#this took me months to finish bc i was lazy

[anfuaruuu]

always wanted to draw shijie wearing the same 齊胸衫裙 that xuan lu wears in this hanfu photoshoot <3

#mdzs #mxtx fanart #魔道祖师 #mo dao zu shi #jiang yanli #江厌离 #this took me months to finish bc i was lazy

[fleetsonourgecentral]

I bring you a thought: Scourge has to be the one to tell Tails to get out of the workshop and go to bed at a reasonable time for once. Tails refuses. Chaos and violence follow. (I’m just finding myself with a new craving for Scourge acting like a big brother and thought of you.) Have a wonderful week!!

I am holding this thought in my hands thank u

~~~

There were upsides and downsides to Sonic being away from the rest of the Freedom Fighters. Surprisingly, the upsides did not outweigh the downsides. Sure, Scourge got to do whatever he wanted in the kitchen without Sonic around to yank him away from the kettle by his ear, and sure, it meant he usually wouldn't be expected to do any, blech, hero stuff, but it also left him without his favourite person. (To annoy. Favourite person to annoy, because that was definitely his priority, and the part about being apart from his boyfriend definitely did not bother him at all.)

And apparently, recently it also meant some of his responsibilities were dumped on Scourge instead.

Not the mildly interesting ones like leading the Freedom Fighters, either; according to Amy he was "too much of a loose canon" and "not concerned enough about civilians" or whatever and thus wasn't allowed near the leader position. No, his brand new responsibility was that he was expected to babysit one Miles Tails Prower. A fact Sonic conveniently forgot to inform him of until the second before walking out of the door, when he'd called out, "By the way, keep Pixel Brain in line while I'm gone!"

Because if there was one thing Scourge's entire demeanor screamed, it was good with kids.

To the kid's credit, he wasn't the worst Tails Scourge had ever met. He was no natural born genius like Prime Tails, but he wasn't always looking out for a way to stab Scourge in the back like Miles did, so he wasn't awful. He just... wasn't the kind of kid Scourge was used to. He was used to Tails being some super genius on par with Robotnik or Kintobor. He was used to a frighteningly clever fox who was (sometimes) his terrified minion or Prime's loyal sidekick.

But this Tails? He was a Freedom Fighter, sure, but he was nothing special. It was easier to see him as a kid than any other Tails he'd met, and it showed in the way Sonic treated him, much to the brat's dismay.

Scourge didn't really know what to do with that, so he had no clue how he was supposed to handle these brand new babysitting duties.

Still, he didn't... feel right just blowing the job off on someone else. Probably because of those pesky feelings he'd managed to catch. He knew Sonic trusted him - he never would've agreed to date Scourge if he didn't - but being asked to keep an eye on Tails was something else. A show of trust he'd never even considered possible to receive. Sonic made fun of Tails more than he made fun of anyone else, but he was also the first person to go for the throat of anyone who tried to seriously hurt him.

So to be entrusted with keeping an eye on him? It was a responsibility he was reluctant to put down despite how much it weighed in his arms.

Tails was important to Sonic, and Sonic was important to Scourge, so like it or not, Scourge was obligated to watch the kid.

So far, it hadn't turned out too bad. Tails wasn't a little kid, and he'd been left on his own in worse situations, so he could keep himself safe and didn't need Scourge to watch his every move. In the unlikely event of an emergency happening, it would probably be down to Scourge to pull the kid out of any trouble he got into, but for now, all Scourge could really come up with was making sure he ate and slept. Which was, to his knowledge, pretty much the only thing Sonic did anyway, so it was fine, right?

Tails had been in the lab all day anyway. Apparently he'd started showing an interest in expanding his mechanics knowledge, and Tekno had jumped on the opportunity to teach him everything she knew and get herself a little assistant. And Tekno (probably) knew more about kids than he did, so Scourge was content to leave Tails in her hands.

At least until she roped him into it, with "just make sure you chase him to bed on time like Sonic would, please Scourge, Amy and I have a date and we'll be back late, please okay thank you bye now!"

An exchange that, he should mention, he did not manage to get a word into.

A glance at the clock told Scourge it was finally time to drag Tails to bed. The kid was supposed to leave the lab fifteen minutes ago, but he hadn't come out yet, which meant it was down to Scourge. As annoying as Kintobor's nagging was, it was easy to ignore or even mute him, and there was only so much he could do, so Scourge couldn't rely on him to chase Tails out of the lab.

With a sigh, Scourge hauled himself out his chair and headed down to the lab. Responsibility time it was, then. Sonic was damn lucky Scourge loved him.

As expected, Tails was hunched over a bench, fiddling with something Scourge couldn't see due to it being hidden behind huge clumps of wires and scrap parts. His tongue was poking out in concentration, eyebrows furrowed and squinting at whatever he was working on as he muttered to himself.

Okay. Just chase him up to bed. Easy. He was just a kid, and not even a super genius like every other Tails in the multiverse. Really, how hard could it be?

"Hey shortshit," Scourge said, knocking on the wall of the lab. "Put that shit down, it's time for bed."

"Mmuh?" Tails blinked, squinting up at Scourge like he'd forgotten how to open his eyes properly. "Aww, c'mon, just five more minutes. I've almost got it."

"Yeah, nah, you've already had five more minutes three times, you're all out of five minutes. Get."

"But I'm not tired," Tails protested, demonstrating how not tired he was by yawning loudly and rubbing his eye with his fist.

Man, he really did look like a kid when he did stuff like that. If Scourge had even a scrap of a protective instinct in his body, he would probably understand why Sonic viewed Tails as a kid to look after a tiny bit better.

Scourge did not have that scrap of a protective instinct. He did, however, have several scraps of self preservation, all of which told him to chase the brat to bed just in case Sonic decided failing to do so meant he wasn't living up to his "keep an eye on Pixel Brain" task and threw him in the doghouse. Which was almost the same as a protective instinct, right?

"Sure, squirt. Go be not tired in bed, then, but not in here."

Tails stared at him, assessed him, then jutted his jaw out in defiance and said, "You're not the boss of me."

"Think you'll find Sonic says I am. But if you really wanna take that up with him when he gets back, be my guest. In the meantime, get your ass to bed."

"No."

Oh, Scourge was beginning to remember why he didn't like kids.

"Listen, either you walk yourself to bed, or I drag you out by your tails. What's it gonna be, shorty?"

Tails shrank back, glancing down at the table in uncertainty, fiddling with whatever he was making. Scourge smirked and folded his arms. Too easy.

And then Tails glanced back up.

... Too easy.

Tails was not a natural born child genius. He did not have an IQ on par with Robotnik or Kintobor, he wasn't Scourge's (sometimes) terrified minion or Prime's ever loyal sidekick. All his mechanics understanding was taught instead of innate talent, and as a Freedom Fighter, he was usually okay enough to look out for himself, but he was nothing special.

He did, however, look up to Sonic.

Scourge had never taken Miles in like most Sonics did to their Tails', he'd more just picked him up off the street to recruit into his gang, but he knew damn well Miles learned how to lie, manipulate, and betray from him. Prime Tails took after Prime Sonic more obviously, sickeningly brave and selfless and nice, always watching Prime's back when he needed it.

One way or another, for one reason or another, in every dimension there was always a little two tailed fox taking after a speedy older hedgehog.

So the lack of natural born genius or natural born fighting skills didn't matter when Tails raised his head. And when their gazes met and Tails' eyes sparked with challenge, Scourge only had a split second to remember this Tails looked up to the rudest, cockiest, most dickish and cunning Sonic in the multiverse.

"Gotta get me first," Tails said, and launched his invention right at Scourge's face.

It was an impressively hard throw, so the plastic ball pummeling Scourge straight in the face already had enough force to actually make him stagger back, but then multicolored dust puffed up the second the ball made contact with his face and immediately obscured his vision. Scourge cursed, but that just made it get in his mouth, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop any more of it from getting in his eyes and making them sting even worse.

Swiping at the air to clear it, Scourge coughed and spat on the floor to get the dust out of his mouth - Tekno was gonna kill him for that, like he gave a shit - blinking his stinging, watering eyes to clear them. Whatever the dust was, it probably wasn't dangerous or Tails wouldn't have thrown it at his face, but damn if it didn't sting like a bitch.

By the time Scourge regained his bearings, Tails had already vanished, probably not to bed, and Scourge's jacket - and presumably his face - was covered in the dust.

Oh, that little fuck was in for it when Scourge got his hands on him.

Scourge charged out of the lab after Tails, just managing to glimpse those tails disappear into the kitchen, and grinned a wild, unfriendly grin as he skidded in after him.

"Come on, kid," he laughed, "you can't expect to outrun the fastest hedgehog in the-"

He stopped.

Tails was hovering in the air, the kettle held above his head threateningly, and something about that set of alarm bells in Scourge's head.

"You don't honestly think you'll manage to hit me with that, do you?" Scourge said, even as his stomach started sinking. "You know I can dodge that and bring you down before you can even blink."

"I know," Tails said, holding the kettle even higher. "But I don't need to aim for you. I just need to aim for the floor."

"Yeah? And what's throwing a tantrum and breaking shit gonna do for ya?"

Tails' stare was almost unnerving. Almost. Hard to be unnerved by a dorky little fox who still had his baby fluff, but the kid was giving a good effort.

"If Sonic comes back to find a broken kettle," he said slowly, "he's gonna blame one of us two since Amy and Tekno are out all night. And who do you think he'll believe? The kid he thinks can barely hurt a badnik, or the reckless hedgehog who isn't allowed near the kettle and is petty enough to have a destructive vendetta against it because of that?" He gave Scourge a cheeky, not quite cunning but certainly getting there, smile. "Of course, if you stop chasing me and I can just have ten more minutes to finish what I was doing, that doesn't have to happen."

Oh shit, Tails had spent too much time with both of them.

"Oh please, you're shit at lying," Scourge scoffed, although he kept a careful eye on the kettle. "Sonic's way too smart to fall for something like that. One look at what you did to my face and he'll know."

"You really want to tell him I managed to hit you in the face by surprise?"

"... One look at what you did to my jacket and he'll know."

"No he won't. Sonic never pays attention to my inventions, he won't even know what it is. So he won't know it came from me."

"I can tell him, and Tekno can back me up. Face it, kid, you break that kettle, there's no way the blame won't fall on you."

"Yeah? Wanna test it?"

"Breaking the thing is gonna backfire more on you than it will me," Scourge hurried to argue before Tails could follow through with his test threat. "You're the one who goes without tea and hot chocolate if you break it, not me, since you're too fucking cowardly to just use the damn microwave."

"It doesn't taste right if you use a microwave," Tails protested, scowling and hovering a little closer to the floor. Still not quite in reach, but closer.

"It tastes exactly the damn same and you know it, you're just copying what Sonic says."

"No I'm not!"

"Yeah you are."

"Am not!" Tails puffed out his cheeks. "Besides, we can just boil the water on the hob until we get a new one."

"Stove," Scourge corrected absently, subtly shuffling closer as Tails hovered even lower. "It takes too long and you know it. You'd all hate it."

Just a bit more, a bit more, a little bit more...

"Yeah, well-"

Quick as a flash Scourge threw himself at Tails and snatched the kettle right out of his hand, placing it safely back on the counter with a smug grin.

He had no idea if Sonic would blame him or Tails for the breaking of the kettle, but he wasn't about to risk it. Just in case.

"Ha! Try hiding behind the kettle now you little-"

But Tails was already gone, fleeing towards the living room. Cursing his whole entire life and Sonic specifically, Scourge gave chase.

He barely stepped into the living room before Tails was throwing the couch cushions at him in an attempt to keep him away, but this time Scourge was ready for war. He snatched one of the cushions out of the air and used it to bat away the rest of the improvised weapons flying at his poor, abused face.

The assault lasted for maybe fifteen more seconds before Tails began to run out of cushions to throw, and in his panic to find more ammo, there was a falter in his pattern Scourge immediately took advantage of to tackle him to the ground.

Tails gasped and squirmed, but he wasn't strong enough to break Scourge's grip, so his futile struggle didn't last very long before he gave up and slumped into the ground in defeat.

"That's what I thought," Scourge said triumphantly, making sure to smear some of the dust on his jacket onto Tails' face in retaliation for earlier. "You can't beat me, kid."

"Not yet," Tails mumbled into the carpet.

Well, at least the kid had ambitions.

Scourge didn't give Tails any more choice in the matter. He hauled Tails over his shoulder and sped to his room so the brat wouldn't get any last second escape attempt ideas, then dumped him in his bed.

With a sigh of someone who knew he'd been beaten for at least another day, Tails reluctantly settled under the blankets and mumbled, "G'night, Scourge."

"Save that mushy shit for Sonic," Scourge snorted, flicking off the light and closing Tails' door behind him as he stepped out into the hallway.

Ugh, kids. Sonic couldn't come home fast enough.

Scourge shrugged off his jacket and dumped it in his laundry basket to deal with later, pulling a face the whole time, then stepped into the bathroom. He studied himself in the mirror, squinting at the amount of dust on him. His poor jacket caught most of the attack, so only his arms and face remained covered in dust. His torso had a little sprinkled on, but not enough for him to give a shit just yet.

It would probably be easier to just have a shower to wash all the dust off, but honestly, Scourge couldn't be assed. Rinse off in the sink it was, then. He'd shower properly in the morning.

Should he clean up the lab before he went to bed or in the morning?

Ah, fuck it, neither. Tekno could do that. It was her fault for leaving Tails unsupervised in the lab anyway.

Scourge got to work scrubbing the dust from his fur, first his arms, then his face. He managed to get half his face clean before the door downstairs opened and Sonic appeared behind him in a breeze.

Scourge blinked at Sonic's reflection. Sonic's reflection blinked back.

"Didn't expect you back today," Scourge said, turning to face Sonic properly.

"I'm the fastest thing alive, why didn't you expect me back early?" Sonic squinted at his face. "Why do you have the dust from Tails' latest invention on your face?"

"And here he thought you wouldn't even notice him building it," Scourge snorted, turning back to the sink to continue scrubbing his face.

"Of course I noticed. Nerd's been going on and on about making something to obscure badniks' vision so we can have an edge in battle for months now, I couldn't miss it if I tried."

Scourge hadn't bothered to fight his smiles around Sonic for months now, and he didn't try this time, either.

That, that right there, that was one of the reasons he loved him. One of the things that blindsided him early on. Sonic paid attention even when it didn't feel like it.

"Kid's been working on it all day," he said. "Dunno when it'll be ready now the brat's gone and tested it before he meant to, but considering this-" he gestured to his face- "it looks promising."

Sonic was quiet for a moment, then said, "He threw it at you, didn't he?"

"No! Fucker just blew up in the lab-"

"Bullshit. You called him a brat, he totally threw it at you."

Scourge scowled, scrubbing vigorously at his face. He didn't need to see Sonic to know he had that stupid, proud smirk on his face. "Shut up. You're a bad influence on that kid."

"And here I thought my bad influence on people was one of the things you love about me."

"Not when it inconveniences me."

"Don't be such a baby."

"Easy for you to say, you didn't have to deal with it."

"It wouldn't take me that much effort to 'deal with it.'" Sonic leaned against the sink, inspecting Scourge's stained face with a playful smirk. "I can't believe you couldn't dodge something thrown at you by Tails."

"Shut up," Scourge mumbled. "He's learned it from you."

"Fucking finally, he's picking something up." Sonic laughed softly. His laugh was naturally harsh, inherently mocking, perfect for rubbing people up the wrong way even when that wasn't why he was laughing in the first place. Scourge loved it. "Hurry up and finish washing your face, I'm not kissing you while you're all dusty."

"Aww, have you missed kissing me? That's embarrassing," Scourge teased, although he did scrub his face a little faster to get the dust off quicker.

"Don't act like you haven't missed it too, dickhead."

"Nah, I don't need you at all," Scourge said, inspecting his face in the mirror to make sure the last of the dust was gone. There was a small bruise forming on his muzzle, just under his mouth and to the left, from where the plastic ball had smacked him in the face.

"Sure, whatever you say." Right on cue Sonic planted a soft kiss on the bruise. "Cheers for keeping him out of trouble, glad to see I can leave him and come back to see him in one piece.

Translation: thank you for watching him for me, I'm glad I can trust you with him. I love you.

"Don't ever ask me to do it again," Scourge said, slipping his hand into Sonic's. "I didn't sign up for babysitting duties when I agreed to date you. If you make me do it again, I ain't promising it'll end as well as this did."

Translation: I'll do it, but only for you, because he matters to you. I love you, too.

"Fine. But then you don't get to whinge about me being the 'bad influence' on him."

"You want me to be a bad influence on him, too? I'm honored."

"You already are."

It was true. That trick about framing him for the broken kettle had Scourge the Hedgehog written all over it. It was hard to believe he'd become such a big part of the Freedom Fighters lives he was having influence on them.

Still. Scourge didn't hate it. It felt... kinda good, actually. To know he was important enough to influence people, influence Tails, and be trusted enough for Sonic to let it happen.

He still wasn't gonna be taking on any more babysitting responsibilities, though.

... At least, not without a fight, even if it was for show.

