#they're gonna be disgustingly in love i'm so excited

[sio-writes]

Botanist's Guide - Chapter 12

<<Chapter 11 (NSFW)

<<< Chapter 1

Summary: Cassandra Rowland, PhD, finally has the chance to work on an experiment that really matters: growing Earth crops on another planet. Too many overdue reports and marked failures have put her in hot water with the board, and this is her last chance at redemption. So when she finds herself railroaded by a seven foot tall, glowing alien named Kri, it won’t be as easy as sticking some seeds in the soil and running them under the tap. Tack on the looming repossession of her lab contingent on her success in Kri’s reports, and Cassie realizes she may have her work cut out for her.

Looking into the microscope I see exactly what I should be seeing: The box-like cell structure of a plant, no different than one I'd see on Earth. It's sage, so crushing it between the slides released it's earthy aroma, and now my whole station smells like the greenhouse, but that's not a complaint. 

Mutations are non-existent, cell walls look good, chlorophyll is bright green. I check off the Salvia officinalis box on my laptop as well as transfer any notes from my head to the computer, and then I pick up the next slide. 

Lactuca Satvia, iceberg lettuce, also looks like every slide I've made. No mutations, it's bright green that fades into a white at the stalk, and if it weren't currently doing a job for science, I'd definitely add it to a salad. I note it down right next to the sage, humming something off-key as I do. Maybe I'll grab a salad for lunch. 

There's only a few more slides to go through, I'm making great time today. My mp3 player crapped out on me, a victim of getting slammed against the wall the other day. I have a little funeral planned, which just consists of putting her into the garbage cube-maker thing. If I had funeral music to play I would, but…well.

It's absence has left the lab deathly silent, but I think my coworkers are thankful for it. At least, no one's said otherwise. The change in pace has kept me focused, a good thing for today with so much technical work to get done. Staying on task is my number one priority.

And Jillie won't stop staring at me.

All day now, she's been throwing me glances, flat out staring me down, she even sent a paper note over. I've been pointedly ignoring her in favor of digging into my work, with huge success on my end. I'm apparently very good at my job when I'm avoiding something else.

I'd tried the silent treatment when the door first opened-- two hours later!-- but once she started crying I felt too bad to keep up the charade. Then she'd shoved these nasty granola bars and an ice-cold water in my face, and I ate only to appease her and not because I'd skipped dinner to head back to the lab in the first place. Besides, a few minutes of pretending to be mad told her what I needed it to, and it was about all I could handle anyway. She's my friend, I can't be mad at her for trying to hook me up. But I can pretend to withhold the information to torture her for a few days. Just a little. 

The first day back had been the worst of her prying. Kri had decided to keep up his schedule of only showing up once a week, giving her permission to blabber away.

"So. Is it big?"

"Hand me the pipettes, please."

"Aw come on! At least tell me if he was good!"

"Pipettes. Please."

But Kri is here today, thank god, so her barrage of questions has stopped for now.

Eventually I will share, because I want to, but Kri and I didn't actually talk about anything. He didn't wake me up after ten minutes like I'd asked him to, instead the shrill metal of the door sliding open is what woke me up. And then Jillie rushed in with her terrible food, and we all went home. It felt particularly anti-climactic compared to the heated confession and fucking. 

Part of me is hopeful, but it's nearly drowned out by the cynic in me. Until we parted ways, Kri kept constant contact with me-- a steadying hand on my back, an arm around my waist, and once, for a glorious moment as Jillie walked out ahead of us, he interlaced our hands together and squeezed my fingers. I think my heart actually leapt into my throat, and then he was walking away without a goodbye.

It's left this…whatever we have going, undefined and hazy. We exchanged pleasantries this morning, but that was all, and it's been nothing but work since. I'm not picking up any anger or malice, but it's also awkward as hell, especially with an extra set of blue eyes watching my every move. "Ignore us Jill, but hey Kri, remember when we fucked? That was great, wanna do it again? On a regular basis?" 

It's not like I can call or text him, I don't have a phone that connects to Summanus' sat-system. Just the chunky brick they gave at landing that connects to the handful of satellites we ground out of the military's original plan. I don't know where Kri lives, either, and they don't have any kind of directory in English. But it's not like Kri's made any moves either, and he actually knows where I live.

I sigh through my nose as I prep the next set of slides. Maybe I'm making excuses, flimsy reasons to keep this going as a casual thing instead of what I'd hoped it would be, what I want it to be. But we need to talk, hands down. Because not knowing is driving me crazy. 

Stealing a glance at Kri is easy, just pretend to hold the slide to the light. I simultaneously want to catch his attention as well as have him keep ignoring me so I can keep staring like a creep. There's things I hadn't picked up on before, small details. The line of his shoulders, the angles of his wings. He's still so pretty under the lights with the flecks of opalescent color in his plating, but it feels like I'm seeing him in an entirely new light. Has something in my brain switched?

The cosmos grants me a favor when Jillie walks to the bathroom. Immediately, I step away from my desk and towards Kri.

"Hey," I say. 

I probably should've thought of something to say.

"Hello," he says, resting his hands on his lap and giving me his full attention. "Is everything alright?"

I fidget with my coat, trying not to remember how it felt to take off for him. "Can we--Can we talk?"

He glances sideways at the bathroom door, then back to me. "Right now?"

I've come to realize that Kri isn't cagey like I once thought, he's just intensely private. He doesn't broadcast things, doesn't offer information like I do, isn't loud or boisterous. He flies under the radar a lot, and I think it's on purpose. 

"Later," I assure him. "Later-- um, do you wanna-- I mean, would you mind, maybe--"

As I talk and fidget, Kri stands from his chair and steps up to me. He grabs my face gently between two hands, and tilts my head up to his, both thumbs tracing lines over my cheeks.

"Would you like to talk over dinner?"

"That's a--" I clear my throat, and Kri's eyes crinkle as he smiles. "Sounds great."

His fingers are soft and warm, thumbs tracing over my cheek again, and his gaze falls to my lips. 

Nothing's been set in stone, but this, and the reminder of everything else, makes me want something solid. Something real, tangible.

I've tried to think about what I want to say, but I've never been good at stringing words together. I'm more a woman of action than speaking, I'd rather just push Kri against the desk and kiss him until my lips bleed.

We lean closer together, almost kissing, until the sound of a soft 'ahem' makes us jump apart, and we both turn to the source of the noise. In the doorway, Jillie has the biggest, shit-eating grin on her face.

My jaw works on several starting noises, but none make their way out. I wind up looking like a fish.

She holds up her hands, placating. "Hey don't let me interrupt." And sits back at the countertop as if nothing happened.

Heat rises to my cheeks, even more so when I hear Kri softly chuckle behind me as he steps back to sit down. I grumble back to my desk, and Jillie's pointed looks burns a hole through my spine. But we work through the next thirty minutes without issue. It's boring as shit, and the tension in the air makes my leg bounce up and down.

After a few more minutes of tense silence, I'm ready to burst. I'm going to explode.

"I'm holding a funeral for Emmie."

The two of them look to me, but their expressions couldn't be further apart. Kri looks shocked, genuinely concerned that I have a deceased friend, and Jillie's look is flat, very much done with my shit. 

"Your mp3 player, really Cass?"

Kri's expression resolves into understanding, and then falls to match Jillie's. "Hardly grounds for a funeral."

I chew on my bottom lip and stare at the floor. "Yeah the, uh, the screen cracked." I pull Emmie out of my back pocket, where she usually lives, and display her in my cupped palms like a baby bird. Behind Jillie, Kri sucks in a breath, but says nothing. Jillie either doesn't notice or doesn't care, because she scoffs, smiling.

"You're so dramatic."

I pocket Emmie again, my brows pinching in mock-offense. "She was a member of this family!"

"It was outdated before your grandparents were born!"

"She was reliable," I hold my hand to my heart, and wipe away a tear. "Three thousand songs, no internet required. Now I have to find something else."

"God forbid you talk to us instead."

I hold my sordid expression. "No one here understands me."

"You listen to your sad music too much, hun."

"It is rather whiny," Kri chimes in, and I shoot him a dirty look over Jillie's shoulder. He shrugs.

"You're both bullies, I'm putting in for a transfer," I say very mildly as I grab the next slides.

"Good," Jillie sniffs. "You can smooch it up in someone else's lab."

As slowly and dramatically as possible, I turn to her. "I'm sorry, who stuck us in a room for three hours?"

"Two, you drama queen."

"At least Kri likes me," I say and Jillie shoves my shoulder.

"One of us has to."

Our shoulders shake as we hold back laughter, and for the first time all day, I feel light. Like a seal has been broken and released all the pressure in the room.

Jillie doesn't stare at me anymore, instead she focuses her efforts on the experiment, and even hums a few songs to break up the silence. We hit a flow again, something that's been sorely lacking the past few weeks, and zoom through the required tests. Despite the crushing quiet, it's been nice to sink into a routine that we both know, stepping around each other like a dance.

