Tumgik
#but I do believe in john mentioning how they’ve spent new year’s eve
voilaammayi · 5 months
Text
Okay I’ve just realized that bbc!sherlock’s birthday is the 6th of January (I hope I’m not wrong). It’s like. In five days. And I wasn’t even ready for the christmas episode on 26th December. And Sherlock mentioned an underlying threat of birthday surprise party while talking John’s ear off about how he love christmas. And I’m still not over it, but that’s for another post. And-
When is s&c!sherlock birthday? Are we getting Sherlock birthday episode? are we getting Sherlock’s birthday surprise party? a r e w e ???
35 notes · View notes
jae-canikeepyou · 3 years
Text
| kismet | j.jh | part one
Tumblr media
pair: jaehyun x fem!reader
word count: 10k+ welps
summary: his parents sends him for a month long vacation to the country side to meet his other half, which so happens to be you. and alternatively, your beloveds asks of you to be in your best behaviour while he’s around. disliking how things turn out, you both come up with a pact with each other before your two families gathers together for christmas eve dinner.
genre: arranged marriage + bad 1st impressions
a/n: happy new year ✨ and you know what that means? *wink wink* new layout for my oneshots hihi! ok you guys this took soooooo long to write ;-; i wasn’t satisfied with the first draft so i had to reboot everything! and i mean everything!! :3 so i had this specific genre in mind for a long time and i’m glad that someone requested at the same time while i was in the progress of writing it~ i should’ve posted this on christmas day but i was spending time with my family :D hope you understand hihihi anyway i’ll stop this here so you can enjoy reading! ~j
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
| part two | part three (final) |
jaehyun never reacted so quickly in his entire life, simultaneously spitting out the drink he consumed and eyes growing at the news his parents suddenly brought up. his neck ache at sudden twist. “what did you say?” he wiped the drips of coffee at the corners of his lips. his breathing intensified the more the silence passed.
mr. and mrs. jeong playfully sighed & exchanged looks as their son shouldn’t be this surprised regarding the topic. they have discussed about this when he turned eighteen. now twenty-three, he shouldn’t be so surprised or over-reactive about it either. 
“you heard your father,” mrs. jeong chewed her meal elegantly, yet giggles were still heard through closed lips. “you’re meeting her next week.”
he squinted with plenty of doubts filling his head, he was sure that there was still a year left. and to him that also meant he has exactly a year to convince his parents to call off the marriage he never asked for, let alone planned it. he still has a lot- correction, have yet to achieve in his mid-twenties and having a wife now would be slightly cutting his privacy short. 
in other words, the path to leisure he wished for after years of academics would divert to spending a life planned out for him. he had a diary and planner, and 
they were organised and well-thought out. but he had enough of his parents writing out his future for him, why couldn’t he write his own love story?
jaehyun was on his second last year of veterinary medicine, having some of the weight and pressure of academics lifted off his shoulders. of course he knew he still has to study, he just felt a little relaxed knowing that he would soon practice his dream career.
never had he expected that time flew and was going to meet his fiancé soon. 
his phone blinked with along with a message from his friends— mark and johnny. he briefly looked at the wallpaper of his long-time girlfriend of four years; she was the one who was on his mind. “nononono, i can’t get married now.” jaehyun’s panicking voice echoed the dining area, shoving the phone into his pockets.
mr. jeong raised a brow, placing his cup of coffee on the glass table. “relax, you’re not putting a ring on her finger yet.”
“‘yet’?!” the dimples on his face deepened as his cheeks bubbled. “mom, dad, i haven’t even met her!”
“hm? that’s why you’re spending the whole month at the countryside!” mrs. jeong exclaimed excitingly, and to jaehyun it seemed she was enjoying herself as if she were the one going there too.
“a month?! what am i going to do over there?!” 
“isn’t this great? we finally get to see you outdoors instead of a laptop and report papers! you need a break honey.” his mother clasped palms.
“ugh i can manage my time—”
“once you start working i’m pretty sure you won’t have the time to, jaehyun.”
since the love topic was brought up, his parents started to dig out their memories during their dating years. jaehyun groaned and massaged his temples, feeling uncomfortable with all the love stories he already heard or been told about. “did you forget that i have a girlfriend?” mumbling, he let out a deep, long sigh hoping they would hear him. and that failed miserably. his parents were in their own world. 
he shook his leg underneath the table and grew impatient with the duration of their conversation. “please, i’m begging you. i’ll get married in my own time and pace. sue and i are pretty much going to settle once we graduate-”
a certain ringtone perked his ears and his hands quickly pat his pockets to search his phone. he let out a sigh of relief, that his girlfriend psychologically read his mind and knew how much he wanted to get out of the dinner table, not to mention his parents’ overly attachment to one another. 
“sue you called! i was wondering if you want to hang out for a while.” his voice was high in spirits. but word has it when it reached its high, it would plummet to the ground shortly after. “hey, what’s wrong?” 
on the other line, just a call away from his girlfriend, was her held-in sob and whimper. “where are you right now? i’m coming to get you.”
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
jaehyun’s limbs shook in anger and slammed his fists onto the stirring wheel so hard that this time he promised himself he would move on. last week, she didn’t just break up with him— that was a call for farewell, something kept well hidden from him and all this time he didn’t know she felt the way she did for the years they’ve spent together. 
for a minute he wished this was all a dream, that conscious world would wake his slumber mind. it wasn’t. the reality pretty much awoke him and kept him up all night. he blinked several times, her words still numbing his hearing, wishing it was a lie... but he heard her loud and clear that night. 
“...you’ll always have a place in my heart.. but i’m really sorry..”
he grew speechless though his heart had millions of questions. the windows of his lips sealed closed no matter how much he wanted them to be answered. opposite from where he was at, he stared at the porch of her house, waiting for a silhouette to appear before him. instead a luxurious car pulled over and an unfamiliar man took his coat off to wrap around sue. that action didn’t hurt jaehyun, but it was sue’s smile of comfort that triggered his pain more. seemed like she knew this man given that she let him into her house, like nothing heartbreaking happened before this. 
the door closed and jaehyun’s teary eyes never left her residence until loud slams of swinging car doors opened on both sides of the passenger’s seats. “tsk.” he hissed and quickly rubbed the tears meaning to fall. him being seen crying would really make him a target for his friends, for not moving on. couldn’t risk being the attention more than he already was.
“goodness mark it’s not like we’re on vacation that you have to pack almost everything,” johnny threw one of mark’s duffle bags at the boy, earning a so-what kind of look from him. “we’ll only bring jae to the y/l/n’s then leave afterwards—”
screw this, jaehyun thought. by now he shouldn’t look too swollen to his friends. but screw mark for renting and living across from his ex’s house. 
“save your explanation john.” jaehyun growled and started the engine, fastening his while seatbelt the two continued their bickers. more of it was mark’s shallowness that pissed johnny.
“yeah, save your explanation john- ow!” mark gave the tall lad a death-gazing glare at the pain that stayed on his skin.
johnny leaned forwards, tapping the dimpled boy on the shoulder. “dude, you changed your mind?”
jaehyun scoffed, resting his left arm onto the window’s edge as he drove. “mom said i should be accompanied. i didn’t want you both to come but she’s so insisting it’s getting into my nerves.” 
“actually mrs. jeong said you might need us after your sudden breakup,” mark pressed the button. the window rolled up and down whereas him and johnny exchanged looks to try to liven up the mood in the car. “what are friends for, hm?”
“o-oh yeah. you’ll need us.. as in.. ‘sue’pport.” he nodded with a fake sob. soon mark bursted out in giggles and joined the wagon. 
“‘cause you lost your ‘sue’weetheart.” “she’s making you ‘sue’per emotional.” “we were ‘sue’prised she dumped you.” “but as your brothers, we ‘sue’wear we’ll be here—”
“ugh! i don’t know why mom suggested you to come but your side comments really aren’t helping at all—” jaehyun rolled his eyes regretting instantly at the pain afterwards.
his friends found him hilarious. they were laughing so hard that jaehyun couldn’t continue or interrupt their exploding voices. “since when did you need help, mr. leave-me-alone?” johnny took a huge leap from his seat to be beside the offended boy. “for all i know you’re the type who wants everything perfect, in control and planned.”
“nah dude, right now..” mark zipped his bag. “he needs help with love issues.”
“this has nothing to do with my love! and for the record, about the y/f/n’s? it’s arranged!” he lowered his cap and slid back slightly against the seat while the car was on idle. “do i need to spell it out for you?”
“that can change dude,” johnny slurped on his giant soda takeaway. jaehyun battered his eyes but was careful enough to not leave his sight off of the road. “who knows this fiancé of yours could meet your expectations. maybe more than sue could ever do.”
jaehyun’s mind clouded and still had the effects from the breakup. still so fresh. he didn’t want to believe it in fact happened; that it was all true. he was sure sue was the one for him. hearing his pals say it word per word only had it finally sunk in— she dumped him.
it terrified him in ways he couldn’t imagine, haunted him countless of nights because he failed her. he even bragged to his parents that he would marry her and slip a ring on her finger. thinking about it, how stupid was he to hold onto that hope?
he looked like an idiot, felt like one and his friends probably viewed the same. they said his fiancé could outstand sue? she was the perfect package! what more could he get?
he had her.
honks of the vehicles behind led jaehyun’s eyes trailing to the stoplight that emitted green. he pulled over and johnny knew he had to take his place. 
“here, let me drive. you’re not fit for driving. now, just be comfy back there, okay?”
hours later violent jolts of the car hit jaehyun’s cheek, regaining consciousness from his slumber just to witness the beautiful sunrise peeking from the horizon. he sat up, his posture trying to straighten to denumb nerves that held long during his sleep.
his playlist blasted the speakers. johnny had his legs on the dashboard and hummed with the music. mark was still sleeping peacefully like he hadn’t had a care in the world other than his precious bag of unfinished chips in his hands. 
he groaned at the discomfort of pulled muscles and the sudden break to the countryside. if johnny needed an hour intervals for the drive he could’ve said so, right? but now they were at the open road, greenery and fields merging together in one land. 
“what time is it? where are we and are we there yet? i’ll drive if what you do delays the journey.” jaehyun gestured him to move aside. “johnny, stop eating.” it was quarter to two.
“wha-? i’m hungry. hey, you’re the one who didn’t want to come and yet you’re rushing to get to the y/l/n’s?” johnny unwrapped his second burrito. “besides, we’re only five minutes away—”
“tsk ‘cause i need to piss real bad.” jaehyun was fidgety and panned the view before setting eyes on his friend. 
johnny felt a churn in his stomach as his cheeks bubbled. “oh gross! i’m eating dude! if you’re gonna piss then do it outside?!”
jaehyun shoved the burrito into johnny’s mouth to not speak anymore. “rather hold it in than for you to puke in my car!” he held his strength while johnny fought his way to breathe properly. “i won’t piss outside and there are cattles who feed on fields!”
“bruh stop lecturing me with your vet knowledge- ah!” johnny held his forehead from the sudden finger flicking.
“dude, it’s called common sense. now move aside!” he shooed the tall boy off the driver’s seat. jaehyun stepped on the gas, heading towards a small town entrance.
they finally reached a couple of stores & restaurants, surveying and asking its townsmen using your family name to locate your residence. maybe they would know which apartment or house you resided in. except that was the twist of their understanding. 
jaehyun and his boys were shocked to know how your family name plastered in posters and brand products displayed at open stores, but were more shocked to see the gazes from the people. 
a little over an hour, they managed to get hold of more information as they were told your house was ten minutes away from the town. jaehyun walked along the pavement to grab something to drink, only to be poked by a young man who was around the same age as they were.  
“hi.” he greeted the unfamiliar man. “i take it you’re looking for the y/l/n’s?”
he took a squint as he observed jaehyun from head to toe, circling around him. “uh-huh, you look like m’lady’s husband-to-be in the pictures.”
“e-excuse me?” jaehyun cleared his throat, seemingly unwilling to have this conversation going.
mark held his laugh per usual, it would take time to get used to jaehyun stumbling his words. 
because the engaged man really wasn’t ready at all. 
“yeap he’s the guy.” johnny popped the ‘p’ with a lollipop in his mouth. jaehyun rolled his eyes, taking the candy stick and tossing it away. he didn’t care about johnny’s scoffs.
the new young lad wore his motorcycle helmet. “sweet.” he prolonged the word. and that was when both mark and johnny lost it. they recalled the pun they entertain themselves with prior to arriving here.
“oh, i work with the town’s famous family,” he showed his i.d. wrapped around his neck. “you can follow me since i’m heading there too.” the three quickly twitched at his quick paced movement. “i’m kunhang by the way, but i’d rather be called hendery. it’s my professional name, it just sounds cooler.”
jaehyun furrowed his brows at the praise. “okay hendery, uhm famous? they’re big time?” he pointed at the posters holding your family name. “how so?”
hendery swung his face shield downwards. “you’ll see.”
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
gallops of horses were drumming the entire farm. dust and dirt swirled with the wind in the air and it took a while for the boys to adjust their sights at the distance. hendery dropped a couple of spare boots for them to wear. jaehyun was in awe. horses were majestic animals and though he got to study them, he never seen such a number of them on the fields.
“oh goodness me our guest is here!”
they turned around to voice of a jolly lady, an apron on and folded cuffs from her clothing. “hello there! welcome! you must be jaehyun! my soon to be son-in-law!” she shook his hands and later pulled him for a hug. “oh you look just like your mother!”
“hi mrs. y/l/n. y-yeah, i get that a lot these days,” jaehyun scratched his head. “thanks for having us.” 
her eyes trailed at mark and johnny, and they too, were pulled in for a hug. “i see jaehyun brought along his handsome friends with him! do enjoy your stay here with us!” she caught a glimpse of a figure approaching the crowd. “c’mere baby and meet the boys!”
jaehyun looked over his shoulder, lips parting and exhaled a short breath. she seemed young, she has a pretty face but obviously still in high school. what the? oh g- i’m marrying you?
“pfft no ew. i’m not getting married to you. i’m only 17.” she let out a chuckle, almost sarcastic enough for jaehyun to explode.
crap i said it unconsciously.
your mother lightly slapped her arm. “marg, where’s your sister?” she asked. “i told her to specifically come at the barn 1600.”
“she took jet for a ride. ‘detour’ she said, but i guess she’s on her way here.” she replied and mark choked on his water bottle. marg rolled her eyes. “green minded ass-”
“language marg!” hendery flicked her forehead, the latter held the pain. “the rudeness. sorry, kiddo here is the family’s baby. you’ll see the eldest daughter soon- oh! right on time m’lady!” he waved his hands up high.
jaehyun didn’t know what pissed him off more; one was at himself for being starstruck and in awe at you after his breakup, and two? 
the beautiful black horse you were riding on didn’t seem to be halting. it was trotting at first. you were on its saddle. he squinted his eyes, were you smirking? unbelievable. he thought you were doing this on purpose. no, you were really going to run him over. 
he noticed a change in speed, trotting then galloping on dirt. the sounds of it matched with the beatings of his rising heart. jaehyun took a step back, then it became more than one, until he was worried that he would end up being chased. there were couple of gasps and reminders of voices. he fell on his bum with palms hitting the ground as he breathed heavily, eyes still on you.
the horse listened to your rein, it let out a loud neigh with its front legs heavenwards. your laugh merged with it. “whoa- hey, easy jet, easy.” you cooed the animal, soon removing your helmet and hair flowed like those in shampoo commercials. “i think he got the message.”
jaehyun sat there dumbfounded, his brows drew together. what message? you were centimetres from killing him- wait. he saw you turn cold and your smile disappearing.
bingo! he got it. he knew the reason why you did this. 
you were against the arranged marriage too.
johnny leaned into mark’s ear, who had his hands cupping his lower face. “bro, jet’s a horse so stop giggling and clean your mind.” 
“dude i’m not laughing at that. just look at jae. i’ve never seen him so helpless.” he cackled a laugh. 
once your feet were on the ground, he finally got a better look on you. you were wearing a light wooled grey sweater with denim blue jeans. your hair now on one side and boots stained with dried mud. you took off your gloves to put your hand out for a handshake, one rested around your helmet. “hi, i’m y/n.” you greeted with a smile, ensuring it was fake enough for jaehyun to notice. 
“quite of an entrance.” jaehyun dusted his jeans and groaned at the exerted strength as he stood. “jeong jaehyun. veterinary medicine student..” he was about to grab your hand until you shoved yours into the pockets of your jeans. 
“y/n!” your mom exclaimed with warning. “your manners-” she clamped her lips when you put up a hand, eyes darting at her later at him.
“alright, okay. look mr. i didn’t ask for your field of study and i don’t need to know or do anything with you.”
jaehyun crossed his arms, a fake smile plastered on his face. what an attitude. “apparently you will? because i’m here for the next thirty days.”
“is that so?” you hummed and jaehyun didn’t like how you singsonged.
he knew something was coming and sometimes he thought it was best to keep quiet instead of letting his annoyance towards you spark up. “good, that means you’re helping me out with everything i do here.” he heard you say. “and do things i tell you to.”
“what?” his eyebrows snapped, and for you it was quite entertaining to see this reaction from him. following the trail of your footsteps, jaehyun stomped on wet soil as he stood before you. “hey you can’t just order me around like i’m your staff!”
“of course i can, you’re in my property-” you gestured the land.
“no, it belongs to your parents.” the tone of his voice irked you. he was grinning too.
“i can do whatever i want and choose whenever to help. i’ll only listen orders from mr. and mrs. y/l/n if they want me to do work..” he trailed off, your mother waving at him with admiration— typical as she saw him like an long lost son. “..but i guess not. my mom did say i needed a break from studying too much and she’s totally right. i must be pardoned from labour.”
it was your turn to cross arms and give him a lop-sided smile. the audacity of this man. you felt like ripping all your hair out. “you think staying here would prevent you from doing labour, your highness? sitting on your throne all dignified and at peace? well guess what, just because you’re a guest that doesn’t mean you get to be treated differently-”
you heard him bubble out a forced snicker. what was it this time? “of course it’s different! i am the guy you’re betrothed to-”
“i won’t allow it.” your jaw tightened with lips in a hard line. “a person like you is not worth my time and definitely not someone i’d want to marry.”
he pursed his lips. “wow do people ever tell you how bad of a host you are? you just don’t go shoving assumptions into people’s faces for your own entertainment. we’re humans.”
“i’m only rude to you. and yeah, people are humans. but you’re the devil’s incarnate.” you pulled jet’s reins and led him to the stables in which jaehyun observed how you gave that same smirk from earlier. “see if you’ll enjoy your stay here, hubby.” 
jaehyun clenched his fists and was sure little crescent moons already indented his palms. he only wanted sue to call him that. yet that was useless, they broke up. your face remained in his head and anger filled him up, now boiling so much that he felt a little lightheaded arguing with someone like you. 
he wanted to yell but johnny and mark sandwiched him between them with hendery walking in front. “tsk it’s only the first day and i want to go home.” he scrunched his nose. 
hendery had his palms behind his head, lips jutting to hold his grin. “m’lady—” he corrected himself. “y/n’s not usually like that. it’s a first seeing her so cranky and hotheaded.”
“really? how is she usually like?” mark asked with curiosity. “she seems cool because she smiled at johnny and me before the tables.. y’know, turned.” he shrugged with implications towards jaehyun.
