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k-evans-reads · 2 years

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Playing With Fire

Chapter 16

Summary: After a change of heart nearly ten years into her career as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse, Ellie Maxwell has moved back home and returned to her old job at the local bakery, where the regulars are the firefighters from down the street. When sparks begin to fly between Ellie and the guarded, closed-off Chris, will anything come of it?

Pairing: Firefighter!Chris Evans X OFC Elizabeth “Ellie” Maxwell

Word Count: 6,518

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: Smut. 18+ ONLY. Minors DNI.

Previous | Main Masterlist | Playing With Fire Masterlist

A little clunk echoed in the bakery as Chris laid in the last tile for the brand new flooring, his back tight as he finally stood up and looked around at the finished flooring. It had been a long few weeks, first with Ellie deciding to jump into buying the bakery but that was only the beginning. What had come next was Ellie becoming lost in samples of all kinds before they started renovating and remodeling the damaged bakery. He had spent all of his days off while Hazel was at school putting in the work side by side with Ellie, but lately, the stress on both of their shoulders was nearly suffocating.

Chris let out a sigh when he glanced over to see a familiar blonde in the exact same place she’d been for the past two hours. Ellie was sitting in the doorway to the kitchen, pieces of wallpaper spread out around her as she stared at each one, picking them up and inspecting them before putting it back down and doing the same with the next. He crossed his arms as he came over and leaned against the doorway, waiting until she finally lifted her head so that he could give her a look.

“I thought you already picked a paint color?”

Ellie shook her head as she turned back to the samples, holding up a pale pink wallpaper square and inspecting it. “I changed my mind, I think yellow is going to be way too off putting inside,” she informed him firmly.

“Elles, we spent hours yesterday going through all the samples of that paint,”

“I know but I don’t think it’s right,” Ellie sighed and confessed, her shoulders hunching under his stare as she continued to avoid his gaze. “I think I should do wallpaper instead.”

Chris refrained from letting out the sigh of exasperation that he so desperately wanted to, and instead frowned and asked, “Okay well did you pick one?”

“What do you like? I think I like either of these,” Ellie replied, holding identical samples in either hand.

“Ellie, those look exactly the same.”

“It’s the same pattern but look, this one the leaves are a lighter green and this one it has a darker green,” she murmured as she moved over to stand next to him, trying to point out the supposed differences as Chris felt the headache that’d been looming all afternoon begin to ache.

Chris’ voice was delicate as he watched Ellie’s hands fly all over the sample in her efforts to pick apart the samples, interrupting her as he said, “I think you’re starting to see things, honey. They literally look identical.”

“They’re not though,” she insisted, a deep frown on her face.

He let out a huff that broke into a sigh and waved a hand, too tired to battle. “Then just pick whatever one you like.”

She continued to stare at the samples in either hand, practically deflating as she quietly admitted, “But I don’t know.”

“Okay then how about you take a break and come see the tile? I just finished it,” Chris suggested as he nodded his head towards the front area of the bakery.

For the first time that day, he saw a smile on Ellie’s face before he rested a hand on her back, gently leading her to the doorway and around the corner so she could come over behind the counter to see his handiwork. Chris felt a little bit proud of himself, knowing that he hadn’t exactly been inept when it came to things like this and he’d certainly done his fair share of house projects over the years fixing up his small home, but laying tile was a new challenge and he was pretty happy with how it had come out. He glanced over at Ellie, seeing her bite her bottom lip as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear and immediately he knew he wasn’t going to like what was going to come out of her mouth.

His jaw clenched as he saw the way her eyes stared at the tile and froze as a frown appeared on her face. “I don’t like that look,” he murmured nervously.

“No, no, it looks great,” she rushed to tell him, but the familiar deflating of her shoulders occurred and she shook her head. “I just… okay don’t hate me but I just think that maybe the grout is too dark.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Chris muttered, feeling his patience finally snap. It’d been several weeks of her indecisiveness, and while he was more than understanding, he was also fucking tired of redoing things because she couldn’t make a decision. “Elles, I’m not ripping up all of this tile and redoing it just for the grout color. It’s gray! Nobody will even notice it!”

“But I’m afraid it’s going to look dirty and I don’t want that in a bakery,” Ellie rushed to explain, but she didn’t seem sympathetic to the strain on Chris as she continued, “I knew I should have picked white.”

“Elles, it literally does not matter. You’re making everything a huge deal,” Chris muttered as he shook his head in disbelief.

“It is though Chris,” she insisted firmly. “All of this is a huge deal. I have to make sure everything is perfect.”

“Well you don’t have to, you just want to,” his low, nearly sarcastic voice amended.

Ellie’s demeanor reminded Chris so much of Hazel – the upset pout, the worried eyes, and the nervous fiddling and movements, and he felt a rush of sympathy wash over him as she repeated the sentiment, telling him, “Things like this matter though.”

And as much as Chris wanted to say more, he decided to keep his mouth shut. In all their months of dating, he’d never seen Ellie like this. He knew she was a perfectionist but he’d never actually seen it come out in this way. She had been on edge ever since buying this business and there wasn’t a day that had gone by that she didn’t obsess over some minute detail or change her mind for about fifteen different things. Chris couldn’t help but feel frustrated but knew that she just was stressed and he hoped things would calm down soon enough.

He was thankful that Ellie eventually looked at the clock, suggesting they take a break for lunch and nothing sounded better to him. They both washed their hands before grabbing the sandwiches that Ellie had made and brought out to the front porch, sitting on the top step and soaking in the spring sunshine. Neither said anything for a long moment, Chris being able to see the gears inside Ellie’s head churning on high speed and if he was being completely honest, he didn’t really even want to know all that was going through her brain.

Ellie wiped her face with a napkin, putting it in her lap as she asked him, “When do you think we’ll be able to finish the bakery?”

Chris lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug, a small smirk playing on his lips as he told her, “Depends on how many times you change your mind.”

Ellie rolled her eyes at him fondly, but then moved to stare at the paper plate on her lap as she whispered, “I’m serious.”

“So am I,” Chris replied, but dropped the teasing tone as he saw the anxiety in her expression. “I think we can have everything ready in the next two, maybe three, weeks probably.”

Ellie nodded as she chewed on a carrot, her eyes watching the cars drive by. “I want to get open so we can start making some money but I’m also nervous,” she admitted with a tentative and nervous look on her face, one that broke Chris’ heart. “When it opens then I actually have to run it.”

Chris turned to face Ellie fully, his hand moving to cover her own and squeezing it lightly. “Hey, you’re going to do a great job,” his low voice rumbled.

“I hope so.” He could see the invisible weight causing her shoulders to sag, her eyes looking anywhere but him as she mentioned, “I actually was thinking about something though.”

“What’s that?”

“Well I was thinking of hiring Brooke,” she finally turned to look at him. “She hates her job cutting hair and she’s so good at details that I was thinking she could help me order inventory, schedule all the employees and manage the custom orders.”

Chris smiled at her idea, reaching his free hand over to rub her back, encouraging her with, “I think that’s a good idea. I think you’re going to drive yourself insane if you try to do it all by yourself.”

“Yeah…”

He could tell more was lingering inside of her anxious shell but Chris felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, pulling his attention away from her. With both his job and having Hazel, Chris always made sure to check his phone in case something had happened, but the text that he read caught him completely off guard.

“Who is it?” Ellie asked lightly before she took a swig from her water bottle.

He grimaced and raised an eyebrow as he unlocked his phone and opened the text, telling Ellie, “It’s Ashlee.”

“...Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, she just is asking me for your phone number,” Chris’ brows furrowed as he looked at the text, as if staring at it longer would somehow explain it all. “She didn’t say why.”

“Oh…”

He watched her neatly folding her napkin as she tucked it underneath her paper plate before finally asking, “Are you okay with me giving Ashlee your number or do you want me to ask her why?

“No, no, it’s okay.”

Chris’ blue eyes lingered on Ellie for a long moment, studying her face before finally looking back at his phone so he could type out her number and send it off to Ashlee. An uncomfortable silence fell on each of them, neither knowing what this could be about and honestly not feeling great about it. At the sound of Ellie’s phone buzzing with an alert, they each jumped a little while Ellie instantly grabbed the small device.

Ellie had a deep frown on her face as she stared at her phone, and Chris felt his heart begin to race. “Ashlee said she wants to talk to me,” Ellie began slowly.

“About what?” He asked instantly, confused at the sudden shift thanks to Ashlee.

Ellie shrugged, looking at him helplessly. “She said she just wants to meet next week to talk,” she explained with another shrug. “I don’t know.”

“Elles…you don’t have to answer. I’ll call her and find out what’s going on,” he sighed, reaching for his phone again and clicking on Ashlee’s contact.

“No, don’t,” Ellie’s voice interrupted him. He glanced up at her and at the resolute expression on her face and the way she shook her head, he locked his phone again with a sigh. “If we’re going to continue to get more serious, I’m going to have to figure out how to have a relationship with her.”

“But you don’t have to do it now,” he reminded her with a clenched jaw.

“I think it’s probably for the best if I do,” she replied, an odd mixture of nerves and confidence all over her. “I didn’t feel like when I met her that one time that it went well, so I think it’d be good for everyone if I went.”

Chris was struck by the simple way Ellie turned her mood around in light of a pretty fucking large curveball being thrown her way, something he never felt he did well himself. “...You’re pretty wonderful, Ellie,” he murmured in admiration, shaking his head with a small laugh. “I hope you know that.”

Ellie shrugged, raising an eyebrow. Her voice was sarcastic and that teasing smirk – the one that’d gotten them into so much trouble already – taunted him as she reminded him, “I don’t think you were thinking that about twenty minutes ago.”

“Well when you’re devoting hours on end to identical wallpaper, you can’t really blame me,” Chris drawled as he laughed, feeling that stress from the last few weeks begin to lighten off of his shoulders.

Ellie rolled her eyes, looking at him as she protested, “They weren’t identical though.”

“Yes they were!” Chris insisted, laughing loudly. Despite their ‘arguing’, he knew it was all in good fun. It was a side of Ellie and himself that had been all but locked away in the last several weeks. He’d missed this – he’d missed her – and he welcomed the shift in Ellie.“I think you’ve been smelling too many paint fumes at this point and it’s making you insane.”

“You know what? Just for that I’m going to go meet Ashlee just so we can talk shit about you.”

“Oh do you mean shit like how I just laid an entire bathroom full of tile for you?” Chris couldn’t help but quip with a raised eyebrow.

And although he didn’t know it, that little smirk of his had Ellie’s stomach doing flip flops. Chris watched from under his long eyelashes as Ellie rested a hand on his broad shoulder before leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. He was so hungry for her kiss that he couldn’t help but deepen it quickly, needing more, but with them still sitting on the front porch, Ellie quickly pulled away.

Resigned to his kiss-less fate at the moment, Chris looked back down at his unfinished lunch but got it taken away by the blonde sitting next to him. He shot her a confused look as she put their paper plates on the porch before standing up and tugging on his arm. When he saw the little familiar grin on her pink lips, he knew exactly what was happening and he practically leapt to his feet, chasing after her through the bakery and up the back stairs as she laughed wildly before she stumbled at the top of the stairs, allowing him to capture her in his thick arms.

He was happy to forget about everything that was downstairs, all the wet grout, paint samples, and boxes of trim to be installed. It felt like their past few weeks together had been completely engrossed in the bakery and he’d missed not having Ellie’s full attention, even in moments like this being able to tell her brain was elsewhere. He loved her so deeply and seeing her so weighed down with all of this had not only been frustrating but had broken his heart a little to see her so different and withdrawn.

