris and tyranny brought about the end of the luofu’s high elder succession,” she went on.

“the preceptors heard of master dan heng’s return, and we’re uncertain whether it constituted good or ill fortune. however, many have surmised that the luofu’s high elder succession tradition will soon be back in force. if true, that is indeed something worth celebrating. whether we find another suitable candidate in accordance with the laws of our people…or have you take up the position anew — everything can still be mended.”

“but, if master dan heng were to hand everything over to miss bailu, it could lead to great upheavals on the horizon. no good would come if it for her.”

luma pondered her words. they liked miss bailu and wanted the best for her. but, they also thought it was beneficial for dan heng to meet with her.

“miss bailu is young, naive, and easily manipulated by others. i worry that under the pressure of others, she would be convinced into taking up too great a burden,” miss huanxi added.

“i know exactly what you mean, but i can’t give you an answer right now,” dan heng responded. “then i will bid my farewell,” she spoke, lowering her head. “master dan heng, i will be waiting for you by the ferry leading to scalegorge waterscape, whether you choose to meet miss bailu or meet the preceptor elders with me.”

miss huanxi left, leaving luma and dan heng alone. luma noticed the upset expression she shot them before she left. they questioned themselves on whether they didn’t trust her because she might’ve simply didn’t like them or another reason.

“i haven’t even set eyes on bailu, and people are already urging me not to meet her,” he explained, crossing his arms. “the decision is up to you. but i would like to accompany you, maybe she might know something about our dreams. also, should i keep this between us?”

“it’s okay. march 7th is here and she’s incapable of keeping a secret. you now know that i’m a descendant of the luofu vidyadhara. in scalegorge waterscape, you witnessed my…”secret strength”, as march would call it…yet that power stems from dan feng. he altered the process of high elder succession, plunging everything into catastrophe…unfortunately, he suffered the punishment of molting rebirth.”

“based on the physiological principles of vidyadhara reincarnation, i ought to have been an entirely new entity…and in view of the law, all crimes from my previous incarnation should have been wiped clean. but in reality, i was locked up in the shackling prison at birth. even after i was released and left the xianzhou, my high elder past and dan feng’s enemies pursued me like a haunting shadow.”

“now i plan to face that shadow. in order to make amends, i want to repair the ambrosial arbor’s seal…and visit the high elder, to see what more i can do. the starskiff is ready. let’s go.”

“hey,” luma began, taking his hands in theirs. they had already checked for any prying eyes. “i just want you to know that…i still see you as i always have — you’re still the same dan heng to me.”

“thank you, luma,” was all he said.

“the rumors are true — you really are back…” the man in front of the gate said in shock. “i am healer luying from the alchemy commission. as you can see, i’m a vidyadhara too. i heard the reincarnation of the great sinner has returned to the luofu, and i’d like to meet them to offer up some advice.”

“oh?” dan heng questioned. “leave this troubled place immediately.” “are you here about the high elder succession, too?” luma inquired, a bit tense after his troubling words.

“certainly!” luying exclaimed. “miss bailu has weathered nothing but criticism since she was granted the title, but the alchemy commission firmly believes that girl to be a precious diamond in the rough. she is compassionate, kind, and a hundred times better than dan feng.”

“moreover, dan feng selected her as high elder, making her the leader of the luofu vidyadhara. fate chose her as our sovereign, and we bowed down before that destiny. now that you’re back, everything has changed. the preceptors are starting to think of finding other candidates, which means nothing but trouble for miss bailu,” the man explained.

dan heng sighed. “i have no intention of threatening bailu’s position.” “you may have a clear conscience, but even so…as long are you remain on the luofu, invisible forces will try to coerce you. leave now. it’s the best outcome for everyone involved. don’t repeat the mistakes of a past life in this. farewell, ” luying said.

“i’m sorry, but i cannot. i am not only here for myself, but luma as well,” dan heng mentioned, glancing at them. they turned their head to him. they figured it was best to stay out of the conversation between them.

the man moved to the side, allowing them to go through. luma nodded their head as a thank you with the words being caught in their throat.

the two found the ferryman up ahead. “excuse me, are you two on your way to the alchemy commission delve?” he asked. “yes, we are,” dan heng answered. “right this way.” the man guided them.

during the ride, dan heng clasped luma’s hand with his. it didn’t matter to him that the ferryman was right in front of them. he could tell luma was stressed and tense. if he could do anything to ease their nerves, he would.

arriving at the location, they were met with jing yuan.

luma waved to him as they approached him. “good day. the wind and waves are restless around lunarescent depths today. what vice you two the idea of visiting these parts?” the white-haired man asked.

“even you came to dissuade me from visiting the high elder, general?” dan heng sighed. jing yuan chuckled. “this encounter was not of my making. i’ve been recuperating in the alchemy commission under the dragon lady’s care — our paths have merely crossed…but your question would suggest that there are others interested in dissuading you from such a venture.”

“a lot have, yes,” luma replied. “matters that concern the rise and fall of the vidyadhara will inevitably attract certain parties — those that would work circumstances to their advantage. be it dan feng, the preceptors, or the alchemy commission that trained the dragon lady…”

“your injury hasn’t dulled your instincts, general — the preceptors and the commission seem deeply concerned,” dan heng said. he remained silent for a moment.

“a chance meeting is a gift from fate. why don’t i help you to fathom their intent, then?” jing yuan spoke up. “so, the vidyadhara elders want to choose a new high elder,” luma stated, clasping their chin.

“the power struggle between the preceptors and their high elder is a tale as old as time. and someone as powerful as dan feng, who was completely beyond their control, was enough for them to harbor a hidden rage,” jing yuan chuckled before explaining.

“the elders used to have a small say in appointing the new elder. who could’ve imagined that dan feng would pick his own successor? and yet, that is precisely what happened, and all they could do was accept the result,” he went on.

“now that dan heng has arrived, the elders see yet another chance — how could they let it go?”

luma remained silent, knowing it wasn’t their place to have an opinion on the matter. “the preceptors have been suppressed for some time now — they will inevitably try to overturn the situation,” jing yuan explained.

“the alchemy commission hopes that bailu can stay on as high elder,” luma mentioned. “these people speak of “legitimacy”. they believe that bailu was chosen as heir apparent by the previous high elder, and that unless she were to commit a terrible sin, the preceptors should have no right whatsoever to choose again,” jing yuan elaborated.

“the healer lady has draconic features and scarcely believable therapeutic abilities. some regard this as evidence that she is the high elder. but the preceptors are fixated on strength, and are unwilling to accept her…”

“now that dan feng’s reincarnation has shown a command over the vast marine expanse of lunarescent depths, those longing to keep the traditional bequeath of the high elder feel increasingly uneasy.”

“how conservative,” luma murmured. “after dan feng’s abdication, they fought against at the preceptors and saved bailu’s dignity. they demonstrated a true devotion. these folks aren’t the type to just let it go.”

“what do you think about all of this, general?” luma questioned. “it is an internal affair of the vidyadhara’s. as long as it does not disturb the peace aboard the luofu, it does not involve the general of the cloud knights,” he explained.

“you’re right. sorry i asked,” luma said. “it’s natural to have questions about this,” dan heng told them. jing yuan nodded in agreement. “nevertheless, as a friend, let me remind you of one thing. so long as dan heng and bailu, with their respective high elder powers and titles, both remain on the luofu, the vidyadhara will never cease their internal state. this is not to say that either of you are to blame.”

“it’s getting late. you are headed to repair the arbor’s seal at scalegorge waterscape, and visit the high elder, no? farewell, for now. i should start taking this business of test and recuperation a little more seriously,” jing yuan explained.

“you should, general,” luma said, offering a smile. “oh, before you leave,” jing yuan began, causing the two to halt in their steps. “may i ask why you brought luma along?”

“it’s kinda a long story,” luma explained. dan heng nodded. “they’re just accompanying me to figure more out about my past,” dan heng responded.

“is it that…luma is connected to it?” jing yuan uncrossed his arms. “…perhaps,” dan heng said, wondering why he mentioned something so accurate. the general nodded, allowing them to go on their way.

“i knew they looked familiar,” jing yuan said when the two were out of earshot.

“master dan heng, you’re back. have you made your decision?” huanxi asked, ignoring luma once more. “will you come with me to meet with the elders first? or…with miss bailu?”

“miss bailu is already waiting at scalegorge waterscape,” he replied. huanxi sighed. “your stubbornness does have a tinge of dan feng about it.”

“sorry, but you’re not going anywhere.” an unknown voice spoke. the two turned around to see the person to the voice. “a criminal who destroyed our succession is unworthy of setting foot in the sacred places of the vidyadhara.”

“wait. mister dan heng’s presence at scalegorge waterscape has been approved by the six charioteers and the preceptors. he is no longer the criminal he once was…” huanxi defended him.

the man scoffed. “empty rhetoric, there are ways of unearthing his true identity…and even his reincarnation should answer for the monstrous crimes of the past. the vidyadhara will never accept him!”

dan heng sighed. “miss huanxi, keep luma safe.” with that, he sprung into battle. he took them out almost immediately, but not without missing the chance to block luma from being hit with a thunderwoe strike.

“as i expected…dan feng…you have returned,” the vidyadhara assassin laughed before disappearing.

“thank you for rescuing me, master dan heng,” huanxi said, gratefully, ignoring the fact that luma was injured. “they came for me — i’m sorry you got dragged into it.”

“luma, are you alright?” he asked, an ounce of concern in his tone. “i’m fine, i just need a minute,” luma groaned, holding their shoulder. “i told you to keep luma safe, what happened?” he asked huanxi, sternly.

“i’m sorry! it came out of nowhere. i couldn’t react in time!” she exclaimed, nervously. “it’s alright, i’m glad it hit me and not you.” they still didn’t trust her, but it didn’t mean they weren’t going to be kind to her.

“it’s risky to remain here — we should leave. master dan heng, after your meeting, will you go with me to see the elders?” huanxi asked, turning her attention to him, but his was completely focused on luma.

“should i ever want to meet the preceptors, miss huanxi. i’ll ask you to pass on the message,” he groaned before explaining. she sighed. “i understand, your highness. miss bailu awaits you at dragonvista rain hall.”

“it could be dangerous ahead…we should proceed carefully,” he said.

“it might be best if luma stays behind. she is injured after all,” huanxi said. “they,” luma corrected her. “they, my apologizes.” “i’m fine. it’s not like i haven’t dealt with injuries before.” they shook their head.

“just…don’t fight too much. i’ll cover for you,” dan heng explained, earning a smile from luma that warmed his heart.

“thank you, let’s go now.”

#—galactic.works #—series designed by dior #—lumheng #honkai: star rail #honkai: star rail oc #dan heng #dan heng x oc #dan heng angst #dan heng fluff #dan heng star rail

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

I know it's a flashback so asking if they'll be okay is a mute point but please tell me they will be okay

Roman still well remembered the last time they let a human inside their dwelling. It’d been when they briefly lived in the middle-of-nowhere countryside.

It was the type of nowhere that the nearest “town” was a gas station and a few other motley buildings. It was the type of nowhere where the nearest neighbor lived far enough that their house wasn’t visible to your own. It was the type of nowhere that seemed ideal for a few wolves to live undisturbed.

Roman had loved it. As soon as they were within the safety of their property—their territory—he slipped into his lupine form. He ran and he howled, and he hunted to his heart’s content. It was the first time in a long, long while he could simply be a wolf, and not be anything but a wolf. If only he'd known how short-lived it would be.

There were still rules to abide to—he couldn’t venture beyond the boundaries of their territory—but it was easy to fantasize, to pretend that for miles and miles it was just their little pack. He liked it best when Patton and Logan ran with him, their howls joining in unison with his own. In those days, he remained in his lupine form more so than his hominoid form.

As such, he’d forgotten how fragile this serenity was until there was a knock on their door one day. There shouldn’t have been a knock on their door. A knock on the door meant an intruder disregarded the clear boundaries of their territory. He’d wanted to growl and warn off the intruder.

He opened his mouth, but he had little time for even a vibration of a growl to rise from his throat before Patton threw a large quilt over him.

“Shh!” Patton hushed, just as a loud, nasally voice outside the house went, “Hellooo? Anyone home?”

“Stay quiet and don’t move.” Patton commanded, the words audible only to inhuman ears, before in a much louder voice, “Coming!”

Roman huffed, flexing his claws against the quilt out of spite. There wasn’t a clear hierarchy within the three of them—as the eldest, Patton often took the lead, but Logan would also call the shots in some areas, such as interactions with humans. And Roman? Sometimes he led on hunts but as the youngest he often had to defer to either of them.

If Logan was here, he’d handle the human intruder. But Logan wasn’t there. He’d gone into town in the morning to fetch supplies and hadn’t returned yet. Whether Roman liked it or not, Patton took charge of human interaction in his absence.

“Hello! How can I help you?” Patton said, the door opening not fully all the way. Roman knew this from the door giving out only a short creak rather than a long creaeaeaeaak.

“Why hello Hon! I’m Debbie, I heard from your neighbor Dan that someone finally bought old John’s property and thought I’d drop by and say hello. I brought scones to share with you—I made them from scratch. Won’t you try one?” The intruder said, her voice weathered and frayed with age.

“Aw, shucks! Thank you so much!” Patton said. There was a slight pause from Roman presumed to be Patton reaching out for a scone. “Do you happen to be a relative of John?”

“Oh, oh no!” Debbie laughed, “John never had no folks here. Ever since I was a child, he lived here on his lonesome. Bit of a strange one, if you know what I mean.”

“Strange?”

“Well, this is all talk mind you but—” Debbie broke into a whisper, “we think he was a bloodsucker. The fella never did seem to age naturally. Never came into town in broad daylight, always scuttled around twixt dusk and dawn. People don’t like that ‘round here, of course, but there was never any damn cement evidence. Didn’t stop ‘em, I’ll tell ya that.”

Roman did not like where this was going. Patton didn’t like where it was going either—Roman knew by the way the other’s heartbeat doubled in speed.

“Stop who?” Patton asked, his words muffled from a mouthful of food.

“Out here, people take care of each other. Don’t need the government to dictate how we live or swoop in to fix things, hah!” Debbie said wryly, “Bless his heart, old John didn’t go down without a fight.”

“You…killed him?”

“Oh, oh no!” Debbie chortled, her breath hitching abruptly, “I didn’t kill him. You? Well, hon. That’s a different story.”

“Wh—” Patton let out a choked wheeze, a half-eaten scone falling from his hand.

“Y’know, at first—I was just going to ask if you’d seen the wolves roaming around your property. You see, we haven’t had ‘em in over fifty years over here. The natural kind, anyways. What a coinkydink they appeared the moment someone took over old John’s property. But then I thought I should come more prepared than that. So that’s why I made my grandmother’s scones. Oh lord, she’d be rolling in her grave if she knew I tweaked the recipe.”

Roman’s hackles raised. Wolfsbane—she had to have laced the scones with it. The smallest petal could temporarily paralyze a grown werewolf when consumed. If eaten in large quantities? It was fatal. He needed to move; Patton was in danger. But his limbs remained stiff, as if encased in ice. Why couldn’t he move? He wasn’t some stupid weak pup anymore—he needed to act.

“Please—please,” Patton begged, a pained whine punctuating his words, “we don’t mean any—any harm.”

Hurt, hurt, hurt—packmate is hurt. Roman shouldn’t move—Patton told him to stay put. But he must move, he had to move—he needed to dispose of the threat to his packmate. But the last time he disobeyed an order—there was scarlet and screams and sharp silver bullets everywhere.

“Please, do you think I really believe a sick beast like you?” The human, the monster, asked. A soft metal screech echoed in the silence. It sounded sharp—like a knife?