“not cranky and not hotheaded.” hendery opened the door to your house, showing them to the large living area. “a lil’ different today but i tell you, our y/n is a professional equestrian. she’s passionate with what she does and—”
“a horse rider?! passionate?!” jaehyun hissed as he took off his shoes and brown coat, kicking it slightly to the side and hung it on the wall respectively. “she almost killed me!”
johnny hit the back of jaehyun’s head and clicked his tongue. “snap out of it jae, you’re overreacting. we’re at your future in-law’s residence and i think it’s a bad idea to badmouth their daughter.” 
only a low groan escaped out of jaehyun as he refused to listen. “look, first impressions don’t always hit off a good start. but thinking how you both don’t have a say to this arranged marriage, your feelings towards each other are totally understandable.”
jaehyun pressed the bridge of his nose as he took in his friend’s words. if what johnny said was true, was it right for him to begin holding grudge on you on the first day? you barely knew each other. clearly he knew you hated him, yet if his parents were here and saw the whole thing, they’d ask: why risk the chance of not trying? and again, he remembered he was told, people can change. 
throughout dinner, he got to know what your family business was and why it was well-known. he didn’t ask questions, they were just told to him like they were comfortable with it. they weren’t bragging either. perhaps it was due to the fact jaehyun would soon be part of this family that they told him the entire story. 
you didn’t show up during the hour and honestly it got jaehyun feeling so much relief since he wouldn’t have to deal with another useless argument. he disliked wasting time and preferred to do this schedule accordingly, so remembering it only made him rage inside. he was glad he wouldn’t have to deal with you tonight. 
except that relief was shortlived. you had to appear right when he thought of you.
great.
he tried to fix himself in his seat on the sofa by the fireplace, averting his gaze upon you while your mother continuously slapped you light on the arms. you probably finished your bath, given that you still have a towel wrapped around your head and a.. robe.
“y/n! have some courtesy! we have guests!” your mother warned as she gestured in front to cover you, apologising to the new boys. hendery immediately stepped in as well, his eyes shutting to a close and pushing you back to the bottom of the staircase. 
“but mom! i’m hungry and there might not have any cookies left if you keep giving it to them-” you were cut off with hendery’s pats.
he brushed his hair. sighing, he had to shoo you away because you were clearly attracting eyes, definitely not the decent kind. “i have a jar prepared for you m’lady so please.. get dressed!”
you quickly ran up as you were told, mumbling and complaining. jaehyun and his friends were definitely at a loss for words. because not only were you careless, you were oblivious too. 
mark scrunched his nose to start a conversation with jaehyun. “looks like she called you ‘hubby’ too quickly.” he closed his lips to contain his laugh. 
“pfft jae your ears really are honest huh?” johnny pointed at them as he held his chest, fistbumping mark for another win. 
he wasn’t going to tell them that he in fact did find you pretty, and the thing was, he shouldn’t be giving a reaction too soon. “it’s the spicy chocolate cookie!” jaehyun defended.
“huh, i didn’t bake any cookie with those flavour-” hendery pondered, but he stopped since he spotted jaehyun begging to help him here.
“you know that we know if you’re lying right?” the two squinted eyes, putting more pressure to the boy to admit what he felt when he saw you earlier. “bet ya felt something.”
afraid that your family could hear them, jaehyun grabbed their shoulders to huddle them in close. he cleared his throat to catch their attention, yet his friends continued their giggles. “i swear if you both embarrass me in front of the y/f/n’s, consider the days with your precious.. phones.”
“ah c’mon dude. don’t do that. we bought our i12’s together-” mark whined.
“then at least help me out here guys. i have a reputation to hold-” 
“oh for being her hubby?” johnny gave a playful grin and soon was replaced with a nervous smile. “okay i’ll zip it.”
he heard your mother facetiming his mom, voices loud enough for him to know that there would be a huge gathering at christmas eve dinner. great, another one i have to deal with.
jaehyun put down his beanie and crossed his arms to snooze for a bit. he had too much going on in his head the whole day that maybe sleeping it off would let him calm down from all feelings he felt tonight. on the sofa, the weight beside him lowered, the scent of freshly baked cookies along with lavender perfume got him peeking under his beanie. 
it was you, who looked like a squirrel happily munching away with your jar of cookies whilst eyes glued to the television.
he smiled a little to himself. so you can have this cute side-
fragments of sue’s face appeared in his mind. right. he was supposed to be heartbroken. he still was. a week into the breakup had remains to his heart. bothered with sue’s ultimatum and your annoying munches, he grabbed your wrists and out at the veranda.
it pissed him because it seemed like he was the only one who cared about both of your futures or actually would do something to change your families’ minds, where as you were carefree with your cookies. “hey!” you held the jar tight in your arms as you quickly slid your feet into your slippers. “rude! i’m eating!”
the rest of the people in the dining and kitchen area grew voices of woohoo’s, jaehyun’s pupils flared at their cheers. “just come with me for a second!” he hissed, turning the knob and closing the door.
“seriously jaehyun you can’t just ruin my happy time! what do you want-”
he looked in between the curtains from the outside, where he could faintly hear his friends talking the embarrassing things about him— especially how he felt for this arrange marriage. “aren’t you pressured or angry at the situation our parents have put us into?” he leaned against a column. “even my friends are joining the wagon.”
you cackled whilst scrolling your phone. “here i thought you only cared about animals, dr. jeong.” hearing how jaehyun scoffed at your comment, you shoved your device in your pockets. “and yes of course i’m mad! what they decided is so against my will.”
jaehyun stared at you and surprised that he actually felt exactly the same. “really? then let’s make a pact. sounds good?” he offered with arms folded while you still were occupied with your phone. “well?”
“why would i listen to you? as far as i know, we already clashed and hate each other.” you rolled your eyes. “what makes you think i’ll agree?”
he sighed. “y/n, i know you don’t want this, i don’t too. at least there’s something we have in common. i’m just thinking that we have to show them we’re not meant to be together. we both have lives we want to live without the other.”
there was a change in his voice. you could tell he was serious and trying to suggest something he’d want you to agree on. “fine, what’s the pact?” you gave an uninterested tone. probably a bad idea, you thought.
“like you said, ‘clash and hate each other’. we have exactly twenty four days to convince them that you, me, us?” he pointed at his chest then yours. “is impossible. twenty four days, it’s until the night of christmas eve.”
actually that’s not bad at all. “hm, that’s easy since i can’t stand you.” you said, now standing up to face him. “even better if we can do this in less than 24.”
“cool, we have to make our fights as natural as possible. no signals or heads-up. full-on make me angry and i’ll do the same. the more we argue the more they’ll believe there’ll never be an ‘us’.” his voice a bit lively than before. “i want my buds to be fooled into this too. just be realistic and- nghf!”
you shoved a huge cookie into his mouth. “tsk, you’re noisy. i get you so shut up. i agreed with the pact, but i have conditions, okay?”
jaehyun nodded as he chewed angrily with his eyes closed, though the cookies’ taste might’ve simmered down his temper towards you. “ha, then i have conditions too-”
“see you in the morning.” he heard you say as the door slammed with the attached bell ringing his ears. 
now that was one of his conditions; no interrupting while he talks. he sighed seeing you head up the stairs. he sighed. “ugh, i can never marry a girl like her.”
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
stretching as high as you can, the muscles loosened in every part of your body from riding yesterday. the sun shone its brightest despite the cold weather. you remembered the pact and you knew you would not let a day pass without bothering him. somehow his existence annoyed you to the bone, not even words were enough to explain how you felt. 
at the farthest point your peripheral could reach, you spotted jaehyun peacefully— and actually enjoying— the hammock whilst faintly you heard mark and johnny debating which pronunciation was the correct one. fixing your boots as you walked towards them, the two scurried off to the side, noticing the stomps of your feet getting closer. 
“get up.” you wriggled the hammock, causing it to be lop-sided. 
jaehyun managed to balance himself from the swings. “what the-” his voice hitched. “you’re ruining my relax time!”
you pretended to ponder as you looked up to the sky. “hm, sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?” referring to his sudden action towards you the night prior.
“seriously y/n what do you want? i’m in no mood to do work today and i clearly told you last night-” jaehyun fixed his eyes onto your finger that silenced his lips.
jaehyun raised a brow and rolled his eyes. what was your deal? he thought. “condition number one.” you started, bringing your voice down. “starting today you’ll do the work for me and with me. considering you’re taking veterinary science, i’m guessing you know your ways through equine husbandry. so in the coming days you can check the horses’ health while i practice my rounds.”
ah, so that’s what this was about. “uh-huh, but my condition number one is you shouldn’t make me do labour unless you really need it.” jaehyun got off the hammock, chugging his glass of water like it’s one-shot. “it’s the first light, y/n. my service starts in the afternoon.”
“i see. you’re not a morning person.” you checked your nails.
“i so am! but it’s my month long vacation. let me enjoy this before i experience exploitation from you.” he forced a smile that made you want to push him off the veranda.
you walked down the steps and straight to the barn opposite from your house. “it’s either exploitation today or exploitation for the whole month.” you singsonged while you twirled in your stance. hearing him growl meant your tactic worked. “i’ll let you experience the beauty of country side, city boy.”
jaehyun’s brows narrowed as he followed you anyway, later looking back at his friends who were stifling a laugh. “did you just compare me to feces first thing in the morning?”
“did you just boggle up my brain with scientific terms?” you hid a giggle when you heard his friends finally bursting out and losing it. because they too, experienced jaehyun’s sudden blabber of uncommon usage of words, especially conversational-wise. “i made a pun but it seems like you acknowledge the nickname.”
“i did not!” jaehyun pressed his temples. “i may have misheard you but i didn’t acknowledge it! you’re too assuming!”
“mhm sure.. but you are stepping on one though.” you whistled and gestured mark and johnny to the stables.
jaehyun grumbled as he checked the soles of his shoes. indeed he stepped on it and licked his lips in annoyance that it’d be hard to clean it off. the door opened and hendery’s morning face only turned sour at the unsightly view. he tossed another pair of spare boots for him to wear before they both headed to where you all were. 
hendery introduced the things they do here; feed the horses, fix their saddles  repair them if damaged. they were minor things since your family did hire people to do them. and since you and him were professionals in equine sports, he mentioned you both spend all days practicing. 
good, if it was you who toured him around the area, he wouldn’t think lasting a day with your intentions of ruining his mood. though it was part of the pact, it seemed like you enjoyed this a lot more than he expected. hendery brought him to places your family owned, land properties that expanded until the mountains. it’s no wonder you were free to roam around and unafraid of getting lost. 
you made him do a lot. and he was glad he was able to handle, thank heavens. however he didn’t feel much of a challenge from any of them, where you claimed they were ones he couldn’t do. jaehyun lost track of time, the sky was his only companion to tell the hours and probably lost count of the tasks too. all he could remember was the endless bickering, yells and frequent eye rolls. 
in all those, he still let you off the hook— first day of work and all, he has to be patient. and he wasn’t bothered with what you tasked him to do, until his friends stood behind you as you showed them the rest of the horses. 
after you told him to move the bundles of hay he thought was the last, you were currently trying to make mark pet the horses as they were bobbing their heads towards the young man while johnny recorded his reaction. 
“isn’t she all well now.” jaehyun rolled his eyes as he helped hendery lift the infinite bundles. “my friends get the leisure and i have to work?”
hendery laughed as he unbuttoned his collar. “she was told by her mom that you’ll be in her care since you both will get married eventually. plus mrs. y/f/n said it’s a way to get to know y/n too.” he explained, seeing you walk towards them with a hay cart, hands signalling your childhood friend to get some bundles from you. the final bundles were finally fed to the horses, and you skipped your feet to fetch jaehyun.
jaehyun knew you had intentions to make fun of him because the way you walked really pissed him off. so he decided to have his fun too. ”are you that weak you’re unable to carry a small patch? guess my hourly pay needs an increase.” he low-key flexed his muscles. truthfully speaking it was a sight to look at, too bad his attitude didn’t match it.
you rested on one leg while you look at him. he was testing the waters with you, smile slowly resurfacing as you gave even the slightest reaction towards him. oh it’s on. he annoyed you yesterday and would be a lot more in the next coming days. jaehyun leaned forwards that he was towering over you. his body made you feel small but that didn’t stop you from getting back at him.
“the only thing increasing for you is workload.” you hummed, putting back the cart into its place.
he glared at you as if you were dead meat. you ignored him. “i’ve had enough for today. muscles are sore.” hands in his pockets, jaehyun kicked the remains of hay off his shoes before he was stopped by you. “ugh you’re so annoying.” he clicked his tongue. 
“nope, you’re not done until i am. we have to find materials for christmas wreaths at my grandpa’s up north.” you pointed at the mountains as you took hendery’s hands and soon mounted on jet with him.
“oh and i’m supposed to walk there while you’re so relaxed miss bossy?” jaehyun shook his head in disbelief looking at the distance.
“uh yes?” you laughed to yourself. “i don’t think you’ve ever ridden a horse before, but if ever you did, it’s probably at a carnival.”
sudden outbursts of emotions evident on his face now. “was i born under a rock? of course i’ve ridden!” he took the reins given to him by hendery. “and it’s not a carousel!”
for a while he had a certain confidence, his soles stepping on the stirrup and dimples deepening with the strength he gave to put his right leg over. but once that was done and high up off the ground, his heart beat an army per second. cash, hendery’s horse gave loud neigh. jaehyun had done this before as a child and definitely felt like one now. he should be able to handle a 30-minute journey.
jaehyun heard you giggling, perhaps he knew how hideous he looked. despite hendery seated behind you, you led the way for the most part of the ride. you were surprised to see jaehyun have gotten the hang of it. it pissed you a lot because he was vlogging with his phone— sputtering out words to keep the diss battle going. johnny and mark hopped on the available bikes, cycling on your sides, and their laughter rather calmed you than annoy you. 
it pissed you a lot more because you’ve practically ran out of ideas to tell him in return. keeping quiet wasn’t your forte, you were a young woman with plenty of things to say, even more so to jaehyun. going through the woods, you signalled hendery to halt the horse for you and the rest of the boys followed you to gather the materials needed. 
“this shouldn’t be too long to take.” jaehyun looked at the trees towering meters above him, then straight to you who was shaking head in disbelief. “we’re just taking the materials at your grandfather’s and head back, right?”
“did i mention my granddad?” you balanced yourself on large wood log. the tone of your voice started to warm up with bickers you weren’t able to tell him. 
“you did!” jaehyun anticipated this and somehow he didn’t. “now lead the way to his place and we can get the hell out of here.” his eyes grew squints of disgust at his surroundings, as if he hadn’t been into the forest before. his friends went on ahead with hendery around the woods to look for what’s needed.
“nah, we’re picking acorns, pine cones, berries and other leaves by hand. his cottage is just around here but that doesn’t mean the materials are from him. let’s go, whiney.” 
“oh my g-” jaehyun pulled you on the arm and off you went towards him. “y/n i’ve had enough for today and i’m so tired of taking your orders- i’m physically tired of doing things your way and i can’t think straight-”
“pecans?” you said as his eyes crossed to see your palms full of the shelled nuts. “you’re hungry, aren’t you? that’s why you’re so cranky and agitate-y.” placing one but onto a flat rock, you smashed it strong enough for it to crack yet not totally destroying the inside. you popped one into your mouth and gave the most taunting grin jaehyun has seen from you all day. 
he was about to grab the rest of the nuts until you swung your arm that he wasn’t able to reach them. “y/n! give me some!” he yelled and the rest of your friends look at you both after hearing you laugh in the most evil manner.
“never!” you scurried off deeper into the woods. jaehyun rolled his eyes not at how fast you were, but due to how slow he actually was because of the amount of disgust he had.
he knew this would take all day and he didn’t know how long his patience can take for another three weeks with you.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
jaehyun couldn’t describe in words with what he experienced since arriving. if he had to compare with school, it was similar to studying and cramming for hours non-stop. it gotten him mentally exhausted, physically too. but the only difference between being cooping up in his room and doing work outdoors was the continuous nagging from you. 
it was far from quiet. he could handle his mom’s high pitched yells. but you? anything that came from you or done by you made him want to plaster a duck tape on your lips. you were as annoying as a five year old child who looked for someone vulnerable to bully. unfortunately he became your prey because he was in your lands. and though there were times he was able to banter back, he always felt you still had the upper hand.
it was all sunny and good days out in the countryside and jaehyun found that fact the only bright side. he enjoyed it every single morning. yet sometimes good sunny mornings meets its bad, that is, when grey clouds destroyed the beauty of the sky. in this case, it was you. you were far from his dream girl— sue. she was elegant, poised and had a heart of gold. you were the complete opposite who’d rather be rogue and do things your way. other than completing ten christmas wreaths and feeding the horses or more farm work, he couldn’t remember what he did for the past eight days because all that entered his mind was the dictator you. 
but today he felt different, maybe things wouldn’t be as hard than last week. he felt good. he sat at the long dining table with all morning faces exposed. it was currently 7 a.m and your mom have already prepared breakfast. and per usual, you were the only one they waited for before they start the first meal. 
“marg, is your sister still asleep?” your mother put down a large casserole to warm up everyone’s stomach in winter. 
marg only shrugged because for one, she didn’t care, and two, she stated that it wouldn’t be her doing this since jaehyun was marrying you. “oh jaehyun. please do head upstairs to her room and awake y/n up.”
“and why do i have to do this?” jaehyun mumbled to himself and johnny nudged him on the arm. he groaned and got up, his stomps were heavy and unwilling. 
once he was in front of your door, he knocked twice loudly so he wouldn’t have to spend so much time to get you. there was a small tune playing in your room, like it was from a music box. the door was already opened. he peeped through the thin gap, seeing you still sleeping soundly. goodness’ sake, he thought, and entered the room since your mother was asking if he woken you up. 
your room was in fact, neat. all things were organised and arranged. if there was one thing he learned from you other than being an ass, was that you loved stuffed animals. not a hint of dolls or barbies or any toy displayed related to that spectrum. two lines of medals displayed and they all shone in gold. plaques had your names and young portraits of you with smiles of victory. hendery wasn’t lying when he said you were a professional. he wasn’t going to lie— you were impressive despite the little horns coming out of your head.
he stood next to your bed where you were all bundled in a huge blanket. he raised a brow, it was strange for you to have two thick blankets covering you. “hey y/n.”
no response. 
“y/n. wake up, your mom is calling for breakfast and you’re usually the first one seated at the table.” he wriggled your body with the butt of the umbrella and you didn’t budge.
“she baked croissants and aren’t they your favourite? dipped in chocolate ganache and sprinkles?” he tried sounding happy. note that, he tried.
this girl.. he bit the insides of his lips, spotting the markers in a cylinder container and took one to begin drawing on your face. his soft giggles filled your room and the strong scent of markers met your nostrils, waking you from your slumber. 
“what the he- jaehyun?!” you hissed at how close his face was to yours, failed to realising he was done drawing on your morning skin. “get away from me!”
everyone downstairs could hear the both of you, arguing like cats and dogs. each footstep might’ve covered the entire floor above them and the ceiling could give in. 
“you ruined my morning with your ugly face!” “what?! you’re more ugly, ugly!” “you entered my room?! you have no rights!” “breakfast’s ready and your mom asked me to!” “well my nose could’ve smelled mom’s food but i smelled your stinky breath instead!”
