Tumgik
#this has been in my schedule since like. april.
Text
Tuff Mallow Update 4/18/24
Let's talk about all the things.
I've always been a "tell you like it is" person to a fault. I have never had a problem being direct, even if it has been awkward sometimes communicating.
So if I haven't had anything to say, you can be sure something serious is up.
Tumblr media
Most recently I moved. And it was necessary. I was in a previous living situation that made game dev nearly impossible. I'd kept trying though, even as the world was crashing around me, while trying to keep up a front that everything was good. My dev friends were like "JmB, things are not okay."
It was a hard pill to swallow. So I doubled my efforts, took on more work and finally moved and wow have things been moving fast since then!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I went to GDC 2024!!
Having peace of mind in my own home was already awesome, but then the opportunity to go to GDC arose and I couldn't turn it down! I traveled to San Francisco and attended the week long event for people of the gaming industry, via a scholarship initiative by Black Voices in Gaming! I learned so much and made so many connections with talented phenomenal game industry professionals. But most importantly, I came to understand that this little Mallow has a place in the gaming industry. That the way I am is valid. That I don't need to be perfect, and that other game professionals want to see other creatives succeed and are also actively working towards that goal. It was inspiring and humbling and I never felt more a part of a community. It just reminds me to try harder to build up the creatives around me because if we all come up together, we come up strong!
Well Now We Are Back in Action!
Tumblr media
I am back home. Finally stabilizing a workable schedule. And finally able to finish the things I promised! I owe people content!
- The Closet Door main release
- Background art to clients
- Chibi art to a supporter
- Some art for upcoming jam releases (shhhh)
There's so much going on this month!
I want so desperately to promise that TCD will be out next month- I mean all I have to do is finish coding the game in!
But for now...
Tumblr media
I'm just taking it one step at a time.
You'll definitely know when I release this game (as well as announce the other projects I've been fortunate to be a part of, as well as the solo projects I've been working on behind the scenes. Because I am SO READY!!
As soon as I can officially make a beta version of The Closet Door (late April or Early May), things will move pretty fast! So at that time I hope you will still be with me on this journey, as it's been hell for us all getting here. I'll most likely announce it on all media channels.
Professionals Do... Their Best
Tumblr media
I'm thankful. Always thankful. I would never have made it this far without the kindness people have shown me.
I am not perfect.
Professionals are not perfect. And I refuse to attempt perfection anymore, as I've learned just how toxic that can be to anyone's physical and mental health.
Best believe at any point that I am striving to do the best I can. I will always give the best of what I've got to my work and to others if I can help in any way.
And I will continue to strive towards being genuine and expressing those beliefs in everything I do and make.
I probably won't post another very personal dev post like this again. But it needed to be said.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm AlwaysJmB.
And I am doing my best. 💗
Until next time~
20 notes · View notes
brynnmclean · 4 months
Text
y'all, I feel like I've said this a lot, it is truly a joy to be a GM, but I am so fucking ready to get out of the chair and be a player again
#the goalpost keeps moving#i think i have 10 more sessions in me max#those sessions will be PACKED. have to have a mini boss fight. the breaking of a curse. the boss fight. some kind of arc resolution#that will be player driven! whatever they want to do with relations between two groups before they go north!#and THEN the long awaited audience with gil galad to hopefully broker some kind of alliance between them and tar miriel.#winter will arrive and it will see them either at sea or in lindon. hoping for lindon but they could fuck up negotiations for sure.#the problem with my notes tbh is that there is a lot of stuff in my brain but not a lot on paper#anyway. christ. what is it like just showing up to a d&d session with a character sheet and a notebook.#AKB will be 3 years old in january#i think i'm still in the hot seat until april#i love this campaign. i do i really do. but hoooooo boy. i want a real break.#this last hiatus doesn't feel like it counted because it was schedule driven and i still have to keep things spinning in my mental space.#not to mention no one GMed anything in the meantime#there was some poll recently that was about being a player for a long form campaign like what type of characters have you played#and one-shots and campaigns that fizzled out <3 sessions in don't count#i looked at that poll and was like well damn. i haven't been a player in a long form campaign since probably... 2016. GURPs 4e.#wait that's not true-- the 5e/Star Wars Saga ed hybrid campaign that was a mixed bag. scoundrel ship mechanic zabrak life.#ha! checked my notes! that ended in july 2022#i feel like that one barely counts though because my PC was wrangling the group to keep us on task (frustrating. i am a plot hound player)#these tags are out of hand#i'm just tired and struggling with stat blocks nbd#to be deleted i guess#do i need a loremaster tag?
3 notes · View notes
olskuvallanpoe · 9 months
Text
having a very im-alone-and-suffering kind of evening
1 note · View note
myseungsunglove · 8 days
Text
First Pitch - Ksm
Tumblr media
Pairing: Kim Seungmin x reader 
Warnings: angsty, wrapped in fluff
Word Count:  1.2k
𖠫Summary: Seungmin struggles to understand why his fiance can’t be by his side on one of the most important days of his life. 
✎A/N✎: This has just been floating around in my head since Seungmin threw his first pitch. It’s nothing special, but I’m kind of in love with it. Hope someone out there likes it, if any of you remember that I actually write since it’s been over a month. hides in shame 
◠ ◡ ◠᭚ιαᵕ̈
「©  April 11, 2024 by myseungsunglove」
Tumblr media
You sit in the car on the drive to the stadium and the mood is somber. Seungmin is nervous about throwing the first pitch of the game between the All Korea team and the LA Dodgers, a team that he has always admired. 
Couple that with the fact that you aren't allowed to be there with him during one of the biggest moments of his life and you could cut the tension in the car with a knife. Seungmin had wanted you by his side for the first pitch and the company had given the both of you a resounding no. You understood why, and at the end of the day, you believe that Seungmin did too, but it didn’t mean that he was happy about it. 
“Explain it to me one more time,” he mutters, interlacing his long fingers with yours as he glares at the back of the manager's head. “Like I’m five.” You know the anger isn’t necessarily directed at your manager, but when Seungmin has his mind set on something that seems logical to him, he just can’t let it go. He is stubborn that way.
The manager sighs audibly from the front seat, his shoulders rising and falling visibly as he turns to face the two of you. 
“Seungmin, we’ve gone over this many times,” he responds patiently, avoiding the discussion altogether. 
“So go over it again,” Seungmin snaps. 
“Seung,” you whisper beside him, squeezing his hand gently. He doesn’t look at you. 
“Please,” he adds for your benefit. 
The manager blinks slowly at him, empathy coupled with patience etched on his face. 
“Y/n would be the only member of SKZ that is here with you when everyone else’s schedules are too busy,” your manager starts. "Frankly, her schedule is too busy to even be here as long as she is."
“Y/n is the only member of SKZ that I’m engaged to, so it makes sense that she’s here,” Seungmin retorts. “I fail to see the issue.” 
The manager sighs heavily. 
“You are well aware that the public doesn’t know that. They don’t even know you’re together. If she is the only one to show up at your first pitch, people will talk. Everyone will speculate. They already do and this will just add fuel to the fire.”
“Let them talk,” Seungmin says with a shrug, his brow set. He’s nothing if not determined. 
“Minnie,” you whisper beside him. His attention is pulled away from the manager, his frustrated puppy eyes turning on you like a weapon. “If I’m the only one here, if people start to talk, this event, this huge opportunity for you becomes about us and what we are. It’s no longer about this awesome opportunity that you are getting,” you tell him. "If even one of the guys could have come too, maybe it would be different, but you know we're preparing for the fanmeeting and a comeback. There is no time." You squeeze his hand gently. "But I made time."
He scowls at you, but it’s soft, as he considers your argument.
“I know,” he relents, looking down at your clasped hands, rubbing over the top of your hand gently. His cheeks puff out in frustration and he blows all the air from them before he speaks again. “But I need you there,” he whines. 
It isn't often that Seungmin admits that he needs anyone. His confession makes your heart clench in your chest. You’ve never seen him this nervous before. Not even when he proposed to you. 
With your free hand, you gently place your palm against his cheek and lift his face so that you are eye to eye. 
“I love you more than the air I breathe, Kim Seungmin,” you tell him. 
He leans in and kisses you. It’s soft and slow, his hands parting from yours so that he can grab your waist and pull you into his arms. When he pulls away a little breathless, you speak again. 
“And I will be there,” you assure him. Your manager turns around to look at you, a slightly concerned look on his face. You scowl back at him, a look that tells him you’ve got this under control and to chill out. “I won’t be right beside you, but I've got a seat right behind the catcher. I’ll have the best seat in the house. I’ll be able to see your pretty face and the best opening pitch anyone has ever seen,” you tell him. 
His forehead falls against yours with a sigh. 
“You’ll arrange for me to meet y/n before the game starts to say goodbye before she heads back to the company? After I’ve thrown the pitch?” he asks. The question directed at your manager. 
“We already have,” he says. 
Seungmin’s big brown boba eyes meet yours and they have softened from the start of the conversation. 
“Okay,” he says, resigned, his hands dancing along your thighs nervously like he still has more to say. “Can I have a minute with my fiancé?” he asks. It's not really a question. You realize that the car has parked in a garage at the stadium. You're in a corner away from prying eyes. With tinted windows, no one would know there was anyone in the car. “Alone,” he emphasizes with a small possessive growl. You can’t help the smirk that slips onto your face. 
Without any pushback, the manager and the driver get out of the car and walk a respectable distance away. 
Seungmin wastes no time pulling you onto his lap so that you are straddling him. You sigh longingly as his hands gently caress your face and pull your lips to his. This kiss is hungry, needy. His soft mouth is insistent as his tongue slips past your lips to taste you. His hands have wandered down your body and up under the back of your shirt, the pads of his fingers dancing along your back as he kisses you breathless. 
“Want to tell them,” he mumbles against your mouth, his breath heavy against your lips. “No more secrets,” he adds, kissing you hard again. 
You can’t help the moan that escapes your throat and the thrill that runs through your body at his words. Seungmin doesn’t want your relationship to be behind closed doors anymore. 
“You want everyone to know?” you ask when you're forced to pull away again, your breath coming in short, quick gasps. 
“Yes,” he answers simply, gazing into your eyes. “I can’t have another big moment like this where you can’t be right there with me,” he confesses. “You’re my everything, Y/N,” he looks at you with glassy boba eyes, the emotions he is feeling threatening to overflow. “I need you.” 
You hold his face in yours and stare into his eyes. 
“We’ll talk to Chan and our manager tonight about how to move forward,” you agree. “Surely they knew this was coming sooner rather than later. We’ve been engaged for nearly six months,” you chuckle softly. 
He smiles brightly at you then and you can’t help but return the gesture. He kisses you quick as you move to get off his lap. 
“Alright, my baseball player Kim Seungmin. You’ve got to get out of here and go show them how kick ass you are,” you tell him, kissing him on the cheek. 
He chuckles shyly, your favorite sound only second to his beautiful voice, as he moves to open the door, his shoulders shaking out his shirt like he does when he gets a little nervous. You love that you can still make him flustered even with a simple compliment.
He holds his hand out for you to grab, pulling you from the car and into his waiting arms where he kisses you once more. 
“One for good luck,” he smiles against your lips. 
“Not that you’ll need it,” you tell him, kissing him slowly. 
“Love you,” he whispers against your lips. 
“You better,” you smile up at him. “Cause I’m not going anywhere, Kim Seungmin.”
368 notes · View notes
bwabys-scenarios · 15 days
Text
Tears and Cake(NSFW)
Kurapika x Fem!Reader
!!REBLOGS APPRECIATED!!
A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KURAPIKA!! 💗💗💗
warnings: nsfw, oral(f!receiving), breeding kink, creampie, pregnancy
taglist: @desiray562 @lovelyxkazuha @ashdownunderscorebeloved @lightshowerrr @jungtoast @nenggie @pannacottababy
‼️If you want to be added to the taglist, please check out the taglist information then comment what you want to be added to! Make sure you have your age in your bio and that your blog can be tagged/mentioned!‼️
Tumblr media
Since the massacre, Kurapika has spent his birthdays alone and in silence. Sometimes he’d get himself a little treat to celebrate the special occasions, but most of the time his birthday would pass by without him even noticing.
That was, until he met you.
The two of you had met up for some coffee and snacks while he was in town, and the topic of birthdays came up.
“Yeah, my birthday is actually next month!” you said, watching his eyes widen slightly.
“Really? I’ll have to send you a gift. I’ll be busy, but I promise I’ll come to celebrate with you when I’m able.”
“That’s okay. And yours?”
Kurapika blinked, looking at you. “My what?”
“Your birthday. I told you mine, what about yours?”
For a moment, he considered whether he should tell you or not. It wasn’t a day he liked talking about… not anymore.
But the way you looked at him, as if you were already planning something made his heart twist. It was important to you, so it would be important to him.
“It’s… April 4th.”
“Oh, so 4/4? That’s pretty cool!”
And that was that. The topic changed to something business related, and when the two of you were full of coffee and baked goods, you parted so he could go and get some work done.
‘Now, it’s time to plan his birthday…’
———————
Kurapika was swamped at with work lately, juggling being a bodyguard while also trying to find information on the Phantom Troupe and possible locations of the scarlet eyes.
The days were blending together, and he struggled to remember what day of the week it was most days, much less what day of the month it was.
So when you called him up asking if he’d be free that weekend, he cleared his schedule for a much needed break.
After all, you were really the only person he made time for these days. The two of you had been dating for about a year now. He always felt a bit bad about not spending enough time with you. You never asked for much though, and with how excited you were over the phone, how could he say no?
That didn’t mean he was super excited. Kurapika was exhausted, both physically and mentally drained. He slept nearly the entire train ride to your hometown, and was still tired when he hailed a taxi to your place.
By the time he got there, the sun was setting, casting your apartment in an orange glow. The stairs up to your apartment door felt so familiar. He’d walked up the flight a hundred times, usually carrying chocolates or flowers to make up for his long absences.
And now he was at your doorstep, knocking with one hand while carrying a plush in the other. He had found the thing in his travels, something he knew you liked to collect. Kurapika couldn’t wait to see the look of surprise on your face when you saw he had found the exact one you had been looking for.
When you opened the door, he sighed in contentment. Just getting to see you in person already put his mind at ease. Every second he was away from you, Kurapika worried over you and your safety. After all, there were a lot of people out for Kurapika’s head. It made sense that you would have a target on your back due to this, which was why you were occasionally visited by his close friends for wellness checks.
He adore you endlessly, it was evident in the way he melted the second your eyes lit up at both him and the plush in his arms. “Oh, you found it! Eeek!”
You grabbed it from his arm, squealing in delight and spinning in a circle. “I love it, thank you so much, Pika!”
Kurapika walked in after you cracked the door open a bit, his eyes soft. It smelled sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon. A bouquet of flowers sat on the kitchen table, and he blushed to think you may have picked them up for his visit.
“It was no trouble, love. I’m happy whenever you’re happy.”
Your cheeks heated up, and you couldn’t help but lean against him, wanting his attention. “Mmph… missed you so much, Pika…”
His own cheeks turned a pale pink as he wrapped his arms around you, his lips placing a kiss on the top of your head. “Missed you too, angel. More than you could ever know.”
Kurapika knew that even you, someone who was more patient and kind than anyone he knew could get lonely sometimes. The guilt of being away from you more often than by your side ate away at him, and sometimes he wondered if being with someone who could give you more attention might be better for you in the long run.
But as you led him to the kitchen, unable to keep the excited smile off your face, he realized how much you truly loved him, and that the prospect of you loving another would never come true.
On the table was a small chocolate cake, with strawberries and candles placed neatly on the top. Sitting nearby were a few presents, and another bouquet of flowers too.
“Happy birthday, Kurapika!”
For a moment, Kurapika was in shock. He’d been so busy that he hadn’t even remembered that his birthday was that weekend. But you had, and his heart thumped against his chest with love and affection for you.
“Kurapika… are you alright?”
He didn’t realize he had started to cry until your gentle hands were wiping away his tears. He blinked, his expression shifting to one of devotion and gratitude.
“Oh, my angel… this is all for me?”
You nodded, smiling as you sat him down in front of his cake. He blushed when you took out your phone and pressed record. Kurapika usually didn’t like being on camera, but with you it was different. He knew you just wanted to capture the moment to look back on later… and he loved that about you.
As you sang happy birthday to him, Kurapika knew that one day, you would be his wife. He thought he had been sure before, but now it was all clear to him.
For a while before you met, his future was blank for him. He didn’t plan anything, knowing there was a possibility he could die attempting to complete his mission.
But with you… he could almost picture your wedding day. Him in traditional Kurta attire, and you in a white gown. It was so clear, he could imagine the day the two of you hunched over a pregnancy test, and him pulling you in for a kiss when it was positive.
