#it wasn’t ever sexy it was just adorable with haley

[divine-knight-hand]

Play With Me (Alt. Ver.)

Original Version || Haley Masterlist || Full Masterlist || Read on AO3

NSFW, 18+ only!!!

Pairing: Sub!Sam x Top!Haley

Content Warnings: Clothed sex, grinding, making out, coming in pants

Summary: It's the same story, but from Sam's perspective as he finishes a little too early...

Word Count: 2,004

Dividers by @saradika

Click!

The flash of light from Haley’s camera surprised me into freezing my guitar playing. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. She looked down at it, eagerly waiting for the film to develop.

“Sorry, Sammy!” She giggled, looking back up to me and twirling a lock of hair around her finger, “You look so sexy when you play for me.”

I felt a light blush quickly creep up my face, “Aww, Lee! You’re flattering me.” I always got flustered when my girlfriend complimented me. It didn’t help when her compliments were always accompanied by her adorable pseudo-innocence. I could tell she enjoyed seeing me this way. What a gorgeous jerk.

I had invited her to my house to hang out. It was a good day to have her over, since my mom wasn’t home to bother us every five minutes with “snacks” or “chats”, which were her painfully obvious attempts at making sure that Haley and I weren’t, as she liked to call it, “exploring each other’s bodies”, even though, last time I checked, I’ve been a legal adult for a while now. It wasn’t like I was beneath the age of consent. 

Despite my mom’s absence, I couldn’t bring myself to make a move. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in Haley, and it wasn’t like we hadn’t gotten physical before. I was just too nervous to ever initiate anything myself. I wasn’t sure how Haley always did it, but no matter how much I wanted her, my fear of doing something wrong managed to seize me every single time. So, I decided to sit on the edge of my bed and play her a new riff I learned on my guitar. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. A classic. I was spacing off, really feeling the music, when Haley took a photo of me with her camera.

Her gaze moved down to the polaroid, which rested weightlessly on the sheets of the bed. She picked it up and seemingly analyzed the photo, sighing in content before turning the photo in my direction, “Look! Look!”

I took the photo from her, carefully placing my guitar down on the floor next to my bed before looking at it in confusion. In the photo, I looked down at my guitar, my hand stuck in the blurry motion of playing. Why would Haley want a picture of me as plain as this? Did she even mean to take it at that timing?

“You took this on purpose?” was the only thing I could think to ask.

Haley rolled her eyes and drawled with heavy sarcasm, “No, Sam. I accidentally pointed the camera at you and pressed the button to take the photo.”

“I- I don’t understand...” That was an extreme understatement, but I was too busy trying to wrap my brain around the reason behind the existence of this photo to come up with more cohesive sentences.

“You don’t have to.” Haley crawled across the bed to me, “Just kiss me, and I’ll show you, rockstar~”

“I like the sound of that.” I pulled her in as she leaned to kiss me. Damn! I’m so easy to distract…

She pressed her whole body up against me, and I felt her hands roam my back until one of them nestled into my hair. I wasn’t sure where to put my hands on her. I didn’t want to do anything she was uncomfortable with, so I hesitated a few times before gently resting them on her back. That seemed safe enough.

Haley then gently pushed me down into a lying position on the bed, and I followed through with the motion, allowing her to take control as she straddled me before leaning in to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. Wow! I was not expecting that.

My heart raced and I froze in surprise, looking up at Haley, whose eyes looked wild. This meant one of two things. Either she found a cute piece of clothing on sale at her favorite store, or she was really horny. I resisted the urge to check if a clothes display had spontaneously spawned in my room before she leaned in to kiss me again.

I sighed into the kiss, my heart fluttering again. I wondered for a moment if I would make it out of this without going into cardiac arrest. The fluttering sensation moved from my chest to my stomach to my… Oh.

I could feel my dick twitching as it slowly began to grow hard under the cover of Haley’s skirt. I just knew she felt it. She had to have. She licked my bottom lip before I parted my lips and let her tongue slip into my mouth. I moaned as we deepened our kiss, and I couldn’t stop my hands from sliding down under the hem of her skirt to caress her thighs. She sighed as soon as I grabbed her and tightly gripped the front of my jacket.

All I could feel was her. Her hands on me, her boobs pressed up against my chest, her hair falling around our faces. I could smell her perfume. I could taste her as we kissed. She was all around me, but it somehow wasn’t enough. I wanted more.

I moved my hands up to her shoulders and gave her a soft push. When she let up, I was breathless. Her cheeks were dusted a light pink, but everything about her displayed composure. Her hair fell around her angular face in beach blonde waves. Her ocean eyes looked down on me with a softness that reduced me to a mess under her. She was perfect, and I didn’t even trail my eyes south of her face yet.

“Haley…” I struggled to catch my breath, “Can we… uhm…” Come on, Sam! Just ask her, already. My cheeks burned with humiliation.

Haley lightly brushed her thumb over my lips, caressing my cheek with the rest of her hand, “Sammy,” She cooed, “I can’t answer a question you won’t ask.” I turned my face away, too embarrassed to meet her gaze. Her hand lightly coaxed my face back to her direction, “Hey, it’s just me. You can ask me anything. Come on, Sam. Just ask.” She playfully wiggled her hips against mine, softly teasing, “Come on, Sammy~”

Yoba, her teasing drove me crazy! I softly moaned against our friction, feeling myself reaching my breaking point, and muttered, “Haley, please… Can we- ah- I- Haley…” I felt the desperation building. I needed her, and I needed her now , “Please fuck me!” I blurted before squeezing my eyes shut. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!

I felt the bed shift before Haley planted kisses along my jaw, pausing by my ear to purr, “Since you asked me so politely, I would love to.”

Before I could respond, she kissed me again, but this time we began slowly grinding against each other. She sighed against my mouth, and I moaned into hers. She then helped me out of my jacket, her hands quickly finding their way around my shirt, which was a lot thinner than it looked. I could feel her trace each muscle of mine with her soft hands. I felt my dick twitch again. I was fully hard now, and I felt the uncomfortable strain in my jeans. I could feel Haley growing wet through her panties, too. Yoba, I wanted her so badly!

A moan that bordered a whine escaped my throat as I felt the pressure mounting between my hips. As my head clouded with ecstasy, I couldn’t fight the feeling that something was off. I felt Haley create a wet patch at the front of my jeans and my dick strained towards the source. My eyes watered at the sensation building in me. Then, I finally figured out what was wrong with this picture.

I was already getting close.

Fuck! My mind went into panic mode as I realized the gravity of the situation. I wasn’t about to make it through foreplay with my own girlfriend. Don’t be a loser, Sam! Keep it together.

