#a joyful future fanfic

[citrusella-flugpucker]

((Posted a second chapter of You Get Proud by Practicing!

Summary/snippet:

"Maybe it'd be a good idea. I just mean, like… you were on your own this time. So, what if that sort of thing happens again, where no one you know is around? And you can't tell them how to handle it and they do the wrong thing? Eventually you're probably gonna get your own place when you're a full-on adult like your dad, right? What then?"

Steven doesn't tell Amethyst he's been thinking lately about going it alone sooner rather than later, that it's something he's been talking about with his therapist.

Is he even sure he can handle himself after something like this?

This particular chapter was written by taking inspiration from the Sicktember day 11 prompt (emergency room/ambulance), though it’s not, like, a sickfic or anything. I was just looking at various theme months last week, decided I’d look at that one, and went “oh. I could do something with that!” when I saw that particular prompt (though it started very briefly as a standalone oneshot but nearly immediately became a chapter 2 of the Proud fic). (Why is “use the prompt in a way that might not be congruent with the event” my MO the past few of these sorts of things I’ve written to?)

I kind of like the momentum I’ve had on this story so far? Here’s hoping I keep it up!))

#steven universe #steven universe future #steven universe fanfic #steven universe fanfiction #sicktember 2022 #(wanted to mention that event's blog but the mention completer wouldn't even bring it up) #eventually i swear this story WILL get into more joyful experiences but for now he's kind of digging out of the thick of it

[senadimell]

On “Writing it anyways”

There’s definitely something to be said for “no matter your skill level, if you’ve got a dream, do it anyways,” because that’s how I managed to write a 70k fix-it fic after not writing fiction on my own since literal 6th grade (that’s 11-12 years of age).

But there’s also something to be said for “help, I’ve got so many ideas and they’re literally beyond my capacity to create because I know from experience the toll required to make them reality—and I cannot afford to pay that toll.”

I’m thinking here about Susanna Clarke after Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell here. I haven’t yet read Piranesi, though I’ve heard it’s brilliant, but I do know it’s not a book of the same scale and scope of Norrell. That’s not an indication of quality, by the way—just saying that it may not ever be possible for Clarke to create another monstrously intricate, brilliant, massively long book like Norrell again due to health limitations. I hope she can, and I’m sure she also hopes she can, but there’s no guarantee. Writing something requires a toll.

On a slightly different but still related note, we joke about how fanfic writers are able to churn out stories through the wildest of circumstances, and that’s certainly true, but for every one of those “sorry for the late update, I just gave birth!” people, I’m willing to bet there are many who produced one or two things and then didn’t keep going. Or, think of the thousands of unfinished stories out there. The thousands of unpublished drafts. The one-hit wonders and the cryptids, the people who publish once every seven years. That 125k unfinished monster story that hasn’t been updated since 2007. I’d argue that the vast majority of fic writers are stopped by car accidents and health crises and family challenges and jobs. Turning to writing to cope is one response, but leaving writing by the wayside is another common response.

I dunno, I keep seeing posts that are about “write it anyways,” and I keep refraining from reblogging them with snarky commentary because I realize I’m not the target audience here. Those are primarily aimed at people intimidated by the incredible amount of skill they see and are afraid to be novices. Or people who think that beginning at something means only doing incredibly tedious beginner projects like what dick-and-jane readers are for kids. You know, not learning to knit at all because you think you have to suffer through making a garter stitch scarf before you can make a sweater. To that target audience, those posts are probably really inspiring! You don’t have to do the boring thing before you graduate into being allowed to write interesting things!

But on the other hand, there is something despair-inducing to realize the amount of work required to produce your dream, especially when you don’t know if you’ll ever have the spoons to be able to create it. So yes, write it anyways. But leave room for grief at what you can picture but not accomplish, and learn to make peace with the beauty you can find and cultivate. That’s how we got Piranesi, by the way.

...What Piranesi is not is the longed-for sequel to JS&MrN. Only months after the publication of her debut, Clarke became ill with what was eventually diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome. “I was doing a lot of travelling and promoting and getting on and off aeroplanes – the sort of thing I’d never done before. And then in the spring of 2005 I collapsed, and that was the beginning of it. It’s hard to remember an illness because it’s just a lot of nothing. It’s very hard to make it into a shape.”

Writing became torturous – “all the projects I’ve tried to work on while I was ill kept flowing down a lot of alleys, that was part of the illness” – and the JS&MrN sequel is still “a long way off” completion. “I think it may be a feature with chronic fatigue that you become incapable of making decisions. I found it impossible to decide between one version of a sentence and another version, but also between having the plot go in this direction and having it go in that direction. Everything became like uncontained bushes, shooting out in all directions. That’s the state that the sequel to Jonathan Strange is in. It’s almost like a forest now.”

An invitation to the set of the miniseries in Yorkshire helped to clear the path. “I was really uncertain about going, I thought it would be too much for me, but I loved it. I’d felt ‘I’m not an author, I’m just this invalid and I have been for years,’ but they treated me as an author and that made me feel it was a possible thing again.”

With “the consciousness of all the years that I hadn’t written and all the projects I hadn’t completed” weighing on her, Clarke decided “to simplify what I was asking of myself”, returning to an old work in progress that was to become Piranesi (“it probably predates JS&MrN”) as a more manageable prospect. “I thought, it doesn’t have hundreds of characters and it won’t require a huge amount of research because I don’t know what research I could do for it.”

Susanna Clarke: ‘I was cut off from the world, bound in one place by illness’

So you might not be able to ‘do the thing anyways.’ You are allowed to grieve at what you can’t see yourself doing. But that doesn’t mean you will not find a more manageable garden to tend to. It is often hard to anticipate any kind of recovery when in the doldrums of sickness or pain, and yet we often do find easier and more enabling ways to live.

#on writing #fanfic #fandom #not to be too gloom-and-doom; i'm not greatly ill or limited in many ways #but i do find myself in a time and place of life where most of my mental resources need to be devoted to writing horrid things #like cover letters #and there's rarely enough left over for creative endeavors of the writing variety #(in a *exhausted; whole week drained; operating at low capacity for days* kind of way) #it takes so much more out of me than mending a sock or knitting something #and i am quite limited in how much mental energy i have left over to spend on things like writing #most of my actual writing was a joyful but also slightly desperate attempt to cope at several things going downhill in my life #until the point where i reached the finish line of the story #which coincidentally coincided with the beginning of a recovery #and i have barely written anything since then #but i'm still here and learning and hopefully have a long future ahead of me in which to learn

[ijuststareatstuffhereok89]

**FANFICTION MASTERLIST**

NIGHTS AT THE CIRCUS (Complete) 18+ Avengers!Loki x Reader You encounter Loki after being 'recruited' by the Avengers for your pyrokinesis. The closer you find yourself getting, the further Loki goes to help you uncover the secrets of your past in order to pursue your future. The Chair, Again A Frost Giant's Lullaby

BEAUTY & THE SNAKE PRINCE (Complete) 18+ Prince!Loki x Concubine!Reader After being forced to audition to be the Prince of Asgard's newest concubine, you use your hopeless situation to try and win freedom for your people, but you don't expect to fall for the moody, tortured Prince Loki.

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER (Complete) 18+ Soft!Dom!Loki x Magic!Reader Cursed with the power to kill with a single touch, S.H.I.E.L.D. deems you a high-level threat until Loki intercedes on your behalf, betting that under his guidance, you can bring your gifts under control within a year.

Time & the Trickster (Loki/Doctor Who Crossover) (Complete) eventual Loki x Reader; hinted Ten x Rose One final effort to prevent his sacrifice at the TVA sends Loki careening through the Timelines until he finds what may be the strangest one of all. His only hope comes in the form of the first person he meets, who suggests a mysterious mad Doctor might be his only chance to return home. 

Déchiré: An Avengers’ Lust Story (On Hiatus) 18+ Loki x Reader; Steve Rogers x Reader; Bucky Barnes x Reader; Steve x Bucky You are a HYDRA agent sent to infiltrate the notorious Avengers, to tear them apart in the worst way possible in order to make them vulnerable to attack. In the midst of the wild heat you generate, three suitors take your bait.

A Song for the Fallen (Complete!) 18+ Bucky x Reader; Steve Rogers x Reader After your new husband is Snapped out of existence and leaves you pregnant with his child, Steve Rogers takes it upon himself as a final duty to his best friend to support you for the duration...until he falls in love with you himself. Five years later, just as you're finally ready to marry the Captain, Bucky returns, expecting his beloved wife to fall into his arms.

Loki's Island Fever (In Progress) 18+ ONLY Avenger!Loki x Reader (enemies-to-lovers) You find yourself marooned on an uncharted island with the last person you want: the bratty, cocky Loki. But when a tropical fever sends his thoughts in a different direction, will your new island home become the sexy paradise you always wanted?

FANFIC MUSIC DRABBLE FESTIVAL MASTERLIST (Complete) LOKI X READER KINK DRABBLE MINISERIES MASTERLIST

One Shots: All Audiences The Princess of Mischief Dream Weaver Pure Chaos The Skin We're In When the World Fell The Date On the 3rd Day of Christmas The God and the Wallflower Astraphobia Nurse Loki Light My Candle Coffee, Black The Real Thing I Hate You, Captain Marvel! The 1st Annual NYC Avengers Convention Shine! Blazing with the Boys An Oasis The Avengers Embark on a Brief Escape from Sanity Thief of Hearts (Will Ransome x Reader) The Princess and the Stable Boy Idunn and the Golden Apple Loki, Triumphant (Loki x Sigyn) A Strange Little World --NEW!

Our Mrs. Loki (Part 1 of 2) Old Mrs. Loki (Part 2 of 2)

The Birds They Put in Cages (Part 1 of 2) No Net Ensnares Me (Part 2 of 2)

One Shots: 18+ Only The Mating Dance Don't Touch Me Just Another Baby Story The Little Green Handkerchief Know Your Place Dangerous Curves Deliriously Happy Snow Bound A Taste of the Bubbly Blame it On the Rain The Wedding Altar Mother, May, I? (Bucky x Pregnant!Reader) A Damsel's Debt Return of the King --NEW! All Mine --New! A Very Good Pet A Very Naughty Pet

MY AO3

Behold! A new-and-improved masterlist!

Enjoy!

@lokisgoodgirl @anukulee @coldnique @chantsdemarins @el-zef @fictive-sl0th @glitterylokislut @holymultiplefandomsbatman @holdmytesseract @joyful-enchantress @kellatron55 @kikster606 @loopsisloops @lowkeyorloki @lokischambermaid @lokimostly @meowmeow-motherfucker @muddyorbsblr @mochie85 @mischief2sarawr @michelleleewise @peachyjinx @psychospore @silverfire475 @sarahscribbles @trickster-maiden @vbecker10 @wheredafandomat @xorpsbane

#fanfic masterlist #mcu fanfic #ao3 #writing #fanfiction #loki #loki fanfiction #smut #angst #loki smut #loki x reader #mcu #mcu loki #mcu fanfiction #loki laufeyson #loki/reader

[ezhiaray]

I don't have time to draw so lets plan some future probable animatics, in a fanfic like style. Starting with my latest obsession song. Part 1?

"I am the prophet with the answers you seek

Time, I've unlocked it.

I see pass and future running free"

Lucifer walked into Zaphkiel's(god's knowledge) observatory with a joyful beat in his step. A wide lovestruck smile brightened his already beautiful features. Zaphkiel turned from his writing at the sound of familiar foot steps coming closer to his desk. When he looked up from his work to face his younger brother, his eternal smile was softening. Zaphkiel already knew what Lucifer was going to ask. He's seen this scene in his mind thousands of times, and the results will always be the same. "Zaphkiel, could you please help me! The human, Lilith, she's makes me feel such warmth in my heart, and I want to be with her forever. Will I ever be with her, and what should I do?" The blond angel asked eagerly. The older angels wide smile deepened, and he had a rare sad look in his eyes. Zaphkiel moved from his seat behind his desk and walked over to Lucifer. He then explains to Lucifer about his powers and how all he can do is inform him what may happen as a result of his choices.

"There is a world where I help you get her

But that's not a world I know"

"What?"

Zaphkiel looks down at Lucifer with a sad smile his hand on Lucifer's should squeeze lightly in reassurance and worry about his upcoming future. Lucifer's face morphs from hopeful to confused, not knowing the meaning of the older angel's words. Zaphkiel then manifests his staff in his hands, which he lightly taps on the floor. From his staff, he summons blue mist like images of what he sees through his knowledge.

" I see a song a past romance"

Lucifer and Zaphkiel watch blue mist like images of Lucifer and Adam playing together in the garden spring up from the ground. Their running playing a game of tag, Lucifer chasing after a laughing/ smiling Adam. Both of their faces are flushed with activity and underlining attraction they have for the other that they don't know how to put into action. Lucifer smiles fondly at the scene before gripping at his heart as a shot of pain stabbed at it when he stared closely at Adam's innocent yet beautiful smile.

"I see the sacrifice of man"

The mist then transforms into a distraught looking Adam putting his arm around a unknown woman(Eve) and guiding her to walk toward the open gates of Eden. Lucifer feels he heart squeeze at watching the painful look litter his friend's face. He and Zaphkiel looked to the group of angels behind Adam and mysterious woman, all pointing them to the direction of the harsh wilderness outside of the garden gates, scornful expression marring their perfect faces.

"I see portrayals of betrayal

And a brother's final stand"

The mist then transitions to a scene of Lucifer attempting to cover a 'guilty' looking Lilith and Eve from an angrily crying Adam and a disappointed Michael. Zaphkiel and Lucifer watch as the mist version of Michael pulls out his sword to begin to approach a shocked Lucifer. Lucifer flinches and grabs at Zaphkiel's cloak, fearful of the intense look and stance of the mist clone of his strong brother.

"I see you on the brink of death

I see you draw your final breath"

Zaphkiel's mist begins to darken and becomes a deep red color as it transforms into an image of Lucifer falling. Lucifer cringes as he watches his falling body becoming burnt with holy flame and the intense heat generated from his descent from an unknown height. The young angel jerked his body in shock as he watched his clone plummet harshly into an unknown ground, creating a large crater. The older angel's mist transitions to a closer shot of Lucifer's bruised up face, his mouth wheezing out holy mist that turns to hellish flames by the second breath.

" I see a man who get to make it to her alive

But it's no longer you"

The red mist grows, and the image of a monster like Lucifer (demon form) hovers above the two angels. Lucifer looks up with disbelief at this twisted image of himself. The blond angel looked to Zaphkiel, who gazed at the hellish like reflection of his younger brother with a sad knowing smile. This was definitely him, and he felt his heart stiffen as he looked into the painful face and exhausted devilish joy this scene of him displayed. Lucifer felt confused, as anger bubbles in his chest, and a frown began to form on his face....

Honestly did not like writing this in a more fanfic style. I'm not very good with writing and don't have much time/patience to write fanfic like sentences. Will probably be more brief like when I'm planning animatics.

#adamsapple #lucifer x adam #hazbin hotel adam #adam x lucifer #lucifer morningstar #guitarduck #Youtube

[liminalpebble]

Hey friends, sorry to ask yet again, but can we do a "get help"? (For those new to the "get help" it means sending funny, sweet, or horny things of our favorite fictional men, or just nice words etc. To cheer someone up) I don't mean to whine, but uh...I'm losing it. In the interest of brevity, here's the tl:dr...

-Still down with corona (but yay! Can smell a little again. And finally had the opportunity to binge Fleabag. Not quite finished yet, though. So, no spoilers).

-the second ex-boyfriend I was on good terms with/ friends with unexpectedly dying suddenly before their 40th birthday in a single year.

-my job campus closing down December 31st, job future very uncertain.

-Rude/fat-shaming/incredibly disrespectful yearly check up (dispite the fact that all my numbers are fine and my health is good, so...again sliver linings).

-Moving house by Dec. 31 (but it's a good/terrifying reason! Buying a house which will make freelancing easier.)

-doing a lot of freelance work (which is great because I'm in demand, and gives new experiences and money) but always stressful and uncertain and a lot more work.

Sorry, friends. I hope I'm not annoying the shit out of you all. (If I am, please feel free to ignore) I just gotta scream into the void again. In real life, I kind of suck it all up and don't say much.

Since the friend who ruined my birthday party, I've kind of stepped away from that whole friend group, which I think is a healthy decision, but leaves me, well...a lot more alone.

Please send some funny, sexy, weird, happy things. Share your good news in your life, show me cute pets. Share the shit out of this post. I would very much appreciate it. (Again, no pressure, and my apologies if I'm annoying you).