I keep my eye-contact down to a minimum, because my thoughts will scatter to the wind again. And it's hard enough reigning them in even when I'm  focusing on my work. Looking at Kri only makes me think of the other day, and then what may happen later. It opens up a question that I desperately need an answer to, but won't get until later. But I need it now, and the anxiety of not knowing is ramping up my anxiety to a twelve.

We all break for lunch, the three of us walking to the cafeteria. Jillie and I snag a booth with our food, and Kri splits off. I look around to see if I can find him in the mess that is the food prep stations, but I don't see him. He chose to eat by himself those first few days, a habit that carried over even when Jillie was out sick, but I wish he'd sit with us now. 

Turning back to the booth, I accidentally make eye-contact with Jillie. The flame of curiosity is back in her eyes, and I shrink down in my seat. I suppose it's time to end her suffering.

"This is killing me," she says. "Are you guys a thing now?"

She looks so excited, so hungry to hear about everything. I push out a sigh. "I have no idea. We didn't talk about it."

Leaning back, Jillie's face falls into an impressed expression, and I fail to suppress a responding smile. Jillie slaps her palms on the table and barks out a laugh. "I knew it!"

"Shush!" I hiss, reaching over as if the motion would quiet her. "Not so loud."

Jillie's eyes are glittering as she reaches for my hands across the table. "You have to tell me everything."

In as many words, I try to surmise the evening, from the fight to falling asleep, with Jillie interjecting with questions every now and then. Some details I keep to myself, I'm allowed some secrets, but Jillie's my best friend. We try to eat in between, but eventually wind up setting down our food to focus on conversation.

I finish with her opening the door, and she squeezes my hands. "So where should I disinfect? The countertop? The floor? The shower in the bathroom?"

"He held me against the wall," I say, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth.

"Ooh, standing?"

I shake my head, and her look of realization is priceless.

"You have to tell me how big he is."

I groan to the ceiling. "I wish I knew. I couldn't see it."

"Then you gotta look again, hun!"

Leaning back, I grab my water bottle and take a swig. "He did invite me to dinner."

Jillie nods sagely. "You're definitely gonna get some tonight, then."

I open the wrapper for my salad and mull it over as I pour the dressing on. "I don't know if I want to. At least not tonight. I was hoping we'd talk instead."

"Talk?"

I nod. "We didn't do much talking-- shut up-- so now I don't know what this is. Friends-with-benefits? Something serious? And what do I even want? What does he want from me? What is he--"

"Cass, calm down. Nothing's happened yet."

"That's the problem! I don't know what's going on."

Jillie scrunches her face, her head falling to one side. "Then ask him?"

I plop my cheek into my palm, squishing my face on one side. "Not like we've had time."

Jillie offers me a sympathetic look. "Maybe you need to be more upfront. Instead of making out while I'm in the bathroom, you have a little chit-chat. I can disappear for a while."

"We already agreed on dinner," I say, smiling.

"You sure?" She raises her eyebrows. "You just say the word, and I'm gone for fifteen to twenty minutes."

I shake my head again, filled with warmth that she's so insistent. I am anxious about it, but things can wait. It's not worth putting the experiment on hold for. Besides, the lab is hardly a romantic setting to have a serious conversation.

With a deciding nod, Jillie starts to clean her space, and I'm short to follow behind. The rest of the day runs as planned, no interruptions. Jillie stays in her seat, and I'm not thrown into a panic.

I'm actually looking forward to dinner with Kri. The restaurants here are okay, and there's even a few with that warm, low, romantic lighting that's perfect for dates. And honestly, I'm more excited to spend time with Kri. A small, girlish part of me wants to go home to freshen up, make myself look nice instead of the lab rat I must resemble.

All three of us head out of the building, Jillie heading west, Kri and I heading south. The restaurants are all in the northern quadrant by the Capitalism District, there's none in this direction. The only thing this way is housing.

I fake nonchalance as we walk. "So, where're we headed?"

"The…" he trails off, frowning and speaking slowly like he's testing out the words. "Food storage facility."

I raise an eyebrow. "The grocery store?"

He looks down at me, concerned. "Is that okay?"

The grocery store is closer to a MiniMart or a gas station. A handful of isles of instant meals, comfort foods, and frozen produce shipped from Earth. But there's also the ento-run store to the east with more selection. It's open to the public, but everything is labeled in Universal, and I have no idea what's good or not, so I've been too intimidated to go on my own. "Which store?" I ask.

"The eastern building, I just need to pick up a few items."

I feel my stomach grumble. "And food after?"

"I was hoping to cook for you," he says, wings fluttering. "If that's alright."

I haven't had anyone cook for me since I visited my parents. Warmth settles in me, not quite arousal, but something else, something heavier. Kri wants to cook for me.

"That'd be awesome."

The walk to the grocery store runs through another block of buildings, all of them painted in subdued, warm tones. They're all short, maybe three stories at the tallest, and the terrain reminds me of a seaside strip mall-- laid brick and cobblestone. I've only ever been to this side once on a tour, this is where it turns into culture and arts. 

The store is nestled at the bottom floor of a deep red building, a carved out space that may have once been a multi-vehicle garage. Inside are several rows of foodstuffs, some packaged, some open. There's an assortment of fruits that I have no idea the names of as well as what look like a few rows of packaged instant ramen. Some things are universal, I suppose. 

The store is empty, so it's just the two of us looking through the isles. I wander the isles while Kri picks up several fruits. He grabs a plum-sized blue seed, a handful of bean pods the size of my finger, and two green vegetables that look like potatoes. I'm examining the isle of drinks, wondering what tastes like what, when Kri grabs my attention.

"Would you prefer sweet, or savory?" He holds up two nearly identical looking spheres that look like dark red coconuts. I walk up and pretend to inspect them, humming as I think. I have no idea what he's doing, but I appreciate that he's including me. 

"What do you like?" I ask. 

"It's your decision."

I blink at him. "But I don't know what you're cooking. What's easier for you?"

Kri regards me, head tilted, and puts the coconut in his left hand back on the pile. He doesn't say anything, remaining silent as he grabs several other things, all the while catching glimpses of me as he does. I sidle up to him as the cashier bags his stuff.

"What'd ya go with?"

The cashier extends one long arm and hands Kri his things, and Kri quickly closes the bag so I can't see inside. "You'll have to find out."

I balk. "No fair!"

He smirks at me sidelong. "You insisted it was my decision."

"But I need to know the results."

"You will."

***

Kri’s apartment isn’t far from the store. I have to wrestle one of the grocery bags out of his grubby hands so I can I carry it and feel useful as we wind around buildings and cross a few streets. We walk quietly, not quite awkward enough for my reflexive talking to kick in, but I feel the need to fill the space simmering under my skin.

I want to say something. I should probably say something. It's only fair, and would help my anxiety so much more than waiting. 

We wait in the elevator to his floor and I need to say something. We're approaching his place and I need to speak up, but I say silent.

It's too much, it would break this easy flow. The timing isn't right and god damn it, we're already at his door. 

Stepping through the doorway feels simultaneously like jumping off a cliff and nothing at all. I'm aware of how huge this feels, my stomach lurches and my hands go clammy, but I'm also aware of the world continuing to turn around me. This doesn't feel real, but I want to grab at it with both hands and take it before it disappears.

Kri flicks the lights on, and I don't know what I expected, but a mirror of my own place wasn't it. This building is supposed to have the nicer layouts, with actual bedrooms instead of a studio layout. It's not surprising though, us Earth scientists are about as creative as socks for Christmas when it comes to designing buildings. I hope Kri isn't paying extra.

Everything is scaled up for someone of Kri's size, and there's a massive cloth hammock where the bed should be that's piled high with pillows. Along the living room wall on the right are shelves of books, interspersed with plants of various sizes that hang down almost to the floor. To the left of the sliding glass door to the balcony is another bookshelf, with a screen and speakers, and the light reflects off several picture frames that flick through a few photos.

Giving in to my base urge to be nosy, I set my bag on the kitchen counter and wander over to the television set. Under the coffee table is an ornate looking rug that's definitely too expensive for my apartment, and I try to tip-toe around it to avoid leaving any dirt, when something catches my eye.

In the corner, on a bottom shelf, is a taxidermied rat on a tiny skateboard. It's in the middle of popping an ollie, sitting in the center of some kind of ceramic crown of Summanian flowers. The frame above it swipes to a new photo, and in my peripheral I see Kri

My anxiety flares, and I turn away from the shelf of picture frames and other memories. Focusing my attention on something else is all I can do not to feel like a trespasser here, and I wander to the kitchen where Kri is grabbing several items from the fridge. The feeling of inadequacy swells, gelatinous and without form, and I try to push it down. It squishes between the bars of my mind, an imprint reflected back at me that tells me I’m not welcome here.

Instead, I step up to Kri and wrap my arms over his waist. The chitinous plating covering his body draws lines over his form that lead my fingers to his front, and I lean into his frame. Even bent over, my arms are level with his waist, and when he straightens, it pushes my face into his wings. Their whole structure is split into two sets, the bottom that folds open like a fan, and the top shaped like a dragonfly’s wing. They’re cool under my cheek, catching the light and shimmering.