But he wasn’t about to let that be the case now, his lips caressing hers just the way he knew she loved, making sure he got her full attention this time. Chris’ chest was tingling with warmth, loving the needy way she was tugging at his sweaty clothes. Needing her just as badly, Chris shimmied out of his athletic shorts and his tight boxers, kicking them over to where she’d already left his shirt before he set his sights on peeling her out of every layer that kept her body from his.

Normally they liked to take their time, loving all the soft touches and sweet kisses that came before, but Chris was burning with so much desire for her that the only thing he could think of was getting deep inside her and hearing those sweet moans that poured from her lips. His pure need for her took over his actions, making him spin her around in his arms, lips attaching to her neck while his fingers dipped inside her warmth.

Chris felt drunk on the sound of her sighs, loving the way her back arched against his chest while his fingers spread around her wetness, rubbing deliberate circles on her sensitive button to keep her writhing in his grasp. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched Ellie’s head tip back to rest against his broad shoulder, her chest heaving as he whispered so many things into her ear as he kept working his fingers in those tight circles.

But just when he could tell her body was about to snap, he pulled his fingers away, needing to be able to be tucked deep inside her so that he could feel the way her body grasped his as she hit that peak. He turned them around, pushing Ellie into the wall a little harder than he intended but the soft grunt she let out when she hit the wall was enough to drive him wild and somehow got him even harder than he already was.

In one swift move, his hands were around her thighs, lifting her up and pinning her between her body and the wall. Her back was resting against the tan colored wall, legs being held on either side of his hips and pushed straight into her with a little guidance from her slender hand. They both were moaning loudly with that initial stretch, each of them having missed this deep connection and primal need for one another. Chris relished the way that Ellie’s soft hands reached out, rubbing across his firm chest, her core clenching down on him from being able to take in the way his muscles were bulging from how he was holding her up. If it was any other moment, he would have loved to just stand there and just get to watch the way she was already coming undone, melting against the wall and clenching him so hard, but right now, he couldn’t manage any of that.

He needed her and he needed her so fuckin’ bad.

Chris’ hips started thrusting, fast and unfocused as he chased after that euphoric feeling. He was thankful for his choice to hold her up, being able to lift her slightly and drop her back down to meet his thrusts, causing him to hit her so fucking deep with each thrust, making Ellie cry out in a way he hadn’t heard before. They were both panting, Ellie grasping at him blindly as his grip on her thighs tightened, his pace picking up as he kept hitting her hard and deep.

He could hear the almost obscene squelch as he kept diving into her over and over again, that wildly amazing feeling starting to tingle inside of him. Chris wanted to let go, he wanted to fill her up so badly and have that feeling of pulsing inside her warmth but he was determined to hang on, keeping himself steady as he kept thrusting until Ellie’s body was exploding while her fingers dug into his shoulders.

Chris focused on working her through that high, loving the way she was practically wilting onto him, her arms wrapping around his neck, face buried in his neck and chest heaving against his own while he kept pounding into her. It only took a few more thrusts and Ellie’s muffled whimpers against his skin to have him spilling into her and finally having that incredible feeling that they each needed more than they even knew.

After a long moment of them both panting, he heard her voice say against his skin,“I think you broke me.”

“Oh fuck, honey I’m sorry,” Regret instantly washed over him as he pulled out of her and then gently lowered her down to her feet. He knew he shouldn’t have gone that hard, knowing it wasn’t something they normally did and certainly not without talking it through before. Chris’ blue eyes anxiously scanned over her bare form, his hands on her waist as he surveyed her and asked, “Are you alright? What can I do?”

He heard Ellie’s soft laughter before her arms snaked around his neck, leaning in to peck his lips before telling him, “I meant in a good way.”

Chris squeezed her a little tighter, his anxiety washing away as he commented, “Well in that case, I’m glad I could be of service.”

He watched her as she trailed a hand along the side of his face, cupping his cheek tenderly as she stole another kiss, commenting, “So I think it sounds like you did end up enjoying working on the bakery.”

“If this is what comes with it, I’ll work here every day.”

“Need a hand?” Chris asked Hazel with a raised eyebrow, unclipping the buckle of her car seat. At Hazel’s stubborn shake of her head, he moved his arms back to his sides and stepped back, watching as he stood next to the car while she pulled the straps of her car seat off her shoulders. She shot him a grin as she slipped out of the seat, grabbing her water bottle from the cupholder before she moved towards the open door. Before Hazel could leap out of the car, Chris hastily latched onto her spare hand, keeping her still before he scooped her up.

“Why can’t I walk by myself?” The little girl muttered unhappily in his ear as he shut the door of the SUV, locking the car with one hand before he began walking them to the front of the grocery store. Her fist clung to the collar of Chris’ plain t-shirt, the same one that was stained with grout in a few places from earlier that day.

Chris paused and looked both ways before he crossed the walkway, hurrying before the waiting cars impatiently drove through. “Because it’s busy right now and I don’t want you to get hurt,” he murmured to her just before they reached the sidewalk in front of the store. He glanced towards the doors as a constant stream of people, having likely just left work or gotten their kids from school as well, poured in and out of the store, smiling instinctively as he felt Hazel grasp his hand tightly. “Let’s go get a cart, Basil,” he told her with a smile, leading her over to the carts.

Hazel’s eyes were locked on the small section of mini kid’s carts as he pulled a cart from the row. “Can I get one?” She asked him quietly, her brown eyes wide as she met his own blue eyes.

A chuckle rose from him as he shook his head, reaching under her armpits and lifting her before he placed her in the seat in the cart. “You lost your cart privileges last time, remember?” He asked her, raising an eyebrow as Hazel moved to avoid his eyes and stare at the ground with a pout. “Maybe in a few weeks, my heels still hurt Hazie,” he told her quietly, a small smirk on his lips before he leaned down and kissed her forehead and began steering the cart through the double doors of the grocery store.

Hazel’s displeasure was quickly forgotten as they moved through the produce section, the little girl excitedly instructing Chris on what to get. “I want the candy grapes!” She cheered as the cart stopped, pointing at the container of cotton candy grapes in the display.

Chris huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “You mean the organic, $5.99 a pound grapes? Not the normal green grapes?” He asked, holding up the container as he looked at his smiling daughter.

“Yeah, the yummy ones,” she affirmed, holding her hands out until he handed the grapes to her. She quickly turned in her seat, carefully dumping the organic grapes into the cart before she spun back with a wide grin.

“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” Chris muttered before he began pushing the cart away before Hazel could make any more costly decisions. He navigated them through the story, pausing every few moments to pull something off the shelves as he listened to Hazel’s chattering, hearing about her day at preschool.

“I drew a unicorn today but I didn’t like it,” Hazel told him seriously, her brown eyes as wide as saucers as she watched him slyly pick a box of pasta made from zucchini and spinach off of the shelf, dumping it into the cart before Hazel’s eyes could linger on the ‘normal’ pasta boxes.

“Oh, really?” He asked her as they moved down the aisle, then turned and paused in the cereal aisle. “What cereal do you want? Cheerios or Mini-Wheats?”

She turned in her seat, looking up and down the aisle next to her at the brightly covered cereal boxes, each adorned with some cartoon character and image to entice her. “Cocoa Puffs,” she finally answered, turning to look at Chris with a satisfied grin.

His lips curled in amusement and he leaned against the cart, Hazel’s hand reaching out to tap along the skin of his bare forearm. “I don’t remember offering Cocoa Puffs…”

“I know,” the girl replied with a small shrug of her narrow shoulders. “But Cocoa Puffs seem like a cereal Ellie would like.”

“Really?” Chris asked, pursing his lips as he thought. “I don’t think Ellie’s ever mentioned them before.”

“Yeah, but they’re chocolate and Ellie makes chocolate things all the time for us,” she informed him, and he had to admit her logic was fairly sound as she pointed to the box again, almost reminding him to get it.

He let out a long sigh with a small shake of his head. “Okay,” he finally agreed, refraining from grinning at the excited look on her face. “But only this one time, then only Cheerios or Mini-Wheats until summer, alright?”

Chris kept pushing the cart through the store, Hazel’s small legs swinging gently as they weaved up and down the aisles while she asked, “Daddy, can we have peanut butter sandwiches for dinner?”

“Not tonight honey, I’m going to make spaghetti and meatballs,” he informed her.

“Why can’t we have peanut butter?” She asked, not understanding why he couldn’t simply change the menu.

Chris was looking at all the different kinds of bread, checking the dates and placing a loaf for dinner in the cart as he told her, “Because Ellie’s coming over tonight and she’s had a long day working on the bakery so she’s going to be hungry.”

“I want spaghetti now,” Hazel stated firmly, her little hands playing with the beaded necklace she had on while telling him as he looked for sandwich bread, “I like it when Ellie comes over.”

Although Hazel didn’t know it, that one simple sentence completely melted his heart. Ever since Ashlee, he hadn’t been in a relationship with anyone, and if he was being honest, he hadn’t expected to for a long time. Hazel was his priority in life and he hadn’t planned on bringing anyone new into her life… or into his. He tried to just keep his head down and take things day by day, going to work, then taking care of Hazel and not focusing on much else.

But Ellie had changed all of that.

She had come into his life and made him want things that he didn’t think were possible anymore. She pulled him out of his little bubble that was filled with so much loneliness and showed him that life could be so much more than what he had been experiencing. She made him feel loved in a way he hadn’t ever felt before and getting to see that love extend to Hazel and to see how Hazel loved her so much in return made him know that this was right.

All of those thoughts brought a warmth inside of him that stayed present as they finished shopping and headed back home to unload the groceries and start on dinner. The chaos of the evening passed by in a blur between Chris getting dinner ready and Hazel buzzing around, happily greeting and pulling Ellie away the moment she arrived from the bakery, still covered in various paints and grout smears.

It wasn’t until after the spaghetti dinner and cleaning up that Chris finally pulled the tired little girl away from the bright-eyed blonde that time seemed to slow. After giving her a bath and helping her into bed, he shut Hazel’s door with one final “goodnight,” and trudged down the stairs, ready to relax with Ellie, but when he came to the bottom step, he found a much different scene in front of him.

Ellie was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, her back resting against it while she looked at flooring, wallpaper, and paint samples spread out in front of her that she must have brought with. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated with Ellie and how she had let herself be consumed with every tiny detail of redoing the bakery. He knew it was a big event for her, but the level with which she had become obsessed was taking a toll on them both. Ellie was perpetually exhausted these days, that little Ellie sparkle she always carried with her being dulled. Her extreme patience, calmness and all around good nature had been overtaken with anxiety and perfectionism to an unhealthy level and he couldn’t help but miss his Ellie, just wanting this bakery to be open already so he could have her back.

“Elles, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Chris murmured quietly as he stepped in front of her with a sigh. He had hoped they’d be able to just relax tonight, maybe share a beer and watch something on Netflix, but Ellie was turning the evening on its head.

“I just need to pick out some tile for the backsplash for the counter and in the bathroom, and the color for upstairs in the breakroom and my office,” she insisted with a shake of her head, not meeting his gaze as she held up a piece of tile next to the sample of the flooring for the back counter area. “The painters are coming on Friday.”

Chris refrained from saying something rash and instead moved to grab a beer from the fridge. “Well it’s only Tuesday so you still have time,” he pointed out.