#sonic the hedgehog #scourge the hedgehog #fleetway sonic #stc sonic #fleet!sonourge #asks #fanfic #fleetway tails #HAHAHA MY BAD I DIDN'T MEAN FOR THIS TO TAKE AN ENTIRE MONTH.... #so uh you remember that chapter i mentioned i was struggling to finish a couple asks ago? #yeah i finished it. it was 20k by the time i was done so i decided I'd earned a break from writing #that's why this took so long #whoops lmao my bad #this is why you can't ever encourage me to take my time writing bc i WILL take advantage of that to be lazy #anyways hope you enjoyed! sorry again for the wait #couldn't stop thinking about that ask mentioning tails acting more like sonic while i was writing #and i was like oh he'd be SUCH a brat to scourge about it and it'd be all sonic's fault #scourge is a liar he DOES care about tails he just likes to hide behind his love for sonic instead of admitting it #it's okay scourge we know the truth u just struggle to admit to loving people just like sonic #one step (aka one acceptance and admission of love for a person) at a time #this was so fun to write sjgjghg tails should be allowed to be a brat i think. he deserves it for putting up with sonic

[crybaby-bkg]

I hateeeee hate hate hate it when I write a one shot and finish it on a certain note bc I don’t plan on nor desire to expand it or write more…….and then someone……..comments a brilliant fucking idea that could turn into another part and it’s SO FUCKING good that I literally have to write another part or else I’ll die -_-

#it makes me SO MAD #bc I HATE writing a second part and multi chapters #mainly bc I like one and dones since I’m lazy lol #but I wrote my first crossover fic on ao3 (everyone go read it NOW) #and it took me nearly a YEAR to write it and I NEVER take that long #so once I finally finished it I was like #okay that’s it you’re done great job #and here come two people giving me this bomb ass idea for another part 🤨🤨🤨🤨 #and it’s SO good and it’s plaguing me like crazy #I cant even finish the other wips I started months ago!!!!!! #I wanna finish them all this week I’m determined to #bc my semester starts in about 2/3 weeks and I wanna do as much as I can before I’m tied down lol #I’m rambling sorry #I need to gts bc I have to be up early for an appt #that’s probably gonna last like 5 mins ugh #HATE HAGE HATE IT #—in store chit chat! 🍫

[szczylpierdolony]

theres sm i wanna do and i have the time but im also tired and overwhelmed and losing my mind

#i have so many books to read and friendship bracelets to make and a crotchet project to finish #and i want to finish hxh soon and maybe pick up the manga but i also have like 3 other mangas to read #bc i started monster a few months ago but ive been thinking of getting the physical vols maybe but theyre huge #and i wanna start homunculus and goodnight pun pun too #and again i have all the time!! bc im not doing anything #but that makes this even more overwhelming and i end up barely getting anything done #oh and im almost done with a sketchbook that ive been super slow to fill #it took me over a year and its not very big just the size i usually go for #and i tend to finish them on around 9 months #but i just #didnt make any art in the fall/winter for some reason #its just a few pages now so i should finish on monday or sth #oh and i wanted to pick up yoga again but im lazy and tired <333 #📓

[touyasdoll]

Vulnerability

pairing: ex!Satoru Gojo x fem!reader

word count: 1.1k

warnings: mildly angsty bc y'all broke up before, rough sex kinda, sex with feelings, y’all broke up and he’s back (surprise, surprise), unprotected sex, creampie, possessive gojo

notes: once Satoru is in love, he is in wholeheartedly. you are never getting rid of him <3

“Say it again, baby,” Satoru drawls, drunk in the pleasure that you’re providing as you glide up and down on his impressive length.

“I love you,” you whisper, just like old times as your hands rest on either side of his neck, keeping his ice blue gaze fixed on your face.

A lazy smile spreads across his handsome face as he guides your hips, his long fingers tightening around your flesh.

“I missed that. Missed you,” he whispers back, words that you’d never thought you’d hear. Not from this man.

It’s been months since he walked out that door. Since you told him to get the fuck out of your life and never come back. He was petrified of commitment and that wasn’t a secret to anyone who knew of your relationship well enough.

“I love you,” you say again, earning you a groan from a man beneath you.

“I love you too, gorgeous,” he replies, nearly stopping your steady rhythm, but the feel of his glorious cock keeps you going.

“Say it again,” you echo his words, desperate to hear those words after months of his denying you of the pleasure.

“I love you. I’ve always loved you, baby,” he breathes out. “I fucking mean it too,” he growls quietly.

His hands nearly bruise your hips, fingertips pressing into your skin when he starts holding you as tight as he wish he would have before. When he was too proud and too scared to just utter the words that roll off his tongue so easily now.

“I need you. I fucked up and I know it,” he pants, easily flipping the two of you over so that he lumbers over you.

He props himself up on one hand and catches your jaw in the other, using a firm but gentle grip to keep your half lidded eyes fixed on him as he keeps driving into you.

“You’re never gonna get rid of me, baby. I can’t imagine a life without you and I won’t. I won’t fucking do it,” he snarls, the sound a delicious noise reverberating between your two sweat slicked bodies.

“Satoru,” you start, but he cuts you off.

“I mean it. Your pussy feels fucking amazing choking my cock, but that isn’t why I’m saying this,” he promises, never missing a beat as his impressive length pummels your poor, abused pussy.

“Satoru!” You cry, hand wrapping around his wrist, your hand so small in comparison to his.

“That’s it. Keep crying for me. Keep saying my fucking name. You will only ever say my name when you feel this good. Do you understand me?”

You nod, staring up at him, fighting the need to screw your eyes shut and the pressure in the depths of your core threatens to snap and ignite your entire body on fire.

“Good,” he grits out, teeth clenched as he doubles down, railing his rock hard cock into you, rushing you towards your finish.

All you can do is hold the fuck on as he sends you flying, soaring up into the heavens as you howl his name. Only his name. The only one you ever wanted to leave your lips as you enter complete and total, all encompassing bliss.

“Fuck,” he sighs, a shiver rocking his body as every muscle in his imposing form tenses and he breaks with you.

He grunts, his body flexing right as something in him snaps and he continues bullying his dick into your pulsing walls. They hug him so tight he feels like he might black out.

For a moment, he swears he does. His hips cast forward on their own, forcing him impossibly deeper as his tip knocks against the deepest part of you, spilling his seed inside to claim you once and forever as his and his alone.

Both of you are lost in a haze, but nothing has ever been more clear to the man panting in your ear. He needs you. He cannot live without you and he’s only sorry that it took him so long to admit it.

That’s why he showed up at your door tonight. Begging for you to just let him in and hear him out. That’s how you ended up right here, desperately trying to suck air into your lungs while your nerves scream and sing in response to every little touch that he offers your overstimulated form.

“I love you,” he reaffirms, the words a soft whisper against your collarbone as he trails his lips across them.

“I love you too,” you whisper, still in disbelief that you’re able to add the little ‘too’ on the end of that sentence.

“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry I couldn’t say it before, but I’ve always felt it. I’ve always needed you,” he swears, collapsing beside you to bundle you into his arms.

His gentle lips pepper kisses across your scalp, your forehead, and your temple, slowly trialing across your face.

“I missed you. I mean that too, baby,” he says with more conviction than you’ve ever heard leave his lips, his voice shaking with emotion. “I will never leave you doubting that again. I swear. I fucking swear it.”

You’ve never seen him like this. Never heard his voice with anything other than pure, radiating confidence imbued within it. Now, his voice quakes. His tone is full of tremors and uncertainty, something that is foreign to the one who has always known himself as the strongest. Weakness had no place in his words.

But with you, he is weak and he knows it. He has always known it and just never spoken the words aloud, but if it means keeping you. Having you, he will gladly break down those walls to keep you within them. He will build them back up to keep you here with him forever. Where you belong.

“I love you. I was scared and I can say that now. I was too petrified then. Afraid that I’d lose you somehow, but I went and did that anyway and I would do anything not to do that again,” he whispers, his nose nudging against your cheek.

“I’m yours, baby,” you whisper back. “I have always been yours for the taking. I’m not going anywhere.”

Relief washes over him as he holds you tighter, his spindly fingers dragging across your spine.

“I won’t let you,” he vows, holding you close enough that you believe he’s trying to mold you directly into his body. Into his ribs.

Straight into his heart, which you have no doubts that you now know belongs solely to you.

thank you for reading! if you enjoyed, please feel free to leave a like, comment, or reblog and they are all greatly appreciated <3

#gojo x reader #gojo smut #satoru x reader #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo smut #jjk smut #jjk x reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x y/n #gojo x you #jjk x you #jjk x y/n

[midnightfrappe]

Part 1

Yup, Kamek really didn’t want to let go of that dress, but it’s for the sake of Bowser and the plot

I didn’t expect a lot of people to ask for a part two but here it is! It took me some time because of my final month of school and not having enough time to draw, but i finally got to finish this, tho i did get lazy on the last panel and decided to just put the dialogue lmao.

And yes, i have planned a part 3 and even 4, and some extra bowuigi stuff i got on mind, so, yea. 

Also tagging @akari-ku bc i remember you asked me to tag you on the second part!

#luigi #bowser #kamek #bowuigi #mario #super mario bros #super mario bros movie #bowser x luigi #smb #nintendo #fanart #super mario #mario movie #the super mario bros movie #my art #uhhh #yeah #i think the bowser i drew is sick #really proud of myself #ohhh big scary koppa #he's not gonna be like that on the next comic lmao

[slut4sugu]

— I CAN DO YOU BETTER ! [hobie brown x fem!black reader]

✮ including : college!au, bestfriend!hobie, readers ex is a dick, fingering, hobie being a tease, use of the names: doll, pretty thing, sweetheart, princess. cursing, cunnilingus, mention of weed and alcohol. ✮ Summary: Your best friend hobie comforts you after getting broken up with over the phone with your ex, and gives you the treatment you’ve always deserved ✮ a word from kam: yall this literally took me all day to do I hope you like it! (I took a lot of breaks my lazy ass), kinda felt this one a lil bit bc this situation kinda happened to me,from now on just expect these type of posts to take 1-2 days bc I wanna make it nice and long (yo pause) for all of you to enjoy! ✮ Genre: Angst-Fluff-Smut

6 LONG MONTHS YOU SPENT; trying to salvage whatever was left of yourself when you and your ex broke up. You never truly felt as though you would be whole again, nights alone feeling more lonely than they should. Your heart hanging heavy as the full moon in the sky, each night feeling empty. No sweet Goodmorning texts or random flowers at your doorstep. Just radio silence, as if the world had stood still. Left to your thoughts, until you slowly started to get over the break up. Long days that were once spent in your bed now, turning into short trips out of your dorm to try and push yourself to go outside. Your smile slowly starting to return as you started to focus more on yourself, taking self care days after finishing your homework for your classes. Even mustering up the courage to go to a party one of your friends held, who almost cried seeing you turn up at her door. “Oh my god, y/n?!” She closed the door behind her and pulled you in for a hug, “You look so pretty! And damn did your boobs get bigger-“ You rolled your eyes at the darkskinned girl with a smile, “Hey Mads, thought I would stop by to come see you.” The girl gave you a “Bitch be for real.” look. “And because you have some good ass alcohol.” “Yes the hell I do! And some fine ass niggas are in here girl.” She whispered shouted, her brown eyes getting bigger as she said this. Grabbing your hand she reached for the doorknob, “You ready girl?” You adjusted the chain of your purse on your bare shoulder before nodding, not expecting Maddie to literally pull pull you into the big dorm.

Weed and Pheromones filled the air as you looked around the room, the led lights giving the dorm a certain ambience as you felt the girl let go of your hand. “I’m gonna go get us a drink! I’ll come find you later!” You nodded, before making your way to a thankfully empty couch in the living space. The music at a comfortable level (as to not get a noise complaint), people you’ve seen in class now smoking and drinking to take a breather from all the snappy proffesors they had to deal with all week. You sighed, before sitting down. Rethinking the slightly revealing shimmery dress you wore, though you reassured yourself that it was cute before opening your white purse to distract yourself on your phone. While texting your sister (who was a bit too noisy) you felt someone sit down on the couch besides you. You looked up to see a dark skin guy, with wicks and all types of piercings and silver jewelry. ‘Damn he’s hot’ You thought to yourself, almost catching his gaze that was focused on the blunt in between his fingers a moment ago. Your eyes went back to texting your sister, before hearing a voice ask, “Loud party innit?” You almost jumped at the question, making the stranger next to you laugh. “Didn’t mean to scare you doll.” He let out a cloud of smoke which added to the already weed filled dorm room. You shook your head briefly, “No your fine, its just-“ Your eyes then saw Maddie giggling and laughing with another dude who was leaned up against the wall. “So much for my drink.” You muttered to yourself, though with a small smile. It was time one of your single friends got some action. “Got dragged here?” You hesitated before answering, “Not really?” You fiddled with one of your braids, looking down at the floor. “I kinda dragged myself here. I wanted to get out of my depressin ass dorm and just do something.” You stated, not feeling the gaze of hobies eyes on the side of your face.

“They were a douche bag huh?” You sat up straight, turning to look at his face in confusion. “What do you mean?” “The look on the face you just had? I’ve seen it on half of the blokes here. Heartbreak.” He took another drag of the blunt, your mind some reason minding it somewhat attractive how he held it between his two fingers. His gaze once more making your eyes pull away, “You wanna try doll?” You smiled at the nickname but declined, “I’m good, maybe another time. I gotta make sure i get back to my own dorm this time.” You explained, your choice of words peaking hobies interest, “This time?” You nodded, letting out a small sigh before pulling out a small flask from your bag and taking a swig. “Careful now, don’t want you tellin me you whole life story cuz your drunk.” You laughed, “No no, I’m fine. This is hardly strong, just something to take the edge off before I told you what uh my trifling ass ex did to me.”

Which is exactly what you did, told your first experience of a shitty boyfriend, to a complete stranger, though who wouldn’t be for long after asking if you wanted to go somewhere more quiet to talk. Which led to a 2 hour conversation on a vacant balcony of the resident building. You left out no details as you told every single thing he did, every special occasion he missed, every date, every anniversary and even your walk on graduation day. Hobie started to notice the tears welling up in your pretty eyes as you told him how excited you were to be graduating, and going to college. Only to have your boyfriend miss it to go have a phone call with his ex. Your voice started to waver, and your vision started to blur. Not being able to help when the tears came flooding own your cheeks. “its okay doll he can’t toy with your heart anymore.” His voice calming you down, your tears slowed. The light of the moon casting a soft glow on your figure, causing your tear stained cheeks and slightly ruined makeup to look breathtaking to hobie. Your glittery dress complementing your figure and taunting him to pull you flush against your chest and tell you everything is gonna be alright. Though in awe of your beauty he felt slight anger for the asshole who made a pretty girl like you cry. His hand going to rub your bare shoulder in circles, the feeling of his touch ticklish yet soothing. “Thank you.” You small sweet voice causing hobies heart to swell, “No problem, don’t thank me for human decency luv.”

────────── 🎸 . Months later <33. ─────────────────

As you sat on hobies bed wearing one of hobies band tees you thought back to when the two of you both met, and thankful you are to have him in your life now. You stared into space with a slight smile on your face as you daydreamed about him, his smirk when he knows he’s right. How his sweatpants hang deliciously low on his waist, how hot his hands looked adorned with silver rings. Your daze was soon interrupted by sound of a door opening. You practically skipped over to the living room too see him, “Finallyyy, I swear to god hobes if you were trying to figure out what candy to get-“ “Listen luv you were the one who told me you like mike n Ike’s, pocky and sour patch kids.” Hobie stated, putting down the plastic bags that were full of snacks and carbonated drinks on the counter. You were so eager to find your snacks you couldn’t feel the gaze of hobies wandering eyes peaking into your shirt to see your boobs, your sexy black bra strap taunting him as you leaned forward to further search the bags. Allowing the guitar player to get a glimpse of the valley of your breasts. Though you weren’t naive, you knew that hobie would check you out at times, even if he claims to ‘see something stuck to your clothes’ you know he’s taking a peek. As you finally got your pick of snacks you put all of them in one bag and carried it back to hobies bedroom. “Don’t make a mess shorty.” You flipped him off, earning a laugh from the giant. (THIS ISNT EVEN AN EXAGGERATION THAT MF IS LIKE 6’3) Getting comfortable under his sheets you stopped and realized how this looks, how your wearing his t-shirt, how he calls you kind of sweet nicknames, how you’ve slept in his bed multiple times. The list went on, though you tried to hush your thoughts since Hobie most likely didn’t mean anything by it..right? “Whats got your head in the clouds hm?” You jumped, turning your head to see him leaning against the doorframe with a slight smirk on his handsome face. ‘Why the fuck is he so hot-‘ “Nothing, get in here so we can finish watching this please. And please close the door, those dumbasses next door don’t know how to turn they’re music the fuck down.”

It was always a delight seeing you get slightly mad, your sudden ability to talk fast as hell and your annoyed face is just adorable to hobie. He got comfortable in the bed besides you, taking the blue box of candy out of your lap quickly and getting some out. “Already told them to turn it down when you were sleepin one night.” He stated, putting the candy box back in your lap. “You got a cute sleeping face luv.” You elbowed him in his rib cage despite the flutter in your stomach. Distracting yourself you grabbed the remote and began to turn to the horror movie you were watching with hobes last night. The feeling of his skin touching yours overwhelming your senses specifically tonight, the normal ticklish feeling was normal but tonight it felt different. Come to think of it the air between you both felt different as well, more flirty and touchy lately. Your thoughts ran wild as you desperately tried to put your finger on why you feel so weird around hobie lately. Noticing your lack of attention to a woman literally being stabbed hobie pinched your side, “Ow! What the hell-” You looked up at the brunette with a furrowed brows only to be met with a curious hobie, “What in the hell are you thinking about? Barbie just got stabbed to death and your head is in the clouds.” You laugh at the nickname hobie had given the hot blonde, “Sorry sorry, but Baube? Really dude?” You mocked his accent only to be met with an eyeroll, while you erupted in a fit of laughter. “Alright since you wanna laugh so much,” as you felt hobies fingers tickling your sides your laughter grew louder as you squirmed trying to get away. The horror movie now just background music as you twisted and turned.

“Okay!-Okay, I’m sorry!” You pleaded with him as you rolled into his side, finally catching your breath you looked up at him. A slight smirk tugging at is pierced lips, his eyes clouded with a film of slight desire. His hands that were once at your sides shifted down to your hips,“You look cute in my shirt shorty.” He teased, “Though you look hot in black lace.” Despite your brown skin a very faint tint of red flushed on your cheeks at that moment. His voice, touch, scent, shit his fucking pheromones made your body react in ways you’ve never thought you would before. So when you pressed your lips against his in the heat of the moment you were quick to pull back and realize what you just did. “I’m sorry hobie, I didn’t mean to-“ A kiss on your forehead caused the words you were once going to say, to then die on your tongue. “I’m pretty sure you meant to luv, but do you want me to kiss you?” You eyes widened at the question, your heart racing as he loomed over you. You hesitated before letting out a small, “please.”

In return hobies lips crashed into yours, his hand tightening the grip around your waist as he did so. Your hands found its way to the side of his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Your body feeling hoot and cold from his touch, the kiss hungry yet passionate. A tent formed in his pants as he heard you moans into the kiss, drinking up every single gasp and sound your pretty voice let out. Moving ontop of you, he broke the kiss to attack your neck with small ones and bites. Earning moans and gasp from you, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this for.” He whispered into your ear, sending shivers down your spine in result. Kisses trailed down your neck and to your collar-bone, it looked like you were about to take the shirt off but he stopped you. “I wanna fuck you with it on, it looks so sexy on you love.” You smiled softly despite your core throbbing at the mere sound of his voice, kissing him sweetly this time. “I love you hobie.” You confessed, looking up at him with those eyes.