“Yes?” He asks, two hands coming to pat mine.

I sigh heavily against his back, trying to sort my thoughts and coming up short. Taking my silence for an answer, Kri turns in my arms and cups my face in his lower hands.

“Am I not paying you enough attention?” He teases gently, running a free hand over my head. “Because I’m trying to provide you with a meal.”

Shame wells up behind my anxiety, hot and present, and I puff my cheeks and stare at a spot on his shoulder. I know talking is the right choice here, but my head is too much of a mess to talk about anything. 

Ignoring the swirling feelings in my gut, I push up on the balls of my feet and press our lips together. He hums, a surprised note deep in his throat, as the hands gently cupping my cheeks firmly hold me and he pushes back. It’s a different kiss than the first one, softer, sweeter, holding promise. He’s slow to lick in my mouth, but it adds heat that reminds me of the passion of last week. He can pick me up and set me against the wall, can hold me with two arms and work me over with the other two.

I push my tongue into his mouth, wanting to make up for the interrupted kiss earlier today. My lips slot against his and he hums another satisfied note as he skims his tongue against mine and starts exploring my mouth.

I want more of this, I want this all the time. I can’t imagine giving up the way he slots so perfectly against me, like a puzzle piece I didn’t realize I was missing.

Kri pulls away from my mouth with a pained sound, but I can hear the smile in his voice. "I thought you wanted to talk first."

I lean into him and push my lip out in a pout. "Changed my mind." 

And then he smiles against my lips and pushes forward again. It's so easy to give in, like falling into a soft bed. I'm surrounded by comfort and warmth. 

Taking the lead, Kri steps me over to the counter and, without breaking the kiss, picks me up by the waist and lifts me onto the countertop. The ease that he picks me up makes me feel hot, and I moan softly against his lips before Kri pulls away. 

"What would you like to--" 

"Anything you want," I breathe. "What do you want?" 

Kri laughs, low and dangerous. "From you? Everything."

He leans forward to kiss me again, but the silence of the room makes my growling stomach practically echo against the walls, and Kri's hands stop halfway to my chest.

"You need to eat," he says, smiling. 

With that, he straightens, hands smoothing down my hair, and turns away from me and back into the kitchen.

"What would you like to drink? I have water, and I'm quite fond of Earth's orange juice."

I snicker. "Orange juice is actually more of a breakfast drink."

Kri presses his lips together and looks away, wings fluttering. "I also have lifrit juice, and wegol soda."

I hop down from the countertop and walk around the island to a stool. It's tall enough that when I sit, my legs swing freely. It's been a long while since my feet haven't hit the floor, it makes me feel like a kid again. 

Humming, I tap my fingertips over my lips. I'm not sure what those last two were, and I'm up for trying something new, but I also want tonight to mean something. It feels important that everything go right. "What would go with tonight's meal?"

He perks up at that. "I may have something," And starts rooting around in his lower cabinets. I hear him knocking about lots of metal objects-- pots and pans maybe, before he straightens, holding a bottle of wine.

"Is this acceptable?"

I drag the bottle closer and spin it around to get a look at the label. It's a Sauvignon blanc from a few years back, unopened. What a random thing to have in his cabinet. "Why do you have this?"

"I bought it to sample the taste, but never got the chance," he says as he roots around in the drawers. He opens a few before finding the little corkscrew opener and hands it to me. The bottle pops open easily, and I pour it into the two glasses Kri sets out for me. I bring the glass to my lips and sip at it while Kri watches and mimics me. I'm not super into wine-tasting but this one is good, it would pair well with a fancy meal. 

The face Kri makes after he sips is the same face I make when Jillie orders tequila shots, and I have to be careful not to inhale my drink. Kri immediately sets his glass down and shakes his head.

I hide my smile behind my glass. "Not a fan?"

"That is quite awful," he says with a shudder.

I take another sip of mine and then swirl the glass because I feel fancy. "It's pretty dry, you may be a fan of the sweeter stuff like Moscato. That one tastes like ginger ale."

Kri eyes my glass and purses his lips, skeptical, "I'll take your word for it."

As he turns back to the stove, I tip the remnants of his drink into my own, nearly filling the glass to the brim. Drinking on an empty stomach is a bad idea, especially if I'm going to need to find my way home later, but if I take little sips instead of trying to gulp it down like I usually do, I think I'll manage.

I watch Kri as he cooks, sitting on the opposite end of the countertop island to stay out of his way. As always, he's graceful in what he does, even with his back to me. All four hands doing something different, always switching focus and lasering in on it, not a single mistake is allowed, and absolutely hypnotizing to watch. 

"You're an alien of many talents," I say, and he glances at me over his shoulder.

"How do you mean?"

"I didn't know you could cook."

"Oh, I quite enjoy it. I can make you all manner of things."

I ignore the flutter in my stomach at the idea of him making me food regularly, and try to peer around him as he works. "What's your favorite thing to make?"

"Lepsc'it, it's a fried Trokk root stuffed with vegetables and spices. It's very easy, only a few ingredients, and there's many varieties all over the globe."

"Are you making that now?"

His wings flutter. "I thought I'd attempt something a bit more complicated."

"Are you trying to impress me?" I ask with a smirk.

He's too slow to cover his smile, "Only if it's working."

The smell of spices and vegetables fills the small space, like thyme or rosemary, with a hint of heat behind all of it, mixed with whatever main dish he's prepping. There's large puffs of pink something resting on a pan in the corner, a thick brown sauce that he scraped cubed veggies into, and something else that's blocked by his frame. It all smells heavenly.

My mouth is watering by the time he sets a large plate in front of me with one of those pink bread rolls on one side, the sauce and cubed veggies on the other. I smell more spices and heat, and it's agony to wait for him to sit next to me at the countertop. 

"Is it rude to just dig in?"

"Absolutely it is," he says, smiling. "But we're not at a paid dining establishment." He motions to my plate. "Eat."

This dish reminds me of curry but with bread instead of rice, and smells the same. Kri hasn't laid out any utensils as most ento eat with their hands, so I tear a piece of the pink bread off, dip it in the sauce, and pop it in my mouth. 

Spices and flavor dance over my tongue, things I can't name but are still delicious. It pairs with the bread so well, I'm barely through the first mouthful before I'm shoving a second bite in my face.

Kri eats opposite me, slow and careful, trying to casually glimpse up at me like he's checking in on me, and I cover my smile around another bite of food. He's worried, I can tell, and it's kind of cute.

I wolf down my food and say nothing, and normally I would feel bad about the silence, but Kri doesn't say anything either. 

"It was acceptable?"

"Don't kid yourself, it was delicious. I'm so full," I say, patting my stomach for emphasis.

It's not just the food that keeps me quiet. I also don't want to talk about how I feel. Being emotionally honest makes me anxious, makes me think of all the ways it could be used against me. I don't want to scare off Kri with all the issues I have. He listened to me in Igrien, but how many more times will he listen to me say, "Oh, Stephen made me this way," before he walks out?

But as we both set our plates aside and sit awkwardly in the kitchen, I realize that this is it. That if I want something to happen with Kri, I have to grab it with both hands myself. Even so, I still fiddle with my hands as I speak up.

"So uh, is this the part where we talk about feelings?"

Kri tilts his head, probably picking up on my mood, and quietly says, "If you'd like."

"Not really," I laugh, nerves making the sound shaky. "But I just want to know that we're on the same page-- that we're at a complete understanding," I correct when Kri narrows his eyes in confusion.

I focus my attention to a spot on the table. "I'm not good at words but I want…this. Us-- something…Something."

Even to my own ears it sounds horrible, and I grimace. God damn it, I should've thought about it before we got here. But all I have is feelings, emotions that push at my heart and flood my senses. I don't know how to describe my anxiety any better than describing the color red. Sometimes it feels like too much, like if I acknowledge anything it'll turn into too much to handle.

Kri only stares at me, giving me more space to talk, and my teeth creak as I grind them together anxiously. "Okay, it's your turn."

And then he looks away, down at the table, at his hands. His expression shutters off, a blank face, then darkens into something profoundly sad, and it's like I can hear his thoughts across the table. I appreciate the romp in the lab, Cass, but this just isn't for me. You're too fucked up, and I'm not about to deal with all of that. Except he'd say it nicer, with bigger words. Taking a shaking inhale, I hold my breath as the tightness of anxiety starts to coil around my chest and wraps fingers over my brain.

Then Kri sighs, a heavy movement of his shoulders, and he looks back up at me. "I admit that my thoughts are scattered. Between wanting to breathe you in like oxygen, and questioning whether I've earned the right to inhale. You've already bared your feelings for me, and I did not tell you mine at the time as I was--" he pauses to think, then huffs a laugh, "distracted. But I believe I have words for you now."

He reaches across the small table, taking my hands in his. He's warm as always, and his thumb rubs the back of my hand comfortingly. The tightness in my chest eases, ever so slightly.