“whatever, i finished your share of croissants!” jaehyun quickly head down the staircase.
“you dare eat my food?!” you still had a blanket from head to toe as you followed him down. “no one takes my food!”
“your loss since you’re still in bed you lazy ass!” jaehyun sat beside johnny and continued his meal. “and you were snoring loud too-”
“i did not- agh!” you grumpily sat and immediately eyed the last croissant sitting at the center of the table. all eyes were on you with black ink scribbled on your face. 
there was an awkward silence then you felt jaehyun’s stare at the only food you wanted for breakfast. there was a back and forth battle of stares between you, him and the food. maybe it was the slow reflexes you have in mornings that jaehyun took the bread before you did. he stuck out a tongue as he deliciously ate half of it, chewing slowly just to let you imagine the flavours of sweet silky chocolate. you could feel yourself drooling and the cravings of your stomach rising up to your throat. every chew he did was a stab to your guilty-pleasure heart. 
jaehyun stopped and gave a smug grin. “you wanted this y/n?” his question sounding a song rather than an honest one. “all you have to do is beg.”
you gulped, rolling your eyes. “shut up!” you kicked his knee out of jealousy and savoured the soup instead. 
“ow!” he hissed through a laugh and looked at your mom. “mrs. y/f/n, i’d like to know the recipe for this. do you give lessons?” jaehyun licked the remains of chocolate around his lips, hopefully it was enough to cover up the violence you did under the table.
your mother giggled at his sweet talk. “why learn it from me when you have y/n to teach you?”
you choked on your soup and tear your gaze away from jaehyun to your mother, where she was already enjoying your shocked reaction. “oh give me a private lesson, bulldog terrier.” he propped his chin and mimicked clicks as if he was calling animal.
you quickly touched and rubbed your face to see the ink contaminate your fingers. the spoon reflected the dark circle around your right eye. “oh my g- you! this will be hard to remove!” the fork around your hand pointed directly at him. 
“y/n!” hendery put down your wrists as jaehyun laughed loud. you took the wet wipes marg gave you and whined a little whilst you stood by the mirror behind jaehyun.
“don’t be so bummed out honey.” your mom assured, giving a wink to jaehyun. “it’s a small prank. marg did it to you before.”
checking yourself for the last time at the mirror, you rolled your eyes. “i have enough patience for marg,” with one hand you cupped jaehyun’s lower face from the chin spreading to the cheeks, soon pinching hard on his dimples with a pointer finger and thumb. “but none for the human bread.”
“ow don’t touch me!” jaehyun swifted his head to look at you and he saw you flashed a smile like you were satisfied. 
“a human bread with molds. ew, i lost appetite so i’ll be out for a ride.” you stood up to grab your coat. “see ya ugly.”
“remember to you have to clean the barn house y/n!” your mom called out.
“yeah got that!”
johnny and mark bent their heads down and let their friends suffer from multiple dots on his faces. what made it funnier was that jaehyun munched happily on his meal, hadn’t gotten a single clue. he then eyed you when you passed the window and straight to the stables. “isn’t it too early for practice?” he drank his cup of hot chocolate. 
“she can ride all day. sometimes she doesn’t arrive home and the next morning you see her sleeping in the barn house.” marg tied her hair into a high bun. “the amount of dedication is there, except the passion she used to have isn’t really there anymore- hey!” she glared at hendery who gave her a warning look. 
what was that all about? jaehyun thought while his eyebrows met together and good thing it wasn’t obvious to your family. he was indeed curious, but he’d rather hear it from you than to look like a jerk who wanted to gossip about personal lives. the thing was, it’s you. though majority of the week was him suffering with workload, he liked to bicker with you until you gave up and had nothing to say. 
so far he recorded as 5-11 in terms of owning the other. the latter was his score and he was proud of it.
hendery’s phone vibrated and slid it to jaehyun’s place. jaehyun blinked to adjust his sight to the brightness of the phone. a sigh came out of his lips and the rest of them could tell it was another order from you. “ooh that doesn’t sound good.” mark slurped his soup. 
“it’s not.” jaehyun brushed his hair and hesitation slowly crept his body. “she asked me to clean the upper floor of the barn by the time she arrives.”
jaehyun massaged his wrists by twisting them. he looked at the barn house’ entrance because he noticed a figure approaching. you’ve had the best morning after jaehyun ruined it. as you rode, nothing beats the freshness of the cool wind. you love riding through the woods and grasslands. it sets you free from everything keeping you caged. your smile began to falter when you saw jaehyun who was not even halfway close to finishing. “you’re late. your mom had to apologise on your behalf because i’m doing the job for you.”
“ooh thanks! i’ll count on it!” you laid comfortably on a chair.
“hey!”
you leaned against the furniture, arms crossed where he was a floor above and standing at your 2 o’clock view. “dr. jeong it looks like you’re having a hard time. need help?” you stifled a laugh because he still has the ink marks you left on his face.
“on with the assumptions again, aren’t we?” he fixed his gloves and moved wooden planks from one place to another. 
“yeah you make yourself too easy of a target, jaehyun. and i thought you’re the type to not take things seriously.” you tied jet’s reins to a pole.
“you’re forgetting my condition number two, you can only badmouth me if the others are around. now get your flat butt up here and move the tool box aside so i can continue what i’m doing.” he grunted whilst lifting. 
dusting your pants, you were now standing a storey high. the sight of the height below you made you sick. jaehyun nudged your arm and you took the items blocking his way. you sighed and he noticed how fidgety you were. he put up a small smile. his entertainment from you didn’t end at the breakfast table. 
he scooted closer to you, pretending to bump into you with the pile of tall wooden planks in his arms. he heard you hiss, and that was the signal to begin. “oops didn’t see you there shorty.” there was a change in his voice, a more aggressive type of approach. 
“you’re doing that on purpose.” you checked the pained area of your forearm.
“what if i’m not? it could be an honest mistake.” he tilted his head away from the wood to see you.
a held-in soft disbelief laugh came out of your lips. “honesty doesn’t really blend in well with you.” 
jaehyun gasped with arched brows. “wow i’m very offended— you think this face..” he largely gestured himself. “would ever lie?”
“if you want to hear me saying you’re handsome.. it’s not happening.“ you took the rope to hang on a nail. 
“but you did say it.” he singsonged and you could push him off the loft but that could only happen in your head. 
“then that’s an honest mistake.” you flashed a forced smile at him. you carried the boxes stacked upon one another. “if you have a huge ego like that i bet you never dated. no girl would ever date you.” 
jaehyun fell silent, his mood to bash you suddenly changed. the shifts in his steps became heavier and as if he was putting his anger upon them. he didn’t like being reminded of sue, even if you unconsciously did so. “can’t you just keep quiet as you work? do you always have something to say? keep your damn mouth shut if you think all the fun you get is from belittling people.”
“okay sheesh sorry i didn’t know you have a heart for people too.” you removed your helmet to relieve the discomfort from it. 
as time passed— two hours to be exact, the more your guilt begin to seep in you. jaehyun never spoke after that. silence was like death at this point. not a hint of sniffs and sighs from him. did you go too far that he actually chose not to talk anymore? all you thought about was the pact he suggested. what now? anyone could appear any moment. 
this wasn’t like you at all. you hesitated to talk to him and to give the first move to bicker. you stood there staring at him piling boxes after boxes and sweeping the floor where dust accumulated like piles of sand. you bit your lips because screw this, you hated this atmosphere, you hated this silent treatment. “j-jaehyun?” you called out.
nothing. 
“hey-”
“hm? guilt eating you up now?” you froze at his voice as he chuckled. “it has, hasn’t it? look at your face!” he was laughing, his hands holding his ballooning stomach. “y/n you should’ve seen yourself!”
your gaze followed his hands that quickly took his phone placed at one corner. he was recording and your obliviousness blinded you. “oh you have no idea how much i wanted to laugh! my cheeks hurt so bad! hahaha!”
“you’re not using that to blackmail me!” you strided towards him.
he put his arm high as you struggled to reach it. “i might as well do that thanks for the idea!” faintly you heard his friends coming to check as to why their friend had the laughter of the century, only to find you both bickering again like this morning.
“delete that video jaehyun! i mean it!” “not until you agree to clean the loft!” “that’s like telling me to do everything!” “then that’s exactly what i’m telling you to do!”
johnny put up his phone to recording the struggling you and jaehyun enjoying his time to take advantage of his height. “dude i’ve never seen jaehyun this happy since sue broke up with him.”
“yeah his dimples are legit showing it’s scary me.” mark squinted at the two of you.
jaehyun swung his arms to avoid your attempted catches. he scrunched his nose and although that was undeniably cute, you couldn’t afford to feel humiliated for another two weeks. “jaehyun please delete it!”
“it’s not convincing enough you know?” “stop joking around we could fall!” you hissed. “fall?! then stop trying to get my phone!” “then put down your ridiculously long arm!” “yours are just too short!” “i swear— delete the footage!”
“you have to sound like you beg for it—” he cackled and with a few stretches you managed to reach his wrists as you lunged forwards. “oi stop!” that one last reach only made jaehyun lose his balance and fell backwards. 
and all you heard were yells of worry.
to say that you both gladly fell on soft pillows of hay was an understatement. at least that what it looked like to your friends. jaehyun was shocked, his arm felt numb. he took a good look at you and there you were laying on his arm with pale lips. “hey, you okay?” his hands were already out to help you. “y/n—”
“m’lady!” hendery rushed to you, causing jaehyun to flinch at the tone of his voice. he gently took your right arm, but you gritted your teeth and asked him to take the left. “painful?”
“not that serious.” you said, feeling the stares from jaehyun. “ew don’t look at me like that. i’m fine, really. let’s just call it a day.” you gave a small smile and he wasn’t buying it.
because jaehyun saw you clung onto hendery for dear life. 
374 notes · View notes
Text
Four No’s and a Yes.
Prompt: Write about someone who gets proposed to five times on Christmas Eve.
Warnings: None, cuteness, fluff i guess lol
Dean x Reader (Childhood friends)
Tumblr media
Chritsmas Eve 2016.
The Y/L/N’s house was decorated to the T, Mrs. Y/L/N always went all out for Christmas and to say Dean loved it was an understatement. Dean had grown up next door to y/n and her family all his life, every Christmas was spent with his best friend and her family, their families took turns every year on which family would host the big Christmas dinner. It was Christmas eve, this year, Y/n’s family was hosting Christmas Eve and Day. 
He watched as you sat down across from him, the same way you did every year, this time your boyfriend of almost a year sitting next to you. Dean frowned but for the most part accepted him and tried to make Carl as welcome as possible. 
It’s not that he disliked the guys she dated, he just never thought they were good enough for his best friend, it had nothing to do with the fact he’d been inlove wih you almost all his life, despite what Sam and his parents had to say about it. 
The meal conversations began, Dean smiled as he watched Sam’s wife wipe a smudge of food off his brothers face before then placing a small peck on his cheek. He was imsensely happy for his little brother, he had tried to find love himself but despite all the girls that came and went, none were ever good enough to bring home to Mary and John, none ever compared to, well, you. 
“So Dee, any news about that girl you took out last week? She seemed nice.” You ask, shoving a fork of ham into your mouth, he chuckles watching before he replies, “uh no, didn’t pan out, first date and she was already naming our kids.” He shakes his head, cringing. Y/N makes a funny grossed out face, “Yikes, stage 5 clinger”, Dean smirks, “Exactly, not my style, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart?” Carl pipes up, raising an eyebrow at Dean. Right, Carl hated when Dean called you by a pet name, sucks for him doesn’t it. Dean shrugs, y/n reassures him its just for fun, that they’ve been friends forever and Dean’s the only other man allowed to call her that. Carl doesn’t seem happy but strugs it off. 
It’s almost 9 Pm when Carl speaks, he stands up from the tables, everyone having had a few rounds of wine by now and 50 conversations going on at once. He clears his troat, tapping his champagne glass with his fork, everyone stops, their attention on him. 
“Well, this has been an amazing night, y/n your family is incredible, i’m so happy to have shared this holiday with you all, but tonight, i want to share another moment with you guys, i know how important family is to y/n and i want to make sure i do this right.” He pauses, grabbing y/n’s hand and pulling her up, Dean can see the look on her face, shes shocked and confused, not sure what the hell Carl thinks he’s doing. 
He pulls something out of his pocket, Dean lets out a soft groan before taking a huge chug of his beer, Sam pats his back, a silent signal asking if he’s okay. He shrugs it off. 
“Y/n, i know we haven’t been together as long as other people, but my love for you has no limits, we are a perfect match and you’re a perfect part of me, you make me better, i love you so much, and i don’t want to waste anymore time,” 
He gets down on one knee, Dean watches, slightly angrily as y/n gasps, she slightly looks at Dean and he can see the panicked look on her face, she’s not ready for this, he’s ambushed her. 
“Y/n Y/l/n, would you do me the honor of being my wife, my partner in crime, my forever.” Dean rolls his eyes, his mother swatting his arm and giving him a disapproving look. Y/n stays silent, looking around as everyone watches her, Then, she bolts. 
Dean chases after her to see if she’s okay. 
Carl was never seen again after that night.
Christmas Eve 2017
Christmas was different this year, Their parents had decided they wanted a break from cooking, so they had booked a cruise for vacation, not telling any of their kids until last minute. 
Sam and Jess had decided to have Christmas with her family now that they were expecting their first child. Sam was over the moon at the chance to be a dad, he was going to be an amazing one. 
Dean checks the tickets, finding the seats and throwing the jackets over them, y/n heads towards him, sitting next to him in her own seat and she hands him his beer and the hotdogs she grabbed. Dean was lucky he booked last minute tickets to the wrestling match, not surprised that even on Christmas eve, the stadium was booked solid. 
They enjoy the fights, they’re small local fights, no big names, but they both enjoy it, laughing and enjoying their time together as best friends, it’s been a while. Since she started dating Max four months ago, he barely sees her, he’s insecure, especially when Dean’s around, probably because Dean’s twice his size in height and muscle, but that’s not his problem. Max starts fights with y/n anytime they hang out, so for her sake, he keeps his distance, waiting for her to call him for a hangout instead. 
An hour in and it’s break time, they sit and chat, and before they know it, a voice is speaking over the PA system. “Sorry to interupt everyone, but since we are on a break, it seems like the perfect time to do this. Y/n Y/l/N, if you wouldn’t mind looking up at the jumbotron, we have a message for you from Max.” 
Y/n’s eyes go wide, she looks at Dean curiously and he shrugs, just as confused. She looks at the screen, Max’s smiling face on the screen as he’s handed the microphone. 
“Y/n, i know this is random and out of the blue, but you make me really happy, i know you’re not big on attention and big romantic gestures, but i wanted to do something memorable, so, i was hoping you’d be down for being my wife, will you Marry me?” he speaks, Dean almost can’t believe it, what was with these losers, she deserved to be proposed to, but not so soon and definitely not on the spot, she hated grand gestures that drew attention to her. Y/n barely knew what she wanted to do with her life, let alone to settle down. 
Y/N starts breathing heavy, tears forming as she starts to panic at the whole stadium now staring at her and waiting for her answer, and just like that, yet again, she tries to run but Dean stops her, suggesting they go outside and talk to Max privately before she has a complete anxiety attack.
Another douchebag he never sees again. 
Christmas Eve 2018
Another year, another Christmas Eve, y/n is sitting on Deans couch, the two of them got stuck at the airport due to a snow storm and aren’t making it home for Christmas. They had driven back to Dean’s place and she decided to crash with him, She’d just broken up with her recent douchebag boyfriend and wasn’t in happy spirits. She lies on his couch, sniffling as she watches her favoirte Christmas movie, which is currently everything on the hallmark channel. 
Dean sits next to her, her feet in his lap as he messages her feet, warming them up from the cold. 
“Am i ever going to find the right guy? i mean, at this point it’s become a pattern, every fucking Christmas i end up single and alone, i should just give up finding the perfect guy.” She shrugs, wiping away a stray tear.
Dean sighs, “First off, you’re not alone, you have me. Second, you pick crappy guys, you have shitty ass taste. Give it time, sweetheart, the perfect guy for you is out there, and you’ll find him, you’re just looking in the wrong places.” Dean assures her and she gives him a dry chuckle.
“Oh yea, well if you ever come across prince charming, send him my way.” She rolls her eyes and he laughs. He hates seeing her upset. 
Theyre at the local skating rink when it happens, he finally got her to stop crying enough to take her out and here comes Jack, Jake, Joke, whatever the fuck his name was holding a bouquet of roses and a ring box, smiling widely at her, this jackass really thinks a ring will fix everything he’s done to her. What a damn clown. 
Y/n stops abrutly, eyeing him up and down, she’s definitely angry still. 
“That better not be what the fuck i think it is.” She snaps, tossing the roses in the trash. “Y/n, i know i fucked up, but you’re worth more than-” He’s cut off by the sound of her hand meeting his cheek. 
“NO!” She shouts, a few people now stopping to watch. “You have some NERVE showing up here, after cheating on me and for what? to propose? ARE YOU FUCKING DRUNK? In what fucking small minded universe that you live in do you think proposing to me is going to fix what you broke? No, i will not marry you. Go to hell, Jeff.” She stomps off, as good as she can in skates. 
Jeff, that’s his fucking name. He looks over at me and i shrug. “You fucked that up on your own man, you don’t deserve her.” Dean walks away.
She never mentions Jeff again.
Christmas Eve 2019
Their families get together again, Dean’s family hosts this year, y/n and he had flown home early this year to help with the food and decorations, y/n had run into one of her exes, a guy she dated back in highschool, He’d ran in Sam’s circle of friends, one of his old football buddies. They had gone on a date to catch up, ending up at the local bar with some old highschool friends.
Sam sits next to him, downing his own beer. “Man, why don’t you just tell her you’re her prince charming, watching her get with and dump all these idiots is getting tiring. Even mom and dad know you two belong together.” Sam chuckles, letting out a burp, he’s clearly borderlining between drunk and tipsy. Dean sighs, he’s going to have to call Jessica soon. 
“If i was her soulmate, she’d have noticed by now. I’m not going to make that choice for her. If it’s meant to be, she’ll realize it on her own, not because i forced her to like me.” He shrugs and Sam laughs, “You’re both so stupid.” Sam huffs and shakes his head. 
Before Sam can continue pestering him about his failure to woo Y/n, they hear a commotion, they turn to see Eric covered in beer, calling y/n a bitch and some other not nice words. 
Dean gets protective, not even a split second before he’s standing next to her, shoving Eric away from her. “Easy man, get away from her.” He yells and Eric huffs, throwing his arms in the air, “Whatever, you’re a waste of time, can’t believe i ever dated you, i forgot what it was like being with you.” He snarls before stepping outside, no doubt to light up another blunt. 
Dean frowns, “What happened?” he asks and you laugh. “He proposed, said he missed me and regretted ever breaking things off, said he finally realized i was the one that got away.” She airquotes before she sips her beer, huffing, “Turns out, that’s his game, he was hoping if i said yes i’d be over the moon and jump into bed with him again. Ugh, i hate men.” she grunts before walking out, Dean slaps a few bills on her table before going after her, a semi drunk Sam at his side. 
Chritmas Eve 2020
Christmas Eve dinner is a hit. Changing things up, Dean and Y/n had decided to host this year, flying their families out to vancouver. It’s cold and snowy, but makes Christmas actually feel like Christmas, unlike the warm sunny holiday in california, they love it there, but this year, with the snow, it actually feels like a real Christmas. 
