very green

template by ink-ghoul!

tell me about stained glass

yay!! it's so fun i can't wait to do it again i'm gonna tell you the whole process

so first you need to pick out your pattern/draw the design, make sure there's no weak points (lines directly through the entire piece etc)

once that's set you get to pick out your glass :D some glass is thicker than others but it doesn't matter too much unless you want it to be all the same, there's lots of different textures as well whcih can look really cool

next step is to trace the pattern into the pieces, you wanna go for the edge of the glass to save as much as possible for future projects, and if it's too opaque you need to either use a light box or cut out that part of the pattern

when it's all traced you're gonna start cutting. so get your little tool, make sure you're standing in order to get the pressure and right angle

this is the glass cutter ^^

now you gotta smooth that shit down so here's this guy

he's a glass grinder he sands down the sides into the right shape and makes sure you don't cut yourself as much. the bit is in the middle and you hold the glass with ur fingers and press it into the bit to grind it down

next is foiling but before that is cleaning bc the grinder has water in it and it mixes with the glass particles and makes it all icky so get some glass cleaner and wipe it down with a cloth

now time for foiling

this is copper foil, it comes in rolls with different thicknesses. generally one size fits most glass but thicker ones need thicker foil so it covers the side and equally on the front and back of the glass

i tend to start near a corner, then you're going to wrap it around being careful that the glass goes in the middle of the foil. once it's wrapped around once make sure it overlaps with the beginning about 1/4-1/2 inch, here you cut it

press the foil down on the sides and top and bottom of the glass, then get some kind of tool (can be anything tbh even a pencil or ruler) and rub the foil into the glass so it is fully pressed down

(random piece i found on the internet with foiled glass)

onto soldering :D

once it's foiled you're going to put the pieces together how you want them to lay in the final product. first is tacking, aka putting a small amount of solder on the intersections of glass. before soldering anything you need to put flux on the section you are soldering. (btw solder only sticks to foil not glass) flux basically is a liquid that prevents oxidation on the copper foil, making the solder stick.

there's lead free and leaded solder, i've only worked with lead free but many professional stained glass artists use leaded. it acts a bit differently when soldering but works just as well.

after tacking is the actual soldering. basically you take a stick of solder and a soldering iron and hold the solder right behind the iron so it melts and sort of drips down the edge of the iron onto the foil as you bring your iron across the foil. once you solder one side, flip it over and do the other, then the sides which is a bit different, with more tacking

after soldering you gotta clean it cuz it's dirty again so head to the sink and get some soap and a brush and scrub that shit off

then if you want you can add patina which can make the solder black or other colors i think

then there's polishing which you just scrub on with a cotton pad, you can buff it after this with just a cloth to make it extra shiny but yeah that itttt

ty for letting me rant about this if you have any more questions lemme know <3

Party Favors (Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz / reader)

Request:  Can I have one for a Hawk smut where he’s having a little pool party and  the reader is usually always wearing modest/baggy clothing but she wore  a pretty sexy bikini to the party and everybody is shocked cuz she is  hiding a super nice body under all those clothing. Hawk gets a boner  seeing her and has to go inside the house to fix his problem and the  reader goes inside the house and catches him and offers him some help  and he’s shocked because she seems innocent. Basically a version of that  fast time at ridgemont high bikini scene lol  (for: @le-fashionmwah )​  

A/N: there’s been an influx of requests for Hawk smut so I really hope this hits the spot lol. felt really dirty writing this even tho its probs not that bad?? idk. lemme know. also, for some reason i only looked up that scene/movie halfway in to writing this, so i hope this is somewhat what you visioned

Words: 1582

Warnings: nsfw :)

Read on AO3

It had been a couple of months since your family moved to California, and you were loving it.

You befriended the Cobra Kais as soon as you started school and they had invited you to a pool party today at Sam's house.

You were a little bit reluctant to go at first, preferring to keep your weekends to yourself, reading a good book all curled up in one of the over sized hoodies you usually wore; that was, until Hawk came along.

    “Come on,” he whined to you a couple of days earlier. “Miguel's going to be all up in Sam's ass and I'll be bored as hell. You gotta come keep me company.”

You hated to admit it, but you were putty in his hands. You were nursing an ever growing crush on Hawk from the moment you first layed eyes on him; so naturally, you were easily convinced. You were desperate to make a move on him, but you were still new and friendless other then the Cobra Kais; you feared making a wrong move and losing them all.

    That is how you came to find yourself in Sam's back yard, trying to recognize familiar faces. You arrived with Miguel who as per Hawks prediction quickly abandoned you to chase after Sam, leaving you to fend for yourself. You scanned the yard filled with your peers; you couldn't recognize anyone – at least, not by name. Taking your phone out of your hoodie, you tried calling Hawk to no avail. He didn't pick up.

Assuming he wasn't answering because he was driving over (you didn't want to think he might have decided to pass on the party after convincing you to come), you decided to do the only thing there was left to do at a pool party – go for a swim.

    You took a deep breath and took hold of your over sized hoodie, pulling it up and off of you, leaving you in nothing but the new bikini you got just for this (and maybe, just maybe, for Hawk too).

    You didn't notice the many pairs of eyes that were suddenly focused on you.

Embracing the carefree air of the party, you jumped in to the deep end of the pool, letting your body sink for a moment before propelling yourself up to breathe. The cold water woke up your senses, letting you forget about your previous shyness if only a little. You swam to the edge of the pool and pushed yourself up to sit on the ledge.

    “You're the new girl,” a voice suddenly asked. Looking aside, it was a boy you recognized from English class. He allowed himself to take a seat by you. “sit behind me in English, right?”

    “Yeah,” you smile, happy to have been noticed. You two go on with your small talk for a little while until an extremely recognizable figure walked out the house.

    “Hawk!” you called, more eager than you probably should have. You excused yourself from the boy who acted as a pleasant distraction, rising to your feet and making your way over to him, your bikini dripping heavily.

    It took Hawk a heavy moment until he responded, his jaw slightly slacked as you came to stand in front of him.

    “Hi,” he finally said, feeling his mouth dry. Hawk had to train his eyes intensely on yours, lest they venture downwards.

    “Took you long enough,” you tease, nudging his arm playfully. “oh, sorry,” you apologize at seeing the spot you touched become dark with moisture. “I'm wet.”

    Yes, you are, Hawk thought to himself.

A slight gust of wind hits you, and you cross your arms under your chest, trying to preserve your heat.

    Hawk looks aside bashfully, heart pounding at your now even-further pronounced breasts. “I, um,” he mutters, “forgot my bike running. I'll be right back.”

Without a second glance to you, Hawk leaves in a rush.

You see him through a window and to your surprise, he doesn't leave the house. He detours to a bathroom.

You felt confused and slightly offended – what was the rush to leave you like that, after you greeted him so publicly too? Was he... embarrassed to be seen with you?

The negative thoughts began plaguing your mind; there was only one way to settle this, you decided. With that, you entered the house to confront him.

    You're two steps in to the living room when Moon gets an eyeful of you. “Damn, Y/n!” she surveys your scantily clad body with a grin. “You were hiding that under all those layers? Good for you, girl,” she winks. Your quest to Hawk continues with reddened cheeks and a little grin.

    You reach the bathroom you saw Hawk enter and knock, calling his name.

    “What?” Hawk replies, his voice strained and perhaps agitated.

    “I'm coming in,” you declare boldly, turning the door handle and prying it open.

    “No, don't -” Hawk begins, but it's too late. You're already in.

Hawk's face is red, his shirt is tousled – which brings your eyes down to his unbuttoned jeans, and a prominent bulge coming from them.

    Your eyes widen as you realize what you just walked in to. “Oh.”

Hawk looks just about ready to bury himself alive. “Would you get out already?”

You space out for a moment as your brain runs through the course of events. He walked in, saw you, left with a boner.

    Huh.

    “I can leave,” you finally reply. “or,” his eyes lighten in confusion. “I can help you out.”

    “Help – help me out?” Hawk stutters and he scolds himself for acting so timidly, like Eli rather than Hawk. He needed to regain control of the situation.

You shut the bathroom door, making sure to lock it. Walking up close to him, Hawk looks down at you, trying so hard to regain his composure. You sink down to your knees.

    He nearly protests, cowers away, asks what you're doing. But then he doesn't. He's Hawk, and Hawk doesn't back away when the girl he's infatuated with is eye-level with his dick. He stays put. He takes control.

Your hand goes to caress his hardness over his clothes. Hawk one-ups you and pushes his jeans and boxers down, revealing himself to you completely. His hand weaves through your hair, letting him see your expression better.

He's worried, for a moment, that he might have taken things too far, read you incorrectly. A thought that's quick to leave his mind once your tongue is on his tip.

    He thinks his heart might actually beat out of his chest. He would have never, not in his wildest dreams, be able to imagine this scenario happening in real life. Although he wanted you for a while now, he didn't think you returned his feelings. Besides that, you were usually modest, you clothing hiding your body under it and you never flirting with anyone. He'd never peg you for the type to go down on him in a bathroom during a party with half your school year just out the door.

    Hawk groans as you slide your tongue from his tip to his balls, cupping them in your hand. It's nearly overwhelming to him when you spit in your hand and begin to pump his shaft.

Hawks grip on your hair tightens; you take him in your mouth. Hawk can't help the throaty moan that leaves him as you take him as deeply as you can, hollowing your cheeks as you pull away.

His free hand comes behind your head and his fingers find the strings holding up your bikini, which he allows himself to pull on until they sever and the top of your bikini comes loose.

    Finally taking control, Hawk uses his grip on your hair to guide you on and off his dick, making you take him deeply enough you have to relax your throat to accommodate him.

    “You're such a good girl for me,” Hawk groans as he gazes down at you with his dick in your warm mouth. “you take me so well.”

Your heart swells at the compliment, at the clear pleasure you're bringing him.

    Hawks moans rise in volume and his hips rut gently forward while he holds your head in place. Without warning a gust of warm liquid pools in your mouth. Hawk pulls out and before you can think to move he cums, white strands painting your lips and cheeks before dripping down to your bare breasts.

You swallow what made it to your mouth and look at Hawk towering above you. He looked absolutely spent... and content.

Hawk helped you to your feet, this time allowing himself to stare at you to his hearts content. He helped you clean off your face before taking it in his hands and kissing you deeply. You couldn't believe you had managed to do all that before sharing your first kiss.

Breaking apart, Hawk lets his hands skim down your body, his thumbs flicking your nipples playfully before taking hold of your bikini strings and tying them back up behind your neck, leaving your breasts still covered with his cum underneath the fabric.

He finished tying the knot, kissing you once more. “You're my girl now.”

There's a question there, beneath the deceleration, so you nod. Feeling bolder than before, Hawk holds your hand as he leads you back to the pool.

mha boys & cooking headcanons

hi ❤️ heres my thoughts on the boys and if they'd cook for u!! enjoy -🌶

Includes: Todoroki Shoto, Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku, & Iida Tenya

warnings: mentions of food

genre: general, fluff, opinion piece

01.04.21

Todoroki Shoto

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

hmm he does sometimes!! he usually makes lunch for you when he has time off, but it's mostly stuff you can make without using an oven. he makes a GREAT sandwich

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

yes! and by yes i mean he watches as you cook. he'll probably prep the kitchen for you- he cleans up the kitchen and helps chop vegetables so you dont take extra prep time

𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤?

hmm i think he'd like baking more! he's not much of a sweet tooth but its easier to mess up when you cook rather than just sticking something in the oven and waiting for it to rise

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥?

he's decent!! he doesnt like handling hot liquids for reasons (except soba duh) but anything other than that hes fine! it might take two tries to get a recipe right. he doesnt really make anything fancy

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

absolutely!! he loves finally being able to sit down with you after a long day. the first words that come out of his mouth is usually "how was your day?" nd you two easily fall into a pattern. he almost NEVER misses dinner

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞?

you already know!! baby loves his cold soba!!

𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬?

if you had a claim on a room in his house it would be the kitchen. yea he lives there but thats YOUR kitchen.

Bakugou Katsuki

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

Everyday!! He strongly believes providing and cooking for you is one of the easiest ways to show you how much he loves you. his food speaks for him. He loves trying out new recipes for u!! nd theres no snark if you ever request something for dinner. When you two first got together he'd make breakfast and then say he "accidentally made too much" so you can have some. It gradually evolved to "What do you want to eat?"

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

rarely. he doesnt want u anywhere near the kitchen. On rare occasions when he's done cooking u make desert, but usually you bake in advance bc he doesn't want anything in his way when he's ready to make something

𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤?

hes the cook and ur the baker!! He doesnt see the joy in baking and thinks it's useless to him since he doesnt really enjoy sweets. that is- until you make KILLER Shu kurimu. he cant get enough of the cream puffs you make and does not know when to stop. u usually only make them once a month. he gets mad if you make them more bc he knows hes going to ignore his meal plan and inhale them lol

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥?

You already know Bakugou is Gordon Ramsey 2.0!! man can make anything. every time you see him head to the kitchen you get excited. you KNOW he's abt to go hard and make the best food you've probably ever tasted

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

hmm not much- You know bakugou is an overachieving perfectionist. He works and works and works until he drops. He doesn't have time to sit down and eat, he's always on patrol. That doesn't mean he leaves you with nothing to eat, though! He'll get up early to make you both bentos and makes sure to prep for dinner if he isnt cooking in advance. On off days (rare) he'll make you American styled breakfast in bed 🥰

𝐟𝐚𝐯����𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞?

Tantanmen! its the japanese take on Sichuan Dan Dan noodles. u know baby loves his spices

𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬?

HIS. dont even THINK about trying to get in that kitchen while he's cooking. he needs his space and cooking is his time to shine!! he'll get irritated if ur in the way. he likes when you sit at the bar top of his kitchen and talk to him while he cooks. even distracted he cooks perfectly. he doesnt add much to the conversation since he's still focused, but he loves hearing ur voice and knowing you enjoy being around him enough to just sit and watch

Midoriya Izuku

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

ummm- he tries?? He makes you two a lot of no-cook dinners since hes not good with cooking yet. But babyboy definitely tries!!

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

all the time!! izuku is usually watching you cook. whenever you're in the kitchen, hes there. He watches and takes notes so he can get better. He helps with all the non cooking parts- chops up everything and preheats the oven. He'll help clean up your mess as you go!!

𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤?

hmm both! he's a decent baker but he wants to learn more about both. baby never gives up on learning something new

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥?

hh at first? NO. You're surprised he's survived this long. You have no idea how he follows meal plans to stay in shape for hero work when the man barely knows how to boil water. He's admitted he used to go to Bakugous and annoy him until he was kicked out with a full stomach. but!! Once a week, you'll give him a lesson and watch over as he cooks, you know he'd rather die than give up trying to perfect something. He's a really fast learner and is actually starting to get good!! Next thing you know you'll be coming home from work and finding that dinner was already made- maybe a bit dry, okay. But its not that bad!!

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

He tries- he really really tries. He loves eating dinner with you, but being the #1 hero takes sacrifice and dinner with his loved ones is exactly that. He's too busy for his own good; completing patrols and missions, attending events, making appearances, writing reports??? Its all a LOT. He'll probably come home to eat dinner with you once (twice, if hes lucky) a month.

You know how hard it is on him. He would always sit down and eat dinner with his mom when he was younger and not being able to sit down and relax was stressful. One day you decided to surprise him! You two share your locations so you made dinner and went out to bring him food. You two ate on this agency's fire escape- He was so happy!! You remember that scene when spiderman ate a churro while sitting on the ledge of a building? thats yall. After that, he makes sure these midnight picnics are a daily thing- he wouldnt miss patrol dinners for the world

he always wraps an arm around you when you two eat during a patrol. He gets grumpy because you never bring a jacket and he doesn't have one on him to give you since hes in his hero suit ): you sit side by side, arms brushing against eachother as you two eat whatever you made

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞?

Tonkatsu!! its one of his favorite foods and it doesn't take that mich effort or time to make

𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬?

Yours!! you're usually in charge of food- he's too busy and if he rushes cooking the food will turn out inedible. He doesnt have time to clean up after you- so he hires someone to clean the kitchen daily. A hero's salary has its perks!

Tenya Iida

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

not usually- its not because he doesnt want to. It just doesn't cross his mind. Cooking for him is more of a chore- He'd rather take you out someplace nice

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

All the time!! You two work around the kitchen with eachother effortlessly- never getting in eachothers way. He'll stop to watch you work your magic sometimes. Cooking with you is such a mundane yet enjoyable experience

𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤?

baker!! he mostly makes rolls and baked goods that arent too sweet. I strongly believe Iida likes to bake bread

𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥?

He's decent- he follows all recipes to a T so if its a bad recipe the food will turn out a little bland. u know when you see a recipe and it has little to no spices so you add some? Iida doesn't do that- a recipe is made to be followed

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

Yes!! You two try to eat together at least three times a week. On fridays his brother comes over for dinner- its always a grand time! The dining room booms with laughter and chatter

𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞?

beef stew!! thats one of the meals he makes thats really really good!

𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬?

shared! you both cook and bake equally and u never kick eachother out the kitchen. He loves being in the kitchen with you!! He'll press up against your back, resting his head on your shoulder and wrapping an arm around your waist as he watches you cook

he's tried being romantic and dance with you in the kitchen. poor baby just doesnt know how to dance. but humor him!! he loves dancing with you! Theres a speaker in the kitchen just for when you want to hold eachother in the kitchen and listen to music

Thanks for reading 🥺 If you wanna leave constructive criticism i'd really appreciate that ❤️ I take requests btw! lemme know if i should do a pt 2 w the other boys & shinsou! hope u enjoy ur day

- chili 🌶

Hey! I love your stories and reading them made me want to learn about black cowboy culture and old tradtions. It really opened my eyes to things I didn’t know about.

So, I’m getting my starter locs on Tuesday and I’m 99% positive that you have locs also (I’ve seen you mention them a couple of times). I was wondering if you had any tips/advice for someone who is just starting their loc journey? Do you have any product recommendations?? Thanks! 💛🌻

Never use beeswax in your locs!

Just know as your hair is being traind to loc, it will go through an ugly phase. Wrap your hair if you don't like that fuzzy, trying to get itself together look, lol! I use natural aloe vera gel in my locs every other day or so to keep hair moisturized. (The aloe gel I use is watery, and I mix it with some distilled water and spritz it on my hair through a spray bottle. Roots to tips. Very refreshing. I'll add rosewater, or lavender oil to it for a little razzle dazzle)

I wash my hair with Dr. Bonner's Almond soap and also their peppermint liquid soap. No chemicals, less product build-up. Natural.

After I wash my hair, I oil my locs down with argon oil, or almond oil, sometimes, apricot oil as I twist them, tie them up and stick my head under my little dryer. (You know those old-school dryers with the heat cap and tube with three heat levels, lol. I sit under the dryer for about 30 minutes and then let my hair finish air drying).

I was blessed to have someone take care of my hair in L.A. for me to get my new growth palm-rolled. I went every three months, had my hair washed, conditioned, palm rolled, braided in four big cornrows, and dried under a real dryer at her house). In between visits I did the above things I mentioned. I've had locs three different times in 3 different sizes, and what you have to understand about locs is that every person's hair texture is different, so NEVER compare your locs to anyone else's in terms of length, or the amount of time it takes to loc, or how well your locs are coming in. The beauty of your individual loc experience is that your DNA will grow the beauty of your special hair. I used to think, "Dag, my hair will never look as good as that person...or...my hair is taking forever to get as long as that persons...."

My hair turned out as beautiful and as long (actually longer than I expected) as they were meant to be, and it took a long time for my texture to loc ( I have three different textures. When I started, my loctician had to two-strand twist curly, straight, and wavy...whew!)

Use satin bonnets and protective styles in winter. Wraps are awesome and come in so many stylish colors. Again, bonnets at night are a must. You can break off locs as they rub against cotton/polyester pillowcases. They are precious and need protection at night.

I also talk to my hair. Sounds corny, but I tell my hair how fly it looks and decorate it with shells, beads, all kinds of jewels, and cute little blue butterfly clips. Your hair knows when you love it and will show out for you.

If you do have someone to help you care for your locs with palm rolling to twist up new growth, please make sure they are gentle with your hair. If they hurt your scalp or pull on your hair too hard as they twist, they can damage your roots and locs. Find someone else if they can't do better for you.

Locs are a huge commitment and a serious hair journey. I love them because our hair does it so naturally and gracefully and I feel my Blackness completely.

Warning: They do get heavy. I cut my locs periodically. Not all the way, but I'll cut off some inches every few years. At least an inch or two every year. That weight is no joke if you let your hair get super long. My hair is down to my thighs, and I question my sanity when I go swimming without my hair tied up in the ocean. I know people are excited about Halle Bailey being the Litlle Mermaid and having locs in the ocean etc, but Bay-bee, lemme tell ya! Your hair will yoke you up if it isn't tied for swimming!

PS. YMMV with hair products. What works for my hair may be a different experience for you. So experiment and seek out other folks with locs in your area with similar textures, thickness that you admire. They can help you find things that work best for your unique hair.

Good luck and blessings on your journey!

Innocent (JJ x Reader)

Description: The reader and JJ get high together and the sexual tension is too much... (again.. I suck at the descriptions just read the request instead)

Request: can you maybe make a concept where the reader and jj are high from smoking. sexual tension clearly being settled and the reader is like an innocent girl and jj wants to take that away from her. so jj starts to tease and kiss her neck and the reader starts to moan and get wet

warnings: drugs

INNOCENT

You were never like this, but you didn’t regret it a bit.

When you gave in to Kiara’s endless petitions for you to meet her Pogue friends, you were clearly not expecting to meet the one guy who would change your life completely.

JJ Maybank.

Ever since you and JJ became close friends, you’d forgotten about your comfort zone.

You were constantly joining him and the rest for their crazy Pogue adventures, going to parties outside of Figure Eight, getting wasted as hell and not sleeping at home for a whole week (of course you had to lie to your parents about it and say you were staying with Kie when in reality you stayed at John B’s place with the rest).

After all, you were a Kook and the Pogue lifestyle was all new to you, but JJ never failed to make you feel as if you’ve been a Pogue your entire life.

“Drink this.” A red-eyed JJ insisted as he handed you a red cup.

“What is this?” You furrowed your brows at the sight of the drink.