The eyes he’d always wanted to see from you, filled with love and admiration. The kind of eyes that you gave to your asshole of an ex who didn’t appreciate the literal goddess in front of him. Hobie swore his heart stopped when he heard you pretty lips say those 4 little words. Who was he to not say it back? “I love you too doll, so fuckin much.” Kissing you back your heart melted, he gave you one more small kiss on your soft lips before sitting up on his knees, his hands going down to the waistband of your shorts, his eyes looking at yours for approval. Once you gave him a reassuring nod he tugged them off hungrily, throwing them across his bedroom long forgotten now. Only leaving you in matching lacy black panties to go with your bra, “Such a pretty girl..” He said out loud, though sounded if he were saying it to himself. He pushed the band tee up your torso to kiss your stomach all the way down to your v-line. His low eyes looked at you once more for approval and once you gave the okay he teased you with kisses on the inner side of your thigh. The cold metal of his lip piercing on such a sensitive spot caused you to moan slightly louder than you expected, which earned a groan out of hobie. “You sound so fuckin pretty ma, wanna hear you scream my name.” As his kisses slowly trailed up you started to grow impatient, whining his name which just made the bulge in his pants grow more uncomfortable. “Please ‘bee, I want you.” Your dripping sex, aching for his touch

God your fucking killing him, despite seeming unfazed and teasing every single thing you did drove hobie up the wall. Your voice, your body, the way you would style your braids at night, those pretty fucking eyes that look to him with need and desperation. “Mm, ask me properly.” You whined, before getting a nibble on a nerve that shut you up quick. “Hobie please..I want your tongue in me. Please.” He could’ve came at that moment had he not held himself back, “Alright pretty girl, I got you.” Despite his sweet words he ripped your panties off making you pout, “I’ll buy you prettier ones don’t worry doll.” Spreading your legs revealed your aching cunt, the cold air hitting your sex making you feel exposed. Not long after hobie kissed your clit before dining on your pussy, his tongue lapping up your folds causing you to throw your head back in pleasure. Your manicured nails clawing the sheets, as you whimpered and moaned your bestfriends name. Your eyes rolling back as he picked up his at first slow pace with his tongue, your back arching so pretty off his bed that’s now smelt like your sex.

“It’s cuffing seasonnn-“

Your phone began to ring, annoyance turning into slight fear as you saw the caller ID. Hobie smirked, picking up the phone besides you to answer it. Sitting back up on his knees in the process leaving a small lewd string of saliva from your cunt to his lips,“Yo y/n look I’ve been thinking about you and-“ “Gonna stop you right there mate, y/n isn’t fuckin interested in asshats like yourself,” Despite his passive aggressive voice, the sudden feeling of two fingers rubbing against your folds then slipping inside your hole once lubricated made you let out a high pitch moan. “The fuck was that?” You slapped a hand over your mouth, causing hobie to put the phone on speaker leaving it on the bed to gently pull your hand away. “Let me hear how good im making you feel love.” His tone now soft as he spoke to you, you nodded, receiving a long kiss from hobie as he slowly started to scissor is fingers into you. Taking a mental note of how your cunt practically sucked him in, your soft walls squeezing his digits tight. Causing a abnormal amount of precut to leak out of the tip of his dick. Hobie now become eager to see his long thought of fantasy play out before him. A fantasy his jerked himself off to almost every night, seeing you lose your mind of pleasure because of him. Eager to find your g-spot, eager to see your pretty face contort as you cum on his fingers. Eager for your shitty ex to hear how much better hobie fucks you than he ever could.

You grinded your hips down on his fingers, yearning for the sweet release not caring anymore about your pathetic ex on the phone trying to win you back. All you wanted, all you needed in this moment was hobie. One curl against your sweet spot snapped you out of your thoughts and caused the dorm to be filled with your sounds as you neared your high, your nipples hard against the fabric of hobies shirt, your senses overloaded as you focused on the feeling of his finger scissoring you to your climax. A hand went up to squeeze his forearm, “Please don’t fuckin stop bee, please don’t m’ so close.” Looking up at him with lust filled eyes, made hobie lose it. He continued to pump his fingers inside your pulsating cunt, hitting that sweet spot so deliciously causing your mouth to form in an ‘o’ as you arched off the bed again. Your chest against his as the coil in your stomach began to unwrap. Your moans grew dangerously loud as sopping noises filled the room, your vision starting to turn white as your legs begun to shake. “Let go for me princess, I got you.” Whispers from hobie drew you even closer, his breath tickling your ear as his voice drove you insane. One kiss under your ear and a few rubs from his thumb on your clit was all it took for your legs to clamp around hobies hand and cum. Moaning out hobies and a few curses your spasmed around his digits. Your grip on his forearm now loosened, as you slowly came down from your high. Your body now weak and sensitive hobie pulled his fingers out of your cunt, admiring the mess you made on them before licking them clean.

You notice your ex hung up a while ago, but couldn’t care less as you let out a couple tired giggles. “You love meee.” He let out an airy laugh, “Yeah I do. Someone has to love your crazy ass.” You rolled your eyes before pulling him in a deep kiss tasting your slick on his tongue, your hands went to cup his face. Only pulling back when you’re both breathless and smiling. “I love you hobie.” Your eyes shining with happy tears and love, “What am I going to do with you huh? Such a whiner.”

“Oh kiss my ass, you literally love me.”

Bonus <333

As you began to feel sleep take over you, you notice hobie about to go into the bathroom before catching a slightly big stain on the front of his sweats. “Bee?” He hummed in response, “Did you cum while eatin me out?” That iconic smirk made its way back on his face, “Maybe, blame your pretty ass moans for that luv.”

BACK TO THE EVENT

#🎸.𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎 𝐁𝐘 𝐊𝐀𝐌 #atsv fluff #atsv x you #atsv x black reader #hobie spiderverse #hobie brown #hobie headcanons #hobie brown x y/n #hobie brown smut #hobie brown fluff #atsv hobie #hobie x y/n #hobie brown x reader #hobie brown x black!reader #hobie smut #hobie x reader #hobie brown x fem!reader #hobie brown x you #hobie brown imagine #atsv smut #atsv x black!reader

[userholland]

between the lines | frat!tom

finals week is here and you’re an emotional wreck, to say the least. not only is your schedule jam-packed, but there are things going on in your life as well. you need to cram, you need to meet due dates and frankly, you could use a drink to get through it all. the night you go to a frat party, you see a cute and familiar face that you have to see every time you go to the small bookstore and he’s behind the cash register.

PAIRING : frat!tom & college!fem!reader

GENRE : college, book shop, love at first sight, dramatic love confessions, wedding date, & a long (too long tbh) slow burn

WARNINGS : tom being sarcastic but cute, lots of fluff + corny dialogue, toxic parents and divorce, a light/tasteful make-out, cursing, drinking, trust issues, both reader and tom being bibliophiles (annotations & recommendations blah blah), etc.

WORD COUNT : 13.9k

A/N : mostly, inspired by an another great idea @venomsilk gave me <3 🧸🌤 🍰 dedicated to her. this is for her valentine’s celebration (a few months late, oops. but school / mental health checks happened so respectable hiatus on this fic) and i was so happy and excited to write it tbh ! i've been more into the romance ya novels lately so i really wanted to give this fic a lot of love and filled it with inspiration from books i've read. pls rec me some bc this summer i want beach reads. anyways adore and appreciate my venomsilk besthie so much. bear with me in this fic, but hope everyone enjoys ! also this header is originally from here! i just added the shredded border

𑁍 masterlist 𑁍

Books. They were a common comfort you turned toward in times of stress, sadness or simply something to make the time go by on the bus ride to campus.

The small bookstore, that you often went to on the weekends, was unique. Most books were donated or found, then there was a small selection of brand new editions on the circular table when you entered the shop.

From the tall shelves filled with fictional adventures to the big, voluptuous, and green plants decorated around the front window, everything about this place was perfect. But, the dark, curly-haired cashier with a soft smile was a bonus to your shopping experience.

Every time you approached the counter, heat would suddenly radiate from your face and your heart fluttered when the boy rose his head to meet your eyes. Sometimes, you caught him reading a classic novel, other times, he was taking his time to finish homework when the store didn’t have but one or two people browsing.

His name is Tom, once overhearing one of his co-workers call him Tommy. You didn’t know anything about him, but it fit his charming yet approachable appearance. He wore a bunch of flannels with the sleeves rolled up and a solid color tee to match underneath, the occasional baseball tee or henley if the temperature in the store was too warm.

You didn’t mean to giggle the time you walked up to him and his cheeks were bright pink from how hot it was inside compared to the coming winter chill changing the fall weather.

Once or twice, you wondered if he remembered you. It sounded egotistical, questioning your importance to some stranger, but you couldn’t help it. He gave you recommendations or comments on the books you purchased, persuasive enough to burn a bigger hole in your pocket for decent literature.

The way he smiled and giggled when you had small talk, all from asking each other how your days had been. If it was a selling tactic he used; it was working.

Some days, romanticizing simple interactions like this made life less lonely and stressful. Tom was simply a crush; just another cute guy you could think about when you think about your future and the little fantasies in between your daydreams. It was nice for a bit and then you snapped back into reality, concentrating on your studies and looking forward to getting a degree. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

Tom took advantage of the lazy afternoon shift between his classes.

There were little to no customers, free time to study and complete silence unless he turned on the music over the speakers throughout the store. While the minimum wage didn’t seem worth it, Tom much more preferred working at his Aunt and Uncle’s bookstore than to getting ripped off from writing English essays for his “so-called” fraternity brothers. 

As he sat at his post behind the register, comfortably wearing his black Carhartt jacket, with his head lowered so his brown curls hung down. He unknowingly pouted as he made bright-red corrections on his rough draft for one of his final papers. Even though Tom had three to four other final papers of his own to do, he was doing essays for other people. 

His final paper for his Advanced English Romanticism class was way more important and frankly, all he wanted to do was pass with high grades, but earning money for next semester’s tuition by easily bullshitting Shakespeare’s literature theories or creating basic fictional, short stories for people who were barely sober 12 hours out of the day made his eyes wander to the rough drafts in his worn backpack.

The ink imprinted his, sloppy but small, handwriting on the side of his hand, and the end of the pen had a few bites when he was re-thinking his sentences and paraphrasing.

Suddenly, the bell above the entrance door rang, not phasing Tom to look up since people came in and out, but he glanced up when he noticed the familiar color of the jacket you wore. He had seen you a few times, wearing that same navy blue jacket with a red and black stripe going down the sleeves. 

A gloss filmed over his bright-brown eyes but looked away once you walked toward the back, admiring the books placed perfectly around the best-sellers table at the center of the store. You were the same, pretty girl who wandered around the stop for an hour, maybe two, seeking a book and nothing else. 

Each one that came to Tom’s counter was a different genre from a worn-out classic or a fairly used historical fiction– it intrigued him so, he’d list a few recommendations. After a bit of, what he considered, flirting, you left with a big smile until two or three days passed and there you were again, searching and reading in between the numerous aisles.

“Think fast!”

Tom already flinched, but a soccer ball thumped against the side of his head and he immediately pressed his palm on his temple.

“Jesus…” Tom hissed under his breath, his eyes giving a dirty look toward his friend, “A ‘hello’ would have sufficed.”

“What? You’re not happy to see me?” Harrison grinned, holding the ball under his arm.

Tom quickly retorted, “Why are you bothering me at work?” 

Harrison tilted his head.

 “Because I cherish every second we spend together…” He smiled before rolling his eyes, “What do you think? We have a meeting at the house in twenty minutes. C’mon, no one is even here, it’s your family’s store and you can leave when your manager is on his phone in the back office–”

Tom opened his mouth, but no words came out. His eyes shifted to you, past Harrison’s figure, watching as you flipped through another book on the same shelf; a hardcover version of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Basic, but not a bad read. Tom thought.

“Who’s that?” Harrison asked, “She’s pretty.” He glanced over his shoulder, but you had no idea that the two boys were glaring as you concentrated on the text.

“No one.” Tom said in an annoyed tone, messily pushing his books and paper into his worn-out backpack.

The rosy pink tint of the apples of Tom’s cheeks made Harrison slowly smile, “Oh, Tommy. You’re squirming. Is she an ex? Hookup? Maybe TA?”

Tom sighed, “If we leave now, I’ll still help you with your sports management paper tonight.”

Harrison nodded, “Geez, she must be someone if you make that threat.”

You couldn’t help but lift your head at their commotion, watching Tom lead the way. Harrison trailing behind with his duffle strap on his shoulder and spinning the soccer ball in his hands, but your glances connected as they passed. Being the brother he is, Harrison announces, “He has a thing for you! Big ole crush! Do you have his number-”

Tom pushed on Harrison’s back hard, forceful enough to get him through the door. He wanted to avoid you noticing the bright tint red painted on the apples of his cheeks from the embarrassment he couldn’t escape.

Your heart was in your throat, a warmness spreading throughout your body from the attention. Half-smiling, you looked back down at the book in your shaking hands. While it wasn’t your first choice, this happening made you want to buy it to remember this moment.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

The feeling of falling shocked your nerves, jerking your head up to make sure you were still in your seat. You hadn’t noticed you fell into a catatonic state, blankly staring at your laptop with little to no brain function. The brightness of the small screen gleamed against your face, making you blink your eyes a few more times before hearing the multiple cracks break in your back.

This was being a university student. More specifically, an English major.

As much as you loved a hardcover book, money thought differently. Instead of flipping through thick pages with a smell that comforted you, those same texts flashed on whatever device you could afford it on. 

The biggest misconception of being an English major is that you like to read everything and anything. Completely wrong. You liked to read the books that were like a warm hug after a rainy, cold day or made you weep until mascara burned the corners of your eyes. 

The details you paid attention to within the novels you kept close are the reason you loved to read. But, classics and sonnets that you were forced to analyze to write papers about what they mean bored you mindlessly, wondering why picking English was even an option when it’s just reading a language you know.

You turned to your tall bookshelf, perfectly placed in the corner of the room, and books of various sizes overflowed it like a garden. Some rest on the top of it after you ran out of room on your shelves.

Each had their own story as to how they were placed on the old wooden ledges; buying them brand new from bookstores, finding worn-out classics from the thrift store or they were collecting dust in your parent’s attic. But, lately most had come from the Joel & Anne’s bookstore–you blamed Tom.

Just as you wanted to pick up The Picture of Dorian Gray, a notification popped up in the corner of your laptop’s screen. It was a brief email from your professor, granting an extension to the midterm paper due for those who requested it and you couldn’t have been more revealed.

Thank God, you thought.

The pace of your heart slowed down, the cracking of your spine as you straighten your back at your desk.

Falling on top of the fluffy comforter of your bed, your body’s muscles relaxed. The tension disappeared from your chest as your heavy eyes fluttered close. In and out of sleep, the buzz of your phone caused your head to quickly rise. Half-awake, you leaned up to grab it then plummet back into the soft sheets.

“Since there’s an extension for your paper, does that mean I’ll see you at the Delta Epsilon ABC party tomorrow?” Your best friend, Lillian, texted.

“ABC?” You typed with a furrow brow.

“Anything But Clothes.” She replied with a tongue emoji.

Reluctant, you wanted to say “no” and take the extended due date seriously, but from how stressed out the paper was making you, a party didn’t sound like a bad idea.

You sealed your lips while typing, but once you sent “What should I wear?”

After Lillian pitched a few last-minute ideas, you exited from your text messages then placed your phone on the bedside table. Rubbing your dry eyes, you get back up to turn off your lamp and other lights. 

As you stroll to the desk, you trace your finger over the trackpad of the laptop to exit from the email. Surprisingly, you forgot about the already-opened browser of the book you’ve been hunting down for your paper. You were so exhausted, you spaced out in those few minutes to probably forget about it.

Shakespearean plays were the subject of your paper, researching for hours on end about this ancient man’s entire collection and existence. His missing years, his creation of words we still use today, anything that pinpointed a significance in the English language was stored somewhere in the paper your fingers cramped to write for the past week.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

Tom downed the last Red Bull from his mini fridge, compressing the aluminum can in his hand then throwing it in trash. There it sat with the other empty cans and overflow of crumbled drafts.

He couldn’t remember the last time he blinked today yet his fingers were typing any of the words coming up in his head. The sixty bucks he was being paid for it was his only motivation to finish the last lines about the rise of the Roman Empire.

Shockingly, it wasn’t as difficult as told to him– but usually, it’s the people who don’t pay attention in their classes that find it hard and in their way. At least if he did it, there were rewards other than a high grade.

As Tom pressed tab to indent, he thought of how you smiled at him. He hoped it was him and not Harrison being cocky from what he said. He pondered what would happen if he stayed, walking back to you and saying that his attraction was true. But, Tom was more confident in his mind and he couldn’t actually imagine seeing you after how embarrassed he felt from Harrison’s announcement.

“Hey!” Harrison said as he knocked on Tom’s open door, expecting nothing but what he saw– Tom’s ass glued to his desk chair and the bright, white screen of his laptop staring back at him.

Tom turned his head, rolling his eyes at the blonde, blue-eyed devil, “Come here to make any of my other of my secrets known to the public?” He continued to jot down any last corrections on the paper he’d been working on for hours.

Harrison chuckled, jumping onto Tom’s bed, “It’s not like you were going to say anything to her if I didn’t, now she knows. ‘You’re welcome’ would be the correct answer, Mr. English smartass.” 

“See, you’re saying ‘you’re welcome’ when I didn’t ask for your help in the first place. She’s just a girl that comes to the store a lot and I just…” Tom shrugged, tossing his pen down, “I happen to notice her.”

“Happen to notice?” Harrison scoffed. “Dude, you were staring at her so hard at her that I thought your eyes were going to pop out. Blink once in a while so if this girl does notice, she doesn’t think you’re creepy.”

Tom rolled his eyes, “She’s not some girl, her name is Y/N.”

Fuck. Tom thought, now realizing how much he corrected Harrison out of habit.

Harrison instantly smirked, “So, you know her name too? What else are you hiding so I can brief her in on it… but more subtle this time.”

“H, why are you in my room at one in the morning?” Tom asked with furrowed his brows.

“You’re going to the ABC party, right? You’ll be there, participating for once, and having fun. Maybe getting high or laid will loosen you up. ”

“I can’t, I have these papers to finish for the guys who will be partying downstairs all night and if I’m lucky, I can get paid double if I ask them for their fee while they’re drunk.” Tom smirked.

“C’mon. One party! It’s a few hours out of the whole semester… Before you have to go back home for the holidays and do nothing but watch Christmas movies and read books for pleasure.” 

Tom replied with silence.

“Maybe you could invite Y/N. It could be a nice romantic gesture that your books talk about, right?”

“So, invite her to a party where everyone is wearing anything but clothes and shit-faced within the first hour.” Tom took a pregnant pause, “Yeah, I’ll pass on that.”

