#growing up is finding out how much CHEESE costs

[homemakinghippie]

Meal Planning

Aside from making as much of our food from scratch as possible, meal planning is how I keep our grocery budget low. When done properly it can be extremely helpful, but I know a lot of people find it very overwhelming so I thought I'd share how I meal plan.

The first step is deciding how long you want to plan for. I plan week by week because I love grocery shopping. Growing up my mom always planned for two weeks so she could get groceries on pay day, and I know some people successfully plan for the whole month. However long you choose to plan for, don't think that your meal plan locks you down to eating specific things on specific nights. A meal plan is more like a guide. I use it as a list of meals we want to eat that week, and we can have whichever meal sounds the best that night. I still have some freedom of choice, but I don't have to think hard about what we should have. It eliminates a lot of decision fatigue.

I always try to base my meals off the things that are on sale that week. Most grocery stores (at least in the US) change their sale items on Wednesdays so I make my meal plan and grocery list on Wednesday. You could totally do your shopping then too, but my husband and I like going together on weekends. This can take a little more flexibility, because sometimes the item on my list is sold out because of the sale, but I just do what I need to make it work. If you get your local newspaper they should have an insert with local store's weekly ads, but most also post them on their app/website. Using the app or website can actually make lists easier because you can sometimes add a sale item or deal straight to your in app list and clip coupons straight to your account instead of needing to get the scissors out.

I do shop at Walmart a lot and they don't have weekly deals or coupons, so I also keep a list of meals we love and are cheap/easy to make. I price compare items at my local Kroger and Walmart and usually end up going to both of there's enough items that are cheaper.

Meal planning can be super simple if you want it to be. Create meals based on sale items, choose one of those meals each night when deciding what to have for dinner, save money because you're not constantly going back to the store for random ingredients or getting takeout because you can't decide.

I wanna clarify that when I say sale items I mean ingredients. Produce, cheese, or meats that are one sale. Even if everything is on sale, buying all premade/processed foods will automatically make your groceries cost more. You can get more meals out of a package of chicken breasts, cheese, rice, and some vegetables than you can with frozen meals you just have to heat up (although frozen vegetables are an amazing way to get veggies in for cheaper).

#meal planning #homemaking #homemaker #housewife #stay at home wife #50s housewife #vintage housewife #traditional housewife #tradwife #traditional gender roles #traditional femininity #tradfem #stay at home mom #traditional home #traditional wife #traditional marriage #traditionalism #tradblr #crunchy mom #hippie mom #from scratch #groceries #cooking #homemade #holistic home #hyper feminine #femininity #feminine #divine feminine #wife

[shitpunsforshitnuns]

OBSESSED with the fact that the infamous “gross American food” poll is fully just poor people food that people still make/buy either because it was passed through their family or because they’re still poor. Allow me to elaborate. Here’s the poll if you’ve managed to avoid the discourse:

American Chocolate tastes different because of two factors: the majority of our cacao comes from South America unlike Europe which generally imports from Africa (moving product farther costs more money). Also, American chocolate is only required to have 10% cacao as opposed to Europe’s 20% (using less cacao and supplementing with readily available sweeteners like corn syrup costs less money). In fact, the very first American Chocolate company (Baker Chocolate Company) was so aware of how much less wealthy the early US was than Europe’s established market for chocolate, that their bars came with a money back guarantee for anyone who was disappointed with the sweets. The current financial situation in the US is well known to the rest of the world- of course we still make and eat cheap chocolate, the bones of our country are exploitation. Also, the dairy content is lower in American chocolates which makes them more shelf stable. Shelf stable foods are important for communities living paycheck to paycheck who have money for a chocolate bar right now but won’t for their kid’s birthday in a week.

Bologna feels self explanatory to me. It’s made of literal scraps from the meat production industry that are then turned into a “sausage” and cured to give the product more longevity. I like fried bologna because it was cheaper for my dad’s parents when he was a kid. My dad likes bologna for the same reason.

Watergate Salad is made of shelf stable ingredients. Many desserts require eggs or dairy that can be expensive and expire quickly. Those desserts then get stale if they aren’t eaten immediately. Canned fruits, pistachio pudding mix, and cool whip (which is hydrogenated oil and very little dairy) will all keep for a while. You can buy them in bulk and put them in your cabinets or freezer until you want to use them and then the salad itself will keep in the fridge. See again the importance of shelf stable foods to impoverished communities.

Twinkies are cheap and go stale slowly. See again the importance of shelf stable foods in impoverished communities.

Grits, Boiled Peanuts, and Biscuits and Gravy are all southern comfort food staples. I was born and raised in north Georgia, it’s very important to me to note that almost all southern food was co-opted from freed slaves by poor rural white folk in the south. Plain grits can be deeply unappetizing but they are cheap and self stable. You can add butter and salt or even seasoned meat and veggies. Grits are rarely a whole meal all to themselves and when they are you add some cheese or salt at the very least. George Washington Carver (a black man many people outside of Georgia should acquaint themselves with at least a little better) turned peanuts into a massive cash crop in Georgia because they are nitrogen fixing! They replace the nitrogen other cash crops (like cotton and tobacco) take out of the soil. In order for your fields to stay viable, you have to plant something like this every once in a while, so most farmers had peanuts themselves or had a neighbor growing peanuts. Boiling them is a quick, easy way to get salt on the nuts themselves. The water soaks through the shells and seasons and softens the nuts. Water is free and peanuts will keep until the fats start to go south, no wonder they picked up popularity among rural folk and travelers alike. Biscuits and gravy are another scrap food. A good sausage gravy is made of leftover sausage and southern biscuits are a savory, buttery carb that is filling and gives you energy you need somewhere like a farm. The negative stereotypes of the south are pervasive and often rooted in racism. Find someone whose grandma has been making these foods her whole life before you form an opinion.

Meatloaf is seasoned more often than not. Like. Sorry you ate meatloaf that wasn’t salted. Anyway, meatloaf is another scrap food! Meat scraps are ground up and then formed into a loaf. Most people put tomato sauce or ketchup on it. Canned tomato products are, you guessed it, shelf stable, and can also be canned at home fairly safely.

The United States at large is not ignorant of the world around it. We are aware that other foods exist. Either we are choosing to eat these or our financial situations are backing us into corners. This is all without even touching upon the prevalence of food deserts in low-income, minority communities in the US. If you’re aware of all this and you really just want to critique the wealth disparity in the US, punch up. Go after the guys with money, not the food that the rest of us find joy in making out of the scraps. Also, making fun of the British is always punching up. Maybe if you had caused fewer wealth disparities that directly impacted the food eaten in other countries, we would be nicer about yours.

#I wrote all this on mobile #so i couldn't link sources #but google is free #american food #american food poll #biscuits and gravy #american chocolate #bologna #watergate salad #twinkies #grits #boiled peanuts #meatloaf #long post

[twsthc]

scarabia angst headcanons 🌞💔

⚠️ warnings: food anxiety, self destructive behavior, possible OCD triggers, kalim

last updated: july 30, 2023

KALIM AL-ASIM 🦦

has C-PTSD from the constant threat of death

mostly gets nightmares, flashbacks, anxious, etc of when he was poisoned and kidnapped or when jamil was poisoned "for" him

has coughed up blood, has seen jamil cough up blood

really tries to hide how much it still gets him so he doesnt worry anyone

super light sleeper. a cockroach tap the wall and his eyes would fly open

has food anxiety

needs someone to test the food before he does, or he needs to know jamil prepared it or he wont eat it

after his first time getting poisoned he wouldnt eat jamils cooking either

after jamil's OB, he stopped cooking and contacting kalim and things really spiraled out of control

stopped eating/drinking anything until he was forced to

was literally bmi 0.001 until a teacher had to step in and force some goat cheese down his throat

parents would pay for material items for their kids but not therapy

i think kalim might have done some crazy shit to make his parents notice him out of the quintillion other kids they have

also he was raised by servants instead of his own mother

because of all this Mental Illness (specifically C-PTSD) he does get panic attacks, as one with anxiety disorders does

he uses pain to ground himself in stressful moments (mostly his nails)

digs them into his palms or thighs, whatever hes closer to

or he scratches himself until he refocuses

got especially bad after jamils ob. imagine the person who kept u safe and basically raising u coming out and saying he secretly hated u

me personally i would kms

probably cries himself to sleep

type of fellow to be super happy one moment then hear a sad/soft song then become svicidal (me when im having a great day then hear any song by Lamp)

JAMIL VIPER 🐍

fully believe jamil has NPD

after growing up in an environment where he was put behind everyone else, his brain desperately needed to be put first

its really hard to find good symptoms of this disorder without seeing bullshit like "10 signs your partner is a narcissist" omfg

some ACTUAL symptoms of a narcassistic disorder (for jamil):

he has poor coping skills, often projects his anger onto others, has trouble maintaining relationships, often requires praise or he might feel obsolete/depressed

too good at hiding his feelings even in shitty situations

has boiling anger issues but is able to keep them repressed (at his own cost)

after his OB, he distanced himself from kalim to process

after 2-ish weeks, they talked it out and set some boundaries

the first week jamil didnt force-wake kalim up, kalim was consistently late to all her earlier classes and struggled a shit ton with work loads

she couldnt even pick out her own outfits without jamil going "that ones fine, now hurry up" every few seconds

had to establish that kalim needed to learn how to live without jamils coddling

kalim agreed ofc but still felt a little lonely without her usual schedule

also has anxiety from being poisoned, and still has lingering memories of being so worried when kalim was kidnapped

i also think jamil has OCD :3

"if i dont do ABC then kalim with XYZ"

has other impulses (flicking lights on and off, needing to feel "even" on both sides)

i hope someone w ocd reads this and understands wtf im talking about

when someone steps on your foot so you have to step on the other one or youll throw up because you dont feel the same amount of pain on both sides

#twisted wonderland #twst headcanons #kalim al asim #jamil viper #scarabia #angst #ocd girlies wya #twsthc

[justmenoworries]

Volume 9 Rewrite Idea, I Guess? (Part 1)

This isn't really a rewrite per se, but just an idea I had to improve Volume 9 a bit.

What if, instead of reuniting the girls anticlimactically in the first episode, they're separated for about half of the volume? The Volume already established that the Ever After has a mind of its own, kind of.

What if the Ever After keeps RWBY separated on purpose? Not for any malicious reasons, but because it acts as a sort of Sink-or-Swim mentor? It "senses" that the girls need to take a good look at themselves. Over their past adventures, they've become intensely self-righteous and stunted in their emotional development, keeping them from being the heroes they could be. And them just constantly affirming to each other that they haven't done anything wrong isn't helping. So the Ever After prevents them from reuniting at first. Before it allows them to find each other again, they'll first have to actually work through their issues, actually acknowledge their mistakes and grow.

(Also, because this volume is supposed to be RWBY-focused, Jaune actually makes it out of the portal realm and doesn't fall.)

(You can find part 2 here.)

And to support them in that endeavor, the Ever After "gives" them companions in the form of its natives, who will sort of lead them toward that conclusion. Think the Train Denizens in Infinity Train.

Ruby is paired up with Little, an idealistic mouse who grew up in a harsh environment, in a society that was centered around survival. Despite having been dealt such a bad hand in life, Little remains optimistic and continues to see the good and wondrous in their homeland. In fact, it's their dream to travel the land and see things no mouse ever had before, which makes them sort of an outlier in their gruff and hardened village. Ruby, seeing some of her old self in Little, begrudgingly decides to grant their request to join her. As their journey goes on, Ruby finds herself growing more and more annoyed with Little's perpetual cheerfulness and (as she sees it) naiveté. Eventually, Ruby snaps at Little, telling them that the world isn't as wondrous as they think. The real world is cruel and cold and all it does is take. Much to her surprise, her outburst doesn't push Little away. Instead, Little just looks at her funny for a few seconds, then asks: "Did it take... something from you?" And that finally gets Ruby to break out of her repression and burst into tears. She vents to Little about everything that happened to her and how she tries so hard to help, but only ever seems to make things worse. Little is unsure of what to say, so they just sit by Ruby's side to provide her a metaphorical shoulder to cry on and get it all out. Little then says that they don't one hundred percent understand everything Ruby's been telling them, but it does sound like Ruby was "trying to be big". Ruby is confused by Little's choice of words, and Little explains that when they were a young child, they once attempted to harvest a huge piece of cheese all by themselves. But by that point they weren't tall or strong enough to get it out on their own and instead ended up tearing the cheese apart and hurting themself. Costing their village valuable food and some additional hands. The village leader scolded them for trying to do a job for grown-ups, "trying to be big". Ruby begins to understand what Little is getting at. She thought that she could handle the whole Salem-thing her way and that it was somehow her responsibility, when it really wasn't. She might be a Huntress, but she's still a child, who was only recently informed about Ozpin's and Salem's secret war. No one should expect, let alone ask her to just take over and miraculously solve a conflict that other adults, like Summer, Qrow, Ironwood and Ozpin, have struggled with for years. Including herself. Because she tried to tackle a problem that was just too big for her and, really, the entirety of Team RWBY, by stubbornly forcing everyone to go along with her plan and her plan alone, Atlas ended up paying for it and the staff and lamp might or might not be in Cinder's and therefor Salem's hands. Being able to lay out her issues this way helps Ruby a bit with working through them. She apologizes to Little for snapping at them and just assuming she knew better than them, even making a tiny self-deprecating joke that she seems to be doing that a lot lately. Little accepts the apology with a smile. Ruby then resolves that, once she finds the rest of her team and they return to Remnant, she'll make an effort to actually share the burden, so that something like Atlas will never happen again.

Weiss is paired up with the Curious Cat, a mysterious feline whose favorite hobby is asking a billion questions at once. Weiss quickly gets impatient with how easily distracted the Cat is, but since they're her only chance to find her way around the Ever After, Weiss deicdes to humor them, if only reluctantly. As they travel, the Cat asks a dozen questions about Remnant and Weiss herself, all of which Weiss answers rather unenthusiastically. Somehow the conversation shifts to Atlas, which dampens Weiss' mood even more. It gets worse when the topic of family comes up and the Cat, being really fond of dramatic stories, demands to know all about Weiss' different family members. This finally causes Weiss to snap, yelling at the Cat that this isn't important. The Cat innocently asks: "Family isn't important? Huh. I had quite the different impression." This causes Weiss to stop in her tracks, realizing what she just said, if unintentionally. She tries to backpedal that of course family is important. The Cat says "But just now, you said they were not." Weiss: "No, I didn't mean--! Not them, I just--" She sighs, slumping a little. She tells the Cat that things between her and her family are complicated, but of course that doesn't mean that Weiss doesn't care about them. She begins to talk about them, starting with her admiration for her big sister Winter and her grandfather Nicholas. She begins to stumble when talking about Willow and Whitley and finally goes quiet when mentioning Jacques. The Cat picks up on her discomfort and asks what's wrong. Weiss, after some hesitation, tells the Cat that her father was not a good man. He was arrogant and thought himself above others. He would discard anyone he couldn't use and just assume he knew what was best for the Schnee family. The Curious Cat agrees that Jacques sounds like a thoroughly unpleasant man. Then their face scrunches up in confusion and they ask: "Though there is one thing I'm.. curious about. If you dislike this man so much, why do you imitate him?" Weiss is baffled by this statement. Flustered, she tells the Cat that she is nothing like Jacques. She left her family and became a Huntress specifically so she'd never become the kind of person Jacques was and to repair the damage his actions have done to the Schnee family name. The Curious Cat points out, not unfriendly, that every negative trait of Jacques' Weiss has pointed out, she has herself demonstrated during their travel. She was rude and callous to them, until she realized the Cat could help her find her way. She acted like answering the Cat's questions was a nuisance and beneath her. And just a few minutes ago, she was yelling about how family was not important right now. And when she talked about Whitley and Willow, she was dismissive and almost apathetic, like the two of them didn't really matter. Weiss' face becomes more and more horrified as the Cat talks. She realizes the Cat is completely right. In her desperate effort to distance herself from her father, she not only pushed the rest of her family away too, she also adopted more and more of his mindset, without even realizing it. Weiss is at a loss for a long moment. Here she thought she'd left her Ice Queen days behind her, but really, she hasn't changed at all. When she tells the Curious Cat as much, the Cat simply tells her: "So change now. Times change and so do we when it's time for us to change. Don't you?" Weiss gives the Cat a smile and agrees. They continue walking and Weiss asks the cat if there is anything else they want to know.

((This going to be continued in a part 2, since apparently text posts have a word-limit of 4092. Who knew.))

#rwde #rwby critical #volume 9 spoilers #rwby rewrite

[sallysgrancanwrite]

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Masterlist

Sam Jeffries, the man from the garage, looked at her car.

“Well, it’s probably going to cost anywhere between $1500.00 to $3000.00 to get it off and repaint it. And I’m going to have to find the exact color. It might take a few days to get the color in but I’ll start removing it right away if you want.” Sam told her. Is it okay if I have the car for a while or do you need it?” He asked Chloe.

“Let me check on getting the money together and I’ll call you. If that’s okay.” Chloe said.