“Just trust me,”

“Are you sure it’s not poison?” You joked.

“You’re gonna have to find for yourself babe.” He winked at you.

You smelled the liquid inside the cup and gagged. The strong smell of a mixture of alcohol making your eyes water.

“JJ what the hell? What’s in this?”

“Don’t be so innocent,” he laughed at your gagging, “have a little fun with me.”

That had been the first time you’d experienced what having a blackout felt like. 

Of course JJ was there to hold your hair back as you emptied your stomach and he was also outside Kie’s place first thing in the morning with your favourite chocolate and some aspirin to “cure your hangover”, ignoring the scoldings of Kiara for making you get so drunk at last night’s party.

Something about your lack of experience in life made JJ so drawn towards you. He made it his duty to help you “live your best life” and he stood by his word.

JJ never pressured you to do anything you didn’t want to do though, in fact you were the one constantly wanting to hang out with him to forget your boring Kook life. You were tired of having to be the proper girl, always having to look your best and not mess up and JJ was your escape from all of that.

You would also be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t find him attractive. It started as a tiny crush when you laid eyes on him for the first time which later developed into something more than a crush. Your feelings for him grew the more you kept hanging out with him. There was just something about his carefree attitude that infatuated you.

Your friendship with JJ was unusual though, the two of you cared about each other a lot but there was constant flirting involved and you liked the feeling of it.

You liked having your heart speed up whenever you looked at each other that way.

You liked your insides fluttering whenever the two of you accidentally touched.

You liked feeling his toned arms around you whenever the two of you got too drunk and decided to dance.

And he knew you liked it.

You were hanging with the Pogues at John B’s place after a long and tiring day at the beach. You were feeling confident with yourself with your tanned and exfoliated skin from the sand, wearing your favourite orange bikini and your hair loose and surprisingly soft after some hair mask Kie made you wear.

John B was playing some music while Pope and JJ were mixing alcohol and sodas making some weird alcoholic mixture.

“Don’t you dare drink more than 3 cups of your weird mix tonight.” Kie warned Pope who was already gulping down his first drink.

“Relax Kie,” JJ said as he poured you a drink, “and it’s not a weird mix, it’s our elixir of life.”

“Damn right,” John B added and grabbed some of the way too red mix.

“I think your elixir of life will actually make you face death instead.” You said as you remembered that one night you had too much of that mix and spent the whole night at the bathroom.

“Your body just needs to get used to it, that’s all.” JJ winked at you and sat next to you on the sofa.

“I’m not planning on having a blackout tonight, thank you.” You smiled innocently at JJ as you denied the drink he was handing to you.

“So you’re not drinking tonight?” He raised his eyebrow at you before dramatically pouting.

“I’m not really feeling it.” You pouted back.

“Hmm,” he jokingly scratched his chin, “how about some weed?”

“Only if you join me.” You grinned at him, his eyes instantly lighting up.

“I could never turn down such an offer.” He smirked and turned his head towards John B’s backyard.

The two of you went outside and walked a little further from John B’s place so you could be out of sight from the rest. Once you found the perfect spot where no one would bother you, you both sat down on the grass, JJ rapidly taking out the joints and lighting them up while you laid down completely to stare at the stars.

“Hey, hey,” JJ exclaimed, “the only stars you need in your life are right here.”

He handed you a joint and you took a long drag, feeling the hot sensation inside your body.

After the two of you went over your first round, you watched carefully as JJ placed another joint in his mouth to light it up, admiring how hot he looked with the weak flame enhancing his strong jawline and blue eyes.

“So,” he exhaled, his hand slightly touching yours but your heightened sensations making your body shake on his touch, “tell me something.”

“What do you want to know?” You replied as you took another drag.

“What are you into?” He lazily grinned.

“As in,” you paused before grinning back at him, “do I like choking?”

JJ choked on his joint for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, making you follow his actions and laugh with him.

“I was not expecting that,” he said and raised an eyebrow at you, “but do you?”

You felt your insides begin to tingle and a wave of excitement and confidence taking over your body.

“I don’t know,” you intentionally bit your bottom lip, “maybe I do.”

JJ’s eyes widened for a moment before his lips slowly curved into a smile.

“Wouldn’t expect that from a girl like you.”

“A girl like me? What’s that supposed to mean?” You moved a little closer to him.

“You know,” he bit his lip now, “all innocent and shit.”

“I’m not that innocent, you know?” You whispered, smirking at him.

“Hard to believe.” His voice was low and raspy and your hormones were very aware of that.

You raised your eyebrows at him and your outburst of confidence (thanks to the cannabis), made you place your leg over his as you pretended to be unbothered by the tension building up.

JJ’s body shifted closer to yours as he noticed how dangerously close your leg was to his friend down there and you couldn’t help but bite the inside of your cheeks to stop the grin that was trying to escape from your lips.

“Good thing I have nothing to prove to you.” You let the grin out and slightly pressed your leg against his growing bulge.

“I beg to differ,” he whispered as he moved even closer to you, your body practically sitting on his lap.

“Mhm I see,”

You intentionally moved your hair behind your shoulders, exposing your neck and collarbones to him.

“Such a pretty neck,” he softly traced his finger down your neck to your collarbones, sending shivers down your spine, “does it really like to be choked?”

Your heart began to beat faster at his words.

“You’ll have to find out for yourself.” You smirked without leaving his eyes.

You watched as he licked his lips and took a last drag of his joint before putting it out.

“I was planning to.”

You took a deep breath as his soft hair brushed against your skin and the warmth of his mouth covered your neck, leaving wet kisses all over it.

You turned your body towards him to give him more exposure to your neck, wrapping your legs around his hips and pushing your body towards his, feeling his bulge press against you.

He moved his lips from the side of your neck to your collarbones, you felt him gently suck your skin and you immediately knew it was going to leave a mark, but you didn’t mind so you pressed his head closer to your neck.

JJ noticed your desperate moves and moved his lips to your jawline, leaving small and wet kisses all over its outline making a moan come out of your mouth which immediately made his arms grab your hips.

“You like it,” he whispered against your neck and you couldn’t help but grab his face and stare deep into his eyes.

JJ didn’t take long to realise what you wanted and wasted no time to press his lips against yours, slowly but passionately kissing you before your tongues fought for dominance intensifying the kiss.

You moaned against his lips and his hand moved from your hip to the bottom of your bikini, softly tracing over the hem of it, making you breathe harder.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” he whispered against your lips, leaving you breathless and only being able to nod at his command.

It surely was going to be a long night.

--------------

A/N: I LOVED WRITING THIS... sorry for leaving you like this ok I’m not sure if you guys want me to write smut and if you do lemme know so there can be maybe a second part??? 

No More Drowning ft. Olivia Hye

length ✦ 7138

genres ✧ drunk hookup; outercourse; roommate!Olivia

✦✧✦✧✦✧

Perspiration deluges your white Taekwondo uniform. You make it fit loose so that it doesn’t stick to your skin. A refreshing breeze now annoys you as it whistles through your damn window that never sealed completely shut. At least you didn't need to turn on a fan today.

“Hey Captain,” you greet the commander of none. Hyejoo lies on a small blue couch, the only pristine spot in the living room. Her outfit suggests that there would be the usual cool air expected of the season but the fall is humid and stuck in the climate of a couple months past. It’s incredible that there is not a bead of sweat formed on her face. You study her and somehow she’s handsome in your eyes which is probably not a word others would use to describe the stunning woman reclining with her feet up.

“Wassup,” she says.

“You gonna-”

“Clean up?  Yeah, yeah, lemme finish this round.”

Her face is welded to her screen though her eyes dart around maybe holding a hint of remorse at the clothes that litter the cramped living space and the dishes in the sink.

“I’m not an impostor! Ahhh!” Hyejoo shouts into the screen. Certainly none of her actions follow through on that guilt.

“How'd this even happen? You got pyjamas on the floor, shirts on the chairs. You a camgirl or something?"

"I'm a camgirl? I can see your tits dude.” Cover your pectoral cleavage in faux shame. ”Yo, I swear I just saw green-"

"And all these energy drinks? Come on Hyejoo, no way your heart lasts more than a year.”

“Wow, meanie.”

You look at your watch. “It’s like 9:40.”

“Shit, right, the marketing test.” Hyejoo’s fingers show no pretense that she’ll stop playing. She definitely didn't see your disapproving face. “Oh relax, I still got time,” she says anyway.

Finally, she looks up at you and her brows crease. “What?” you ask.

"You look good today."

Your heart floats just a little. You always appreciate the little compliments she gives. They were just ones that friends, good friends, would say but you’ll take anything to keep you going. Well, it’s enough to get you to clean up for her again.

“It’s gonna be a long shower by the way.” She giggles and you step over empty cans and bottles when you walk to the bathroom.

“No prob, I’m heading out soon,” Hyejoo says.

“Sure you are.”

Her exaggerated yawn seems not so exaggerated by how she stretches her entire being before putting her phone away.

“Oh, soon means now. How long’s it going to take?” you say.

She shrugs her shoulders. “One, two? I dunno.”

In a rush to get all her supplies in her bag, a series of metallic clangs sound out when finished beverages fall over like dominoes.

“Fuck. I’m so sorry about that, I really am. I can buy you lunch if you want something?” Hyejoo starts picking up a few of them to set aside in the corner and you help her.

“Nah, I’ll still be in the shower by then.”

Hyejoo scoffs. “If I'm addicted to caffeine, you're addicted to water. A sandwich sound good?”

“Yeah sure. I got a lot on my mind, Captain.”

“That include me?” A dismissive puff of air exits your lips. No, no way. She walks up to smell your uniform. Your acute awareness of her distance or lack thereof causes you to ignore her pupils' subtle drift downwards.

“You’re a weirdo, you know that?”

"Get to your shower stinky."

You wave Hyejoo off then enter the bathroom. The scurry of little steps and a slam from the front door echo the whole apartment. Never any privacy in here. These sounds give way to the jet engine of your shower with its pressure betraying the bargain rate of your rent. Soap washes away your muscles' ache and the sun’s beating on your skin. It's been unusually warm since the leaves turned brown. Water builds up in the tub.

Something's not adding up. There it is again. That plunging in your heart. Sparring always helps a bit after your early morning manual labor carrying bags of sand. However, it does not stop the resurfacing of your every mistake as there's nothing but your mind in the shower. You don't have a plan and your future is void because money and work hours kill you as much as school. You're not even getting all the wages you earn and there's nothing you can do about it. Past choices bubble up in that unkind way. The cup fills and clear blue liquid engulfs you.

Lift yourself out the tub to catch a breath that you don't deserve. Deliberate respirations do nothing to slow down your heart rate. The only thing that can is a captain. You could wander the ocean on a raft with her alone but you have no idea if she felt even close to the same. Maybe she's just the most important friend you've ever had. Light from the small window hits the tiled floor. Unplug the drain. Right, you left your clothes in your room so wrap yourself with a green towel you find hanging from the doorknob.

Shit! There's not a mouse in sight but you shriek like there is one when Hyejoo materializes in the confined kitchen. Hyejoo expresses no surprise herself as she sits cross legged on the miniature wooden dining table playing yet another mobile game. Laundry baskets and garbage bags hold all the previous mess. Your surprise at her appearance transforms into surprise for her proactiveness. You want to give her thanks but no words escape your lips.

"You gonna put on some clothes? Perv. That’s my towel too."

Your hands push off invisible blame. The hands of the wall clock reads five minutes before noon. "Woah, woah, wait a sec. What happened to the midterm?"

"Walked out in the middle of it. Couldn’t deal. Dropped."

"Wait, what about the refund?"

"Sunk cost dude.” Hyejoo sniffs a wide white shirt hanging from a chair next to her. “This yours or mine? Ehh, it's clean either way."

You catch the shirt and smell it. A little vanilla. It's hers. “Thanks Captain.”

“Even sniffing it? Really a perv.” You almost forget a single piece of fabric separates full exposure of your genitals but the realization makes you blush anyway.

“Nah, you smelled it first and. Whoever smelt it, dealt it.”

“That’s not what that saying means.” Hyejoo gets up from her awkward seat.

Incredible how many new ways she can throw you off like when she bumps into you with her eyes are still on her phone. Hyejoo's clumsiness will be your death as the towel slips down and hangs solely from your half erect dick. Cool, you're just a clothing rack now. She turns you around with one hand and snatches the large shirt with the other. Your bare moon is in full view.

"You gonna put this on or just stand there?" she says with no qualms about the absurd sight of your newly cleansed rear. You scramble to wrap the towel tightly around you to tame your erection but there's no way she hasn't noticed by now.

"Y- yep, I, I will do that, for sure." Turn back around and take the shirt to put it on carefully. It’d be oversized for her but it fits you snug. Your ears must have joined your cheek’s redness because your nipples poke through the thin white fabric.

Hyejoo takes a single glance away from her screen at your makeshift towel skirt and laughs. "Actually, you look cute like that. Just keep the towel on, it's less to clean."

Wide-eyed, you say, "What if ahjumma barges in?"

"What if? Whatever, no fun." She sticks her tongue out then gets comfortable on the couch while her diligent and nimble fingers peck at the screen.

Return to the restroom and deal with your erection before it becomes a problem. You’ve seen hints of her comely body before and it helps you undress her layered attire in your imagination. Instead of the black button-up long sleeve and track pants she wore just moments ago, you picture a crop top, her hair tied up and white panties, and it's that latter image that affixes to your mind. On a particularly balmy day, Hyejoo wore only her underwear because she had nothing else to do but game and it hasn't stopped plaguing your fantasies ever since. Your hands are Hyejoo’s, soft and loving just for a moment.

"You taking another shower in there or what?" Hyejoo shouts, “I’d definitely hear from here!”

Reality smacks you in the face. She had no fear of you, no worry that you’d take advantage of her. Were you even a man? Stop your jerking and get up. 

Open the bathroom door absentmindedly and thump. It smacks her head. You don’t even think about why she was standing right next to the door, instead sweeping aside her hair from her face. Red doesn’t come from where you hit her.

Simultaneously, you and Hyejoo say, “You okay?”

“Um, I’m, look-”

Her blush grows but she interrupts your blabbering, “I didn’t hear you respond and thought you, uh, died in there or something.”

Nearly reached la petite mort if that counted but instead you say, “No, I just. Had a lot to consider.”

“Sure.” You’ve never seen her this flustered since it’s enough for her to scurry back to her room. Hopefully things wouldn’t be too awkward.

✦✧✦✧✦✧

“I fucking hate you!” Hyejoo yells.

“Oh yeah? Same!” you retort, probably too loud.

Her tone goes down. “Were those the lines?”

“Ehh, as long as we get the gist of the argument down.”

Hyejoo and you stand on the stairway up to your rooftop apartment in your rehearsed spots. She looks a little confused on how to start what she wants to start but you poke at her when you see the landlady walking towards the stairs.

“Chill out!” she yelps.

“Chill out, you’re telling me to chill out?"

"Seriously, oppa," that's about as strained as a human can say a word, "You’re such a slob!”

“Shut up, look at me straight in the eyes and tell me you’re not just as bad,” you say, trying not to laugh but Hyejoo’s punch knocks the wind out of you. Your pain is only half acting. Her sympathetic look does nothing to soothe you.

"Ya!" The elderly woman interrupts and forces you two apart. “That’s enough! I get you’re cousins but even I don’t fight this badly with my family.”

Hyejoo whips her pupils towards you as though to ask the same question you had, if you sold the illusion too hard.

“I get that living with your kin is tough but at the very least, no murders on my property. Not until one of you graduates.” The old lady squints and turns to each of you saying, “Promise me. No hitting. Not in my sight.”

You nod then Hyejoo’s sigh becomes an assenting nod when the landlady smacks her wrist nearly black and blue. Satisfied at her hard work reconciling family matters, she walks back down her stairs to do her usual wandering around the neighborhood. Hyejoo and you take a second to stretch and relax.

“Ha. Do as I say, not as I do,” Hyejoo says as you both sit on the concrete steps.

You caress your tender rib. “Or don't do at all. Ow. You wanna be a Youtuber? They do boxing and gaming, and you'd kill doing both." Hyejoo's laugh is rich and all that it takes for you to forgive her. You exhale. "Hopefully that gets her off our backs for a while.”

“How do you even manage Taekwondo? You’re so fragile and-" Her sentence is interrupted when she looks at your built arms.

"No way they hit as hard as you, Captain." You miss her carnal look when you close your eyes and think about the nickname that you aimlessly threw out one day.

She stands up. Your eyes violently spread open at her “Kya!” Hyejoo’s fighting stance and shouts masquerading kihaps are totally off. As much as Hyejoo could kill you, a Taekwondo fighter since your childhood, she could also be incredibly cute too.

You tsk. "All that power and no technique."

Hyejoo sits back down none the more ashamed and scratches her head. "You think it would’ve been easier if we came clean?”

“Ahjumma could never allow two strangers to live co-ed. No way. I’m still surprised you came up with that so quickly.”

“It just came out so naturally, oppa!” she says in a deriding high pitch. “Yeah right I ever call you that again.”

Ring ring. You answer the call and Hyejoo's quizzical stare turns concerned at your breathlessness from the words that drill into your ear. They slam, they crash and their volume could break your eardrums even though they’re said as calmly as possible. The hole in your raft grows bigger and leaks more so even when you reach the abandoned shore, you're marooned.

"Fuck, fuck, god."

Sprint for the next bus. Pay no heed to the girl chasing you. Dammit, this can't be happening. Every problem gets fucking magnified because you can't have anything good and if you did, never could it last for more than a goddamn millisecond. You embark on the most anxious ride of your life even though you already know exactly what's going to happen. Transfer buses. The skyscrapers hover over you and gloat about how you’ll never enter their doors. Asphalt and glass swelter you when they reflect radiation down the sky. Your skin hurts. You get off the bus and arrive at the headquarters of the construction company. At the front of the building stands your boss.

Slap. "Did you not get the message? Were you under a tunnel?"

You get on your knees and bow. "Sir, I'm sorry."

"No one else is going to hire a goddamn delinquent like you."

"Please. I thought you understood." You nearly prostrate yourself

"I have no idea what you're talking about. There's a lot of assault on your record."

You stop yourself from blurting out that you fucking know. Defending yourself from bullies is assault? He already knew this was bullshit since that's why he hired you in the first place but now he's backtracking like a rat. 

"I'll do anything to work here." He shakes his head while you hold back a tear. "Please. Just. Just tell me why?"

"You got greedy."

"Greedy?" You raise your head and then your tone. "Getting paid for the work that I do is greed?"

"You're on your knees and wanna talk back? Get out."

Bang. A closing door. Your head slumps back down and not a single person on the bus would misunderstand your emotions. You take the longest way home, unsure if you even deserve to go back. Any time, you could give up.  Ponder your choices. Never going to get a job again. Never going to school. Never will have a chance to learn or a chance to improve. Never going to have money and never will have a place to live. Never going to see Hyejoo again. You have to give up.

One missed phone call from your polar opposite. She can do so much better. The longest way home turns longer when it goes straight to the sea as you decide to live life as a fisherman with your uncles. You were always invited. You wasted your time in the city. There's no stress here.

✦✧✦✧✦✧

There's no happiness either. Weeks passed even though only days passed. That’s life on the water. Everything spins. Fortunately, you manage to keep your stomach in not wanting to inconvenience the bus driver, the only other person in the vehicle. 

You look at your watch as you near Hyejoo's home. She must be asleep by now but you carry each foot heavily when you walk up the steps anyway. Apologies, excuses and petitions that you wrote in your head blank away when you open the door when you see a woman asleep on the couch with earbuds on. Her unconscious head bounces to a slow rhythm. Your lungs fail your mouth's movements to form words because of all that creamy skin covered only by a green towel that creates an outline of her captivating curves. Hyejoo's legs beg to be licked and her collarbones direct your gaze to the bulging flesh poking from the top of the towel with her nipples an inch from your sight. Any other day and you’d ravage her on the spot. Stupid brain tells you to leave and stupid you follows.

You're outside when you hear Hyejoo say, "Hey! Motherfucker, where'd you go you son of a bitch?"

She steps out with no regard to her state of dress and you spin around watching for any witness. You notice her hold back when she hits you but her consecutive punches send a message anyway as each strike punctuates her words, "What, makes you think, you can worry me, like that?"

"Woah, you should. You should get back inside your house," your voice breaks and you back away.

"Hold on now, you're really about to go? Like this?" Hyejoo says.

"You. You look busy. I have to go."

"I'm sorry, I was just messing around with you. Come on, you're really telling me-" She notices your tumultuous expression and sighs. “Fuck it, we'll worry about it tomorrow. First of all, come in. With me. Into our home.”

You follow her into her apartment. She quickly returns from her room in a simple white tee and red gym shorts revealing the supple shape of her ass.

“I'm not gonna ask, okay? Tell you what. When you have a problem, the only answer is late night soju, beer and?” she says.

“Chicken, it’s gotta be. Come on, I see the bones right there.” You point to the countertop dishes. “I’m surprised this place isn’t messier."

"I can handle myself, thank you very much. And that. That was leftover, dry, sober chicken. We're going to munch down on that good crispy skin and we're doing it goddamn wasted." You can't help but match her smile, more radiant and genuine than yours.

Hyejoo pulls out all the alcohol from the small fridge while you call for delivery before both of you step outside the home. It’s night but the heat would make you believe the moon disguises the sun with how it shines on the green roof. What a weird fall. Only the trees remind you of the season. A short plastic table as the only furniture easily moved outside means that you’d have to sit close together on the floor, not that you minded.

Her silence confuses you but she becomes her usual self after you both down glasses of mixed beer and soju and especially after she sees the delivery man bringing an absurd amount of plastic bags for two people.

“Let’s. Go!” she shouts sloppily.

The poor worker looks at you so you give him a knowing nod and point to the beer and soju cans strewn about. His thumbs up as he walks away beguiles you. You look at Hyejoo and realize all the cleavage she’s showing with the shirt she chose. It's as revealing as the towel she wore earlier. Did she not put on a bra? Stand up quickly and search for the guy but his motorcycle revs and he’s already out of sight. That fucker probably saw something he shouldn’t have. You’re never gonna order from that chicken spot again. You bite angrily into the spicy crispy wing. Alright, maybe you just won’t order at this hour or whenever that dude works. Hyejoo chows down with drumsticks on each hand and it’s clear she’s responsible for a majority of the finished carcasses. The stains on her shirt would not make her look any less goddamn cute.