Much love ❤️

Peb

@muddyorbs @lokischambermaid @littlespaceyelf @loz-3 @lokihiddleston @jennyggggrrr @unlucky-number-13 @acidcasualties @ladyofthestayingpower @peaches1958 @gigglingtiggerv2 @goblingirlsarah @smolvenger @lemongingerart @tripleyeeet @holdmytesseract @thedistractedagglomeration @peacefulpianist @marcotheflychair @holymultiplefandomsbatman @itsfreakingbats @fanfic-collection @infinitystoner @unfocused81 @sailorholly @lokisgoodgirl @mochie85 @alexakeyloveloki @sweetsigyn @leelei1980 @veemoon @joyful-enchantress @lesservillain @huxs-side-part @cloudyfacewithjam @peachyjinx @glitchquake @take-everything-you-can @hellfirenacht @squidscottjeans @elegantkoalapaper @eleniblue @chokeanddagger

#lovely mutuals #sas #let's do get help #lovely fanfic friends #Mew Mew the Mango says hi #lusty vicarettes

[tricksterlatte]

Akeshu Holiday Heist Special WIP

This was going to be a oneshot sequel to my completed Persona 5 Akechi/Joker fanfic, Chase the Joker, set nearly one year after the ending. While I still have a few oneshots set in their future planned, this one's entire concept was changed, and the fic was scrapped. Since I had fun writing their banter, I'm going to post the WIP here anyways. You can read underneath the cut! As it's incomplete, there is no concrete ending to this segment at this time.

Sometimes, life could feel just like a Christmas movie. One could find the true meaning of holiday cheer amidst the chaos, no matter who they are or where they came from. It was a special time of year, and whether people celebrated or not, sometimes beautiful magic happened. 

Joyful moments could be shared underneath the tree as families discover the true meaning of the holiday season, whether related to Santa Clause, the meaning of life, or Kentucky Fried Chicken. True love could be discovered underneath the mistletoe, all while some coworker’s annoying as hell kids at the office Christmas party went ooh or help me or perhaps ew, gross much? On occasion, the stars aligned just right each December, and picturesque moments captured in the mind’s eye forever would feel just like the more diverse Hallmark movies. All three of them, if you were being generous.

It was at these times one must remember Die Hard was also a Christmas movie…which was the evidence Akira needed to utilize for their current situation, no matter how Goro denied it, all while they drove towards some rich bastard’s Christmas bash on a hellbent mission.

Car rides anywhere were enjoyable as long as they were with each other, and in the end that was all Akira could ask for. As Goro rambled on and on about cultural variations of the holiday, and how supposedly none of them involved homicide, Akira just held back laughter while applying the reddest lipstick known to man. He hadn’t ever worn a cocktail dress before today, but no one could deny he looked incredible. He was dressed to the nines in luscious red, a silky wig, and enough makeup that not even his own parents would recognize him, and yet it wasn’t technically for a date. What a homophobic shame dealt to him by the gods themselves.

…Okay, his parents hadn’t seen him in years, and the last time had been Goro punching his father in the face. It was better stated that not even his cat would recognize him, but Akira didn’t want to think about that either. So instead he just bickered with the man he loved.

“Honey, listen,” Akira countered, after Goro ranted for the entire length of some bubbly kpop song about being merry and happy. “I know you pride yourself on being right about everything, and I support you unconditionally, but have you ever considered you’re totally wrong about literally everything? We are living out a Christmas movie right now. I’m right.”

“Stating I’m wrong without providing actual evidence as to why again, Akira?” Goro said with an eye roll, though his rolling eyes struggled to stay focused on the road when Akira’s dress kinda showed his upper thigh. “You would not have lasted one week in a university setting’s debate team, and it shows.”

“Hey, neither of us went to college, on account of me being a sexy criminal superstar and you being sexy and also super dead. At least I read dozens of books on mythology and cultural figures when we still had the Nav,” Akira said right back. “I’m a master debater–”

“I swear if you say ‘and also a masturbator,’ I’m hitting the brakes at mach speed.”

“I mean no, I don’t need to do that when we’re in the same room twenty-four hours a day. Wow, you have such a dirty mind, did you know that?”

Goro finally stared not at the road nor Akira’s legs, but a secret third thing–his smug, stupid face, so he could shoot Akira the nastiest of glares. “Quite the talk from someone who made a kidnapping roleplay joke months after literally being kidnapped.”

Okay, that had been one time. And they were not talking about it. Not if Akira could help it. He finished applying the last of his makeup and examined himself in the mirror. If looks could kill, Akira wouldn’t need a knife tonight. Tragically, he still needed a knife, but at least he was pretty. 

“I never joked about that again, give me and my coping mechanisms some credit. Anyways, enough talk about my abduction. Ever heard of Krampus? He’s like the Mementos Grim Reaper used to be, except real, and festive, and I’m pretty sure he murdered children. How’s that for Christmas cheer?”

“I appreciate the sentiment behind a morally dubious Christmas special, but…Krampus aside, the holiday genre as a whole is ill-suited for activities such as murder, once we put aside frequently debated titles. There is a reason films such as Die Hard and American Psycho are commonly dismissed from a place among happy-go-lucky Christmas movies, and that’s due to them only portraying the holiday as background noise in favor of an action plot. It’s only a timestamp when all is considered, nothing more.”

God, Goro was so pretentious. No wonder Akira was in love with him. Here they were, driving towards some multimillionaire’s holiday party with a heist in mind and also assassination if push came to shove, and yet Goro was blasting some American artist’s holiday music on the Jokermobile speakers and discussing American fucking Psycho versus the concept of Christmas cheer. If he wasn’t wearing nondescript black clothing and gun holsters, Akira would blame the irritated snarl gracing Goro’s face on this Michael Buble person singing some no homo anthem about his buddy Santa.

Akira just giggled in his best falsetto, preparing himself for whatever crossdressing shenanigans he had to pull for their mission tonight, and flipped his wig over his shoulder. Brief little moments of domestic bliss were nice after everything, even if most people wouldn’t get it. 

“Okay, ignore the murder then. We’re still living in a real life romcom whether you think my jokes are funny or not, since my entire life is a joke.” Another unimpressed squint as Goro kept his eyes on the road. The self-deprecation didn’t hit like it used to for either of them. Damn their efforts to rebuild Akira’s self-esteem. Those efforts were getting in the way of dark humor! “It’s December 24th, we’re on our way to crash a Christmas party, and we are romantic and comedic. We even took that don we now our gay apparel song to heart, come on!”

Goro snorted, ever the long-suffering, disgruntled man in the face of whatever the fuck Akira was doing. “That can be said for your outfit tonight, but I don’t recall a black turtleneck ever winning one of those ridiculous ugly Christmas sweater contests.”

“No, see, you’re just dressed like the gay goth cousin who sits at the kids’ table during family gatherings because he hates his homophobic relatives.” Akira knew this because he had once been the gay goth cousin who sat at kids’ tables during their rare family gatherings because he hated his homophobic relatives.

Goro looked from Akira, to the road, to their GPS. His brow furrowed and he bit his lip once he saw how little time was left until their arrival. The plan had been for Goro to park the car and follow behind closely, and Akira would do the actual infiltration with a fake identity and a fake adoration for being surrounded by the rich and pompous. The flashy getup was excessive, in Goro’s opinion, but plenty of Shido’s affiliates, and therefore Goro’s whether he liked them or not, were occupying this little gala. Of the two of them, Akira was less likely to be recognized, especially when dressed like this.

That didn’t mean Goro was fond of the idea whatsoever, but that was only one stressor among the many weighing them down tonight. As Goro parked the car, Akira finalized his appearances one more time, double-checking his heels were just short and thick enough that he could still run in them, and that not a hair looked out of place.

He only became aware of his nervous expression when Goro turned off the radio. Turning to face his partner in crime, he saw anxiety reflected back at him, and Akira gulped down a lump in his throat. “Hey,” Akira said, reaching over to grab Goro’s hand as it held the steering wheel in a vice grip. “I know this time of year is stressful for everyone, but I’m going to be okay–”

“Are you okay, though?” Goro cut him off, flexing his fingers before letting go of the wheel. He squeezed his eyelids shut and visibly fought to unclench his jaw. “You’ve spent the entire car ride cracking ridiculous jokes and making up your own lyrics to every damn orchestra cover that played on the radio, but if you’re trying to hide how nervous you are, you’re not doing a great job. I thought we talked about this.”

Akira winced. Keeping secrets hadn’t been his goal at all, but he couldn’t blame Goro for that train of thought. Old habits die hard, whether trauma was involved or otherwise. He flopped back against the headrest, shifting their hands so their fingers intertwined. Even with gloved hands, the grip grounded both of them. “I wasn’t doing it on purpose. I just know if I think too much about the worst case scenarios, I won’t be able to focus on anything else. I’m worried about you too, though. What’s wrong? Is it about splitting up?”

The telltale twitch of Goro’s hand was all the answer Akira needed. He stayed silent and gave Goro a moment to find his words, taking in his harrowed expression as Goro’s thumb brushed across the various scars all over Akira’s hand. Goro had always wielded words masterfully on television and even in battle, whether they were honeyed vinegar or vulgar curses, but words conveying his innermost feelings still didn’t come easily. Akira wasn’t good at sharing his burdens purposefully either just yet, but they were trying. 

They were both getting better about trust and honesty, but sometimes Akira worried parts of them would always be trapped in the past, terrified of losing one another, or maybe in some long-lost Palace there was Goro, kneeling on some bloody floor or panicking in a hotel room, or there was Akira, trapped in a diner or tied to a chair in that hellish basement or crawling across frozen earth in a desperate rush because he couldn’t let him die, not here, not again–

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Akechi’s voice broke Akira out of the spiral before it could properly start. Suddenly Akechi’s head gently bumped into the side of Akira’s, and his thumb rubbed circles against Akira’s knuckles. Right. It was December, in the present day, almost a full year after three no good, very bad days. They were alive. They were okay. “I’ll admit I’m not fond of splitting up. I…I can’t lose you again.” Okay, so maybe Akira wasn’t the only one spiraling over that possibility. “If you no longer wanted to mingle with Shido’s trash, I would gladly take our little getaway car and drive wherever you wish–”

“Nope, I’m still going,” Akira butted in. He wasn’t offended by Akechi’s offer, but he didn’t want to back down now, and he knew Akechi didn’t either. He could do this. It wasn’t like he had to kill a million people, all he had to do was break into some big wig’s computer with a flash drive and then get the hell out of there. Hopefully no one paid attention to him, once they got over the dress and heels. “I have a dagger and I’m not afraid to use it, and I have my earpiece just in case. You have a sword and multiple guns and an actual sniper rifle. Give the both of us some credit! I killed a god three Christmases ago. A little breaking and entering is what the kids call small potatoes.”

Akechi said nothing, but at the rate he was stressing, he would fracture every bone in Akira’s hand, induce heart murmurs faster than you could say four Five Hour Energy shots, and go bald by age twenty-three. Refusing to let the man who was essentially his husband lose all his hair, Akira indulged in their old favorite vice: deflecting and changing the subject. “Also, this isn’t the getaway car. Stop besmirching the good name of our dearly beloved Jokermobile–”

“It’s not a good name at all, Akira,” said Akechi as he forced himself to relax. He didn’t buy the facade, but Akira wasn’t trying to fool him. They both just needed to calm down before they did anything reckless…even if a heist was also reckless. “Your habit of naming inanimate objects is getting out of hand. This isn’t the Jokermobile, it’s a black 2016 Toyota Highlander, and you only named it that because you wanted to make rear-ending jokes.”

Well, it was a good thing they had only been rear-ended by an actual car once, then. Akira took full responsibility for that one, it was his fault for trying to drive with a broken leg. Pour one out for the fire hydrant, the greatest victim of that hit-and-run besides Akira’s psyche. “And yet you never thought of a better name. Checkmate.”

“You’re insufferable,” Akechi sighed. 

“I think you meant irresistible, honey,” said Akira.

“Oh, pardon me. I meant to say you’re irritating and irresponsible. My mistake.” 

Goro didn’t give Akira time to reply before he unbuckled his seatbelt and inspected his holsters. “Do you have the flashdrive ready to go?” Akira reached into a side pocket of his dress and showed Goro the flash drive, shoving it back inside once Goro nodded. “And your dagger?” He flipped his skirt completely to the side, exposing lacy black underwear on top of the dagger strapped to the thigh lacking a dress slit. Goro forcibly ignored that and interrogated him again like the bastard cop he once pretended to be. “And your earpiece?”

Wow, not even a verbal reaction to his underwear of choice? Bummer. Akira rolled his eyes and gently swept the wig away. Barely visible inside his ear was the earpiece, but it was in place just as planned. Smiling and hoping the red lipstick wouldn’t smudge onto his teeth, he flashed Goro a thumbs up. “Yes, Goro, I’ll hear your illustrious voice loud and clear. What about yours?”

“I put mine on before we left. I came prepared, unlike you.”

“It’s not a competition, Goro.”

“Akira, we turn everything into a competition whether we like it or not.”

God, could Goro stop making good points tonight? He was beating Akira in the argument category of the Rivalry Olympics. Fucker. Conceding for now, Akira pouted as Goro let go of his hand to climb into the back. “Do we have any of those canned coffees left?” he asked while Goro inspected his ammunition.

“I grabbed extra at the 777 earlier, along with some other beverages,” Goro replied, briefly ignoring his mission prep in favor of caffeinating the idiotic love of his life. As Goro reached into their cooler, he continued, “Some are black, some have cream or sugar. How do you want your coffee tonight, my dear Joker?”

“Black like my soul, Crow,” Akira replied, fondly recalling his dear pal Satanael on the anniversary of a god’s death. Goro gave him a long, hard look, then hurled a bottle of milk at Akira’s face. Naturally, Akira caught it with all the proficiency in the universe. Then he hurled it right back at Goro, who snatched it from the air without even looking. Well, if Satanael wasn’t allowed, then Arsene better be. “Fine. Something with French roast, also like my soul.”

#persona 5 #akeshu #shuake #p5 #goro akechi #akira kurusu #tricksterlatte writes #chase the joker #my stuff #I have two other oneshots planned regarding this heist and then this holiday for them. but. #Akechi overexplaining American Psycho to Akira who just thinks he's ridiculous while also being head over heels. it had to be shared #i had to. #this will not make much sense without the original fic btw so if you like this. go read it! look in my pinned

[fabuloustrash05]

Rewriting The Season 5 Halloween Arc

A TMNT 2012 Rewrite

The Halloween arc in TMNT 2012 (S5 Ep14-17) was an exciting 4 part arc where the Turtles team up with their time traveling friend, Renet Tilley, and with her help they travel to different time periods to stop Savanti Romero from recruiting history’s greatest monsters and take over present day New York City. The whole arc was entertaining, seeing the Turtles fight these iconic monsters, but a disappointing detail, in my opinion, when watching this spooky arc was the exclusion of April O’Neil and Casey Jones. 

I feel the inclusion of April and Casey helping the Turtles and working along side Renet was wasted potential. I was hoping we were going to see Renet’s dynamic with April and Casey, but sadly that hope was taken away when April and Casey were turned into vampires in the first 5 minutes of the arc, casting them off to the side and missing out on the adventure. 

So for this rewrite I ask the question: What would’ve happened if April and Casey where involved in the Turtles and Renet’s Halloween time traveling adventures?

Lets start with the beginning of the episode, cause I’m rewriting that whole opening of April and Casey trick or treating. Instead the episode opens with a familiar scene, the ending scene to the season 3 episode Tale of the Yokai.

The arc starts where the episode Tale of the Yokai ends with Renet bringing the turtles back to the present day, Renet kisses Mikey goodbye, and leaves through the portal.

We then see what happened to Renet as she went through the portal and left the turtles after the episode, returning to her time, she takes a deep breath as the portal closes behind her. Once it closes she lets out an joyful fangirl scream and begins expressing how thrilling it was for her to work alongside the “turtle warriors of legend”. She talks to herself about how much of an honor it was to actually meet them along with the flattery that Michelangelo had an romantic interest in her. Renet blushes as she reminisces about what happened between her and the young turtle just moments ago and there potential blooming romance.

“I can’t wait to see him again!” Renet cheers happily.

“Oh no you won’t!” An angry voices call out as someone grabs Renet’s ear. It’s Lord Simulantius, finally seeing his true human form (not as a floating head, but as he appeared in Renet’s flashback sequence in Turtles in Times)

Lord Simultaneous rips the Time Scepter out of Renet’s hands and begins dragging her by the ear across the Time Masters’ Temple (like an angry mother with her in trouble child at a grocery store). He immediately begins lecturing her about taking the Time Scepter and Savanti Romero almost taking over history with it, calling her foolish and irresponsible. Lord S. then comments that she was lucky enough that the Turtle Warriors of Legend helped her but she shouldn’t be getting involved with their history especially with Mikey’s, since now he’s fallen for her. Renet comments that she likes Mikey back and that there is no harm in having a crush. Lord S. tries to shoot down her ideas of being with Mikey by saying he’ll one day fall for a girl named Shinigami and many more potential partners will come his way that he’ll fall for.