“No I don’t because I have to order the paint and pick it up and tomorrow I’m meeting with Dottie to go over things. Then I’m meeting with Brooke since she accepted the job to kind of go over what it’ll look like,” Ellie rambled, her voice wavering as Chris made his way back into the living room as he took a long sip of the beer. He could tell her brain was moving a thousand miles a minute, and while it hurt him to see the way she was overthinking and overdoing everything, he didn’t know how to make it stop. “And I’m still nowhere close to being finished with decorating it and I need to go find what tables and chairs will fit and then-”

“Ellie, will you just fuckin’ stop? If I have to hear about tile or paint or countertops one more time I swear I’m going to go insane!” He interrupted, his voice raising in what was a somewhat sharp manner, while still low enough to not wake the curly-haired girl upstairs. He’d watched Ellie think, move, and go nonstop from the moment she woke until the moment she – restlessly – fell asleep each night, if she even did fall asleep, and he could tell she was approaching the point of no return. She could put up some boundaries, leaving the bakery stuff at the bakery each night, giving herself a few hours of a break she desperately needed, or she could keep going, and likely crash and burn in the process. And while Chris would support her either way, he couldn’t watch her self-destruct like this without at least trying to help her.

For the first time since he had come back down the stairs, she brought her eyes up to meet his, but Chris almost wished she hadn’t. He could see the tears brimming in her eyes and immediately felt a wash of guilt, knowing that his harsh words had brought those dripping tears there. But this wasn’t Ellie, the cool, calm, and collected blonde. This was the Ellie that her parents, brother, and Brooke all vaguely referenced from time to time, the one who didn’t know when and how to stop until it was too far gone. And while he hated having to be the one to proverbially smack it out of her, it had to happen, for everyone's own good.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that so harshly Elles,” Chris whispered guiltily, shaking his head as he fell backwards onto the couch. “But you can’t keep doing this, you’re going to burn yourself out before the bakery even opens.”

She gasped as she took a breath, the tears falling rapidly as she abandoned the samples to turn and face Chris. “But I have to make these decisions,” she whispered.

“Yeah make decisions, that means make a choice and then you’re done with it. Not stress over a miniscule decision for days on end.”

“They matter!”

Chris shrugged half-heartedly, a hand lifting in the air unconvincingly. “Yeah they matter but not enough to make yourself sick over, especially when it's a decision like faucets and wallpaper and trim color,” he tried to reason.

“They all make a difference,” Ellie’s voice was hardened, and she shook her head. “This has to be successful.”

“And tell me how picking this white or this tan for the break room upstairs is going to matter if you run a successful bakery or not,” Chris pointed out, crossing his arms after he took a sip of beer, then leaned back against the couch cushion.

Her voice was impossibly tiny, her shoulders hunching as she caved in on herself. She seemed – in the moment – as small as Hazel was, so delicate and breakable, but still with a stubborn, fierce fire inside of her, just buried below all of her anxieties. “You don’t understand,” she insisted again.

“No, don’t do that. That’s just trying to shut this conversation down,” Chris called her out, shaking his head as his jaw clenched. “Tell me, Ellie. I want you to be able to articulate what it is I don’t understand.”

“It just…” she paused, floundering as her eyes were locked on her wringing hands in her lap, Chris barely able to see the white and black wool rug beneath her. “I just have to make sure this is all is right. It all has to be right. It needs to be perfect.”

He sighed in frustration, nostrils flaring and his hands flying apart from where they’d rested over his chest and into the air. “But what does that even mean? How is there a right or wrong when it comes to picking a paint color!”

“Because I can’t fail at another thing!”

“Elles,” his voice cut through, suddenly losing all his steam in his argument at that admission. “Hey, come sit by me and tell me what this is all about.”

He held a hand out, waiting as Ellie slowly stood up from the floor and sat next to him, leaving a reasonable distance, something Chris was grateful for as he could see her face clearly. “I already failed at one career so what’s to say I won’t fail at this one?” Ellie asked him, her eyes wide and all but terrified at the thought. “Only this time will be ten times worse.”

“How’s that?”

“Because now I’m responsible for other people’s income. My parents invested money, you’ve put in all this work getting it repaired, Brooke quit her job to work for me and all these other employees are depending on me,” she informed him, but the notion was nothing new to Chris. He was incredibly proud of her, the way she was able to be in this position where others worked for her and wanted to do so, and do it well. But he couldn’t help but acknowledge how terrifying that must be, especially in a moment of weakness like this. “I’m responsible and when I fail, it’ll affect all of them.”

“But obsessing over paint and tile isn’t going to help change any of that,” he told her with a soft whisper.

“I just can’t fail again, Chris. I just can’t.”

“Ellie, you have to stop thinking of yourself as a failure. You worked as a nurse for quite a few years and decided it wasn’t for you, so what? Now you’re doing something else,” he shrugged, pausing a bit before he continued, “and if the bakery doesn’t end up working out, it’ll be hard but you’ll find another job and so will everyone else. That’s just a normal part of life.”

She gave him a tight smile – although it leaned more grimace – before she admitted, “It sounds so simple when you say it, but it doesn’t feel that way.”

“You can be dedicated to something and work hard without killing yourself, honey,” Chris reminded her, tilting his head as he studied her. “You have to be able to let go of some of it.”

Ellie frowned, looking down at her lap as she pulled on a loose thread from her shorts. “I just don’t know how,” she quietly confessed.

“You do know that there are quite a few people in your life who’d be more than willing to help you, right?” Chris asked, an eyebrow raised before he smiled a little. “And there’s one sitting right next to you.”

Her eyes were wide as she took in his words, something shifting inside of her before she quietly said, “I love you, Chris.”

“I love you too, Elles,” he easily replied, the phrase being the easiest one he’d ever said. “Now let’s put all those samples away and you’re not going to think about it for the rest of the night, okay? You’re officially taking a break.”

She nodded, leaning down to put the samples back into her large brown tote bag. Before long she glanced over her shoulder at him with a smirk, saying, “Just so you know, you’re not allowed to leave me ever, because I don’t know any other man who would do all of this for me.”

His shoulders relaxed as he comfortably leaned back, taking a sip from the lukewarm beer in his hand as he playfully admitted, “Well don’t worry, the only plans I have are getting you closer to me.”

Chris watched as Ellie zipped up the top of her bag, stowing away all the samples and hopefully putting them out of her mind. He caught her gaze as she turned back to look over at him and he took the opportunity to pat his chest with a hand, a silent invitation to her that she gladly took. Ellie curled up next to him, her head coming to rest on his chest and her arm curling around his waist. It wasn’t until he draped his thick arms around her that a soft contented sigh came out of her, and although it seemed far-fetched only a matter of minutes ago, he had his Elles back.

A/N: Sorry for the delay- it got stuck in our queue! Whoops. We’ve missed Chellie so much! This chapter was one of our faves to write between everything, and so many headcanons we’ve had for so long ended up getting brought up here! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts, and feel free to send any asks you want to our inbox for Firefighter Friday tomorrow!!

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natashasnoodle · 2 years

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A Friend From Work | Robin Buckley x Female Reader

Masterlist | R.B Masterlist

Words: 3.1k

Summary: Starting work at Scoops Ahoy was daunting enough without seeing the girl you've had a crush on for years standing behind the counter.

✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

The mall was bustling with people as you walked through it, which was not helping with the embarrassment of having to wear your new Scoops uniform. No one was actually looking at you, but as you made your way through the hustle and bustle you could have sworn that you had a million eyes on you. But in reality, everyone else was enjoying their Saturday, laughing with friends, buying food, and looking for new clothes. You were invisible to these people, especially as most people in the mall had seen the Scoops uniform at least once, so they couldn't care less. They just saw you as an employee.

But still, you anxiously tugged on the small tie as you made your way over to Scoops Ahoy for your first shift since being hired. You had only been in once with your Mom and were served by Steve Harrington, which shocked you at first and you stood intimidated, but when he had flashed you a friendly smile of recognition you were pleasantly surprised. You deduced that he must have changed since his days of tormenting those of Hawkins High with his right-hand man, Tommy H.

So, when there had been a vacancy flyer pushed through your letterbox and your Mom told you, more like ordered you, to apply you weren't worried about the fact that Steve would be a coworker. Your Mom wanted you to apply so that you would actually leave the house for something other than school, and you didn't push back because the idea of having your own savings sounded like a nice thing.

When you got the call saying that you had gotten the job, you were ecstatic. It wouldn't have been a life or death situation if Scoops Ahoy hadn't hired you, but the fear of failure powered you, so it was nice to get a win. Though when your employer said that you would be working with another Hawkins High Student as well as the guy - Steve - you saw at your interview for most of your shifts, you had another panic. You recognised Steve obviously, but he had left High School, so you didn't really have to worry too much if you embarrassed yourself at all. But a current Hawkins High student? Panic.

Your current main focus had been trying not to be noticed out in the public mall area with your little sailors' uniform, but as you neared the store itself, your focus shifted onto that student. If it was another popular type then you were sure to embarrass yourself due to your awkward nature. It was intimidating being shy in front of big personalities. So you just hoped that it was someone who was more your wavelength.

The hair tie on your wrist was being stretched and snapped as you walked into the store, your anxious habit coming out in full swing as you looked down at the floor, heading to the counter. When you looked up you realised that your hopes had been half answered. The other student that you were going to be working with was not a popular type, but it was the girl that you had been pining over from the sidelines since Middle School. Great.

When you locked eyes with Robin Buckley as you moved through to the other side of the counter, her eyes widened, and you struggled to figure out why. But you were promptly distracted by Steve barrelling through the staff door as he beamed at you, "Hey! You got the job!". You laughed as you twisted your hair tie at a faster speed, "That I did".

Steve walked forward and put an arm around your shoulder and turned you to face Robin, your body froze at first from the touch, but once your brain caught up you loosened up again. "You two would know each other right? Same school year?".

"Uh, y- yeah", Robin gave a tight-lipped smile before turning to face the small ice cream tubs under the glass of the counter. You frowned slightly, sure, you and Robin weren't really 'friends friends', but you had been in a couple of group projects together and had nice conversations, so this reaction had confused you. Apparently, Steve noticed the glaringly obvious tense aura radiating from the other Scooper, so he patted you on the back hard, not realising his own strength, "Hey, why don't you go wash up out back and familiarise yourself with the schedule, then we can begin training?".

"Sure", you nodded and walked over to push the door open and walk over to the noticeboard, but because the door closes slowly, you heard the hushed and rushed whisper shouting of a panicked Robin Buckley. You felt a lump form in your throat when the door shut, not expecting her to act like that towards you at all. As you began chewing on your lips and snapping the hair tie against your wrist as you tried to read the schedule.

Did she hate you? From her panicked tone, it sounded as though she had a major issue working with you, and the idea of working with someone who hated you made you feel nauseous. Though you were incredibly confused, though your interactions with her had been limited, they had been pleasant. Unless it was only pleasant for you and she just played along. "You all good back here?", Steve poked his head through the door and sent you a reassuring smile, clearly seeing you looking a little bit out of your depth.

"Yup!", you tried to sound enthusiastic, so he called you back through to the front. You adjusted your hat and followed him through, sending a small smile to Robin who gave you a small nod whilst tapping her fingers on the counter. "Robin will be training you today", Steve announced, and both of your heads snapped towards him, and you did not miss the smirk that he sent to the brunette. "Okay", Robin puffed out a breath and walked to show you how to use the till.

You got overly excited when the money part of the till popped out and a little bell noise occurred, causing you to giggle. Robin laughed alongside you, so you looked up at her and she had a genuine smile on her face. But when you made eye contact, she shrunk back into herself and took a couple of steps back as she cleared her throat. "Let's uh- move onto the actual ice creams now". You swallowed thickly and moved next to her again, giving her a bit more space this time as she went through the different types of orders and let you practice scooping a few times to make sure you had the technique.

