#just dropping by real quick to present my boy

[entreri]

Corvin » Human Soldier / Way of Shadow Monk

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3edit #gamingedit #vgedit #oc: corvin #my gif #bg3* #just dropping by real quick to present my boy #i haven't been on here much recently bc spoilers keep slipping through my filters #i restarted like 5 times trying out different races and classes but when i made him i knew instantly he was THE ONE

[quintinh43]

3 Times Quinn Almost Proposed + 1 Time He Actually Did

The best decision Quinn ever made was you. From the second he stumbled into that Cafe with his parents, to moving in with you, to admitting he loved you and everything else in between. It was a no-brainer that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. And there was no doubt in his mind that you felt the same way.

"I can't believe you're proposing," Jack said, tapping his fingers against the center console of Quinn's car. He never could sit still, and sometimes it grated on Quinn's nerves.

"Why? Do you think it's too early?" Quinn asks anxiously, running his tongue against his lips.

Luke pitches forward from the back seat to share his input, "You've been dating for like what? Five?" He asks, doing some quick math on his fingers.

Quinn nods, "Since March,"

"Ya know, we still haven't forgiven you for not telling us immediately," Jack huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If it's any consolation, you are the first people I wanted to tell," Quinn says placatingly.

"Quinner, go easy on our uneducated brother, he doesn't know what the word consolation means," Luke says seriously.

Quinn snorts a laugh as Jack turns around to swat Luke on the head. "I have a bigger vocabulary than you dumbass!"

Before the two of them can escalate into a full-blown bickering match, Quinn interrupts, "Back to my problem, guys! Do you think it's too early to propose?" His fingers tap nervously on the steering wheel as he navigates to the jewellery store.

"There's no proper timeline when it comes to proposing Quinny, it comes down to when you are ready and you feel like it's the right time in your relationship," Jack says.

"I mean, you already knew you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Y/n, so this is just taking the next step towards that, isn't it?" Luke adds, adjusting his Devils Hockey cap over his curls.

"When did you two become so wise?" Quinn grumbles as he pulls into the parking lot.

"We've always been wise beyond our years," Luke says puffing his chest out. Jack flicks his cap off his head, rolling his eyes.

"Sure Lukey," Quinn snorts, running a hand through his hair.

"Alright boys, let's get this done." Jack claps, practically jumping out of the car.

It wasn't hard at all. Quinn chose a shop where he could completely customize the ring, and with access to your Pinterest board and all the rings that you already own, he knew almost exactly how he wanted it to look. The only thing he was nervous about was whether or not you would like it.

"Don't overthink it too much Quinn, you know her better than you know yourself," Jack squeezes his shoulder comfortingly.

"You could propose with a ring pop, and she would treasure it for the rest of her life," Luke adds, with a roll of his eyes.

The three of them are in and out of the shop within an hour, and Quinn is smiling his ass off all the way home.

1.

A week later, Quinn picks up the ring. It's even better than he imagined it would be in real life. As his car pulls into the driveway of the lakehouse, he sees you out front with his mom, helping her tend to her garden.

You kneel in the dirt, sunglasses perched on your nose, and a canucks cap on your head. Smiling and laughing with Ellen as you both pull weeds from the ground. Quinn's heart beats out of his chest with happiness, and he's struck with the urge to kneel in the dirt next to you and present the ring to you right then.

When you notice that he arrived, you grin widely, giving him a wave. There's dirt smudged across your nose and under your nails, and Quinn thinks the ring would be a lovely accessory to your mud-stained hands.

The outline of the ring box feels warm in his pocket as he approaches you and his mom, "Hi babe," he greets, dropping a kiss to the top of your head, and it takes everything in his bones not to get down on one knee and pull out the ring right now.

"Hi Mom," he says with a quiet smile, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes twinkle knowingly.

"Jack and Luke are napping upstairs, and the two of us are going to start lunch as soon as we're done this."

Quinn nods, "Lemme change and I'll come help you two," he runs up the stairs, tucks the ring box safely at the top of his closet and changes into shorts and a t-shirt to help you and his mom in the garden.

2.

Quinn never expected to be the guy who obsessively walked around with his engagement ring in his pocket after he bought it. But here he was, on the boat, with the ring sitting in the glove compartment. Which you had complete access to.

Jack had called him an idiot, stating that a number of things could've happened, from you finding the ring accidentally, or it falling into the water. Or maybe even a shark eating it. Luke was quick to call Jack an idiot, saying that there were no sharks in Lake Erie. Jack rolled his eyes and flicked Luke in the forehead saying it was to emphasize how stupid Quinn was being by bringing the ring with him onto the boat.

Quinn is currently in the driver's seat, you're on the wakeboard, and the rest of the boys are littered around the boat, whooping and cheering as you throw the rope and tip backwards into the water with a salute.

Trevor whistles low with admiration, "Wow, Mrs. Huggy is a professional,"

"She's not Mrs. Huggy yet, but she will be soon," Quinn mutters under his breath just as you climb the ladder back onto the boat.

It takes a minute for the words to register, but as soon as they do Trevor's jaw is on the floor. He stares back and forth between you and Quinn.

Jack, Quinn, and Luke wear various degrees of alarm on their faces, hoping and praying that you didn't hear anything.

"Damn, guys, was I that bad?" You laugh nervously, and you take in the looks on their faces. You unzip your life jacket and squeeze as much water out of your hair as you can.

"He-" Trevor starts pointing at Quinn, but before any words can actually leave his mouth, Jack is tipping Trevor over the edge of the boat and into the water.

You burst into laughter, and the boys seemingly return to normal as a soaking-wet Trevor climbs back into the boat, muttering obscenities under his breath. "Alright, who's next?"

"Me," Quinn says, desperate to get away from Trevor's pointed smirk, "You're driving," he says, pushing you gently into the driver seat where he was previously seated.

"Are you sure you want me to drive?" You ask skeptically, brow raised.

"O'course babe, there's no one I'd trust more." Quinn punctuated his sentence with a kiss on your cheek. Jack makes an offended noise, that sounds like a dying bird of some kind and you laugh at him.

Quinn rolls his eyes at him as he zips his life jacket and gets into the water for his turn on the wakeboard. He gives you a thumbs up, and parrots the movement, before slowly accelerating. You stand at the wheel of the boat, half twisted towards the back, so you can keep an eye on Quinn.

Quinn stands easily, and you smile accelerating a bit more. You turn in patterns that aren't too sharp but still make nice big waves for Quinn to ride. He's grinning like a madman. You maneuver the boat in a manner that gives him a wave to jump off of if he wants to.

He takes the opportunity, sailing through the air and managing a half spin before he hits the water. You drive around him in a slow circle as he resurfaces.

"That was fucking amazing! Where did you learn to drive a boat like that?" Trevor asks admiringly.

You shrug, cheeks heating under the praise, "My dad taught me," you say, crawling to the back of the boat and offering Quinn a hand as he climbs the ladder, "Been driving watercraft since I was like, twelve or something," you grin, squeaking as Quinn shakes his wet hair out in your direction, "You should see what I can do on a jet ski."

Jack whistles heartily, "We might have to take you up on that one of these days,"

"Sure, Jack, if you think you can handle getting your ass beat by a girl," you smirk. Jack scoffs offendedly, and Luke cackles from where he lies at the front of the boat.

Quinn is smiling so hard, his eyes crinkling at the corners, "I think we have to upgrade you to Captain for the summer, that was the best boat driving out of all of us," Quinn praises, pressing his lips to your hair.

"Seriously!" Jack says excitedly, scrambling for a life jacket, "That looked so fucking fun, no one can ever make waves like that! I'm next." He says jumping in the water before anyone can protest.

"Don't let this one get away Quinner," Luke says, tipping his hat in your direction, "Or I'll take her from you," he throws an over-exaggerated wink in your direction, you giggle and Quinn rolls his eyes. As if the shithead wasn't with him when he bought the ring.

Quinn eyes the glove compartment, where the ring is stored, and thoroughly debates how proposing right now would play out. A sharp whistle from Jack pulls him from his thoughts, and he takes his spot at the back of the boat as Jack spotter.

You resume your place in the driver's seat, and for the rest of the evening, that's where you stay.

Quinn almost has a heart attack when he sees you reach for the glove compartment, but Luke manages to fake trip into you just in time so that Jack can sneakily snag the box and relocate it to one of the other boat compartments.

3.

The house is completely full, with a bunch of the boy's friends who are visiting. Everyone is camped out around the fire pit, nursing beers and laughing loudly. You are curled up in Quinn's lap, head pillowed on his chest while you listen to all of the boys talk about their fondest memories.

You play with the strings of Quinn's hoodie, while he absent-mindedly traces patterns on your arm. His chest rumbles with laughter and his arm tightens around you, as Jack tells a story from when they played together for Team USA. An overwhelming wave of gratitude washes over you. You're grateful for everything in life, and most of all Quinn.

"You're quiet tonight," His lips are pressed against the side of your head, and the comforting baritone of his voice soothes your soul, "doing ok?"

You nod, bringing your fingers up to trace his jaw, "just thinking,"

"Penny for your thoughts?" He speaks low, his words only for your ears, the crackling of the fire, and hearty laughter fade into the background and at this moment it's as if you and Quinn are the only two people who exist.

He was a way of doing that. Making everything else disappear and making you feel like you're the only girl in the world. "I'm so grateful for everything," you answer quietly, "especially for you. Getting to experience life with you, being able to support you, having you there to support me- and just everything that you do and have done for me. You know?"

Quinn's heart swells so wide he thinks it might burst out of his chest. Before he really knows what he's doing, he's slipping out of the chair and kneeling in front of you. You huff because you were enjoying being curled into him.

His hands are on your thighs, and your hands cup his cheeks, thumbs tracing over his cheekbones. Neither of you has noticed that the laughter has died out, and everyone is watching the two of you. Their faces are a mixture of disgust and confusion.

Jack and Luke look downright horrified, sharing a look and exchanging silent words with their eyes.

"Will you m-" Before Quinn can complete his question, Luke is scrambling out of the lawn chair that he and Duker are curled up in and tackling Quinn to the floor.

"BEE!" Jack screeches, adding to the dramatics as he stands on his chair and points in the direction of where Quinn and Luke lay in the grass, "THERE'S A FUCKING BEE!"

There was no bee.

At Jack's distressed yelling, half of the boys are out of their chairs, running around and swatting at the heads of the non-existent bee.

You hold your stomach, laughing at the general chaos. It shouldn't be as funny as it is, but the sight of almost twenty grown men screaming about a bee is pretty hilarious.

"You are welcome you fucking numbskull," Luke hisses in Quinn's ear, as he helps him back up. Quinn gives him a sheepish smile of thanks. Were it not for his brother's antics, he would've regretted that being how he proposed for the rest of his life.

Once the general chaos dies down and everyone is back in their chairs calmly, you speak up with a smirk on your face, "You guys do know Bees are not nocturnal right?"

Quinn looks pointedly at Jack like he's an idiot. As if Quinn has the right to call him an idiot when he almost proposed to the love of his life in front of twenty hockey boys around a campfire on a Tuesday night.

"How do you know that?" Jack asks, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout.

"Yeah," Trevor scoffs, "Seems untrue,"

You snort, taking a sip of your beer, "I'm an elementary school teacher, dumbass, the science unit about bugs is practically ingrained in my brain. Bees are definitely not nocturnal."

"Nope, there definitely was a bee," Luke chimes, "I literally saved Quinn's life."

"Yeah, I saw it too," Dylan adds with a nod.

"It was basically the size of Quinn's head," Cole adds, "really Y/n/n I don't know how you didn't see it," Cole says matter-of-factly.

"I can't believe you guys are trying to gaslight me about bees right now," you snort, nuzzling further into Quinn's warmth.

"I heard it buzzing in my ear, babe," Quinn says seriously.

You roll your eyes at him and tuck your head under his chin and he wraps his arms around you securely, pressing a kiss to your hair, while you argue with the guys about Bees for the next half-an-hour.

+ 1

Quinn slips out of the bedroom to let you finish changing, he pads down the stairs to where his family waits in the kitchen. Jack presents him the ring box, that he had decided to keep with him after the boat incident. Quinn tucks it into his pocket with a deep breath.

"You ready Quinner?" Luke asks, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah," Quinn nods, breathing deeply.

"She's gonna say yes," Jack reassures, giving Quinn a pat on the back.

"I hope so," Quinn says nervously.

His dad chuckles, "Don't worry kid, you're doing great compared to how nervous I was when I was proposing to your mother,"

Ellen laughs fondly, "It's true, he was so nervous he forgot to pull out the ring, and then when he finally did, he dropped it."

Jim rolls his eyes, but the smile stays. Quinn laughs at that, then all his anxieties are bubbling to the surface and spilling past his lips before he can stop them.

"What if she doesn't like the ring? What if she says no, and she thinks it is too soon? What if I fall on my face? What if I lose the ring? What if-"

Jack squishes his cheeks together to keep him from talking. He tips his forehead against Quinn's staring deep into his eyes. "Breathe with me, Quinn,"

Jack takes exaggerated breaths, and Quinn follows his lead. Jim and Ellen quietly slip out of the room, leaving the brothers to themselves.

Once Quinn's breathing returns to normal, Jack lets him go. "She loves you with her whole heart, Quinn. You have nothing to worry about," Luke says, bonking his head against Quinn’s affectionately.

"Thanks, guys," he murmurs, running a hand through his hair with a sigh.

Everything goes smoothly in Quinn's opinion. Even when he practically forgot his whole speech. But if he had to do it again, he wouldn't change a thing.

-

Yeah so this ended up being like 2.9k words....

Anyways enjoy friends!

So it's basically a fic but lazy.

Part of This Universe

#quinn hughes #qh43 #hughes brothers #nhl imagine #nhl x reader #quinn hughes oneshot #quinn hughes imagine #quinn hughes x y/n #quinn hughes x reader #quinn hughes blurb #quinn hughes x you #nhl blurb #nhl imagines #nhl players #hockey imagine #hockey blurb #loving you is as easy as abc 123

[krashoutluv]

Arkham Knight Relationship HCS !! <3

( light nsfw, mostly SFW tho!! )

literally my wife ( i made this pic idc abt creds i just wanna talk abt it)

SFW !! <3

dying on this hill when i say basically any red hood would be soo yummy with a civilian or just someone who is extremely balanced.

im a red hood needs more fucking normalcy in his life TRUTHER.

relationship starts off slow, romantic and platonic, you need to be patient with him long enough for him to get over his mental dilemmas to feel ANY-TYPE of way towards you.

more then like 6 months lets be real yall

his way of bonding is quality time. ill die on this hill, especially at the start of the relationship. Nothing huge maybe just spending a couple extra minutes around you before leaving.

next is probably gift giving, esp with early relations, probably just gonna order you food or put fifty bucks on your countertop. you dont even notice until you realize you find a fifty around the last place he was standing. expect deliveries from R.H whenever he feels bad for something.

doesn't like being around for too long, feels like he's messing up something. ruining your day by keeping you up late (he was there for fifteen minutes), ruining your mood, (there was an awkward silence for like 30 seconds.)

not a overly conscious thought process though, he feels physically he isn’t supposed to be there. for whatever subconscious thing he picked up on, a awkward silence, or hes been there 15 minutes too long or something

well sometimes he'll mentally beat himself up.

he spirals a lot, needs someone to pull him out of that.

i think when he needs to be grounded, its not just comfort its making him feel alive in the present moment. he's never gonna truly forget about his traumas but maybe for just an hour or two; running around an arcade, walking around the city. just making him feel normal, yeah you BAGGED his ass quick.

he needs someone patient, really patient, someone whos very attentive and empathetic. (but not a complete push- over def needs someone to set him in line still)

i think if you move to quickly, he'll get super snappy and ghosting you,, ong put ur hands on him too early and he's left hooking you.

yeah you're waking up and the first thing your hearing is "Its been 12 years..."

second thing you hear is "you've been in a coma for.. 12 years."

third thing you're hearing is, " we think a bus hit you...”

obviously not touchy, even when he is settling down. hes just not sure how to .. or where to .. or why he wants too.

please his mental gymnastics get so crazy, just sit down with him and put on some silly ass movie so he stops

when he’s settled he cant pry himself off you though.

a lot of his expressions can definitely be told by his body language, naturally hes tense but theres certain habits he has when he's maybe thinking too much, or fustrated/irritated.

but he does all of the same for you, comfort, love, as much as he can he tries

Very attentive, has a mental list of 'shit you do when somethings wrong' or 'shit you like.'

doesn't consciously make any of these mental list, he just knows.

"didnt they say they liked this?" He pauses "shit ill just leave it at their window."

so he's like canonically smart as shit.

you have too much work from your boss or professor? hand it over its done in less then two hours.

literally buys you groceries and pays your bills (fucking lover boy.)

arkham knight finally figuring out how to ask for a hug (hes been dead silent for 5 minutes) (link) <— insta reel

HES A CHEM/HISTORY NERD FOR SURE

NSFW !! <3

probably- A FUCKING VIRGIN !! HES A NERD !! GETS AWKARD AS SHIT. WITH RAGING COMMITMENT AND TRUST ISSUES !! (will still die4you tho)

AGAIN, not in a "my soft squishe potato always been scared of sex" way but in a ‘oh my god hes so unsocialized’ way.

yall ever see a big ass dog just..standing.. literally him (hes dissociating)

genuinely dont believe that when he was arkham/training to be, he was sexually or romantically involved with anyone. the last thing that was on his mind was actually pursuing a sexual or romantic relationship.

along with his trauma, he just wasn’t comfortable with any of that.

ghosted so many people..

couldn’t flirt for more then five minutes, just stopped feeling it or got uncomfortable .

I AM ANTI ARKHAM KNIGHT BEING A SEX GOD

not that he’s horribly awkward, but he’s noticeably a bit more quiet for first times.

ofc this man has watched porn n’ shit but hes smart enough to know thats not what its really like.

he’ll still figure it, what makes you tic, what you love, what makes you most comfortable.

kinda shitty at dirty talk, just makes him buffer.

he gets better at it tho, too damn good

gets so snarky and confident about it too uuhgrr

late relationships hes smirking and chatting your ears off cause you know hes gettin you turnt.

he has a love-hate relationship with his scars. 95% they remind him of his past, but 5% hes alright with them because they’ve shown what hes been through.

deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down, he knows hes fine as fuck. TRUST YALL.

again, super observant and attentive. really pays attention to what you enjoy.

I genuinely don’t believe hes into super hardcore/painful kinks or anything.

Sex for him is definitely a way of showing his trust and intimacy with someone!! Let him show you how much he loves you and how much he wants to make you feel good! Do the same to him !!

mmm tell him how good hes doing and hes a absolute mess!!

praise him! PRAISE HIM *im yelling from the hospital bed im strapped down on*

wouldn’t let you ride for awhile, but once he’s comfortable with it ,, he’s actually obsessed.

cant see him bottoming , just wouldn’t be comfortable with it

my brain is getting messy so im stopping here! feedback and comments would be cool if you wanna drop some!

#jason todd #jason peter todd #jason todd x reader #arkham knight x reader #arkham knight #arkham knight smut #jason todd smut #jason todd headcanon #arkham knight headcanon #jason todd hc #red hood x reader #red hood smut

[mrwavellswaps]

Santa’s Solution

(Christmas Special)

It was the night of Christmas Eve and all across the world towns and cities were lit up with sparking colourful lights to celebrate the holidays. Everywhere you looked there was beauty as there always was this time of year. And nobody could see that beauty better than Santa Claus himself as he soared through the skies with his sleigh full of presents and magical reindeer leading the way. Of course most believed him to be a fairy tale but he was very much real. Simply using a little Christmas magic to make adults who didn’t believe in him think the presents he’d brought were ones they’d bought themselves. And of course he used a little magic to make sure nobody ever saw him either. That was one of the number one rules. Nobody is allowed to see Santa.

Well this night it would appear something had gone a little wrong with his magic when he entered the home of Brett Rivers. Usually his Christmas magic would make it so nobody would be awoken when he stopped by to drop off a present or two or that they would just so happen to drift off to sleep when he arrived. However this night it would not go as planned.

Brett found himself fluttering awake to the sound of rustling coming from his small living room. At first he thought it was nothing but when he heard what sounded like footsteps, he knew he had to check it out. He quietly slid out of bed in nothing but a pair of boxers, showcasing his huge muscular physique. Thick and bulky arms, solid powerful legs and a pair of melons for pecs.

He wasn’t at all scared by the noises being the buff guy that he was but he was sure to grab the bat underneath his bed just in case.

He silently made his way down the small corridor outside his bedroom and towards the living room where he turned the corner and saw none other than Santa Claus himself. Or at least a dude dressed up as Santa. He’d been expecting a burglar so the sight of the fat old man dressed up in red and white certainly had him lost for words for a few moments until he finally snapped out of it. “Oi! What the hell are you doing in my house!?” He shouted while bringing the bat up into a position ready to swing.

Startled, Santa whipped around to see the angry and confused hunk of a man standing behind him. “O-oh? You shouldn’t be out of bed Brett.” He said, knowing Brett’s name immediately, with an equal amount of confusion in his voice. “Oh dear… this has never happened before.” Santa hummed with a hint of frustration as he realised he’d broken one of the Christmas rules that he wasn’t allowed to be seen dropping off presents. “This won’t do at all.” He added whilst stroking his long white beard as if trying to come up with some kind of solution to the awkward situation.

“What the fuck are you talking about you crazy old man!” Brett shouted, getting angrier by the second. “How the hell do you know my name!?… N-no I don’t care just get the fuck out before I beat the shit out of your fat ass and call the cops!” He bellowed furiously before taking a few threatening steps closer to the intruder.

Santa sighed. “I’m sorry to do this my boy but I can’t allow that.” The jolly old man suddenly began rubbing his gloved hands together as Brett got closer. The hunk was about to give him one warning before suddenly Santa opened his hands again and blew what seemed to be fairy dust straight in Brett’s face.

The stud coughed as he stumbled backwards slightly, dropping the bat he was holding in the process with a loud thud. His entire body began to feel light and weak as his eyes fluttered. “W…What… did y-you…” Before Brett could even finish his sentence, he fell completely unconscious. Luckily Santa was quick enough to catch him before landed on the floor.

“Ooof… I’ve got you. Just sleep.” The fat bearded man whispered as his magic dust took full effect. Though as he held Brett’s unconscious body, Santa couldn’t help allowing his eyes to wander across the hunky form Brett had build. All the muscular curves and ridges that had been crafted into it along with the thickness that went along with it making Brett look like an adonis. Big Mr Claus couldn’t help licking his lips a little in a moment of perviness that was rather uncharacteristic for him. He soon shook his head however and got back to buisness.

Using a surprising amount of strength, Santa carefully hoisted Brett up onto his feet once again before taking a breath and tossing the muscular man over his shoulder. If his cheeks weren’t already so rosey then he probably would’ve been blushing slightly at having this big handsome almost naked man on his shoulder.

“You’re certainly a strong healthy lad aren’t you my boy.” Santa chuckled slightly as he gave Brett’s muscle ass a cheeky pat before rubbing his hand down the back Brett’s thighs and getting a good feel for those thick hamstrings of his. “Very strong indeed…” he continued to mumble as his hand slid back over Brett’s ass again.

With that Santa made sure he had a good grip on Brett before taking his leave and heading back to his sleigh. Once there he carefully placed the hunk in the back of the sleigh alongside his magical sack of presents. “What am I gonna do with you?…” Santa pondered as he stared down at Brett for a moment, still taking in that young gorgeous body. “Welp. I’ll have to figure that out later. Time is running out and I have presents to deliver!” He declared before heading to the next house that was in need of a couple presents from Santa.

———

The next time Brett awoke he found himself sitting in a cold wooden chair that certainly wasn’t his home. Instead he found himself in what seemed to be some sort of laboratory. It was hard to tell at first but as his vision cleared he began to make out a room filled with all sorts of machines that he couldn’t even begin to understand. There were multiple worktops full of gadgets and devices that’d seemily been crafted here, none of which Brett could make sense of.