(Note: In this rewrite their would be a sequence during the Kavaxas arc were Shinigami rejected Mikey’s love confession, which has Mikey realize that Renet is the girl for him. I actually have a short fanfic on this that you can read HERE)

The two Time Masters are both unaware that Mikey will be rejected by Shini in the future (which we the audience would already know), Renet feels heart broken, but still shows that her feelings for Mikey are still there, but with more sign of resentment, regret, and feeling used. She begins thinking that if he’s gonna flirt with others, there’s no harm in her flirting with others too.

Lord S. punishes Renet for her “screw up” by having her do scouting reports of banished time criminals they sent to other time periods. First on her list is Savanti Romero. Worried she’ll lose the Scepter like last time Lord S. gives Renet an emergency time travel device before sending her off. We then see the scene that was originally a 2D flashback sequence in the original show of Romero attacking Renet with a dino army and stealing her emergency time travel device. Instead of it being a 2D flashback it’s a short action sequence of Renet fighting Romero, but (like in canon) he escapes and times travel to a different period.

The scene ends with a panicked Renet, realizing she has messed up (once again) as she says in a worried defeat, “Oh Groak…”

CUE THE INTRO!

It’s Halloween night in present day New York where we see April and Casey trick or treating and with them is a little girl with black eyes and long black hair tied into two ponytails dressed as pirate. It’s Casey’s little sister! (Because I think this would be a cute little cameo so we can finally meet her). Her name is Angel and through dialogue we learn that Casey’s dad made him bring his little sister with him for trick or treating, he apologizes to April for the “third wheel” but April says she doesn’t mind, she loves kids. We would even see through the little dialogue that Angel is spunky, bold, and full of attitude, defiantly a mini female Casey Jones.

Like in canon, Casey pulls a “trick” on someone for not giving him candy (for this imagine instead someone was mean to his sister and refused to give her candy) and the three are laughing and having a fun Halloween. As they walk down the street we see a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows watching them. 

Soon just like in the episode the vampires and other monsters attack. Casey’s little sister gets bitten and turns into a vampire. April and Casey fight them off the best they can, but soon they realize there are far too many of them. They are surrounded.

Suddenly a bright portal appears in the sky and April and Casey get saved by a girl in weird clothing holding a strange looking device. It’s Renet! 

She instructs them to follow her. With no other choice, April and Casey run off with her. Once they are safe up top a building’s roof, they ask her what is going on and she says there’s no time to explain and how she can fix everything before matters get worse. 

"It'll be easy,” she explains, “I just need to find Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo."

April and Casey’s eyes widen with suspicion.

"I-I'm sorry?" April asked.

"You know..." Renet says coy. She then leans in towards them and whispers, "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Tu-"

Before she could finish her sentence, April and Casey draw their weapons, April with her tessan and Casey with his hockey stick, and aim them at Renet, cornering her.

"Okay listen, we don't know who you are or what the heck is going on, but how to you know about the turtles?" April asked aggressively.

“Yeah!” Casey adds, “Start talking, headdress.”

"Oh... I-I... Well, um... You're right. I'm sorry. Let me start over," She clears her throat, "My names Renet Tilley, I too am a friend of the turtles."

"Funny," Casey glares, "They never mentioned you..."

"They don't tell you a lot of things. You'd be surprised of the secrets those boys keep from you," Renet smirks. April and Casey share a quick look as she continues, "Listen we have no time to waste, here's this criminal, Savanti Romero, who wishes to take over your time and later mine. I know the turtle warriors are the only ones who can help me stop him. They've done it once, they can do it again. So please.... will you take me to them?"

April and Casey look at one another. They can hear the screams of the people down in the streets being attacked by the monsters. If what this girl is saying is true then they have no choice. April then pulls out her T-Phone and calls Donnie.

We then cut to the turtles in the lair getting ready for Halloween. The scene will play out in canon: Leo’s Spaceheroes fanboying, “Smooooth Donatello~” and Mikey’s fairy princess costume suggestion to Raph.

(Note: I’m changing that “Smooooth Donatello~” joke, Donnie is still dress as a pimp surrounded by the TMNT girls (April, Shinigami, Rook), but replace Karai with Mona Lisa, because WHY IS HE IMAGINING HIS SISTER IN THAT FANTASY?? Also all the girls are dress in pretty purple dresses to match his mask. Add the funny idea of Raph glaring at Donnie in the background, hinting that Raph knows Donnie imagine Mona in that fantasy and he is NOT happy.)

As they discuss their costume ideas and express their excitement for their favorite holiday, Donnie gets a video call from April and answers it, "Hey, April! We're just getting ready- "

"Yeah, that's great Donnie, um, look, there's some weird things going on up here." April tells him through the video call.

"Yeah, weird, but metal!" Casey said popping from behind her excitedly.

Donnie's brother's hear what April said. She sounded worried but also confused. They huddle around Donnie as they look at April in the video call.

"What do you mean weird?" Leo asked.

"There's these monster, vampires, werewolves, everything! They tried attacking us!" April turns her phone to quickly show the turtles the monster attacks from the streets below.

"What the-?! Are you alright?!" Donnie panics.

"We're fine. Thankfully we got some help. She says she know you guys."

"Who?" Leo asked.

April moves the camera of her phone and aims it at Renet. She smiles and happily waves, "Hello Turtle Warriors!"

"RENET?!" The turtles all cried out in shock.

"O-Okay! We'll be right there!" Leo tells his friends through the call.

"Just hurry!" April hands up.

"Knowing that Renet is here she must've been the cause of what’s going on." Raph comments.

"Looks like Halloween is on hold tonight," Leo says, "Let's go ninjas!" and the turtles head off. 

The turtles then meet up with April, Casey, and their old friend Renet up on a high roof top.

"It's so great to see you again, Renet," Mikey said happily hugging Renet, "We haven't seen you in, like, a year."

"Really?" Renet asked with a surprised look on her face, "Huh... Well, for me it's only been about two... maybe three hours."

"Fascinating..." Donnie says, "It makes sense for you since you're from the future and have the technology to travel to any time period you wish."

"I'm sorry!" April said confused, "Future?! Time Travel?! What’s going on?!”

“Yeah, and how do you know this chick?” Casey adds.

There was no time to explain, for Savanti Romero arrives. He attacks and Renet creatures a time portal to escape, sending her, the turtles, April and Casey to Ancient Egypt.

The rest of the arc will go out as it played in canon: Same order of time periods they travel, Raph turns into a vampire (April, Casey, and Donnie all will too later on), Mikey befriends Frankenstein, etc. And yes, when the gang travels to Transylvania, April and Casey will also get their own monster hunter outfits from Renet just like the turtles, because April and Casey deserve more outfit changes! I like seeing them in different outfits!!

I imagine their monster hunter outfits would look something like this:

I also want to note a little detail of dialogue of when Raph is bitten but not a vampire yet, April would make comments about how she can sense something is wrong with Raph, how his aura is off. Maybe she would even try to use her psychic powers to get through to Vampire!Raph, but fails because Dracula’s control over him is too strong to break. Her powers can only temporally break free from Dracula’s mind control. If they want to free Raph from the vampire curse, they have to kill Dracula. 

Lighting Round! (cause this is already a long post) Like I said, everything plays out like it did in canon. I just have some little details I wanna add that involve Renet, April, or Casey (or all three):

Because of meeting Renet and her comment that their are things about the turtles that they don’t bother telling them, it makes April and Casey question their friendship with the turtles and they wonder what else have the turtles hide from them or haven’t told them about. They are all growing up and sometimes growing up means you drift apart.

While in Egypt and later in Transylvania April and Renet get to talking. April starts by trying to make small talk with Renet, but slowly realizes that Renet and her have some things in common. She also starts to take note of Mikey’s flirtatious actions towards Renet. “Weird...” April thinks to herself, “I thought he liked Shinigami.” This would make April realize that she doesn’t fully know the turtles, that Renet was right. There are some things that they will keep from her. 

Casey would end up getting flirty with Renet, causing Mikey to get jealous. 

Casey: That Renet girl is impressive. She’s pretty smart.

Mikey, looking out at Renet lovingly: Yeah! Isn't she amazing?!

Casey: And she’s fun.

Mikey: Totally!

Casey: Cute too.

Mikey: Gorge-

Mikey: *death stare at Casey*

Casey:   ¬‿¬

Mikey would begin to take notice of Casey’s flirtatious behavior towards Renet and Renet even starts to flirt back. This causes him to get jealous, while Donnie is happily relieved that Casey is no longer putting the moves on April.

Later Mikey would ask April to tell Casey to stop flirting with Renet. April would say no and call Mikey out on his Shinigami situation (because now she has the full story from Renet and realizes that she and Mikey were kind of a thing when he was putting the moves on Shini). Mikey tells April he thought there was no harm in it since they aren’t “technically” dating so he can flirt with whoever he wants, to which April tells Mikey that if that is true then Renet has a right to flirt with Casey if she wants to. This makes Mikey question what his relationship with Renet really is. Does he want to start something serious with her?

I can even imagine Mikey and Renet have a short moment to talk about their relationship and what will become of them in the future. Renet tells Mikey she does care about him, but whether or not they have a future together is now all on his decision. Should they try dating? Or is it best that they just stay friends? Mikey has to make that decision, because Renet has made up her mind either way.

To sum it up, April’s role in this arc is basically:

And Casey’s role is just:

Also this:

I think you all pretty much got a good gist of how I’d rewrite this arc, it’s mostly the beginning of the arc that takes a drastic change. After that it all plays out like it did in canon just with the inclusion of April and Casey in the beginning, they still have their moments to shine and fight along side their friends and get to show off their skills. The two would still become vampires shortly after Raph officially turns, mostly likely when they return to their time period or before that in Frankenstein’s time, and then Donnie gets turned by being bitten by Vampire!April later on. 

I even imagine their would a moment where we and a the gang learn through Renet that April and Casey are historical legends as well, well known for helping the turtles in many battles throughout history. This info explains why Renet looks for them in the beginning of the arc and not the turtles themselves. April and Casey are historical legends just like the turtles!

By the end of the arc, instead of Renet saying goodbye, kissing Mikey, and just going back to her time period, instead the Turtles and their friends offer if she would like to join them on their trick or treating before she leaves. Lord S. who was going to escort Frankenstein, the gypsy man, and Renet back home, agrees as long as she returns to the future once she’s done, showing that Lord S. is starting to have more faith in Renet and letting her actually act her age. Maybe he even adds the comment “Its not everyday you befriend turtle warriors of legend and their comrades. This is an honor you should enjoy.” Renet smiles and the arc ends with Renet happily running off with her new friends (holding Mikey’s hand, hinting that they going to try a long distance relationship) as they head off to go trick or treating, all cheerfully shouting “Booyakasha!!”

The End!

#lets rewrite tmnt 2012 season 5 #rewriting tmnt 2012 #tmnt 2012 rewrite #tmnt rewrite #episode rewrite #tmnt 2012 #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #april o'neil #tmnt april #casey jones #tmnt casey #renet tilley #tmnt renet #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt mikey #michelangelo hamato #tmnt leonardo #tmnt leo #leonardo hamato #tmnt donatello #tmnt Donnie #donatello hamato #tmnt raphael #tmnt raph #raphael hamato #tales of the tmnt #tales of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt season 5

[nickistuffs]

Let's eat!

hi! I'm Nicki. I have been on Tumblr my whole life and all I have been doing is reading fanfiction, precisely Harry Styles fanfics. So yeah and I wrote one blurb back while I was bored when my wifi broke so, here it goes.

Please enjoy just doing this for fun.

Pairing: dadrry X Filipina reader (Plus size reader or interpret them as you want them to look like.)

Summary: Breakfast is great, time to take a break from pancakes and cereal.

Warnings: None, fluff (cause I am in need of it)

...

The smell of garlic fried rice in the air is what Harry woke up to. Guessing that (y/n) was already up and cooking their breakfast. Yes a bit odd eating rice for every meal but he lived with his girlfriend for three years then; his wife and mother of his child. He had gotten used to seeing her eating a full meal and slowly eating the same, especially when her recipe for bangsilog was a great greasy start of the day whenever he had a hangover. 

Still groggy from sleep harry, went and did his business in the bathroom. walked past their toddler’s bedroom seeing it empty, bed covers all over the place. Then hearing an excited shout from their child downstairs making harry smile to himself. 

Finally downstairs he head straight to the kitchen immediately hugging his beloved wife from behind as she was washing pots in the sink. “Good morning, my love. Missed you in bed” (y/n) faced harry and “I’m so sorry, H. I know. a little someone was hungry for a big breakfast here.” Facing their three year old toddler munching on a tomato slice sitting on the high chair. Then immediately laughing how messy they were, bits of rice and eggs in their hair and tomato all over their cheeks. 

“Is it yummy, baby?” Harry asking their joyful little one. “Mummy, made such delicious foods for us keeping us full of her yummy foods, hmm?” Harry kissing their cheeks no matter how messy their face is. (He couldn’t help it) giggles and laughter filling the room. “Okay, daddy. breakfast is ready. Let them finish theirs, please. Kain na tayo (let’s eat)” “Mmm thank you my love this absolutely smells great!” Harry sitting down at the breakfast nook grabbing a serving of sinangag (garlic fried rice), runny fried eggs, fresh sliced tomatoes, salted duck eggs, crispy bangus (marinated milk fish), and atchara (pickled papaya) made his mouth water. “You amaze me so much!” “Another great start to the day, baby” harry finished saying digging into his food. (y/n) always blushing at every compliment he gives even when they’ve been together for so long.

Then a loud shriek from their toddler and a continuous streak of babbles. Harry  agreeing with their incoherent words. “Your right baby, Mummy is so amazing! Huh?” Their toddler making grabby hands to (yn)’s plate. feeding them scrambled eggs and rice. Then their baby loudly says “mMMHMm yamee” the little family laughing and enjoying their morning together. 

...

Thank you so much ehehe I have more in store and maybe I'll write more in the future. See you <3

#harry styles #harry styles blurb #harry styles fluff #harry styles fanfiction #husband!harry #dad!harry #harry styles imagines #harry styles writing #harry styles one shot

[lightwritesym]

TOTK Prequel Fanfic: In Three Years... [PART 1]

It’d been a few years since Ganon had been defeated–three years to be exact. After visiting all regions of Hyrule, Zelda and Link return to Hateno village to rest for a few months. Rebuilding efforts are underway and the Princess–now twenty years of age–couldn't be happier, especially now as Link is back at her side. The Silent Knight himself felt just as content; he was always happy so long as his Princess was safe and sound.

But the Princess wasn’t safe from her regrets.

Link’s house was simple and quaint, with only one floor and a loft. It was those little touches of color and light that Zelda brought into the residence–with Link’s permission–that made it feel homely for her. It might not look like much when you first open the door, but light the fireplace, bring out the eye-catching ceramics, add a few wildflowers in a vase for color, and it transforms into a place of warmth and comfort.

Zelda loved it so much that she asked Link if a cooking pot could be fitted in his home so she could learn to make all the unique dishes they had in their travels. He agreed to the idea, but only under the condition that she would follow a recipe and not her own. It was the first big addition to the house after a series of small ones and the princess was looking forward to doing more in the future–with Bolson’s help, of course.

She liked living the simpler life–but why? Zelda wondered this until she thought back to her early life in the Castle.

The cold, stone walls surrounding her.

The servants bustling in and out of her room.

The giant banners reminding her she was royalty.

And of course, the expectations that came with. 

But here in Hateno Village, everyone showed nothing but unrequited love for their princess. The first day she moved to the village, she was given new clothes to wear, food to eat, and flowers to make her smile. The Mayor saw to it that every one of her needs were met, so long as the people could help it. All the elders taught her useful skills, such as sewing or preparing ink to write with. 

But the children–goodness, those children!

They were especially fascinated with her highness, particularly for her knowledge of the wild; all it took was one small lesson on the different types of frogs there were on a rainy day, and the questions all came flooding in–the princess never felt so elated to answer them! It took parents calling their tiny scholars home for Zelda to finally catch a break. The Mayor’s daughter, Karin, gave her a big hug before running home, expressing how excited she was to learn more from the princess.

“Goodnight Miss Zelda!” The girl had said. It filled the princess with contentment; never had she felt so overwhelmed with open arms and joyful faces. Hateno Village was truly the place to call home.

But… 

The more she pondered those smiling faces, why did it make Zelda feel more and more–guilty?

“Princess?”

Zelda shook her head out of her reverie. She was seated at the dining table, book in hand, with a half-empty plate beside her. “Y-yes?” she stammered. How long had she been staring off into space?