Harrison knew not to pry anymore, not planning to give Tom shit for wanting to do well in school. Unlike most of the trust-fund raised kids, Tom paid his dues from paycheck to paycheck. Maintaining high grades wasn’t only for his pride, but his academic scholarship that discounted his tuition. 

He admired Tom for his natural work ethic despite it interfered with his social life. Luckily the other brothers saw Tom as an asset, but it was for their own selfish reasons. Harrison was a month younger than Tom, but still felt protective of him as if he were an older brother.

“Okay, well. I have a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign if you want to use it as shorts tonight.” Harrison winked before leaving to his room.

Tom chuckled, but his smile slowly turned into a frown. The desperate need to earn cash for his two semesters’ tuition consumed him the past four months, realizing that this term was practically done and he had done nothing else but work.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

You could say that having caution tape wrapped around your body was ironically hazardous. The plastic was constricting, too afraid to bend over or you may fall and never get back up. While it was cute in thought, you looked in the mirror from head to toe and knew this could end in disaster. 

With too many intrusive thoughts, you were about to change back into your grey sweatpants and grab an oversized shirt from the dryer. But, just as you took a last glance at your reflection, Lillian came right through the front door and sported a dress made out of bright green and white condom wrappers fastened together with tape and safety pins. 

It was totally Lillian.

You furrowed your eyebrow, “Did you walk all the way here wearing that?” 

But she ignored your comment from the stun of seeing you actually wearing a costume.

Lillian gasped, “You look hot! That caution tape was a good call.”

“I feel like this tape is going to fall off at any second.” You groaned, grabbing your college t-shirt from the basket on top of the dryer, but Lillian held your wrist.

“What are you doing?” She retorted. 

You sighed, “Changing into something that lets me breathe and walk.”

“Oh, don’t be a party pooper. It’s only a few hours.” She said as she walked to the mirror, fixing her strawberry-blonde waves. She pushed them from the front of her body then behind her shoulders, wondering if the prominence of her collarbones made a difference.

“A few hours of guys asking me what’s underneath this caution tape.” You mumbled under my breath, and she moved you in front of the mirror.

“Y/N, I made a promise to you at the beginning of the semester to make sure you have an amazing last year of college… and I always keep my promises.” She said, her head resting on your shoulder as the two of you glanced at your absurd outfits  in the mirror, “And you look too good to not go out...”

You chuckled, “Are you pouting?”

“Depends, does it guilt trip you want to go to the party more?” Lillian jeered, giving you a light squeeze around your waist.

You scrunch your nose, “Only a little.”

The two of you pre-gamed with a fruity, alcoholic seltzer, which barely gave any buzz, then ventured downstairs to the Uber waiting in front of your apartment building.

As Lillian snapped photos of herself from the lighting of the warm streetlights passing by, you noticed Joel & Ann’s bookstore in the darkness. It made you think of what Tom might have been doing tonight, wondering what his life was like outside the store.

You blushed thinking back at the fond moment of his friend shouting he liked you, keeping your head up for most of the day. As harmless as it was, it lingered in your mind and turned into scenarios of how you would enlighten that comment. 

Would you make the first move? or has he already and you didn’t notice? Overthinking didn’t help, but you needed to come up with something good to respond to it whenever you’d see him again.

Once you arrive on Fraternity Row, the Delta Epsilon house was anything but quiet. Everyone was following the rules of the party, wearing anything but clothes in different and creative ways.

A brunette passing by wore a makeshift dress, the sparkling Christmas wrap tailored with tape to fit around her slim body. Another guy wore paper-mache shorts made from Superman comic book pages— even a couple of girls sporting the same outfit idea as Lillian which didn’t make her happy.

You hold back a laugh, “Well, at least your wrappers are green. Hers are purple… and Trojan.” 

“Ugh, now I’m gonna blend in.” She pouted her glossed lips, “C’mon, let’s go see where the drinks are.”

The music played loud enough that you could feel the bass vibrating your teeth. Lillian hooked your arm around hers as she pulled you toward the bar set up in the corner of the dim lit room.

Everyone managed to commit to the theme of tonight, impressed by the sustainability people reached like wearing a dress made of streamers with your university’s colors or pants made out of cardboard beer boxes. The surprises and creativity seemed limitless tonight, but there was no one who caught your attention.

“Are you looking for someone?” Lillian asked as she poured brown liquor into her plastic cup, spilling a bit on the counter when she shifted the pour into your cup on the counter.

“Kind of.” You mumbled, “You know that guy at the bookstore that I talk about? Tom?”

Lillian giggled, “Oh. The guy you practically stalk.”

“I don’t stalk him.”

“Yeah, right. You’ve just never spoken to him other than giving him money for a book and your literature small talk.” She joked, but it sort of hit a nerve. You almost wanted to prove to her that you could talk to him, you were just nervous as to what to say past your total amount and tax.

“Okay, but you don’t have to put it that way.” You pouted, but she handed you a drink.

“Well, you can forget about bookstore boy, and we can have a little fun tonight. Cheers!” She diverted your attention to your cups, pushing them together before she took a long sip.

You watched her, but didn’t drink with her. Instead your eyes shifted around the excited crowd, but no luck in finding your crush with brown curls and shiny brown eyes to match. You twisted your lips and took a small sip of your bitter beverage, squeezing your eyes shut as it burned the inside of your throat.

“What is that?” You hissed.

“I don’t know, but it gets you loose.” Lillian jokes, hugging you quickly before she pulled you to where everyone was dancing… or what could be described as dancing. It was more like drunken movement between strangers while flashed by neon colors in sequences. 

Trying to dance with Lillian in a restraint costume didn’t help until there were two taps on your shoulder. You quickly turned around, acquainted with Tom’s blonde friend— just dressed in shorts made out of the big cloth from Twister.

“Hey! You’re the cute girl from the bookshop, right?” Harrison chuckled.

“Yeah! And you’re the best friend of the cute guy at the bookstore?” You confidently said, raising your eyebrows.

Harrison shared the same expression, “Cute?” He smirked, “I bet he’d love to hear that if he were down here… Hey, why don’t you do him a favor and try to get him down here to have fun.”

“Why? Where is he?” You asked over the music.

“Upstairs in his room, working on his papers… C’mon, I bet he’d be happy to see you.”

Harrison winked at you before turning back to the girl he was dancing with, tipping his head back to down his beer. When searching for Lillan, you saw her dance with some of your shared friends by the unlit fireplace. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

With the door cracked open, Tom listened to the muffled music below as well as the occasional conversation passing by to find an empty room. The bright light from the lamp on his desk shined against his paper. Although you remained silent, Tom took a quick sip of his to-go coffee and blinked his tired, dry eyes a few times. 

After two light knocks, Tom assumed it was Harrison, once again, asking him to come downstairs, but instead his heart shot up to his throat when he saw you standing in his doorframe. He was even more surprised seeing caution tape wrapped around your body like a tacky, shiny dress.

“Hey! Hey, nice to see you… especially with your new look.” Tom jeered.

You giggled, “I could say the same, never really see the bottom half of you.”

The two of you shared a warm laugh before Tom shyly asked, “What- What are you doing here?” 

“My friend sort of invited me at the last second, then your friend told me that I should come up here and try to urge you to come downstairs… possibly in a costume.” You trailed.

Tom licked his lips, “I appreciate it, but I’m working on some papers tonight. I want to get them done before tomorrow morning”

“A few papers over a party in your own fraternity?”

He hummed, “Well, papers I write for ten dollars a page. Paid in cash or credit… usually.” Tom smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair.

“Do I even want to know the other options?” You joked, slowly walking further into the room.

His blush was hard for him to hide, so he lowered his head down to hide the rosiness on his cheeks when he stood up to stretch. As Tom reached his arms over his head, the end of his shirt lifted a bit and you could see his v-line that disappeared past the band of his Calvin Klein boxers. 

Making you blush in return, you rub the back of your neck and look at some of the posters lazily taped on his dull, baby blue-colored walls. Shockingly, not one model from Playboy or Sports Illustrated was staring back at you in a tiny string bikini, rather there were posters of his favorite bands, a few classical authors by his bookcase and distressed movie posters of The Empire Strikes Back and Jaws above his full bed.

“Sorry, it’s kind of a mess.” Tom tossed a few t-shirts on his bed in his hamper by the door.

He said that, but it was probably the cleanest guy’s room you ever saw. Besides the clothes scattered around, the bed was made and his desk was fairly organized. There was even a trash can–with a trash bag to line it.

“Mess? I wish my room looked like this half the time.” You jeered, walking over to his bookcase, “A bookcase says a lot about someone to me.”

Tom chuckled, leaning on his desk, “And what does mine tell you?”

You awkwardly sat down on the end of his bed, trying to cross your leg over the other. You tried not to show that the plastic coiled around your body was uncomfortable, but one wrong move and you thought that you may expose yourself to Tom at any second.

“You okay?” He asked, “I don’t want to assume, but you look very tense.”

“Wow, it’s that noticeable.” You joked back, Tom chuckling in return. “Yeah, it wasn’t my idea to come tonight so, I got stuck wearing this.” You added, running your hand over the material.

He could see the pout on your face, maybe even a bit of embarrassment, so he suggested, “Do you want to change? I can give you something to wear. Not as much plastic, but more comfortable.” He joked.

Your face heated as you stood up, watching him pull clothes from his drawers. He grabbed a dark-blue Tottenham sweatshirt with a faded logo and baggy, gray sweatpants with your university logo embroidered by the hip.

“Here, hope these are okay.”

“Trust me, anything but this dress is fine.” You grinned, taking them from him. Your hand grazed his, making him gulp as you pulled the clothes to you, “Do you mind if I change in here?”

Tom raised his eyebrows, not realizing he wasn’t responding until he nodded, “Yeah! Yeah, I can just turn around.” He reassured, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes searched around his room, trying to fixate on any small object.

Like the vinyl player in the corner on top of the rack, something he bought out of being impulsive. At the time, his dad had given him some old records that he had found in the attic from spring cleaning, music that was popular when he was Tom’s age. Tom stopped listening to them after–

“Well, I certainly look the part of being a frat dude.” You jeered, turning for him.

“I think you look pretty...”

Way to sound creepy, Tom thought.

“Pretty nice!” He quickly added, trying to save himself from embarrassment.

You smiled at his shy compliment before glancing at the papers scattered around his desk, “So, what are you working on?”

“Uh, themes in Frankenstein. It’s actually my final paper.”

You arched your eyebrow, but admired how he had three different drafts and all of them were marked in red. As you leaned further down to read, Tom quickly shuffled the papers, “It’s not really my best. I’ve been through every book talking about Mary Shelley and her reason for this book... It’s pretty scandalous if you ask me.”

God. He was so dorky, it almost made him charming.

Just as you were going to say your joking comment, the music got louder downstairs and you two could feel the heavy vibration of the bass through the carpet.

“Is your paper the only reason you’re up here by yourself?”

“Well, technically you’re up here with me so, am I really by myself?” Tom shrugged.

You chuckled, “Don’t deflect.”

Tom licked his lips, letting out a long sigh, “I just need enough cash to cover tuitions, and saving up for grad school too. My family has gotten tied up in money and my friend, Harrison, said that he could help me be in a frat and I could make more connections. So, I’m not really here to have fun, more like just doing what I can to make some money and add to my resume.” 

“I know we just met, but… Can I give you some advice?” You sighed.

He naively nodded, his eyes turning glassy.

“You need to have some fun while you���re still in college.” You giggled, not meaning to sound mean, but you didn’t have to touch Tom to know he was a tense guy.

Tom responded with a nervous chuckle, “I’ve had… fun. I have fun. This party theme just isn’t really for me.” He protested.

“Well, I can’t disagree with you there.” You grinned, glancing at your now-cozy outfit, “Then what do you want to do tonight? What’s your fun thing?... other than reading the Mary Shelley scandal.”

His eyes searched around the room, then hummed, “It would be nice to have some peace and quiet… maybe work on my papers–”

You interpreted, “Okay, no, no. You’re not working on any papers, it’s about having fun. So, let’s go somewhere you think is fun.”

He smirked which made you think that he had a good idea, rather he said, “We can go to the bookstore.”

Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea.

You leaned against his desk, “Really? How?”

“My aunt and uncle own it.” He smirked.

“Ah. So, you’re like a bookstore nepotism baby. How lucky.” You grinned, cringing at your own jokes on the inside. But, it’s not like flirting was either of your fortes.

“Some kids get into movie premieres and have luxury cars, I have books and the cat that hangs in the front window until he goes back to his owners across the street.” 

“I always wondered if that was your guys’ cat.” You smiled.

Tom nodded, “His name is Milo and he loves eating our plants and sleeping on the classic novels.” 

You shared another light laugh before you said, “What are we waiting for? Get your jacket on.”

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

Once you took a step outside the house, the night breeze felt cool against your sweaty skin. The fresh air was a relief to your lungs once you walked out of the humid-filled frat house, like you had forgotten how clean it could smell outside. 

Although the bookstore was a few blocks away from campus, Tom made you comfortable as he made you. Both of you weren’t sure if there were feelings, but there could be since your interaction isn’t ending with you leaving him behind a counter.

Tall street lights guided the way, and the only people passing were stumbling from the few bars lining your college town. There was little small talk between you two on the way, but Tom stopped in front of a convenience store, one he frequently went to if he wanted something to snack on during his shifts.

He walked toward the door, opening it, “You want anything?” He asked.

You nodded, walking in as he held the door open. The two of you walked into the small store with white walls and bright lighting over all the aisles. He walked around the chips and candy, heading to the big freezer with the familiar ice cream brands around the case.

The two of you gazed over it, smiling at the variety of choices like two kids. You couldn’t remember the last time you picked from the freezer– probably before you were even given an allowance. You were seeing another side of Tom, one that was a bit goofy when the stress faded from his character.

“Which one do you want?... I think I’m gonna get a cookie sandwich.” He hummed.

“No way. The strawberry shortcakes with the oats? Or the gelatos? Way better options.” You giggled.

He chuckled at your wit, “Okay, you pick for me. I pick for you. Does that sound fair?”

“Hmm…” You smirked, sticking your hand out, “Deal.”

Tom smiled as he shook yours, both your fingers trailing when you pushed open the glass case.

“Okay. Turn around…” You said, circling your finger to signal him to face back.

The curly brunette rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face, taking a slow turn around with his arms crossed. He stared at the rack of colorful packed snacks, reading the brands and flavors.

You grunted as you shoved the sliding window, then grabbed an ice cream bar of your choice. Putting it behind your back, you tell him, “Okay, your turn.”

Tom smiled to himself, seeing you try to conceal your ice cream bar under the hoodie as you headed toward the counter. He could hear your exchange with the cashier before Tom grabbed an ice cream bar out of the freezer, quickly closing it and hiding his pick behind his back.

“I hope you got me something good.” You teased, facing him and your hands behind your back holding the plastic convenience bag..

He sweetly chuckled again, “I think I did okay… I think you should be worried.”

“Ah, are you hard to please, Tom?” You continued to jeer with him.

All he could do was turn pink, chuckling out of embarrassment like an elementary boy in school. There was a glimmer in his brown eyes and you weren’t sure if it was from the bright lights in the store, but it made your heart pang at how innocent and sweet he appeared.

The two of you walked outside, sitting on the bench under the awning of the convenient store. There was a space between you as the bags crinkled when both of you reached into them. Counting down, you pulled out your ice cream bars for one another and it left you both with smiles and light laughter.

“Great minds think alike.” Tom grinned.

Both of you held the same ice cream bar, still exchanging the treats and opening them. As you ate on the bench, there was silence– but it was comforting silence. Better than surround sound music and drinks being spilled everywhere, preferring the sound of crickets and watching some stray cats walk by the alleys.

You tried to prevent any drops of ice cream getting on the hoodie he let you borrow, leaning out as you bit down and it made him chuckle.

“It’s okay. It’s an old hoodie.”

“Yeah, but, I don’t want to be a slob.” You grinned, trying to ignore how nervous you felt.

“Here, I got it.” He said, leaning over to wipe your chin with a napkin.

You glanced into his eyes again as he came close, holding your breath.

“There, now you are a presentable member of society again.” He jeered, putting the napkin in his wrapper before tossing it in the bin next to the bench.

The two of you stand up together, pulling and adjusting your clothes before continuing the venture to the bookstore. Street lights shined down on the red brick sidewalk, and a few cars passed by as they headed toward the center of town as you both walked further out from the noise of the bars and partying. 

Chirping from the crickets was peaceful and the rest of the way was lit by the full moon, making you glance at the glowing orb high above the clouds and surrounded by the stars. The shine reflected off your eyes, smiling at the breathtaking sight but unknowing to you, Tom was glaring at you.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” You asked.

“Yeah.” He trailed, not taking his eyes off you as he shyly grinned.

Tom wished he had spoken to you sooner, not knowing how to express right then and there how he had some sort of feelings for you. 

You turned back to him, “Are you okay?”

Embarrassed, he quickly nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Great.”

You grinned back at him, “Good.” you said before the two of you continued to walk to the bookstore.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

The soft warm glow shined on Tom’s back as his keys jingled when he unlocked the front door.

“You got it?” You ask him, watching him turn the key both ways until there was a click.

“Yeah, it’s pretty old so-” 

Tom pushed enough of his weight with his shoulder against the door, opening the seal the door created from how cold it was outside. He half-smiled before walking into the dark room and you followed close behind him.

With how many times you’d been in this store, you could bet Tom that you knew the layout better than him. You carefully stepped around the racks of books, leading to the counter before you heard a loud thump.

“Ow!” Tom hissed under his breath, instantly rubbing his knee from cutting the corner too hard.

“Are you okay?” You giggled.

“Lovely.” He groaned, rubbing away against his soon-to-be bruised skin.

He turned on the reading lamp on the counter, the warm glow against his freckled skin. You noticed how he was able to smile with his eyes, the crinkling next to them when he laughed or smiled. Although you didn’t mean to observe that, it was hard to not notice. He radiated some kind of shine in the way he carried himself– at least from what you gathered.

“So, I’m sure you have some weird stuff behind here, huh?” You teased him, squatting down to look at the shelves.

“Nothing weird, but I hoard books… without telling anyone.” He admitted in a low tone, scratching the nape of his neck.

There was a collection of books down here filling up two rows, most of them had bright tabs on the sides to indicate some annotations between pages. The books ranged from recent autobiographies and novels to ones with broken spines and the names of classic writers on the covers.

You came back up, “I think you have a problem.” You jeered, smiling at him.