“Cheers!” Glasses clink. How many drinks, how many, burp, were you down? She burps too, you burp together. It’s funny. There was a lot of conversation but it slips you.

"I said I wouldn't talk about it, but Doyun and Michael, worried sick. They came here, everything.” Hyejoo garbles her words.

"Just ‘cause I don't show up to the club for a few days?"

"I'm telling you, a lot of people care. For you. I know I do."

It’s been a while since you started your little escape. All the food’s gone. You’re more sober now. You swear. The nighttime is so comfortable that Hyejoo brings out her blanket to lay on, along with a spoon and a watermelon.

"You're gonna have to wash this later," you say.

“Alright fine. Don't. Don’t rest yourself besides a pretty lady.“ Stab. ”On a perfect starry night.” Stab. “And don’t have some of this delicious watermelon."

One more stab at the watermelon she splits it open. Her devilish look suggests she might do the same to your rib cage if you don’t acquiesce. Lie down next to Hyejoo on the flimsy layer of cloth. You share pieces of the fruit and notice water spilling down her mouth. Definitely sober by now. She’s maybe half a meter away.

"Starry's a strong word to use.”  You twirl your finger at the scarce lights in the black backdrop. “Lady too with the way you eat-" She playfully covers your mouth and flicks your forehead.

You don't know when your laughter and banter slow down, or when you start inching closer to her. It doesn't matter.

“Fishing is boring. They make it look all dramatic on shows and you’re just waiting. The night sky’s much clearer though.”

“You gotta. When you do something like that, gotta lemme join in at least.”

“You’re really fine on going on a trip with a man, alone, faraway on the sea?”

“If it’s you.”

“I don’t count, not much of a man at all. I just run away from shit and-”

"Shhh,” she shushes you loudly. “You can count on me.” Hyejoo says and you don’t let her voice project into empty space.

“I will.” It sounds a little forced from you.

“You will,“ she sounds so sure of herself, ”you’ll be okay.”

Your head lays in her neck. A finger in a cup, breaking surface tension so a drop escapes past the rim. You have no outdated sentiments on displaying emotion but you held back often pretending your tenacity was as strong as your body. Not this time. Your cup overflows.

Only moonlight refracts on your tears and Hyejoo wipes them away. You have no idea what she’s thinking as she gazes into the few stars visible in the city. Turn on your side and Hyejoo does likewise to face you then puts a couple of fingers in your hair. Cup her face in return and it wears many emotions, such as impishness, meekness at a few times, and an often impenetrable focus, but above all it’s the standard for beauty in how it assumes no blemish. Her triangle mouth is distinct, welcoming, but you hesitate. Her minute sugary fragrance overwhelms the variety of smells in the air. Crickets and distant occasional traffic. Hyejoo’s head tilts forward then places her lips light on yours and your world is silent. Your heart’s pulse slows so it doesn't interrupt.

“Captain,” you exhale out when she finally retreats her mouth. The name sounds ridiculous in this setting. “Ma’am?”

“Whatever sounds right to you,” she yields, though the subdued caresses on the definition of your arms, and less subtle grabs on your black shirt, convey that she’s in charge even if it’s a gentle direction. "Just Hyejoo is fine."

It's like she’s teaching you how to spar for the first time though neither of you are virgins. Hyejoo gives another kiss then turns you recumbent. You could not and would not stop her now especially when she straddles your denim covered thighs. Take off your shirt and her hands rush to aid you.

“But I’d prefer we don’t think at all.” Is she drooling?

“That’s what got me into trouble. Thoughtlessness.” Your eyes somehow wander away from the woman and her sumptuous yet clothed ass grinding on you.

“What do you think of me?

“Huh?” you say and your eyes snap back to her.

The underside of her shorts warm your groin. “I said, what do you think of me?”

“I think, ugh,” her weight striking a sensitivity in your pants makes you moan, “I think, you’re the most beautiful woman I know.”

“What a player. Well, that’s all you need to think.” Hyejoo rocks back and forth. “Fuck, this is going to be good.”

Lay your hands on her hips and Hyejoo takes your right one, lifting herself just enough to let your dick breathe.

“Why do you need that hand?” you say.

“Feel this.” She takes your hand to knead the thin cloth under her mound and you feel just the tiniest hint of moisture build on your palm.

Pull away to take a base whiff of your slippery fingers. It’ll be a new addiction. The smell of alcohol and the most delicious fried chicken in the world couldn’t compare.

"It's been like this around you since the day we met." Hyejoo bends down and etches every word of the confession into your eardrums, her tone even raspier. "This is all for you."

“Really?” You give her a peck and it turns frisky when tongues join the mix and teeth nibble at lips. 

“Mhm.” Her lips vibrate on yours. Hyejoo gropes your crotch over your jeans. “I know it's going to be perfect.” She unzips and pulls down your pants to your knees. You take them off your legs completely and she searches for your wallet.

"I just lost my job and you're gonna rob me?" She breaks her serious character with a snicker. You sniffle and your mood lightens, “And how’d you know I had a condom in there?”

“Just had a feeling.” She winks.

Not an implausible cold reading but you can't count out the possibility of her snooping through your personal effects. You don't mind her proclivities this time. Hyejoo traces your every muscle’s curve with her index and middle finger and focuses especially around your pecs.

“I have to concede. I love these muscles of yours. Ever since that first day I met you at the open house. Maybe I’m just a simple woman.”

“Simplicity is sophistication.” Her fingers draw a line down your torso.

"Indeed. But I'm most interested in this hunk of meat right," she frees your cock from its confines, "Here." Hyejoo licks her lips.

“How is it?”

You’re already hard but Hyejoo's hands deftly work your shaft stiffer. “It’s so thick and this vein right here. It’ll hit just right.”

"Fuck, Hyejoo," you utter when she spits a little on your cock before she unrolls the condom on your erection. Hyejoo slips aside her shorts.

You don't get a view of her pussy with how she sprawls herself on top of you, but the slickness of her lips and the warmth that she emanates from between her legs immerses your senses enough. The missionary with her on top lets her control by the way she guides your cock and presses down on you.

“Oh god, I was right, fuuck,” Hyejoo proclaims when she sinks herself carefully into you and, on the next bounce, smacks her butt right into your waist. Her snugness clenches and quakes on your cock. Willowy arms share a similar hold of your body when she embraces you. You need her as badly as she needs you. You take heavy breaths, especially through your nose. Even her sweat is so alluring. The velvet texture that surrounds you keeps taut on your dick no matter how forcefully she rides herself on top of you. Squelches and quiet moans to a higher power pepper the warm night air.

Hyejoo removes her shirt and slings it away before bowing back down to lick your ears "God, your tits are perfect," you say even though your hands squeeze her buttcheeks in time to her thrusts. Her perky breasts recoil back and forth as they rub your chest while hard nipples juxtapose their softness.

No chance someone would come up to this little rooftop at this hour or have a good view though your cheeks flush at the thought. What if you had extra chicken coming? Or what if the landlady decided to check in on you two late at night? What if-

Hyejoo nudges her forehead against yours. She knows your habits. Your worried face is too familiar for her not to react so she nuzzles your neck and surrounds you with kisses.

Her husky voice vibrates your whole face. "Just focus on me." She makes out with you before her tongue dips into every crevice of your face the same way your cock does in her pink pussy.

Your dick slips out for a second and you take the time to admire her beauty and your fortune. 

“Telling me not to drown and you’re going to inundate me,” you say in between her smooches, "With all these kisses."

“Well. Mwah.” Another peck. "You're so delectable.”

“So I’m just chicken to you then.” This deep kiss is probably to shut you up. You’re fine with that.

Regret on her mouth that she pulls away from you. One of you rips off her shorts, the last piece of clothing obstructing you two from total symmetry. Who cares who sees. You’re both fully naked with not a woe for the surrounding world. Delicate hands splayed across your upper body grasp tightly and again, your pecs get particular attention while she fondles your nipples. 

She adjusts her back straight up and now she’s on her knees seated on your erection. The cowgirl stance allows her to find a new cusp of your cock head inside her. Hyejoo gyrates on you and you notice the understated lubrication of her pussy begins to overpower everything else in existence. Her musk vaguely reminds you of the ocean while its pheromones have you just as wobbly. It’s enough that, even though you're on your back, you have to hold her waist to avoid keeling over. Nails dig into your chest.

“God, yes, you, your cock, everything, just fuck into me.”

Hyejoo relaxes her body weight and relinquishes the rhythm to you. Pick up a new wind in your sails when you hear her gasp as you pinch her nipples. The momentum has you use all your stamina as though your rigorous fitness had one culminating purpose. You would make Hyejoo cum with only your cock. Rotate and circle your pelvis in pursuit of her most tender spot and an uncharacteristic high pitched wail confirms the location of the treasure. It’s difficult holding yourself up to reach the sensitive wall but she realizes your shared interest.

“That’s, that’s the spot. When I touch myself and think of you, it’s right there, fuck, it’s right there.” There’s no speed or power in your movement, only deliberate jabs and graceful nudges at the softest flesh. Sure it’s work, but damn did you get paid for it since she somehow sops even more between her thighs. Truly the reciprocating delight of friction and silkiness on your dick’s tip is worth it. Your name mixes profanities and wet slapping noises as Hyejoo bucks her hips in climax. Prized juices cascade all over your lap. Her highest vocalizations pierce your ears and her pussy tries its best to milk you but Hyejoo keeps as still as she can to hold your cock’s ideal positioning. Smear the fluids that coat her thighs slick with your hands and lick at your fingers, thirsty like you’re stranded.

Those thighs, by smothering your cock and removing your condom, soothe the pangs of when you pull out. Hyejoo is still in her cowgirl position reeling from her climax and her contorted face is yet more polished than any art you’ve consumed.

Seize the opportunity. Bend your dick forward. The topside of your shaft now rubs on her well-formed ass cheeks, moisturized by the wetness on your cock. Its cradle is different from her pussy's with perfect round cushions in her buns and a tight asshole that greets and tempts your shaft every time you thrust. It’s a siren call you’d have to answer another day. Fucking her bare buttcheeks satisfies you plenty enough.

She lifts up to let your erection return to its idle upward stance and you fuck her thighs in response. Her labia gnaws away at the bottom of your shaft and it begs you to shove it back in especially with how its liquor intoxicates your dick. You don’t forfeit, already overwhelmed by the thickness of her legs and her saliva dribbling from her mouth to help her juices. Hyejoo squirms as you repeat fucking her ass cheeks and fucking her thighs, and it makes the both of you feel heady. Alcohol and lack of sleep would probably do that too.

“Please. Hyejoo,” you implore, flexing your cock to scrape by her pussy lips.

“You want to?” She teases your bare tip but even just the spread of her satin pink on your head makes you shoot just a little. “I. I dunno.”

“Can we?”

“No.” You regret your loud sigh and feel selfish since you already had more satisfaction than one man could ever experience in his life. ”No, not no. No, as in no thinking.”

Plunge back into her wetness. Your cycle in and out continues with you eager to make her climax a second time. Maybe it’s the third time? The only thing you can recall is that this round, you can feel every corner of her pussy on your shaft tensing and relaxing without the latex protection. All of everything is a blur. Hyejoo could be clutching and ogling your muscles. She might be kissing your neck or maybe she’s bobbing up and down to show off her tits and her tummy. God, that midriff would look perfect coated in your cum. You could live forever with Hyejoo mounted on your cock and riding. A ringtone interrupts forever once again. It’s from that number. What was that number? Fuck it, no thinking. Her bouncing tits hypnotize you away from substantiality.

She snaps her fingers. “Hey! Hey. This is, fuck that feels so good, god your cock is just right. Ah fuck, I really think you should answer that.” You take an eternity to slow your boat. Hyejoo points to your phone on the table next to you. Work. She’s right. Both of you take a second to stabilize your breathing. Try to push her off but she refuses, shifting her mass onto your lap and keeping her pussy’s hold tight and warm on you.

“Really?” You groan, “You’re the one who told me to answer it.”

“It’s so late and they haven’t stopped calling.” She rests her head on your chest and yawns. “Your cock is sooo big in me. Don’t even need to move.”

Channel your practice silently jerking off to keep your cool though years of doing that couldn’t prepare you for this. Your hands certainly tried but never could imitate her pussy’s plush tightness. Really wish you didn’t have to but finally, you answer your phone after minutes of ringing. The voice on the other side mumbles a greeting. Didn’t expect to hear him. “Joonho. Why the fuck are you calling now?”

“It’s me! Joonho.”

“Yeah, I know. The hell you calling for?”

“Now that’s no way to speak to your boss, is it?”

“Huh?”

“I said that’s no way to speak.”

“I got that!”

“Hyung. That asshole, management fired him.”

“You telling me-”

“Yeah, they caught him stealing.”

“How the fuck?”

“Dude got too big for his britches and aimed up with his theft too. Mr. Son really didn’t like that shit.”

You cheer in your head. It wakes up the girl resting on you. Guess that wasn’t in your head. “Fuck man.”

"I know right. Fuck him!" You're not on speaker but Hyejoo must’ve heard him say that. You massage your ringing ear.

“Ow. But thank you. Seriously, it’s so late. You could’ve called me tomorrow.”

“I’m drunk as shit man. Sounds like you are too.” You don’t even realize how much you’re slurring your words. “Should I pull up, maybe we drink a little more?”

Stare at the woman still holding your cock in place, fluttering her lashes at you. Hyejoo mouths if you’re gonna take much longer. “I. I don’t think I will. We’ll have to meet up some other time, okay?”

Understanding that you’re winding down your call, she gets back upright and starts bouncing again. “You gonna pass out or something?” Joonho says.

“Something like that” Hyejoo teasingly drops her waist into you and waits, then lifts herself. You purse your lips. “Listen, ah.” And again. Purposeful slams into your cock too loud not to be picked up by a phone. “God. I gotta go, I’ll text you again tomorrow aight goodbye,” you rush your words.

She holds her hair up in pleasure and her profane cries let everyone living below know that you’re fucking the most gorgeous girl with more energy than you’ve ever had. For all the pressure on your sensitive nerves, it’s that image of Hyejoo satisfying her need with your cock that brings you closer.

“I’m almost there! Fuck, fuck.” You pull out and despite her drowsiness, Hyejoo diligently takes your dick with both hands, scoots back and bends down, slobbering on it with her mouth while her fingers stroke the skin of your shaft.

Hyejoo’s lips pop when she releases your cock’s tip. “Where do you wanna-”

“Those fucking perfect abs,” you shudder.

She takes advantage of your previous thrusts’ zeal on her thighs and repositions herself in cowgirl one last time to bend back and choke your cock with her toned legs. One single motion is all it takes. A tsunami and a storm clash. Didn’t remind her that you hadn’t cum at all away at sea as you explode. You call out, “Hyejoo, god, yes, fuck, Hyejoo, yes,” at every wave of pleasure. Shove desperately and Hyejoo’s eyes grow big at how much semen streams out of your slit because the volume of cum nearly rivals the fluid she ejected from her wetness. Her inner thighs, her lap and her stomach all soak in stickiness. She holds onto your arms as she finds enjoyment not only from your cock’s throbbing on her clit, but at your biceps and other curves. An inquisitive pinky takes a sample of your cum to lick up then, to your surprise, she collects all the cum she can with both hands and swallows it down.

“Ahh,” she presents her tongue to you.

Finally, you sit up and no amount of exhaustion would stop you from nibbling her neck as thanks.

“Relax, you hungry beast. You just came all over me and now you’re trying to tell the world we just fucked.” She gives you a little suck on your lips instead.

“I don’t mind.” You clash at her mouth and your teeth click. She smiles and gives you a deep but final smooch. Both of you breathe stiltedly and take time to readjust into the world once again.

“Me neither, if I didn’t have a presentation tomorrow.”

You fall back and feel everything aching in a good way. “Ah shit, school.”

“What did I tell you earlier?”

“Hmm?”

Hyejoo falls flat next to you and clasps her hands into yours. “You will be okay. I called them with an excuse. Speaking of which. You’re gonna find out sooner or later that a certain cool as fuck girl blew the whistle on that son of a bitch.”

This whole thing feels like it should be temporary, like a one-time thing. Any more and it’d be weird, yet her confidence makes you reroute all that anxious energy in your heart’s pace into something good. It’s not love but, “Thanks. I just. Thank you.”

“You are always welcome.” Her lips curl up.

“So. You a snitch now, huh?"

"Relax,” she hisses the end of the word. ”Maybe I snooped through the construction company records, maybe I didn’t. You didn’t hear from me, ‘kay?" She nudges your side with her elbow.

“Hey!” You laugh a little, ticklish in that spot. “Okay, okay. How’d you manage that anyway?”

“Joonho didn’t mention it? Well, I have my connections,” Hyejoo says.

You breathe out and you deserve it. “You really are the Captain.”

“Damn right. Guess you’re stuck on this boat a little.” Yawn. “Longer.” Her eyelids slowly descend.

Watch Hyejoo fall asleep and realize she’s nude and still a little sticky. You decide to make a smart decision just once by putting away all the garbage in your apartment. She giggles reflexively when you clean her up and you struggle but manage to put on her previous outfit.

After you get dressed yourself, you lie next to Hyejoo and watch the few lights in the sky all distanced from each other. You feel a little reticent but the old lady shouldn’t fret if the outdoors is a better bedroom for one night. Close your eyes. Drift away into the best sleep you’ve ever had even if it’s only you and a blanket separate the hard concrete rooftop from the atmosphere. Dreams of water are gracious for once. The ocean lacks bounds and you smile for it. Who cares about tomorrow? It’s made of sticks and rope fashioned from whatever bamboo you could find but the raft holds two. That’s all you need.

✦✧✦✧✦✧

"A college roommate scenario where the male reader is living with LOONA's Olivia Hye and she's attracted to him sexually since he moved in due to his physique. Then one day, he got home all stressed and the two hooked up eventually." - @optimisticwritersworld​

AFF, AO3

Pretty sure this was supposed to be all casual but then I started adding to explain the co-ed living scenario and the stress, so here we are. Watch out for more LOONA though no promises on timelines

Charlie's reaction when he sees you putting a tea bag in a mug, filling the mug with water then putting it in the microwave 💀

A Proper Cuppa (Charlie Cutter x Reader !Fluff!)

A/N: Oh nawww 😟 NOOOOO. That's like breaking spaghetti in front of Italians. That shit is a whole crime in his book. Not killing people, no, fucking up tea or wasting a good tea bag. WHY.

Warnings: None! Just Charlie being British.

Oh, lord.

His body just— It reacted.

He just saw it all in slow motion.

His girlfriend – you – who had just moved in with him, reaching into the microwave, with a mug in her hand. He saw the bright yellow lipton tea tag, glinting at him from a distance, as if begging for help— Mercy.

And he just found himself moving towards you, practically lurching forward, his hands outstretched, "No, no, no, no..!" He protested loudly, grabbing the mug and pulling it away from you, horror etched in his face, "What do you think you're doing?!" He asked, eyes wide and voice in a hissed whisper, like you just killed someone you weren't supposed to.

You were scared, back against the counter and brows furrowed, hand on your chest, "M-Making tea?" You responded, not really sure what's going on with him.

"That's not tea." He quickly retorted, looking into the mug, cringing, and then looking back up at you, "That's just bloody brown leaf water!" He exclaimed, "Microwaving it– What are Americans on?!"

Oh.

So that's what that whole thing was.

Your shoulders just slacked and you let out a sigh, mixed in with a small, relieved laugh, "Charlie.." You whined playfully, "It's no big deal, babe—" You reach for the mug, "Here, lemme–" He pulls it away from you, not letting you have it.

Your hands drop to your sides and you raise a brow at him, "Okay, well–" You shrug, "What do you want me to do?"

He pauses, "Listen," He leans closer to you, "I love you. So I'm not going to let you have this stale mug of horse piss. Not while I can help it." He sighs painfully, dumping the components of the mug into the toilet and disposing of the wet, ruined tea bag, "You, little lady, are going to learn how to make a proper cuppa."

You threw your head back and whined some more, exasperated. You just wanted to sit down and watch TV! But, oh, you had no idea.. This man was about to change your life..

And he spends some time running back and forth in his kitchen, pulling things out of the cabinet— A different brand of tea for starters. Namely Ty-phoo. And then a tea pot, a kettle, two tea cups, milk, and sugar.

"Get over here," He stands at the counter and you drag your feet to stand next to him, feeling like a kid who'd been banned from break time to do extra work with the teacher for being a stupid idiot in class, "I'm going to show you what to do in one tea cup, and you'll follow my steps in the other one. Got it?"

You nodded, smiling a little at the teacups that had flowers on them. He was just.. adorable.

"Okay. You'll fill this up with water first.." He instructed, handing over the kettle to you, catching you a little off guard. You stared up at him, eyes big and confused as he looked back expectantly, "Well? Go on, love."

"R-Right!"

You hurried to the sink, filling the kettle up with water, glancing at him while he watched you. When you were done, you brought it back to him and he placed it on its electric panel, "You want to bring your water to a boil. Hot water will not do." He sighed, turning to you fully, "The thing about this.." He pointed at the microwave, "It doesn't spread out the heat evenly. So your tea doesn't taste as rich as it's supposed to."

Your face almost broke from how big you smiled after that, and you just stood to your tip toes to press a loving kiss to his lips, "Okay, big boy.. What next?"

He just relaxed. Smiled at you and huffed, "You're going to kill me one day, you know that..?" He mumbled.

"I know, I know. I'm infuriating, right?"

"An understatement, actually."

You share a little laugh, and then he turns serious again.

"We'll wait for this to boil. The art of getting this right is developing this sense.. When you get used to making it, you know when to do what and it flows naturally."

You nod, like you were a soldier receiving a briefing from her captain.

"Just before the water comes to that nice boil, you pour just a little in your tea pot, swirl it around to get it all warm for you."

You nod again, humming.

Smart. A lot of work, though. Very un-american.

While he's giving you these instructions, the water in the kettle starts boiling and it switches off, signaling that it was ready.

"Get four tea bags ready."

You quickly comply, then lay them on the counter and place the box back in his cabinet, "What then?"