"Cassie," he says. "I have a great many feelings for you, some of which I'm prepared for, and others that frighten me deeply. I am well aware that I come with a history, and the weight that it implies. But if you'll allow me your patience and understanding, I'd very much like to explore what a relationship with you would look like."

It's so earnest, so bare, that I'm hit with a wave of emotion that completely drowns out any other thoughts I have in my head. I want to lean forward and kiss his hands. I want to vault over the table and climb into his lap. "Jesus, did you prepare that?"

His eyes widen a fraction, like he didn't expect me to respond like that, and then he nods. "When confronted with interpersonal problems, I know that I tend to recede into myself and minimize the words leaving my mouth, and I'm trying not to do that so we're, what did you say, on the same page? You deserve my transparency in this, especially considering how I've been acting. I was trying to push you away when you wanted to be close, and you deserve so much better than that."

There's so much he's saying without saying it, and I can analyze why he thinks I deserve better, or inspect why all I want to do is jump over the table and give him the ride of his life, but my brain only latches onto my own insecurity. "You prepared a speech for me and all I had was, like, five words."

With a free hand, Kri rustles around in his bag and produces a small square of paper, folded very neatly. "I also wrote down several non-starters in case you realized that you're too good for me, so I also had a handful of words prepared."

It's said so casually, so matter-of-fact, that I can't help but snort. It breaks the tension in the room and my smile feels easier than before, keeping eye contact isn't as difficult.

"And to be fair," he continues. "You said more than enough the other day. I was worried that you'd take it all back."

Something clicks into place in my head, a small, flighty piece of Kri's psyche that I've been seeing without noticing. That despite his attitude, or ego, or anything else, he still craves a form of validation, still vies for approval. And I desperately, so desperately want to know what he's afraid of. But that's a whole other conversation, a heavy and upsetting one. One that I don't think either of us are up for right now.

So I squeeze his hands in mine. "I…really like you," I say. "I think we just need to get better at showing it. I guess we could…figure it out together?"

"That sounds lovely."

Kri tries to clean up on his own, but I butt my way in when he starts to wash the dishes. I'm off to his left, drying and setting them aside, and we fall into a good rhythm that reminds me of his time helping in the lab. We don't need to speak to fill space, I'm guided by his movements, and he's guided by me.

This is nice. Domestic, even. My heart stutters at the idea of doing this again, of sharing a space, of being welcomed into his home.

As I'm drying my hands on a towel, Kri steps around and in front of me, close enough that I can smell fresh water, and I look up at him and offer a warm smile. Taking my chin in one hand, he presses a kiss to my lips, chaste and simple and wholly perfect. This is our first kiss as a couple, I realize as his other hands carefully take the towel from me and rest it on the counter. 

The first of many, hopefully. 

Is that sappy? I don't care, as long as they keep happening. I press up to continue the kiss, a deep-seated need shocking through me at the soft noise he makes against my lips. 

Then Kri searches my face, and I hear the chitter of his wings as they flutter against his back. "You're more than welcome to stay," he says, voice low, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

It physically pains me to be responsible and say, "I have to clock in tomorrow."

He nods once, decisive, and quickly pecks my cheek again before straightening. "I will fly you home, then."

"Sounds goo-- wait what?"

Kri doesn't answer me, only walks past me and into the living room.

Surely, surely he can't mean literally, I continue to think as I grab my stuff and we head out the door.

But sure enough, we walk outside and he picks me up like I'm a princess, something that still shocks me that he can do, and off we go.

I've never seen the Outpost from above, and it's kind of beautiful. I can trace the lights of the walking paths and the hovercar roads, I see single rooms lit from the buildings, other residents up late like me. And outside the border of the Outpost is the pure, unfiltered landscape of Summanus, with its primordial trees and glowing underbrush, like the ground itself is framing us with light. I've seen Kri fly faster, he must be slowing himself for my benefit. And Kri is glowing too, not nearly as bright as the electronics around us, but more subtle, softer. It's still that pale blue, rivers of light lining his chitinous plating. I want to trace them with my fingers, before I remember what it does to him.

We land in front of my building, so gently that Kri's feet don't make a sound, and he sets me down just as carefully.

"Thanks," I mutter, suddenly shy and awkward. I feel like he's bringing me home from prom and it's past curfew. I clear my throat. "Thank you for dinner. Not bad for a first date."

With his two lower arms, he grabs my hands and brings them together. "You will have to decide the next one, then."

I huff an exhale, smiling up at him. "Okay."

He smiles back, soft, relaxed, totally content. Dark eyes search my face, and even in the low light I can make out my reflection in the inky blackness. Two hands come up to cup my cheeks, fingers wrapping around to the base of my skull, as Kri leans down and gently kisses me.

I tilt my head and sigh into it as my eyes fall shut, wishing I were taller so he wouldn't have to bend down as far and I could press up against him. This is still good, though, he can still rest his other hands over my hips, and I can wind my arms over his shoulders. 

This is all going to hit me later, a hurricane of repressed feelings. It's going to be a lot of good emotions though, I can feel them boiling behind my chest. Giddyness and arousal alongside anxiety and dread. I'm both excited and terrified of what could happen.

I can still feel the warmth coming off of him even when he leans back. His hands stay on my face, steady and comforting, and he leans forward and quickly kisses me again. 

"I should go before I follow you inside," he says around a laugh, and I nod sadly. 

"Or before I drag you in." 

He chuckles, low and sexy, and squeezes my hands. 

"Goodnight Cassie." 

"Goodnight Kri," I mumble, and he steps back, dropping my hands from his.

I watch him take off before going inside, and I couldn't wipe the smile from my face if I tried.

Chapter 13 >>

#my writing #A Botanist's Guide #monster writing #monster romance #terato writing #monster x human #exo writing #and with this chapter we start the second arc of the story #focusing on their relationship #we're at the halfway point folks! #they're gonna be disgustingly in love i'm so excited

[luveline]

ah I saw that you were asking for poly!m and like <3 <3 <3 I love them so much. loved your blurb of them with r and the chicken wire <3 if you're still asking, what about remus and r cheering for the boys at a sports thing and they're literally disgustingly sweaty but they all just love each other I'll cry

thank you for your request! you and your guys after a rugby win <3 fem!reader cw suggestive

Remus' hand is the only warmth to be found for a half a mile. 

"Come on, Sirius!" he bellows, pulling your hand along with his incensed movement. 

You look out at the field to find your boy, Sirius making a sprint for the end zone. If he can score this last try —five points for the team— he'll win the game. James is right behind him, and you think for a moment that Sirius is going to pass the ball back. 

Sirius isn't even supposed to be playing today. James had begged him as a favour after a freak disaster wherein no other players were available, and when Sirius does play its as a back, because he's fast and springy. And yet. Two threes down the field, nearly three quarters, Remus' hand tightening in yours, and– 

"Go on!" Remus shouts, the two of you flying to your feet. 

You scream something completely incoherent and bounce up and down, a high-pitched squeal that can't be helped. You're drowned out anyhow by the team's followers behind you. James' team isn't a Top 14 contender or anything but that doesn't mean they aren't good, or that the fans aren't out in droves today to see the game, held in your home stadium. The feat of Sirius' accomplishment is clear — the stands shake with cheering, and the clock counts down. The game is finished, and James' team has won. 

You and Remus are so excited, you scream until your throat hurts. 

"Remus, he did it!" you shout unnecessarily, turning to Remus, throwing your arms around his neck. 

"Oh god, we're never gonna hear the end of it!" he shouts back. 

It's not Sirius who won't let you hear the end of it. 

"Did you see him?" James asks when you reunite, changed into his new clothes but still, undeniably, dripping with sweat and adrenaline. "Did you see? He ran like the fucking wind." 

Sirius stands behind him. It's very obvious he's trying not to smile. 

You can't decide who to hug first but Remus makes the decision for you when he practically knocks Sirius down. 

"You fucking did it," Remus says. 

Sirius lets himself smile, then.

You sidle into James open arms and frame his face with your hands. "You played so well, Jamie, you must feel so proud of yourself." You brush sweat-slicked curls behind his ear unflinchingly. 

"We played amazing," he agrees, leaning down for a kiss. 

It's celebratory and congratulatory and also just mushy. You pull back and lean in again straight away,  deciding what you have to say will have to wait. You kiss and kiss and stroke his hair away from his face. He's not nearly as nice, post game roughness in the way his lips part under yours. You yank back before he can involve you in some unsavoury public snogging. 

"You played amazing James," you say, "you always do." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

You look over James' shoulder at a Sirius' pout. Remus still has an arm around his neck, but that's never stopped you before. You laugh and pretty much jump at Sirius' lean chest, pleased when Remus puts a hand over your back to steady you. 

"You know you played well," you say, brushing at Sirius' clean shaven cheek with a loving thumb. You beam at him, burying your face in the crook of his clammy neck. "Oh, you played so well. You're amazing. I'm so proud of you." 

You pull away from the two of them, and all four of you stand in a love bubble in the middle of the room, which you try not to do. It happens more often than you'd think. 

