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#zep thoughts
zepskies · 6 months
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When you want to write but your eyes keep closing...
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lemongrablothbrok · 8 months
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Eeee! Lookee what I just got in the mail today from my baby brother!
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amandabe11man · 9 months
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alison and adam are the only ones in the movie who refer to lawrence by his first name. one of them is his wife and the other is??? on the same level as his wife?? adam and lawrence relationship CANON
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reallivewire · 2 years
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At first you hear your brother has gone missing. Then it's one of your coworkers, and then one of your superiors you never really talked to. Then your brother is dead and so is your coworker and your superior is only alive by the skin of his teeth and the loss of his foot. And then you find out only after so much time spent searching and digging through corporate bullshit that your brother was forced to kill your coworker because your superior was told to kill your brother and then - and fucking then! - the asshole responsible for all this, who got up and walked away and only died a year later because of his own fucking mistake - was a fucking patient at the hospital you work in. And hell, your coworker considered him a friend, too. And he got manipulated and murdered for it... but only after threatening and torturing and nearly killing a mother and her child when he really didn't have to at all... and they were your superior's family, to boot.
(And after all of this, why...? Why did the police leave your brother's body down there? Why haven't they gone down there to get him; why why why why why WHY have they left your dead brother down there to rot?)
(Maybe you'll find out even later yet, if you just keep searching, keep digging, keep scraping your hands till they bleed... and maybe then you'll know, and maybe then you'll find the bastard who's been keeping things from you, this piece of shit fucking ASSHOLE that couldn't keep one simple promise... and you'll be so, so very angry when you do.)
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thegroovywitch · 6 months
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my wrapped was... surprising but at least my top genres slayed
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videostak · 11 months
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seeing that the sprinsteen darkness on the edge of town and innocent & e street shuffle LPs i got arent selling and have just been sitting in the bins for weeks im like wtf is this world coming to!
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jonesyjonesyjonesy · 2 years
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been thinking about the media i found and attached to during quarantine and the pandemic as a whole (that first year and a half specifically). i wonder and even suspect that these things we attached to during this particular traumatic time in history will be likened to our interests we had as children. things that will never go away from us because it brought us comfort and even safety. anyway. things that will make us smile because there was (is) so little else to smile about.
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captaincryolicious · 2 years
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i keep forgetting to open tumblr these days oh man
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aarix · 1 year
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I don't really use spotify--i predominantly use it for transcribing/finding licks to steal when I'm to lazy to turn on my computer (bc youtube mobile sucks even worse)--so imagine my shock when i was placed in the top 3% of led zeppelin listeners. it really hadn't sunk in WHAT a zoomer app spotify is until i saw that.
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sasanka-27 · 9 months
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Got my hands on some old tapes and i dont what whats on it but i dont have a player or recorder so its fine i guess so i thought ill do me a dean mixtape replica and place it on my table by my funkos that are by the computer screen hehehe
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creepereyes · 4 months
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The Saw movies ranked by how gay they are, from least gay to most gay
10. Jigsaw: Nothing gay here. Logan is straight and his rivalry with Halloran isn’t homoerotic. The movie made it seem like Logan/Eleanor would happen. Very straight movie. 0/10
9. Spiral: I’ve only seen it once, but I don’t recall anything homoerotic about it. The ending with Zeke and Shenck could be seen as a little gay if you stretch, though I didn’t see it that way. 1/10
8. Saw X: Nothing seemed gay except for Amanda’s haircut. I’ve only seen it once, I’ll have to rewatch. 2/10
7. Saw II: Surprisingly straight for classic Saw. The movie tells us that Eric Matthews and Allison Kerry are straight and had a fling. Amanda hugging/comforting Laura could be mildly gay, though I think that was her comforting someone she thought shouldn’t have been tested. The whole “If you’re going to threaten me with a knife, at least cut me a little” scene between Xavier and Obi could be a bit gay as well, but it was probably just Obi being a creeper. 2/10
6. Saw 3D: Hoffman surprisingly doesn’t do anything gay here, but he’s in the movie which means automatic gay points. Plus Lawrence serves insane cunt here. 5/10 just for that.
5. Saw VI: Hoffman saves Strahm’s severed hand and holds it delicately. He finally gets to hold hands with Strahm, just not in the way he wanted. 6/10
4. Saw IV: Hoffman binding and gagging HIMSELF so Rigg can come and ‘save’ him? That’s pretty gay. The collar makes it even gayer. Putting Rigg in the bath tub and turning on the cold water was also gay. Hoffman just wanted to feel those abs. 7/10
3. Saw: when Adam and Lawrence finally touch, hold each other and gently press their foreheads together. Lawrence tenderly putting his hand on Adam’s cheek. What straight men touch each other like that? Plus the way Adam paws for Lawrence and begs him not to leave. He’s totally gay for Dr. Malpractice. Also, Zep seems to take a lot of pleasure in watching them. 8/10
2. Saw III: The scene where Amanda leans in close and arms Lynn’s shotgun collar is super homoerotic. It’s one of the gayest things in the franchise. She’s crushing on Lynn HARD and wanted a hate fuck. This whole movie is toxic yuri. 9/10
1. Saw V: The relationship between Hoffman and Strahm is so gay. The glass coffin scene, the way Strahm becomes obsessed with Hoffman, the way they stare at each other, etc. Also, Hoffman felt it was necessary to remove Strahm’s tie and undo several buttons on his shirt before putting him in the water cube trap. If that’s not gay, what is? Hoffman and Strahm both wanted a hate fuck. This whole movie is toxic yaoi. 10/10
Agree? Disagree?