“Finally back with us eh? We’ve been waiting forever for that slumber magic to wear off.” Said an elf beside him. “Took your body awhile to wake up after having you under for so many months.” The tiny worker added causally. He worked human enough besides the fact that he looked to have been scaled down a bit in size. And of course the pointy ears. The elf wore a pair of rather sophisticated glasses that sat perfectly atop his nose and would probably be one of his most stand out features if it weren’t for his thick curly beard. He was wearing a typical scientist-y get up comp,ste with the white lab coat you’d usually see yet Brett couldn’t help noticing the tuft of chest hair that stuck out the top of the elf’s collar. He was definitely a furry one.

“W-what!? What’re you talking about?! Months?! What’s-Grrrahh!” As his body began to wake, Brett attempted to jump up from the chair he was seated in only to find both his arms and legs had been tightly strapped down with restraints. “Hey! Let me go you fucking creep!” He shouted while continuing to struggle but his attempts to free himself were all in vain.

The elf who looked to be wearing a messy lab coat of sorts shook his head. “Sorry mister, no can do. Might as well save your strength.” He tutted as he pulled out what looked to be some sort of phone. The scrawny little elf tapped a few buttons before talking into the device. “He’s awake now sir if you’re ready to proceed.”

Brett was even more confused. By this point he was surprised he hadn’t had a panic attack yet. The last thing he could clearly remember was being woken up in the middle of the night before Christmas by some Santa looking fucker breaking into his house and now he was here in the freaky looking gadget workshop. What freaked him out even more though was as he peered over his shoulder he saw one huge machine sat behind him with what looked to be two helmets attached to it.

“What the fuck is that?!” Brett’s voice boomed through the laboratory. When he didn’t get a response however, his face grew red with anger and frustration. “Hey! Answer me you stupid little fuck! What the fuck are you doing to me!?” The jock struggled against his restraints once more in the hopes of performing a miracle and breaking out. But that was only fantasy.

The elf sighed. “Look man. I’ve been instructed not to say anything until the big man gets here. He’ll explain everything to you.” He explained somewhat bluntly. “You know I kinda felt bad for you at first but now… I think I’m starting to see why Mr Claus was okay with going through with this.”

The cryptic wording only made Brett more worried. “C-come on man. Just let me go. Please, I'll give you anything.” Brett’s anger from moments ago turned to pleas as he quickly came to terms with the fact that there was likely no way for him to get out of whatever this was. But once again he was ignored. He begged over and over but the elf had already turned its back to him. There was nothing he could do.

Despite this Brett continued to plead in vain but he would soon be cut short when the large metal door at the opposite end of the room made a beeping sound before sliding open. A wave of nervous anticipation washed over Brett’s body as he saw the fat lumbering form of Santa Claus step foot in the lab.

This time Santa dorned a long sleeved red and white striped button down that just barely managed to stretch across his massive stomach and soft pecs. It was assisted in holding his huge gut in place by a pair of red suspenders that were attached to a large pair of slacks of the same colour. Slacks that also fit the older man's robust frame rather tightly in a way that showed off his fat ass and legs rather nicely.

“Ah! Mr Claus! The machine is prepped and ready for you. Just give the word and we’ll begin the procedure.” The nerdy looking elf who’d been keeping Brett company chirped, seeming elated to be in the large man’s presence.

“Thank you Venix. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you and your team. I’ll be sure to treat you all to something nice after this is over.” Santa smiled warmly at his Head Scientist & Technician who was practically beaming at the words of appreciation. With that however, Santa was quick to turn his attention to the hunk strapped down before him in nothing but a pair of tight underwear.

Mr Claus took a few thunderous steps towards Brett, his belly shaking slightly with each one, until he was stood directly over the jock. “Why hello again Brett. Glad to see you’re back with us. We had to keep you unconscious for quite a few months while we finished this project but it seems it’s finally time.”

There it was again. Months. “What do you mean months!? How long have I been here?? What the fuck is happening?!” Brett panicked aloud.

Santa chuckled. “Well when I brought you here last Christmas this project was only in the planning stage. We hadn’t even begun building the glorious machine you see behind you. So naturally we’ve had to keep you asleep for awhile whilst my trusty elves got to work. And they’ve done a fine job by the looks of it.” He looked up at the large glimmering machine that sat behind Brett which had been charged with a mix between earth’s finest resources and a bit of magic sprinkled in to give it the energy it needed for its purpose. “And to answer your question, it’s now the middle of June.”

The realisation hit Brett like a ton of bricks. Had he really been here for six whole months?! There was no way. It had to be a trick right? “You’re lying!” He claimed. “If I’d really been out for that long I’d practically be skin and bone by now. But I’ve still got all my fucking muscle so cut the bullshit old man!”

“You’re right. Under normal circumstances you would’ve lost most of your muscle mass by now.” Santa admitted. “Luckily for us, the magic we’ve used to keep you asleep also acts as a preservative. Meaning your body has been able to retain its size and mass despite being inactive for so long. Also like you’ve been frozen.” He explained as he leaned forwards and shamelessly groped one of Brett’s thick pecs before then using his other hand to feel the hunks meaty arms. “Mmmm yeah. Perfect condition…” he grunted much to Brett’s own disturbance.

After having his fun, Santa walked past Brett before placing a hand on the machine. Admiring its glory after all the hard sweat and tears his elves put into making it. He couldn’t have been more grateful towards them. Once this was over he was already planning on throwing a big celebration for them all. With that though, Santa turned his gaze towards the other slightly bigger chair beside Brett.

“Well there’s no time like the present I say. Let’s get this show on the road!” Mr Claus announced as walked past Brett again and towards the adjacent chair. As he passed though, Santa couldn’t help jiggling his fat belly, seemingly in a mocking manner. “Take a good look at this stomach Brett because in a few moments it’ll be all yours…” he taunted.

“Huh?! What the hell are you going on about!?!” Brett screamed but he received no answer. Only a mischievous smirk from Santa as he sat down in the other chair. He could only watch in confusion as Venix strapped the burly man into the chair with restraints similar to his own.

Once Santa was securely restrained in the chair, Venix looked up at him with a small smile. “May I send them in now sir?” He asked. Mr Claus simply nodded in response. Of course Brett was once again clueless to what was going on but it soon became clear as Venix stepped out for a moment only to re-enter the room with a huge lobby full of other elves behind him. Most of them were other scientists and engineers that’d worked on the machine while others were just elves who were lucky enough to have been chosen to witness the event. And if that didn’t freak Brett out enough, to make matters worse Venix also mentioned that the camera’s were now on and were broadcasting to the entirety of the Christmas Villa.

The small crowd that’d come to watch the event live began cheering when Santa gave the thumbs up to start the procedure. Venix grabbed one of the helmets that were attached to the machine and first made his way over to Santa as he gently placed the device on his head before securing it in place. Once it was on, Venix swiped up the matching helmet and brought it over to Brett.

“No! Stop! Keep that thing away from me! Get away!” He shouted while writhing in his chair. But with how much he was being restrained and how his body still hadn’t fully recovered its energy after having been knocked out for so long, there was little he could do to stop the elf from forcing the helmet onto his head and swiftly securing it. “Fuck! Get it off!” He continued thrash around but his frustration was immediately drowned out by the growing cheers and excitement of the crowd all whilst Santa grinned in an almost maniacal manner beneath his huge white beard

Venix flipped a few switches and booped a few buttons on the big machine, causing it to roar to life as it started powering up. A sound that excited everyone in the room except for the kidnapped jock. And as the machine continued to hum and glow, Venix made his way over to a small nearby station with a control pad that was hooked up to it. He immediately began to punch in the correct settings before looking over towards Santa again for one last sign of approval before going ahead. A small wink from the big man was all he needed. With all the other elves rallying him on, Venix finally took a deep breath and smacked his hand down on the big red button that would set everything into motion.

The machine began to rattle before glowing even brighter than before. It was generating an incredibly fierce amount of energy that only made Brett more terrified. He wouldn’t have much time to dwell on that however as moments later a powerful current of magic and electricity surged down from the machine and into both helmets. Immediately both Santa and Brett gripped their chairs tightly and the energy flooded through them. It was a feeling that was almost indescribable. In a way it felt both uncomfortable yet satisfying at the same time.

The crowd simply watched in awe as both Brett and Santa’s bodies began to convulse. Brett’s muscle jiggling almost as much as Santa’s fat. Both men couldn’t help letting out uncontrollable groans almost in unison as their eyes began to roll. It was impossible to tell if they were in pain or pleasure. But that wouldn’t matter as soon Brett felt his vision starting to blur.

It was the most surreal experience. One moment it seemed as though he were looking down at the muscular body he was accustomed to and the next he was suddenly looking down at a fat wobbly belly held in place by the very same shirt and suspenders Santa was wearing. Brett’s vision continued to fade in and out between seeing both perspectives. At first he only saw flashes of the fatter body below him before returning to his muscled one but each time it lingered for longer. It was mind boggling in a way that he could barely even comprehend as his view was constantly switching back and forth. Buff to fat to buff to fat again.

The cycle of flashing perspectives continued as the machine fed more and more energy to the helmets until at last there was one massive jolt of energy that caused both men to writhe in their seats. The audience began to look slightly worried but Venix assured them it was all part of the process. And just as he said that, the machine began powering itself down after seemingly having completed its task.

Both Brett and Santa were left unconscious for a minute or so after the machine shut down. During which Venix quickly ran over to them both and removed the helmets but left their restraints in place just in case something had gone wrong. Every elf in the villa that was watching was practically holding their breath waiting to know the results. To know if Santa’s plan had been a success. So when the body of Santa began to groan and come around, they were all eager to see his reaction.

Slowly but surely Brett blinked his eyes open again. “Ughhh… what? What happened?…” he mumbled but immediately he knew something was wrong. His voice. It sounded much older and huskier than before. But that was the least of his concerns. Pretty soon his eyes started to focus and when he looked down, he got the shock of a lifetime.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?!” Brett shrieked as instead of the hunky body he was used to, he looked down to see the body of Santa! His belly looked fucking massive as it stretched out the very same shirt Santa had been wearing. And his legs looked so huge and fat as they filled out those red slacks. Clothes that never would’ve fit his old body were now hugging him tightly as if to emphasise just how fat he was. But that wasn’t all as Brett then quickly came to notice the massive beard that was cascading down from his face. And it was completely white! In that moment he knew what’d happened but his brain couldn’t accept it. It was impossible after all. There was no way he’d actually swapped bodies with Santa!?

It was then that Brett heard a low familiar sounding grumble come from beside him. He whipped his head to the right only to see none other than himself! His own damn body! And it seemed to slowly be waking up as well.

“Sir? Sir, are you okay?” Venix asked as he rushed over towards Brett’s former body.

The hunk shook his head a little as he squinted his eyes open. “Y-yeah. I feel… good.” Santa mumbled. A smirk slowly etched itself across his face as he got a good look at his body below. No longer was his vision obscured by the presence of a massive gut nor did he feel so heavy and old. Instead he felt stronger than he had in years! He could already feel a youthful energy pulsing through his very being! “I feel… absolutely fantastic! Quick Venix! Take off these restraints!” He commanded with excitement.

The elf undid the arm restraints first before quickly undoing the ones binding Santa’s legs. Immediately the man jumped up out of the chair and started to inspect his new form. First of all running his hands along his chest and stomach. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he groped his new pecs. They were so thick yet so firm at the same time unlike the flabby chest his old body had. But his stomach was what threw him off the most. He’d gotten so used to his big belly that he almost forgot what it was like to have a flat stomach. And on top of that he even had abs! There were hardly even words to describe what he was feeling right now besides pure wonder and astonishment.

“God yes. I should’ve done this years ago!” Santa claimed as he started to flex. Loving how his thick new arms bulged with every movement. Feeling a rush of pure dopamine as his biceps peaked before his eyes. Despite being smaller than he was before, all the strength and muscle made him feel like a one man army. Like he could take on absolutely anything and anyone! All the while his elves continued to watch on in curiosity as their leader examined his new body.

“H-hey! That’s mine! That’s my fucking body!” Brett began to shout from the other chair, still strapped down but that didn’t stop him from struggling again anyway. “You can’t do this! Switch us back now or I’ll… I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Santa asked smugly while turning his gaze towards his former fat body. “Sorry Brett but there’s nothing you can do. I’ve been in need of an upgrade for a long time and your body is the perfect fit.” He added before striking another cocky pose to which the elves began cheering their new Santa on.

“But you can’t… I can’t… I’m not old and fat…” Brett mumbled, looking down at himself again.

Santa sauntered over towards Brett with a confident swagger. “Sorry my boy but… you are.” He leaned in until their faces were only inches apart. It was jarring on a whole other level for Brett to be stared down by his own handsome face. “And I’m young and strong.” He taunted before leaning in even closer until Brett could feel his former body’s hot breath on his ear. “You’re fat and I’m buff. You’re old and I’m young. I’m gorgeous and you’re not. You have a tiny dick and I’m hung… as… fuck.” Santa whispered so the elves didn’t hear but every word shocked Brett to the core as it forced him to come to terms with reality.

“Oops.” Santa said as he glanced down at the already hefty bulge in his underwear starting to grow. “Guess I’m getting a little too excited.” He chuckled. With that he looked over his shoulder at Venix before asking the head scientist to clear the room and shut down the camera’s so they may have some privacy. Before long the elves had all piled out of the room and the two men were finally alone.

“Well I’ve got to say my boy, being inside your body feels even more exhilarating than I’d anticipated. You’ve certainly taken good care of yourself haven’t you? A body like this doesn’t happen overnight. A good diet, lots of exercise. I imagine it took a lot of hard work.” Santa continued to flex and explore his new form. Admiring the definition of each muscle he traced his fingers along. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to try and keep up whatever routines you have to take good care of this body for you.”

By this point Brett was too beaten and embarrassed to even muster a reply. What could he even say at this point anyway? It was already made clear to him that this wasn’t being undone. Santa Claus had stolen his body and there was nothing he could do about it besides accept whatever his new fate was inside this massive new body.

“So what? Am I gonna have to go out on Christmas now? Deliver all your damn presents?” Brett mumbled.

“Oh no not at all. You might look like the jolly old man everyone expects but I’m still Santa Claus. I’ll still be delivering all the presents every Christmas Eve. Lord knows it’ll be easier with this fit body.” He commented before flexing his arm again and kissing his bicep. “You will stay here. My elves will take care of all your needs. They’ll get you everything you need whether that be food, entertainment or anything else within reason. Can’t have you going back to civilisation after all. Not after all this.” The jock sighed.

As bad as this all was for Brett, he had to admit that wasn’t the worst deal. No more responsibilities to worry about. No more work, no more bills, no more working out. He could just laze around and do whatever he wanted.

Santa glanced down at his crotch again. “Well I’m gonna head back to my house in the villa while I’ve got this new cock under control. I’ll send a few elves in to help you out of those restraints when I leave. They’ll show you to your new place.” He explained nonchalantly as he strutted towards the exit, loving the naturally confident way his muscular body moved. “Oh and play nice. If you try anything funny, I’ve given them permission to gas you with more slumber magic.”

With that Brett could do nothing but watch as the new Santa Claus walked away with his body. He still couldn’t quite believe this was all real. He kept thinking that any minute he’d wake up at home in his own bed having just had a bad dream. But as a handful of elves entered the room a few minutes later, it became clearer and clearer to Brett just how real this all was. Santa had stolen his body.

———

The elves couldn’t keep their eyes off the jock that made his way down the corridor. Instead of their usual happy greetings, most elves just looked on curiously. Not knowing what to do or say. Of course him being almost naked with a rather intimidating bulge in his underwear probably had something to do with that. Yet their locked gazes would only serve to make Santa feel even more cocky about his new body. Of course he knew it’d probably take some adjusting for them all in the long term to get used to his new look but he knew that before long they'd be looking at him as if he’d always been a muscle bound hunk.

As soon as he stepped outside, Santa felt a chill run down his body. He was cold. It’d been so long that he’d almost forgotten the feeling. His old body had completely acclimated the temperatures of the North Pole but this new one was unfamiliar. Strangely though he welcomed the feeling. It was yet another sensation that came with this body that almost seemed brand new, once again reminding him of his success. However that didn’t stop him from speeding up his stride to get out of the cold just a bit quicker.

He was released once he finally stepped inside his little house at the top of the villa. The warm and cozy feeling of the permanently Christmas themed home running over him immediately just as it always did. With a sigh Santa stretched his arms above his head as he walked through the living area and towards the bedroom. He passed the kitchen on the way and couldn’t help glancing at the fridge for a moment as he remembered what was in there. Mountains of tasty yet very unhealthy food. “I’ll need to clean that out and put some proper food in as soon as I get the chance.” He thought to himself, not wanting to risk ruining this new body.

Once he entered the bedroom however, that same grin from before re-emerged. Finally he was alone. No elves around to stare, No Brett around to curse him out or beg for his body back. Santa was all alone and finally able to explore the body he’d been fantasising about for months leading up to the swap. The one he’d been jerking off too every other night at the mere thought of touching it. Now it was his. Every inch of that gorgeous muscle he’d been admittedly jealous of while watching Brett sleep was now all under his control!

Right away he began examining his new form properly and where better to start than admiring all of that very muscle! He started by doing the obvious and bringing his arms inwards into an arms and pecs flex. In an instant that soft muscle on his chest hardened into pecs of steel. Veins popping down his forearms in the process while his biceps bulged with strength that Santa had never before felt. Sure he had a little magic power but this power was different. It was raw and physical in a way that made him feel superior.

He continued to go through the motions of performing the typical muscle man poses you’d see meatheads doing all the time. Continuing to flex his arms as he brought them up into the more traditional double bicep pose, his head whipping back and forth between looking at both arms in wonder. Immediately after he bent down slightly while keeping his arms flexed before twisting his body in a way that showed off his huge back and lats. It felt incredible! If he had an audience right now he was sure they’d be eating it up.

Once Santa had finished his little gun show, he moved on to simply groping at his new muscle instead as his hands roamed every inch of his new form. Naturally his pecs were the first to get a squeeze and doing immediately prompted a small groan and twitch from his new cock. Squeezing that firm muscle now that it was his own felt even more erotic than he’d imagined. So much so that both hands lingered on his chest for a good few minutes just groping away. It wasn’t long before he figured out the mind muscle connection to start making his pecs bounce and that action alone was enough to make him start chuckling like an idiot while his new cock grew harder with every bounce.

“Uuuughh… fuuuck yeahhh…” Santa groaned as he used one hand to continue groping at his chest while the other slid down to his crotch. Gently he began to stroke his cock through his underwear and the sensitivity of it was off the charts. He hadn’t even pulled it out yet but just the feeling of his hand rubbing across that fat member was causing shivers to run up his body. He supposed he’d been stuck with that old man dick for so long that he’d forgotten what it was like to have such a young and virile cock. “Mmmm come on Claus… gotta hold it together.” He mumbled to himself as he mustered up the strength to stop rubbing his cock. For now.

After giving himself a moment to calm down and finally being able to pull away from his pecs, Santa began hitting a multitude of different poses. Not just typical bodybuilder poses however. Now he was posing more like a Greek god as he relished in the amount of grace his new form was able to move and pose with.

Poses that would’ve before been rather unflattering on him now looked awe inspiring. During which he couldn’t help admiring the sheer level of flexibility of his new form. Flexibility that allowed him to effortlessly move into positions that glamorised his muscular form in a way that would’ve inspired many to either look up to him or wish to worship him. Or perhaps both.

Soon enough though, his posing was once again brought to an end by the desire to touch himself. He gave his juicy muscle tits another quick squeeze before moving on to groping his biceps instead. Once again flexing them and loving just how firm and strong they felt. And once he was done with those he couldn’t but admire his thick boulder-like shoulders at least a little. Rubbing them in a way that made it look as though he were giving himself a hug. But after that his interests wandered further south yet again. This time going past his pecs and towards his stomach. Of course he’d already had a chance to admire his new abs a little earlier on but as he brushed his hands across them, he couldn’t help taking notice of the new tattoo on his left side just below his lats.

“Would you look at that. Ain’t ever had tattoos before.” Santa commented as he traced the ink. Of course he’d know about Brett’s tattoos. He’d seen the man pretty much nude enough times to know. But seeing those tattoos now on himself was still an intriguing experience. In fact it only prompted him to look further down at his body towards the much bigger and more noticeable tattoo on his left thigh. It was one of a snake that Santa had to admit looked pretty damn awesome. Though he’d never considered himself a tattoo’s kind of person before with his whole jolly old man persona, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the little bit of ink this new body had. Hell maybe he’d even look into getting a few more some day. Maybe a candy cane or something to reflect his Christmas spirit.

Whilst admiring the snake tattoo, Santa of course couldn’t help admiring the leg it was inked onto in the process. Both of his legs in fact. They were huge! But not in the fat way that they were before. No. Now they were thick and powerful with pure masculinity. He felt as though he could squat a damn mountain! Just every part of this body made him feel invincible to the point where he found himself wondering yet again why the hell he hadn’t done this sooner!?

Once he was finished admiring his thick new trunks, Santa knew he had to check out the ass. He did his best to look over his shoulder and he could just about catch a glimpse of the round muscle ass he now carried on his backside. He couldn’t help himself. Before Santa even knew it, both his hands slithered towards his backside before latching onto his bubbly cheeks. Once again having a big ass wasn’t anything new to him but just like everything else, now it was large in a different way that was so much more satisfying. Santa just couldn’t stop himself from placing each hand below one cheeks before jiggling his ass. Feeling the muscle wobble behind him had to have been one of the most erotic things he’d felt in a long time. So much so that it looked as though his cock was going to burst out of his underwear at any second with how stiff it was!

He couldn’t ignore it any longer. This new cock was begging for his attention. Demanding it even. And who was he to ignore it’s call. And so rather than pulling off his underwear, in a moment of horniness, Santa uses his newfound strength to rip a hole in the front of them instead and doing so only turned him on even more. A youthful cock bucking and leaking as it was finally set free from his prison. And with a face full of pure lust, Santa gripped his stolen cock with an iron grip and started stroking it intensely.

“Mmmmm… soooo haaarrrdddd! Soooo haarrrrddddd!!!” Santa moaned using Brett’s deep tone as he was consumed by desire. He hadn’t had an erection this stiff in centuries. It felt so incredible to the point where the lust itself was driving him mad!and it certainly didn’t help that this body hadn’t nutted in months over the time that Brett had been unconscious. These new bull nuts of his were practically begging to blow his seed everywhere.

He was so horny. So god damn horny. The more he stoked, the harder it was to think about anything but his dick. “Gotta cum! Gotta cum!” He would start to groan. It was like his cock had taken over his mind and all he wanted now was to unload his balls. So much so that he’d begun jerking his dick with an incredibly fiery passion. All the while literally everything from the feeling of his muscular body to the sound of his new voice only continued to ramp his horniness up further and further .

Naturally it wasn’t long before he could feel himself starting to get close. But as he did his body reacted on its own. Instead of continuing to jerk his cock normally, Santa leapt onto the bed and immediately began humping his bed sheets. Rubbing his cock aggressively against the sheets as if he were fucking something. His thick muscle ass rising up and down with every thrust while his moans only grew needier. And just as his body was on autopilot, his mind was as well as he started to imagine his head scientist Venix on the bed below him. The small yet hairy little elf took the pounding of a lifetime as Santa stuffed his fat new cock inside the elf’s hole. God it was so hot as he thought of Venix’s cry’s of pleasure mixing with his own. It was sending him into a tailspin! At this rate he was gonna-

“UGH! UGHHH! UUGHHHHHHHHhuuuuuuuu…” Santa found himself clenching his new muscle ass while shooting what was probably the fattest load of his life all over the bed sheets below, splattering them in his thick jock seed. And it just wouldn’t stop. His dick was like a broken faucet that couldn’t stop leaking. Every time he thought it was over, his body would clench again and another rope of cum would shoot from his cock. It wasn’t until the bed below him seemed nearly drenched in cum did it finally seem to stop.

With that the hunk let himself drop limp onto the bed despite dampness. “Holy… that was… incredible.” Santa was at last able to say as his mind cleared again. After which he simply just smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest in the puddle of his own cum for a while.