“As if being interested in literature is a problem.” 

“...Touché.” You nodded, “Do you like working here?”

“Yeah. I guess.” He trailed, “It kills time, it’s quiet.”

“As opposed to going home?” You asked out of curiosity. He was sort of like a guessing game. One clue led to another, intriguing you as you went down this mystery path of a person.

“Uh, I don’t… I don’t go home anymore.” He nervously chuckled, “Haven’t been for a while.”

Heat burned his cheeks and neck, not realizing he was venting in the moment.

“Sorry to hear that.” You gently replied and sensed his discomfort as he looked down.

Tom hummed, “It’s alright. I feel less lonely here.” He shrugged, picking at his fingernails before looking into your eyes.

“Well, now you have me so… it’s a little less lonely than that.” You smiled, scrunching your nose. “...and that may have been the corniest thing I’ve said ever.”

“Yeah, just a little.” Tom nodded, and a sweet chuckle followed, “But, thanks.”

He had a bit of a twinkle in his caramel-toned eyes, and his jaw was incredibly sharp. When he looked away, he’d clench his jaw and you noticed how tense he seemed.

Tom smiled, blushing a bit before he pushed the book on top of the counter toward him. It was an old copy of Pride and Prejudice that he found on a top shelf a few weeks ago. He re-read it three times, and each time felt like a different experience. He rarely annotated, but Tom genuinely loved reading this book and wanted to write down any thought he had about it.

“A favorite?” You asked him.

“Can you tell?” He chuckled, passing it to you.

You skimmed the pages, running your fingers over the different colored post-its sticking out. His handwriting was a bit small, but you could make out what he noted and you found it incredibly cute. You smiled to yourself as you read through them, and Tom hoped there was nothing embarrassing in there– not that there would be but he was already nervous around you.

Just as you got to the last page, a picture fell out and you turned it over to its front. The frame was cardboard with the Disney logo on it and the picture was of Tom and his parents. Sporting a Mickey Mouse baseball cap, he showed a huge smile and held a melting ice cream. His mom and dad were smiling too, his mom with her arm around his small structure and Tom gulped.

“Are these your parents?” You asked.

“Yeah, I was wondering where I left that picture.” He smiled, taking it from you.

You watched him grin at it, but the smile slowly faded the longer he glanced. It didn’t seem so much reminiscing, but feeling more sad. He didn’t want to get down on himself, but he put the picture underneath the counter.

“It’s cute. My parents never took me to those kinds of places growing up, but I was never the Disney princess lover either.” You pouted. 

He chuckled, “What? You didn’t want a Disney prince? Something like Prince Eric?”

You hummed, “You do resemble a bit of Prince Phillip.”

Tom furrowed his eyebrows, crossing his arms, “The boring one?”

“Okay, okay. Maybe Prince Charming… you look like you can treat a girl to a dance,” you teased.

“The one time I slow danced was at my prom in year 13 and I remember stepping on her feet most of the night.” He told, trying to deflect your compliment

You rolled your eyes, “Oh, please. Now you’re being dramatic like a prince.” You grinned at him. 

Hesitantly, you moved your hand toward his face and pushed back the curls laying on his forehead. Your fingers carded to the back of his head, feeling his soft coarse hair and his brown eyes sparkled. It was a bold first move, but you wanted to know if this intense crush was too good to be true.

All this passes through Tom’s head is “do it”, his instincts scream. Kiss her.

You brought your hand back to his cheek, and you brushed your thumb over his bottom lip before leaning in to kiss him. Tom slowly moved his hands up your sides, pulling you closer to him as the two of you continued to makeout. He lightly pushed you against the counter, your bodies pressed together as he tasted your cherry-flavored lip balm.

With your foreheads against one anothers, Tom pulled away to take a breath, but it caused you both to let out this warm giggle. Just as you were about to kiss again, there was a sudden knock on the door along with the doorknob jiggling.

You quickly ducked under the counter while Tom stood there, trying to fix his hair as well as rub the lip balm off his mouth. He saw his uncle walk through the door, turning on the lights and Tom’s embarrassment flooded his body.

“I thought we were getting robbed. The silent alarm went off a few minutes ago.” His uncle told him, pretty light-hearted once he saw it was Tom.

“No, it was just me.” Tom gulped, glancing down at you hiding under the counter.

“Good, good. Why are you here so late? Your mom told me you had some party tonight.” His uncle trailed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“It was getting… loud and I just left to get some air. Work on some papers.”

You could audibly hear his uncle sigh, then say, “Is this because of… the divorce?”

Tom sealed his lips, it wasn’t what he wanted to talk about right now– especially since you were unknowingly in the room. Although divorce was a common thing, it was different going through when you’re already grown up and that was Tom’s struggle. He knew his parents had underlying issues, but he didn’t think he would get sat down and told his parents would separate their lives then and now.

“I know, it’s hard. But, you have to talk to someone about this. We don’t want you… hiding away, missing out on opportu-”

“I’m not, I just… wanted to be alone.” Tom shrugged, trying to grin and bear it.

His uncle didn’t want to get more into it since Tom was still going through it, but he nodded.

“Alright, make sure to lock up when you’re done. See you tomorrow, kid.” He sweetly said before he walked back out, the bell above the door ringing. Tom was only left with a bright red face, and a sudden racing in his heart. It’s like he realized how lonely he had made himself to be rather than people avoiding him altogether. 

Coming from under the counter, you dusted off your shirt at first. You didn’t want to immediately face Tom, sensing there was a bit of awkwardness created. He rubbed the back of his curls, but you finally broke the silence.

“Sorry, my lip balm kind of… got all over your lips.” You joked, taking your thumb to wipe the smudge of gloss from his chin.

Tom smiled, but nodded, “Well, I’m more sorry you had to hear that, but it’s no big deal. I don’t know why my family has so many issues.”

“I think they’re just genuinely worried about you. I mean, you don’t seem much of the talking type.” You confessed.

“It’s ironic. They don’t ask about any of this stuff until I just don’t say anything at all. Maybe, I just want to be left alone and be able to think about how the only two stable people in my life just choose to not be with each other anymore.” He trailed, trying to humor himself.

You could tell he’d been hurt by people before, but this was something he was expecting. It was still shocking, but he chose to close everyone off. 

Tom thought if he didn’t have to talk about these feelings, they’d go away. But, by telling you, basically a complete stranger, how he felt— his hurt was more on the surface than he thought.

“Well, you don't deserve to feel this way.” You told him with honesty, rubbing his tense shoulder, “If I can promise you one thing.”

There was a bit of comfort in that. At least someone acknowledging his feelings over their own.

“Thanks.” He grinned.

“Please, you’re one cigarette away from being Holden Caulfield. I felt like I needed to step in now… because he was the worst.”

Tom rolled his eyes, “He witnessed worse.”

“Well, luckily he’s a fictional character. Meanwhile, you need to worry about how you feel, and not be so… scared of thinking the world is going to get you.” You trailed, running your hand from your shoulder to the back of his curls.  

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

A week and a half breezed by and all you did was hang out with Tom at the bookstore, the library, or his room at his fraternity house. Occasionally, Harrison would pop in, trying to tease him, but also try to get to know you since Tom cared about you. It was actually a bit cute the way Harrison would pinch at Tom’s cheek, trying to make him flustered in your presence. You could tell he cared about him too.

Once your finals were finished and Tom was paid for his essays, it was nice to hang around the bookstore without the added tension. You could hang out for hours and read books in the cozy corner of the store, near the cat by the window and the sunlight would kiss against your skin. Sometimes Tom would get lost in the mesmerizing scene–like being with you meant more than fate. Something like he read in novels.

The sun was starting to set when the two of you entered the pizzeria where Harrison worked. Both of you nodded your heads over at him behind the counter before finding a booth by the window.

“Look at him in his cute apron.” You teased, sliding into the booth.

“Trust me, he thinks it’s a magnet for girls. I wouldn’t let him know.” Tom chuckled.

Although you and Tom were having a fun time, you hadn’t talked about the kiss you shared. Not that it wasn’t on both your minds, but felt better left unsaid than having to figure out what’s going on between you two and ruining this blossoming friendship. It already took long enough to talk to each other outside the bookstore, neither of you wanted to taint that.

“So, do you have any plans for the weekend?” You asked him.

Before Tom could answer, Harrison slid next to him already sporting a cheeky smile and wiped some flour on Tom’s cheek from his apron.

“What are you two gossiping about, huh? Or just miss me?” Harrison winked at you, but Tom wiped the flour off his face.

“We just wanted to grab a slice.” Tom cheeks tinted pink, feeling as if he’s being embarrassed by his dad.

“Calm down, Tommy.” Harrison smiled, “You’re too easy to mess with sometimes.” Harrison jokingly retorted.

You giggled, “Don’t worry, I’m gonna go and order.” You tell them before getting up, heading to the counter.

The two boys watched you walk up to the counter, beaming at the cashier as you made small talk before ordering. Tom’s look glistened, sparkling when he kept his eyes on you and Harrison snickered at his doe-like gaze.

“So, you guys made out and nothing happened?” 

It was no lie that Tom regretted venting Harrison–moments like this reminded him of that.

Tom gulped, “I think what’s going on is fine.” He lied.

“Fine?” Harrison asked, “You’ve been crushing on her for weeks and she obviously likes you too.”

“You can’t know that.” Tom trailed.

“She’s been to the bookstore everyday to hang out with you, going out to dinner, spending time at the house and you know no girl likes hanging out there, look at the bathroom for God’s sake, it’s disgusting. No woman willingly stays there unless she’s basically in love.” Harrison explained.

Tom nodded in disagreement, “I don’t think she… likes me. I’m not gonna mess up just talking to her.”

“You’re not. You just need to figure out how to make the right move.” Harrison stated before quickly asking, “Hey, you got invited to Steven’s wedding, right?”

Steven was one of the alumni of the frat house and a close friend of both the guys. Tom was a “baby-faced” freshman when they met and was still teased to this day for looking so young.

“Yeah. I did, but I don’t know if I’m going. It’s kind of far.” Tom trailed, scratching his nail against the table.

Harrison smiled, “No, you should go and Y/N is your plus one. Bam, matchmaking.”

Tom rolled his eyes, “Yeah because a two hour car trip would really make me less awkward and weird.”

“You need to be a little hopeful. It’s not like your strangers anymore. You guys hang out at the store for hours with no problems. C’mon, she’d love it. It’s a nice countryside wedding and lots of our friends will be there so it’s not like you’ll be the odd one out. Introduce her, and maybe find some romantic spot to makeout, huh?”

Tom thought Harrison was a bit in over his head, but trying to make him see the other side of his pessimistic thoughts. Tom liked you, you like Tom. The problem was finding the moment to say that outlook to each other.

He twisted his lips, “How do I even ask that?”

“You’ll know how to say it when the moment comes… which seems like right now.” Harrison smirked.

As you walked back with a table timer in your hand, already wanting it to vibrate with your order since you were starving. You slipped into the booth, noticing both boys getting quiet which made you giggle.

“Am I interrupting something private?” You teased them.

“Actually, we were talking about a wedding we’re going to next weekend.” Harrison immediately said.

Tom wanted to sink into his seat.

“A wedding? Aw, that’s nice.” You smiled, “Who’s wedding?”

“Our friend, Steven, is getting married and I think Tom wanted to ask you something…” Harrison insisted.

Tom’s eyes widened, but Harrison quickly said, “I gotta get back to work. I’ll bring your food right out.” He flashed a cheery smile, something Tom wanted to slap off his face if he could, before leaving you two to talk– more like Tom improving what to say.

The feeling could be compared to dropping a baby into the deep end, trying to teach them how to swim and all Tom could do is internally panic.

You thanked Harrison before facing toward Tom’s pink-tinted face, and you tilted your head with a cheeky smile, “Something to ask me?”

He sighed but nervously smiled, “Not to impose, but… I was wondering if you wanted to… go with me? To the wedding. I know it’s last minute and all, but I would really like you to go… with me.”

You giggled at his shy question, “I’d love to go with you, Tom. It sounds like fun.”

There was a relief in the air for Tom, not thinking you would accept so quickly and with an assuring smile.

“ Really?” He still asked.

“I don’t know why you assume the worst of me. Maybe being your wedding date will change that. Weddings always give people a bit of optimism” You chuckled, tilting your head at his shy expression.

A light chuckle left his lips, “Remember, optimism isn’t my thing. Then our personality equal us out.” He joked.

“Exactly why I’m the perfect wedding date. I make the conversations and you hold your drink and nod. It’ll be adorable.” You grinned back as heat radiated from your cheeks.

Tom can’t hold back his smile once you look out the window. His eyes traced your jaw then up your perfect cheekbones, trailing to your eyes as the streetlight reflected off the irises. He feels that moment again where he could confess everything he felt for you right there in front of everyone at the pizza place, a small amount of courage whispering in his ear to do it. Just to say it out loud.

“Here’s your complimentary garlic bread, love birds.” Harrison interrupted as he placed the plastic basket on the center of the table.

“Thank you for your incredible service.” You jeered at the cheeky blonde.

Tom laughed off his sudden thought, nodding at Harrison before you two started talking about the wedding plan since you were going now. The rest of the night was hanging out and eating together, talking about the future with classic rock playing over the old speakers in the restaurant.

There was a coziness that radiated the more you were vulnerable, even showing through being more relaxed while sitting in the booths. You felt like you could tell him anything and for once not have to think twice about what you revealed or said. No one could compare to Tom and you wish you could tell him that. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

A breeze brushed past your face as you waited outside your apartment with your bags. You were sat on the front step, waiting for the two boys to pick you up on this nice summer day. Tempted to text them for a time of arrival, the door opened behind you and you glanced up to see Lillian.

“I went through the back only for your roommates to tell me you’re already waiting outside. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.” She jeered as she sat next to you on the stoop.

You sighed, “Sorry, I’ve been hanging out with Tom.”

She chuckled, “Of course. I’m not surprised. It’s been this way ever since you ditched me at the party-”

“I didn’t mean to di-”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Lillian giggled, putting her hand on top of your knee, “I know you really like him.”

“I don’t… like him that much.”

“I can’t remember the last time someone could actually get your attention away from books or studying so, I like to call it fate that you met at the party.” She teased and scrunched her nose.

You rolled her eyes before turning your head, seeing the car come down the street and you quickly stand up. As you brush off the back of your pants, Lillian picks up one of your bags and the two of you slowly walk up to the curb. Once the car stopped, the two boys got out and Tom immediately greets you with his pearly smile.

“Hey Tom, Harrison,  this is my friend, Lillian.” You introduced them, gesturing your head.

“Hey there.” She greeted both of them, moving her hair behind her shoulders, “Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“We promise.” Tom grinned, lowly chuckling before he took your bag she gave to him.

After giving a goodbye hug Lillian, you slid into the backseat of the car. You sat on the left side so you could sit diagonally from Tom’s view, already creating terribly awkward scenarios in your head for what this two hour drive may be like.

What if we don’t talk at all? What if I’m in over my head? What if this isn’t real or what I thought? What if this whole trip was going to be a big mistake?

Tom was pondering the same, but he tried his best not to doubt his own feelings. Especially after the, what Harrison would call, pep talk he gave him on the way to your building. Nevertheless, it made Tom especially when he already knew he was being incredibly shy, but knew Harrison meant well.

“Alright so, I found out Cami Bernet was coming and I wanted to stay in her room so… It’s just the two of you sharing the hotel room, yeah?” Harrison announced, making you and Tom share a sudden glance.

“I don’t mind…” You trailed, your eyes shifting.

“Yeah, no problem.” Tom quickly added.

Harrison smiled at your reactions, “Don’t worry, there’s one bed and a pull out couch.”

Tom’s face beamed a light pink, making him turn his head toward the window. But, you did the same by turning your face to see the street passing by as you were leaving town. Harrison couldn’t help but smirk to himself at how antagonizing he could be yet trying to be a perfect matchmaker.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

Toward the end of the drive, you laid down in the backseat wearing the cozy hoodie Tom stuffed in his backpack. With your head sunk into your pillow and your legs curled up, you looked as comfortable as someone could on a road trip. A few times, Tom glanced over his shoulder to make sure you were okay when there was a sudden bump in the road, but you also looked cute nuzzling your face into your pillow. 

Once you arrived to the hotel, you stirred in your daze as Harrison pulled in front of the huge front doors. Two valets walked up to the car, one on Harrison’s side then another by the trunk. As Tom got out, he quickly opened the back door and lightly shook your leg.

“Hey Y/N, we’re here.” He softly spoke, giving his hand for you to hold.

You blinked a few times, but lazily smiled as you wrapped your hand around his and pulled yourself up from the comfortable position you lied in. You pulled down your hoodie when you got out of the car, grabbing your bag on the floor while watching the valets take the rest of them to put on a luggage cart.

“Jesus, Tom. What’s in this?” Harrison asked as he gave Tom his duffle.

“A few books, some shoes…” He trailed.

“You brought books to a vacation wedding? How adorable.” Harrison teased him as he gave the valet his keys before entering the hotel doors.

You giggled, “What literary fix did you bring on a two day trip? Romantic novels, I bet.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s just my genre.” Tom chuckled, his eyebrows raised at his comment.

The entrance to the hotel was grand, to say the least. There were two large, revolving glass doors trimmed with gold that entered into the main lobby with renaissance art against the woven wallpaper. Both your heads tilted up toward the ceiling, admiring the pale murals along the lavish lights.

You could only hope to get married at such a beautiful place in the future, and you were pretty optimistic that you would find someone for that to happen.

Harrison faced the two of you walking toward him, noticing the way you glared at Tom and your eyes looking so bright. Although he was still looking at the scenery, your eyes were just on him. It made Harrison smirk, but turn back to the hotel front desk manager.

“Thanks.” Harrison grinned, taking the key card. He turned to Tom, “Here’s your key. Don’t be too loud and rowdy. This is a classy place.” He teased, seeing Tom already turn a tomato red.

You snickered, “Thanks, Harrison. You guys planned doing anything?”

Harrison nodded, “I’m meeting Cami by the pool then we’re gonna go back to her room before the rehearsal dinner. What about you guys?”

“I actually saw on their website that there’s a historical library on the second floor, a bunch of old collections.” You turned, “Tom? Interested?” You asked him with a beaming smile across your face.

Tom glanced at Harrison, who also was smiling, then back at you, “Yeah, of course. Sounds fun.”

“Wow, you guys really know how to get out of your comfort zone. Have fun with that.” Harrison, obviously sarcastic, stated before leaving to meet Cami.