When he blew out the candles, Kurapika could only think of one wish he would ever want to come true.
‘I want to stay with (Name) forever…’
“Made your wish?” you asked, giving his cheek a kiss. The blonde smiled, sighing contentedly as he leaned into your touch.
“Mhm… I did.”
The presents were all wonderful, ranging from a scarf you knitted yourself, to a pair of ruby earrings that matched his eyes. Each item was tucked carefully away into his satchel, where he promised to the gods above that he would give back to you tenfold.
This love, this adoration was almost overwhelming, and as you smiled at him in bed, he couldn’t help but act out his feelings by pulling you closer.
“I want you…” he said softly, his thumb caressing your cheek. “It’s been too long since I’ve pleased you. Please, my angel… let me make you feel good.”
Your cheeks heated up, and you pouted just a little. “B-but it’s your birthday, shouldn’t I be pleasing you?”
He chuckled, moving to hover above you. “My love, making you cum pleases me more than anything else.”
“O-oh…” you couldn’t protest one bit as he removed your pajama pants, giving your lacy panties a soft smirk.
“It’s like you planned for this, (Name). Aren’t these the panties I bought for last week?”
You nodded, trying to hide your flustered face. “I was… hoping we would… be intimate tonight.”
Kurapika felt bad for just a moment… he had only thought about how much he had been craving you… but how about the longing you felt? How long had his little angel been waiting for him to make love to her? It had been at least two months…
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should be taking better care of you…”
He gave a soft lick to the wet spot already forming on your panties, groaning at the taste of your arousal on his tongue. “Need it…”
Your panties were off in a second, and his face was buried between your thighs. It felt amazing, and you were cumming within a minute. His tongue circling your clit, his fingers thrusting into your needy cunt was too much for you to take, especially after going without for so long.
“P-Pika!”
The little pants and moans that left your mouth when you came were enough to get his cock rock hard, painfully pressing against his pants. He was quick to tug off his pants and boxers, desperate to be inside of your warm cunt.
“F-fuck, (Name)… so sorry, angel, need you so bad.”
Usually, Kurapika spent a lot more time between your legs, often leaving your thighs shaking from overstimulation… but today he was too needy.
He snapped his hips against yours, sinking into you until he was buried to the hilt. The whine you let out as your pussy clenched around him was enough to have him rutting into you like an animal.
Kurapika was usually such a gentle lover, but something had snapped inside of him tonight. He needed you like a man dying of thirst needed water. You weren’t just part of his life, you were essential.
It didn’t take long for the two of you to cum together, considering how long you both had gone without another. He kissed you as his cum painted your walls, softly moving his hips as he came down from his high.
You were both exhausted after, but completely happy and satisfied at the same time. He couldn’t help but chuckle a little when you yawned, nuzzling your face against his chest.
“My sleepy girl…”
He placed a kiss on your forehead before he carried you to the bathroom for a quick bath. If Kurapika was good at anything, it was aftercare. He always made you feel appreciated and beautiful, his hands cleaning away the sweat and cum from your body as you sleepily clung to him.
When he wrapped a fluffy towel around you, gently drying you off, you couldn’t help but smile.
“Got… one last present for you, Pika…”
He tilted his head. “Another? But you’ve already given me so much, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
You smiled, reaching into the drawer by your bed. “Oh, it’s something you’ve been wanting for a while.”
After he helped dress you in comfy, warm pajamas, he yawned, taking the box from your hands. “Open it…”
Kurapika couldn’t believe his eyes. He had to look several times, the usual brown shade turning scarlet as tears fell down his cheeks.
“You’re… pregnant?”
Inside the box was a pregnancy test with two lines showing. You nodded, giggling in delight when he pulled you into his arms.
Kurapika sobbed, unable to stop himself from crying as you rubbed his back. “My angel… oh my love, you’re carrying our baby?”
“Yes… I found out a few weeks ago. It’s been hard hiding it, but I thought revealing it today would be more special-“
He covered your face and neck in kisses, kneeling before you so he could lift your shirt. It was like a devoted believer kneeling before their goddess in prayer, his lips soft on your belly.
The future that he had been looking forward to was already here… his girlfriend was pregnant, they were in love, and now he could only think of one thing.
“Marry me, (Name).”
And you said yes, your own eyes filling with tears as you embraced. He didn’t have a ring now, but by god he would get you the best one there was as soon as possible. You would get everything you wanted, he was devoted to you, body and soul.
As the two of you fell asleep that night, Kurapika felt grateful, and so goddamn happy. He had so many things to look forward to, so many reasons to keep living when he thought he would never even make it into his 20s.
But today, he was 21, engaged, and a father to be.
This was the best birthday of his life… and he would never forget it as long as he lived.
229 notes · View notes
loverofpiggies · 1 month
Note
Do you have any upcoming cons you plan on going to?
Absolutely! Next weekend I'm in Indiana for Indiana Comic Con. Beyond that, this is what I'm scheduled for. El Paso Comic Con - April 12-14 Yellow City Comic Con - April 19-20 Palmer High School Craft Fair - April 27th Sabaku Con - May 24-26 Duke City Comic Con - June 14-16 Anime El Paso - June 22-23 Denver Comic Expo - July 4-7 Ama Con - August 3-4 Las Cruces Comic Con - August 17-18 Colorado Springs Comic con - August 23-25 Saboten - Aug 30- Sep 2nd Salt Lake FanX - Sep 26-28 Kadabra Con (In Corpus Cristi) Oct 4-6 Anime Banzai - Oct 18-19 I haven't gotten accepted into any of the November or December shows yet, but overall this is my list! It's possible it might change, depending on if I get off waitlists or not. Most of these are a lot more local for me, since flights have gotten so pricy. Doesnt mean I won't fly though, if the show is good! If anyone has any suggestions for shows to check out though, let me know! Some are so big I can barely chance to get in, like I've been applying to Anime New York and NY Comic Con for years, but I do my best to get into shows!
178 notes · View notes
hugshughes · 3 months
Text
Family Dinner C. Loveland
Tumblr media
Colston Loveland x fem!Minter!reader
synopsis - The first time Colston meets your family, as your boyfriend.
wc - 3k
contains - unedited for the most part! WAIT. I didn't specify this in the fic but ITS THE READER'S APARTMENT COLSTON'S JUST STAYING OVER!! i was not giving them a shared apartment after dating for three months. set a couple months in the future (not specificccc just needed cause these two get together right after the cfp playoffs so it's like april), cursinggg, kissinggggg, touchingggg, makin outttt, my usuals. GUYS SHE HAD A DORM IN THE FIRST PART NOW SHE HAS AN APARTMENT OKAY????? ITS GONNA BE OKAY. hmmm um i describe the outfit???? like i always do and it's usually not a problem(?) soooo, um i literally think that's it. is minter!daughter!reader a warning?
an - SHESSSSS BAAAAAAACK!!!!!!! could NOT resist and i had the cutestttttttttt requests coming in sooooooo how could i not. this was the cutest thing to write.
-
You groaned as your phone sounded, your scheduled alarm had gone off. Scheduled for 5:30, so when you'd know to start getting ready for dinner at your parents.
Usually it wouldn't really matter, but since tonight was the first time you'd taken Colston home, you wanted to look a little nicer than normal. You shut your alarm off quickly, before turning to look at the boy sleeping next to you.
You crept your hand under his sweatshirt, your palm flat against his warm back as you rubbed back and forth, whispering his name gently.
"Colston, baby, we gotta get ready to go, Lovey."
His eyes squeezed tightly before fluttering open, his long and full lashes leaving a forever pang of jealousy on your heart. He smiled that perfect smile, and you gave one right back to him. He shuffled just a little, moving onto his side before he pulled you closer to him, wrapping his long, strong arms around you.
"Hi baby."
Your heart tripled in size. He sounded sleepy and it was the cutest yet hottest thing you'd ever heard. You let him snuggle into you, laying back on his stomach with his head now on your chest. You raked your nails through his hair, before lightly scratching the back of his neck. The act almost put him right back to sleep, but you gave his hair a gentle tug before it could, causing Colston to look up at you with attitude.
"You gotta get up, at least I gotta get up."
He just ignored you, kissing the concern off your face. His hands layed under your (his) shirt as he now leaned over you. He kissed you long and hard as your hands grasped at his jaw, then neck, then chest, then hair. You pulled him back by your grip in his hair, once again tugging it.
"Y'cant kiss me outta this, Loveland."
"Are you sure?"'
Then he kissed you again, and you almost gave into him as he kissed you so good that your mind just blanked. Oh right, dinner, your family, 7pm. You could tell Colston was stalling partially because he just wanted to kiss, but also partially because he was nervous. Colston didn't like being nervous, but how could he not be? It was his first time seeing your parents in the context of 'girlfriend's mother and father' instead of Coach and Mrs. Coach.
You pulled away after indulging in him just a tad.
"Cole, they already love you, you know that, I know that. My dad might be a bit weird but he's just being a dad. My mom is obsessed with you and me, so she shouldn't cause any problems. And as for the three monsters under the staircase-"
"My top three Minter siblings."
You gasped, before you pushed his face away from yours as a smirk encapsulated it. You let his head lay on your chest before continuing.
"Rude. But anyway, it's been known that they love you. They're probably our biggest supporters. What's our couple name? My sister was wondering."
Colston shook his head, laughing at your baby sister's actions. The kids did love him, they had loved him for way longer than when you began dating. Colston sighed, it would be fine. He started kissing your neck, now just because he wanted to kiss you.
"You cannot go giving me marks right before we see my parents, you psycho."
You could feel him smile into your neck, and you almost told him to do whatever he wanted to you. He was so hot, and he knew how it affected you. For the third time, you ran your fingers through his brown hair and tugged it, this time to get his face away from your neck. He gave you an innocent look, causing you to roll your eyes heavily.
You rolled out from under him, getting off your bed with a heavy heart. If you could, you would jump right back in bed for a makeout session, but you knew it was probably for the better.
"Stop looking at me like that, or I'll get back in bed with you."
"You say that like I don't want it more than anything."
You shook your head as you trudged into the bathroom to do your hair. Your phone played music that floated into your bedroom as hot tools and brushes ran through your hair. Colston came into your bathroom, wordlessly wrapping his arms around your hips, his head laying on your shoulder. Your heart melted as you heard him start humming along with Funeral by Phoebe Bridgers. You were rubbing off on him.
You did your makeup with one hand as the other rested on top of Colston's. When you were finished you turned around in Colston's arms, standing there, hugging him for just a little bit while the music played.
Soon enough, you left the bathroom, Colston following behind you. If was 6:15, and you had to leave at about 6:40, and you both needed to change clothes. You put on some jeans and a white sweater, standing infront of your mirror to adjust the collar. You watched Colston through the mirror, he slipped a crewneck on, tugging his chain out from under it. He sat on your bed to put his sneakers on, and when he looked up for just a second he caught your eyes in the mirror. He smiled at you, looking back down to tie his shoe.
"You look that good, and you're saying I can't leave marks?"
You shook your head, giggling as you walked over to him, standing between his spread legs.
"I can play nice, leave no trace behind."
Your knees almost buckled. He was so subtly hot. You shook your head with wide eyes. You leaned down and placed a completely innocent kiss on his lips, pulling away from him before he could get too into it. His hands ran up and down the sides of your thighs, gripping every now and then.
You took a step back, letting him stand up. It was time to go. You turned around to grab your shoes and Colston's palm met the fat of your ass. You turned back to him, a faux offended look on your face. He smiled, shrugging at you, fuck he was hot.
You put your shoes on, grabbing your phone and keychain as Colston slipped his keys, wallet, and phone into his pockets. Colston opened the door, letting you out first and closing it behind him. You exited your apartment complex, finding Colston's car quickly. You put the directions to your parents house onto the screen of the car as Colston's hand found its place on your left thigh.
The drive was silent other than the music, and the occasional robotic noise telling Colston where to turn. You instinctively pulled up his sleeve to trace over his tattoo, one of your favorite things to pass time with.
Colston pulled into the driveway of your parent's home at 6:57, right on schedule. You could tell he was nervous again, his leg bouncing as he turned the car off. You laced your fingers with his, calling his name to get him to look at you.
"Loveland, everything's gonna go perfect. You know them, baby. They know you, which is even better. You don't understand how happy my whole family was when I told them you'd asked me to be your girlfriend. You probably don't even understand how happy I was."
You brought his hand up to your face, kissing his wrist, rubbing your thumb back and forth.
"Serious?"
"One hundred percent."
He nodded, a smile lightly gracing his face.
"There he is."
You two exited the car, walking up your driveway to the front porch. You opened the door, knowing it would be unlocked and the only two people with authority to open the front door were likely busy.
"Guys? We're here!"
Your voice echoed through the house, the three children sitting on the couch bolting up towards the foyer. Your two youngest siblings jumped into Colston's arms while the oldest of the little ones, your first brother hugged you tightly. He was always your little best friend, since he came first among the littles. The other two eventually hugged you, before you all walked through the front of the house to the kitchen, where your mom and dad were handling dinner.
"Hey you two! How are y'all doing?"
Your mom smiled brightly, looking up from where she was pouring waters. You smiled, leaning against the island while you let her know the latest details of your life. Your dad had yet to speak, you knew he was already a bit awkward around people that weren't your immediate family, and Colston being one of his players probably made it worse.
"Dad, speak. You two spend more time together than I do with either of you."
Finally, you got your dad and Colston talking, and everything else fell into place.
You and Colston helped set the table, you subtly bumping hips with him to silently applaud his performance thus far. While you ate, you occasionally rubbed Colston's thigh, just to keep him comfortable and calm.
Your dad thankfully wasn't trying to do the whole, 'What are your intentions with my daughter?' conversation, but you couldn't confidently confirm or deny that he hadn't already tried that at workouts in the past months.
After dinner you watched as Colston helped your mom and dad clean up, your siblings dragging you to the living room to see one of their new things. You were sat on the carpet while you played with your siblings, patting the spot on the couch behind you when Colston came into the living room. You leaned your head on the inside of his thigh as you now sat between his spread legs.
Your parents soon came in too and you watched a hockey game as you talked to them. They asked about school, football, friends, everything. Colston played with your hair while he discussed his current life with your parents, the conversation becoming more and more fluent as time went on.
You moved onto the couch next to Colston when your ass started to feel the hardwood under the rug more and more. You curled into his side, his arm wrapping appropriately around your shoulders.
After some time, your siblings demanded Colston's presence in their playroom. You followed him upstairs, holding his hand for just a second before he was whisked away to the play kitchen.
You stood at the door, leaning against the frame as you stared at the group. You swore you fell more in love with him as you watched him shamelessly wearing a dress up cowboy hat given to him by your 6 year old sister, pretending to eat fake food served by your 4 year old brother, while he talked about video games with your 8 year old brother. He would be such a good dad, holy fuck you were thinking about making him a dad.
"Oh, honey, he's in deep."
You jumped slightly, turning and seeing your mom behind you. She'd just seen the amount of love in your eyes as you watched your boyfriend play with your siblings.
"It seems like you are too."
You blushed, looking away from her. She was right, of course. The two of you were both so heavily infatuated with the each other.
"He's just so.. I think I love him."
Your eyes widened when you realized what you'd said, your mom's smile widening when she heard it. Her baby was in love, with the perfect guy. You really did love him, you'd always known it, but it was the first time you were saying it. You loved him. Soon, it was past 9pm and your mother was telling your siblings it was bedtime. You and Colston said goodnight to each other your siblings, Colston giving in to their requests and ready a book for the younger two.
When the kids went to bed, you told your parents it was probably best for you two to head out as well. You said bye to them, and you giggled as you watched Colston and your dad bro hug.
When you got back in the car, you immediately jumped to hug Colston over the center console.
"I think you're just perfect, Cole. I swear, everything you do is like perfect."
You pulled away and held his face in your hands, looking into his dark eyes.
"I love you."
Colston's eyes widened, his heart erupting when he heard the three words. You two had never said that before. Colston had wanted to for a while now, but was nervous.
"I love you."
You smiled and kissed him sweetly, pulling away with butterflies swarming your stomach. You laced your fingers with him, resting them on your thigh as you began the drive back to your apartment.
You parked and quickly ran in to escape the evening chill in Ann Arbor. You got ready for bed together when you were back in your apartment. Colston's hand rested on your hip as you both brushed your teeth. Your eyes were not so subtly trained on his toned stomach in the mirror. He had opted for sweatpants and no shirt as pajamas, while you had comfy shorts and one of his tshirts on. You raised your sight line and made eye contact with Colston, who raised his eyebrows at you, questioning your staring. Your face warmed as you bent down to wash your mouth out.