They sit out on the back deck, taking a break from the family game night and friendly comeptition and yelling going on inside. Their families are nuts, but it always makes for a great time. 
Dean’s sure he’s ready, she hasn’t dated anyone since the last proposal, and he’s insane, he’s sure of it, he’s sure just like the others, he’ll be turned down, and he’s willing to make an utter fool of himself, but it’s time, he’s waited long enough, he needs her to know, he needs to tell her, he’ll never be able to truly move on and get over her if he doesn’t at least get an answer on wether she feels the same. 
“How long do you think that bingo game is going to last?” She asks, chuckling and she watches their families fight over who had bingo first. 
“Marry me.” He blurts it out without even realizing it. That’s not how he wanted that whole thing to go, he had planned it out, but plans go out the window when you spend time obsessing on things being perfect.
“What?” She’s stunned, but she hasn’t run away yet, and she’s not hyperventilating, that’s a good sign. He begins to babble like a damn idiot.
“I don’t have a ring, or a proper set up like a jumbotron or some shit, and this isn’t even how i planned on this day going, i’m not perfect, and i have my flaws, hell i’m so fucked up i’d be insane to think i even deserve even half your love, but i’m crazy about you, and i have been since 5th grade, when you gave me my first valentines card because no one in class gave me one and then kissed my cheek and told me you’d always be my valentine. I guess, what i’m trying to say is i may not be your prince charming, but you’ve always been my girl, i’ve never chosen anyone but you, and i realize, i don’t ever want anyone, except you.” He finally takes a breath, too scared to make eye contact, and he sighs.
“I know this is stupid and random and you can totally say no or run away if th-” 
“Yes.” She stuns him, completely silencing his rant.
He finally meets her eyes, “What?” He asks, sure as shit he heard her wrong. 
“Yes, Winchester, i’ll marry you.” She says, this time clear as day. 
He huffs out a laugh, “ Wait, seriously?” he asks, stunned and still thinking she has to be fucking with him.
She shrugs and smiles, “Yeah, I’ve known you all my life, you were always my prince charming, my perfect match, i was just waiting for you to figure it out.” She laughs. Dean’s eyes roam her face, for the first time, seeing how perfect she really is for him. 
“I literally could have been with you this entire time?” he raises and eyebrow and she shrugs, smiling. He shakes his head, not believing his own stupidity before he takes full advatnge, leaning in and finally claiming what’s been his this entire time. 
Safe to say, that was the last proposal she ever recieved. 
39 notes · View notes
dahniwitchoflight · 4 years
Text
Homesquared Chapter 3
So i have seen smidgens of this on tumblr but just havent had time to do anything about it
and jesus christ Callie Jade is so horrifyingly creepy, and you know the things she’s narrating the characters can also hear which is also hilarious, it just reminds me of that comic about how “yeah sure there’s a giant ominous red floating eyeball in your kitchen, constantly staring, constantly judging, but can you be sure that’s a bad thing?”
and then someone tries to talk to it, but it doesn’t answer and the person goes “fine be an asshole i dont give a fuck”
thats exactly the dynamic happening with Callie Jade right now
Grumpy DaveKat is hilarious
and Hey! we finally get to see how people look, I really dig Roxy’s look
“ROXY: dude doesnt "believe" in "substances"”
This line from Roxy makes sense, as a person wholly ensconced in the idea of their own self and always being in control of themselves and their own mind and faculties they would hate anything at all that causes that iron mental grip to slip
That’s probably why Dirk avoided sleep even when his dreamself was awake, even sleeping and dreaming was considered a form of himself losing control over himself that he couldn’t integrate the idea himself and his dreamself were the same person rather than two identical people and also I remember that the Jujupop didn’t affect him either
Later on Dirk in the narrative will say something about his own trauma, but not really go into what it is, but if I had to hazard a guess (and really it’s not much of a guess at this point)
Dirk probably has memories of a version of himself being under the mental influence of another, Lil Cal, LE, Doc Scratch etc what have you, So Narrative Dirk may actually be a version of Dirk who’s not quite yet poisoned into being a version of those 3, but his words also hinted that just because he’s aware of a certain way that he’s acting doesn’t make him more likely to stop it
Like he’s equating that you can be aware of the influence something else is having on you and in the exact ways it is influencing you without being able to stop, the exact thing he is traumatized and afraid of being most likely
So his one driving fear, is he does not want to lose control of his own soul, his own being, his own way of life and existing, to something else, something other. Even though he most likely is fully aware of the things and mannerisms of the other that have slipped into himself? Like he’s probably fully aware of the similarities between himself and those mentioned above, but maybe the thing that he’s hinging on is that instead of those guys poisoning him into being like them, instead perhaps he can convince himself that it’s his own self influencing others to act like himself instead. His influence reaching out and expanding instead of shrinking as he fears it
Anyway, Dave and Kanaya have a cute moment, I really like that
We get a nice shot of them in shadows against a backdrop of stars and Kanaya starts talking about a story Rose would once tell so that’s story is already gonna be dripping in metaphorical potential
“ A Wriggler Story About A Young Prince And The Beloved Flower He Loved And Lost”
Though that’s a story I’m actually familiar with
KANAYA: A Singular Wild Rose He Failed To Cherish When He Had Her
KANAYA: And His Journey Of Discovering What She Meant To Him All Along
KANAYA: Culminating In A New Quest To Find Her And Win Her Back
KANAYA: The Story Comments On The Nature Of Friendship
KANAYA: And Of Course In Turn Love
KANAYA: How Once They Connect There Is No Distance Or Circumstance That Can Seperate Them
KANAYA: How The Worlds In Each Ones Mind Take On Contours Shaped By Their Memories Of The Other
KANAYA: Places And Moments And Orbiting Passersby Becoming More and More Entangled In The Context Of Their Mutual Affections
KANAYA: Such As With A Garden Calling To Mind An Engagement Once Declared There
KANAYA: Or Something To That Fucking Effect
So obviously Dirk and Rose
Dirk has Rose with him, discovers an actual genuine connection with her, likely because he already viewed her as an equal, despite his manipulations of her, and chapter 4 spoilers but he genuinely wants to play a game with her when there really isn’t any reason for it, so he is actually curious to see who comes out on top of it, Him or Her, so Dirk is probably in some way desperate to have an actual equal partner in some way instead of drowning in himself all the time, not surprising. But Rose, obviously, will leave and reject him, likely when the manipulation comes around and is revealed/Kanaya and all them reach her/that part of the story
But then the story tinges onto a romantic nature and is framing Dirk trying to get her back as a romantic quest to save his partner/friend something something love and friendship, “no distance can separate them” yeah that doesn’t sound like obsession with the first person you’ve ever truly seen as an equal/a real person, 
yeah “A Garden calling to Mind an engagement once declared there” definitely sounds like the garden of eden/adam and eve paradise fantasy that Dirk has been trying  for some reason, to setup on the new planet
Really begs the question for why Dirk cares at all to do all of this? Except we now the answer is already its not the thing itself he cares about, its the value hes putting into the story as something that generates interest in the audience
He doesn’t care about actually making a society or being gods or whatever, he just knows thats what the audience wants to see and cares about so therefore he does it
and the reason he does all of THAT is because is ties into his trauma of his sense of self eroding away becoming a person he’s unfamiliar with
I wonder how he’s going to handle how much he’s going to change in order to fit the role of the story he’s writing when all is said and done
the Dirk at the end of this is going to be very different than the Dirk that started in Homestuck, despite all of his fears and intentions, and that he could not say all of it wasnt his own doing because of the iron control he made sure to have from the very beginning, I honestly think that will be kind of a shock for him if a meeting like that ever one day happened
Specifically for the fact that he seems to be aware of the romantic in nature tropes hes writing himself and Rose into and for now still seems to be avoiding them, not having gone that far, but, well
Maybe this is where we’ll start to see where Doc Scratch’s odd tendencies starting coming from
You know he was always really weird with Rose and Vriska (Maybe because he sees Light players all as extensions of Rose herself?)
Anyway yeah this is def the story metaphor I think we’re going to see in this, but Kanaya doesn’t fully get it, she thinks the story refers to herself and Rose
DAVE: that seems kind of wack for a kids story
KANAYA: Its Possible I Am Projecting Slightly In This Specific Circumstances
KANAYA: It Was Just A Metaphor
KANAYA: But In A Way I Feel As If It Is the Greater Universe Trying To Tell Me Something
KANAYA: It May Simply Stem From My Longing To See Her Again And How Much Is Indicative Of Something More Sinister
Which is cool because it makes this opposing connection between Dirk and Kanaya as opposites, which I like because it solidifies a tiny bit more the idea of Sylph being Passive Create to A Prince’s Active destroy.
Oh yeah, there was a tiny hint of Mind metaphor as well, can’t forget Terezi is with them
KANAYA: How The Worlds In Each Ones Mind Take On Contours Shaped By Their Memories Of The Other
KANAYA: Places And Moments And Orbiting Passersby Becoming More and More Entangled In The Context Of Their Mutual Affections
KANAYA: Such As With A Garden Calling To Mind An Engagement Once Declared There
Basically the idea that your experiences of a person and your memories of them shape who they become as well, the boundary between you and I is controlled by both of us, so each has an effect of the personality Heart of the other through our own decisions and Mind
like the way people tend to mimic those they like and want to be close to, or the way they actively try to distance themselves and what they are like from those they hate
But that at all seems to be more about Mind in general than referring to anything specifically Terezi
though it is exactly that understanding of Mind versus Heart and how one affects the other that could make Dirk realize that in the question of the self he’s only had half the picture the whole time, he’s only had the understanding of Heart and has thus far not been able to understand how Mind plays a role in the sustaining of the self, how what other people do to help you to be you, which is his entire philosophical conundrum
“DAVE: the dude youve spent the last 7 years convincing yourself isnt an egomaniacal anime villain
DAVE: and who isnt actually lying in wait to completely decimate your life and your emotions and shit“
oh, that makes me sad, this is def bringing up some bad trains of thought for Dave ):
“ KARKAT: KANAYA BARELY EVEN TALKS, CALLIOPE WON’T LEAVE THEIR CABIN, JADE JUST FLOATS AROUND LIKE A CREEPY BALLOON THAT’S MOSTLY MADE OF HAIR.
OH RIGHT, I forgot Calliope is actually WITH them on their journey, despite seeming to want absolutely fuck all with Jade Callie, I totally thought she was gonna stay back on Earth C but I guess not!
It’s so odd to see them so terrified of their alternate self like this when they’ve interacted mildly before. I still don’t know what to think of that much, other than they seem to be doing that weird thing that the other kids went through, like how John scribbled clowns on the walls unknown to himself for the longest time due to Gamzee’s unseen mental influence
that’s exactly the type of shit Dirk would be afraid of, so I wonder if that’s what Callie was afraid of as well? Maybe its Jade Callie that’s influencing them this way not Gamzee, to scribble strange things on the walls and not come out, but it’s the same fear of the other regardless manifesting and changing the self.
It is a very oddly non social thing for Our Calliope to do, when the point of different between the two Callie’s was how social Calliope was versus how antisocial Jade Callie is. Worries me ): but at least they’re here I guess
KARKAT: SOMETIMES IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE WHATEVER SLATHERING MONSTROSITY OF A COSMIC HELLBEAST THAT PUT ALL THIS SHIT INTO MOTION...ACTUALLY LIKES ME?
ROXY: fucked up if tru
Karkat is really popular as a character in the fandom lol
and that’s that one, time to get to Chapter 4, which has a lot more juicy exposition
With all the Garden of Eden metaphors though I can’t help but think of the Apple of the Garden of Eden when I think of “story exposition” now
The juicy tantalizing forbidden red fruit that when you bit into it you suddenly understand and know things you did not before and you’re eyes are opened, I wonder if that’s enough to just make Apples a solid Symbol of Light in Homestuck’s context? Most of it’s association with knowledge is external to Homestuck, just referenced symbolically, it’s not actually used in any cirumstances pertaining to knowledge, but more as the metaphor of it being the gate to leave the garden of eden, more like a teleporter, Rapture and Revelation in general rather than just Knowledge itself
aka my new headcanon is that one thing needed to Alchemize a Transportalizer is inexplicably going to be an Apple, if that ever comes up at all
56 notes · View notes
Note
Hi!! Do you have any good Johnlock bed sharing fics? Like in THoB if they accidentally were put in a room with a single bed instead of a double?
Hi Lovely!
AHH I’ve actually just recently recced a slew of Bed Sharing fics but OMG I just checked my “to add to other lists” list and WOULDN’T YOU KNOW I HAVE MORE!!! Check them out, I hope you enjoy!!!
BED SHARING Pt. 4
See also: 
Bed Sharing “Just Happens” (Sept. 2019)
The Speckled Blonde / BedSharing
BedSharing Pt. 2 and Insecure Sherlock
Bed Sharing Pt. 3
John Will Never Forget by gelos (bia_mpinto) (NR, 244 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, First Time, Love Confessions) – John will never forget Sherlock’s everything.
When Morning Comes by Youarethelightoftheworld (T, 423 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lazy Mornings/Morning After, Fluff and Angst, Sleepy Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, Cuddling / Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort) – “Sherlock,” says John solemnly, “I’m not sure we can go anywhere today.”
Easy like Sunday Morning by lbmisscharlie (G, 910 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Breakfast in Bed, Epic Friendship, Platonics/Domestics) – John and Sherlock and their lazy, dysfunctional Sunday mornings in bed. In which Sherlock has difficulty sleeping and John makes lots of toast. Shameless fluff. Part 1 of No Mushrooms Please
Settling In by PorcupineGirl (T, 1,030 w., 1 Ch. || Ace Sherlock/Straight-Biromo John, Queerplatonic Relationship, Fluff) – Asexual!Sherlock/Straight!John in a queerplatonic romantic relationship. It’s a bit of an oddball, but anything fluffy and loving and nonporny will be endlessly and forever adored. It’s always fun to see the two work out that hey, we’re in love, we don’t have sex, but it’s still a wonderful and meaningful relationship.
In Dreams by Youarethelightoftheworld (T, 1,340 w., 1 Ch. || Falling in Love, Accidental Cuddling, Snuggling, Fluff, Romance, Domestic Fluff) – Every once and a while, the dark makes it easier to see.
Moonshine by CKLizzy (T, 1,408 w., 1 Ch. || Cuddling / Snuggling, Touching, Dev. Rel., Bed Sharing, Comfort, Touching) – Sometimes, routines changed. Sequel to “Nightfall”. Part 2 of Solace
Random Numbers by songlin (T, 1,671 w., 1 Ch. || Ace Sherlock / Straight John, Cuddling / Snuggling, Massage, Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Post-TRF, Slice of Life) – A collection of moments in the relationship of asexual!Sherlock and straight!John.
3:00 in the Morning is a Great Time to Talk by Aztecwarfareandcrumping (K+, 1,775 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt / Comfort, Friendship, Bed Sharing, First Person POV John, Cuddling, Worried Sherlock, Comforting John, Platonic Affection/Love) – “Are you trying to talk your way into my bed?” “Obviously.”
The Lie-In by KendylGirl (M, 2,000 w., 1 Ch. || POV Sherlock,  Bed Sharing, Fluff, True Love, Introspection) – Five months after his return, John and Sherlock spend a day in bed. Part 2 of When to Let Go
Husband by jinglebell (E, 2,003 w., 1 Ch. || Est. Rel., PWP, Anal, Multiple Orgasms, Fluff) – Sherlock orgasms when John refers to him as ‘husband’.
Tangential by Bitenomnom (NR, 2,047 w., 1 Ch. || Ace Sherlock, Fluff and Love, Cuddles, Friendship, Sherlock is a Kept Man, Sherlock Divorces his Work, Nightmares) – In which John stitches up Sherlock’s head (but not really), Sherlock comes into John’s room at night to take his laptop (but not really), Sherlock is married to his Work (but not really), and John is more than proficient at keeping Sherlock (really, definitely). Part 48 of Mathematical Proof
Nothing Left Untouched by ForeverShippingJohnlock (K+, 2,617 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Romance, Bed Sharing, Oblivious Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Grumpy John, Fluff and Cuddles) – Sherlock rearranges the flat. So what if John’s bedroom is now a research library. It’s not like John needs a bedroom, he can share with Sherlock. They’re friends and John has obviously slept in close quarters with men before and it’s not like Sherlock sleeps much anyway. It’ll be fine.
Turn the key, and come home by TooManyChoices (M, 2,718 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Angst With a Happy Ending, Emotional Messes, Implied Sex, Angst and Humour, Bed Sharing, Post-TRF) – Sherlock and John have been dancing around what’s between them for years. Will John return to Baker Street, and if so, will things ever be the same?
Pillow Talk by 221b_hound (E, 2,925 w., 1 Ch. || Post-HLV, Est. Rel., Preening Sherlock, Limpet Sherlock, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Sex on Furniture, Scent Kink, Masturbation, Fluff, Soft Sherlock) – John gets home late from work and Sherlock is nowhere to be seen. John walks through the flat, distracted by memories of all the excellent sex they’ve been having, and finally finds Sherlock asleep in the upstairs room - apparently having fallen asleep mid-wank while inhaling the scent of John’s pillow. Well, you should always finish what you start, John thinks… Part 3 of Lock and Key
Your Pain in my Hands by aceofhearts61 (T, 2,984 w., 1 Ch. || Asexual Sherlock / Straight Homoromantic John, Established Relationship, Asexual Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling and Snuggling, Massage, Fluff, Bedsharing) – Sherlock and John comfort each other through physical pain, using massage. Part 13 of A Love with No Name
Untouched by KittieHill (E, 3,239 w., 1 Ch. || Kissing, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, Body Worship, Sherlock’s Scars Mentioned, Masturbation, PWP, Rimming) – Sherlock leaked a lot. John had never needed lubricant. John loved watching it, had once spent an entire afternoon edging Sherlock so he could watch as the thick precome drip, drip, dripped onto Sherlock’s belly.
After the Bombs by VampirePam (T, 3,337 w., 2 Ch. || THoB AU, Drugs, John’s PTSD, Panic Attack, Nightmares, Caring Sherlock, Cuddles, Bed Sharing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort) – In which the drugs Sherlock used to dose John trigger a severe episode of PTSD. When terrors old and new cause John to fall apart, Sherlock must rectify his mistake and pick up the pieces.
Measuring Damage With the Fujita Scale by teahigh (T, 3,548 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Vacation / Holidays, Friends to Lovers, Bed-Sharing, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, Angsty Fluff, Scars, Awkward Talks) – John goes back into town, into the storm, and Sherlock realises he forgot to say, “I just want to be alone with you.”
Morning Sunlight by slashscribe (E, 3,565 w., 1 Ch. || PWP, Morning Sex, Fluff, PWP, Established Rel., Soft Idiots) – A thin band of soft morning light peeks between the curtains and stretches across John’s torso, laying dormant across his forearm, dipping into the space between his arm and his chest, illuminating his right nipple but just brushing the edge of his left, disappearing into his armpit, and reappearing again right over Sherlock’s eyes where his head rests, nestled against John’s shoulder. Sherlock is not annoyed by the light’s intrusion on his sleep, not when it rests so soft and tantalizing on John’s skin, a work of unintentionally erotic art. A PWP with so much emotion.