Link was standing by the door. 

“I’m going to grab some rice and eggs from East Wind.” He said. “Do you want anything?”

“Oh–Milk,” Zelda said, forcing a smile. “I know I’ll sleep better after a warm cup of milk.”

Link nodded. He turned and reached for the door handle when he paused. Zelda looked up at him, anticipating a question from him. Instead, he shook his head– 

“I won’t be long.” Link said before the door shut behind him.

That much was true. He wouldn’t take longer than ten minutes, which was all the time Zelda needed to get ready for bed.

Closing her book, she left it on the table to get changed up in the loft.

But as she undressed, the princess became lost in her thoughts again; this always happened after traveling through Hyrule for months. On the road, Zelda was never so distracted. Obviously, her mind had been occupied by the rebuilding efforts and the needs of her people that she hardly had the time to sit down and just be on her own. At some point under all that stress, Zelda was practically begging for a break from her duties–

But now that she and Link were taking an extended break after three years of almost non-stop travel, she suddenly felt–unease? Was that the right word? 

Zelda wasn’t so sure; it wasn’t that she felt unsafe by any means, especially not with Link at her side, but those voices of doubt that once plagued her mind a hundred years ago somehow resurfaced, taunting her. She thought she was beyond those voices but seeing those faces–the faces of her current subjects, so few in numbers–they all had to adapt to living on the edges of the world because Zelda couldn’t stop the Calamity in time. The way they were living now, vulnerable to weather or monster attacks out in the wild, was because she had failed them long before they were born and they didn't even know it. The villagers were so welcoming to a long lost princess–

But if they found out that she was responsible for the kingdom’s downfall, how would they react? How would they treat her then?

Zelda thought about the elders of Hateno and the stories they told of their families; how their parents clamored to escape central Hyrule and the loved ones they lost amidst the chaos. To this day, none of them know if they have any surviving family members around the kingdom. If they somehow did, they're too old to travel alone and are far more vulnerable to the elements and monsters.

“It took a few decades for the village to feel safe here,” Uma had said to Zelda a day ago. “My husband wanted to start a family but I had that feeling in my heart that we needed to wait until the world was a little safer. My darling was upset with me–he thought I’d lied to him about wanting to settle down, but that was far from it.” The old woman sighed. “After five years, when those bokoblin hordes migrated towards the west, we all breathed a sigh of relief. My husband felt so guilty and apologized thereafter. We had our baby the next year and became the family we’ve always wanted.” Uma had smiled fondly at the last sentence. “Take it from an old woman–at some point in your life, you’re going to have to make sacrifices for the people you love, even if it hurts them.”

Those last words resonated within Zelda–why?

The princess laid awake under the covers, dressed in her nightshirt. It was all she could do while her mind raced with all the kingdom’s grievances post-Calamity.

Then she heard the front door click open followed by footsteps.

“Princess?”

It was Link. He was back from East Wind. 

But rather than greeting him, Zelda remained still under the covers. She heard him call her again, then his footsteps walking up the stairs. She closed her eyes, and took slow breaths. She didn’t see him, but after a few moments of silence, she heard him descend to the bottom floor.

She hoped Link didn’t feel bad.

#

The night brought on a chill. Regardless if Zelda had the sheets on her person, her skin prickled as the core of her body shook violently–did Link forget to add fuel to the fire place?

Perhaps the window needed to be shut–but was it not already closed? Zelda remembered doing so.

Why was she so–

Cold?

Shaking, Zelda propped herself up on her hands and called for Link.

“Link–”

AHHHHHHHH!

Screams.

There were screams everywhere.

Zelda shot up from bed and looked around–it was dark, but from the cracks in the window, she could see a glow of red wisp seeping through. The Princess gasped and jumped out of bed, backing away.

“Link?” She called again. When no answer came, she ran downstairs to find the first floor of his house empty. Even the furniture was gone, all except–the dining table and the vase full of silent princesses, now wilted. Zelda looked at their pitiful state.

“But… these were just picked–”

The door burst open, but Zelda had no time to react when Link, in his tattered champion's tunic, grabbed her hand, and hauled her outside his house. She yelled in protest, but the Hero wasn’t listening–she didn’t even have a chance to look at his face. She tried to pry his hand off of her arm until she realized–they were no longer in Hateno, but a burning Castle Town.

And Zelda was no longer in her nightshirt, but her ceremonial dress. The sky burned an angry red color, and the sun’s rays felt more like a burning blaze than a gentle warmth. The Guardians, she saw, aimed at innocent, helpless, lives. Families–mothers, fathers, grandparents–and children–All vaporized in the blink of an eye.

It was all Zelda could do to not scream, but she had to keep running with Link. 

They made it past the gates of Castle Town, but rather than veering off into the east, Link kept running straight ahead.

“Link! Where are we going?!” Exclaimed Zelda. 

But he didn’t respond.

When they crossed onto the Sacred Grounds, Zelda finally ripped her arm free from his grip. She massaged her sore forearm and noticed the red marks where the Hero’s fingers had grappled her.

Link stopped just a few yards before her, his back turned to her.

“We have to find Impa!” The Princess called out to him. “She said she’d–wait for us…” Zelda trailed off. It was then she realized–how quiet the world became. Not even the wind blew. 

But the sky was still red.

And Zelda felt even more cold.

“You failed.”

She looked up at the Hero.

“W-what?” she gasped. “Link–how could you–”

“Is it not true, princess?” He sounded so–so–Robotic. “You failed to unlock your sacred power–you failed to stop the Calamity.”

Zelda stood frozen in the center of the Sacred Grounds. She always felt weak and helpless–but Link never judged her. He would never say these things to her–unless this is how he truly felt about her.

“You’re–you’re not the Link I know.” Zelda said, growing in confidence. “The Link I know, he–he would never say these things because understands me!” She pointed at the imposter. “So tell me right now–who are you?!”

The puppet of Link started to chuckle in his voice–then the chuckle crescendoed into an evil cackle–and finally, maniacal laughter until his body slowly disintegrated into gloomy red wisps.

But now… there stood a familiar figure in the distance. Zelda’s eyes widened in shock.

“F-father?”

King Rhoam walked towards the Sacred Grounds from the south. Wait–

How did he escape Hyrule Castle? That was the last time Zelda saw him before he…

She shook her head.

“This–this must be a dream.” She said to herself. 

“Oh no, Zelda.” said his voice in her head. “This is no dream, princess.”

The Princess looked up to see her Father standing before her–without a face. She backed away. 

“I-I’m asleep and dreaming–” she told herself when she bumped into someone behind her. She spun around to see Urbosa–also faceless.

“No–this is reality.” She heard her voice in her head. “You did fail–one hundred years ago.”

“Now look at us–” said Mipha’s voice in Zelda’s head. The Champions appeared around Zelda, also faceless.

“Look at them.” said Daruk’s voice in her head. 

Zelda soon found herself looking in every direction, seeing standing, faceless bodies of Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, Ritos, Grerudos–all Hyruleans, all of Zelda’s people. They all perished in the Calamity and Zelda now saw how many suffered.

“This is all because of you.” Revali's voice said in her head.

“Because you failed.” King Rhoam’s voice said. “And now you must pay the price.”

Zelda tried running in one direction but was blocked by a wall of faceless bodies, closing in on her. She tried running in another direction, but to no avail.

She was trapped–she had nowhere to go. 

Zelda fell to her knees, tears falling from her eyes as she begged–

“Father! Urbosa!”

They all closed in on her.

“N-no! Please!”

And closer.

“I couldn’t–!”

And closer…

“Forgive me!”

And closer–

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

#

Link sprang up from his cot and grabbed his knight’s sword before running up the stairs in one swift motion. His heart was beating fast–who or what got in his house? How could he not have heard–

He paused at the top of the stairs, only to see Zelda screaming and writhing in bed. Without a second thought, Link dropped his sword and hurried to her bedside. He reached for her flailing arms, trying to keep them from hitting him.

“Princess!”

“NO, LET ME GO!”

Her eyes were still closed as she fought him. Finally, Link pinned her arms down at her sides as he said–

“Zelda, open your eyes!”

When Zelda opened her eyes, she saw Link looking over her–then screamed at the sight of him. He stepped back, hands raised in defense in case she tried striking him–not that she would ever do that to him, but with the state she was in, Link wasn’t so certain. He kept his distance.

"It's okay.” He said.

Zelda's eyes had so much fear in them. She was a sweaty mess and her hands gripped the bed sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"It’s okay," Link said again. “It’s me.”

After a moment, Zelda slowly looked around the room. The fireplace was still lit, but the fire burned low. And the moonlight glowed a pale white through the window.

No red sky–no faceless people.

And Link was here with the most concerned expression she’s seen from him.

Zelda felt for the center of her chest–her heartbeat was finally slowing down as reality settled in. Then she broke down crying into her hands. 

Before Link could say anything, there was an urgent knock on the door. Zelda became fearfully quiet.

“Link!” called a man’s voice from outside. “Is everything alright?!”

Link took one look at Zelda before hurrying down the loft to answer the door. When he opened the door, Thadd, Nack, and Rhodes greeted him with pitchforks and a farming hoe.

“We heard screaming,” said Thadd. “It sounded like the Princess. Is she alright?”

“...Ah.” Link hesitated to reply. “She’s, uh…” He stopped when he heard sniffling up the loft. He sighed, turning back to the men.

“She will be alright. I can’t say anymore than that.”

The men didn’t appear all too satisfied with that answer, but they weren’t going to argue with him. Not at this hour anyway.

“Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” said Nack. “You know I live close.”

After saying their goodbyes, Link quietly shut the door. He didn’t hear Zelda crying anymore, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t upset. He took the stairs to the loft and when he made it into her field of view, he saw her curled up on the bed, clutching onto her pillow.

Link carefully approached her and knelt down by her bedside. He took her hand into his.

"It was only a nightmare." He said.

"No, it wasn’t…!” She cried. “It was the Calamity! All those people–the ones we saw in Castle Town when the Guardians cornered them and they… they…!"

Link reached for the bedside drawer to pull a clean cloth; he held it up to her.

“Here.”

Zelda slowly craned her head up and took the cloth with a shaky hand. She sat up slowly, wiping the sweat and tears off her face. Link gave her a moment to compose herself. She dropped her hands into her lap and took a ragged breath.

“That’s not all,” she said. “It wasn’t just Hylians, but all the other races and…” She looked down at the cloth in her hands. “Our friends... My father… they said I had failed them…!”

Her face twisted with grief as the tears began to flow once more. Link sat by her side.

“I know there’s no changing the past, but I can’t help this–this feeling of guilt when the people of Hyrule are still struggling…” She closed her eyes, recalling what the elders of Hateno had told her and the people's plethora of needs. The burden weighed on her heart like lead. 

“How can I protect the people if I’ve already failed them once…?”

Zelda felt Link’s hand atop of hers again. She looked up at him with a tear-stained face; there was a tenderness in his eyes that soothed something in her soul.

“My Princess,” He said softly. “Before I was appointed to you, I had made the decision to not speak. That decision has taught me to be grateful for becoming a Knight of Hyrule–but it has also taught me to listen. Of all the people whom I’ve had the pleasure–or displeasure–of meeting, none of them compared to the struggles that you’ve endured.” Link closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the times Zelda had been berated and yelled at by her father. “You did everything you could to fulfill your destiny–even if the attempt was futile, you still tried because you had hope that something would come of it. You did it out of love for your people, and because of that-you yelled at me in frustration, but I understood why." He chortled slightly at this before turning solemn. "You don't realize how many people love you or, at least, learned something from you-I know I have.” His brows furrowed with self-reproach. “During the trial of the sword, I failed so many times for days on end–every time I reawakened before the sword’s pedestal, I… I thought that the sword was wrong in choosing me. I was ready to give up until I remembered all the sacrifices you made–how you never stopped trying, no matter how futile the attempt was.” Link shook his head. “I wasn’t going to let your efforts go to waste. I was determined to keep trying, no matter how long it took, so that I’d be strong enough to defeat Ganon. I wanted to defeat him, to free you, because…” 

Link stopped. 

He told himself he would never mention this to anyone, let alone Zelda. The words that lingered on his tongue would make him a burden to her, something he forbade himself to become; he was her knight and that is how it should be, nothing more than that–

“...Because what?” Asked Zelda. She looked so helpless–she needed comfort, and he was the only person who could give her that. But if he said these words, their relationship would forever change. Was Link prepared to go through with it?

Yes. He most certainly was.

“...I wanted to see your beautiful smile again.”

He couldn’t even look at her while saying those words.

Zelda was speechless–this was how he felt all along? 

All these years, she thought Link was only trying to save face because of her royal status–but hearing him open up, realizing that she’d always been on his mind from the moment he was at her side…

It made her cry even more. 

Link appeared worried and was beginning to regret everything he said so intimately to her highness when she leaned into his chest.

“Link, hold me–Please…” She begged.

How could he say no? 

He held her close in his arms, and Zelda never felt so safe and relieved.

[END OF PART 1]

#fanfic #post botw #prequel #tears of the kingdom #fanfiction #zelink #zelda #link

[siickwithsadness]

Quick Joyness Christmas fic for the holidays!!!

made a Christmas oneshot over the span of a few days to get into the Christmas spirit :) I hope you guys enjoy this quick drabble and will continue to read some of my upcoming fanfics in the future!!! 🎄

Sadness hummed quietly to herself as she sat back on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watched her friends finish opening up the few remaining presents from their Christmas party. Several pieces of tissue and wrapping paper lay discarded on the floor along with a few empty bags, each having been opened and tossed aside by an emotion a few minutes prior. As the last gift was opened, Disgust rose from her spot and did a quick scan of the room to see if she missed anything. Sure enough, there was a desolate package located at the back of the room. It stood about the same length as Fear‒ although more vast in width‒ wrapped in red and green wrapping paper with a gold and silver ribbon at the top. “There’s one more present, guys, let me see who it's for.” She stood up and walked to where the gift was located, reading the name written on the tag. “Sadness, it’s for you!” she called, waving to get the attention of her blue coworker. 

Sadness looked up from her cup of cocoa and spotted Disgust trying to get her attention, placing her mug down and getting up from the couch to join her friend at the back of the room.

“Did you say it was for me?” Sadness questioned, to which Disgust nodded and flipped the tag over to try to find the source of the present. “It doesn’t say who it’s from, but I think we can all guess who it might be.” Disgust teased, chuckling to herself at the way Sadness’ face lit up at the mention of her girlfriend.

Fear came up beside them, eyeing the present suspiciously. “Huh. I could've sworn that wasn't here before. Did the mind workers send it up?”

“And how would they have been able to send it without breaking through the wall, genius? The chute isn’t big enough for it to fit through.” Disgust quipped, rolling her eyes at him. 

Fear put his hands up defensively. “Hey, I was just asking. Do you know who it’s from?”

“No, but we have a good feeling it’s probably from Joy.” 

“Speaking of Joy, where is she? I haven’t seen her in over twenty minutes.” Fear asked, looking around to try to see if he could spot the yellow emotion, who appeared to be nowhere in sight. He turned to Anger, who had walked up behind him while they were talking. “Have you seen her?”

Anger shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I thought she was with you guys.”

Sadness shifted her weight to the side and fidgeted with her thumbs, unsure of what to do. “Should I wait for her? I don’t want her to be upset if I open it without her. Usually she’s here with me...”

"Go ahead and open it, kid. I'm sure she won't mind." Anger assured her, patting her on the back in an attempt to ease some of her worries.

Sadness gave him a warm smile and nodded, reaching up on her tiptoes and began to undo the ribbon at the top of the box, throwing it to the side and ripping off the wrapping paper, trying her best to rip off a chunk at a time to prevent making too much of mess while making her way around the box until she cleared off the top, peeling off the tape and reaching up to open the flaps of the box, but before she could lift a single finger, she was met by a sudden flash of light as something shot up from inside, startling her and causing her to lose her balance and land ass-first on the ground beneath her.

Joy sprung to life like a jack-in-the-box from the inside, scaring both Sadness and poor Fear (who fainted right behind her) to death as the other emotions scrambled to catch their breath. "Merry Christmas, Sadness! I hope you don't mind me being your present for the day!" She cheered, grabbing Sadness whose head was still racing with adrenaline, and showered her face with kisses, holding her close to her and pressing a quick yet passionate kiss on her lips. When they pulled apart, Joy held out a hand for Sadness, who stared at it cautiously before taking it in her own and rising to her feet. As Joy waited for her to catch her breath, she took note of how red Sadness’ face was‒ to which she leaned down and stroked her cheek with her thumb and muttered a quick "Are you okay?” to her while Sadness placed a hand over her heart and shook her head no. And, as you would assume, neither were the rest of the emotions.