Soon enough you were getting into bed with Colston, your head on his chest as you listened to his heartbeat. His hands rested on your bare back underneath your shirt.
"You made tonight so perfect, Cole. It means a lot to me, how sweet you are to my family."
You tilted your head up to look at him, seeing a smile fight its way to his face. He really was so gorgeous, the moonlight shining through your blinds bringing light to his face.
"Well, your family happens to be really nice, baby. I think your siblings would've kept me there forever."
You giggled, nodding against his chest. You couldn't help yourself as you shuffled upward, holding his jaw as you kissed him. Colston definitely didn't mine. His hands sliding to the curve of your ass when you got onto your knees, now hovering over him. Colston deepened and heated up the kiss, a grin adorning his face when he heard the smallest sound leave your mouth.
The two of you continued making out, hands wandering and minds racing. Colston's giggle broke the kiss as he couldn't help but react to a gasp you let out. You felt warmth spread from your chest to your face, laying your head in the crook of Colston's neck. He poked at your sides, laughing again as he called your name.
"C'mon, coach, don't be embarrassed. Don't hide from me, baby. You love me, 'member?"
You turned your head, shuffling to his chest to look at him. He was smiling down at you, you loved him.
"Don't abuse your power, Loveland."
His smile widened, pulling you closer.
"You know you're the first guy my dad's ever actually trusted with me?"
You snuggled into his shoulder, yawning. You closed your eyes, you became so comfortable with him rather quickly. You two just knew each other in a way no one else did. You'd known each other for over a year before you ever started dating, but you never really tried to be super close.
Colston was shocked at the admission, he was sure your dad didn't like him that much.
"Y'serious?"
"Mhm. My dad knows that you really care about me, he told me earlier he was glad he could tell you make me happy. He's never ever been even slightly fond of other guys I've had him meet."
Colston was internally celebrating. He'd won your dad over, though he would've had no idea had you not told him. Jesse Minter liked very few people that weren't his family, and sometimes, just sometimes, he liked the people that made his family happy. And he could see that Colston made you happy, very happy.
"I make you happy?"
Colston said it as a joke, stretching the last word for a few seconds longer than normal.
"For some reason, you do."
Colston pinched at your hip, giving your ass a squeeze before leaving his hand to rest there. You snuggled closer into each other, eyes gently closing. Light kisses left on foreheads and necks, hands rubbing back and forth, up and down, soothing. You two whispered three words to each other seconds before you were both asleep, warmth filling your stomachs. Both you and Colston had finally found the person for you, and knew that you were in it for the long haul.
177 notes · View notes
russellsppttemplates · 4 months
Text
Promise (Lewis Hamilton)
The season has kept Lewis so busy he hasn't been paying attention to you in the way you needed
Note: english is not my first language. After a long time on hold (since april), I'm finally posting this one. The timeline is a bit bent to fit what I already had written for what was requested, so I hope you don't mind it too much! Hopefully the person who requested this is still around and reading this ✨️
Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!
my masterlist
Tw: mentions loss of friendships, curse words
Tag list: @myloverjk-blog
"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it. Lew already asked me to go see him race that weekend, I have booked the flights and managed to clear my work schedule too", you said to your friend after she practically ambushed you into have a coffee with her after work, "c'mon, I don't even feel like we've seen eachother recently. You're either at work or with Lewis. It's like you don't have time for me, or rather don't make it", she groaned and you frowned. You met up with her not even 10 days ago, and while you couldn't see her everyday, you managed to text her back with reasonable timing everytime she had any issues or needed some comfort, so hearing those words and accusations for what you recalled the third time over the last few weeks threw you off. Was it really something you deserved? You wondered, maybe you really weren't being the best of friends given everything happening in your life.
"It's been hard, my schedule has been all over the place. I've been quite tired and I honestly just want to relax at home when I get back from work, we've had a lot of clients, which has been good for the business, but there's also been a lot more effort in making everything work smoothly", you tried to offer her your point of view, knowing yourself that there were days you could barely answer your boyfriend back simple questions, both of happy and content to either just cuddle when he was home or have a quick videocall whenever he was away, letting you get your deserved rest.
.
"Do you have everything, darling?", Lewis said over the phone as you fastened the zip on your suitcase, "yes. Angela said that she could come and meet me with my passes. Apparently there was an issue with printing them, my name or something, I'm not sure, but she said they were good now", you recalled, looking back at your boyfriend on the screen while he smiled, "I can't wait to have you here with me", he admitted, making your heart soft, "it's been really difficult, the car and all, and I know having you here will be good".
The next day, like you had arranged, you met up with Angela at the entrance of the GP, greeting her with a smile before she noticed it, "was your flight that bad?", she wondered, "you look a bit off, dear", she explained herself better, "it was okay, just had trouble sleeping because of this crazy schedule", you tried your best to brush it off. You had looked at yourself in the mirror, and had noticed the eye bags, the veins around your eyes much stronger and, truly, you knew no one would believe you were okay, but you guessed trying wouldn't be hard, and despite feeling like Angela caught on, she decided to drop the subject, handing you your pass and grabbing your suitcase once you reached the hospitality so she could store it in a safe place.
"Hey, Y/N", George smiled, greeting you as you both walked down to the garage, "Lewis mentioned you'd be joining us today", he said, opening the door for you before following you by your side, "the flight was delayed a little, and there was traffic here, or at least my driver said it isn't usually that busy, so I got here to the sound of the engines already", you pouted, grabbing a headset for yourself from the wall.
"I'll be in there with Toto and Mick, we'll speak later, okay? Carmen is also travelling tomorrow night", George said as he walked up to sit with the rest of the team, sitting this session out as they had chosen to have Frederik drive this session on his place.
The free practice sessions did not go all that well, especially considering how you knew Lewis and the whole team would have wanted them to go, so when Lewis came out of the last session, the team allowed them a few hours so they could rest up a little and get re-energised before debriefing.
"Hey, gorgeous", Lewis said as he walked up to you, "I'm so happy you're here", he mumbled against the thin skin on your neck, taking in your scent and presence as your arms wrapped around his torso.
"Do you want to talk about it?", you asked, running your fingers on his back as the slight scratch from your nails soothed him as you walked to sit on the sofa, "I can't bring the car to the front, it's like I can't do it. We've worked so hard on it, the team has come up with so many improvements and yet it still isn't reaching the front, there's no comparison", he let it put, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, "and I can't do it either, it's my fault too, I just want to make us a competitive team again, having fights every weekend for the P1, and yet, here we are".
Kissing his knuckles, you looked up at him through your lashes, "it will all add up, my love", you caressed his skin, "there's no way your efforts won't be rewarded, you just have to keep going, keep fighting, keep rising", you smiled, seeing the corner of his lips move upwards, "one day at a time, all will be well, you just have to keep going, we just have to keep going with those we love most", you muttered, joining your foreheads so they could touch.
.
Silverstone always had a big buzz around it, so you always took the week off, "remember last year? Your friends also joined us for the party", Lewis recalled as you sat in the hospitality. Media duties had long been taken care of and Lewis wanted to hang out in the meal area in case anyone needed him before you retired to his room.
"Yeah, it was a good time", you mumbled, reliving the memories in your head. You had had dinner and partied until early hours of the night with some of your friends, who were that at the time.
The previous week, your friend had been very assertive when she called you to show her displeasure of your lack of effort to meet up with her, telling you how much you had changed and how it wasn't fair that you could only meet up once or twice a month, "it's not fair to us or to our friendship, so unless this changes, I don't see how we can carry on". The accusations were not false, you recognised that you couldn't be as present as much as before, but the premise she was holding it on seemed wrong to you. And as much as it bothered you and pained you, calling it quits was the best decision in the long run. You had enough things on your plate, and having to reassure her that you were still there for her despite all the mean comments and accusations she would throw at you, wether they were about how much time you spent working or how Lewis wasn't the right person for you, was not something you wanted to endure for your own well-being.
"How is she, by the way?", Lewis questioned as he drank his water.
"We are not friends anymore, things just didn't work out", you offered quietly, not wanting to dwell much on the topic or have your boyfriend worry about one more thing.
"Y/N!", Lewis heard Carmen call, seeing his teammate's girlfriend approach you, warmly greeting him as well before he left you two alone for some catching up, "call me if you need anything", your boyfriend said, kissing the top of your head sweetly before leaving you two to speak and moving to the table where Angela was sitting.
"Is she feeling better?", Angela asked him, nodding over to you with her eyes and smiling as you spoke to the spanish women, the genuine easiness radiating from you.
"Y/N? She's been well, I think...", he said, unsure of his own answer. You hadn't talked much about how you were feeling, and he definitely wanted to follow up on what you had just been talking about when you were comfortable, but other than that, he had no clue. Work had been busier as you received more clients and you needed a little more time to rest that usual, and you had been tagging out of plans family and friends tried to make with you. Maybe Angela was right and there was something going on.
"You should talk to her, see how everything is, Lewis. I know she has a habit of bottling everything, and while I figured she'd talk to you and bring it up, and that it would help, I'm not sure it's enough", she patted his back as she allowed him to process the situation.
Later that night, back in your hotel bedroom, you had just come out of the shower, grabbing your toiletries' bag so you could moisturise your skin, propping your leg on the bed so you could rub the product into the skin as you heard Lewis walk around the room.
As you moved to adjust your towell while you put on your underwear, you felt Lewis' hands on your shoulders before his lips pressed kisses to your clean skin, his touch so soft and tender that it melted you inside.
"Can we talk about something, darling?", he asked, moving to sit in front of you, taking his place on the bed as Roscoe joined him.
"Sure, love. Are you okay? Is something wrong?", you promptly offered, ready to be all ears to his worries as Roscoe found his perfect spot on the comforter.
"It's about you, actually", he said as you pulled your top on, leaving the towell on the bathroom before coming back to sit on the bed, "what about me?", you asked, unsure of the topic was.
"How have you been? And I don't want to hear 'I'm okay' or 'just tired from work', because that's most definitely not the truth", Lewis began, holding your hand in his, "I've been so blind to all of this, and I only noticed now just how much you're being affected, and I want to know what it is and how I can help you", he gulped, "I've been so caught up in my own things and I've missed this, I'm so sorry, Y/N", he looked into your eyes.
You knew you had been unable to hide it. And now, you couldn't escape it.
Taking a deep breath, you traced the tattoos on his hand, the seamless way the ink flowed mesmerising as you allowed yourself to become vulnerable to him, opening up about your friendships and how everything at work was both the thing that has been keeping you sane and afloat, but also buried in doubt.
"Fuck, I'm so sorry I didn't notice this", Lewis apoligised, "I've been so absorbed in getting the results we need for the team, and-", you interrupted him, knowing the wasn't the one to blame.
"Lew, I didn't want to burden you with this, it's my own doing, too", you admitted, wanting to stop the whole blame spiral going on between both of you.
"Still, I should've noticed", he tsked at himself, holding you in his arms as you cuddled into his chest, "you shouldn't have to go through that alone, no one should. I want you to tell me anything that bothers you. My career is not above us, it will never be", he said as he looked into your eyes, "and, for all that matters, the decision to end the friendship was for the better. And I know you know this, and it still hurts, and that's okay. Roscoe, buddy", he called, "come give mummy a big, big cuddle", he smiled as the dog attended to his request.
"I'm sorry, too", you said as you petted Roscoe, his snores showing you he was enjoying them, "just wanted to be a happy and cheerful partner, and support you", you reiterated.
"From now on, promise you'll tell me anything that bothers you?", he assured as you smiled, kissing his lips as a seal of your promise, "I promise".
"I love you, Y/N, and it's me, you and Roscoe against the world", Lewis said.
"Agains the world and the rest of the paddock?", you joked, "just about, yes".
312 notes · View notes
chaoticspeedrun · 1 year
Note
Hi, may I request?
How would my favorite purple boy be dating his first girlfriend? I personally headcanon him as bi, but just having never dated anyone(if that makes sense?). Like a really pretty girl(reader) befriends the turtles and starts asking about his work? I saw your Leo headcanons and fell in love <3
Rise! Donnie BF headcanons
AN: Let's celebrate that my posts are finally visible in the tags with some sweet Donnie headcanons! It makes a lot of sense anon, and I feel like it fits Donnie just right.
Tumblr media
Pairing: Rise! Donnie x Fem! Reader
Type: Headcanons
Summary: How Donnie would be with his first girlfriend
Warnings: None.
MASTERLIST
•Donnie knew his preferences, men and women were both hot, he wasn't about to deny that.
•But ever since he got a crush on Atomic Lass he knew he had a type.
•Cute and mean.
•Considering the bad boy persona he liked to put on it simply made sense. Despite this he had never found himself in a situation where he wanted to date a person he knew in real life, yet.
•You were trying to get back at Kendra for messing with one of your friends, it had been so bad you wanted revenge.
•So you, in all your protective anger were about to hit one of the cameras to their hideout with a baton when you crossed eyes with a turtle trying to sneak into the hideout.
•Once you got over the shock and realized he wanted something from the dragons (And he had rendered the cameras useless) you decided helping him would be a sweeter revenge.
•Once that was done, Donnie tried to convince you that he was just cosplaying, but you weren't listening, you had leaned in closer to see his tech, specially his wrist band and he froze as your grin grew and you started asking questions.
•You were so impressed with his tech he got excited explaining the little details of it and all he had worked on, happy at realizing you were genuinely interested and preening at your praise.
•You kept talking for a while and ended up exchanging contact information.
•He was honest with himself a few days after you both started messaging constantly: Mean, cute and extremely pretty to boot, you were just his type.
•His brothers happily befriended you, but the more he brought you over to the lair the more they teased him about it, even April, the traitor.
•But she also convinced him to act on these feelings.
•Which is why he ended up reeling in happiness and relief after you said yes to going on a date with him.
•Few steps back, let's remember that Donnie had never dated anyone until you, you were his first relationship.
•So he acts all smooth and tries to impress you as much as possible at the beginning of this relationship.
•But inside he is panicking, he doesn't know what to do, what he's doing, how to read you, is he boring you? Would you tell him? He made a 12 step routine for your relationship based on what he researched were signs of a healthy relationship including times for cuddling, holding hands, listening to each other, asking about your mental state--
•You had to stop him from his strict routine, so you use the time on his schedule for honest talk to explain that you don't need the routine and a relationship is trial and error.
•You tell him you like who he is, that there will be ups and downs but as long as you communicate with each other you don't need a strict schedule of how long to hug each other for, just you both being comfortable and explaining what you like and dislike or what you would want.
•It takes a bit of you explaining the situation in what would be understood to him as a more efficient method than what he created, but you manage and he relaxes, his guard down for a bit as he asks if you want to just work on your own things in the same room.
•A lot of dating Donnie is you both being sarcastic and enjoying each other's company, often teasing and sometimes caring to make sure the other has a healthy routine.
•Specially you forcing him to go rest instead of sticking to whatever hyperfixation he has at the moment.
•Whenever he finishes a project he goes to you first, enchanted at your excitement over what he's been working on and flustered most of the time, though he won't admit it.
•He is not usually touchy, but most of the time as long as you warn him before hand he will happily enjoy your hugs and your hand holding or running your fingers over his marks.
•He flaunts, a lot, once the embarrassment of a crush has been replaced with you being his actual girlfriend he is shoving it on his brother's faces whenever possible.
•You know how he showed off his purple jacket? Yeah, that times 4 is how he talks about you.
•"Sweetums, have you seen S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.?" co-parenting S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. is a thing, the little AI will often ignore Donnie to play games with you, Donnie says you should stop spoiling him.
•All in all he loves you, and he is extremely proud of being able to call you his.
863 notes · View notes
bluewasthecolor · 1 year
Text
A Roller Coaster Kind of Rush
Word Count: 1,897
Warnings: None!
A/N: Based off this request! Also, I had meant to get this out about three weeks ago, but life got in the way (as it tends to do). I'm going to try and write some ficlets soon as well. I can't say this is my favorite thing I've written, but as always, let me know if you like it! Also, let me know if you want a part two!
Now
She says everything I need to hear, and it's like
I couldn't ask for anything better
You hadn’t meant to keep your new relationship a secret. It’s just that you and Alexia only talk at training now and you’d really rather not break the news in front of the whole team. You’re waiting for the right time, or, at least, that’s what you tell yourself. As it turns out, the right time is a random Wednesday in April. You’re walking hand in hand when, out of the corner of your eye, you spot a familiar blonde head on the other side of the street. It’s enough to make you turn your head fully, just in time to make eye contact with the Spaniard. She looks away almost immediately but you know she’s seen you, know she’s clocked the woman holding your hand. Alexia’s eyes, the ones you know so well, the ones that are normally so full of passion, have gone cold and distant. She continues to walk down the street, not looking back or acknowledging you in the slightest. Your girlfriend either hasn’t noticed the woman on the other side of the street or simply decides not to comment on it because she squeezes your hand and points to the café the two of you are passing.