"Woah, wait," Sirius says. "I'm a gentleman, and I don't believe in coercion, but I do believe in fairness, and we all saw the way Prongs just laid into you–" 

"If you want a kiss, Sirius, you only have to ask," James says. 

You nibble your lip and move to Sirius again, feeling the slightest bit shy at his proclamation. You know that he wants to kiss you, as you want to kiss him, or Remus or James, but what Sirius doesn't always realise is that he's intimidating in his manner. Like Remus in bed, or James when he's tired, Sirius is always a little stern. He brings out your timidness. 

"He's put her on the spot," James says sympathetically. 

"Look at how cute she gets, every bloody time," Remus laments. 

You laugh under your breath and screw your eyes closed. Sirius doesn't make you suffer, simply leans down and kisses you, his attention to your top lip. It's definitely not the kind of kiss you should share in public, not because it's especially salacious: it's charged. You worry the entire room is watching him melt you, but thankfully Sirius steps back before you can burst into flame. 

"You did play really well," you say. You sound as dizzy as you feel. 

Sirius laughs genuinely, his hand following over your head to behind your shoulders. "Thanks, doll." 

The boys spend some time talking to people you don't know and then you're homeward bound, James pulling a concerned Remus, two pale hands wrapped around his wrist. "Where's your brace?" Remus murmurs, not looking where he's going. 

"It's in my bag, it was too sweaty to keep on." 

Remus probes at James' wrist. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Does when you do that, handsome." 

You grin and swing your hand in Sirius', right behind them. 

"You must be really tired, now," you say. 

Sirius looks down at you with a charmed smile. "Not too bad, my love… You know, after a game, you're supposed to do some light training. Relax the muscles." 

"Really?" you ask. "What kind of training?" 

"It's the high impact, you need something to wind down afterward. And it's all legwork, of course–" 

You make a disbelieving sound in the back of your throat. "Of course. I'm sure we can find something to save your poor muscles." 

He pulls you in by the arm and leans down to kiss you, but you stop him, dipping your chin away from his searching mouth. 

"Sirius? Recovery training usually happens the day after a match. You know what they recommend immediately after?" You lift your chin until he can feel each word against his lips. "Rest." 

His breath is hot against your face.

"Well," Remus says, cutting through the quiet, "it's a good thing I don't need to do that." 

He and you both burst into pleased laughter, leaving your gutted sportsmen to glare at you sullenly. 

"When have I ever needed rest after a match?" James argues. 

"That's true. James is back in." Remus beams at Sirius, your joking a lightness that brightens his entire face. "Guess you'll just have to watch, Siri." 

#poly!marauders x reader #poly!marauders #poly!marauders x fem!reader #poly marauders x reader #poly marauders #the marauders fanfiction #the marauders x reader #the marauders fanfic #the marauders #remus lupin x reader #sirius black x reader #james potter x reader

[critterbitter]

Asks and responses under cut!

First to note! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THESE ASKS. I REALLY APPRECIATE YALL. That aside, lemme get cracking! @drakeling7413 AWE MAN THANK YOU! I just started playing B2 with a friend (we're... not doing a nuzlocke anymore because we both got full team wiped at Clay's gym. That exadrill's built different man.) But I'm glad to bring back some of that whimsey! @bluemimikyu As an eel defender I am VERY glad to hear that! Good luck with tynamo though, they evolve at a disgustingly high level and they're... well, I don't want to say weak but they're a bit difficult to use against anybody not water or flying, from personal experience. (I love eelektross though. Levitate my beloved...) @ashnesspokemon ADLSKJFLKSDJ THANK YOU!!! I have SO many thoughts about them. We've seen them as rat children. We've seen them as sad old men. Today, I offer you-- gangly teenagers interning at Gear Station and Scheming in the meantime. (Plus elesa! The more I draw her the more I love her, ah... I've always been a sucker for trios. ((looks dead eyed at botw and hollow knight))). I do intend to draw them older later on, but that's a timeline I will Not Nail Down anytime soon hehe. @64s-art-blog Emmet has eel rights, Ingo has lamp rights. (But you're right. He should have thrown eelekrik. The comedic apparel would have been incredible.) @aroacepokefan First of all (points at your user name) AYYY. (Points at this characterization of Ingo). AYYY??? Second of all, thank you I LOVE moles and drillbur's perfect. @asperanna Oh boY OH BOY OKAY SO. I am prrrrobably not gonna draw anymore conventional starters AU cause I have a lot of wips I have to handle of the current comics, BUT Ingo would have a unovan samurott. and then when he gets heebie jeebied into hisui, he would have a HISUIAN Samurrott. And then when the two samurotts meet, they would be like the spiderman pointing meme. But because this is also a sandbox, if you ever wanna run with the hisuian samurott idea please go for it! Free real estate, just remember to credit so I can sneak in and spectate the art. @submasfan SLJLDSFJSLDK TY!!!! I am definitely gonna have to slow down at somepoint so I can work on commissions again (ah... maybe I should open a patreon... to feed myself. hmm.) BUT I APPRECIATE THE EXCITEMENT. The submas brain is real. @magicfeatherbean4 (sweats) This is where I tell you they only appear for like... five lines. BUT YOU SHOULD PLAY BW! I miss the 2d pokemon aesthetic, and BW nails that in the head. ((Its okay we can sit on the sidelines and admire the muppet men do their daily commute within the depths of the train.)) @rudeboimonster I'm so glad you caught the stims! Character consistency is an important rule I hold close to my heart, so seeing people notice the little details I add makes me grin like a loon.

#asks #mailbox #critterbitter

[anonymous-dentist]

i absolutely love bad romance, it's my favorite qsmp fanfic and i mean it!!! i love reading roier's povs and i feel like there's so little of it so i really feel spoiled with this one, his madness is ON POINT!!!!!

love the way you describe and write dialogues, even if it's not their mother language i STILL CAN SEE THEM SAYING THAT. i'm brazilian and idk, reading the dialogues feels pretty natural so i think you should be proud of it!

also. i'm so normal about the fact that cell thinks he has everything under control like, he has the capacity to just leave this poor maniac man behind if he needs to. but. he really doesn't know he can't and roier is just sooooo normal about him that every little interaction messes with his head like alejaoakKLSJAKEJALEDB MAN I DON'T KNOW, I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC AND IN MY OPINION bad romance is the best fic in exploring both f!cell and c!roier

one thing that got me confused is when cell pointa at roier's shoulder and asks “it wasn't you, was it?”, when they're having dinner. indon't know if we're supposed to be confused or if i'm just dumb and i wanted to know kajeoajpsakle

ANYWAY SORRY FOR RAMBLING MAN IDK THIS IS EMBARRASSING but i get very excited about the things i really enjoy and i like your writing and works a lot so!!! thank's for the update 😳👍

So about the “It wasn’t you, was it?” it wasn’t supposed to be super clear because Roier was kinda going through sepsis atm and wasn’t able to like. Think. But it’s actually Cell thinking back to when Roier sliced his own neck open to try and get his attention in chapter two. Cell was gonna be pissed if this dude slowed their road trip down for that, but, luckily, it was just a gunshot wound. Yay?

Meanwhile with the dynamics, I kinda just looked at the twitter art that inspired me and I was like. Cute, but there’s no way it’d be that cute. Because I’ve seen three whole episodes of Fuga Impossível and I figured that Cell would 100% try and be on top of every single situation he’s put in, even this one, but, like he did with Pac and Mike, he’s severely underestimating Roier rn. Because Roier is literally so unstable that he’s completely unpredictable, and Cell is a very logical man. He can tell there’s something up with Roier, but, again, like with Pac and Mike, Cell’s ego is getting a bit ahead of him. He’s going through this huge emotional turmoil rn and Roier is completely oblivious because he’s decided they’re already engaged. He’s just waiting for the proposal. And if he doesn’t get one, then he’ll just make Cell give him one. He has nothing to lose except for Cell, and he’s never going to give him up. Ever.

…If that makes sense. Tbh this fic is a struggle to write sometimes because I haven’t really seen either Chafaland or Fuga Impossível and I don’t speak either Spanish or Portuguese, so I’m working entirely off of vibes. So I’m glad to see the dialogue is coming off okay? Lol

TLDR; there’s no shot fcell and croier would both be disgustingly horribly in love with each other at first sight, give it a couple of weeks

#asks! #jagged broken little mirror au

[kangaracha]

i tried to goad people into asking me the ao3 questions like five times this month so i'm just gonna treat myself and answer em

How many words have you written this year? 247, 190

How many works did you publish this year? four

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? nevermore! and not just for wordcount either, though maybe a little bit because i've spent so much time with it. i'm just extremely pleased with the world building i've done and the complexity and depth of the plot and how i've gotten so far into it and i don't feel like i've become wayward yet, which is what usually happens even before i reach this point. i'm so pleased. i'm so excited to reach 200k and see where i'm up to and what's ahead.