"Hot kettle, coming through." He steps next to you, pouring some water in the pot, "Give it a little swirl."

You do as he says, smiling. This was nice.

"Good girl.." He coos, making your face heat up all of a sudden, "Now dump it in the sink."

When you come back from doing that, you put the pot down and put the tea bags in like he tells you, then watch him immediately pour the boiling water on top, put the lid on the pot, and then cover it with a towel to keep the whole thing warm.

"I know Americans aren't too fond of patience, but we'll need to leave this for a while. The longer we do, the better it tastes." He – regrettably – informs you, seeing you throw your head back and groan in frustration, "Just for five minutes, love— Not too long, now."

This stops you from complaining a little, but you just pout at him, and he resorts to pulling you in for a kiss that lasted.. longer.. than you expected. Turned into a whole make-out session that was one moan away from having Charlie go "Fuck the tea". Blasphemous.

When you go to the tea, Charlie excitedly but carefully removes the towel and lid, showing it to you, "See its color?"

Your eyes twinkle, "Wow.." You look up at him, "Brown!"

"Ah– That is straight out of a gold mine, sweetheart. Smell it."

And you do. You inhale the strong tea deeply and hum in delight, nearly breaking into a dance at how nice it smelt,

"See?" He chuckles, "Now.. Grab a teacup. This is the moment of truth."

You bring in your cup with him, and he pours some tea in both of them, "Add your sugar first if you're going to add milk. Give it a chance to dissolve."

You decide that you want milk, so you reach for the sugar, put in your desired amount, and carefully stir it, then put in your milk, glancing at Charlie to see him doing the same.

"Okay.." He mutters, and you both stand in front of each other, tea cups in hand, "Cheers?"

You laugh lightly, "Cheers."

Your cups gently clink together and you both take a sip at the same time.

And, jesus, that tea was practically what love tasted like. It made your insides dance when you swallowed it. Revealed entirely new worlds. Made you see color clearly. It was full of flavor and life. It was so rich!

Charlie saw your eyes widen and twinkle, and he grinned as he sipped on his tea.

"Delicious, innit?"

"Charlie Cutter.." You shake your head, humming as you took another sip from the liquid heaven in your cup, "I will marry you one of these days."

Makeup With Y/N-A.E

“can you please do a part two to makeup where instead of Alex doing reader's makeup it's the other way round?” @soldier-42​

Gif cred. @sdmngifs​

Pairing: ImAllexx x Reader

Word Count: 1.9k+

Pronouns: She/Her

_________________

"Hello everyone, I'm Alex, and this is Y/n." Makeup had been laid out on the coffee table in front of them. Alex and Y/n had been planning a second video involving makeup after the first one had done so well. "Because you all love Y/n more than me, I brought her back for part two where they do my makeup instead," Alex smiled at the camera set up across the room. "How'd I do last time, Y/n?" "You did okay, I feel like you'd definitely need to learn a couple of tips to improve with." His girlfriend grinned, already beginning to look through the makeup set out on the table, "Can I get started yet?" "Yeah, of course," he smiled. "While you get started on that, I'm gonna open up Twitter. I actually tweeted out for people to send in a couple of questions for us." "Good idea," Y/n picked up a cylinder tube, pulling the cap off. For a moment they let a bit of clear liquid leave the top of it before turning back to Alex. "Is that... primer?" Alex bit his lip, watching as his girlfriend move his hair out of his face. Y/n gave a small 'yep' as a response, beginning to put on the first part of Alex's makeup. "See, I'm working on learning this stuff." "Good job, bubba," his girlfriend pulled away, beginning to look at more containers of makeup placed out on the table. "I'm proud of you, but are you gonna read any questions?" "Oh yeah, let me get started on that," he went back to opening Twitter, leaving Y/n be for a moment so she could decide on which foundation would work well for him. For a moment or two, he scrolled. The sound of Y/n humming softly kept the silence away as both of them took a moment to finish their tasks. After picking out the right foundation, Y/n turned back to her boyfriend with a bit of the pale liquid placed on her hand and a blender in hand. "While you do that, I think I found a good question," Alex looked back up at Y/n, allowing her to begin to put the coat of foundation on his skin. "What's my favorite food?" "You enjoy breakfast, but you also like pasta," She smiled, patting in the makeup. "I've made both of those meals for you plenty of times." "God, you're an amazing cook," he smiled softly, watching her as she focused. "Could we have pasta tonight?" "Of course, Bubba. But what about me? What's my favorite food?" "you don't have a favorite, every time I think I know what's your favorite food you change it. First it was Chinese food, then you went to salads, afterward was acai bowls, and I think the last time I asked you said mangos." "Yeah, there's no point in lying. I change my favorite food too often," Y/n giggled, taking a moment to place the blender back down. "I think right now it's Vegetarian pizza." "That actually doesn't sound too terrible," Alex took a moment to glance at the camera before looking back to Y/n. "Do you think we could have that tonight instead of pasta?" "Yeah, sure bubba," she replied while picking up some concealer. "How do have such good skin, Al?" "I don't know. I wash my face in the shower, toss some cold water on my face every now and then, it's not really that complicated for me." "Well it's not fair," Letting out a huff of air, Y/n applied the concealer to Alex's face. "Actually, maybe it is with the bags under your eyes." She turned to the camera, pausing what she was doing. "Guys, this boy stays up so late. One night he called me at like, 2 AM and asked me if I wanted to go out to McDonald's with him... of course, I said yes." "I remember that night, I think it was one of my favorite moments with you," he let out a soft chuckle. He could remember giving Y/n one of his hoodies that night. As Y/n started with bronzer, someone had walked into the living room. "Oh, are we doing Alex's makeup this time? Could I join this video?" George grinned, stepping behind the camera so he couldn't be seen. "No George." "Why?" "Remember the last time you did Alex's makeup?" "Yeah, and he looked beautiful," George let out a small giggle as he thought about what Alex looked like when he tried to apply makeup to his face. "Don't you think he looked good, Y/n?" "Alex always looks good, but the fact you used a foundation brush to apply eyeshadow to his face tells me I shouldn't trust you with his makeup," Y/n had turned back to Alex, continuing to work on his bronzer. "If you actually wanna do his makeup, you can film a video with him later. I don't want you to mess up this makeup look I'm planning." "Guys, George is pouting behind the camera," Alex glanced to his roommate, who was making a fake pouting face as Y/n worked. "Go away, George!" There was a moment of silence as Y/n worked on Alex's highlighter, ignoring the existence of Alex's flatmate as she worked. Eventually, George disappeared back into his bedroom once he had received a text message from someone. "He's gone." "Thank god, I love Georgie but sometimes he can just get on my nerves so easily," y/n let out a huff of breath as she swapped the highlighter out for blush and a different brush. "Yeah, anyway I'm gonna get back to looking for more questions," Alex hummed softly, opening his phone back up. "Move too much and I'll mess up your makeup on purpose," Y/n began to work on placing the rosy powder against her boyfriend's cheekbones. "Don't worry about it," he replied while beginning to scroll through the plenty of replies he received over the blue app. "What is Y/n's go-to Starbucks order?" "I really like a nice iced latte with coconut milk," she smiled, taking a moment to admire the work she had done so far on Alex's face. "you enjoy their cappuccinos, don't you?" "you know it," Alex let out a soft chuckle, watching his girlfriend. The way she always looked at him always made him feel so happy. "God, I love you." "I love you more," Y/n grinned, leaning in for a kiss. during the sweet moment, everything around them seemed to disappear as their lips were connected. Even after pulling away from each other, both of them held a smile on their face. "Anyways, I think we should get started on your eyeshadow." The h/c girl picked up a palette that had been laid out on the coffee table with the rest of the makeup, flashing it to the camera. "Since we used your palette in the last video, I thought we could use one of mine this time. I just chose James Charles's palette because why not?" While opening the palette, Y/n muttered a few extra words, "Shane and Jeffree are also incredibly problematic and I refuse to support them." "Tempted to throw that palette out the window as soon as we're finished with this video," Alex closed his eyes, waiting for Y/n to apply the eyeshadow. "If you actually do that, we need to film that," Y/n let out a giggle. "For your eyeshadow, I think we should go for a classic pink look. So I think I'm gonna use 'skip' first, then add on a bit of 'pinkity drinkity' and 'literally' afterward." "Who let James name his eyeshadows?" Alex let out a sigh, peaking one of his eyes open to look at Y/n while she applied 'skip' to his left eyelid. "I'm not sure, Bubba. Maybe you could ask him yourself," she shook her head as she pulled the eyeshadow brush away, going to collect more of the warm color known as 'skip.' "Close both of your eyes, please." A moment of silence passed as Y/n worked on Alex's eyeshadow, meanwhile his hand found its way to her thigh as she worked. Eventually, Y/n told Alex he could open his eyes as she put the palette back down on the table. "Jesus, Y/n... I don't know how you're so good with makeup," Alex took a second to admire himself in the mirror placed on the coffee table with the rest of the makeup. "Years of practice, bubba," she turned back to her boyfriend, a new item in hand. "Time for eyeliner." "Oh god... promise not to get it in my eye?" "Relax, Al. I've had to deal with teaching my 12 year old cousin not to flinch while I taught them how to use eyeliner properly. I think I can handle not getting it in your eyes." Y/n inched closer to her boyfriend, placing a leg over his lap to get closer to him. She carefully placed her thumb on one of his temple's bringing the eyeliner down against his eyelid. Gently, she worked on perfecting both wings on him while mumbling, soft 'good job, bubba,' and 'you're doing amazing.' Once she was happy with the final result, Y/n pulled away from Alex, letting him see himself in the mirror. "How are you feeling about fake eyelashes?" "No." "No?" "No, Y/n." "Fine," she let out a huff of breath once more, placing the eyeliner on the table. "Are you done with everything?" Alex looked to Y/n with a small smile, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Yeah, I think so," she smiled, leaning against Alex's chest while looking down into the mirror at Alex. "You forgot lipstick or gloss or something." "Fuck! That's no fair! Lemme put some on you!" Y/n snatched a tube of lipstick up from the coffee table, going to try and put it on her boyfriend's lips. "No, you didn't let me finish putting makeup on your face, I'm not gonna let you finish yours," Alex moved her hands away from his face with a smirk. "You know what? Fuck it," Y/n turned to the mirror, beginning to place the lipstick on her own lips. As soon as enough was applied, she turned back to Alex, cupping his cheeks with her hands and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. After a moment, she pulled away, "Did it work? Did you get at least a tint of color on your lips?" Alex turned, looking into the mirror to check, "I think I might have gotten a bit on me." "Yes!" Y/n let out a giggle, grinning at the camera, "I win!" As Alex wrapped an arm around Y/n's waist once again, he playfully rolled his eyes before looking back to the camera. "Alright, I think that brings our second makeup video to an end," he quickly placed a kiss on Y/n's forehead before continuing the outro. "Y/n's social medias will be plugged in the description below and the makeup she used too. Thank you everybody for watching this video, If you guys did enjoy and would like to see more videos with Y/n, leave a like-" "And subscribe if you're new!" Y/n chirped in with a smile. Alex's smile only grew wider as he heard his girlfriend help with the outro. "And we'll see you guys in the next one, have a good day." And just like that, the recording had come to an end.

Taglist: @anyasthoughts @multifandom-but @blondiee-seaveyy @springholland @caswinchester2000

mascaras the haikyuu queens would borrow from my bag

based on my unhealthy obsession with mascaras (pls someone sponsor me)

also there’s a crack drabble at the end please read it im wheezing

shimizu kiyoko

bombastic by doucce: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL'S GORGEOUS LASHES im so jealous, anyways this mascara has a good wand and it's really good for achieving a more wispy/voluminous/full look IN LIKE ONE SWIPE WTF THIS IS A GODSEND. literally looks like lash extensions, i could go on and on about this mascara. not flaky and this will survive through workouts! doesn't give you raccoon eyes so it's good ! (coming from an athlete with an oily eyelids so dw i gotchu covered) a personal fav of mine teehee, ranked #1 in my bag.

hitoka yachi

it's real! benefit: this mascara is so so good at lengthening and giving off that natural look, which i think yachi would appreciate because she doesn't like too much attention and it's natural so she can sneak this by her mom nope def not speaking from experience it's really great for beginners, and also very reliable and trustworthy. this lil thing will get the job done, guranteed.

tanaka saeko

better than sex by too faced: this mascara just screams I N T E N S I T Y. it's super voluminizing and gives off the appearance of a fuller lash. on the more dry/creamy side so it's super great for beginners or if ur really hungover. also it's v v reliable, will give you wispy lashes every time! my go to when im late which is everyday but we don't talk about that

michimiya yui

bad gal bang! by benefit: another really natural one, good at separating, very VERY lengthening. dramatic enough so that it'll make you look more awake but still not enough to get daichi's attention rip.  but this shi!t will stay all day until you take it off. a little more liquidy so you get some time to fix any lashes that are stuck together. also, thin wand so great for bottom lashes as well! 10/10, very much recommend. 

shirofuku yukie

waterproof lights camera lashes by tarte: i feel like she's the type to be drinking her water but then when she puts it down too quickly the water just splashes right back in her face?? LMAO or does this only happen to me, but she needs her mascara to be waterproof! also bc of all the steam from the yummy food contests she's conquering! anyways the queen deserves the whole spotlight so she gets the beloved lcl by tarte! the wand is pretty thin but don't let that fool you, because this wand is so good at lengthening and separating lashes. really good at holding curls. 

suzumeda kaori

lash sensational from loreal: pls give this poor girl a break i cant even imagine running around the fukurodani team with bokuto's antics, they've definitely broken into her bags more than once and messed up her stuff. so she had to get the cheap drugstore mascara just in case </3 but its okay because this is one of my top 3, the consistency is really good and the wand is so amazing gahh, it has like different combs on different sides so if you have that one pesky pair of lash that just sticks together it'll be super easy to fix. perfect for on the go

misaki hana

kush mascara by milk makeup: you can't convince me that this girl isn't exhausted from the antics of johzenji, which makes this mascara perfect for her! the consistency is on the creamy/dry side so a couple quick swipes will get you the full lash. plus it's infused w some cannabis oil so it makes ur lash healthier (but terushima will definitely try to do some experiments w this so please hana guard it safely)

amanai kanoka

lash next door by brooklyn and bailey: ok ok so my fav thing about this mascara is that it's not waterproof so it's easy to take off, but it's water resistant so that it won't come off when you're all sweaty!! literally perfect for intense practices, and the wand is similar to lcm by tarte so they wield pretty similar results; sweet, curled, lengthened lashes!! and DOES NOT FLAKE it's literally a life saver

alisa haiba

liquid lash extensions by thrive: this mascara definitely the one i use the most! It’s unique in the sense that it’s a tubing mascara, so it’s water resistant which is great for alisa because she keeps tearing up every time lev messes up a serve (we stan a responsible sis) BUT it’s also very easily removed! just splash some warm water and the mascara literally slides right off im not even kidding. she definitely takes really good care of her appearance and will be sad even if she sees one eyelash fall so this is really great for her bc waterproof mascara is such a pain in the ass to remove. also very lengthening

yamaka mika 

lash multiplier by revlon: mika is a baddie!! but daishou makes her cry so much she has to rebuy a tube like every month. so our lovely mika gets something easy, cheap, and has a good effect for puppy eyes. this mascara is just like the liquid lash extension; a tubing mascara,,,HOWEVER this one is WAY CHEAPER. u can def find this at ur local drugstore for like 6-8 bucks. great for on the go since it's easy to apply super fast, will get u a nice full fringe in like 3 swipes.

nametsu mai

damn girl! by too faced: how could i forget our beloved date tech manager,,,mai is def the scariest on date tech and she will let you know!!! this mascara is essentially a sequel to better than sex; your lashes will be bigger, fuller, and more glamorous! also the formula is literally so light it's like whipped cream,,, you will not feel a thing guranteed. it's like extensions but m a g i c

extra:

after being scolded by yukie for not getting dinner on time, the boys of the 3rd gym strolled through the dimly lit hallway on the way to the cafeteria. "yo, you know, i heard the girls bathrooms have couches or whatever," kuroo said, noticing the girl's bathroom as they walked past it. 

"what! thats not fair!" bokuto whined. "how come the girl's stuff are always nicer? the boy's bathroom always just stinks, and there's always pee on the ground for some reason. like why can't you just aim? it's not that hard." 

"well, im sure for short people, like maybe yaku-san or shoyo it's easy. but it's hard to aim when you're very tall!" lev explained brightly. in the onsen somewhere, morisuke yaku felt shivers go up his spine and a sudden urge to punch someone.

"lev, are u sure ur not the one peeing the floor? c'mon, man this is why we don't get nice things in our bathrooms!" kuroo groaned, flicking the first year’s forehead.

"well, it's just a rumor," akaashi explained, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe off the sweat on his face. "there might not be a couch in the girl's bathroom."

"why don't you go find out?" tsukki taunted with a devilish grin on his face. 

"i don't think this is a good idea," akaashi remarked, albeit a bit too late as hinata, kuroo, lev, and bokuto already sprinted down the hallway. 

"aww, no couch" bokuto disappointedly wailed when he stepped into the girl's bathroom. 

"well, this is a school bathroom after all," kuroo admitted as he flipped on the light switch. the bathroom was cleaner than the boy’s, for sure, but after all the outrageous tales they had expected to find at least a little something out of the ordinary.

"hey, what's this?" hinata was pointing to a bright pink makeup bag that was lying open on the counter.

"ooh, one of the managers must’ve left it behind! whose bag is this, is there a name on it?" lev rushed over to the bag and turned it upside down. dozens of colorful tubes and compacts fell out, splayed across the counter.

"whats this tube?" hinata asked, holding up a metallic pink tube.

"well, what does it say on the tube, dumbass?" tsukki smirked from the door frame he was leaning on. akaashi hesitantly stood behind him, questioning if entering the girl’s bathroom was a good decision. 

"better..than sex!" hinata read aloud, a bit louder than he had intended to. everyone froze, and stared at the little pink tube.

"wait what the fu- hold up lemme see that," kuroo aggressively grabbed the tube from hinata's hands and twisted it open

"oh it's just macasara," bokuto said. they shouldn’t have been surprised, considering it did come out of a makeup bag.

"do you think the name is true?" kuroo was actually curious about this. is the little pink tube of innocent looking mascara the reason that girls were refusing to go out with him?

"let's see," bokuto snatched the tube out of kuroo's hand and started swiping on the pigment on his lashes, his mouth agape and head tilted back as he intently stared at his reflection in the mirror.

"it's been 10 minutes since we called the boys, should we check up on them?" yachi said nervously. the other girls turned and looked as if she had just made a revelation. "you're right, bokuto always sprints up for dinner and he looked pretty eager when we gave him his notice," kaori said nervously. "and everyone knows that the nekoma boys shouldn't be left alone, they're chaotic," shirufuku remarked. "that's so true...lets go find them," the rest of the managers agreed, taking off their aprons and stepping out of the cafeteria.

however, they heard the boisterous laughs a floor away. cautiously, kiyoko led the group down the stairs and followed the sound. imagine their surprise when they found the noise coming from inside the girl's bathroom. 

"um, we're the only girls here…" yachi whispered. they crept up closer and closer until they were right outside. kiyoko put her finger to her lips and motioned for the girls to line up against the wall just in case. "okay, we'll open the door in 3…" she put her hand on the knob. "2…" it seemed like time was in slow motion as everyone's heart pounded loudly. "1!"

kuroo and hinata have mascara on their eyebrows, streaks of black pigment under their eyes and all over their cheeks like some kind of war paint. akaashi is holding an eyelash curler, trying to curl bokuto's eyelashes all the while bokuto is smacking akaashi's hand away.

"it looks like a torture device!" he cried.

"bokuto-san, it's suppose the enhance the lengthening effect,"

lev is trying to give himself a mustache by swiping on hair-like strokes with the mascara wand, and ever the opportunist, tsukki is in the corner, taking blackmail pictures

"oh, hi!. . . girls" hinata trailed off when he saw the horrified managers through the mirror. every face in the room paled white as a sheet. 

extra no.2:

"wait how do i take this off, it's not coming off with water!!" bokuto wailed, slumping against the sink

he had unfortunately, picked the waterproof mascara.

the managers agreed that they have all conveniently ran out of makeup wipes

Don’t You Dare Say Goodbye

Summary: Being together for what feels like a lifetime, comes crumbling down on you and Bucky. 

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: ANGST (i mean look at the title), bleeding, cussing, death, fight scene and Endgame spoilers? (i feel like we’ve all seen it by now)

Word Count: 1K (a lil short but woo sadness!)

Prompt: “I will protect you with my life.”

A/N: This is the first Endgame fic I wrote because I pretend like it didn’t happen. I feel like this was a bit cliche (but fuck it). Thank you @stuckonjbbarnes for letting me join your Angst vs Fluff writing challenge. Also small thanks to my babes @thorfanficwriter​​ and @lostinthoughtsandfeelings​​ for helping me decide how to attack people with angst lol. Lemme know what y’all think of this (feedback is very much appreciated). If you wanna be tagged in my future works shot me a message and I’ll happily add you! Please ignore the minor mistakes in this lol.

Fighting in a battlefield with aliens didn’t seem like the craziest thing when you first joined the avengers. You fought aliens before and even robots for god's sake, but this time seemed different. Everything had changed after Thanos’ snap five years ago. Everyone was trying to find their way back to ‘normalcy’ but you couldn’t bring yourself to what was done. Your best friend sacrificed herself to help your team make everything right. She wanted you to be happy again. She hated seeing you not act like your normal self. Natasha knew that you needed to be with the one you loved the most. 

Bucky.

Prior to the snap you fought alongside Steve in Berlin, when he and Tony had their little argument. Though when you had to fight against your best friend, with the help of Clint, both of you were trying to go a bit easy for one another. You and Nat were practically sisters when you first joined the team, the two of you glued to the hip. Each of you knew the consequences when you had to choose sides, but it didn’t matter because the two of you knew that in the end you both would still be best friends.

When you sided with team Cap you grew close with Bucky. He told you some stories about when he and Steve were younger. It was nice to hear about how they defended each other back in the day and how their friendship reminded you of yours and Nat’s. Slowly the two of you began to have feelings for one another and if Nat was with you she would have teased you hard, but Clint was there to do the job. You and Bucky shared more and more things about your past, interests, dislikes and etc. 