“I’m hungry, babe. Can we stop in here?” You smile and nod, but are unable to give her your full attention. Alexia has lodged herself at the forefront of your mind and refuses to leave.
Alexia thinks she’s moved on until she sees you from afar, hand in hand with someone new.  She’s gone on a few dates, dates that went well, but nothing’s stuck yet. Still, though, it has felt good to ‘get back on the horse’ as Mapi loves to say. It hits her like a freight train when she sees you (with her): she misses you. You’re walking on the other side of the street with some redhead who, in Alexia’s opinion, looks like the opposite of your type. She’s short, maybe 5’2”, and she’s definitely not a football player. She’s laughing at something you’ve said, resting her head on your shoulder, and presses a kiss to your collarbone. It’s so different from how you and Alexia were, so much softer, so much simpler. Just as Alexia is thinking this, as the jealousy is bubbling up inside her, you look across the street and make eye contact. You freeze, pausing for a moment, but then continue on as if you never even saw her. This is what hurts Alexia most. The fact that after everything you’ve been through, after every burning hour you spent together, you could be so cold.
When she sees you at training the next day, Alexia marches straight up to you. Her eyes are narrowed, her lips pursed, and you can tell what’s coming next. She has the same expression on her face as when she catches Mapi trying to prank her or when the training schedule gets changed without notice. If there’s one thing Alexia hates, it's surprises.
“You’ve got a new girl then?” The midfielder is standing in front of you now, hands on her hips. 
“Yep. Didn’t know I had to issue a press release though.” “Is it…good? Do you like her?” You sense a bit of jealousy in Alexia’s voice and smirk before answering. 
“It’s amazing. She’s perfect. She just…she gets me. We never fight, she’s always there when I need her. I hope you can find someone like that someday.”
Alexia is caught off guard by your comment but scrambles not to let it show through. She just nods and wanders off, leaving you more confused than ever. You hadn’t spoken that much about anything other than football in months–not since the break up. You’re both able to be civil on the pitch because it’s your job and you’re professionals (that and the fact that her injury has kept her out of training) but when it comes to anything other than work your relationship is nonexistent. It’s a stark contrast from the way your love felt and this is what both of you leave the conversation thinking about. 
Then
But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
And it's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name
“I can’t believe you. I can’t believe that this is the hill you’re choosing to die on.” Alexia snapped bitterly, turning on her heel and stalking away from you. She headed straight for the door, slamming it on her way out but you were hot on her heels. 
“You can’t believe me?!” You asked incredulously, following her out into the street. It was pitch black and raining torrentially but neither of you cared or even seemed to notice. “I can’t believe you! We don’t get many days off and all I’m asking for is one fucking day that you aren’t consumed by your injury and that you can just be here with me. Is that too much to ask for?” 
“You know it’s not that simple, Y/N. You know that this injury is all I can think about and you know how much it hurts that I can’t play right now. I’m sorry that my being injured has been an inconvenience for you but there’s not a whole lot I can do about that. This is how it is.” 
“Don’t do that, Ale. Don’t pretend like I don’t understand exactly what you’re going through. I’ve been through this before, you know that. If you would just trust me I could—”
“You could what, Y/N? When you tore your ACL you were just starting out and it wasn’t just before a major international tournament, so I’m sorry if I don’t want to take your advice. I think our situations are just a little bit different.” 
“Wow. Alright. Suit yourself then.” Your voice had gone small and you turned around slowly to walk back inside. Alexia sighed and caught your wrist with her hand. “No, Ale. I don’t want your apology right now.”
Luckily for you, she hadn’t been planning on apologizing. Instead, she pulled you into her and pressed her lips to yours. The tears on both of your cheeks mixed with the rain that was still falling and made the kiss uncomfortably wet, but the passion was undeniable. You clutched at one another, conveying all the emotions you could in the kiss. Eventually, you had to break away. Alexia looked at you, a question in her eyes. She wanted to know if the two of you were okay. She knew the kiss didn’t solve anything, knew it didn’t erase the hurtful words you’d exchanged, but she also knew it meant that not all was lost. You didn’t give her a verbal response, but you slipped your hand into hers and led her inside, giving Alexia all the confirmation she needed.
Little did you know, this was the beginning of the end.
Now
She can't see the smile I'm faking
And my heart's not breaking
'Cause I'm not feeling anything at all
Your run-in with Alexia at training makes you question everything. For the next couple of weeks you feel like you’re going through the motions but not really experiencing your life. You go on dates with your new girlfriend, meet her parents and her friends, but none of it feels real. She doesn’t know you like Alexia did, can’t tell that your passiveness is out of character for you. Eventually, though, you begin to pull away. She notices that. She even tries to confront you about it once or twice, is so earnest that you begin to feel bad, but you can’t bring yourself to change your ways. This is when she breaks up with you. The fact that it doesn’t hurt–not even a little bit–tells you everything you need to know. You miss Alexia. You miss her more than you knew was possible, more than you’ve ever missed anyone or anything. 
A few days after the break up, you’re sitting at a café with Ingrid when you make a decision. She’s been rambling on about Mapi and just how special she is, and something about a trip back to Norway, when you realize that you don’t want to go another minute without Alexia being yours. “Do you know–” You start, interrupting Ingrid mid-sentence. She looks at you surprised. For the past month or so your weekly coffee dates have been mostly Ingrid talking, so she welcomes the interruption. “Has Mapi mentioned anything about Alexia lately? About anything she’s said?” “Oh, Y/N.” Ingrid’s eyes are soft, a bit apologetic. “Mapi and I promised one another when you two broke up that we wouldn’t get involved. We love you both dearly and we don’t want to interfere.” “Really, Ingrid? That’s all you’re gonna say?” “I’m sorry. But if you want to know anything you should talk to Alexia, not me.” The Norwegian taps your hand. You nod to yourself, and go back to your reminiscing as Ingrid launches back into her story about her girlfriend.
The Next Day
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
You pause outside Alexia’s door, willing yourself to knock. There are a number of factors that could go wrong here, you know this very well, but you’re willing to take that risk. Even if Alexia doesn’t want you back, even if she’s moved on, you need to know. Before you can muster up the courage, however, the door swings open. Alexia is clearly on her way out and she looks at you in surprise as she steps out the door.
“Y/N. What are you doing here?” “Are you–where are you going?” “I was just about to run some errands. I can wait if you need me to though. Is something wrong?” “No, no, nothing’s wrong but, um, if you could wait that would be good. I need to talk to you.” The Spaniard gestures wordlessly towards her flat and you follow her inside. It hasn’t changed since the last time you were there, since the night of the breakup. You wander to the couch and make yourself comfortable, while Alexia perches herself on the chair across from her. Her arms are folded and she looks at you expectantly.
“You said you needed to talk to me, so go ahead.” 
“Right, right, sorry. So I don’t know if Mapi told you this but I got dumped.” At this, Alexia’s eyebrows fly up in surprise. Apparently Mapi was also taking the whole not getting involved thing seriously. “And here’s the thing, Ale. The breakup didn’t hurt at all. Like, not even a little bit. If anything it was a relief. That’s not how it’s supposed to feel, I know that because when we broke up…when we broke up I fell apart. I can’t do this without you, I don’t know how. You're everything to me. I've never felt anything close to what I felt–what I feel for you. And I know last time we fucked up and I know things need to be different if we try this again, but I need to tell you this now. I’m still in love with you. I want to try again, if you’ll have me.”
Alexia doesn’t say anything for a moment, but when you look up she’s crying.
360 notes · View notes
marwhoa · 1 month
Text
Please share, yall 💀
Hey y’all, not to like drop my irl location or anything, but I’m in trouble and could tots use some sharing/support! Shares are IMMENSELY appreciated, and if somehow you’re an affluent person and have wanted a reason to be a monetary hero, here’s your chance!!
Basically, I go to a small-town college that has been around since the 1800s!! Like literally the 19th century, and it is so hugely for the environment and community?? Like we are a sustainable school that’s big into all types of recycling and bettering the environment—like have you ever heard of teracycling? I didn’t until I came here.
But, so, my school is in danger 💀 it’s so for the environment and the community that they forgot how expensive that can be, and are in danger to SHUT DOWN??? AT THE END OF THIS SEMESTER???!???
Guys, I am a senior. I had ONE MORE SEMESTER, I WOULD’VE BEEN GRADUATED IN DECEMBERRR!! (I wanted to double major in Graphic Design and Psychology. Schedules were a pain. Oopsies?)
And so the school is POORRRRR, we need to somehow rally up
12 MILLION BY APRIL 3RD!!!!
YALL
12 MILLION!?!? THATS SO MUCH!!
So, here I am posting my school’s page for the funding, and if y’all could share this so people see it, take pity on little ol’ me, and donate so this old school can stay alive and I can graduate? That would be totally awesome.
Thanks for reading 💀I never thought I’d be making a post like this. I’m literally so embarrassed AAAAA
73 notes · View notes
Text
Something I was thinking about was how Mayhem was there for the final battle against Draxum in the episode End Game when he teleports April & Splinter to the stadium
Tumblr media
Splinter: Get us out of here doggy thingy 
However even though Mayhem was there for the final fight against Draxum, when the Hamato Clan begin to face the Shredder in the episode Many Unhappy Returns, Mayhem isn’t there any more
Tumblr media
You can actually see the moment Mayhem might have left the battle in the episode End Game when the Hamato Clan come up with a way to beat Draxum by aiming for a flaw in the Dark Armour 
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Splinter: So that’s why tea always tasted of plastic and evil 
The fact that Mayhem teleports out once the Hamato Clan has a plan to defeat Draxum makes it seem like Mayhem just left once he knew that Draxum was going to be dealt with.
Tumblr media
Head: Agent 64! Keep an eye on him, he’s dangerous
We know that Mayhem was an agent sent by the Council of Head to spy on Draxum so it would make sense that Mayhem would leave once Draxum was defeated but the implications that Mayhem was only sticking around the Hamato Clan to beat Draxum & left right after he was defeated is kind of sad when you consider how close he was to April in season 1.
Tumblr media
I don’t think Mayhem ever appears in Season 2 so we don’t know Mayhem still lives with April after the events of End Game & we never see Mayhem’s reaction to Draxum’s redemption so there’s a chance that Mayhem moved out of April’s apartment once Draxum was exiled from the Hidden City.
In a previous post I made a bit ago I made a theory that one of the reasons that I thought Mayhem was living with April was because he decided to spy on the Turtles since it was obvious from the first episode that they had something to do with Draxum.
Tumblr media
Draxum: You’re beautiful
Tumblr media
Draxum: Capture those specimens!
My theory was that Mayhem probably decided to stay with April to keep an eye on the turtles as they clearly had something to do with Draxum & possibly had the potential to be allies against him but if Mayhem did only stay with April because of his mission to stop Draxum then it would sadly make sense for Mayhem to leave once Draxum had been stopped because it would mean that his mission was over.
Mayhem leaving once his mission was over because he no longer had to keep an eye on Draxum would explain why we don’t really see Mayhem in season 2 but it’s kind of sad to think about Mayhem just deciding to leave April once his mission was over.
Tumblr media
Ron Carney’s twitter posted a schedule board where possible season 2 scrapped episode titles can be seen & one of the episode titles is ‘April Showers Mayhem Flowers’ so it can be assumed that we were originally supposed to have some resolution between Mayhem & April or at least an explanation on what happened to Mayhem after the season 1 final but unfortunately we never got it. 
421 notes · View notes
mostlymarvelsstuff · 1 year
Text
To Call You Mine
Chapter 10.5
Authors note: Thank you all for humoring my April fools joke, for being such good sports this real chapter is full of fluff with a sprinkle of smut. Hope you all enjoy! 
Word count: 4757     Nat Masterlist    Marvel Masterlist   TCYM Masterlist
Tumblr media
   It's been about a month since the New Year's gathering with your friends, and every move Natasha has made since then has been utterly adorable. First she made sure to schedule all the appropriate appointments with the correct doctors, even though she’s only had to go to one so far. And then she began to look up all the items she wanted for the pups nursery, and lastly she's been nesting. Which is currently what you find her doing. She shifts around in her nest, fluffing pillows the way she wants them and rearranging some blankets. 
   “Alpha?” she calls out, turning to look at you where you stand
   “Yes my Omega?”
   “Can you please come cuddle? I need my nest to smell like you to get comfortable.”
   A soft smile spreads across your features, “Of course Natty”
   You gently join her in the nest, sitting down beside her. A purr rumbles in her chest as she snuggles into you, practically crawling into your lap and your strong arms wrap around her. She nearly melts in your hold as you begin to scent her and the nest, a sense of peace and love washing over her. Unbeknownst to her, her purr becomes louder and you chuckle at her cuteness.
   “Is my Omega happy?”
   She nods, “Very happy. This is what I’ve always wanted.”
   “Me too” you admit, kissing her cheek, “I’m so excited to have this life with you, Dima and our pup”
   “Don’t forget Liho” she teases, and the cat meows from her spot on the nearby windowsill
   You both laugh, “Oh yes, and Liho. I could never forget our kitty”
   The two of you fall into a comfortable silence for several minutes, just content to be soaking in each other's presence and scents. But after a while your Omega shifts in you arms, letting one of her hands rest against her small bump
   “Do you want a boy or a girl?” she asks, looking up at you with curious eyes
   You ponder it for a moment, “I think a girl would be nice, but I’m not picky Natty. As long as they’re safe and healthy I’ll be happy. What about you?”
   “I want a daughter” she confesses with a smile, “I love Dima so very much, but growing up I always dreamed about having a little girl.”
   You move your hands to cup her small bump and she leans even further into your touch, “Then I hope it's a girl, because I want my Omega to get everything she wants. She deserves it.”
   It doesn’t take long for your mate to fall asleep in your embrace, and you make no attempts to move from her nest. Instead you simply pull the blankets up snuggly around you both and make sure Dimas baby monitor is nearby. Though it's rare for the pup not to sleep through the night, you’d rather be safe than sorry.
Tumblr media
   When Natasha awakes the next morning she's greeted by the sight of you asleep beside her and she's absolutely thrilled that her nest and blankets smell like you. She knows the whole house is yours and therefore hers, but there's just something in an Omegas instincts that make them cling to their nests when with pup, and to have hers smelling like her mate, her safe space personified, it really soothes her.
   She takes a moment to look over your peaceful features and she begins to purr, happy that her Alpha is so content beside her. Unfortunately she can't watch you slumber long as the cooing on the other end of the monitor informs her that her pup is awake and she knows it's best to feed and tend to him before he actually cries out for her.
   She slips away from you as stealthily as possible and makes her way upstairs. She makes quick work of changing Dimas diaper before settling into the rocking chair with him. She lifts up her shirt and in no time he begins to suckle.
   "You know my sweet boy, you're going to have to learn to share." She tells him, running her fingers through his messy hair, "You're going to have a sibling in a few months. Someone for you to play with" 
   His bright eyes look up to her and she wonders if he understands what all that means, or if it's something he'll have to see to take in. She remembers she took the news of Yelena's pending arrival quite well, but she was also older than Dima currently is when that news came. She really hopes he'll be just as close with the new pup as she is with her sister, sibling bonds in a pack are something special.
   Just then her phone goes off and thinking it could be you letting her know you were awake and making breakfast she eagerly picks it up. But instead of her Alphas name she finds her best friend's name across the screen.
   Wanda: Good morning Nat. I was wondering, do you have plans for today?
   Nat: Nope, I'm free. What's up?
   Wanda: Care to go shopping with me? You've had a pup already and I would really like your advice on things to get for mine. I'm much more nervous about all of this than I expected to be.
  Nat: Aww, of course I'll come Wans! And there's no need to be nervous, you're going to be a great mom, I know it.
   Wanda: ❤️ thank you dorogoy(sweetheart). Pick you up in an hour?
  Nat: sounds perfect. See you soon
  She slips her phone back in her pocket before she stands and makes her way downstairs, her pup still attached to her breast. She quietly re-enters the bedroom and sits beside you in the nest, letting the hand that's not supporting Dima caress your face.
   "Y/n, baby" she calls out, smiling as your brows twitch, "Alpha, time to get up"
   You yawn before opening your eyes and though you're still groggy a smile spreads across your lips as you see your Omega and pup in front of you.
   "Mornin' Natty"
   "Good morning baby, sleep well?" She asks, her hand still caressing your cheek
  You nod, "Very well. Did you?"
  "Mhm, I certainly did"
   "Good" you declare, moving your one hand to hold hers while your other grabs Dimas, "Mornin' sweetheart"
  Despite enjoying his breakfast he still manages to coo at you and squeezes your fingers affectionately and Natashas mind wanders to images of you and the unborn pup interacting in such ways as well, making her heart swell.