Buuuut his rest didn’t last long. After all that Santa knew he was gonna need a nice long shower to clean up and he couldn’t have been more excited to lather up this new form with soap. And so he hopped off the bed yet again with ease with his cock still bouncing eagerly between his legs. Somehow after all of that it was already hard again! It was unreal but Santa certainly wasn’t complaining as he reached down and grabbed his still dripping before smacking it against his other hand a few times. “God it feels good to be young and hung.”

Santa quickly swiped up another pair of grey boxer briefs he had ready to go for once he’d taken this body and began pulling them on. He didn’t need to really but he was just curious to see if they actually fit him now. After awkwardly tucking his erection into the front, they fit pretty well. He loved how the tight fit showed off not only his bulge but his ass so damn well also. Following this however he immediately got to work pulling off his sheets and stripping it all down so it was ready to be washed.

Once that was taken care of however, Santa stepped foot in the bathroom and finally caught sight of his reflection. Somehow he’d managed to miss almost every mirror on his way home but now as he stood before his own bathroom mirror, he could finally see what he was working with reflected back at him. Instead of the flabby figure this mirror had grown accustomed to showing every day, now it showed something far superior. A jock. A hunk. A hot fucking meathead. But it wasn’t just his body, it was his face.

Seeing that handsome face in the mirror was both jarring and at the same time the most incredible thing Santa could’ve imagined. Seeing every feature move under his own accord. Every blink, every twitch. All of it was him. Even after all that it was still hard to believe and his brain was still trying to catch up. Despite that he found himself reaching up and running his fingers gently across his new features. Inspecting them all so carefully. Running a hand softly through his thick brown hair before bringing it down to rub through his short new beard. Feeling how smooth his young new skin felt in comparison to the wrinkles he’d known for so long. Even simply finding wonder in the fact that things such as his nose were a different size and shape compared to before. It was all these little details rolled into one that made the whole experience so extraordinary.

He must've stood in front of the mirror for nearly an hour as he admired both his face and body. And half of that time was spent with his back to the mirror so he could stare at the reflection of his jock butt. It was addictive. And the whole time his cock was pressing angrily against his underwear once again. He’d really have to find a way to keep that thing under control otherwise it was gonna be hard to even leave the house without the elves all locking eyes with his crotch whenever he went anywhere.

“Well. Suppose I should actually get on with things.” He thought to himself with a sigh as he took one last look in the mirror before kicking off the new underwear once more. And with that he grinned as he flipped on the shower and stepped under the steaming water and allowed it to cascade down his body and cock. With how his monstrous member was already bucking at him again, Santa had a feeling he probably wouldn’t be stepping out of the shower again until he’d busted another nut…

———

Almost six months had passed since Santa had stolen Brett’s body. It was December 23rd and Christmas was right around the corner. Usually at this time of the year the elves had already finished making all their toys and they’d all be celebrating alongside Santa with a huge buffet meal. But this year things were a little different.

Brett, in Santa’s original body, was present at the buffet and digging in just as Santa usually would. The real Santa on the other had only stayed for a while to celebrate and eat his healthy prepped food but eventually he had to leave so he could get his last Pre-Christmas workout in.

Even since before the swap, Santa had been getting a gym built out of preparation. It was a little side project he had going on while the swapping machine was being constructed. That said ever since the swap he’s been making incredible use of it. He’d been going in there at least 6 times a week religiously which hadn’t been too difficult thanks to the routine his new body already had installed into it. The workouts themselves however were a little rough to begin with. He did better than expected thanks to muscle memory but he still needed to do a lot of research before he was performing at the same level Brett once was in the gym. But with how determined Santa was to keep this body as huge and jacked as possible, it wasn’t long before he was practically a pro in the gym. He was lifting weight like a beast and always pushing his muscles to their limits. And he loved every second! The feeling of it was invigorating to him now. So much so that he actually needed to force himself to take a day off most days but even then he’d usually end up doing some cardio in the form of jogging around the villa.

It was almost incredible how well he’d taken to fitness. It was the only thing he’d been worried about before the swap. Worried that he wouldn’t be able to keep up the intense routine that Brett did to forge this body. Worried that he’d end up getting lazy and lose all the muscle he was about to steal. But the result was the complete opposite. If anything he was pushing himself even further than Brett ever could with how much more free time he had in comparison. Just in the last couple of months he could swear he’s not only been able to maintain his jockish form but has even grown a tad bit bigger!

A small crowd of elves had even come to watch him workout which Santa didn’t mind in the slightest. If anything it just gave him a chance to show off just how fucking swole he was. He just adored seeing the shocked looks on their faces as he did multiple sets with weights that some of the elves wouldn’t even be able to move on their own. It only fuelled Santa’s cocky ego even further.

That was something a lot of eleven had begun to notice about their new leader. His ego. At the end of the day he was still incredibly kind and jolly but most had to admit that he wasn’t quite as humble as he was before. At least not when it came to his body. He never had any problems showing off his physique and flexing cockily for the elves just for them to shower him in praise. Even now as he wore his baggy Christmas get up that’d been resized to fit his new body, he still looked incredible!

Santa continued going through the motions of it all until finally his workout came to end. He racked up his weights and grabbed the fluffy red jacket he’d discarded part way through his session with a satisfied smile on his face as he made his way over to the pack of elves.

“Ahhhhhh… all ready for tomorrow night I think guys.” Santa commented while hitting a quick pose which was fast met with applause.

“Can’t wait for my first big night with this form. Can’t wait to see how much easier it’s going to be now.” He laughed. It was truly an exciting occasion. Sure he’d done his Christmas run hundreds of times but this year he could tell it was going to be truly special. More so than it’d been in a long time for him. But that wasn’t just because he’d be checking himself out on every reflective surface he saw while delivering presents. It was also because he had an amazing present of his own waiting for him when he got home…

After that first day in this new body when he’d fantasied about fucking Venix’s brains out, Santa hadn’t been able to help making subtle moves on the intelligent elf who’d lead the project that’d given him this body. Dropping hints every now and then that made the elf blush profusely until one day Santa couldn’t stop himself. Without thinking he grabbed Venix and pinned him against a wall with ease before pressing their bearded lips together. After that it wasn’t long before the two found a supply closet in the laboratory building and Santa used his new fat cock to resize Venix’s hole.

Ever since then Santa had been fucking Venix constantly to satiate his cock’s desire. So much so that Venix practically moved into Santa’s little house. The two never explicitly why they’d made this decision but most of the elves had a good idea given this new ‘young and hung’ version of Santa.

And so the plan was for Santa to arrive back home on Christmas morning and as soon as the festivities were over, he and Venix would be spending the rest of Christmas locked up in Santa’s bedroom as he filled the hairy elf to the brim with jock cum over and over until Santa was finally satisfied. He’d say it was going to be a Christmas to remember but chances were all he was gonna remember were the sounds of his fat bull balls smacking loudly against Venix’s ass in every which position…

Hope you all enjoyed this late Christmas Present from yours truly! Happy New Years to you all! 💜💜💜

#male body swap #male body theft #technology #old to young #identity theft #jock #permanent #muscle theft #meathead #christmas special

[ineedhaikyu]

Chapter Three

Summary: Inarizaki boys reacting to their manager admitting her crush on Karasuno’s ace, Asahi Azumane

Word Count: 1.9K

Warnings: Short fic but still fun to write. Atsumu is a little meanie in this but I still love him. He’s just a goofball sometimes. Some characters are a little OOC but I hope it’s okay for the sake of the story. A/N: Next post will be a headcanon about the Inarizaki vs Karasuno match because I’m not great at writing action scenes. Hope you still enjoy it. Happy reading!

~

“I think… He’s the one.”

As the words left her lips, (Y/N) knew they were true. She genuinely felt a connection towards the opposing team’s ace. Never before had she felt this warm feeling at this level with anyone else like they were with Asahi. 

To all the boys before him, she did try to see if those feelings were hidden or at the very least present. In her eyes, every guy, minus the Miya twins, who tried to ask her out only showed her their best side. The side where they can take pride in, all the while hiding the side they didn’t want her to see. Obviously, she knew they had their reasons but every time she explained to them it was okay to have faults they didn’t want to listen. It was as if holding their macho pride took priority. 

Or how sometimes they didn’t see her as more than a girl with a pretty face. She hated guys like that. Unlucky Schmuck #3 was the very definition of a shallow person. He was the captain and ace of the basketball team who’s only real interest in her was her chest size and boosting his popularity. When she declined him, he became upset and dared to ask a question that solidified her decision was the right choice: Why wouldn’t you go out with me?! I’m the ace! 

Those were just some of the reasons why she liked Asahi. He was honest with his feelings. He’s brave enough to admit his faults and maintain so humble while carrying the title of ace. His presence was so comforting and soothing. Like a warm ray of sunshine breaking over the horizon. 

“Aww, look at her.” Atsumu teased, his fingers pinching her cheek. “Our manager-senpai is in love. Who would have thought?”

(Y/N) smirked, her hand making its way to pinch Atsumu’s cheek. “What? You thought I was going to stay single forever?”

“Ack! No! Of course not…” The setter said unconvincingly, his eyes gleaming in mischief. “Ow! Quit hurting me!”

She pinched his cheek one final time before letting go. “But really, Asahi is a sweet guy.”

“Oh yeah, he looks really lovable.” Osamu peered over her shoulder to look at Karasuno’s ace. “You do know we’re not going to go easy on them just because you like him, right?”

“Like hell we are!” Atsumu exclaimed as he crossed his arms. “I got to show that Goody-Two Shoes a lesson about setting.”

(Y/N)’s jaw dropped and mocked a hurt expression on her face. “I wouldn’t ask you guys to do that. Everyone worked hard to get here. Nationals isn’t the place to take it easy.” 

Suna fixed his jersey into his shorts. “So… When’s the first date?”

“He’s not her boyfriend!” The twins interrupted in unison.

“Geez, announce it to the whole stadium, why don’t you? Maybe I should get the announcer’s microphone to help.” (Y/N) said, her words dripping in sarcasm.

The middle blocker smirked at his manager’s quick retort before returning to his previous question, “That being said, will there be a date?”

“No way.” Osamu cuts in. “It’s too soon. They barely met yesterday.”

“And our senpai only deserves the best. Not some nameless ace from a forgotten powerhouse.” Atsumu huffed as he crossed his arms.

“This is why you’re the evil twin.”

“What?!” 

“That’s true.”

“Shut up, Suna!”

(Y/N) smiled at the second-years. They always made her day a bit more interesting since they first met. But sometimes, they can be a bit much. Especially before matches. 

“As much as I love you guys being protective and all, I can make my own choices. I’m not the type of girl that would fall for any guy.”

“That’s true.” Suna jutted out a thumb at the twins. “You were smart enough to dodge these two.” 

“Hey!” They yelled, glaring at the smirking middle blocker.

“Oh, they’re not that bad. Anyone would be lucky to have them as their boyfriend.” (Y/N) began as she patted both twin’s backs. Her words seeped into the brothers’ core as they puffed out their chest in pride. Until she spoke, “But they’re still idiots.”

Once the idiot remark registered in their brains, the twins quickly reacted while Suna cracked another grin. 

“How could you say that, (Y/N)-san?!” 

“He’s more of an idiot than I am!”

“Oi! At least I don’t steal her food when she’s not looking!”

“So? She says she doesn’t mind.”

As Atsumu and Osamu continued to argue, the manager and the middle blocker watched from the sidelines. With the twins now moving on to personal insults, the rest of the team decided to join the watch party.

“Why are they fighting?” Akagi, the libero, asked as he and Omimi walked up to her.

“I call them idiots.” (Y/N) simply stated with a smile on her lips. “Now they’re trying to prove who’s the bigger idiot.”

“The fight could go on forever.” Omimi’s deep voice pointed out but made no effort to stop them.

“You didn’t answer my question, (Y/N)-san.” Suna whispered. “Is there a date with you and that Karasuno guy in the future?”

She smiled at him as she could see the care in Suna’s eyes and hear the amount of worry that laced his words. Her mind couldn’t help but wonder on what would happen if she and Asahi were to go on a date. If he were to ask her out, she undoubtedly would say yes but there’s that small voice of doubt that would say: This is too good to be true. So much so that it has to be a dream…

“I don’t know, Suna. I think it’s too soon to tell.” (Y/N) took the chance to look at Asahi across the gym. His back was towards her but it was as though he could sense her eyes on him as he turned around. His eyes locked with hers and once again she felt herself get goosebumps. “I guess we’ll see.”

Suna narrowed his eyes at his manager. During the two years he’s known (Y/N), he has never seen her like this before with a guy. While this Asahi guy looks… Suspicious to say the least, if he can make her happy then that’s fine by him.

“Take it from me, (Y/N)-senpai, when a guy likes a girl, he makes the effort to get to know her… Those moments with her… Will mean a lot to him. If you feel the same way as he does, don’t be scared. Go for it and see where the relationship takes you one step at a time.”

Out of any of the players on their team, Suna was the last person she would suspect of giving out meaningful relationship advice. Though, she couldn’t say it completely surprised her. The middle blocker has always been the observant type. 

She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, Suna. I needed to hear that.”

“No problem. Guess my sister’s girly magazines do work, huh?”

(Y/N) gasped before playfully punching him. “And here I was thinking you’re my favorite second-year.”

“I still am.” Suna chuckled. “But whatever happens, I hope your boyfriend knows how lucky he is to catch your eye.”

“Aww Suna… You care for me.”

“The whole team cares for you.”

With that being said and done, the middle blocker left and (Y/N) smiled as his words were true. 

The first-years, though nervous, would always help her with trivial chores. The second-years never failed to bring any silly shenanigans to the table but she had to admire their dedication to the sport. Finally, her fellow third-years, the ones that have been by her side since the very first practice, have given her a high school experience that she’ll remember fondly. Despite their motto saying that they didn’t need the memories, (Y/N) will always cherish the moments she spent with the Inarizaki volleyball team.

“(Y/N)-san.”

“Hey, Aran. Oh, Kita-san, you’re done with the interview? How did it go?”

Kita unzipped his maroon jacket before he spoke, “It went well. How are things here?”

“Besides the twins arguing.” Aran laughed. 

The trio of third years walked to the nearby bench where two black jerseys, #1 and #4, were placed. 

“Everything is ready to go.” (Y/N) answered as her two friends removed their normal shirts. She passed each of them their respective shirts. “And the twins are just… Extra motivated to play.”

“Oh?” Aran raised his eyebrows. “Any special reason why?”

“Well… There’s this guy I met yesterday…”

“WHO?!” The Inarizaki’s ace all but shouted, attracting the attention from everyone on the team. 

“Aran, lower your voice.” Kita instructed. 

But the ace only looked at his captain as if he was a crazy mental patient. “How can you be so calm, Kita? Did she tell you already?”

The silver-haired stoic captain shook his head. “(Y/N) didn’t tell me anything, but I can tell something was going on. I just didn’t know it was because of a guy.”

“Who is he? Do we know him?” Aran interrogated.

(Y/N) retold her story on how she met with Karasuno’s ace to her friends. The butterflies in her stomach revived once more when she was at the part of the story where she secretly gave Asahi her phone number. When she finished, she waited for their response.

Aran was the first to react. 

“Wow. I didn’t know you had it in you, (Y/N). This guy must be crazy good to impress you.”

“It’s not just that. You’ll see when you play against him.” (Y/N) told them as she fiddled with the zipper of her maroon jacket. “He’s not like anyone I’ve met.”

Kita smiled at her. The two of them have shared the same classes since the first day of high school so he knows that (Y/N) wouldn’t fall for any guy, no matter how persuasive or charming he can be. But it seems this Asahi guy wasn’t like that at all. In fact, he sounded like the complete opposite a girl would go for… At least, that’s what he assumes. But he wasn’t going to question his manager’s choice. Like (Y/N) said, he’ll see for himself what Karasuno’s ace is like. 

“I trust you, (Y/N).” 

“Yeah, me too, (Y/N).” Aran joined. “I can’t wait to see what this guy is made of.”

Before she could even utter a word, Coach Kurosu announced it was time. Everyone quickly huddled together for their usual pep talk. (Y/N) took a quick head count before gathering her stuff. When she came back, everyone looked more determined than ever. 

“What’s-”

“Alright! Let’s go show Karasuno what Nationals is all about! Let’s go win this!” Aran shouted.

“Yeah!” Everyone shouted back.

“And show that their ace is out of his league to flirt with (Y/N)-senpai!” Atsumu added.

“YEAH!!!” 

If she didn’t have her hands full, (Y/N) would have facepalmed at her teammates’ method of a pep talk. It would have been considered embarrassing if it wasn’t so endearing to see how much they cared for her. Besides, she’s never seen them so determined like this before.

As they walked towards the main gym, she brought Kita aside and asked, “Was what Atsumu said really necessary?”

“It worked didn’t it?”

(Y/N) sighed but smiled. Her heart was beating in excitement as the main gym’s lights shined over them. Her ears were ringing when she heard the loud cheers.

“May the best team win.”

‘Good luck, Asahi.’

~

“Hey, Daichi. Is it just me or am I being glared at by everyone on the other team?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Asahi. You’re probably imagining it.”

#haikyu x reader #asahi azumane x reader #asahi fluff #asahi x reader #haikyu fluff #haikyuu #asahi x you #haikyu #haikyu imagines #haikyuu x reader #Inarizaki #Atsumu #Osamu #Miya Twins #Suna #Kita #Aran

[wordy-little-witch]

Nonbinary Buggy Hours lezzgo

• Fairly early on, Buggy got the whole "I don't fit in" vibe but chalked it up to Being On A Crew Of Monsters. It's only after Oden and later Toki join that things begin piecing together - I'm dropping some cultural blending here but Wano for whatever reason has WILD mixed bag energy as far as folk tales go. Roger has some flavor of UK Energy, Rayleigh has old English vibes, etc etc. Buggy and Shanks got old seamen's tales as bedtime stories, shanties as lullabies, but the crew also would share children's stories and folk tales from THEIR youths as well. Some of them had mystical aspects as well and there were some fun stories with the fair folk or spirits and shape-shifting. Buggy loved those the most.

• Toki joining the crew led to some quick acclimation, but Buggy was hesitant - she was New and Unknown and so a Danger. But Toki was just.... so sweet about it all. Buggy went from I Don't Trust You At All to That's My Auntie within maybe a month. Complete night and day.

• Bugs' First Forray Into Makeup was via Toki. They do silly Self Care Evenings and include the babies and Oden is SO SMITTEN and Roger is DYING for a camera. ((Shanks is dying for other reasons, much to nearly everyone's amusement, poor kid)).

• Buggy's first instance of being Not A Boy was a result of a silly trick/prank done by the crew on Fishman Island. Some really fancy restaurant had a Mermaids Eat Free event going on so they decide to dress the kids up as mermaids - Shanks is down for the funnies, and is laughing and bright eyed and finding humor in it. Buggy is prickly and snarky and sassy the whole time until he saw himself in the mirror. He went... alarmingly quiet.

- Buggy was frankly stunned because the mer-species they went with was a clownfish, something he was absolutely LIVID about, but the orange complemented his skin and hair so beautifully. The orange, white and black hair pin holding his hair was a wonderful pop of color. The black eye liner made his eyes pop, the bronze-peach lip gloss was stunning and....

They felt so wonderful. So beautiful. So Free.

• Buggy wears orange a lot after that.

• when Buggy hesitantly asks Rayleigh and Roger if genders can be different in real life, Rayleigh is confused, Roger cackles- Buggy's scared for a moment until Roger point blank says "oh, it can be whatever you want it to, baby blue! We're pirates - who cares for allowance?" Then the captain gives that smile, the soft one, the one only those deemed His got to see, the one that peeled back layers of a person and saw to their cores, and asks, "Is there something you want to tell us, squirt?"

"I'm... not a boy."

"Okay. Are you a girl, then?"

"I don't think so."

"Alright! Ye' still want to go by Buggy?"

"Mmhmm."

"Alrighty then! You just let me know if anything comes up that you want to tell me, alright, baby bug?"

"Okay. Thanks, Captain!"

• yes, when Buggy leaves, Roger wails. Yes, Rayleigh gives a long suffering sigh and pays his back. And yes, Roger is crying hecausr that happy smile of Buggy's was simply "too cute, my heart! It's melting!! I'm a pirate puddle!!!"

• Buggy, with the room to experiment safely and explore, finally settles on nonbinary, neither gender really all that interesting, but pronouns don't matter either. Presentation is all about Presentation (<MegaMind Voice)

• Shanks calls Buggy his Clown Wife and Buggy refuses to admit to blushing every time it happens. He also drops lines like "I miss my clown wife" while sipping a bottle of rum and staring forlorn at the sea.

• Shanks also has The Range and will unashamedly be like "I don't understand people who say their wife is a bitch and they hate them.... my wife is a bitch and I like him SO MUCH!!!!"

• Luffy and Buggy: Enby to enby communication. Autism to autism antagonist.

• Buggy's crew BTW knows that their captain is simply Their Captain, pronouns your/majesty (/j), and nobody cares beyond the mild worry that a femme presenting Buggy will accidentally seduce another high ranked naval officer because somehow that ALWAYS HAPPENS. And the Navy is the MILDER concern. They're so stressed.

• lowkey considered clowncore meets punk bc I feel like Buggy would be. Scrumptious. Like that. Colors and patterns and leather and lace and studs and smiles and just - hhhhhhhh niche interest leave me aloooone-

• speaking of niche, I really love the idea of the Buggy pirates all having a passing knowledge of both circus acts and management, leading to random bouts of.... really smart insight. Like. Some outsider or newcomer is like "damn this right here is a Problem" and some average joe lookin ass in harlequin diamond patterned tights somersaults over, drops a nugget of wisdom and fucking absconds. Let The Circus Bastards Be Weird, I Love Them They Deserve It.

• also the crew drinks Respect Women Juice no I don't make the rules but I DO enforce them. They drink Respect Everyone Juice but women are simply the biggest of the recipients of the regard. Sex, color, religion, abled-ness, gender, sexuality - none of that matters. Everyone us equal. The buggy pirates support equal rights and equals lefts.

• Crocodile and Mihawk did NOT receive the memo at the beginning which led to some very wild miscommunications but it was resolved when it was revealed that Mihawk is just Like That To Everyone and Crocodile didn't even realize Kimi-san from the marketing department was a girl when he went off on her. Mihawk, when asked about his treatment of others, just owl blinked and made a vaguely threatening comment on how women, men, he didn't care, they all get cut the same. Crocodile just took a puff of his cigar with a monumental 'what the fuck' face. "I would say the same things to a man, a person, a woman, both, neither, I literally could not be paid to care about someone's crotch configuration or identity what the hell."

• Buggy wears a dress for the first time in Cross Guild's creation, and Crocodile breaks a fountain pen while Mihawk carefully sets his wine glass down hopes nobody notices the hairline fractures. Buggy is oblivious, as they tend to be.

• after some awkward half assed roundabout questioning, Mihawk and Crocodile just..... casually drop some dresses into Buggy's care or room, wordless and embarrassed but also lowkey threatening. Buggy is terrified until he realizes that some math isn't mathing and just asks. He's pretty decent at reading between the lines (#weaponizing-the-anxiety), and the first conclusion is wayyyyy off but the second conclusion causes clown.exe to crash HARD, to Alvida's delight and Galdino's suffering, but at least the nail polish is dry and the wine is good.

• it becomes a bit of a THING once the polycule is running, a subtle display of possessiveness. Collars don't really Work on Buggy, though he lowkey wishes they did, so this is a very good followup alternative

• Crocodile really likes putting Buggy in coordinated colors with his outfit or crisscross patterns both because Possessive and Claim but also because Buggy looks mouthwatering in it. Mihawk has much the same response for deep jewel tones, black and lace. Buggy adores the attention and the heated gazes, the little minx.

• there's precious little that really irks Buggy all in all, and she really does play the "am I man,am I a woman? No I'm a PYROMANIAC BURN BABY BURNNN-" card very well, good for them.