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ellethespaceunicorn · 2 months
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🧚🏻‍♀️✨Bippity boppity bow chicka wow oww! You’ve been visited by the Shameless Hoe Fairy, and now you must share a hoe drabble about:
Landlord!Ari + being caught watching you while you sleep
Well, it took me a couple of days but I did it!! Oh, and it's the longest drabble in the world. Did y'all know a drabble is only 100 words???? I thought it was 100-500...I still wrote way more than that, but still.
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Title: No Good Deeds
Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors - DNI
Pairing: Landlord!Ari Levinson x Reader
Word Count: 1.6K
Summary: Moving out on your own is challenging, but your landlord, Mr. Levinson is kind and helpful. But he may want more from you than your tenancy.
Prompt: Landlord!Ari + being caught watching you while you sleep
Warnings: age gap (Ari is mid-40s, Reader is early-20s), yandere Ari, drugging, non-con fingering (f receiving), non-con p-in-v intercourse, non-con creampie, choking, dead dove: do not eat
A/N: Hahahaha this was supposed to be a drabble. Thank you to @peyton-warren for the beta!
Dividers by: @firefly-graphics
Support/Reblog banner by me
Cover Art by me
My Masterlist
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Moving out on your own isn’t exactly the easiest thing for you. You spent four years living in your college dormitory, but you always had at least one roommate. So, signing a lease and accepting the single set of keys was a huge accomplishment.
Your landlord, Mr. Levinson, is so great. He told you to call him Ari more than once. From the first tour of the apartment to the day of your move-in, he offers his help in many ways. Where the best farmer’s market is, how to reach him if you need any repairs, and even when the local bars close are just a few tidbits he leaves you with.
You get to know him a bit more during a block party one Saturday night. The two of you talk over cheap beer, tamales from Señora Cruz, smoked brisket from Mr. Lorenzo, and lasagna from Mrs. Di Paolo. Ari seems like he is lonely, and your kind heart can’t stand to see someone in need. 
Before you know what you are getting into, you agree to have a weekly tea date with him. It’s during one of those visits that you realize that something is a bit odd about Ari. He tries to cover up how he knows what cabinet you keep your tea in, but he makes up some dumb excuse that it would just be “the perfect spot”.
You excuse yourself to the bathroom as he busies himself with setting the tea, and when you come back, a steaming mug is waiting for you on a saucer on your coffee table. Usually, you make the tea, but Ari wanted to help out, and you had a long day at work, so you accepted.
“What is in this tea? It’s almost spicy,” you ask, taking another big gulp of the tea you don’t recognize.
“Is it spicy? Well, it does have ginger and cinnamon in it. Some chamomile, too. A little benzodiazepine in there,” Ari clambers on, trailing off at the end.
“D-did you say benzo…dia…zep,” you slur, reaching for Ari as you sit on the couch, but you end up passing out with your head in his lap.
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When you come to, you struggle to remember what happened. Your heavy head pounds as you turn it to the side before putting the heel of your hand to your still-closed eyes.
“Take it slow, Bunny. You must’ve been really tired,” he consoles, from the other side of your bed.
“Mr. Levin-”
“Uhn uh. Call me Ari; no more of that Mr. Levinson polite shit, ok?” he swears for the first time in your presence.
“Um, Ari… What are you doing in my bedroom?” you ask, your mind a blank slate from earlier.
“Oh, Bunny. You invited me over for tea, and then you weren’t feeling well, and you asked me to stay until you felt better. Next thing I know, I’m carrying you in here because you fell asleep on me with that sweet little face of yours right in my lap,” he comforts, the knuckles of his hand sliding down your face before he boops your nose.
“Why do you keep calling me Bunny?” you mewl, still trying to get in control of all your limbs.
“When you sleep, you furrow your eyebrows and scrunch up your nose like a little bunny. It’s one of the cutest things you do,” he admires, his hand now moving down your neck and through the valley of your breasts to get to where your skirt rides up your thigh.
“Mr.-Ari…I think I feel better now; you don’t have to-” 
Your words are cut off when Ari reaches under your skirt, and you specifically remember having on panties earlier today, but his fingers are touching your tender pussy directly. Did he take off your underwear?
“Fuck, you’re so wet. Must’ve been all that time I spent rubbing your cute little cunt through those white cotton panties. God, those little moans you were making went straight to my cock, Bunny. Feel it,” he dares, grabbing your hand and resting it against the thick outline of his dick through his Wranglers. 
While your hand is on his length, he shoves two of his fingers into your wet heat. At first, you are surprised by the shock of it. But soon, you can tell that he knows how to work your body. You scream out his name, but he doesn’t stop. Instead, he shoves one hand over your mouth and gets close to your ear.