Quickly, the two of you took the large, carpeted staircase on the second floor and followed the signs that directed toward the library. It wasn’t as fancy as the hotel, but it did look pretty old from the traditional style of the room.

You looked up at the high ceiling before heading toward the back shelves of familiar British authors. Although most of these titles triggered him back to all the essays he was paid to do his last year of college, he glared back at you completely mesmerized by the complete collections.

“Look, Williams works. All his romanticism in one set. I bet that’s like a dream to you.” You smiled to yourself, flashing back to your late night ramblings over the phone about literature. You never thought you’d meet anyone with a bigger opinion on themes of romance– and Tom was pretty convincing in his arguments. Truly adorable when you he went on his tangents, just wanting to listen to his soft voice all day.

Tom traced his fingers along the spines of the books before selecting one to read. He breezed through the pages, noticing the pictures within the text before he glanced up and didn’t see you straight on.

“Y/N?” 

“Over here!” Your voice echoed.

He followed the sound of your tone then seeing you sitting in a comfortable nook that overlooked the beach and pool area.

“I found the best seat in the house.” You jeered, pulling your legs to your chest with your back against the wall of the nook.

Tom joined you, sitting down on the cushion within the space and facing you from the opposite side. The natural sunlight came through the window beautifully, so much so that he was already in the reading mood.

You grin, “I bet a bunch of writers came here and just wrote their hearts out.” You said as you looked out to the calm ocean.

“Or where a lot of people hid from their brides.” Tom jeered.

You rolled your eyes, then crawled over to his side. You instantly curled up next to him, your head against his chest as the two of you glanced at the page of the book together. Tom didn’t expect you to get so close, but he wasn’t complaining. 

Within that time, you learned that Tom is the fast reader between you two. Dorky enough, you were a bit envious of that. Everytime he tried to turn the page to tease you, you’d quickly put your hand up to stop him and plea that he stop moving his eyes so fast. 

About thirty pages in, Tom hadn’t realized he was flying through the pages with how in depth he was of the text. He turned his head and saw you fell asleep, smiling down at you and not knowing the short car ride really tired you out. He didn’t move though, he wouldn’t dare to with how peaceful you appeared. He chuckled at your light breaths, napping against him with your hand at the center of his chest.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

A few minutes later, you woke up in Tom’s arms and almost sprung up from the embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize I passed out.” You chuckled, lifting out of his arms.

“No, it’s okay. I was just reading away.” He shrugged, showing that boyish smile that made your heart race.

The two of you came to the conclusion that you were starved, so you thought of the only bougie thing to do on a wedding weekend– ordering room service. Giddy and smiling, both of you went one of the three huge elevators in the hall and headed to the eleventh floor.

When you entered your room, your luggage was lined up by the door. Neither of you wanted to gawk, but it was probably one of the more fancier places either of you stayed in your lives.

There was a deep tub in the bathroom and robes hanging on the door as well as a king-size bed with an incredible ocean view and balcony. The sofa was in the corner with the mini-fridge next to it, making you curious as to what else they could offer.

“Do you think if we take from here Harrison will kill us?” You asked Tom, opening the small fridge door.

“Kill, no. Strangle? Maybe.”

You giggled, but saw a few sodas and healthy snacks. As you checked out the selection, Tom walked back to the bathroom and turned on the light. His eyes widened to a bottle of champagne on ice set on the counter. There was a tiny card next to the bucket that said: Happy Wedding Everyone! From us, to you! XO The Bride and Groom.

Holy shit, how much was Steven paying for this. Tom thought.

“Wow, that’s for us?” You asked peaking from the doorway.

“I say that we toast. It only seems right.” Tom trailed as he checked the label on the bottle.

Maybe this wouldn’t be as awkward of a night as the two of you dread. Thank God.

Tom already popped the cork, making you hurry back with a bit of a pout on your lip.

“Well, couldn’t find wine glasses but I did find hotel coffee mugs. Much more sophisticated.”

After pouring both cups at least half, the two of you sat on the balcony to admire the scene. The view from your hotel room was beautiful, as if it was a green screen. The sun perfectly setting below the shorelines and the winds blowing the tall grass in the dunes. It reminded you both that it was the summertime; a period of time to relax and destress from the fast pace environment of school and warm up from the previous harsh winters.

There was a freedom in the air, almost confusing from how much time you suddenly had.

“This is definitely the kind of view I want for my wedding.” You trailed, a bit mesmerized.

Tom nodded, “Really?”

“Yeah. A beach wedding is romantic… well, until it gets windy, but I know I’ll get my planning down.” You said before turning to him, “Where do you want to get married?”

His heart skipped a beat, “I’ve never thought about it.”

You scoffed, “Never?”

He nodded, “Never ever. My dad sort of said that it’s what the woman does and the man just nods and agrees.”

“God, your dad sounds like a joy… No offense.” You quickly corrected yourself.

“He’s always been like that. Then I wonder why they didn’t work out.” Tom tried to humor himself.

Your lips went to the side before saying, “Hey, that’s their issues. It doesn’t fall on you or anything. I personally think they did do a great job at raising their son. He turned out pretty okay.” You grinned, holding your cup with both hands.

Tom smirked, “I can agree with okay.”

When he looked at you, it’s like he had this crush on you for years. He thought for a moment that maybe if he believed in his gut feeling, there could be a chance with you. He couldn’t keep backing out each time he wanted to ask you that simple question.

You wondered the same just a few feet away from him. You didn’t want to think so highly of yourself in his perspective, but the thought of getting over this crush would make you feel nothing but regret.

Something was there. The word for it was unknown at the moment. Ultimately, it was now or never. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

In the early hours of the day, you and Tom found yourselves in a rush to get ready. As you tried to do your makeup in the bathroom, Tom was in the main room looking in the long mirror while trying to perfect his black tie. He wore a nice navy blue suit with a white button up, feeling like he was playing dress up since he never went to many fancy occasions other than important fraternity meetings.

“How are you doing in there?” You asked him, contorting your face to make sure there were no creases in your concealer.

“I remember why I wear clip-on ties.” He mumbled as he pulled at the end of the tie, but the knot was too crooked by his collar.

As you put down the brush, you grabbed one of your earrings and tried putting it on as you walked out to see where he was at. You saw how he struggled to figure out what shirt to where, seeing the two other unbuttoned ones on the pull-out coach he slept on last night.

“Here, let me try.” You trailed, standing right in front of him so you could align the tie. Tom glanced at you, your eyes focused on the centering as your fingers moved the knot around to get it just right. He gulped with how close you were to him– the last time being when you two had a short make-out before being interrupted. If he kept thinking about it, the more red his cheeks would get and he tried to let his mind go somewhere else.

“There, that’s better. A wedding date has never looked so handsome.” You teased, patting down his tie on top of his shirt. He nervously chuckled, both of you sharing a shy smile before you touched his gelled curls to fix the stray strand of hair by his forehead.

“Now, how do I look?” You asked him, dramatically posing with your hands on your hips. You wore a knee high dress, a pale blue that complimented Tom’s shade of blue where it still matched.

“You look beautiful.” Tom complimented in complete awe.

Heat rose your face, genuinely flustered, “Good, we should probably head down there… before Harrison can think of any comments to throw our way.”

“You’re right.” Tom groaned.

Well, Harrison’s insinuated comments were well in his head anyways so, you two got a few of those before the three of you headed to the wedding venue outside by the beach. Harrison briefly mentioned Cami, not getting into too many details which was for the best (at the moment). 

The three of you took your white fold-out seats toward the middle of the left side, Tom and Harrison pointing out Steven’s family in the front row. You picked up the pamphlet that sat on the chair, the cover showing a professionally taken picture of the couple.

Smiling, you read through the brief summary of the ceremony and Tom kept giving you short glares. He really couldn’t believe how beautiful you looked, especially in the warm sun and beautiful setting around you all.

Once everyone gathered, the wedding started and eventually everyone stood up for the bride’s entrance. You saw her already tearing up, almost making you want to shed tears as well, but you held it together. It was nice to see this woman so happy and you didn’t even know her– you just knew she was happy.

All went well and thorough, everyone awing at the ring bearer and flower girls, but then the vows came and there was nothing but silence.

“I promise to love you today as much as I did yesterday, as much as I will tomorrow and years to come.”

Both you and Tom got shivers up your spine, relating those words. You glance down at Tom’s hand resting between his legs, watching him pick at his nails, and you carefully placed your hand on top of his wrist. He didn’t even realize he was doing it, a shy smile to show his bit of embarrassment. You quietly giggled, squeezing his hand before bringing your hand back to your own lap.

Tom let out a shaky sigh, gulping and thinking his tie was now strangling his throat.

The ceremony would end in a beautiful kiss before the bride and groom left back down the aisle. Everyone slowly moved over to the reception which was only a few feet away under a huge white tent. The cake was set as well as the food and free bar, everyone, including Tom, able to loosen their ties and even take off their shoes to dance.

“That was really nice. Anything like you want at your non-thought of wedding?” You jeered at Tom, walking next to him.

He nodded, “I took a few mental notes. But, my eyes may have been concentrating too much at what color pink the bridesmaid dresses were.” 

“I was thinking between a light flamingo or cotton candy.” You scrunched your nose.

With booze and food being passed around, all the wedding guests were having a great time. With the sun set and the fairy lights beaming around the tent, everyone was having fun and embracing the bride and groom’s special day. Their first dance together was sweet, applauded and wooed before the real party started. 

Hooked on A Feeling by Blue Swede began mid-verse, making everyone laugh at how random the song was. People linked together, swinging back and forth with happiness painted on every face.

“Do you want to dance?” You asked Tom, getting up from your seat and giving your hand out to him.

He nodded, “I’m good right now.”

“C’mon. One dance.” You pouted, “Don’t leave me hanging here.”

“Maybe later.” Tom chuckled, turning a bit pink. 

That was one thing he forgot before the trip– how to dance with rhythm in his step.

“I’ll warm you up and maybe makeTom realize he’s missing out.” Harrison jeered, stepping in to take your hand.

Tom dazed in pure awe of you sway back and forth with Harrison. He wasn’t envious, confident knowing that his bestfriend wouldn’t do that to him, but just being able to see you gracefully dance was like seeing an floating angel glide on clouds. Harrison spun you a few times, throwing your hand back in laughter just from the positive atmosphere.

A minute or two passed in the song, and Tom leaned his arm on the back of his seat, grinning at your smile, but you suddenly made eye contact across the room.

He blushed as you and Harrison walked back over, hoping he wouldn’t be making a fool of himself.

“It’s your turn.” You smiled, taking his hand and Tom got out of his seat. Harrison purposely cheered for both of you loudly, making a scene to tease Tom, but he was happy that Tom was happy. Brown Eyed Girl started playing when you both planted your feet and instantly grooved to the fast beat. Sure, the songs were kind-of cheesy, but it’s expected at a wedding and all you could do was embrace it.

You two merged into the dancing crowd, everyone happy and spinning around as well as kids jumping around between their parents. You wrapped your arms around Tom’s neck, both of you moving and swaying and people passed by singing some of the lyrics. Even Steven and his bride cut in, making everyone cheer for them and laugh.

Once the night calmed down, with kids and older folks heading to their rooms, slower songs played for the guests still enjoying their time. As nice of a night it was, you looked out at the beach from afar and Tom was nursing his drink next to you.

“Do you want to… go see if we can sit on the beach?” You hesitantly asked, wondering if it was cheesy.

Tom nodded, “Sure. Yeah.” He half-smiled.

You both walked together from the wedding tent, heading down the unlit path. Tom grabbed one of the folded blankets displayed in a bin for people who wanted to sit on the beach any time of the day. 

As you two got closer to the beach, Tom couldn’t help but notice everything going on. The moonlight, the leftover pink petals and rice in the sand, even dolphins fins going by within the waves.

No one could make this up as the most perfect moment to ask someone out. Tom cracked his knuckles, the two of you listening to the crash of the waves against the shore, before he stuttered out his words.

“D-Did you have fun tonight?” He shyly asked, not looking at you.

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun. I’m glad you invited me…” You trailed.

Okay, this was the moment. Tom thought, This is when you tell her.

He gulped, but you spoke before him.

“Are you okay?” You furrowed your brow.

Tom cleared his throat, “Yeah! Yeah, I just… I want to tell you something.”

You giggled at his sudden shyness, getting closer to him, “What’s going on?” You grinned, but a bit concerned. You couldn’t gauge if his tone was happy or upset.

He didn’t want to take a completely dramatic pause, but there wasn’t enough air in the world for his lungs to feel like they were working. His tongue felt dry, his skin felt cold, holding his breath until it just all slipped out.

“I really like you and… I haven’t been able to figure out how to say it. I read these books about love and what it is but, I couldn’t think of anything to say for shit.” Tom chuckled, his neck and cheeks heated, “But, now I know that I want to be with you and I’ve known that ever since you came into my life wearing some caution tape and gave you my hoodie… I think that you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

He couldn’t believe he admitted it out loud, feeling a bit faint from letting it all out at once.

You chuckled in relief, “I like you too, Tom. We’ve spent so much time together and you’re so fun to be with that I’ve been tripping over myself wondering if you felt the same.” You thought your heart was in your throat and butterflies bursted in your stomach, “I didn’t want to be that weird girl who just thinks she’s in love with the cute guy at the bookstore she spends too much time at during the day.” 

Tom gulped, surprised by your response, but he had to catch his breath again when your eyes met again. The moment was still a bit awkward, not knowing what to say next, but you bite your bottom lip, “I think this is the part in books and movies where we kiss and ride into the sunrise on your beautiful steed.” 

He cracked a smile and leaned in, his hand against your cheek before your lips met. You would be lying if you said you weren’t dying for this kiss to happen. Like that end at any sappy romance novel you read for pleasure, they always ended in these kind of passionate and satisfying kisses. Although you didn’t think those type of scenarios were real, this was enough to make you start believing.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

Your eyes fluttered open, surprised by the sound of the waves still crashing onto the shore and salty but gentle breeze brushing across your face. You two must have fallen asleep from how tired the night made you between the dancing and drinking, but you weren’t complaining instead smiling at the coincidence.

A few moments later, Tom would stir from his sleep. He didn’t believe how loud and close the waves were, but his eyes fluttered open to you sat up and looking out at dawn. The wedding arch still stood between the soft sand of the beach, both of you watching the glowing sunset begin its descent under the horizon. 

Another cold breeze set the relaxed mood even more as you two sat there admiring the start of the morning. Tom stretched his back, both of you comfortable with the silence between you two. Feeling refreshed and happy, you turned your head to Tom and the orange light made his brown eyes shine.

“Yesterday happened, right? It wasn’t just an amazing dream I had.” Tom joked, turning to smile at you.

“Truly real. Nothing fictional about it.” You smiled.

Tom placed his hand on your cheek, cupping your skin softly before placing his lips on yours. Your smile faded as your noses brushed together, your heart fluttering as you paced your sweet kiss. It was your happy ending that no book could write.

#tom holland #tom holland fic #tom holland fics #tom holland x reader #tom holland x female!reader #tom holland angst #tom holland smut #tom holland fluff #tom holland imagine #college au #bookshop au #one shot #frat!tom #tom holland au #tshwritersnet

[garoujo]

roommates to lovers in which nagi doesn’t want to move in with any of his friends bc he doesn’t trust them one bit to not accidentally kill his beloved choki, so he posts a very lazy “looking for a roommate. qualifications: can take care of plants & will mostly leave me alone” on this house hunting social forum on a whim. (to his surprise lol) the post doesn’t get a lot of traction, most people thinking it a prank bc nagi didn’t even set a normal pfp, but you think it’s pretty funny when you come across it, so to feed the joke you snap a pic of your plants – green and thriving in your windowsill – and reply to him with a “can the fam come along?”

you get a dm in 5 minutes tops and the stranger’s like the room is yours and you’re like?? my brother in christ i don’t even know who you are or if you even have an apartment, which you tell him as such, more or less exactly like that, and suddenly you’re sent 20+ pictures, most of them of the (very nice, spacious looking) apartment, but your dumb, frozen finger can’t even swipe away from the first photo, bc it’s of him, of strange house hunting green thumb dude, who clearly just took a quick selfie of himself, white haired tussled from the hoodie over his head, big, teddybear eyes lit up from his phone screen and god fucking damnit he’s real and he’s fucking hot.

you move in two weeks later with your plant family (and then pine over each other for MONTHS before he dicks you down so good emmie i am in shambles)

why’d my stomach flip at the description of him. why does my body betray me like this. RIVER! RIVERRRRR!!!! FUCK! i want him so bad, the first time he opens the door to you + he’s a MESS! he’s like oh shit, pretty and knows he’s fucked. but i’m about to switch this around real quick, perv roommate nagi. who always somehow ends up accidentally sneaking back to his room with a pair of your panties after he offered to do your laundry. who makes sure his bed meets the other side of the wall yours does so he can hear your sweet little moans every night, stroking his cock to the sound of your vibrator — he didn’t tell you the walls were so thin. who always seems to coincidentally be out of his room, roaming the halls as soon as you’re finished your shower — tiny towel wrapped around your figure as he tries not to let his sleepy, lidded gaze drop to the swell of your tits and the way the water trails down your thighs wishing he could follow the trails with his tongue.

#ʚ ₊˚ 💭 — moots. #ֹ ₊˚ ✰` ꒱ — river. #᩠ ❥ ࿐ seishiro! #IM A MESS! I AM DEAD! IM SO GONEEE!!! #HES SO HUGE …. THIS IS ART! A MASTERPIECE <333 #the hoodie over his head <333 his messy hair peeking out from underneath the hood! WHY IS IT SO HOT! WHY IS HE GOING TO KILL ME! #IM SO IN LOVE IM NOT OKAY IM SO INSANE ACTUALLYJAJAKALAK #I WANNA BE HIS ROOMMATE! SUDDENLY IM BUYING PLANTS! LET ME MOVE IN!!! PICK ME! CHOOSE ME! LOVE ME!

[miniimapp]

Can you make hcs for Aaron T,Z, and fem or gender neutral reader being in a poly relationship?

Gen ;; Fluff - Headcanons

Warnings ;; none lol

Proofread + Edited ;; if you even consider this a possibility do you even know me ??