After a few tries, you had a decent scoop, so now it was just about practising during the shift, whilst either Steve or Robin watched over you. You thought that the shift went well, other than it being completely awkward between you and your classmate, but you had fun with Steve. He included you in the jokes, helped if you were unsure about something, and you even made both of them laugh a few times.

When you got home after your shift, you honestly looked forward to the next one. It felt like you were being paid to just mess around, and occasionally scoop some ice cream. The Robin situation still worried you though. When you saw her at school on the Monday before your evening shift, she gave you a brief smile when she spotted you entering the classroom of your shared class. But that was the only interaction.

When you saw her and Steve at work that evening you got an enthusiastic hello from Steve and another hesitant greeting from Robin before Steve lightly pushed her forward. You tilted your head as you watched Steve saunter to the back room, and then faced Robin as you let out a heavy breath, "Hi".

"Hey", she smiled and shuffled awkwardly on the spot as she looked to the entrance, even though no one was there, and no one would likely be there. Monday evenings were notoriously dead for trade at the mall. "So, did you finish the work for Miss Green's class tomorrow?", you tried to start some conversation as Steve wasn't there as a buffer. "Uh yeah, I have my final draft done, just gotta y'know... read it over".

You hummed in understanding, for most classes you didn't bother reading your work over, just trusting whatever you had written in your previous sleep-deprived state. But Miss Green was a stickler for grammar. If you used one semi-colon wrong then she would deduct 10% minimum from the final assignment grade, so everyone rushed to meticulously scan their work about a hundred times before submission.

"What about you?", she asked after a moment of silence, and your eyes visibly sparkled at her interacting back, which Robin noticed and smiled at. Though she felt guilty that it meant she had clearly pushed you away, even though it was technically her goal. She didn't really want to be pushing you away, but you were not the only one who had been pining. She had done a good job over the years of pushing her feelings to the side and avoiding you so that you didn't discover her secret. But now you were working with her at least four times a week, so she decided to try and keep you at arm's length, even with Steve figuring her out within seconds and pushing her to make a move. But at seeing you look so happy when she said three words, she decided to just do the pushing feelings to the side part, and not pushing you to the side.

"I have a couple of paragraphs left to go becauuuuuse I decided sleeping would be more productive", you winced, and she shook her head in faux-disapproval. "You're not gonna have time to read over it until your eyes drop out", she teased and scooped some strawberry and white chocolate ice cream into a tub and grabbed two little plastic spoons. "Yeah", you rubbed the back of your neck as you thought over your mistake, "Oh well, living life on the edge. Just don't judge me when I walk into class tomorrow looking like a zombie".

"No promises", she smirked slightly and handed you a spoon, placing the ice cream tub in between you on the counter.

---

Over the next few weeks, things with Robin had continued to get more and more comfortable, though there was still some tension during the day, and you didn't know the exact reason why. You had noticed that more often than not if you laughed at a joke that Steve made, her face would harden. So ultimately, you had come to the conclusion that she liked Steve, so you made sure to back off from him, which sucked as you considered him a good friend now. But, even though it was against your best interests from all angles, you did it because you thought it would keep Robin happy.

Though apparently, it made things a whole lot tenser.

It was noticed by both Robin and Steve that you seemed more withdrawn than normal, and they were worried that perhaps there was something going wrong at home or school, but they couldn't determine what, especially because there wasn't too many outside of work interactions other than saying hi to Robin in class and if you pass each other in the halls. Though Robin couldn't recall seeing or hearing anything about you at school that was out of the ordinary, so the home life problems assumption seemed to fit the bill.

The two were worried about you, even after only knowing you properly for a few weeks. So, whilst the two were working on a day that you were not, they made a plan to try and get to the bottom of it. Robin especially wanted you to go back to normal, she was enjoying getting to know you before you put your walls up, even if she couldn't get to know you the way that she so desperately wanted to.

Seeing as if it did end up being a school problem Robin would have better knowledge than Steve on your year group, it was agreed that Robin would talk to you on your shared break, which she was terrified about. She didn't really have the strongest grasp on social cues and so didn't want to accidentally push a boundary. But they considered themselves your friends so something had to be done.

When the dreaded day arrived, everything seemed normal to you. You all did your jobs as you regularly did and had no suspicions that there was a secret intervention being planned about why your mood had been dropping. But when you went on your break, and Robin uncharacteristically followed almost immediately after, you tilted your head as you sat, propping your feet up on the flimsy table. "Hi", she started and awkwardly stood a few paces away from you as she played with her rings, which worried you as you hadn't seen Robin this nervous in a long time.

"Hi?", you continued and she took a few steps forward. "Me and Steve were just worried about you, over the last few weeks you've not seemed yourself so we just wanted to make sure that you were okay, you know because we're friends we want you to be okay". The word friends stung your chest, but you put on a fake smile and nodded, "I'm fine".

Now it was Robin's turn to be confused as she frowned because you hadn't seemed 'fine'. "A-are you sure? Because you used to be very laughy but now whenever Steve shows up you seem all nervous". Your jaw went tight at being told they had noticed, and you didn't really want to continue the conversation. "I just didn't want to push any boundaries and make you uncomfortable", you spoke in a small voice, embarrassed that you had to explain yourself and had made them worry about you.

"Why would I be uncomfortable?", she moved to sit opposite you, now invested and even more confused about what was going on in your little brain. "Well... you like Steve, right?". You were startled when Robin let out a loud laugh before going silent at seeing your face, "Wait, you're serious?".

"I mean, yeah?", you quirked an eyebrow and she just chuckled before her face dropped. "I thought that you liked Steve".

You shook your head and answered way too fast for your liking, "Oh Gods no. I don't like him". Both yours and Robin's eyes widened at how you emphasised the end of your sentence, but for different reasons. "So there is someone you like", she stated in a small voice, that you thought almost sounded sad but you had no clue why. But before you could even think about questioning her, her face shifted in a matter of seconds into one with a grin to try and be supportive.

"So, who do you like then?", she wiggled her eyebrows and you went to open your mouth to protest but you continued, "Nick seems like someone you would talk to, is it Nick? OH maybe Daniel he seems nice". You began frantically shaking your head, those are the two guys in the school that you would be least likely to go out with even if you did like guys. "No? Hm, I'm not good at this game then I suppose".

"Yeah", you chuckled whilst awkwardly rubbing the back of your neck praying to all of the higher beings out there that the conversation would come to a quick stop, but Robin was persistent. "The only person I can think of it being that would disrupt work is Steve, but you're sure you don't like him". At this point you were looking at your hands as they rested on the table, picking at your fingernails for a distraction as your breathing picked up.

At the sight of you Robin panicked, she had done exactly what she had set out not to do, crossed a boundary. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to see this logically so that I know how to help you because he's the only guy we work with", she tilted her head and looked at you. "Robin", you barely spoke, your voice cracking in the middle as you looked up at her and finally met her gaze.

The gears in her head could practically be heard as she took in your minimal words and posture, and a lightbulb might as well have appeared over her head. Her eyes widened in a way that made you shrink into yourself and her next words didn't help, "Oh... oh". You had to will tears not to appear in your eyes now that Robin had figured it out, thinking that she would treat you as a social outcast, so you looked at your lap and got ready to hightail it out of there. So you were surprised when she softly said "Hey", in a raspier voice than normal and shuffled her chair around the table to be next to yours.

"It's okay". You looked up with uncertainty as she continued. "It's okay". After searching her eyes for a lie, you smiled bashfully when you came up with nothing. There was a moment of comfortable silence as you tried to slow your heart rate down before she spoke again, "Do you wanna hear my secret too?".

"...Sure?", you frowned.

"I like you too". Your eyes lit up and Robin had a huge grin on her face at your reaction and you instinctively reached forward to take hold of her hand, making the grin become even wider which Robin hadn't thought was possible. As you both looked at your intertwined hands everything else in the world was blocked out, so when Steve threw the door open, making it hit the wall with a bang, you were both scared shitless.

Steve looked like he was about to give a lecture, but then spotted how the two of you were sitting, "Oh finally!", he half-yelled, "Look I'm very happy for you, but that girl who keeps asking for samples is back and I can't seem to get rid of her so I need one of you to do it".

"Ahoy Cap'n", you saluted him and stood to walk out the room, but not without flashing a smile at Robin who looked completely starstruck at the events that had played out.

"So... you got the girl?", Steve smirked and crossed his arms, making Robin scoff and roll her eyes. "Back off Harrington", she stood and shoved him away to walk out to the front again but stopped before she opened the door, "But yeah, I got the girl".

#robin buckley x female reader #robin buckley #robin x reader #stranger things #robin buckley imagine #robin buckley x reader #robin buckley x you #robin buckley x fem!reader #robin buckley fluff

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samkat10423 · 3 months

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Community Lots

Back in Sunset Valley today. Gave Agnes an older half-sister with an out-of-wedlock kid, and a much younger boy-toy. The only reason I did it was because I wanted to establish family ties between Agnes and the rebellious teen, who will be living with her. So, after making the new family, I killed 2 of them. Because as an all-powerful simgoddess I CAN!!!!! As for Agnes and the teen, they pretty much hate one another. But they've got 2 cats to like, so, that's good.

Anyway, in between killing sims, I did a couple of community lots. I moved a remake of Hogan's diner out to that stretch of lots that's on the road that comes into town - close to Agnes' house, actually. Which left me that big lot in town. So, I gave my sims a bowling alley. Because bowling alleys are sort of a staple of small, American towns. Well, they used to be. Now, not so much.

Anyway, I found a 30x20 lot over on My Sims Realty called Disco Fan Arcade. This was a much bigger space, so I decided to add on to their build and add an ice-skating arena. The original lot ended right where that section with the 3 windows begins - if that makes sense. Anyway, I expanded that outdoor patio eating area, added that area with the benches and bike rental stuff, and bumped out the back of the build a bit. Then added the town deco stuff.

Inside, their build ended where the 3 bowling lanes are. I added the ice-skating rink and a small observation area with tables and chairs and a counter where sims can rent skates. Upstairs I made into a place for serious sims to play some poker. I added some neon signage inside and out, and now need to find some skates to put behind that counter on the ground floor. But other than that, this lot is done!

Then, next to Chris Steele's house, I decided to place a church. This is another lot made by Lili. I've never used it before, but decided to give it a whirl. It also came on a much smaller lot, so I added the parking to the front and got rid of a lot of excess trees and assorted plants. Then I switched out all the windows.

Inside, I switched out the basegame furniture and used stuff from Sandy's church set. I also added some junk from one of the bridal sets. Now my sims have no excuse for always getting married in the bathroom by the toilet. They can do it up right in a church! BTW, there's a small reception room in the basement. But it's basically just some tables, chairs and a buffet table. And a tiny dance floor.

I'm still on the fence as to whether I'll be keeping it, but for now it's done. Or maybe not. I may change that tower where she placed a bell. Or just use a different lot entirely.

Then right across the road is this building. It's a new yoga studio. The original was built a gazillion years ago and came from Mod the Sims. Since there was no yoga back then, the rugs inside were purely decorative. I did make some changes to the outside. I added the fake solar panels to the roof and relandscaped it a bit.

This is how it comes when you download it. I did switch out the rugs for twinsimming's set. Plus, I got rid of all the gaudy wallpaper and used the set from @enable--llamas. Thank you! Then I added those vending machines that olomaya gave us. (Thank you!) As you can see, sims are already using the mats. That's that Bunch sim on the one mat. (He was pretty awful).