Roman still had time, he could still come to Patton’s aid. If he could only escape the fabric prison engulfing him. His claws dug and tore away at the quilt in a frantic attempt to escape its grasp. He couldn’t seem to find the ends of the blanket; it was all consuming. He growled anyways. A warning growl, the fiercest one he could muster. A growl that meant Unwanted, Go Away, Leave Now.

He didn’t believe the human would actually listen. He just needed to drive the human’s attention away from harming Patton. As he managed to pop his head from underneath the quilt, the edge of a small thin silver blade met his gaze.

“Ro—roman.” Patton yelped. But he couldn’t see Patton. All he saw was the beady eyes entrenched in a face wrinkled from anger and bitterness. If Roman was a hero from a sacred story, this would be the moment he epically saved the day.

But that would be a grievous lie.

-

I mean, kinda?? Don't worry about it, Patton will be fine! And Roman definitely absolutely doesn't get a second heaving of trauma from a human inflicting violence on his loved ones. Oh wait :)

#werewolf au #roman is a teenager in this flashback btw #so his wolf form is not fully grown and he suffers from 'too smol for his big paws' syndrome #patton: *throws a blanket on angsty pup* this is fine everything is fine I will handle this maybe the human is nice #patton: *eats a scone because scones are supposed to be harmless and werewolves are immune to the affects of almost everything edible* #the scone: *happens to contain wolfsbane* #patton: oh fvck oh shvt i messed up. as long as I can keep the attention on me roman will be fine #roman: *does not stay silent* #patton: ohmygods i failed to protect him hes going to die #logan: *returns home from the store with milk* istg fvcking dammit i leave you two alone for ONE HOUR #so um tbf roman has good reasons to fear humans entering their household and it's all Debbie's fault

[amoveablejake]

My Five Key Songs of March 2023

Oh boy, this is a tough one. 

Okay, yes, this round up for the key songs of March 2023 is a week late. I know that. But actually, I’m kind of glad that it is. Not because it being a week late means that I can sneak in a more recent song, I haven’t although I was sorely tempted to I will admit, but rather because I did need another week to line up what the five key songs were going to be because this time it has been particularly tough. And as for what the key song for this month, or rather last month, is going to be at this time of writing I genuinely have no idea which means what is to follow will be some gut feeling, straight from the hip song choosing action which I think we can all agree on is exactly what we want. 

First up, ‘Thatcherie’ by Sven Libaek. 

Sven Libaek’s music keeps working its way into my day to day so much so that if at the end of the year, if he appeared as my most played artist on Spotify I wouldn’t be surprised. Sometimes it feels like Libaek songs start playing without me realising or rather that I might not even realise that a song is playing at all as Libaek’s work has become such an integral part of my day to day music roster. The first time I really listened to ‘Inner Space: The Lost Film Music of Sven Libaek’ I was on my way to Heathrow airport, sitting on a coach very early in the morning and the sunrise was bursting through the window onto my face. Everytime I listen to Libaek’s music now I am whisked back to that moment and I always feel the sun on my skin even if it is the cloudiest day. Funnily enough, the sun is shining on me now, literally, as I listen to ‘Thatcherie’ and am reminded yet again of how special Libaek’s music is, not that I needed the reminder ofcourse. 

Second up to bat, ‘Only a Fool Would Say That’ by Steely Dan. 

‘Only a Fool Would Say That’ is the song responsible for the Steely Dan resurgence in my life and for that, I am very thankful for it. As I wrote about in an album of the week piece a couple of weeks back, the Steely Dan hiatus in my library has only worked in the band’s favour as my adoration for them is now stronger than ever. Even though I have my monthly playlist of what tracks are really hitting me that month, and even though I do have a key music roster that I draw on, sometimes I do still pause and am unsure of exactly what to listen to. In those moments I know that I can always turn to Steely Dan and over the past few weeks everytime I have felt like that I have been putting ‘Only a Fool Would Say That’ on and immediately feeling calmer and more settled. I really don’t see Steely Dan losing their place in my roster anytime soon or ever again now that they’re back. 

Third on the list for March 2023, ‘Mer Du Japon’.

Okay, now things are really getting difficult. How this isn’t the key song for March I am not quite sure but I said that I was doing straight from the hip, gut instinct picks so here we are. But let’s not let that detract from how much of a hit ‘Mer Du Japon’ has been for March. I always find myself returning to Air who have firmly become one of my favourite bands and just when I thought I had my favourite songs of theirs in order, ‘Mer Du Japon’ turns up and throws the list all out of order. ‘Mer Du Japon’ as I spoke about in last week’s album of the week piece feels like the progression of the band and their sound. It runs perfectly, and epitomises everything that makes Air, Air. It might not be my favourite song of theirs at the moment, but let me sit with it for a bit longer and who knows, maybe it can climb that list that it has already disrupted. 

The fourth choice this time around, ‘Tormenta’ by Gorillaz featuring Bad Bunny. 

Alright, full disclosure, I have just swapped the final two songs. I wasn’t sure how I was going to pick between them but at the last moment there ‘Tormenta’ lost its key song of the month position which really, is a surprise. From the moment I heard ‘Tormenta’ it has been stuck in my head and never fails to make me smile. It is a track that reminds me of classic Gorillaz and it feels like it has been born from that place in the band’s journey where they were, just having fun I suppose. I mean, I’m sure they still have been having fun with some of their albums through the 2010s but for me they have often missed out on getting back to the highs of those albums from the 2000s. That may be nostalgia but actually, I don’t think it is. I think the Gorillaz thrived when they seemingly didn’t have as much pressure on them and were making music for themselves and their cartoon friends. ‘Tormenta’ feels exactly like that, a song for friends, made by friends and one that is a hit because it isn’t trying to be. 

Okay, here we are, the key song of the month for March 2023, ‘Just a Song Before I Go’ by Crosby, Stills and Nash. 

I think that maybe a part of me in my heart knew that the key song for this month sort of had to be ‘Just a Song Before I Go’. I say sort of had to be because ‘Just a Song Before I Go’ is the sort of track that I know that I’ll be listening to in all my years to come. Its the sort of song that I will listen to and remember all of the times that I have listened to it before and all of the memories of those times in my life will come flooding back as it serves as a through line for all of the times that it has been a part of. Sometimes you hear a song and you know immediately that its one of your songs, a song that almost straight off the bat it could be a desert island disc pick for you. ‘Just a Song Before I Go’ is that sort of song for me and it has made me want to dive into Crosby, Stills and Nash’s music even more, I’m usually a Crosby, Stills Nash and Young kind of guy, and I really am looking forward to those explorations. I also am looking forward to all of my attempts to recreate the cover of ‘CSN’, the record from which ‘Just a Song Before I Go’ has been lifted from, because the photograph that adorns it, its special and oh boy, do I want to be in it. 

So there we have it, the five key songs for March 2023 which was a little tougher than usual. Hopefully April, will have some more clear cut choices as I do feel like I have let a few songs down but hey, they’ll just need to make a push to come back and fight for their place again, you know, and develop a thinking process for themselves but we don’t need to dwell on that now. As I write this now, its still rather warm in my apartment and the evening sun is shining still. We are settling into spring now aren’t we, let’s see what it has in store. 

-Jake, a man still thinking about York, 02/04/2023

[f1]

Daniel Ricciardo dismisses Mercedes links and insists he wants Lewis Hamilton to STAY in Formula One

Daniel Ricciardo dismisses Mercedes links and insists he wants Lewis Hamilton to STAY in Formula One, as Aussie reveals plans to 'distance himself' from the sport after McLaren axing By Dan Cancian For Daily Mail Australia Published: 08:39 EDT, 28 October 2022 | Updated: 08:43 EDT, 28 October 2022 Daniel Ricciardo has rubbished rumours he could sign for Mercedes as reserve driver before replacing Lewis Hamilton, insisting he wants the Briton to remain in the sport. The Australian will leave McLaren at the end of the season despite having still 12 months to run on his three-year deal, with the Woking-based team agreeing to a $14million payout in order to replace him with fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri. With the uncompetitive Williams and Haas currently the only teams yet to finalise their line-ups ahead of next season, it seems likely Ricciardo will not be on the grid in 2023. Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of the year after two troubled seasons The Perth-born star admitted he was likely to 'hit pause' on his Formula One career next year, but insisted he targeted a return to the sport in 2024. His stance has made a move to the reserve ranks a possibility, with reports linking Ricciardo to Mercedes as Hamilton's successor first reported by Sportsmail earlier this year.  Those rumours intensified when Ricciardo was spotted leaving the Mercedes garage ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton has since revealed he intends to sign a new multi-year deal with Mercedes, a decision Ricciardo insisted would not impact his future plans. The 33-year-old is currently without a seat for the 2023 Formula One season  The Australian has been linked with Mercedes as either a reserve driver or a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton Ricciardo was spotted leaving the Mercedes garage ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix 'My future is not relative to what others do,' he said ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. 'Opportunities will arise when they do. But I'm not banking on anyone doing something so that I can [step in]. 'I want to take the time that is necessary, keep a little distance to the sport, to rebuild myself. 'If something makes sense in 2024 I will come back with a vengeance, have some fun, and hopefully race at the front.' But Hamilton has since signalled he intends to sign a new deal with Mercedes  While the prospect of replacing Hamilton at Mercedes may seem alluring, Ricciardo insisted he wanted the seven-time world champion to put off any retirement plans.  'The truth is that I want him to stay in the sport,' he said. 'He's one of the greatest to ever do it. Competing with him, going wheel-to-wheel with him, is awesome. I wish to do more of that in the future. That's where it currently lies.' Hamilton, meanwhile, has made clear he believes Ricciardo should not settle for a reserve driver role next season. Ricciardo has also been linked with a reunion with Red Bull boss Christian Horner (right) 'I think he should be racing, personally,' the 37-year-old, who is still searching for his first win of the season, said.  'I think he's far too talented, and he's earned the right to be amongst us all racing. 'But of course, if he's part of our team that'd be great. But a third [driver] role is not really, I think, what's best for him. 'If I were managing him, he would be racing.' Advertisement Share or comment on this article: Daniel Ricciardo dismisses Mercedes links and insists he wants Lewis Hamilton to STAY in Formula One via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

#F1 #Daniel Ricciardo dismisses Mercedes links and insists he wants Lewis Hamilton to STAY in Formula One #Formula 1

[middleearthpixie]

Where I Belong ~ Chapter Eleven

Summary: Dan shows up at Noelle’s apartment looking for a second chance and a slow dance with Thorin leads to something far more intense…

Pairings: Thorin Oakenshield/ Noelle James (female oc)

Characters: Thorin Oakenshield, Noelle, Dan Hearns

Warnings: Oral sex (m receiving) unprotected intercourse

Rating: M

Word Count: 7,155 words

Tag List: @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @ocfairygodmother @exhausted-humxn-being @shalinizhara @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knitastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here and AO3

When they returned to her apartment, Noelle sank onto the sofa. The day felt like it lasted a year and she was worn out. Thorin set his bag in the chair, and perched on the edge of the same cushion. “You know,” he began, his expression utterly serious, “you promised me more of Springstreet’s music yesterday and yet, you’ve not played any.”

“Spring—oh, Bruce.” She managed a smile. “Springsteen, my friend. Springsteen.”

“Either way, you did promise me more of it.”

“What about dinner?”

“It can wait.”

She shook her head even as she pushed herself up from the sofa. “Fair enough. Hold on.”

She crossed over to the breakfast bar, where she kept a small Bluetooth speaker and brought it back over to set on the coffee table, then unlocked her phone to toggle to the music. “I’m going to warn you, my musical taste is very eclectic, so don’t judge.”

He offered up a grin. “I know nothing about your music, remember. I have no idea what is considered good or not. I’ll just know what I like or what I don’t like.”

“Well, Bruce is good. Just remember that.” She hit play and smiled. “And this is one of his best songs ever.”

With that, the first notes of a live version of Springsteen’s Jungleland rose into the air and as she sank back into her chair, she watched as Thorin closed his eyes and sat back. A moment later, his foot tapped along with the beat and he said, “I like this.”

“Told you. If you’re still here when Bruce comes around on tour, I’ll take you to see him live. You’ll be a convert forever. Trust me.”

He opened his eyes and turned his head toward her. “Noelle, I cannot stay here. I must find my way back if I can.”

“I know. But, I’m just saying if you don’t…” Her throat tightened, clogging the words just below the lump that rose. She took a deep breath in an attempt to will the lump away, for all the good it did. Still, she managed to say, “You’d like him live. I promise you, you will.”

He offered up a gentle smile. “I suppose I would, yes.”

“You—” A knock at the door cut her off and both she and Thorin frowned at the same time.

“Are you expecting someone?”

She shook her head. “No, but every once in a while, one of my neighbors gets my mail. That might be what this is. Hold on.”

She paused Bruce and skirted the sofa to the door, where she peered through the peephole. Her eyes went wide when she saw who was on the other side.

“What do you want?” she said, pulling the door open. “I thought you were staying in Telluride with whatever her name was?”

Dan Hearns looked more rumpled than she’d ever seen him. Usually clean-shaven, he sported a scruffy five o’clock shadow that looked more like a ten o’clock one, and there were purplish bruise-like smudges under his dark eyes, like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was tousled and almost stood on end, as if he’d been raking his fingers through it. But what stood out most of all? His suit. Dan, who was always so fastidious about his Armani and Tom Ford suits, looked as if he’d slept in the one he wore then. His tie was crooked, the knot somewhat loose, his coat and trousers wrinkled, the coat unbuttoned to show the creased shirt beneath it. And worse?

He smelled like a brewery. Ahh… liquid courage. She wondered how many drinks it took him to work up the nerve to come to her apartment.

“I made a mistake, Noe. A terrible, terrible mistake,” he said, shaking his head as he dropped his garment bag on the hallway floor. “Can I come in? I—I left Cynthia in Telluride because I realized what a mistake she was. And she was, you know. You and I… we were the real thing and I want to… I want to make it up to you, Noe. Really. Anything you want, name it and it’s yours.”

“Are you serious? Make it up to me?” She stared at him, folding her arms as she leaned against the doorjamb. “How, exactly, do you think you can make up to me the fact that you were screwing someone else behind my back? How do you even think you can do such a thing, that it’s even possible? And I am asking in all seriousness, because I would love to hear the answer.”

“I told you, I didn’t meant to do it…” He raked his hand through his honey-gold hair, making it stand up even more. “We’d been celebrating signing Peterson, and we had a lot of champagne and—“

“And you fucked her! And sorry, but you don’t ever accidentally fuck someone, you know. You kind of have to set out to do it.”

“Noelle?” Concern laced Thorin’s voice. “Is everything all right?”

She nodded, and with looking away from Dan, replied, “It’s fine. Really.”

Dan’s eyes narrowed. “Who is that?”

“None of your business. We aren’t a couple any more, remember?”

“Damn it, Noe, if you’d just listen—”

“I don’t want to listen,” she cut him off sharply, “and I don’t want you here. Now, go home. Go home, go to your office, go back to your whore. I don’t care where you go, as long as it isn’t here. You need to go now.”

She started to close the door, only to have him block it with one hand. “I made a mistake, Noe. I’m sorry. I want another chance with—”

“I don’t care what you want. I want you to leave and since this is my apartment, what I want is what I get.”

But he refused to budge. “Just hear me out, Noe, please. Just a minute is all I need.”

“I believe she’s asked you to leave.” Thorin came up behind her, carefully maneuvering between her and Dan, and Noelle almost smiled at the way Dan’s eyes widened as he found himself face to to face with an angry dwarf.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Never you mind who I am,” Thorin growled, folding his arms over his broad chest. “You need only worry about doing as the lady has asked and taking your leave.”

“The lady? My leave? Who are you?” Dan looked from him to her. “Where did you find this freak, Noe? A Ren-Faire? Tell him to mind his own business.”