Incorrect quotes time

Alvida: as the crew's lady-

Buggy: hAH-

Alvida: I said lady, Buggy, ladies have CLASS, smth you LACK-

Buggy: oh okay fair carry on.

<><><><>

Boa: why are you not STONE?!

Buggy: I mean... you're cute but I really don't do girls, miss ma'am.

Boa: what

Buggy: also any aesthetic appreciation is drowned by the gender envy

Boa: wHaT?

<><><><><>

Buggy: I'm gay

Mohji: oh em gee what a shocker

Buggy: >:o0 rude!!!!!

Mohji: how is that rude, it's an astute observation-!!!!

<><><><><>

Rando: what are you

Buggy: I'm captain Buggy

Rano: no, what are you

Buggy: oh uh the flashy fool, genius jester, Buggy the Clown-

Rando: ugh, no, I mean what's in your pants!!

Buggy: Ohhh! Knives.

Rando: wha- OHGOD-!

Buggy, now holding bloodied knives: :3 teehee

<><><><><><>

Mihawk: stop calling me transphobic, I just told you to brush your teeth before I kissed you.

Crocodile, incredibly, blackout, shitfaced drunk: sad reptile sounds

Buggy, across the room, removing her makeup: I dunno, Hawky, sounds pretty transphobic to me~

Mihawk: I'm going to kill everyone in this room and then myself.

<><><><><><>

Buggy: I identify as a THREAT.

Croc, patting his lap without looking up, settling his hook around Buggy's waist when he settles on his lap obediently, smirks: a threat to my peace, absolutely.

<><><><><><>

Buggy: sometimes I wish I was a big tittied goth girlfriend, you know?

Mihawk, holding the remains of his garden sheers that he just crushed bare handed: do you ever think before you speak

Buggy: no why

<><><><><><>

Iva: you want me to what

Buggy: put the gender juice in the jars so I can take em like shots.

Iva:

Buggy:

Iva: genius idea, darling, I like your style

<><><><><><><>

Rouge: Buggy, sweetie, quick question.

Buggy: what's up, mama?

Rouge, hand on her swollen belly: do you wanna be Buggy-nii, Buggy-nee, or something else?

Buggy:

Rouge:

Buggy:

Rouge: oh don't cry-

#lsst one was self indulgence #i love portgas d rouge #buggy the clown #nonbinary buggy!!!! #buggy headcanons #one piece #cross guild polycule #shuggy (romantic) #buggy is wife coded

[zuyoo]

s-ecret. yūta x afab!reader, ﹙외설﹚ drabble

CONTENT WARNING — college setting, suggestive content & images, mdni! 17+ content below.

SYNOPSIS — wherein the classroom’s good boy, okkotsu yūta, finds out the quiet girl’s secret… your secret.

ZUYOO’S NOTES — not proofread, ignore timestamps, enjoy reading my loves <3 click the “s” in s-ecret to see the masterlist!!

yūta was known for being the classroom’s good boy, the purest person in the room. and you were—not known. at all? maybe. but you liked it that way.

you aren’t known; in a nice way. they see you, greet you whenever they get a chance, then go back to whatever it is that they were doing. you could say that you were lucky with your classmates.

yūta is a class representative, so he’s one of the few that greets you by the door. he’s also the one in charge of knowing his classmates’ whereabouts.

at the beginning of the year, you attempted to skip class—but to no avail when yūta found you coincidentally when you were about to leave. he thought you were lost and offered to lead you back to the classroom, and you had no choice but to oblige.

yūta is usually the one that helps you in general. like that one time where you dropped your bag and caused tons of your items to scatter all over the place. students from other classes just stared at you as you picked up your items, but yūta didn’t hesitate to give you a hand when he saw a glimpse of the scene. he usually tutors you as well, in classes that you don’t do well in.

still, you get stares and whispers on a daily basis, it’s not like you could avoid it when you look like a typical nerd from a western high school movie. thick glasses, hair always tied, carrying books everywhere, no friends… plus, you may look like a typical nerd but you’re actually pretty dumb to be considered a one. since it is just a persona you present in public— so yeah, there will definitely be no escaping from gossip of how you look miserable and lonely.

though, they’re right. it does get lonely sometimes, which is probably the reason why you kept interacting with people… in social media, that is. your classmates? bearable. people from other classes? absolutely not. they don’t deserve a second of your time.

but why social media? were you seeking for attention? validation? no, not really. more like—ego, of some sort. the feeling of posting yourself and getting a boatload of compliments is so… accomplishing.

you can confidently post yourself all over social media and it wouldn’t matter… because nobody knew that it was you. and it makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. though, it could get in your head sometimes—decided, it would be better to simply stay friendless in real life. and so you continued to hide behind your quiet nerd girl persona.

your attitude and looks in social media compared to the persona you present to everyone in real life are immaculately contradictory. which made you feel confident that not a soul would know that you’re just another girl in the internet, selling herself for a mere ego boost. but oh, were you so wrong.

and as if the soul leaving your body was suddenly sucked back in, you snapped out of the trance you were in and froze.

how did he know? did someone find out? or did i just mishear him say it?

you panicked while keeping a straight face, but your facade faltered, then and there, when he continued to speak.

what does he want? how can i assure that his mouth is kept shut? this was only supposed to be a tutor session… how did it turn to this direction?

there was a train of thought running through your mind, but yūta was quick to change the subject back into the previous topic you were discussing before he dropped the massive bomb you’ve been trying to hide.

so quick-witted. impressive… and scary.

yūta okkotsu may be called the most innocent person in the room, but not even a single person in that room can read him. always a step ahead of everyone and is humble about it that everyone simply forgot that he was a genius. he was far too knowledgeable to be pure.

he used your weakness to simply gain your attention. which then makes you question, what else are you capable of, yūta okkotsu?

cont.

—rbs & comments r highly appreciated!!

© zuyoo — do not copy, plagiarize, or translate my work without my permission. i only upload my work in tumblr.

#zuyoo ౨ৎ #workzuyoo ౨ৎ #s-triology ౨ৎ #jjk #jjk okkotsu #jjk smut #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jujutsu okkotsu #jujutsu kaisen smut #jujutsu kaisen #jujustsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu yuta #yuuta okkotsu x you #yuuta okkotsu smut #yuuta okkotsu x reader #okkotsu yuta #yuta okkotsu #yuta smut #yuta okkotsu smut #yuuta smut #okkotsu yuuta #yuuta x reader #jjk yuuta #yuuta x you #jujutsu kaisen yuuta #yūta okkotsu #yūta #jujutsu kaisen okkotsu #okkotsu smut

[naranjapetrificada]

Izzy becomes a "real boy"

So obviously I haven't been able to shut up about the way Izzy has been written in season 2 and I stand by my disappointment and criticism, even knowing that the writers were given a herculean task of cramming 10 pounds of season into an 8 pound bag. Even knowing that, his "arc" such as it is has felt very off to a lot of people, present company included. I'm a cogitator at heart (thanks AuDHD!) and that can turn "make it make sense" into a prime directive sometimes. So here I am, trying once again.

I felt a particular way about Izzy after the end of season 1, which I would describe as "not especially strongly" because I primarily saw his character as a storytelling tool/useful foil more than anything else. But his presence and characterization in season 2 have been haunting me this time and not in a good way, because I've spent this season trying and failing to make it make sense. But something just occurred to me that I hope I can explain in a coherent way:

If season 1 Izzy was more a storytelling tool than anything else, maybe season 2 was an attempt to turn the puppet into a Real Boy. And if so, maybe things did not go as planned.

There are so, so many good posts going into the things that don't work about how Izzy has been handled this season, to the point that I'm not gonna try reinventing the wheel. Some of the reasons it hasn't worked for some of us include:

Much of his alleged growth apparently happening offscreen, most likely due to the reduced budget and episode count.

The lack of connective tissue between many of his scenes, some of which can be attributed to the previous point about corporate fuckery but other parts of which are hard to explain beyond "idk I guess the writers felt like it?"

The unfortunate connotations of sidelining nonwhite characters like Jim, who was the only character beyond the central pair to receive a detailed backstory, flashbacks, and a multi-episode character arc

The unchecked racialized comments he gets to drop about Edward (calling him a "wild dog" or seemingly mixing him up with Roach) that in season 1, would have resulted in violent retribution as a sign of the story's disapproval

The lines we get from Izzy that feel like they should have been said by other characters, and maybe that would have been based on the expectations of the show that we left season 1 with

The way it seems like Izzy's suffering is being used as a stand-in for actual moments of reflection or atonement, which is a pretty fucked up dynamic to set up as precursor to redemption

The way Izzy now gets to partake in the very behaviors he denigrated in Ed last season, which would be a cool and moving character beat if there was a single, solitary narrative acknowledgement in the harm caused by his treatment of Ed in s1e10. Ditto for him apparently just being cool with shit that once would have been his worst nightmare.

The fact that so many of these issues could have been addressed in a quick throwaway line or two that showed that the narrative understood what was wrong to reassure us all because by definition if a character is getting a redemption arc, it's because they did something wrong, right?

There's plenty more of course, but that's not why I made this post. I made this post because regardless of why the decision was made to handle Izzy this way this season, the attempt was made to flesh him out in ways that his role last season may not have been initially written for. Con's performance and certain production choices hinted at a depth to his character that may or may not have been on the page, but helped make for a pretty interesting season 1 antagonist.

For season 2 they decided to make Izzy a real boy, but the combination of a reduced budget, a lower episode count, and whatever creative darlings they couldn't seem to kill in order to give us more development of his transformation made sticking the landing impossible because we're lacking certain elements for basic comprehension.

Imagine you know almost nothing of the story of Pinocchio and someone starts up the Disney movie version of it for you but it's a weirdly edited version of it. There's no narration from Jiminy Cricket, mostly because there's no Jiminy Cricket at all. We see Geppetto crafting a wooden puppet, but not the part where he wishes for him to be a real boy, which makes it kinda weird to then see the part where the fairy brings him to life and says he can become a real boy but okay, let's go with it.

Now let's say the one thing you've always heard about the story is that Pinocchio's nose grows when he lies. So we get to the scene where he lies to the fairy but for whatever reason, his nose doesn't grow. No one comments on the inconsistency, and when you mention the nose thing all anyone wants to talk about is how great Pinocchio's nose looks.

Then Pinocchio goes to Pleasure Island and while the animation and acting seem great as usual, and the language of cinema appears to be setting up something dark on the horizon. Then Pinocchio's new friend Lampwick starts transforming into a donkey, this random well-dressed cricket shows up to admonish Pinocchio, and our puppet friend is randomly immune to the thing turning other kids into donkeys. No one comments on that either. Maybe Pinocchio even gloats about it a little, which seems like a weird storytelling decision that merits a follow up discussion later.

And I guess this is the part of this over-extended metaphor where you remember you have somewhere to be but you'll finish the film later, because as an audience we won't know how things shake out for season 2 Izzy until the finale. Presumably we'll still get the scene where he magically turns into a real boy, but there isn't exactly time for anything else like all that stuff with the whale. Maybe the real boy scene will happen, but for whatever reason the animator kept drawing him like the wooden puppet and every time you point it out no one will take you seriously.

Wouldn't that be a weird thing to experience?

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd s2 #ofmd meta #izzy hands #izzy critical #not really critical but that tag is useful for people's filters #ofmd season 2 #ofmd spoilers #ofmd season 2 spoilers #our flag means death spoilers #tbh I don't even understand how Izzy fans feel good about his arc #if this happened to a secondary character I loved I would be pretty upset

[burbur-49]

Ok so for a request could you do one (141 and ghost band crossover) where the reader is a ghoul but is part of 141 and they ask to see there family and the reader is really awkward and secretive about it untill they kinda are just like “fuck it”

I had a lot of fun writing this! Here ya go.

Price knows you’re different, different in a good, scary way. Good because your senses are heightened, bad because it scares him how good your senses are. You greet him right as he enters the room before you look at him, you can smell/taste specific ingredients in food from just one bite/the aroma. What scares him the most is how quickly you recover from surgeries and wounds. He’s seen you get near-fatal wounds and be A-ok within the next week.

You always have two weeks off a year (minus holidays) for your heats. You either always go home, but if you can't, you just hole yourself up in your room. The 141 doesn’t know why, the last time they tried, they were met with a door that wouldn’t open no matter what, not even if they took off the door knob (Johnny needed you to show him how to make a cake. Simon was mad at him). That’s until now. Before you could request the time off, a few new recruits snatched it up before you could go to Price and ask for it off.

It’s hell being on base, in heat, unable to take care of yourself or be taken care of. You tried begging Price for the time off, but when he asked the reason you needed it so bad, you came up blank. You can’t tell him that you’re so horny you can’t work, he’ll look at you like you’re an idiot. You can’t tell him that you can’t work because you’re from Hell and need your mates to ‘breed’ you so you can calm down, he’ll look at you like you’re insane. So you just choose to drop it and do your best to keep the ache between your legs from distracting you from working.

The boys notice the lower quality in your work. They notice your very frequent bathroom breaks, how quick you are to run to your room during free time, how reactive you are to the slightest touch, everything. So one day, halfway through your heat, the boys corner you and demand answers. You freeze at their demands, knowing you could either lie and say you’re sick or tell them the truth. You can’t come up with a proper lie, so instead of telling them the truth, you show them.

Your sudden transformation shocks them, but what shocks them more are the two pointed horns on top of your head, long pointed ears, a long tail swaying behind you, and light gray skin. Their jaws drop. Now with your true self fully exposed, you decide that you’re not going to hold back, and you’re just going to tell them the truth.

“Bloody hell… What are-” 

“I’m a ghoul. Well, to you, I probably look like a demon, which isn’t far off, but not the same.” You effectively cut off Kyle, “I’ve been so shitty at doing work related things because I’m in heat.”

“Heat? Like an animal?” Simon asks, the skepticism present in his voice.

“Yes,” You sigh, “Like an animal.”

Johnny laughs a bit too hard before adding, “So yer so horny ye can’t work?”

“Unholy Satan…” You mutter as you pinch the bridge of your nose, “Yes, Johnny, that’s basically it. So horny, I can’t work.”

“So this is why you needed these two weeks off.” Price realizes.

“So ye jus’ need someone to fuck ya?” Simon elbows Johnny in the ribs for that remark. Breathlessly, Johnny adds, “We can help ye.” Yet another elbow to the ribs.

“No, you can’t. There are others like me who I go to for help. My pack.” You say bluntly.

“And where is this ‘pack’ of yours?” Price asks curiously.

“In Sweden.”

“Sweden?!” Kyle and Johnny exclaim astonished.

“Yes, Sweden.”

“So you’re telling me that you’re a ghoul, your family are ghouls, and you’re from Sweden?” Simon asks, still skeptical.

“Yes, I’m not lying. The horns, tail, all of its real, the whole shebang.” Shivers start to crawl up your spine with the way they’re all staring at you, “Stop looking at them.” You suddenly snap, the bite in your voice surprising even you.

All four of the boys look at you with surprise, you’ve never once spoken like this to them. You turn around to try to hide yourself from them, now suddenly self-conscious about your non-human parts. Your tail is anxiously flicking behind you. Your tail catches Johnny’s attention, and Johnny touches your tail out of curiosity. The touch feels like a needle stabbing your tail, it’s not the touch of one of your mates. The touch on your tail makes you yelp and your tail smacks Johnny.

“Ow! Shite!” Johnny yelps in return to getting smacked.

Price sighs, “I feel we need to either get tickets for your partners to get here or a ticket for you to go home.”

“That would be appreciated…” You mumble, “Just a ticket for me… It’d be cheaper… Way cheaper…”

“Okay then.” Price replies.

Within the next day, you’re on a plane to Sweden… But not by yourself. Kyle, Simon, Johnny, and Price are there too. You guess they wanted to meet your mates. There’s only going to be one problem; the moment you step into the ministry, you’re going to be dragged to the ghoul den and locked in there until your heat is over. They’ll most likely be stuck talking to Copia or a Cardinal or something. Well, they’ll find out when they get there.

When the plane lands, you immediately go to get your things and the boys follow. You get into the uber you called and the boys are surprised when the car pulls into the parking lot of a deep gray church that has vines growing up the sides of the building. They’re even more surprised when they enter the lobby and see a bunch of siblings hustling about. The moment you're ten feet inside the building, a ghoul appears out of nowhere; Swiss. He wraps his arms around you and plants a kiss on your forehead.

“Mi Amor.” He purrs as he nuzzles his head against you. The 141 looks at you a bit strangely as many more ghouls appear and drag you off. Copia comes just in time to you getting dragged off and the four men looking so out of place and confused. Copia greets them and takes them on a tour of the ministry, everywhere but the ghoul den because you’re, uh, getting quite busy in there. Afterward, Copia explains what all happens at the ministry and where the guys will be staying while they visit. The boys are confused, but happy that they got to meet your family and now know the true you.

#whats in the burbur box #the band ghost #poly ghouls #ghost ghouls #ghouls x reader #task force 141 #simon ghost riley #kyle gaz garrick #john price #john soap mactavish

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

This story started with Guthláf, Théoden’s banner bearer. To carry a flag in war was (in LOTR and real life) very dangerous, and it got me thinking about the kind of person who would willingly take on that danger and why (see here for Guthláf’s answer). And then I got thinking about what it would be like to love that kind of person and have to watch them do something so brave and glorious and selfless but also so perilous. And that brought me to Wídfara.

Like Guthláf, Wídfara exists in canon for just a few sentences. He’s from the Wold. He’s intuitive about the weather. That’s it from Tolkien. But I do so love an obscure horse boy of Rohan, and two together is even better. Here they are in part 1 of 7, where our boys have their first meeting.

August, T.A. 3017

When he’d taken a third wrong turn in as many tries, Wídfara finally decided to ask someone on the street for help. Unfortunately, getting anyone in Edoras to stop to answer his questions proved even harder than finding his own way around the city. It wasn’t that people were unfriendly or unwilling to assist, but rather that they didn’t seem to even notice him as he tentatively raised a hand or stammered out the beginnings of a greeting. Everyone walked so quickly and with such a busy sense of purpose that they were invariably four steps past him already by the time he got his first few words out.

A quick glance up at the sun told him that he was going to be late if he didn’t get himself together soon, and the last thing he wanted was to make a poor impression on his very first day. He already had enough working against him – his simple country clothing, his thick rural accent, his obvious cluelessness in navigating his way around, all of which marked him clearly as an outsider – and he didn’t need his new éored thinking that he was careless or unreliable on top of everything else. He shifted his pack on his back, hastened his steps around another corner and felt a wash of relief at the sight of a garrison complex with the king’s banner flying in front.

An older man, clad to the waist in armor and standing with a rigid military bearing, waited on the front steps of the central building, just under the banner. His eyes scanned all the passersby, and when they landed on Wídfara they lit up with a spark of intuited recognition. The rigidity melted away in an instant, and he beckoned Wídfara over with a smile and a welcoming wave.

“I’m on the lookout for a new rider just in from the East-mark, and I would bet my horse that you’re him. And right on time, too. My name is Elfhelm.”

Wídfara dropped his pack and stood to attention. For all that he didn’t know about Edoras, he certainly knew the name of Elfhelm, the commander of the garrison and the functional First Marshal of the Mark any time the king himself wasn’t present. “Yes, Marshal. I just arrived in the city last night. My name is Wídfara, sir.”

Elfhelm’s bushy eyebrows shot upward at the distinctive heavy twang of Wídfara’s words. “The Third Marshal told me he was sending us a real country boy, and I see that he wasn’t exaggerating. Where exactly are you from, son?”

Elfhelm’s open, casual manner took Wídfara by surprise. Back home, his captain had been a rather grim man, one who never spoke an unnecessary word or showed his riders even a hint of his own personality, and Wídfara had expected the leaders of Edoras, some of the most powerful in the kingdom, to be even more stern. But yet again, it seemed, he simply had no understanding of how life in the capital actually worked. “I’m born and raised in the Wold, Marshal,” he answered. “My family has run herds out there for generations. It’s quite…” He glanced around at the bustling rush of people moving in and out of the collection of buildings around them. “It’s different from the city.”

Elfhelm nodded with a sympathetic smile. “Well, that’s certainly true. I imagine that Edoras can seem a little overwhelming at first to someone who’s spent his whole life in a place like the Wold. And an éored reordering is never easy on anyone. Saying goodbye to the people and places you’ve always known is a rough task.”

Wídfara swallowed hard on the lump that immediately formed in his throat. It had been less than a week since he’d been forced to say those goodbyes, gathered together with family and friends and brothers-in-arms out near his old post in the plains where the Limlight joined the Anduin. The Wold had never been a thickly populated area – the land was too unforgiving, the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the herdsmen too harsh – but as more and more families moved out of the grasslands and into the East-mark’s larger settlements and towns, an independent éored for the Wold had become increasingly unsustainable. No one had been particularly surprised when the reordering was announced, but it had been painful nonetheless and especially so for Wídfara. Because while his friends were reassigned to one of the three surrounding éoreds in the Eastemnet, all within a few hours ride of home, he had been singled out for transfer to Edoras, a place so foreign to him that it might as well have been Dunland or Rhûn.

His face seemed to betray some of his thoughts to Elfhelm, who put a large, comforting hand on Wídfara’s shoulder. “Change can be tough, son, but it also presents opportunity. And you’ve been given a golden one here. It’s not often that someone gets called up to the king’s éored – I can only remember one other time that it happened, and my memory stretches back longer than you’ve been alive. But your old captain was adamant that there isn’t a finer mounted bowman in all of Rohan and it would be a waste to just reassign you to yet another remote outpost. If you’re even half as good as the men of the East-mark claim, you can make a real name for yourself here.”

Wídfara felt his face grow hot, and he looked down at his feet. No one had told him how this transfer had come to be, and the thought of that dour, taciturn captain singing his praises to anyone was almost more than he could believe. And while he was proud of his own talent, he felt an instinctual urge to defend against the implication that the other riders of the Wold were any less skillful. “Everyone who grew up where I did learned early to shoot from a moving horse, sir,” he offered. “A herd will always attract wolves.”

Elfhelm chuckled. “That may be so, but your captain didn’t convince the Third Marshal of the Mark to send just any old herdsman to us. He picked you. Try to remember that.” A bell behind him tolled, and he glanced toward the door over his shoulder. “I need to get back to some other business, so we’d best get you on your way. You’ll be living in Barracks A with the other unmarried men of the company. You can drop your belongings there and then head over to the armorer to get everything you need. Training starts tomorrow at sunrise.”

“Thank you, Marshal.”

Elfhelm was already halfway out of sight before Wídfara realized that he had no idea how to find either Barracks A or the armorer. He considered calling after Elfhelm for help, but the marshal had indicated that he was busy and surely his other tasks were more important than giving basic directions to an ill-informed newcomer. Instead, he reshouldered his pack with a sigh, resigned to wandering the complex until chance took pity on him again, and he took a few hesitant steps toward his left.

“Other way, Wídfara!”

He looked up to see Elfhelm watching him from the doorway, one foot already inside and the door itself held open with his elbow. The older man laughed and nodded in the opposite direction. “Second building on the right. Can’t miss it.”

A furious blush rushed back to Wídfara’s cheeks, and he winced as he felt it spread across his ears and neck. “Sorry, Marshal. I’m still…I’ll learn my way quickly, I promise.”

Elfhelm stepped back outside, allowing the door to close behind him as he walked a few paces toward Wídfara again. “It’s alright to be new, son. You just need someone to help show you the way of things here.” He cast an appraising eye over Wídfara and chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip for a moment. “Keep an eye out for Guthláf. He’s from Edoras, but his mother grew up in the Eastemnet and he spent much of his childhood out there. He even talks a lot like you do. You’ll like him, and he’ll help you get to feeling like home again.” He turned once more to head inside.

“Marshal Elfhelm?” Wídfara called after him. “How do I find him? Guthláf, I mean.”

Elfhelm looked back over his shoulder and smiled. “Anywhere there are people gathered, he’ll be right in the middle of it. You can count on that. He’s one of our best, and he’ll take good care of you. Just don’t let him talk you into playing dice with him unless you’ve got money to burn.” He pulled open the door and his last few words drifted out from the hallway. “See you at training first thing tomorrow!”