What work of yours has the most hits? linger, which is funny because just like the ghosts it was about it haunts me

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? to go beyond your borders, considering it's hard to get readers to come to something that's nearly completely original and it's just my silly little mental health fic, the audience that it gathered in the short time i was actually updating it regularly was really surprising and i love them

Favorite title you used oh lyre lyre for sure, i went to great lengths to ensure that title made a modicum of sense for that fic

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most? hahahahaha stray kids all day. nevermore is skz cinematic universe so of course every chapter title is a lyric

Pairing you wrote the most for this year? so much gen fic, so little time. original fiction pairings.

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? HMMMMMMMMMMMM from my original fic, leo/nes. they're funny.

What work was the quickest to write? queenmaker is the quickest to write, takes like an hour per chapter if that. in terms of strictly ao3 fics, lyre lyre was the fever dream of a few days.

What work took you the longest to write? well i started nevermore on the 4th of march and as of the 29th it is disgustingly far from being finished at 140k so i just don't know if i can say anything else. nevermore doesn't actually take long to write though really, it's just that it's a 300k kind of project. relevant to word count though, the unpublished pirate fic is actually probably the thing that's taking the longest, and my original all that is good/holy.

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year? not counting every single novel i have sitting around, it's around 15, but a very casual 15 because i just go with the vibe to the extreme and with no intention to really finish any of them except like two of em

What’s your longest work of the year? hehe nevermore at 139, 583

What’s your shortest work of the year? apart from the cheeky 3 sentence fic the other day, overwinter at 1278

What WIP are you taking into next year with you? nevermore

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag? oh. Angst.

Your favorite character to write this year? hehehehe lee minho

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year? Y/N for queenmaker

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year? more gen fic please, tired of romance. if i had to pick one, angie/raihan from to go beyond your borders

Which work of yours have you reread the most? to go beyond your borders, although i am about to start a full edit of nevermore which is uh no mean feat.

How many kudos in total did you get this year? 202

Which work has the most comments? nevermore by a mile

Did you do any collaborative works this year? you know what they all ditched me to collaborate on their own, and they didn't even post the fic. can you believe it.

Did you write any gifts this year? uhhhh yes, it isn't gifted on ao3 but lyre lyre was for rain and i believe overwinter was for zom mom? keeps? one of those two

Did you receive any gifts this year? yesssss i received neverwas from keeps for my birthday and it was really cool and if you read anything on this list honestly make it that one, it stands alone and it's really weird and vibey

What’s your most common category? Gen

What do you listen to while writing? liked songs or a specific fic playlist on spotify on repeat. usually kpop only these days but it depends what i'm working on.

Favorite work you wrote this year? nevermore

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? oh my god. out of 240k? yeah no worries i'll just pull it up. um. uhhhh. uhhhhhhh.

Biggest surprise while writing this year? oh that i finished nanowrimo and that if i didn't work such a physically demanding job it would have been easy. if i had all my time spare in that month i would have done 80-100k, when before this year i couldn't get past 25k a month. realising i had that capability just sitting there was crazy.

#eeeeee #i was correct this was fun #i thought i would get bored and cut questions out but i liked all of them #just enough thought provoking without becoming boring #anyway if you have MORE questions about this stuff please leave them in my ask box #i love talking about my fics i really do #roo writes

[reallyromealone]

BB 😌

I IS HERE WITH A REQUEST 😭💖

Remember the mikey x takemichi’ brother reader smut you wrote? Can like there be a part two (non smut 💀) like mikey takes reader to his base and then just them being love birds coz like i am lacking in fluff 😔

HOW YOU DOIN

HOWS MY GIRL LILY 😼

I do remember it, I sure fucking can my broski

And had my child reader fluff NOT PLEASED YOU ?!

and I'm good 💖 my aunt got bird pooped yesterday so 💅

And she's terrible she sucks, she keeps chewing cords.

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Mikey woke before (name), staring down his boyfriend with a possessive look as he gently stroked his cheek and just took him in.

God, he missed him.

Gently he kissed the other before pulling out and watching last night's events leak out before going to the bathroom and and getting a wash cloth to clean him up, knowing (name) hated the feeling of cum in his ass all day.

Mikey was thankful he took his car last night as he put (name) in a set of pajamas and wrapped him in a blanket before carrying him off to said vehicle carefully.

(Name) had always been a heavy sleeper.

No one was expecting Mikey to walk in with Hanagakis brother, the young man passed out in Mikey's arms "hm? Is he a prisoner boss?" Shion asked curiously, excited at the possibility of torturing him but immediately stopped those thoughts when Mikey turned and stared at all of them "If any of you touch him I will kill you" his voice grave as he walked towards his room where he set (name) down and watched him intently, finally he was where he was supposed to be.

With Mikey.

He had Sanzu get breakfast for the two, Mikey began waking his boyfriend and looking soft when (name) opened his eyes.

"Morning baby" Mikey's voice was unusually soft, a tone only reserved for (name) and (name) alone "morning... Where am I?"

"At Kanto base, it's safer here"

(Name) struggled a bit waking up as Sanzu returned with their food "hey Sanzu..." (Name) mumbled, unsure what to make of the pink haired man who was either lukewarm to him or a little creepy because he was Mikey's boyfriend.

Before mikey and (name) broke up he constantly called (name) his 'queen' which was a little weird not gonna lie.

"Oh you didn't need to bring breakfast!" (Name) fussed, in Hanagaki fashion be began fretting slightly only for Mikey to shush him "you need to eat, last night took a lot of energy from you"

(Name) blushed at the memory of the night before as Sanzu stepped out to give them privacy "I-I still don't wanna choose sides... I care a lot about you both..."

"Don't worry baby soon you won't have to" Mikey said resolutely as he began feeding (name) (breakfast of choice), the couple eating together happily and (name) distracted by the almost grave tone in his voice.

The two were practically glued to the hip as mikey kept him close, kissing him gently and generally making sure (name)s eyes were only on him.

He had Mikey, he didn't need to look at anyone else.

The Kanto men remembered (name) well, though he was never in gang stuff be was a constant especially when they began dating and when they broke up, Mikey made them hunt through the city to find him.

They refrained from talking how they planned on beating his brother and loved ones and possibly killing them.

Mikey wouldn't be happy if (name) was upset.

Mikey looked pleased as he draped his jacket over (name), a sense of ownership washed over the blond as he gently kissed (name)s neck infront of the others "m-mikey! Not here!"

"Hmm? Why not?" Mikey said not stopping his kisses "because they're watching".

"Are they?" Mikey asked and glanced to see if they were in fact watching and all the men quickly made themselves look busy "please Mikey..."

(Name) was honestly the only person who Mikey would listen too.

And the only person who would make him actually listen to the meeting.

The day was spent like this, Mikey practically carrying (name) everywhere and the two sharing food and just generally being disgustingly cute together.

It was unsettling to see Mikey so domestic with another person and even sharing his snacks with the Hanagaki.

"I missed you so much..." Mikey mumbled as they kissed sweetly, the gang leader deciding to stay in tonight and watch movies on his bed with (name), already mentally planning on how to get (name) to move in with him so he couldn't leave his side again.

"I missed you too..." (Name) was a weak man, he knew he was and he knew the backlash he would get from his brother and his friends but he couldn't find it in him to care as be undid the hair tie on Mikey's head and gently raked through the locks of blond, Mikey snuggling into his chest like a child.

For the first time in a while (name) felt content and he didn't want the feeling to stop.

#tokyo revengers x male reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers fluff #mikey tokyo revengers #mikey x reader #male reader

[sparkanonymous]

⚠️ Total Drama Reboot Season 2 Spoilers ⚠️

I didn't mention this before, but the team names feel so uninspired. Even last season's team names felt more Total Drama-esque. These names are just... insults. It annoys me.

Episode 2

Caleb x Priya... I don't really like Caleb, so I'm not really into it. But it's amusing that every chance Priya gets to ogle him, Millie comes to interrupt her. Caleb is supposed to be the hottest guy on the island, but Millie is in no way interested.

Holy fucking shit. Ripaxel? The last pairing I was expecting to be honest, and I am actually unreasonably excited to see it. Kinda surprised he wasn't into Axel smashing his face with slop, though maybe he can read people well?

I'm really glad most of Ripper's teammates are trying to help him. Y'know, despite him and Axel being on different teams. Am I smelling Ripper with friends?

Julia working her ass off to not be voted out. It's just going to end in heartbreak at this point, no matter when they vote her off.

Emma, using Chase's weaknesses against him, makes her so much more entertaining to watch. I wonder if Chase will do the same thing to her at some point.

I didn't notice Nichelle's hair was tied in the back until now. Well, time to add that to the mental reference.

Zee kinda just being there and enjoying himself is just so Zee of him, lol

I love Damien and his stupid ways of getting around problems. Still one of my favorite characters, and I doubt that anything will change that.

I wonder if Wayne is going to make enemies this time. He laughed at Julia because she made a goofy noise when she hit the hoop, and no one laughed with him, not even Raj.

Buttered Ripper is disgustingly disturbing.

Ripper humiliating himself is what gets Axel's attention? Hm...