“Dan, just go, will you? I’m not interested in anything you have to say at this point. I can’t believe you actually thought coming here would change my mind or that I’d think it was some grand gesture of love on your part. You slept with someone else. I don’t care how much of a mistake it was or how sorry you are or how much you never meant to do it. You did it. And I’m done. Now, go home.”

Dan drew in a deep breath, set his jaw, and breathed, “Noelle, would you just listen—”

“She told you to leave.” Thorin caught Dan by the shoulder and dragged him out of the doorway, toward the elevator. “And that means, it’s time for you to leave.”

“Hey, wait…get your hands off me,” Dan growled, jerking free. As he spun about, he swung but he wasn’t quite fast enough or sober enough to make contact and Thorin ducked. As he straightened, he grabbed Dan’s arm, bent it up behind him with one hand, and grabbed the wrinkled shoulder of his suit jacket with the other and marched him toward the elevator bank.

Thorin shoved, Dan lost his footing, reeled into the doors, then slid down them in a rather dazed-looking heap.

“Now, take your leave at once,” Thorin growled as he strolled back toward her as if nothing had happened.

Noelle bit back a grin at Dan’s somewhat glazed expression, then closed the door on it. She looked up at Thorin as he walked by her. “Thank you.”

“Thanking me? For what? He wasn’t welcomed and you wanted him to leave.”

“Well, yeah, but you literally threw him out of here for me.”

He paused and turned to her, his forehead wrinkled. “Was I not supposed to?”

“No, that—that’s not what I meant. It’s just… no one ever really stood up for me before. That’s all. Thank you.”

“Of course, but there’s no need for thanks. You didn’t want him here. He didn’t seem to be too inclined to leaving without a bit of persuasion, which I was happy to provide. Now, since that’s been taken care of,” he gestured to the speaker on the table, “perhaps a bit more of this Springsteen music?”

He acted as if he bodily tossed men from her apartment on a regular basis, which made her smile. The pest was gone. It was time to enjoy just being with Thorin instead, for as long as she could, for as long as the universe allowed it. “I knew you’d like him.”

“You were right.” He leaned over and swept a thick forefinger over the play button on the screen, then he moved to stand before her. Holding out a hand, he said, “Dance with me.”

“Dwarves dance?”

“Dwarves enjoy a good celebration and yes, we do, although not usually to music as slow as this.” He wiggled his fingers. “Do you dance to this?”

“Oh, of course. I mean, it’s nothing fancy, but we do it.”

“Then dance with me. And we can forget the little man lying a heap by the moving box.”

“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.” She laid her hand in his and let him draw her into his arms. Her heart beat a little faster when he slid both arms about her waist to pull her closer still. The feel of his solid body against hers brought her back to their kiss the previous night. She should pull away, should make sure to keep distance between them.

She should. That didn't mean she wanted to, however.

So instead of pulling away, she eased her arms about his middle as well. “I never would have thought dwarves slow danced.”

“We don’t, usually, so I’ll try not to smash your feet flat. And I’ll apologize in advance, just in case I do smash them flat by accident.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem. But, I thought you only wanted to come home and get some sleep, since you didn’t sleep well last night?”

“I’m not as tired as I thought I was. And this slow dancing of yours isn’t exactly strenuous, you know.”

It wasn’t at all strenuous, as they didn't move much beyond a gentle sway, but she didn't mind. In fact, it was absolutely perfect. There was just something about having his arms about her, something that made her wish time would just stop, just for a little while.

Without thinking, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. It just felt so perfectly natural to do so, and since he didn't protest… Instead, his arms tightened about her and her eyes opened at what felt like his cheek pressed against the top of her head. The air seemed to hum softly about them once more, as if content with what they did.

He held her close as they swayed to the story of the Magic Rat and for Noelle, it was the most perfect moment of her life. She didn't worry about Thorin stepping on her feet. Didn’t worry that Dan might come back. It didn't matter. All that mattered right then was that she was in Thorin’s arms and it felt as if she belonged there.

His hand grazed along her back, down over her backside, back up to nearly her shoulder blade. She shivered when he nuzzled her hair, when he tightened his arms about her further. Beneath her ear, his heart beat strong and slow and steady, and she knew there would never be another moment as perfect as this.

She pulled away and looked up to find him gazing down at her in a way she’d never seen a man look at her before. It was the same way he’d looked at her last night, right before he kissed her. His eyes were soft, his smile equally so, and she was quite certain she’d never seen a man quite as handsome as the one holding her at that moment. The little light given off by the fire played along the silver streaks in his hair, making them look almost like rivulets flowing along the waves, making it look almost as a living being itself. Silver also glinted in his beard and the light also played along it.

“How old are you?” she found herself asking, reaching out to trace one finger along the right side of his jaw, where there was a prominent patch of silver.

“I am roughly the equivalent to your forty years here. Dwarves live to be several hundred years old, you know.”

“I didn't know that, no.”

“We do.” Now both of his hands slid down over her backside, tightening slightly to pull her more firmly against him, explaining, “I like how you feel against me.”

“I’m not complaining.”

“Good, for I am not about to release you.”

“Strangely, I’m okay with that.”

“Where will you pass your birthday, should I be gone by then?”

She swallowed hard. “Maybe you won’t be.”

He offered up a long look, tilting his head ever so slightly as he said, “We need to assume I will, mesmel.”

Her fingers brushed lightly against his nape as Jungleland became Tougher Than the Rest, also live and also one of her favorites. “You’ve used that word before. What does it mean?”

“You haven’t answered my question, you know.”

A hint of irritation flared in her belly, but she didn't want to fight with him, so she chose to ignore it. “I guess I’ll spend it here. Maybe I’ll go see a movie or something, but it’ll be quiet.”

“Why?”

“My family is in New Jersey and I was supposed to be in Telluride, and I haven’t told them I’ve changed my plans. It’s no big deal.”

He smiled. “If I am still here, I will take you out to celebrate.”

“Take me where? You don’t know anything around here.”

“So,” he shrugged, “you choose. But, I want to dance with you again. Slowly.”

“I think that can be arranged, even if we stayed right here. I have plenty of good music for slow dancing and Bruce is only the beginning.”

He smiled, tightening his arms about her, murmuring, “Good.”

“Well, it ain’t no secret, I’ve been ’round a time or two. Well, I don’t know, baby, maybe you been around, too. Well, there’s another dance, honey. All you gotta do is say yes, and if you’re rough and ready for love, honey, I’m tougher than the rest.”

Bruce’s low growl was the only sound in the room. Thorin leaned toward her and her heart skipped a beat as she anticipated his kiss. This time, she would not push him away. In fact, she would never again be dumb enough to do such a thing. Ever.

But that kiss never came. Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, “I think I should like you to come back with me.”

“I wish I could,” she whispered back, her eyes stinging as she held his gaze. “But I can’t. Just like how you can’t stay here. I don’t know if I could go there. ”

“I know.” His eyes closed and he shifted to brush her forehead with a kiss, then he cleared his throat. “Uh… I have something for you. For your birthday, I mean.”

“What?”

He pulled out of her arms and moved around her to the chair where he opened the bag and took out a long, narrow box. “I—I bought it at the bookshop and I’ll admit, I don’t know your customs about gifts, but I know you said your birthday is only a few days before Christmas and I didn't know if I’d be here for it. And since you were planning to be somewhere else, with someone else and that fell apart, so I didn't want you to be completely alone on your birthday and have nothing to open as a result.”

“Thorin…” Her eyes stung and her throat squeezed shut for the millionth time that day, “that’s so sweet… no one has worried about that for a very long time. Sometimes being a grownup sucks that way.”

He came back before her, holding out the box, a soft smile on his lips. “I confess, it’s a bit silly, but I also thought it might help you remember me.”

“That isn’t silly at all. I think it’s sweet, Thorin. Although, I have to admit, I really don’t think my forgetting you or this week will be a problem, you know. I’m not ever going to forget either.”

He pressed the box into her hands and she opened it to find a miniature Orcrist on a bed of cotton inside. The small silver sword went fuzzy as tears flooded her eyes and she couldn’t hold them back as she looked up at him. “Thorin…”

“It’s—it’s only—ah—only a letter opener, but I thought you might not have to worry about it drawing much attention from your police, unlike the real Orcrist, which of course would catch every eye around you. Not to mention, it’s not nearly as dangerous. Although, take care, I poked myself with it in the shop and it is rather sharp just the same. Just not nearly as sharp as a sword.” He nodded toward the sword propped in the corner by the window, gleaming softly in the glow of the fireplace.

“Thank you, Thorin, I’ll treasure it.” She swallowed hard, blinking faster as her eyes threatened to overflow. Her heart beat even harder now. “I—I don’t want you to go,” she murmured before she lost her nerve. “And I know that’s wrong and selfish and everything, but I don’t. I want you to stay here. I want you to stay here with… with me.”

Tougher Than the Rest became Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic and he took the box from her to set on the table, then drew her back into his arms. The only sound was Van’s voice as she let her head come to rest against his chest and her eyes closed again as his arms tightened about her.

Neither one spoke. He brought a hand to the back of her head, let his fingers just slip along her hair, while she slid her arms about his waist and simply held onto him.

As the notes faded, she looked up at him and this time, when he bent to her, their lips met in a soft, teasing kiss that quickly deepened. Her fingers twisted in his dark gray tee shirt, tugging it from his jeans to slip her hands beneath it. His back was warm and smooth, the muscle on either side of his spine like stone beneath his skin. His lips parted, the tip of his tongue tracing lightly about the edge of her lips, and when she parted them, it slid silkily along hers. She answered him in kind, letting her fingernails now scrape against him, a smile playing at her lips as he shivered beneath her touch.

He tugged up her sweater, his hands doing just as hers did, and sweeping lightly up her back. He brushed her bra strap. His fingers going still, he whispered, “Will you push me away again?”

She leaned back just enough to meet his smoky blue eyes. “Are you certain you don’t want me to?”

He nodded. “I’ve never been more certain about anything, mesmel.”

“What does that mean and why won’t you tell me?”

A smile played at his lips. “It means jewel of all jewels in khuzdul.”

She had not been expecting that. Her throat tightened, her “Thorin…” only barely a throaty whisper.

“You are, you know.”

She didn’t know what to say, there simply weren’t any words for the feelings swelling inside her, threatening to choke her silly, so she tugged him back to her and when their lips met, she melted against him, sighing into his mouth as his arms tightened about her, as he bent her back ever so slightly and very thoroughly explored her mouth with his tongue.

A flick of his wrist, and her bra strap unhooked. He broke the kiss to step back, catching the bottom of her sweater to whisk up and over her head. His eyes remained locked with hers as he then caught the straps over her shoulders to ease them down.

A hint of shyness swept through her, one she had not felt in years, and as he slipped her bra from her body, she bit down on her bottom lip and resisted the urge to throw her arms up to cover herself. His gaze went from soft and romantic to fiery and seductive as he whispered, “Mahal, you are perfect. Abnâmul…”

“What?”

“Beautiful.” His eyes met hers once more. “You are so very beautiful, Noelle… You must know this.”

“You’d be amazed. Cute? Yes. Beautiful? Not so much.”

“Any man who has ever told you that you are not beautiful or has never told you that you are, is either blind or a fool.”

As he spoke, he brought a hand to her left breast, his fingertips just lightly moving along the inner curve. Along the bottom curve. Up over the outer curve. That pass sent a shower of tingles through her, igniting the desire that had been smoldering deep within her core since their first kiss in Central Park.

He moved back now, and then to her right breast, his smile almost sinful as her nipples tightened into overly sensitive beads. And when his thumb brushed one, she sucked in a sharp breath as fire flashed through her.

Her reaction to him seemed to fascinate him. His gaze swept from her face to her breast, his eyes darkening as her nipple beaded even more, his “Mahal,” a growling whisper.

He should only know. That nipple was nothing compared to the heat that had begun to sweep through her, to replace her blood with smoke, desire ribboning its way through her as her core began to melt in its need for him. And all he did was slowly circle her nipple. That was all it took for her body to grow ravenous in its hunger for him. Deep within her, knots began to tighten, pleasurable and uncomfortable at the same time. She ached to feel his body against hers, her hips arcing toward his, only to find there was too much space between them.

He bent toward her again, and this time, his lips were neither gentle nor hesitant. He seized her lips in a fiery kiss raging with passion and desire and lust, and when his tongue plunged into her mouth this time, she captured it, tangling hers with it. Her back arched as he tightened his arms about her. He pulled her close, eliminating any space between them, her breasts firm against his chest, her hips flush with his.

The ridge of his erection grew more prominent and he sighed into her mouth as she slowly, steadily, ground against him. Her hands slid down along his sides, over firm muscle, from his chest to the bottom of the Peeps tee shirt, where she snagged ahold of it in a tight grasp. And when she swept upward, he let her break the kiss long enough to whisk the shirt from his back.

He drew back, tugging it over his head, and let it fall into a gray heap on the coffee table. The firelight burnished his skin bronze, highlighted the swells of muscle along his shoulders, wrapped about his arms. She couldn’t resist running her hands along those thick arms, over the curve of solid muscle, over warm skin, up to his shoulders.

But she didn't stop there. Her palms tingled as she brushed them along the scruff of beard along his neck, as she slid her fingers into his hair. Let them glide through those soft waves, let her fingernails graze along his scalp. She shivered when he let out a soft sigh at the touch, and that shiver spread when he bent to capture her lips once more in a fiery kiss she felt clear through to the center of her being.

His skin was hot against hers, the crisp dark hair spread wide across his chest teasing her, torturing her in a delectable way. He broke away to sweep his lips down the front of her neck. She let her head fall back as he dipped his tongue into the hollow at its base. Her eyes slid shut as he crouched to brush a steaming kiss along the inner curve of her right breast. As he moved outward. Then up.

She gasped, her fingers twisting sharply in his hair when his lips closed about her nipple. Twisted and held on for dear life as he swirled his tongue about that nipple. Fire filled her. Raged through her. Had her arching into him once more, her, “Thorin…” a smoky whisper on her lips.

With gentle teeth, he nipped her, then moved down, sinking to his knees before her as he trailed those fiery kisses along her belly. He moved slowly, as if afraid of missing a fraction of bared skin. Each pass of his lips was a caress of its own, soft and teasing, to send sweet delight spiraling through her. He was in no hurry, but swept his lips leisurely against her—into the shadow between her breasts, down over her belly, just along the edge of her jeans to her hip. Then he came back, grazing those teasing lips along her belly, to her left hip, and up.

He lingered here. He teased there. His tongue dipped into her belly button, which made her laugh, but that laugh died as he trailed kisses down from her navel, pausing at the button on her jeans.

She forced her eyes open, drinking in the sight of him before her. The buttery glow of the firelight shone along his hair, danced along those swells of muscle along his shoulders, down his back even more perfectly. Oh, he was powerfully built, her dwarf. So very powerfully built, indeed. So fierce and strong, and yet to tender and gentle at the same time.

He looked up then and she almost melted at the fire in his eyes as he whispered, “I love you.”

Laying a hand along his bearded cheek, she smiled down at him. “You know, you don’t have to.”

“I know. And I know it’s soon, perhaps too soon, but it feels… I don’t know… right to say it. To feel it. And I feel it.” His lips swept along her lower belly when when he drew back, he held her gaze and eased the brass button through its hole, then slowly eased the zipper down. “Slow is key, right?”

“I have no parts that will get caught, remember.”