“Sounds good. Just let me know.” said Sam.

Chloe went into the house. She was going to have to borrow the money from Edith and Bob. She hated asking. She only had liability insurance so they weren’t going to cover all the damage.

“Bob? Edith? May I talk to you both?” Chloe asked them.

“What’s up?” Edith asked.

“I’ll call my insurance but I don’t think they will cover all the damage. Could I borrow the money until I can start using mine and Michael’s money? I just have no access to it yet.” Chloe asked them. “I’m sorry to have to ask.” She said,

“Chloe, you never have to worry about asking for help. We know the spot you’re in right now.” replied Edith.

“How much is it going to cost?” asked Bob.

“Between $1500 to $3000.” Chloe answered.

“You and Edith drive it in tomorrow and have him get started on it. We’ll take care of the bill.” Bob said.

“Thank you so much!” declared Chloe. “You are always there for me, thank you.”

“You’re a daughter to us Chloe. We raised you like one. We will always be there for you.” Edith stayed.

Chloe hugged them both and went to check on Emma, who was still sick with the flu.

She felt extremely blessed to have such great friends who supported her through everything.

Emma was quietly resting. Chloe just closed her door and went back downstairs.

“How is she?” Edith asked.

“She’s asleep so I didn’t bother her. She needs to rest.” Chloe answered.

“At least she seems to have stopped throwing up.” Edith remarked. “The Pepto must have helped. I’m glad for that.”

“I’m sure she’ll feel better tomorrow.” Chloe said.

The next morning Chloe drove her car to the garage while Edith followed. It was the first time Chloe had driven since getting out of the hospital. Hopefully she would be able to start driving herself around. She hated relying on someone to drive her all the time.

“It will be a few days or better before it’s ready.” Said Sam.

“That’s fine, just call when it’s ready,” said Edith. “Bob and I will be paying for the work.”

“Sounds good,” said Sam.

Chloe and Edith had to stop at the grocery store quickly. Edith needed some eggs, cream cheese, coffee, tomato sauce and garlic bread.

After the store they stopped home quickly to start a pot of chili.

“ I need to get to PT and then the gym,” said Chloe. “Would you let me borrow the car to go?” asked Chloe.

“I worry about you being alone and Michael being out,” said Bob.

“I have the day off, I’ll go with her,” said Beth. “Besides, you're busy schooling Emma right now.”

“Okay Beth can go with you.” Edith said.

“When am I going to be able to drive myself?” Chloe cried.

“When Michael is in jail.” Bob said. “I know you want your freedom but we just don’t trust him.”

“We just care abou you Chloe.” Edith added.

“I know,” said Chloe reluctantly.

“Let’s go,” said Beth. “Smile. We’ll make a day of it. Okay. Like old times.”

“Okay,” said Chloe.

The girls left and Edith got back to schooling Emma. Bob went to work on some cabinets he was building.

Beth sat and waited for Chloe to be done in PT. When they got to the gym Beth actually worked out with Chloe. It made it more fun.

“Thanks for working out with me Beth,” said Chloe.

“Hey, I need to work out. Eating all Edith’s cooking has made my hips grow.” Beth said laughing. “Let’s go to lunch. My treat.” She said.

“Sure. It’s been a long time since you and I got to do that.” said Chloe.

As they walked out of the gym Michael was walking in with the new girl in his life.

“I wonder if he hits her,” said Beth under her breath.

“Looks like you need the gym.” laughed Michael.

Beth turned around and before Chloe knew it Beth had punched Michael right in the mouth. His lip started to bleed. Chloe wanted to laugh but didn’t.

“I’ll get you on assault!” screamed Michael.

“Go ahead!” yelled Beth. “We’ll charge you with harassment.”

Michael wiped his lip and walked away angrily.

“That was awesome!” said Chloe. “I mean I know you shouldn’t have but it was great to see his face.” laughed Chloe.

“Come on, let’s go,” said Beth. “My hand hurts now.” She said smiling.

#original fiction #original story #writeblr

[paypant]

[mr880fan]

10 of the Best States for Off Grid Living

  Are you thinking about going off-grid? One of the most significant decisions you’ll make is where to live. While the off-grid movement has become more mainstream, many places still aren’t friendly towards off-grid living. So, we decided to make a list of the best states for off-grid living in America.

How Did We Decide Which States Are Best for Off-Grid?

There are a lot of things you should consider when deciding where to live, but for off-grid living, these are the main parameters to consider: Laws You may be surprised that off-grid living isn’t completely legal in some states. For example, you might find it challenging to get a “certificate of occupancy” if your home doesn’t have electricity. Likewise, some states have stricter permitting and building code requirements than others. This can make it difficult to legally use certain off-grid systems, such as greywater recycling or wind turbines. For more info, read: Is Living Off Grid Legal? The Laws of Every State in America Ability to Live Off the Land For many people, living off-grid and homesteading go hand-in-hand. This means you’ll need to live somewhere with natural resources like fertile soil and enough water for farming. Even if you don’t want to live off the land, you will need natural resources like sunlight or wind to produce your own electricity. For more info, read:  Which States Are Best for Homesteading? Natural Disasters Some states are great for off-grid living but often get struck by severe disasters. This is one reason that Texas, Oklahoma, and Montana didn’t make the list of best off-grid states. Droughts in many states also make it harder to live off the land. Cost Unfortunately, going off-grid usually isn’t cheap. In addition to the cost of land, you’ll also have expenses like building permits. Installing alternative systems legally – especially if the state has strict building codes – can also be pricier than using traditional grid-connected methods. Long term, there are costs like property taxes, sales taxes, and cost of living to consider. Luckily, some states encourage self-sufficient living by giving tax breaks for homesteads. Community and Culture Some states have thriving off-grid communities. These communities can be a great resource and support you as you figure out your self-sufficient lifestyle. Community and culture are important even if you want to live an isolated, off-grid lifestyle. For example, states with a culture of agriculture or strong Amish communities tend to be more accepting of the off-grid lifestyle. You won’t have as much interference from local government or neighbors.

Best States for Off-Grid Living

1. Vermont

Laws Vermont has stringent building laws, and you’ll need a permit for just about everything. However, this is a good thing. Here’s why: In many other states, the laws don’t mention composting toilets or alternative building methods (think straw bale). This puts them in a legal gray area: you won’t know if the system is legal, and it is basically up to the whim of the local inspectors to approve or deny the system. By contrast, Vermont’s laws are very clear. For example, Vermont is one of the only states that clearly outlines alternative waste disposal systems rules. You’ll still need a permit and maybe even a licensed engineer to design the system, but at least you know it will pass inspection. For more info, read: Off-Grid Laws of Vermont Living off the Land Nearly 80% of the state is covered by forests, and the land is lush and arable. The state is well known for dairy, maple syrup, apples, and cheese – but many crops will also excel in the fertile land. There is ample water but only approximately 167 sunny days per year, so producing your own electricity from solar year-round can be a challenge. On the downside, Vermont winters come early and are harsh. The time between the last and first frost is only about 155 days, but the growing season can be extended by building a greenhouse. Disasters When it comes to natural disasters, Vermont is one of the safest states in the country. There are flooding and winter storms, but the state doesn’t have a significant risk of wildfires, drought, heat waves, hurricanes, or earthquakes. For more info, read: Natural Disasters in Vermont Cost The cost of land in Vermont is not cheap. However, unlike in many states, most counties don’t have strict “minimum plot size” zoning rules. This means buying a small piece of land for your off-grid home is possible. Costs are also high when it comes to taxes. Vermont has one of the country’s highest property tax rates and high sales taxes. Community and Culture Vermont is famous for its thriving homesteading culture, and there are numerous off-grid communities. Just note that a lot of this culture is because of how many hippies went to the state during the 1960s and 1970s in a “back to the land” movement. If you are liberal, you will feel at home here, but not so much if you are conservative. 2. Maine

Laws When it comes to laws, Maine is one of the best states for off-grid living. As a water-rich state, you are legally allowed to use the water on your property and do things like digging retention ponds. Zoning laws are surprisingly friendly towards tiny homes and mobile home living. State laws even allow for alternative sewage systems, such as outhouses, in many cases. Like with Vermont, you’ll need permits for almost everything in Maine. However, the laws are clear about what’s allowed, so there’s no legal gray area. For more info, read: Off-Grid Laws of Maine Living Off the Land Maine is very similar to Vermont when it comes to living off the land. It also has a 155-day time between the last and first frost. However, Maine is a bit colder and snowier. The main agricultural items in Maine are dairy, potatoes, and chicken eggs. Because of the short growing season, greenhouse and aquaculture are also popular. Disasters Maine is one of the states that is least at risk when it comes to natural disasters. If you manage to find land outside of a flood zone and learn to prepare for the harsh winters, you can rest at ease. For more info, read: Natural Disasters in Maine Cost Farmland is quite expensive in Maine. Expect to pay at least $5,350 per acre. Finding small plots of land in Maine can be difficult because of minimum plot size zoning rules. The cost of living in Maine is lower than any other state in New England. However, the costs are still higher than in most of the country. Property taxes and sales taxes are higher than the national average. Community and Culture Maine’s motto is “Live and Let Live.” This mentality is very favorable for off-grid living and you’ll find a supportive culture in the state. There are lots of farmer’s markets and a strong homesteading community. 3. Wisconsin

Laws Wisconsin is mostly great when it comes to laws about off-grid living. There are still many places without zoning laws, so you can use your property how you wish in these areas. You must meet the state building codes, but there are exceptions for “primitive cabins” if you don’t live there full-time. The state even allows outhouses and is friendly to tiny homes. However, living in an RV is usually illegal. As a water-rich state, Wisconsin has very relaxed laws about using water on or next to your property for domestic use. You don’t even need a permit to drill a well in many cases. For more info, read: Off-Grid Laws of Wisconsin Living Off the Land Wisconsin’s soil is good for both crops and livestock. However, the growing season is very short, with just 110 days between the last and first frost. There is an average of 188 sunny days per year, so year-round solar power will be a challenge. While Wisconsin does have a good supply of water, the state does have occasional problems with drought. Droughts are expected to worsen over the next decades. Disasters Compared to the rest of the country, Wisconsin is relatively safe from natural disasters. The biggest risk is winter storms and blizzards. Some parts of the state average 3 to 5 blizzards per season. For more info, read: Natural Disasters in Wisconsin Cost The cost of land in Wisconsin is very high and is only getting more expensive. Expect to pay $5,700 per acre of farmland. Cropland is even more expensive. Property taxes in Wisconsin are the 8th most expensive in the country. On the plus side, the cost of living in Wisconsin is lower than in most other states. The Community and Culture There are about 17,000 Amish living in Wisconsin and the state as a whole has a very favorable attitude towards living off the land and self-reliance. Many parts of the state are very rural though. So, if you were hoping to connect to other people living off-grid or need assistance with some of your systems, you may struggle. 4. West Virginia

Laws If you want to build your own off-grid home or live in an alternative structure, West Virginia is one of the best states to do it. That’s because, while West Virginia has a state building code, it does not require communities to adopt or enforce it. As a result, many unincorporated areas in West Virginia have no building codes. About 40% of West Virginia is unincorporated, so there’s a good chance of finding land in an area without building codes. Also read: States without Building Codes Regardless of where you live, you must meet the state’s sewage laws. In most cases, you will be required to have septic, though outhouses are still legal in WV in certain situations. As a water-rich state, West Virginia has very relaxed rules about water rights. In general, you’ll be able to use the water on your property without restrictions. For more info, read: Off-Grid Laws of West Virginia Living Off the Land West Virginia is a very water-rich state and has lots of forests. However, the natural resources mostly stop there. The state has shallow, acidic clay soil. There are only 150 days between the last and first frost, so West Virginia is not great for farming. It is better suited for livestock. There are only about 160 sunny days per year in West Virginia, so providing your own solar power year-round can be a challenge. However, you may be able to utilize hydropower because of the state’s many waterways. Disasters When it comes to natural disasters, West Virginia is at lower risk than the rest of the country. However, the state does regularly experience devastating floods, heavy snowfall, freezing rains, droughts, and heat waves. For more info, read: Natural Disasters in West Virginia Cost West Virginia has one of the lowest costs of living in the country. There are also low property taxes and state taxes are moderate. Farmland is still moderately expensive, though, with costs averaging $3,600 per acre. Community and Culture West Virginia has numerous thriving off-grid communities – and the state is becoming even more popular with people who want to live a self-reliant lifestyle. Overall, the state has a low violent crime rate, though there are problems associated with the state’s high poverty levels. 5. Minnesota

Going off-grid in Minnesota could be difficult from the legal aspect. There are many rules and regulations, especially around waterways and tourist destinations, which might make it illegal to live the type of lifestyle you want. One of the most frustrating obstacles is that the state highly regulates water use. You’ll need to apply for a permit to use water, even if it’s on your own property. Surprisingly, composting toilets and outhouses are legal in Minnesota. Though there are regulations you need to follow about these too. In some places, you will be required to hook up to the local sewage system if it’s located nearby. For more info, read: Off-Grid Laws of Minnesota Living Off the Land Minnesota really shines when it comes to living off the land. The state has ample water with a low risk of drought. Soil quality is also good throughout most of the state, so farming is strong. The state ranks #5 in the USA for agriculture, so you should be able to grow your own food. Providing your own electricity could be a challenge, though, since the state has 195 sunny days per year (slightly below the average of 205 days). Disasters Compared to the rest of the country, Minnesota is at low risk for natural disasters. The state does regularly have harsh winters and freeze events, which you will need to be prepared for. For more info, read: Natural Disasters in Minnesota Cost Farmland in Minnesota is very expensive at over $6,000 per acre. The cost of living is moderate, as are the state’s property and sales taxes. Don’t expect it to be cheap to go off-grid in Minnesota! Community Minnesota doesn’t have a strong off-grid community. However, they do have a very strong farming culture. Almost 3% of all land in the state is farmland. The residents are known for their courteous and reserved manners. 6. Kentucky

Laws Kentucky is very relaxed when it comes to off-grid laws. Approximately half of the state is rural, and the zoning laws in these areas also tend to be very relaxed. The state allows alternative sewage systems (though outhouses are illegal). Kentucky is one of the only states where you can legally recycle graywater without needing a septic system for it. Despite having a high risk of drought, Kentucky still has relaxed laws regarding water rights and usage. You can generally use the water on your property without any restrictions or permit requirements. For more info, read: Read the full article

#best #for #grid #living #off #prepping #states #the #uncategorized

[bluepenguinstories]

Remoras Full Chapter LXVI: Eye of the Tiger

If life were simple, I’d be a tadpole or a tortoise. I’d be a frog in no time, or I’d live to be over 150 and I would go at my own pace.

But life isn’t simple and action happens a lot. I have homework I have to do every week and if there was one thing about childhood which I wouldn’t recommend to a tadpole, it would be homework. However, that wasn’t my concern that day. My concern was something much more joyous: a sheet of paper in our mailbox.

See, we don’t get a lot of mail here, but we still have a mailbox, for whatever reason. Well, just this morning, I ran out (it stopped raining this morning, too. Thank goodness, no more soggy boots please) and caught the mail between my hands as if they were flies and my hand was a flyswatter.

I ran inside, as I was too strong to slip and fall down, and being reckless was impossible when I was built like a gorilla.

“Ray! Ray!” I jumped up while waving papers in my hands.

Ray, who I once referred to as “penguin man” (well all gotta grow up someday), was busy in the kitchen flipping eggplants.

“What is it, Tigershark?” He asked with his soft, but gravelly voice, and with a smile on his face.

“There’s a fair in town! An amusement park nearby! Can we go?”

“A..what now?”

I threw the sheet of paper in his face.

He muttered to himself while taking a look at it (in case you’re wondering, he set the spatula down before looking the paper over), saying stuff like, “how is it in town when we don’t live in a town? Why was this in our mailbox?”

“I don’t know! But it looks colorful!”

“It must be a trap…” he muttered.

“It might be, but we’re strong! I could bring my hammer with me, if you want!”

He shook his head.

“We’ll go. I’m curious about this. It’s suspicious, and I’m sure it was put in our mailbox to lure us in. Not only did Sunny not bring up such a thing with me when she looked up any recent rumors in the area, but this is so spontaneous that...ah, but let’s go, anyway? What do you say?”

“Yeah!” I jumped up and pumped my fist.

Sure, danger wasn’t always something I wanted to get into, but I had my values to stick to: value 1) have fun at all costs. Value 2) be there for the ones I love. The rest of my values weren’t important enough to mention right now.

As it turns out, Ray and I had to walk quite a ways in order to get to this supposed amusement park. Once there, we were surprised to find such a colorful area with so much red and yellow that one would have mistaken it for a sculpture made out of mangoes.

“This amusement park is called ‘Iceland’?” Ray remarked. “Doesn’t the owner realize that there’s already a place called Iceland? You can’t just put -land at the end of a word and call it the name of your amusement park.”

We were lucky enough that it was far enough into spring where much of the actual ice had melted off and the ground was soft, while the sky was bright and cloudy. Sure, a little on the brisk side, but I wouldn’t have had the cold any other way.