A whimper escaped the back of my throat. I was still deeply enveloped in her kiss, and I wanted to tell her to stop, but I didn’t want to. It felt so good, but she wasn’t nearly as close as I was. Yoba! What is wrong with me?!

I loudly whined, attempting to push Haley away… but I was too late.

Something in me snapped, and I bucked my hips into hers, loudly moaning into her mouth as I tightened my grip around her. I was faintly aware of Haley freezing as I came undone in her arms, releasing into my own pants.

When I finished, I was left gasping for air. That’s when I noticed Haley’s hand softly stroking my jaw. She looked down at me, a smile ghosting at the corners of her lips. I felt my face flush. I was mortified.

“Haley, I’m so sorry!” I felt a rambling session coming on, “I- I didn’t mean to do that. I meant to hold off, I swear. I’m so sorry. I-”

She softly brushed my lips with her thumb, instantly silencing me, “Sammy~” The corners of her lips fully upturned into a smirk, “That was so cute!”

My face was still burning, “Wh- what?”

Haley let out a giggle that sounded as light as wind chimes, “I said that was cute!” When I was at a loss for words, she continued, “I could tell you weren’t going to hold on for much longer. I couldn’t resist finishing you early.”

I was stuck in stunned silence. Only fragments of incoherent words were making their way out of my mouth. She knew? She knew I was close and kept going on purpose?

She interrupted my train of thought with a quick peck on my lips, “I hope you don’t mind. I just wanted to play with you.”

I breathed a soft chuckle and finally found something to say, “I don’t. Mind, I mean! I don’t mind… I was just surprised, ‘s all. I mean, I wanted to make sure you were taken care of, too. Y’know?”

“You wanted to be perfect.” It wasn’t a question. She knew what I really wanted. To be enough to satisfy her. To be enough to make her want to stay with me-

“Stop that.” I jumped out of my thoughts at Haley’s bluntness, “I can see you thinking too hard. I don’t want you thinking bad things about yourself, okay? You’re already perfect. I don’t want you to be anything other than you.” She cupped my face in her hands, “Take this as a reminder that I think anything you do is cute.” She kissed me sweetly, slowly rubbing her thumbs over the apples of my cheeks.

When she broke the kiss, I looked up at her. Her sweet expression was only contrasted by her wild hair. I couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“Lee,” I breathed, “Let me finish you, too.”

“That’s sweet, Sammy…” There was a pause of hesitance before she continued, “But don’t you need time to-”

“Forget that.” It was considerate that she remembered I was still in my refractory period, but I didn’t need that to take care of her, “Just let me taste you.”

Haley playfully rolled her eyes, “When did you get so needy?”

“I didn’t really need anything until I found you.” I slowly rubbed her back, and she shuddered under my touch, resting her head in my chest.

“Okay, Sammy.” Her hands found their way back to my jacket, sliding under to rest on my chest over my shirt. She looked back up to me, the wild look back in her eyes, “Let’s keep playing, then.”

Well, looks like our game isn’t over, yet… I smiled, snaking my hands up Haley’s skirt as she slowly crawled to position herself over my face. Her words echoed in my mind like a catchy song. Let’s keep playing, then.

#haley x sam #smut #stardew valley #I kinda love Haley as a top #but bottom Sam will always have my heart

[qvid-pro-qvo]

aaron hotchner canonically likes to dance in the club thanks for your time

#it’s things like this that make me laugh at the show #just so....... perfectly hilarious #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #haley hotchner too #he did it in a quarter zip too what a geek #it wasn’t ever sexy it was just adorable with haley #holding hands over the table like a couple of high school sweethearts 🥺

[searchingwardrobes]

First of all, I know it seems like I have abandoned my fanfic writing, but I promise you, that isn’t true. I was actually working on I Promise to Kiss You the other night, and I am SO close to posting that final chapter! BUT, I must confess that Josiah and Kate from my book The One Who Sees Me have just been invading my muse. Tuesday night, this story just poured out of me.

I talked about this on my Facebook Live, but one part of Josiah’s personality that was really important to me was that he is safe. A man being safe is almost a bad word in rom-coms and romance novels, but it shouldn’t be. Men should absolutely be safe. Women should feel safe in their arms, safe sharing their hearts, safe enough to completely be themselves. So here is a story told from Josiah’s point of view in which he ponders how important it is to him that his wife feel safe. Oh, and some fluffy marital bliss and domesticity.

Rated: M for a married couple being open and free about sex, I guess, just to be safe, but it’s only discussed, not portrayed

Words: 1,300 and some change

Oh, and you can get a copy of The One Who Sees Me here , if you’re interested.

Tagging some who might be interested or at least humor me when it comes to my babies from Lightport : @snowbellewells​​​​​​ @teamhook​​​​​​ @xhookswenchx​​​​​​ @kmomof4​​​​​​ @hookedonapirate​​​​​​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​​​​​​ @reynoldsreads​​​​​​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​​​​​​ @welllpthisishappening​​​​​​ @wellhellotragic​​​​​​ @optomisticgirl​​​​​​ @spartanguard​​​​​​ @ekr032-blog-blog​​​​​​ @jrob64​​​​​​ @ultraluckycatnd​​​​​​ @superchocovian​​​​​​ @bethacaciakay​​​​​​ @distant-rose​ @klynn-stormz​​​​​ @carpedzem​​​​​ @cheerynoir​

Josiah Barrett was distracted. Not because he didn’t want to hear his wife tell him about her day. On the contrary, he looked forward to reconnecting over dinner. Or reconnecting as much as a one year old flinging peas on the floor allowed. He honestly didn’t understand men who complained about their wives always wanting to talk. There was no one he enjoyed having a conversation with more than Kate. It had always been that way.

No, he was distracted because his head was full of plans for Valentine’s Day. A few months ago, he and Kate had purchased a “rekindle the romance kit” recommended in a couple’s devotional they were reading together. Not that he felt in the least that the spark was gone. Kate turned him on just walking into the room at times. It was just that ever since Haley was born, they found they had to be more intentional when it came to their relationship. Hence scheduled date nights, the couple’s devotional . . .

And the romance “kit.”

The rule of the kit was simple - open an envelope and follow the instructions to create a romantic moment with your spouse. No excuses, no skipping cards, no matter how awkward it made you feel. The pink cards were for the husband to do for his wife while the red cards were for the wife to do for her husband. They usually took turns planning their dates using the cards, but for Valentine’s Day, they had both opened one. That’s what had Josiah so distracted.

He couldn’t stop mulling over his plans for the next evening. While he and Kate shared dinner at a restaurant, his brother was going to decorate their car like he had on their wedding day. Only, instead of “just married,” Micah was going to write “happily married.” On the way home, Josiah was going to take a detour to Founder’s Park, where he had proposed all those years ago and dance with Kate just like he had then to “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias - their song.