He smiled and she shivered as he pressed a kiss into the sensitive skin just above the lacy edge of her thong. Her eyes closed, his fingers hooking in that scalloped edge to ease down both her panties and her jeans. Denim skimmed softly along her legs, her breath hitching as he swept a kiss first along her left inner thigh, then her right. Down her calves, one at a time. His fingers curled about her left ankle. He lifted that foot. Eased the denim from that leg. Did the same with her right leg. He took his time, tracing his fingers along her curves and planes, bringing even her skin to life with each teasing touch. He left her aching for more, to feel his lips on her body, his tongue sweeping along in their wake.

His lips came soft upon her calf, moved up along her knee, to the inner curve of her left thigh. She held her breath, waiting for him to move to his left, to sweep his lips over the curls he’d bared.

She bit down on her bottom lip as he did just that. He paused, nuzzling those curls for a moment, sighing as she threaded her fingers through his hair, as she let her fingernails graze his scalp. And then he moved to her right thigh. Down along the curve, over her knee, down along her calf.

He rocked back, just gazing up at her naked before him. “Abnâmul, indeed,” he murmured, trailing his fingers along both inner thighs, toward that thatch of auburn curls at their apex.

“Thorin…” She couldn’t hold back her low moan as his fingers slid into her heat. For a man who’d never done this before, he certainly knew how to touch her. And perhaps it was because he’d never done it before that he was so gentle with her.

Because he was that. He was more than gentle, actually, as if he feared hurting her. He should only know how far from the truth that was, for every touch, every stroke, left a tingling pleasure in its wake, one that rose like a gentle wave, and grew a little more with each passing touch. She thought she might melt right there, into a puddle at his feet, from the scorching pleasure he sent rushing through her.

He stroked her so tenderly, that for a moment, she thought she might actually faint. Pleasure eddied through her, warm at first, but that heat intensified with each pass of his fingers through her. She shivered against him, her fingers tightening in his hair, which, despite being almost soaked with rainwater, was still so very soft.

HIs lips swept along her lower belly, his fingers gliding against her as he rose to stand before her once more. Then, he slid a finger inside her and she couldn’t help her shudder, couldn’t help her how her body clenched about him, determined to keep him inside her as he teased her into mindless want.

“Thorin…” His name was like smoke, hot and wispy as it floated to her lips. Her head spun so wildly, she felt dizzy, felt as if a monster wave rushed toward her, determined to swallow her whole and drag her out to sea. And she was absolutely powerless to resist it. Not that she even tried. She certainly didn't care at that point.

His mouth found hers. His finger moved faster now. She gripped his hair, rocking her hips to meet him, almost whimpering at the scorching pleasure now ripping its way thorough her. Oh, dear God, she wanted him… She wanted him as she’d never wanted another man before.

“Thorin!” The knots burst, flooding her with white-hot bliss that had her arcing to him, trembling around him. She couldn’t hold back her cries of ecstasy as he drew out her climax with that finger and just a brush of his thumb against that small knot tucked within her curls. She shivered against him, her climax hot and sweet and rendering coherent thought impossible.

She had to see him. Had to touch him. Had to bring him to his knees with her name a scalding cry on his lips. As his finger slid free, she gripped the button on his jeans. A twist of her wrist, a careful tug on the zipper, and she shoved denim and cotton from his hips, and sank to her knees before him this time.

“Oh, mesmel…” His moan was husky and heavy, his hands plunging into her hair as she traced the tip of her tongue along his length, over his tip, along the underside of him. Then, she shifted and her lips closed about him.

“Noelle…” His deep voice bounced off the walls, off the glass, and she smiled as he gripped her hair in fists, as he shuddered against her, growling, “Oh, Mahal… please… don’t stop, amrâlimê… It feels amazing…”

She drew back to smile up at him. “Shhh… if I keep going, it will be over very soon for you. Is that what you want?”

The smile he offered her was enough to reduce her bones to mush and melt her core, as was his growled, “I want to be inside you when that moment comes.”

His words sent a shiver unlike any she’d ever felt along her spine. Forget mush, he was capable to turning her into smoke, into ash, into utter goo at that moment. She had no words, her mind was an absolute blank, so she bent back to tease him a bit more, than eased him free and came up to wrap her arms about his neck, whispering, “I like how that sounds.”

“As do I.” A sleepy, almost drunken smile came to his lips and without warning, he swept her up into his arms and spirited her to her bed, where he pressed her down and carefully lowered against her.

Her legs parted of their own, and she returned his smile as his hips fit so perfectly between them. He bent to her, his lips seizing hers once more, his tongue tangling with hers, drawing it back into the steaming heat of his mouth.

Dear God, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy kissing and he was so very good at it. He nibbled at her lips, at her tongue, and in return, he teased her with his. He stole the breath from her lungs with each pass and as he kissed her, his hands roamed as well. He braced himself on first his right, then his left arm, and use the opposite hand to explore here body, her curves and valleys, and with each caress, he moved over that same bit of skin with his lips. He kissed his way down, between her breasts, over her belly, down one leg, up the other. He swept his lips along her shoulder, into the slope of her neck, to her ear, where he whispered, “You are mine, amrâlimê, and I am yours. I told you what this means to us, to me, and this will bind us together, Noelle. Hikhthuzul.”

“What—“ her thoughts were so sluggish and slow as pleasure rendered her almost incapable of them—“what does that mean?”

“Forever.”

Her toes curled at the low growl of his voice. Her head spun from the pleasure, from the heat, from the sheer sin and sensuality of his touch, of his lips, of his deep voice. And when he drew back to gaze down at her, she reached up to curve her hand against his furred cheek. “I love you, too, you know.”

He smiled, then reached between them. He slid easily through her heat, a low moan playing at his lips. He shivered against her, then gently breached her and, with another sensual moan, slid deep inside her, where he went still for a long, delicious moment.

Her eyes closed of their own at the feel of him, thick inside her. She’d had a momentary panic when she saw him, wondering if it was possible he wouldn’t fit. But, of course he did. He fit inside her perfectly. Absolutely perfectly.

“Noelle…” He thrust then, shuddering against her. His eyes closed, a sinful smile on his lips. “Oh, you feel so good, amrâlimê. So very good, indeed.”

She met each thrust, met him pleasure for pleasure, arcing her hips to him, falling away when he drew back. She tightened around him, brought her knees up to press into his sides to send him deep inside her. And with each thrust, his pleasure played out across his face, his eyes opened but remained heavy-lidded, smoldering nearly cobalt as his climax built. And she knew it did, for she felt it. Felt it in the way he stretched her, in the way he seemed to flare inside her, felt it with each surge, his thrusts becoming so much more powerful and demanding to fill her with fire and sent those knots to twisting again.

He rose onto his forearms, his thrusts unrelenting and hard, his breath harsh grunts and growled sighs. His eyes closed. His jaw tightened. The muscles across his shoulders went rigid.

“Noelle!” He slammed into her, his back arching, a strangled moan choking free as he shuddered against her. Once. Twice. Three times.

She melted around him as peace reigned once more and he sank against her, his back slick with perspiration, his breath rough and ragged about its edges. He trembled against her, his eyes closing, his head settling against her breast. “Mahal…” Wonder filed his deep voice. “That was… I’ve never felt anything like it.”

He wasn’t the only one trembling. When she lifted a hand to stroke his hair, it shook until she settled it against him, smoothing his hair away from his face, her fingers sweeping lightly down along his beard, which was surpassingly soft as well. A delicious drowsiness flooded her, her eyelids heavy as they fought to close. She smiled, murmuring, “Neither have I.”

“You needn’t tell me that because you think I wish to hear it,” he murmured, his eyes closing at her touch.

“I’m not. I’m telling you because it’s the truth. And considering this was your first time, your staying power is amazing. Which makes me a very lucky girl.”

A low, husky laugh rumbled through him and into her. “Mesmel.”

She smiled as he settled against her and nuzzled her gently. Her eyes closed, a feeling of utter tranquility rippling through her.

“I am not crushing you, am I?” he murmured before brushing her breast with a light kiss.

“Not at all.” And he wasn’t. She welcomed his weight against her, for having him this way made her feel surrounded by him, safe and sheltered from anything the outside world could do.

“I think I should like to remain here,” he whispered, lifting his head to regard her with a sleepy smile. “If you will have me, that is.”

“Are you sure?”

“The others will carry on without me, I’m certain.”

“But you have the key. Don’t they need that?”

“They do, yes.” His voice was low and serious. “Without it, even if they find the door, they will be unable to open it.”

A hint of sadness swirled thorough her, one she fought to ignore as she murmured, “So, you really have no choice but to return, then. Or to at least try to return.”

“No.” He paused and then, with a heavy sigh, finished, “No, I don’t suppose I do.”

She tried to ignore the pang she felt at those words. A heavy silence sank over them, pressed them down into her bed. She didn’t know what to say, for it seemed far too selfish to tell him she’d rather he say to hell with his quest and stay with her. And from what she’d learned of him in the short time he’d been in her world, he would never be able to walk away from what he saw as his duty anyway. No, he had to return, no matter how much either of them wished he didn’t.

He shifted, easing from her with a slight grimace, and moved to stretch out beside her. Gathering her in his arms, he held her tight as he said, “I will try one last time tomorrow and if it doesn’t work, I will accept this is what Mahal intended for me. The voice told me you were the key, the one that I had to find and I don’t know why, but who am I to argue with Mahal? And if I try, but can’t succeed, this must have been meant to happen, I think.”

“And what if you do go back?”

“I’ll hold onto you and take you with me. You would fit in with us, you know.”

“Really? That would be a first.” She lifted her head to meet his eyes. “I don’t really fit in anywhere. Except maybe at work and that’s pretty much because it’s my company.”

“Will they wonder where you’ve been?”

“No. I was supposed to be on vacation this week, remember? They all think I’m skiing in Colorado. Only you and my assistant Kai know the truth.”

“About Dan?”

“About Dan. But,” she smiled as she snuggled back up to him, “I’d much rather be here with you than anywhere with him. He deserved so much more than you just tossing him at the elevator. You should have tossed him down the shaft itself.”

“That would raise eyebrows, don’t you think?”

“Ask me if I’d care.” She lifted her head, shifting to rest her chin on his chest. “Do you really wish me to come back with you?”

“Would you? Would you give up all of this, all that you’ve worked so hard for to do so?”

She pondered it for a moment. She’d spent the better part of her adult life working—working to get her business up and running, working to keep it up and running, and now, working to keep up with the competition.

But, what had that gotten her? Her bank account was cushy, but what else did she have? She lived alone. No dog or cat, not even a fish. She traveled too much to keep a pet of any sort aside from maybe a Pet Rock. She didn't socialize much because she spent plenty of time at business lunches or dinners. She had a ton of acquaintances but very few friends, actually. So, overall her life was fairly empty aside from NJ Public Relations. Or it had been, until a certain dwarf accosted her on Fifth Avenue seeking her help.

“I would, yes,” she said softly, letting her fingers trail lightly over his chest, through the springy dark hair spread wide across it. “I would give it all up to go with you, to see where you come from.”

“Then it is decided. I try one more time tomorrow. If I am to return home, you will come with me. If not, I will stay here with you.” The duvet rustled softly as he came up over her once more. “And until then, I should like to do this again. And again. Until neither one of us can see straight and the sun comes up.”

She wound her arms about his neck, a laugh bubbling to her lips. “I like how you think, dwarf.”

“I thought you might,” he whispered just before his lips came down to claim hers once more.

#The Hobbit #Thorin Oakenshield #Hobbit Fic #Hobbit Fanfic #Fan fiction #The Hobbit fan fiction #Thorin x OC #AU #Thorin Fic #Is it hot in here? #Modern Woman #Romance #The Hobbit DoS #The Hobbit BOTFA

[emkay512]

10,000 Hours

Big Sky Country one shot, Morgan and Sawyer around Ch. 4, when Morgan decides to stay.

A/N: this was the very first fic I ever wrote for choices. BSC is actually what hooked me in, but I saw the fandoms love for TRR and eventually dove in, and I’m not sorry… So, because I’m no longer ashamed, here’s my first ever fic. Tagging no one except @bbrandy2002 because she was the one and only person who read this and gave me confidence. Other than her, I almost hope no one reads this 😅

Song inspiration: 10,000 hours by Dan + Shay

Word count: 976

Morgan was shuffling through the kitchen of the Oakley house, trying to get a pot of coffee started. She had just agreed to stay on as a farmhand to help the family get back on their feet and finalize a plan to save the farm. She’d been a guest for a few days now and knew the house well enough to absentmindedly go about her process. She was a little lost in her thoughts and had a tune stuck in her head. She started to hum some lyrics. “10,000 hours... 10,000 more... that sweet heart of yours-“

“Well, well, well,” Sawyer’s voice boomed behind her. He was leaning against the wide door frame leading into the kitchen. Morgan was startled and whipped around, embarrassed to see Sawyer before her. “Do my ears deceive me? Is miss city slicker, Morgan Garrity singing... a country song!?”

Morgan rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Give me a break. It’s all I can get around here and so what, it’s catchy.” Sawyer had stepped up to her, face to face, locking her eyes to his.

“Oh, you think so?” His voice was husky and smooth as he started to semi melodically, but oh so casually recite a line, “What’s your favorite song? Does it make you smile? -Do you think of me?-“

Morgan felt a shiver run through her at the last line. Was he really asking her that? Did thoughts of him run through her mind anytime she felt something that made her smile? How could he know that?

Sawyer took a step back and rested his elbow and forearm down on the kitchen counter. He nodded his head to the side beckoning her to join him. “Harmonize with me.” And he started to expertly and rhythmically rise and press his fist down while snapping his fingers playing out the beat and melody of the song.

“Sawyer, you’re the singer. Not me.” Sawyer paused for a moment and responded.

“Come on. You know the words, just sing and I’ll match with you. And just so you know, that humming I heard back there was beautiful.” He resumed his beat. “I’d spend-“ and then they sang together.

I’d spend 10,000 hours and 10,000 more

Oh if that’s what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours

And I might never get there, but I’m gonna try

If it’s 10,000 hours or the rest of my life

Sawyer had become completely intoxicated at the sound of their voices together. He drank in every second of hearing her voice and had an expression on his face like he had just consumed the most delicious taste in his life. He couldn’t wait a second longer before he reached out and wrapped his hand around her neck over her hair with his thumb on the back of her cheek. He pulled her in and claimed her in an open mouth kiss.

They had been stealing kisses here and there since the bonfire on the first night she stayed, but Sawyer felt like his feelings had officially crossed some line. He wanted nothing but her. All day, every day. Morgan wrapped her arms around his neck returning the kiss trying to equal his passion. They let their tongues roll together, Sawyer moved his hands down around her waist and up her back pulling her tightly and held her against him. They parted for air, and Sawyer only needed a moment to return to his cool air of charm and cleared his throat. “Well, I think we just found our official song.” He said with the largest, most genuine smile.

“Sawyer! We can’t have a song!” Morgan was still gasping for air.

“Oh? And why is that?” He asked curiously.

“Uh, cause! I mean we just met like four days ago! Five days ago I was driving away from Boston and had no idea what big sky country even was...” she tried to sound defensive but she knew her rationale was making no sense. They both knew they had an instant connection the very second he stepped off his horse to help her with her broken down car.

Sawyer was completely unfazed by her so-called defense. “Gotta start 10,000 hours at some point, Sugar. And you know what...”

“Hmm..?” She dazily responded completely mesmerized by his smooth declaration.

“I’m officially counting my hours that it takes me to learn that sweet heart of yours.” He winked at her while gently pressing his finger on the top of her chest over her heart. He lifted his hand and she shook her head a little getting back to reality and let out a small giggle.

She straightened her face, “Okay, mister cutie. I want to like this as our song, but I will not settle on a country song!”

“Nu uh.” He said simply waving his index finger at her. “The song features Justin Bieber, who I know you love. You see? The song is perfect, a blend of your world and mine come together.” Morgan was still grinning and knew she was defeated. But she was glad. She was so taken by Sawyer in this moment that she’d probably approve of any song in the world that this cowboy would pick for her.