“Right! It should have been called something unique, like Humanland.”

“Oh, speaking of which, how are things going with you and Astraea?” Ray turned his head and asked. He stood in front of me in a long line, one which was single-file and all of these people were eerily quiet. I must say, they would have done a pretty good job at being mannequins.

“We’re getting along,” I answered. While my worries grew every week I was away from her, saying that we were getting along wasn’t a lie.

“That’s good. Is she learning anything new?”

“Every day, I’d assume,” I shrugged my shoulders. Sometimes her way of learning could be a bit...worrisome. Like how she wanted someone to beat her up ever since I threatened to beat up Hammond Cheese. Or how she wanted to explore her jealousy by creating a dragon because she thought it would make me come back home to grandma and grandpa.

I still regret nothing, but she could be quite the handful.

Besides, are we ever really apart if we can just communicate through our thoughts? I asked in my head.

Of course, Astraea didn’t give me a response. Either she heard me and ignored me or she didn’t hear it. Maybe it wasn’t a total telepathy thing. Like, maybe we had to have each other’s permission first, or maybe she had to call me first. I didn’t know how these things worked.

“That’s good. I’m sure you’re a good big sister,” Ray grinned. We walked a step closer to the entrance.

“I’m not sure about that, I’ve never been a big sister. Even though she knows less than me, I think Astraea is infinitely bigger than I am.”

“Well, infinity can only be so big,” Ray said, as if that meant anything. He really was someone who liked to say things that sounded like they meant things, but they didn’t really. Oh well, that’s part of what made Ray a good penguin.

When we stood before the entrance, almost through the gates, I turned around and looked up at some chubby blonde haired guy wearing a square hat and he had a nametag on it that said ‘Titus Bosom’.

“What brought you here, bub?” I asked.

“Oh hey, kid. I just got this thing in the mail saying I won a trip to Iceland. I got so excited until I found out that it’s not the country of Iceland, but just some amusement park. But I’m already here, so I figured I may as well check it out.”

“Right. So you’re just as in the dark as we are,” I nodded.

“In the dark?” His face turned pale (he was already a white guy before, but something told me that he wasn’t used to a cold place like this).

“Ah, forgive her,” Ray turned, “what she means is that amusement parks opening up here are certainly out of the norm.”

“Yes. Very suspicious,” I nodded, with my hand on my chin. “We will get to the bottom of this mystery and ride on some roller coasters.”

“Do we have to?” Ray groaned, “true, that’s a Sunny thing, but couldn’t we enjoy something more peaceful, like a haunted house?”

“No! Roller coasters!”

“Huh. Where are we, anyway?” Titus asked.

“Eh, it’s not quite Canada and it’s not quite Greenland, but it’s somewhere close to those places,” Ray answered.

“Of course. I just had to come to some remote area. Next thing I know, they’ll be harvesting my organs.”

“You play the organ?” I asked Titus.

“No, not the musical instrument...I did play the trombone once, but that was a dark period in my life.”

“Ah,” I nodded. The world of adults really was complicated.

Did you hear that, Astraea? Aren’t humans odd?

Again, no answer.

At least I wasn’t scared to admit that I missed her sometimes too. And I could do so without causing trouble.

We were at the entrance now. There was a booth and someone with long, brown hair which extended down to their ankles. They wore short shorts and a tank top and were shivering in place harder than even Remora did sometimes. On their face was a big, drooping, panicked expression.

“H-Hi, welcome to Iceland,” the chilly big hair greeted us, “here’s your ticket.”

They handed Ray and I a ticket. Ray took a glance at it, then pointed to the ticket.

“Shouldn’t we pay for this?” He asked.

“Here at Iceland, we don’t believe in charging money for things,” the booth person explained.

“What’s your name, stranger?” I asked.

“Oh. I’m…is this allowed? Um. I’m Calen? I’m kind of girl-adjacent. You could say that I’m not a girl or boy, but also I’m a girl. Mostly I’m scared because I don’t know why I applied for this job. And you are?”

“I’m Tigershark! I’m a tiger and a shark, but also I’m a girl!”

“I...I see. Well, this is, uh, this is...Iceland? Yeah, it is. Enjoy, please. My paycheck depends on it.”

“Sounds like a fragile paycheck.”

“Yes, well...it’s the only day Iceland will be around. So we gotta make the most of it, yes?”

“But why is it around today? Why not tomorrow? Why only today?”

“Ah...uh...I don’t really know, but I wanna get paid, you feel?”

I shook my head and scowled.

“Adults really are complicated,” I grumbled.

Once we were inside the amusement park, all the crowds around the area scattered to different areas of the park as if scared of Ray and I. Or maybe they were on a tight schedule. I really didn’t know.

“It seems like they’re all actors and we’re the audience,” Ray said.

“Or we’re the actors and they’re the audience?” I suggested.

“I think you’re right, but I also think it’s the opposite of what you said. I think they’re the audience who are also actors and we’re...Truman.”

“Truman?” I asked, sure it was just another Ray-ism.

“Right. I have to keep reminding myself that the 90s were a long time ago.”

We approached one of the rides, a spinny roller coaster with seats that looked like tomatoes.

“Let’s go on this one!” I pointed to Ray and tugged on his sleeve.

When we approached the ride, however, there was yellow tape in front of the gate saying ‘out of service’ and someone with long, brown hair which reached down to their ankles stood. I was so sure they were Calen, like the one at the front gate to the amusement park, but this person had a pink mustache on, so it couldn’t be Calen.

“Oh, uh, hello, uh, sir? Sorry, this ride...it’s closed,” they informed us, and I could’ve sworn they sounded just like Calen, too.

“That’s Ray,” I pointed to Ray.

“Oh, right, uh. Yes, you are. Ray, this ride is closed.”

“I’m Tigershark.”

“Yes, I remember you..er, I mean, nice to meet you. Sorry, this ride is closed.”

“You ARE Calen!” I pivoted my finger and pointed at them.

“I am! Err...am I? No, I am not! I’m...Caelid?”

“And why is the ride closed?” Ray asked.

“Because it is non-operational!” Calen (I was sure of it now) declared.

“Oh, so is it just for display? Is it a prop?”

“How did you – I mean, no. It’s just not working today.”

“What can we do here?”

“You can...play hackey sack? I like to do that.”

“Couldn’t we do that anywhere?”

“Eep! Maybe! You’re probably right! Well, there’s the haunted house.”

“Cool. Wanna do the haunted house, Tigershark?”

I crossed my arms and huffed.

“Fine, but I bet it’s not even haunted,” I pouted.

“I hope not! Haunted houses are scary!” Calen wailed.

“They’re supposed to be scary!”

“You’re right. You will have the scariest time of your life.”

Calen pointed toward the haunted house: it was just a small, long building of sorts with a fairly straightforward entrance and exit. As we headed toward, Ray took a quick glance ahead at the horizon, just a little past the back of the amusement park. Whatever he saw or thought he saw, he didn’t seem to want to tell me.

I’ll force him to tell me once we’re done with this haunted house, I decided.

There was no one waiting for us at the entrance asking us about tickets or anything. We just walked in. As soon as we did so, all the light from the outside world faded and we were left in a darkness that was quite befitting of the name ‘haunted house’. Of course, I could still see Ray beside me, with his hands in his jacket pockets.

Just a few steps in, a cardboard picture of a floating sheet ghost with big googly eyes popped out from the wall. Ray flinched, then flicked the cardboard picture. I turned my nose at such a fake scare.

Further in, we heard voices come from behind the walls:

“Ooh, I’m a ghost. Ooh,” moaned one of the voices in a rather uneasy, shaky tone. If I had to guess, I’d say that was Calen.

“I’m a zombie or whatever. I’m going to eat this ghost’s brain,” was the other voice, which sounded rather bored.

“No! Don’t eat my brain! Do ghosts even have brains?”

“Did you even have a brain when you were alive? Hmm? Or what about these people walking through the house? Perhaps they have brains. Yes. Let’s see if theirs are tasty.”

That time, I admit I let out a shudder.

Behind me, in what must have been just a few paces back, one of the walls slid open and I heard a creak. I dared not look behind me, even as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

Then, I heard slow, deliberate footsteps. Just a little light tap against the stony floor that we happened to walk upon.

As the footsteps drew closer, a low, rumbling groan sounded:

“Uhhh...flesh. Meat. Starch. Ketchup.”

Ray and I continued to walk at a steady pace but my legs were starting to shake real bad.

The zombie must have taken big strides as despite us keeping our pace, I soon felt a hot breath against my neck. Whoever’s breath it was, it smelled like buttery baked potatoes.

“AAAAAAAAAA!” I screamed and ran past Ray at top speed out of the haunted house.

As soon as I pushed through the wooden double doors, the outside world opened up and blinded my eyes and I bumped into some large, fuzzy figure right away.

Is it a bear? I wondered.

I looked up and there was Calen in a big bear costume, with her head poking out and little round bear ears at the top.

“Hello kid, I’m beary happy to meet you,” she tried working up a big, jolly bear voice.

“Sure you are, Calen,” I groaned and rubbed my head.

“Was it scary enough?” She looked back toward the door, which as soon as she said that, the doors opened and Ray walked out while adjusting his tie.

“I do say, that was a rather mediocre experience,” he remarked, “but what else should I expect from an amusement park? Especially one where there seems to only be two employees.”

“There’s more! Probably! I know I didn’t set this all up on my own!” Calen waved her bear paws about.

“Of that, I have no doubt. You and that zombie, or maybe there are more people, seem to only be pawns. But the purpose for this amusement park is the real mystery.”

“The amusement park is here for amusement! It’s in the name!” Calen jumped about.

“Right. Come along, Tigershark. I think I’ve solved this mystery.”

“Aye-aye!” I did a little salute, then hopped toward him as we walked away from Calen.

He had his sights set on a log cabin behind the amusement park, elevated on a small hill.

As we walked, he explained a few things to me.

“I’m pretty sure my hunch was correct: most of the fine folks we shared a line with were probably workers here, with maybe one or two people not in on the joke aside from us, to give off a veil of authenticity. But, of course, the con was so obvious that I have to assume we were meant to notice something suspicious about this place. I’m sure we’ll get the answers we need if we talk to the ‘boss’ of this whole operation.”

“I see,” my eyes widened and I nodded along. I didn’t understand all of it, but I appreciated some kind of explanation.

I still hate to admit it, but that zombie was scary, I thought while we walked toward the back of the park.

I noticed someone behind us, sneaking around. Sure, if it was a zombie, I would have beat them up, but no, it was a brown, fuzzy looking someone.

“What are you doing?” I turned around and saw Calen, crouched and following us.

“I...I’m making sure you two don’t go anywhere you’re not supposed to. I also work security here.”

“Do you now?” Ray asked.

“I’m also a clown,” Calen added, “I can do tricks to keep you two occupied. Or maybe you two want to ride on the carousel? I heard there’s horses. Though you may be disappointed to find that the horses aren’t real. I’m terribly sorry.”

“You’re a clown? Can you make balloon animals?”

Calen shook her head furiously.

“I’m a bear clown, bear clowns can’t do balloon animals. I can blow a balloon, but I just can’t shape it.”

“Some clown you are,” I said.

“Well, I’m not really a clown. I’m not really a bear, either. I’m actually a human. This is just a bear costume.”

“Sure, I’ve heard that one before, too.”

We continued our walk toward the building despite Calen urging us to go elsewhere. Before we could get too much further, a lone woman with short, white hair and wearing a blue uniform shirt with little chest pockets and sporting a pair of skinny jeans appeared.

“You will go no further,” she announced, blocking our way to the back gate. She then pulled out a pistol just to prove that she was serious and pointed it at us.

“You know too much. You need to be eliminated,” she said.

“You’re not going to shoot me, too, Cael?!” Calen cried.

“I don’t know,” Cael turned her attention toward Calen while maintaining her aim at Ray. “I always knew it would come to this, Calen: us two, on opposing ends of the battlefield. In the end, I have to decide whether my resolve is stronger than our bond.”

“Can we talk this out?” Ray asked.

“I would rather not. I’m not good with talking to people,” Cael replied. “The boss said that if anyone tries to snoop around, we should stop them. So that’s what I’m doing.”

“And who is your boss?”

“You know too much as it is! I cannot say any more!”

From Cael’s pants pocket, a phone rang and Cael picked it up.

“What?” She growled into the phone.

“Put the gun down. There’s been a change of plans. These people are our guests, after all,” I heard the ‘boss’ tell Cael.

“Do you know how inconvenient this is for me?!” She shouted.

The boss hung up and Cael put her phone back into her pocket, then tossed the gun aside.

“It wasn’t even a real gun, anyway,” she grumbled, then walked off.

All three of us watched Cael walk away to the side, past where the haunted house attraction was.

“Where is she going?” Ray asked Calen.

“Oh, Cael always goes to fast food restaurants and orders a bunch of french fries whenever she gets mad. The boss set up a Burger Duke in the amusement park, with actual employees, just for Cael,” Calen explained.

“Oh! Are you and Cael a co…?” I was about to ask when Calen interrupted.

“Yeah, we’re a coworkers. Been coworkers for years. Always applied to the same jobs, always on the verge of homelessness.”

“That’s impressive!”

“Is it? It’s scary never knowing where our next paycheck or meal or shelter is going to come from. Plus Cael can get pretty scary, especially when she doesn’t get her fries.”

“Adult life does sound scary,” I nodded.

“I know, right?! I just want to be a teddy bear!” Calen whined.

“Hey, let’s meet up with your friend Cael at this place,” Ray suggested, “besides, I’m sure Tigershark here is hungry.”

“We’re not friends, we’re a co...coworkers!”

“Roar!” I said to show that I was hungry. My stomach growled in agreement.

All three of us headed toward Burger Duke. It was a popular fast food restaurant chain. Grandma and Grandpa took Astraea and I there a few weeks ago. Astraea got a mini-whooper, while I got a double whooper with extra pickles. The food was...fine. It was tasty, but I knew in my heart that I could cook better food than that.

Astraea still found it an interesting experience, and even tried dipping her fries in multiple sauces at once. She even tried mixing several sauces together. I’m talking honey mustard, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise.

Grandma and Grandpa were happy enough seeing her seem to enjoy herself. I enjoyed it too, because it was yummy food. But again, I could have cooked better.

As soon as Ray, Calen, and I walked into the Burger Duke, we looked around and saw Cael sitting at one of the booths with a tray covered in fries. It looked like fry mountain over there. She ate one fry at a time, and in between every few fries, she sprinkled a ton of salt over the fry mountain.

I ran toward Cael while Ray stepped up to the counter to order food.

“Hey Tigershark, what do you want to eat?” He called over.

“Salmon nuggets!” I cupped my hands and shouted back to him. After he nodded, I walked up to where Cael was sitting.

“Can I sit next to you?” I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, “sure.”

I crawled upon the booth and sat next to her.

“Can I have some of your fries?” I asked.

“Sure.”

I took a handful and shoved some in my mouth. Calen walked up to Cael too.

“H-Hey Cael, are you mad?” She asked her coworker.

“Not anymore. I have fries now,” Cael answered. “Want one?”

“Yes please! I haven’t eaten all day!”

“Who’s fault is that?”

“Mine,” Calen pouted.

“Yes. I always tell you to eat plenty of starch,” Cael shook her head, grabbed a fry, then held it up to Calen’s mouth. Calen opened her mouth and leaned in closer to take the fry out of Cael’s hand.

I’m pretty sure Calen swallowed that fry without chewing as it was gone in one gulp.

“Good as always. Tastes just like you, Cael,” Calen remarked.

“Hmm...not a bad thing to taste like.”

Ray sat down and brought over a box of salmon nuggets for me. He also had two sodas in his hand. One, a prune soda, for him, and for me, a tangerine soda.

“Ms. Cael, I’m sure you think I know too much, but I can assure you that I don’t know enough,” Ray said to Cael.

“Just Cael is fine. And you know what you know and you don’t know what you don’t know.”

“That is usually how it works, yes.”

“I want you to know that even if it looks like I take my job very seriously, I actually just want to eat and have a roof over my head,” Cael explained.

“That’s something everyone should have, yes,” Ray agreed, “I certainly wouldn’t want to take food or a roof away from you. I just want to know: who is your boss?”

“I don’t know his name, he just wanted us to call him boss. He looked kinda like you, actually.”

“Really? I thought he had brown hair,” Calen added.

“Maybe his roots were brown, but I’m pretty sure his hair itself was black,” Cael argued.

“Would you mind if I went to see this boss of yours?” Ray asked.

“I don’t mind. I’m off the clock right now.”

“You are? I didn’t even know we were ever on the clock,” Calen replied.

“But of course we’ve been on the clock. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t get paid, right?”

“No, no, because the boss already paid us for a day’s worth of pay before we started our shift today, right?”

“Huh. I’m going to have to ask him about that. Maybe I should go with you.”

“Yes. Let’s all four of us get down to the bottom of this mystery,” Ray agreed.

“Mystery solving time!” I cheered.

I shoveled the salmon nuggets into my mouth and chugged down the soda. Calen and Cael shoved handfuls of fries into each other’s mouths. Ray took his time.