Kate was going to love it, and he was giddy with excitement.

A loud, clattering sound startled him out of his reverie. Haley squealed loudly and slapped the tray of her high chair. Josiah laughed.

“She threw her sippy cup. Again.”

He glanced at Kate as he bent to retrieve the cup. She was staring nervously at her plate, pushing peas around with her fork.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I haven’t been listening, have I?”

She gave him a wane smile. “It’s not that. I know teething isn’t exactly a riveting topic.”

Haley took the cup from his hand and started sucking down the water inside. Good - maybe they had a minute or two reprieve from the cup throwing game.

“What is it then?”

Kate bit her lip and blinked as if holding back tears. After a long pause, she blurted out, “I can’t do it!”

He frowned with concern. “Do what?”

She dropped her fork with a clatter and pressed both hands to her face. “The card,” she mumbled behind her fingers, “for Valentine’s Day.”

He said nothing, trying to process her words. Haley fussed, and on auto-pilot, he sprinkled some snack puffs onto the high chair tray to distract her.

Kate ran her hands through her hair as she looked up at him. “I know it says not to skip cards, but I can’t, Josiah. I just can’t.”

Now he was alarmed. He was always careful to be a patient and tender lover with Kate, knowing she had been victimized in her young, innocent years. The cards for wives were always sexual in nature, but it was a Christian product, so nothing had been inappropriate. So far, anyway. Kate had been emboldened by the cards to get past her shyness: dancing for him, initiating sex, making love in unique places around the house, but none of it ever seemed to upset her. She would blush and giggle, and he would assure her that he found her incredibly sexy, but he had never seen her afraid.

Was she afraid? That was one thing he never, ever wanted her to feel with him.

He realized he had been quiet for too long when she started speaking again in a hurried, nervous tone. “It just grosses me out. I mean, the thought of doing it makes me physically repulsed. Can I please pick another card? Or just do my own thing?”

Good Lord above, what was on this card?

“What does it want you to do?” he whispered, then he inwardly berated himself.

It shouldn’t matter, you idiot! She clearly doesn’t feel comfortable doing it!

“It wants me to let you . . . “ she hesitated for a beat, then blurted out, “eat fruit off my

body!”

At first, he was rendered speechless. That had not been what he had expected. Well, he wasn’t really sure what he’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t fruit.

“It’s just so . . . sticky,” she added, wrinkling her nose in an adorable way.

Then he couldn’t help it - he burst out laughing. Haley startled, dropped her cup again, then joined her Daddy with gleeful belly laughs despite having no clue what was so funny. At first Kate gaped at him, which only made him laugh more. Soon, she was chuckling too. They laughed and laughed until tears rolled down their cheeks and they could scarcely breathe.

“Fruit?” he finally gasped. “You had me so worried, and then it’s all about fruit?”

“Don’t laugh,” she giggled. She rolled her eyes at him and tossed a wadded up napkin at his head. “You know how I feel about food fights.”

He did. Every time they saw one on TV or in a movie, it grossed her out. The thought of ketchup in her hair or mashed potatoes down her shirt made her shiver with revulsion. “You know somebody has to clean that up,” she would always say.

“Come here,” he told her, opening up his arms. She blushed sheepishly as she rose from her chair and rounded the kitchen table. She curled up on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Kate,” he told her, brushing her hair off her forehead and tucking it behind her ear, “all I need is you to be perfectly satisfied. If anything - anything at all - makes you feel uncomfortable, please tell me. I never want you to feel that way when we’re intimate, even if it’s just something like sticky fruit.”

She smiled down at him, cupping his jaw with one hand, a picture of perfect contentment. Just as he longed for her to feel with him.

“I love you,” she lowered her lips to his and kissed him thoroughly, running her fingers through his hair.

“I love you too,” he replied huskily when she finally pulled away.

“My alternate plan is to feed you chocolate covered strawberries.”

“I like that plan.”

She kissed him again, but then they were interrupted by Haley’s squeals. The sight of their daughter had them both laughing again.

“Sweetheart,” Josiah told his wife, “I don’t think our daughter shares your opinion on food fights.”

Their one year old had mashed up her peas and then rubbed it into her hair. With a half chuckle, half groan, Kate got off Josiah’s lap and went to unbuckle their daughter from her high chair.

“Which would you rather clean?” he asked his wife. “The chair or the baby?”

“The baby, definitely.”

He watched his wife, her strawberry blonde hair in a messy bun on top of her head, no makeup, clad in yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. She balanced their daughter on her hip as she wiped tiny hands and cheeks with a baby wipe. Her smile was bright and her eyes sparkled as she spoke lovingly to their child. Despite the messy peas still in the tiny girl’s fine hair, Kate pressed a sloppy kiss to the baby’s freshly wiped, chubby cheek, making Haley giggle. Josiah’s heart swelled with love for this woman: his best friend, his wife, the mother of his child. He stepped forward and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

“What was that for?” she asked him.

“Like I said, I just need you.”

#my writing #my original writing #the one who sees me #the front row series #josiah and kate

[swiftletinthecloud]

Title: New Beginnings

Notes: For @Wonderbat385, for the WonderBatHoliday2019 exchange held by @maidenoftheworld @fyeahwonderbat! I’m really sorry your gift is later than I had planned!

Alternate Timeline - There has been no Robin before the event of this fic.

FF.net :: AO3 :: Chapter 1/1

After the defeat of Steppenwolf, in between helping Bruce rebuild Wayne Manor into the team’s new headquarter and recruit new members, Diana somehow unofficially moved into Wayne Manor.  It was just more convenient for her to bunk with the billionaire than to maintain her own residency or book a hotel room whenever she was stateside.  It was the logical thing to do since she already had her Paris residence and her civilian job as the Curator for the Department of Antiquities at the Louvre to deal with when she wasn’t busy being Wonder Woman.  Or so Diana reasoned to herself as she stole a glance at the aforementioned billionaire who was busy typing away at his computer across from her.  

They were supposed to be coming up with a plan to recruit the Green Arrow and Black Canary respectively, yet for the past hour, Diana found herself alternating between studying Bruce from beneath her lashes and scowling at the headline of the newspaper in front of her.  

Bruce Wayne’s Hidden Romance with the Sexy Librarian! Look out ladies, she moved in!

A photo of her and Bruce leaving Wayne Manor in his car also graced the front page of the Gotham Gazette.  While Diana had to admit that it wasn’t an unflattering photo of her and Bruce’s smile as he turned towards her in the picture made Diana’s heart fluttered, the headline was so wrong in a hundred different ways - or just about!