“You’re not gonna ruin this for me. You have been parading yourself around here like you’re some holier-than-thou sweet little thing. And I knew you’d end up letting me smash at some point. But I didn’t wanna wait anymore, Bunny. You have had me wrapped around that little finger of yours since you moved in. It’s time that I get what’s owed to me-what you’ve been flaunting in front of me,” he sneers, pulling his fingers out of you and sucking them clean before opening his pants and pulling his dick out.
He lines up with your sodden core before thrusting in with no grace or elegance. Slamming himself inside your tight snatch for the first time feels like he is splitting you in two. You’re no virgin, but you also don’t have much casual sex, so Ari’s thickness was a shock, to say the least.
“Sweet Bunny, you’re so tight. What a good girl! You’ve been waiting for me like I’ve been waiting for you, huh? Fuck, you’re like a fucking vice. You hear that, Bunny? Hear how that cunt loves it when I fuck it? Love that loud, sloshy pussy,” he beams, his wide hips between your legs making your joints hurt.
You’re in stunned silence as Ari uses your body to chase his release. Your mind is bringing up all the times it seemed like he was getting a little too close for comfort. All the times when he would talk to you about his divorce, or his current dating trend, or the fact that he once told you that a pretty thing like you belonged locked up in a tower for a prince to come and free you.
Did he think he was a charming prince?
“Oh, Bunny, fuck, I’m not gonna last much longer. Look at me; wanna see your eyes when I cum inside you,” he blurts, holding your face in his hands as you look into his dilated, hungry eyes. “Take it. Just. Like. That.” The last few words are punctuated with thrusts as he paints your walls with thick, milky ropes.
Once he closes his eyes, his hips remain still, and his forehead meets yours. This would be almost romantic if Ari didn’t make it beyond creepy by whispering how perfect you are and peppering kisses all over your face. His softening cock finally slips free from you, and you are happy to be empty until you feel the flow of his semen leaking from you. He notices your discomfort and mocks your whines as he pushes his jizz back into your swollen hole.
“Don’t worry, Bunny,” he starts, moving off of you to recline next to you, “Not gonna leave this bed ‘til you’re knocked up. As soon as you are, I’m gonna move you in with me. You are gonna be well taken care of, too. You are so perfect-every little thing about you. And when the baby comes, we are gonna be the perfect little family. You wouldn’t wanna ruin our family, right? You’re gonna be a good girl for me, huh?” he implores, holding your cheeks in his hand so your lips poke out a bit.
You nod while tears stream from your eyes, finding it hard to form words. But what would you have said? He seems to like you mostly silent; you haven’t uttered a single word since before he was inside you. It wasn’t too late to try, but it was too late to have hope; at least that’s what you told yourself.
“I don’t know about you, but I am starting to get hard again just looking at you. On all fours for me, Bunny. I know you got it in you,” he orders, no kindness in his voice.
You quickly scramble to get on your hands and knees for him and are happy that he is pleased with your speed. As he slides into your sensitive folds again, you grimace but hold in your noises of pain. You don’t want to give him the satisfaction of making you hurt, even though what he is doing is traumatizing. He relishes in the gushy sounds your pairing makes and the mighty “oomph” you make when he wraps an arm around your neck and flattens you down to your belly.
He has you in a chokehold while his hips canter back and forth, plunging his length deeper and deeper inside you. When he hears you start to sputter and gulp in air, he removes his arm from around your neck and holds your face cheek-down on the bed.
“Look at her, taking my cock just like she should. You’ll be the prettiest little wife and mother, won’t you? Gonna keep you nice and round as much as I can. My perfect little Bunny…ugh, fuck,” he blurts, his release surprising him suddenly.
When he pulls out, he smacks your ass and lays down next to you while your life flashes before your eyes. He moves closer to you, readjusting your body to lay on top of his as he rubs your back. He kisses the top of your head in such a kind gesture that you feel your eyes stinging with unshed tears. 
You can’t even bring yourself to fully cry, the tears streaming down your face just to splash on Ari’s denim shirt. Forgotten and dried up to never be seen again.
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A/N: This was supposed to be a drabble!!!!
**Tag List**
I also didn't know who to tag since this is the first time I wrote Ari.
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*jigsaw voice* hello, tumblr users. time is up and you have made your choices on the first day's smash or pass polls.
*clears throat and returns to normal guy voice* so I thought it would be fun to make a post to just, like, look at the stats?
our boy Adam got the most votes total at 812 (and his post got the most notes, which I'm sure helped). I'm proud of him for the smash sweep, but he's still beat out by...
Amanda, who got a stunning 90.6% smash. this is more than anyone else with a poll open currently, and I'm interested to see if she keeps the record
you all seem to have conflicted feelings on Lawrence, but smash still won
more of you want to fuck Jigsaw than Zep??? baffling turnout for me personally
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bad268 · 2 months
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Behind the Goal (Pedri X Reader)
Fandom: RPF/FCB
Requested: Yee (ZEP ILY side note tho, what if I wrote for my favorite band people? like idk if anyone wants that but I kinda want to lol)
Warnings: none
POV: Third Person (They/them)
W.C.: 1196
Summary: It started as a harmless prank and ended with a mutual understanding…
As always, my requests are OPEN
MASTERLIST // HITLIST
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~~(^Pinterest)
It was not common knowledge, their relationship. One is a well-known midfielder for FC Barcelona and the other is a university student. It was not often that their schedules aligned enough to go out. Most of their dates had been in one of their houses or at the earliest hours of the day. It was not like they were trying to keep it under wraps. It just kind of happened.