It didn’t matter, because we were soon out the door anyway and headed toward the back of the amusement park.

Up the hill, we reached the cabin. Ray knocked on the door. Then I knocked harder and faster. There wasn’t an answer either time.

“I’m pretty sure it’s unlocked,” Cael said before turning the handle on the door.

Indeed, it was unlocked, and we soon walked in.

The carpeted floor had some kind of confetti pattern along the way, while the walls were a fresh pine scent of wooden boards. We passed by a lot of doors before we reached one where a sign said ‘boss’s office’.

Ray knocked. Still no answer. However, this time, he was the one to open the door, and not Cael.

All four of us walked in, only to find the office without any boss in it.

There were bookshelves on each end, a window with a view to the outside, a big desk, and a puffy leather swivel chair. No boss, though.

“Were we scammed again?” Calen asked.

“We already got paid, didn’t we? Isn’t that good enough?” Cael replied.

On the desk sat one of those phones which had a squiggly wire attached at the bottom and hooked up to some machine.

As soon as I noticed it, the phone rang.

Ray picked it up, and it went right to speaker phone as we all heard:

“Hello, Ray. I hope you were as amused by this amusement park as I was. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet today, of all days, but don’t worry, you will be seeing me around real soon,” the mysterious boss said.

“Aion? Why did you go through all this trouble?” Ray asked.

“Eh, eh, eh. No, Ray. Not yet. We can talk more once we meet. For now, I’m happy enough just to know that you heard my voice. Or maybe I’m happy to hear your voice. I’ll let you decide.”

Ray didn’t give a reply, and I thought the call ended, but then the voice had one more thing to say:

“Oh, by the way, Calen, Cael: you’re fired.”

The two girls next to me both erupted into a panic and held each other tight.

“Why?!” They cried.

“Because the amusement park was one day only. Now that I have no use for you two, there’s no reason to keep you around.”

“Wait, Aion –” Ray tried to get another word in, but was interrupted.

“No, I’m not taking any questions at the time. See you around, Ray.”

The call ended.

We all took turns staring at each other, not sure what to do now. In fact, the first person to talk was Calen, who said exactly that:

“We’re all just staring at each other, but I’m not sure what to do now.”

“We’ll have to look for another job,” Cael answered.

“But out here? And in the middle of nowhere?”

“We’ve been through worse. I’m sure we’ll find another job together.”

“Right. You wouldn’t leave me.”

“Unless I find a job that hires me and doesn’t hire you, then I might.”

“No!” Calen sank to the floor and hugged Cael’s knees. “Say it isn’t so!”

“You two. How about you come live with us at our diner?” Ray suggested.

My mouth widened into a grin. As odd as those two have been, I really did enjoy their company.

“We’re really going to add more people to our home?” I asked, the excitement leaking from me.

“Sure. We’ve got rooms available, if they’re willing.”

“But we can’t just live there without working, can we?” Calen asked.

“You can wash dishes, if you want.

“Will there be french fries?” Cael asked.

“We have potatoes. It all depends on whether we decide to deep fry them.”

“We’re in,” Calen and Cael agreed.

And so, the four of us took our journey back home to the Remora’s Full Inn.

#remoras full #writing #stories #mystery #amusement park #ray sunshine #tigershark #calen #cael #this chapter was based off a short dream I had #so was fairly easy to write

[rhonddaandallaneuro]

Wednesday our last full day in Porto we did a huge walk down to the dock area. The streets we walked through were all stone paved but as always surrounded by beautiful historical architectural buildings, each so much different to the next one.

To get to the docks, which are down a very steep walk, we elected to catch the trolley lift. Hard to find but once there made life a lot easier. The wharfs here are a centre for the “just relax crowd” with across water breeze to die for and loads of coffee and bakeries where you can sit and chill

The 6 bridge boat ride we took was disappointing to say the least and I do not encourage anyone to do. You go under five bridges and get to view the sixth from about 200 metres. Given the ride costs approx $25 each (30 minutes) no value at all. Still we can cross it off our bucket list.

Back on land we worked our way back up via the trolley lift to the old city and stumbled upon a small leather market outside a church museum. The leather goods were great and very cheap but we just can not fit anything else in our bags unless we start throwing some clothes. The museum (built 1735) had so much church history inside. Well worth the one Euro it cost. Haha

From there we continued to look at every laneway and street as we walked past, to make sure we missed nothing. Thank heavens we did as we stumbled into the subway market that goes for two blocks. You could buy any sort of sardine or fish ever caught. The lollie and cheese shops also well attended with the flower section as impressive as have ever seen. One thing that really stood out was how they were selling mushrooms. Still growing on what looked like earth like logs. Very impressive. Fresh as it gets and best of all people would buy a wine and walk around doing their shopping. A most civilised way to exist and shop.

Time was starting to get away from us so we headed back to the Main Street where we finally found a hair dresser for Rhondda, who did the whole kit and kaboodle very cheaply I feel. Maybe need to convert Australian dollar to Euro before I say that again. Still the price in Euro sounds a lot cheaper.

For the last night we took a city night lights tour which showed us so many more attractions we had not seen. It really is a beautiful city and maybe another day or two may not have gone astray. On the tours completion we went to a local restaurant that had local entertainers singing traditional Fado style music. Very different what we had imagined it would be like. Still a great night with wine flowing. They really love their wines as do we.

Home to bed after a little more sightseeing as tomorrow we do the drive down to Lisbon.

[what-marsha-eats]

Ways to Save Money on Food-Related Things That You’ve Never Heard Before

From the Web Site of AARP

Fact: Grocery prices have gone up 10 percent in the past year, the largest annual rise in 40 years, according to the USDA.

1. Use ground chicken in your chili. Beef and veal prices rose the most of main food groups in 2022, at 16%. Fresh poultry increased less — and it was much cheaper to begin with.

2. Plan this Friday for next Tuesday. A proven way to contain grocery costs is to plan out the week’s meals and to buy food from a shopping list based solely on that plan. Friday is a great day for planning, as many stores post their week’s discounts and deals that day or the day before.

3. Search before you shop. Flipp is a free phone app that consolidates retail circulars. This makes it a snap to compare your shopping list to circulars from your local supermarkets to determine which store’s virtual coupons will save you the most money. You can also use the app to generate your shopping list.

4. Make Thursday a “pantry cooking” night. Americans throw away 30-40% of our food supply, often because it goes uneaten until it’s no longer edible. The antidote: Cook at least one meal a week based entirely on foods lingering in your refrigerator or pantry.

5. Have an “eat me first” spot in your fridge. Designate a shelf or bin in your fridge for all of the leftover food bits (think nubs of cheese, a half serving of pasta, a lemon wedge) or overly-ripe foodstuffs that should be eaten before fresher items.

6. Yes, order online. What you might lose in delivery costs often is more than made up by avoiding impulse purchases when browsing a store. The trick: Lower your delivery costs. Look for coupons at sites like CouponFollow.com to find deals, such as $20 off your first order at Vons, 15% off Kroger grocery shipments, and $10 off your first delivery of $20 at Instacart.

7. Pay with the right card. Many credit cards offer cash back today, but the amounts often vary by category. Search the Internet for cards that offer the most cash back for groceries; you might find a card that will give you 5% back on food purchases. Web sites like CardRates and NerdWallet let you compare your card with others.

8. Double up with cash-back apps. With services like FetchRewards, Coupons.com, or Ibotta, your grocery purchases earn points toward gift cards for various shopping options such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Fetch Rewards, for example, has a section where you can see which brands will get you the most points.

9. Go all-in on store brands. Many major grocery chains have greatly expanded their store-brand lines, and their reputation for quality has improved. Chains are highly-secretive about who makes their products. But simply compare the ingredients list with name-brand versions to see how close they are. Store brands can run as much as 25% less than the name-brand version.

10. Use self-checkout. A study conducted by IHL Consulting Group reveals that people who used self-checkout spent less on impulse purchases. This is likely because shoppers are paying attention to what they’re buying, as well as the prices, when they're scanning goods themselves — rather than getting distracted by their phone or the magazine rack while a cashier does it for them.

11. Focus on growing high-cost foods. Many of the most common garden vegetables — bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers — cost very little at the store come harvest time. Focus on edibles that routinely cost more at the store. That could include most fresh herbs; heirloom tomatoes; lettuces; and vegetables for ethnic or regional cuisines like bok choy, okra, tomatillos, or Jerusalem artichokes.

12. Grow veggies that are easy to preserve or store. It’s a shame to find yourself with so many peppers or tomatoes that you can’t even give them away before they rot or wilt. Tomatoes can be canned; beans can be canned, pickled, or frozen. Plant some pickling cukes. Butternut and other winter squashes will last until spring in a cool, dry place.

13. Plant edible perennials. Many herbs and spices — among them garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano — will grow back year after year, making them a great value. Plus, they are often easy to grow because deer and other critters won’t eat them. Several of these also do great in pots outside the kitchen door, so you don’t even need a garden.

14. Hold a seed swap. Unless you have a truly large garden, it is rare to use up a full packet of seeds. And it's always best to plant seeds the same year you purchased them, rather than storing them for future seasons. The solution: Connect with neighbors or friends who garden, and coordinate your seed-buying — with the goal of sharing packets and cutting costs.

15. Match pans to burners. For energy-efficient stovetop cooking, be sure to use the burner that most closely matches the diameter of the pot or pan you are using. It’s a simple way to save around $36 a year if you use an electric range, or $18 annually for a gas stove.

16. Keep your stovetop shiny. When the metal pans that surround burners on older stovetops become blackened from charred spillover, they absorb heat. When they are clean and shiny, they reflect heat and require less energy to cook food.

17. Bake in the toaster oven. If the dish you are making will fit in your toaster oven, cook it in there. It could slash the energy cost of cooking that dish by more than half over a full-size electric oven. You’ll save time, too, because a toaster oven preheats much faster than a full-size oven.

18. Bread. Double bag it and toss in the freezer. Then take out a slice or two and put it in the toaster on the lightest setting to defrost.

19. Coffee maker. Once every three months or so, run a cycle with no coffee grounds, using a full pot of equal parts distilled vinegar and water. This will remove built-up residue and mineral deposits. When complete, run two to three more water-only cycles to remove any vinegar taste.

20. Garbage disposal. Run it with a load of ice cubes a few times a year to help keep it clean.

21. Toaster. Things go wrong with your toaster when crumbs accumulate. Most toasters have a “crumb door” or a bottom that can be emptied with ease. Avoid the temptation to shake the toaster upside down; doing so can lodge crumbs into crevices and cause damage.

#saving money #money saving tips

[animatedtext]

#growing up is finding out how much CHEESE costs #gif #animatedtext #wordart #transparent

[outsideratheart]

You’re My Future (Christen Press x reader)

You’re My Future (Christen Press x reader)

You and Christen had been together for a few years. You had met when Christen got called up to the senior USWNT.

Over the years you had both made a name for yourself in the soccer world, her being the speedy forward and you being the all or nothing midfielder. You both loved what you did for living but living the dream came with a cost. The cost was finally catching up with the both of you, all of the flights, minutes on the pitch and pressure from the press and fans.

Christen was so happy when it was announced that she was the first player to be signed to Angel City FC but that happiness didn’t last long. You were both trying to get over the olympics, sure a bronze medal was great but you both wanted gold and you blamed yourself personally as you were the captain no matter how many times your girlfriend told you otherwise.

When she told you that she was temporarily stepping away from international duty you were so proud of her. You wish you could do the same but it wasn’t that easy. In order for you to focus on your mental health you would have the step away from the thing that the helps clear you head, it was a lose lose situation for you.

“Y/N you get more stick and are under more pressure than me. I saw the way acted at the olympics when you thought I wasn’t looking. You cannot burn the candle at both ends and still expect to shine bright” Christen told you.

“I know but it’s not the same for me, I don’t have a family waiting for me” You instantly regretting it.

You stand there looking at Christen as she processes what you said.

“After all this time, you still don’t see me as family” She begins to say but you cut her off before things get much worse.

“Christen that is not what I meant and you know it”

“If I’m not family then what are we doing” Christen asks you as tears fall down her face.

This is what happens whenever you guys talk about this, it always ends up in a fight.

You watch as your girlfriend storms off into the bedroom you share.

“Chris, don’t shut me out. Let’s talk about this” you say leaning against the door frame. 

She doesn’t answer you so you put you ear to the door and you hear Christen sniffling. Your girlfriend was crying and it was your fault, all because you couldn’t walk away from soccer.

You had chosen football over everything, family and friends included but Christen showed you a life outside of soccer and it scared the crap out of you. She was it for you, she was what you wanted in life and now it was time to show her that.

When christen came out of the bedroom you were gone and by the time you got back she was already asleep.

The next morning started like any other, you went for run whilst Christen did her yoga then you both meditated together. It had been like this since COVID happened.

It was what happend next which shocked Christen. You was watching ESPN when it was released.

“Breaking news! Portland Thorns and USWNT captain Y/N L/N announces that she will be taking a break from club and country. I had the pleasure of speaking to Y/N personally about this last night and she told me that it was time to focus on her mental health which is completely understandable. She captained the team in the highs of winning the world cup and the lows of rio 2016” The new anchor and a close friend of yours says.

Christen hangs on every word the women says before turning to look at you.

She opens her mouth but you cut her off before she even gets the chance to speak.

“ I love you Christen Press” you tell her.

“I love you but I know what soccer means to you”

“You mean more and you are right, I need to take a step back. Soccer occupies after thought I have. How can I play better, how can I be a better leader. I don’t allow myself to be happy” You admit it out loud.

You phone goes off and you see several messages from your teammates.

Christen looks at you in shock as you turn your phone off.

“Y/N you don’t have to”

“I want to”

The both of you didn’t leave the couch until the early evening when Chris told you that she was meeting Tyler for some food.

“You sure you don’t want to come? We are going to that Thai place you like” She laughs as your head perks up at the word ‘Thai’

“I’m going to call some of the girls back” You reply

Christen is almost out the door before you run after her.

She looks at you amused. You look her in the eye before kissing her, surprised when Christen deepens the kiss.

“Bring me back some spring rolls” You ask making your girlfriend laugh.

You run over the window making sure she is gone before putting your master plan together.

A couple of hours later you hear Chris opens the door.

“Honey, I’m home and I have spring rolls” You says but you don’t answer.

Christen looks in the kitchen but its empty, she goes into the living room you’re not there.

It is only when she goes into your bedroom that she finds you.

There you stand in front of your bed which is covered in hiking gear.

You look at her and she is clearly confused by what she is seeing.

You walk over to your girlfriend reaching for her hands.

“After your mom passed you told me you wanted to leave, go somewhere were nobody knew who we were and completely disconnect from the world” 

You take a deep breath remembering it well. The loss of Christen’s mother was something you both felt deeply, seeing your girlfriend in so much pain and not being able to do anything about it destroyed you.

“There is this trail in Spain, it is called the Camino De Santiago” 

Christen smiles knowing what you are about to suggest.

“It takes 4 - 6 weeks. It will just be me and you” 

You look her in the eye.

“What do you say, are you ready for an adventure? Ready to do some soul searching?” You ask playfully.

You watch as christen struggles to speak, she is at a loss for words.

Instead of saying anything she pulls you into her embrace as she buries her face in the crook of your neck.

“Everyday with you is an adventure” She tells you.

“Pure cheese Christen Press”

“Shut up” She says slapping your arm.

“Is that a yes?” She nods her head enthusiastically.

“Good because we leave in a week” You tell her and her smile melts your heart.

That is the thing you loved most about Christen, her smile. Not matter what caused your sadness or pain, that smile would brighten your day.

A week later your adventure began and it was better than you could have ever imagined.

Your relationship with Christen was in a great place before the trip but now you felt closer to her if that was even possible.

Ever minute of every day you were with her and it made to look forward to the future you have with her.

She talked about her mother a lot which you knew was difficult but ever since she passed Christen focused on soccer so she never talked about her, not like this.

You talked to her about your early life, memories with your parents as well as their passing. You never talked to her about it before, she knew that had died but didn’t know when or how. 

This trip allowed you both to be completely open with each other and show the other one your vulnerabilities.

4 1/2 weeks later and you were almost at the end of the trail, ahead of schedule but what was to be expected from two pro athletes.

It was the last night, you and Christen wanted to watch the sunset one last time before heading back to reality.

You both sat on the blanket taking in the sights in front of you.

“Thank you Y/N” Chris begins to say “I really needed this. To be away from our hectic lives, to deal with my grief and to find myself again”

“I love you Christen, more than anything in this world. I would do anything for you because your happiness is everything to me”

You stand up.

“Before you all I knew was soccer but you showed that life has more to offer. When we met I knew your were special and I knew that I wanted to have in my life in any way I could. You are my first thought in a morning and my last one on a night. I first told you I loved you when when we won the world cup for a reason, because even though we were just crowned world champions all I could think about was you, I knew that from there on out it was you or nothing. I cannot imagine my life without you in it”

You get down on one knee and open the ring box causing Christen to gasp.

“Where did you get that?”