“Something interesting in the papers today?” Bruce finally looked up from his computer, and Diana had no idea where the thought came from, but she found the way he took off his reading glasses and briefly pinched the bridge of his nose adorable. Diana hoped she wasn’t blushing when she tossed Bruce the papers so he could read the headline himself.  

“Well, I can see why you’re upset.  You work at the museum, not the library,” said Bruce. A faint smile playing on his lips as he set the papers down and met Diana’s eyes. That smile was quick to turn into a small frown as he reached down to rub his stinging shin.  “Ouch!”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about,” said Diana as she rolled her eyes.  As irritated as she was, she knew she didn’t put that much force in her nudge against Bruce to warrant such a dramatic reaction from him.

“Diana, I’m sorry,” said Bruce as he ran a hand through his hair.  “All joking aside, I should have warned you what you might be up against, what with my reputation and Gotham’s gossip network, when you first moved in.  I will get the Gazette to take that off their front page today.”

“That’ll just fuel the fire.” Diana took a sip of her coffee to keep herself from frowning again.

“Speaking of adding fuel to the fire...” Bruce hesitated.  He broke eye contact with Diana to glance over at Alfred, who, Diana noticed, stared back expectedly and... encouragingly?  Bruce looked back at her as he took out two pieces of paper from a nearby black folder.  “...I was wondering if you would like to go to the circus with me… as a date.  These are tickets for Haley’s Circus at the Wayne Charities Benefit Performance tonight, if you’re interested.”

Diana could hear Bruce holding his breath as she reached across the table to take the tickets from him.   “I don’t know, Bruce,” she stalled. From the corner of her eyes, she could see his face falling and there was a little stabbing feeling in her heart as she dragged the moment out. “You’re not giving me a lot of time to prepare. It says here that the performance is in three hours, and I haven’t a clue what I’m going to wear,” she said as she gingerly ran her finger over the time stamped on the ticket.

Bruce froze in front of her, as if he was surprised that she didn’t reject his proposal outright.  It took a little tap on his hand from her before he broke out of his stupor. “I was working on how to ask you if you wanted to accompany me since yesterday,” Bruce said sheepishly.

“On a date,” Diana said with a smile.

“Yes, on a date,” Bruce repeated.  His smile wasn’t as evident as hers, but it was there, nonetheless, giving her a good glimpse of what he was feeling.

------

Their first date was disastrous to say the least.  Oh, it wasn’t anything on Bruce’s or her part that ruined the night. Rather it was the tragedy played out in front of them that neither was able to prevent that had her chalking the night up under her list of “First Dates Gone Wrong.”  Both she and Bruce had been frozen in their seats when the Flying Graysons’ rope broke.  In a moment that seemed to take forever yet was over before either of them could react, John and Mary Grayson plummeted towards their untimely deaths. 

Diana could see Bruce’s flinching again as she squeezed his hand in comfort. She couldn’t imagine what nightmarish memories were being pulled to the forefront of his mind as the lone surviving Grayson’s cries echoed throughout the big circus tent, cries full of sorrow and grief.  

“Hey, look at me,” Diana said as she turned Bruce’s face away from the stage and towards her.  “Are you okay?  Are you here with me right now?”  She watched his eyes cleared as they met hers, until only anger and determination remained.

“I’m here with you,” Bruce replied as he squeezed her hand in return.

-----

Somehow by the end of the night, it was decided that little 8-year-old Richard Grayson was going home with Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince.  It seemed wild and slightly irresponsible that the police and the state would let a newly made orphan go with two complete strangers, yet that was the picture on the front page of the Gotham Gazette the following morning.  Little Richard Grayson, still in his red and green Flying Graysons leotard, was bundled up in Bruce Wayne’s suit jacket and carried in Diana Prince’s arms as the three left Haley’s Circus.

The gossip that spread with the new headline and accompanying picture had some Gothamites bemoaning Bruce Wayne’s lost bachelor status.  The more sympathetic Gothamites pitied Richard Grayson’s tragic losses while a few others were way too excited about Gotham’s supposed new royal instant-family.

Back at Wayne Manor though, things were a little bit trickier.  Richard-I-go-by-Dick Grayson’s determination to go after the ones who caused his parents’ deaths had Bruce and Diana on opposite sides of the issue. While Diana was all for bringing Zucco to justice for the murders of John and Mary Grayson, she was not at all for training Dick to be running around the rooftops of Gotham in a costume and a mask.  “Of all the irresponsible things ---!”

But Dick had different plans for his childhood, especially after he found out his new guardians were Batman and Wonder Woman on his third night at Wayne Manor.  “What? Like that’s hard to figure out? You have a round table --”

“--that’s King Arthur ---” Alfred had interrupted.

“--a round table in your hidden ballroom and the Batcave in the basement.  I want in. I want to help you get the man who killed my parents.”

At first, Bruce had been on Diana’s side; he was also against training Dick for any sort of fight...until the little acrobat snuck out on his fourth night at Wayne Manor to track down Zucco on his own.   When Batman and Wonder Woman found Dick at Haley’s Circus, he was a little worse for wear, but thankfully alive.  Dick had Zucco all tied up and ready to be picked up by the police.

“Dick has talents,” was how Bruce had started the conversation after everyone was safe and sound back at Wayne Manor.  “We either train him and let him out supervised with one of us at night or he’s still going to sneak out behind our backs, but a lot less prepared for what he might face in the Gotham night and without one of us as backups.”

Their disagreement had Diana packed up and back in Paris before the week was out.  Of course, she had said it was because she had been away from her work for too long and the Louvre needed her back, but it didn’t stop her from feeling like she was running way.

----

The holiday seasons around Wayne Manor remained a quiet affair despite the formation of the League the previous year.  Clark, Arthur, and Victor had spent the holiday season with their own families after the League’s first end-of-the-year meeting. Barry, on the other hand, was Jewish, and while he could have celebrated Hanukkah at Wayne Manor where Bruce and Alfred had kept a room made for him, the season only reminded him of his own family tragedy so he had kept close to Central City instead. With Diana busy in Paris, Bruce and Alfred only bother with a quiet dinner together on the night of the 25th.  

This year, despite the new addition to the manor, it was still quiet. The disagreement that sent Diana back to Paris had Bruce in a foul mood all month.  While he had kept his promise to train Dick, Bruce also placed Robin, Dick’s chosen masked moniker, on comms duty until the boy reached at least double digits in age.  And Dick, sensing that he had already won one battle too many at the moment against the famed Dark Knight, agreed to Bruce’s condition without much of a fight.  While Alfred had done his best, Bruce was still missing Diana too much to make Dick’s stay as welcoming as it should have been. 