Auth. Note ;; never written poly before so forgive any inaccuracy,, also we went gn!reader for this bc i wanted to alskfkb

also the colour scheme is giving halloween and i live for it :DD

Jan 2024 Edit ;; excuse my abhorrent timing.. let's pretend it hasn't nearly been a year since i got this, yh ?? sick lol

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈«

literally the first thing that came to mind is lazy mornings

just straight up cuddles only,, no worries

as i typed that i got the sudden like mini scene in my kind of T singing hakuna matata and Z joining in with little harmonies

holy shit T's morning voice is deeper than the fucking mariana trench my dudes

let's get one thing clear,, everyone gets flustered by T's morning voice

and he finds it fucking hilarious

but for the first months of dating,, you thoughts Z was the only exception

literally not a single eyelid batted

you were beyond confused

like,, your cheeks are burning

how is mans enduring this.. what are his secrets

like,, you'd feel your brain melting out of ears trying to maintain some semblance of calm and Z over here is brushing it off like water off of a duck's back

at least that's what you think

inside Z is full on screeching,, he is hot,, he is flustered,, he might be dying..

but hey,, at least no one can tell !!

it took a couple months for you to figure out that Z does not,, in fact,, keep his cool over T's morning voice

he does,, in fact,, lose it just like everyone else

how did you find this out you may be wondering ??

through Z's top secret diary of course !!

you and T stumbled upon by complete accident

really,, you did !!

no sneakiness was utilised in this mission.. definitely not..

but it just so happened to be left open on the table

you didn't even realise what it was at first,, figured it was one of Z's choreo notations and got kinda curious

T always liked to sneak peeks at the choreo beforehand to see how tiring it was going to be lol

then,, once you'd started reading you just couldn't stop

there were pages upon pages of flustered musings,, sincere endearment,, and loving descriptions

it was all too sweet !!

and within those pages was it

all of Z's hidden breakdowns over T's morning voice !!

you knew you weren't the only once,, you just knew it !!

the euphoria quickly subsided to make way for guilt at reading his diary

and you knew T was feeling similarly..

so,, you fessed up

that was awkward,, lemme tell you !!

you'd never seen T so.. squeamish (??) before

luckily,, Z didn't react badly

not even slightly

his reaction actually startled you slightly

because he just started laughing

it started small,, an amused little huff and snowballed into hiccuping snorts

it was honestly kinda adorable..

and that broke the awkwardness for both you and T

you joined in real quick

that really smashed through a couple of layers of ice you guys hadn't even realised was there from the beginning of your relationship

you all got a lot more comfortable around each other after that !!

it was good :))

moving on,,

i feel like T started this game called something stupid like "say that again but rap it"

literally all he does is get Z to repeat his sentences but rap them instead

so Z flipped it back on him because let's be real,, T can talk for a podium position,, he's literally the perfect target of his own game

fr out of nowhere T was rambling and Z waited for him to finish his spoken essay before going,, "say that again but rap it"

T was beyond flabbergasted,, mans forgets the words as soon as they left his mouth

and don't we all frfr

but is that going to stop him from trying (and failing) ??

you bet your ass it isn't !!

mans said real fast "gimme a beat"

AND Z DOES WITHOUT HESITATION

free entertainment baby,, that's what you're in for with these two ;DD

it was a catastrophe,, lemme be real clear

it was mostly just frantic not-words and vocalisations with the odd word or phrase that he actually remembed thrown in

lots of "hmm dumm da stupid fucking washing mashine uhh da dee da" and "broken p- uh p-pu- uh,, what's that word?? da da,, shut up Z !! oh,, pulsator!!"

like,, yeah you got that word but now we've lost all sense of rhythm lmao

it's a great time honestly,, wish i could've been there fr

overall,, i think that this throuple would be so amazingly chaotic but also so sweet and good to one another

you'd never want for anything,, they'd do everything they could for you

and you work so well with them and be such a good connection to the world outside 4*TOWN

i think you'd def keep them feeling human and real

#catch me running over after a year long hiatus #nice to see you to see you nice #i think thats the quote #clearing out my drafts #4town headcanons #4town #4town aaron t #4town aaron z #4town aaron z x reader #4town aaron t x reader #polyamory #turning red

[kira-fluff]

Imagine the bros with someone who was a gremlin as a child and just nonchalantly tells them their stories. For example in kinder I got dared to put a rock in my ear and my little five year old self was not gonna back down. I had to get that rock removed by a doctor 😭.

a/n: i love this oddly specific request as well as the flawless usage of the descriptor "gremlin". i too was a lollipop-stuck-to-hair, hot-mess-express child. thank u for sharing your amazing story x i took the liberty of using as many funny childhood stories as i could remember, as well as your own (thought it a befitting tale to tell to lucifer lmao) disclaimer: this is assuming that you had a childhood full of crazy events, but none including ab*se of any kind. these are silly, funny memories, not ones that would hurt you to this day. tw: language, mention of children in the future (not totally breeding kink tho), established relationship unclear so just decided that for yourself bc im lazy

reacting to funny stories from your childhood - obey me! brothers x reader

stories of your childhood were always something most found entertaining, but you found that these stories intrigued your demon roommates even more so. it started off as a comment you'd mentioned off-hand, but the brothers urged you on, hooked on hearing some of your stories - after all, it had been a few hundred years since they'd been children.

"...so one time i got dared to put a rock in my ear and, of course, only losers back down from a challenge--" "you didn't" "--so i put that rock right in my ear! then i had to go to the doc to get it taken out, but at least my friends knew i ain't no pussy." "of course you did."

lucifer

trying to pretend like he doesn't care

but is easily baited into the conversation when mammon says "the person who knows the most 'bout y/n is obviously ME!"

rolls his eyes, but you can see his head turning to listen to you better

is rude af about it once you finish your story smh

"it all makes sense now, that rock must've replaced your brain"

smirks throughout the story, making focused eye-contact with mammon because his dumbass did the same thing. LAST. MONTH. (for a bet, of course, that he lost)

scoffs at your story, but can't help but continue to listen with a smile

he's got it bad

feels the need to one-up your stories with stories of his own (that aren't embarrassing at all, but that prove that even at the age of 2 he was a badass)

can't help but let his mind wander to having a child with you (he's domestic af okay)

"let's hope your our child inherits more of the father's genetics"

i dare you to smack him upside the head he deserves it for being a snarky little whore

just run away after, it's not like he'll catch you he def will

"...and then my sister took my doll, so then i tackled her to the ground and started chocking her. she passed out but she had it coming. my mom grounded me for like a month but i didn't care because guess what? my sis never took my doll again" "remind me not to take your shit anymore oh fuck--"

mammon

oh? cute stories about your childhood?

he's all ears

can't help but turn it into a competition to see who knows you the best or who your favorite is

so badly wants you to say it's him ;-;

was expecting stories about maybe the time you made your first friend or when you learned your first word

nope

he's over here sweating bullets because did he remember to put back all that stuff he took?

he wasn't gonna sell it or anythin'.. he just kinda likes the way yer stuff smells... not in a creepy way though, ok?!

and like, you hadn't noticed yet

so of course he was gonna keep some of your stuff!!!

but.. but you choked your sister for stealing a doll?

not even lucifer was that... extreme

may or may not find him in your room, putting all of your things back in the places he recalled he'd taken them

you'd just laugh, saying you didn't mind as long as it wasn't something you really needed

he breathed a sigh of relief

he was genuinely about to shit his pants when you walked through the door

"'m too young to die! swear i was jus' lookin' at 'em!"

"..one time my dad was in a bad mood so he got mad that i passed the ketchup bottle without the cap facing DOWN so that all the ketchup was able to be poured out quickly. so then, when he asked me to pass the salt, so i looked at him, then turned the salt shaker face down and handed it to him as the salt was pouring out..."

leviathan

already tweeting "STORIES FROM Y/N'S CHILDHOOD?!?!??! #REALSHITSABTTOGODOWN #STANRURICHAN"

spurs him to tell his own stories about his childhood (he wants to share but swears its sO emBarrAsSinG"

swears he was into anime as a newborn

is honestly a lil giddy to hear your stories and laughs at them just as much as everyone else

whenever you come into his room while he is gaming he wants you to tell him more of the stories from your childhood

"LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOO Y/N IS A SAVAGE"

doesn't find it hard to believe that you were just as sassy as a little child

you're just like him <3

kinda blushes imagining the two of you being childhood besties uwu

like he gives bullied in high school vibes for some reason idk

i can just imagine the two of you being the best of friends

you'd make him lil flower crowns while he ranted to you about his pokemon card collection

he's so SOFT for you omgggg

would quite literally die for you if he had to but im getting off topic

anyway, please never stop talking to him, it's his number one fear <3

giggles in the dorky way he does when you get super expressive

"...there was this day when i was eight and i didn't want to go to school anymore and i was bored in class so i decided right then and there that i would lose my tooth and get one of those crappy-looking 'tooth necklaces'..... not five minutes later, i ripped my front tooth out and was sent to the nurses with blood dripping down the hallway. i was so proud of myself but it turned out i had accidentally ripped out an ADULT tooth. my parents were pissed, but i was proud because i got to go home and eat ice cream for two weeks."

satan

THRIVES off the stories of you being a little shit as a kid lol (or the stories of you being a little shit now)

that being said, WHAT THE FUCK

he forgot how wild kids can be, much less YOU

i mean, you were sent to the demon world and all you did was shrug and roll with it??? who even are you????

you even felt a little bit of pity for your parents, bless their souls

he smirked at the part where you got out of school as you clasped your chest proudly

it was cute to watch you get excited about all your little adventures from when you were younger - it's hard to believe that was only a few decades ago (to him)

finds himself looking for the you now in your old self

he's easily able to identify some of your key traits: stubbornness, strength, optimism, kindness, wit...

you were always this way, he thought, and it was reassuring.

a little smile crept up his face, taking over the neutral expression that once adorned his soft and regal features

you were always something something special

"...and then the teacher was wearing this ugly ass skirt and so my sassy little six-year-old self was like 'did you dress in the dark or something? because your shirt doesn't match your skirt'... i feel kinda bad about it now but it was iconic back in the day."

asmodeus

gives you exaggerated reactions to each part of your story, but they're genuine

gASP

hand over mouth

laughs at the parts when you get super animated

insists your are doing her a favor by helping her with her fashion dilemma

honestly he probably has some similar stories to share himself

gushes about how the two of you are so alike that it is shocking

(i mean i guess sorta? jk u wish)

"we're so similar.. let's go to my bedroom and find out what is different"

all his other brothers simultaneously shout, "NO"

i headcanon that asmo has dimples that come out when he truly, REALLY smiles and he does it when you talk about your childhood

you get all excited and he can't help but just shout, "oH you're SO cUTE~~~~~!"

"....i backflipped into the christmas tree and the next thing i knew i was in one of those crusty ass hospital beds. so yeah, i don't recommend doing that."

beezlebub

got lost half-way through the story when he got up to get a snack

next thing he knew you were talking about backflipping???

still though, he found it really cute how you got all soft when talking about the way that your mother started crying once you woke up only for her to fall into a fit of rage the next moment

the moment actually brought tears to your eyes, reminding you of a part of yourself that did really miss home and the people that you left there

his eyes widened, taking in your shrinking form

as if his arms moved on his own, he moved to grasp you in a tight embrace

your sniffles ceased and you even let out a little giggle, "beel, you're squishing me"

he apologized, his purple eyes full of worry and remorse

you only shook your head, mumbling a quiet, "i'm fine"

he realized that even though devildom seemed like home to him now, he also knew what it felt like to have to get used to an entirely new place, especially going from being an angel to a deadly sin

so he cherished those moments in his heart, but he was hesitant to ask you more about your childhood, afraid that the memories, while happy, would also make you homesick

he cares for you so much, don't ever think otherwise <3

"...i skipped class so many times because i slept in - and like, usually i'd just show up late, but i had decided that i will never be that loser who ran to class. if i was gonna show up late, i'd show up looking good. so i'd curl my hair and put on makeup if i was late. i'd be more late, but i'd look like a bad bitch."

belphegor

your "idgaf" personality reflects his quite well

the amount of times he's tried to skip school because of sleeping were too far to count

yet lucifer always forced him to take part in the daily academics activities

honestly sort of jealous of you

still, he gets over it quickly, though, when he sees the cute little crescents that your eyes form

can't help but not be mad at you

and now he knows the perfect person to go to when he wants to escape the world and take a big nap

maybe miss a few classes on the side with you :)

you're his special napping buddy

a/n: this was sorta ass but just ignore it

#obey me #obey me x reader #obey me! #obey me! x reader #obey me x you #obey me! lucifer #obey me lucifer #obey me lucifer x you #obey me lucifer x reader #obey me mammon #obey me! mammon x reader #obey me mammon x reader #obey me! leviathan #obey me leviathan #obey me leviathan x reader #obey me! leviathan x reader #obey me! satan #obey me satan #obey me! satan x reader #obey me satan x reader #obey me asmodeus x reader #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me beel x reader #obey me beelzebub x reader #obey me belphegor #obey me belphegor x reader #obey me brothers #obey me brothers x reader #obey me! asmodeus x reader

[spiderfunkz]

✧.* wounded love.

— summary : you take care of peter after his late-night patrol.

— pairings : tasm!peter parker x gn!reader

— words : 0.6k

— warnings : fluff, mention of scars and wounds, established relationship, kisses & cuddles, pet names, they're roomates with separate rooms btw, my horrible grammar and writing (my english hasn't been the best lately), lmk if i missed any !! also not proofread bc i'm lazy & i made this on my phone whoopsie

a/n : after all the angst i have put you all through, heres some fluff with peter parker <33 this idea has been in my mind for sooo long but i haven't gotten any motivation to write recently, also I AM SUPER sorry about the lack of activity recently on my account i've been out and focusing on my life outside of this app. but in short, here is two hopeless romantic teenagers in love. ^_^

the rain danced lightly on your window sill as the water droplets drop from the plants outside your fire escape.

the night was quiet and calming, your record player peter gifted you was on and playing your favorite song as you work on your english essay. yes it was 2 am at that point, but you couldn't sleep without thinking about peter, you needed him to get home safely.

he told you exactly 5 months ago about his 'night shifts', that are actually late night patrols in a spandex suit.

ever since then you've stayed up until he comes home, the med kit sitting on the bathroom counter is always there when you need it.

so of course, you waited patiently while typing mindlessly on the essay. the cup full of tea is now empty as the other one stays there for peter.

your typing was interrupted by the knocking on the window, you turned as the red and blue spandex shined from the moon light.

you rushed to the window, unlocking it for peter to just hop in as you drag a chair for him.

he took his mask off causing his brown curls puff up as he gave you a smile, "hi." peter smiled as you came back with the med kit.

"hi." you respond.

patching him up was always a dread. it was never something you've liked since the beginning, but how could he still look so beautiful? his hair is still perfect, the healed scars are masked with bandages with smiley faces on his chest, a smile stayed on his lips as he ranted about what happened during his patrol.

"and then boom, pew, pew, i webbed him to a wall and the lady thanked me, and it was okay, better than last night at least." peter finished, "no small knives?" you joked as peter shooked his head.

"no, thankfully. i would've started screaming to the point you could hear me from here." — "how about you?" peter asked.

"hm?" — "your night, how was your night." he repeated.

"it was okay," you nodded, "i'm almost finished with my english essay, made some tea, nothing much." you shrugged.

"you know you don't have to stay up for me." peter pressed his forehead against yours, "i know. but, i wanna help. besides i can't sleep." you continued, grabbing the bandage and wrapping the wound and tying it with a bow.

"plus, i can't sleep without hearing your snore from the other room." you laughed as peter sarcastically gasped, "okay, i consider myself offended."

"oh please, you know you snore." you smile as he shook his head.

the laugh quieted down as he caressed your cheek, holding you close.

do you know how pretty you looked? how could one be this pretty? how could you laugh and still look so pretty? peter thought as his mind went on spirals.

"you know it's not nice to stare, parker." you say, snapping him from this thoughts.

"and who said that?" peter chuckled.

silence filled the room again as you put the med kits aside before turning back to peter.

"it's not nice to stare, bub." peter says, quoting you as you laugh.

"you're just too pretty." you stated, tucking his hair behind his ear. "i think you're prettier," peter commented, "and smarter, and your talented, and you can craft, your clever, you have nice sense of fashion, your humour is adorable, and bla bla bla i could go on for hours." peter rambled as you smiled.

you lay your head on his chest, you could hear his heartbeat flutter as he strokes your hair, ranting about, well anything, as you listen.

yep. staying up till 2 am for your boyfriend is 100% worth it.

#tasm #tasm!peter #tasm!peter angst #tasm!peter fluff #tasm!peter hurt to comfort #tasm angst #tasm fluff #tasm hurt to comfort #the amazing spider man #peter parker #peter parker angst #peter parker fluff #peter parker hurt to comfort #andrew garfield!peter parker #the amazing spiderman #the amazing spiderman fluff #the amazing spiderman angst #the amazing spiderman hurt to comfort

[wolfieworld]

4/6 Diary: Dead Projects

it's hard to acknowledge why something isn't working when you're in the middle of it, sometimes it's hard to even know why. There's a few plots that have been in my brain for years that I've rewritten and rewritten and rewritten with little success. I think a big part of failed projects is actually over-estimating ones own capabilities, for example I plan out mechanics that I don't have the experience to achieve, or characterization too far from my own experience that its not fun to write. I often plan out stories that require a lot of research and I feel like I can't write until I know everything-therefore most writing doesn't get done and what does is full of holes. It's kind of embarrassing to look back at stuff and just think "I didn't know what I was talking about at all."

Sometimes shit just doesn't work out. In the words of Pretty Boy Detective Club giving up on a dream can be more beautiful than achieving the dream itself.

Probably 90% of everything I try doesn't work out and it's been on my mind lately that that's a good thing. Of course in an ideal world we learn from finished works bc there are things from those you can only learn by sharing with others and by wrapping up a story and by saying goodbye to your characters but there isn't such a thing as an ideal world and everything we do we learn from whether other people see it or not. There is something special you learn from unfinished projects, the types you choose to put down forever, which is you are forced to acknowledge precisely why it could not get done.

These are all images from 2 retired vn/comic projects.

These projects are prisons for some of my best and worst writing, full of ideas with no through-line or real objective, and no real thorough understanding of these characters who I loved just collections of feelings and images and facts I thought were cool.

What is improvement? I'm not a person who looks at my old art and feels like I've gotten better at drawing, and when I look back at old writing I only really get the sense that I've become less cringe but not become a better writer. I think improvement is more esoteric than becoming better at the skills you use to express, maybe it's just knowing yourself better and playing to your strengths, and crystalizing what you want to say (or finding it in the first place). Aesthetics form naturally from writing and drawings that plainly express what they need too and they are drawn like blood from stone from work that is trying its hardest to be clever.