The Genetic Algorithm by Bitenomnom (NR, 3,786 w., 1 Ch. || Ace Sherlock, Friendship, Cuddling Fluff, Sherlock Experiments on John, Alternating First Person POV) – Some problems defy the usage of cold, clean-cut linear logic. It is impossible to devise a way to take steps that ultimately lead exactly to an optimal answer. Sherlock believes John Watson is one of those problems. Part 28 of Mathematical Proof
Coldness/Heat by agirlsname (E, 3,790 w., 1 Ch. || Cuddling & Snuggling, Body Heat, New Year’s Eve, PWP, Bedsharing, Frottage) – The inn is booked up on New Year’s Eve. The train home is cancelled because of the snow. The only option is to sleep in the non-heated guest room of a client, and John and Sherlock are freezing.You know where this is going. Part 1 of New Year’s Kiss
Bitter Nights Turned Sweet by Hyliare (T, 4,076 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Insomnia/Hallucinations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, POV Present Tense John Watson, Cuddling/Snuggling) – Sherlock has always had trouble sleeping; he hasn’t always had someone in his life willing to help.
Lingerie by Sexxica (E, 4,135 w., 1 Ch. || Valentine’s Day, Lingerie / Women’s Underwear, Mildly Public Masturbation, Picture Texting / Sexting, Bottomlock, Body Worship, Anal Sex / Fingering, Rimming, Orgasm Delay / Denial, Est. Rel.) – It’s Valentines Day and Sherlock is taking John to Angelo’s for dinner. Sherlock also happens to be wearing a garter belt, stockings and a rather small pair of women’s underwear under his clothes. There’s no dessert at Angelo’s because John needs to get Sherlock home just as quickly as he can before they both lose their minds entirely.
Overture by Kate_Lear (M, 4,435 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Angry John, Introspection, Dev. Rel., Embarassed / Insecure Sherlock, Morning After, Bed Sharing, Cuddles / Limpet Sherlock) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.
If He Knows by shamelessmash (M, 4,513 w., 1 Ch. || TSo3 Fic, Pining Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Angst, Sherlock POV, Texting, Internal Monologue, Blanket Forts) – I imagine mornings: John handing me a cup of tea, hair sticking out at odd angles. How he would bend down to kiss me, smiling fondly as he pulls away. The way his skin crinkles at the corner of his eyes, the way his skin looks in the morning light. The soft sigh as he sits in his chair with the morning paper, the way his toes curl in the carpet, the way he rolls his shoulders before sinking deeper into his seat. I watch him, how he is when he is content, as it should be. As he deserves. Happy. With me.
Applied Linguistics by what_alchemy (M, 4,837 w., 1 Ch. || Possessive / Anxious Sherlock, Introspection, Bed Sharing, Past John Whump, Est. Rel., Marriage Proposal, Sherlock Loves John So Much, Word Play) – “He wants to shake John by the shoulders, wants to open his mouth and swallow John whole. Wants to marry him.” Sherlock searches for the right words.
On Hiatus: Rotterdam by rukushaka (T, 4,240 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Drama, Couple For A Case, Post-TRF, John Joins Sherlock, No Slash) – “Used them after uni a bit. Purely for research purposes, of course,“ Sherlock said tiredly, head lolling against John’s shoulder.” Sherlock goes on a mission alone, or: Two blokes in a luxury hotel in the Netherlands. Non-linear timeline. Set during the Hiatus.
Sleeping next to you by Salambo06 (E, 5,018 w., 1 Ch. || ASiB Fic, Bed Sharing, Frottage, Mutual Masturbation, Rimming, Anal, First Kiss/Time) – Based on an Anonymous Prompt: “So, that scene from ASiB when Mrs H has been attacked by the american CIA guy & John, Sherlock & she are in Mrs H’s kitchen when John says "She’ll have to sleep upstairs in our flat tonight. We need to look after her.” to which Sherlock replies with “no”. John of course suggested that because he cares about her safety, but maybe he also did it cause he /wanted/ that to happen. What if they finally agreed on letting her have John’s or Sherlock’s bed & J&S sleep in the same one?“ Part 12 of Tumblr Collection
Pillow Talk by scullyseviltwin (M, 5,183 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3, Angsty Fluff, Pillow Talk, Bed Sharing, Worried John, First Time Morning After, Soft Sherlock, Sexuality Discussion, Love Confessions, Kisses and Cuddles) – John has been looking at Sherlock for ages, it feels like.
My First, My Only, and My Forever by vintagelilacs (E, 6,220 w., 1 Ch. || Post-ASiB, Virgin Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock’s Bum, John’s Scar, Sherlock POV, Body Worship, Fingering, Bottomlock, Promise of Forever / Proposals, Misunderstanding, First Kiss/Time, Loss of Virginity, Virginity Kink, Seduction) – Sherlock narrowed his eyes. He was missing a vital piece of data, he was sure. John had been looking at him oddly ever since they left Buckingham Palace, and the ensuing incident with Irene Adler had only exacerbated his erratic behaviour. What was it? Why would he care that Sherlock was a virgin? There was nothing reminiscent of mockery or pity in his gaze. And then it hit him. John Watson was aroused.
Sometimes When We Touch by kedgeree (M, 7,755 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Kiss/Time, Inappropriate Giggling, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Virgin Sherlock, John Whump, Touching) – John might be touching Sherlock a little more often than is strictly necessary. Sherlock probably hasn’t even noticed. Right…?
Nightfall by CKLizzy (T, 8,001 w., 4 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Nightmares, Depictions of Violence/Torture/Injuries, Bed Sharing) – Awoken by nightmares, John and Sherlock seek each other’s company at night. They find more than either of them knew they were missing. Part 1 of Solace
Until I See the Sun by Vintage Tea Party (T, 8,194 w., 3 Ch. || Nightmares, Mild Whump, Friendship, Mild Violence, Angst) – After a particularly dangerous case, John suffers from night terrors. Will Sherlock be able to comfort him? Will he be able to find out what is really troubling John?
Just Like That by sussexbound (E, 8,442 w., 1 Ch. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, French Kissing, Anal, Emotional Lovemaking, Enthusiastic Consent, Tenderness, Crying John, Bathing/Washing, Insecure John, Toplock) – John doesn’t want to talk anymore. He wants. Oh dear god, how he wants. For the first time in what feels like years he WANTS.
The Very Unlikely Existence of a Flightless Bird in a Tuxedo by cwb (E, 8,829 w., 1 Ch. || Poetry, Penguins / Animals / Zoos, First Kiss / Time, Blow / Hand Jobs, Sleepy Cuddles, Endearments, Friendship / Love, Adorable / Sleepy Sherlock, Case Fic, Sherlock Can’t Say Penguin) – A case at the zoo reveals something John finds cute about Sherlock. A conversation ensues, and so does happy endings.
Unwasted by patternofdefiance (E, 8,966 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3 / S3 Fix-It, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Angelo’s, Fluff, First Time, Anal, Cum Play, Flashbacks to ASiB, Mutual Pining, Love Confessions, Bottomlock, Cuddles, Multiple Orgasms, BJ’s, Bed Sharing) – John finds it three months after he’s moved back. He’s on the hunt for something to make for dinner, is scrounging through the cupboards, when he happens upon the graveyard of pasta boxes Sherlock still seems to create when left to his own devices. Behind seven boxes of pasta, all almost completely empty, is a dark-glassed bottle, with a paler coat of dust.It’s unopened. John’s face falls slack when he sees it, instantly recognises it, and for a long moment he just stands and looks at it.
Inked in Memory by 221b_hound (E, 9,716 w., 2 Ch. || Post-HLV, Tattoos, First Kiss / Time, Anal, Cuddling, Scars, Captain John, Kissing, Switchlock) – John has been back at Baker Street for a year, following the debacle that ended in Mary’s death. Things are good. Back almost to what they used to be. Sherlock might wish they were something else, now, but he only has himself to blame, he thinks. It’s too late, now, for the things he first denied before he’d ruined any chances he might have had. Sherlock also thinks that people who get tattoos are idiots. But perhaps he’s about to learn a thing or two, not least of which might be it’s not as late as he thinks it is. Part 1 of Lock and Key
You fit me, Sherlock Holmes by orphan_account (G, 10,077 w., 1 Ch. || It’s An Experiment, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Questionable Science) – An unfortunate series of events leads to John accepting being a part of Sherlock’s study in physical intimacy. As the days pass by, John realizes he might be in for more than he bargained for. He doesn’t entirely mind.
London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident”, it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.
Rainbow Hearts Retreat by PajamaSecrets (E, 11,638 w., 8 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Undercover, Fluff and Smut, Bed-Sharing, Therapy, Humour/Crack, First Time) – “It’s a same-sex couples retreat. For those experiencing troubles in their relationship. Consists of group and couples therapy as well as encouraging socialization between the couples. It’s all in their incredibly dull brochure.” “Rainbow Hearts Retreat,” John read. “Sounds… quite gay.”
I See You Through by belovedmuerto (T, 12,078 w., 8 Ch. || Psychic AU || Empath John, Alternate TGG, Whump, Nightmares, Bedsharing, Slow Burn, Pre-Slash) –John has never asked Sherlock about his past, his childhood, the reason he quails in lonely misery almost every time he sees his brother. He’s never needed to. Part 2 of An Experiment in Empathy
Always the sun by Rose de Sharon (K+, 12,377 w., 3 Ch. || Song Fic, Alternate Post-TGG, Friendship/Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection / Reflection, Injury Recovery, Obsessive / Protective Sherlock, Nightmares, John’s Past, Bed Sharing / Cuddles) – Sherlock ponders about how much his life has changed since John has become his flatmate.
Shuteye Shenanigans by Ayakae (K+, 13,263 w., 8 Ch. || Post-TRF, Friendship / Epic Bromance, John’s Nightmares, Angsty Fluff, Bed Sharing, Humour, Cuddles, Taking Care of Each Other, Domestics) – John Watson has never slept with Sherlock Holmes. Never ever ever. And never will, thank you very much. Well, there was that one time, but John didn’t count that. It was completely different, just like the second time it happened. And the third. And the fourth. Epic bromance, but it can be read as pre-slash if you wish.
The Palmyra Atoll by elwinglyre (E, 16,609 w., 3 Ch. || TSo3 Divergence / Episode Fix-It, Stockholm Syndrome, Kidnapped John Watson, John Whump, Evil Mary, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Toplock, Limited 3rd John POV) – As John’s preparing for the wedding, Sherlock is preparing to have his heart broken, and Mary is prepared to do the unthinkable. Intervention required. Enter Sherlock. Set before Sign of Three with a far different outcome. John is drugged, kidnapped, and left on an island, but not just any old island.
whiskies neat by Ellipsical (E, 20,660 w., 15 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, POV Second Person Sherlock, Slow Burn, One Night Stand, Rimming, Blow Jobs, Anal, Soldier John, Crying, Emotional Lovemaking, Switchlock) – Home and hearth and whiskies neat, or, alternatively, Sherlock Holmes falls in love.
Sonatina in G Minor by SilentAuror (E, 22,574 w., 1 Ch. || Case Fic, POV Sherlock, Angst, UST, Sherlock’s Violin, Post-S3, Romance) – John has come back to Baker Street, but Sherlock doesn’t understand the strange tension between them, even after he begins teaching John to play the violin at John’s request.
Dropping the Act by jadztone (T, 27,258 w., 10 Ch. || Parentlock, Fake Relationship, Mary’s Family, Post-S4, Cuddling & Snuggling, Bed Sharing, Pining, Christmas) – Sherlock and John are quite happy living together with Rosie in Baker St. They might be even happier if they didn’t act towards each other like their love is only platonic. Mycroft brings troubling news in the form of Mary’s parents wanting to know just what their grandchild’s home life is like. The boys decide to spend Christmas pretending like they are in love in order to seem more like a “normal” family. It’s easy enough to pretend when all you’re doing is dropping the act.
An Acquired Taste by kinklock (E, 31,059 w., 4 Ch. || Vampires AU || Vampire Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Bat!Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Humour, Magical Realism, Fluff and Angst, Blood Drinking, Holmes Family, Slow Burn) – At Montague Street when Sherlock was forced to sate his body’s needs, he was at least able to wander about the flat as much as he pleased.At Baker Street, it was mini-bags in a mini-fridge and bedroom confinement.
The Winter Garden by Callie4180 (T, 31,213 w., 13 Ch. || Post-S4, Retirement, Christmas, Slow Burn, Grown-Up Rosie, Parenthood, Rosie’s Cat, Angst with Happy Ending, Holidays, Beekeeping, Magical Realism, Sherlock POV, Sherlock’s Violin, Future Fic, Sussex, Honey, Magical Healing Honey, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Scar, First Kiss, Touching) – As Sherlock nears the end of his career, he’s given the gift of a cottage in Sussex. The honey from the beehives out back is amazing. Almost…magical.
The Whore of Babylon Was a Perfectly Nice Girl by out_there (E, 32,897 w., 1 Ch. || Past Drug Use, Blowjobs, Toplock, Mentions of Switching, Rough Sex, Background Cases, Sherlock’s Past, Sherlock’s Sexual History, Experienced Sherlock, Past One Night Stands, Fingering, Cuddling, Possessive Sherlock, Paris Holiday, Bed Sharing, Naked Lie-Ins, Bathing Together, Confessions, Worried Sherlock, Laying in Bed All Day, Meddling Mycroft, Naked Lazy Day) – Sherlock walks into a room and takes all the space right out of it. He does the same inside John’s head.
Chaperones by MissDavis (T, 34,114 w., 7 Ch. || 11 Years Post-S4, Fake Relationship, Parentlock, Disney World, Bed / Room Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, First Kiss, Obsessive Sherlock, Insecure John) – Right. Of course. Everyone assumed they were a couple and no one would question it. John put his elbows up on the table so he could rest his head in his hands. “You want to pretend to be a couple so we can chaperone a trip to Disney World with Rosie’s class and you won’t have to share a room with a stranger?” “Exactly.” Sherlock beamed at him. “Don’t worry about the cost. The Birmingham case last month paid more than enough to cover expenses for all three of us.”
Set in Stone by SilentAuror (E, 39,309 w., 1 Ch. || Romance, Wedding, Therapy, Fluff and Angst) – Sherlock and John are back from Ravine Valley and planning their wedding. However, as they move past the trial of the human traffickers, Sherlock can’t help but wonder if he’s imagining that John is becoming a little distant. Surely he isn’t getting cold feet about the wedding… Part 2 of The Ravine Valley series
In the Still of the Night by SilentAuror (E, 42,234 w., 1 Ch. || S4 Fix It / Post-S4, Sherlock POV, Angst, Drama, Romance, Virgin Sherlock, Awkwardness, Misunderstandings / Miscommunications, Case Fic, Travelling, Pining) – As locals on the Northeastern coast begin to report UFO sightings, life at Baker Street becomes significantly awkward as John brings up his desire for more than friendship and Sherlock refuses him. They embark on the investigation from the confines of the tiny cottage Mycroft has rented for them, attempting to navigate both the clues of the case as well as their own inability to communicate…
Guidelines by WithLoweredVoices (M, 43,018 w., 15 Ch. || Winglock || Angels, Fantasy, Angst, BAMF! John, War, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Jealous John, Falling in Various Ways, Needy Sherlock) – The Good Soldier, one of the oldest and strongest of the fallen, is offered a bargain: to live as John Watson and to Guide a fledgling archangel so that he will stay on the path of good. Of course, Sherlock Holmes has different ideas about his destiny. Fantasy AU. Warnings for violence, occasional gore, and a whole load of hurt and angst.
The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w., 68 Ch. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case … and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series
The Thing Is by TSylvestris (E, 56,743 w., 21 Ch. || Case Fic, Dev. Rel., Anal/Oral, Blow Jobs, Meddling Mycroft, Drama, Romance, Humour, Casual Encounters, Pining Idiots, Possessive Sherlock, Orgasm Delay, Rough / Alley Sex, Public Sex, John Whump, Drugged John, Emotional Love Making, Awkward Relationship, Marriage of Convenience, Switchlock, BAMF John) – The problem with living with Sherlock, John thought, was that you never, never, ever knew the significance of anything. Like your flatmate’s nose buried in your hair. Whilst you’re in bed. Part 1 of Nitroglycerine
One Little Change by jadztone (E, 58,312 w., 12 Ch. || ASiB Divergence, Fake Relationship, Bed Sharing, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bi John / Gay Demisexual Sherlock, Switchlock, Alternating POV, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Case Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Emotional Love Making, Butt Plugs, Cuddles) – Our story begins right after John and Sherlock’s first meeting with Irene Adler in September. It splits off into an AU that imagines them taking a case where they act as bait to hook a killer targeting closeted gays in secret relationships. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many things happen that have our boys wondering if maybe they have a chance with each other. Then Irene fakes her death on Christmas Eve, and things get a lot more complicated - especially since they still have a killer to catch.
The Book of Silence by SilentAuror (E, 60,056 w., 2 Ch. || S4 Fix It / Post S4, Virgin Sherlock, Rosie / Parentlock, Domesticity, Fluff, Praise Kink, Sex Toys, First Person POV) – As spring blooms in London, John and Sherlock begin to take new cases and cautiously negotiate this new phase of life with John living at Baker Street again. Despite how well it’s all going, John struggles to forgive himself for the way he treated Sherlock following Mary’s death as well as trying to figure out how to finally put his long-time feelings for Sherlock into words. Part 1 of The Book of Silence/Rosa Felicia
The Bells of King’s College by SilentAuror (E, 64,019 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Missed Opportunities, Angst with Happy Ending, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, John POV, Jealous John, John in Denial, Travelling / Holidays, Virgin Sherlock, Wedding Proposals) – It’s only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths…
Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he’s consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.
Uphill by scullyseviltwin (E, 84,945 w., 18 Ch. || Olympics AU || Sherlock POV, Skier!Sherlock / Medic!John, Rivalry, 2014 Olympics, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes is striving for gold in this, his fourth and final Olympics as a downhill Alpine racer.
31_Days_of_Porn_Challenge_2017 Series by distantstarlight (E, 96,540 w. across 31 stories || Prompt Ficlets, Assorted Kinks, PWP) – A collection in response to the 31 Days of Porn Challenge issued by AtlinMerrik! Thanks for doing that because this has been buttload of fun (that joke never gets old). All stories will be brief stand-alone one-shots.
The Wedding Garments by cwb (E, 105,390 w., 36 Ch. || Alternate Future AU || , Alternate First Meeting, Dating / Arranged Marriages, Romance, First Kiss/Time, Heavy Petting, Cuddles, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn / Falling in Love / Dev. Rel., Nervous/Anxious Sherlock, Jealous/Cranky, Hiking, Vacation Homes / Honeymoon, Sherlock’s Family, Horny John/Sherlock, Patient John, Massages, Hand Jobs, Assassination Plots, Hand Jobs / Oral Sex) – This is the story of a young consulting detective who wants nothing to do with marriage and an army doctor who wants to find true love. It’s 2020 post-Brexit England and the British government is encouraging arranged marriages. Candidates meet through state-run agencies and date in hopes of finding love (and tax benefits). Sherlock doesn’t need or want a spouse, at least not until John Watson shows up. Hesitant to give in to his more carnal urges because of the way they derail his mind, how will Sherlock progress toward the more intimate aspects of a relationship? The answer lies in a very special wedding gift.