“I asked for your mum’s permission before she passed, the next day she gave me this and I promised her that no one will work harder to make you happy or cherish you more than me” You explain.

“Christen Annemarie Press, will you marry me?”

“Yes Y/N L/N I will marry you”

You kiss her with every fibre of your being, the kiss growing more passionate with every passing second.

Christen Press was your future and you could wait to spend the rest of your life with her.

#uswnt x reader #uswnt one shot #uswnt imagine #christen press imagine #christen press x reader #christen press one shot

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

can i request some headcanons for, kalim, azul, silver and malleus catching their crush (reader) attempting to discreetly leave a gift or an love letter at their locker or something? if thats okay! :)

I’m going to alter this prompt slightly, since I don’t think we have any indication that NRC has lockers (just from a quick look at NRC campus backgrounds). So...! It’s going to be the reader being caught leaving a gift at the respective character’s dorm for them.

Curiouser and Curiouser...

Kalim has no sense of subtlety at all. As soon as he spots you, his eyes light up with excitement and he rushes over to say hello. You’re so shocked by his sudden appearance that you fumble to hide the present behind your back (but it goes unnoticed by Kalim, who’s far too distracted with greeting you).

He starts happily chatting you up, asking how your day has been and why you’re all the way in Scarabia (not that he minds, of course--he just gets really excitable when he has the chance to talk to his crush)!

The conversation actually starts hopping from subject to subject, and Kalim ends up inviting you inside for snacks! Though you protest, he insists that you would make do with some food and drink to perk back up from the scorching heat. Plus, he wants to show you how hospitable and sweet he can be!

Kalim gives you some coconut water and platters laden with fine cheeses, crackers, nuts, and fruits. He’ll even feed you himself, casually pressing bits of fruit and slices of cheese to your lips. Your present for him is left on the edge of a table and forgotten in lieu of a fun and festive afternoon, the two of your hearts growing closer together.

Azul is quick to sweep over to you with a polite smile to ask about your reasons for “snooping around” Octavinelle. As thrilled as he is to see you come to his dormitory, he knows that he has a public image to uphold as a deal maker, and he won’t let his true emotions be worn on his sleeve.

When you try to hide your present, Azul only chuckles and plucks it right out of your hands. He nonchalantly glances at the recipient name (his) and, with a smirk, (ironically) advises that you be more honest and direct with your intentions.

As soon as the transaction is made, Azul announces that you no longer have any business with Octavinelle and personally shows you to the mirror portal out. He has a hand on your lower back while he escorts you, the perfect spot to indicate some level of familiarity without being too openly aggressive or flirtatious.

Once you are gone, Azul hurries to his office and slams the door behind him. Alone, he allows himself to sink against the wall and hug his present to his chest. A delayed reaction kicks in, and his whole face turns bright pink, just like steamed octopus. He buries his head in the present and lets out a small, muffled squeal, hoping that, some day, he, too, can be honest with you.

When he first hears your footsteps, Silver thinks that there’s an intruder afoot in Diasomnia. He instinctively tenses and prepares himself for a potential battle. It’s a pleasant surprise for him to run into you, his crush, instead!

Rather than take advantage of the change to talk to you, Silver’s attention immediately hones in on the gift in your hands. He insists that you hand over the suspicious package, suspecting that it is intended for Malleus. As fairy royalty and a powerful magician, Malleus has a number of rivals that would love to topple him from his throne--and it’s Silver’s duty to prevent that, at all costs.

You reluctantly hand over the present, and Silver opens it right in front of you to inspect--and he sees his name clearly scrawled on letter taped to the inside of the box, along with a small amulet. A faint blush sets in on his cheeks as realization dawns on him. 

You both stand there awkwardly in Diasomnia’s foyer, just... staring at your own feet. At last, Silver clears his throat, apologizes for ruining your surprise, and shyly thanks you for the thoughtful gift, swearing to cherish it with all his heart.

He’s very much surprised to see you lingering in Diasomnia. Not many have the bravery to venture into his dormitory, much less have the gall to bring offerings to him. The fact that it’s you, too... it brings a small smile to his lips, and it gives him hope that you will accept him for who he is.

Malleus appears before you in a flash of his signature green fairy lights, causing you to stagger back a bit in shock. Luckily for you, his reflexes are quick, and he’s able to catch you before you fall, easily righting you once more.

He smoothly takes the present from your hands and informs you that there is no need to keep secrets--after all, you already had the courage to enter a dragon’s lair, so what harm can there possibly be in confronting the dragon himself? The fae makes a motion to undo the ribbon and open the box right then and there, but you convince him to save the unwrapping for when you’re away. (He has a light chuckle at your embarrassment, finding the blush on your face to be endearing.)

Malleus thanks you for remembering him with a firm pat on the head and invites you to visit again. He vanishes in another flash of light, leaving you blinking up at them in wonder. Malleus has, unknowingly, managed to enchant you in more ways than one.

#twst #Azul Ashengrotto #Azul Ashengrotto x Reader #Malleus Draconia #Malleus Draconia x Reader #twisted wonderland headcanons #twst x reader #Kalim Al-Asim #Kalim Al-Asim x Reader #Silver #Silver x Reader #curiouser and curiouser #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland requests #twisted wonderland scenarios #Reader #self insert

[luvdsc]

haha, what if we kissed? (lol jk... unless?)

fact! you’re secretly in love with your best friend, and so is he!

pairing :: zhong chenle x reader genre :: fluff / best friend, buzzfeed worth it au word count :: 5,072 words warnings :: none playlist :: sunny afternoon (red velvet) ⋆ about love (marina) ⋆ all about you (nct u) ⋆ love (x lovers) ⋆ bella notte (f. murray abraham & arturo castro) author’s note :: i literally just finished writing the rest of this in my meetings today and am posting during my lunchbreak, but happy (1 day late) birthday, chenle sweetheart!! ♡ ↳ part of the not clickbait series.

“Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Dream: Worth It!”

Chenle shouts loudly from the driver’s seat, waving excitedly at the camera attached to the dashboard as he waits for the traffic light to turn green. You visibly flinch in your spot on the passenger's side, startled by the sudden greeting, and even Jisung jumps in the backseat, almost dropping the camcorder he was fiddling with.

Your best friend continues to give the camera a dazzling smile, paying no attention to your and Jisung’s brief glares. “Today on Worth It, thanks to a fan’s suggestion, we’ll be trying out three different spaghetti dishes at three drastically different price points to find out which one is most worth it at its price!”

“Yes,” you chime in, nodding excitedly at the camera and giving a little wave. “So if you want to see another riveting episode of Chenle and Jisung going on three dates at three drastically different price points while I third wheel again, please stay tuned!”

“Hey!”

Both the boys wildly protest, but you blatantly ignore them, checking your phone quickly before beaming at the camera again. “So here’s our first spaghetti fact! The word ‘spaghetti’ is actually the plural version of spaghetto. Spaghetto comes from the Italian word spago, which means twine or thin string.”

“Wait, that actually makes sense. Spaghetti looks like thin strings,” Chenle says, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

“Yeah, basically every language makes sense, except for English,” you remark, setting your phone down in your lap before turning to your best friend. “So are you excited for this episode’s dish?”

“Yes! Shout out to Moony for your suggestion,” Chenle calls out, driving forward before making a right. “If anyone else has any suggestions for future videos, please feel free to comment below.”

You start to explain the first restaurant to your viewers. “Our first stop is called Legalize Marinara! It’s a small hole in the wall place in downtown LA, and fresh pasta is made everyday. We’ll be talking to the owner and chef Johnny Suh about the daily process.”

“And cut!” Jisung calls out, and you stop there, pressing the off button to end the recording. Later on, the three of you will have to work on snipping up the recordings to create a smooth transition from there to a shot of Johnny and his restaurant before jumping into your quick interview with him.

You quickly scroll through the questions you had written ahead of time to ask Johnny on your phone, mouthing the words and memorizing them. You were always the one who asked about the history of the restaurant because Chenle wasn’t as good with the more sentimental questions and preferred the light hearted ones about the food specifically, which you didn’t mind. As long as you get to try good food at the end of it, you’re one very happy, very stuffed camper. You are very much looking forward to visiting Legalize Marinara.

“—and that’s how the pasta is freshly made everyday in the morning.” Johnny finishes up, giving the camera a very charismatic smile and a wink. “We also have a special brew of coffee created by my dad, but that’s a story for another episode. I’ll bring out the spaghetti once it’s ready.”

You and Chenle thank him before going over to sit at one of the small metal tables near the entrance. The place had a sort of modern, yet retro feel to it with an eclectic mix of vintage, kitschy furniture adding pops of color here and there to the otherwise simple space with a neutral palette. The name of the restaurant flashes as a neon sign, serving as the main wall decor along with records scattered here and there on the wall as well.

Jisung stands across from the two of you, propping the large camera on his shoulder in preparation. You and Chenle both take a sip of the special coffee drinks Johnny prepared for you each on the house, pleasantly surprised by the crisp, refreshing taste your taste buds are immediately hit with. Johnny appears minutes later, a pretty plate of simple spaghetti and meatballs along with some Parmesan and garnish on top in hand.

“Here’s our most popular dish: spaghetti with meatballs!” he announces, placing the plate in front of you both carefully. “It’s a simple tomato sauce, but it’s made with organic, local ingredients that we get from the farmer’s market every morning. We get the fresh meat from the butcher down the block everyday to make the meatballs and buy the cheese from local sellers as well. We also add the secret spice mixture created by my mom to the meatballs, which gives it a distinct flavor from other restaurants. Please dig in, guys!”

You immediately swirl your fork into the plate of spaghetti. It looks and smells absolutely fantastic, and your mouth is already watering. You cannot believe that this only costs thirteen dollars. This is an absolute steal. You are just about to take a bite when—

“Wait! We didn’t do a ‘cheers’ yet!” Chenle exclaims, sticking out his fork towards you. You clink your fork against his own metal utensil, and he’s finally satisfied, retracting his arm. Finally, you take the much anticipated bite. The flavors absolutely explode in your mouth, and you’re already reaching out to take a second forkful of the delicious masterpiece.

“This is amazing,” you declare, and Chenle nods enthusiastically, spearing a meatball with his fork. Jisung briefly pans the camera over to Johnny, who shows a double thumbs up before doing finger guns and giving an exaggerated wink.

“Here, try this.” Chenle cuts a piece of the meatball and offers it to you. You reach out for it, but he pulls back, smiling widely and eyes sparkling. “Nuh uh, that’s too easy. Say ah, Y/N.”

“I—” Your cheeks grow warmer than ever, and his grin grows broader, wriggling the fork in front of you. Face burning, you move forward and take a bite. You can hear Jisung fake gagging behind the camera and very much would like to flip him the bird, but you are a professional. You’ll get him back for that later. After all, revenge is a dish best served piping hot and spicy, and you have some Carolina reapers leftover from another video that may accidentally find its way into Jisung’s ramen next time.

You and Chenle spend some more time describing the dish in between bites as Johnny pipes in here and there with some well placed dad jokes that has Jisung shaking his head behind the camera. By the end of it, you both are very happy, and you switch places with Jisung who has a chance to try out the pasta himself at last. He silently eats it before tossing a thumbs up at the camera, and you stop the recording there. After thanking Johnny once more before the three of you leave, you all pile into your car and get ready to go to the next stop.

Up next: Penne for your Thoughts.

“Can we stop here?” Jisung pipes up, peering out the window with interest. His eyes scan the surroundings, peering at the empty space and the wide stairs in front of the spiraling columns of a grand building.

You furrow your eyebrows, glancing at your friend in the backseat. “We’re still a couple blocks away from the restaurant though.”

“This looks like a good spot to film a dance,” he muses to himself before sitting up straighter. “Can we take a quick break? We’re still early, and I wanted to film a quick TikTok before the sun sets.”

You look over at Chenle, who shrugs and pulls over. He backs up into an available parking space, parallel parking smoothly, one hand gripping the back of your seat and the other on the steering wheel. “Alright, do your thing, Jisungie.”

Jisung excitedly hops out from the back. You and Chenle follow suit, locking the car behind you. Your friend is busy setting up his collapsible tripod before placing his phone on it and calling over to you, “Hey, can you stand in front, Y/N? I wanna angle this correctly and check the lighting.”

You move in front of his phone, standing several steps in front of the stairs. Jisung fiddles around with his phone for a few moments, switching up some of the settings and zoom functions before straightening up, eyes bright. “Okay, stay there to mark the spot! I’m gonna press the start button to record. Chenle, can I borrow your phone? I need to play the song for the dance.”

Chenle hands him his phone, and the familiar intro to Doja Cat’s “Say So” begins to blast on top volume. Jisung hands it back to its owner and hurriedly moves to stand in front of his own recording phone as you step aside. “I kinda also need you two in my TikTok.”

“Wait, what? I don’t know the dance,” you protest, starting to back out, but Jisung grabs your hand, pulling you into view, as Chenle bounces over with a shrug of his shoulders, never one to shy away from the camera.

“You don’t need to dance. I just need you both to uh, kiss my cheek on, um, both sides when I tap on them both. It should be the fourth time she says ‘say so’ in the song,” he stammers slightly, face turning slightly pink. He avoids making eye contact as you give him a suspicious look, crossing your arms over your chest.

“What? Why?”

“It’s part of the dance! Now get out of the shot please because the chorus is finally coming up again!” He unceremoniously shoves you out of the frame, and Chenle quickly catches you before you faceplant into the ground. You have a few choice words to yell at your friend and are about to furiously march over to him, but Chenle tightens his grip on you. “Let’s just let him finish, and we can go on. You know how he is about dancing.”

“I’m paying Renjun to put another cockroach picture as his lockscreen again,” you huff, frowning at the dancing boy. “Why didn’t you say anything about the whole kissing request anyway?”

“Eh, I’ve done it before. It’s no big deal.” Chenle shrugs, and you start to stutter, brain malfunctioning, “Wait, you did wha—”

“Oh, it’s almost our cue!” Chenle pushes you towards Jisung as he runs behind the camera to the other side, and you find yourself stumbling for a second time before catching yourself. Grumbling to yourself, you catch Chenle’s apologetic expression, and you sigh, shaking your head as you wait on the sidelines for Jisung to do the move.

And there it is.

Jisung points at his cheeks, tapping them on both sides, and you and Chenle jump into the frame. You lean forward, pressing your lips softly against— wait.

Eyes widening, you jump back in shock, mouth popping open, and the same reaction comes from your best friend when you two realize that you just kissed each other. On the lips.

Crouched on the ground, Jisung looks rather smug after quickly dropping down mid-dance and orchestrating the whole incident. He quickly stands up, striding towards the camera and ending the recording, before efficiently packing up the equipment and walking back to the car without another word.

“Did we just—” you splutter, unable to continue your sentence, as your face grows increasingly warm. Chenle refuses to make eye contact with you, the darkening blush spreading across his face like wildfire. The two of you both direct your disbelief at the same target, rushing over to the car which he boredly stands next to, waiting for Chenle to unlock it.

“Jisung!” You both shout his name, and he just stares at you both, a small grin across his face that he struggles to hide. “What?”

“‘What?’ That’s it? What was that?! Why did you do that?” you exclaim, waving your arms around. Chenle is rendered speechless, unable to say anything after the quick outburst of his other best friend’s name.

“I was tired of listening to Che—mmph!” Jisung is abruptly cut off as Chenle throws his hand over his friend’s mouth, effectively interrupting whatever he was about to say. The two of them silently look at each other, maintaining some sort of telepathic stare that’s probably discussed in the universal book of the bro code. You’ve seen Jaemin and Jeno or Renjun and Donghyuck share the same look before and never really understood it. To be honest, it kind of reminds you of that one moment where the main characters of a chick flick gaze into each others’ eyes and then kiss.

The sound of a text notification cuts off your train of thought and breaks the intense stare down going between the two boys, and you check your phone, eyes widening. “Oh my god, we’re going to be late if we don’t go now! Taeyong just texted me to confirm if we’re coming.”

The three of you hurry into the car, buckling up in your seats. Your hand lightly grazes Chenle’s amidst the rush, and you freeze. You look up, heat spreading across your face, as Chenle meets your gaze, turning redder than spaghetti sauce.

“Alright, you can continue this moment at the restaurant,” Jisung says loudly, jolting the two of you out of your stupor. You quickly retract your hand, mumbling a quick apology, and look away, cheeks still growing warmer than ever. Chenle awkwardly clears his throat and starts the car up, driving to your second stop on the map.

Penne for your Thoughts is simply lovely. It reminds you of a place you would see on the shiny cover of Architecture Digest: a hot spot where all those social influencers would take aesthetic snapshots and post to their Instagrams. The restaurant is quaint and spacious: a large area filled with lots of greenery, hanging plants in simple white ceramic pots, white painted brick walls, and wooden tables with soft cushions on each seat. Once you wrap up the interview with Taeyong, you are seated next to an open window with a great view of a pretty koi pond in the back.