Personally I find these digital pages from 2020(21?) to be better drawings than anything I've done in the last two years in a technical way but it doesn't matter, I couldn't finish it, and I didn't know the characters. It's just portfolio work, it took me months to do five of them. They're just "cool shots" even though I didn't know it at the time.

As I get further into working on Youth Who Was Killed I'm noticing that cutting corners produces better results, there's more emotion in sketches so why finish a drawing, why design a logo which I'm not good at when I can use a font, why color grade the images myself when limiting the palette to one or two or three colors provides an unmuddied result? This is the kind of laziness you would think would harm 'improvement' but I've found that too much brute force is a highway to burn out, and then you're not learning anything at all.

Making art is a war against human nature I think, cavemen definitely weren't built too instinctually develop a five year plan every new years. However it becomes like less of a war when you work with your nature rather than against it. Maybe. I don't know. I really hope I don't make a blog post two years from now about why I couldn't finish YWWK. If that happens blame ren'py.

i drew my ocs in funny t shirts for the first time in my life so maybe all that stuff i said about improvement being that you become less cringe is untrue, maybe you get more cringe. thats ok with me i guess.

#meow meow meow #youth who was killed #that feels like kind of a scary tag and maybe i should use the acronym i will decide later

[houseofpendragons]

PRAY THE PAIN AWAY

Summary: Daeron takes Aegon to pray and what a little prayer without trauma making your eyes leak 👍

Warnings: Minor mention of oral (m receiving) in passing, sadness, grammatical errors (bc I was too lazy, sue me😂) and I think that's it but let me know if I missed anything

Word Count: 2459 Words

A/N: This took forever to write and I've had this idea for a while so I finally finished it in an attempt to get rid of my writers block

The left side of his face felt like there were a thousand tiny pinprick needles stabbing the usually pale flesh of his cheek. He could feel it reddening, swelling under the ghost of her hand, never soft or caring when directed towards him like a mother should direct to her son, no - hers was always a fist of steel and iron that hurt worse than if he'd been dealt a blow by Ser Criston's morningstar.

His eyes watered on instinct, his hand frozen in midair with fingers reaching out to soothe the abused flesh. And then she was gone, she'd just left him by himself in that room, disappearing in a flury of green skirts.

Aegon had been found with some girl again, whispers had already begun to echo through the corridors. He wanted to laugh, he wasn't sure why but their was an undeniable urge there as he realized he couldn't even recall the girls name. That had been the question that had made her strike like a viper, venom seeping into his veins and filling him with its poison, except she was his mother and not a snake. She used an open palm instead of venom. And that hurt far worse. She'd asked "who is this girl? So that I might fix this with her family!" And he didn't know.

The laughter turned to a pain in the back of his throat. It burned as his throat tried to close, it hurt as the tears slid down his face, it hurt in his chest as the muscled constricted and a pang struck his heart. It made him angry how she has such an affect on him, he should be used it by now, she had struck him countless times over the years. But...she was his mother, she was all he had. He loved her. And he felt her rejection of his cries for help as literal knife to the heart.

He looked at his skin now, as if he might see the thousands of scars that littered him just below the surface staring back at him. But all he saw was the unamarred flesh, practically devoid of color from months of being sheilded from the sun since he preferred to sleep away from the sun and live by the moon and stars. It was the only way he knew, at night he was less likely to be seen, he did it for her, he tried for her. But she didn't see it that way.

Daeron stood anxiously just outside the door to Aegon's room, his own eyes were tearful, guilt eating away at him seeing as he was the one who'd informed and delivered him to their mother in the first place. He bounced his knee anxiously and clutched one trembling hand in the other as if to steady himself. His breath trembled as he tried to gain the courage to face him. His mother hadn't seen him as she'd rushed away, stomping as if their was some bug under her feet. He was glad, or else she would've forced him with her. He was the youngest and so she had a tendency to baby him, but he wanted to be a man right now.

He thought he had his courage now, but when he turned his body to stand in the doorway of his room it all slipped away from him, as if water disappearing from between his fingers.

Aegon had always...intimidated him? No, that wasn't it. Truly he and Aegon had never been able to bond, or allowed to perhaps. They were such different people. Aegon was so desperate to get away from any semblance of who he was, whilst Daeron was molded to be, well everything his eldest brother was not.

His eyes were hard like stone, but their was no denying the fire that danced behind it. The flames were reaching out, licking the air for a taste of chaos, they longed for it like an addiction. "And what do you want, Septon Daeron. Here to get me into more trouble, or are you looking for a change of pace and decided to gloat?" It wasn't a question, it was a dismissal. But the youngest brother also felt like it was a cry, "Please don't leave me alone" he felt the words actually meant. He wanted to answer that call, he reminded himself that he was full of fire too and pretended that he could feel it just below the surface of his skin, scarred from training. It sounded stupid but it always comforted him.

Daeron gulped down the lump in his throat. "Do-Do you-" He cursed himself silently in his head, he'd pray for forgiveness for that soon enough. "Would you like to come with me?"

Aegon eyed him, clearly distrustful, not sure what underlying motive was hiding behind clouds of masked innocence. Daeron couldn't blame his distrust. The guilt nipped at him again.

"Please."

Suprisingly, Aegon scoffed and rolled his eyes after a few moments of silence where he just stared at the dwindling flames in the fireplace. "Fine. Just don't waste my time."

Dumbfounded, Daeron only stood their for a few moments as his brother shouldered past him. His eyes were wide and his mouth was damn near on the floor. A smile broke out on his face and he turned around and rushed to take the lead.

~•••~

The carriage shook and rumbled as the wheelhouse made its way down the broken and uneven streets of King's Landing. Inside, Daeron and Aegon sat in an awkward silence. Aegon was looking out of the window and Daeron stares silently at the side of his face. He wanted to understand him, he liked to think of people as a puzzle, it made it fun and easier for him to comprehend. To Daeron, Aegon was the most complicated puzzle of all. There were so many layers to him - sometimes he was just a broken boy, other times a menace, uncaring, unfeeling, full of laughter, mischievous...and sometimes he was just nothing, simply a hollow shell. It was as if he could leave his own body and...who knew where he went.

Daeron was guilty yanked from his thoughts as he saw Aegon's head turn towards his direction. He snapped his head foreward immediately, a slight flush creeping up his neck in embarrassment. He had nothing to be embarrassed about though because his brother truly didn't care. Aegon rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically at the sight of his brothers awkward posture and blush.

"Where are you taking me?" It struck him hard and fast that Aemond had asked him that same question when he was thirteen, when he'd taken him to the Street of Silk. He didn't know why he suddenly thought about it and he also didn't know why he felt like bile was coming up his throat. Now it was his turned to quickly look away from his brother, whom looked so bright eyes and innocent, yet also so stong and wise, just completely ready to see all the world had to offer him with no fear. It made him nauseous, he couldn't handle it, he felt like he couldn't breath.

"Nevermind, it doesn't matter anyways." Daeron's eager smile for conversation fell. He twisted his lip and sank into the cushion behind him. Aegon took this in out of the corner of his eye. He felt guilt. He sighed. "I'm sure it'll be great." He added just to lessen the blow. He didn't know why, but he wasn't ready to be the one to kill that ember yet.

Aegon tried to remeber the last time he'd even seen the boy next to him, well he was a man now, but back then he'd been a boy. He'd honestly look alot like Aemond, just without the freckles, and his hair was a bit shorter as well. Even now the similarities were still there, both in looks and personality, but they were also so very different.

He was ripped from his thoughts when they suddenly stopped. Daeron eagerly jumped up say something along the lines of "Ah, we're here" before jumping out without looking back at him to see if he was even going to get out. Whatever Aegon had been expexting to see when he exited the wheelhouse it was not what he saw staring back at him as his feet met the cobbles.

He stared up at the great stone building for a few moments, looking like Daeron had when Aegon had first excepted to go on this trip in the first place.

"The Sept..." Suddenly he burt out into laughter, completely unexpexting this and yet also not suprised at the same time. This was the first time Aegon remembered genuinely laughing in a long time, nothing fake and for show, just real laughter. And the best thing was, he didn't even know what was was funny.

Daeron was trying not to join in his brother's maniacal laughter, wanted him to see how serious he was about this. It was hard to do.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I just- you just-" He heaved for breath. "Alright let's go and get this done with, Septon Daeron." He through an arm over his little brother's shoulder and joked about confessing about his sins of gluttony, and alcohol, and all sorts of deviant types of sexual activities.

It suprised Daeron just how seriously amused Aegon found this. He watched his brother strut and smirk at all the confused Septon's who glanced their way. He was more confused when Aegon reached the alter first and knelt before the candles with his hands folded in prayer.

"Alright, now where to start. Well, here's a good one. Would the Seven be so kind as to forgive me for enjoying the feeling of that girls soft, plump lips around my cock so much-"

"Aegon!" Daeron was horrified. He looked around as if he was the one who was doing something wrong. He was beginning to think this was a mistake, but then he saw something, merely a flicker, but it was something.

"What?" He asked through laughter, pushing a strand of argent hair behind his ear. He was trying to hide it. But when he looked into those wide eyes so full of innocence, pleading, he gulped and nodded. "Alright, fine. What do I...what do you want me to say."

"It's not about what I want you to say, say what you wanted to say." He was quick to add. "Quietly."

Aegon smirked, watching as Daeron closed his eyes, completely unaware that Daeron was praying for forgiveness for getting his eldest brother hurt. Then he closed his own eyes.

He thought about that girl again, the nameless girl. He thought about his mother and how he thought he was the reason for her unhappiness, how he was never enough for anyone. He thought about Rhaenyra's unwarranted hatred, he thought of his fathers willful blindness and how he and his sibling were invisible to the man that was supposed to love me more than anything.

He felt anger bubbling up inside of him and riveting off of him in waves, but then it dissipated into a sea of sadness. He wanted to run, he'd spent his entire lift running from this thing he couldn't see.

Aegon didn't like this. He didn't want to feel sad...he wanted to feel...numb.

Nevertheless the big, hot tears kept falling freely down his cheeks, only to dive down onto his top dau pld tunic. Every when spot thst littered him he glared at in loathe, not liking it when his masked slipped and showed the world he was really just a damaged boy pretending to be a man.

And yet his brother said nothing, staring at him with the calm, cool lavender eyes thst his younger siblings all shared - again making him with his dark purple eyes, the outside again.

It made him cry more.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He didn't even know what he was apologizing for. Was it for not being who his mother so desperately wanted him to be, for that nameless girl who he'd never see or think about again, for the things he did to sweet Helaena, for Aemond whom he was never there for, or for not being a good brother for Daeron. Maybe it was for himself, for the broken boy that he truly was inside, the boy who didn't know anything.

Daeron reached for his brother's trembling hand, and as if he knew exactly what to do he sat in silence and let Aegon get it all out, he watched patiently, and squeezed in hand comfortingly.

Aegon snapped. "I'm sorry." He rubbed at his eyes furiously, angry at the tears. Beneath his wye became raw and Daeron had to grab his hand lest he being to bleed or heavens forbid claw his eyes out - he could never be to sure with Aegon and how far he'd truly go. "This isn't me, this isn't me. I-"

"What isn't you, brother." Daeron felt sorrow in his chest, as if he too was feeling his brother's pain. Aegon's only response was to shake his head back and forth rapidly, as if the fight the invisible demon that he called emotion.

He shushed him gently. It only made his brother cry harder.

"I know you don't understand me. I don't understand me but- I don't-" He was visible shaking with every breath. "I don't know why I do the things that I do. I don't know why I hurt people. Why I hurt myself" Daeron pulled him into a hug, as if to wrap him up in his arms like a blanket. Daeron could laugh at that moment, it was as if he was the big brother and not the other way around.

"I don't know why I-I don't know...I don't know anything." Aegon choked out as he continued to sob.

"It's okay, big brother. I'm here, I'm here. Just let it all out."

Suddenly, it was as if Daeron and Aegon finally, I mean truly, saw one another as brothers. "I'm glad you got out." And their eyes, meeting in the dim glow of the candlelight, conveyed all the rest of the words left unsaid.

That night when they returned to the Red Keep it was in silence, not the uncomfortable one that they had left in, but something like understanding. They went to bed that night and they never spoke of what had happen that day in the Sept again but their was a change in how they interacted with one another that day and that brokenness was the sad secret that bound them together, not the blood I'm their veins. But the tradgedy in them instead.

#hotd #house of the dragon #aegon ii targaryen #daeron targaryen #daeron the daring #king aegon ii targaryen #aegon targaryen #team green #hotd imagine #hotd imagines #hotd fanfic #alicent hightower #aemond targaryen #helaena targaryen #criston cole #rhaenyra targaryen #viserys i targaryen

[astranauticus]

ok one last post about the Project to truly exorcise it from my brain. just some process/design thoughts (also now that it's done if you want to read my liveblogged whinging for whatever reason here it is)

first off some stats because i kept stats like the nerd that i am:

time wise making this animatic took about 93.5 hours give or take (thanks procreate process replay) spread across exactly 2 months

anyway when i said i finished this project mostly through stubbornness and sunk cost fallacy this is what i meant lol like a lot of my thought process through this was just 'no way in hell am i letting some of these drawings disappear into my drafts forever'

on average each frame took about 2 hours 45 minutes but thats a bit of an overestimate since i forgot to count some of the animated bits from the first two lines (so id guess the actual number is more like.. 2 hours 20 minutes?)

btw that line with the starry apparition fading away? 12 hours total

the single longest and most painful frame to draw was the one of the crew walking through tu'narath (5 hours 30 minutes) because a. perspective b. architecture design c. for some reason i put a lot of detail into rendering the armour on all the githyanki i drew why on earth did i do that

(its especially painful bc that frame was one of the ones that didnt... feel like an important enough moment in the actual story of the show to be worth capturing the way the wish or even like, endellion is, i just needed to put that there for the storytelling flow or whatever of the animatic itself and it bothered me so much)

one other interesting little mishap was that i did all of these on canvas size 1080x720px (so that's why the youtube resolution isnt particularly high lmao) which is why procreate let me put an absolutely absurd amount of layers in one canvas (all 8 frames of with memories projected on the astral sea were done on one canvas. 159 layers) because the layer limit for that canvas size is 400 BUT. i accidentally started the starry apparition fade on an A4 canvas (my default canvas size for like all my normal fanart) and i only realised after finishing all the lineart and starting on colouring because i hit layer limit so i had to resize the canvas which did... interesting?? things to the lineart resolution

also if youre wondering how i drew K-LB that many times in something resembling timely fashion the answer is i sacrificed some... amount of sleep to 3d model and rig him in blender which. honestly? i consider it a roaring success

splitting the frames by bar was a Choice and certainly a choice ive.. had doubtsTM about but thats the kind of thing you cant really change without bringing the whole project crashing down so if the frames seem to move a bit too fast im so sorry there was really not much i could do there

idk if people actually noticed the very very tiny drawings of the crew moving around on the ship in the 4th line especially since they sometimes get obscured by the subtitles but the REASON for that is in my original drawings the subtitles went in the top left corner but they kept conflicting with other stuff so i just gave up and threw them to the bottom (also i originally included the chinese lyrics but then i got lazy lmao)

anyway that little detail like VR-LA angstily looking at the sea reminiscing about the JourneyTM and the crew sort of appearing along with the memories of their adventures together was one of those things that seemed SO COOL in my head but once i actually execute it its like. hmmmm not sure if that worked out the way you thought it would buddy. also the tiny crew was EXTREMELY hard to draw so put that down as another point in 'me subjecting myself to deeply painful and out there compositions for no good reason'

anyway i called this my magnum opus but i do actually have some thoughts about another one (a companion piece, if you will) for another song by the same band because now that i know what capcut can do im.. really itching to try something a little different because this like powerpoint presentation style? fully a product of me using iMovie as my only available video editing software for the past like 7 years of my life

#rwd #asto speaks #re: the projectTM #one last time using this dumbass tag lmao #honestly? also put another point in 'i worked on a project for so long it became just a Project to me and proceeded to get #absolutely blindsided by the emotional affect it has on people' #2 months. 2. months. #whatever actual emotion this idea was originally trying to draw from is long fucking gone buddy #like i did manage to re-experience some of it looking at the finished product but #i appreciate yalls screaming a lot i just truly did not anticipate it LMAO

[lemurblog]

Hello lémurblogs I have a question, how do you make your drawings? (๑'ᴗ')ゞ

Hello! It depends on each drawing. Generally, I sketch on paper and bring the scan into Clip Studio where I adjust the levels (make the whites brighter and blacks darker without losing too much detail) and redraw anything or adjust proportions with the transform tools. I apply color on top with layers set to Multiply, Overlay, and/or Soft Light.

An important step for me is taking at least a day to look at it with fresh eyes. If I'm stuck, it also helps to check how it looks on my phone. And lately adjusting the Color Balance has been my friend.

My process is pretty messy and I often don't have a plan; I just feel around to see what's good for a drawing and do it a little differently each time. For example I don't plan to color, shade, or add a background to 90% of my drawings, but they end up that way bc something will feel missing, so little by little stuff gets added.

I followed a strict pipeline as a teenager ("sketch this way, do line art that way, color like this") and ended up dreading digital art, so I took a step back. Now I give myself permission to be as messy, lazy, and improvised as I like. I'll draw or edit all on one layer even though that's not what people teach, bc it actually works for me.

I also find it useful to strike fast and finish as 'quick' as I can. Because it's natural for me to have drawings that become months or years-long WIPs. and that's fine! but it can't be everything I'm working on or I get discouraged.

Oh, and drawing on post-it notes really helped me complete those small illustrations for madaparty! It was such a life-hack when I realized it'll help me complete small ideas in one sitting. I love drawing compositions, but forget about them on a big sketchbook page where lots of little drawings have no borders, so the small post-its really helped. It also helped me think more with metaphor or staging, rather than getting lost in anatomy poses and being too literal.

#also i am Team Slow Artist. it's ok to go slow. #but realizing what i can do in only 10 minutes also helped build my confidence! #and make projects less intimidating #replies #nervousdreampizza #thank you for asking! #i hope some of this is an answer you were looking for. it was nice to self-reflect #I'm a huge FireAlpaca fan btw which is free #but it's important to me to have brushes that make me excited to draw #and I don't remember if FireAlpaca is good for that #also: my relationship to drawing has been painful these last several years #i started drawing things i loved again this last fall. which feels insane #before that i definitely wouldn't have been able to do madaparty