Sawyer knew exactly what he was doing to her by all of the looks she was giving him. It made his heart swell with pride that she would even consider looking at him that way. He’d stop at nothing to win her over.

“You win, Sawyer. I love it.” And maybe even you... she instinctively thought. But she defensively abolished the thought immediately.

“Good.” He smiled and leaned down to give her another quick kiss. “Time to get back to the Ranch, but thank you for the uh, break.” And then he scooted out of the kitchen, leaving Morgan utterly love struck.

#bigskycountry #choices #oakley

[kiddolm]

Priority Herbert West X Reader

Summary: After so much neglect from a certain sciency boyfriend, can you do it anymore?

Warnings: AFAB, slight cursing, slight hint of NSFW

Word Count: 2,099

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He's down in the basement. Again. Like always. Somehow he's managed to spend more time in that dungeon than usual, and it's killing you.

Astonishingly, you managed to get close enough to make the twink your boyfriend in the first place. Back then, he wasn't this closed off. He actually tried to put in an effort into the relationship. But now, here you were, missing the brief kisses he'd give you on the cheek while he momentarily came upstairs. When he'd take small breaks to come to eat, and you would have conversations about something other than his reagent. When he'd finally come upstairs to take the shortest nap ever but would latch on to you like he'd lose you if he let go. Where did all of that go?

You shuffle down the stairs into his makeshift laboratory, fumbling with the hem of your sweater. Was it normal to be nervous to ask your boyfriend a simple question? Probably not, but here you are shaking like you just got off a rollercoaster, merely to ask him if he wanted to go out to eat with you and Dan.

"H-hey, Herbie,"

"-don't call me that."

"Alrighty," you whisper under your breath. Here we go. "Do you want to go out to eat with Dan and me? It might be good to get a little break, and a breath of fresh air might be good for you."

"It's outlandish how you still come down here to ask me these futile questions. I thought you would've learned by now that I don't have time for such useless activities," Herbert mutters.

You deflate, not knowing whether to keep pushing or to let it go.

"Ok," you sigh; he's right. You have learned, and you're tired of it. You're through with the emotional abuse he's been giving. Day after day, you somehow got the motivation to keep going back down, and every single time you got rejected. You're moving out until he figures out what he wants.

Charging back up the stairs, you rush into your shared bedroom and throw a jet-black suitcase on the bed. While you shove God knows what into your bag, you take a look around your room. Before you had moved in, it had been dull, with one or two human anatomy posters hanging up on the wall and a mini-fridge for his reagent. Now it has a bit more life thanks to you. Or now, I guess you should say had.

Dan comes into the room behind you with a puzzled look on his face. He looks around the room and at the clothes and decor that's thrown into your suitcase.

"Uhm, (Y/N), we're just going out to eat."

"I'm moving out. At least for a little bit. Just until Herbert figures out if he wants me in his life or not," you huff, throwing clothes recklessly into your bag.

"Woah, Woah, Woah," Dan objected, pushing past you to stop you from packing. "What happened down there?"

You let out a sigh of defeat and slump down on the edge of your bed, putting your head into your hands.

"I've tried Dan. I have, but Herbert doesn't care about me anymore. He- He's lost feelings or something! We haven't had a real conversation in a week, and- and I can't keep putting in any effort if he's not putting in any in return."

Dan sits down next to you and puts an arm around your shoulder in the hope to slightly relax you. He's always had a unique talent for that when you'd either get freaked out from work or another one of Herbert's experiments.

"I'm sorry you feel like that (Y/N). Really. He's an idiot for not appreciating you. Hell! If Meg weren't in my life, I'd probably be after you. Not- not in a weird way," he says, stuttering through the last part, making you laugh.

"It's not on you, Dan, and thank you. I'm still leaving for a while," you say, looking down at the floor. "I think I just need to be away from here for a while, ya' know?"

"Yeah, I get it. Listen, I'll help you pack and- wait. Where are you staying?"

"I was planning on just staying at a motel for a while."

"(Y/N), come on. You won't be able to live like that!"

"It's just until I figure things out with Herbert. Besides, I can't keep living like this either."

"Alright, that's fair. What all are you taking," Dan asks, standing up and begins to fold the clothes you sloppily threw in your suitcase.

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

Herbert wanders up the stairs and into his -or better yet, your- bedroom. Except it doesn't look like it belongs to you anymore. Quite a few of your things are missing, and your keys and purse are gone. It's almost like you never had even lived there in the first place.

He sleepily stumbles into the kitchen, looking for you. His eyes dart around the room to find your bright smile that would usually light up the room. He spots Dan instead.

"Where's (Y/N)," he groans, pouring himself a glass of coffee like it wasn't already 8 P.M.

"Why do you care?" Dan scoffs. An obvious annoyance is radiating off of him.

Dan's sudden outburst catches Herbert off guard. What's that supposed to mean? Suddenly Herbert isn't so tired anymore, and it's not just because of the coffee he seemed to inhale.

"None of her stuff is in the room. She didn't tell me she was going anywhere besides out to eat with you," Herbert says, furrowing his brows together to try and recall if you said anything else earlier.

"She moved out," dan responds bluntly with irritation sketched into his face.

"What do you mean?"

"For someone always boasting about being smarter than everyone else, you sure are acting like a dumbass right now." Dan couldn't lie; it was nice having the upper hand with Herbert. But this time didn't seem so fun. The paranoia that was evident on Herbert's features was concerning.

"Where is she?"

"She told me no to tell you."

"When?"

"She left about three hours ago. Herbert, will you-"

"Why?"

That's Herbert's last question. It's filled with an emotion Dan can't put his finger on. Herbert doesn't show much emotion, so when he does, it's alarming. More alarming than his inhuman lack of emotion.

''I'm gonna let you figure that one out," Dan replies dryly, continuing his homework and trying his best to not give in to Herbert's pleas.

As much as Herbert hated to admit that he needed anything other than science, he came to a quick conclusion in his head that he needs you. One of the classic 'You don't realize what you have until it's gone' situations.

"Dan," Herbert pleaded, dragging out the 'A' in his name, "I need to know where she is."

"What are you going to say to her? You don't even know why she's upset," Dan exclaims.

"You could tell me why."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because we're friends, Dan! Do you want to lose (Y/N)?"

"I won't lose her. I treat her like she's important to me."

"Is- is that why she's upset," he pauses, contemplating Dan's words for a moment. "Does she not think she's important to me?"

"Think about it. When was the last time you actually took a break from your work and just spent time alone? When was the last time you've given (Y/N) your attention?"

"My work is one of my top priorities! She knows that, Dan. She knew it when we first got into a relationship. That can't be it!"

"Can't it? She knows that your work is a priority, but she wants you to treat her like she's at least one of your priorities. Good God, man."

For the first time in his life, Herbert was at a complete loss for words. The silence was almost foreign.

"Where is she, Dan?"

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

You've been staying at this dingy Motel 8 for the past week, and while it wasn't the greatest thing ever, it was better than having to put up with being constantly rejected by your boyfriend. It's time to go back and face your problems, though.

While running away was nice for a little while, the constant state of wondering whether Herbert still wanted you or not was trying.

Sure his work is a priority, but so are you. If he can't see that, then it's his loss. Well, that's what you want to say. Honestly, you don't want to lose him. He can be cold at times, but when he's not, you feel on cloud 9. It's cliche to say you've never loved anyone like you love Herbert, but it's true. When he gives you his attention, you swear you're the only person alive. He's very passionate when it comes to love. Even if things did have to end, he always holds a special place in your heart. Every memory of him will be constant in your mind, even the bad ones. You just hoped he still loves you all the same.

Pulling up to the house gives you a tense feeling, and you haven't even gotten out of your car. You feel the drama before it even has the chance to happen.

With shaky hands, you knock at the door. The worst outcomes fill your head, one being that Herbert gave up on what you both had and ends things without another word.

All of those thoughts evaporate when the door is flung open, and you get the wind knocked out of you by Herbert, who comes out and practically tackles you. His arms wrap around your lower waist, and his head nuzzles into the side of your hair, taking in your scent.

You stand still, unable to comprehend that your once very emotionless boyfriend is showing endearment. It feels so unfamiliar.

"I'm sorry," he whispers into the side of your neck, in between the small kisses he's been peppering all over you.

You're stunned. What happened to your Herbert? Who is this?!

He takes a step back and looks at you; his eyes are glazed over with a pleading haze. "Don't leave."

He looks pitiful.

Part of you wonders what changed. Did Dan talk to him? Did he come to this realization by himself? Whatever happened that changed his mind, did it even matter?

"You have to promise me, Herbert, that you'll start to treat me better. I can't keep being the only one putting any effort in," you whisper. Your voice starts to shake, and you know if you speak any louder, it'll break.

He can only nod his head as he pulls you back into the comfort of his arms. You lift your head and place a passionate kiss on his lips as he grabs your waist tight enough to leave bruises. Without breaking the kiss, he drags you back into the house, towards his room. The sounds that the both of you make are ungodly.

Who knows if Dan just saw the mess of two people stumbling around his house.

Things get heated as clothes start to disappear from both of your bodies. His hands wander over every inch of skin that he missed while you were gone. He zones in, leaving marks on your neck to reclaim you as his. As things escalate, he slowly but surely makes you understand that you're the most significant thing in his life; his sole purpose of the night is to pleasure you.

In the morning, you're stuck together, unable to tell where you start, and Herbert ends. You wake up first admiring him. It was nice just being able to stare at him for the first time in ages. You trace imaginary circles over his chest and breathe in his scent. It feels like home.

As soon Herbert wakes up, he pecks you on the nose and moves some hair out of your face muttering a few 'I love yous' as he gets up and gets dressed to start back on his work.

You're aware this kind of affection isn't something you should be getting used to, but you can't help it. When Herbert treats you like that, you wish it'd last forever. Secretly, he does too.

Later, when Dan asks what had happened between the two of you, Herbert denies everything, too worried about his pride. Once he was down in the basement, though, you fill Dan in on everything assuring him it's all back to normal. And it really is. Your Herbert is back.

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Thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome.

#herbert west #herbert west x reader #reanimator #slasher imagines #slasher x reader

[mysticalnightenthusiast]

S.N.A.F.U- A Daniel Ricciardo FanFic CH12 'Fancy a Visitor?'

The Spanish Grand Prix was neither good nor bad for Daniel, after an ambiguous practice period he qualified seventh and finished the race itself in sixth.  It was an improvement on his performance in Portugal and put him in a positive mood ahead of the short break before the Monaco Grand Prix.  Deciding against returning to his Monaco apartment early he switched his ticket to fly into London and rang Eadaoin on the way to Barcelona Airport.

“Hey handsome!” she said in a surprised tone “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you til you got to Monaco.”

“I’m not going to Monaco,” Daniel replied “not straight away anyway, I missed you and wanted to come and see you so I’m on the way to Barcelona Airport, I switched my ticket from Monte Carlo to London, fancy a visitor?”

“Do I ever!” Eadaoin exclaimed happily “what airport are you flying into? Want me to pick you up?”

“No don’t I don’t want you to strain your ankle,” Daniel told her “plus I need to drop my stuff at my own place, can I visit you at your place or d’you want to meet in public?”

“Come to my place,” Eadaoin replied “I’m sure enough of where we’re going to tell you where I live now.”

Daniel’s heart swelled at Eadaoin’s confession.

“I wanted to ask where you lived but didn’t want to push you,” he said “d’you know how many times I’ve wanted to send you flowers?”

“I still have the ones you got me in hospital!” Eadaoin told him with a giggle “the thought is lovely but I don’t need to live in a florist shop.”

“A single red rose then,” Daniel countered “have you got a gig this Friday? I’d like to come watch if you do.”

“I do and you’re more than welcome to come,” Eadaoin said happily “the Whelan’s crowd have been asking me when they’ll see you again.  Ciara Sean’s wife thinks you’re a spunk rat.”

“What do you think?” Daniel asked in a low voice.

“Dan you know I think you’re a spunk rat don’t go fishing for compliments it’s unattractive,” Eadaoin said with a chuckle “When can I expect you around?”

“My plane’s due to land at Heathrow at five PM by the time I get back to my place and order a car it’ll be seven at least so say about eight?” Daniel replied “does that work?”

“I wouldn’t care if your plane landed at midnight,” Eadaoin replied “you’re always welcome at my place.”

“That’s good to hear, well I’m at the airport, text me your address and I’ll see you in a few hours okay?”

“Alright see you soon handsome.”

*******************************************************************************************

Several hours later after a delay in leaving Spain and a delay arriving in England Daniel’s plane touched down at Heathrow Airport.  He swiftly disembarked and made his way through customs and immigration before finding his ordered Uber car and returning to his flat in Chelsea.  Dispensing with his previous plans to unpack all his belongings he literally dumped his suitcase on his bed and headed for his ensuite bathroom.  He showered and changed packed a small bag of things for Eadaoin, ordered another Uber then skipped outside to the curb to wait.

Waiting for my Uber now’ he texted to Eadaoin ‘I can’t wait to see you darling girl, I’ve missed you xx

A second later Eadaoin replied with a singular heart emoji. Daniel grinned and pocketed his phone.

“I’m a lucky sonofabitch.” he said to himself.

A few minutes later his uber arrived and within fifteen minutes it pulled up in front of Eadaoin’s elegant terrace house in the heart of Twickenham. He bounced out of the car and up the steps knocking on the door.  He heard footsteps, then a pause and the door flung open to reveal Eadaoin barefoot clad in a pair of knee length yoga pants and one of his own apparel shirts that alluringly hung off one bare shoulder.  She let out an excited squeal and leapt into his arms.  Daniel caught her with a grunt and pressed his lips to hers. They proceeded to give each other a thoroughly non-verbal greeting before parting breathlessly.

“Fuck you’re a good kisser,” Eadaoin told him breathlessly pressing her forehead to his and rubbing her nose to his “but can we continue this line of entertainment inside?  I don’t want my neighbours to see you ravage me on the doorsteps.”

Without putting her down Daniel carried Eadaoin inside before kicking the door shut and seizing her lips with his again.

“Christ I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks,” he murmured pressing her up against the back of the door “I wanted to come home every day even if it was just for a few hours, just so I could see you.”

“That badly huh?” Eadaoin teased running her fingers through his perpetually messy curls “you need a haircut.”

“You need to shut up,” Daniel growled playfully biting her neck “god you smell gooood.”

“Are you going to hold me up against the door all night?” Eadaoin breathed, tipping her head to he side and allowing him to suckle upon the skin there “and leave a hickey?”

“You left one on me,” Daniel whispered “you brand me and I’m going to brand you.”

Eadaoin couldn’t help it and let out a breathy moan of desire.

“Don’t do anything stupid Ricciardo,” she said in his ear.

“Or what?” he growled digging his fingers into the flesh of her backside.

“You won’t get a second date,” Eadaoin replied with a snort of amusement.

Daniel gave her a long sustained kiss then reluctantly set her down on the floor.

“That was fun,” he said with a grin “can we do that again?”

“Mmmm if you’re a good boy,” Eadaoin replied taking his hand and leading him down the hallway to the heart of the house “now that you’ve finished ravishing me I can show you my home....welcome.”

Daniel squeezed her hand back and followed her down the hallway toward the lounge room; the first thing that took his notice was a section of the wall near a door that was covered in family photos.  He stopped to inspect them.

“Your family?” he asked in interest.

“Yeah,” Eadaoin relied with a happy sigh “that’s Mum and Dad on their wedding day, then twelve months later with Cahir when he was born, this next one was them and me when I was christened and each photo is every Christmas and Birthday since we immigrated to Australia interspersed with pics of Cahir and I at our respective uni graduations.  The most recent pic is from my birthday two years ago; as I said to you when I was in hospital I haven’t been home since the shit with my ex went down.”