It was shaping up to be quite a sad end to the year when the security alarm for the Batcave blared to life.  The alarm had Dick scrambling for his Batarangs (a Christmas gift from Bruce), but it surprisingly brought a faint smile to Bruce’s face.  There was only person with the ability to enter the Batcave undetected yet bothered to trip his alarm.  She was also the person Bruce had been longing to speak to ever since she left.  Diana breezed into Bruce’s space like she had always been there. Dick looked between Diana and Bruce and was hurrying to leave the room when Diana stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

“Wait,” said Diana gently.  She broke eye contact with Bruce to look down at the child in front of her.  Hesitating only for a moment, Diana knelt down so that they were at the same eye level.  “I’m sorry about before,” she told Dick. “The choice on whether or not to put on the mask and fight for justice is yours alone to make, not mine or Bruce’s, no matter how well-meaning we intend to be.  Some of us are meant to be warriors, and no one can stop us once we set our minds to it.  I was just like you when I was younger, sneaking out to train with my Amazon sisters against my mother’s wishes.  In the end, she thought it was better to offer me her support and to have someone knowledgeable mentored me than to have me sneak around behind her back.”

While Diana speaking to Dick, Bruce knew her message was meant for him as well, that she had seen his side of their disagreement.

“I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t have a childhood or for you to put yourself in danger when you don’t have to yet.”

“Don’t worry,” replied Dick, “I’m on only comms duty for the next year and a half, no rooftops yet.”

Diana let out a chuckle as she straightened up.  “You’re something special, aren’t you?”

“One of a kind,” quipped Dick. “I’ll leave you to talk to the big guy.”  Nodding his head towards Bruce, Dick continued, “He’s been moping around and missing you since you left.”

As Dick left for the main house, Bruce couldn’t help calling after him. “Precocious is more like it!”  As for the Amazon in front of him, Bruce didn’t know where to start. 

“You know,” Diana began for him, “if you missed me, you could have just called.”

“Would you have pick up?”

“I guess now we will never know, will we?”

The silence between them expanded until Diana turned towards the exits, intending on leaving if that was all Bruce had for her. 

Bruce grabbed her hand before she could take a step towards the doors. “Wait. I’m sorry.”  As Diana turned to face him, Bruce continued, “You came back and I’m being an ass. I did - do miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

The soft squeeze of her hand that was in his echoed her words. 

“I like you, Bruce. I really do. I’ll try to stop walking away every time we have a disagreement … but I can’t be the only one always offering an olive branch when we fight either.”

“No, I understand,” Bruce rushed to reassure her.  “We’ll both have to put in the effort to make it work, equal partners, so to speak… if you’re still interested?”

“Only if I get to choose our next first date. No circus this time,” Diana said with a smile. 

“No circus,” agreed Bruce. 

The sound of the intercom interrupted whenever Bruce was going to say next, and Dick’s voice filled the Batcave. “Alfred said ‘Welcome back, Miss Prince,’ and dinner’s ready, unless you guys are going on your date right now.”

“We’re coming!” Diana yelled back before she turned to Bruce. “You know, we’re going to have our hands full with that one. I doubt he’s going to make it a full year and a half on only comms duty.”

“‘We’ huh?” Bruce couldn’t stop himself from smiling. 

“Yes, ‘we’,” replied Diana fondly as they walked hand and hand to dinner. 

Word Count: 2235

#fic: new beginnings #wonderbatholiday2019 #wonderbatsecretsanta #wonderbat #batman #wonder woman #bruce wayne #diana prince #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #movie: justice league #my fics

[haltandcatchfiretothemax]

FEMSLASH FEBRUARY 2018 27/28: In which Donna is still angry

[CN: food, s4 spoilers, major character death]

When Joanie comes home for the first time since Cameron moved in, all she wants to do is be at home, with Donna, Haley, and Cameron. It's the summer, so she sleeps late, spends the afternoons hanging out with Haley after she gets home from her summer classes, sits next to Donna at dinner and helps her in the kitchen every evening, and stays up late watching Craig Ferguson and MTV with Cameron. On weekends, they barbecue, and Haley and Joanie swim, while Donna and Cameron lay out by the pool, side by side in chaise lounge chairs arranged as close to each other as possible. Donna relaxes in her bathing suit, sarong, floppy sun hat, and multiple layers of SPF 50 carefully reapplied every two hours, Cameron sits cross-legged, shoulders hunched, elbows to knees, chin in hand, in jeans and a t shirt and sneakers no matter how hot it is. Eventually, after another round of lectures about skin cancer and the importance of sun protection, she starts wearing sunscreen on her face and arms, and a pair of Donna's expensive wayfarers.

On an unusually warm Sunday in July, the girls are playing a funny and very competitive game of one-on-one volleyball. (Joanie keeps pushing for two-on-two even though everyone knows that Cameron Does Not Go In The Pool, "And it's a good thing too," Donna always mutters under breath, "because we'd rip them to shreds," which both amuses and scares Cameron a little.) Cameron notices that Donna isn't reclining elegantly like she usually does, she's watching the girls, sitting upright and alert, almost frowning at them. When Donna notices Cameron monitoring her face, she purses her lips, and then says, "You know, when I watch them act up like that, I still feel like Gordon is gonna come out here any minute and pretend to yell at them." Cameron sighs, "I don't think that ever completely goes away. Even now I think my mom has those moments. I can only imagine what that feels like."

"He wasn't a good partner," Donna huffs. "I'm still angry at him for it. I'm a terrible person." Cameron snorts, "I don't think that ever completely goes away, either." Then, gently, she says, "You're not a terrible person. I loved Gordon, but, I get how selfish he could be, now. I get how self-involved I've been." Donna deadpans, "Sensitive, flawed geniuses caught up in their very important, groundbreaking work." "Sorry," Cameron winces. Donna smirks, "It's not your fault that I have a type." They laugh quietly, and Haley scores the first point of the afternoon, Joanie's unsuccessful dive for the ball causing a loud splash.

Donna says, "You're not that much like Gordon. I mean that in a good way. You're a lot more attentive. He was just…oblivious. Always. Not just in Dallas." With a mirthless cackle, she says, "You wanna know how we wound up back in Texas? My parents, being how they are, offered to buy us a house, and help us with the girls, on the condition that it was in Dallas, and Gordon didn't want to. I didn't want to! But I was desperate. And also too young and stupid to know how bad it would really be."

Cameron, mesmerized as always by the way Donna talks about her own life, asks, "What do you mean, 'desperate'?" Donna looks at her and says, "We didn't have enough money, not really, because I couldn't work, because someone had to stay home with the baby. Gordon thought it would work itself out, and I didn't. We didn't really have friends. We couldn't afford help. I loved being at home with Joanie, but there were days when I just felt like I had no idea what I was doing, and I wanted to be at work because I knew I could do that. I was drowning. And no matter how many different ways I tried to explain it to him, Gordon didn't see it. So, after two years, I finally just said, "We're moving to Dallas." Because that was how it was with Gordon, you couldn't reason or negotiate with him, I had to tell him what we were doing, fight with him, and then wait out his surrender tantrum."