One week, everything lined up. Y/n’s classes were virtual due to a campus-wide power outage that could not be fixed in the near future, and Pedri has (almost) back-to-back matches for the next week. Y/n thought this would finally be their opportunity to see Pedri in action and meet his friends. Despite being together for nearly a year, they had not met any of Pedri’s teammates. Could have been a red flag if not for the complicated schedules they all possessed. 
The early morning before the match against Real Madrid was interesting. Y/n woke up early with Pedri, ate breakfast, and worked out with him before starting to attend their classes. Lucky for them, Pedri had left his phone on the charger before he went to shower, and Y/n thought it would be funny to change his lock screen because why not? They took a few silly pictures before going through them and deciding against putting one of the selfies on the lock screen. Instead, they found a cute picture of the two of them together, so they changed the blank screen and put the phone back just as the shower turned off.
Coincidentally, right as Pedri walked out, Y/n had to get on a Zoom call, so they did not need to worry about looking suspicious. Pedri walked up behind them, quietly leaving a kiss on the top of their head as he left for the match, knowing Y/n would meet him there after classes. 
Usually, Pedri would put music on as he drove to the stadium, but in his rush, he decided to just listen to the radio. That being said, he did not look at his phone (no texting and driving in this household) the entire trip. It was not until he got into the locker room and met up with everyone that he even thought to check his phone. However, by the time he thought to check his phone, Gavi already had a hold of it. 
“Oooo who’s this?” Gavi teased, turning the phone to show Pedri the lock screen. Pedri was confused at first because he did not remember changing his lock screen, but there it was, clearly changed. And to a picture of Y/n and him, no less. “Are you seeing someone and haven't told us?”
“Maybe,” Pedri blushed, reaching over to try and grab the phone from Gavi. “Maybe not. Give me the phone.”
“You are!” Gavi gasped in mock offense. “And you’re keeping this from me? What have I done?”
“It’s not you, Gavi,” Pedri laughed as he tried to grab the phone again. “If you give me the phone, I’ll show you more pictures and call them. Or you could wait until after the match and meet them in person like the original plan.”
“Who’s pictures are we looking at? And who are we calling?” A couple of the other players said amongst themselves, overhearing Gavi and Pedri’s conversation.
“Pedri’s significant other that he did not tell us about,” Gavi answered with a glare toward Pedri as he begrudgingly gave the phone back. “You better show us some good pictures.”
“They’re cute,” Fermin commented as he looked over Gavi’s shoulder at the phone. “Why would you hide them from us?”
“Show us some more, man,” Joao laughed, throwing his arm over Pedri’s shoulders as he messed up Pedri’s hair. “I bet you’ve got better pictures if you know what I mean.”
“I bet he would love to show you a million and one pictures, but it’s time for warmups,” Xavi said as he walked up behind the two.
“Oh, saved by the bell,” Gavi chuckled as he bumped shoulders with Pedri. “After the match right?”
“Yeah, the plan was dinner if you want to meet them in person,” Pedri explained as they ran out onto the grass. 
“Team dinner on you? Count me in!” Gavi answered as he ran ahead.
“Not what I meant, but okay,” Pedri grumbled to himself as he followed swiftly after him.
~~
The game was close, ending in Barcelona’s favor 2-1, so the team was ready to celebrate. And it was against their biggest rival no less, so some of them were ready to get steamed. Gavi, on the other hand, just really wanted to know who the secret significant other is.
Despite being at the game, Y/n did not go into the locker room after the win like the other wives and girlfriends of the players. Y/n was not the biggest fan of huge crowds, so they thought it would be best to hang back and meet Pedri at his car when most of the fans had dispersed. Being that they took public transit to the stadium, they did not need to worry about their vehicle. They planned to ride with Pedri to the restaurant and maybe go bar hopping after, depending on the vibe of the team. 
It did not take nearly as long as they thought for the stadium to clear out, and they made their way out to the lot. They had a copy of Pedri’s keys, so they used them to unlock the car before climbing in. Then, they texted Pedri to let him know where they were, and almost immediately, he responded, saying that he was on his way out. Again, it did not take long for Pedri to make his way out of the tunnel and toward the car with Gavi, Fermin, and Joao walking in line with him, almost faster. 
Pedri pushed the guys towards their own cars, saying, “You’ll meet them at the restaurant.” He waited for Gavi to get in his own car since he was the most reluctant to split off before turning and climbing into the driver’s seat. He leaned over the center console and met Y/n in the middle as they kissed.
“Congratulations on the win. I saw that goal you made,” Y/n praised as they rand their fingers up his chest to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Did you see my surprise?”
“If you’re talking about changing my background to a picture of us, and subjecting me to the teasing I received from the boys, yes. I saw your surprise,” He sighed before planting a kiss on their nose. “The bright side is that the boys are excited to meet you.”