“What the hell was that?! You scared the shit out of us!” Anger snapped, looking like his head was about to explode with the number of veins popping out of his forehead and staring daggers into the yellow emotion. If looks could kill, Joy would definitely be dead a hundred times over by now.

"You could give us a warning next time, jeez!" Disgust huffed, trying to appear self-composed but Joy’s sudden appearance acted as a jumpscare and caught her off guard. She attempted to cool herself off and ease some of the discomfort by fanning herself with her hand. 

“Sorry, guys.. I wanted to pop out of a box for Sadness as a joke but didn’t really think it through.” She glanced back at Sadness who gave her a "well what did you think would happen?” kind of look which Joy laughed at, causing the others to roll their eyes at her. 

“You think?” Anger grumbled, earning a shrug from the other emotion.

“Whatever, just don’t do that again.” Disgust warned, crossing her hands and glaring at her.

“Yeah, that probably could’ve gone a lot better..” Joy trailed off, turning back to Sadness who was now staring at her figure quite intensely. Smirking, she pulled away and struck a pose for her. “So…. do you like your gift?” Joy teased, giving Sadness a twirl to give Sadness a good look at what she was wearing‒ a tight-fitting red leather dress with a metallic shine that came a few inches above the knee complete with an off-the-shoulder fuzzy feather trim at the top of the dress, and a sparkly red bow tied tightly around her waist. Sadness stood awe-struck, transfixed by the beauty of the girl standing in front of her and eyeing her intensely like she was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on. Joy found it flattering how captivated she was by her and how she could seemingly render her speechless just by looking pretty and being in her presence. It goes to say Joy didn’t need to do much for her girlfriend to be mesmerized by her.

Giggling softly at how adorable her girlfriend was while flustered, Joy knelt down, dangling something above their heads that Sadness recognized to be a mistletoe. Already picking up on where this was going, Sadness smiled back and placed her hands on Joy’s waist, bringing her closer to her. “Mistletoe huh? I guess that means we have to kiss now.“ 

Joy’s smile brightened, returning the gesture by wrapping her arms around the other and allowing Sadness to close the space between them. "Couldn't have said it better myself." She breathed, the space between them getting shorter and shorter until she felt her girlfriend's lips make contact with her own, Sadness placing a hand on her cheek and pulling her closer, deepening the kiss and turning it into something a bit more passionate. The two stood there, embracing one another and allowing themselves to get lost in a world that only consisted of each other, the warmth from the kiss and their shared love for one another seemingly stopping time and making them forget about everything else on the outside. To them, nothing else mattered but each other.

Pulling away, both of them breathing heavily, they shared a look of contentment, Joy laying her head on top of Sadness who pressed a kiss on Joy's chest. “Merry Christmas, sweetie. I love you.” Joy whispered, running a hand through her girlfriend's hair and planting a kiss on her forehead. 

“I love you too, Joy. Merry Christmas." Sadness replied, stroking her back and cherishing the feeling of being wrapped in her arms.

There was a moment of comfortable silence and tenderness between them, with the two girls relaxing and enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms before it was interrupted by the sound of Disgust clearing her throat and snapping her fingers to get their attention, the two of them directing their focus from each other to the green emotion.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your little Hallmark-Christmas-movie-ending you got going on here, but what are we gonna do about him?” Disgust gestured to a passed-out Fear lying on the ground.

“I’ll go get the bucket of water.”

#joy inside out #sadness inside out #inside out disney #joy and sadness #joyness #sadness x joy #joy x sadness #fanfic #christmas

[talesofthetigerrr]

#TigeRRR2023 Prompt List

Dear RRR fandom, dear Bheem fans,

We hereby present you the entire list of prompts that were submitted by you in the past week (at the end of this post). We’re so excited about all these inspiring prompts! You can use them to inspire yourself to start creating, but also feel free to make Bheem-centric works that are not based on these prompts.

Feel free to start sharing your work right away and we’ll reblog them to this Tumblr-page (don’t forget to add the #TigeRRR2023 tag so we can find it!). If we accidently miss your work because of the algoritm, feel free to send us a message with a link to your post so we can reblog it afterall.

Please publish your works before May 10!

From May 10 to May 19, for those interested, we’ll discuss and review the works from a literary and artistic point of view. On May 20 (NTR garu's birthday) we will tally the total number of works created. And to celebrate the total amount of works submitted, we will create a special celebratory fic (read more here). Read all details and planning of the event here.

Some basic rules for publishing your works:

Please tag your works on Tumblr with #TigeRRR2023.

If you publish your fanfic(s) on Ao3, you can add them to the collection 'Tales Of The TigeRRR'. If you want to, you can also put a snippet on Tumblr with a link to your story on Ao3 so we can reblog it here (don’t forget to add tags/ratings!). Please use the Tumblr-tag when posting a snippet here so we can find it.

Tag your Mature/NSFW works appropriately because there are minors in this fandom too.

Add any trigger warnings if needed, we want this event to be enjoyable for everyone.

Happy creating!!

__________________________________________________________

READ THE FULL PROMPT LIST BELOW

PROMPT LIST

1. More of a question - what is Bheem's role in the politics of the workings of the Gond tribe? We know he is the protector, but does he have more of a role than that? Does he have any sway in the goings-on of his community? If so, how much? Does he settle disputes? How does he decide morally, who's in the wrong? How does this affect his interpersonal relationships with his tribe?

2. Eyes, Heart, Warmth, Strength, Love.

3. Bheem and reflecting on being the gond protector. Either before or after he accepts the mantle. An introspection into what that role encompasses.

4. Bheem + medical abilities?

5. Bheem + food? (Cooking/sharing/enjoying)

6. Bheem writing poems to ram 💗

7. Bheem and his brothers spent six months searching for Malli before zeroing in on Scott's palace as the location where she was likely to be. What was their journey like from the relative safety of their forest to the bustling city of Delhi. What all dangers did they have to contend with. And what were their experiences before they reached Delhi.

8. Bheem and Ram recreate Naatu Naatu for the benefit of their respective communities at a common celebration. While their first dance at the Gymkhana club had been one of joyful abandon and pure friendship, how have they changed when they dance together again. They are still friends and they still care deeply about each other. But they have also suffered, which has changed them in fundamental ways, both physically and emotionally. What does it mean to dance together as changed people?

9. Unlike his usual dutifulness, Bheem feels like spending a day doing absolutely nothing— especially now that they are back from Delhi with Malli safe and Ram back in Vizagapatnam. What does Bheem do on his day off?

10. Akhtar meets an astrologer who foretells his future. But the blind seer talks in riddles and metaphors. However, does Akhtar know what is coming his way. What does he make of it?

11. Bheem's wedding gift for Lacchu on his big day.

12. What was it like for Bheem growing up? What was he like as a child? And how did he become the chosen Gond Protector?

13. Something with Bheem and water.

14. After everything that has happened, Bheem is plagued by nightmares about it all. Who will be there to protect the protector and ease his mind?

15. Bheem deserves all the good things. Please, let there also be wholesome fic or art in which he gets all the good things he deserves (platonic please).

16. Five times Bheem comforted someone else and one time he himself was comforted.

17. How did Bheem react when he found out Malli was abducted?

18. Love, fluff, cuddling, danger, adventure, animal transformation, cuteness, Bheem and Malli, betrayal, hurt/comfort, nsfw sub/dominant, home sickness, food.

19. Ram cooks for Bheem.

20. A poem either about Bheem or written by Bheem.

21. Who protects the Protector? Bheem gets in trouble or gets hurt or sick, and someone comes to save him/take care of him.

22. Bheem travels to see the sea for the first time in his life. What does he think?

23. In this universe Bheem grows old and looks back on his life, the struggles he survived, the friends he made along the way, the love he found and the freedom that his people now enjoy. In this universe everything turned out alright in the end. Bonus if he meets any of his old friends.

24. Bheem confesses his love to someone in the most tender, heartwarming, wholesome way.

25. Bheem meeting any of Ram Charan's other characters from other movies and teaching them a wise life lesson.

26. Art prompt: Bheem getting all the hugs and cheek kisses from all our fav characters from RRR.

27. Art prompt: Bheem and a tiger, or Bheem and his element water.

28. Art or fic prompt: Bheem reflecting on the scars given to him by Ram (please tag accordingly / add trigger warnings if needed). Big bonus if you add someone to comfort/support him.

29. Bheem teaching Malli how to plant a tree and the importance of nature.

30. AU with Bheem as a farmer who befriends a tiger.

31. Bheem finds a wounded animal (your choice) and decides to nurse it back to health.

32. What was Bheem doing/feeling/thinking the moment malli was taken or the moment the British first found the Gonds.

33. Bheem is learning a bit of english to communicate with Jenny and he tries to read Ram's diary when he comes to his house to find him sleeping on his desk.

34. Bheem shows ram the animals he has been hiding / Ram somehow finds them.

35. How Bheem found his adoptive muslim family and how they accepted or offered to hide him and the boys.

36. Bheem is deaf/blind.

37. Bheem's thought process and feelings right after Malli was taken.

38. Bheem finds an injured toger cub while on a hunt and nurses the cub back to health. Mali or Ram could help him with the cub. Bheem has to release the cub back into the wild when she/he is healthy again. But the cub grows up and remembers Bheem and his kindness. Possibly the grown cub comes to Bheem's aid in some way?

39. Soft as silk but strong as steel.

40. Bheem is cared for by Ram in prison after the whipping, emphasis on Bheem's perspective--his confusion, hurt, anger and love.

41. The scene where Bheem goes to Jenny for blueprints and how it pans out.

42. Father Bheem taking care of his baby while jenny is away for the day. (Can replaced Jenny with Ram depending on writer's preferences)

43. This is an au (how Akhtar and Ram meet) Akhtar's bedroom shares a thin wall with the adjacent house where Ram's bedroom is and one night he hears Ram crying more than ever and talks to him through the wall.

#tigerrr2023 #bheem #komuram bheem #komaram bheem #rrr #rrr fanart #rrr fanfic #rrr fandom #rrr movie

[teashoptiramisu]

Fluffy fanfic rec list

On one of my Discord servers people were talking about how people seem more likely to recommend angsty fic, so I decided to put together a fluff rec list, just for fun! This is gonna be a variety of fandoms, wordcount length, genres, etc. -- the common factor is I like ‘em and they turned up when I search “fluff” in my bookmarks. I’ll point out if any are nsfw

ATLA

see your son rising at last by aloneintherain --  ATLA -- 6.5k words -- Iroh & Zuko 5+1 things fic  

North by ryfkah -- ATLA -- 300 words -- short & sweet Appa POV fic

definitely not suspicious at all in the least by presumenothing -- ATLA -- 1k words -- post-canon Gaang shenanigans

All The Gentle Creatures by Haicrescendo -- ATLA -- 10k words -- animals love Zuko, he’s basically a Disney Princess

Yuri!!! On Ice

see you next level by verity -- YoI -- 1.5k words -- Yuuri, Viktor & Phichit get drunk & watch TV, Yuuri & Viktor continue to be the most adorably sappy couple

Friendship!!! Is Magic by afrai -- YoI & OHSHC -- 10k words -- Yuuri & Haurhi meet at a conference and become friends. Viktor & Tamaki make fools of themselves (but what else is new)

Howl’s Moving Castle (mostly bookverse)

Second Time Lucky by labellementeuse -- HMC -- 5.5k words -- Howl & Sophie plan their wedding (lol i spelled that “weeding” on the first try... also accurate). As you might expect for these two it doesn’t go without some hiccups.

Could it be magic? by SpiritedYoungLady -- HMC -- 500 words -- Howls comes back from night with the rugby club, and Sophie is unamused

Fulllmetal Alchemist (mostly bhood/manga)

All That Describes a Joyful Heart by anthrop  -- FMA -- 3k words -- Hohenheim & Trisha cook together during a winter storm & they are simply TOO ADORABLE. Features some Xerxian cultural headcanons inspired by Nowruz (Persian New Year) traditions!

And They Were ROOMMATES by Turbulent_Muse -- FMA -- 30k words -- Modern AU in which college student!Ling moves into a haunted house, but since the rent is too good to pass up, he decides to try and befriend the demon. Greedling friendship & adventure fic.

Science for People Who Hate Science by Tierfal -- FMA -- 66k words -- Royed Modern AU, but even if you dislike that ship you might want to give this one a chance; it’s really more of an origfic about two characters losely inspired by Roy & Ed. They run a goofy educational youtube channel and are two dorks in love. Al shows up to make fun of them sometimes. It’s a good time!

The Sleeping Horror of Whiskerford by Eltea -- FMA -- 3.5k words -- another modern AU, in which the gang (Ed, Al, Winry, Riza, Roy, Hughes) plays D&D. Worth it for Ed’s character sheet alone, but overall just a hilarious & fun time.

A Clowder of Cats by Batsutousai -- FMA -- 4k words -- post-canon (a more-or-less canon universe fic for once!), Al settles down and adopts a bunch of cats (AS HE DESERVES)

Teen Wolf

the butt is a gift by lazulisong -- Teen Wolf -- 1.5k words -- Stiles is pinned to the couch by cats. I think this is part of a larger AU but tbh I don’t care: Stiles, cats, relatable dilemmas, what more do I need?

When the Bough Breaks by The Feels Whale (miscellea) -- Teen Wolf -- 12k words -- A bit of a weird one, but sometimes I like my TW fic weird. post-canon-ish/canon-divergence with endgame Sterek; Stiles is on the outs with Derek’s pack until they learn that he’s adopted a baby, and then they’re suddenly all over to dote on her. I actually really mostly liked this for Stiles’ single parent struggles and (platonic) relationship with the baby’s birth mother, the werewolf stuff & romance was cute but mostly incidental.

Misc fandoms

it's a new craze by attheborder -- Good Omens -- 5k words -- Crowley & Aziraphale start an advice podcast

Hot Springs and New Beginnings by CorundumBleu -- Hollow Knight -- 3k words -- in a good ending universe, Quirrel, the Knight, and The Last Stag relax at a hot springs and discuss hopes for the future. I recommend looking through CorundumBleu’s other HK fics as well -- there’s a couple other good fluff fics in there and some most angsty but still amazing stories! (I’m biased: CB is my sister & I helped edit these, but still, I think they’re great!)

Sufficient by atheilen -- The Goblin Emperor -- 2k words -- deaged!Maia; in which everyone and particularly Beshelar shows how much they care for and cherish Maia.

Sick Day by avg (AnxiousEspada) -- The Murderbot Diaries -- 4k words -- Overse & Arada are sick; Ratthi and later Murderbot visit to help them out. “To everyone’s surprise, a feverish Overse is SecUnit approved humor-fuel.” (P.S. if you like this fic consider checking out my sequel to it!)

Thrilling Night! Romantic Adventure at the Video Rental Store! by Masu_Trout --  Undertale -- 2.5k words -- wonderful Outsider POV of an employee at a video rental store who gets the admittedly uncertain priviledge of helping Alphys and Undyne pick out a movie to rent for their date night. I’m still not over the movie they end up picking, OMG.

Gonna add a reblog with BNHA, Natsuyu, Gravity Falls, and maybe some HP recs tomorrow.

Also, if you like these fics and know of more like them, feel free to let me know! I’m always taking fic recs (I’m slow to get around to them but I WILL save your recs for later) :P

#not atla #but also atla #fic recs #fanfic #yoi #hmc #fma #teen wolf #good omens #the goblin emperor #the murderbot diaries #undertale

[moregraceful]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

this is such a nice exercise, thank you, i was just getting so ripped up over my wip while also trying to acknowledge that self-loathing wasn't going to make the editing process better in any meaningful way.

in no particular order:

5 Uses For A Parachute You Won’t Find In An Army Field Manual [band of brothers, gen, general]

(but which Major Dick Winters lets slide because it’s good for morale.)

this fic is one of my favorite fics i've ever written, it's so joyful!! but also such a big heart and so much love for the people in it. ah....friendship in a war zone...

And grace will lead us home [baseball rpf, bo bichette/vladimir guerrero jr, general]

Vlad knows only a couple things to be true. God is real, obviously. The sound of a ball hitting a wooden bat is the sound that the universe was made for. He’s in love with Bo.

i was down SO BAD for the bb jays in 2021. and so fascinated by vladdy and bo while knowing negative things about them...they were just always huggin on the bb jays instagram!! so i wrote a fic abt them that very gently plays with religious imagery and the concept of magic. it came together in a way i love so much.

Trust Me [jonas brothers/bandom, gen, teen]

Nick says, "I'm sorry. I was homeschooled."