Wídfara rolled over again, grimacing as his left shoulder made contact with the floor. One of his first tasks that day had been to see the garrison’s armorer, where he had been fitted for new equipment and received the distinctive tattoo that would identify him as a member of the king’s éored: a small crown above a hill. Each éored had its own mark, used as a crude means of identification in the event that a rider was injured or killed far from home, and the armorers typically etched the designs onto the shoulders of new members, punching a small ink-tipped needle repeatedly into the skin to create the necessary lines and curves. The new tattoo left a lingering pain in Wídfara’s arm, though it was minimal compared to the ache he felt in his heart when he watched the armorer draw a line through his old éored’s mark, casually crossing out an entire decade of his life with a few minute’s quick work. But that had just been the start to an increasingly difficult day.

The éored’s clerk seemed unaware that Wídfara had joined the company, and no arrangements had been made yet for his pay. Wídfara was counting on those funds to support his parents back in the Wold, especially now that he was no longer close enough to help his father with the herd work during his free hours, and the possibility that his first wages would be significantly delayed left a sour feeling in his stomach. Then he had gotten lost on his way to the mess hall and again between the mess hall and the stables, where he discovered that the stablehand sent to fetch his horse from last night’s boarding house had brought back the wrong animal. At every turn, he seemed to be in the wrong place, with the wrong information, running into obstacle after obstacle while being constantly asked to repeat himself as the city dwellers struggled to understand his accent.

He had greeted the eventual coming of night with urgent relief, happy to retreat to the privacy of his little room in the barracks where, at least for a few hours, he knew where he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to be doing. But even then, he struggled. The small, soft bed in the room felt unnatural to him after so much time spent sleeping rough in field camps or out on the plains with his family’s horses, and he quickly gave up on it, crafting himself a makeshift bedroll on the floor instead. After an hour of further tossing and turning, though, he realized that the bed wasn’t the only thing that felt wrong. A windowless box barely big enough for both the empty bed and his nest of blankets on the floor was a poor substitute for having shimmering stars overhead and endless golden plains around him, and he wondered how he would ever find rest in such a confined little space. He sat up, frustrated, and decided to take a walk in an attempt to clear his mind.

The streets, at least, were much more enjoyable to him at night, when few others were out and about. It was quieter, and he could walk at his own pace without worrying that he was holding up someone behind him. Keeping close attention to where he turned and how to retrace his steps, he headed up a hill, thinking to get a good view of the city from the top of the rise and perhaps be able to better orient himself amidst the maze of the city’s layout.

It took only a few minutes from the barracks to reach the peak of the hill, but he was disappointed to find that the view down onto Edoras and the surrounding plains was largely obscured by a thin haze in the air and heavy overhead cloud cover that dimmed the light of the moon. The quiet of his walk was also broken by the presence on the hill of a small tavern, a little wood and stone building from which drifted not only the smell of ale and baked bread but the clamor of voices and laughter and singing. The windows were aglow with warm yellow light, and he could see a large and boisterous crowd inside, many members of which seemed to be about his age. He considered going in – his rational mind understood that the only way to make friends in new surroundings was to put himself where other people were – but the thought of dozens of bodies pressed into such a small building made him a bit panicky, and he had already used all the energy his mind could spare that day for navigating the stares, questions and sometimes the judgments of so many others. That would need to be a challenge for tomorrow instead.

He leaned against a corner of the tavern and gazed northeast, back toward the beloved home that was now obscured by the intervention of both distance and weather. A gentle breeze blew from that direction, and he closed his eyes to savor the soft feel of it against his cheek and in his hair. There was a clean, earthy scent to the air, and he willed himself to believe that this sign of a clearer morning on its way could also mean that good things were on their way for him.

At that very moment, the door of the tavern flew open, bouncing noisily off the wall, and a tiny gray dog scampered out, followed by the striding figure of a man in the uniform of his éored.

“I just need to let Slaga out for a minute,” the man called back to unseen companions inside. “Hold the game for me, and I’ll be right back to finish taking the rest of your money.” A laughing chorus of boos rang out as the door swung closed again, and the man chuckled to himself.

Wídfara registered the stranger’s words as they were spoken, but what flooded his heart with joyful recognition was the lilting drawl of their delivery, the comfortingly specific cadence and tone that represented Rohirric as Wídfara’s ear had always heard it voiced. It was the sound of his cousins calling to him from across the grasslands, his friends teasing and joking as they sat around a fire at night. It was the sound of his old life, and he wanted nothing more than to hear it again.

The other man was crouched down now, cooing affectionate endearments at the tiny dog that bounded in adoring circles around his feet, and Wídfara lightly cleared his throat. The man froze at the sound, the last doting little trill dying on his tongue, and he smiled sheepishly when he looked up and saw Wídfara standing just feet away. “I’m sorry. I thought Slaga and I were alone out here or I surely would have kept that to myself.” He stood and extended his hand in Wídfara’s direction. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I’m Guthláf.”

Guthláf. The name chimed immediately in Wídfara’s memory, and he smiled to himself at how effortlessly correct Elfhelm had been on all fronts – where Guthláf would be found, how soothingly familiar he would sound to Wídfara, and how quickly just a few words of that familiar sound would kindle a feeling of comfort and kinship in him. He closed the distance between them with a few steps, and in the dim light that shone from the windows he found himself face to face with an unusually tall, well built man with long blonde waves, a trim blonde beard, and striking eyes of the palest blue. He gripped Guthláf’s hand with grateful enthusiasm and smiled. “Wídfara. You wouldn’t have seen me before, as I only just got here.”

“I certainly don’t have to ask where you came from,” Guthláf said, and Wídfara thought he detected a slight strengthening of Guthláf’s matching accent in the reply. “Welcome to Edoras, Wídfara. What brings you here?”

Wídfara nodded at Guthláf’s uniform. “I’ll be joining your company starting first thing tomorrow.”

“Is that right? We’ll be glad to have you. The boys could use an eastern rider to show them how it’s really done.” He glanced down briefly at the dainty little dog that was now cautiously sniffing Wídfara’s boots. “Don’t hold it against me. The absurd fussing with the dog, I mean. Every man has an embarrassing weakness, and I guess Slaga is mine.”

“Think nothing of it.” Truthfully, in any other circumstance Wídfara would have found both the toy-sized dog and the indulgent spoiling of it a little ridiculous, but he wasn’t about to say that to the first person in the city to take any interest in him. Outside of Elfhelm, who as Wídfara’s commanding officer was certainly no peer of his, it had been a struggle that day just to be noticed by anyone else, let alone engaged with or welcomed. Wídfara was eager not to squander this opportunity, especially with someone who seemed so friendly and good natured. “I love dogs and have nearly always had one myself, though admittedly never one that size.”

“He is small, isn’t he? I got him when he was a puppy and expected him to get bigger as he got older, but he just never did. And by the time I realized I had myself a lapdog, the rascal had already worked his way into my heart.” He bent down and scooped Slaga up into his arms, where he quickly settled with the look of one who spent a lot of time in just that position. Wídfara reached out and gave the dog a gentle rub behind the ears, which was received with a small, contented sigh.

“He doesn’t usually like strangers,” said Guthláf, looking up with a smile. “But then again, you’re not a stranger anymore, are you, Wídfara of the East-mark?”

Wídfara couldn’t identify anything unusual or remarkable about the way this question was asked, nothing that would explain the sudden rush of warmth that settled over him when that open, earnest smile was turned in his direction. But it was there all the same. “Not a stranger, at least not in the technical sense. And I would hope one day to be a friend, though I wouldn’t presume to call you that yet.”

“No? Why not?”

“You barely know anything about me.”

“But that’s not a problem. Discovering things about each other is half the fun of friendship.” He inclined his head and fixed Wídfara with a long, thoughtful look. “And I have a feeling there is much to discover about you.”

The steady gaze of those cool, blue eyes sent an anxious flutter shimmering through Wídfara’s chest, and he looked away. Before he could muster the nerve to speak again, the tavern door opened, and a red-haired head popped out.

“Guthláf, if the game doesn’t restart soon, Hildred insists he’ll take his losses back and charge you interest for making him wait.”

Guthláf laughingly rolled his eyes and waved a hand in concession. “Buy him another ale from my pot and tell him I’ll be right there.” The red haired man nodded and went back inside, and Guthláf turned once again to Wídfara.

“Do you ever play dice? If you’ve got the time now, you can join us, and by the end of the game you’ll have ten more great friends, I promise. Though I can’t promise I won’t take your money.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m something of a professional.”

Wídfara laughed. “Believe it or not, I’ve already been warned against playing dice with you, and I don’t know the rules anyway. But I appreciate the offer.” The temptation to stay in the kindly glow of Guthláf’s company was strong, but the tumult of the busy tavern still intimidated him. And the length of the day, with its many ups and downs, was beginning to catch up with him at last. “Will I…or, rather, I hope I’ll see you at training in the morning?”

He cringed inside at how needful the question sounded to his ears, but if Guthláf heard it that way he gave no sign. Instead, he smiled broadly and tapped a fist against Wídfara’s arm.

“Of course. I’ll look for you there, friend. Now wish me luck, not that I need it!” He and his dog slipped back inside with a wave, and Wídfara watched through the window just long enough to see them disappear into a rowdy group of men, all wielding mugs and talking excitedly to one another.

Alone again, he turned then to retrace his steps, mercifully finding his way back to the barracks without incident, and he stretched out once more on his floor with a heavy yawn. The weight of sleep closed in on him quickly, and he soon drifted into the comfort of peaceful rest, where a pair of the palest blue eyes lingered in his dreams.

Link to part 2!

Notes: Guthláf’s dog is named Slaga, which means “Killer.” Presumably he chose that name before he realized his “puppy” was already full grown and would always be a lil’ tea cup.

@emmanuellececchi @konartiste @sotwk @dreambigdreamz (I don’t usually have a tag list but I tried to @ people who had specifically requested it at some point — if you want off (or on, I guess) don’t hesitate to say so!)

Dividers by the lovely @quillofspirit ♥️

#guthláf #wídfara #rohan #forth eorlingas #obscure blorbos #♥️🐎🗡️ #horse boys in love #lotr #lord of the rings #tolkien #guthlaf #widfara

[midnightsnyx]

paper rings

pairing: ajax x reader

requested: yes summary: idk how to summarize this it’s just rly fluffy as per request word count: 617 warnings: none this is just super fluffy!! also sorry it’s so short

authors note: guys!!!! tysm for the love on my Xavier imagine. I hope you guys like this one. if you didn’t notice 99% of my fic titles are from songs cause I suck at coming up with them so this one is from tswifts song paper rings. thanks again for reading <3 masterlist link

You’re sitting in the Quad reading when you feel a pair of arms wrap around you. You almost jump but you recognize who’s arms they are right away, so you put your book down and lean back, tilting your head to see your boyfriend, Ajax smiling down at you.

“Hello, love.” You say, accepting the quick kiss before he settles down next to you. He watches you pick up your book, intent on finishing the chapter before he drags you off somewhere. Unlike yourself, Ajax can’t sit down for long so while you read, you notice him fiddling with a piece of paper. You don’t think much of it, finishing the chapter and when you look up at him again, he has the paper folded up in some shape. 

“For you.” He says dropping it into your hand and you look to see a makeshift ring made out of paper. 

When you raise an eyebrow at him, he just shrugs.

“Wanna walk to class together?” He asks and you nod, absentmindedly tucking the paper ring in your bag, not thinking much of it.

. . .

It has become a habit. You’ll be somewhere, and out of nowhere Ajax presents you with a paper ring. At the Weathervane, they are made out of paper from the disposable straws. In class or in the Quad, they’re made from a piece of scrap paper. 

You don’t realize how many he’s made until Yoko is searching for something, tearing apart every drawer and cabinet in your shared dorm when she pauses and looks up at you.

“Why do you have a bunch of paper rings?” She asks, looking confused but also amused. 

You walk over and your eyes widen when you realize how many he’s made you. You never really thought much of the rings, thinking they were just something to kill time.

“Ajax made them for me.” You tell her, picking one up and sliding it on your finger.

“Next thing you know, he’ll be giving you a real one.” Yoko jokes and you laugh, brushing off her joke because there is no way the two of you are anywhere near ready for marriage. You still had to finish high school and then hopefully go to college.

However, the paper ring thing was starting to make you curious, so when the two of you were hanging out in your dorm (you tended to ignore the no boys policy and Yoko didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the room anyways), you decided to bring it up. 

You’re laying with your head in his lap, reading while he runs his fingers through your hair and scrolling through his phone when you put your book aside. 

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

He tosses his phone to the side and smiles down at you. “Yeah, of course.”

One of the things you love about Ajax is that when the two of you are talking, he always gives you his complete attention and vise versa - you give him yours. You’re a firm believer that it makes relationships stronger. 

“The paper rings…” you hesitate, “why do you make them?”

He shrugs and says, “it’s just a hobby.” 

Unconvinced, you sit up and raise your eyebrows. “Just a hobby?”

He shifts uncomfortably. “Well, I mean, it started out as a hobby. You know, something to kill time while you were reading.” He gives you a lopsided smile that makes your heart beat a little faster before continuing. “But then, I wanted to see what it looked like. A ring on your finger. A specific finger.” 

What, are you planning on popping the big question?” You joke and he grins.

“One day, you’re damn right I will.” 

#ajax petropolus x reader #ajax petropolus x you #ajax petropolus #wednesday fanfic #allies writing #wednesday imagine

[ftm-radio]

My gender is 4 years old

...and four days, as of April 15th. This post is a bit late. 😅

Four years ago, all the confusing little puzzle pieces I'd been collecting came together in a genuine eureka! moment and I realized I was transgender. It was exhilarating and terrifying and it undeniably changed my life for the better.

The last few years have felt pretty damn slow and I've had to scramble over a few frustrating obstacles (never changing my name AGAIN, lmao, that was annoying as fuck) but it's all been worth it and now it feels like I'm really making headway.

I started testosterone this past year! I did that! I'm almost 7 months on T now! Currently on a dose of two pumps of gel, which I have only missed applying once in all that time because I was literally sick. The changes are gradual but they are real and they have already brought me so much joy and made me so much happier in my humble flesh prison. 💗

The most anticipated change for me (and for a lot of transmasc folks, I imagine) is my voice, and BOY (heh) am I happy to share this data comparison with you:

[ LEFT: A screenshot from the Voice Pitch Analyzer app, dated November 3rd, 2021. It shows that OP's voice registers fully within the female voice range. RIGHT: Another screenshot from the app, dated April 12th, 2024. This one shows that OP's voice registers mostly between the Androgynous and Male voice ranges. ]

My voice is so different now. It sounds different, it feels different, and in just the last week or so I swear it has gotten a little rougher and raspier and I am LIVING. I could not be happier!!!

...okay, fine, I could be happier lmao.

I'm adjusting to my deeper voice and still learning how to use it in a way I like & that feels best to me, so I'm starting to do some casual at-home voice training again after basically forgetting about the concept completely since 2021. (Whoops.) But I am already so much happier and more content with my voice than I have ever been in my life, so it's only getting better from here, lads. <3

I've also had to go to a lot of appointments and answer a ton of phone calls about said appts recently because I kinda fucked up my eyeball (it's better now, don't worry! and be gentle to your eyes, they are delicate and eye drops are so fucking annoying when you're doing them seven times a day, jfc) and my voice has reached a point where I was a lot more comfortable interacting with strangers and I also didn't notice any surprise or confusion when I introduced myself with a male name! It was kind of amazing.

Also singing is even more fun now. I love love LOVE singing along with a male vocalist and feeling the way my voice kinda rumbles through my chest. 10/10 sensory experience.

Other changes aren't nearly as exciting or obvious as my voice, but here's a quick (?) rundown, for those who are curious:

Mood — Gotta be honest, I don't think I've really noticed any significant change in my day-to-day mood, though I may not be the best judge for this because I have trouble figuring out what/how I'm feeling in general, tbh. But I think I have certainly gotten more comfortable and content with myself and I'd even go so far as to say I feel a little more confident these days. It's nice, I appreciate it.

Acne — I definitely noticed a change in how my acne presents itself on my face. I wouldn't say it's worse than before (I've had very bad acne since I was a young teenager and only got medication for it like, last year which has helped immensely) but I think it's different. More little red spots and roughness than the unpleasant and painful pimples I'm used to. I don't even mind it, really. Oddly affirming.

Facial Hair — I've got facial hair. I really do!!! Not clickbait!!! It's not much, not enough for me to be brave and take my dad up on his offer of shaving lessons quite yet, but it has grown in enough that I don't feel silly including it in self portraits! 🤭🧔🏻 Got a little bit of a mustache happening, a little bit at the sides of my face, some fuzz on my chin (with one LONG hair that I can only assume has been greedy and stealing his brothers' growth), and a frankly surprising lil patch of hair under my jaw. On a semi-related note, not sure if my brows have gotten much darker/thicker. They might have? idk.

my new discord icon, hehe... 👁💜🪓

Body Hair — I have gotten a little more hair on my forearms, and it may have gotten a little darker too! I have a tattoo on my arm just below my left wrist and it's been surprisingly helpful for measuring arm hair growth because for years my tattoo was not covered by hair at all but the left side of it's a little fuzzy now... 😏 I've gotten more noticeable hair growth on my upper arms, which were basically hairless before (free gender euphoria every time I put on my T) and on my thighs. Don't think my lower legs have gotten much hairier, and I'm a little impatient about it lmao. I want to get hairy enough to rival my brother.

Energy/Appetite — Can't say I've really noticed any differences here? I am not a very active person and I already struggled with appetite and getting myself to eat before I started T (thank you adhd & poor eating habits 🥲💀), so I can't quite tell if I'm ignoring more hunger signals than usual. 😅 I am hoping to get more active and start doing more physical activity now that it's starting to get warmer outside again, so hopefully that will help me see these sorts of changes and also get me into some better eating habits as I expend more energy and work up a proper appetite! (Also, since we're on the topic... a reminder for all of us that taking care of yourself and feeding the body you live in is a million times more important than aesthetics and numbers on a scale. ❤)

Menstruation — I am still getting my period right on schedule, but I am happy to say it is considerably lighter than it was before I started testosterone! My period has begun getting shorter, too. It lasted for roughly 7–9 days before, but I was bleeding for exactly 7 days last month, and only 6 days this month. I'm not sure if this trend will continue at such a dramatic rate, but if my next round is only 5 days I will be very excited about it, lol. My uterus can retire any day now, please...

Bottom Growth — if any of my friends read this part, don't speak to me about it lmao — Yeah... there's a little bit of something happening down there. Not a lot, and I haven't really noticed any pain or sensitivity, but there's a Difference. Aaaaand I like it. 😌 I am looking forward to any and all future developments. 😏👉🏻👉🏻

Okay! I think that's it, really.

I know I haven't been super active on this blog for quite a while now (I have really gotten into fandom blogging on my main lmao, and also discord is my favorite thing right now, it's where 90% of my friends live) so I hope this nice, long, ramble-y post makes up for that a little bit. <3

Not gonna make any promises that I'll post here more often, but y'know. I might. It could happen. Definitely not leaving this blog to sit and gather dust, that's for sure. I'll still be reblogging stuff semi-frequently, even if I'm not writing up my own posts.

So goodbye for now, and thanks for tuning in! 👋🏻📻💖💙✨️

#ftm radio #peep below the cut for rambles about hrt developments! #⚠️ obligatory tmi warning but nothing too detailed! #transgender #trans #transsexual #trans masculine #ftm #trans man #trans guy #nonbinary #nonbinary trans man #nonbinary man #nonbinary guy #nonbinary trans guy #hrt #hormone replacement therapy #testosterone #ftm hrt #testosterone gel #testosterone update #bigender #bigender man #trans masc #transgender positivity #ftm positivity

[miasmaghoul]

ghouls in suits. ghuits. swissdew dry humping. go crazy go stupid aaa

kfndjhb HAS ANYONE DRAWN GHOULS IN SUITS YET BECAUSE THAT'S IMMEDIATELY AT THE TOP OF MY HIERARCHY OF NEEDS JUST SAYIN

Ahem

Enjoy Dew being as weak for ghouls in suits as I would be.

somehow this became puppy play someone euthanize me i beg

Sometimes, Dewdrop wishes he was less obvious.

That he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. Didn't display his emotions with such easily read expressions. That he could keep his jaw from dropping at the slightest shock, or his eyes from going so wide they threaten to pop out of his head entirely.

Maybe if he were less obvious, he wouldn't be so thoroughly out of his mind right now. He shifts on his knees with a quiet whimper, sore from so long spent on the hardwood floor. Dew leans into the long leg at his side, cool fabric a relief against his overwarm skin.

"How's he doing?"

The voice is familiar, deep and warm. Aether, his fuzzy mind provides. Dew stares at the other ghoul's shoes, shiny leather loafers just barely kissed by the tailored hems of his pants. The way they reflect the light is entrancing. He wants to lick them. Callused fingers come to rub behind his ear, and Dew feels himself sink deeper.

"Oh, he's being a very good boy," comes Rain's casual lilt, paired with a tug of the leash in his hand. "Don't worry about him."

Dew makes the tiniest sound of surprise as he's pulled off balance, forced to grip Rain's suit pants to steady himself. The chunky leather collar Mountain had chosen sits just tight enough to make swallowing hard, which is a real pain for how much Dew is drooling. The others are speaking like he isn't even there, neither ghoul deigning to so much as look at the pathetic little thing at their feet. Dewdrop slips further.

Maybe if it had just been Aether and Rain in those fancy black suits - the ones with the stunning monochromatic pinstripes and deliciously sharp lapels, the ache between his legs reminds him - maybe he could've gotten away with his blush. Could've snuck away with one hand over his crotch and the other covering his mouth, running to the nearest storage closet to jerk himself stupid.

But then Mountain had come around the corner.

And Swiss.

And fucking Sunshine.

All in matching, perfectly fitted black three-piece suits with shiny silver buttons, black silk shirts and ties tucked into their waistcoats. Time had frozen the moment he'd stared into the common room. As he'd devoured them with his eyes, taking in every pair of broad shoulders, every cinched waist, every flashy cufflink, he'd spelled his own doom. He'd started to drool, legs collapsing as they turned to jelly and every drop of blood in his body shot south. Dew had started thrusting into the air unconsciously as he knelt in the doorway, and they had descended on him.

"Such a cute little puppy," Sunshine had said, teasing baby-talk, and oh had Dew's reaction been visceral.

So here he is, knelt at Rain's feet for the moment, collared and leashed and harder that he can ever remember being. Needy and sore and completely ignored. The others mill about, an occasional hand winding through his hair, but otherwise they say nothing to him. Don't pay him any mind. He'd tried crawling around in search of attention, back when he could still think, but Swiss had been quick to swat him on the ass and scruff him until he went limp.

He's been a good boy since then.

There have been people in and out of the common room throughout the day, but if they'd noticed him he hadn't been present enough to realize it. The other ghoulettes and Copia have all made appearances, asking whoever happened to be holding his leash at the time if they could say hello. Cirrus had kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair. Cumulus had asked for a kiss and Aether had made him lick her cheek.

Copia had asked to give him belly rubs. Mountain had let him, and that had been the thing to finally break him.

Dewdrop is pulled from his muddy thoughts with another sharp pull of his leash - Swiss, this time - and he crawls after him on stiff knees. Swiss's strides are long and Dew has to scramble to keep up, whimpering as his hand slips on the wood and he's forced to pause, the collar tightening.

"Come," Swiss commands, and any part of Dew's mind set on resisting his treatment crumbles to dust. He stares up at Swiss, the multighoul's gaze cool and almost...annoyed. Dew's cock kicks and leaks, weeping onto the floor. Swiss rolls his eyes and tugs again. "You'll be cleaning that up later."

"Aww, did the puppy make a mess?" Sunshine sing-songs from Mountain's lap, fiddling with one of his buttons. "Don't get too mad at him, he doesn't know any better!"

Dew feels like he's outside of himself as he listens to Swiss scoff, listens to him sit heavily in a plush armchair. His shoes are shiny too, just like Aether's. Dew can't make his neck move, stuck staring at the floor. At Swiss's feet. At his leg.