Sam was the first to actually do something because he was so annoyed with the two of you constantly flirting with one another. He actually went out of his way to make dinner reservations for the two of you. While Bucky was peeved about what Sam did, he was very grateful. For what felt like ages in that fancy restaurant you and Bucky felt complete. You both felt like you were the only people in the world. No universe. You couldn’t even describe how you both were feeling at that exact moment, but you knew that you both were meant for each other.

Now here you were killing aliens left and right with your trusty dual ended glaive, which could be taken apart and turned into two combat blades. You were getting tired of fighting these stupid things. When you felt like you had lost hope and that Thanos had won again, you heard Steve yell something behind you. Pulling out of your blades from the dead alien you turned around. You saw all these portals and many people come out of them charging towards the aliens you were fighting. You first saw Sam fly right out passing Steve and you from above. Your heart was racing, your friends were back. That must mean.

Bucky.

You ran past people fighting off Thanos’ crew. You needed to find him. You held both your blades conjoining them back to your glaive. you fought past aliens and rushed over trying to find him. You pass Wakandan soldiers and those who practiced the magic or the mystic arts like that man Tony talked about when he went to Titan to fight Thanos. So many things were happening around you and you honestly didn’t know when or if you’ll find him. Then that’s when you looked eyes with the man you have been looking for. The man you wished wasn’t dusted by the mad titan. The man you knew you were gonna marry if things didn’t go to shit.

“Bucky” you gasped, staring at him with tears in your eyes. It was like your prayers had been answered. You both ran towards each other like something out of a romantic movie scene. Both of you rushing over to finally be together after being apart for what felt like eternity. The two of you weaved around the people who were fighting trying to get closer and closer. Just when you both were a few feet apart you felt like you were getting slower and Bucky seemed like he was still far from you. 

You began to feel lightheaded and you knew for sure you were slowing down. Looking down, as you could feel your combat suit getting wet. Bringing your hand to the spot and lifting it up to examine it you saw crimson liquid. You looked back up to where Bucky was then you fell to the ground. 

“Y/N!” he yelled, running as fast as he could to get to you dodging everything and everyone. Right when he got to you he fell to his knees pulling you onto his lap. 

“Hey doll, you’re gonna be just fine.” he smiled at you as he brushed the stray hairs out of your face looking down at your wound. You smiled at him with tears in your eyes knowing that his comment wasn’t true. You knew that whatever wounded you  had no way of recovery.

“I missed you so much Bucky.” you said with tears now falling. You raised your hand to caress his cheek wiping away the tears that escaped his eyes.

“I missed you too, but you’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna get you out of here and get you back in shape ok.” he cried looking into your eyes.

“Baby, I don’t think I’ll make it.” you whispered as he held you closer.

“No, you will.” he exclaimed. “Remember I promised I would take you to Coney Island where we would ride all the rides and have different types of fair foods.” he smiled recalling the thought. You nodded yes in response. “We were supposed to go on the ferris wheel and that’s where I would propose to you.” he sobbed reaching in his pocket and pulling out a ring. You were crying at the thought. “And your response would be you teasing me about how cheesy a proposal on a ferris wheel is.” he chuckled.

“You know me so well Bucky.” you sniffled and you brought your hand up to the ring. He slid it down your finger and held your hand. Looking back up to your face he saw you were growing paler and paler by the minute. He didn’t care about the entire fight scene that was happening before the two of you. All he cared about was you. He finally got back. He can finally hold you in his arms again, but this isn’t how he wanted it to be. 

“Doll, stay with me. Don’t close those beautiful eyes.” he cried. You were slowly blinking and tried your best to stay conscious for what little time you had left. You needed to be there for one last time with Bucky.

“Bucky, you need to promise me that you help Steve and the others fight Thanos. You need to promise me that you will help everyone.” you began crying.

“Doll.” Bucky said, trying hush you.

“No, Bucky. Promise me that nobody dies when I go because I can’t part with the idea of another member of my team dying.” you sobbed staring at his blue eyes.

Shaking his head he said, “If you die now, then I die too. I will kill myself to stay with you.” Placing his hand on your cheek wiping your tears away. You shook your head as you weakly leaned into his touch.

“Bucky, stop.” you said as your voice began to shake. Your eyes watering as you squeezed his hand. 

“I will protect you with my life.” Bucky whispered as he placed his forehead on yours closing his eyes.

“No, baby. I need you to keep everyone safe, please. Do this for me. I don’t know how long I have left, but I know that everything will be fine. I’ll be ok because Nat is waiting for me. She’ll be looking after me until we meet again.” you whispered as you could feel all your energy and pain slip away. 

Bucky leaned back to stare at you. “No doll, don’t you dare say goodbye. Y/N! I LOVE YOU PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!” he sobbed as he watched you getting physically weaker.

“I love you, Bucky.” you shed a tear as you said your final breath. Bucky stared down at your lifeless body, held you closer and tighter as he cried harder.

A/N: Sad right? Did I make you cry? because I did when I wrote this. Man I love writing angst it brings me joy...god it sounds like i have no heart. Anyways please lemme know what you think of this sadness! 

Crackhead Tags: @kitkatd7 @mr-skyline-r34 @chaoticpete @cheeky-foxx @msgreenverse @babygurlbarnes @hermionesalvatore84

Forever Tags: @lostinthoughtsandfeelings @aquabrie @amour-quinn @who-the-hell-is-sebastianstan @princess76179 @anbrax5553 @sebtheromanianprince @hailmary-yramliah​ @miraclesoflove​ @caplanbuckybarnes​ @saiyanprincessswanie​ @fandomsandxfiles​

^lemme know if you wanna be added (or removed) to my tags^

Medical Help

(Story Post; New Character!)

The building was rather unassuming at first. It appeared to be similar to the government building Theo worked out of, but a little bigger. Henderson used his ID to get them inside and then took him to the elevator. There were a lot of buttons inside which surprised Theo since the place was only a few stories high. After a moment he realised that the numbers on the bottom three quarters of the panel were all basement floors. Henderson selected one and they were on their way down quickly. The unexpected drop made Theo hold his stomach in shock. It felt like a lot of fluid sloshed around and it threw off his balance a bit that he had to grab Henderson for support. When the doors opened up, they were in a room that looked like any other reception at a small hospital or private practice. There was only one person in the waiting area minding their own business and they looked completely human. At the front desk, Theo saw what appeared to be the most beautiful human being he’d ever seen. Köbi smiled at them. “Hi there. Can I get your name, please?”

“Henderson Neil, but I brought my friend to be looked at,” Henderson said. “Do you have an appointment?” Köbi asked Theo. “No, but I'm looking for a second opinion on something and Henderson suggested I come here,” Theo said. “Oh, um... We don't usually take walk-ins I think... Lemme ask the doctor.” Köbi picked up the phone and called the doctor through the intercom. When it was picked up, he talked softly. “Hey, Syd. We have a walk-in here... They're with an employee... Okay, thank you.” “So?” Henderson probed. “You're in luck,” Köbi said. “We just had a no show, so the doctor has some time for you before the next patient. In the future though, we are very busy so you will have to make an appointment.” “Thanks a lot,” Henderson said. “Can I leave my buddy here in your hands? I gotta make a class.” Köbi nodded. “Mmhm. Can I get your name, buddy?” “It's Theo. Théodore Bernard.” Köbi typed it into his computer. “Ah, you're in the system. That's convenient for me...” “I'm sorry, I'm in the system?” “Yes, you're a government employee, right?” Köbi stated. “Even if you don't work directly with this department, APID has records of all government employees. It's a security thing.” “Oh... Okay, I see.” The doctor appeared from down the hall and placed a file folder at the front desk. “Köbi, I'm going to need you to input these while I'm with this patient, please.” “Sure thing.” Köbi took the file and placed it beside his computer. “This is Théo. He's your walk in.” Theo was a little surprised that Köbi actually pronounced his name the proper French way, but then again, he did have some kind of European accent. While he liked that, it was a little weird because he hadn’t heard it like that in months. “Hello, Théodore. I am Dr. Sydryn Aias. Please follow me,” Sydryn said, turning and heading back down the hall. The full name drop was a little weirder to hear. Usually only his aunt called him Théodore. “Oh, um...” Theo started following them. “Hi, doctor. Uh, I don't do it often, but last time I did a walk in, I had to fill out a form...” “Yes, yes. Information on your medical concern so that we can determine the level of urgency. No need,” Sydryn said bringing him to their office. “You can just tell me, although I imagine from the way your clothes don't fit that it has to do with sudden unanticipated growth in the mid-section.” “Y-Yeah!” Theo was a bit impressed. He located the exam table and got himself up onto it. “My doctor didn't really seem to think much of it, but I swear, when I woke up this morning, I just had a few rolls. Now it's like a beach ball.” “Théo, your gender, please,” Sydryn asked. “Oh, I'm a man,” Theo answered, though a little caught of guard. “He/Him. But it sounds like you guessed that I'm trans.” “Not necessarily, but it is relevant to the questioning,” Sydryn stated. “So, I imagine your GP ruled out pregnancy.” Theo nodded. “He did an ultrasound. It showed nothing more than fluid.” “Fluid?” Sydryn started typing on their computer. “In what part? Stomach? Liver? Intestine? Uterus? Kidney?” “He didn't say but I imagine it was just in the general...space of my stomach,” Theo said. “I dunno.” “You ‘dunno' is right... Do you have copies of this ultrasound?” Sydryn asked. “No, sorry.” “Fine... We'll have to do another.” Sydryn got up from their computer. “I recommend a trans-vaginal ultrasound but I won't do it if you're not comfortable with that, considering I am new to you.” Theo flushed. “Trans-vaginal...” He rubbed his forehead. “Honestly, I just want to know what's wrong with me, so whatever... Let's do it.” “Good. Do you have any ongoing medical conditions that may cause you pain in your pelvic region?” Sydryn asked. “No.” Theo shook his head. “Are you menstruating?” “Nope.” “Have you ever had a trans-vaginal ultrasound before?” “No. Does it hurt?” Sydryn shook their head. “It shouldn’t hurt, however some find it uncomfortable. The tool used is called a probe. It's about two centimetres in diameter and it is placed inside a condom and lubricated to ease passage into the vagina.” Theo chuckled uncomfortably. “You could've taken me to dinner first...” “It's better that you haven't eaten yet so that we can rule out any meals as an effect on your condition,” Sydryn replied. “Have you eaten recently?” “Not since lunch...” Theo said, a bit more uncomfortable since the doctor didn't share in his joke. “Good.” Sydryn got up and retrieved a patient gown for Theo. “Please put this on.” They pulled the curtain closed that encircled the exam table to allow Theo some privacy. Theo did as told, nervously undressing and pulling on the gown. The doctor had picked out a decently large one, so his middle didn't pull too much on the thin material. When he was done, he pulled back the curtain. Sydryn had stepped out for a moment but came back into the room when they heard the curtain. “Follow me, please.” Theo nodded and followed the doctor to another room where the imaging equipment was set up. He was directed up onto another exam bed and he reclined, resting his hands on his stomach. “Please rest your feet up on these platforms here and here,” Sydryn said, pointing to the pedal like appendages of the bed. Theo spread his legs as he did as told. He watched as the doctor prepared a very long probe and lubricated it. He tensed up instinctively as the probe was brought near his nether regions. “Theodore, please relax,” Sydryn said. “Have you had a pap smear before?” “Yeah.” “The pressure should be similar. Some would say this is easier,” Sydryn said. “Should you feel any pain however, do tell me.” “Okay.” Theo tried to breathe deep and relax himself. The probe was inserted moments later. The doctor looked to the monitor for information. For the next few minutes, they turned the transducer slowly, stopping occasionally to study the image. Theo didn’t really know what to look at so he just waited for it to be over. When it was, Sydryn removed the probe and set it aside to be cleaned later. “So?” Theo asked, putting his legs together. “Did it show anything?” Sydryn sighed. “It's inconclusive. However, it is clear that you have a large build-up of fluid within your uterus, much like with a pregnancy. There is an intact membrane like that of the amniotic sac, however there is no evidence of a foetus within. The question now is, what is this fluid build up and what caused it.” “So what do we do?” Theo asked. “I have this balloon of liquid in my uterus and what? Do I hope it goes away?” Sydryn shook their head. “No. I suggest we pop it.” Theo tensed at the thought. “Uh, what?” “If we, quote, break your water, unquote, we can, a., reduce the distension of your stomach, and b., collect some of the fluid as a sample and study it to determine its origin,” Sydryn explained. Theo rubbed his stomach. “...Oh... Do you think it's safe to do that?” Sydryn nodded. “Yes, it's like you're giving birth to an imaginary baby, but without a lot of the pain and stretching.” Theo swallowed hard. “If it'll make this stomach go away, then I guess let's do it...” Sydryn went to wash their hands and get new gloves. They called in Köbi from the front desk to assist and he got the tools ready. As Köbi was placing a plastic basin underneath the edge of the bed, Sydryn had Theo put his feet back up on the stirrups. “Now, is this going to hurt at all?” Theo asked. “It's not likely to hurt so much as give relief,” Sydryn said holding up what looked to be a hook on a stick. “It might feel like you're urinating but from a different hole.” “Alright...” The hook was inserted inside and Theo tried to relax again. After a moment inside, he felt a sudden popping sensation and then the rush of fluid out of his uterus and out between his legs. It was incredibly satisfying and he even noticed his stomach visibly deflate. “...Well, that's new,” he heard the doctor say. “What?” Theo asked. “Is something weird?” He sat up to try and see what the doctor was seeing. In the basin below the bed, a swirl of transparent but clearly blue and sparkly liquid pooled. Köbi had taken a sample in a beaker and left the room with it. “...Did that come out of me?” Theo asked, flabbergasted. “Indeed it did.” Sydryn pressed a little on Theo's stomach to coax the rest of the liquid out. When it seemed to have stopped, he gave Theo a towel and helped clean him up. “What is it?” Theo asked. “I can’t be sure,” Sydryn said. “We're going to run tests... For now though, I believe it's best you rest here overnight.” “What? But I have work—” “Your employer will be informed,” Sydryn said. “This is now an APID case and your health needs to be watched. This is a unique case, so we'll have to gather as much data as we can to determine the origin of this condition.” “...So I don't have a choice?” Theo asked. “Theo, the concern here is that we don't know what this might have done to you internally,” Sydryn said. “We don't know what affect it has on the human body beyond the distention. I can let you go home, but I believe it’s safest for you to remain here. If anything develops, we'd want you to have a medical professional nearby. It's up to you.” Theo rubbed the back of his neck. “Is this all covered by OHIP?” “A little late to ask that, and the answer is technically no, but there is no charge for diagnosis,” Sydryn stated. “Should we determine that there is non-human interference in you're health, which I am almost certain there is, then further care will be covered by our program.” “So... To be plain...?” Theo asked. “To be plain...If aliens or other non-human people are involved in this, a.k.a. this is not a human condition, you won't pay anything.” “And if there isn't?” “You won’t pay anything here, but you'll have to seek your usual human healthcare. Although I would suggest you find a new GP. Your current one is less than useful.” Theo nodded. “Okay, I understand...” “Do you have any questions?” “Yeah, well... Not exactly a question...” Theo looked at the doctor. “You say a lot of ‘human’ this, ‘non-human' that... Are you...human?” “It is not particularly polite around here to ask people whether they are human or not,” Sydryn answered. “Oh, I'm sorry...” “It's fine, it's your first time at APID. Please, have you chosen to stay as I requested?” “Well, where would I be staying?” Theo asked. “And I'm not really prepared for an overnight stay... I don’t have pyjamas or toiletries...” “I'll have the receptionist show you a room and he'll provide you any essentials you might need for the night,” Sydryn explained. “Let him know if you do plan on staying so that I am aware of the decision.” “Okay...” Theo got off the bed. “Should I go back and change?” “Please.”

After touring the overnight rooms they had, Theo agreed to stay. The rooms were much like a hotel and reasonably homely so he tried to treat it like a vacation. There was a set of buttons in the room near the bed, one of which he was he could use to call in a doctor or nurse to check in on him. He figured be might as well catch Henderson up so he texted him to call him when his class was over, and his friend kept the promise. Henderson sounded really excited about that idea that some alien had done this to Theo and he was rather proud that he'd called it. Theo reminded him that nothing was confirmed yet, but he was pretty sure Henderson was right as that liquid that had come out of him definitely looked otherworldly.