“You haven’t wanted to go home?” Daniel asked softly.

“Ehhh kinda?” Eadaoin replied “the first twelve months definitely not, Mum, Dad and Cahir would come and visit me then COVID hit and they haven’t been able to come and I haven’t been able to go back.  I miss them like crazy but it helps I talk to them every week.  I love being in the U.K.  I honestly don’t know if I’d ever want to go home to Australia, at least on a long term basis anyway. My life is here now, my friends, some family and you are here and that’ll do me.”

“Your brother’s built like a brick outhouse,” Daniel said observing a pic of Eadaoin’s redheaded brother.

“Yeah all the men in my family are,” Eadaoin replied tugging on his hand and taking him further into the house “have you eaten?  I made lasagna if you’d like some.”

“I haven’t” Daniel replied “not since the flight from Barcelona and even then it was just a few sandwiches.”

“Take a seat, you up for some wine?” Eadaoin asked as she bustled about the kitchen “or do you need to lay off the booze this week?”

“This week I can have a glass or two,” Daniel replied sitting down at the kitchen island “I tend to lay off the alcohol during race week and rarely have any on the weekends til after the race itself.”

Eadaoin reached under the bench and retrieved a bottle of Lambrusco, she corked it and set it to breathe before fetching two crystal glasses from an overhead rack.  Daniel watched her move, staring at her midriff greedily when her shirt rode up revealing her navel.

“Put your tongue back in your head Driver Boy,” Eadaoin told him dryly as she caught him staring at her “I saw you staring.”

Daniel turned a magnificent shade of scarlet and Eadaoin laughed.

“That’s alright, I don’t mid you staring,” she said picking up a pair of oven mitts “you’re cute when you blush.”

“Can I stare at your arse then?” Daniel asked with a snort of laughter watching her as she leaned down to retrieve a sizzling tray of lasagna from the oven.

“I know you’re going to anyway,” Eadaoin said with a grin “but seriously we’re dating I like you staring at me like that, it makes me feel wanted desired even.  It’s been so long since I’ve felt like that.”

“You didn’t get much of that with the ex?” Daniel asked sympathetically.

“Not really,” Eadaoin replied “if I really look back on things I was treated more like a trophy than a person.  And he wasn’t a particularly affectionate person we rarely hugged or just sat holding hands that sort of thing.  You’re totally different.  You want to hug me, you want to hold my hand and I love that.”

“I was brought up in an affectionate family,” Daniel informed her “Mum and Dad were always hugging us and even now Mum kisses me on the cheek or forehead whenever I see her or I say goodbye to her.  I’m always going to show physical affection.  I can be a bit reluctant to be romantic in public but that could change with you.”

It was Eadaoin’s turn to blush.

“Can we stick to kissing in private for now?” she asked “like proper kissing?  I don’t mind a peck on the lips or cheek but for the moment I want to keep us between us....for a bit?”

“We can, I’d prefer that if I’m honest,” Dan replied “though I did tell Mum and Dad about me kissing you for two hours straight at Paolo’s.”

Eadaoin laughed.

“What did they say?” she asked sliding a chunk of lasagna onto a plate.

“Dad went ‘that’s m’boy!’ and Mum swooned,” Daniel replied “they’re very keen to meet you but as Dad said they’d understand if I want to keep you to myself for a while.  I said I’d ask you to see what you’d feel comfortable getting online with me and saying hi?”

“Well is the invite for the Monaco race weekend sill on?” Eadaoin asked.

“Of course, come with me to every race!”

“I can’t do that, you don’t need me as a distraction,” Eadaoin replied “how about I meet you in Monaco and we zoom your parents together?  And maybe if you’re up to it we can zoom mine?”

“Sounds good to me,” Daniel replied happily “Have you told them much more about me?”

“Not since I last spoke with them,” Eadaoin confessed going to the fridge and retrieving a huge chunk of parmesan cheese “I mean they know there’s someone on the scene but they don’t know how serious it is or how serious I want it to be.  They’ve both pressed to know more but haven’t been pushy bout it, they know how hurt I was last time around and know that if I include someone in my life romantically it’s serious.  I can tell you one thing they will not expect you to turn up on screen.  So I would brace yourself for a little bit of fangirling.”

“Ah that’s alright,” Daniel replied cheerfully watching her peel some parmesan on top of his lasagne “I’m used to it, you fangirl every time I see you or talk to you.”

Eadaoin rolled her eyes.

“You’re lucky I have a chunk of parmesan in my hands or I’d whack you!” she said dryly “cheeky shit.”

Daniel roared with laughter

After a long and casual dinner Eadaoin led Daniel to the lounge room, he lit up when he saw the array of gaming consoles and games she owned.

“You’re a gamer?” he exclaimed gleefully “oh that is such a turn on!”

Eadaoin shrieked with laughter as Daniel grabbed her, swung her in a circle and dipped her

“I don’t know if you’d call me a gamer,” she said returning the kiss he bestowed upon her “I don’t play any of those zombie, end of days, military based shooty murdery games, I like Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong all the oldy worldy games.  Pick one and watch me beat your arse.”

“Mario Kart,” Daniel said at once “are you challenging me sweetheart?  Remember I drive cars for a living.”

Eadaoin grinned.

“And?” she said with a raised eyebrow “you’re in my territory now Driver Boy re-”

Daniel wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

“Driver Boy?” he growled in her ear “I’m more than a boy.”

“Show me,” Eadaoin said pushing a controller into his chest “best of five rounds.  Winner gets a snog and the loser pays for the date on Friday night.”

“It seems this is a win win situation,” Daniel said with a grin “either way I get a kiss and a night out with a beautiful woman.  I don’t know how much effort I really should put in.”

Eadaoin rolled her eyes.

“You need to earn both,” she informed him primly “sit your butt down and play Driver Man.”

“You’re on sweetheart!”

*******************************************************************************************

Daniel and Eadaoin quickly lost track of time and by extension their bet it was only when they were both noticeably yawning did Eadaoin pause the game.

“I can’t play anymore, I’m exhausted,” she said tiredly snuggling into his bulk.

“Same’ Daniel replied with a happy sigh opening his arms and letting her snuggle “you know you’d have Norris jonesing for a date with you if he saw your set up he’d get a techie gamer boner and propose to you in five seconds flat.”

“I’m a one man woman you don’t have to worry,” Eadaoin told him “besides Lando’s too young for me.  You’re much more my vintage.”

“That doesn’t make me sound old at all,” Daniel replied retrieving his phone from his back pocket “I better order a car and hit the road.”

“Stay,” Eadaoin murmured entwining her legs with his.

“Darl-I-” Daniel began hesitatingly as he understood her innuendo.

“You’re not ready to go that far yet are you?” Eadaoin asked, her face falling a little.

“Would you think less of me if I said I’m not?” Daniel asked twisting a bit of her hair around his fingers “apart from the fact I’m too exhausted to enjoy that I want it to be right in the moment.”

“And it’s not I know,” Eadaoin replied sheepishly “to be honest I’m too tired to get busy now too.  I just want to snuggle.”

“We can do that,” Daniel replied pulling her closer “so I have to head off to Monaco the Monday after the one coming but I’ll organize for you to come over okay?  I have a few connections.”

“Will those connections get me an intro to meet Lewis and Max?” Eadaoin asked cheekily “because those two are my favourite drivers.”

Daniel rolled his eyes and Eadaoin squealed with laughter

“Har har,” he said dryly “veeeeeeeeeery funny.  Yes those connections can get an intro with those guys but you wouldn’t want to meet them, they prefer spending their time in front of the mirror preening like a peacock.”

“Really?”

“Nah Lewis and Max are really great guys, Max is one of my best mates in the game,” Daniel replied “we’ve been mates since my days at Red Bull.  He and Kelly his girlfriend really want to meet you but they both understand if you’re reluctant and want to keep things quiet for the time being.”

“Danny we can’t be quiet about things forever,” Eadaoin pointed out “I want to meet your friends some day, we’ve been together for a little while now, don’t you think it’s time I meet a few of them?”

Daniel grinned.

“Yeah I do,” he said happily “I’ll organise a night out or a barbeque at my apartment, when can you come over?  You have a gig on Friday night don’t you?”

“Yeah so the earliest I could come over is Saturday morning,” Eadaoin replied “but I can stay until you need to leave for Baku.”

Daniel lit up like a Christmas tree.

“That’s great” he said happily “this is going to be the greatest weekend.  I might be in with a chance of a podium with you there.”

“You’ll do well whether I’m there or not,” Eadaoin told him affectionately.

“Dunno, I’m still not getting it with this car,” Daniel replied with a sigh “Tom my engineer thinks I’m being an impatient worrywart, he told me last week it can take months to get used to a new car, Lando told me it took eighteen months to get used to his.”

“You’ll be fine,” Eadaoin said untangling her legs from his as his phone beeped “that’s probably your Uber driver, I’ll see you at Whelan’s Friday night?”

Daniel leaned forward and kissed her on the lips

 *******************************************************************************************

“See you then Sweetheart.”

Chapter 13 can be found here:

A/N1: This was very cathartic for me to publish because today I had to make the decision to euthanise my horse.  I love all the people who have reached out to me and continuing Daniel and Eadaoin's story will help me feel loads better.  Leave a comment if you liked this installment!

#F1 #daniel ricciardo #DanielRiccardoFanfiction #DanielRicciardo #JesusIHopeHeNeverEVERReadsThis

[honestlywtfisgoingon]

A Match Set

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Pairing: Benny Watts x Reader

Summary: After meeting one night in New York, you and Benny Watts are drawn to each other. As you go through different experiences with one another, you grow closer until it finally gets to be too much for Benny.

Word Count: 1890

Warnings: none

Notes: aye this is my first fic because there is a serious lack of benny watts fics and i had to change that for myself. this will probably be multiple chapters that can be read separately.

It was your first art gallery, and you were both anxious and overjoyed to see people surveying your work. You had put so many hours into each piece and all kinds of people had poured in to look. It was a well known gallery, but the variety still surprised you. You looked around and saw some interesting characters, but your interest was piqued when your eyes fell upon a particular cowboy.

He was inspecting one of your favorite paintings which had chess pieces as the subject. The pieces merely served as part of a metaphor in your art, as the game and all its complexities had never really been your thing. As you looked closer at the man you realized that, not only had his outfit sparked your interest, but he seemed familiar too. Out of curiosity, you walked over and stood next to him.

“What are your thoughts?” You asked, motioning towards the painting.

His initial expression showed surprise that you were talking to him, but he recovered quickly, saying, “It’s good. I think the artist has talent.” You felt a bit of pride hearing that. You opened your mouth to say thanks, but you decided not to reveal yourself. You wanted him to give his honest opinion without fear of offending you.

“So do you like chess?” He nodded to the painting. Hearing this you made the connection as to why you remembered seeing him before. Your father owned a little bookshop back home and you were looking into chess for the same painting you were discussing right now. You had seen this cowboy on the back of one of those books, but you hadn’t given it another thought, never actually expecting to meet him. You decided not to reveal this information either and continued with the conversation.

“I can play a modest game. You?”

“I can play a modest game.” He had a small smile as he shrugged.

“Your first lie.” You said smirking back.

He looked confused but curious, so you explained about your research, your fathers bookshop, the whole story. He puffed up a bit after hearing that, looking impressed that you knew who he was.

“What’s your name?” He asked, still curious.

“Y/n” you replied.

“Nice name. I’m Benny, but you already seem to know who I am. On the other hand I don’t know anything about you.” He reached out his hand to shake yours.

“You walk in here with a black trench coat but you make me out to be the mysterious one,” you smirked as you took his hand. He chuckled a bit, and after your introduction, you asked why he was here.

“My friend knows the artist actually. She told us we had to see her work before going out.” You hummed as you thought about what to say, but he interjected.

“I don’t usually do this, and I’m not sure why I’m doing this now, but maybe you’d consider coffee with me. I won’t tell anymore lies” he joked.

You laughed a little, mildly shocked. “you’re not sure why? That’s flattering” you teased.

“Not what I meant-“ but before you could come to a conclusion on his sudden offer, you heard an excited french accent.

“Y/n! Im so proud! You finally got to show off all that talent!” Your friend Cleo ran up to you and wrapped her arms around you. You hadn’t seen her since you lived in France for a few months and you had missed her. You left for France after you realized you weren’t really needed at home, so you dedicated yourself to trying to soak up some culture. She looked gorgeous like you remembered, fitting for a model. You continued your reunion embrace for a moment before she waved her arms to the men and woman behind her. She introduced the friends she had brought to your show as Arthur, Hilton, and Annette, who all smiled at you. Cleo paused to turn to the cowboy saying, “I see you’ve already met Benny.”

“Yeah we met,” he said, “but I didn’t know this was your work. I would’ve told you how impressed I am.” Your cheeks turned a light pink at the praise.

“Look at Benny, impressed with someone besides himself for once.”Cleo poked fun and the group let out a laugh.

“Hey I’m not a narcissist or anything, don’t listen to Cleo,” Benny made excuses to you, only mildly offended.

“Sure you aren’t. I have nothing against narcissists,” you jokingly assured him. This answer didn’t comfort the man who had essentially just asked you on a date.

You and Cleo continued to catch up and you talked more with her friends as well. Benny just stood next to you, and you caught him glancing at you once or twice, but you just ignored it. Eventually you agreed to go out for drinks with the group, walking with them to a bar a couple blocks down called Hal’s.

You all squeezed into a booth while Arthur went off to get drinks. You sat on the outside, watching the people out on the floor next to you giggling and dancing. Having a couple of drinks beforehand must’ve contributed to the large amount of people out there, you thought. Arthur eventually announced his return by laying a tray of drinks in the middle of the table.

You were all conversing and sipping on your drinks when Annette decided she wanted to dance. Cleo agreed enthusiastically, but the rest of us refused. She suggested we all take shots to make it easier, but once again we tried to turn her down. she pleaded, “come on guys, it’s a Saturday night, and you can’t possible lose something from it. Have a little bit of fun with me!”

We relented, having a feeling that she wasn’t going to give up any time soon. She gave a little clap and handed out the shots. You knocked yours back with everyone else and grimaced at the bitter taste. Shaking it off, you slid out of the booth so the others could get out. You moved back into your spot after they all made their way to the throng of people. You decided you would join them later, but you liked to observe first. You looked over and the only two left were you and Benny. You slid over to him, not wanting to sit awkwardly on the other end like he wasn’t there.

“I bet you five bucks that lady is bored out of her mind.” He pointed to a blonde on a date across the bar, “Either she’s an alcoholic or she’s trying to tune out baldie.” You looked at the woman and saw she was surrounded by empty glasses while the man in front of her seemed like he was boasting endlessly. You both started making observations about the various people in the bar. Most of them were snarky comments that you whispered into each other’s ears, giggling, but you also created imaginary lives for them, guessing who they were and how they got here. After sharing a couple laughs, you sighed and reached a comfortable lull before Benny brought up what you knew was coming.

“So have you thought about my earlier question?” He eyed you seriously all of a sudden, but you didn’t feel any pressure. He seemed the type of confident where he thought you would say yes, but he could recover if you said no.

You weighed in your impression of him. He was cute, with fluffy hair and nice eyes that were a kind of chocolate color. He was funny and you he seemed intelligent (I mean he had to be, he played competitive chess). Albeit his trench coat and hat were a bit eccentric, but that wasn’t a bad thing, in fact you found it attractive.

“So have you?” He asked again, leaning his head in.

“Oh uh” you hadn’t realized while you were thinking that you had zoned out looking at him. Clearing your throat you said, “I’m free for coffee.” You stopped, “But you have to wear the hat.”