His hips start rocking again and they all laugh. Dew doesn't even have the brainpower left to be ashamed.

"You wanna hump my leg, don't you?" Swiss chucks him under the chin and Dew lets out a startled sound, looking up with glassy eyes. The multighoul reaches out and runs his thumb through the trail of drool slipping from Dew's mouth, dripping down his chin. "Dirty little fucker."

Dew lets out a pained yelp as Swiss yanks on the collar again, collapsing against the other ghoul's leg. He groans at the feel of luxurious fabric beneath his fingertips, rubbing his cheek against Swiss's thigh. They all laugh at him again and Dew is so far past caring it doesn't even faze him when Swiss fixes him with a predatory grin.

"Bark for me while you do, then."

Dew curls around Swiss's leg and starts to grind.

"W-woof." Swiss's smile goes soft and Dew presses closer. "Woof, woof." It's loud enough for all of them to hear, and distantly he recognizes the sound of belt buckles opening.

"Good boy," Swiss croons, "such a good dog."

Dew's tears are hot. He hopes they never stop.

#miasma's work #the band ghost ficlet #dewdrop ghoul #swiss ghoul #aether ghoul #rain ghoul #sunshine ghoulette #what the fuck lmfao

[butterfluffy]

Heyy how are you today???

If your headcanons are open can I please ask you for Sabo, Zoro and Marco when their S/O (f! if possible) are doing something spicy but at a totally wrong time (S/O just wanted to tease them), what would they do in that moment (and maybe after if you want ⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)

Thank you so much and have a wonderful week!!!

“what a tease..”

⠀⠀ੈ♡˳· teasing them sure is fun, but it's more enjoyable when you do so in the wrong time..

⠀⠀➧ fluff, suggestive | sabo, r. zoro (separate) × f!s/o!reader | headcanons

⠀⠀➧ requests are closed until further notice!

⠀⠀➧ warnings —  suggestive! swearing and mistakes may be present, though.. so do ignore them, thanks!

⠀⠀꒰ 🍨 ꒱ notes : sorry this took real long, and for not including mr. pineapple birb, i was struggling into finishing this with all my to-do works piled up. (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠) o do hope this satisfies you, at least. (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

SABO

you and sabo are currently on a mission spying on someone who had messed with the revolutionary army.

and things are getting interesting, so you decided to mess with your lover...

“sabo~” you cooed, devouring sabo's lips as your hand trailed over his chest, caressing it, causing the blond male to hitch a breath, panicking.

“y-y/n, my love, i—please, not right n..oh my g..god...!” sabo stammers, a loud gasp escaping his lips when you moved your lips on his neck, biting and sucking on it.

sabo was turning red, and redder each second, but no complains were able to fall out of his mouth.

he's enjoying this, even though he shouldn't, especially when he's currently on a call with the leader of the revolutionary army—dragon.

“sabo? are you alright there? hey, y/n, she's with you, right? now, uh, what's happeni—clank.”

ending the call right here and right now, sabo dropped everything he was supposed to do and immediately pinning you on the nearest wall, kissing you as his hand rested on your breasts, causing you to snort, pushing him away later on..

“eh? i though you... ehh??” confusion rushing in his system, sabo slumped down the floor with his head tilted to the side, catching you roll your eyes with a smirk.

“i was just messing with you, now, let's go back to our mission, yeah?” saying this, the blond puffed his cheeks with his lips pushed forward to a pout, crossing his arms before going back to work-mode after giving you a quick peck on your lips.. “hmph, such a tease...”

RORONOA ZORO

thanks to a stupid little boy who couldn't help but cause trouble, you, your lover, zoro, and everyone else in his crew are fighting some rouges he made enemies with.

“damn it, that idiot..! we were supposed to relax here and not—fuck, fight!” zoro grumbles, his swords slashing through the crowd surrounding you and him.

“chill out, zoro, love. we can relax, well, have fun later in our room, mhm~?” you hummed, hand trailing on his bare chest, caressing it as you wiggled your brows with a smirk.

without a doubt, this small ‘joke’ of yours caught the swordsman off guard, jaw dropping by your words.

“w-wha? you—me, we—what?” he stammers, glancing to you from time to time as his cheeks grew red, lips quivering up to a smile in excitement.

yep, zoro will take your teasing seriously, so prepare for the worst to come—

“shit, woman.. better keep that promise, mhm?” having a sneer plastered on his face, the moss head then sped up his pace on taking his enemies down, looking forward to later.

..finishing up, zoro then immediately walks to you, not taking a pause to check on the others and just scooping you up over his shoulder, hand gripping your waist.

“hey.. hey, zoro, put me down—i-i was just teasing you..!!” you exclaimed, attempting to wiggle out of your lover's vice-like grip that tightened as he had his other hand slap your ass.

“naughty girl, i'm no fan of teasing, and you should know that... so you deserve a small punishment, well, treat, hm?” he coees, a teasing look on his face, turning the tides on you..

© butterfluffy 2022

#ੈ♡˳· butterfluffy #sabo x reader #sabo one piece x reader #roronoa zoro x reader #one piece #one piece x reader #one piece fanfiction #one piece headcanons #one piece scenario #one piece oneshot #zoro x reader #sabo the revolutionary x reader #roronoa zoro #zoro #sabo the revolutionary #roronoa zoro headcanons #sabo headcanons

[gretavangroupie]

Vigilance (Chapter 2)

Word count: 13.6k+

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Female Reader, OC x Female Reader

Warnings: 18+ as always, drinking, language, allusions to sex, fluff, angst.

A/N: Hi friends, thanks for coming back for Chapter 2! Just a quick note to say that the next chapter might take a bit longer because I get to go see these boys in real life next week, where I am sure I will be further inspired by their dashing good looks and talent. So bear with me, I promise you will not want to miss the next chapter.

This story is a very special collaboration with my best pal @gretavanmoon. We have been scheming on this one for a while... If you haven't read her stuff, definitely go check it out. If you have, even better! We are taking this one all the way back to the early days, but we will be going into the present, so hold on tight it will be a bumpy ride. Without further ado...

HER POV

Jake: Sam called. 

Your stomach drops. 

Oh no, the card…

You: Did he?

Jake: He did… are you all moved in?

You: Yep, all set up and ready for classes on Monday.

Staring at the screen waiting for his response, your mind wanders. Why did Sam call him? What did he tell him? Did he ask about the card? Your mind raced with all of the possibilities. Jake never texted you. You had each others’ numbers but never texted. So receiving a text from him was shocking to say the least. He wouldn’t have texted you for no reason, you know there is something he wants to know, and your new living arrangements is definitely not it. 

Jake: Good. 

Jake: So…did he spill his heart out to you or did he chicken out?

You: He did... I heard you helped him navigate that a little bit…

Jake: I might’ve. 

So this isn’t about the card…

You weren’t sure what to say. You found yourself feeling almost mad that all this time Jake knew about Sam’s feelings for you, but didn’t tell you. Still pursuing you, knowing his brother was in love with you. As the feelings bubbled up, you decided that this was not a conversation to be had over text. You hit the phone next to his name and listen as the tone rings out.

“Hello?” he answers, almost shocked. You get it though. You have never called each other before. This is uncharted territory.

“Why didn’t you tell me Jake?” you ask. 

You hear him rustle around on the other end of the phone, and the faint sound of him sighing. 

“Why didn’t I tell you about what?” he replies. You can tell he is pretending to not know, but you know he does. 

“Jake, you know exactly what. About Sam. Why didn’t you tell me about Sam? All these years  he claims to have been in love with me, and you knew? You still pursued me? Why didn’t you just tell me?” you say sternly.

There is a long pause from his end, just the sound of his breathing. You close your eyes, and you can almost picture the rise and fall of his chest. 

“I couldn’t.” he finally replies. 

“Why?” you ask.

“I don’t know, I was afraid to, I guess.” he answers.

“Afraid?” you ask.

“Yeah. What if I told you, and you…I don’t know…” he trails off. You can hear the turmoil in his voice. His beautiful, soft as velvet, ever elusive voice.

“And I what, Jake…” you ask, almost a whisper.

“What if you felt the same? What if you liked him too? I couldn’t lose you.” He finally tells the truth.

“Lose me? Jake… we were never… It wasn’t like that…” you reply, a confused tone in your voice.

He scoffs, “Is that what you think? It was never like that?” 

“Am I wrong?” you ask.

He raises his voice, “Yeah, you’re wrong! It was always like that! From the second I saw you it was like that! It still is like that!” he pauses for a second before starting back up, “You say you didn’t know about Sam and his feelings, but you did! You did know, and that’s why we could never be anything more! You were too worried about his feelings to see mine! Right in front of you! Of course, Sam is in love with you, but did you ever consider that he wasn’t the only one? So yeah, I didn’t tell you and I’m not sorry.” he practically yells through the phone. 

Your heart is pounding in your chest. This is the most Jake has ever told you about his feelings for you. He wasn’t much of a talker when it came to his emotions, so this was big. You are stunned at his open confession, and you get the feeling that he is right. Maybe you have known of Sam’s feelings all along.

“Say something!” he begs.

“I’m sorry! I just… are you saying… you are in love with me too?” you whisper.

“Yes! Goddamnit! Yes! Of course I am! How do you not see it?! Why do you think there hasn’t been anyone else in my life?! It’s you! It’s always been you!” he yells into the phone. You hear his exasperated sigh shortly following his confession.

“Jake… I–I don’t know what to say….”  you respond, completely dumbfounded.

“Tell me that you feel the same...” he says, defeated. 

“Jake… you know I do…” you say. “Tell me why you texted me tonight… why did you tell me that Sam called you…”

“I just…had to know… He didn’t tell me how it went. I’ve been going crazy, I needed to know if…” he trails off.

“Know what? If I confessed my love for him? Come on Jake…” you say.

“Well… did you?” he asks.

“Are you not listening to me? Is everything between us, just in my head? Of course I didn’t Jake! I do think I broke his heart though. He tried to play it off as he left, but I could just tell. I need you to be there for him, he needs you. I need you to do this for me.” you say.

“I know, and I will. God, I hate this.” he says, releasing a deep sigh.

It’s quiet for a minute, neither of you knowing what to say to the other. Jake finally breaks the silence,  “Do you think… we’ll ever…”

You knew what he wanted to say, he didn't even have to finish the sentence. “Maybe one day…I hope…one day.” you reply, wishing that things could be different.

“Goodnight Jake.” you say. 

After a long pause of silence he finally replies,“Goodnight.” his voice somber and defeated.

You both stay on the line, neither of you wanting to hang up. Just listening to each other breathe. After a few minutes you end the call. 

You didn’t know it then, but it was the first and last phone call you would ever have with Jake, before both of your lives would dramatically change. 

–

When the sun came up that next morning you awoke with anxiety blooming in your chest. You could feel the nervous energy flowing through the halls of the freshman dorm. It was the first day of classes, and the halls were abuzz with chattering girls, choosing their outfits and studying the campus map. As you flicked through the clothes in your tiny closet you settled on a blue top and your favorite pair of jeans. You showered and got ready, having around 30 minutes until you needed to be in your first class. 

Locking your dorm room behind you, you threw your backpack over your shoulder and walked down the hall. As you approached your neighboring room you saw the girl who occupies it, step out quickly locking her door, but fumbling and dropping her keys. She looked at you and gave you a soft smile. You saw her English 101 book in her hand and realized she must be heading to the same class as you were. Deciding to be brave, you ask.

“Hey, are you heading to English Comp with Howard?” you ask nervously.

Her eyes flick back to you as she twists the key, “Yes! Are you?” she responds, and seems relieved.

“Yeah! You wanna walk together?” you ask, shrugging your shoulders.

“Please! I’m Nora by the way!” she says, introducing herself. You tell her your name and explain that you live in the next room over.

You two make small talk on the long walk to building 52, and you find yourself feeling thankful that you have already made a new friend. Finding that you had a lot in common with her, you exchange numbers and make plans to go to the dining hall together later in the day. 

As you ate your lunch you pulled out your phone, sending a quick text to Sam.

You: Hey! Did you guys leave yet? What’s your first stop? I had my first day of classes, and I already made a new friend. Miss you!

You placed your phone down on the wooden picnic table and continued to eat. When you were finished you discarded your trash and grabbed your things, but no response from Sammy. Oh well, he is probably busy.

The rest of the day went extremely well. You liked all of your teachers and you felt prepared and ready for the semester. You and Nora made plans to meet at the dining hall around 7, so when the time came you met her out front. As you walked up the steps your phone buzzed in your back pocket.

Sam: We left today, heading to Chicago. Daniel is driving so say a prayer for us. Glad you are making friends, but I’m not surprised, you’re the best. Miss you too, call me later!

Seeing Nora approaching, you shove your phone back into your pocket and tell yourself you’ll text him back later. You enter the dining hall and spend the next hour laughing and talking with Nora and a few other girls you both sat with, and for the first time in years, there wasn’t a Kiszka on your mind.

–

Nora: Want to get breakfast tomorrow to celebrate the first month of classes being done?

You: Duh! 8?

Nora: Perfect.

You and Nora had grown close over the last month, you were both acing your classes and had made lots of new friends. She had taken you to a few parties with her and you found yourself laughing that you thought you might not enjoy college life. 

The next morning as you got ready to meet Nora, you checked the weather to see that it was going to be seasonably warm for Michigan in September, and opted for a dress. A pink flowy dress that hit just a little above your knees. After a quick run through with your hair straightener, and a little makeup you were walking out the door, heading to meet her. 

You met her inside the dining hall and talked for a while about a party you went to the other night, and if she ever heard from that guy that was talking to her. To which she nervously replied yes. Hyping her up you told her he was cute and that she should go on a date with him. You talked about distant holiday plans and fun activities around campus before going your separate ways for the day.

Walking back to your dorm, enjoying the sunshine on your skin you smile, remembering a day at the lake this summer with Sam. Sam. Shit.

You realized you hadn’t texted him or called him all week. You quickly pulled your phone out of your purse and opened your texts, scrolling down to his name. Damn, I was supposed to call him, he said he had exciting news…

You: Hello…. 

Sam: Hey stranger! Where have you been? 

You: I’m so sorry I haven’t called, I have been so busy. I know that’s a bad excuse, you’re busy too. How are you? How is the tour going? 

You felt awful for not checking in all week, or at least sending him a hello text. 

Sam: *Image*

Opening the attachment you see Danny and Josh passed out on a hotel room couch, Josh’s head resting on Danny’s shoulder. You smile down at your phone, reality really setting in on how much you miss your friends.

Sam: I’m exhausted. We all are lol. But we are having so much fun. We head to Nashville soon, and then to Charlotte.

You: I’m so proud of you guys. I know you are killing it. 

Sam: Yeah, you’ll have to come to a show soon. We miss you.

You: I most definitely will. Promise.

Sam: My turn to drive. Please don’t be a stranger, college girl. ;)

That last text struck a nerve. College girl. Uneasiness washes over you as your mind floats back to Jake. Sam did read the whole card… 

Mind reeling at your sudden realization, you round the corner to head down the concrete steps to the dorms. Your head snaps up just as your body collides with someone else turning the corner. The sound of crunching paper and flying textbook pages fill the space between you and the person you’ve just run into. You see your phone and theirs sliding across the pavement.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” You quickly take your headphones out and bend down to pick up his phone. You nervously scanned the screen, seeing that thankfully it hadn’t scratched or cracked. You hand the phone back to him, with a nervous smile.

“Oh no, it was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he said. You stepped back after he accepted the phone from your hand. 

“At least there was no damage in the collision,” you said, smiling playfully. You look up, and it's then that you actually notice the gorgeous man in front of you, tall and broad in stature. He had bright green eyes and dirty blonde curls that fell just past his ears, and hang lazily over his forehead. The dimples in his cheeks, pushed his smile up into his eyes. 

He had on a simple white U of M shirt and athletic shorts, and he glanced back at you with a smile that made your heart skip. His skin was deeply tanned, like he had spent his entire summer outside, the tiny blonde hairs on his arms reflecting back the beaming sun. 

“Yeah, no harm done! My name’s Andy,” he said, extending his hand out to shake yours. You returned the gesture and introduced yourself back. His hands were large and rough, you could tell he did something physical with them, but couldn’t pinpoint what. 

“It’s really nice to meet you.” he replied, not letting go of your hand. You both stood there for a few seconds, hand in hand and eyes locked until you both noticed time passing, and you broke away in embarrassment. 

“It’s nice to meet you too Andy,” you reply, tucking your hair behind your ear, eyes glued to the ground. You turned to continue down the steps, and he called back to you. 

“See you around sometime?” He asked rhetorically, sucking his lips between his teeth before flashing his perfectly white smile. 

You turned back and nodded with a bashful smile. As you descended the steps, you realized you’d been holding your breath. You felt tingly and flustered, you’d never met a stranger who made your heart flutter like that. 

You returned to your dorm and sat down at your desk and got to work on your paper. Your mind began to wander, thinking of the pretty green eyed boy you ran into earlier. You wonder if you will see him around. You kind of hope you do.

As you lean back in your desk chair, your eyes migrate upward to your bulletin board. Suddenly you are met with a familiar pair of eyes looking back at you. Sam. You think back to his text. 

Don’t be a stranger, college girl…

Guilt washes over you as you realize just how much you have been neglecting him. Life on the road has to be lonely. Constantly being with the same people, going city to city with little rest between. You make a mental note to do better about keeping in touch with him. He is still your best friend.

Early October 2017 

As you sit with Nora in the dining hall you mindlessly pick at your food. Now that midterms were over your brain was reduced to mush. 

“Hello? Did you hear what I said?” Nora says, snapping you back to reality.

“Oh, no sorry, what did you say?” you ask.

“Tonight, the party at Sigma Chi… will you pleeeeaaaaseee come with me?” she asks.

“Tonight? I don’t have anything to wear…” you reply.

“You can borrow something from my closet! Jason invited me but I don't want to go alone… please say yes!” she begs.

Moving your food around with your fork, you contemplate it. You were planning on just reading a book and going to bed, but a night out kind of sounds like exactly what you need.

“Okay…” you say begrudgingly.

Nora squeals loudly, hugging your shoulders, “Okay, come on, let's go to my room and find you something hot to wear.” 

“Hot? I don't know about that…” you laugh.

-

A few hours later you are staring at yourself in the tiny full length mirror hanging on the door of your closet. The tight fitting black dress hugs your curves and the black heeled boots are the perfect compliment. You had to admit, Nora had a great wardrobe and you often wondered how you’d look if you wore things like she did. I guess I have my answer…. Hot.

You curled your hair in loose waves, and did a little more makeup than you normally wear. You looked good and you felt good. You smiled as you caught one last glance of yourself in the mirror as you grabbed your bag and headed to Nora's room. 

Knocking in a triplet pattern, the door immediately swings open. 

“Oh my god what a baaaaabe!” she says with a huge grin.

“Shut up and let me in!” you say smiling and pushing the door open. 

You sit in her desk chair and wait for her to finish getting ready. As she packs her clutch you pull your phone out and open Snapchat, snapping a quick photo of yourself and sending it to your friends list. 

“You ready?” she asks.

“Yeah!” you say, locking your phone and pushing it back into your bag.

Locking the door behind you, you and Nora make your way to the fraternity house, both unknowing of what the night would hold for each of you.

-

You’d never been to a fraternity house before, and you imagined it to be like what you see in movies. This was similar but not quite as exaggerated. Outside a banner hung haphazardly underneath the Greek letters. The banner reading ‘Get F’d MSU’. It was rival weekend, and Michigan State fit the bill. Now, as you entered the house you had no idea it was a theme party. You quickly found out that theme as you were handed 2 condoms upon entry. Nora explained to you what a safe sex party was and you quickly shoved the square plastic packages into your bag. Your face flamed red but luckily it was dark. Inside the main hall it smelled like stale beer, and it was overly loud. It was packed to the brim with people, drinks spilling and sloshing around you. As you stepped further inside you found a bartop full of drinks in red cups. You knew better than to take a drink you didn’t make yourself so you decided to pass. Nora, however, did not. 

The two of you continued to make your way through the crowded house, finding the back patio. There weren’t as many people out here so you both took in the cool air and hung out for a minute. Jason had made his way to find Nora, and within seconds she was gone.

You stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, pulling out your phone as a distraction. As you unlocked the screen you saw that you had a reply to your snapchat story. 

Oh, Jake…

Sliding your finger on the notification, it opens snapchat and you are greeted with a little animated version of Jake, suddenly wishing it was the real version. Tapping on his message it reads, ‘Don’t forget my third piece of advice…’

You think back to his card. What was the third one? Oh… ‘if you’re ever alone, I’m only a call away.’ 

Your heart clenches as you consider the fact that he is worried about you. You open the camera up and face it towards you, as you spin in a circle recording a video of you and all of the people around you at the party. You type a quick caption to go with it, ‘Not alone…Look at all these people.” and you quickly send it on its way back to him.

You shove your phone into your bag and make your way inside. Walking down a long corridor you are met with years worth of fraternity composite photos, dating all the way back to the 60’s. As you look at all of the photos a door closes behind you, and you turn to look at the person coming through. 

As your eyes meet his, your heart nearly stops. It’s the same beautiful green eyes that have plagued your mind for the past few weeks. A smile crosses your face and his simultaneously.

“Well hello again.” he says with a smirk.

“Hey Andy….” you reply bashfully.

“What are you doing back here by yourself? The party is out there?” he asks.

“Well, I came with my friend, but she… kinda left me. I was actually making my way back up front to head home.” you say.

“Oh, don’t leave yet! The party is just starting to get going!” he says cheerfully. “Do you need a drink?” he asks.

“Only if I can watch you make it.” you reply playfully.

“Smart girl. Here, follow me.” he says, motioning you to follow behind him. He leads you down the corridor and into the kitchen. It's dead quiet, and not a soul in sight. He walks over to a pantry opening the door, pulling out a bottle of vodka, and a bottle of tonic water.

“Will this work?” he asks.

“Yeah, that is perfect actually!” you reply.

“Brand new, unopened.” he smiles, handing you a plastic cup.

“None for you?” you ask, twisting the cap off of the bottle.

“Not tonight, I am on the risk management team… this weekend of all weekends too.” he laughs.

“Oh, are you in this fraternity?” you ask, poring the tonic into the shiny plastic cup.

He laughs as he answers, “Yeah, I am, for three years now, at least that's what they tell me.”

“Wow, that's cool. So you can't drink if you're on the risk team, I guess?” you ask.

“Yeah, gotta keep an eye on everything, make sure no one walks off with our heirlooms or something.” he laughs.

You giggle, not only because he is funny, but because you are feeling a little nervous. He is really cute, his eyes are piercing and his smile captivating. 

You feel your phone buzz in your purse but ignore it as you continue talking to Andy. He leads you into a room with couches and chairs and you both sit on a navy blue velvet couch, talking about any and everything from, school events, his major, activities the fraternity will be hosting the rest of the semester and anything else you can think of. The vodka quickly enters your system and you find yourself feeling more relaxed and confident. 

“Hey, I have to go make my rounds again, wanna walk with me?” he asks.

You smile up at him as he stands, extending his hand out to take yours. “Sure.”

You walk hand in hand with him through almost the entirety of the fraternity house, checking for wandering people or anything that seems out of place. You spot Nora dancing in the main room and flash her a smile. She is completely wasted but seems to be ok with Jason. Andy’s hand finds a place on your lower back as he ushers you back to the kitchen for a top off of your drink.

“Can I?” he asks, taking your cup from your hand.

“You can.” you say flirtily, handing him the empty cup.

He wears a soft smile on his face as he refills your cup with ice and vodka, topping it off with the tonic water. His eyes flicking up to yours periodically. You feel a flutter in your chest that you haven't felt for a while, you weren’t sure it even did that anymore. You take the cup back from Andy and sip it. 

“A perfect mix.” you smile. 

His hand brushes the hair from your shoulder and he rests it there just for a moment, looking deep into your eyes. You can tell he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. Instead he grabbed your free hand and led you to the back patio again, for some fresh air.