   "Wanda wants me to help her while she shops for her pup, she's picking me up in an hour if that's ok."
  "Of course it's ok." You tell her, squeezing her hand, "Just be careful. It's dangerous enough for Omegas out there, let alone pregnant ones."
  "We will be, because there's no way Vis is letting her go alone. She may be driving but she's not alone"
   You nod, "Ok good. I'll keep Dima here so you can be out as long as you need to be with them."
   "You sure you won't mind?" She asks, still not entirely used to having such a caring and considerate mate
  "I'll be fine. Tony says I probably won’t be needed until April, so all I have to do is check over my guys schedule, make sure they show and handle a small bit of paperwork. I can easily keep an eye on him with the monitor until I'm done and then me, him and Liho can have some fun."
   She smiles and leans in for a quick kiss, "Thank you Alpha. I appreciate you so much, my love"
   "Aww Natty, it's really no problem."
   "I know, I'm just so thankful I have you" she replies just as Dima finally detaches from her, "Would you mind taking him so I can get ready?"
   "Of course not" you reply, sitting up and taking the pup from her, "Come on buddy, let's go get you the rest of your breakfast"
   By the time you're finished feeding him his oatmeal and fruit your Omega has finished getting ready and she joins the two of you in the kitchen with a kiss to each of your cheeks.
   "Here detka(baby), I know you don't have a lot of time before Wanda shows up, but you need to eat. For both of you."
   Her heart warms as you hand her a freshly made omelet, with all of her favorite ingredients and she happily grabs the plate from you.
   "Thank you baby” she says, giving you another kiss on the cheek before sitting down at the table next to Dima in his highchair, “Were you a good boy for your Mama?”
   He coos at her with a smile and you chuckle, “He was. Ate every bit of his food”
   “Good” she says with a smile, pinching his cheek lightly as she scoops the last forkful of breakfast into her mouth, “Please continue to be good malen'kiy (little one)”
   “Don’t worry, he will be. Now go on, I think Wanda just pulled up”
   She quickly hops up and gives you a kiss, “I love you Alpha, see you later”
   “Love you too Omega, be careful and have fun!” you reply, ignoring the strange sense of deja vu 
   A few minutes after your Omega departs you scoop Dima up and your arms and take him upstairs. You gently set him down in the large playpen in the middle of his room and place a few more of his toys inside with him before kissing the top of his head
   “I’ll be downstairs in my office for a little while, but I’ll have your monitor with me” you tell him, as if he understood a word, “Have fun little guy”
   Not wanting to leave him alone for the entire time Natasha is away, you head straight for your office in order to get to work. You sit down at your desk and smirk at the picture of your Omega that she had gifted you before your focus goes to your computer. You log on and take a look at the schedule for your men, making sure each is on there for their requested hours while also making sure Tony never goes without bodyguards. Satisfied with the schedule you send it off in an email to all your men as well as Tony himself, and no surprise, Tony promptly replies with an email.
    Tony: Thanks Y/n, hope all is well with you and your Omega. Don’t forget I have that upcoming gala that I’ll need you for in about a month.
   Y/n: We’re doing very good, thank you. We’re actually expecting another pup! I’m incredibly excited and nervous. Hope you and Pepper are well too. Right, fundraising for the new research projects, right?
   Tony: Congrats kid!! Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner!? You’ll need time off!!
  Y/n: Tony, I don’t need time off, I only come in when absolutely necessary to begin with, it’ll be fine. I’ll only need someone to cover for me if something comes up around the time the pup is due.
   Tony: Alright, alright. Fine. Do you know how many you're having? Or what they’ll be?
   Y/n: Not yet, we still have a little waiting to do until then. Probably another month before we’ll know.
  Tony: Well keep me informed and if you need to stay home for the Gala, it's not a problem at all!
   Y/n: Thank you Tony. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some paperwork to catch up on
  Tony: No problem kid! Talk soon!
   You close your laptop and pull a small stack of paperwork out of one of your file drawers and set it infront of yourself as you grab a pen. It’s nothing exciting. Just signatures here or there and a few forms of approval for new and better gear. About halfway through you pull out your monitor and look at your pup through the camera, and you smile as you see him contently playing with a few of his stuffies. 
   “Mama will be done here soon honey” you tell him through the device's microphone, assuring him that he's not alone in the vast house. You listen to him babble for a little bit before setting the monitor back down and getting back to work. 
   Finally you finish everything and you clean up your workspace a bit before heading upstairs. You quietly walk into Dimas room, wanting to see what he was up to without disturbing him. He's now laying on his stomach, his back feet kicking adorably as he chews on one of his first teething rings. He quickly notices your presence though and drops the toy to give you grabby hands.
   “Hi little man” You chuckle as you pick the young pup up, “What do you say we head downstairs, get some lunch and then watch some tv while we wait for your Mama to come home, hm?”
   You carry him back downstairs and settle him down in his bouncer by the tv and you turn on his current favorite cartoon, Bluey, before going back into the kitchen. You scramble up an egg for you and Dima to split, adding some lentils and turkey bites on the side for him before quickly putting together a turkey sandwich for yourself.
   When you return to the living room with your food you find Liho waiting for you on the sofa, her wide eyes scanning your plate for a potential treat. You toss a small piece of turkey to her before returning your focus to Dima. You feed him his lunch between his coos and giggles as he watches his show, only eating your own once he's finished. And of course this means sharing the occasional bite with your Omegas pesky kitten.
   After you gather all the dishes and take them out back out to the kitchen to sit in the sink until you go to wash everything after dinner, you grab a bag of cheese puffs for yourself to snack on during the cartoon before returning to Dima and Liho. As you sit down your phone pings, and knowing it's most likely your mate, you promptly pull it out of your pocket.
   Natty: Hi moya lyubov'(my love), sorry for not checking in sooner but I didn’t want to risk disturbing you while you worked. Everything ok at home?
   Y/n: No worries detka(baby), I figured you were busy showing Wan and Vis everything pup related anyway. All good here, I finished up work a bit ago and the three of us just had lunch. He's behaving perfectly. Will you be eating lunch with them or should I prepare you something?
   Natty: Good, was worried how he would behave, I've never been away from him for so long before. Thank you baby, but no need, we’ve just sat down to have lunch ourselves. I should be home not long after, Wanda just has one last store to take us to, if that's alright.
   Y/n: Of course Natty. Now go eat something delicious and enjoy the rest of your time with them. I'll see you soon my Omega, love you ❤️
   Natty: Love you too my Alpha, see you soon ❤️
Tumblr media
After another episode of Bluey ends you notice the pup beginning to lose interest, so you remove him from the bouncer and place him on the floor. You join him, pulling over a few of his toys for you both to play with and you switch the show over to some Winnie the Pooh, his other favorite currently. A few minutes pass when suddenly Liho gets up from her spot on the sofa and darts for the front door.
   You then hear a car door shut before keys jingle and you smile at the fact that somehow Liho knew Nat was home before there was even any indication. The door opens and the kitten begins meowing, acting as if she had been left home alone all day without a sliver of attention. You can hear your Omega fretting over her before she enters the room.
   “Hi baby” she calls out, a smile on her face as she sets down a few bags nearby, “I got a few things while helping Wanda find some things, I just couldn’t help it. I’m so excited to meet our pup”
   You smile fondly at her, “I don’t blame you one bit, I also can’t wait”
   She makes her way over to the two of you and sits down beside you, giving you a kiss in greeting before turning her attention to Dima, “Hi malen'kiy(little one)”
   He smiles brightly and babbles, doing his best to waddle over to her without falling. She opens her arms to him and hugs him tightly, before peppering his face with kisses. He giggles at the action, warming both your hearts and making you both smile. After a bit more attention he lets out a yawn and Natasha knows what that means.
   “Looks like someone is sleepy” she tells you, situating the pup in her arms, “I’m gonna go lay him down for his nap before dinner, when I come back down can we go cuddle in my nest?”                                
   “Of course we can, baby. I’ll meet you in there, ok?” She nods excitedly, before heading upstairs. 
   The small pup wiggles as she places him on his changing table and she chuckles at him while grabbing his feet playfully. He squeals with delight while he softly kicks his feet in a fake attempt to keep her away from him.
   “I’m gonna get you!” she teases, wiggling her fingers dramatically before tickling his small belly
   He erupts in a fit of giggles and so does she as she continues tickling him, all of which you can hear and see through the monitor that sits on the windowsill next to your Omegas nest. 
   You smile to yourself as you prepare yourself for cuddles. Now you would think it doesn’t take much for that, but when you're an Alpha that tends to overheat easily paired with a pregnant Omega that practically needs to be buried in blankets to feel completely comfortable, preparations are needed.
   You quickly strip down to just your boxers and throw on an old tank top you usually wear when working out before climbing into your mates nest. You fluff up a few of her pillows and scent her stuffies for her to make sure she's comfortable, and just as you finish scenting her favorite blanket she makes her way into the bedroom.
   Your scent is strong now, and the sight of you in your boxers has her mind wandering to some less than savory thoughts as she makes her way over to you. Without hesitation she straddles your lap and wraps her arms around you as she nuzzles against your neck. At first you think nothing of it, she often likes to cuddle in this position. But when her lips start kissing your scent gland and her hips start to grind against you, you realize she had a different motive this time.
   “Does my Omega need something?” you tease, letting your hands moving to grab her  ass to help her move against you
   “You ” she whimpers, feeling your cock beginning to harden beneath her, “Please baby”
   “I got you Natty, just tell me what you need”
   “Your cock” she purrs, “Need you inside me”
   Suddenly Natasha finds herself laying in her nest with you hovering above her, your arms on either side of her as your hips press against hers. She watches the way your muscles flex and lets out a moan as your bulge rubs against her core, silently cursing the clothes that are in the way.
   “Y/n, please” she whines, wiggling her hips as her hands tug at your tank top
   You can’t help but smile at her needy state, but you relent to her wishes and move away long enough to remove the offending items from yourself before moving onto her. Her shirt is the first thing to go, her bra following right after and you can’t resist the urge to let your tongue lick at the few drops of milk that escape her breasts. She lets out another whimper and one hand wraps itself around you to hold you there while the other presses against your abs as if to distance herself from you and you chuckle at her predicament. You make a decision for her, pulling away and removing the rest of her clothes so you can give her exactly what she wants. 
   “You're soaked Natty” you breath out, letting the tip of your cock rest against her opening
   “Mhm” she whimpers, her hands gripping the blanket beneath her in anticipation
   Finally you push your hips forward, slipping inside her easily as you both let out a moan of pleasure. You start thrusting immediately and she lets out a soft purr when you begin to cover her chest in kisses, your hand trailing across her small bump
   “I love you” she says, running a gentle hand down your back
   You look up at her with a grin, “I love you too Natty”
   She guides your face back up to hers and captures your lips in a passionate kiss and moans when your tongue slips inside her mouth. Her arms wrap around your torso and her fingertips dig into your shoulders hard enough that you expect a few bruises to be left behind. You break the kiss in order to catch your breath and she takes the opportunity to once again nuzzle against your neck 
   “Ooh god!” she exclaims as your cock rubs against a sensitive spot inside her, causing her walls to clench tightly around you
   “Fuck!” you moan and Natasha practically melts at the gruffness of your voice
   The speed of your thrusts picks up as you chase your release, you knot quickly beginning to form and you can tell she's just as close as you are by the way she flutters around you.
   “Knot me, please” she begs, “Fill me up baby”
   With one final thrust your knot slips inside her, locking you together, and your warm seed pours into her eager pussy, throwing her into her own powerful orgasm. Her head falls back as she lets out a mixture of beautiful noises and her arms tremble slightly as she comes down from her high
   “You alright?” 
    Her eyes slowly open to look at you and she gives you a satisfied smile, “Mhm”
   “Good” you reply, cupping her face in your hands. Your thumbs caress the apples of her cheeks, causing her to purr at the affection
   You pull your hands away and wrap them around her before rolling over, letting her rest atop you while your knot holds you two together. She keeps her arms tightly around you,her head resting against the center of your chest as your fingers card through her hair as your other rests on her hip. 
   By the time your knot deflates she's practically asleep in your embrace so you decide for an easier clean up instead of a full bath this time. You slide yourself out of her, causing her to whimper as she's still sensitive but you distract her with soft forehead kisses
  “I’ll be right back Natty” you whisper as you shuffle her to her side and slip out of the nest.
    You quickly move about the bathroom, cleaning yourself off with a soapy washcloth before moving to prepare one for your mate. Her groggy eyes meet yours as you emerge and she smiles as you kneel beside her. Without needing to be asked she spreads her legs apart, allowing you to gently clean her. Once you're done you cover her with one of her many blankets, only leaving to toss the washcloth in the dirty laundry. And when you return you find her struggling against sleep, no doubt because she's waiting for you.
   “Take a nap Natty” you tell her, slipping under the blanket beside her, “I’ll wake you up before we have to get Dima up.”
   “Mkay” she replies, snuggling against you, “Love you”
  “Love you too” you reply, wrapping a protective arm around her 
Tumblr media
  A few hours later you gently cup her face, “Baby, time to get up. We gotta wake Dima and have Dinner”
   She groans and her face scrunches up adorably as she stretches but her green eyes finally open to look at you, “Hi”
   You chuckle, “Hi Natty. Since I’m already dressed I’m gonna go get him, while you put your pajamas on think about what you’d like and I can either make or order it”
   She nods and watches you fondly as you leave the room, finally pulling herself out of the nest and into her most snuggly pair of pajamas once she hears you and Dima making your way out of his room via the monitor. She watches you diligently place him in his bouncer as you turn on cartoons for him before turning to pet the curious Liho where she sits in the armchair
   “Hi baby, thanks for getting him” she says before hugging you
   You wrap your arms around her, “Of course. Figure out what you want for dinner?” 
   She hums in thought, “How about pizza?”
   “From the shop that makes the brownies?”
   She nods excitedly, “Yes please!”
    You smile and pull out your phone, quickly hoping on the Doordash app to place your order of pizza and brownies, “It’ll be here in about ten minutes”
   “Thank you baby, better go get Dimas food ready”
    By the time she's finished making his rice with small portions of veggies and meat on the side you're opening the door to collect your order. You carry it in and set it on the table, returning to the living room to grab your pup while she plates his food. You get him in his highchair at the table while your mate brings over his food as well as plates for the two of you. You sit down across from her, closest to Dima so that she can eat unhindered as you help him with his meal.
   After a few bites of her pizza Nat is reminded of something Wanda had mentioned earlier that she wanted to bring up with you, “Alpha?”
   “Hmm?” you reply only looking to her once your pup swallows his spoonful of rice
   “Wanda said next month she and Vis are going to go find out how many pups she's carrying and their genders, and i was wondering if we could do that too. They should be just big enough by then” she asks, her nervousness evident
   You know this nervousness has nothing to do with you, it stems from Brucs behavior. Nat now struggles to ask Alphas any questions, as she wants to avoid upsetting them. But she's much better than she had been, especially with you. But this subject deals with something emotional so it's natural that her anxieties would flare up. You take a second to set Dimas spoon down before turning to face her and you bring your hand up to hold hers
   “I would love that, my Omega” you answer honestly, giving her hand a squeeze
   She gives you a wide grin, but that quickly turns to a look of surprise as rice flies into the side of your face. You give her the same expression of shock before turning to your pup and he lets out a high pitched giggle as a few grains fall to the table. Natasha begins to laugh with him, despite her attempts not to and you can't help but laugh along with them
   “And this is why you're still not allowed cutlery mister” you tell him, reaching for his spoon
   “I don’t know, I think he did pretty well with that shot” your Omega wheezes through her laughter 
   You shake your head, “Oh there truly is no deny he's related to you or Lena thats for sure”
   “Oh!” she exclaims, “She has to see what her nephews accomplished, look here!”
   Begrudgingly you do so, letting her snap a photo and send it off to her sister and probably Wanda too. Sure enough your phone dings twice and you take a glance at the notifications
   Lena: He's got my aim. I am so proud. ❤️
   Wanda: Lookin good hot stuff, loving the new accessories
   You look over at your still giggling mate, “I’ll remember this when he nails you with applesauce”
Taglist: @wandaromamoff69 @mmmmokdok @nataliasknife @natashasilverfox @when-wolves-howl @danveration @naomi-m3ndez @sheneonromanoff @sayah13 @likefirenrain @nighttime-dreaming  @readings-stuff @chaoticevilbakugo @crystalstark02 @wackymcstupid @xchaiix @iaminluvwithnat @lovelyy-moonlight @blackwidow-3 @mistressofinsomnia @that-one-gay-mosquito @yomamagf @yourfavdummy @justarandomreaderxoxo @scoutlp23-blog @whoischanelle15 @lissaaaa145 @eline03 @wizardofstories @imthenatynat @marvelonmymind @fluffyblanketgecko @bitch-616 @dakotastormm  @zoomdeathknight @rayeofmoonlight @naslt @lattayhottay16 @yelenabelov-ed @thatonebrazilian  @marvelwomen-simp @wannabe-fic-reader @tashakink @whitewidowsbite @smromanoff
382 notes · View notes
gaslightgallows · 2 months
Text
Please imagine a pithy title about fresh starts here.