“We serve Korean fusion style food here, and our spaghetti has a freshly made tomato sauce that includes chopped kimchi infused in it. We found that using garlic marinated pork belly makes a more flavorful meatball, which we char slightly, paying homage to the wonderful KBBQ samgyeopsal. We also found that a raw egg yolk on top adds a richness to the pasta, which is similar to a bowl of bibimbap. And there’s some grated Parmesan and mozzarella on top.” Taeyong sets the plate of gorgeous spaghetti in front of you and Chenle with a shy smile. “I hope you both enjoy it.”

You don’t know how else to describe the dish, except that it is beautiful (Just like the restaurant owner, like have you seen his face? Lee Taeyong is the true modern day Adonis, but you digress). You swear you saw Chenle wipe a tear from his face out of the corner of your eye. Practically salivating, you impatiently wait for Jisung to take a few close up videos and pictures of the dish before you immediately dig in.

Fork awkwardly hovering in the air, you pause, turning to Chenle. “Uh, cheers?”

His own loaded fork is halfway to his mouth when he halts. “Oh! Right. Yes. Um, cheers, Y/N.”

The two of you stiffly tap your forks against each other before facing forward again and finally taking the much desired bite. The flavors are bursting like fireworks, and if someone told you that you had died and gone to heaven, you would believe them because there’s no other word to explain the taste other than heavenly. Dante had many circles leading to the center of hell. If you are to apply the same concept to heaven, Legalize Marinara would be the first circle you enter once you go past the pearly gates, and Penne for your Thoughts would most definitely be the second.

The clinking of Chenle’s fork against the plate breaks you from your thoughts, and your good mood falters when you remember the incident again. You plaster a quick smile as you begin to describe the dish to the camera. Chenle chimes in with a wide smile of his own that looks a little too forced, but the only one who seems to notice is you.

Once the recording is wrapped up, Chenle drops you off at your apartment building for you to change into a more dressier attire for the last stop. He and Jisung will change at their place before coming back to pick you up for dinner.

Up next: Terrazza San Valentino.

The place is positively breathtaking. It is an upscale restaurant with open seating on a terrace, leading to a beautiful view of the ocean. Wisteria vines and bright flowers weave their way through the twisting low iron fences encompassing the space as they climb the sides of the building. You have the perfect seat to witness the picturesque sunset over the rippling waters. A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon had been brought out and now rests on the covered table, uncorked and already poured out into two glasses. It very much reminds you of the beautiful restaurants you visited along the Amalfi Coast, specifically Il Capitano in Positano. You only hope that the food here will be just as amazing as the pasta you ordered there.

You just wish your company was a little better. The atmosphere felt more awkward than the time your mom had set you up on a blind date with her coworker’s son. You had to text Chenle for help that time, and he came to your rescue, helping you escape after pretending to be your long lost son. Obviously, your date wasn’t dumb enough to believe that, but he did believe that you were completely off your rockers and immediately took off after that.

Sneaking a glance at your best friend, you sigh when you realize that he refuses to look your way. You carefully tuck the skirt of your wine red dress under your crossed legs. The sweetheart neckline emphasizes the simple gold necklace you have on, and the dress tapers off at your waist, accentuating your figure perfectly. You paired the outfit with a matching lipstick, a simple black clutch, and some elegant black heels with ribbons that loop around your ankles into a pretty bow.

In other words, you look stunning, and Chenle’s palms are growing sweaty. He undos the first few buttons of his white dress shirt, desperately wanting to take off his tailored suit jacket, but his attire would look much too casual without it. He avoids eye contact with you and remains silent, growing even more flustered by the second, and looks at Jisung helplessly.

Of course, his other best friend proves to be useless again (Disappointing, but not surprising). Jisung simply wriggles his eyebrows at him, eyes darting from you to Chenle, before zooming into his face at a very unflattering angle. Chenle throws him a dirty look, and Jisung merely sticks out his tongue in response. However, they immediately smoothen their expressions into much more pleasant ones when Jaehyun comes out with the plate of food on a small cart.

“This is our play on spaghetti.” He gives you a dimpled smile, and you briefly wonder if the customers rave about this restaurant because of the food or the chef. Perhaps it is a combination of both.

He continued to explain the dish, setting it down in front of you and Chenle. “We use strangozzi that is made fresh every morning. We infuse sun dried tomatoes that we dried ourselves into the olive oil for a minimum of thirty days. The pasta is cooked for sixty seconds, while we slightly sauté grated truffle in the oil in a pan. Once the pasta is ready, we transfer it to the truffle pan and cook it for another minute, making sure to coat the pasta in the sauce. And then we grate some Parmesan and truffles right on top at the table.”

Jaehyun pulls out the expensive mushroom, generously grating thin slices on top of the glistening strands of pasta. The smell is incredible, and your eyes are already hyper fixated on the dish in front of you. He puts down the mushroom and grater, picking up the second grater and the cheese from the cart before shredding the cheese perfectly.

When he finishes, Jaehyun places them back on the cart and smiles at you both charmingly once more. “I hope you enjoy your meal. If you need anything else, please feel free to ask.”

You thank him before he leaves, and Jisung takes all the necessary shots before giving the okay to start eating. You and Chenle offer up some comments about the elegance of the dish, describing its appearance and finally twirling some on the end of your fork. You murmur a quiet “cheers” as the two of you clink your glasses of wine together and take a sip before having the first bite.

The amount of money you have to pay to have a truffle dish is absolutely worth it. The taste is simply indescribable, and you truly have no words. You are blown away by the amount of flavor that can be created with just a few ingredients, and your taste buds are singing. Wide eyed, you turn to look at Chenle, who has the same astonished expression on his face, already staring back at you in complete surprise.

“Holy shit,” you breathe out, and your best friend agrees with you. “Holy shit indeed.”

You immediately go for another bite, and Chenle quickly follows suit. “This is— this is incredible. I don’t know how to describe it, except, except, wow. I can’t stop eating it, and the sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, fresh pasta al dente, and truffles just work so well together. It’s like a symphony in my mouth.”

“I agree,” Chenle nods enthusiastically, swiping another forkful of the yummy goodness. “This has to be one of the best dishes of the entire season.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” You spear a slice of the truffle with the pasta, and the ensuing bite is simply perfect and delectable. “I would come back here every single week if my bank account would let me.”

The stifled atmosphere between the two of you suddenly becomes relaxed at that point, the thick tension dissipating with food never failing to act as the perfect ice breaker and buffer simultaneously. For now, you can pretend the kiss didn’t happen and almost forget it (key word: almost).

“There’s a very popular fan suggestion,” Jisung pipes up, looking at the comment section of the previous video where you and Chenle announced your current recording’s star dish. “It got over twenty thousand likes and five hundred responses.”

“What is it?” You pause in eating, fork poised in the air, as you look over to your friend behind the camera. Chenle pays no attention, continuing to take another bite.

“Recreate the Lady and the Tramp moment.”

Your jaw drops, and your eyes grow round. Practically scandalized, your voice goes an octave higher. “You mean the kissing scene?!”

At the mention of kissing, Chenle chokes on a noodle, spluttering and nearly hacking up a lung, and you quickly reach over and firmly pat him on the back repeatedly until he stops coughing with a weak “thanks.”

“What? This is a food show! Why do they want us to kiss?” your best friend wheezes, and you pass him a glass of water. He grabs it from your outstretched hand gratefully and takes a large gulp.

“I don’t know, fan service? Anyway, it’s good for the views!” Jisung gives you a thumbs up, and you frown at him, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Why don’t you do it with Chenle then?”

“It specifically says you and Chenle,” he informs smugly with a smirk, and you glower at him, much to his amusement.

“Well, if it’s for the fans…” Chenle trails off, a faint blush beginning to make its appearance on his face. He hesitantly pulls out one strand of the pasta, picking up one end on his fork.

You can’t believe this. Yet, you slowly reach out for the other end of the strand with your fork, twirling it onto the metal prongs securely. You move to take your end of the noodle, while Chenle does the same, both of you actively avoiding eye contact.

“Oh c’mon, at least make it a little more romantic than that. Jeno and Jaemin have more chemistry than you two right now,” Jisung complains, and you would very much like to chuck the half full bottle of wine at his big, annoying head (Chenle also has similar thoughts).

Taking a deep breath, you finally place the noodle’s end in your mouth. Cheeks burning, you can feel your heart rate already skyrocketing at the mere thought of kissing your best friend again. You know you’ll freeze up if you look at him, so you do your best to focus your gaze on the center of the noodle strand. You’ll have some time before the two of you meet in the middle, right?

Wrong.

It comes much too soon, and your palms are growing sweaty as your heart races in your chest at a breakneck speed. Your lips are mere millimeters away from his, and you pause. You can’t hear anything, but the pounding of your heart and the blood rushing to your cheeks, and you finally find the courage to peek up at your best friend. You find him already gazing at you, a soft expression on his face. His eyes dart down to your lips before meeting your eyes once more, and you suddenly realize that he’s waiting for you, that he won’t do anything unless you want it too, that it’s okay if you don’t.

But you do.

So you muster up all the courage you possibly can and close the distance, carefully pressing your lips against his for a tender kiss before biting off the noodle. When you pull back, you finally notice the awestruck expression written all over Chenle’s face. He lets out a small laugh of disbelief before he positively beams, bouncing in his seat, and you sport a matching smile, albeit a little bashful.

“Uh, anyway, who left that comment? We should probably give them a mention,” you say, clearing your throat and hoping the heat subsides in your cheeks soon. Chenle continues to grin like the Cheshire Cat and secretly grabs your hand underneath the tablecloth, intertwining your fingers with his. You can feel your face exponentially growing warm once again, but you still send a pleased smile to your best friend.

“Uh…” Jisung awkwardly laughs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “‘Insert goofy’s chuckle.’”

At Jisung’s answer, you freeze up entirely in your position before immediately turning and locking eyes with Chenle in complete horror, the both of you instantly coming to the same, dreadful realization.

“HYUCK?!”

One new notification: Dream: Worth It uploaded a new video!

insert goofy’s chuckle commented:

oh my god you guys actually did it. your relationship started all thanks to ME 🙆🏻 you’re welcome btw 😘 I take payment in the form of your first born’s name

notanimpasta replied: @ insert goofy’s chuckle ok calm down rumpelstiltskin

jisung pwark replied:  @ notanimpasta what a perfect nickname for him. He’s an ugly little greedy man

ghosts are real so suck it hyuck replied: @ jisung pwark LMAOOOO (and congrats, chenle and y/n!)

 insert goofy’s chuckle replied:  @ jisung pwark what tf no one asked??? 

notanimpasta replied: @ jisung pwark wait hold on you were supposed to edit that end part out????

jisung pwark replied: @ notanimpasta i left it for the views ☺️

big head king replied: @ jisung pwark people watch for the food tho!!! 🙂

nana ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚ replied: @ big head king I watched it for the kiss. Love is so beautiful 🥰💓💞🥺🥺💕💛💟✨💖

jenojam replied: @ big head king I had watched it for the food! but congratulations, y/n and chenle :) 

insert goofy’s chuckle replied: @ big head king i watched it because ron jeon said you mentioned me

ghosts are real so suck it hyuck replied: @ insert goofy’s chuckle IT’S RENJUN!!!!!! 🤬🤬 

mork lee rawr xD replied: hahaha I watch for the food~

insert goofy’s chuckle replied: @ mork lee rawr xD Thank you Mark, very cool!

winwin in past tense is wonwon!!! commented:

whoop whoop congrats lele 🥳🥳

rapperpunzel commented:

the pasta looks good 🍝

johnny’s communication center commented:

Thanks for stopping by! Come back for the couple’s special discount anytime 😉

baa baa yang sheep commented:

oh my god finally!!!

ghosts are real so suck it hyuck replied: @ baa baa yang sheep you owe me $50 I was right, it happened before the season finale

baa baa yang sheep replied: @ ghosts are real so suck it hyuck suddenly i’m jared, 19

xiao dejasmine commented:

hahahaha cute ! 😁😁

ty track commented:

Thank you y/n and chenle for visiting ~~ congrats on your relationship !!! -TY

junguwu (◕‿◕✿) commented:

YAAAAAS CHENLE SWEETIE 😘😘😘

jisung pwark commented:

check out my latest tiktok video @ jisungpwark to see their actual first kiss!!! and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe ☺️

notanimpasta replied: @ jisung pwark STOP USING US AS CLICKBAIT

jisung pwark replied: @ notanimpasta no ❤️

jisung pwark replied: @ notanimpasta also red is sus

big head king replied: @ jisung pwark so when are you gonna do the best friend kissing challenge huh 👀

jisung pwark replied: @ big head king SHUT UP CHENLE

honeyfairy replied: @ jisung pwark 😳😳

gu ren gui god commented:

wow~ very cute, chenle! my angel 😊

FIGHTING HAEYADWAE commented:

YOOOOO CONGRATS, MAN 🤩🤪🤪

prince jae commented:

thank you guys for coming by! please stop by next year on your anniversary free of charge (:

insert goofy’s chuckle replied: @ prince jae omg mark and I will be there for sure ❤️

showmethemonet replied: @ insert goofy’s chuckle my new boyfriend and I will be there too ☺️

insert goofy’s chuckle replied: @ showmethemonet I’m sorry, I was wrong, pls don’t leave me for bts jin even though i am so much more handsomer and talented than him 😌

apado gwenchana god commented:

nice 😎👍🏻

#chenle scenarios #chenle imagines #nct imagines #nct scenarios #nct fluff #nct dream scenarios #chenle fluff #chenle x reader #nct dream fanfic #nct fanfic #chenle fanfic #nct scenario #nct angst #chenle angst #nct dream fic #nct dream fluff #zhong chenle #chenle #nct #nct dream

[wordsinwinters]

Then Again, Chapter 28: Secrets of a Teacher’s Pet

Summary: After an intense fight and a forced-to-share-the-bed situation during their junior year decathlon trip, Peter and the Reader examine their faults and failings. As they attempt to fix their mistakes and improve their friendship, that friendship quickly begins to evolve into something else. Masterlist (with AO3 links) Betas: @fanboyswhereare-you @girl-tips-from-satan @lilbeatlebear

Then Again, Chapter 28: Secrets of a Teacher's Pet

(Word count: 4,134) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, High school lunches are abominable, and should be illegal. I swear, what passes for pizza, macaroni, and even grilled cheese might as well be scraps of cardboard stuffed with some sticky yellow substance of unknown origins, as opposed to anything healthy or vaguely edible. The vegetables available aren’t much better: they give off the look and odor of something that’s been canned for a few hundred years before being briefly stuck in a microwave and dropped into a metal pan. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. They’re just super bland and tasteless. But don’t get me started on the very real danger of the milk that’s required with cost-reduced or free meals. After getting one that’s curdled like cottage cheese or a slimy, soupy sort of solid, you learn not to trust them. A lot of kids take them because they have to and immediately dump them into a garbage can on the way to their table. The bagged apple slices aren’t too terrible though, given that the flavor hasn’t been boiled or steamed out of them and there’s no reason to doubt what they’re made of. Luckily for me, Peter’s gifted stash of snacks in my locker from yesterday held over to today and I’ve been eating enough during breaks that I’m only hungry enough for the apples, able to avoid all the other barely tolerable options for once. I’m as grateful for that fact as I was happily surprised to find he managed to remember and pick out my favorites. (Michelle probably helped him.)