“Wouldn’t leave home without it” he winked.

Suddenly you were shoved against him as your tipsy friends barreled back into the booth.

“We should probably join them” you said as you moved off him, pushing one of the leftover drinks towards him. He nodded and you both drank some more just to get on the same level as your friends.

“You two haven’t even danced! I saw you whispering. Too busy flirting?” Annette smiled as she slurred a few of her words. You just looked down, cheeks pink, leaving Benny to respond.

“How were you watching us when you were dancing with that guy, the one who looks like he’s only ever kissed his mother.”

“No, I’m sure he’s kissed other people! I mean he did seem young but...” Annette looked over to the guy she dragged to dance with her earlier. He stood sheepishly in the corner, looking like he hadn’t outgrown his baby fat yet, and was definitely not a city type. “He’s just shy!” She defended, but me and Benny just looked at each other, falling into giggles. You figured out that night that Annette was one of those drunks who got a little childish, but she was sweet.

You would’ve been content to keep hanging out with Benny, if it hadn’t been for Cleo who grabbed your hand and pulled you out to the dance floor. You looked back at Benny, but gave in and allowed her to twirl you into the crowd. You were having a good time with Cleo, Hilton and Arthur dancing on either side of her. You were soon out of breath, but didn’t mind, enjoying it all.

You had moved to the city a couple months ago, but hadn’t had time to make friends, focusing on your work and setting up your apartment. You missed having company, people who were fun and interesting.

You continued to move to the beat of the song until you bumped into someone. You looked back to see Benny smiling next to you. You smiled back and let him in to the little circle you and your friends had created. You felt a little warm, not from the dancing, but from being close to him.

After fifteen minutes you were all tired and made your way to the booth to gather all your things up and pay the bill. You walked out of the bar and into the chilly night air, grateful for the residual body heat that came from all the dancing. You hugged Cleo and your new friends goodbye as took turns getting into taxis and headed towards their homes. Hilton offered to wave you down a taxi too, but you declined, explaining that your home wasn’t a far walk. He shrugged and gave you another hug before climbing into the yellow car. Once again it was just you and Benny.

“Just the two of us again huh?” He spoke, and he definitely didn’t sound turned off by the idea.

“Fate I guess.”

“Sure” he said casually.

“Do you not believe in fate?” You asked. You weren’t a firm believer in the idea but something in his tone made you curious.

“I’ve had this debate before I think. I’m not sure, but I’d like to figure it out. How about you?” He said. You imagined him having a lot of debates. You had just met him, but he seemed to fall into the intellectual category. They always kept things interesting, and frequently offered new perspectives.

“I mean everything’s gotta mean something, there has to be a purpose. I just don’t know if we make our own purpose or if we’re given a purpose; fate.” You mused, not meaning to get existential. He didn’t seem to mind.

“You seem like the type to want to figure things out too.” He said ‘too’. So you and him both liked to do that. You added that to the growing list of things you liked about him.

“I guess I am.” He had a pleased look on his face and you just shrugged as you started to say goodbye.

“Wait” he grabbed your arm, “I heard you say you didn’t live far, I could walk you.” Before you could protest he told you, “it wouldn’t be a big deal, I heard you tell Hilton where you lived, we’re in the same direction.”

You agreed, finding yourself wanting to talk to him more. He offered you his arm casually and you laughed to yourself a little at the gesture, taking it anyway. You walked down the sidewalk, talking and laughing. You felt comfortable as you felt like you leveled with him. It seemed like too short of a walk as you suddenly found yourself at the door of your apartment building.

“Guess this is goodnight.” Benny said as you both stood on the sidewalk.

“What about coffee?” You asked.

“Glad you remembered. I’ll pick you up at twelve tomorrow, we can make it lunch. I’ll pick you up.” He said it decidedly, like it was just a fact. Something you noticed he did often.

“Ok then. Lunch. Tomorrow. Am I forgetting anything?” You said as you stepped halfway into the doorway.

“If you are we can figure that out later. I’ll see you.” He waved with a slight smile.

You waved back and smiled in return, watching him walk away before closing the door. You sped up to your apartment, letting yourself finally feel the excitement and anticipation of going out. You stripped off your clothing as soon as you got in and flopped on your bed, feeling sort of giddy. You felt like you and Benny were connected, though you had barely met him. As you laid down you smiled to yourself, looking forward to tomorrow.

#benny watts #benny watts x reader #the queen’s gambit #beth harmon #benny watts fanfiction #fan fiction

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Part 6 Cracks

(TW: Second hand embarrassment honestly)

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

Kevin Day never apologized to anyone. All he did, he did because it was what had seemed right at the moment. Regrets were a waste. He was better than that.

Unfortunately, such wasn’t the case at that time, when he was standing at the end of the hallway of the third floor of the Fox Tower where the dorms of the ice hockey players were located. He could hear indistinct chatter from the rooms closest to him.

He willed himself to walk. Eric’s room was the one furthest down the hall, according to Nicky, who had talked with a few of the hockey players. It irked Kevin more than anything that all of the Foxes had been made aware of the situation.

Even remembering their reactions fueled Kevin. Of course, Allison had laughed, Nicky had been ecstatic, Matt and Dan had tried – and failed – to hide their amusement. There were no more secrets in the team, or so Neil said, so Kevin had more or less been forced to tell them about everything that’d been happening since October.

Standing in front of Eric’s door, about to attempt to reason with him, he wondered if it was all really worth it.

It took a few tries before Kevin finally held his fist up and knocked on the door. The chatter he could hear from before paused and turned into light murmur that was barely distinct.

Eventually, the door was pulled open.

Eric and Kevin stared at each other for a moment before Kevin spoke.

“We need to talk.”

It wasn’t the smoothest line he could have started with, but Eric was towering over him, and thus, distracting him.

Kevin hated that height difference with a passion.

Eric turned and glanced at his teammates, making a gesture with his head. They all fled the room, as if able to sense the tension.

But not before they threw a glare at Kevin.

Kevin ignored them, keeping his eyes on Eric and only breaking the contact when the other closed the door.

“Came to waste your time?” Eric asked.

Kevin’s jaw clenched but he told himself he was here to reason, not fight.

“I came here to talk.”

“Then talk.”

Kevin wasn’t entirely sure how to go about this. It was a bit easier thanks to having told Eric about Ichirou and the deal he had made with Neil already, but it didn’t make it any easier that he had to ‘apologize’ apparently.

“It’s about what happened,” Kevin started and followed Eric inside, sitting on the couch next to him after Eric had gathered all the scattered boxes of pizza and the tin cans of beer.

“Well, you are alive so I suppose your… boss either doesn’t know yet or he doesn’t really care.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed,” Kevin said with a scoff. “But not quite,” He sat back, shifting a bit on his seat. Eric was clearly waiting for an explanation, but Kevin could hardly put it in words himself.

“He wants us to lead the press on. To ‘keep it up’.”

Eric was confused for a moment. For a long moment. He stared at Kevin, as if expecting him at any moment to reveal that all this was just a prank. Kevin stared at the turned off TV as if it was the most interesting thing that he had seen all day.

“Wait, let me get this straight-,”

Kevin was sure that if Nicky was here, he would make a stupid joke about it.

“- your ‘boss’ wants us to pretend we are seeing each other?”

“He is not my boss, don’t call him that. He just owns 80% of any profit I’ll ever make and if he doesn’t get that, if I don’t do what he wants, then I’m dead,” he snapped.

The silence that followed made Kevin more than aware of his pounding heart. He didn’t want to turn and look at Eric, but he could imagine his expression all the same.

“Look, I didn’t fucking mean what I said back at the store,” Kevin admitted, probably for the first time to himself as well.

“Day-,”

Kevin interrupted him before he could say anything condescending.

“We don’t even have to say we are dating. We can just let people think what they want to think. I don’t have anything to give you in return, but-,”

He stopped.

Being around Andrew had made him acquire the bad habit of never being able to say ‘please’ without receiving a cold stare.

He heard Eric sigh, and Kevin almost felt bad for dragging him into this mess.

“I don’t- Is this some kind of prank? Are the guys in my team involved too?”

Kevin couldn’t really blame him for the reaction but he still narrowed his eyes at him. He hadn’t eve told Eric the whole truth, he could only imagine how he would react then. He had barely touched the subject, having avoided sharing the harsh reality of being a Raven, of being Riko’s second.

Eric however, was only now starting to see the cracks in Kevin’s cold front. It was more like a mask for a boy who had been broken in pieces

and then had to bring himself back together. Which, Eric doubted was an easy process, considering that his whole exy team consisted of people who had been broken too in different ways.

“I’ll do it on one condition,” Eric finally said.

Kevin raised an eyebrow but waited for him to continue.

“You’ll have to apologize. Properly. No more half-assed bullshit.”

The grin on Eric’s face told Kevin that perhaps, he wasn’t asking this for the apology itself. He sighed and clenched his left hand into a fist as he thought.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, but it came out more than a grunt that anything.

Eric noticed the way he was clenching and unclenching his left hand. He took a puck they had in the dorm and tossed it at him. Kevin grabbed it and stared at it before he started fiddling with it instead of putting strain on his left hand.

“I didn’t quite hear you. Let’s try that again,” Eric said as he flopped back on the couch and put his hands behind his head. Kevin would try anything to get that stupid smug expression off his face.

“I’m sorry I said that those night practices didn’t mean anything,” he said, louder and clearer as he stared down at the puck in his hands. “They- I really enjoyed them.”

It wasn’t a lie just to please Eric; Kevin had enjoyed them. What had started as determination to become better at something for the sake of his pride, had turned into something freeing.

Kevin was learning more than just ice skating.

Eric smiled and nodded slowly. “See? Wasn’t so hard.”

Kevin went to toss the puck back at Eric but he shook his head.

“Keep it. Stop clenching your fist like that. It’s better to have something to hold onto.”

Kevin stared down at the puck as he held it in his hands. It was smaller than an Exy ball and his fist could almost close around it.

He showed his gratitude only with a nod as he slowly stood up. Eric walked him to the door and then leaned with his one shoulder on the wall next to it.

“See you around then, boyfriend?”

Kevin rolled his eyes, wondering if Eric was enjoying this solely because it would annoy Kevin.

But as he got a text from Eric later that day to arrange their first ‘date’, he thought that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

#aftg #aftg headcanon #aftg oc #all for the game #kevin day #kevin day x oc #OC: Jiang Eric #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #dan wilds #matt boyd #allison reynolds #renee walker #jeremy knox #jean moreau #jerejean #exy #Palmetto State Foxes

[coffeestainsandcashmere]

Let No Man Steal Your Thyme - Chapter Eight (sfw)

I hope those few of you who follow this blog even remember this story!! It's being posted on here as a WIP, so technically you're all my beta readers :). Sorry it's taking so long to work through, but I'm really busy with other writing work, plus actual work, and some life stuff, but it's not abandoned!

In this chapter, which is a bit of a filler chapter, Hermione gets a pleasant surprise visit at the Kneazel and Quill, and she learns what Draco is doing with himself all day at the Manor, and why he has the hands of a potion master. Meanwhile Draco is quietly freaking out about what Scorpius will think of his kindling relationship with one third of the legendary Golden Trio...

As always, looking forward to hearing your reactions and thoughts!

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six (nsfw), Part Seven (nsfw)

___

The bell above the door of the Kneazel and Quill jangled, and Hermione looked up to see a very familiar figure wearing practical, Muggle clothes, and a tired but genuine smile.

“Harry!” she shrieked in delight, rising and scuttling around the desk. “When did you get back? I thought you were on assignment in Sweden til —”

He raised his eyebrows. “Wednesday? It’s Wednesday today, Hermione.”

“So it is,” she laughed, and pulled him into a hug. “Cup of tea? You look wiped out.”

“I’m only staying if you’ve got custard creams…”

She snorted. “I must have known I’d need them — I stopped at the Tesco Express on my way in this morning.”

“Maybe Professor Trelawney was wrong about you and ‘the sight’ after all?” Harry grinned and she shook her head, curls bouncing everywhere for want of a hair-tie.

Seated in the cramped back room of her second hand bookshop, Harry looked at her and cocked his head slightly to the side.

“What?” she asked, dunking a biscuit into her tea.

Quietly, Harry said, “There’s something different about you.”

“No there isn’t,” she retorted, scoffing her custard cream down and reaching for another. “I’m the same washed up old hag I’ve always been. Now, tell me about Gothenburg! I’ve wanted to go back ever since we went there for that conference — must be, ooh, what, twelve years ago now? Gods, how time flies.”

“Ok, first of all, you’re nothing like a ‘washed up old hag’, so don’t you dare talk about yourself like that, and secondly, Gothenburg was amazing.”

She smiled, and let him tell her what he could about his assignment.

“Bet Ginny’s glad to have you back,” she said.

Harry’s face shifted into what Hermione called her favourite ‘Harry being soppy for his wife’ expression, and he flushed. “Yeah, probably. Apparently Lily’s been flying around the garden at Grimmauld and it’s giving Ginny kneazles. Lily’s been pretending to be the next seeker for the Harpies or something…” Raking his hand through his messy hair, he sighed. “Who’d have ever thought I’d be sitting in your bookshop, talking about my daughter learning to fly, eh?”

She smiled, but Harry’s expression cracked a little.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Hermione scowled fondly and reached across to take his hand in hers. “Harry… we’ve been over this a thousand times.”

“I know. I just…” he drew in a long inhale and then said, “So are you going to tell me what’s changed in your life since I’ve been away? You’re practically glowing. Did you meet someone?”

Hermione bit her lip and drew back, cheeks heating damnably.

“You did? Who is it? Do I know them?”

“Yes,” she said carefully. “You do. But if I tell you who it is, I need you to…” she puffed out her cheeks and finished off in a rush, “I need you to promise not to freak out first of all, and then promise you won’t tell a soul. Not even Ginny just yet, ok? It’s really important.”

Harry looked wary and worried at that.

Taking one more breath for courage, she said quietly, “It’s Draco Malfoy.”

For a moment, Harry fell utterly still, his green eyes wide and disbelieving. He looked like he was expecting Fred and George to pop out of the bookshelves with party streamers and tell him he’d been pranked, but when he saw her anxious expression, his shoulders dropped a fraction and he whispered, “You’re bloody serious.”

“Yes.”

“How?” he blurted. “I mean… the man’s a hermit by all accounts. How did you even meet him, let alone… you know…” he grimaced and she bit back a snicker. It looked like he’d swallowed a toad whole.

A tiny smile crept onto her lips and she relaxed just a little. “It was back on the first of September,” she said. “I went with Ginny to wave James and Albus off, and —”

“— of course, Scorpius started this year too.”

“Exactly. Draco was there to see him off. Ginny was amazed that he’d left the Manor, but he’s… Gods, Harry, he loves that boy so much.” She paused, recalling Draco's stricken expression as the train had pulled away from the platform, and of his fears about losing Scorpius because of their relationship.

Harry watched her with a quiet intensity for a moment and then asked, “So… Uh… how’d it happen?”

She laughed. “I invited him for a drink at the Leaky, fully expecting him to refuse. I think he surprised himself when he accepted. We had lunch together and honestly…? It was really nice. He’s changed, Harry.”

“I know.”

That surprised her, and she sat up a bit and frowned.

Chuckling softly, Harry ran a hand around the two-day stubble on his jaw. “You remember the attack on the Manor?”

“Little Scorpius yowled in my arms for hours while you questioned his father, Harry. I couldn’t forget that.”

Harry acquiesced with a sideways nod of his head. “Well, he wasn’t the same Malfoy from school in that interview room, Hermione. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when I could get him to focus on something that wasn’t the whereabouts of his son, he was articulate and helpful… Still arrogant and snappy, but…” Harry shook his head. “He’s definitely different.”