The next morning, Theo woke up groggy and delirious. It took him a minute to recognise where he was, then he sat up to get out of bed. It wasn't so easy as, once again, his stomach had swollen to unnatural proportions. He started to panic. What in the world was going on? Why was it back? They had drained him! It should've all left his body! Remembering the buttons, he picked the one to call the doctor. It was relatively early in the morning so he wasn’t sure if the doctor would be in, but sure enough, the pink haired physician was there within minutes. “It’s back,” Theo said, getting up and lifting his shirt. “What’s going on, doctor?” “Theodore, no need to reveal yourself,” Sydryn said. “I chose to prioritise looking into your case so I examined the substance we obtained yesterday and it is beyond what I’ve frankly ever seen. As such, I had to consult another doctor on the matter and I’d like them to speak with you.” Theo nodded, though he was starting to sweat a little. So far it seemed like no one knew what was happening to him and he just felt so lost. “Okay, um… So you don’t know anything?” “I know a lot of things, but this case in particular is new to me,” Sydryn said. “That doesn’t mean that I’m not trying to learn everything I can on the matter. I’d like to see you get through this.” That made him feel a little better. “Okay, who’s this other doctor?” Sydryn got up and went outside and returned with two others, one a handsome wavy-haired man with green tips and the other was none other than a Yulinian. Theo had never met a Yulinian, or any other alien for that matter, in his life and part of him was both very excited and another part was terribly nervous. He had no idea how to act and couldn’t help staring. “Théodore, this is Fay Demers and Dr. Ix,” Sydryn said. “Dr. Ix is our resident medical delegate from Yulin. They have been educating me on the physiology of various extraterrestrial species for the sake of my practice and I believe their knowledge on extraterrestrial life forms to be of benefit to you at this time.” Theo rubbed his legs nervously. “Hi, um, I’m Theo.” “It’s nice to meet you,” Dr. Ix said, smiling warmly. “I’m sure you’re feeling very worried for your health and I can assure you that this is the best place on this planet for you to receive the best care.” “Yeah, uh… Thanks.” Theo tried to look away, thinking he was making too much eye contact. “I’m really sorry if I act weird… I’ve just never met a Yulinian in person before.” “That’s quite alright,” the doctor said. “I get it a lot and frankly you’re one of the politer ones. Now, about your condition… I have a few questions.” “Okay, shoot.” “Have you been experiencing any strange dreams lately?” Dr. Ix asked. “Anything perhaps space related?” “Actually, yeah,” Theo said. “I have space dreams a lot.” “Can you describe them to me?” Dr. Ix pulled out a tablet to write on. “Yeah, um… Usually it’s the same dream from when I was younger,” Theo said. “I’m at a cottage with my friends, but I always breakaway to go look at the stars from the dock.” “How long have you been having this dream?” “I really don’t know. For as long as I can remember since that event.” “Has the dream changed at all within the last couple days?” “Yes! Actually, the night before last, I was on the dock but this time it was like…the night sky lifted me up into space,” Theo said. “And then it turned into a person with like, space hair. Galaxy hair.” Dr. Ix nodded silently, writing down some notes. Sydryn looked to the other doctor. “Does that line up?” “It does,” Dr. Ix said. “What does?” Theo asked. “You can diagnose me based on my dream?” Dr. Ix wobbled their head. “These types of ‘dreams’ are consistent with people we’ve found to share your condition. However, I also got to analyse the sample Dr. Aias procured and the two confirmed what I suspected you’re going through.” “So you know what’s wrong with me?” Theo asked, lighting up. “Yes,” Dr. Ix said. “I will say that not many beings go through what you are experiencing right now so our data is limited, but there is enough information that I believe we can help you with.” “So what is it? What’s wrong with me?” Dr. Ix crossed their hands over their tablet. “This appears to be a celestial pregnancy.” “Celestial what?” Theo placed his hands on his stomach. “I thought we determined I wasn’t pregnant…” “It was inconclusive,” Sydryn said. “What does it mean?” Theo asked. “Celestial pregnancy?” “You’ve been visited and impregnated by a celestial,” Dr. Ix said. “A celestial is a broad term for a number of extraterrestrial beings that do not inhabit planets but the space between them. Their existence and abilities are not easily explained by science, much like earthly creatures such as mermaids or dragons.” “Wait, hold on…” Theo said. “You’re comparing these celestial things to mythological creatures.” “I can assure you, they are not myths,” Sydryn stated. “The whereabouts and identities of such people are kept secret for their protection but they very much do exist.” “I for one am a merman,” Fay stated for the sake of proof. “Fay,” Sydryn warned. “You don’t know him…” “Relax, Syd. He’s clearly scared and harmless,” Fay stated. “Théo, I should probably explain why I’m here.” “You’re a merman?” Theo asked. Fay smiled and nodded. “Correct. I’m a case worker here at APID and Sydryn suggested I pick up your case.” “Fay here is one of our top case workers,” Sydryn stated. “He can help you with handling this condition on a more administrative and support level.” “Wait, hold on!” Theo said. “This is all a lot of information! I just want to know what we're going to do about this!” He patted his stomach. Dr. Ix nodded. “I'll continue. As I said, celestials are extraterrestrial beings. They do not belong to any one planet. Because of this, they are lesser known and often treated as mythological creatures. What we do know about some of them however is that on occasion they may visit a person in their sleep, often soothing them in pleasant dreams and they proceed to impregnate them with their celestial hybrid children. Implantation is certain and the, in your case, uterus swells with fluid to nurture the embryo as it grows.” “So you're saying...” Theo held his stomach. “This fluid builds up first? Then the baby grows inside it?” “Correct. You won't likely grow any larger than you are now, perhaps a bit more near the end of the pregnancy,” the doctor said. “From draining it yesterday, you only invited it to fill up again.” “Where is it coming from though?” Theo asked. “How can it fill up so fast?” “The fluid itself is...incredible to say the least. Exactly how it develops is hard to determine,” Dr. Ix said. “A microscopic examination showed that in fact, it contains micro-galaxies within. This is what feeds the offspring in the womb.” “I have...galaxies inside of me?” Theo asked. “Are you kidding?” “I don't kid,” Dr. Ix said. “I wouldn't concern yourself for the health of these galaxies. Something at such a small size is too delicate to worry about the condition of.” “I promise you; I'm not concerned about the health of micro-galaxies in my uterus,” Theo said, rubbing his head. “What do we do?” Dr. Ix placed a hand on Theo's shoulder. “We're going to monitor your pregnancy closely and make it as easy as possible for you. You'll get through this.” Theo shook his head. “But I don't want to be pregnant. I have no desire to have this kid. There has to be a way to get rid of it.” Sydryn shook their head. “Unfortunately, Théodore, the pregnancy is certain just as much as the implantation is. The will of a celestial is not one we can defy. This is why some cultures worship them as gods. We can help through the pregnancy, but we're not capable of terminating it. And I don’t mean it in the sense that we won’t or that we legally can’t. If we could, we would do so for you. There are no known methods for doing so.” Theo looked at all their faces, these people just staring at him. He knew they were there to help, but he couldn't help feeling despair. He started to tear up and tried wiping his eyes. “So...So I'm just stuck like this?” Fay came over to his side and rubbed his shoulder. “I know this is hard for you. This kind of thing is so uncommon and unheard of that it would make anyone scared. But you're not going to be alone through this and we're going to work out what we're going to do from here on. If it helps at all, think of it as being chosen by a higher power.” “On some planets,” Dr. Ix interjected, “These children are seen as blessings and become important pillars of their societies, oracles and shaman and so on. Their parents are treated like kings.” “Wait, am I expected to raise this thing?” Theo asked. “No, that is up to you,” Sydryn said. “You can take custody or APID will take them on as a ward. We wouldn't want to force you into parenthood against your will.” “But I have to give birth to it?” Theo inhaled sharply. “I... Guys, I can't process all this right now...” “Of course. It’s a lot,” Fay said. “It's not easy waking up to three strangers telling you a space alien impregnated you.” “Why don't you come with me,” Sydryn said, “And we'll do another examination just to determine your overall health today as well as get some measurements.” Theo nodded. “Okay.” “After you guys do that, I can get you some breakfast,” Fay said, patting Theo's arm. “What are you, an egg man? Bacon? Pancakes?” “Is there food here?” Theo asked. “Yes, of course. We have a lot of residents living here,” Fay said. “We have a really large cafeteria. But honestly, the food is really good.” “I wouldn't mind bacon and eggs,” Theo answered. “Thanks.” “Don't mention it,” Fay said. “Syd, can you send him to my office when you're done?” “Sure thing.” Sydryn motioned for everyone to leave the room. Theo called to them as Dr. Ix began to leave. “Sorry, um, I have another question.” “Yes?” Ix turned around. “How long will this pregnancy last?” “The few recorded celestial pregnancies lasted the length of a host species’ typical pregnancy so, it’ll likely be nine months,” Dr. Ix determined. “A whole nine months looking full term?” Theo paled. “No way.” Dr. Ix started to leave again. “I’ll be consulting on this with Dr. Aias. Should you wish to speak to me directly, you can come by my office. Dr. Aias can give you the location. I must go now however.” “Okay, bye…” The alien left behind Fay, and Sydryn was about to step out as well. “By the way, when Köbi had you fill out some forms last night, you put your aunt down as your emergency contact, correct?” Sydryn asked. “Yeah, why?” “Well, it's just that the address is a province over. Do you not have anyone in the city?” Theo shook his head. “I left my friends and family in Quebec to move here for my work.” “No contacts here? A significant other perhaps?” Sydryn asked. “What about that Henderson man?” “No, he's just a friend. We're co-workers, I couldn't make him my emergency contact.” “Very well, but I would suggest keeping your friends close,” Sydryn said. “Even a typical human pregnancy isn't easy to handle alone.” They paused then raised a finger. “Actually, there's a pregnancy group here at APID that could benefit you.” “Really?” Theo rubbed his neck. “For alien pregnancies?” “No, for pregnancies in general,” Sydryn said. “And if you’re worried about possibly being the only man they, it's actually majority men.” “You're kidding.” Theo lit up a bit. “Other pregnant men?” “Like Ix, I'm not a kidder. It is primarily for others who have experienced pregnancy and can share their knowledge and experiences. But I'm sure they can help you feel comfortable.” Theo nodded. “I think… Once I get my bearings in all this… I might actually think about going to that. Thanks.” “Let me know if and when you’d like to go,” Sydryn said. “They meet on Fridays. I sit in on occasion, but I can also understand if you’d rather I didn’t. Not everyone wants their doctor listening in on their personal life.” “Yeah, we’ll see…” Theo rubbed his neck. “Oh, um... I'm technically pregnant, right?” “You are pregnant, yes.” “Do I have to stop my injections?” The doctor shook their head. “Technically no, testosterone injections would not affect a celestial pregnancy, however it might cease to be effective in your transition considering the pregnancy will be preparing you for birth by raising your estrogen levels.” Theo swallowed hard. “Will it reverse my transition then?” “No, no... Fret not,” Sydryn said. “While you might find some changes seem reversed, a lot of FTM transition features are permanent. You're not likely to lose hair growth and your voice will remain the same. Your hips might get wider though...” Theo frowned. “So T. Not worth it.” “Not right now.” “I really should've scheduled a hysterectomy...” “We'll get through this. Don't worry.” Sydryn proceeded to do a physical examination, taking all of Theo’s measurements and checking his vitals. He was in good health despite the pregnancy, though it was clear the new weight was causing issues. Oddly, he didn’t have a single stretchmark from his rapid growth, and Syd suspected it was due to celestial influence. He was overall the same as he was before but with a bigger abdomen. After the exam, Sydryn suggested that Theo stay at APID one more night just to see if any changes occurred. If his growth had stabilised, then he could go home and they'd proceed from there. Theo agreed to it. He had breakfast with Fay after, and the other was keen on getting to know his new client. They talked for a while and Theo found out he was married with eight children. He and his husband both went to the pregnancy group that Sydryn had talked about and it made Theo feel a bit better about it, knowing he'd already know someone there. Theo talked about his job as a translator and they had that in common too; Fay apparently also translated for APID. As a siren however, it took him often no more than a few minutes with someone to learn their language without ever having heard it before. He could understand anyone, though he couldn't always speak the language of another species due to physiology. Theo only knew his native French and English. He was starting to think taking one of Henderson's classes wouldn't be a bad idea...

“Ta-da!” “What…is that?” Henderson was holding up a big bright green T-shirt with APID printed gaudily across the chest. He’d come back to APID after work to take Theo home. “I imagine your clothes don’t fit now so I got this for you on my way back from class.” “…Gee. Thanks.” Theo had already changed into his own clothes hours ago, but it was true, his own shirt did not fully cover his new burgeoning belly. He attempted to tuck his shirt into his pants but the slightest movement untucked it and it seemed like the APID shirt was going to have to be the one for the way home. “…You’d think the branding of a secret government organisation would be more subtle…” “It’s really not a secret anymore, you know that,” Henderson said. “And after the name change, they made up all this merch I guess to really sell the new name. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of the limited edition throw blankets. Wanna come back to mine and see it?” “No, thanks… I really just want to go home,” Theodore said. “…I’ve had a shit day.” “Ah, I guess I’ll just have to bring it over then.” “Henderson!” Theo snapped. “I really don’t care about your blanket!” Henderson blinked and threw up his hands. “Sorry, I… Sorry. Bad day. Blankets don’t matter. You matter.” “Mon dieu…” Theo rubbed his face, his tears welling up again. “No, I’m sorry… I know you’re just trying to help…” Henderson panicked a moment. “Oh, shit... Um, it's gonna be okay...” He gave him a hug as best he could with Theo's belly digging into his gut. “Let's get you home.” Theo pulled away from Henderson after a few moments in the hug. “...I'll take the shirt.” Henderson nodded and handed it over. Theo proceeded to undress to his waist, his mood visibly falling once his stomach was exposed. Henderson restrained himself from reaching out and touching the belly again, knowing it would likely just upset Theo. Instead, he hooked his hands under his own armpits and tried not to watch. “So, um... Nine months of this, yeah?” “Yeah...” Theo sighed. “I don't know what I'm gonna do every day looking like this... Like, what will my boss think?” “Mm... You should ask these doctors here for a sick note of some kind, something to explain the swell and letting you off the hook in case you need some days off.” He pulled a hand out and snapped his fingers. “I got it. You've got a tumour.” “A tumour?” Theo grimaced. “What like, cancer? I don't want to lie about having cancer...” “No, no, it could be benign,” Henderson suggested. “But still not good for you because of the size. And-and it's complex and the only surgeon good enough to operate is away for the next nine months. How about that?” Theo stared at Henderson. “You're crazy.” Henderson shook his head. “Naw, you just don't want to admit that I'm a genius.” Theo sighed. “Just take me home...” “Yeah, yeah... Also, you're welcome.” “Huh?” “For the shirt.” “Oh. Yeah, I said ‘thanks' already.” “Sure, but I hadn't said ‘you're welcome' so I said it now. It's only polite.” “Whatever.”

Everyone Deserves Love chapter 8

A/N: This starts with a little bit of fluffy cuteness, but don’t let that fool you! Jenkins coming in hot, and then it switches to angst. And it stays angst. So heads up, it’s gonna be angst for a bit haha.

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Tags: none, outside of feelings, oh, I guess minor character death that was mentioned in one line

Words: 6k+

Taglist: @the-baby-bookworm @beccabarba (lemme know if you want to be tagged!)

Apartment of Rafael Barba

Saturday, May 2nd. 5:00am

Devon woke up at 5am sharp, as usual, even after being up over 24 hours the day before. She uncurled on the couch, stretching while standing, then went through her morning routine: exercise, shower, dress. She tried to be as quiet as possible, since Barba was still asleep, and she planned to let him sleep in a little, their deal from the previous night. Normally on weekends, he would stumble out of his room around 8am. Glancing at the clock, it was still early; only 6:30. Devon planned on making coffee to go with the breakfast, so she decided that 8am would be the safest time to start it. Until then, though, she’d work on the abandoned report from last night, while trying to ignore the thoughts that had stopped that report. Having those types of thoughts helped no one and was wildly unprofessional. So, she shoved her feelings away, focusing on the events from the past two days instead.

Time flew by and 8am came faster than she thought it would, with no signs of life from Barba’s room. She still got up from the couch, report done, and started the French press. While waiting for the water to heat up, she went to the FBI database, trying to check on the last 12 Aces in the city. She looked up from her laptop when she heard Barba’s door open; she didn’t even hear him shower, yet his hair was still damp from the spray. He was in nice slacks and a plain polo shirt; his “casual” attire, unlike his “weekend” suits. It was always a little treat seeing someone who was normally in expensive suits dressing in something…not as expensive. Casual. He still looked damn good, though.

“Good morning,” Devon chirped, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Coffee?”

“Please,” he grumbled. Even when he slept in, Rafael Barba was not a morning person. Devon grinned, pouring him a cup, and adding the appropriate amount of sugar that she knew he liked. She noticed, somewhere deep down, that she liked their almost…domestic tendencies. It made sense, with how much time they spent together, but it was still nice to have these little shared things. It was like his home was hers’, too. Which was comforting. And absolutely terrifying.

“Here you go,” she said, passing him the hot liquid.  He gratefully took a deep pull, letting the caffeine waken him. He went to the fridge, pulling out an assortment of vegetables and a carton of eggs. He set about making breakfast, an omelet with sautéed vegies; Devon hovered in the kitchen, but her attention was on her laptop, still researching.

“So, what time were you up today?” Barba asked casually.

“Uh, 5am?” Devon replied.

Barba shot her a look. “I thought we agreed to sleep in today. Why were you up so early?”

“I—I’m always up at 5. I have an internal clock, wakes me up,” she explained.

“Everyday?”

“Correction, almost always. Sometimes I’m up at 4.”

Barba looked shocked first, then concerned. “We go to bed so late; why the hell do you wake up so early? And how the hell are you so perky in the morning?”

Devon thought about it. “I’ve been waking up before the sun for a while, now, couple years, actually. Guess it’s just habit.” She gave him a playful smile. “The perkiness is all me, baby.”

Barba ignored the joke, all serious. “Years? That cannot be healthy. Have you talked to anyone about this?”

Devon took a sip of coffee, swirled it in her mouth before swallowing. “After doing a UC, it’s mandatory to talk to a therapist. So yes, I did ‘talk to someone’ about it…. Especially because it seemed to start a week into that assignment.” Barba flipped the omelet he was making. It looked like he was going to question further, so Devon cut him off. “Yes, both my therapist and I believe that it’s from stress. I—I think I’m just…” she took a deep breath; saying it out loud was acknowledging it. But it was also good to get it out of her mind. “I’m just afraid; my brain needs to be on alert at all times. I know it sounds silly, but people like you—victims--deserve to have 24/7 protection, but I can only give you 20 at most. I’m a light sleeper; anyone breaking in and I’ll hear it. But I don’t think that’s really good enough; it leaves at least 4 hours where you’re open, exposed, especially with the fire escape in your room.” Barba took the omelet out of the pan, placing it skillfully on a plate, and passing it to Devon. She took it gratefully, blowing on it before taking a bite. It was delicious. Is there anything he can’t do?

Barba sighed as he went back to the pan, starting on his own food. “Devon, I know that no one wants to hear it, but you are human. No one, including you, can stay awake and alert 24/7. Hell, even 20/7 is insane. I’m glad that this whole mess is almost over.” He flinched inwardly as soon as the words left his mouth. And the look on Devon’s face was a punch to the gut; it was only there for a split second before she went back to a neutral expression. But he felt it, too; as much as he would like life to go back to normal, he really didn’t want to lose her, lose this. Not yet.

“It will be nice to sleep in my own bed again,” Devon joked, though her voice fell a little flat. She knew that it was inevitable; she’d have to leave him eventually, go on with her work and life. But she really, really, didn’t want to think about that. She was disappointed that he was already there in his thoughts, that he was wishing for it.

Barba finished cooking his own food, standing at the counter next to Devon. They ate in relative silence, besides complimenting each other on the food and coffee, and idly talking about heading to the park afterwards.

“Oh shit, I need to call Liv,” Devon said, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Olivia picked up on the second ring.

“Hey Dev, everything alright?” she asked.

Devon chuckled, shaking her head. “Of course. Just wanted to let you know that Barba and I were going to Central Park for a little. Get some fresh air after the mess from the past couple days.”

“Are you sure that’s wise? You don’t think that you’ll be sitting ducks?”

“There’s only 12 Aces left, and I think after what happened with Marco, we should be good.” Devon waited a moment before adding on, “I’ll be armed, we’ll be safe.”

Liv sighed. “For one thing, I forgot to text you last night; we caught 5 more Aces in a raid last night. So now the magic number is 7. And second, I’ll station some extra unis in the park, just to be sure. The remaining members may be getting desperate, since there’s not many left.”

“That’s good to know. I’ll let Barba know, and I’ll keep my eyes open,” Devon replied. She hung up, then, and relayed the information to Barba.

“Hm, SVU must be busy; Liv doesn’t normally forget to inform us like that,” he said.

Devon agreed. “We can always stop by later today, see what’s up.” Barba nodded.

They finished their food quickly, suddenly eager to get out into fresh air. Barba’s loft was only two blocks from Central Park, so it was a short walk there, but before they even hit the park, they were already more relaxed, basking in the warm, sunny day. There’s something about getting out of the house, even for a simple walk, that was refreshing. It seemed like the tension, the heaviness, from the last two days lifted, and they joked and laughed, conversation flowing easily. They made it to a trail that went by the water, and just enjoyed each other’s presence. They talked about nothing, really, just idle small talk.  Devon did surreptitiously watch every person within eyesight; she saw at least 6 cops the first ten minutes there, two on bikes and the rest on foot. But no one looked suspicious, only suburban moms with their strollers, joggers, couples walking through the park. They wandered the trail for about an hour, slowly getting closer together, though neither of them noticed. It wasn’t until Devon’s hand brushed against his that they realized how close they were. They stopped walking, half turning to each other, Devon’s cheeks flushing, an apology on her tongue. Barba opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a woman screaming.

Devon was a flurry of movement, embarrassment from the simple touch forgotten. Her first instinct was to shove Barba behind her, turning towards the noise. It took a moment for the woman’s words to process in her adrenaline-clogged brain.

“Help! He stole my purse!” she yelled, pointing. A man dressed like a burglar from a shitty movie, complete with loose jeans, a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, and dark sunglasses, was running on the path that Devon and Barba were currently on, a tan purse clutched in his hand. As the man tried to push passed them, Barba stuck out his leg. The man got caught on his foot and went down, slamming into the ground, glasses flying off his face.

“Great reflexes,” Devon said, jokingly, giving him a half-grin. She knelt down, grabbing his hands and pulling them behind his back. “Senior Special Agent Motely, FBI,” she informed the man. She grabbed the purse from his clutches and handed it to Barba.

“Did you doubt me?” Barba smirked back. He took the purse, looking towards the woman who had alerted them. She was on her way over, as well as the two bike cops. Barba handed over the purse, and Devon let the unis cuff the man. Devon noticed Barba’s hands were shaking; he must still be feeling anxious from the past couple days for this small action to affect him so.

“Come on,” Devon said, giving him a soft smile. She took Barba’s shaking hand, ignoring the jolt of electricity she felt from touching his burning skin, and led him away from the scene at a slow jog. She was hoping that a short jog would burn off the extra energy coursing through both of their veins. She led him out of the park and towards a small café across the street; one of her favorite spots.

“That was…surprisingly fun,” Barba chuckled, trying to catch his breath. Devon laughed with him; at least he had stopped shaking.

“Oh no, please stay as a lawyer. Don’t switch to cop,” Devon replied, feigning concern at his life choices.

“Why not? Afraid that I’d take your job?”

“No, but I think the power would go to your already inflated head.”

Barba scoffed as if offended. “Don’t lie; I’d outrank you in a week.”

“And there’s that ego I mentioned.” They chuckled, before a waitress came out to them. They both ordered a coffee—Devon got a pastry, too--and resigned to people watching while they waited for her to come back.

“To be honest, though, I am glad that we were able to help that woman out,” Devon said.

Barba agreed. “We got lucky that he ran towards the two people in the park that could help her.”

“That’s a little rude to the cops working in the park.”

Barba smirked. “But am I wrong?”

“Not at all,” she replied. Their coffee and food came just then, and they sat in silence, drinking and sharing the pastry. Devon broke the silence. “Today’s been really fun. I’m glad we decided to do this.”

“Me too. It’s nice getting out of the loft every now and again. To not worry about cases, files, rapes, murders, and traffickers.”

Devon nodded. “It does get…taxing, after a while. You have to find a balance in this line of work. It’s not always enough to just go home at the end of the day.”

Barba thought about what he wanted to say, how he wanted to say it. “I—I couldn’t imagine doing what you do. At least I get to go home at the end of the day. You just finished a three-year undercover op before this; you didn’t even get to go home. You didn’t get to talk to friends, hell you didn’t even have your own name. That sounds like a type of torture. And now, you still don’t get to go home.”

“At least I have some good company,” she smiled at him. She took a small bite of her pastry, then continued, “sometimes, it feels like torture. But you have to get so into your character, your fabricated life. You have to be invested in your fake job, fake friends, fake relationships. Sometimes, none of those things feel fake anymore. It’s just life…. I’ve learned that you need to have something, anything, that can pull you back to your real life.”

“What…what did you have?”

Devon’s cheeks turned red, though she tried to hide it by drinking her coffee. “You, uh, you got to promise me you will not tell a soul,” she said after putting her coffee down. She locked eyes with him. “I’m serious; no one must know of this, especially Olivia.”

Barba kept his face neutral, trying not to smile at how flustered Devon got, how cute she was when her face got all red like that. Was it really that bad? “Okay, I promise.”

Devon took a deep breath, let it out. Then she reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. She popped the case off, pulling something out. In her hand was a small square of what looked like folded paper. She went about unfolding it, and Barba realized it wasn’t a piece of paper, but a photo. It was so worn, so creased, that it was obvious how often she had needed to look at it during her time undercover. Once unfolded, she handed it to Barba, looking away sheepishly, sipping at her coffee.

The picture was faded, even though it was timestamped as only four years ago. It was a snapshot of what looked like a fun night in a dark bar. Devon was on the left, wearing a plastic top hat that read “Happy New Year’s! 2010” and with a drink in hand. She looked like she was laughing in the picture. Hanging on her, arm wrapped around the people on either side of her, was Olivia. It looked like she was trying to have them hold her up, but her face showed that it wasn’t happening. The photographer must have gotten her mid-fall—her mouth was open in a comical “O” shape. Barba only knew the man on the right because Olivia had showed her pictures before; his name was Elliot Stabler, Liv’s old partner. He wore a hat matching Devon’s, and it looked like Olivia was taking him down with her. His mouth was open in surprise, though a smile tugged at the corners. It was a great picture of three friends enjoying the start of the new year. Barba hated that he felt a pang of loneliness and jealousy looking at it. He looked up from the picture to find Devon watching him, cheeks still red.

“That was the first time since my childhood that I had celebrated my birthday; that I even had friends to celebrate with,” Devon explained, taking the photo back and gazing at it lovingly.

“Your birthday is New Year’s Eve?”

“Day, actually,” she corrected. She took one last look, then folded it up, stuffing it back into the phone case, popping it back on and replacing it in her pocket.

Barba wasn’t quite sure what to say. He was glad she had people to celebrate with, but also felt sad that it took her so long to find that kind of acceptance in her life. “Thank you for sharing that with me,” he said softly. There was nothing else to say. He was touched that she had opened up to him, had shown him something so personal.

Like in the park, they were both so enraptured in their thoughts that they stopped paying attention to their surroundings, especially their body language. They both had the same, stupid grin on their faces, as they stared into each other’s eyes. Barba had his hand on the table between them, and Devon didn’t even realize that she had placed hers on top of it. They were slowly leaning closer to each other, lost in the depths of their eyes, the closeness that they felt. Thinking about how today was a perfect date, yet neither would admit to the other that it even was one; it was just a walk in the park between friends. Sharing an intimate secret between friends. Holding hands, sharing a pastry, leaning closer, heads tilting, eyes closing…as friends….