Millie ruined her relationships on her team in one foul swoop. Poor Damien honestly, because that is traumatizing. I think Millie's heart was kind of in the right place, but that was horrible.

Thank GOD Chase was voted off. I can not stand him. He adds nothing to the challenges, especially this one, and he's a massive jackass. This is painful, but I'm kind of rooting for Ripper to hang in there another couple episodes.

Episode 3

Using a character to disguise themselves as an intern is a really interesting idea. But they should have given MK a better disguise. It's very clearly just MK with a mustache. They could've at least given her a different hat and a different hairstyle.

Ripper, being a dumbass is not going to help you win over any ladies.

Raj and Wayne struggling with the concept of cheating his great. It makes a lot of sense, too.

Bowie realizing just how stupid his boyfriend and his boyfriend's friend are. Love is love. I know he's having a hard time convincing himself that Raj is someone he wants to be with for a long time, but you can tell how bad he feels for making him do something he didn't want to do.

Zee is such a dumbass.

Oh my god, they REALLY like using dodgeballs this season.

Damien knew Chris hated them all last season. Like, why is he surprised season. He's so fucking dumb, though, and adorable.

Zee getting a pet raccoon. Please let him keep it.

MKulia... it's so good this episode. They try to kill the other team, and they're flirting.

Nichelle with candy all over her. Someone needs to draw that.

I'm gonna agree with Bowie here; it's a bunch of bullshit that the numbers count. It should've had to do with how much of the team had gotten there.

Episode 4

I'm glad they kept the consequences from last episode. It's good that Raj is still upset, and I'm glad that he's a little mad at Bowie when he asked him not to cheat anymore, and Bowie immediately encouraged MK to cheat more.

I have a feeling that Raj and Wayne are gonna kick themselves off again because of the cheating. They're competitive, but they want to win fair and square.

Bowie should be more prepared to fight harder than to cheat, so I wonder how many of his crowns were because he cheated.

They fixed Priya's blush. I wonder if it was because they wanted to color it more correctly this time, or if it was because she just isn't blushing as much as she was last season.

Damn, how many noses has Axel broken to expertly refigure them?

The glass panels remind me of the clips I saw of Squid Games.

Both Bowie and Wayne calling after Raj fell...

Where's Zee's raccoon :(

Bowie's reaction on the screen made it pretty evident the answer was A, Emma.

Damn, nobody knows anyone this season...

JULIA, your gay is showing.

Zee, that's disgusting.

That finger on the chin... Axel, I know you're threatening Emma, but COME ON. (Like, remember when Bowuigi shot up in popularity because of the Mario Movie trailers for the same thing?)

Ripper can read people really well, huh? Caleb, too.

Axel burning the hell out of Emma. Verbally beat the shit out of her, girl.

Emma's gonna get herself voted off... or maybe Priya...

Ripper taking his shot with the poetry for Axel.

Raj... I'm so sorry...

Bowie with the Michael Jackson moves, lol

Emma, she knew it was B... I guess it's time to vote off Priya... maybe...

Raj hugging Bowie, thinking he wasn't cheating and was just that good at reading people. Ugh, they're gonna break up this season, aren't they?

YEAH RIPAXEL

Okay, I'll make more notes when the next episode comes out. I honestly wish Damiya was the Priya ship, but whatever.

#total drama #total drama reboot #total drama spoilers #td spoilers #spark speaks

[cloversdreams]

It is literally 4am but I have early relationship mallekeidia thoughts- As much as I'm sure these three being in a relationship just Happened(tm) as if it was the most natural thing in the world, I love the mental image of them all being disgustingly giddy about what's now allowed to them for at LEAST half a year. Malleus already took night time walks with Cater and Idia through the woods/around campus, but now he smiles just a bit wider because he gets to lace their fingers together and pull them close when they settle down somewhere quiet. Idia gets to feel Cater's soothing hands running through his hair while he listens to him ramble about whatever comes to mind, and the both comforting and distracting pressure of Malleus' hand on his thigh when they're in the privacy of one of their rooms. Cater gets to kiss them both whenever they do something that's just too cute for him to handle- like when Malleus makes a smug, triumphant face after doing something inane like using a microwave correctly or when Idia - the man who gets flustered and embarrassed every time he's given a peck on the cheek - unabashedly starts baby talking a stray cat. Just them being absolutely smitten with each other and so excited to be together is 10/10 to me

(last anon) UNRELATED BUT ENTIRELY RELATED THOUGHT- I love Cater sm and I love the idea that early on, if he notices that maybe Idia/Malleus hesitates to initiate some form of contact, he makes sure to respond with nothing but enthusiasm when they finally do. When Idia gathers enough courage to lean into his space while they're watching something, Cater will curl into him with a pleased smile that only deepens when he feels Idia's hand wrap around his waist. If Malleus asks for a kiss after a few seconds of staring, Cater will cradle his face in his hands and kiss him as sweetly as he can manage. He most likely had to do this with Idia(too enamored to NOT overthink a hug) more often than Malleus (too enamored to stop kissing his lovers), but he truly doesn't mind. (Later on, when they've all become more sure of what touches are on/off the table, the sounds of approval from Cater become,, less than voluntary. Love the mental image of Malleus/Idia, having figured out his ploy a while ago, teasingly asking Cater if they did a good job every time they manage to turn him into a whiny mess)

-

-

honestly if anyone ever asks what i see in this ship im just gonna send em right to this post. because yes. exactly. -chefs kiss-

#cloverstwst #mallekeidia #malcateidia #malleus x cater x idia

[jgnico]

🌤

🌧 ANGST >:)

🌪

These are all gonna be from different WIPs cause I have way too many lol. Also, sorry in advance for the long answers, I tried to include context for what's going on.

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP.

"That's why we'd all work on it, silly." Vash says, tone suddenly sober and serious, and Nick wonders if the four shots of tequila –bleh– that he downed at the beginning of the night were finally starting to wear off. "Oh, I know! I could ask Nai to help!"

On second thought, maybe they really, really weren't.

He opens his mouth to point out that Nai would probably rather get ran over by the ugly ass bus in front of them than help them repair it, but Millie cuts him off with an excited sound.

"I'm sure he'd love to help." She says with the confidence of someone that Nai didn't outright hate. So far only she and Vash had the privilege of being on that exclusive list, as far as he knew.

"You're right!"

"She's really not." Nick tells him. Someone has to be the voice of reason in their group, and Meryl – who normally took up that job – is currently nodding off against Millie's hip.

"What do you mean? Nai could never say no to me."

–

"No."

Nai tries not to feel bad when Vash –who had stumbled out of his room like a zombie after sleeping half the day away and drug him up a hill to look at the broken down monstrosity currently in front of him– slumps dejectedly over his donut.

Unsurprisingly, it isn't that hard.

🌧️Share something angsty from your WIP.

The first thing he sees is the curse, an overgrown pelican with a few too many wings, and then a short distance away, a group of people that seem to be more interested in their surroundings than whatever Geto is saying to Yuuta. There's an arm draped over his student's shoulders and sickly-sweet nonsense rolling off his tongue and it's wrong. It's all wrong.

Because he looks healthier than Gojo remembers, color high in his cheeks and hair that's longer, shinier, no longer threatening to tangle and break after a few too many days without care.

You're beautiful, he had wanted to say so many times, back when he could have, but hadn't. It presses against his teeth now, sits on his tongue like syrup, like his residuals. Sweet in a way that isn't, that's disgustingly bitter underneath.

Instead, he says, "Now, now, don't be spouting crazy talk to my students."

He keeps his tone light, but Geto's cursed energy flinches, even as he turns to smile at him.

"Satoru!!" He calls back, like they're still teenagers. Like they haven't spent the last ten years separated by distance and grief and Geto's own decisions. It makes the part of him that never stopped loving him ache.

🌪️Sum up a WIP with a few fic tropes/Ao3 tags.

Sukuna | Ryoumen Sukuna/Uraume, Heian Era, Slow Burn, Angst, Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Canon Typical Violence, Getting Together, Major Character Death

#i picked the first one cause it makes me laugh every time i read it #also idk if the stsg one is considered angsty??? #answers #crow with a book #ngl i'm almost completely convinced that I'm a bad writer but 🤷🏾🤷🏾🤷🏾

[starvette]

T 11-13/90 51.8

I got paid and suddenly I have so much to do there's time only for brief stenographies of my days.

11 I weighed 51.6. Mom got me sweet cherries and a piece of smoked cod. Both were excellent. But not excellent enough for me to stop freaking out and tweeting at him. Mom checked how my hair removal has been going on the back of my thighs and said it was much better. Then she proceeded to make gnarly comments about how I am perfect the way I am. I did my arm weight workout for the first time in a long time and read a great many KP posts. I've been really enjoying sunbathing and took some decent selfies after today's session. Acne is starting to come back without any sweeteners.