A Study in Winning by Jupiter_Ash (E, 106,658 w., 11 Ch. || Tennis AU || John POV, Dirty Talk, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Happy Ending, Sherlock Speaks French, Switchlock, Wimbledon) – John and Sherlock are professional tennis players and it’s Wimbledon. One is a broken almost was at the end of his career, the other an arrogant rising star tipped for greatness. It should have been a straightforward tournament. It really should have been. How were they to know that a chance encounter would change everything? Part 1 of Tennis
Two Two One Bravo Baker by abundantlyqueer (E, 114,574 w. || Military AU || Afghanistan, War Story, Thriller, Switchlock, Rimming, Emotional Lovemaking, Lots of Sex, HJ/BJ’s) – Captain John Watson of 40 Commando, the Royal Marines, is assigned to protect and assist Sherlock Holmes as he investigates what appears to be a simple war atrocity in Afghanistan. An intense attraction ignites between the two men as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve ever known, but Sherlock is as much hunted as hunter, and everyone close to him is in deadly danger. Can he solve the case in time to save himself and John? Part 1 of Two Two One Bravo Baker Universe
To Light Another’s Path by BeautifulFiction (E, 128,654 w., 19 Ch. || Post-TGG, Sick Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Drug Addiction / Recreational Drug Use, First Time / Kiss, Case Fic) – Teaching John to observe seems to be a losing battle, but when Sherlock falls ill and submits himself to John’s care, will he realise that there is more to life than the science of deduction? Meanwhile, there is a murder to solve, and John must try and convince Sherlock not to sacrifice his own health for the sake of the case.
Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w., 28 Ch. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn’t have much choice. There’s only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place
158 notes · View notes
Text
England’s Forgotten Club Kids: The Rum Runner
Tumblr media Tumblr media
There’s a lot to be said about the Club Kids of the 1980/1990s. Too much for films, documentaries, books, and certainly too much for a short blog post that’ll certainly be more photos than words. Simply put, the true ‘Club Kids’ were a group of misfits in the late 80s/90s who f*cked up New York City. There were so many I can’t name them, and they liked drugs, electronic music, and the scene culminated in a grisly murder of one of their own, by one of their own.
Before them, however, there were the Blitz Kids in London—named for the Blitz Club, where Boy George was a cloak attendant and Spandau Ballet was the house band—and the new-romantics who frequented the Rum Runner just short 2-hour train north in Birmingham, where the boys of Duran Duran were bussing tables at 8 and took the stage by 10. There’s quite an amount of literature on the Blitz Club, but not as much on the Rum Runner; so for the first post in a vintage club series I may never finish, let’s take a look at the history of Birmingham’s Rum Runner and some of its most exciting patrons.
The Rum Runner was a casino before Paul and Michael Berrow, the two sons of the club’s original founder, renovated the place after a particularly exciting trip to New York City wherein they visited Studio 54 (Brits may not admit it all that often, but they’re kinda obsessed with America, in the same way Americans are obsessed with Brits). The Berrows wallpapered the place with mirrored glass resembling of what it might look like to step inside a disco ball, painted any other visible walls black, and opened the doors with visions of David Bowie dancing in their heads (they hosted club nights spotlighting tunes from Roxy Music, Chic, Bowie, and many other glam rock giants, which attracted all the coolest kids in Birmingham, naturally). In 1978, cool kids Nicholas Bates and Nigel Taylor (who would then become Nick Rhodes and John Taylor) handed the Berrows a demo tape for their fledgling band Duran Duran and the rest is history; they held auditions until D-Squared became a full-fledged band with a guitarist and everything, and the Berrows became their managers.
Tumblr media
Guitarist Andy Taylor recounts many interesting things in his book “Wild Boy” (a fantastic read) about the Rum Runner. He writes about working with the Berrows, helping maintain the interior of the club by polishing the mirrors, touching up paint, and whipping up burgers in the kitchen in exchange for free rehearsal space. He talks about the wild behavior of the club-goers—how flamboyantly they dressed, how they acted like rules and behavior norms didn’t apply, and how sex, drugs, and glam rock were paramount. He also talks about the aptly named ‘Sex Offender’s Room’ (“People weren’t politically correct, then”, he writes), where the Durans and the Berrows dragged in a nice fluffy bed in a vacant corner…and then would purposefully walk in on one another when they were enjoying the, uh, intimate company of their guests.
Yeah, they truly did that.
Tumblr media
(All-around handyman Andy Taylor, busboy Roger Taylor, and deejay Nick Rhodes, from the Rum Runner Facebook page)
Another thing they did is run their official Fan Club upstairs from the f*ck room in the club they also worked at. I can confirm this because I have the card to prove it:
Tumblr media
(Yes, this is a hand-me-down from my Duranie Aunt, and now something that is in my possession and that I cherish dearly).
Through the years, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Ub40 and the English Beat would also become regulars there, amongst others, and the English Beat would go on to film their video for “Mirror in the Bathroom” with the Rum Runner as the setting, aptly named for the mirrors that swallowed the entire club (these are some of the best interior shots of the club I’ve seen, and the song is a killer ska jam!). The Berrows would go on to manage Duran Duran until the mid ‘80s, just before the release of 1986’s Notorious. The Rum Runner would also face its final curtain in 1986, where they hosted a ‘Demolition Party’ before the club closed for good, and now a Hyatt hotel stands on its former grounds on Broad St (so don’t go looking for it).
Tumblr media
The Rum Runner held happy memories for many. Jeremy Green writes on an old Duran video showcasing clips from the club about one of his contemporaries, Gay John (who was a prolific member of the new romantic scene/gay community in Birmingham, more on him later): “I remember one night Gay John went around The Rum Runner Club sticking his vibrator in people's drinks.. Fun times. :p :p :P” (Gay John sounds like fun. Where is Gay John now?). Keith Hill, probably also a dude from Birmingham, writes “Had my 21st Birthday party here...how cool is that?...I believe John Taylor was seen there, love to say I invited him, but maybe cooler to say…he crashed my party! Hiding in barrels, dodgy goings on in barrels…& the toilets of course, the multi sexual toilets.”
What he might have meant was, there was a unisex area where men and women could apply makeup at the club, but he also...could have meant other things.
In fact, he most certainly also meant other things, if Andy’s accounts of the club’s wild party-goers are to be trusted. Also, there were barrels. Was this place even real?
Tumblr media
A patron named Rob goes on to write he met his wife at the Rum Runner, and now they’ve got grown children, which is a fun and unnecessary fact to share, I suppose, but the internet is full of that; Andy Taylor also claims to have spent much time with his then-girlfriend-current-wife Tracey there, as well (seriously, they’ve been married for ages, which is incredibly sweet), even asking her to be his wife after throwing back one too many drinks within the mirrored walls. For a joint with a f*ck room, the place seems pretty damn wholesome.
(He also did cocaine there on Christmas Eve, though, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.)
Going back to Gay John, though-- I’ve grown incredibly obsessed with him in the short time I’ve been researching the Rum Runner and I’d love to find more information on him. Gay John is almost always mentioned in reminiscent comments by the old Rum Runner club-goers on chat boards/comment spaces, although only by means of a sentence or passing mention; that being said, video footage of Gay John does exist, as he’s featured in Duran Duran’s Planet Earth video doing the ‘New Romantic Shuffle’ with fellow Brummie clubgoer who went by the name ‘Lavinya’. 
Tumblr media
(Who’s who? I can’t even say.)
Gay John was, as you might guess, a member of the gay community in Birmingham who worked with many drag artists and was also apparently involved in the Rocky Horror community; he also owned a strip-club called the Tin Can in Birmingham’s Digbeth area, where glam/goth tyrants like Sisters of Mercy, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Flesh for Lulu would go on to play. Apparently someone died there during a show, though, so who’s to say what really happened there or when it closed (nobody’s said anything otherwise, so I’m guessing it’s closed). If anyone has information on the Tin Can Club or Gay John, please let me know!
Tumblr media
I’ve not got much else to say other than the internet was kind to me when I started searching for Rum Runner lore, and it sounds like a fantastic place to have frequented in its day. It might not be the Limelight or the Blitz, but for a bunch of working-class kids, it was a place of decadence and self-indulgence. Because we can’t see it for ourselves, I’ll try to paint a picture as best I can for you to the tune of the Rum Runner Playlist, with songs hand-picked by resident DJ Nick Rhodes to evoke memories of when he was still pressed for cash and most likely dying his own hair.
   All photos below will be credited to their owners as best I can. Enjoy!
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Sources: The Guardian, Carpenter & Joiner, Birmingham_81 on Twitter, BirminghamLive / a second article from BirminghamLive, Duran Duran Wiki, Shapers of the 80′s, Gay Birmingham Remembered, Birmingham Music Archive, John Taylor’s and Andy Taylor’s books, and last but certainly not least, the community-run Facebook page for the Rum Runner
43 notes · View notes
brookeap3 · 7 years
Text
Post-its and Paperclips New Years Eve
Only a day late! Woohoo! Happy New Year to all of my fellow Outlaw Queen shippers! I hope this year is a great one for all of you and that you enjoy this little continuation of this fic done for @onceuponanadvent! Cover by @ninzied​
Tumblr media
The invitation comes by way of a post-it stuck to her desk monitor when she walks into her office Thursday morning. New Years Eve? Be my date? It has a dopey grin crossing Regina’s face as the corners of her mouth tip up. Robin. They've been communicating through the little square sticky notes for the last week, one on her desk every morning, slipped into one of her files during an office meeting, there’d even been one stuck to a to-go cup from her favorite coffee shop mid-afternoon yesterday.
Things like; You look gorgeous in that blouse today and How can I focus on Gold with you sitting across from me? to You taste even better than the coffee. Each one leaves her giddy, and she scribbles plenty back to him. Are you trying to charm me, Locksley? and That tie’s working for you today, even It’s a shame there’s no mistletoe around...
It’s entirely inappropriate, to flirt this way during working hours, and a few of their coworkers have begun to whisper about it, about them, but it’s been so long since Regina has felt anything like this bubbling excitement she can’t bring herself to truly care.
“Something catch your eye?”
Robin’s voice sounds from the doorway and Regina’s head shoots up, grin widening when she sees him leaning against the jamb, hands tucked behind his back, watching her read his note, and she chuckles at him. “Interesting inter office memo.” She retorts playfully.
“Oh really?” Robin returns, taking a few steps further into her office until he’s standing on the other side of her desk. “I don’t believe I got that one. Anything I should know?”
There’s a twinkle in his eye, and Regina does her best to stifle a groan when he bites his lower lip in that way that drives her crazy.
It comes so naturally. The flirting. She’s surprised they’d never realized their attraction to one another before now. But then again, they’d been too busy insulting and avoiding one another to really give it much thought. Now though, it’s hard for them to do anything but, to keep up appearances for the sake of professionalism when all either of them want to do is kiss each other until they’re breathless. It’s rather distracting actually.
“An exclusive meeting. One I’m in the midsts of considering if I’ll accept or not.” Comes her joking reply as she wiggles her eyebrows at him.
Robin hums consideringly, “Perhaps this will sway you one direction or the other.” He shifts his arms from behind his back, flourishing a piece of paper that he presents to her and Regina takes it with an amused smile on her face. It’s one of Roland’s drawings, of her and Robin and himself and the big ball in Time’s Square. A formal invitation to join them for New Years, the request written in big letters over the top of the page and signed with his name at the bottom. Regina’s heart inflates as she studies the colorful lines. She’s completely fallen for this man’s child in ways she never could have imagined.
Spending Christmas with him and Robin, with their closest friends, had been one of the best experiences she’s had in years. All of them had made her feel so welcomed and accepted. They’d gone to Robin’s place and she’d watched Roland excitedly tear through his presents from Santa from her place beside Robin on the couch, sipping coffee and snuggling beside him. She and Roland had played with his new set of lincoln logs while Robin had cooked them breakfast, building their own little village before indulging themselves with eggs and french toast.
She’d gone home for a few short hours, only long enough to shower and dress in fresh clothing, taking a bit more thought and care for her appearance with the prospect of Robin’s appreciative glances for the rest of the evening. By the time she’d returned the house had been crawling with men laughing and joking, a few of their girlfriends gathered in groups of twos and threes here and there. Robin had introduced to her John and Will, his closest friends since college, and Regina had been pleasantly surprised that she’d hit it off so well with them, that they’d seemed to accept her without question. It had been nice to feel a part of such a large group. She’d never really had that growing up or in her adult life.
And the kisses Robin had snuck under the mistletoe throughout the night had been quite pleasant as well. Regina’s discovered that she’s a bit addicted to them, and the way he wraps an arm around her waist to pull her close, peppering light kisses along her brow, how he strokes his fingers through her hair and whispers how beautiful she is into her ear.
It had been a perfect day.
Lifting her gaze from the colorful drawing to meet Robin’s again, Regina grins. “Well who can resist an invitation like that?” She asks, though her eyes glance back to the post-it that she’s left lying on the desk, at Robin’s messy scrawl asking her to be his date and Regina has to admit that she’d been charmed by the cute note even before the drawing.
She smiles up at him, glancing quickly out into the hallway, can hear people milling about, catching up on how they’d spent their last evening or asking questions regarding their current projects. Still, she rounds her desk to take a few steps closer to him, not enough to be touching, but enough that there’s a miniscule amount of space between their bodies, teasing him as she looks up at him from beneath her lashes. “I would love to be your date for New Year’s, Robin.”
He grins, that gleeful look lighting up his entire face at her acceptance, and Regina’s heart trips over in her chest knowing she’d been the one to put that expression on his features. “Wonderful.” He replies, eyes darting down to her lips with clear intention.
They are at work, however, and the last thing they need is for someone to wonder by her open door and see them lip locked, no matter how much Regina may want to kiss him. So he turns away from her for a minute, quickly striding over and closing the door to give them a margin of privacy before he’s back in front of her, drawing her into his embrace.
Then his mouth is meeting hers in a deep kiss, his palm pressed against the small of her back to pull her against his body as he cups her cheek with his other hand. Their lips opening and parting as Regina lets Robin sweep his tongue into her mouth, doing the same to him. She can taste the mint from his toothpaste, mixed with the dark roast he enjoys, and it’s delicious, has her letting out a quiet groan and wrapping her arms around him.
When they pull apart, Robin grins down at her, clearly pleased. They stay that way, Robin’s arms locked around her, fingers laced at the bottom of her spine, Regina’s looped around his neck as she leans back against the edge of her desk.
“So, what are your plans exactly?” She asks out of curiosity. Most people typically go out to celebrate the new year, but he has Roland to think about, and Regina has to admit she wouldn’t mind spending the night with the adorable dimpled child as well as his father.  
“We’re having a party at our house, actually. Same group of people you met on Christmas.”
Regina laughs and questions, “Again? Aren’t you just the social butterfly. Hosting twice within a week.” She’s only teasing him, but the faint blush that rises to Robin’s cheeks pleases her greatly.
“Yes, well, it’s easier with Roland. And we have the space for it.”
Scratching her nails along the back of his neck, just at the bottom of his hairline she tells him, “It’s nice.”
“Roland’s quite excited to see you again as well.” Robin grins at her, “You’re all he’s talked about since Christmas and how much fun he had with you. He was over the moon when I mentioned inviting you to the party. Though he never makes it past eleven o’clock, despite his valiant attempts to watch the ball drop with the rest of us.”  
That’s adorable, she thinks, eager to have the opportunity to share it with them this year. “I look forward to spending it with you both. Can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year, actually.” There’s a slight pink tinge to her cheeks as she says it. They’ve only just begun exploring whatever it is that’s between them, and however much she may want them to be a part of this next year of her life, everything’s happened rather fast.
Robin reads her easily and is quick to cup her cheek again, rubbing his thumb along her lower lip affectionately. This romantic interest between them may have hit them both over the head, but after the new side to her he’s witnessed and watching her with his son there is no doubt in his mind that he wants something serious with her. “Neither can we.” He assures, grinning before bending his head to buss his lips against hers one last time. “I better get back to my office though, people will start to talk if we stay in here with the door closed for much longer. Leroy’s imagination is probably running wild with what we could be getting up to.”
He says it teasingly, lifting a single brow, and Regina chortles. “We wouldn’t want that now.” Extricating herself from Robin’s embrace she gently pushes against his chest, tone stern as she orders, “Out with you.” Robin’s laughter echoes throughout her office even as he opens the door again and strides out into the hall, Regina fighting the grin that wants to spread over her face.
Sitting down behind her desk, she powers up her computer, then spots the post-it still lying on the surface beside her purse and smiles, picking it up and slipping it into the upper left-hand drawer of her desk, on top of the pile of all of the other sticky notes he’s left her.
—————
Regina’s heels click on the cement as she strides up the walkway, the light dusting of snow covering it and the mounds shoveled into piles along the edge make her smile. The fluffy white substance now reminds her of one of the best nights she’s ever had. Robin’s home is still lit up for Christmas, the bright, oversized multi-colored lights strung along the gutters and around the windows and garage, giving it a gingerbread house feel. There’s a plastic Santa and Snowman in the yard that she just knows Roland picked out and it makes Regina chuckle as she steps onto the porch.
Sounds of a party already in full swing can be heard coming from the other side of the door and surprisingly enough, she feels a sliver of anticipation building up within her rather than dread at being faced with a crowd. She’s comfortable with these people, Robin’s friends. She’s only met them once, but it was enough to be eager to get to know them better.
Taking a deep breath and smoothing out an invisible wrinkle or two on the dark material of her dress, her red pea coat left unbuttoned as she’s only going from car to front door, she lifts a hand and raps her knuckles against the wood. It’s no more than a minute later than the door is swinging open and those noises that had been muffled previously are magnified tenfold, Robin’s eager face smiling at her in greeting. “Regina! Come in, come in!” He gestures for her to enter and she steps through the threshold as he shuts the door behind her. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Holiday traffic.” She replies by way of an explanation and holds out the bottle of champagne in her hand, offering it to him, “Happy New Year.”
Robin chuckles, accepting the gift. “Thank you. This will be much appreciated. I’m afraid that Will’s already had a bit of a head start on the evening. Ana’s threatened to cut him off and we’ve hours yet to midnight.”
“It’s barely seven o’clock.” She comments, wrinkling her nose.
“Exactly,” Robin laughs, shaking his head. “Here, let me take your coat.” Tucking the champagne bottle into the crook of his arm, he helps her slip off the red material, pulling it down her arms as Regina turns her back to him before spinning back around to face him. Robin’s expression quickly shifts from admiration into one of pure desire as his jaw slackens slightly and his eyes rake up and down her body. “Regina,” he breathes in that husky tone that has a lovely liquid warmth pooling in her belly. “You look absolutely stunning.”
His gaze is enough to have heat spreading through her as she smiles back at him, pinching her bottom lip between her teeth slightly. “Thank you.” She replies, pleased that her outfit is a hit. Her dress hugs every one of her curves, the black body of it flattering with royal blue sleeves that cap off just above her elbows. The collar comes together at her throat, but the bodice is open, forming a deep v that reveals just enough cleavage to warrant Robin’s hungry look.
Standing in his foyer, Regina absorbs Robin’s own appearance. He’s dressed in neat slacks and a light blue button down shirt that brings out his eyes, a deeper navy blazer topping off the ensemble. He looks sexy and hot and Regina wonders briefly how long they will be able to hold out on this crippling attraction between them. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” She flirts.