Devon’s phone started ringing loudly, and they both jumped back, ripping their hands off the table. Devon fished her phone back out of her pocket, heart beating wildly. What just happened?

Barba looked flushed and a little…disappointed, grabbing his coffee and taking a sip, adverting his eyes. Devon looked at her phone screen, seeing her boss’s name lighting up across it.

“Uh oh…” she mumbled before answering. “Motely.”

“Is there a reason that NYPD’s Internal Affairs just handed me a file on you shooting a man two days ago?” Jenkins asked. He wasn’t angry; he just sounded tired.

Shit. “Oh, I meant to call you about that, sir,” Devon replied, heart still pounding. Her mind was going a mile a minute, stuck between thoughts of shooting Marco, IAB, and almost, maybe, about to kiss a certain counselor who was still avoiding her eyes. “You see, it’s a long story….”

“Well, you’d better come in and explain it to me, then.”

Devon looked to Barba, sipping innocently at his coffee. How much coffee does he still have? “Uh, permission to bring a civilian?” He finally looked at her at that, brow furrowed.

Jenkins sighed; he knew better than to ask questions. “Granted. Get here. Now.” And with that, he hung up.

Devon slowly put her phone down. She looked deeply into Barba’s green eyes. “Ever wanted to go to the FBI Headquarters?”

FBI Headquarters

Saturday, May 2nd. 12:37pm

Devon led Barba into the elevator leading to her boss’s office, his visitor badge bouncing off his chest.

“This is not what I had planned today when we agreed on a day off,” he mumbled, the doors closing behind them. Devon smirked.

“Sorry about this. I could’ve left you with a detective, if you really wanted. Or you can go back to the lobby; one of the field agents can watch you.”

Barba scoffed. “I’m not a child for you to pass around.”

“Then stop complaining like one,” she replied. He glared at her, and she stuck her tongue out in response. The elevator doors dinged and opened, and Devon led him down the long hallway to Jenkins’s office.

“Come in,” he said before she even had a chance to knock. Barba gave her a look, eyebrows raised. She shrugged in a yeah, that’s normal way, then opened the door for him, following him in. Jenkins kept his office space neat, tidy; a desk with two monitors, a couple of full bookshelves, and a small conference table in the corner. Although he was the Assistant Director, in charge of multiple sectors of field agents, he still didn’t spend much time in his office, usually only resigning to the space at night or on weekends to do paperwork. Much like Olivia, he worked his way up from field agent, and his heart and mind were still out in the field. He had trouble sitting still for too long, and was often out of the office, running teams or even in the field himself as much as possible. Which was why everyone respected him, whether they liked him or not.

“Counselor,” Jenkins said in his deep voice, nodding to Barba, before turning back to Devon. “Motely, report.”

Devon took a deep breath, then filled him in on everything that had happened since the end of January, starting from the night she met Barba, to talking to Olivia, to accepting the 24/7 protection of the ADA. “I honestly didn’t think it would be this…extensive,” Devon finished, lacking a better word. It was true, though; she knew what 24/7 protection was like, but she had only ever done it for a weekend at most. Never for months at a time. And though she knew that there was the chance of it lasting longer than she thought, it was different talking about it and actually doing it.

“So, this shooting of Marco Sorrel was in defense of Mr. Barba here,” Jenkins replied, looking at the case file from IAB.

“Yes sir.”

“And this protection order is still in effect? That’s why you brought him here, I take it?”

“Yes sir.” Devon felt Barba tense next to her; she had almost forgot he was there. He had said nothing since coming into the office. He knew when to bite his tongue.

“For how much longer? I need my top agent back to work.”

That knocked the wind out of Devon’s sails. It was the confirmation that after this was over, she would be going right back to work for the FBI. She wasn’t surprised, but it did solidify her resolve; she could not have a relationship with Barba, regardless of their feelings. She basically already told him as much that one day they talked a little too loosely about relationships.

“To my knowledge, there’s only 7 more Aces active in the city. Once they’re arrested, and the hit on Barba is off, I’ll be cleared for work again, sir,” Devon informed him.

Jenkins smirked. “Only 7? Tell that SVU Sergeant that I’ll make sure it’s taken care of before the weekend is over. I want to see you here, bright and early, on Monday morning; there’s a sex-trafficking ring I need you in on.”

Devon felt her stomach drop, her world crumbling. But she kept her face neutral, her voice steady. “Y-yes sir,” she said. Hearing the dismissal in his voice, she turned, Barba following suit, and left the office.

Apartment of Rafael Barba

Saturday, May 2nd. 3:05pm

“So, are we going to talk about it?” Barba finally asked from the kitchen. They both had been silent leaving the Bureau, and even more distant on the ride back to Barba’s loft. They tried small talk, but it sizzled out after a couple words. They both resigned to doing their own thing; Devon researching on her laptop, Barba doing the dishes from breakfast.

“Talk about what?” Devon replied, but she knew. Of course, she did. But she wanted to hear him say it.

Barba sighed, turning off the water. He placed the last pan on the drying rack, drying his hands off before coming to stand in the doorway. “Let’s be adults about this. Please. You know what,” when Devon stayed silent, Barba continued, “about what happened, well, what almost happened at the café. About the fact that you’re going to be leaving soon. About…about where that leaves us.”

Devon’s heart fluttered when he said “us.” God, she wanted there to be an “us” so damn badly. But she couldn’t force herself to take that leap, to fully commit to him. How could she, when both of their schedules were so busy, so crazy? Jenkins said it himself; she was about to go right back into the field. She could be gone for months, years at a time. She could be hurt or worse. How could she possibly hurt Barba like that, put him through that?

“The café was a mistake,” she said as flatly as she could. She stared at his chest, not able to make eye contact with him. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, Rafael, but there isn’t an ‘us.’ This is a job, and once it’s over, I’m back to working with the Bureau.” Devon was glad that there were no tears in her eyes; her years of training, of becoming personas were coming in handy, even if her own heart was breaking at her words. She dared a glance into Barba’s face.

He was crestfallen, his face falling. He had been sure, was positive, that she had felt the same way about him. Especially when they brushed hands in the park, when they almost kissed in the café. It took him weeks and weeks to build up the courage to make a move, and when her hand had enveloped his at that table, he knew that that was his moment. Then that damned phone call happened. And then, that damned meeting with her boss! And now she was going to leave him, by tomorrow if her boss was correct. That’s why he had to tell her, he had to know if she had felt the same.

“I thought you said that we were friends. That you cared about me,” he said softly. God, he sounded desperate, pathetic, even to himself.

Devon’s eyes softened, if only for a moment. “You are, and I do. But Barbs, we can’t be any more than that. You know that, right?” Her resolve was shaking under his intense stare. She could see him caving in on himself, his shoulders slumping slightly, his head falling, knees bending. His whole body language just screamed defeated. And she was the one delivering the blows.

He took a deep breath, stiffening his spine, raising his head; the prosecutor heading into a losing battle. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be putting you in this kind of situation. Forget I mentioned it.” With that, he made his way down the hallway and into his room, closing his door softly behind him. Devon opened her mouth but couldn’t think of anything to say.

Great, she thought. There goes that friendship. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, though; it made things a little less awkward. And it made her leaving easier. Plus, it’d be just like one of her many one-night stands anyways. No attachments: just cut all ties when she left. And leave the broken pieces of her heart behind.

As if the timing couldn’t be more perfect, Devon got an incoming call, from Olivia.

“Motely,” she answered, trying to sound professional.

“Devon! Great news: all the Aces have been rounded up and delivered to the NYPD. Did you call in the Feds to help?” Olivia asked.

Devon smiled grimly. “No, but my boss did offer his assistance after getting IAB’s report.”

“Well, he certainly assisted. Also, I just got a report that said that an hour ago, the Aces in Rikers got in a fight with the 32nd street gang in the prison courtyard. Jorge Ramirez was killed in the scuffle,” Olivia paused, letting her words sink in. “To our knowledge, the hit on Barba has been called off; you can go home, now.”

Devon sat in silence, trying to figure out what the hell the bombardment of emotions she felt was; it was all too much, too quickly. “Devon? You there?” she heard Liv say.

“Yeah, yeah sorry, I’m here. That’s…that’s great news, Liv. I’ll be sure to tell Barbs; I’m sure he’ll be relieved.”

They talked for a few more minutes before Devon made an excuse to hang up, citing the fact that she needed to pack and go grocery shopping before heading home. She sighed heavily, rubbing her hands over her face, but she stood and started collecting her small number of possessions.

“It’s done, isn’t it?” a voice came from down the hallway. Devon stopped, but didn’t turn to look.

“Yes; all the Aces have been arrested. Plus, Ramirez was shanked in a prison fight, so the hit’s been called off,” she turned to look at the man now, “congratulations, Barbs. You’re no longer a marked man.”

The door to his bedroom was wide open and Barba was leaning casually against the doorframe. Well, as casually as he could; his body was tight with tension, as much as he tried to hide it, and if Devon looked closely, she could see a small red ring around his eyes. He gave a stiff nod, peeling himself off the doorframe and coming out into the living room. Devon finished packing her things, zipping up her grip and slinging it over her shoulder. She felt a slew of emotions run through her; she needed to get out of there, but she was rooted to the spot.

“When will I see you again?” Barba murmured. It was barely a whisper, so quiet that it was hard to tell if he actually said it, or if Devon imagined it.

She gave him a soft smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure we’ll end up working on a case together at some point…I do help SVU from time to time,” she replied quietly. He gave her another stiff nod, not trusting himself to speak. She no longer trusted her own voice, and turned away, unable to look at his face anymore. She felt tears spring to her eyes, and she blinked them away rapidly, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Devon made her way to the front door, unlocking it, opening it slowly.

“Wait,” Barba finally choked out. Devon froze at the door, one foot already in the hallway. She looked over her shoulder at him, eyes softening for a moment. His mouth opened and closed a couple times, but no sound came out.

She gave him a small smile. “Stay safe,” she whispered, and then she was gone.

 *********************

Devon didn’t go straight home. It was still early in the evening; the sun still hadn’t set, and it was still warm out. She also didn’t call a cab; instead opting to simply wander the streets, the grip slung over her shoulder soon forgotten as her mind, too, began to wander. She made it a full block before the tears began to flow, slowly at first, but then soon falling freely. She let them, ignoring the stares from strangers she walked by. It was good to let it all out, especially here, outdoors, rather than in her own space. She did wander in the general direction of her apartment—she lived about a 30-minute walk from Barba’s loft—and she took her time, weaving in and out of the streets. Finally, with the sun setting, and her shoulder growing sore from the weight, she made her way home.

 *********************

Apartment of Devon Motely

Saturday, May 2nd. 7:35pm

After her undercover op in California, Devon had the cleaners from the FBI clean her place so that it wasn’t dusty or gross. This was not the case with the past three months with Barba; the place had obviously not been inhabited. Dust covered every surface, there was a weird smell that wasn’t there before, and it was stuffy. Devon sighed, having no motivation to clean anything, emotionally drained. She looked at the clock and sighed again, realizing she hadn’t eaten anything besides breakfast and the little pastry at the café by the park, right before everything fell apart. She should eat, but she didn’t feel hungry. She didn’t really feel anything right now except for emptiness…a longing, and a loneliness that she hadn’t felt in years.

She went to her room and checked her bed, sniffing the sheets. They smelled musty, and she knew she couldn’t sleep in that. She stripped the sheets and threw them on the floor in the corner; that was a tomorrow problem. She went to her closet and pulled out her back-up sheets but couldn’t bring herself to make the bed. Instead, she threw them on the bed in a heap and made her way to the kitchen. Hungry or not, she should eat something, especially if she planned on drinking—and she did plan on drinking; maybe it would help lessen some of the emptiness, though she knew, deep down, that that was a load of crap.

First things first, she looked in her liquor cabinet, finding some cheap whiskey. Fingers crossed, she looked in her fridge and, hallelujah, she found an unopened bottle of Coca Cola. She quickly made herself a strong drink, then took another look in the fridge. No food to be found. She checked her pantry next. A couple cans of soup and some long-expired rice. She winced, remembering that she had been gone for over three years now; she really needed to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

Sighing, she grabbed a box of instant rice and opened it. It wasn’t fuzzy or discolored, so she presumed it was fine. The alcohol she was drinking would kill anything in it, anyways. While waiting for the water to boil, she unpacked her grip, throwing the clothes in a laundry bin, plugging in her laptop, and taking out her toiletries, to be replaced with new ones tomorrow. She went back to the kitchen, grabbed a notepad, and started making a list of foods. Once done, she had a thought, and went to her supply closet. After checking the small amount of cleaners she had, she added ones she needed to the list too. She was on autopilot, thoughts blank, afraid to stop moving. Actions kept her thoughts at bay. Speaking of moving, she realized that she could finally go back to the gym tomorrow morning, something that she thought she’d be excited for, but in this state, it was a dull thought. She dreaded the pain she’d be in tomorrow—her little morning routine wasn’t intense enough to replace a gym workout—but knew it would be worth it in the end.

Satisfied with her list, Devon took her food and drink, then sat in her living room. She didn’t like how the apartment didn’t seem…familiar, not in the way she was used to, or how his had felt. Even with her work, she had lived in this apartment for about seven years now, and it was always a welcome relief coming home. Now, it was like a piece was missing. Suddenly, the silence was pushing in on her, deafening her. She lunged for the TV remote, turned on whatever sports station she could find, and sat there, picking at her rice as the announcers were droning on about…the Mets. It didn’t really matter what was on, as long as there was continuous talking, hence, sports.

It didn’t take long, though, before the monotone voices seemed to tune out of her consciousness. Devon finished her food and drink, went back to the kitchen to dispose of her dishes, and brought the whiskey and coke back to the couch with her. She quickly lost count of drinks, thinking more and more about, well, everything that happened the past couple months. She remembered the first night she had met the ADA, before she knew who he was. She thought about how he didn’t want her help at first, how he had told Olivia that he didn’t need her. How she had made a deal with him that she’d never bother him again afterwards.

She thought about those first few weeks together, about how they were awkward around each other, learning about each other. She thought about how fascinated she was the first time she watched him in court, the pride and awe the first time he won a conviction. She remembered how his eyes lit up, how he set his jaw when he ran through his arguments with her in his office. She remembered how his green eyes conveyed concern when she got stabbed in the shoulder. She remembered his little smirk when he found something amusing. She wondered when she noticed all these little things about him.

She was shocked when she felt the tears on her cheeks, didn’t notice them pooling in her eyes. So, what if she loved him? It wasn’t going to work; she knew that! She had to move on with her life, let him move on, too. He deserved someone who could love him with their whole heart, who could be there for him when he needed them. She couldn’t be that person; she was always on call, and it was never a guarantee that see would come home at night.

Devon let out a loud sniffle, trying to control her emotions. It was final; she would forget about Rafael Barba. She would get a good night sleep, clean her apartment tomorrow, and then go back to work on Monday. And that was that. She finished her drink, wiped the tears out of her eyes, then went to her room. She saw the sheets clumped on her bed and let out a frustrated scream.

I would like to req: trying to cook new dishes with Bokuto because you’re bored in quarantine. Can be headcanon/fic/whatever style of writing works 🥺🥺

omg thanks so much for the req !! i didn’t expect it to be nearly 2k words but this made me so happy while writing it oh gosh ٩( ᐛ )و i hope you enjoy !!

cooking with bokuto🍽

bokuto x gn!reader

summary: with everything being closed due to the current pandemic, you and bokuto decide to have some fun in the kitchen :D

includes: fluff & light cursing

wc: 1.743K

one-shot below the cut

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Kou, I’m hungry.”

You yawn out as you stretch. Since quarantine started, things have been fairly quiet; all schools and their extra curricular activities have been postponed until further notice, so the time you would normally waste sitting in dull classes and watching late night practices, has instead been spent relaxing with your boyfriend.

“Wanna go get McDonald’s or something?”

Bokuto suggests, sitting up beneath you. You’ve done nothing all day, except for cuddling on the couch and binge-watching children’s movies with him, yet that stir crazy feeling kept nagging you like a bug bite.

“Nah, I was thinking of actually cooking something for once. Constant consumption of fast food has been proven to negatively effect your health.”

You proclaim in an informing tone; he lets out a chuckle, patting the top of your head, “Okay, okay, Dr. [L/N], how does oven pizza sound?”

You shake your head, “I said make something, like, homemade.”

Bokuto chuckles once more, wrapping his arms around your waist and squeezing you tight, “Oh, you meant that kind of homemade! Which recipe do you have in mind?”

With the sudden abundance of free time, you spent most of your days scouring the internet for fun tasks to do during this time off. The one that stood out the most was cooking; there were so many different meals to create and jazz up with your own pizazz, so you decided that’s exactly what you were going to do.

“How do crêpes sound?”

“Skinny pancakes?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his response, “Yes, Bokuto, we’re going to make skinny pancakes.”

You get up from the couch and head into the kitchen, excited to actually do something productive.

“Make sure you wash your hands, babe.”

You announce as you walk over to the sink, pushing the handle up and pumping soap onto your palms. After the suds nearly coated the entirety of your hands, you rinsed them under the warm water and dried them off with a towel. The recipe was already on your phone, so you head over to the pantry to grab the proper ingredients with your device in hand.

Most of the dry ingredients like flower, salt and sugar were always available, since you rarely ever used them. You placed the bags onto the counter and walked to the fridge, opening it slowly. You thought there would be nothing in there, but to your surprise, there was nearly a full carton of eggs, 2 whole sticks of butter, and half a gallon of milk remaining, so you pulled them out, placed them next to the other ingredients and grabbed a mixing bowl and measuring cups.

You look up from your phone only to see an empty couch.

“Kou?”

You call out, slightly confused. He was literally right over there. Just as you were about to go look for him, Bokuto slides into the kitchen, clearly holding something behind his back.

“Y/N! Guess what I found!”

You giggle, amused by his excitement.

“What is it?”

He slowly pulls out an apron and a chef hat.

“Ta-da! Matching cooking attire!”

He puffed out his chest, standing proud as a wide grin appears on his face, “I know, I know. Thank me later.” He says as he placed them on the counter.

You smile warmly. I don’t remember ever buying that stuff.

“Aw, babe, those are so cute!”

A few minutes of arguing about who gets to wear the hat passes by; now you can finally start preparing the batter.

“Stop pouting, Bokuto. You look adorable in that apron!” You cooed, rolling up your sleeves and adjusting the big, white hat that sat upon your head. The apron he was sporting was decorated with little crowns, an assortment of jewels, the words “Queen of the Kitchen” near the chest and a strip of black lace lining the hem.

“Whatever.”

He growls, crossing his arms in front of him.

“Okay!” you say with a wide smile, clasping your hands together, “Let’s get cooking!”

You pour a cup of the flower into the mixing bowl, along with 2 eggs.

“Hey, babe, can you start pouring the milk and water while I stir?”

You ask whilst batting your eyelashes. Bokuto was still a bit salty about the apron fiasco, but caved in almost instantly when he saw your cute expression.

“How much does it call for?” He asked, spinning the cap off the gallon of milk.

“Um, lemme check.”

You shift your gaze from the bowl to your phone and look for the liquid’s measurements.

“Half a cup for each.”

He nods, his determination setting in.

“Gotcha!”

You start to mix the flower and eggs while Bokuto pours the milk in first, then the water. The butter, salt and sugar were slowly added in after, until everything was finally in the bowl. Although the batter was fairly thin in consistency and didn’t require much energy to combine, you started to work up a sweat.

“Wow, laying around all day and not exercising has really gotten to me.” You huff out, wiping the thin layer of sweat off your brow.

Without a word, Bokuto steps behind you, placing his hand on top of the one you were using to hold the bowl, and the other on the one that was mixing; they were warmer, rougher, and much larger than yours.

“Let me help you with that, baby.”

He offered, the vibration of his words tingling down your spine.

You let out a soft giggle as a small smile grew across your face.

“Thanks, Kou, you’re too kind~”

After all of the ingredients were well combined, it was time to actually cook.

You set the frying pan on top of the stove, coating the surface with some oil and turning on the flame. Taking 1/4 of a cup of batter, you pour it into the pan and try your best to evenly spread it around by tilting the pan itself until the entire top was covered. After the first side was fully cooked, you scrape the edges of the crêpe to make the flipping process easier.

“Babe, can you start cutting the strawberries and bananas, please?”

You ask, focusing more on speaking than the current task at hand; just then, you felt a burning sensation on the tip of your finger which caused you to jump back, sucking in a sudden quick breath.

“Shit!”

“What happened, Y/N? Are you okay?”

Bokuto asked, a concern expression plastered upon his face as he rushed over to you.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a light surface burn.”

He immediately reaches for the wounded finger, slowly bringing the digit up to his lips and placing a light kiss on the tip.

“Does it feel better now, babe?”

You couldn’t contain your laughter; that was too fucking precious.

“Yes, thank you, Bokuto.”

He smiled, pecking the top of your forehead.

You resume flipping the crêpe in the pan, hoping it wasn’t burnt; you let out a sigh of relief. Thank god it wasn’t.

After 10 minutes of pouring and flipping, the base of the dish was finished; Bokuto finished cutting the fruit about the same time you did, so it was finally time to eat. You took two of the warm crêpes, and Bokuto took three.

“Man, I’m starving. These smell amazing, Y/N!”

You giggle, a light blush dusting the tip of your cheeks and ears.

“Thanks for your help, Kou!”

“Anything for my little baby cakes.”

He cooed, a wide grin painted across his face as he scratched the back of his head; he loved being praised, especially when it was coming from you. Even if it was a simple task like pouring milk and water into a bowl, or cutting fruit, he was still very happy to be of assistance.

“Okay, let’s start the fun part!”

You grab a handful of strawberries, sprinkling them on top of the first crêpe and folding the corners around the fruit. On the second crêpe, you decided to mix it up and put blueberries and bananas on the inside.

You gasp, remembering something important.

“Do we have chocolate sauce?”

Bokuto looks up from his creation, which was a disaster. A pile of bananas, strawberries and blueberries stretched the “skin” of the crêpe, tearing where it was being pulled a little too taut.

“Uh, it should be in the fridge.”