Walking to the cafeteria ten minutes late is an uncharacteristically peaceful experience. The usual, deafening current of hundreds of teenagers rushing to their next class has been replaced by a trickling stream of occasional wanderers strolling along with hall passes lightly held in hand. It’s a calming change of pace. Still, as I draw closer to the cafeteria, the sounds of classes beginning behind closed doors grow softer, slowly overlapped by the swelling chaos of first lunch. It’s funny how approaching this part of the school during lunch feels like walking into a roaring tsunami of cacophony, but once you’re inside it talking with your friends, the enormity of it muffles into a tame tide, as if an invisible barrier has stitched itself together around the table. (At least if you’ve had enough sleep, that is. After another long night of texting with Peter, I’m not sure I’ll be able to block out much of anything.) By the time I turn the corner of the last hallway and head to the lunch line, most people already have their food and are sitting at their normal tables — my friends included — so it takes no time at all to maneuver through the pizza side. I grab a bag of apple slices from the tin pan beside the soft pretzel warmer and quickly get to the register. The lunch lady punches in the code for the apples as I swipe my ID card and type in my passcode, four little beeps quietly popping up through the bursting bubble of cafeteria noise. Like every day, I thank her and she offers me a tired nod in response. Then I make my typical path toward my friends sitting in the middle-ish back area. A few tables away from Michelle, Peter, and Ned, more toward the front, Abe and Sally are sitting with their other friends, including Flash. That must mean Monday was an anomaly like I suspected— just a chance to collect the last morsels of gossip about the trip before everyone slid back into our normal school routines. (Surprisingly, neither of them asked about or alluded to the pool incident, thank god, though Flash must’ve told Abe about the accidental blackmail thing because Abe whisper-asked me about it once no one was paying attention. As soon as I said it wasn’t a big deal and I’d rather Mr. Harrington never hear a word about any of it, he nodded and let it go with a subtle “OK” hand motion.) Suddenly, Peter whips his head around and catches my eye. He jumps out of his seat and rushes to meet me halfway. “Hey!” he says, smiling and slightly breathless a moment later, hair lightly ruffled from the mini-jog. “How come you’re late? Ned said you stayed after class, but he didn’t know why.” Then, looking at the lone bag of apple wedges in my hand, “And where’s the rest of your food?” As we make eye contact again, I try to ignore the swooping sensation in my stomach: I have been trying, really trying, to get used to his energy the last few days — to his wider smiles and the abrupt return of his sincerity — but his spontaneous excitement in moments like this still causes butterflies, as much as I resent the fact. Even so, his energy is infectious and, undeniably, pleasant. I find my lips itching to mirror his bare smile, and do my best to hold it back. “I stayed back to talk to Profé,” I explain as we walk together, “about the skit that’s due on Friday. I wanted to see if my group could just perform it for her tomorrow while everyone’s out recording theirs.” I glance at him and the crinkle around his eyes makes it clear he knows me too well. “You mean get out of having to watch your own video on Friday.” “Maybe.” I keep my gaze on our table as we approach it, shrugging and hoping my guilty-as-charged grin isn’t too obvious. The deal I made with Profé is normal for the two of us. It’s usually the group members who make it more of a struggle, refusing to cooperate because they’d rather procrastinate than memorize their lines a day early. (If they’re even willing to memorize their lines. 75% of the class just reads from a paper someone else has to hold up behind whatever phone or iPad they use to record it— even though Profé

takes off 5% of their total project grade if she catches it. And she always does.) Luckily, my group for this one was just as happy as me to get out of the awkward recording process and the even more agonizing experience of watching it on the whiteboard the following day, forced to sit still and confront our stale acting and terrible, underdeveloped accents. “What’d she say?” “She said it’s fine,” I say, climbing into my seat across from Ned and Michelle as Peter sits beside me. “As long as I help her grade the quizzes from her first year class once we finish.” Ned and Michelle let their conversation about Chemistry fizzle out to join ours. “Such a teacher’s pet,” Ned says with a wave of his hand. “Always manipulating the system for your own gain.” I give him a sarcastically sour look. “If you made fewer jokes like that, I could still be grading ours.” Last month, Ned just had to make a comment about me changing his test answers. As much as Profé likes me and would be happy to hire me as a personal assistant, she couldn’t keep handing me my friends’ and classmates’ assignments after he said that in front of everyone, which is fair. Plus, even though I enjoy helping her, it’s nice to have more time to socialize, especially since Ned, Betty, and I sit next to each other. It also helped me feel less guilty, seeing as I had actually done it. “But it wasn’t a joke, right?” Michelle clarifies, reading my mind. “You did change Ned’s answers for him.” Ned sighs, glancing down at his plate to spear a broccoli floret with his fork. “And I should’ve been more grateful, I know.” He looks back up, clearly amused. “But it’s just so funny to freak you out.” “Funny to you, maybe.” Objectively, it was pretty funny. I was walking up to Profé’s desk to hand in the stack of freshly graded tests when he very loudly asked me to change his answers on the next quiz too — which a few people laughed at, assuming it couldn’t be true if he had blurted it out — and it took me so off-guard that I turned and smacked right into someone else’s desk, hard enough it felt like I cracked my hip bone on it, triggering an ill-timed “Jesus!” Immediately, someone called out, “It’s pronounced Hay-soos in this class!” Even I could recognize the humor in it, once the pain had passed a minute later. Profé was still shaking her head in pity as I hobbled over and handed her the papers. Her tone of voice conveyed a sort of disappointment and inconvenience when she said that, well, maybe it’d be better if I didn’t grade this class’s work anymore. “Wait, for real?” Peter asks, brow twisted into a quizzical disbelief. “You’ve never done that for me.” Michelle’s mouth quirks into a (prideful?) smirk. “She’s done it for me.” He looks between the two of us, surprised. “You’re not in my Spanish class, though,” I tell Peter as I open my bag of apples, hoping the meager defense will assuage him. “Neither is Michelle!” “That was for our World History class.” “And AP Psych that one time,” I admit reflexively, remembering. I reach over to her plate and swap a few fries for a slice of apple. “Wow, okay then. I see how it is.” Peter leans back as if against an imaginary wall, squinting at me, eyes glinting with teasing sarcasm. Like I said before, as much as I’m trying to get used to our new dynamics, it’s hard to pretend this playful attitude isn’t incredibly attractive; we’ve always teased each other, but something about the nature of it has shifted. It’s more fun than before. I lick my lips to get rid of the salt from the fries and ignore him. Meanwhile, Michelle takes the apple piece I gave her and holds it like a cigarette. “Not to defend the cheating, lying, and overall academic fraud she’s committed,” she says, “but she was responsible for messing up my World History test right before we took it.” She bites the apple and chews for a moment. “We were quizzing each other on our way in and she said Genghis Khan went— what was it? As far west in Europe as Germany and as far east as Lebanon in the Middle East.” “Instead of Poland and the Levant,” I

repeat, the words having haunted me for weeks afterward, the answer seared into my memory since. “But Poland has been taken over by Germany at different points and it was fragmented when he got there. Plus, Lebanon is in the Levant, so I wasn’t totally wrong.” Michelle makes an “Exactly” gesture with her left hand. “And that’s why she corrected her mistake on my paper.” She notices me about to sneak more fries off her plate and swats my hand away. “And since I didn’t change my own answer,” I say, returning to my own food, “it wasn’t really cheating.” “Ha.” Her laugh is flat, but bright. “Only because you used a pen to take the test and were too scared he’d notice a scratched out answer that wasn’t there before.” Before I can (in bad faith) refute that, Peter interrupts. “Wait, what about the Psych one?” I pause and smile, remembering one of the reasons I love our Psychology teacher. “It was just an extra credit question: ‘Who is my celebrity crush?’ Michelle wrote Antonio Banderas instead of Dwayne Johnson. It was only half a point. Antonio Banderas is her mom’s crush, which she talked about in class a bunch of times, not hers. Easy to mix up.” “And Ned’s Spanish quiz?” Ned coughs on a bite of spaghetti he just took, quickly taking a drink of water to recover. If he’s nervous about me explaining that one, I’m surprised. He and Peter usually tell each other everything, and the truth isn’t really embarrassing anyway. “You wanna cover that one?” I ask him, just in case. “Nah. Go ahead,” he shrugs, unbothered. That’s more normal. A noodle must’ve just gone down the wrong way. “It was a few weeks ago,” I explain, “when we first started making our plans to study for the decathlon, I think? Ned was super stressed with it all and had a bad case of test anxiety. He told me he knew the right answers, he just freaked out in the moment.” Peter’s eyebrows raise and he looks pointedly at Ned, whose lips are twitching. “Ned doesn’t get test anxiety,” he says, staring at him. “I think I remember that, actually. He just didn’t study. He stayed up all night and then freaked out in the morning saying he was gonna fail.” Before I can react, Ned erupts into the same giggles I heard from across the classroom when I smacked into that desk. Michelle’s eyebrows lift, though she seems unsurprised; if anything, her expression is practically a mental handshake of congratulations to Ned for successfully cheating the system. (The system being me.) “Okay, okay!” He puts his hands up to defend himself. “I lied, I know, and that’s bad, it’s a bad thing to do. But my GPA, my chances for college admissions, shouldn’t suffer because I’m bad at conjugating verbs in a third language.” He turns his head toward Peter. “And I did want to study more, but someone convinced me to play video games that night instead.” The attention of the debate swiftly turns away from the ethics of test answer “editing” to which of them is more likely to put video games above school work. As the boys argue, Michelle and I continue eating in relaxed silence. Even though the two of us have been texting and talking less the last couple days now that my conversations with Peter have become more time-consuming, we’ve settled back into our usual, stable friendship without any lingering oddness from the weekend. Thank goodness. My eyes flit to her at the thought, then quickly back to the boys. As they do, a gentle wave of comfort and humming warmth envelopes me. It’s a new sensation, one that’s easy to sink into and strange to explain. (And randomly recurring since Sunday morning.) Although it’s similar to the solace I feel when I appreciate that Michelle (and Ned) won’t be abandoning me anytime soon, like I briefly assumed over the weekend, I’d be lying if I didn’t own up to the fact it’s undeniably reserved for Peter. It’s been happening here and there during the most unexpected moments ever since we apologized to each other that morning. (This back-and-forth debate between him and Ned, which now involves them citing specific dates and exact hours of video game

playing, for example, isn’t exactly heart-warming or intriguing enough that it should warrant this feeling, yet here I am.) At first, I thought the sensation was just the sheer relief of reconciliation after a shitty, hellish night. But now I’m not so sure. It’s complicated, of course, to say the least. After spending so long desperately trying and failing to shove down this crush, my anxiety surrounding Peter and how this all might end, it doesn’t make sense to feel so… normal. The months I spent begging my own brain to avoid thinking about him, only to fail miserably and obsess over how, inevitably, the best outcome could only be private pain while the best bad option, if I was found out, would be a simple unraveling of fragile humiliation that Peter would clumsily (and apologetically) inflict— those months were like being a small pet in a washing machine: drowning, jerked around, disoriented, and in general torment. This crush has been one colossal Sisyphean self-inflicted torture session after the next. And yet, somehow, I’m suddenly alright. The danger has passed and I’m breathing just fine. Sure, I’m still nervous around him more often than not, and flustered, cautious, and even anxious at times, but it’s not nearly as overwhelming as before. It’s like most of the frightened, flighty energy this crush has plagued me with since the beginning has transformed into something less excruciating. Something that might border on exciting if I let it. It’s safe, above all else. Infinitely closer to safety than anything I’ve felt before, and certainly a thousand times more stable than that frozen, starless abyss I felt like I was staring into this weekend. To put it simply: my nerves have floated down to a reasonable level. Even if I still feel like I’m walking a tightrope some of the time, the rope is only a foot above soft-grassed ground rather than tied between skyscrapers. And since I’m less busy being worried, I evidently have more time to, as May would say, stay grounded and enjoy the moment. It feels like warm sunshine. That’s it. Safety and warmth. Anyway, suffice it to say that things are good between us. So much so that we’ve barely had a break in conversation since our fight. Between passing notes in the classes we have together, talking during lunch, and the obscene amount of texting we’ve done the last few days, it really does feel like being in a “friendship bootcamp,” like Ned and Michelle keep calling it. Especially because a big portion of our conversations has been Peter asking bizarre, random questions, like my opinion on Harry Houdini or if I know anyone who could get us fake IDs. (Each day I try to answer them as fully as possible with zero context. I gave up asking “Why?” and “What for?” early on; he would just text back things like, “wouldn’t you like to know, weatherboy?” or “you’ll find out later” or “I’m writing a memoir about you, duh.”) If it were anyone else, the sheer frequency of such vague texts might’ve aggravated me; instead, I found myself stifling laughter in bed until three in the morning Monday night, then 1 a.m. last ni— this morning. Peter and I have always enjoyed antagonizing Ned and Michelle on our own, so much so that, comparatively, we’ve always tended to be more civil (if not distant) to each other than either of them. Without the filter of them between us, our texting quickly became a tug-of-war of jokes, insults, and other teasing. In fact— “Hello? You there?” Peter’s waving his hand in front of my face. “You didn’t answer my other question.” I shake myself out of the mental hole I’ve been falling through the last few minutes and apologize for zoning out, only now realizing that Michelle and Ned have moved on to a discussion on the Spanish colonization of the Philippines and consequent linguistic history between Tagalog, Filipino, and Spanish. “Peter,” I say after a short yawn. “I think you’ve set a record for how many questions a person can ask in a day. Which one are you referring to?” I start to pull my phone out of my pocket to check my texts from him,

wondering what might’ve gotten lost in the waterfall of messages we’ve sent to each other lately. But he puts his index finger on the table, or rather, on the empty plastic bag that used to contain the apple Michelle and I finished a minute ago. “Where’s the rest of your food?” he specifies. “You and Michelle aren’t on any hunger strikes I don’t know about, right?” I roll my eyes. “I’ve been eating all morning, actually,” I say, returning his sarcasm. “A bunch of my favorite snacks somehow showed up in my locker. Weird, right?” “Super weird,” he says, nodding. “How’d someone get into your locker?” I pause. “That’s a good question. How did you get into it?” He grins. “Same way you got into mine on Friday.” He tips his head towards Michelle. “One of our friends pays way more attention to detail than anyone on the planet, and knows all of our codes.” Without breaking her eye contact with Ned, Michelle sticks her hand directly in front of Peter’s face. “Don’t bring me into whatever you guys are doing.” After a flash of middle finger, she puts her hand back down on the table and goes back to telling Ned off. “Really though,” I say, meeting his eyes again. “Thank you for all of it. It was nice to have a break from school food. Even if the sugar is going to make me crash sooner or later.” Preferably in sixth hour. It’s easy to get away with taking a nap in film class, as long as you can keep your head propped up on your hand. His ears twitch as he smiles. “I told you, I really want to make up for… well, everything.” “And I told you—” “That I don’t need to give you presents for that to happen.” “Exactly.” “So, you didn’t like the pens today?” Pens? “What are you talking about?” “I put some new pens in your backpack. You know, since you used up a bunch of yours taking notes during our decathlon study sessions.” That's true. In retrospect, I was more upset about them running out of ink than I ended up being about missing the actual competition. “Oh, I never saw them. I haven’t looked in my bag since first hour.” I wonder if…. “But, to be honest, I’m kind of particular about my writing instruments, so—” “They better be the Pilot G2 multi-color pack?” Wow. That is surprising. It must show on my face. His smile widens and he pulls his shoulders back. “Yes, actually.” I sit up a bit straighter. “You get that from Michelle too?” “Nope.” He shakes his head. “You left one at my apartment. Dark green. It’s also in your bag.” My heart rate jumps and I hate the fact that it’s over nice pens. Or maybe it’s the thought he put into it. It’s a perfect gift. Useful and, in a way, personal. The only other person who would think of it would be Michelle. She’s the only one who pays that much attention to me. “Alright then.” I try to keep my voice level, to not give away what I’m thinking or how happy I am that I can go back to color-coding my notes like usual. “That’s impressive, I’ll admit.” My chest aches, and I’m not totally sure why. “But,” I say carefully, “as much as I do appreciate it, there’s really no need for anything else.” “Oh really?” He leans forward, putting an elbow to the table, head resting against his hand. “Because I feel like you wouldn’t say that if you knew what I had planned for Friday.” I know it’s bait, that it’s meant to distract me from refusing his future gifts. But I can’t help it. “Tell me,” I demand. He pulls backward and, grinning, shakes his head so rapidly it messes up his hair. “It’s a surprise. I can’t.” It only takes me mentioning that, given how many wild questions he’s sent my way the last few days, I deserve one hint, minimum, for Ned and Michelle to notice and jump into our conversation. Ned offers to tell me about the Friday “event”— the one-word little slip up alone offending Peter more than the whole video game argument. “No, no, no, no!” Peter practically shouts. “Guys, I will kill you! Ned, I’ll tell Jason about how you’re planning to fight him, and MJ— I’ll, I swear, if you say anything, I-I’ll, I will—” “Yeah, you’ve got nothing on me, dude.” she says,

unimpressed, looking him up and down. “But, I’ll play nice this one time.” She looks at me, left eyebrow slightly raised with a clear message: There’s reason for concern. You’ll want to get it out of him as soon as possible. “So, Ned, when’s this fight happening?” We all turn to look at him, Michelle and I particularly curious about that piece of information. “Obviously it’s not,” he says, exasperated. “I’m just trying to figure out how to help a friend he’s been messing with.” “A miss Betty Brant, right?” As Michelle starts a rapid-fire interrogation into Ned and Betty’s beef with Jason, I turn my body and attention towards Peter once more. “You have to give me hints,” I say. “I’d like three, along with unlimited guesses.” He takes a deep breath, eyes searching mine carefully. “Alright, I’ll give hints,” he concedes. “But only two.” That’s better than I expected. “Two,” I agree. “But then you have to tell me tomorrow morning no matter what.” He extends a hand to shake, a smile perking back up. “That seems fair, since you’ll never guess.” I’m more than familiar with uncertainty when it comes to you, I think as that safe, sunny feeling settles over me again. I’ll manage just fine.

Next chapter

Author's note: Apologies for the very long filler chapter. Honestly, this is one of my least favorite chapters I've written and I'd hoped to fix it up a lot more before posting (I was planning a total rewrite tbh), but I figured it'd be better to stay on track with the weekly updating than push it back. Thanks for sticking with it!

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[nastybuckybarnes]

In a Heartbeat  -  Five

Pairing: Fireman!Bucky X Reader

Summary: You’ve always been careful with your heart. With your condition, you don’t exactly have any other choice. The last time you let someone in, you paid the price. A price you don’t plan on paying again. Until Bucky comes in and shatters your carefully crafted world.

Warnings: Language, Fluff, Smut (18+), 

Word Count: 3.7K

A/n: hi I hope you enjoy this! So I’m thinking this will probably have two more parts and maybe an epilogue. I’m very very excited. Also my carpal tunnel has been hurting a lot lately so I haven’t been able to write much, plus I've been super tired. I hope to post more regularly and update stuff more often but I make no promises. Anyway, Enjoy!