“Why thank you, milady.” Regina laughs at the endearment, old fashioned as it may be it never fails to charm her coming from his lips. Robin’s gaze flickers upward for a moment before landing back on hers and a mischievous smirk slowly unfolds over his face. A quick glance above her head reveals the mistletoe from Christmas Day is still hanging above the doorway.
Returning her gaze to Robin’s, Regina grins at him, tilting her head slightly to the side in silent permission and then he’s stepping toward her, lowering his mouth to hers. His lips are warm and tempting, rubbing over her own, creating a heat that spreads throughout her, ridding her of the last vestiges of a chill from outside. Releasing her mouth after a few moments, Robin smirks adoringly at her.
“You planned that.” Regina comments, mocking offense when she’s anything but, her lips still tingling from the touch of his own.
“Absolutely.” Robin confirms, and then they’re both laughing softly until an excited shout sounds from a little ways off.
“R’ginaaaaaa!” She hears the squeal come from behind her and quickly turns from Robin to see Roland barreling his way down the hall excitedly just in time for him to wrap his arms around her legs and grin up at her. “You’re here!”
Her heart knocks over in her chest at Roland’s beaming face. She doesn’t know what it is about him that makes him so special, so different from every other child she’s ever met, but a part of her feels a deep pull toward him, as strong as the one she feels toward his father. “Hello, sweetheart.” Regina greets, fluffing her fingers through his mane of dark curls. Kneeling down to his level, she taps a finger on the tip of his nose, grinning at his laugh and tells him, “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year!” He echos, practically vibrating, and Regina wonders how much sugar Robin’s let him consume tonight already. “We’re having a party!” Roland informs her as if she’s unaware of that fact and Regina gasps her excitement, questioning, Really? “Yes! And we have hats and noisemakers and Daddy and I decorated with streamers. Come see!”
He’s gripping her hand in his and dragging her off in the direction of the living room before Regina can get a word in edgewise and Robin watches them go with affection, chuckling when she turns to look back over her shoulder at him. It warms his heart to see how well Roland has taken to her. His son is an excellent judge of character and it would seem that he’s discovered someone to fulfill the role of his new favorite person. Robin can’t say that he blames him really. Not when Regina has rapidly become the same for him.
Turning toward the den to deposit her coat with the rest of the party guests outerwear Robin rests it over the couch in there and then makes his way toward the kitchen. He stores her gift in the fridge then turns to poor her a glass of champagne and another for himself while he’s at it. Letting his gaze drift back and forth from his task at hand and over the counter top to where Regina is sitting on the couch while Roland excitedly holds out different hat options for her to pick from. The standard cone and a headband with silver letters outlining New Years Eve. She chooses the latter and let’s Roland slip it over her dark locks.
“Lady of the hour is here I see.”
Robin shifts his gaze from the two of them to grin at John. “Indeed she is.” He laughs, not even bothering to pretend he doesn’t know what his friend is talking about. Despite the crowd of friends wandering about his house to occupy his attention, Robin’s been glancing toward the door repeatedly and Roland has been asking when Regina would arrive every ten minutes. After Christmas his friends are not unaware of the affection he and his son hold for the woman. John shakes his head at him and turns around to start a conversation with Tuck while Robin picks up their glasses and ventures into the living room.
They’ve moved on to other party favors by the time Robin joins them. Regina placing a set of oversized glasses on the bridge of Roland’s nose that outline 2017 and laughing when they swallow up the boy’s face before sliding right back down. The pair of them laughing at how silly he looks.
Her gaze shifts from Roland to him as he rounds the couch and holds out a glass to her. “Champagne, milady.” Robin offers her the flute before taking the open space beside her.
“Thank you.” Regina replies, sipping the bubbly liquid and letting the flavor explode over her tongue. Robin’s arm lifts to rest behind her on the couch, his fingertips just brushing her shoulder and Regina leans back into him, letting his warmth envelope her while Roland turns back to the coffee table for more festive favors. He holds out a string of beads and Regina gamely bends her neck for him to slip them over her head.
“What do we have here?” Robin asks and Regina lifts her glass for another sip and struggles to keep her lips from twitching while she watches Roland turn his enthusiasm on his father.
“Hats and funny glasses and noisy things!” He exclaims, reaching for a cone shaped New Years hat and holding it out to Robin. “Here, you need one too, Daddy!” Obligingly, Robin takes the paper hat from Roland, placing it on the top of his head and snapping the elastic underneath his chin before winking at Regina and asking Roland how it looks. “Perfect!” The boy declares and then grabs one of the noisemakers, blowing into it and letting out a ringing sound in celebration, all three of them laughing together.
Roland hands out two to each of them and they oblige him by blowing into their own. If it weren’t for the gleeful look on his face every time they do it the things would surely become bothersome, but his tiny little dimples dent his cheeks and neither feel any annoyance at all.
Suddenly, the toddler is turning back to them, studying Robin eagerly. “How long till the ball drops, Daddy?” Roland asks, rocking up and down in anticipation and deflating just a tad when Robin informs him they have quite a while yet.
“But we’ll have plenty of fun before then.” Regina tells him, anxious to return that dimpled smile to his face, and blowing one of the noisemakers between her lips until it uncurls to tickle Roland square in the middle of his chest, his laughter precious. “What’s been your favorite thing about this year, Roland?” She asks as a distraction.
He thinks about it for a minute, serious expression forming on his features as he contemplates the question before those chocolate colored eyes light up and he proclaims, “Meeting you, R’gina!”
It wasn’t at all the answer she had been expecting to come out of him and for a few seconds it takes Regina aback. Emotion wells up within her, a depth of affection for this child that she probably has no right to be feeling so soon. But if she’s honest with herself she’s totally in love with this little boy already and suddenly feels tears prickling at her eyes. Fighting them back, she leans forward to rest her elbows on her knees, grasping Roland’s hands in her own and telling him truthfully, “You’ve been my favorite part of this year too, Roland.”
Robin watches his son’s arms flop around Regina’s neck in a hug and the sight of the two of them is such a wonderful image he thinks his heart might just burst from his chest. When his eyes meet Regina’s over Roland’s shoulder all he can think is how grateful he is for that snow storm last week that had opened up this door for him and his son, for all of them really. It seems it was fate that they’d been brought together the way they had. Two years of working together and a single night had completely altered everything for them.
They watch Roland dash off in the direction of where Tuck and Alan are chatting by the fireplace, casually sipping their beer until the boy snags their attention. Robin turns his focus back to Regina, smiling at her and curling his arm around her shoulders more firmly when she leans back against the couch again. His thumb caresses her shoulder and those dark and fascinating brown irises turn to twinkle at him. “I’m glad you’re here.” Robin tells her.
“Oh really?” Regina hums, swallowing the last bit of her first glass of champagne which is nearly gone now and using it as an opportunity to collect herself. She’s just relaxed and comfortable enough to be feeling bold, extra flirty with him, the weight of her moment with Roland melting away as the alcohol swishes around in her belly. Leaning in closer, their faces only a few inches apart, she asks, “And why is that? For my charming personality or stunning appearance? Or because of Roland’s affections? Oh, I know! It’s the hat isn’t it?” Regina jokes, pointing to the ridiculous band on her head, barely containing her grin.
Robin’s own amusement climbing at this flirtatious, on-her-way-toward-tipsy side of her, he leans in toward her mouth, stopping just shy of pressing his own into it and answers, “All of the above.” Regina’s laughter is music to his ears and then she’s the one connecting their mouths in a relatively chaste, but drawn out kiss that leaves them both wanting more, and Robin wishes they could have a private moment together where he could kiss her properly.
“I’m glad I’m here too.” Regina replies finally when they separate. “You’ve been one of the best parts of my year also.”
“As have you, milady.” They grin at each other like idiots for another minute before Robin plucks her glass from her slender fingers and rocks himself up to his feet. “Looks like you need a refill. I’ll be right back.” Regina nods and settles back into the couch, grinning stupidly at him as she watches him walk away. Tonight is turning out to be even better than she was expecting.
—————
As the hours tick by, inching closer and closer to midnight, Regina feels her entire being relaxing. Each glass of champagne settles pleasurably into her system, every laugh with Roland has her heart swelling, and each time she catches Robin looking at her something in his eyes steals the breath from her lungs. Several occasions already she’s noticed him subtly checking her out and she’s grateful she chose this dress for the evening. Is enjoying teasing him as much as she’s doing the same to herself, and with each passing minute Regina looks forward to sharing a kiss with him at midnight.
She’s wandered into the kitchen in search of the champagne bottle to top off her glass, becoming distracted by the sight of Robin and Roland playing together across the room.
“You know, he's quite smitten with you. This whole week it's been Regina this and Regina that. He's a friendly boy, but I've never seen him take to anyone the way he has you.” John comments, taking a sip of his beer and studying her.
Regina watches them, chuckling when Robin drills a finger into his tummy and Roland lets out a high pitched shriek of laughter. She can feel the grin splitting her face, can't help it before John’s next words register. “The same could be said for his father.”
Her eyes whip back to his instantly to find him observing her watching them, a blush rising to her cheeks. Flickering her gaze back to the pair then back to John, Regina confesses softly, “They aren't the only ones.”
Something in her answer must satisfy whatever hidden question had been behind his words, for he studies her another moment and then nods approvingly. “Good. It's been a long time since I’ve seen him smile at anyone the way he does at you.” And she knows this time he’s referring to Robin alone.
It makes her wonder… about Roland’s mother, Robin’s wife. She knows that she’d passed away when Roland had been a baby, but not much beyond that. They haven’t quite gotten into the serious parts of their past in this budding romance of theirs, despite their conversation about her family on Christmas Eve. Tonight’s not the night for that discussion though, and if there’s anything that Regina is surprisingly positive of it’s that they’ll have an opportunity for it in the future. She doesn’t see either of them going anywhere in her life. Crazy as that may be.
John’s voice breaks through her thoughts, bringing Regina back to the present. “Can I get you another drink?”
She nods, “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
A few minutes later, glass in hand, she makes her way over to Robin and Roland. The boy’s bouncing on the balls of his feet in time with the song playing through the sound system. “What are you two up to without me?” She teases.
“Dancing!” Roland informs her, executing a rather wobbly turn that makes both she and Robin laugh.
“Well then,” Regina sets her glass on the coffee table and holds out a hand to Roland, “May I have this dance?”
He nods his head eagerly and clasps his hand in hers, Regina’s fingers curling around his tiny hands as they begin stepping side to side, rocking their arms back and forth. When the tempo picks up a bit, Regina swoops Roland up onto her hip and wiggles them around, steadying him with a hand on his back and dipping him upside down to a degree to make him squeal.
By the time the song ends and turns into a new one, they are both breathless, giggling at each other until Roland turns his gaze to his father. “Daddy, you dance with R’gina now.”
Happy to oblige, Robin bites his lower lip between his teeth, “Of course, my boy.” and waits for Regina to set him back on his feet before he’s taking her hand in his and tugging her in close to his body before spinning her out and back in. Robin turns them around in a few quick steps and Regina is laughing merrily while Roland claps his hands with the beat and wiggles around himself.
Robin takes both her hands in his and leads her in a few more moves before twirling her beneath his arm and Regina grins up at him when the song ends, taking a moment to catch her breath, “You’re quite the dancer.”
“One of my many talents.” Robin quips with a smirk and then shifts his attention to Roland when he asks if it’s time for cookies yet. Agreeing, the pair of them head toward the kitchen and Regina grabs her glass from the table, letting the cool liquid sate her sudden thirst and plopping down on the couch again.
Not long after, she excuses herself from a conversation with Ana, Will’s girlfriend, for a trip to the bathroom. She’s fought off breaking the dreaded seal as long as she can manage for the night. When she exits the powder room situated near the entrance way of Robin’s home there’s a post-it stuck to the wall opposite her and Regina smirks at the sight of it.
Meet me in the den.
Grabbing the little yellow square, she slinks quietly down the hall and twists the knob, slipping into the room just off the front of the house and shutting the door behind her. Robin’s leaning back against the dark, mahogany desk, and smiles when she enters the room.
“You got my note I see.”
Regina waves the post-it held between her index and middle finger and nods. “Yes. Did you need something?” She questions, one corner of her mouth curving upward as Robin strides toward her, closing the distance between them. He stops a step in front of her, his lovely pine scent filling her nostrils.
“As a matter of fact, yes. This.”
And then he’s taking her mouth with his in a quick and fiery kiss, as if he hasn’t been stealing kisses here and there for the entire night, like it’s been days rather than less than an hour since the last time he’s tasted her. Regina moans into the kiss, arching her back and pressing herself against him, one arm hooking around his neck. His tongue sweeps against hers, toying with it, chasing it with his own as the flavor of her explodes in his mouth.  
Robin’s teeth nip at her lip, biting hard enough to have Regina groaning before his tongue moves back in to sooth the slight ache. The action causes little tingles to spread throughout her body. “Mmmmm…” She hums against his mouth, Robin’s hands stroking up and down her sides as their kisses slow a degree.
They make out for a few more moments, noses sliding over cheeks as their heads tilt back and forth, eager for more of each other, more of this heady feeling their kisses produce.
When they eventually part, Regina lets her eyelids flutter open, dreamy expression on her face as she asks Robin, “What was that for?”
He twirls a lock of her hair between his fingers and smiles stupidly, “I just wanted a few minutes alone with you. It’s the first chance I’ve had to kiss you properly all evening.” Regina's smile spreads over her whole face and Robin has a desperate desire to see that expression on her as often as he can manage. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Immensely.” Regina assures him because tonight has been wonderful. The best ending to a year she's had in more than she can remember and it's largely due to this man and his son. She's rather enjoying this turn of the holiday season when she typically spends them alone.
“Good.” Robin's arms lock around her waist, pressing her tightly against him, Regina's hands trapped between their bodies, palms resting on his chest. “No regrets about accepting my invitation then?”
She can tell what he's playing at and smirks, willing to go along with the game. Scrunching up her nose, tiny wrinkle forming between her brows, Regina pretends to mull the question over. In a flirty, teasing tone she replies, “Hmmmm, not yet. The night is young though.”
The full bellied laugh Robin lets out jiggles both of their bodies as he shakes his head. “I'll have to ensure we keep you happy then.” Punctuating his vow by kissing her again, not quite as desperate this time but no less passionate.
All of a sudden the door to the den is crashing open and Roland's excited voice interrupts them. “Daddy, John's doing funny animal noises. Come see!” Chortling, Robin promises Roland he'll be there in a moment and leans in for a quick peck to Regina's lips before letting her go and following his son out of the room toward the direction of delighted laughter.
—————
Despite his valiant efforts to maintain the neverending energy he seems to posses, Roland does not make it to seeing the ball drop this year. Instead, he conks out on the couch with Regina at half past eleven, his head resting in her lap as she brushes her fingers through his hair over and over again.
Honestly, Regina wouldn't mind ringing in the new year just like this, doesn't feel a need to move one bit. But the closer the clock gets to twelve o'clock the louder everyone seems to be getting, the healthy supply of drinks long since kicking in and filters dissipating. Roland would probably be more comfortable in his own bed as well.
So when Robin stands from his perch on the arm of the sofa to take him, Regina doesn't protest as he scoops him up into his arms. The tired toddler doesn't make a peep. “I'm just gonna take him up to bed.” Her reluctance to release him must show on her face though because he's quickly following up his statement with, “Would you like to help?” Regina nods and follows them up the steps to Roland's bedroom.
The two of them spend the next ten minutes tucking him into bed. Untying the laces of his sneakers and setting them aside while Robin retrieves a set of pajamas with fox faces all over them. Regina helps him maneuver Roland out of his sweater and khaki pants into soft cotton. Robin turns on the night light luminary on the table beside the bed, in case Roland should wake up during the night.
Regina can't resist the urge to place a light kiss to Roland's forehead, smoothing her hand over his hair before she and Robin tiptoe silently out of the room, letting the door click shut behind them.
Someone's lowered the volume on the speakers and switched on Ryan Seacrest’s Rockin’ New Year's Eve on the television. Some mediocre pop singer on stage as Robin leaves for a minute to retrieve and refill their glasses. He’s back quickly and the two of them clink their glasses in a silent toast before drinking deeply.
“Thank you for coming.” Robin whispers into her ear, an arm wrapped around her waist to keep her close while Regina snuggles into his side, her head tipping over to rest in the coveted space between shoulder and neck.
Her lips curve against his throat and Regina places a gentle kiss to the lightly stubbled skin there. “Thank you for inviting me.”
They stay that way until the final five minutes to midnight when they shift positions and Robin hugs his arms around Regina from behind, resting his chin atop her shoulder while they watch the hosts on screen, the hundreds of people crowded into Time Square cheering. Everyone has gathered in the living room at this point, all their attention focused on the tv. Will ribbing John for his lack of a date and therefore upcoming kiss while Ana smacks him on the shoulder.
There’s a jolly, anxious atmosphere to the room as the anticipation builds with each passing minute. Only two more to go now. Regina’s manicured nails trace lightly up and down the arm Robin has encircled around her waist, smiling at everyone around her even while her attention is mostly centered around Robin’s warmth surrounding her. She takes another sip of champagne, buzzed off the golden liquid and the man running his nose along her jaw.
One minute.
The group gathers their noisemakers and drinks with equal measure, arming themselves for the celebration when the clock switches between one year and the next. Circling around to face Robin, still wrapped in his arms, Regina smiles at him and slips her fingers through his hair. Then everyone in the room begins counting down around them.
Ten, nine, eight, seven…
Robin squeezes her a bit, already slowly leaning in toward her.
Six, five, four, three…
Her breath catches when his lips are only an inch from hers when he stops, waiting for those final few seconds.
Two, one…
Their lips connect, Robin’s slanting over Regina’s, molding against hers. Sparks seem to erupt from where their mouths meet, shimmering all around them, tiny invisible fireworks of their own and she moans as her head spins. His tongue tickles her for an all to brief moment before Robin pulls away, blue eyes sparkling as they gaze into her own brown ones.
“Happy New Year, Regina.”
Her smile is bright and luminous as she whispers back to him. “Happy New Year, Robin.”
—————
The party has finally wound down, the clock hanging along the far wall signaling it’s well after midnight, several hours into the new year already and Robin’s just closed the door behind the last of his guests, ensuring everyone is piled into cabs or paired up with those assigned to be designated drivers and safely on their way home.
Regina is perched on the arm of the sofa, hands gripping the edge on either side of her hips as she tips her head toward her shoulder and smiles a bit drunkenly at Robin as he comes back into the room. She should probably be going too. It’s late after all. But she’s had such a pleasant evening and she and Robin are truly alone now, no one to question where they’ve slipped off to or little boys to interrupt them and she wants a few minutes with him. Then she’ll go…
“Have I mentioned how incredibly stunning you look tonight?” Robin asks her, a smile of his own gracing his features as he comes to a stop in front of her. His fingers lift to brush back a few locks of hair from her forehead, tucking them behind her ear as the pad of his thumb caresses her cheek slowly, back and forth.
Giggling, ridiculously gratified by his praise, Regina confirms, “You have. Several times in fact.”
Leaning forward, so their noses bump playfully against each other, he whispers, “Perhaps your beauty is growing with each passing hour,” into the space between their lips.