Tumblr media
(crossposted from Patreon)
Coming into 2024, I had big plans for how I was going to get back on track and get back to posting once a week and yeah, obviously, that hasn’t happened.
But what I have been doing is looking at my Patreon and at my own projects and figuring out some things I need to do differently. Last April, I changed my nom de plume because I wanted a fresh start. Now it’s time to give this entire Patreon project a refresh.
Here’s what’s happened so far:
Deleted my old A.F. Linley website and gave up the domain; the cost for hosting has risen by $200/year and I wasn’t using it as much as I thought I would back in 2018. Also I kept getting spam emails through the contact page.
Took down my Smashwords account; the single title I had managed to self-publish, a short story collection called Creeps, Ghouls and Jewels, had some serious formatting issues that it was not going to be worth the time/money to correct. Plus, I’m not happy with the changes that have come since Smashwords merged with Draft2Digital. (I’m considering moving to Payhip for future self-pubbed titles but that’s a discussion for a different post.)
I’m starting the process of taking down my Redbubble shop and....Okay, actually, I might have done that already? I just went to grab a link to the site in case anyone wanted to order a Moonicorns t-shirt before I deactivated but uh, it looks like it might’ve deactivated itself? Anyway, merch isn’t the right direction for me at this time, but I’ve still got all the actual designs and I really do like the “Finishing Things is Hard” logo, so I’m definitely going to hang onto that and slap that onto some stuff at a different print-on-demand site in the future.
Here’s what’s happening next:
New posting schedule: Starting in April, patrons will receive one short non-fiction post every week (500-1k words) and a piece of fiction every month (2-2.5k words). Oddments posts will continue to be free to read, but these take a decent amount of research and will be sporadic, basically happening around patron-only posts.
Revised patron tier perks: Getting rid of physical rewards and adding more digital ones. More details to come.
Current and long-time patrons: Thank you for sticking around while I get my shit together. I say that frequently. I mean it every single time.
Potential new patrons: Hello. I have just met you, and I love you. My name is Ethan, I live in a 200-year-old house and I’m writing a novel called The Lion’s Paw. It’s set in 1925 and is about an immortal queer disaster woman and what happens when 400+ years of terrible decisions catches up with her.
Tumblr media
(I will neither confirm nor deny that she was inspired by H.G. Wells from Warehouse 13.) (Yes I will confirm it, she totally was.)
There are séances and ghostly possession and psychics, there is historical romance, and psychological horror, there are haunted houses and artists behaving badly and a lot of ladies making out.
I post about my writing process and all the weird little historical niches that pop up during my research. Frequent topics include: 
Spiritualism
Cryptids
Historical curiosities
Medical quackery
Weird tech
General oddball occurrences and serendipitous intersections of history, folklore, and culture
And sometimes when I’m really bored I write short fiction via random prompts.
If any of that appeals to you, please consider subscribing! I’d love to have you along for this journey and my caffeine habit needs all the support it can get.
=====
Banner photo by Ryan Snaadt on Unsplash.
49 notes · View notes
miyuhpapayuh · 9 months
Text
Tumblr media
𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝.
"You're just gonna stare at me, huh?"
For the past five minutes, Anthony has been sitting across from Simone, watching her slowly sip on her second margarita, her fiery gaze set and stuck on him.
It had been a long–almost three months since she'd been able to look him in his face, and if possible, he was even more handsome.
"I'm mad at you." She finally speaks, cutting her eyes at him, before looking towards Jasmine, in her silk, red dress with a daring slit up the thigh, dancing with her husband.
"I wanted to surprise you."
"You succeeded, but I'm still mad."
"Nah, you're just stubborn. I know you're happy to see me, princess." He confidently states.
"I never said I wasn't."
"Can you act like it, then?" He rounds the table to sit beside her, pulling her into his side, smirking as she melts into him.
"I didn't get in a helicopter and fly fifteen hours ahead of my schedule, just to watch you pout."
“What did you just say?” She asks, turning her head to look up at him.
“You heard me. I rearranged my whole day to be here. Even if it's just the reception, cause I knew how important this was to you. So… get that frown off your face.”
Instantly fixing her pout, it’s replaced by shock. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.” He mocks, leaning for a kiss that she eagerly meets him halfway for.
“You said you couldn’t make it! I thought that was finite.” She softly defends.
“You're right, but you know I always pull through for you, too.” He says, smiling down at her.
“I missed you,” she finally says, before sighing dramatically.
“God, that hurt you, didn't it?” He asks, smirking at the look on her face.
“It really did!” She obnoxiously nods, making him laugh.
“I missed you too, with your spoiled ass.”
“All your fault and none of mine,” she laughs, grabbing her glass from the table and taking the last couple sips of the strong drink.
“You smell good,” he plants his face right into her neck, inhaling her scent.
“Thank you— stop!” She giggles, pushing him away as he starts to nibble on the area. He beams back, behaving this time.
“You smell good too, my favorite cologne.” She smiles, leaning back into him.
“I always keep a bottle near for that reason,” he notes, just as Simone's sister dances over to where they're sitting.
“Hey, lovebirds!”
“Hey, April! Nice to see you again.” He greets, as they slap hands like old friends.
“Always fun runnin’ into you, Ant!” She slurs.
“How many drinks have you had, dude?” Simone asks, staring at the glass of brandy in her hand.
“Well, including this one,” she holds the glass up, “three. I might have one more.”
“Be careful, April.”
“Girl, lighten up a little. I'm a big girl, I'm good.” She smiles, patting Anthony's shoulder. “I'm glad you're back. Take care of my girl, here.”
“Always.” He smiles back, while she makes her way back to the dance floor.
He turns to his pouty date, softly chuckling. “She seems to be enjoying herself.”
“Yeah, ‘cause she left the ball and chain at home.” She replies.
“Hm. Come dance with me.” He says, pulling her up and out of her funk with his “elite” dance moves. Her giggles are futile as he hits his famous robot for her.
“So stupid,” she says through her laughing fit, swooning as he pulls closed the space between them, grasping her left hand into his right.
Her cheeks grow a deep crimson as a couple of Jada's cousins give their whistles of approval.
“That means they like me, right?”
“Yeah, they like you,” she pecks his lips, “who wouldn't?”
“You act like you don't sometimes, but I know the real.”
“You get on my nerves. Multiple things can be true, I suppose.” She shrugs.
“Yeah?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Mmhm.”
˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.̑ෆ₊̣̇˟̑ෆ
Driving down to the beach at two in the morning, was definitely not in her original plans. But, when you've got a beautiful man whispering in your ear, you'd be persuaded into just about anything.
"How was the wedding?" Idris asks, resting his right hand on her knee, drawing small circles into her skin.
"It was beautiful. I cried a lot, like usual. Her dress. Her hair. The flowers. The church!, their union and those vows— wow. One of my favorite weddings, by far." Simone gushes.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You definitely drank enough to." He teases.
"Free bar! Of course, I'm taking advantage. Don't do that, when you knocked back those three glasses of Brandy." She points her finger at him, as he pulls into a parking spot, just minutes away from their destination.
"I had to catch up with you, babygirl." He cuts the car off and hops out, heads over to her side to open her door for her and locks the car up.
Their index fingers naturally intertwine as they start their trek towards the sand. The midnight blue sky gives the scenery before them a calm feeling.
Stopping for a moment, Simone slips her sandals off and hooks them on her fingers, sighing as the gritty sand finds a home between her toes.
"I haven't been to the beach in the longest time." She mumbles as they get closer to the water.
"I'll make sure you see it more often," he responds without so much as a second thought. She shakes her head fondly, absentmindedly clutching his hand tighter.
A breeze sends a slight shiver through her, and he disconnects their hands long enough to shrug out of his suit jacket and sling it over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she says. Her tone takes on a genuine warmth that doesn't mirror the acidity from earlier.
For a moment they simply stroll in a comfortable silence, nature's symphony being the only thing heard.
"Ya know, Allura's fourth anniversary is around the corner. I could use a date." She speaks up as she swings their arms between them.
"What?" He asks with fake shock, "around all those pesky cameras that I'm sure are gonna be there all night?"
"I mean I could ask my other options to join me if you're not down."
"Other options?” He asks with a chuckle. “Not after the speech you gave me the other night!”
She immediately cackles, squeezing his hand. “I'm only kidding!”
“Oh, I know it.” He nods, matter-of-factly, sending her eyes rolling. “And, I'd love to accompany you, princess.”
She will never grow tired of hearing that name.
"You basically own the place now, don't you?" He continues.
"Absolutely not! That's all Rose's baby."
"I think she'd disagree. You're the only one who's been there since its inception. You're just as responsible for it being as big as it is. I see just how much you do to keep it running so smoothly."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, sir." Her tone is light, but she was grateful the darkness of the night cloaked the ever present rosiness of her cheeks.
Slinking back up to her place after their lovely night, it was well into the wee hours of the morning.
They stop in front of her front door where she turns to face him, looking up into his eyes.
"Thank you for showing up for me tonight. You made an already fantastic night...perfect." She had to remember to lay off the alcohol whenever he was involved. Soon enough she'd be laying all her cards on the table, and that was a severe no-no in her book.
"Anytime at all." He moves a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, trailing his hand down the side of her neck, leaving goosebumps in his wake. "Can I keep you warm tonight?"
The answer is already in her starry eyes, but she unlocks the door and pulls him inside by his belt buckle, sealing the deal.
Once the door closed, his lips and hands were on her, carefully unzipping her dress before helping her step out and tossing it, along with her thong, onto her side chair. She pushes his suit jacket and shirt away, tossing it onto the same chair.
As he carries her down the hall, her hand pats the wall, flipping the light on so she could see him and make sure this moment was actually happening.
“How thoughtful of you,” she snorts once she pulls away from their liplock for a breath, her body being sat on her kitchen counter, her legs wrapping around him.
“I do what I can,” he cheekily responds, recapturing her lips, taking her breath away again.
His hot mouth trails down her neck, locating her hot spot with ease, making her moan and move her hands from his shoulders to his belt buckle.
Assisting in pushing the rest of his clothes away, he sank into her and revels in the deep gasp that left her. Her hands find his shoulders.
“Anthony…” she breathlessly moans, as he wastes no time pounding into her. Her ankles uncross and roll from the chills that creep up her spine.
“Missed you, baby.. fuck, you feel so good.” He moans, bending down to kiss her lips, then her neck, still mumbling his praises to her.
She leans back onto the counter, throbbing all over as his open-mouthed kisses land on her sensitive breasts, making her body fall all the way onto the surface.
“Oh my god, please,” she moans, biting her lip and shutting her eyes tight at the overload of him.
Her hands didn't know where to land as his thrusts continued to jack up her breathing, sending her higher up  than the alcohol ever could.
“I'm gonna, fuck!— cum,” she moans, squeezing her thighs against his waist, trying her best to ride that first wave of pleasure as it coursed through her whole body.
“That's it, princess. Gimme that good shit— gah damn.” He praises, kissing all over her skin.
Slowing down to give her a moment of reprieve, his slow grind still sends a shiver down her spine but she's slowly coming back down to earth, even laughing a little to herself.
“Fuck, what do you do to me?” She asks, almost whining into his mouth as he answers with another steamy kiss, his hands cuffing underneath her legs to press them back against the surface.
“Stop,” she whines, her shoulder inching up to block his slippery kisses from the other side of her neck, due to her being stupid ticklish.
Peppering kisses around the area and making her body bend upward, he found access to her spot anyway, her sweet laughter floating through the air.
“A–Anthony! That fucking tickles,” she squeals, clawing at his arms and back as he goes back to pumping into her.
Her eyes slid back into their hiding spot as he brushed against her spot, that pretty pout staining her features as she got ready for another release.
“Don't stop, baby!”
˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.̑ෆ₊̣̇ෆ˟̑
The next morning, they are lazily wrapped up in each other. The sun shines through the cream colored organza curtains, casting them in a golden glow.
The calm of the moment is interrupted by a ringing phone.
"Business calls, huh?" She asks softly, her tone neutral, “damn, just when I was starting to like you, old man." She draws abstract patterns on his exposed chest.
He allows the phone to ring until it stops. "Hmm. Whatever they need from me, they can get from Carmichael. Hell, he probably knows more than I do."
She rises from her position on his chest, a lift in her freshly waxed brow. "You're serious?"
"As a heart attack. I missed you." There's a teasing glint in his eyes that makes her heart flutter.
"I can see why you would." She stretches her limbs with a yawn. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat."
"Yes ma'am."
Forty five minutes later, and they're sitting across from each other in a French café enjoying delicious pastries and each other's company.
"I need a favor," she changes the gears of their conversation.
"Name it."
"My assistant, Logan. She's one of the most dedicated, ambitious people I know. She's got big dreams, and I think she could use a...friend. A generous, well-established handsome friend who's more than willing to help her realize them. And preferably one with a very large penis." She says the last part without blinking.
Anthony on the other hand, almost chokes on his hazelnut latte.
"Well. I can't make any promises about that last part, but I do think I have the perfect candidate. I'll talk to him."
"You're the best."
"Oh, I know."
To that, she dips her fingertips in her glass of ice water and flicks it at him.
After breakfast, they decide on a lazy day, wanting to languish in being in each other's presence for as long as they could.
Anthony has his head in her lap as some mindless show plays on her TV. She strokes the scruff of his beard, neither one of them truly paying attention.
A phone interrupts their nothingness for the second time, only it's April ringing this time.
"What's up, April?"
"Well hello sister. Where's that man at?"
"Right here," she puts the phone on speaker and puts it near his head, "Say hello."
"Heeeeyyyy, boyfriend! You keeping my sister's back cracked?"
"Girl, have you lost your mind?"
"You know it!"
Anthony and Simone respond at once, and she immediately takes her off speaker.
"I knew it. I could tell from that glow, last night. That wasn't just Fenty."
"I'm not about to play with you!" She laughs. "What do you want?"
"It's my last day before I go home, and I wanna hang out with my sister. Can we do that?"
She weighs her choices. All things considered, she does miss her sister dearly, but she won't entertain a single word about that husband of hers.
"Sure. What time did you have in mind?"
"Give me like...two hours then I'll come get you. Cool?"
She checks the time from his phone.
"That's fine. I'll see you then."
"Great. I love you, Simone."
While that's not news, it throws her for a bit of a loop to hear it at such a seemingly random time.
"I love you too, April." They end the call and she sets her phone back down.
"Spending some time with your sister?"
"Yeah."
"You don't seem too excited."
"No, I'd love to see her. We just...haven't seen eye to eye in a long time."
"From what you tell me it seems like you still care."
"Of course I do. We've been through almost everything together. I just don't understand these trash ass choices she makes sometimes."
"The direction she decides to steer her life isn't always for you to have to understand, love. Your only job as her sister is to love her through the changes. She's gonna always need that. But I understand how hard it can be to see someone you care about seemingly self-destruct."
"I hate your sound advice," she says, ending on a chuckle.
"I'm a wise man. I know a few things."
"I'll give you that," she runs her hand through her hair, "We got a couple hours...how about you show me what else you know?"
Simone washes the sinful activities from her skin before she's to meet with her sister.
Just as she's putting her outfit of choice on, distressed denim & an olive hi-cut bodysuit, there's a knock at the door. Anthony volunteers to get it, and she hopes her sister can keep the embarrassing remarks to a zero while she's putting the finishing touches on her hair.
They greet each other with one of the warmest embraces they've shared in their adulthood.
Anthony makes a promise to meet back up with her later that he seals with a steamy kiss.
"Okay you two, that's enough." April playfully pushes their heads apart.
They bid her handsome man farewell for now, and then they're off to their favorite soul food place.
˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.̑ෆ₊̣̇ෆ˟̑
Once they're seated and waiting on their drinks, they begin reminiscing about their younger "misguided" years.
"And, that bitch sees me and walks the other way to this day!" They break out into laughter.
"Her bony ass knew better than to try it, too. Speaking of, do you remember Resha?" Simone asks, sipping on her water.
"The one you caught fucking on Devante, Resha??"
"The very one. You know people are DMing me screenshots of this hoe still throwing shots? Girl, it's been years! That nigga can remain your headache."