Upstairs I got rid of everything that was there. I made a small yoga room - complete with an instructor's mat - added those tables and chairs so sims can relax after class, and then gave them a place to meditate if they're so inclined. Outside, they also have a pool.

Which got me to thinking. The pool, that is. This frackin town now has 4 community pools. FOUR!!!!!!! So, now that we have that tennis mod - thank you to @riverianepondsims - I plan on bulldozing that pool behind my salon - it's the one for the apartments - and making some tennis courts. To me it makes more sense. Especially since the town pool is only a block away. So that will be my next project for this ratty town.

And that's all I managed to get done today. Because I'm old. And lazy.

#sims 3 #Sunset Valley #Lilimayrose #thanks to @twinsimming and @olomaya for their lovely mods #and @enable-llams for the lovely wallpaper

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essayly · 1 year

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Assemble proj-auto-test.asm and execute. Make sure to turn on 'Assembles all files in directory' and 'Initialize program counter to global main if defined' option in MARS tool.

Assemble proj-auto-test.asm and execute. Make sure to turn on ‘Assembles all files in directory’ and ‘Initialize program counter to global main if defined’ option in MARS tool.

Download CS47ProjectI.zip and unzip it. Assemble proj-auto-test.asm and execute. Make sure to turn on ‘Assembles all files in directory‘ and ‘Initialize program counter to global main if defined‘ option in MARS tool. It should generate the following output: Total passed 0 / 40 *** OVERALL RESULT FAILED *** Complete the following two procedures in CS47_proj_alu_normal.asm…

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tetsvhoe · 3 years

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REGRET AND OTHER CLICHES [2]

you never know what you have until it’s gone, so they say. you think by now they should have known that.

pt. 1 i know who you pretend i am [2]

character/s: iwaizumi hajime x gn!reader

genre/s: open ended angst as usual

warning/s: none

gwen’s notes 🤍: this is the last of the ik who u pretend i am + regret nd other cliches series!!! thank u sm for ur support this has been my fav proj so far n e way this has not been proofread yet enjoy

MASTERLIST | TAGLIST

iwaizumi hajime

leaning over the bathroom sink, you took in the mess of hair products scattered and spilled around the counter and lifted your eyes to look at yourself in the mirror. there was a sense of triumph that washed over you as you admired your entirely different look; locks of brightly colored hair framed your face and made your eyes pop. your head snapped towards the front door when you heard it unlock, you weren’t expecting him to be home so soon or was it that it actually took you that long to color and style your hair?

either way your sauntered out of the bathroom to greet iwaizumi at the door, equally curious and anxious about what his reaction would be to your new look.

his duffel bag fell onto the settee with a dull thud, eyes glued to the top of your head and mouth falling slack. you sported him a wide grin, fluffing up your hair. “what do you think?” you chirped.

iwaizumi’s eyebrows knitted together in thought as he straightened his posture and cleared his throat. “you look different,” he commented flatly.

different, the word left a trail of thoughts in your mind. “that’s good right?” you questioned once more, there was a caution to your tone as if you were hoping that he would agree; that you looked beautiful as ever because his love for you wasn’t anchored in trivial things like your hair, the perfume you wore, what your favorite color was and how it suited his taste‒how well you fit into the narrative he created in hopes of getting you as close as possible to what he lost in her.

he took a few steps to close the distance between you and placed a haphazard kiss on your forehead. he avoided your curious gaze as he replied, “i’m just not used to it is all.”

you felt your shoulders slump and the knots in your stomach return, the rush from seconds ago when you saw yourself in the mirror and not her, was long gone. the spiteful yet quiet words left your lips and it was too late to take them back. “do you find me a little less attractive now that i look a little more different from your ex?”

iwaizumi was stopped in his tracks, he felt a lump in his throat form at the mere mention of his ex. he racked his brain for how you could have possibly made such a connection since he seldom talked about her and he was sure he never showed her to you prior. still, he went with the reply “what are you talking about?”

you humorlessly scoffed at the reply. somehow, him playing dumb only made it worse. “oh come on, i ran into her a while back. it all made sense from then on.” he turned to look at you and the fear in his eyes hurt you more than you already were and you didn’t even think it was possible. “you were hoping i wouldn’t find out is that why youre so shocked, hajime?”

he shook his head almost immediately, reaching over to cup your face in his palms. you recoiled at the touch. “no, that’s not it. it’s not what you think.”

you raised an eyebrow. “then what is it, hajime? enlighten me.”

you watched his eyes search yours frantically, he wasn’t sure what he was looking for but all he was met with was your ruthless gaze. his heart clenched at the coldness and he realized how warm you actually were before, it was all he’s ever known and now it’s gone, quickly fading into nothingness and it scared him more than anything.

“i was projecting onto you and i didn’t mean it. i should have been more careful, love. i am so sorry.” tears brimmed his eyes though he tried to keep himself composed, but you didn’t find any satisfaction in his explanation. what were you even supposed to do next, even now that you knew the truth if he was telling the truth? you sighed heavily and fat tears hit the ground abruptly as you shut your eyes closed, the sight of you crying made him break even more so. “i never wanted to hurt you. please let me make it up to you.”

“well turning me into your ex wasn’t exactly harmless, was it?” you spat in a bitter chuckle.

he stroked your hair and intently looked into your eyes through his tears. “i know, i know. i love you just as you are-” it’s a little too late for that now “-and i know i was wrong, but you have to let me fix this please.”

you wanted to ask how but you thought trying to find yourself in the same place you lost it woulnd’t be the best idea.

“the last thing you wanted was to see me for myself and lose your sight of her in me,” you stated flatly.

he shook his head vigorously, tears staining his distraught face. “the last thing i want is to lose you because i was too much of an idiot to see what’s in front of me.”

@mirakeul @realityisabitch-blr @erinoikawa @haji-bby @seijohoe @szeonn @banananaa4 @qualitygiantshoepsychic @thezebra12 @iwaizumisunshine @stffychn @vvvselfindulgence @devilgirlcrybabiey @ebiharachan @coco96 @knmsapplepi @strawberryzos @iwasunshine @bidisaster1307 @singularly-gifted-witch

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teamaerialcombo · 21 days

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sketches i did on a magma w/ my buddy o' pal @kojitheopossum :3c

#+ PROJ. COUNTER #april 2024 #☆#ultrakill #v1 ultrakill #gabriel ultrakill #★#yes gabriel has the oathkeeper keyblade :3c #im not tagging kh OR sonic.#sorry not sorry Lol #v1 forced gabriel to play ALL the sonic games w/ it cuz it's annoying about sth. it's a speed game so v1 naturally LOVES it #gabriel ended up relating to silver a Bit too much.#smthn smthn characters realizing they were manipulated into doing something wrong... my favorite types of blorbos...#i think v1 would like shadow #okay thats all i have 4 now

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peachyteabuck · 3 years

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to do: 1.14.2021

reply 1 disc. board for he2310

do ‘deciding to change’ section of he2310 proj

do chapter 1 eco2010 hw

flipgrid account

ted2550 assignment (1page)

finish kyle hoop + package

set up r comm + update ss

therapist app in calendar

text sb abt vet

finish moodboards

update budget: vet bills, energy bill

pay energy bill

circular flow chart, production possibilities frontier

masterlist, ao3

update planner with ted2550 syll

800 words meet your match

word counter meet your match

#lukis has things to do

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theodore-themilkman · 4 years

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4 Times Tony Realised That His Employees Were Amazing

In which Tony's employees help him out of rough spots and he comes to realise that he has some pretty amazing people working for him.

Ships: Pepperony.

WARNING: Language, crude suggestions, some hate speech towards Tony (I do not feel this way)

"Amani, we're up in ten!" Pepper called. "Make up for Stark, quick!"

Amani, a young Lantina girl, nodded and pulled Tony to sit before her.

She moved to grab her makeup bag and turned to the billionaire. The sight of his tired face made her stop short.

"How long has it been since you slept?" She asked curiously.

"Doesn't matter," Tony grumbled. "I'll sleep when I've finished this conference."

"You have another conference directly after this one," Amani deadpanned.

Tony sighed. "Alright, I'll sleep after that one."

"No," the young woman said firmly.

"What?" Tony asked in confusion.

"You aren't going to any conferences today, you are going to sleep for the next 24 hours."

Tony shook his head. "Amanda -"

"Amani," she corrected.

"Amani, I can't just miss conferences," Tony denied. "They're important."

"If they're so important then they can be rescheduled, right now you are going to bed." It was said with such finality there was no room for argument, not that he could argue as she was ready storming out of the door.

Tony sat frozen as he listened to one of his employees demand that the press go home.

After ten minutes of what seemed to be sheer stubbornness from his make up artist Amani returned a satisfied smile on her face. When Tony returned to the tower he slept for a full 24 hours just as the young woman had instructed.

"Sir, there is an employee at the door," FRIDAY announced to her creator.

Tony looked up from his project in confusion, his employees knew better than to bother him when he was working. Stepping away from his lab table Tony made his way to the door and raised his eyebrows when he saw the front desk secretary, Dean Simons his names was, standing there arms crossed.

Opening the door Tony looked at the man expectantly. "What can I help you with?"

"Mr Stark, you haven't left your lab in three days you better come out and have a meal before I call Miss Potts," Dean warned.

"With all due respect, how does this concern you?" Tony demanded.

"Miss Potts asked me to check up on you every time she was out of town and I intend to do as asked," Dean informed him head held high.

"Okay..." Tony trailed off awkwardly. "Well I'll come out once I've finished my proj-"

"No," the other man cut him off. "You are coming out right now to have the sandwich that I prepared for you and then you are going to go to bed."

Tony stared at him for a moment then saw the same fire of determination he often saw in his wife's eyes when she told him what to do and sighed. "Fine, but don't think that I'll forget you bossing me around like this."

And Tony didn't forget but instead of being bitter about it he thought of the delicious cheese and bacon sandwich he was prepared and smiled.

"Tony Stark is nothing more than a sleazy drunk with money built on murder!" A man declared from within the restaurant.

The man had caught sight of the billionaire entering with his wife and had seemed to suddenly have had the urge to make his vile opinion heard.

Tony, who had been sitting in the VIP section enjoying a conversation with Pepper flinched the man's words, something that did not go amiss to a waitress that worked at the restaurant.

Brina stepped out of the VIP section and walked towards the very outspoken man that stood on a table.

"Sir, are you aware that you are in a public place?" She asked politely.

The man sneered at the waitress. "Freedom of speech, I can say what I want to."

Brina gave him a tight lipped smile. "Ah yes, but are you aware that hate speech is not tolerated especially in a building the man you are bad mouthing owns."

The man's face flushed in anger at the woman's words. "Fucking whore! I bet you suck his cock and that's the only reason you're defending him but let me tell you girly he's just going to move onto the next cock su-"

His words were never heard as Brina socked him in the face so hard that he passed out. She looked to the security guard standing there shell shocked and nodded, she straightened her uniform and walked back to Stark's table. He and his fiancee stared her with surprise.

"Can I take your order?" She asked.

Tony made his way down to the floor that the bar was situated on, he held back tears from the article he had read. A drink, he needed a drink if he was going to deal with the bullshit he was being handed. Sure, he had been clean for nearly two years now but there was no other way to deal with it in his mind.

Approaching the bar counter Tony let out a sad sigh and made eye contact with Alexander, the bartender. Alexander immediately stopped what he was doing and gave Tony his full attention.

"Scotch on the rocks," Tony muttered.

"No."

Tony's head snapped up at Alexander's words. "What?"

"I said no, Mr Stark. I am not letting you relapse I refuse."