Cameron says, "I couldn't even tell Tom how I actually felt most of the time. I used to think it was because I was a bad wife, but after a while I realized it was because no feeling I ever had was right, he would always make me feel bad for not acting how he wanted me to?" Eyes narrowed in disdainful revulsion, Donna says, "Well, at least Gordon wasn't an asshole. Not that it's a competition." Cameron shakes her head, "No, I know what you mean. There are no winners here, man."

Donna sighs, "I wish I could forgive him for not realizing how scared I was. I've somehow managed to forgive everything else between us, but not that. He made me feel so alone." Cameron says, "I don't think you're required to forgive him for everything. Especially something that big, that never got better. Some things are just, I don't know. You just can't get past them." Then she says, "If it makes you feel any better, there were times when I wanted to put him through a wall." Shocked, Donna laughs, loud enough to distract both Haley and Joanie from their game (the point goes to Joanie), and Cameron says, "I still would, too, do you remember how he was about Mutiny? He needed a reality check, if he'd been anyone else's husband, I would've provided one for him in the form of an ass-kicking." Face skeptical, Donna says, "I'm not sure I believe you, Cameron Eugenia." Cameron pouts, betrayed, and Donna says, "You're tough, but you're still more of a lover than a fighter. Which is a compliment." Cameron blushes.

Solemn again, Cameron says, "Gordon had his baggage." Donna looks down into her lap and says, "I know." Cameron continues, "So, it's not your fault. You weren't supposed to fix him. Not that you didn't try. God, I've never seen anyone work so hard to save something. To save everything." Embarrassed, Donna rolls her eyes. "Which is always very sexy." Cameron wrinkles her nose adorably, and says, "It kind of is, actually. I like that you're not afraid to work on things. It's part of why you're a good engineer." For what feels like the first time in a very long time, Donna blushes, unconvinced, but still a little flustered by the unexpected approval.

They watch Haley and Joanie for a minute (the game is tied at 3-3) and then Donna says, "I miss him. But I'm so glad that I'm not married to him, and that I don't feel like I need him. And I'm really glad that you're my partner. You've made me feel a lot of things, Cameron. A whole lot of negative things. But you don't make me feel like I'm alone." Shyly, Cameron asks, "Last and best?" Grinning, Donna nods, "Last and best." Cameron whispers, "Come here…" as she leans over to kiss Donna lightly. Their faces are shaded by Donna's hat, but it's not long before the girls notice: "Moms making out! Moms sucking face!" they shout. When Joanie groans, "Get a room, jesus fvcking christ!" Donna pulls away and cries, "Joanie Marie Clark!" And then they all laugh.

#LAST AND BEST: a biography of the Silicon Prairie's Most Notorious Power Couple by ME #ugh i'm gonna miss writing these and also having an excuse to put off chores #femslash february #cameron howe #donna clark #donna emerson

[toonzania]