Series Masterlist

~*~

“Going somewhere, Barnes?” The brunet smiles, raking a hand through his damp hair.

“Hell yeah, I am. I’ve got a date with the most gorgeous woman in the world.” Steve chuckles, shaking his head at his friend.

“Barnes doesn’t stink. What's he planning?” Sam asks, eyeing the way the brunet towel-dries his hair as he gathers his things.

Showering at the firehouse is something he likes to avoid at all costs. But smelling like sweat and fire before meeting you for another date? That’s ten times worse.

“Shut up, Sam.”

“He’s just jealous that no one wants to go out with him,” a female voice calls.

The men look to the doorway, smiles growing as they see Natasha standing there.

“What are you doing here?” Bucky asks, eyeing the cupcake in her hand.

“I come bearing gifts. Some better than others.” She steps aside and you smile from where she was standing, a Tupperware of cupcakes in your hands.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” Steve calls. You wave weakly at him, smiling nervously as you walk over to the table where he sits.

“Hey, doll. What are you doing here?” Bucky asks, eyes devouring your figure.

“Hi. Nat said she was popping by so I thought I’d go with her. Save you the drive over to my place, too.” You look at Bucky as you say the last part, smiling timidly at the grin on his face.

He walks over to you and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to your lips while his arm wraps around your waist.

You pull away when Sam whistles, giggling softly and shaking your head.

“I uh... I brought some cupcakes for you and the guys. Nat said I should leave them for her but I thought you guys might want some.”

Sam and Clint are diving for the container before you’ve even finished speaking, and you can’t help but laugh at their eagerness.

Bucky moves to stand behind you, his chin on your shoulder and his arms wrapped around your waist.

“You okay?” He asks softly. You nod, bringing your hands up to rest on his.

He knows how you get around his friends, nervous that they won’t accept you. When he introduced you to them for the first time you’d had to excuse yourself to take nearly a double dose of your pills.

“We can head out right away. I just need to grab my things.” You nod your understanding and he presses a soft kiss to your cheek before letting go of you.

“Well if you’re trying to win us over, it worked. These cupcakes are amazing, (Y/n).” You smile at Clint then over at Nat who gives you a knowing look.

The drive over was filled with you panicking and freaking out, hoping that they didn’t hate the cupcakes or think you were weird for making them.

“If Nat kept these to herself I think I’d die,” Sam says, interrupting your thoughts.

“These are the leftovers from our Halloween party. I’m not gonna eat them all and I don’t think it’s healthy for Nat and James to share two dozen cupcakes between the two of them.” Bucky pinches your butt and you yelp, swatting his hand away.

“I could’ve devoured those in ten minutes.” You nod, smacking his chest. “That’s what I’m worried about. There’s only room for one of us to have a heart problem in this relationship.”

Steve chokes on his cupcake and Nat cackles, shaking her head at you.

In the time that you and Bucky have been together, your confidence has grown so much, and for that Nat is very grateful.

“It’s okay to laugh,” you say, noticing the way Clint and Sam are staring at Bucky. The brunet shakes his head, hugging you tightly and chuckling into your hair.

“Always a comedian, huh?” You shrug, “one of us has to be funny.” Sam laughs then, Clint snorting while Steve coughs the cupcake out of his lungs.

“Alright. Enough of that. Let’s get going.”

You bid goodbye to everyone and walk with Bucky to his truck, smiling when he starts driving.

“So you’re my girl then?” He asks after a while, a smile on his face.

“I thought it was obvious after our first date,” you reply coyly, heart skipping a beat as you remember everything that took place.

Since then you’ve had your fair share of make-out sessions, each ending in him pulling away with the excuse of wanting to wait.

He chuckles softly, eyes on you for a long moment.

“Well, I just never know. Don’t want to assume anything.” You hum, pondering this for a moment.

“Have you been ‘playing the field’ then? Waiting ‘till we’re a real item to put yourself off the market?” You’re half-teasing, but he can hear the nervousness beneath your words.

“No way. With a sweet thing like you by my side, I’d never even dream of someone else, even if we weren’t official.” You feel reassured and relax into the seat.

“Where are we headed?” You ask after a moment, realizing you don’t know what his date plans are for tonight.

“Well, I figured since it’s the start of the weekend, we could have a delicious dinner of Italian bread, tomato spread, cheese, vegetables, and meat. Maybe top it off with some gourmet pureed milk with fresh vanilla, frozen to the perfect temperature.”

You blink at this then shake your head. “Pizza and ice cream?”

“Pizza and ice cream.”

~*~

You’re cuddled up next to him on his couch, head tucked on his shoulder and legs thrown over his lap. He’s got his metal hand on your knees and his flesh around your shoulders, holding you close to his body while the two of you watch the movie.

You’re tracing tiny patterns on the back of his metal hand, marvelling at how warm the material is beneath your touch.

Your fingers gradually make their way up until you’re drawing on his forearm.

He shifts slightly, hand resting on your hip and tugging you up until you’re seated on his lap. The position is nice, but not the one you want to be in, so you quickly shift to straddle his lap.

His eyes snap up to your face, beautiful blues capturing your gaze and looking straight into your soul.

“Hi,” he murmurs, tongue darting out to wet his lips. Your fingers find their way to his hair, combing through and nails gently scraping against his scalp.

“Hi,” you reply, voice just as soft as his.

Something in the atmosphere changes at that moment, the two of you taking note of it at the same time. The tension grows swiftly between the two of you as you each glance at the other’s lips.

“It’s been over a month,” you whisper, lips just hardly brushing over his. He nods, hands gripping your hips tightly as he pulls you hard against him, forcing you to feel the outline of his hardening cock.  

“It has. And you haven’t run away screaming yet so I must be doing something right.” You chuckle, lips pressing gentle kisses to his neck. “If tonight goes well, I don’t think I’ll ever run away.” He groans and his hips thrust upwards, making you gasp.

“A-are you sure?” He asks, genuinely concerned as he pulls back.

“I don’t wanna hurt you... and I don’t wanna get your heart going too fast.” You smile softly at him, cupping his cheeks in your hands.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything, James. I want you. And if my heart gets too high, we’ll put my pills on the nightstand. I just want you. Please.” He lets out a big breath and you sigh, pushing off of his lap and scooting away from him until you’re at the opposite end of the couch.

“Babydoll, I didn’t say no. I’m just worried.” You say nothing. Instead, you keep your arms crossed over your chest and stare at the TV screen.

“C’mon doll. You’re not gonna be mad at me for caring about your heart, are ya?” You look over at him finally and sigh.

“It’s my heart, James. And if I wanna risk my health to have sex with you, that's my choice.” He chuckles and shakes his head, crawling over to you. His hands are on your body then, flipping you so you’re laying with your back against the arm of the couch. He climbs between your legs and grinds his hips against yours.

“If your heart needs a break you tell me, okay? I don’t care if I’m about to cum, you stop me and you take your pills. Your health is more important than anything to me.” You nod, eyelids fluttering closed as he grinds against you again.

“Do you promise? I won’t do anything unless you promise to tell me if it’s too much.” Yo open your eyes when he stops moving, hands coming up to his shoulders.

“I promise I’ll tell you if I need to take a breather, okay?” He nods, happy with your answer, then dives down to press a searing kiss to your lips.

The passion behind it is like nothing you’ve felt before, and you’re startled for a moment before kissing him back just as forcefully.

He grinds his length against your core through your clothes and you moan softly against his lips.

His tongue darts into your mouth, getting re-acquainted with every inch while his flesh hand shoves your shirt up just enough for some skin-to-skin contact.

You wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him down harder against you and rocking your hips up to meet his.

“You gonna let me eat you out?” The way the words fall breathlessly from his kiss-swollen lips makes you moan, nodding desperately. He chuckles softly, mouth making a wet trail down your neck.

His fingers come to the neckline of your shirt and, with little effort, he tears the fabric straight down the middle.

The blatant display of strength has you wiggling your hips in a pathetic attempt to alleviate the growing tension between your thighs.

His fingers dart behind your back, unclasping your bra expertly and tossing it aside.

Lips wrap around your nipple, tongue darting out for a moment before he nips at it with his teeth.

Your back arches up into his touch and he uses that to his advantage, groping your other breast and pinching at your nipple.

He pulls away after a moment, eyes dark and focused on your face while his hand slides up to rest on your throat, fingers pressing against your pulse point. You roll your eyes but he seems determined to make sure you’re not overworking yourself.

“Just checking,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your lips quickly before climbing down your body. He tugs your pants down, panties coming with them, and lays on his stomach between your legs.

You bring one hand up to cover your face, heart skipping a beat as he places kiss after kiss on your inner thighs.

“Relax for me, doll. Lemme treat you right.” You nod, taking deep breaths to try and calm down while he brings your thighs over his shoulders.

His tongue darts out and licks you from entrance to clit, sending sparks shooting from your core to your toes.

He repeats the action a few times before focusing on your clit, tongue swirling and massaging over the bundle of nerves. Your thighs clench around his head and your heels dig into his back.

“F-fuck.” You’re surprised at how quickly he gets you to the edge, but you pay it no mind for now. Instead, you bask in the feeling of his mouth on your core and his beard scratching your thighs.

Your hands grab at his hair, pulling him in while your hips buck up off the couch.

Mouth open in a silent scream of bliss, you convulse. Your thighs tremble atop his shoulders and your hands nearly rip his hair from his head, but he doesn't mind. No, if anything the pain spurs him on.

It isn’t until you give an intentional tug on his hair that he lets up, eyes finding yours as he slowly lowers your legs and sits back on his haunches.

His hands rub gently over your thighs while you catch your breath, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

“You okay?” He asks, concern lacing his voice.

You nod, heart beating fast but not nearly fast enough to be concerning.

“Do you wanna take this to the bedroom?” He’s genuinely wondering if you want to continue and you find yourself smiling softly at him.

“Yeah, I really really do.” He nods, a smile spreading on his handsome face before he scoops you up in his arms and carries you into his bedroom.

He’s so gentle in his movements, carefully placing you on the bed, kissing every inch of skin he can reach.

He only stays with you for a moment before standing up and darting out of the room. You prop yourself up on your elbows in confusion, waiting nervously for him to come back.

When he does you feel your heart warm.

He’s got your pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“Just in case. So you don’t have to go far.” He sets them down on the bedside table then stands sheepishly beside the bed, cheeks pink. You crawl up onto your knees, grab the collar of his shirt, and yank him down onto the bed with you.

He collapses on top of you, catching himself at the very last second with his metal arm. Your lips find his in a kiss that's all teeth and tongue.

“Take off your clothes,” you whisper against his lips, fingers toying with his belt buckle.

He pulls back and yanks his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor in a quick flash. Before he can come back, you’re tracing your fingers gently over his chest, eyes finding the angry red scarring on his shoulder.

His eyes are focused on your face as you trace over the scars with feather-light fingers, a frown tugging on the corners of your mouth.

“What?” He asks, worried that you’re disgusted with him.

“Do they hurt?” Your voice is a hushed whisper, almost as if you’re afraid of breaking the atmosphere of the dark room.

“Sometimes. But I deal with it.” You shake your head and look up at him, tears glistening in your eyes. “You shouldn’t have to.” His arms snake around your waist and he pulls you tight against his chest.

“We all have things that we shouldn’t have to deal with but we deal with them. I’m no exception.” You lean your head against his shoulder and press soft kisses to the place where metal meets flesh.

His fingers dance along your spine for a few minutes before he pulls away. You tilt your head back to look at him just as he leans down. His lips find yours, moulding against them so gingerly and expressing things that words could never.

Your arms wrap around his neck as he slowly leads you to lay down on the bed. Your legs come up around his waist, squeezing his waist and holding him tightly.

“You gonna fuck me?” The words slip out before you can stop them, but the growl that rumbles in his chest is enough for you to feel no regrets.

He leans back on his haunches and nearly tears his belt in half in his haste to get it off. His jeans are pushed off next, boxers coming with them until he’s naked before you.

You relax on your back as he leans over you, his hands coming to rest on either side of your head. You hold his biceps as he spreads your thighs with his knees.

“M’gonna treat you so well, darlin’.”

You nod, mouth dropping open in a gasp as he slides his hot length through your dripping folds.

He repeats the action a few times, coating himself in your slick before positioning the tip right at your entrance.

His eyes are locked on yours, holding your gaze as he slowly pushes into you, fire alight in his eyes at the choked moan that leaves your lips.

You finally manage to tear your eyes from his, staring down at where he’s pushing inch upon inch of his thick cock into your tight cunt.

There’s a brief moment of panic when you wonder if you’ll be able to take him fully.

“Look at that,” he murmurs, lips brushing gently over your temple. “Fuck, you feel so good... so nice...” You tilt your head back, relaxing further into the mattress as he bottoms out, hips flush against yours.

Your breathing hard, eyes shut and hands holding his biceps tightly as you adjust to his impressive size, the intrusion so foreign after so long.

“You okay?” He asks gently, voice laced with concern. You nod, taking a moment to actually check in with yourself. Your heart is beating fairly quickly, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.

“I-I’m okay. Can you...?” You trail off but he gets the idea, pulling his hips back only to press them forward. You moan softly, nails biting into the sensitive skin of his right arm and he hisses at the pain, snapping his hips forward harder and finding a steady pace.

Your head digs into the mattress, pleasure bubbling up and filling up the space inside of you with sparks as his cock hits the spot inside of you that makes your toes curl.

“Fuck... right there... fuck...”

He assaults your neck with rough kisses, his beard scratching at the sensitive skin and adding to the intense feeling of euphoria like gasoline to a fire.

Each thrust of his hips pushes you closer and closer to the edge, and your heart picks up speed as your climax approaches.

His metal hand pushes its way between your bodies down to where the two of you are connected, immediately working your clit and successfully pushing you into your climax.

Your entire body ignites, every nerve on fire and every cell up in flames. It rolls over you in wave after wave, drowning the rest of your senses so that all you can focus on is the feeling of him between your legs, pushing you headfirst into the most intense orgasm of your life.

The feeling of your walls clenching around his cock brings him rushing to his own release, hips faltering as he tries to maintain his composure and fuck the two of you through your highs.

He cums in hot bursts, painting your walls white and filling you with his seed. Your chest heaves, breaths coming in hard and fast in both an attempt to get oxygen and slow your heart, and also come down from your high.

Bucky pushes himself off of you upon hearing your laboured breaths and after one glance at your heaving chest, he’s pulling out of you and reaching over to grab your pills and the glass of water.

He balances them both in one hand and helps you sit up carefully, handing you the small bottle and then the glass of water.

You take your pills as quickly as you can, avoiding his eyes until your heart stops racing, and even then you don’t look up.

“Hey, look at me,” he whispers, taking the objects from your hands and setting them back on the table.

You slowly do, eyes glossy with tears as you bring your knees up and hug them to your chest.

“What’s wrong? Why the tears?” You shake your head, closing your eyes tightly and taking a few deep breaths.

“I ruin everything,” you whisper softly, pressing your forehead to your knees as tears drip down your cheeks.

He’s quiet for a long while, trying to figure out what’s making you say something so ridiculous.

“What... why would you say that, sweet girl?” You shake your head, sniffling.

“My stupid heart ruins everything. We were having a moment and I-” “Hey, you listen to me.” The urgency in his voice has you looking up instinctively, but you find nothing but softness on his face.

“Your heart is anything but stupid, okay? Your heart is amazing and it makes you who you are. I couldn’t care less if you have to stop and take your pills every time we have sex. If you wanna have sex again. I mean, I enjoyed it and I hope you did too, but if you didn’t that's okay, but maybe let me try again so that you can enjoy it more. But if you don’t want to that's totally fine, I don’t want you to feel pressured into having sex with me again if you don’t want to.” He stops himself and shakes his head, sighing heavily.

“What I'm trying to say, is that you could quite literally stop me as I'm about to blow my fricken load and take your pills and I wouldn’t be upset. We could be fighting, and if you need to take your pills it’s all behind us. Just because your heart needs a little help doesn’t make it any less important, okay? I will always put your health above anything.” You let out a shaky breath then nod, new tears welling up in your eyes at his words.

“Oh no. No more tears, doll.” You shake your head, a teary smile spreading on your face.

“You’re the nicest man I’ve ever met. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.” He’s got you wrapped in his arms in an instant, metal arm tight around your back and flesh hand holding the back of your head gingerly.

“Oh, darlin’...” His own eyes prickle with tears as he presses his lips to your shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, pulling back after a moment and giggling softly.

“Don’t be. This is how I want things to be. I want us to be able to cry and laugh right after sex. It’s how we should be. And I’m so happy that you’re comfortable with me.”

You sniffle and nod, fingers toying with his metal hand.

“How about we go take a shower then get nice and cuddled up in bed? I’ve been meaning to catch up on some of that show you introduced me to.” Your eyebrows raise and he chuckles.

“How’s that sound, pretty girl?” You nod, a small smile on your face. “It sounds perfect.”

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