"She only doing that because she'll never forget that tag team beatdown we gave her and that frog faced bitch of a homegirl."
"For as long as she lives!" They smack hands, falling into another round of laughter.
"Why does it feel like it's been so long since we laughed like that? That's all we used to do." Her posture turns more dejected as she slouches in her seat.
And here it is. The point of their meeting that Simone was dreading.
"We did. We just grew into women with our own lives to tend to."
"I still miss the young us. All the time."
"So do I," Simone replies quietly.
"I know Will plays a part in it."
"Don't even bring him up, Iris." She wants to nip it in the bud before her mood sours.
"I know that's it, though, Imani."
"He's your husband. It is what it is." Her passive tone betrays her feelings.
"Look, I know he can be…”
"Complete and utter garbage."
"Simone."
She shrugs. "I only call it like I see it."
"Okay. He can be abrasive, but he goes through a lot of stress, and I owe it to him to be-"
"You don't owe him shit, April!" She doesn't like where her sister's statement was heading. "He owes it to you to be a better husband. Period."
"You don't get it."
"Then help me get it. Help me understand why me and mama have to watch you be treated so miserably by that no good bastard every time we see you."
April looks away feeling her eyes start to burn with unshed tears, cracking her knuckles, a nervous tick she never broke out of. Simone softens feeling the sadness emanate from her sister in waves. She reaches across the table and grabs one of her hands. "Talk to me. Please."
"It was all my fault," she speaks quietly.
She squints, at a loss for what she could be talking about. "What was?"
"I thought I was okay. I thought I could still work. My doctor told me everything was okay. I didn't listen to my body, and now she's gone." Her voice breaks at the end. The emotions that April had been holding in finally spilled from her eyes and into her lap.
Simone's heart breaks for her sister, but above that she feels...anger. Anger that her sister's husband would allow her to carry the guilt of a faultless miscarriage for a second, much less two years.
She immediately considers asking Anthony if he had friends in high places who didn't mind getting their hands dirty.
But for now, she moves to her sister's side of the booth and wraps both of her arms around her narrow shoulders making sure she knows the loss of her child was never her fault, uncaring about whatever prying eyes may be on the pair.
"We probably look crazy," April says, laughing softly.
"I don't give a hot damn. You're the only thing that matters to me right now." She smooths her hand over her hair. "You know I wanna kick his ass, right?"
"Don't you always?" She says with a light tone.
"He deserves it. What he doesn't deserve is you as his wife."
"I know how you guys feel about him, but I don't know how to walk away from my marriage just like that." She snaps for emphasis.
"You put one foot in front of the other. But seriously, you have to put what's best for you first at some point because that man obviously never will."
April sighed to herself. "You're right."
"I'm sorry. I'm what now?"
"Don't go fucking up the moment, Imani," she says with an eye roll, making them both crack up in the booth.
Their food is cold as ice by the time they get to it, so they decide to take it to-go, opting for some well-deserved retail therapy.
The sisters don't decide to part ways until well after the sun has left the sky, promising it won't be months before they see each other again.
She ends her night with a FaceTime call to one of her favorite faces.
“Hey, big head.” She greets him cheerfully when he pops up on her screen.
"One of these days I'm truly going to get offended that you keep coming for my head." His words go through one ear and out the other as she watches his shirtless form move around his bedroom.
"Mhmm."
He stops to look into the camera and see where her seemingly diverted attention lies, when he realizes it's still on him, just not on his words.
"Are you checking me out, Imani?"
"And if I am?" She replies smartly with a quirk in her brow.
"Forever the smart mouth. I've been away for entirely too long."
"What are you gonna do to me, huh?"
"Keep it coming, princess. You'll see. How was your day with your sister?" He stops moving about to give her his full attention.
"I was pleasantly surprised by how...well, pleasant it was. Without telling her business, I learned a lot. I kept in mind what you told me earlier...it helped."
"Truly glad to hear that, love. I know how much you love your sister."
"I hope I got through to her this time."
˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.̑ෆ₊̣̇ෆ˟̑
The next day, Simone's up bright and early for work seeing as Allura's big night is less than three weeks away, and she has a million last minute errands to tend with.
"Morning, boss lady," Logan says as she lets herself in with the breakfast Simone neglected to pick up.
"Morning, sunshine. What's on my to-do list for today?"
"Whole lotta nothing. A couple of new investors are scheduled to swing by around three. Just be prepared for a lot of schmoozing and ass kissing to secure their funds. I emailed you files on them, so you can look extra good."
"The baddest is what you are." She chuckles and takes a sip of her piping hot tea. "What else?"
"Well most importantly, you have a fitting directly after work."
"A fitting?" She gasps in realization. "I finally get to see my dress?"
She'd gotten Logan to agree to tailor make a dress for the special occasion, but the girl had been keeping a tight lip about what it actually looks like.
"Yes ma'am."
"I can't wait because I already know it's fire." She claps excitedly.
"I really do hope you like it, cause it's taken up all of my free time." She jokes.
"I apologize, dear. I'll make it up to you."
"Oh, no," Logan laughs. "I'm just playing around."
"Nonsense, babe. I've already got a surprise on the way."
"What kind of surprise, Simone?" She ditches the formalities for a second as she racks her brain of what it could possibly be.
"Don't worry your gorgeously locced head about it. It's all taken care of. I'll let you know when it..arrives." She winks, before heading back to her own office, sighing blissfully as her back rests against the fur of her chair.
Opening her laptop, she pulls up her file titled ‘fits', and pulls out a picture that she'd snapped of her outfit and sends it to her phone. She then uploads it to her Instagram, like she does, every week.
She'd given herself the task to upload a picture of her outfits to her Instagram, to give her followers a glimpse of her sense of style and they loved it!
This week, it was a white, thin strapped corset-style top paired with light wash, flared jeans and squared strapped heels.
She momentarily focuses on the photo in its entirety, before gazing at the tired, pink polish on her nails.
Reaching over to her office phone, she pushes the red button to call Logan.
“Dear, I need a fill-in. Can you schedule an appointment at two, today? I don't wanna be chipped when the investors get here."
"Yes ma'am. I'll call them now."
"Thank you."
A knock sounds at her door, before Jada marches inside with a wide grin on her face, hurriedly closing the door behind her.
"Why are you so cheery, this morning? Are you glowing?" Simone asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, I don't know.... I might've had, one of the best dates of my life, last night. I might've actually confessed to being so deeply in love that my chest hurts.... we might've had sex in every part of his house." The grin never leaves her face.
"Awww, Jada! That's so great! I'm so happy for you!" She opens her arms as Jada bends down to receive the hug.
"Thanks! It was so perfect," she sits on the edge of the desk. "He took me to this restaurant, where the centerpiece is a candle and you get to choose the scent— I chose sandalwood, of course— and the food was amazing! We took a stroll down the boardwalk and that's when I just couldn't hold back how I was feeling, anymore. I literally told him everything. If he were anybody else, I might've died, but he's just as in love as I am!..." Simone's eyes gleam as she listens to her best friend gush about things they've only dreamt of.
"I really am happy for you, boo. You deserve it."
"So do you, girl. I saw the way you and ol’ lanky were looking at each other, the other night." Simone rolls her eyes as her heart skips a beat, at the mention of him.
"Jada, he's only around for certain things. A relationship is not one of those things." She bats her lashes.
"You do know that I know you, right?” Jada shakes her head. "You don't have to admit to it, but I see it."
"You see what?"
Jada just laughs and stands up, smoothing her hands over her skirt. "I see right through this little act, you got going on."
"An act?"
"Simone, I'm not doing this with you. You play too many games."
"Ugh, anyway! I'm going to get my nails done at two, you wanna come or you got plans?" Simone asks, picking at her grown out cuticle.
"Yeah, I'll come with you. I need a color change, myself." Jada stares at her nails, before looking back in Simone's direction. "You hear about the investors that are coming?"
"Yes. I'm glad you said that, cause I need to pull up these files."
Jada rounds the table and hovers over Simone's left shoulder, watching her type away on her keyboard and pull up the 'need-to-know’— as Logan put it.
"Alright... two men and a woman—typical," she scoffs.
"I hope she's the leader of the pact." Jada adds.
"It's two thousand and twenty-three. She better be!" Simone exclaims, making Jada chuckle.
"Okay, so we've got John," Simone starts.
"He looks like a white supremacist." Jada frowns.
"Oh, boy!” Simone laughs, "he's been in the investment industry for about... twenty-five years, Jesus!"
"Damn, he's been in business as long as you've been alive, girl." Jada's eyes widened.
"He's gonna be a problem," she scrolls down as she reads his track list— a bunch of boring nonsense about how his entitlement has gotten him where he is today, on top of him being white.
"Moving on, we have his twin brother, Jack. And, then we have Bianca."
"Oooh! She's gorgeous,” they stare at the screen in awe of the umber-hued woman, with her rich, tight coils and impeccable sense of style.
"I think I've died and gone to heaven." Jada mumbles.
"You and me, both."
"Wow, it says that she's been with the company for fifteen years, she's actually invested in Allura a couple of times— why am I just now hearing of her?!" She asks out loud.
"You have a short attention span, girl. We've been over this."
"Having a short attention span, and zoning out when the conversation starts becoming mundane, are two different things."
"Whatever you say."
˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.̑ෆ₊̣̇ෆ˟̑
Walking back through the double doors, Simone gets pulled to the side by her boss. Her furrowed brow causes some of the tension to lift from Rose's face, being replaced by a small smile.
"What's going on?" Her eyes wander around the lobby, watching everybody scatter about. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine. The investors are here and they wanna speak with you."
"Wha— me?" Simone slides her clammy hands down the sides of her skirt, feeling her heart start to hammer in her chest. "Oh God, what did you tell them?"
"I mentioned that you're the face of the remodeling for this place. They love it and wanna talk— it's just a conversation, love. I promise."
"Okay..." she nods, still feeling a bit nervous.
Stepping off the elevator, Simone takes a right down the main hallway and knocks once, before opening the door to the conference room.
Three pairs of eyes stare back at her as she enters; two obviously enthused and one, well... not so much.
"Good afternoon, Simone," Jack moves from his leaning position against the table and reaches out for her hand, giving it a firm shake. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Jack."
"It's nice to meet you too, Jack."
"Hi, Simone. I'm John." He politely shakes her hand.
"Nice to meet you." She keeps it short, as the absence of light in her eyes speaks volumes.
"Likewise."
"Ah, the woman of the month, is what you are, darling. I'm Bianca and it's literally an honor to meet you." Pulling her into a hug, Simone returns it and laughs.
"Wow, what an ego booster, you are! I could never amount to someone as prestigious as you. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"We could do this all day long, doll. I've done my homework on you and I'm utterly impressed." Everyone takes a seat at the table.
"As I am, with you."
"Let's get started, shall we?" John asks, cutting their conversation short.
"Sure.” Bianca motions with her hand for him to get on with it.
"So, we've heard a lot about you, since your latest spread has hit the stores— with your name on the cover in those, bright pink, letters."
Simone's expression stays stoic, as she listens to him to talk.
"We're very impressed." Jack adds.
"All of you?" Simone's index finger circles in the air, around the trio.
Bianca chuckles, knowing where this is headed.
"Excuse me?" John raises a bushy eyebrow in her direction.
"Oh, come on. You were unimpressed, before I even walked through the door."
That nervous chuckle that white men do when you've caught onto their game, comes out of his mouth.
"Do you think this is professional? I've been in this business for twenty-"
"–five years, I know," she finishes with a swift roll of her neck.
"That's probably longer than you've been alive, young lady." She laughs.
"I'll be twenty-six in July, so you've only got me by a couple months. Besides the point, by the way. Just because you've been in business, doesn't mean you know business."
"Why do you think they keep me around, then? Since, you've got all the answers." He quizzes.
"Because, you're white and a man. It doesn't take a genius to know that." She blinks.
"Wow," Bianca hums, "I like you."
"Bianca." John firmly states, causing the duo to laugh at him.
"You know better than that, John. If you're gonna be an ass, you should learn how to conceal your facial expressions."
"It's true." Jack adds.
"Well, I don't have to stand for this."
"Well, you're not in charge. I am, and I like everything I've seen from this company, so far. You can bitch about it on your own time."
˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇ෆ.₊̣̇.̑ෆ₊̣̇ෆ˟̑
"It was incredible, babe. I just went for it, which was very risky, but so worth it!" Simone giddily tells Anthony about her day, as she sits outside of the boutique where her dress is.
"You really aren't afraid of anything, are you?" He asks with a subtle laugh.
"Not in any kind of way. Guess where I am." She smirks.
"Hm... is there food involved?"
"Surprisingly, no. Guess again."
"Let's see. It's four o'clock, which means you just got off work. Are you at your fitting for your dress?"
"I'm so glad that you pay attention when I talk." She teases, before getting out of the car.
"Keep talkin' shit," he hums a laugh. "Are you gonna show me what it looks like?"
"Of course... the night of the gala." He sucks his teeth as she laughs.
"Oh, hush. I don't even know what it looks like, yet. Let it be a surprise!"
"Says the woman who doesn't even like surprises." She feels the eye-roll through the phone.
"Well, this one isn't for me, smartass. It's for you. I gotta go."
"Alright, I'll be seeing your pretty face later." She giggles, making a kissy noise into the phone, before hanging up and walking inside.
"Welcome to Bella's. How can I help you, ma'am?" The green-eyed, dark haired woman greets from behind the counter.
"I'm here to see Logan."
"Can I have your name?"
"Simone Carson." Her dainty fingers tap against the keyboard, before she escorts her to the back of the shop.
"Logan, Simone is here." She knocks on the light blue door, twice.
"I'm coming!" With that, the lady excuses herself with a smile. Simone comfortably shifts her weight as the door swings open.
"Hi, beautiful!," she steps out of the way, for Simone to walk inside. Her eyes naturally fell on the mannequin with a dark garment bag on it.
"Hey, girl! Is that my dress?!" She rushes over to it, while Logan laughs and closes the door.
"It sure is. Go ahead and take a look." Simone sits her phone down on the table and unzips the bag, gasping at the sight.
"It's beautiful! Pink is my second favorite color! And this splash of orange is so pretty! Wow, this is beautiful, seriously." Logan giggles as Simone rounds the dress, gasping even harder at the back; a clear acrylic bangle holds the fabric in place as it's diagonally ldraped across the back.
"You really... really outdid yourself. I cannot wait to try this on!"
"I'm so glad you like it! Let me slide out and let you put it on, so I can take pictures." She excuses herself, leaving Simone to squeal some more, before stripping down and putting the dress on.
"Oh wow.... I. Am. Snatched! Logan, come see!" Walking back into the room, she cups both sides of her own face, staring at Simone in awe.
"This was literally made for you. Oh my gosh, you look stunning!" She grabs her phone from her pocket and starts snapping away at, an always camera ready, Simone.
After their mini photo shoot, Simone pulls her clothes back on and slings the heavy garment back over her shoulder.
"Your 'after work' attire is super cute, by the way." Simone compliments Logan's distressed denim jeans paired with her blue, long-sleeved crop top and custom, baby blue converse.
"Thanks! I try to tone it down when I get here."
In her free time, Logan is a seamstress which was definitely her dream job. She'd been into fashion, since she was well into her teens. She'd landed this job when she turned twenty-one and never looked back.
Her being Simone's assistant was her side job— one she thoroughly enjoyed.
"It's workin' for you, babe." Simone pinches her cheek. "I sent the money to your account."
"You didn't have to pay me. I did this for you as a gift."
“Please, you never work for free. Whether it's a sketch or to look at a piece of fabric. You charge! Whether it's me or Rihanna! You charge!”
“Okay, okay! I'll take your money,” she mumbles in a faux dull manner.
Simone giggles. "You sound like me! We've gotta do better at accepting this cash.”
"Ugh, easy for you to say! I don't have a gorgeous man sending me money!"
"That could change!"
"How?"
"When you've got connections, things happen, babygirl." She winks. Logan crinkles her nose.
"Remember what we talked about. Charge."
"I'll be writing it down on everything now. Thank you."
"And, thank you for making this masterpiece! I'll see you tomorrow."
She kisses her cheek, before heading out.
Logan grows curious, as she pulls her phone out and checks her bank account, almost dropping her phone when she sees the amount that came outta Simone's account.
“Five hundred dollars??” She squeals.
@thegifstories @blackerthings @ghostfacekill-monger @sheabuttahwrites @honestpreference @fujiiapples @nayaesworld @blowmymbackout @harmshake @twistedcharismaaa @abeautifulmindexposed @cecereads209 @starcrossedxwriter @soufcakmistress
101 notes · View notes
hsvh-hp · 2 months
Note
what drarry fics would you recommend that are very in character?