“The way you say that makes me think there is also bad news,” Y/n trailed off as Pedri started the car and started driving out of the lot. “Tell me what happened.”
“A couple of the guys think you're attractive, so now I need to be watching my back.”
“Well, now you know how I feel with all of your fans.”
~~~~~
© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.
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roseunspindle · 1 month
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Alison sort of thought she should at least dislike Adam on principal. Mostly in that the ink was barely dry on the divorce papers when he moved in with her ex-husband. Also being 27... and the amount of shit she was getting from her "friends" for her husband leaving her for a younger man.
Only Adam seems to think she's a badass for escaping Zep with child in tow. He gets extra brownie points for being the one to kill Zep. Also called her a "total milf" when first meeting her while high on pain meds. (Lawrence was camped out in Adams room.)
She is fully aware that her and Lawrence's marriage was already pretty much over before Adam entered the picture.
Diana adores him. He adores her back.
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captaincryolicious · 2 years
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Your bookstore crush
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➳ Alhaitham x gn!reader
➳ Bulleted fic ; 4.4k
➳ Modern au, humor, pining ; No warnings
You wander into your favorite bookstore you thought had closed forever, but things take an unexpected turn from there. [27.10.2022]
Zep's Note ; If this doesn't flop I'm definitely writing a part two for this. [Edit: here is part two]
content under the cut | masterlist
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Tuesday, 3.46pm 
There was this old bookstore on the corner of a quiet street in town. You remember going there often, until it suddenly closed down many years ago. No one knew the reason why. You simply assumed that it went bankrupt, or maybe something had happened to the owner. 
Whatever it was, it had been closed for years now, and most people had long forgotten about its existence. But not you, who had such fond memories of the little bookstore. You walked past it every day on your way home, always feeling a sense of longing when your gaze pulled towards the storefront.
Until that day where you saw lights behind the dusty windows.
Your curiosity was sparked, and you inched closer to the store. For all you knew, it had been abandoned for years. No one bothered to look after it once it closed its doors, and now there suddenly were signs of life?
With wide eyes, you looked at the little sign on the door that read open, and you started to wonder; were you dreaming? It had to be. You had given up all hope that your favorite bookstore would ever open again, so this had to be too good to be true, right? 
Well, there was one way to find out.
Your hand found the doorknob and you pushed open the wooden door with the old little curtain that obscured the window. 
The tiny bell above the doorbell chimed softly, informing whoever was present in the store of your arrival. You waited a moment, but you saw no one. Hesitantly, you closed the door behind you and stepped further inside.
It was an absolute mess inside the store. Nothing like you remembered it. The wooden shelves stood tall and empty, and all the books rested on the floor, either in huge piles or they lay scattered in messy heaps. There were stacks of papers and little trinkets that you supposed were for decoration. It was dusty, and you saw tiny particles flying around in the light that filtered through the dirty windows. Honestly, it looked like a very local hurricane passed through the store. 
"Excuse me?" you called out, since no one seemed to respond to the little chime of the bell above the door. 
You heard some rustling from the back of the store, and a moment later a tall young man stepped from behind one of the shelves. It was fair to say that you needed a moment to take in his appearance, for he really stood out with his handsome face, silver hair with some streaks of pale teal, and clear turquoise eyes that held a hint of surprise upon seeing you. 
"We aren't open yet," the male told you.
"The sign on the door said you were," you reasoned, feeling a little ashamed under the guy's stoic expression. 
"That's an error on my behalf, then. My bad." 
You nodded, unsure of what to do next. Just walk away and leave the store? That would leave you dissatisfied, with a lot of questions on your mind. 
"When are you opening officially?" you asked.
"In a week," the man replied. "But I have yet to clean up everything and I'm on my own." 
"Do you need help?" you impulsively asked. A split second later, you felt like planting the palm of your hand against your embarrassed face. Why did you even suggest that?
The silver-haired male quirked a brow and you felt your cheeks flush red under his gaze.
"I mean, this used to be my favorite store and if I can do anything to help it open on time, I would love to," you quickly explained. 
He seemed to think for a moment, and you swear it felt like his turquoise eyes could see straight into your soul. It made you a little awkward but you tried to keep your composure. 
"I assume that means you know what this store used to look like in its glory days?" he asked after a short silence.
You nodded. "Pretty much." 
"Fine," he briskly agreed. "I think I can use a hand. Just don't be a nuisance and don't get in the way." 
A little offended, you folded your arms. Who did he think you were? Some kid who only stuck around to make a mess of things? He was lucky that he was so handsome. 
The deal was sealed, and you got to work. It mostly consisted of sweeping the dust off of the books, stacking them neatly into the shelves sorted by genre and author. A lot of interesting books passed through your hands and you avidly made mental notes on which ones you were going to buy as soon as the store would officially open.
Occasionally, other customers would come in, until the silver-haired man finally had enough and changed the sign from open to closed. After that, it was just you and him and a shitton of books that had to be sorted. 
For what feels like long hours, you tried your best to help organize the little corner shop. But it was just so much work that you could hardly see any progress, much to your dismay. The only proof of your labor were the shelves that were now stacked with books – though it was nothing compared to the number of shelves you had yet to fill. Yep, it was quite a tedious task but you carried on.