As you mingled with a group of girls you felt your phone buzz in your purse again, remembering you forgot about it earlier, you pull it out and see two texts from Jake.

What in the world, why is he texting me?

Jake: College girl at a frat party? 

Jake: Don’t take drinks from anyone.

Just as you were about to text him back, Andy turned to you, “It’s getting late, would you like me to walk you back to your dorm? I can probably sneak away for 15 minutes. Don’t want you to walk back alone.” he says sincerely. 

“That would actually be really great, thanks Andy.” you say with a smile. You toss back the rest of your drink and throw it in the trash can next to you. He offers you his hand and you lace your fingers with his. 

-

Jake tossed and turned in his uncomfortable hotel bed, willing himself to stay awake, waiting and hoping that you would call. That you would need him. That you hadn’t forgotten about him. He thought endlessly about all the things that could happen at that fraternity party, all the things that could happen that he couldn’t be there to stop. He began to worry when he received no response to his snapchat. Convincing himself that something bad was happening he worked up the nerve to text you. He sent the message and laid his phone on his bare chest, gently strumming his acoustic guitar anxiously waiting for a reply. That reply would never come. You had left him on read, only twisting the knife deeper into his chest. He was losing you with every passing minute. 

-

Andy is so cute, and so nice, and not at all what you expected of a fraternity guy. He is older than you though, so you think maybe he is just more mature. He opens the front door for you, letting you walk out first. You can finally hear him clearly now that you’re away from the loud music of the party.

“It’s really nice of you to offer to walk me back. I really appreciate it. I would have probably been nervous the whole time.” you laugh.

“Oh, no way. I would never let you go alone. I mean…I am risk management tonight, and this just seemed like too big of a risk to chance.” he jokes. You both giggle and you feel his grip on your hand tighten a bit. The butterflies begin to swirl in your stomach and you look up at him. His blonde curls fall into his face as he looks back at you. Even in the darkness of the night you can see his perfect green eyes staring back. 

He breaks the silence between the two of you, “You know, I hate to be too forward but I can’t risk not seeing you again for another month. Do you think we could exchange numbers? I’d really like to see you again.” he asks.

Caught off guard you gasp, “Oh, yeah. We can!” You dig your phone out of your bag and hand it to him, and he hands you his. Each of you put your numbers into the other's phone before switching back. Just as you get to the front hall of your dorm, he stops and turns to face you.

“I am so glad you were at the party tonight, I really enjoyed spending the evening with you. I hope you will text me sometime.” he says leaning over to place a soft perfect kiss on your cheek. 

Your face flames red at his actions and you nod your head bashfully. 

“Bye Andy, thanks for tonight.” you say making your way through the double doors. Once you heard the doors click behind you, you are pretty sure you woke the entire first floor with the squeal you let escape your mouth. You practically skipped down the hall and into your room, floating around getting ready for bed as you reminisced about the perfect night you just had.

You knew you wanted to text Andy, you knew you wanted to see him again, and soon. But you knew you had to play it cool. Give it a few days, and you would text him. You just hoped he meant it when he said he wanted to see you again. 

That night you fell asleep dreaming of the perfect boy, and what your future would hold, and for the first time, Jake wasn’t in it.

-

Late October 2017 

“You look perfect, stop stressing!” Nora exclaimed, her feet dangling off the end of your bed. 

“I’m just nervous, I haven’t been on a date in a long time!” you call back to her, staring at your outfit in the mirror.  

“You two have obvious chemistry, you’re overthinking it.” she replied.

Walking over to her, you grabbed your phone and keys and shoved them into your bag, “Well… It’s now or never. I will come to your room as soon as I get back and tell you everything.” 

“Good luck girlie!” she says, hopping off the bed and shutting your dorm room door behind you.

-

The lights in the dimly lit restaurant provided the perfect atmosphere for your date. Andy looked amazing, and was adamant about picking you up and making all of the plans for the date. You were shocked when he asked you, and of course you said yes. 

You’ve nervously waited for a week for this moment and it's finally here and happening and there is nowhere in the world you’d rather be.

The evening was spent talking and laughing, he asked about your friends, your family and your dreams. He really thought of everything. 

You told him about growing up in your small town and how you became best friends with Sam. You told him about the band and them touring. You told him about your parents and your first few months of your college experience. He listened intently, hanging on your every word.

He told you about his family, and he told you about his hobbies, which include working out, and running. He told you about his major, which was finance. He told you his plans for when he graduates and his role within his fraternity. All around he was the perfect guy. He was polite and gentle and everything you’ve always wanted for yourself. You would consider it a great first date. At the end of the night when he dropped you back at the dorm he didn’t just drop you off like you expected. He parked the car, opened your door for you and escorted you back to the entrance. 

“I really like you, I had an amazing time with you tonight. Do you think we could… do it again? Maybe soon?” he asks, nervously. The dark navy sky perfectly framed his messy curls as you stared at his lips.

“I would love to, and Andy… I really like you too.” you reply, your eyes flicking up to meet the emerald green orbs staring back at you.

His hand came around your waist, and pulled you close to him as he pressed his lips to yours. The spark that flew through your body was as hot as an open flame. The butterflies in your stomach, fluttering rapidly. Your hand came up to meet his cheek as you deepened the kiss. You pulled away from him and his hand still lingered on your waist. The heat of it burns into your skin. 

He smiled as he stepped away, “Just as amazing as I thought. Goodnight gorgeous.” and with that he turned on his heels and walked back to his car. 

You made a beeline straight to Nora’s door and anxiously told her everything. You both squealed and jumped up and down together, as you relived the night over and over for her. 

After repeating the story what felt like five times, you made your way back to your room, practically still floating. You changed into your pajamas and prepared for bed. You grabbed your phone out of your purse and plugged it into the charger. As the screen came to life you saw a missed call from Sam. Telling yourself you would call him tomorrow you slipped into bed and fell asleep thinking about that kiss. 

-

November 2017

“Hello?” 

“Hey babe, I’ll be there in 5 minutes to pick you up.” Andy says cheerfully through the phone.

“Okay, see you in a few.” you say, hanging up the call. 

Andy insisted on taking you out one last time before Thanksgiving break. Both of you were going home to see your families and just wanted to spend one last day together before you wouldn't see each other for a week or so. 

Andy had planned out something special, and wanted to surprise you. Just another tick on the list of reasons he was perfect. As you placed your phone into your purse you locked the door to your room and made your way out front. You stood on the wet concrete steps and waited, looking for his car to pull up. You wondered what you would be doing tonight since it had been kind of a rainy day today. The rain finally stopped around 6 and now the air was thick with humidity. 

Seeing his white BMW pull up to the curb you quickly approach the door, pulling the handle and climbing inside. 

“Hey beautiful.” he says, leaning over and placing a sweet and gentle kiss on your lips.

“Hi! Are you going to tell me what we are doing?” you ask.

“Nope, just sit back and enjoy the ride.” he said, pulling away from the curb and out onto the street.

You talk of your plans for Thanksgiving and tell him how excited you are to see your friends. You find yourself feeling guilty about how things were. You had hardly spoken to Sam lately, and you missed him. You were really excited to see him in a few days. 

As the car pulled into the parking lot you read the sign on the building and shot your eyes over to Andy who was smiling down to himself as he shut off the car.

“Pinball Pete’s!?” you ask enthusiastically.

“I thought you’d like it. I remember you telling me you loved playing pinball… I just thought…” he stammers.

“Andy, yes! I am so excited! Come on, come on!” you say throwing your door open and practically racing him inside.

Impatiently waiting for him to come in, he finally does, and you grab his face in your hands pulling him in for a kiss. 

After feeding your cash into the coin machine you stand with a bucket of quarters. Turning to him, he takes the bucket and carries it for you gesturing out to the endless rows of machines. 

“Take your pick, I'm following you.” he smiles. 

Taking your time to select the perfect one, you finally land on a Wizard of Oz themed machine. Andy hands you two quarters and you place them in the slot. As if magic, your first game is a major success gaining your 5400 points. Not too shabby.

When Andy decided he wanted a turn, you tried to step to the side to let him have control but instead he pulled you back in front of him, pressing himself up against your back and placing his hands over yours, letting your fingers be his instruments as he pressed the buttons. His head rested on your shoulder as you giggled everytime he would jerk your hands towards the buttons. 

When he lost his last ball he placed a soft kiss on your neck, and it sent a shiver through your body. He’s perfect. 

The rest of the evening was spent laughing, and having fun with the most perfect gentleman you’d ever met. You were sure that you were the main character in this movie of a love story.

Late November  2017

Walking through the front door of your childhood home you were met with the familiar scent of home. Even though you were only an hour and a half away from home, you hadn’t had a chance to visit. You were so excited to see your parents and you knew they were excited to see you. You rushed into the living room and saw them sitting waiting for you. After a few tears and lots of hugs you were finally all settled down and so you sat and caught them up with everything going on with you and how college life has been so far. 

A while later you drag your little suitcase to your bedroom, which was practically untouched and sat exactly how you left it. You flop yourself onto your very familiar and inviting bed and let out a sigh. A lot has changed in just a few months. You have made new friends, you have a boyfriend, and you are doing extremely well in your classes... The only part of your life that isn't perfect is the fact that you haven't spoken to your best friend in what seems like months. You are thankful that you will get a chance to reconcile tomorrow. 

Dressing yourself in your favorite pajamas you curl up in your comfy bed and relax. You send a text to Andy, missing him already.

You: Hey babe, I made it home. How about you?

Andy: Hey beautiful, I did make it. Thinking of you.

You: Miss you, wish you were here. Wish you could meet my friends and family. 

Andy: Me too. Next year I promise.

Your heart clenches at the thought of next year with Andy. Was he really thinking that far ahead?

You: I’m going to go to bed, goodnight. 

Andy: Sweet dreams

-

The days leading up to Thanksgiving went slowly, you hoped to hear from Sam, maybe even thought he would invite you over but he didn’t. You hadn’t spoken to him in forever. But today, you would. Today you would make things right. Explain everything and hope he understood. 

You felt a nervous energy swirling in your chest as you got ready for your annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Kiszka’s. Every year your family would gather with theirs at their house to enjoy the day and you always had a good time, but this year would be different. It is going to be the first time seeing Jake since his confession on the phone that night. 

You have thought about it nervously all week. You knew you could smooth things over with Sam, but Jake would be a little more difficult, since you had no idea where his head was at. There was one more little problem that you would have to tackle with them as well. Andy.

As you smooth your hands over your dress one last time, you leave your bedroom and meet your parents at the front door, ready to leave. You swallow nervously as you walk to the car knowing that the moment you’ve been dreading is growing nearer. You anxiously pick at your nails as you make the drive to their house. When you finally pull into the driveway, you’re surprised you even have any skin left around your fingernails. 

You take a deep breath and step out of the car, following behind your parents to the front door. The door you have entered so many times over the years, but never feeling like this. 

As you wait at the door for someone to open it you squeeze your eyes shut tightly one last time, telling yourself exactly what you need to say.

When the door opens you are met with Karen’s smiling face. “Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so glad you’re here!” she says, ushering you in the door.

You step through the threshold of the house and are instantly transported back to the first time you ever walked in. Pictures of the family adorning the walls, the smell of food being cooked. You were young, and it was Thanksgiving. If only you knew then, what you know now. 

“Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes!” she says making her way back to the kitchen. Your eyes scan the room nervously for any sign of Sam but you are met with nothing. In fact it's eerily quiet. You hear no yelling, no music, no talking. Just the sounds ringing out of the kitchen.

You walk around the house and they are nowhere to be found. You walk down to the basement and it's dark. The garage, closed and locked. They aren’t here. They must have run to the store for a last minute beer run.

You walk back into the kitchen to ask Karen if she needs any help, and she tasks you with finding the serving utensils. As you pull out the large spoons and forks, she turns to you.

“I’m so glad you were able to make it. It’s been so quiet around here. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without at least one of my babies here.” she says sincerely, placing her hand on your shoulder. 

“Oh… just me? Are they… not….” you reply confused. 

“Oh honey, did they not tell you? They aren’t coming. They are in California.” she says with a sad look.

“No, I…haven’t talked to them.” you reply.

“Oh really? Sam calls me most everyday. I wonder what’s up with him?” she says playfully.

“I dont think it's him.” you reply quietly, walking away and into the living room. 

As you sit on the couch you start to realize just how distant you had become with someone you thought was your best friend. Maybe that wasn’t the case anymore. You find yourself walking up the stairs and towards the bathroom, pushing back the tears in your eyes threatening to spill over. 

How could you not know that your best friends wouldn't be home for Thanksgiving? Have you even asked them how the tour was going? You haven't heard Sam's voice in weeks. 

Your mind wanders to Jake, and a pang shoots through your chest. You miss him, his voice, his touch. All thoughts you shouldn’t be having about him. What would Andy say?

You pass his bedroom on the way to the bathroom, and you stop right past his door. Looking over your shoulder you turn back, reaching for the cold metal door knob. Taking a deep breath you turn the handle and step into his bedroom. Shutting the door quietly behind you, you lean against it as you look around the room. Your mind flashes back to all the secret moments shared between you and Jake over the past years. The smell of him in the air overwhelms your senses and the tears that threatened to spill in the hallway finally break free. You walk around the room, running your fingers over the guitars leaning against the dark blue walls. How many hours has he put into this? Is he living his dream?

You see his desk littered with papers, his messy scrawl of chords written haphazardly across the lined paper. He has photos lined up across the front of his desk. Photos of him and Josh, him and Sam, even all three of them together. You smile as you see all of their smiles. One thing about the Kiszka boys, they have those contagious smiles. The ones that make you smile regardless of your mood. As your eyes continue down the line you see yourself. A photo of you and Sam, arm around your neck, your face pressed close to his. The same one hanging on your bulletin board in your dorm. The outline of dust next to that photo shows that there was one more, but it’s gone. Whatever was there, he took with him. 

You walk over to his bed, his red and blue flannel sheets sit messily on top. Sitting at the edge of the bed, you run your hands over the sheets, feeling the fabric on your fingers. How many nights did he lay here thinking of you, just as you thought of him? Your eyes prick with tears again at the thought.

You pull your phone out of the pocket of your dress, and scroll to the last picture you have of him. This summer at the lake, him and Sam. Their arms wrapped around each other's necks, cheeks full and eyes squinty from the excessive alcohol drank that day. Both of them smiling at you, both of them in love with you, you unknowing. 

You open your texts and find his last messages to you, that you apparently never replied to and your heart breaks. You know he was worried about you and you left him hanging.

You watch as the cursor blinks in the text box and your mind races on what to say. You know what you want to say, but you can’t. The only appropriate message you can send is ‘Happy Thanksgiving’. There is so much you want to say, but that's all that comes out. 

You hit send, forward the same message to Sam and Josh and return your phone to your pocket. You stand up, smooth out the blankets where you sat and take one last look around, finally admitting to yourself that you have lost your best friend, and Jake all by your own hand. You make your way back downstairs just in time to sit for dinner, eyes glued to the three empty place settings, sitting, waiting, just in case. 

-

JAKE POV

“Hey, wake up, we’re here.” Josh says, shaking your shoulder. Your eyes pop open, the harsh California sun invading your tired pupils. The pain in your neck makes itself evident as you pull your head away from the window. You haven’t been sleeping much lately, and any chance you found, you took. You aren't sure how long you were out, but you know it wasn’t long enough.

You instinctively try to stretch your legs but are confined to the small back seat of the van. You clear your throat and run your fingers through your hair before sliding out the door. Once you are finally free to stretch, you groan and lift your arms over your head letting your joints crack and pop. Taking in your surroundings you snap your head to look at Josh.  

“I thought you said we were here, this is a Denny’s parking lot.” you say.

“We are here. To eat. Happy Thanksgiving.” he smiles smugly.

After a barely passable meal of diner Thanksgiving staples, you all pile back into the van to finish the last 3 hours of the drive. Your phone vibrates in your pocket and you sit up straight to pull it out. As you see the name flash across the screen you feel like the air has been knocked out of you. Thankfully Sam, who is peering over your shoulder, doesn’t know who it is since you never saved her under her real name. You saved her under LD for this exact reason. Everytime you see it you are instantly transported back that night under the stars. Your Little Dipper.

LD: Happy Thanksgiving

Waiting until Sam looks away at his own phone, you see the messages above it that she never replied to. You were so worried that night. You remember staying up until 3am waiting to hear from her but she never replied. You got the message loud and clear.

You didn’t contact her again after that, and this would be no different. As badly as you wanted to talk to her, you wouldn’t. You locked your phone and set it on your leg, leaving her on read, just like she did to you. You stared out the window, watching as the trees blurred together into a greenish brown streak, but your mind wasn’t on the trees it was on her. 

It had been months of being on tour, cooped up in this van, seeing the country and playing your music. From the outside you were having the time of your life, living your dream with your brothers. But on the inside you were lonely, anxious, and feeling burnt out.  Each night ending in a different hotel room, alone with your thoughts, and no one to talk to other than the guys. But that’s not who you wanted to talk to. The night you poured your heart out to her, you thought things might change. You thought things would be different if she just felt the same. She even admitted that she did, but things didn’t change. Things got worse. You haven’t seen her, or felt her touch in what feels like forever. You haven’t heard her voice since that night, though it lives in your head on replay like your favorite song. She was forgetting you, just like you thought she would. 

You aren't sure how much time had passed as you watched the sun starting to set in the sky. Your phone vibrating in your lap snapped you from your string of mindless despair, hearing Sam and Josh’s text tones ring through the van as well. A group text from your Mom.

Mom: *Image*

Mom: Everyone misses you and wishes you were here! Hope you’re being safe and having fun. Happy Thanksgiving, I love you boys!

You look down at your phone opening the image, and in almost a sickening way, fate was rubbing her in your face yet again. The photo, a picture of your family dining table, your parents, her parents and her, all sat around it. Three places were set at your normal seats, but your eyes studied her. Her smile. She looked happy, but something about her eyes seemed sad. Why is she sad? You swallow thickly as you exit out of the photo, typing a generic response to your mom before hitting send. 

You look over at Sam, and see he is going through it as well. He locks his phone and sets it on his lap, just in the same way you have. Staring blankly into the floorboard you look up at him. He looks back at you and you can see the same sadness in his eyes that you are sure is plastered across your face as well. 

“Have you talked to her?” you ask, almost a whisper. 

His eyes shoot back down to the floor, “No...not in a while. I think she forgot about us.” he replies feeling defeated. Your heart breaks at his words, knowing that the likelihood is high, but not wanting him to dwell on the possibility.

“Nah, she’s your best friend. She couldn’t forget you Sammy boy.” you say, ruffling his hair, trying to lighten the mood.

He nods his head with a small, hopeful smile and is quiet for a minute before turning to talk to Danny.

A lie. You know she has forgotten about all of you. She has moved on with her life, and left you and Sam in the dust. She hasn’t returned any of Sam’s phone calls, barely texts him. Even you have noticed. Part of you is mad about that. How can she call him her best friend and treat him like this? The other part of you, is glad that you aren’t the only one she has ghosted and left behind without a second thought. 

-

Laying in your hotel room bed you sip the cheap wine you bought at the gas station. The only place you could find that was open on Thanksgiving. Sam joined you for a while, but eventually retired to his shared room with Daniel. Josh passed out almost immediately upon arrival, tired from driving all day. His snoring leaves you lying awake most of the time, you and Sam switching off every couple of nights so that you can sleep. You open your journal and try to write the words to match the feelings that have been swirling in your head all day, but when you put the pen to paper, nothing comes out. 

You flip through the dog eared pages in your journal finding your makeshift bookmark stuffed between the pages in the back. A photo. A last minute thought that has sustained you for the past few months. You and her, on the couch in the basement. Sam snapped the photo this summer after a day at the lake. She was exhausted and passed out on your shoulder five minutes into the movie that Sam had picked. Her cheeks pink from being in the sun all day. Her hair, wavy from the lake water. Her legs, laying next to yours, practically tangled together. She didn’t know she fell asleep on you and you would have stayed there for days, letting her hand rest on your thigh as you felt the rise and fall of her chest against your shoulder.

When the movie ended and Sam saw her, he jumped up and laughed, grabbing his camera and taking the picture. The picture that would live on your desk for a while, before becoming your last minute addition to your journal right as you slipped out the door to leave for this tour. 

He thought nothing of it when taking the picture, probably planning to blackmail her with it somehow, but presenting you with a gift he didn’t even know you needed. A picture growing tattered around the edges, but living safely in the confines of your journal, sheltered in words and thoughts, mostly about her. 

-

HER POV

December 2017

With only a few days until your 19th birthday, you and Nora had planned a special girls night with you and all of your friends. You had grown especially close with Nora this semester, and at one point she even called you her best friend. You reciprocated her sentiment, with a bit of guilt for Sam, but you knew he would always be your true, childhood best friend.

As the day finally came you and Nora stood in her room getting ready. You planned to go to dinner, a movie and then come back to your room to gossip about boys. Your friends were going to meet you two at the restaurant and you and Nora would drive there. You enjoyed a fantastic dinner with your new friends, and finally saw that movie you had been wanting to see. You spent a lot of the night laughing and giggling over boys and you found yourself growing anxious to see what Andy had planned for you tomorrow. He made a big deal about doing something on your birthday, but wouldn’t tell you what. You were nervous, but excited. 

-

The next day, Andy picked you up at your dorm. Telling you to dress very warm, and wear boots. Knowing you were probably doing something outside, you followed his instruction. As you slid into the passenger seat of his car, he greeted you with a kiss and a ‘Happy Birthday’. Your heart warmed instantly as he placed his hand on your thigh, the heat radiating through your jeans. 

“The fraternity is having a bonfire tonight, and I thought it would be fun to go. What do you think?” he asks.

Oh. A bonfire.

“That sounds fun!” you say. You find yourself feeling a little disappointed, as you thought it would just be the two of you. Now you would be spending most of the night listening to him talk to his buddies.

Pulling into the field, you got out of the car, smoke filling the air as the bonfire raged a couple yards away. As you reached for Andy’s hand, he put his arm around your shoulder instead, leading you over to the crowd. You made your way over to where a keg stood, and watched as Andy dispensed the bubbly yellow liquid into the plastic cups. Handing one to you, he toasted to your birthday and you both drank. Beer wasn’t your favorite but you drank it anyway.

As the night went on, you were doing exactly what you thought you would be doing, listening to Andy recount the past few years with his fraternity brothers, as you stood by and stayed quiet. There wasn’t much you could add to these conversations, as you weren’t there.  This was not really what you imagined doing on your birthday and you are thankful that you got to spend the day with your friends yesterday. It wasn’t a total let down.

After an hour or so of mingling you told Andy you were going to go get another drink and he nodded at you dismissively as you walked away. Trying not to think anything of it, you refilled your cup and went to sit on one of the camp chairs placed strategically around the flames. Most of the chairs were empty and you were almost glad, knowing you wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. You sat down, and watched the fire dance into the sky as you sipped the beer. After a few minutes you pulled out your phone. You had a few missed calls from friends and family wishing you a happy birthday, but it was a text from Sam that caught your eye. 

Sam: Happy Birthday! I miss you.

Looking around you see Andy still talking with his buddies, his hands fully involved in whatever story he was telling, so you took that as a sign he would be there for a while. You hit the phone icon next to Sam’s name letting the tone ring into your ear. It rang three or four times, and you were about to hang up when you heard his voice pop through on the other end. “Hello?” 

“Hi Sammy!” you say excitedly, “I didn’t think you were going to answer!”

“Well, we are about to go on, but you know I’ll always take your call if I can. What’s up, birthday girl?” he asks.

Just hearing his voice brings a warmth to your chest.

“Oh, nothing, just sitting watching a bonfire. How has the tour been?” you ask.

“Amazing, people really seem to like our music. We only have a few more stops before we come home though. Will you be home for Christmas break?” he asks. 

“Of course I will! Where else would I be?” you laugh.

“I don’t know! Are you drinking? You sound like you’re drinking…” he laughs.

“Maybe a little bit!” you giggle back.

“Well, as long as you’re not driving…” he trails off.

“Says you! You’re the one with the record!” you quip.