KB Story - RAINY YET SOLID ROMANCE

It was light rainy afternoon in Mellowbrook, and 16-year-old Kick Buttowski and his sidekick 13-year-old Haley Trenton, who is just competing in a mud-skiing contest, in which Haley won. Kick congratulated her and promised to buy her pizza at the Food-N-Fix if she won. Wade: Hey, Danger Dude and Hailstorm! Kick: Hey, Wade! Hand me a whole bacon-burger-shrimp pizza! Haley: My favorite of course since I won the mudslide against my best friend! Kick: All right, all right, squirt. Let's take it easy! ---: What's the occasion, guys? Kick and Haley turned to see Gunther and his girlfriend Julie with Kendall, who returned from Fort Knox, Texas. (Gunther, Julie and Kendall are 16 here) Before she left for Texas for a while, Kick and Kendall decided to be more civil to each other. Kick has a secret crush on Kendall for a while, especially with some good moments with her like getting working together to get their hands stuck together from cave sap and to mix their skills for Dance Appreciation. After those moments, his love for her progressed steadily. Kick knew Kendall liked him back, but he wanted to make a big move when he told her, instead of the usual 'I like you, be my girlfriend' approach. Haley: Hey, sis! Welcome back! Kendall: Thank you, sweetie! Hey, how are things with you, 'Shortstop'? Kick: Hey, that name only worked when I was little and short. Kendall (playfully): Still a nice name for you, Clarence. It's not that bad. After Kick and Kendall had that truce they become more playful when it comes to banter and rivalry, but still friends none then less. Although, they'll be a little more than friends today. Kick loves Kendall's playful banter. Gunther: I can't stay for too long. Julie and I set up a date for the rodeo in West Mellowbrook. Julie: Tambry's driving us. I can't wait to beat Gibble in that race! Kendall: Good luck, guys! Julie: Thanks, sis! Haley: I'll leave you two alone. Catch you later, Wade! Wade: Later, Hales! Kick: Careful of the rain, kiddo! Haley: I will! Haley joined Gunther and Julie when they left the place, leaving Kick and Kendall (and Wade) alone. Wade: So how are things from Texas, Danger Dudette? Kendall: I'm chief captain of my team, but my team is gonna move in a vicinity near here. So that means I'll moving back here. Kick: Really? Kendall: Mm-hmm! Kick: I kinda missed you. Kendall: Really? Kick: Yeah. Come on let's get to your place. Kendall: Sure. When Kick and Kendall were about to exit, they see the rain grew heavier. Kendall: I don't know if we can make it in this heavy rain, Kick. Kick: I got my bike, you'll just to hold on tight. Wade, you got the spare raincoats for emergencies. Wade: Got em ready, amigo! Kick: Thanks, Wade! Ready Kends? Kendall: Are you sure we'll make it in all of this rain? Kick: Positive! Kick with Kendall holding onto him, drove all the way to Cul-de-Sac in the heavy rain. Kendall: This is insane, Kick! Kick: True but also fun! They reached Kendall's house and got off Kick's bike. Kendall: Thanks a lot, Buttowski! I'm drenched! Kick: Sorry about that. But at least it was fun. Kendall: Oh please... well, it was a bit fun. But being overly soaked, not so much. Kick: Yeah. Kick and Kendall rushed inside the living room of Kendall's house, being completely soaked all over from heavy rain. Kick: Hey, despite the awesome dodging the rain part, I really I got you soaked. Kendall: Kick, it's okay. You didn't know the sudden change in weather. You never exactly what'll happen next. Kick: That's true. Kendall: Since it's rainy very heavily here. Wanna stay here for a while? Kick: Really, you mean it? Kendall: Of course! Since you are my friend anyway. Kick: Thanks a lot. (You won't be just my friend for long.) Kendall: My pleasure, Shortstop. Kendall came upstairs get her and Kick some dry clothes. She got him Julie's red sweater and blue sweatpants. Kendall is wearing a blue long-sleeve top, green skirt and bright purple nylons. Kendall: Hope they're not too big. Kick: They're fine. Kendall: Hope you'll like em. Kick: You look really nice. Kendall: Oh, thank you. It's nothing really. Kick: No really, you look sexy in that. (Did I just said that out loud?) Kendall: I do? Kick: (Well, I did. Oh well.) You do. Kendall: So let me show you something. She brings him to her basement where there are plenty of the raddest stuff. They had a flat-screen tv with several games. Kendall: You want Dr. Pepper? Kick: Sure! Let's play a car race game. Kendall: Okay. You sure? Kick: Surprise me. Kendall: Okay. Kendall put in a random game into the console and they started playing. After playing for at least an hour, they raced through the whole game with Kendall in first place. She stuck her tongue playfully at Kick. Kick: (This is it, my chance to make a move. We're alone with no one to bother us.) Let's play a different game. Kick put on his mischievous face and looked straight at Kendall while throwing the controller to the side. He grabbed Kendall's leg and pulled her under him as he got up on his hands and knees. She looked at him completely shock and red as a bet. She wasn't sure what was happening, everything was going too fast. Then as she was processing of what's happening, she felt a tickling sensation on her neck. She tried not to laugh until she processed that Kick was kissing her neck! She started laughing hysterically as they fell off the couch. Now she was now on top of Kick, and he was looking at her lovingly. Kendall (hopefully): Does this mean what I think it means? Kick couldn't stop thinking about really cute Kendall was. He rolled them so that he was completely on top of her, with one under her head and the other gently stroking her face. They were so close their noses were touching, and they looked into each other's eyes. Kick: Only if it means that I want you to be mine. If you though it was something else, then the answer is no. She looked up at him and joy overwhelmed her. She kissed him passionately and felt his body fall even more onto her own. She then felt all of his weight leave but the kiss wasn't broken. She opened her eyes to see that was going on, only to feel his arms lift he up in the air back onto the love seat. Kick: Let's see how ticklish you are and cute your laugh is. Kendall (giggling): Oh no. Kick: Come on, sweetie. You can make it. Kick helds Kendall's foot, and started to tickle her foot, making Kendall laugh and beg him to stop. He refused to stop the first few times she asked. Eventually he stopped tickling and then kissed her foot. Kick: So you ARE ticklish. And you have the most adorable laugh of any girl I ever met. Kendall: Oh, thank you. Let's see how ticklish are you. Kendall blew underneath Kick's nose which tickled him. Kick: Hey! Kendall: Yeah! Wait is that a nose? Kick: Uhh, yeah. Kendall: (squeals) Your nose is so cute! (kissing Kick's nose few times) Kick: Okay, okay! (held Kendall close) There's something I wanna give you. Kendall: What is it? Kick brings a box dressed like a gift to Kendall, who was anxious to open it. When she opened it, it revealed green slippers with pink trends and slipped them on, and they fitted perfectly. Kendall: Thank you! Thank you! I love these!! Kick: You're welcome. Kendall: How do you figure my shoe size? Kick: Let's just say, your sister Haley wanted to help me with something big. Kendall: What? Kick: Kendall, I've come think to terms of how I liked you, and realized now is that... Kendall: What? What is it? Kick: ...I love you. Will you be my girlfriend? Kendall: Oh, Kick!! Did you mean it? Kick: Of course! Kendall (pinned Kick to the couch and kissed him all over): Yes! Yes! I love you! I love you, Clarence Francis Buttowski! You never knew how much I longed for this. Kick: Well, with the help of kissing you in the theatre when we were younger may help with this! Kendall: Wait a minute, didn't you already asked me? Kick: I didn't say the official words. Kendall: It still counts, sweetie, and I love you for it. Kendall brings Kick to a long kiss. Kick one hand is hold her waist, the other is stroking Kendall's hair. Suddenly, Haley came into the basement, bringing box of pizza to the couple. Haley: I got you some string cheese pizza! Kendall: Oh, thank you, sweetie! Kick: Thanks, kiddo! Haley: The rain is still is bit of heavy and the wind's a bit strong. So Wanna watch a movie? Kick: Great idea. Haley played a gameplay version of Batman Arkham Asylum in the TV. They all enjoy it. They later fell asleep. Haley with Hansel on her lap, Kick with arms around his girlfriend. Gunther, Julie, Tambry, Tim and Kathy. Gunther: There they are. Tambry: Should we wake them up? Julie: Nah, I think they look cute. They're at the living room. Tim: Kinda nice of Kick is holding on Kendall. Kathy: Well, he always kinda liked her, but he hid it a long time. They aren't fight anymore. Tim: Yeah, that's a great start. Kathy: Did you think Kick popped the question? Haley: Only one way to find out. Gunther, Julie, Tambry, Kathy and Tim looked to see Haley, Hansel, Kick and Kendall awake. Kick: Hey guys, might as well tell you. Kendall: It's okay, sweetie, I'll them. Kick and I are officially dating. Julie: Well, I knew it's bound to happen. Haley: I knew it all the time! Gunther: I always this would go this good! Haley gave Kick her phone, Kick's mom is on the line. Kick: Hey, mom! Honey: Hi, sweetie! I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Kick: Haley should've told you and yes I'm fine! Honey: Yeah, she told me! That's good! Kick: There's something else. Honey: What is it, sweetie? Kick: You remember, Kendall, right? Honey: Of course. Kick: She and I are pretty much dating. Honey: Aww, that's great, sweetheart! I'm so proud of you! Kick: Thanks, mom! Honey: My little's Kick all grown up. You can stay with her tonight if you like! Haley: Don't worry, Mrs. B, I got some spare stuff for him! Honey: Good girl! Catch you tomorrow! Love you sweetie! Kick: You too! Kendall: Looks like your mom enjoys it! Kick: She always liked you! Kendall: D'aww! Kick: So do I!

So thus the romantic couple has become officially solid thru rainy seasons.

Characters (c) Sandro Corsaro & Chris Savino

#kick buttowski #kendall perkins #kindall #julie trenton #gunther maguson #haley trenton #love #couple #otp #romance #kick and kendall #txtoonguy1037

[fashiontrendin-blog]

5 Self-Respecting New York Women Wearing Scrunchies

http://fashion-trendin.com/5-self-respecting-new-york-women-wearing-scrunchies/

5 Self-Respecting New York Women Wearing Scrunchies

The scent of revolution is impossible to miss. It’s like a cross between the metallic tang of an unspent penny interspersed with notes of freshly mowed grass and Stormi Jenner’s forehead. In other words, it smells like newness in its most intense and promising form.