You barely spoke a word to the handsome man, who was working through a stack of papers on the other side of the store. 
The atmosphere was a little weird, you couldn't quite put your finger on it. One of its components was a fair share of awkwardness from your side, that's for sure. 
"I think we're done for the day," his deep voice concluded after a while, and you felt kinda grateful as you put down the books you held in your hands. As much as you loved books, having to deal with hundreds of them over the span of a few hours was a bit much and you were feeling tired. 
"We did quite some work, huh?" you stated proudly, stepping back to admire the vast line-up of books you had put into place.
"We did," he agreed. "Thanks for your help…"
"Y/N," you told him with a smile. "I'm Y/N." 
You bid him goodbye after that, but not without casually offering to help him out tomorrow as well. He wore that questioning look again as he accepted your offer, but you realized that it may be a little weird for a total stranger to help out so eagerly. 
You were just a massive book enthusiast. And let's be fair, that guy was insanely handsome. But you'd go for the books, you told yourself.
As you walked home, you suddenly realized a small error you had made today. It wasn't that big of a deal, but you still felt a little sour.
You didn't get his name. 
Wednesday, 4.07pm
You felt hesitant as you stood in front of the door to the bookstore the day after. Yesterday you acted in a burst of spontaneity – or impulsivity – but today you came prepared, which made you a little nervous. 
This time you knew who and what you would find behind that door; the handsome guy whose face you couldn't read and some huge piles of books. Somehow, it was easier when you could still pretend that it was an opened bookstore, like you could yesterday.
And the sign on the door read closed, which wasn't exactly inviting. You knew it was only to keep out other customers, but it had you seriously questioning whether or not to push down that door handle and step inside.
But come on, yesterday you had basically invited yourself over for today and the male with silver hair seemed to accept the offer. You were fine, there was no reason to feel so aversive towards entering.
You made up your mind and stepped inside, the little bell above the door ringing excitedly.
This time you found the handsome man in the front of the store, unloading several more books from cardboard boxes that stood here and there on the floor. God, there were so many books. You wondered if it was even doable to successfully clear the deadline of a week. Tidying the entire store in the six days he had left? He was in for a monstrous task. 
"Good afternoon, Y/N," he greeted you without so much as looking up. "I can't believe you're really that willing to help me out in this dusty bookstore." 
In other words, he was a tiny bit surprised that you showed up again, and you silently tsk-ed. He obviously didn't know you at all, you weren't just going to bail on him after promising your aid.  
Honestly, you were still trying to figure out yourself why you were helping out a complete stranger setting up a bookstore. You weren't ready to admit that part of the reason was the guy being absurdly handsome – and come on, who wouldn't be lowkey enchanted by the mysterious aura he had? 
Okay, it was only because you wanted your favorite bookstore to reopen asap!! That made perfect sense right? Of course you'd want that.
"You better give me a discount when I come to buy books," you joked to get your mind off the endless discussion about your reasons for helping out here. 
But the guy replied with an "of course, that's only fitting," which took you by surprise. He was pretty considerate as well, huh?
You got to work, starting where you left off yesterday. There were still tons of books on the floor, and they weren't going to put themselves into place. Many books passed through your hand, and sometimes you took little breaks to read the summaries on the back of the books. You occasionally caught the silver-haired male looking at you, and you would as if you weren't just checking out the books. But he didn't comment on it, until he did.
"Do you like reading?" he asked, suddenly behind you. "You seem interested in those books."
"Why would I help out in a bookstore if I didn't care about books?" you reasoned. It came out a little defensive, and you uttered out a quick apology.
"I see," came the reply. "I was just wondering…" but you never found out what he was wondering about, for he trailed off and shrugged curtly. You flashed him a questioning look, but he didn't start talking again. What on Earth was he wondering? 
The subject wasn't brought up again, and you were left with an unsatiated curiosity. 
You were dying to ask him but you bite your tongue. He seemed the type who strongly disliked people that kept prying. 
Instead you worked silently, stacking books on the shelves. Now it was you who regularly stole glances at the handsome male who worked on the other side of the store, where he was sorting through a pile of non-fiction books. Even with a concentrated frown on his features, he still looked insanely good and you struggled to focus on your task at hand. 
But you managed, getting quite far until he called your name, telling you that it was enough for today. You got up, using the palm of your hands to dust off your knees. 
You got ready to leave, but you had one more thing to do before you left the store.
"You never told me your name," you casually pointed out, taking a nonchalant stance – as if you weren't dying to find out the name that belonged to that handsome face.
"My name is Alhaitham," he said, and his turquoise rested on you. "Will you be here tomorrow?" 
You nodded. "I will."
With that, you left the store behind you, and the soft chime of the bell gave you a ringing goodbye. You pondered quietly as you walked home.
Althaitham, huh? 
Thursday, 3.34pm
You hadn't exactly told Alhaitham you were coming to the store again, but you figured he would be pretty much used to it by now. So you didn't hesitate all that much when you pushed open the door and stepped inside. 
"Hi, Alhaitham," you greeted, glancing around the bookstore.