"Then this will be a very interesting experience for you," says the tall blonde guy. "My name's Bob."

you know when you write something and you're like, this legitimately might be the greatest work i ever write? and you're literally 21? and it's not that it's the greatest thing you've ever written, but you're going through a really gross reality shock in your first two years away from home and so so many things are new and exciting and scary but you're starting to feel so interested in having a future, which you didn't really plan on during high school? the jonas brothers coming of age on warped tour 🤝 me at my shit ass small liberal arts school reading books by living non-white non-american authors

Don’t carry nothing but the righteous and the holy [hockey rpf, jasper weatherby/william eklund, teen]

Jasper Weatherby On William Eklund’s Return to San Jose April 8, 2022 | Sheng Peng, San Jose Hockey Now Jasper Weatherby was all smiles after today’s practice at the SAP Center. The reason? “I’m just excited to have Gecko back.” Jasper Weatherby and William Eklund were fast friends at the start of the 2021-2022 season. Weatherby and Eklund, who had been roommates throughout rookie camp and remained road roommates and hotelmates, had bonded over the unique experience of living in the Bay Area...

this fic literally exists outside the space-time continuum. like you have to read it as an artifact of its time (no cuda fandom, very small sharks fandom, william eklund a just-hatched baby bird with no feathers) for it to even be salvageable as a fanfic, but there like. WAS no time, there was only me, my growing jasper weatherby feelings, and an unexpected 10 day vacation at the end of the year. i love it so much and would write it completely differently if i wrote it now. so i'm very glad i wrote it when i did, because it just has so much love and is so hopeful and so chaotic.

Every year with you is better than the last [hockey rpf, devon toews/cale makar, explicit]

“Ah, it’s fine,” says Cale. “You don’t have to buy me anything.” “I want to,” says Devon, and once he says it, he realizes he really does. He doesn’t get a chance to give Cale presents often, because Cale makes more money than him and rarely asks for anything. Birthdays are hell with this guy. Something little goes a long way.

i actually don't even reread this regularly bc i get so mad about the process i went through while posting it, but it IS one of my favorite things that i've ever written. i really wanted to try to write a friends with benefits fic where they aren't In Love-in love and they stay friends only but are deeply committed to caring for each other. and i think i did that pretty well tbh. it came together how i wanted it to. though i sometimes think about the hypothetical future of cale and devon in the fic and get kind of sad. like, is there a future for them where they remain the same or does cale eventually fall for devon and the peace between them gets wrecked or does devon get traded and cale's little heart cracks without him, or. you know like what happens to cale, basically, i don't know. i'm not writing a sequel but i think about their future from cale's pov quite often

thank you for sending this, i really appreciate it!!!

#cage replies #unfortunate birdcage fanfictions #anon

[melis-writes]

My Way Home is Through You [Francis Lionel Delbuchi x Reader Oneshot].

Read on AO3 / My Fanfic Masterlist / Fic & Prompt Requests Info /

18+ fluff and smut read.

“If this is any indicator for how our future is going to go, then I want it." / "I learned how and when to let go of things I loved even that much."

Pittsburgh, 1973. Never would it have occurred to you that you'd meet the now love of your life–Francis Lionel Delbuchi–out of pure chance at work. Bringing a new sense of vibrancy and light to your life, you get to know the ex-sailor and new carwash co-owner, and can't help but find yourself falling in love with Lion and the world around you all over again. As you come to learn more about the man whose all smiles, his intentions pure and his behavior always joyful, your relationship blossoms further and the two of you are unable to stop seeing each other. This is your story of how you met your boyfriend Lion, and where the two of you would take one another and your relationship after years of loneliness, and with Lion wanting to give love a chance with you and you only.

[WARNINGS]: Heavy fluff / miscarriage mention / lovemaking smut.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]: My very first Scarecrow fic is finally here!! 🤗❤ A loving, fluff filled, romantic oneshot of Francis Lionel Delbuchi x Reader! 😍 This is first of two more oneshots continuing on your love story with Lion and dedicated to my lovely mutual @rosesloveletters who not only inspired me to write, but to me is always Mrs. Delbuchi. 🥰🙏🏻 I love the film and love Lion so much and just he knew deserves to be in a romantic, fun and loving oneshot that the reader gets to experience with him. 🥺🤞🏻 It's worth mentioning in this fic the AU is that six months have passed since Lion and Max opened up their carwash business in Pittsburgh (they reside there as well), and that this fic continues after all the canon events of the actual film. The only difference is that Annie (Lion's ex-wife) actually had a miscarriage, and Lion wasn't beaten by Riley. I can't wait to hear everyone's feedback on it!! Enjoy! ✨

June, 1973, Pittsburgh.

You met your now-husband Francis Lionel Delbuchi on a day that would otherwise be just a normal routine for you. 

It was just past the three-year mark that you’d been working as a waitress at Sunrise Diner since you moved to Pittsburgh. 

Before you met Francis there,the guests and families you were used to seeing and serving consisted of just about everyone except kids since the 24/7 open diner also meant an open bar too.

Most of the those who came to eat at Sunrise Diner were those working in the city, but the occasional handful of tourists, sometimes whole families, and lone stragglers but Sunrise Diner has always done very well, serving homemade comfort food and the most variety of alcohol you’d find at a diner, to begin with.

As a waitress, you make $3.60 an hour, and other than taking orders, bringing out food and drinks, and taking payment, your duties also include cleaning up tables and any other housekeeping chores that may be needed to lend a helping hand around the diner.

Working at a diner wasn’t exactly your end goal since you moved to Pittsburgh in hopes to attend university, but once you arrived and fully settled into your new apartment, you found yourself deciding to continue saving up.

Maybe you’ll travel first and enjoy yourself a little before really sitting down to figure out what you want to do—no rush included. 

It’s also convenient for you to live just ten minutes away from the diner from the cozy sublet you rent.

Work has otherwise always been a breeze almost exclusively due to your coworkers; for once compared to the other jobs you’ve had in the past, your coworkers are like family in the sense they’re compassionate, selfless, and easy to get along with; not to mention that Sunrise Diner is a family-owned business after all.

Your family lives back in Detroit where you were born and raised—pretty much lived in your entire life, so being able to work for six to eight hours a day amongst folks you’d also call your second family with good pay has always had you grateful.

Working just like you would any other day, this Saturday afternoon is a rare one to go by so slow, so you preoccupy yourself by polishing some shot glasses by the bar.

The little bell on the front door of the diner chimes, signaling new guests have entered but you usually don’t raise your gaze until you can sense they’re either walking directly towards the bar to day drink or they find themselves at an empty table and are ready to order.

Of course, when a loud, rambling drunk guest comes in or someone whose clearly there to make trouble, that’s a different story, but this time you can’t help but look up out of boredom from your shift.

Across from you are two gentlemen; one in his mid-twenties and the other in his late thirties from what you can tell.

The younger man is dressed in a lightly knitted, navy sweater pulled over the top of an otherwise wrinkled-looking blue dress shirt. He wears flared, brown corduroy jeans and black and white sneakers with a black beanie over his tousled hair.

The older man next to him wears a brown beret, a matching wool overcoat, and at least three more layers of multi-colored clothes from what you can tell over a pair of black trousers.

From what you can tell just by observing the new guests for a few seconds, the two men look to be good friends with one another.

Just as they’ve entered, Lion and Max were still laughing through a joke Max cracked on their way to the diner about how hungry he’s been—grinning and chuckling as they push through the doors.

The diner today is in normal capacity with average guests otherwise, just making small talk and enjoying their meals amidst Lion and Max basically being a breath of fresh air and not so dull and quiet.

“Hey, how about this one?” Max points to an empty table by the window to your right. “Not too far from the bar and I can finally avoid the sun’s damn rays. I know I’ll need a drink in just a second.”

“Yeah, that looks like a good spot.” Lion agrees with him, following Max and sitting down across from him at the empty table.

Noticing the new customers sitting down and getting ready to order, you set down the shot glasses you’re polishing back underneath the bar counter.

You pick up two menus next to the shot glass stack and walk out from behind the bar and over to the two gentlemen’s table, approaching them with a warm smile. “Hi, welcome to Sunrise Diner.”

“Hello,” Max says back to you politely as you set a menu in front of him and Lion at the same time.

“Hi.” Francis greets you with a smile. 

You reach into your apron, pulling out your notepad and a shortened pencil. “My name’s Rose and I’ll be your waitress today. Can I get you gentlemen started off with some drinks?”

“Yes, please.” Max lets out a drawn-out sigh, leaning back in his seat. “Let me get the best beer you guys got.”

“Me too, with a glass of water, please.” Lion orders as well.

“Absolutely.” You nod, jotting both of their drink orders down as Lion and Max redirect their attention back to their menus at hand.

You slip your notepad back into the pocket of your apron, returning over to the bar, and pulling open the minibar fridge. 

You take out two cans of the best-selling beer the diner has and set them down next to an empty tray on the bar counter. You take three tall glasses from the side of the shot glasses, emptying the beer into them before disposing of the cans in the recycling bin and filling the third glass with ice cold water—adding a few cubes of ice.

With two glasses of beer and one of the water ordered, you set them over the tray at hand before returning back to Max and Lion’s table.

You notice Max has put down his menu and is ready to order already, but Lion continues to take a closer look.

“Here you are, two beers and a glass of water.” You set down a glass of beer in front of Max then Lion’s beer with his water—catching his attention.

“Thank you.” Francis beams up at you from his menu, causing you to blush a little.

“You’re welcome.” You smile back shyly, holding the empty tray between your arm as you grab your notepad and pencil out again.

“Alright, I’m ready to order.” Max pats his hand over his closed menu, “Lion’s gonna take a little while longer if that’s alright.”

‘Lion?’ 

“Hope you don’t mind.” Francis’ eyes still haven’t left yours.

“Not at all, please take your time. We have a lot to choose from.” You reassure him, gesturing down to the menus.

“In that case,” Max clears his throat. “I’ll have the steak and eggs with a side of bacon, please.”

“Oh—hold on.” Lion chimes in before setting his menu down. “I think I’ll just have a slice of shepherd’s pie, please.”

“Sure, of course.” You write down both the order for steak and eggs with bacon and Lion’s order of shepherd’s pie. 

“Here…” Francis takes Max’s menu, stacking it on top of his neatly before handing them up to you.

“Thank you.” You beam, taking the menu as you put your notepad and pencil back into your apron, balancing it overtop of the empty tray. “The food should be ready in about ten minutes.”

Max and Lion both thank you as you walk off with the menus and drink tray, setting them at the back of the bar counter before tearing off the sheet in your notepad with their order.

You make your way to the back of the diner and into the kitchen, sliding the note over to the cook with a smile. “New order.”

“Comin’ right up.” The cook calls out, taking the piece of paper.

You check the watch over your arm, noting the time as you turn back on your heel and head back towards the bar while the food cooks. 

‘Other than these two coming in today, it’s been kinda slow.’ Then again, you’ve always liked it this way.

You sigh softly in relief as you lean your back against the bar counter, listening to the faint sound of slow country music playing over the nearby jukebox. 

Although you’d normally be doing something else by now to keep yourself preoccupied or just remain distracted in general, you can’t help but peek back over to your new table and specifically at Lion.

‘Lion, huh? Must be a nickname.’ You find him attractive without a doubt, cute even with his politeness adding to it. 

You don’t even know him or the gentlemen eating with him, to begin with, but even with such a basic interaction as taking their orders, you can already tell Francis and Max are a world apart from each other in personality and behavioral differences.

‘He’s definitely cute.’ You finally force your eyes off of Lion whose busy in a conversation with Max, noticing Max is chugging down his glass of beer as if he’s in a rush.

It’s a common sight you’ve seen before regardless of the time of day and there are no strict rules against guests wishing to get drunk in the afternoon either—not with the alcohol sold this cheap at Sunrise Diner.

“Ahhhh, that’s more like it.” Max wipes the foam of the beer off his mouth with the back of his hand before setting his empty glass down. “And you’re still taking baby sips.”

“I’m not in a rush,” Lion shrugs his shoulders, taking a small sip of his beer and then his water.

“Hey,” Max leans into the table, lowering his voice. “Then would it be rude if I bothered the waitress for another glass of beer just now?”

Francis raises a brow, looking at Max as if he’s just been offended. “But she just served you your drink.”

“I know, I know.” Max nudges his empty glass aside, growing impatient. “It was damn good too but I’m not going to bed sober tonight.”

“Maybe you should have been over at the bar.” Lion points towards the bar which you mistaken for you—making you blush furiously and immediately look towards the kitchen instead. 

“After dinner, I sure will.” Max pats his chest, letting out a burp. “And you?”

“Nah.” Lion shakes his head, staring at his beer. “If the beer is as good as you say, I’ll be fine with just this.”

“Suit yourself.” Max stretches out his arms before looking at Lion with expectancy. “Are ya gonna call that pretty waitress over here or keep eyeing me?”

“Don’t bother her, Max.” Lion sighs, beginning to rise from his seat. “I’ll go ask her instead.”

Little do Lion or Max know you’ve heard the majority of their conversation over by the bar just from how loudly they’ve been talking, but you remain inconspicuous by smoothening out your apron, pretending to be interested in the shot glasses under the bar table and checking your manicure right up until Lion walks up to you.

“Hi again.” Lion peeks up at you, careful not to put his hands on the bar counter he saw you wipe down earlier. 

“Hi.” You blush, noticing Lion’s beaming smile towards you.

“Sorry to bother ya again but,” Lion gestures back towards Max with his thumb. “My buddy over there chugged his beer down in about thirty seconds if you didn’t notice.”

“I almost wish I hadn’t,” you joke as the both of you laugh. “Yeah, no worries at all. Refills are always on the house. I’m happy to serve.” You lean back off the counter, popping open the fridge and grabbing a beer before handing it to Lion.

“Thank you.” Lion takes the beer from you, “I don’t want ya walking back and forth with a dozen more beers if you can help it.”

“That’s thoughtful, thank you.” You blush again. “How about we do a full bar service at the table so you can enjoy your meal and your friend can enjoy his drinks without a hassle?”

“Please.” Lion’s eyes light up. “If that won’t be too much trouble, of course.”

“Not at all.” You shake your head. “Just let me know.”

Lion mouths an ‘okay’, growing ecstatic before he returns back to his table with Max. “There ya go. Take it easy with this one, eh Max?”

Lion slides the can of beer across the table to Max who’s quick to open it up and pour it all into his glass—grinning at the frothy liquid. “Don’t count on it.”

“See,” Max looks back up at Lion as he pulls his glass of beer over to himself. “You gotta thank me.”

“Why’s that?” Lion takes his seat, getting comfortable.

“I got you to talk to the waitress at last, didn’t I?” Max takes a sip of his beer, savoring the taste on his tongue. “Wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t get me another beer.”

“You’re funny.” Lion remarks, “I don’t want us to bother her.”

“Maybe you should if you know what I mean,” Max suggests, resting his arm on the table. 

Ding! Ding! You hear the bell ring in the kitchen, signaling that Lion and Max’s orders are ready to be served.

Having not heard the continuation of their conversation from how loud the banter has grown in the diner closest to you, you grab your serving tray and head back to the kitchen.

You carefully place Max’s order of steak and eggs with bacon next to the plate of Lion’s slice of shepherd’s pie before walking back over to their table to serve it.

The scent of the delicious, hot-cooked meal reaches Lion and Max’s noses before they catch sight of you—not withholding back how obviously hungry the two men appear.

“One order of steak and eggs with a side of bacon,” you place Max’s plate in front of him before taking Lion’s, “and a slice of shepherd’s pie. There you go.” You put Lion’s plate before him as well. 

“Thanks.” Max eagerly picks up his fork, moving his glass of beer closer by his side.

“Thank you.” Lion thanks you again politely, this time with a warm smile and a more familiar tone. 

“You’re very welcome. Any bar service needed, gentlemen?” You pick up your tray, mostly directing your question towards Max.

“Mm, please.” Max holds up his hand. “Say… Uh, how about a round of tequila while I eat? Is that allowed?”

“Sure,” you chuckle, “not much that isn’t allowed here. And you?” You turn your head to face Lion.

“No, thank you.” Lion shakes his head and raises his glass of beer. “That'll be enough for me tonight.”

“You’re very welcome,” you say again to tease Lion a little from how polite he’s been to you since he and Max have arrived. 

Throughout the entirety of Lion and Max’s stay, you spend more time bringing over tequila shots, more beer, some vodka, half a glass of rum and any other alcohol Max can coherently speak out until you realize his orders are just going to get more insistent, so you bring a bottle instead.

The entire time while Max takes shots throughout his meal, Lion sips his beer and water quietly while digging into his shepherd’s pie—eating normally while Max is more than ready to get drunk for the night.

While you serve Lion and Max, a family of four also came in halfway through so you began to balance serving two tables and also cleaning up after leaving guests or those who needed some refills from time to time.