Tony's brown eyes met Alexander's green ones, allowing the bartender to see his boss's desperation. "Please, you don't understand."

"I understand perfectly Mr Stark, you wish to relapse and I won't let you. What I will allow, and frankly encourage is for you to tell me what is wrong," Alexander told the man.

Tony glared fiercely at the younger man but he held his ground and with that Tony broke, breaking into sobs Alexander gathered him into his arms.

"N-no one sees that I-I've changed, to the world I'm still the alcoholic p-playboy they remember and p-people are saying I will n-never live up to Captain America," Tony cried.

"They're right," Alexander murmured to his boss and Tony froze up, "you won't live up to Capatin America, you'll be your own hero surpassing that old fart by billions. You are a hero and not only when you're Iron Man, you're always understanding towards us and from what I've heard you're the best father figure that kid, Peter could ever ask for. Screw the world because they're just jealous."

Tony sniffed. "Really?"

"Mr Stark, if I were lying to you I would lose my job for false information trust me when I say that I speak the truth."

"O-okay."

Tony had never truly appreciated his employees until he had been faced with these situations and despite the hardship that each situation had brought Tony was glad that he could have faith in his family at Stark Industries.

-End-

#oneshots #marvel oneshots #tony stark #stark industries #pepper potts #employees #pepperony #marvel #iron man #avengers

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bubmyg · 5 years

Text

not a date - jjk

pairing: jeongguk x reader

genre: enemies to lovers, college!au, fluff, very sparing illusions to smut, like jeongguk takes his shirt off for a few paragraphs

word count: 3,184

summary: he’s the infuriating kid in your literature class that has an answer to every single question and every time he raises his hand you kind of want to punch him because of that time you were in a group project together and he deleted and rewrote your entire portion at three in the morning or your voice is so infuriating please shut up and kiss me.

a/n: part 5 of to lovers :’-) the rest of the series is linked in my masterlist!!

In the scheme of wanting to take someone’s very specific and very annoying bright green pen from them and make them swallow it to prevent the incessant clicking that plagued your right ear the entirety of the power hour class, you wish you knew less about the owner of said pen.

You knew Jeon Jeongguk from freshman year composition, when he was one of eight people who’d filed into the tiny computer lab huddled in a giant black hoodie while you were still trying to gauge whether the sweat coating the back of your spine was visible through your shirt. The graduate student handling the class had split you into two groups immediately, prompting a question for you to discuss. That was the first time he’d taken something you’d said and added thirty unnecessary words to it without guilt and with a bunny smile you didn’t want to admit was attractive.

A liberal arts degree comes with the same general people in virtually all your classes. The girl who offered you a pencil the first time scantron attendance was taken. The boy who’d taken your seat the fourth week of class when you were both ten minutes early. And unfortunately for you, Jeongguk.

You knew he lived off campus in an apartment with his bio chemistry, doctor seeking roommate Namjoon after Yoongi had informed you the spindly man was terrible at pickup basketball and you’d scolded your friend for hanging out with someone who shared the same cereal bowls with the biggest prick in the literature department. You knew he wasn’t in a fraternity but his friend Jimin was and he spent the majority of his time holed up in the third floor of the house with a game controller in hand when he wasn’t correcting people or reminding homework due dates in group chats created for your various classes. You knew he could sing because Yoongi had dragged you to karaoke night on his off day at the cafe he worked at in which Jeongguk just so happened to be at and his friend, Taehyung and his charcoal stained fingers, had shoved him to the front and Yoongi had to pinch your hip to prevent you from burning a hole through Jeongguk’s melodious lips with your glare.

You knew he turned twenty-one in September when he showed up to your group presentation the next day, hungover, after deleting and changing your entire thesis to fit his.

Somehow his green pen still managed to be annoying even when he was half asleep and wearing his hood completely cinched under his chin. You resisted the urge to scold him when he took a seat (because there was no doubt he’d have done the same to you) but you nearly severed the tip of your tongue when an, endearing, rasp addressed you first.

“I’m sorry,” Jeongguk offered, gesturing vaguely at himself with a sliver of his teeth appearing, “Twenty-first was last night.”

You offered a tight lipped smile in return, “Happy belated birthday.”

It didn’t matter that he could barely keep his eyes open or the weight in his head above his spine because he knew the topic by heart, no need to glance backward at the slides or the bullet points or the visual aids like graphs and pictures and charts. He hadn’t even blinked in cutting you off when the slide color changed hue, showing where your ideas were supposed to be but were just instead a modified version of what you’d spent hours doing over the weekend.

They were your words but they weren’t and Jeongguk had the nerve to wink at you and say, “As my lovely partner starts to point out here, the chapter touches on—”

Your GPA mattered more than your pride when the professor kept you after class to commend your presentation, even though you hadn’t spoken a word outside of your name, and you took the A+ with a sour taste and a pointed vendetta to ignore Jeongguk.

The words groups for next project were enough to make your insides churn with distaste but the addition of the word reminder at the beginning was almost worse than the prospect of leaving your grade to someone else. Not only did your class stretch through two semesters with the same professor and the same general concept, but that particular class kept the same groups the entire year.

The reminder was seeing your name printed in bold, block letters directly above Jeon Jeongguk.

“Hey, partner,” He greeted when you dropped your backpack in front of your desk. He’d dropped his hood and traded black for one of color, a faded blue. You focused on counting the stripes on his joggers rather than meeting the sparkle in his stupidly pretty eyes.

You were silent in pulling out your laptop, notebook, non obnoxious pens. He continued to stare at the side of your face, desk creaking as he shifted more toward you, fingers gripping the edge of his desk in your peripheral.

“Don’t speak to me until you want to pick a time to meet.”

Jeongguk had the nerve to giggle this time, “We don’t even know what the topic is yet. Unless you want to come over, I won’t object.”

You knew where his apartment was, too, that Namjoon kept the place neatly decorated while Jeongguk’s door didn’t open entirely from the pile of laundry hidden between it and his desk, that he was a track star in high school from the medals dangling off a hook behind his bed frame, that he did, in fact, own more than five black hoodies and one grey one from the pile of pastels folded within his open closet door, that the green pens were stolen from Namjoon, ones that occupied a mug on their kitchen counter and came from the hospital that the med student had done residency at over the summer.

You hated that you knew all of that, too.

“Okay. When we learn the topic, don’t contact me until you want me to come to the cesspit that is your place of living.”

It was silent for a handful of your heartbeats roaring in your ears and then his voice was a half octave softer in your ear.

“Why do you keep responding to me if you don’t want me to speak to you?”

You were right, Jeongguk’s eyes were sparkling and they seemed to double over in all the reflections of a planetarium when he completed his goal of getting you to turn towards him. You tried averting your gaze to his smile but found a stray butterfly escaped from it’s locked prison in your stomach at the sight of the tiny freckle in the center of his bottom lip so you chose the tattered cover of his notebook in the end.

A notebook that he was flicking at the pages in, ring clad and vein ridden fingers and all.

“Fuck you,” You mumbled and you meant it in every connotation possible.

Jeongguk ignored you through the lecture notes, too busy interjecting his opinion at any point possible and you hated that you couldn’t find it within yourself to disagree with everything that left his lips. He ignored you when the project requirements appeared in place of the lecture slides, still scrawling looping notes on the margins of his notebook while the professor explained each bullet point in excruciating detail.

Upon further inspection did you notice the loops in his shorthand were drawings and you, again, hated that you agreed with his lack of attention paid to something that would be posted online later for your viewing anyway.

“Spend a few minutes speaking with your partner and then you’re free to go.”

Your bubble remained silent while the rest of the class erupted in a soft murmur, creaking desks and zipping backpacks and soft laughter all while the set of your shoulders remained rigid. They slumped only when Jeongguk’s tender murmur was back in your ear (and you’d admit, anything was better than his clicking pen).

“May I speak to you yet?”

The smack of your laptop on the metal spiral threaded through your notebook was embarrassingly loud. You corrected it while he snorted, nearly headbutting him where he was leaning towards your desk as you fished for your backpack.

“Are you wanting to set a time to meet?”

“Yeah. That’s...what we’re supposed to be doing.”

You tossed your hair back as you straightened, making direct eye contact with him, “Then yes. You may speak to me.”

Jeongguk was grinning again and you swallowed to keep the escaped butterfly in your throat at bay. You’d deal with her later.

“I’m free Thursday night, if you’d like to come over. Namjoon should be out of the apartment from five onward. He has a date with one of his extremely smart friends. Or I can come to yours, if you’d rather not fester in my filth like you insisted last time. Your dorm does have a pretty nice study room—”

“Thursday as in…” You blinked, “Valentine’s Day Thursday?”

You wanted to force feed him the feces to comply with the shit eating grin that encompassed his features. “My bad, I wasn’t aware you could display affection,” He rested his chin on his palm, “I assumed you’d spend the night throwing darts at heart shaped candies stuck to your ceiling if I didn’t make plans for you.”

“They’d be tiny pictures of your face. Why would I waste candy?” His grin only grew at your snarky indifference, “But no, I just assumed you had…”

“I don’t have a Tinder. I’ve never had one.”

“I wasn’t...going to ask that. I wouldn’t care even if you did.”

“Oh,” Jeongguk shrugged, “Well, I don’t. And I don’t have any plans Thursday. So if you’d like to work on our project before the weekend, I’m free and can stock up on discount candy from the drug store down the street. We can order one of those shitty heart shaped pizzas too, if you like.”

You scoffed, standing with your backpack in tow, “We’re just working on our project, not having a date underneath the radioactive glow from your hamper.”

He turned away and you shoved aside the seeming disappointment that saturated his monotone response, “Alright. I’ll see you, Thursday, then.”

You hated that you knew the best parking spaces around Jeongguk’s apartment complex and you hated that you’d visited the building more times than you could count on both your hands and feet in order to gather than information. Your backpack felt fifteen pounds heavier on your shoulders as you trekked through the maze of broken sidewalks and your knuckles felt numb for reasons other than the biting temperature when you lifted them to knock on his door.

You couldn’t imagine the scrutiny you’d face if you ever admitted coming over, no matter the obnoxious amount of times, to Jeongguk’s apartment made you nervous. A nagging voice on your shoulder told you it was because of the piano in the far corner of their living room that you knew he could play because he had for you before, or because his room smelled like him, vanilla and cinnamon and fresh flowers and laundry detergent, or because he always ordered and bought you food and insisted you couldn’t pay him back all while teasing you for mooching off of him, notes, food, and grades.

The grade comment settled like a forming cavity on your molars and you generally ended up leaving after he mentioned it. But it never stopped you from coming back.

The weight was heavier because of your textbook but also because of the tape that continued to replay in your conscious, the one of you watching with a bated breath as Jeongguk seemed to slouch at your denial of a date with him, of all things. You knew he wasn’t stupid, he was anything but, yet the devil on your opposite shoulder suggested that he just lacked any sort of critical thinking or social skills.

Or, the latter voice in your ear suggested, maybe you just didn’t want to admit you were slightly disappointed at the facade you tried to put on declining a date-like interaction with him too.

The smile plastered to his entire being when he tore open his apartment door fizzled your worries away and traded them for the grumble in your stomach when he thrust a white box in your direction.

“I went ahead and ordered the pizza for this not date,” Jeongguk’s fingers brushed your own when you took the box from him, “I got cheesy bread too. I didn’t know if you liked the breadsticks from Domino’s so…”

His words muffled like you were underwater, realization drowning you the second he teased you about the forbidden meeting between two individuals. A date. He didn’t want the date either. He hadn’t been disappointed.