The two of you had made so much progress. There were only a few books left that lay strewn across the floor, and the number of cardboard boxes with more books had shrunk significantly. It was crazy how far you had come in two days. 
Well, you had no idea at what time the guy started, and through the day he did quite some work by himself, but you also did your fair contribution. 
"Hello, Y/N," his voice drifted from the back of the store. "Give me a minute, I'm almost finished putting these history books away."
You leaned against the messy counter casually as you waited for the male to emerge and give you instructions for today. You watched how the tiny dust particles dance in the room idly, caught by the light that filtered through the closed blinds. 
Until you heard the dry thuds of objects falling followed by a low, whispered curse you only barely heard. That didn't sound good. You pushed yourself away from the counter and rounded the wall of bookshelves to check what happened – even though it wasn't a hard guess. 
You found Alhaitham crouched between a messy heap of history books that lay scattered on the hardwood floor after plummeting down from what you assumed were his hands. The man had a frown on his face as he rubbed his left foot. 
"Are you okay?" you asked, closing in on him.
"I'm fine," he assured you, readying himself to gather the books around him. The frown left his face, evening out into his usual stoic expression. But you had seen the pained frown, and guessed he dropped a few of the heavy history books on his foot. Ouch. 
"Let me help," you offered, crouching down next to him as you also began to gather the fallen books. 
It went smoothly, until you both had your mind set on the same book – one that told about ancient Egyptian history – and reached out at exactly the same moment. His hand came against yours as they collided firmly and a bolt of electricity shot through your arm, sending a shiver down your spine. 
Ever so rapidly, you retraced your arm, but the damage was already done. A blush crept up your cheeks, and suddenly the books on the floor were very interesting – you refused to look at the male next to you, who still had his hand on the Egyptian history book.
You were panicking. 
Why were you panicking?
"I'll start putting away the sci-fi books over there," you excused yourself, getting up and flashing the male a hasty smile. "Don't drop more books on yourself. Books are hard." 
"I noticed," Alhaitham said flatly, confused at your turn of behavior. But hear me out, this man might be a smartass know-it-all who has his nose in a book more often than not, but he wasn't dense. He caught on quickly, but his face remained unreadable, a true actor as he pretended not to notice the flustered state you were in. 
"The science fiction books are in a white box near the counter," he instructed you, and he was secretly amused by the blush you tried to hide from him. 
"Alright, thanks," you breathed out, relieved when you could make your escape. 
You got to work, and fortunately the shelf for sci-fi books was on the other side of the store, which gave you the opportunity to calm down quickly. It wasn't a big deal, you told yourself, and at some point you truly believed it wasn't. 
Nearly all the books stood where they belonged now, and the store's interior was coming along nicely. It really started to look like an actual bookstore! 
The thought also kinda saddened you, though. It meant that your time helping out here was almost over. You were just getting used to it, and especially after what happened today you had started to realize that you might have developed a tiny little crush on the handsome guy. How could you not?
Your afternoon consisted of books and many stolen glances at Alhaitham – and he would be totally aware of it but you had no idea. 
"Y/N," he said after a while, approaching you with a paper bag in his hands. "Do you maybe feel like taking a break? I brought something that could suffice as a snack."
"What is it?" you asked curiously. You could use a little break, for you felt the strain of moving around books for three days straight on your muscles. 
"Dried Zaytun peaches," Alhaitham replied. "Simple, efficient, and still quite tasteful."
Oh, that was nice. You munched away on those quite often when you were at home with nothing to do, so it was safe to say that you liked them.
The guy offered you the bag and you took a small handful before you sat down onto one of the few boxes that were left. Alhaitham sat down on a cardboard box opposite of you, and you sat in silence for a while as you ate your slices of dried Zaytun peach.
It wasn't necessarily awkward. The silence matched the serenity you expected to find in an old-style bookstore, and you found yourself enjoying the moment of leisure.
But after a while, small conversations would arise, and of course they all revolved around books and reading. You also found out that Alhaitham is the son of the store's initial owner, and that his father took the job of reviving the little shop again. Alhaitham was going to work part-time next to his study at the local academy. 
He also asked you questions, which you were more than happy to answer. Turned out he was interested in you as a person, that much was obvious from the questions he asked. 
In the end, he learned more about you than you did about him, but that was okay. After all, the air of mystery suited him very well. 
Maybe you'd learn about him some day.
Your break took much longer than it was supposed to be, and by the time you realized it was already pretty late so you decided to wrap up for the day.
With a feeling of satisfaction, you headed home. It felt as if the two of you were opening up to each other. You couldn't wait until tomorrow.
Friday, 4.33pm
There was a skip in your step as you crossed the road, heading towards the bookstore that became your favorite all over again. How could it not?
You ran a little late due to circumstances, but they didn't diminish your enthusiasm to help out again. You had gotten so far already, and you were likely close to finishing. You couldn't wait to see the store when it was done! 
As you venture inside, you find Alhaitham stacking the last books onto the shelves and you quickly hurry over to help him.
"You're later than usual," he commented.
"I got held up," you explained. Did he mind?
He nodded, as if that simple statement was enough of an explanation for him. You knew it wasn't like him to pry at all. Or maybe he simply didn't care, but that didn't sound quite right.