Of course, even if you didn’t want to listen in, you again couldn’t help but overhear Max and Lion’s regular conversation about a so-called carwash business they own.

“Good thing we ain’t open on weekends.” Max sighs loudly. 

“Yeah, but is it gonna be that way forever?” Lion asks.

“Forever?” Max hiccups, clearing his throat. “Might as well be. I don’t wanna see cars seven days a week, and the way we’re going now is fine.”

“Beats the sea any day for me.” Lion shrugs his shoulders, carefree. “Now I’m seasick permanently, on and off the water.”

‘They both work and own a carwash?’ 

“And you…” Lion eyes Max’s drunken state towards the end of their conversation. “Don’t seem sick of anything yet. Uh, you did bring enough to pay for all of this and the bar service, right Max?”

“Don’t worry.” Max burps, not bothering to cover his mouth. “Of course I did.”

“Alright.” Lion relaxes in his seat but keeps a cautious eye on a drunken Max. “Take it easy, man. Take it easy.”

Another five minutes barely pass before you turn your head back towards Lion and Max’s table, hearing the scraping of a chair against the floor signaling someone’s getting up.

Just as you look over, you see Max’s legs wobbling as he clears his throat as if to speak out or order something halfway across the room.

Instead, still trying to balance on shaky knees, Max clutches onto his beret with a groan and slumps to the fall—collapsing unconscious.

“Aww, man.” Lion whines, practically jumping out of his seat.

“Oh—is he alright?!” Alarmed, you quickly rush over to their table, but it’s your boss’ attention Lion and Max have pulled as well when he walks out of the kitchen appearing more than just annoyed at another drunkard passed out on his floor for the second time in a week.

“Yeah, yeah, he’s fine. Don’t worry.” Lion remains to be in a rather cheerful mood despite his friend remaining slumped on the floor. “He just had a loooot to drink from thanks to that great bar service of yours.”

“Believe me, I wish I could say no.” You can’t help but chuckle, hearing Max snoring. “But it is what it is.”

“Don’t ya worry.” Lion grins up at you. “Max is always like this. I was just surprised it didn’t happen earlier. That’s so like him.”

“Is it?” Your boss’ voice chimes in as he walks over to Lion and Max’s table with his arms crossed. “What exactly happened here now?”

“Oh, nothing sir.” Lion blinks, appearing a bit intimidated. “My buddy here just had too much to drink.”

“Clearly.” Your boss notes, staring at Max by his foot in disgust. “Hey, Stanley!” Your boss calls out towards the back entrance.

Minding your own business and just remaining there, Stanley—the rather burly, cowboy wannabee bouncer of Sunrise Diner enters the restaurant through the back door, searching for sight of your boss.

“We got another drunkard here, you see?” Your boss points down at Max, showing him to Stanley who in truth, couldn’t even harm a fly. “At least take him outside to rest under the tree or something before he ends up chokin’ on his own spit. Sun would do him good—it always does to these types.”

“That’s a good idea,” Lion agrees sheepishly.

You and Lion both step back, remaining side by side as Stanley picks up Max like he’s nothing but a dainty sack of flour. 

Carrying Max over his shoulder, Stanley walks back out the entrance he came from without another word as if he’s done this a million times already.

“Well?” Your boss eyes Lion, still ignoring you as he knows you’re not involved in the drunken shenanigans but rather just did your job. “Looks like your friend’s wallet seems empty and there’s still a tab to pay, my boy.”

“Empty?” Lion’s eyes widen. “Ah, no way. Max must have brought his wallet for sure.”

Just then, the back door opens again as Stanley pops his head out—holding up Max’s empty wallet. “Nothin’.”

“Seems your both out of luck.” Your boss grins.

“No worries, no worries.” Lion holds up his hands in surrender, “I can definitely pay for it. Here—” As Lion begins to search through his pockets, you can’t help but feel an immense sense of dread from the second-hand embarrassment of this whole ordeal.

Lion quite literally empties out his pockets, finding nothing but a quarter. “Well… I can try to pay it off some other way with my body if that’s okay with you, sir.”

“Rose.” Your boss’s eyes flicker onto yours. “Whaddaya say? You served these gentlemen, right?”

“Yes, sir.” You answer.

“How do you think they should pay up if they don’t have the cash on them?” Your boss asks you.

“Well…” A smile begins to grow on your face as you look over at Lion. “We could always use some help in the back with the dishes. A second hand would definitely be helpful.”

“Yeah, of course.” Francis agrees enthusiastically. “I can do that.”

“Good.” Your boss’s timid expression relaxes. “That'll pay off the full debt for the table, including your friend’s orders who I doubt will be awake by the time Rose’s shift is done, but I leave it to her.”

“You sure you can manage two hours of dishwashing?” You tease Lion.

“Dishwashing?” Lion chuckles, “I wash cars for a living, that'll be a piece of cake.”

“Then be our guest.” Your boss gestures over to the kitchen. “Stanley and I will handle the rest of the tables.”

“Alright, come on—” You’re just about to lead Lion to the kitchen when your boss interrupts.

“Wait a minute.” Your boss holds up his hand, pointing to the empty plates on Lion and Max’s table. “Don’t forget these ones too, huh?”

You and Lion exchange looks with one another, grinning before you say, “don’t worry, we got it.”

With your boss returning back to his office space and Stanley watching over a very drunk and passed-out Max just outside, Lion and you walk back to his and Max’s table to pick up the two plates.

You both reach out to grab the same plate at the same time, causing your hands to bump into each other.

“Oh.” You and Francis both exclaim out at the same time through laughter. 

‘That day I never thought I’d met someone who was so easy going and fun even to make mundane mistakes with.’

“Alright, alright. One for me,” you take Max’s plate and glass, “and one for you,” you let Lion take his own.

“Gotcha.” Lion grins, stacking his glass of water and beer on top of his plate before following behind you over to the kitchen. “Love my first day on the hob, but am I balancing the cups and plates, or are they balancing me?”

“Good question, how about both?” You say back, walking into the kitchen with Lion.

You set your plates and cups down into one of the kitchen sinks next to Lion already filled with bubbling soap water. “Excuse the mess. It’s not much of a proper diner kitchen sink, but it’s got a feel of home to it.”

“Cleaner and cozier than any kitchen I’ve seen recently.” Lion comments, carefully putting his dishes into the second sink next to you before rolling up his sleeves. “Especially on a ship.”

“A ship?” You raise your brows, handing Lion a bottle of dish soap and a pair of new gloves. “Are you a sailor?”

“Ex-sailor.” Lion corrects, putting on his gloves as you do the same. “I used to love the sea as a kid, it carried on me with me to my adulthood and my work. I thought I’d never get enough of it, ya know? But oh boy.” Lion grabs a clean sponge from the counter next to him. “When you’re out there for weeks and weeks on end in a smelly ship with men who haven’t showered in weeks, reeking of piss and cigarettes, then catching dozens of octopus twice your size, you’d get sick of anything.”

“Fair enough,” you’re instantly fascinated with Lion, adjusting your gloves over your hands. “How long did you do that for?” 

“Too long.” Lion chuckles sheepishly. “Seven years. Just one of my odd jobs from boat to boat.” Lion begins to lather up the dish soap over his sponge. “My work always had something to do with the sea.”

“A love that lasted a long time, huh?” You ask, taking your dish soap and squeezing a good amount of the liquid over the center of the sponge.

“Oh, yeah.” Lion replies. “But I learned how and when to let go of things I loved even that much. Now I just have a bad habit of doing so spontaneously.”

“If you ask me, that’s the best way to do it.” You tell him. “That’s actually inspiring to me. I’ve never really understood the whole ‘do one job for the rest of your life and then die’ thing.”

“Right!” Lion exclaims, happily beginning to wash the dishes. “Especially when you come to realize it doesn’t make you happy, it just brings you a paycheque. Are you happy?”

“Am I happy?” Your eyes widen as you repeat the question. “Well, yeah, I’d say I’m happy.”

“Really?” Lion smiles at you. “I don’t know a lot of waitresses who would say that. That’s inspiring to me.”

You giggle, beginning to wash a plate. “Depends on who you ask then, doesn’t it? I know it’s different for everyone but I can only speak for myself.”

“And you’re happy.” Lion points out. 

“I am.” You blush, reaffirming. “I’ve been working here at Sunrise for about three years. My coworkers are like a second family to me; that’s the majority of the reason why I like it so much. It’s good, honest work. I don’t have any complaints, but…” You smile to yourself, shaking your head. “I mean, some customers could be more polite and not so judgemental, but that’s what happens when you work for people all the time.”

“Believe me, I know.” Lion agrees with you. “Octopus can’t judge you, though. Not really.” You both burst out laughing as Lion continues. “As soon as I began washing cars and meeting all these interesting rich people in their sports cars, I then realized how much I missed having an octopus smack me in the face.”

“Oh, you wash cars?” You pretend as if you haven’t been listening to Lion and Max’s entire conversation over lunch earlier today.

“Yeah.” Lion beams, very proud to admit so. “Me and my buddy Max own a carwash business called Maxy’s Carwash.”

“Your friend getting his well-needed rest over all that alcohol.” You chuckle.

“Yep,” Lion wipes his forehead with the back of his arm. “That’ll be Max, alright. He had the dream and the idea for our business and then that was it. We were both there, saying goodbye to our old lives.”

“Sounds like something right out of an adventure novel, huh?” You begin to rinse off the plate in your hand.

“Right, something like that.” Lion laughs softly, causing you to feel butterflies in the pit of your stomach. “So much hitchhiking and traveling that it might as well be. We’re here now for good though, in Pittsburgh.”

“You just opened up shop then?” You ask, curious to know more about these two.

“Mhm, about six months ago.” Lion answers. “So now we’re just steadily building a clientele list. Trying to get new customers in all the time but also repeat customers too.”

“So, then it must pay well.” You assume.

“Something like that.” Keeping a smile on his face, Lion continues washing his share of the dishes. “You should ask Max about that for sure. Before we even started, he had all of our finances planned out for years for the business. Just kinda funny to me now how he didn’t have any money to bring for his plan to day drink.”

“Maybe it was a blessing in disguise,” you hold back your laughter. “I have a car and it can definitely use a good wash at a reputable place.”

“Then come on over to Maxy’s Carwash.” Lion beams at you. “Your car will leave looking brand new.”

“I actually will come on by.” You tell him. “I’ll say this kind gentleman named…”

“Francis.” Lion says, surprising you a little after you’ve been hearing the nickname ‘Lion’ all day being used to refer to him. “Francis Lionel Delbuchi.”

“Wow.” You feel the blush double in your cheeks. “Francis Lionel Delbuchi…”

“When I told Max, he was just as surprised.” Lion grins, nodding. “He said he had a little trouble with it, so he nicknamed me ‘Lion’. Kind catchy, huh?”

“Lion,” you repeat, blushing again as you make eye contact with him. 

“I love it,” Francis tells you. “You can call me either or. Now that’s a pretty name. Pretty name, pretty girl, pretty neat place ya got here.” Lion gestures around the kitchen with his soap-covered gloves. 

“Thank you,” you wonder to yourself if Lion can already tell how obvious it is you’re blushing. “Having fun here, I see.”

“With the dishes?” Lion looks back into the sink, reaching his hands in before gasping loudly.

“What is it?” Your eyes widen.

“Oh no.” Lion murmurs, “oh no, no, no!” He attempts to yank his finger out to no avail, grunting. “A little sink goblin’s got my finger!”

“A little what?!” You laugh as Lion pulls his hands back out, causing bubbles to fly everywhere around the two of you from the sink. “Oh, you’re ridiculous!”

“Works every time!” Lion grins up at the bubbles surrounding him.

‘This was someone I had fun with doing what’s otherwise a chore I rush through because I can’t stand it, to begin with. Who would have thought I’d ever have fun washing the dishes with somebody and laughing that hard too?’

It was then and there with you and Lion washing dishes in the back of that Lion struck a realization inside of you that you’d never seen from other men before; liveliness and thoughtfulness. 

Of course, it hadn’t meant you gave up on men in Pittsburgh in general, but Lion had a vibrancy to him like none other that you didn’t see from other people. 

Whether Lion’s aware of it or not, he makes other lights up around him with his carefree and lighthearted nature, except Max (he’d have to work harder on that).

Lion’s presence is comforting even if the two of you just met and don’t know one another all that well. That’s why it felt almost ethereal washing dishes with him, like a different experience altogether.

You’d been so used to seeing your friends obsessed with the whole ‘bad boy’ on a motorcycle cliché and turned down one too many hookups yourself out of just not being interested in a drink and a quick fuck from time to time.

If anything, Lion feels like a breath of fresh air, but the question you can’t stop asking yourself now is: why does a stranger I just properly met make my heart race like this?

‘I have to know more about him. I have to get to know this man.’

Once the dishes were all thoroughly washed, dried, and put away, there’s no need to confirm it with your boss as your shift has come to an end.

You and Francis throw off your gloves and walk out of the kitchen together, still in the midst of a conversation like you’ve been talking together forever.

Lion can probably talk to you about paint drying at this point and you just know you’d listen to him and that soothing, smooth voice of his go on all day. 

Lion’s tone of voice, his mannerisms, and the way he speaks out, in general, can’t ever be mistaken for someone else’s, and you’re pretty sure you could easily discern it through writing too.

“Two hours of dishwashing for nothing on us, huh?” Francis puts both of his hands in his pockets as you walk out to the back of the diner with him.

“Not on a day like this.” You sigh in relief, giving him a warm smile. “Our regular dishwasher has called in sick for the past week—down with a bad cold.”

“Ah.” Lion nods understandingly. “I hope they get well soon.”

“I hope your buddy Max does as well.” You giggle, pointing over to Max still snoring loudly underneath an oak tree next to Stanley who smokes a cigarette. 

“Oh well.” Lion snorts, “let him sleep it off. Max’s gonna freak out when he wakes up anyways.”

“You gonna hang around, kid?” Stanley asks Lion.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind me talking to your pretty waitress.” Lion replies, his gaze darting back to you.

“I’m off work now, so absolutely and nobody can say a thing.” Blushing, you gesture for Lion to follow you. “Come on, we won’t bother Max if we sit on the other side of the tree here.”

You and Lion cozy up on a soft patch of grass on the other side of the oak tree, sitting side by side with one another and enjoying the shade under the branches. 

“So,” Lion looks up at you with hope in his eyes. “Will you come and visit me at the carwash?”

‘He wants to see me again.’ You force yourself not to make it look obvious you’re flustered and beginning to crush on this man already.

“I’d love to see you again ya know, even if you just come by to wash your car or for a chat.” Lion continues as you can swear to yourself your heart just skipped a beat.

“Of course, I’m off work tomorrow so I can definitely come by.” You assure, “does Maxy’s Carwash happen to be open tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” a half-truth on Lion’s behalf just to see you again because he knows he’s going to be working on maintenance this Saturday while Max might just pop in to see how everything’s going every now and then.

“Good thing we ain’t open on weekends.”

“Promise?” Lion looks at you expectantly.

“Of course.” You force your eyes off of Lion’s for the sake of not appearing as flustered to him as you really are here. “Here…” You reach into the pocket of your apron to grab your notepad and pencil again, scribbling down your phone number and ripping off the sheet to hand it to Lion. “There’s my number. You can call me too.”

“I will, then.” Francis takes the note, carefully folding it before putting it in the pocket of his jeans. “That’s a promise.”

Just as your eyes meet with Lion’s, before the two of you can say anything further, your heads turn to see Max stirring loudly from his sleep.

Max coughs, wiping the drool off the corner of his mouth before clutching his chest and jolting up from the ground. “Lion!”

“I’m right here, you bellyaching rhinoceros!” Francis shouts back, laughing with you.

“What the hell happened?” Max clutches his beret over his head for dear life.

“You drank a lot and didn’t bring any money.” Lion states, “pretty simple.”

“And you…?” Max stares at Francis and you in utter confusion.

“No worries.” Lion shrugs his shoulders loosely. “Me and the pretty waitress are spending some time together.” It’s then and there that Lion places his hand over top of yours that was just resting on your thigh. 

That’s when you realize: ‘oh no.’ 

Nothing was supposed to happen, was it? At least not like this, not too soon, and not with Lion of all people. 

There’d be less panic in your heart if you could comprehend the rush of feelings flowing through you with Lion’s gentle touch—practically a gesture meaning nothing, so was is all of this? What you’re feeling?

‘We just met.’ It feels inappropriate almost, too sudden, too soon, or perhaps you’re convincing yourself of it all to avoid letting your emotions consume you.

You’ve had boyfriends and romance in your life in the past, but feeling butterflies swarming inside of your stomach and driving you crazy over someone you just met is something else altogether.

Your eyes drop to Lion’s hand but not in such an obvious way that he’d notice and think he’s made you uncomfortable so he’d pull away since that’s the last thing you want him to do.