Hermione bit her lip to try and stop herself from crying, which failed, and when Harry looked up, his face fell.

“Hermione? What’s wrong?” He set his mug down and rose from his battered old armchair, crossing in two strides to kneel beside hers.

“I was so afraid you wouldn’t understand,” she whispered, shaking and overwhelmed.

All the tension left Harry and he hugged her.

It was awkward because of the furniture, but Harry had always given the best hugs no matter the situation. “You deserve to be happy, Hermione. And you’ve always known your mind. If Malfoy can keep up with you, and keep you happy, then…” he shrugged without letting go, “I’ll support you. If he hurts you though, I will use every curse I’ve ever learned as an Auror on him.”

“Thanks, Harry. You promise you won’t tell anyone yet?”

He nodded.

And then someone cleared their throat from the doorway into the main shop, and Hermione jumped. Harry sprang back, hand going instinctively for his wand, but he stopped when he saw who was standing there.

“Theo!” Hermione exclaimed, smearing the last of her tears off her cheeks. “What are you doing here? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Too busy sobbing onto dear Potter’s shoulder,” he said without barb. “Everything alright?”

She nodded. “Just getting emotional about something as usual. What’s up?”

“Just came to see if you wanted to grab lunch, but I can see that England’s favourite Auror has returned. How was your trip, Potter?”

“Good,” he said, suddenly every bit the awkward boy he’d been at Hogwarts. “I just finished debriefing and thought I’d stop by for a custard cream and a chat with Hermione before I head home. I’m on leave for a week now.”

“Nice,” Theo smiled. “Any plans?”

Harry shrugged. “A few casual rounds of quidditch with Ron and the others,” he said. “Time with Ginny and Lily. Might pop up to Hogsmeade and see if I can visit James and Albus at the weekend.”

Conversation stalled, and Harry rocked back on his heels before putting his mug down and turning to Hermione.

“Look, I’d better get going,” he said. “But… Come over for dinner this week, alright?”

She nodded. “I’d love that. Tomorrow any good?”

“I’ll check with Ginny, but I can’t see why not. I’ll owl you.” He paused and then grinned. “C’mere,” he said, and pulled her into another enormous hug. With a hand briefly on the back of her head, he murmured, “I won’t tell a soul.”

“Thank you,” she said, squeezing him so hard he wheezed.

“See you, Nott,” Harry said with a polite nod as he left.

Once the bell had fallen silent again, Theo turned to her and crossed his arms loosely over his chest. “Everything alright?” he asked again now that they were alone.

“Yeah,” she said and rolled her eyes. “I told him about Draco and bound him to secrecy. I was so relieved when he took it so well that I just burst into tears.”

Theo laughed at that and finally seemed to relax. “I’m honoured to have known before Potter, then,” he said. “And what, pray, are those?” he added when his eyes landed on the custard creams.

“Muggle biscuits,” she said, picking up the plate and holding it out to him. “They’re delicious.”

Theo looked as if she’d offered him a plate of slugs and held up his hand. “Thanks… I’ll, uh, pass.”

“You’re such a snob, Theodore Nott,” she laughed, bustling off to tidy the mugs and plate away. “What did you want, anyway?”

“Lunch,” he said.

“It’s three in the afternoon,” she countered.

“Mmm. I had a deposition that went on forever. I’m starving.”

“Theo, I do actually have a business to run,” she said. “Isn’t today Dan’s day off? Can’t he go instead?”

“He’s already reserved us a table and is probably halfway through his steak and rioja by now,” Theo groused. “I’ll bring you a doggy bag if we have any leftovers,” he added affectionately.

“Thanks?”

Pausing on the threshold to the back room, Theo fixed her with one of his rare, intense and sincere looks. “I’m glad things worked out with you and Draco. Potter was right; you both deserve to be happy.”

She swallowed thickly, feeling tears prickle at her eyes again. “You won’t tell anyone? He wants to tell Scorpius himself. He doesn’t want it coming from someone else first.”

Theo dragged his thumb across his heart in a cross and nodded. “Drinks on Friday? Draco said he might come.”

“I’ll be there anyway,” she promised, and Theo left with a friendly wink that only he could get away with.

She and Draco continued to see each other, mostly using the seclusion of his London apartment, though they did sometimes go back to hers. There they watched the 1946 Great Expectations. To Hermione’s surprise, however, Draco informed her that it wasn’t his first time seeing a muggle film. That, naturally, led down a whole rabbit hole of questions, ending with the discovery that Draco had built Scorpius a warded playroom inside Malfoy Manor that was shielded from the effects of magic and thus allowed Muggle technology to function perfectly.

“But… you need electricity!” she’d blurted.

Laughing and looking far too smug with himself, Draco said, “Indeed.”

“But… wizarding households don’t have electricity!”

“Granger, you’re glorious when you’re baffled. I must make more efforts to confound that brilliant mind of yours more often.”

“Tell me!” she’d shrilled, pinching him in the ribs as they sat on the sofa together with the end credits rolling away in the background. When he’d just sat back with his mouth quirked into an infuriating smirk, she had straddled him and raked her fingers through the slightly shorter hair just above his hears on either side of his head, scrunching the silver-white waves until he’d groaned and bucked upwards slightly into her. “Tell me, Draco Malfoy, or no more kisses.”

“You drive a hard bargain, my beautiful, brilliant witch,” he purred, slightly breathless as she continued to hold him in her grasp, head tilted back a little, throat exposed. His hands landed reverently on her hips and he closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the contact.

Naturally, Hermione kissed him on the lips and he smiled. “Perpetual shock charm,” he said when she drew back. “I made a generator.”

“That’s… That’s so simple it’s genius. But surely you had to look up —?”

“I’m fairly certain I could get a job as a muggle ‘electrician’ now,” he snickered, chasing after more kisses. “But I choose not to.”

“What do you do with yourself all day?” she asked. “Running Malfoy Manor and the estate can’t take up all your time, surely?”

He went a little tense beneath her at that and then chuckled, embarrassed. “I… I’m on the board of a number of charities,” he said, “And I’m currently conducting research into a number areas in the field of Potions. I did a postal course to get my NEWTs in Potions, and shortly after that, attained my masters.”

“Huh,” she said, sitting back a bit. She reached down and brought his hands up in front of her. Pressing a kiss to each of his scar-flecked knuckles, she murmured, “That explains a lot. You’ve got the hands of a potion-master, Draco.”

“Too many spills and accidents,” he snorted. “And not enough dragon hide gloves.”

“What are you researching?”

“A number of projects,” he said evasively.

“Come on,” she laughed, dropping his hands again and beginning to nuzzle at his jawline and neck. He was utterly weak to that, she’d discovered to her absolute delight, and she was not above using it to her advantage. Beneath her, he shivered and went limp, turning his head with a sigh of pleasure as she raked her teeth over his pulse and then kissed him.

“I’m working on… ah… on a recipe that… oh gods, Granger…”

“Go on,” she crooned.

“A recipe to make the wolfsbane potion commercially viable,” he panted.

At that, she did pause, but only for a moment. Next thing Draco knew, Hermione had flung her arms around his neck and was squeezing the life out of him like a boa constrictor.

“Granger?”

She just shook her head, thinking of what Remus Lupin would say if he knew what Draco was working on now on behalf of his kind. “Why?” she eventually croaked without removing her face from the crook of Draco’s neck.

His hands skated gently up and down her back, the heat simmering back down to something calmer; something fond and affectionate. “Because,” he fairly growled, “Fenrir Greyback tormented my mother when he lived with us at the Manor, and I had no idea that werewolves could be functioning members of society with the right help until I met Remus Lupin. It was just another area where if I’d only known more at the time, it would have made so much difference to my perception of things.”

He sighed and kissed the side of her head.

“I can make a difference now. I’ve got a state of the art potions lab in one of the dungeons at the Manor, and Severus left his entire collection of books and notes to me in his will. He must have known I always wanted to be a potions master, even when I didn’t think I’d live beyond the end of that awful year…”

That was probably the longest continuous speech from Draco she’d heard since they’d started seeing each other, and the emotion in his voice, lingering beneath the surface like a hidden current, moved her deeply.

“You’re a wonderful man, Draco,” she whispered as she kissed his temple. “I wish the world could see you for who you are now…”

“You see me,” he said very quietly. “That’s enough.”

___

To be continued! Don’t forget to let me know what you think, and help a relative newbie (at least to contributing anyway) to the fandom out by reblogging!

writing masterlist | Ao3

#hermione x draco #dramione fic #draco malfoy #hermione granger #older dramione #older dramione fic #hermione granger x draco malfoy #let no man steal your thyme

[elowenp]

Dan Powell is seven years old and if he’s certain of one thing it’s that he loves stories.

Not quite the same way as Mark. Mark prefers his words drenched in the mud and grit of the reality he thinks is true.

“Doesn’t it make the stories taste bad?” Dan asks, “Doesn’t it make them grind against your teeth and cut against your tongue?”

Mark just laughs. “I can stomach it. It’s way cooler than all that unreality fluff you like.”

Dan laughs but inside he’s frowning. The stories he likes are real. It’s just that what he counts as reality and what Mark does must be very different things.

Dan likes stories about odd things. He likes stories about monsters and cults and old, old gods. He likes weird. The stories don’t have to have a hero either, Dan is perfectly happy without a happy ending, just so long as there is an ending. When Dan starts a story leaving it unfinished has never been an option. When his parents read him bedtime stories, always a chapter at a time, he picks the book up once they leave and gets through as much as possible before passing out with the book falling wide open over his face.

Dan like stories and he likes endings and he likes weird. So when he overhears some people on the subway talking about the Visser Building and the odd happenings within, he can hardly not go searching for the endings of that tale.

The next day he walks down seedier streets than any seven year old should really be walking down to get to the Visser Building. He wonders if it’s odd that he didn’t need to look at any maps before coming here. It’s probably normal, he decides, I’m just good at finding odd things.

Dan is good at finding all the stories at the school library that probably shouldn’t be available to children as young as him and no one finds that strange. This is just more of the same.

As he walks into the Visser Building an overwhelming feeling of rightness comes over Dan. This is where you’re meant to be, it whispers, stay here forever and all will be right, right, right, it sings. Dan thinks the whispers make a very good point but he has to be home for dinner otherwise his parents will worry. So he won’t stay. This time.

He walks through the corridors. Some of them feel like mazes. Some of them tilt downwards so harshly that they feel like slides. All of them are new and interesting and definitely full of stories. Dan turns on the tape recorder he stole from his Dad. Mark is always going on about how a journalist needs a good record of everything that happens and this feels like the sort of story Dan is going to need to replay to fully understand.

“This is Dan Powell recording.” he says into it, trying to sound as serious and adult as he can. There isn’t really anything else for him to say after that since all the things he’s feeling are too new and unexplainable to put words to so he just lets the tape recorder go. The whirring of it is nice background noise and Dan likes the way the machine feels in his hand. Almost as if it’s a part of his hand.

Something about that thought may be significant, but before Dan can examine it too thoroughly he’s rounding a corner and face to face with a woman about to knock on a door and holding a tape recorder just like his own.

She looks surprised to see Dan. As if Dan isn’t meant to be there. Dan thinks this is a bit unfair as the woman’s presence doesn’t sing to him like the rest of the building does so she definitely isn’t meant to be there. She looks like she’s nice though and she hasn’t shouted at Dan for trespassing yet so Dan doesn’t say that. He just stands there, listening attentively to the twin whirring of two tape recorders.

“Hello,” the woman says after a moment, cautious. “I’m Melody Pendras, do you live here?”

“No. I’m Dan Powell.” Dan holds his hand out for Melody to shake since he’s sure that’s what he’s meant to do. Melody smiles as if this is a little funny but bends down and shakes Dan’s hand seriously enough that he forgives her.

“Then why are you here?”

Dan frowns. “The same reason as you.” He gestures towards her tape recorder. “I want to know the story.”

Melody starts frowning as well. “That’s a very dangerous thing to want.” she says.

“I know. It’s okay though. Getting to the end is worth it.”

Dan feels Melody re-evaluate her opinion of him. He feels the way her eyes land on him shift until it’s a lot more like how she looks at the rest of this strange, strange building. “I think you would fit in here very well.”

Dan nods in agreement. “Thanks. You wouldn’t.”

Melody laughs lightly. “I hope you’ll forgive me for finding that to be a good thing.” Dan shrugs. It’s not a good thing. It’s not a bad thing. It just is. “I need to get back to work but it was nice to meet you, Dan.”

“It was nice to meet you too, Melody. I hope your story doesn’t end badly.”

Melody looks at Dan very oddly but before she can say anything the door she had been stood in front of swings open and she becomes too caught up in greeting the occupant to notice Dan fading back into the shadows of the Visser Building.

~

Dan ends up having to leave to get home for dinner before finding anything else important. Then he has a playdate with Mark the next day. Then he goes to his school’s very small creative writing club the day after that. Then there’s a disciplinary meeting between his parents and his teacher about the somewhat disturbing story he wrote and Dan gets grounded for the rest of the week.

When Dan finally gets a chance to return to the Visser Building all that’s left is rubble and the odd blood splatter and something else.

The something else is calling to him. The whirring, crackling, spinning of a tape recorder with nothing left to record is loud in his ears despite the fact he know no one else can hear it. His hands are too small and his body too weak to lift the rubble but he aches to do so.

“You lost, kid?” a voice asks from behind Dan. He turns to see a woman who definitely doesn’t care if Dan is lost or not.

“No.” Dan pauses so that he doesn’t sound too demanding or rude. Then, “Can I have the tapes?”

The woman’s eyes narrow and Dan is struck by how unlike Melody she looks. Melody had a kind face, all arranged in the most welcoming shape. The whole time this woman has been looking at Dan she’s kept her face twisted into something mildly disgusted.

“What tapes are these?”

Dan points to the rubble. “The ones in there. They have a story on them, I need to know how it ends.”

“Huh.” the woman says, looking at Dan like an artefact in a museum. “If you were a little older I would know a lot of people who would be interested in employing you.” She tilts her head to the side as if considering Dan. “Do you like cities?”

Dan hasn’t thought on it much before but the concept of living anywhere less full of stories than New York kind of makes him want to tear his skin off. “Yes.”

The woman’s eyes gleam with interest. “Do you have friends?”

Dan thinks to how Mark can make him laugh hard enough to snort milk out his nose and yesterday he fixed the plaster on Mark’s knee just right when the school nurse did it wrong. “Yes.”

The interest in the woman’s eyes dulls a little. “A pity. Still, far more useful than most people will ever be.” She reaches into a pocket and pulls out a card with the letters LMG on it and a phone number. “My name is Iris Vos. Once you’re old enough to be useful, maybe get a degree or something, call this number and tell them that I sent you.” She turns away from Dan a little. “That should give me some credit with the bastards.” she mutters to herself.

Dan looks down at the card. It’s in pristine condition, just like he supposes everything of Miss Vos’s must be. The numbers have an odd shine to them though and Dan finds himself wondering if there might be something interesting there. “Thank you for the opportunity.” he says, because he’s certain that someone said that after receiving a job offer in one of the TV shows his dad watches. Miss Vos nods so Dan guesses he probably said the right words and she walks off towards people in suits holding official looking clipboards.

Dan wants to know how this story ends. He needs to know how this story ends. The curiosity burns in his stomach like acid and fire and hatred and wonder and Dan isn’t sure how many years he can last before it finds a way to destroy him. He’s always loved endings after all, perhaps a little too much.

So Dan tucks the card very carefully into his pocket and spends a moment hoping fervently that one day he’ll be old enough to be useful.

#archive 81 #a81 #podcasts #this doesn't work with the timeline but shhhhhh #making dan Weird is honestly my favourite thing #writing