"Do you mind helping me put these last books away?" he asked, gesturing towards a few piles of books at his feet. "As soon as we finish, all the books will be into place."
What an accomplishment. After days of doing nothing but stacking books, it was refreshing to have the finish line in sight. 
You worked quietly, only the sound of cars driving by outside and the soft continuous thud of books colliding with the wooden shelves resonated through the small store. 
It was peaceful.
Peaceful, until you had to put the books on the highest shelf – which was just out of reach for you. With a book in hand, you struggled to put it on the top shelf, standing on your tippy toes but it wasn't quite enough for you to actually reach it. You cussed in mild frustration, but then you froze.
The book was taken from your hands as it was neatly placed onto the top shelf, but what had you petrified was the solid chest pressed flush against your back as Alhaitham stood behind you. 
Your eyes flew wide and your breath halted, and you nearly squealed in panic when he moved to take another book.
"Here, allow me," he said calmly. 
Had you been able to see his face at that very moment, you would've seen the amused glint in his turquoise eyes. This guy knew very well what he was doing, acting to see if he could fluster you again – it was adorable to him, though his stoic demeanor would never give away such thoughts. 
You were having serious trouble breathing, and he stepped back to release you. You were quick to move away after being trapped between the bookshelves and his chest for what felt like a hot minute and you had to fight the urge to fan your flustered face with your hand. Instead you straightened your composure.
"T-Thanks, that was a little too high for me." 
You had to struggle so much to formulate those words. Alhaitham wondered if he had to stop teasing you or do it more often. Your reactions were cute and you would never suspect him of teasing you on purpose. No one would ever suspect such a thing of him, for he was only seen as serious and emotionless, aloof even. 
He'd think about it. 
But he was leaning towards yes, mostly because he felt his own heart flutter while teasing you just as much. 
Meanwhile, you were trying your best to calm your frantic heart, staring ahead of you idly because much like yesterday, you refused to look at the male who flustered the heck out of you. God, you only came there to help out in peace, this was not what you signed up for. 
"At this rate, we might open the store sooner than we initially planned," Alhaitham stated, glancing around the store seemingly unfazed. 
All there was left to do was some cleaning, and you gladly took the distraction. You avoided him for what felt like hours, meticulously dusting off all the surfaces you could find, vacuuming the hardwood floor (twice) and making sure all the books stood perfectly straight.
Well, all the books you could reach by yourself. You were definitely not trying to reach the top shelf again because you weren't ready for today's situation to repeat itself. 
With your frantic cleaning, you earned quite a few amused glances from the handsome male with silver hair, but you were making quick wits of the dirt and dust that littered the store. In the meantime, Alhaitham did his own part as well, cleaning with you and using the trinkets he had unboxed to decorate the store to his liking. 
Before you knew it, the shop was as good as done. You dropped the cloth into the bucket with water and wiped your forehead with the back of your hand. You had cooled down a lot, props to the intensity you had cleaned with. Not a speck of grime had escaped your eye, and in the meantime you were somewhat ready to face Alhaitham again. 
"Whew, I think we're done," you mused.
"I think so, too," the male agreed. "Now all there's left is some administrational work, but my father will take care of that." 
Then his turquoise eyes found you.
"Thank you for your help, though. I could not have done it so quickly without you. I was even worried about reaching our deadline but you made it much easier."
"I'm glad I could help," you smiled, growing a little shy under his gaze. "It was fun to set up my favorite bookstore again."
"Can I ask you a question?" Alhaitham asked.
"Of course," you tilted your head curiously.
"I came to notice that I like having you around," he admitted bluntly, honest and direct as always. "It would be a shame to see you go."
"Hm?" you brought out, cheeks tinting. 
"I'd have to ask my father…" he finally seemed to hesitate, his eyes flickering away momentarily. "...but do you want to work here as a part-timer? You'd make a good colleague."
Your brain paused for a moment, were you hearing that correctly? Handsome guy was asking you to become his co-worker? It was as if you were dreaming. You fought the urge to pinch yourself – that would make you look silly in front of him – and pondered his offer for a second. There were many pros to this; an income, working in your favorite bookstore, employer discount on your fave books, and getting to work together with the mysterious guy you developed a crush on. 
It was a big win-win situation.
"I would love to," you reacted.
"Alright," Alhaitham said, satisfied. "Give me your phone, I'll add my number so I can keep you updated." 
You retrieved your phone from your pocket, handing it to the male in front of you. His fingers danced over the rectangular screen as he typed in the digits, before he gave it back to you.
Your eyes widened when you saw the name he gave his contact slot.
Your bookstore crush.
I told you, Alhaitham wasn't oblivious. 
Though he felt a little nervous with this bold move, the way you looked at him told him that he didn't mess up. 
Where your face was a blushing mess, his face remained aloof, unmoving as always. You had to get out of there. Oh God, how were you supposed to face your possible new co-worker the next time you saw him?
"I, uh, I'll text you soon so you have my number as well," you promised him, taking a few steps back to make your escape through the door. "B-Bye!"
And with that, you took your leave, leaving an amused Alhaitham behind. Your heart was doing somersaults in your chest.
Helping out in the forgotten bookstore really took an unexpected turn.
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