Before I get into it, I’d just like to say that I started working on a fic rec sideblog last month. The posting schedule doesn’t kick in until April, so it’s blank at the moment. But, it’s there, if you’re interested in giving it a follow!
Anyway, two caveats about this: one, I read a lot of drarry fic and have a bit of a poor memory, and two, I'm not certain that what I consider in-character to be the majority consensus of the drarry fandom (for example, I don't like down and out Draco, soft Draco, Draco hating either of his parents, or Harry being overly judgmental or unforgiving (though that's not to say I haven't read those tropes and enjoyed them)).
In general, any fics from my ao3 bookmarks will meet my bar on being in-character, since I tend to hit the back button if I start asking myself, 'who are these people?'. I took a cruise through my bookmarks in spirit of the ask though, and I'll post a list below the cut of fics that stick out in my memory as having some of my favourite characterizations:
Twelve Months by dysonrules (14,840 words)
Hermione buys Harry a journal and he ends up using it to record his DEEP THOUGHTS. Not surprisingly, those tend to mostly involve Draco Malfoy.
This one cracked me up. Since it's written in journal form, we get Harry's running internal monologue about his life. And a lot of Draco, because of course we do. I also always enjoy a Draco who actually is up to something, but it’s for a good cause.
The Gentlewizard Club by Sophie_French (28,129 words)
Draco wants what Draco wants. And if he has to snuggle up to Harry to get it, well, surely, Draco can handle that. Problem is, not sure Harry can.
This fic starts with Draco and Harry as both friends and Auror partners. As friends, the high point of every day for Draco is when he gets to read (oft-times aloud, and dramatically so) Harry's fan mail as it's delivered to their office. As Auror partners, Draco is barred in writing their field reports because he sucks at it. He's very happy to put that work onto Harry, and Harry is happy to do it (because he's pining hard, okay?).
That Draco and Harry are Auror partners isn't actually important in this fic (although the sequel has a case that they tackle). Harry gets a letter about having been admitted into a club that Draco really, really, really wants to join, and he begs Harry to sponsor his admittance. Harry can't say no to him, therefore, commence operation fake relationship for a weekend getaway. I love the balance in Harry trying to give Draco what he wants while fearing that what he wants will only hurt him.
Martyred by dothechachaslide (82,004 words)
Harry Potter only wants one thing: to take care of the people he loves. After Teddy’s abrupt departure from his role as Andromeda’s caretaker, Harry decides it’s finally time to step up and handle the job himself. Castoff Manor, an old Black family estate, has never seemed as sinister as the stories make it sound, but it’s there that Harry stumbles upon ghosts, haunting family secrets, and a familiar, snarky blond gardener hell-bent on chasing him out. Maybe if Harry sticks around long enough, he’ll finally learn why all of Andromeda’s previous caretakers have fled without looking back.
Harry and Draco are in their fifties, in this fic. The summary about sums up Harry's characterization: he takes care of the people he loves, and a mystery at hand draws him obsessively in. As for Draco, I would consider him post-redemption. He took the consequences handed down to him after the war seriously, and has grown so used to the Muggle world that he lives there as comfortably as the magical world. He tends the garden at Castoff Manor to prevent anyone else being harmed in the role (part of the fic's mystery), and tutors Squibs in the nearby village.
One small detail that I love about Draco is how every time he gets uncomfortable, he hops on his bike and runs away. It's one of those things that, despite the rather far-flung future from the canon years, it's so absolutely in-character across time and space for him. He's changed so much, but there's still this degree of pettiness and cowardice deep down inside. It's just expressed in a less harmful way than it used to be.
Lethe by QueenieJinny (70,885 words)
A new form of vanishing sickness is sweeping across Britain. Healers Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are on the case. When Draco Malfoy is admitted to the isolation ward, Harry never imagines falling in love with him will be the easiest thing he’s ever done – and watching him fade away to nothing will be the hardest.
Like above, Harry again takes care of the people he loves and cannot resist a mystery to solve. He's a Healer in this fic, a line of work that suits him well for his compassion, and Draco ends up his patient. Draco is on the difficult end of the spectrum as far as patients go (are you surprised?). Watching their Healer-patient power dynamic swing toward equilibrium is wonderful. They fall in love, Draco comes to terms with his (temporary) mortality, and Harry goes as far as he possibly can for Draco after he's gone: finding a way to rescue him from where the vanishing sickness took him.
Draco Malfoy, Bloodsucking Fiend by Kbrick (23,198 words)
There are two things that Draco’s Auror partner, Harry Potter, must never know about him. One is that he’s a vampire. The other is that he’s been completely, pathetically, head-over-heels in love with Harry for years. But when the duo is trapped inside an old shop on Diagon Alley with no means of escape, Draco finds himself fiending for blood and unable to put even a modicum of distance between himself and the man he can’t stop lusting after.
There are 3 of Kbrick's fics on this list, and I could have honestly added more. All of her fics that I haven't gotten to yet are on my to-read list. I just love the way she writes Draco and Harry, okay?? I'm a big baby when it comes to angst and hurt/comfort (more on that further down), but I absolutely trust her to put the boys in a blender on the highest setting that I can personally handle.
Anyway, this fic in particular, I'm all about that pining and the feeling of a countdown being on. Draco is resisting on two fronts: his feelings for Harry and his need as a vampire to feed. Harry is perfectly balanced in his obliviousness and perception.
You See Through My Disguise by aibidil (9,666 words)
Bellatrix's knife flew across the room, but Harry leaped, pushing Dobby and Griphook to safety but stranding himself at Malfoy Manor. Now he and Draco are locked in the cellar with Wormtail's corpse and a rat, waiting for Voldemort to return and decide their fate.
The premise is on the tin. As for their characterizations, Harry and Draco are on a countdown to sort themselves out enough to make an escape from the dungeon at Malfoy Manor during the war. They can't help but poke at each other, so the fic is a compelling balance of ego and necessity.
Criminal by The_Sinking_Ship (83,497 words)
Things were going just fine for Draco Malfoy. He successfully conned and counted cards across Europe and America, amassing a small fortune, along with a lengthy rap sheet. That was until he made the grave mistake of returning to England for a high stakes card game and got himself caught – by Harry Potter no less. Now, Draco is stuck in England under Auror Potter’s guard with no friends, no distractions, and no escape. How the hell will he pass the time? And since when did Potter get so bloody fit?
I'd had this fic on my to-read list for ages before seeing it on a rec list for morally grey Draco. That's my favourite kind of Draco, so I decided to jump this one to the top. Also, like I said about Kbrick above, The_Sinking_Ship is another writer with whom I've either enjoyed everything I've read (recs within recs: Never Mind the Bullocks, Dwelling on Dreams, and Chasing Dragons) or I've simply yet to get to the rest of their work.
For this fic specifically, Draco's done the best he can with the shit situation his life was in post-war, and he's a lion in a cage when he gets legally stuck in England. He and Harry meet for check-ins, and the chemistry goes from there. Draco has some self-harm tendencies, and his want for Harry ends up (temporarily) going that way for him. Harry's in a rut in his life as an Auror. I love fics where he goes into the force and then becomes disillusioned with it. That feels very in-character for Harry, to me.
AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by RainstormRadish (4,289 words)
Alrakis I [24M] attended a small boarding school in the UK. There was a boy in my year, a couple of months younger than me, and he became my nemesis after we developed an intense rivalry. My friend [25F] told me recently that our dynamic was "weird back then" and that "it’s even weirder" that I still think about him today. She argued that I talk about him all the time, but I believe the amount I talk about him is reasonable. AITA? prongymcprongface i completely get what you mean. i had a nemesis (like a school one, separate to my other nemesis) and we had a dynamic super similar to what you are describing. having a nemesis is a very cool and normal thing dw about it. NTA In which Draco asks the internet if he's being reasonable. Only one commenter is sympathetic. They start talking.
Draco and Harry cross paths on Reddit. Everyone else in the AITA thread thinks Draco (the OP) is absolutely nuts for his 'nemesis' situation. Except one, because of course that one person had a similar situation and it was totally normal, don't worry about it. I'm aware I basically just repeated the summary, but it says it all, really!
Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (75,328 words)
Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.
More Auror partners with a Draco that is unhinged. Tbh, I am very fussy on Auror Draco fics. I don't see Draco as someone to subject himself to much pain and suffering (like in fics where it's emphasized that he was subject to much bullying/pranks/etc during training, and he persevered regardless). He's too hedonistic, and I don't particularly think that the war would have warmed him to the Ministry or the means it possesses of authoritarian force. Fool me once, and all that.
In this fic, each chapter covers a job or case that Draco and Harry embark upon. It's meant to be funny, and holy shit is it ever. These two are such dumb cops. Even with the genre shift from serious to goofy, they get the work done. It's been long enough now since I read it that I can't remember specifically, but I feel that sometimes Draco and Harry being disasters helped them solve their cases. The other fics in the series Rookie Moves belongs to are 100% reading through as well. I cried happy tears in the end.
Timeshare by astolat (14,156 words)
“It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.” “Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.” “Yeah, thanks,” Harry said, because he hadn’t just spent the last week contemplating just how much more horrible his summer holidays were about to be than they’d ever been before.
This fic has wonderful fuck/fight dynamics between the boys. I also like fics where the writer isn't afraid to let Draco be flawed with bigotry. Things like that he cannot fathom 'Potter's Muggles' talking to him and that he whinges the entire month he's at the Dursleys' house that it's too small, and the food isn't up to par, etc. As for Harry, he wants Draco despite all this, as well as despite how uncomfortable his month at the manor with Lucius and Narcissa is. I love when Harry is allowed to be flawed in that way.
Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster (16,024 words)
Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.
This fic explores something that I've always headcanoned about how Draco and Harry got along throughout the canon books. We never see them have a single good or even neutral interaction (rather than Draco's part in their Madam Malkin's meet). They're always going at each other with their claws and teeth out, taking everything the other does in the most bad-faith interpretation. So, what happens when Harry starts killing Draco with kindness? I personally believe that if Harry did as such in the canon books, he would have very easily won Draco over.
Lumos by birdsofshore (41,476 words)
Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.
I love eighth-year fics where Draco doesn't return to Hogwarts with his chin down and shoulders hunched. It doesn't feel in-character to me; he'd feel just as free as anyone else post-war, and I can't see him even hiding his relief and happiness for it to be over for the sensibilities of the other survivors. On top of that, Draco coming back to Hogwarts and immediately pushing Harry's buttons? 100% him. Harry playing into it every time? Also 100%.
A Convenient Impracticality by firethesound (38,540 words)
Somehow Harry ends up agreeing to a fake relationship with his ex-nemesis-turned-friendly-acquaintance-with-benefits, except for some reason it involves an awful lot of actual dating and, sadly, not much sex. Confused? Harry is too, but when has anything with Draco Malfoy ever been as straightforward as it seems?
More fake relationships! Harry and Draco fucking but not being sure what they are or what the other feels in return is so my jam. I can see both of them being attracted enough to each other to land in bed together, but the intimacy is more hard-earned because of their history. It's all the more satisfying once they figure it out.
Who we are in the shadows by Quicksilvermaid (99,714 words)
What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?
I wrote up above about loving a Draco who's up to something, and it's for a good cause. This fic takes that notion and turns it up to like, 15 at minimum. Draco's an investigative journalist, and he's going after some very dangerous people. He needs muscle, enter security agent Harry who's still adjusting to life as a werewolf. Harry tags along out of (hired) necessity on Draco's job, and they are a team not to be reckoned with. On top of their chemistry, this fic left me gasping for breath. Folks who've read it before will know what I mean when I say my heart was pounding out of my chest during the tunnel scene.
Star Quality by who_la_hoop (118,607 words)
Two years after the war, and Harry’s content with his life. OK, so it’s a little annoying that he keeps winning Witch Weekly’s Most Eligible Bachelor award, and he’s really not looking forward to the unveiling of an enormous gold statue of himself, but he loves his friends, and he loves being an Auror. And if he yearns for something more, something he can barely bring himself to think about, well, he’ll probably get over it. No one’s happy all the time, are they? But then everything changes, and Harry’s thrown into a new and dazzling world he’s not sure he can actually escape from. And as time goes on, he starts to wonder: does he actually want to?
Draco and Harry end up in such a wonderfully ridiculous situation in this fic. Harry wakes up in an alternate (Muggle) universe where Draco is a pop star. The Draco of his universe has come along with him, and he's a total shit about helping Harry get them back home. Harry's grumpy, Draco's having a blast. It's fun. It's them.
The Day Before the Wedding by Kbrick (39,419 words)
Harry's getting married to Ginny tomorrow. The problem is that he can't seem to get beyond today.
Time loops and Kbrick, my beloved (Turning Leaves is another excellent fic of hers with this trope). The summary says it all for the premise. Like Star Quality above, Draco is 'in the know' with Harry (though he doesn't tell Harry right away lmao). Harry makes some Realizations in the time loop. Seeing as it's a Drarry fic and Harry was meant to get married to Ginny, I'm sure it's quite plain as to what that might be.
Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 (70,509 words)
Circles can be tiring. They have no end. But sometimes, the path is set for a reason, as anything outside the circle is even worse than what's within. Harry is running in circles with Draco Malfoy, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape.
Another fuck/fight kind of Drarry fic. This one takes place through OOTP, HBP, and DH canon, as if Draco and Harry had a secret sexual relationship throughout. I love how they come together like two accelerated particles, only to scatter to lick their wounds or attempt to process just what the hell is going on. It has the explosiveness that I love to see in Hogwarts-era Drarry fics when the war is on and they remain on opposing sides through to the end of it.
Dwelling by aideomai (83,382 words)
Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.
Listen: I bawled. I'm going to try to say this without spoiling the big twist. The fic nails how Harry and Draco tick together twice. Whether it's in a No Voldemort AU or a canon post-war era, these two cannot stay away from each other. I love the solution Harry and Draco reach at the end of the fic - the only way they can fathom any sort of resolution for what happened to them, despite how turbulent their waters remain.
Lovesick by corvuscrowned (7,688 words)
People keep spiking Auror Harry Potter with love potions. Healer Draco Malfoy keeps having to pick up the pieces. But it's getting harder and harder for Draco to watch Harry fall in love with everyone except for him.
corvuscrowned is another writer I put in the same category as Kbrick and The_Sinking_Ship. I've either read their fics and loved them, or just haven't got to the rest yet. What can I say? I love a slow burn. For more excellent fics from corvuscrowned, I will also humbly offer Loverboys (their first fic I read, which blew me away) and Seeker's High for your future reading consideration.
For this fic, the premise is on the tin, and crow executes it perfectly for characterization. I love their Harry in general, how he has his own complexes and the Harry POV isn't just Harry witnessing Draco's character. This fic is Draco POV, and Harry under a love potion is great. So is Draco's pining. They're perfect.
The Matchmaker's Spell by Kbrick (20,859 words)
Thanks to a spell cast over all of wizarding Britain, Draco is forced to marry Harry Potter, who still hates him. But Draco refuses to live a cold, sexless existence, choosing to fill the emptiness in his life and his bed with a parade of lovers. And while Harry may not be able to stand Draco, he despises seeing him with anyone else.
Remember earlier when I said that I trust Kbrick to put the boys in a blender at the exact intensity I could personally handle? This fic is right on the precipice of that. It's so angsty and dark. Draco and Harry are forced to marry, and their journey is so turbulent. Draco cuckolds Harry to push his buttons, and at one point their marriage goes well for a little while before shit happens and they're back on the rocks. They almost had it! We saw a glimpse of their potential!! Also, Draco's lovers keep mysteriously dying? That's sure weird and coincidental. The last scene in the fic made me gasp out loud.
Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl (60,549 words)
When the war isn’t quite as over as it first appears, a guilt-ridden Harry is sent to a mysterious safe-house. Among sandwiches, insomnia, and Mills & Boon, he discovers something quite unexpected.
This fic starts up right after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Narcissa demands the trio take Draco into forced hiding with them. This leads to Draco and Harry being accidentally bonded. Oops! I don't think I have to make the case for how well Saras_Girl characterizes the boys, but I think this one is my favourite so far of the ones I've read (also, obligatory Turn and All Life is Yours to Miss mentions here).
Recalibrate by Saras_Girl (20,921 words)
Sometimes, you need to step back and think about things from a new perspective. Other times, you’ve just got to open your eyes to what you needed all along.
Yay, more eighth year! I read this one a looong time ago, but I still remember reading this and thinking 'oh, this is so them' at so many points. I am overdue for a reread.
Actually, that's probably true of all of these, lol. I should reread them and give them their own post/shower of love on that rec blog I mentioned.
This list took a couple days to compile. I could never make a wholly comprehensive one, but I believe I answered your question, anon. 🤪
52 notes · View notes