12 The tweet worked! Sort of. I'm still depressed and blasting Married in Mount Airy. Right when things had started to get peaceful again, mom comes crying in my room - dad is being mean again. I force myself to put it out of my mind because if they're two old fucking adults who have always been so much smarter than me, well then why the hell can't they figure it out between themselves. I obviously have enough to worry about that nobody else ever EVER worries about. For example, my neighbor granny's imprisoned cat. While making gas safety rounds at noon I notice she has put up a sort of mosquito net in front of her window. It's obviously for her cat. Is that how he escaped last time? I read a giant article about the lab leak theory. Probably took me way too long. Then I read in the news that a girl has been beat up in the face by a gang of teenagers in town center late at night. Makes me queasy about running. I stayed in, ate two bags of frozen bean pods and watched the idol. Tomorrow is planned binge day which I'm disgustingly excited for, but I couldn't wait, I had to see it right away so I had only those beans for a movie snack.

13 The most amazing thing happens. I get paid! I tell him I love him. Depression lifts right away. I actually worked out and then went out to get those damn pastries. I got three almond croissants, two vegan cinnabuns, one nutella danish, and one regular croissant. ...aaand... They're kind of dry. They're not that great. I get full fast and don't even want the rest. What I want is to throw all this crap up. I tried doing that but I just got a few wet crumbs out. Maybe they'd already digested?! Anyway. It's clear that I truly cannot purge. I swear off any more binges ever again. Like, I really fucking regret this one. I have two leftover pastries. Don't even want them at all. Gonna gift to mom. In the afternoon I hear a terrible bellowing outside. She must have opened her window and her cat is pleading to get outside? It honestly breaks my heart. Well, then I tell myself I have to save myself before I can save anyone else, sunbathe, and I. finally. fucking. get. finasteride. I was extremely pleasantly surprised by the price. That made me feel a lot more hopeful and positive about this whole fin ordeal looming ahead. When I got home, mom was finishing up bathing and told me that dad has mellowed out and is sweet again. We decided to give him my leftover pastries as reward. And just maybe they'll kill him a bit sooner. I've started wearing skirts around the house for the KP. After all, pants, especially those made of plastic, aren't natural at all. Nor is sitting. When I don't feel like wearing a skirt I'll just imagine I'm living with a sexual deviant dominant daddy who's ordered me to wear skirts at all times. But it's been pretty easy now since it's 25 degrees inside.

[urlocalfrogmammy]

i’ll see you at the movies—george luz

inspired by

a dark night in a camp mackall cinema leads to george luz and y/n making a promise they intend to keep

tik tok pulled thru w this song. it just screams george luz at me. warnings: my love of vintage movies and film studies are really apparent. word count 1.3k of pure george luz floof

it was the march of 1943, and toccoa felt a lifetime ago. camp mackall was the closest thing to luxury you had experienced since before you'd left home, especially in comparison to fort benning. fort benning made toccoa feel like a spa holiday. thudding your kit onto the closest cot you could, you flung yourself onto it. "tired?" perconte asked, quirking a smile.

"you have no idea frank. no idea."

"hey guys!" hoobler rushed in, "you'll never guess what they've got! heated showers!" you couldn't help but grin at hoob's childlike wonder.

mackall had one thing that stood out the most to you, and your boyfriend. it had a cinema. your love of movies had bonded you with george luz from the first mention of john wayne. you'd spent hours together that night, chatting about movies and chain smoking in the PX tent. soon it became a weekly occurrence. the men all prayed to all that is holy that the pair of you would just admit you were in love. christmas day 1942, luz held a piece of mistletoe over your head (god knows where from) and you finally sealed lips. the relationship was open between the men, but you kept it discreet with the officers, god forbid sobel ever found out. the pair of you held back on the PDA and the officers would turn a blind eye to it.

even the food was better than anything in the other camps. the mess hall was busy with people enjoying it. "so fellas, and lady," skip always made an entrance, "how are we finding mackall?"

"it's better than benning." malarkey's opinion was muffled by the potato in his mouth.

"anything's better than benning. i never wanna see another frying pan again!" you laughed at george's reference and squeezed his knee under the table. he smiled at this affectionate gesture, placing his hand over yours. "it's got a cinema," you piped up, "i'm glad of that." the men all murmured an agreement, george especially. you were both beyond excited. now you could both could go see some movies, some fresh meat for the pair of you to dissect.

a few weeks passed. you'd practice field exercises, none of which had ended well. sobel trued his best, you'd give him that, but his best wasn't good enough. there was a universal feeling between enlisted men and officers alike. you wouldn't last five minutes out there with him in charge. finally you were lay on your cot, on your belly with your eyes closed, when you felt the mattress sink. two of luz's knees were straddling you and he leaned down. "they're playing a new movie tomorrow. it's got rita hayworth in it. and fred astaire."

"yeah?" you mumbled, too lazy to move now that you were nearly asleep.

"yeah." george kissed the shell of your ear.

"sounds good, baby." you lifted your head slightly and patted george's arm before thudding back down and enjoying the feeling of a bed. you couldn't help but smile as you felt him hop down, and crouch next to your bed. "not even a sneaky goodnight kiss?" he asked, fake pouting. you complied, pecking him on the lips and he grinned at you wildly. "sweet dreams, angel."

you spent a whole day training. jumps were getting more and more complicated, with rifles and other small arms. when you got back, however, that's when the real shock came. everyone was a victim. sobel had raided everything, and confiscated anything he considered contraband. the barracks were trashed, sheets turned over, footlockers open and emptied. all your letters were gone. sighing, you slammed the lid of your footlocker down and felt like screaming. "you too?" george asked, crouching down next to you.

"yeah. every single goddamn letter. how the fuck is that contraband?"

"sobel's... he likes asserting his power doesn't he? he can scream at us all he likes now, and it doesn't work. he's gotta find new tactics." you were on the verge of tears. "cmon. let's go outside huh?"

outside the barracks, you could slip behind them and gain a little privacy. you stood together, george's arm around your waist, smoking together in silence. he rubbed circles into your hips gently and you rested your head on his shoulder. "what's the film george?"

"you were never lovelier." he said, blowing smoke out of his mouth. smirking, he leaned down and crooned: "you are always lovely y/n!" you smacked his arm playfully, stroked his face, and gave him a peck on the lips. his warm brown eyes spoke of his love for you, without him having to open his mouth. "i'm sad he took away my letters." you nuzzled into his neck. "i miss home."

"we all do." there was nothing more george could say to comfort you, you knew that, so he instead pulled you into his chest for a hug.

the cinema was packed, but george managed to snag you both a seat at the back. you sat between him and sergeant lipton, he gave you a warm smile and a gentle hello as you sat down. george grasped you hand tightly in the dark. as the film started rolling, you could feel the excitement building up in you, and in george. you were a far cry happier than you were before you'd sat down.

"that was a good movie." bill lit up a cigarette and nodded in contentment.

"that was an amazing movie!" george smiled, arm over your shoulder.

"i'd kill to be as pretty as rita hayworth."

"aw, baby, you're a thousand times more beautiful that she could ever be!" george pinched your cheek and joe toye pretended to gag, asking you both to get a room.

"you're all just jealous because your girl isn't as smart as mine!"

bill chuckled, "she ain't that smart."

"oh yeah? y/n, baby, tell them about mr acuña."

"he is disgustingly misogynistic, manipulative, stubborn, and controlling!" you turned around and started to jump where you stood, "but film recognizes he is a problematic character, even if he never receives any kind of comeuppance for his terrible behavior! that's important! the film uses mr acuña to teach us that even if how we treat people doesn't lead to a punishment it doesn't mean it isn't wrong!" huffing after losing all your breath, you watched as the men started at you in amazement. "that's what i think anyway."

"that's my girl!" george shouted proudly.

the PX tent was where it really got good. both tipsy and excited, you and george were swinging round the dance floor singing the shorty george. “good people i'm telling you!"

"that the shorty george is the dance to do!" the pair of you started to wildly dance, you trying to tap dance like rita hayworth did, george tipping his garrison cap like fred astaire. the men cheered and clapped at this performance, finding it almost as amusing as the film itself. george swung you around and you squealed in utter delight. you were intoxicated, not by alcohol, but by george luz.

the alcohol did get to your heads though. stumbling down the dirt track, back to the barracks, you stopped to stare up at the sky. “what is it baby?” george slurred, grasping onto your jacket. “look! the stars! the cosmos! the world... it’s so big!” you laughed manically. george pulled you flush to him and grinned. “yeah, it is! one day baby... no listen... one day, when you come back to rhode island with me—”

“if i come back to—”

“when! baby this isn’t a negotiable. but i’m gonna take you to every damn cinema in the state! and... and... yeah!”

“and... i’ll kiss you in every one!” he leaned in and pulled you into a kiss. it was sloppy, but the love and affection you held for each other was poured into it. george’s hands rested on your cheeks, yours on his shoulders. “i love you.” those three words slipped out your mouth before you could stop them. george just pulled away properly and smiled. “i love you too baby.”

#band of brothers #band of brothers imagine #george luz #hbo war #band of brothers fanfic #george luz x reader #george luz x you #luz #luz x reader #luz x you