He was playing some game that you didn’t want to be apart of but could master the same as he could, if not better.

“Can I eat in Namjoon’s room, seeing as this is a non date?” You mirrored his beaming smile, “The less I have to speak to you, the better.”

“No,” He answered your rhetorical question bluntly. You wanted to speak to him even if it was sarcastic insults about the single wrinkle in his duvet. “We have work to do—” You had to catch the door when he stalked into the depths of the apartment, voice echoing away, “—come inside. And take your shoes off!”

If you didn’t want the pizza promised with the cheesy bread, you would have bolted back to your car. “Anything else, your highness?”

“Yeah, bring the cheesy bread will you? And grab some plates from the kitchen.”

If you didn’t want the cheesy bread so bad, you would have turned and pelted the box into the disgusting snow drift plowed at the end of the sidewalk.

Jeongguk was three insults into teasing you for dropping tomato sauce on his partially clean duvet and a streaking blue highlighter into his notes when you decided you really wanted to kiss the garlic speck off the corner of his mouth.

No longer were you toning out his explanations because you had a predetermined bias to disagree with them but because you couldn’t shake the urge to grab his chin and determine how pepperoni tasted on someone else’s lips. If Namjoon were to arrive back anytime soon, the non date faux you each kept digging into each other’s conscience’s like daggered knives would crumble in an instant.

He’d switched the lighting in his room to a deep set purple, a setting you thankfully weren’t aware of and didn’t have to hate with your entire being when the first thought that entered your mind was that’s cool. There was a heart shaped pizza open between the two of you, enough pieces still prevalent to give off the illusion but the grease stains on the cardboard telling the full story. You were on his bed, crossed knees brushing his thigh where he’d scooted closer to show you something and hadn’t bothered to move back.

And you were unabashedly staring at him like he was better than any loaf of cheesy bread you could consume in one sitting.

“Hey,” Jeongguk’s voice was quiet in contrast to the snap of his fingers underneath your nose, “Did you hear me?”

You thought you were going to puke the crusts he’d given you all over his lap, “Y-yeah, I agree we could—”

“Wait, you agree with me? Either we’ve entered an alternate universe or you weren’t listening—”

There was probably pizza grease on his rug now from where your paper plate fluttered sadly from his bed, only to be melded into the floor by the smack of your textbook landing on top of it with the force in which you propelled yourself at Jeongguk’s figure. Surprise was barely an emotion with the speed that you pressed your mouth to his, messily squashing the tip of your nose against his cheek and nearly biting a chunk out of his bottom lip.

Your skin flamed momentarily in embarrassment and morphed into want when he kissed you back. His notebook followed the fate of the other obstacles when he moved onto his knees, the cool engravings on his rings pressing into your jaw when he cupped it to angle your lips, latter hand falling next to your thigh to loom over you.

His teeth snagged on your bottom lip as he settled his forehead against yours, still firmly holding onto your chin.

“I thought you’d never cave.”

You ground your teeth together with the same force as pale knuckles snagging on the collar of Jeongguk’s t-shirt to drag his mouth back to yours. He came with a chuckle against your lips, crawling closer to lodge a thigh between your legs while dragging his tongue across your molars. He craned over you, trailing opened mouthed kisses across your jaw while you hissed, “Like it better when you’re not speaking.”

He hummed into your skin, nudging your hair aside to nick his teeth into your neck, “Keep telling yourself that, baby.”

The noise that lulled lazily off your tongue was somewhere between a guttural groan and a mewled whine, scratching blunt fingernails across his shoulders, “You’re the smartest person I know and it’s fucking infuriating.”

“Mmm, talk dirty to me.”

“I’ll leave right this second—”

His hands gripped your hips and you were on your back, his dark fringe tickling at your forehead as he hovered over you. Brown irises grew black, dilated and twinkling under the ambient purple blanketing his room, “Want to know a secret?”

“No,” You pulled on the hem of his shirt, “Want this off.”

“Okay—” He tugged the white off his torso in one swift movement, leaning back over you with palms on either side of your head, “—now do you want to hear a secret?”

“If it’s the amount of months it’s been since you washed your sheets, I don’t want to hear it.”

Jeongguk’s mouth quieted you and he grumpily mumbled into the part of your lips, “I think I like it better when you’re not speaking either. I was going to feed your ego but…”

“Tell me the secret, Jeongguk.”

His lips traveled to your ear, “Always have thought you were incredibly fucking intelligent. Annoyingly so. Thought I needed to prove myself to you—” His teeth teased your earlobe, “—it was stupid and I’m an asshole.”

“Yeah, you are, but at least you’re self aware,” He kissed your cheek and your nose on the way back to meet your gaze and you grinned, “Thanks for that one A, though.”

You knew Jeon Jeongguk had glow in the dark, stick-on stars plastered all over his ceiling, ones that glowed an unnatural green in purple lighting and you hated that it was your new favorite view, just like you hated how good his lips felt on your skin and how comfortable his chest was to sleep on and how often he was right about nineteenth century literature.

#jeon jungkook #bts #bts reactions #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fluff #jungkook scenario #jungkook scenarios #jeon jungkook scenario #jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook imagine #jungkook fluff #bts x reader #jungkook x reader #unedited #and me knowing how to end things?? literally never #idk what this is cheers im getting in bed ajfkdlsajf TAKE IT

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companionwolf · 5 years

Text

ok ok ok... after class we are going to

go get dinner (from cafeteria; to go box which will wait on the counter until eating time)

take out the trash (our room n comms)

put away the laundry finally (throw out that really bloodied garment btw you cant wash that back to usefulness)

strip bed, wash + dry bedsheets

remake bed

do day one of the media tracker proj

eat dinner

take shower

and after we do all that

we will finish watching into the spiderverse and have a hot chocolate

(we might also paint that depends on if s feels like it and if the body n brain are not exhausted which they might be because Chronically Tired)

#wolf barking #‘arent you jewish shoukdntu be fastin’ what w brain its better i eat ... also its said to be mitzvah 2 take care of self

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thedaysof2022 · 2 years

Text

March 20 2022

My 3rd furniture proj to be made in real life? 😍

1. Coo bee

2. Reception counter at muntazahh clinic

3. This console table

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dj-mkultra-j · 3 years

Text

I made a playlist for this mix (70 tracks). I added 10 more for making it 1:06.

I was flying thru the list because there was a list. If I lay down rules of any kind, I will consider what I do, a job.

Most other mixes I know almost nothing beforehand.

You'll notice how little I plan or much I can't stand to repeat anything I do. Even I had to find out.

I don't repeat any sequence of tracks ever.

Even if I found the most amazing and perfect way to transition. That mix will be the only time you'll ever hear it. I simply don't repeat what I do because it makes me more like those who call themselves DJs. If you can't make the same set on vinyl (timing, count) you are taking up space for the real, actually talented DJs, musically adept and musician/performer as one inside music as my best friend.

For bookings and information about availability and pricing please contact me by email.

[email protected]

All my sets are recorded LIVE and representative of my style and music selection.

Why I am able to and better than most is my respect and love for rhythm and music. You will know another track is coming in. You can't miss it. Then I make the 2 tracks sound as an enhanced part of the original track (trk1). I make the longest transitions (mixes) extending past brk<>brk intro. (keysync, why would you?) if you understand what music is and how it all fits together. You should hear it as a structure on a foundation.

I taught myself through subconsciously analyzing (every line and 4/4 pattern/count) in music. This deep understanding and universal structure count, (to the next break) is an absolute law. (per style)

'88 is my House music genesis. House music gave me the love and drive to improve.

(in '89 I DJd for a while -[hours]. From the 2nd mix I paired breaks intuitively, but my track choices were made by an insecure 18 year old and vinyl ly impaired - through the top DJ's 1st dibs right on new releases - [3 record shops for USA imported 12" Countywide]. My future will only be possible by looking ahead to the man I have become by choosing to be pure, compassionate, direct/honest, determined, strong-willed, principled and confident. It's not possible for me to clearly remember anything before '90. It's a profound proposition to consider.

I alone am responsible for who I became on my own. I am not responsible for not easily being categorized and answer any questions [diagnosis] to lead either nowhere or I do the opposite, leading to every disorder I could feign [& counter. ie uneven temperament vs unbreakable, unchanging, stable, thoughtful self being]. This was a fun thing to play with. No one knows enough about me beyond that which I divulge.)

I put the year I started development of my understanding.

* Side note English '78

Musically oriented,

Dancing '89

(Singing range 4 to 5 octaves, I can adapt vocals shifting my range 2 or 3 octaves higher. I'm still trying to find ways to extend or shift up further (I don't know why)

Composing music '98

Producing and arranging music '14

DJing, July 2020.

DJ MKUltra-J

4/4 is in my blood, my veins. It's in my heart and soul. It's on my mind 24/7.

Please like and subscribe to my soundcloud.com profile to keep updated on new releases.

I would like some feedback how it makes you feel or know your likes and dislikes of my work, rhythmic and overall style. The point is that you matter because you're not me and I only know what I like. You must tell me what YOU LIKE.

Below is a link to my MIX depository (13 mixes from mix 01 to 12 and 14) containing 13 mixes. Mix 13 I fought the decks to stick to 125BPM and not randomly stepping velocities continuously throughout the entire 73 - 78 minutes.

I am stubborn and don't give up fighting because that's part of my character.

Giving up is not an option. Learning from wasting my time and effort is the only option for me to avoid repeating myself and using even more time.

I'll try to listen to mix 13 objectively but I don't think it will be posted on DJ MKUltra-J's profile.

I might select the 1st 3 minutes (as WAV to the USB drive) to get the same opening. I love how the mix starts.

Should I name the replacement Mix 15, Jason Voorhees (TGI)F 13?

#housemusic #technomusic #house #dancefloor #djmixes #music design #intuitivedancer #SoundCloud

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star-trekkin-across-theuniverse · 7 years

Text

Vital Signs, pt 29 (conclusion)

Word Count: 2805 Tags: @to-pick-ourselves-up-7 @outside-the-government, @jimfromsales, @donnaintx, @enterprisewriting @starmission @supermoonpanda @rayleyanns @sistasarah-sallysaidso @flirtswithdanger @anyakinamidala Author’s Note: There’s a few one-shots that go with this fic. If you want to see them, just let me know, and I’ll toss them up too. :)

“I’m blaming you for this.” Tony held a cup of coffee beside my head. I inhaled the rich aroma and opened my eyes slowly.

“What?” I asked, sitting up and taking the cup. He stood on the other side of the coffee table, eyebrow quirked.

“There is a huge knot burned into the roof.”

“What? Tony, you need to make sense,” I complained.

“Was Thor here? Because there’s also an empty box of pop tarts in the kitchen,” he questioned. I felt the realization break across me like a wave. I still wasn’t awake, but at least I knew what he was talking about.

“Yes.” I took a sip from the cup. Swill. Obviously Steve wasn’t in the building yet, and Tony’d had to make the pot himself. I was surprised he hadn’t invented a robot to do it for him.

“He was. And?”

“He said he was going to try to get some answers for me. He’s not back yet.” I thought that was pretty obvious, from the lack of tall, blonde and muscled in the room.

“You fighting with Cap?”

“Huh?”

“You slept here, on the couch.” Tony pointed to the indent my head had left on the cushions.

“No. I was obsessing. I thought I’d come play with the MRI proj-“

“You did not. Tell me you didn’t wreck it,” he interrupted with what appeared to be a genuine look of panic on his face. I couldn’t help but smile. I would have even drawn it out and teased him, were I not certain I could have been target practice the next time he was testing a new suit.