I caught a whiff of it in the aisle of a Duane Reade in March 2017, but I couldn’t tell from where it was coming. I sniffed it again on the headrest of my chair in a movie theater the month after that. Mysterious! It wasn’t until the beginning of May that I finally detected its source after inhaling a particularly strong gust via my Instagram feed, where an image of Frederikke Sofie washing her face had popped up on my screen. The top of her head practically pulsed with the aroma, and when I looked closer I saw it: a scrunchie.

After that I smelled it everywhere and every day, but that’s probably because I started wearing scrunchies on the regular and thus the back of my ponytail became a mobile diffuser. I felt bold and filled with conviction, like a pioneer tilling soil except instead of turning over dirt I was turning over misconceptions.

In the years since Carrie Bradshaw sentenced scrunchies to the purgatory of fashion faux pas with her fateful proclamation in Season 6, Episode 4 of Sex and the City that no “hip downtown” New York woman would be caught dead wearing a scrunchie, the humble fabric-coated hair elastic has been living in shadow…until now.

Scroll down to witness five New York women who would gladly be caught dead OR alive wearing a scrunchie. Like I said, the scent of revolution is in the air. It’s time to breathe it in. -Harling Ross

Leandra Medine, Man Repeller Founder

“Back when the only people I could communicate with were two ESL parents, they referred to the scrunchie as a “toka,” which you have to say like this — tttttoe-kah, to understand the full impact. When I got to kindergarten, I was trying to make new friends and complimented another girl’s toka. She had no clue what I was talking about but taught me how to say scrunchie. We made fast friends and, from that day forward, I knew my mission as a wearer was philosophically tied up in teaching fellow users about the merit of the toka’s ability to generate companionship.

I worry that the history of the scrunchie has been co-opted because of characters like Full House’s Kimmy Gibbler, particularly because she had a tendency to wear the hair piece recklessly and futilely. Frankly, the scrunchie brings an important value to the table in that it efficiently holds your hair back without creating creases in it. They’re much softer than standard hair ties and obviously add a flair that regular hair ties just can’t. Call them an instant-accessory, whatever. Philosophically, to me, they’re still tokas and a cornerstone of platonic intimacy.

I’ve mulled how scrunchies make me feel quite a bit, and I think the simple answer is effervescent. Suffice it to say I disagree with Carrie’s assertion and in fact have grown to resent it.”

Imani Randolph

American Apparel scrunchie — similar here styled with vintage coat

“I started wearing scrunchies last year, when I realized they weren’t hideous. I think what originally turned me off were the white, red, and navy sets of cotton ribbed ones they would sell at my local Dollar Store in upstate New York. They were puny and lackluster. To me, scrunchies didn’t seem like a stylistic choice; they were more like the absence of any sartorial sense. It may sound harsh, but back then, there was nothing appealing about them to me. I just couldn’t understand them. How wrong I was.

Everything changed this winter when I bought an oversized, baby pink, suede puffer jacket, the kind of marshmallowy outerwear that demands accessories that are equally carefree and lush. After I bought the puffer, I darted back to my dorm to borrow my best friend’s gold scrunchie — I believe she got it from American Apparel for a Halloween costume, or maybe just for shits and giggles. Nevertheless, a look was pulled.

The goal of looking good, chic or sexy has often made looking cute seem like a consolation prize. But that day I realized that, with the right styling, scrunchies have the ability to make you look and feel goddamn adorable and there’s no shame in that. No shame at all, no matter what Carrie Bradshaw said. People say you’re not a real New Yorker until you’ve lived here for 10 years; I’m about halfway there, technically speaking, but I’d wager I’m even further thanks to my scrunchie.”

Harling Ross

“My hair isn’t full of secrets, it’s full of scrunchies. They’re soft, they’re practical, they’re unique — a safety blanket in miniature form. Each one is a memory unto itself, from my puffy velveteen number that was handmade in France to the pack of tiny polyester ones I ordered on Amazon Prime. I considered building a glass display case above my bed, but I prefer sleeping with them like stuffed animals instead for ultimate grab-and-go companionship.

I’ve traversed the streets of Manhattan for 26 years, thrown snowballs in Central Park, climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty, retrieved a fallen Swedish Fish out of a Lexington Avenue trash can and eaten it, handed out brochures in Times Square, changed in the back of a taxi cab, dislodged approximately 16 sticks of gum from the bottom of my shoes, moved into four different apartments and danced on precisely one tabletop. I am a New York woman, born and raised, and I wear scrunchies. In fact, they make me feel like New York royalty.”

Amelia Diamond

“Scrunchies are like tutus for your hair.

I didn’t give them their due credit for years, which is a shame, and I think about this with some sort of remorse every single day. The truth is that while scrunchies used to remind me of face washes and sleep buns, they also reminded me of the time I modeled in a Limited Too fashion show at my local mall in San Francisco and was gifted a pink-and-white striped scrunchie to pair with a pink-and-white striped hoodie as a thank you. I lost the hoodie a few months later, got in trouble as a result, was haunted by the presence of the scrunchie that stuck around, and for the years that followed I had a hard time looking at scrunchies — any scrunchie — without being reminded of that formative moment in my childhood.

As the eighties began its recent resurgence in the fashion industry, however, I began to soften toward the soft hair accessories. They made me nostalgic. I longed for my youth and the carefree attitude that comes with the scrunchie’s fluff, not to mention the lack of crease I’d never forgotten.

I finally purchased a pack while on a hair tie trip to CVS, began using them whenever my hair needed a hug, and I’m happy to report I haven’t looked back since.”

Haley Nahman

“A wise man once told me, ‘You can realize a lot in a moment,’ which perfectly defines how I feel about my core-shaking discovery of scrunchies. A friend let me borrow hers when I was in a hair tie pinch. It was rendered in faux fur, soft enough to snuggle with. I initially found it adorable, maybe even a little funny, but as soon as I placed it around my thick ponytail, the veil lifted on my ignorance. I immediately bought five.

How could I have missed the utility, the beauty, the utter versatility of the scrunchie? They make buns, ponytails and wrists look like chic party animals; they are accessories unto themselves, like bangs; they hold my mop back better than any wimpy hair tie ever did; and they never cause a kink. I can wear them in the morning while I wash my face, to lunch, to work. If I ever got invited to a gala, I’d have no qualms about wearing a scrunchie to it.

The possibilities are infinite, really, and that’s quite a feat considering all I needed to seize them were the five America dollars I used to purchase a pack on Amazon. I’m never looking back. Except, of course, to show off my scrunchie.”

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Photos by Edith Young