She sincerely doubts that. There’s enough alcohol in her system that Regina knows she’s not as put together as she normally would be, as she had been when she’d walked in earlier tonight and his jaw had dropped. However, the complement has her heart fluttering in her chest like a schoolgirl. It’s almost embarrassing.
Regina shifts her head the other direction, letting it rest in the palm of his hand and replies with an amused smirk, “Charmer.”
Robin shrugs his shoulder good naturedly. “It’s true.” He pauses, “You’re so beautiful, Regina.”
From anyone else she might think the words to be a line, but Regina knows that Robin means it, can hear the sincerity behind them. Maybe it’s just the alcohol swirling around her brain, dulling her senses, but she’s ridiculously pleased with herself, with him. Staring into those clear blue eyes, her gaze drifting over his stubbled jaw, his tempting mouth, and her heart stutters as she whispers, “So are you.” Far too relaxed to be embarrassed by her words.
Music continues to play in the background, nothing overly intrusive, the same volume it’s been at for the better part of the last few hours, but without the steady hum of voices it’s more prevalent. Robin takes a step back, smiling at her with intention in his eyes as he holds out a hand, palm facing upward and asks, “Dance with me?”
It surprises her, shouldn’t, not really. Robin is nothing if not skilled in the romantic gestures department. And quite the dancer as she’d discovered earlier. Still, Regina’s heart rises and swells within her chest as her lips curve upward and she places her hand in his own, letting him pull her to her feet.
Just as Robin draws her in close to his body, flush against one another, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, the song changes to something slow and seductive, Michael Bublé’s voice sounding through the speakers as they begin to gently rock back and forth.
Wise men say only fools rush in
Her hand is tucked against Robin’s chest, his fingers curled around her own, and Regina rests her head on his shoulder as they move in tiny steps, around and around in a circle. Robin’s pine scent is still strong as her nose brushes against the side of his throat, makes her feel safe and content to stay right here, breathing him in. His other arm is curved around her waist, palm pressed to the small of her back, holding her close to him.
But I can't help falling in love with you
The lyrics of the song breach the fog of her addled brain and Regina barely resists letting out a snort. Nothing could be more fitting. For while it’s only been a week since that night in their office, a week of endless flirting and teasing notes, afternoon coffee dates and strings of midnight text messages, Regina feels herself falling for this man. He and his son have captured something within her heart that she hadn’t even known she’d been missing.
Perhaps it’s foolish to dive in head first the way that she has, with a co-worker no less, but in the last week Regina has been happier with him than in longer than she can remember. And she doesn’t want to let that go, refuses to let this chance slip through her grasp.
Shall I stay Would it be a sin
Robin’s mouth lowers to hers, slow and seductive, his lips pressing and molding against her own. The grip he has on her tightens as he pulls her impossibly closer, their movements slowing down, feet barely even shuffling back and forth at this point. Opening his mouth, the tip of his tongue traces lightly along the seam of her lips, urging them open, access that Regina happily grants as Robin deepens the kiss.
Her head is spinning pleasantly, a light, weightless feeling that trickles out through her limbs. A mixture of the champagne she’s been drinking throughout the night and Robin’s heady, addictive kiss. God, he’s a good kisser. His tongue swirls over hers, sweeping through her mouth and drawing her into him, tasting of the chocolate chip cookies he’d shared with Roland earlier in the night and sweet wine and something uniquely Robin.
Regina could drown in him.
If I can't help falling in love with you
“Stay.” Robin murmurs against her temple, placing a light kiss there as his fingers pulse against her waist, his nose running lovingly along the side of her face. “Stay the night with me, Regina.”
Opening her eyes, Regina pulls away from him, looking up into those pleading blue eyes that hold nothing but affection and wonder as they study her and Regina’s heart screams at her that this is exactly where she belongs. Who is she to resist what he’s offering?
Nodding, Regina murmurs quietly, “Alright.”
Relief washes over Robin’s face and then he’s sweeping down and capturing her lips in another kiss, letting his fingers thread through her hair, thumb caressing her cheek. Regina’s arms wrap around Robin’s neck, molding her body to his, and then he’s sweeping her up into his arms, lifting her off her feet, and she can’t contain the breathless laugh that escapes.
When he sets her back on the balls of her feet, Regina smirks up at him and Robin’s hands caress down her arms to take each of her hands, pulling her with him as he walks backward toward the stairs. His eyes never leave hers, desire and anticipation darkening them with every step they take. Excitement builds within Regina as they make their way to Robin’s bedroom.
They tiptoe down the hallway, stopping quietly to peek into Roland’s room, checking on him. The boy is fast asleep, hugging his grey stuffed monkey to his chest, snuggled beneath the covers, and Robin silently shuts the door again, continuing down the hall and twisting the knob of his own door. Leaving Regina standing in the doorway for a moment he strides over to the night stand, flicking on the lamp to cast the room in a quiet glow. Shadows dance across the room, but it’s enough light that they can see one another without being overly bright.
Regina takes a moment to let her attention wander around the room, noting the darkly stained furniture throughout the space, the muted green and brown tones. There are a few of Roland’s drawings framed and hung along the wall and they make Regina smile. It feels like Robin, suits him completely. Shifting her focus back to him she finds him watching her with that grin that makes her breath catch. There’s a hungry look in his eyes as he takes a few slow steps toward her. “What do you think?”
“I like it.” She responds, voice already a touch breathless and Regina chastises herself to pull it together. This isn’t the first time she’s ever been with a man, she shouldn’t be so worked up already. But it’s been a long night of flirty remarks and teasing touches, stolen kisses here and there, and whether she had intended for them to end up here or not, they’ve been slowly working themselves up all evening.
“I’m glad.” He replies, coming to a stop in front of her. Robin’s index finger trails lightly along the neckline of her dress, from her throat, over the swells of her breasts, down to the small v between them. It’s barely a touch at all, but it causes Regina to shiver as he murmurs in a deep, throaty whisper, “This dress has been driving me insane all night.”
“I know.” She grins, her own voice gravely. “That was my intention.”
It makes him laugh, those dimples she’s helpless against creasing his cheeks as he shakes his head at her, “You minx.”
“Is that a problem?” Regina sasses, the corner of her mouth tipping up in a flirty smirk.
Leaning forward Robin lets his forehead rest against hers, their mouths only an inch or so apart as his breath washes over her lips, “Not at all.” And then he’s closing the distance that separates them, molding his mouth to hers, tilting his lips over hers, and Regina loses herself in the feel of him for a few moments as their tongues tangle together.
Nerves skitter along her spine when his hand strokes down her side, outlining her curves and settling over her hip, fingers gripping while his mouth occupies her own. She’s nervous all of a sudden. Shouldn’t be. This is Robin. They’ve been coworkers for years and though this new romance has surprised both of them, Regina has discovered that she trusts him. There’s absolutely no reason for her to have butterflies dancing around in her belly.
He must sense her turn of thought because he pulls his mouth away from hers, runs his thumb along her jaw, just beneath her chin and asks quietly, “You’re sure?”
Something in the way he says it, or perhaps it’s just the way he’s looking at her, understanding and caring, but those nerves settle in Regina’s stomach immediately and she smiles up at him, nods once and replies, “Yes. I want you, Robin.”
He’d shed his blazer earlier in the evening, leaving him in just that button down shirt that Regina has been itching to rid him of for hours now. She lets her hands rest on his shoulders for a moment before they slide down his chest. Hard muscles twitch beneath her touch and Regina bites her bottom lip in admiration at the feel of them beneath her fingers, her nails scratch lightly over his abdomen before sweeping upward again and landing on the top button of his shirt. Her eyes meet his as she slowly slips it through the loop. Inching down to the next one, and the next, again and again until she’s undone every one and can slip the shirt from his shoulders, pushing it down his arms and revealing his toned torso.
Delicately, Regina smoothes the pads of her fingers over the smattering of hair along his chest, trails the tip of her finger in a line down the center and she feels his abs ripple beneath her touch. Fluttering her lashes at him, Regina grins and flirts, “Very impressive, Locksley.”
Robin laughs and kisses her briefly again. Just a quick thing before he’s pulling back and taunting playfully, “My turn, Ms. Mills.”
Regina nods her permission and stands perfectly still as Robin’s hands roam over her body, along the side of her throat, her shoulders, down her biceps. Slowly, he circles around until he’s standing behind her, let’s his gaze roam over the back of the dress. There’s a zipper that runs from collar down the entire back of the dark material and he dances his fingers up the length of it as he leans down to pepper kisses over her neck. He swirls his tongue over her skin, leaving wet trails in his wake as he inches upward to find that spot just behind her ear that makes her knees weak.
Of course he would find it almost instantly. Somehow he seems to know exactly what to do to have her mind clouding. Alcohol still courses through her veins and further helps her to relax as Robin bestows his attentions on her. Ever so slowly, his thumb and index finger pinch the zipper, tugging it down inch by inch at the same time as his mouth finds her earlobe to whisper seductively, “I’ve been picturing peeling you out of this dress since the moment you stepped through the door.”
Her entire body shivers as Robin punctuates his words with a light nip to her lobe between his teeth. Sliding the zipper halfway down her back, he stops just above the curve of her ass, revealing the expanse of her back to him and Robin hums appreciatively as he slides his hands over the newly exposed skin. Then he’s circling back around to face her. His movements remaining slow, he unhooks the collar to reveal the hollow of her throat and then dips his head to circle his tongue over her flesh there.
Regina’s skin tingles everywhere Robin’s lips touch, growing as his mouth ventures down her chest, peppering kisses over her skin before he’s pushing her dress over her shoulders and down her arms, letting it pool to the floor. Straightening, Robin takes a moment to let his gaze roam over her form.
She’d chosen a lacy lingerie set, in a deep plum color. The material of her bra is nearly see through, her already hardened nipples clearly visible through the sheer lace, and Robin groans at the sight of that alone. The swells of her breasts rise above the edges and he can’t wait to have them in his palms, to squeeze and knead at them. His eyes continue down her flat torso to the narrow strip of silk and lace at her hips in a matching color and he feels his stomach tighten with desire.
He’s not sure how he’s gotten this lucky, to be here with this incredible woman, granted the permission to touch her to his heart's content, but Robin is beyond grateful for whatever it was he did to have this woman brought into his life.
Reaching out his hands, he runs his palms over her skin, tugging her closer to him until she’s pressed against him and he can take her mouth with his. Regina’s fingers sneak their way between their bodies, deftly unhooking his slacks, pushing them off Robin’s hips and lightly rubbing her hand over his very obvious desire through his boxers. Robin lets out a low groan at her touch and scrapes his teeth along her lip.
Eager to draw the sound from him again, Regina presses her hand against him more firmly, her touch becoming bolder with each stroke up and down the hard length of him. Robin steadily rocks his hips against her hand as he kisses her with fervor until he abruptly parts their mouths, breathing labored when he drops his forehead to hers. “Regina…”
Curving her lips upward into a smile Regina taunts innocently, “Yes?” Her grip shifts to rest her hands on either side of his hips, the tips of her fingers dipping beneath his waistband.
Robin's fingers swirl over the skin of her back, creeping their way upward toward the clasp of her bra, toying with it as he draws back enough to look her in the eye. “As gorgeous as you are in this...I think it's time it goes.” With that, he deftly frees the hooks, letting the plum colored straps slip down her arms before pulling the material from her chest and tossing it aside. Robin's eyes darken as his gaze roams over her, “So beautiful.”
Standing before him, Regina waits for Robin to move, his steady gaze drifting over her. Her body feels like it's buzzing, whether from the champagne earlier or anticipation she doesn't know, probably both, but Regina isn't sure how much longer she can wait to have him.
Warm hands reach out to cup her breasts, thumbs flicking over her nipples, teasing, and Regina moans, over sensitive. Smirking at her reaction, Robin lowers his head and latches his lips around one of her breasts. His tongue swirls over her, sucking steadily while his other hand continues to massage her breast. It feels wonderful, amazing. Regina’s hands find their way into Robin’s hair, anchoring herself as sensations swirl through her.
He switches to the other breast, bestowing the same attentions to that one until Regina is arching her back and trying desperately to find a bit of relief for the ache between her thighs. Granting her a bit of reprieve, Robin slips a hand between her legs, rubbing at her over the silk of her panties. Groaning, he releases her breast with a wet pop and mutters, “God, you’re soaked, Regina.”
She doesn’t doubt it, not with the how much she wants him and how her body has reacted to his touches already. “Mmhmm” She agrees, eyes closed as she focuses on how amazing Robin’s hand feels against her. Hooking his fingers around the waistband of her panties, he draws them down over her hips, kneeling before her as Regina steps out of them.
And then she is blessedly bare in front of him and Robin once again thanks his lucky stars for being here with her. “Bloody gorgeous.” He mutters before swooping in to drag his tongue through her folds, lapping up a bit of the wetness that has gathered there. Regina moans, her head falling back, hair draping to tickle between her shoulder blades.
Intent on his task and drawing more of those deep, throaty moans from her, Robin sucks at her clit. Two of his fingers stroke through her folds before slipping inside her, thrusting up into her. It works. Regina mewls her pleasure, hands gripping almost painfully at his hair as she anchors herself to him. “Oh god, Robin, that feels… mmmmm… so good.” He scrapes his teeth lightly over her sensitive bud, swirling his tongue around it quickly after then wraps his lips around it once more.
For the next few minutes he sucks and licks at her, fingers arching inside her and hitting that spot within her that has delicious bursts of pleasure exploding every time Robin finds it. Regina feels her body tightening, fighting its way toward orgasm. As amazing as his mouth feels, she wants more, wants him. Her voice is raspy as Regina licks her lips and finally opens her eyes to look down at him. “Robin, I — oh, yes.” Hips rocking against his mouth of their own accord Regina struggles to finish her thought. “I want you. Now. Inside me.”
Robin sucks at her clit for another moment before pulling back to look up at her. Those gorgeous blue eyes so dark they appear nearly navy in color as he nods and then places a few kisses over her lower stomach on his way back up her body, fingers slipping out of her.
Their mouths meet in a fierce kiss and Regina can taste herself on his tongue, groans as her arms band tightly around his neck and her body molds to his. Her breasts are pressed to his chest, nipples hard points that the wiry hair on his chest tickles. Biting her lower lip between his teeth, Robin tugs and then releases it, panting a bit.
He’s hard as a rock, aching for her, desperate to feel her. Moving quickly, Robin sheds himself of his boxers, kicking them off his ankles before gripping her hands and walking backward until the back of his knees hit the bed and he plops down. Regina smirks at him, gaze darting down to where his cock is standing at attention. “Apparently I’m not the only one that’s eager.” She teases.
“God, no.” Robin laughs, voice a touched strained as he tries to contain himself when her soft hands wrap around him, stroking up and down his shaft a few times, swiping her thumb over his head, before releasing him and climbing into his lap. She takes his mouth with hers, the both of them sighing as his cock is now nestled between her folds, rubbing against her clit as Regina rocks her hips and their tongues sweep into each other’s mouths.
They stay that way for a minute or two before they fall back to the mattress laughing and then Robin is rolling them over, one hand resting beside Regina’s head as he hovers over her. Bending his head, Robin kisses her again, then drags his tongue over her jaw, down her throat to suck at the vulnerable skin there. Regina moans, “Robin—“ They’ve teased each other enough and both of them are more than ready.
Chuckling, he nips at the joint where her neck and shoulder meet and then he’s stretching over toward the nightstand. Sliding the drawer open, he quickly pulls out a foil wrapper, sitting back on his heels as he rips the packet open and quickly covers himself. He leans over her once more, the tip of him brushing against her entrance as he gazes down at her, such deep affection and desire in his eyes, Regina’s breath stops. Then he’s pushing himself inside her and every rational thought in her head melts away.
Both of them moan as Regina’s wet, warm heat envelops him, drawing him in. Robin’s hips still for a moment, buried deep inside her, waiting for Regina’s eyes to meet his, ensuring she’s alright before he’s rocking in and out of her slowly. It feels incredible, beyond anything he ever could have imagined. One of his hands skates across her skin to cup her breast, pinching a nipple between his fingers and she groans.
He’s thick and wonderful and the onslaught of sensations overwhelms Regina for a moment. Screwing her eyes shut she lets herself revel in the feel of him inside her, stretching her, creating a glorious friction that has heat spreading throughout her limbs as he pumps in and out of her.
Their mouths meet for another kiss and Regina slips her arms around Robin’s back, letting them caress over his skin, nails digging into his flesh on a particularly deep thrust that has her crying out. She’s close already, worked up and needy and everything he’s doing to her is pushing her nearer to that edge.
Breaking the kiss, Regina tucks her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and letting her tongue dart out to taste his skin, a bit slick and salty from the light dew of sweat that covers him. She kisses her way up to his ear, biting his lobe between her teeth before whispering into his ear, “Mmmm… Robin, you feel so good. Don’t stop.” Her voice is airy, laced with lust and longing as she demands, “Faster. I want you so much.”
Moaning, Robin happily obeys her request, increasing the pace of his thrusts, cock pounding into her over and over again. He’s close to the edge himself, the combined sensation of her mouth and body and those deep whimpers rapidly drawing him toward that peak. Maneuvering his hand further down between them he swipes his thumb over her clit, rubbing along with his thrusts.
Regina cries out, gasping and nodding her head as it falls back against the pillow beneath her. Her body is tingling, teetering on a cliff of ultimate bliss as Robin slides in and out of her, touching her. “That’s it, babe. Let go for me. I wanna watch you come.” He mutters, pounding harder into her, and that British accent of his ridiculously sexy. A few more thrusts are all it takes to have her tightening around him, muscles spasming as she whimpers in pleasure.
It’s a true sight to behold, Regina Mills coming on his cock, and Robin bites his bottom lip, struggles to hold out for just a little longer, letting her ride out her orgasm for as long as he can. When her eyes finally flutter open, meeting his and grinning up at him, he lets go of that thin strip of control and jerks his hips sharply against hers, once, twice, three times before he’s spilling over.
Panting, Robin collapses on top of her, his head landing beside hers and peppering kisses over the side of her neck. Regina wraps her arms around him, snuggling into him, enjoying the feel of his heated skin against her own for a minute or two before he’s gripping the condom at the base of his shaft to keep it from slipping and rolling off her onto his back. She turns her head to look at him, grinning when his chest continues to heave while he catches his breath. “Wow.” Is all he says when he turns his head to meet her gaze.
Laughing, Regina turns on her side, propping her head on her hand to grin at him. “Yeah. That was definitely something. Another hidden talent, huh?” Robin chuckles, lifting a hand to push a lock of hair that’s fallen over her face behind her ear. He sits up and slowly stands from the bed, striding into the bathroom to dispose of the condom before returning to her.
Robin turns down the comforter they hadn’t bothered with earlier and waits for Regina to wiggle beneath it before he slips in after her. Drawing her into his arms as she settles her head against his shoulder contentedly. Pressing a kiss into her hair, he murmurs softly, “Thank you for spending New Years with me, Regina.”
Her lips curve against his chest and she lets her eyes close as they lay together in the afterglow. “Thank you for making it so special.” She replies quietly.
Never in a million years would Regina have thought that her year would end up like this. And as she lays curled up in Robin’s arms, naked and sated, drifting off to sleep to the feeling of him stroking his hand over her hair, she can’t wait to find out what the next three hundred and sixty five days will hold.
36 notes · View notes