You rush over to the fridge, practically swinging the door open. You spotted the chocolate, and a can of whipped cream; double win. You skip back over to your crêpe, popping the cap and drizzling the sauce and whipped cream over the tops. After stepping back and admiring your masterpiece, you head to the silverware drawer and grab two forks and two knives.

“Okay, time to finally eat!”

You cut a small portion off, sticking it into your mouth; the crêpe was warm and chewy. Pairing it with the slightly non-ripened strawberries and toppings added the perfect amount of sweet and sour. Bokuto, on the other hand, practically shoveled half the damn thing in his mouth, chocolate sauce dribbled out from the corner of his mouth.

You shake your head, laughing.

“You’re such a messy eater, babe.”

“No, m noth!”

He says, his mouth still very full of crêpe. You laugh even more, wiping the tears from your eyes.

“You should see yourself right now. You look like a chipmunk!”

He furrowed his brow, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed the food quickly. He never noticed the sauce nearly dripping off his chin, so you took a napkin and wiped it for him.

“I could have done that myself, y’know.”

”Yeah, but I wanted to do it.”

He lets out a playful sigh of defeat, now eating his crêpe in smaller bites.

After you both finished eating, you brought your plate to the sink and turned on the water. Bokuto nearly jumped out of his chair, rushing over to you.

“I have clean up duty, babe.”

You turn to look at him with a slightly confusion expression.

“We both did the same amount of work, though. Shouldn’t we split it up?”

“Nope! You got hurt, remember? You need to rest.”

You giggle, hugging Bokuto as you peck him on the lips, the chocolate flavor still lingering.

“Alright, Kou. I’ll go rest.”

He smiles, returning the exchange.

“Good. We can watch more movies when I finish, okay?”

You nod happily, squeezing him tight, his sent flooding to your nostrils.

“Sounds like a plan, babe~”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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Life, For Dummies p4

a/n: any one out here wilding? i’m just vibing and writing comes when you ave zero braincells left...

Waking up was a struggle, you’d never slept that deeply or that well. The combination between a long, hot shower and Earth-shattering sex made it all too easy to sleep. You were so, so sore, but it was good. You admitted you hadn’t been fucked like that, heavens, at all if not for a long while. You looked at the large mirror across from your bed, lifting up your shirt. You had a few book-related bruises. 

Stretching and feeling out the fact that you obviously didn’t have your sea legs yet. Your knees and thighs were wobbling and weak.

Then you caught it in the reflection. The collar- your collar. You half- thought it was just a fever dream. But it was real, and it’s weight was light but suddenly very noticable. The ring pressed against your larynx, the bow at the back felt oddly graceful as you flexed your neck to get a better look. 

You finally allowed yourself to cry- this was what dreams were made of. (hey now, hey now!) You were exhausted already, you were happy. You felt light years away from where you were before the Master whisked you away. Hell, the last time you saw the Doctor seemed just a memory. 

So much had changed. You felt completely different. Yes, you had all your same traits, likes and dislikes. But a week with the Master? Chaotic, mind blowing, devastating, beautiful, enriching and most of all, beyond your wildest dreams and even your deepest darkest wishes.

You definitely were different. The collar around your throat and the bruises and sore, stiff muscles proved you were. Not only were you having a tea party with the Devil, but you were the Devil’s whore. 

It was wicked, and all too amazing. He treated you well for the most part. Very well. For only knowing you a week, he seemed to harbor no true ill will. 

You got dressed and wracked your brain, reconciling everything finally and putting thoughts in boxes where they needed to go. It was slow, but needed. And time really did not matter anymore. You splashed yourself with cold water from the sink and prepared yourself mentally for outside your solitary walls. You had no clue what was waiting outside and you needed to put yourself out of any more revieries that might pop up. You had a lot of thoughts, and a lot of places to add up. Obviously, pro and con lists were out of the questions these days.

You supposed if this was a standard exchange of power, that rules and limits would be in place, but there was already the imbalance of aliens with knowledge of all of history, time travel, and space. Humans were simpler and had an equal footing. Therefore it was always up for debate.

You were halfway through finishing your daily SPF and thought about what if’s. Where was this all going? You couldn’t ask, obviously. He made it all up as he went along as much, if not more than the Doctor.

Poor Doctor, you allowed yourself to think, picks you up from your mundane routine only for you to better fit in with her best enemy. 

Her loss, his gain.

Things added up, morals and ethics wise. The Doctor could be just as callous and just as insane, yet hid behind the greater good. She was a spoonful of sugar whereas he was castor oil. Twin sides of a coin…

You shook yourself from these thoughts. Too much to process in one morning for you, especially without caffeine to mainline. 

You finished up and made your way out after stretching and taking a few excedrin you found rattling around the medicine chest. This TARDIS was incredibly intuitive and even materialised all your usual products you used. Or maybe the Master read your mind and supplied them. Either way, it was a big help…

You made your way out and sat down to an already piping hot mug of coffee and a tinkering Master. Your heart and stomach gave a flutter. You rolled your eyes at your over-eagerness.

“You’re finally up, I was worried that I’d have to physically go in there…”

You sloshed into yourself, “How long was I actually asleep?”

“19 hours. I think that qualifies as a coma with you humans.” 

“I obviously needed to sleep.” You talked into your coffee mug. It tasted good. Strong, a little crunchy, very much the perfect cup you didn’t have to add anything to.

“Mmn, you made this?” You asked, pointing to the mug held loft in your hand.

“Of course, I know how to make coffee, spent years on the Outback of Australia, I got bored, I know how to be perfect at everything…”

“Yeah, sure, perfect at everything.” You rolled eyes again, this time at him. 

“I am the Master.”

“Alright, alright.” You gave a concessional hand. You stared into your coffee and contemplated breakfast. You weren’t usually a big fan of eating in the morning, but all things considered you scraped yourself away from the coffee and started looking through the cupboards to see if anything was appealing to you in the moment. Nothing seemed terribly tasty so you just grabbed a bowl of random cereal and some sort of liquid you assumed was oat milk by the scent. 

You felt his eyes studying your back the entire time, you didn’t know if it was in an observational manner or just perversely taking a peek at your backside. 

“You like the show?” You demanded jokingly. 

“Of course, pet…” He leaned back and placed the device he had down. It was a long silver and gold rod with three prongs at the tip. “I see my pretty little pet has found her pretty little treat.” He went over and flipped a strand of your hair and fingered the collar at your neck before stroking at your sternum. He smiled down and flexed his lips open. The lighting made his teeth glitter dangerously. 

The dim lighting really brought out a beautiful tone to his lips. You tried to return to your cereal, but you pecked him on the cheek and steered yourself to a seated position. Temptation could take a temporary back burner. You had to get some semblance of nutrition into you.

He joined you at the table. 

“I was thinking of a few ideas, but I wanted your input.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, really, I can more than enough make my own choices, but to spice it up, why not get some feedback? What chaos shall be wrought today?” He bent over the table, disregarding the personal space needed to eat a bowl of cereal and let actual brain-processing happen. 

“What all did you have in mind?” You scooted back infinitesimally and tried to finish breakfast quickly. 

He quickly pointed to some post-it notes, “Here’s the name of an intergalactic crime boss who owes me a few favors, figured we could go and rough him up until he squeals, giving me the powerful weaponry we all know he has. Or, here’s a plan to visit a certain set of pepper pots and make some deals that most definitely will backfire, but it would be great fun to see them get frustrated and deny the fact that they can get frustrated. Or I was thinking of visiting Earth and teasing Torchwood and UNIT around early 2000’s Cardiff, you know, for funsies. Oh! What if we went back to Raxacoricofallapatorius and destroyed their nursery?” He was spinning around and fluttering between notebooks and sketches including one where he was strangling a person in an army uniform and a handlebar moustache. 

“Jesus, how fast does your brain go?” You massage your temples…

“Too much? Huh? What would you suggest then?” He pouted, placing a hand at his hip and jutting it out.

“Why don’t we just start slow and nothing Earthly? Crime boss seem good? Simple even…” You slurped the milk off the spoon, “But lemme finish Breakfast first!” Pointing it at him, “Slow your roll. Savor the day. Do you Time Lords even sleep?”

“Rarely.” 

“Wow, that explains so much.”

He querched an eyebrow, “And what would that be, love?” The love felt oddly formal, not like being called a pet. 

“I’ve only met two of you, mind, so I might be generalizing...but the high energy. Like... “ You pressed your fingertips together, “Napping? Don’t you enjoy finding a good place to sleep during the day and just sleeping and enjoying the restfulness and sensations of the sun through a window and maybe a breeze if you open it a bit.”

“No, I’d love to try it, sounds pleasurable…”

“And you said that you were the Master of Everything.” You false-scandalized then laughed, cupping his face and smiling at him. It was great. He really made you laugh in one of those cheesy, stupid ways.

“I could punish you for talking down to your Owner…” He teased right back.

“Oooh...dirty.” You gave a salacious wink.

You could feel the “You have no idea…” radiating from his pores.

“Come along, my pet…” He pulled you from the table and over to the console, “We got a crime boss to torture…”

He punched in the coordinates and grabbed his jacket, then pulled you out the door…

You were toasting your success in the newly acquired weapons-room that now belonged to, as he poured you a little more champagne. 

You oddly enjoyed helping torturing the poor sap. He squirmed and you enjoyed him blanching from pain. 

The machine you saw him working on was a laser screw-driver? And he gave it to you as he was attaching some high tech hand-cuffs to the man. He told you that the controls were intuitive and to “give it a whirl...see how that grabs you…” Watching the gross little green man scream and shake around, flushing and pleading- felt good. Felt powerful. It brought you a tingle of pleasure and you could see why the Master was fond of it. The device felt good in your hand and after the second whorl of your wrist, it felt like a natural extension. It felt right to hold it in your hand and be able to grasp such power. 

A bit of sadism? Then champagne? And the thrill of a steal? All felt like an adrenaline rush.

What were you becoming?

A shred of our conscience echoed about the fact that you, obviously, had to kill him, something the Master allowed you to turn into him and avert your eyes as he shrunk his body and flicked it into a drainage gate. He knew your limits and didn’t go past what he knew you could currently take. You grimaced a bit as you heard a tiny clink. That was a tad harsh. 

All in all, a busy day... 

He was busy cataloging and cooing at all the tech he had access to his as he put it “fun, evil plans”...

It was hilarious and so endearing to watch. He was like a kid in a candy shop. Soft, feral, incorrigible. 

You determined that a small nap whilst tipsy and moonstruck was a great gift to yourself. You felt the collar and played idly with the diamond heart until you blacked out. 

You woke up to him watching you. “One of those fabulous little naps you talked of?” He stroked your thigh and massaged the fabric of your shorts. You pulled yourself up and propped yourself up on your elbows and coyly smiled, “Care to join me?” You winked, “Take a walk on the wild side. It’s a real treat. After that...who knows?” You teased him. 

He considered it and then loosened the buttons, and took off his jacket before laying it down and rolling up his sleeves. He laid down and you offered him to slide up to you. He obliged stiffly but soonly gave in. You spotted his chest hair and stared at it for a moment. You then acted, you traced it, mildly twirling your finger in its mass, he shuddered and then left you to continue. You laid down your head on his chest and felt his hearts pounding between two different beats. 

He murmured, “Keep the screwdriver. A little gift. From me to you…” You felt his hearts hitch a bit.

Sighing, you told him, “Relax." You let out a sleepy little moan. You embraced the warmth of his body and soothing echoing in his chest like a whitenoise machine. "You're doing excellent.." The Master eased up and you felt yourself ease up and drift off. You dreamt of falling through water and waves and the scent of fires and musk. You could feel a pair of eyes watching you, but they felt nonjudgmental, just guiding you deeper down. Deeper under the spell of sleep and total darkness. 

Outside chapter 2: Skyrim and Laundry

Chapter 2 is here, folks! Here we delve a little bit more into Scout's head and see her reactions to stuff.

When Scout woke up, she couldn't recognize where she was for a minute. It was only when she heard muffled singing that she remembered what had happened. They had actually managed to escape. Alive.

'I can't believe we actually got out. I didn't think it was even possible.' She sat up and looked around the room, able to see better now thanks to the light streaming in through the windows. The wallpaper was a faded blue and yellow, the carpet was a stained brown, and there were metal cans all over the floor.

Somehow, though, it was still better than the HQ. Maybe it was the lack of bloodstains and slumped over bodies. Or maybe it was the sunlight streaming in through the window over the sink, making the whole room look brighter. She Jumped to the coffee table, and then to one of the kitchen chairs. From there she was able to climb onto the table, and get a better view of where to go next. Not that there were a lot of options, of course.

'Hmm, the counter seems like a good idea. And there might be something cool there...' She spotted a good area by the fridge and Jumped to it right as her Host wandered in, hair looking damp. Scout watched as she opened the fridge without acknowledging the Puppet, humming some song she'd never heard before. When she closed the door, the Puppet decided to finally announce her presence.

"Hey-"

The Human shrieked, dropping the bottle she'd been holding. Orange liquid went everywhere, soaking the rugs laid out over the linoleum.  She clutched at her chest and gave a pained wheeze.

"Ho-ly shit." Scout deadpanned. "You have a great set of lungs." Yeah she was laying the sarcasm on a little thick, but she felt justified in doing so. Who just screams like that, anyways?

"I forgot you were here." The Host gasped out, leaning down to pick up the bottle. She gave it a disappointed look before throwing it in the trash and grabbing the paper towels. "How'd you even get up there, anyways?"

"I Jumped." If she sounds smug, her Host doesn't comment on it. Instead she wiped up the juice and got a bottle of water out of the fridge instead. She then grabbed something foil-wrapped from a cupboard and leaned against the counter to eat it.

"So," She started after swallowing a bite, "Sammy's already left for work, so it's just us here. Which means we can do pretty much anything we want, so long as I, uh, stick his rugs in the washer first." She grimaced, then took another bite as she waited for a response. When none came she decided to suggest a few things. "He has video-games, Netflix, and some books but I think they're all medical textbooks."

"Video-games?" Scout could vaguely remember seeing something about those on the TV. Commercials mostly, but sometimes they showed up in the shows she watched. She wasn't entirely sure what they were, but figured it was something fun. Or torturous. They did have "game" in the name, after all, and the only games she knew involved Puppets dying at the end.

"Video-games it is! We just gotta take these things down to the laundry room first Lemme find a basket..." She left the room briefly, returning with a faded plastic basket. As she picked each rug up, trying to be quick so they wouldn't drip onto the floor, Scout took a chance and Jumped onto her back. The Host jumped, but other than that didn't react much beyond turning her head to give Scout a look.

"You don't have to come along. I shouldn't take too long." She told the Puppet. Scout just shrugged in response, wrapping her small arms around the Human's neck.

"I know, but I-" 'don't want to be on my own please don't leave me alone' "-want to see how it's done."

The Human blinked. "It's...not really all that interesting. Kinda boring actually." But she didn't do anything to actually stop Scout as she approached the door. She grabbed the handle, but paused before she opened the door. Her breathing began to speed up as she stared at it, tightening her grip. She let go and slowly backed away, only to suddenly drop the basket as she made a beeline to the bedroom.

Once there, she dropped to the floor and reached under the bed, pulling out a metal baseball bat. Now armed, she went back to the door and yanked it open, barely remembering the basket as she fast-walked to the elevator. Upon the doors closing, she breathed a small sigh of relief and wiped some water off of her face.

When the elevator reached the basement, she went over to the nearest washer and dumped the clothes in. She then quickly measured out soap and poured it in. She set the timer on the machine and her phone, but paused before she closed the washer and looked over at Scout.

"What?" Her eyes darted between the Puppet and the washer. "Oh don't you even fucking dare."

"You are kinda filthy, though. The bloodstains are gross, and they were there even before you got sewn to my hand."

"You don't fucking need to put me in there, though." Scout glared. "I can just wash in the sink."

"Alright." She closed the lid, then started the washer and timer. "I'll get you some soap or something later. Maybe do that when we get home..." She was mumbling now, words becoming indistinct as she walked back to the elevator, still gripping the bat.

After they made it back up, Host went over to the TV and turned it on, changing the channel. She then turned on a black box underneath it and grabbed a controller, sitting cross-legged on the couch. Scout dropped herself into her lap to get a better view, gaining a brief, odd look from the Human.

"Alright, let's see what kind of games he has on here..." She scrolled through the menu. "Oooh! Skyrim! I think you'll like this one, Scout!" She selected the game, and they watched the opening cut-scene play.

Scout watched her play for a while, through a dragon attack and delving into an ancient ruin and fighting rotted zombies. It was one of the most amazing things Scout had seen since she first found that old TV, and somehow it was her Host doing it all. She wondered, vaguely, if maybe she'd be able to play too at some point. Which is why she was so mad when the phone beeped and Host paused the game, grabbing Scout and leaving the couch.

"Hey, wait! What about the game?!" She wanted to reach for it, but knew it would be futile as Host carried her farther away from the couch.

"It'll be here when we get back, don't worry." The Host assured her as she picked up the bat. "But first we have to swap the rugs to the dryer. It's rude not to, and someone could move them onto the floor if we wait." The Puppet crossed her arms and grumbled, but didn't protest further. So she left the apartment and went straight for the elevator, getting in as soon as the doors opened.

She was able to move the rugs to a free dryer without incident, even explaining a little bit of the process to Scout. The entire time the Puppet hung from around her neck and watched over her shoulder with interest. This changed when the elevator doors opened again, and a woman and young girl walked out, each carrying a basket full of clothes.

Scout went limp, a sudden fear running through her as the two other Hosts walked past. Her Host tensed up, but otherwise didn't react. She simply walked towards the elevator with her bat gripped tight in her hand, other hand coming up to grab Scout's arm. Just when they thought they were gonna get off scot-free, a voice piped up from behind them, startling Scout into attempting a Jump. "Excuse me, lady? I like your dolly!" The voice was high-pitched and adorable, but that didn't help Scout's cold terror. If anything, it just made it worst. Daisy had sounded like that too, after all.

The Host turned, tightening her grip on Scout's arm. "Thank you!" Her voice was way too perky for the situation, in Scout's opinion. Too fake sounding. "I like her too."

"Where'd you get her?" The girl asked, bouncing on her heels. Her mother was loading clothes into one of the washers behind her, but Scout could see her watching them.

"She was a gift, actually. I don't know where he got her from, though. He didn't tell me" She told the girl with a smile.

'Liar.' Scout thought but didn't say. She was too busy trying to look like a normal puppet, though it was a pain to try and keep her eyes still. Instead she focused on the wall and kept her gaze there, watching the girl and mother from the corner of her eye.

"Okay! Thanks anyways lady!" The girl waved before heading back to her mother. The Host waved back with another smile before going into the elevator as fast as she could. Neither her or Scout relaxed until the doors had closed and it started moving. Scout relaxed so much she almost fell off.

"That was fucking terrifying." She exclaimed while the Host scrambled to catch her. She held her in her arms like one would a doll, letting Scout flop over  almost limp from relief.

"It wasn't that bad." She shrugged. "It was just a little kid."

"Yeah but she could've told the government!" Scout looked up at the Human. "I don't want to be fucking experimented on! I had enough of that crap from Riley!"

"Don't worry so much! You'll be fine!" She dismissed as they reached Sammy's floor. "Besides, kids are the best ones to know about you. Nobody ever believes them when they say something's going on. No matter how much they insist on it" There was a bitter tone to her voice. Before Scot could question it, though,  they made it to the apartment and it vanished as she spoke again. "Now come on! We gotta go kill some Thalmor!"

The next half hour was passed by the Host playing Skyrim, this time with commentary from Scout. Everything that happened, she had something to say about it, even if it was just insulting the characters.

"Yeah, you eat that lightning you fucking lizard! What are you gonna do about tha- oh shit! He bit your face off!" Scout gave a surprised laugh as the Dragonborn died, flung away by the Frost Dragon they'd been fighting. "Okay! That's enough of that!." The Host shut off the game, throwing the controller back on the shelf it had come from. "It's almost time to get the rugs out of the dryer, anyways. You wanna come again?"

"No way. There might be more Hosts down there." Scout told her. "Not that I'm, like, scared of them, or anything. But it'll be easier if I'm not there. Y'know?" "Uh, yeah. That's fine if you want to stay." One look at her Host told her it probably wasn't fine. But before Scout could go back on what she'd said the Human had already picked up the bat and basket. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and we'll watch some more Netflix."

Scout watched her leave, feeling a pang of... something in her chest. It was making her feel bad, so she elected to ignore it for now. Instead she took the chance to Jump around the apartment, exploring what she hadn't been able to yet.

It was definitely something, to see the Host World up close and in person. Many things were different than what the TV had shown her. They were much less clean, for one, though that might just be Sammy. Although her Host hadn't made much of an effort to clean up after herself besides washing the rugs either. So maybe Hosts were just messy.

Speaking of, Scout realized she didn't know her Host's name. She knew she must have one, as Sammy had one, and the Hosts on TV had names. So she tried to think back to what Sammy might have called her.

'What was it he said? Stack? Lace? Stace? I think it was Stace... Short for Stacy, maybe?' She shook her head. 'It doesn't matter. One of them has to say her name at some point, right? I'm sure I'll learn it by the end of the night.' She smacked herself on the head, then did it again to turn off her light. 'Stop rhyming, dumbass! You're not one of them, and you never will be again!' She smacked herself again, harder this time, and shook her head. 'STOP!'

When her Host - Stacy? - came back, Scout watched her sweep the floor and lay the rugs down from the counter. When she had finished, it looked much better than it had before, even if it was most likely sticky under there now. She then grabbed Scout and carried her back over to the couch.

"So, what do you wanna watch?" She asked as she turned on Netflix and started scrolling through the shows. Some she would linger on, but others she skipped over quickly.

"How about what we were watching last night? I liked that one."

"You mean The Good Place?" She went up to the search bar and started typing it in. "That's what we watched last night."

"Yeah, that one was cool. Eleanor's my favorite. She takes no shit." And she swore more than Scout did, which was always a plus in her book. "Alright, we'll watch this one until Sammy gets home." Stacy selected it, and scrolled over to the episode she'd fallen asleep on. "Don't know when that'll be, but maybe he'll bring food with him."

Scout made a noncommittal hum, not caring about the food. All she cared about was whether Eleanor would get caught or not.

Whether they would get caught, or not.