“You got me there. Hey I have to go, but really. I want to see you over break, I miss you. We all do.” he says seriously.

“I know, I miss you guys too.” you say with a sad tone. 

“Okay, well let’s plan on it. Have a good rest of your birthday and be careful!” he says.

“I will, good luck tonight! Bye Sammy!” you say.

“Bye stranger.” he says, ending the call. 

As you set the phone in your lap you find yourself longing to talk to him just a little bit longer. You missed your friendship with him. It was different from your friendship with Nora. He knew you. Everything about you, and you him. But he didn’t know everything now. You didn’t tell him about Andy. The timing was just wrong. You would though. You would tell him over break. You promised yourself.

As you finish your drink you see Andy walking over towards you. “What are you doing over here by yourself? Come back with me.” he says, grabbing your hand, yanking you up to walk next to him. Jeeze.

As you rejoined his group of friends, they were talking about things you could actually converse about and so you tried, but everytime you did, you felt his grip on your shoulder tighten. Almost like a silent indication to stop. Things started to grow louder within the group. You could tell that they were drunk, and you started to feel uncomfortable.

Turning to Andy you ask, “ Babe, do you think we can go?”

He practically scoffs at you, “No, we aren’t leaving yet. Just a little longer. You’re fine.”

Swallowing the lump in your throat you return to standing by his side quietly. Your thoughts begin to shift to a happier time, wishing you could go back to your birthday last year, spent with your real friends. With Sam. With Jake.

–

Sitting in the car, waiting for the heat to start warming the cabin, Andy turns to you, “You want to stay at my place tonight?” he asks with a soft smile.

You hadn’t spent the night with each other yet, and you felt your body tense as you realized what he was asking. You knew things with Andy were starting to heat up physically, but never committing to going all the way. You never had, and you were nervous. Not wanting to seem like a child, you smile back and nod your head telling him yes. His hand reaches over the center console and grabs yours bringing it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on your knuckles.

–

You loved Andy, he had even told you he loved you. You repeated it back to him instinctually, until you realized it was actually true. You did love him in a way you hadn’t loved others. You wanted this with him. You wanted him to be happy, so tonight, on your birthday you gave him a gift. A gift you could only ever give once. It was perfect, gentle and tender. Everything you ever imagined it would be, and you found yourself falling for him even further than you thought you could.

–

Christmas 2017

Sitting in your living room surrounded by your parents, you exchanged gifts and laughed next to the perfectly decorated tree. You enjoyed yet another Christmas with your parents, the only thing missing was Andy. 

You hadn’t seen him since you left for break a week and a half ago. After the first night you spent together, he begged you to stay with him most of the nights after that. You were happy to be with him, but you missed your friends at the dorm. He would get upset if you told him you were missing them and wanted to stay the night at your dorm, and you didn’t want to make him unhappy, so you stayed. He would tell you how much he loved you, and show you, reinforcing his feelings for you.The break from him was nice, but now you found yourself missing him. Wishing he was here.  

As the Christmas festivities wrapped up you decided to doll yourself up for Christmas dinner. You sat at your vanity in your bedroom, taking extra time to do your makeup. Your phone vibrated on the table and your eyes flicked down to see a familiar name on the screen.

Sam: Merry Christmas! Do you have plans for New Years?

You: Merry Christmas Sammy! Are you guys having your party this year like usual?

Sam: Yes of course! Can you come?

You: You know I wouldn’t miss it.

Sam: I wasn’t sure…

You: Of course I will be there, I have lots to fill you in on.

Sam: Me too! See you at 9?

You: Can’t wait.

But the truth was, you could wait. The thought of seeing him after all of this time had you panicking. You didn’t even have a good excuse as to why you had become so distant. You would just tell him the truth, and hope he understood. Even more terrifying was the thought of seeing Jake. You were wholly unprepared for the conversation you knew you would be having at some point that night. 

Breaking you from your string of thoughts your phone vibrates again, this time a phone call from Andy.

“Hello!” you answer with a smile.

“Hi baby, Merry Christmas!” he replies.

“Merry Christmas to you too! I miss you!” you say.

“Well, you don’t have to miss me for too much longer. I am actually headed your way.” he says excitedly.

“You are?! You’re coming here?” you ask.

“Yeah, I figured we could spend New Years together.” he says, and suddenly your mouth goes dry.

“Oh, yeah... My best friend actually just invited me to this party that they throw every year. It’s always really fun. I think we will have a good time.” you say.

“Ahh sounds good to me babe, can’t wait to see you.” he says. “I will be there in a few hours.”

“Okay, see you soon! Bye!” you say hanging up the phone hastily.

Fuck.

–

New Years Eve 2017

Stepping onto the Kiszka's porch you nervously open the front door. Music is blaring from the house as usual, so you knew there was no use in knocking or ringing the doorbell. The house is full of people, definitely more than usual, but to be expected with their recent success. You grab Andy’s hand, pulling him behind you as you weave your way through the crowded living room. The first thing you need is a drink. You know the only way you are going to make it through this night is extremely intoxicated. 

Continuing to pull Andy along behind you, you make your way through the dining room and finally into the kitchen. It is just as full of people, maybe even more due to the close proximity of alcohol. 

“You really know your way around this house…” Andy remarks.

“I basically grew up here.” you laugh.

You look at the selections and grab the vodka, and tonic water, making both of you a drink. As you hand it back to Andy, you see Sam approaching with wide eyes. 

“You came!” he says scooping you in for a hug. 

“I told you I would!” you reply.

“I can’t believe it. It feels like it’s been forever.” he says pulling you in for another hug. It feels good to hug him. You have missed him so bad. You know it's time to rip the bandaid off and tell him. 

You step back from him, and pull Andy forward, “Sam, this is my boyfriend, Andy. Andy, this is my best friend Sam.” you say gesturing out to Sam.

“Hey man, nice to meet you, I’m Andy.” he says, reaching his hand out to shake.

Sam’s expression grows long but he quickly recovers with his usual bright smile, shaking Andy’s hand. “Hey, nice to meet you. Sam.” 

You can see Sam bite his cheek as he scans the room. “There is actually someone I want you to meet too.” he says nervously. “I’ll be right back.” and with that he has disappeared out of the kitchen.

“He seems nice...” Andy says with a smirk.

“He is! Just give him a chance.” you say playfully smacking his arm.

You both begin to sip your drink as a small, curly haired brunette steps in front of you, attempting to make herself a drink. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, excuse me.” she says sweetly.

She picks up a bottle of Champagne, attempting to pop the cork multiple times but failing each time. You elbow Andy and give him a look and he nods his head.

“Hey, can I help you with that?” he asks.

“Oh, can you!? I am obviously struggling pretty badly, huh?” she laughs. She hands him the bottle and he pops the cork with ease. 

“A lifesaver! Thank you!” she says, pouring the fizzy beverage into a plastic coupe glass.

She turns to you, “Would you like some? You can’t say no on New Year's Eve!” she jokes. 

“Oh, what the hell!” you reply, accepting the glass from her. 

Just as she goes to talk, a pair of hands snake around her waist from behind and and your heart nearly stops when you realize it's Sam.

“Here you are! I was looking everywhere for you. Looks like you found my friends!” he says gesturing to you and Andy.

Flicking his eyes up to you he introduces the girl wrapped around his arm. “This is my girlfriend Elle. Elle this is my best friend. The one I told you about?” he says looking down to her.

“Yes! Oh my gosh, it’s so nice to finally meet you! I have heard so much about you!” she says.

You wish you could say the same. You give Sam a soft side smile and return your attention back to Elle. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to run to the bathroom really quick, but let's talk more in a little bit?” she says, and before you can answer she is flitting off into the crowd.

“Sammy! She is so cute! Why didn’t you tell me!” you ask, with a huge smile.

But your expression is not matched on his face, his is more somber, “I tried. You never called me back. Three times.” he says. 

A punch to the gut would have hurt less. You bite your lips into your mouth and look down. 

“Well, we are all here now. Let’s enjoy the party!” Andy says, breaking the tension, and you are so thankful. 

“I’ll catch up with you later. Don’t leave without saying goodbye!” Sam says, walking into the crowd.

You turn to Andy and shrug your shoulders, walking back into the living room, all the while wondering what the rest of the night would hold.

–

JAKE POV

Tamping out your cigarette on the back porch you make your way back inside the bustling house. You don’t typically smoke them, it was a nasty little habit you picked up on the road that you were actively trying to quit. 

Closing the back door behind you, it's immediately opened again by someone else making their way outside. Grabbing your beer off the window sill, right where you left it, you try to head down to the basement to find Josh. Right as you turn the corner you see Sam approaching you and you nod your head to ask him what's up.

“Guess who came?” he says lifting his eyebrows, and walking away. Elle follows close behind him. Your eyes nervously scan the room. You know who he is insinuating. Who else could it be? As you search the room you don't see anyone of importance, so you keep walking making your way to the basement. 

You lock eyes with Josh across the room, and walk over to him. He is deep into a conversation with someone about the concept of some album. Who knows. What you thought would be a fun night, now has turned into raging anxiety growing in your chest. Is she really here? 

Your eyes flick down to your watch. 11:35. You know you have to find her. You know you haven't spoken to her in a while but you have to tell her how you feel, to her face. You know things will be different this time. 

You walk up the basement stairs, back into the loud living room. The music is blasting, and the drinks have everyone dancing and feeling good. Conversations are flowing effortlessly through the crowd and you wonder how you will ever find her in the sea of people. You wondered if she would be in town. You spent all last night wondering if she would come, and if she did, what you would say to her. 

Needing another drink you walk to the kitchen, finding it just as crowded as the hallway was. You decide that you will need something stronger than the selection on the counter, so you grab a cup and make your way to the stairs heading for your private stash.

In the confines of your bedroom you sit at your desk, grabbing the bottle of whiskey off the dresser, and pouring it into the plastic cup. This whiskey has kept you good company in the late hours of the night recently, and it seemed tonight would be no different. You spin in your desk chair, letting the alcohol burn perfect ribbons down the back of your throat. You can feel yourself loosening up as the seconds pass. Looking at the photos on your desk, you see the empty space where one used to sit, and close your eyes. She’s here, right now. Go find her. Make this right. 

Checking your watch again you see time has crept up on you. It’s 11:55. You place the cup down on your desk, and leave the room, shutting the door behind you. You make your way down the stairs and into the living room, once again scanning the room for her but being met with nothing. You quickly walk out onto the patio, but are met with people but none of them her. 

You hear people starting to countdown from 30, and your heart begins to pound. The music is suddenly deafening, like you’re standing in front of twenty amps. You can hear your heart beating in your ears as the countdown reaches 20.

You throw the back door open and charge into the kitchen. Nothing.

You check the dining room, nothing. Fuck, where is she?

It almost feels like people are moving in slow motion, drinking are spilling, flying through the air. Limbs flailing around as people dance. People keep grabbing you, wanting you to celebrate with them, but you pull away. It’s hot, you feel like you can’t breathe. 

The countdown reaches 10, as you walk over to the front door. You look across the room, and you think you might see her, you can’t tell for sure, but you know you have to make your way over there. You push your way through the crowd, heart still racing. You know you’re getting close. You can feel her. She's pulling you towards her, just like she always has and you are her opposite, following her current. The crowd is getting louder, you hear them counting, 5….

You push through the last group of people, and turn to face the crowd. 4….

Someone steps out of the way, and you see her. She doesn’t see you. Your girl. 3…

Her eyes flick up in laughter, as you notice her arms wrapped around someone's neck. What? 2…

She sees you. Her smile drops. You see him. 1…

The crowd screams, ‘Happy New Year’, and you watch as your girl, the one you have waited for, thought about, pined after for years, gives someone else her New Year’s kiss, right in front of you in a dramatic dipping, skin tingling kiss, and you are utterly shattered. 

A happy new year, it is not. 

Quickly reeling in your emotions you turn around and walk outside, retreating to the tattered old wicker furniture you know so well. Sitting down on the cold cushion, you lace your fingers together on the back of your neck. You take a couple of deep breaths to calm yourself down, when all you want to do is punch something, someone, anyone.

You tilt your head to the sky and let your mind wander. Looking at the stars tonight feels wrong. Everything feels wrong. In a sick twist, the first group you spot is the brightest one tonight. The little dipper. 

“Goddamnit!” you curse to yourself, looking down and dropping your head into your hands. You rub your hands down your face before sitting up and crossing your leg over the other. To distract yourself you pull your phone out of your pocket and try to scroll social media. You are met with hundreds of photos of your friends and family, all sharing their New Year’s kiss. You lock your phone and toss it on the table. Apparently the universe just wants you to be miserable tonight. What is happening? Why are things like this?

Just as you contemplate getting up and leaving, you hear the patio door open and you are ready to tell whoever it is, to go away. You tense up and turn around, to be met with the vision of her silhouette standing by the door. She is gorgeous. 

Standing there in a black sequined dress, with a low cut deep V, you find yourself nearly speechless as you take her in. You know you hadn’t seen her in a while but, god. Has she always been this gorgeous? Of course she has. Your eyes continue to scan her body, the dress falling a few inches above her knees, leading your eyes down her legs, seeing her black heels wrapped around her ankles. Your eyes travel back up to her face, seeing her sad expression. Her hair hangs curled and long around her shoulders and it takes everything in you to not run to her. 

Instead you sit there, and wait. You wait for her to come to you, just like she always does. She knows where she can find you. She always has. 

You hear her heels walking across the wooden deck, and you suck in a deep breath knowing this conversation is going to be everything you don’t want to hear. 

“Jake?” her voice, soft like silk flows into your ears.

You turn to look at her as she takes the seat next to you. There is a long silence between you, both of you just looking at each other. Both of you, full of hurt over the other. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you ask, almost a whisper, breaking the silence. 

“What was I supposed to tell you?” she replies. “Tell you that I missed you terribly? That day in and day out for weeks I stared at my phone and hoped you’d call? Tell you when I finally stopped hoping, that I met someone? Someone who almost filled the giant hole in my heart? The one that is you shaped? I couldn’t tell you that Jake!”

“Something… anything would have been better than finding out like this.” you say.

“I wanted to tell you. You and Sam, at Thanksgiving. You weren’t there. I texted you…” she says. 

“I texted you!” you yell. “You ignored it! I waited all night for your reply! You forgot about me, while every fucking day I thought of you! Not a day passed without you in my head!” 

“Jake, I didn't forget you! Not for even one second! I couldn’t forget you!” she yelled back, tears pricking at her eyes.

“You disappeared! I waited for you! I thought you felt the same! You told me you felt the same!” you say, voice growing higher in pitch with every sentence. 

“I do!” She yells, “Or I did! I don’t know, this is all too much!” she yells, dropping her head into her hands. 

She looks up after a few seconds, wiping her eyes. If your heart wasn’t already broken, you were sure you heard it shatter at that moment. You knew you never wanted to see her like this again. 

“I’m sorry. Please, don’t cry. I just… I don’t know, I thought when I saw you again…I thought we could…” you trail off.

“I wanted that too! But then I met Andy, and things just felt so right... I didn’t have to sneak around! I didn’t have to pretend! I could be with him whenever I wanted to! He wasn’t… gone. He didn’t leave me!” she says, and the reality is, she’s right. You can hear the anger in her voice. 

“I was ready to make it work! I was willing to do what I needed to do to make you mine! I may have been the one across the country but you left me, just as much as I left you! But even from halfway across the country I wanted you. I always wanted you. Only you!” you yell. You turned toward her in your seat. “I told you I was in love with you! You said you felt the same way! Is that still true? Just tell me that.” 

Her eyes shoot up to yours, and with a brief pause she finally answers,  “Of course I still love you Jake! I never stopped loving you! I’m stil–” she’s interrupted by the man you saw her draped around only a few minutes earlier. He has appeared from the shadows and you swallow heavily. You know he has heard everything. You sit back in your chair with a sigh, knowing this is not going to be good for her. Yet another thing you have screwed up.

He grabs her by the arm, hard enough that you can see his knuckles turning white. She winces at the pain, as he growls to her, “Get your shit, we’re leaving. Now.” 

He shoots you a dirty look, and yanks her out of the chair with force.

“Don’t fucking grab her like that.” you stand up quickly from your chair sending it toppling backwards behind you. 

“The fuck are you gonna do pretty boy?” he scoffs in your face. Your blood is boiling under your skin. You want to beat his face in for even touching her. Let alone talking to her like that. An assault charge and fucked up hands is the last thing you need. You bite your tongue, and let him think he’s won.

“That’s what I thought.” he snarls through his teeth, pulling her behind him as a slew of horrible things fall from his lips and into her ear. You want to run to her, rescue her, but you are rooted in place. You know that if you followed them, things might get worse for her. As he pushes her through the patio door, it slams shut behind them.

That was your first red flag about Andy. You didn’t know it yet, but it definitely wouldn’t be the last. 

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Chapter 3

#greta van fleet #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta van fleet smut #greta van smut #greta van fic #danny wagner #sam kiszka #jake kiszka #jacob thomas kiszka #daniel robert wagner #samuel francis kiszka #greta van fluff #gvf smut #gvf fic #gvf series #jake gvf #sam kiszka gvf #gvf #josh gvf #sam gvf #gvf danny #jacob kiszka #gretavangroupie #Samuel kiszka #jtk x reader #sfk x reader #sammy gvf #gretavanfluff #greta van angst

[raeny-thorns]

After Study Snack

POV: First person told in the present tense

1,363 words

M/GN!MC

Minors DNI

Plot:

MC, needing a place to work, spends the day alone with Simeon at Purgatory Hall. When they finish, Simeon offers them a treat and MC asks about what he thinks of them.

Dry humping//poetic exclamations of love//love confession//domestic moments//top MC//bottom Simeon//some cute and teasing banter//vanilla

A/N: I love Simeon, I don't know if you guys can tell lol

"Andddddd, done." I punctuate the end of my sentence and sign my work. It's surprising how much someone can get done when there's no demons rampaging the place and fires getting started. While I love the boys, Purgatory Hall is much less chaotic to study in. 

"Good job!" Simeon praises from his desk. He's the only one at the house since Luke and Solomon are in the celestial realm for some errands. 

"Ugh, my brain feels like it's melting." I rub my temple.

"Let's get some sugar in you." He stands up from the desk, the chair pleasantly dragging on the carpet. "All that work deserves a treat." 

"Mmm I could use a treat." I note that he's not wearing his usual cape so his bodysuit is his main attire. 

"Oh, yeah? What would you like?" His back is turned while he fumbles some papers. 

"Can you sit in my lap and talk to me?" He almost drops the stack at my question but quickly puts them away to face me. 

"Ah…" His face flushes at my gaze, still taking in his appearance. "Y…yes dear." 

I scoot back so his legs straddle my thigh and he does so, facing towards me. He nuzzles his head into the crane of my neck and I breathe him in. His shampoo is still vanilla and coconut, the aroma much more sweeter than the basil and oakwood smell of his room. 

"Mm...You always smell so good." I sigh, sinking into his touch.

"I'm glad you like how I smell." He chuckles and plants a quick kiss on my shoulder. 

"Tell me, Meon. What do you think of me?" It's not like I don't know what he thinks. I just want to hear him say it. I kiss his ear and neck and rub his back. 

"Uh-I think. You're very. You." 

"Hm?" 

"I don't know how to say it, but you're really you. It's weird not to have my words to express how you are." He pulls back from the hug to see my face, his eyes not so subtly glancing at my lips. 

"You are quite good with your tongue, yes." I lean towards him, letting our noses brush. 

"That's what I mean. You're so… real. And funny. And you're a better tease than me." He closes his eyes. "To not have my word as my weapon, for it to be used against me like you do, I don't know how I couldn't fall in love with you" 

"You're in love with me?" His confession takes us both by surprise but he still nods.

"…Very."

"What about me?" He looks down at his hands. 

"It's nothing in particular, really. Like I said, I love you. Not just your personality, not just your looks, not just your talents or gifts. You're you and that's who I love. If someone said the same things you did or looked the same way you did, it wouldn't be the same because they wouldn't be you." He sighs tenderly. 

"There's no other word than 'you' you'd use to describe me?" 

"No. No words can convey who you are."

"Is there a word you'd call my kiss?"

"I… I don't know."

"Want to find out?" 

He stares at me, not looking in my eyes for long periods, usually darting around us or my body. He rubs his gloves hands against his thighs like he's wiping sweat from himself. His hand brushes some hair behind my ear as he leans over like he's going to kiss me, but gets lost looking at me.

"Take your time~" I tease and he stiffens and blushes deeper. 

When his lips reach mine, he sinks deeper into my lap, relaxing his body against mine, except for an increasingly hard region. His face is hot, though mine is as well. When he pulls away, it's with a small groan. I wait a second before tilting my head and asking him.

"What word would you use to describe that?"

"I… don't know. Can I try again?"

I kiss him this time and he moans my name in my mouth as I slip my tongue into his parted lips. He tastes like vanilla. How fitting. My hand reaches to his head and pulls at his chocolate strands, his hips grind into me.

I pull off and a string is saliva follows, snapping only when I wipe my mouth

"How about that?"

"Divine."

"How so?"

"Like lavishly overgrown libraries. Like freshly steeped teas. I see starless nights of midnight picnics and dimly lit morning suns that tempt us to sleep in until noon. I think I've fallen in love again. Absolutely divine."

"You're quite the poet despite your 'lack of words' as you say."

"Your mouth breathes my language back into my lungs. Kiss me again. Please."

I kiss him harsher, nibbling at his lips and pushing his tongue down with mine. He grinds harder against my thighs, drawing louder moans from his chest. 

"Has anyone ever told you your kisses are like mossy paths?" He mumbles, lips still brushing against mine. 

"Has anyone told you that that's barely a sentence?" I tease. 

"No, usually people know what similes are" we both chuckle and he doesn't stop grinding.

"Well, has anyone told you that your needy dry humping is a huge turn on for me?" I purr and rock my hips against him. He moans into my neck, rutting slightly. "Keep telling me about that fluff, dear."

"My mind isn't on fluff right now." 

"Oh?" I smile into his hair, his lips kissing and sucking at my shoulders. He sounds like an angel the way his breaths get dragged into ragged moans in his throat. I pull his hips down harder onto my thigh, slipping my fingers into the exposed part of his bodysuits and rubbing circles with my thumbs.

His rhythm gets more erratic and fast as he nears his climax and I pull his face from my neck. Open mouth, heavy lidded and teary eyed, he cries out my name one last time as he cums in his pants. I roll my thigh into him until he relaxes and I kiss his cheek.  

"Mm, yeah. In love is definitely how I'd describe how I feel about the face you made just now." I chuckle and run my fingers through his hair. He giggles and sighs.

"That's lust, dear."

"Mm, nope. Definitely in love with you."

"I love you too, honey."

"Speaking of honey, can I still have a treat?"

"Of course, what would you like?"

"That angel food cake sounded pretty good. Seriously, I don't get how your fridge is always full." 

"I can send you home with some snacks if you'd like?" He stands up, legs still wobbly as he heads towards the kitchen. 

"Nah, they'd get eaten right away. Besides, I'd rather come visit you for tea and biscuits whenever I'm hungry."

"You're always welcome here but don't neglect your family at the House of Lamentation." He lectures from the other room.

"Oo here's a fun idea, you come live with us and I won't have to miss you all the time"

"What about Luke and Solomon? They can't be left here." He comes back with a pot of tea, some cups and cake on a platter. 

"Luke can probably fit in one of the closets, Solomon can sleep in the attic and you and I can share a bed. Boom. Problem solved."

"Pfft" he hands me some tea and a slice of cake before sitting across from me. "Not sure how that would work out, dear. Luke wouldn't grow much if he was restricted like that." 

"Good, he'll stay our tiny chihuahua forever." I grin and he smiles back. 

"You'll stay for dinner, right?"

"Of course, I love your cooking."

We talk for hours, have a quick bath together and cuddle for a bit before Solomon and Luke come back from the celestial realm. In their arms, carrying groceries for dinner. Simeon and Luke make a glorious angelic dinner while Solomon tells me all about their busy day, running around for Michael. 

If I could describe Simeon, I think the word I'd use would be Simeon.

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