“It became obvious very quickly that I am not as brilliant as you are, and I spent most of the night just playing with my MRI. It was better than staring at the back of Steve’s head.” I held my hands up in surrender. Tony nodded.

“Wanna tell me about the lab tests?” Tony had obviously been to the lab before searching out coffee and me. I shook my head.

“Not really.”

“Am I glad I have no idea what any of those abbreviations mean?”

“Probably. Who would’ve thought biology would be your downfall?” I pondered. He rolled his eyes and headed to the bar. He couldn’t seriously be considering a drink at seven in the morning. He fiddled with something behind the counter for a few minutes, and emerged with ‘Heroes of New York’ action figures. He was playing with a Captain America and Hawkeye figure like a child.

“So you and Cap are fine?” Tony was unusually curious, waving the Captain America figure at me. I nodded.

“Sure.”

“When is he planning on moving into the tower? You’re welcome, of course. If you do decide to find a younger guy, we can find a place for you on one of the lower levels. Or you could just shack up with the Hawk already,” he babbled, and emphasized his point by thrusting the Hawkeye action figure toward me.

“What is with your obsession with Barton?” I asked, incredulous. I pushed the toy back toward Tony.

“He’s a young guy. He’s non-committal, so if you aren’t having fun you can just end things without complications. Cap is, well, in a word, old. He was friends with my dad, for Christ’s sake. He probably only knows the missionary position. You’re young, you’re a doctor, you have advanced biological knowledge. Let your freak flag fly, sweetheart. Barton is very flexible, I saw that during Loki’s little picnic.” He tried to make the action figure do something bendy but had no luck.

“Okay. One, his body was in suspended animation. He’s really the same age as me. Two, he’s adapted beautifully to the modern age. That includes knowing more than the missionary position, not that it’s your business. Three, Barton is lovely, but he’s not my type. Four, because why not a fourth item? Barton’s relationship with Tasha is just way too complicated for me to want to wade into that, even if he was my type,” I counted my points off on my fingers. Tony’s eyes grew wide on my last point.

“Barton and Natashalie? When did this happen?” He looked lost without a Black Widow action figure to thrust into the Hawkeye figure’s arms. He dropped both toys on the coffee table in disgust.

“Are you fucking blind? Have you never watched them interact?” I exclaimed. I rose and headed to the coffee maker to top up my cup. Swill it may be, but it had caffeine in it. Tony followed.

“More important than Hawk and the Widow, Cap does more than missionary?” Tony needled.

“I’ll be in the lab, Tony. Don’t make me get J.A.R.V.I.S. to lock you out.” I grabbed an orange from the fridge and walked away.

I flipped through a bunch of pages of lab results on the monitor in front of me, comparing my lab results from the blood I’d drawn during the night with my previous labs. It was interesting reading, but wasn’t actually giving me the information I was looking for. I decided I needed to make a visit to my friends at Midtown to see if I could get some information off the SHIELD records.

I stopped at the admitting desk in the Emergency Room and asked after Erica, hoping she was on. The nurse at the desk was just telling me that she was in the OR when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and Jamie pulled me into a hug.

“Lexy! It’s been ages! How are you doing? How is work?” He asked. His smile was warm and welcoming, and as he let go of me, it faltered just a little.

“I am great. I just needed to see a doc off the books. You up for a quick chat?” I asked. He nodded, and steered me into a private trauma bay, shutting the door behind us.

“You are cold, Lexy. Have you been sick?” He ran the back of his hand across my forehead and cheek, frowning.

“Yeah, about that. Remember the alien invasion?” I asked. He nodded. “I got an infection. This goes no further than you and I. I don’t want to say what I’m going to tell you could get you killed because I doubt that, but it could ruin your career if you start talking.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Medically unique and extraordinary. You decide,” I shrugged. He nodded and leaned against the supply counter.

“Okay, hit me.”

“My DNA was corrupted by the alien that infected me. I’m not worried about my health at all, all the testing that’s been done between then and now has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am just as healthy, if not healthier. But my menstrual cycle has been weird.”

“Are you pregnant? Did you finally start shagging that hot blonde who looks like Captain America?” He asked and I could tell he was curious from a medical standpoint as well as because he wanted the gossip he could share. I laughed.

“I am not pregnant. I ran that test already. I need to know if this infection has wrecked my reproductive system,” I blurted. He looked thoughtful.

“Have you had any bloodwork?” He asked.

“I’ve done thyroid, prolactin, estrogen, testosterone, FSH, and LH, as well as a standard E7.” I handed him a few pages of lab results. He looked them over quickly and looked back at me.

“These are all normal. Why are you concerned? Have you been trying to conceive?” He asked.

“God, no! No, I just, it crossed my mind and I’d rather know on my own terms than be slapped with this down the road,” I explained. He looked over the results a second time.

“Well, let’s pretend you are trying to conceive, and go ahead with an ultrasound,” he offered.

“Can this be a Jane Doe?” I asked. I really didn’t want this pinging on SHIELD’s radar.

“Sure. Let’s go to the ultrasound suite.” He opened the door and walked out. We caught up on the short walk to the ultrasound, and I learned that Loki’s invasion had changed a lot of policy regarding the operation of the hospital. Jamie was alive with excitement about everything that was going on. We turned the corner to the ultrasound suite and entered quietly. It was very sneaky in that way the kids are sneaky when they are trying to get away with something but their parents are around. We were all stage whispers and giggles.

I got prepared and sat up on the gurney. Jamie conducted the ultrasound in as professional a manner as I could expect from a former colleague, which I appreciated. There was no inappropriate commentary or awkwardness. He was straightforward and business-like. He turned the monitor so we could both see it. He progressed through all the images silently, knowing I knew just as well as he did what we were looking at. My reproductive system was a mess.

“Check out your ovary.” He pointed at the image on the screen, “that one is totally blocked.” I could see the outline of what appeared to be a fibroid cyst or something. He continued to try to get better images before finishing the test. He left the room so I could get changed, and then came back in.

“I’m a mess,” I said quietly. Jamie put his hand on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Lex.”

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t know that I wanted kids.”

“We can treat this, Lexy. If you want babies, we can treat this. Don’t assume it’s off the table.” His voice was compassionate. I sighed and looked at my feet, blinking back unbidden tears.

“No. My job, it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. I can’t bring kids into that mess. This just means I don’t have to worry about it. It’s better that way.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. In my days as a student, I’d seen women fall to pieces over this very information. I’d always felt compassion for them, but never thought I would understand enough of what they were going through to feel true empathy. I got it now. Even without the desire for children, this was a blow at the very thing that made me a woman. It was about more than just babies.

“Are you sure, Lexy?” Jamie placed his hand over mine, and I realized I was rubbing my abdomen, right above my uterus. I dropped my hand.

“I will be. I’ll be sure. I just need some time,” I admitted. He squeezed my shoulder.

“And Captain America? Do you need help telling him?”

“What do you mean?” I hadn’t thought Jamie had realized who Steve was. He’d let me believe he didn’t know who Steve was.

“He sat at your bedside after New York in the uniform, Lexy. He wouldn’t leave, not even to let us treat his wounds. You have to tell him. That man looks at you like you are his white picket fence house in the suburbs,” he lectured me. I felt my chest tighten, and the prickle of fresh tears at the corners of my eyes.

“I don’t think-“ I was going to deny how Steve felt, but Jamie interrupted me.

“I saw him, Lexy. This won’t change how he feels, but he still deserves to know.” He was firm. I nodded, and rose to collect my things.

“Thank you for doing this, Jamie.” I stopped at the door. Jamie nodded.

“Anytime, Ms. Doe,” he smiled. I threw my arms around him and hugged him. He rubbed my hair and gave me a squeeze before holding me at arms length.

“You’re going to be fine. Your superhero isn’t going to dump you.”

“Thanks.”

“Put in a good word for me with Black Widow, will you?” He teased. I laughed and left the room.

I found Steve reading a book about the Vietnam War in the lounge at Avengers Tower. I sat down beside him, and he snaked an arm out and pulled me close without looking up from his book. We stayed that way, quiet, for about ten minutes before Agent Barton came in. He waved and headed to the kitchen.

“Tony is trying to hook you two up.” Steve was so blasé about it, I wanted to laugh. I did laugh, actually.

“I know, he won’t let it go. I think he wants a ‘Dr. Lex’ action figure so he can make them make out,” I complained.

“He says I need to let you go. That you are young and have your whole life ahead of you. That you will eventually want to settle down and have kids and live in the suburbs.” His voice was steady and even, but I could feel his heart thumping harder than usual.

“I didn’t sign up for a house in the suburbs when I joined SHIELD, Steve, and that was before you.” I kept my voice calm too. He leaned over and kissed my forehead.

“I don’t know that I’ll ever want kids. I don’t know what the serum did there, but I don’t know that I want to bring kids into this world. I barely cope some days,” he admitted. I squeezed his thigh.

“You cope just fine,” I reassured him.

“I don’t know that I should marry, either, Lex. If it got out, you would be used against me,” he said. My heart constricted.

“You say that as if I was who you would marry.”

“Who else would I marry?”

“I just came from Midtown General.” I changed the topic. He sat up and untangled himself from me. He took my hand and looked right at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why do you think something is wrong?”

“Why would you go to a public hospital when SHIELD has the best medical care in the world?”

“I wanted some tests run off the radar,” I admitted. Steve leaned closer.

“And?”

“I’ll never have children, Steve. Loki broke my reproductive system,” I blurted it out and burst into tears. Steve pulled me into his arms and rocked me, shushing me like you would a small child. I let out all the tears I’d been holding in, going all the way back to the Destroyer. Steve rubbed his hands up and down my back, soothing me. My nose started running, and I tried to pull away to get a tissue, but Steve just held me close. I figured if he didn’t care about the state of his clothing, I wouldn’t either.

“Lex,” Steve started, but couldn’t quite grasp my attention. “Alexandra.” I looked up at him. He kissed me, ugly-cry face and all. I took a great hiccupping breath in, and tried to settle myself. I was only marginally successful.

“I’m sorry,” I managed. He shook his head.

“Don’t be. You’ve put up with a lot of shit, and this baloney with Loki is just one more thing.”

“I am broken,” I whispered. He took my head in both his hands and looked me in the eye.

“You are not broken, Alexandra Richmond.” He was firm.

“My ovaries are-“

“Are they still there?” He questioned.

“Well, yes.”

“Are you going to suffer any ill health from the revelation you got today?”

“Not as far as I could tell.”

“Are you still progressing and becoming superhuman?”

“I think so.”

“You are not broken, Lex. You just live in a different paradigm now. Like me. Gives us one more reason to stick together.” He kissed my forehead again and gathered me into another hug. I felt my heart lift, and was reassured that nothing had changed. I wiped my tears away, and took a deep breath. No matter how many cups of coffee I could freeze solid, and no matter what happened to my guts, nothing had changed.

“I love you, Steve,” I spoke into his chest.

“I love you too, Lex.” His voice rumbled in his chest. He held me in his arms like that for most of the afternoon while we watched movies. By nightfall, despite all my heartache, I felt like it was just another day. I didn’t know when Thor would be back, and really, I doubted he’d have any really useful information for me. So, while Steve and I ate dinner with the rest of the crowd at Avengers Tower, I resolved to just carry on.

We were washing dishes together at the sink after dinner when Steve leaned over and kissed my cheek.

“You look better. Do you feel okay?” He asked.

“I do.”

“You in an okay place?” He pestered.

“Can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.” I kissed him and started putting away dishes.

#avengers fanfic #Steve Rogers x OFC

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