‘Great…’ You find yourself attracted even to the shape of Lion’s slender, large hands, but with the way your heart throbs in your chest, you’d think you’ve been crushing hard on Lion for weeks now.

Of course, you can’t deny your physical attraction to Lion either and you haven’t seen you first saw him enter the diner, but also seeing how gentle and sweet Lion’s been with you has you seeing stars.

Even the gentle touch of Lion’s hand over yours isn’t being too forward or even making you uncomfortable, but soft, inviting—like the warmth of the sun over your face after being out in cold weather for so long.

‘Why does this man make me feel this way?’ You can neither understand how your heart feels nor do you much want to at this moment.

All you hope to yourself now is: ‘I hope he calls me. I want him to, badly. I want to speak with him and see him again.’

You’ve already found yourself doing things you’d normally never even think of doing, such as staying back at work after you’ve clocked, as mundane as it may be to anyone else.

And when Max and Lion finally left, straggling over and repeating apologies all over, you suddenly felt a tinge of loneliness wash over you that was otherwise completely alien.

You set your apron off in the back, having spent an additional hour back at the diner just to be with Max and Lion until they finally left home.

Swallowing up your feelings, you grab your purse and sling it over your shoulder, thanking your nearby co-workers for a great shift as you always did before welcoming Margaret by the door, a middle-aged woman who’d be taking over as the waitress for the rest of the day.

Once you’re on your way to walk back home does the realization hit you that you’ve basically made plans with Lion and Max to see them again tomorrow, but you don’t know that Lion mentioned the same thing to Max on his way home too.

“Listen, I was planning to get drunk, but not that drunk.” Max points out, but even he’s not sure whether to remain stern about it or laugh instead.

“Not that drunk.” Lion repeats with a grin, keeping his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah,” Max reaffirms, “but damn did those drinks have a kick to ‘em.”

“Maybe you’re just a lightweight.” Lion jokes, laughing.

“Ah, come on.” Max nudges Lion with his elbow, chuckling. “Definitely not my first time having a heavy drink or two, ya know. Just for that reason, I’d go back there to eat in a heartbeat. Food’s delicious.”

“Yeah, next time bring the money to pay for your meal though.” Lion laughs harder, “otherwise that big cowboy will throw your ass back outside.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Max mutters to himself. “Guy smells like piss. I knew I must have slept like a damn baby but could smell the guy’s pits from a mile away. Did you seriously wash dishes for two hours to make up for all that food and drink?”

Max and Lion come to approach the lobby of their apartment, walking inside.

Since Max and Lion made the move to Pittsburgh, they’ve been renting a two-bedroom apartment and equally splitting the rent with each other.

It’s not the most luxurious apartment around, but it was renovated shortly before the two moved in, relatively clean and with enough cozy space to truly call it home.

Maxy’s Carwash can still be called relatively new by Max and Lion, so until both of them begin to pull in bigger paycheques, serve more customers or start getting serious about a lady friend, renting together saves an immense amount of money for the time being.

“Well, yeah.” Lion answers. “I did all of that with the pretty waitress.”

“Damn.” Max appears impressed, “next time I’ll keep it in mind if two hours of dishwashing pay for all that food.” 

“Don’t get any ideas, Max.” Lion snorts, standing in front of the elevator and pressing its button to call it down. “Next time, they’ll kick our asses for sure.”

“Nah, listen,” Max begins as the two get on the elevator. “I could have sworn I brought some money. I ain’t the swindling type to go in and do that sort of thing.”

“I’ll bring some money next time just in case, no matter how sure you are.” Lion presses the fifth-floor button, watching the elevator doors slide shut.

“Just in case,” Max repeats, rubbing over his stomach and burping as the elevator begins to go up. “Damn good food…”

“Ah well.” Lion steps out of the elevator first when it reaches the fifth floor, walking to their suite number #501. “Nothing like home sweet home now, huh?”

“You betcha.” Max sighs, unlocking the front door with his keys. “Both my ass and back are sore from sleeping on that damn hay.”

“As comfortable as it gets, Max.” Lion grins playfully at him, entering the apartment together and kicking off their shoes.

“Think you had it for the pretty waitress, you know.” Max throws off his hat, closing the door behind him and Lion. 

“Something like that.” Lion blushes a little, making sure to lock the door. 

“I mean, you spent two hours with her. Maybe more when I was snoozin’.” Max brings up the conversation of you again to Lion as he walks towards his bedroom. “There’s gotta be a whole other story you can tell me.”

“Nothing to say, Max.” Lion chuckles quietly. “I told her about our car wash.”

“Oh yeah?” Max speaks louder from his bedroom so Lion can hear. “She got a car or something? Otherwise, you’re just braggin’.”

“Yeah, considering she’s coming by tomorrow I’d say she has a car.” Lion plops down on the couch in front of the television, getting comfortable before taking the folded piece of paper with your phone number written on it out of his pocket.

“Tomorrow?” Max pops his head out into the hallway, unbuttoning the first layer of his clothes. 

 “We’re closed tomorrow.”

“We’re never closed, Max.” Lion takes off his beanie, running his hands through his unruly hair. “If we go back and forth to check things out every Saturday and Sunday, are we really closed? And besides, she could be a customer.”

“Ooh, smart.” Max points out. “Well, that’s alright with me then. A customer is a customer. That’s why you were talking her up back there, huh?”

“No, actually.” Lion makes eye contact with Max across the hall. “I was talking to her because I like her.”

“Oh.” Max raises his brows at Lion in disbelief. “So you like the waitress.”

“Yeah.” Lion feels his cheeks heating up with blush. “She was nice to me, sweet, not just washing dishes back there like any other chore. We talked too.”

“Hmm.” Max ponders, “yeah, you know this is good for you and all, especially after that witch of yours yappin’ about that baby being in limbo.”

A frown crosses over Lion’s face almost immediately. The topic of his miscarried son is still a bit of a touchy topic, but Lion understands what Max means and agrees with him too.

“Uh, sorry.” Max notices the look on Lion’s face, walking into the living room. “I don’t wanna talk about that if you don’t.”

“No, man, it’s fine.” Lion leans back on the couch, trying to relax. “It just didn’t come to mind for a while, you know? I forgot, like I was at sea again, or in the hospital.”

“Believe me, pal.” Max lets out a deep sigh, “a woman who isn’t right for you will make you feel like you’re holed up in a hospital your whole damn life. You’re twenty-seven. You’ve got better shit to do. There are girls out there, Lion, and damn, if you like this waitress, then keep seeing her. You think she got the hint from everything you talked about today?”

“I hope so.” Lion smiles shyly. “It was kind of obvious.”

“Sure was.” Max crosses his arms, leaning the side of his body against the wall. “I think she got it, alright. Just give it a go. Plenty of waitresses in this city.”

“Okay, Max.” Lion laughs softly, beginning to cheer up. “I’ll take your word for it,” he finds his eyes dropping back down to the note with your phone number in it in his hands.

~

[ 1 AM ]

Lion and Max have long been in bed before this hour of the night—both sleeping soundly right up until Lion begins to stir in his sleep from the disruptive noise coming just outside his bedroom window that looks down on the street.

Still drenched in sleep and barely half awake, Lion can make out faint hollering outside.

Occasionally having a drunkard roaming the area isn’t news to Lion and he’s usually been able to ignore it and sleep through it just by throwing another pillow on top of his head to block out the noise, but not tonight.

Lion groans softly, clasping his hand over his ear to no avail, still hearing shouting and the sounds of trashcans toppling over.

Practically wide awake, Lion squeezes his eyes back shut for a moment in hopes the noise will all come to an end momentarily, but the fuss outside only gets louder and more insistent.

Letting out a soft sigh, Lion blinks his eyes open to clear his vision—looking around his dimly lit bedroom before his eyes land over his nightstand and on the note with your phone number written on it.

Remaining still and quiet, Lion stares at the note from afar, knowing now that he’s wide awake he may as well call you—and he wants to instead of waiting until the morning—but of course, there’s the possibility you aren’t even awake at 1 AM.

‘Still worth a try.’ Lion kicks off his blankets, rising up from his bed and stretching his arms out before him.

Lion rises to his feet, adjusting his pajama slacks and taking the note off the nightstand, walking off to the living room.

As Lion steps out of his bedroom, he notices Max’s bedroom door down the hallway is shut and soft snoring can be heard; of course, no amount of clashing noises or alarms blaring can easily wake Max now trying to sleep off an inevitable hangover.

In the living room, Lion turns on the lamp nearest to the telephone as he comes to approach it. Lion picks up the telephone and holds it up to his ear, keeping his eye on the numbers you scrawled on the note and dialing them in.

You, on the other hand, aren’t asleep just yet and spending your Friday nights staying up late as you’ve always done in front of the television, enjoying a good film over cheese, crackers, and a little bit of red wine.

Completely absorbed in the exciting, thriller film you’re watching, you flinch when the telephone next to the couch begins ringing at this hour of the night.

“Geez,” you murmur to yourself, embarrassed you almost spilled your wine over you.

You set down your wine glass and stare warily at the telephone, knowing a call this late at night can’t be about anything good and may be concerning, but then you remember: ‘Lion!’

It gives you little to no relief thinking it’s Lion who might be calling you just now as your heart begins to race in your chest out of excitement.

You quickly grab the television remote, turning down the volume of the film before grabbing the telephone and holding it to your ear. 

“Lion?” You speak out quietly, knowing you’re going to be utterly humiliated if it’s just about anyone else calling.

“Hey, Rose. It’s me.” You’re relieved to hear Lion’s soft voice on the other end of the line. “Guessed right, huh? I guess a lot of people don’t call at this hour, do they?”

“Not at all.” You chuckle, sighing in relief. “Then again, I’m still awake at this hour.”

“That makes both of us.” Lion says, “I said I’d call you, right? But see, I didn’t wanna wait until the morning to do so. I hope it’s not too late or I’m not interrupting anything important.”

“No, no, not at all.” You tell him, relaxing back against the couch. “It’s a Friday night, no work tomorrow so no way I’m going to be in bed early.”

“Fair, fair.” You can practically sense Lion grinning to himself based on his enthusiastic, breathy tone. “I’d probably be in bed if it wasn’t for the drunks outside of our apartment making enough noise to wake up the entire complex but ahhh, what do I know? Anyways,” he clears his throat quietly, “I just wanted to ask you… You’re coming to the carwash tomorrow, right?”

“Of course, I am.” You reassure, “I promised. As long as it’s okay with Max I’m coming on a ‘day off’. I couldn’t help but overhear earlier today.”

“Max always says we’re ‘supposed to this’ and ‘supposed to do that’, when has it ever stuck? Nah, don’t you worry. I even told him so he knows what to expect. He won’t bother us. I’ll show ya around and maybe you can get that car cleaned and taken care of by us. Oh! By the way, you mentioned you had a car but I forgot to ask, what’s the make and model? Max will want to know too, he’s curious about cars.”

“It’s a Ford Pinto.” You answer, smiling to yourself. “Last year’s model—a gift from my uncle whose a retired car mechanic.”

“Oh wow.” Lion murmurs, “nice! Max will wanna see that for sure—me too, though. You know, I’m just washing cars and all so I don’t know much about them. Don’t mind me.”

“I don’t know anything about them either.” You giggle back. “I just know how to drive one.”

“Perfect, so we’re the same.” Lion can’t wipe the giddy smile off of his face. “So you’re definitely coming by tomorrow.”

“I am.” You beam, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. When I got home I already found the address in the telephone book. Can I come at…say, 9:30?”

“For sure. We open at nine anyway.” 

“Okay.” You blush, “I’ll see you nice and early in the morning then. 9:30.”

“Perfect.” Lion answers. “See you then. Goodnight, Rose.”

“Goodnight, Lion.” Your hands shake from excitement, almost dropping the telephone before you can set it down properly. 

As you plop back down onto the couch, taking in a deep breath—feeling your heart about to burst from your chest and unable to focus on the film on the television even if your life depended on it, you can’t help yourself from smiling and blushing. 

‘This could be a new chance for me, right?’ The one time you’ve genuinely found yourself actually interested in a guy who seems to be directing mutual feelings towards you, someone so easy to get along with, and it just happens to be Francis Lionel Delbuchi; some guy you served at the diner earlier today.

‘I want to see Lion again.’ You can repeat this to yourself a hundred times in your head again and again and yet you’d still feel giddy about the idea.

As Francis puts down his telephone, he feels a sense of relaxation in the sense he didn’t embarrass himself while talking on the phone to you considering how he was blushing and feeling his butterflies get the better of him, but also excitement equal to yours knowing he made official plans to see you again tomorrow. 

‘Aw, man. Maybe I can’t sleep at all tonight then. I’d wait until the morning if I could.’ Lion glances at the note with your phone number on it set next to the telephone and upon picking it up, he runs his fingers over your handwriting.

For a split second as Lion’s thinking of you by admiring your handwriting, his last real relationship—his ex-wife Annie—comes to mind and so do the thoughts of hearing her screaming at Lion over the telephone that she miscarried their son also flood Lion’s mind.

After being pushed away by the woman he loved with no return, no forgiveness of Lion’s absence despite sending every coin he worked hard to earn at sea, Lion was still seen as dead by the only woman he claimed to ever be in love with since he met her during his high school years.

‘At least Rose doesn’t treat me like I’m dead.’ At sea to Annie, Lion was dead to her and their unborn child, and she preferred to think that way even though Annie knew it hurt Lion.

Just a mere phone call to you lasting a few minutes taking Lion’s breath away is enough to show him that he’s more than willing now to give himself another chance when it comes to relationships—when it comes to you.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t speak so soon, right?’ Lion neatly folds your note, careful not to crumple or fold it.

After all, Lion’s known nothing in his intimate and romantic life outside of Annie. Every woman he’s come across since hitchhiking all over the country with Max has gone straight to Max like a moth to a flame and Lion’s just now realizing how lonely he’s been that entire time.

Intimately speaking, both you and Lion haven’t had sex in a few years, and Lion has forgotten the touch, love, and affection of a lover.

This time, Lion hopes you’re the one meant for him.

~

You can probably count the number of times you’ve almost jumped out of bed in the morning out of excitement on your fingers, and knowing you’re going to see Lion in half an hour just adds to it.

As he did last Saturday, Lion would usually be relaxing at home or going out to the city to spend his day off just as you or anyone else would, but even Lion’s unable to hide his enthusiasm about returning to the carwash just to see you.

Max has decided to come along after all, especially once Lion awoke him in the morning by peeking his head into Max’s bedroom and hollering, “did you know Rose has a Ford Pinto, 1972 model?!”

Of course, Max also knows the only reason why you’re bringing your car to Maxy’s Carwash is just to see Lion—an elaborate yet romantic excuse if you will—and so Max knows he won’t be getting “involved” in any conversation so you and Lion have as much alone time getting to know one another as possible.

Though if you do need some advice or tips regarding your vehicle, Max would then be more than happy to sit back and tell you what he knows. 

[ 9:26 AM ]

Having been at the carwash since 9:15 AM, Lion’s busy getting unraveling a house and turning on the water supply; grabbing a large bucket, some liquid soap, a sponge, and a squeegee like he’s about to work a regular shift.

Today, Lion’s dressed in the same, light blue loose dress shirt he wore the other day except with more buttons undone revealing a peek of his chest hair and collarbones, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black slacks, and rubber boots to avoid getting soaked in the soapy puddles that form on the ground.

“Think she’s coming for real?” Max asks, leaning back in a lounge chair and enjoying his morning cigar.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Lion looks up, putting his bucket down. “Ya see anyone else driving a mint green Ford?” Just then, Lion gestures up to the driveway to point out your vehicle driving up.

You beam behind the steering wheel, waving with one hand before honking to catch Max and Lion’s attention but the cigar almost drops out of Max’s mouth from the dumbfounded way he stares at your car.

“Hi, Rose!” Lion waves back, taking the bucket filled with water up and scurrying aside before gesturing for you to come park in the middle of the carwash.

You give Lion a nod, slowly beginning to park your car where Lion indicated before you shut off the transmission and hop out, putting the car keys in your purse. “Hi, good morning.”

“Good morning.” Lion blushes, smiling at you. “To you and your nice car. Can’t believe this—nope, I definitely don’t know anything about cars but I can say this is definitely a nice one.” You both laugh in unison before Lion adds, “pretty car, prettier owner, right Max?”

“Yeah…” Max continues to stare at the vehicle like it’s the first car he’s ever seen in his life.

“Thank you.” You blush at the compliment. “My uncle put in new interiors and everything before he gifted this to me.”

“A birthday gift, right?” Lion’s eyes light up. “How old are you?”

“That’s right.” You confirm. “I’m twenty-four. You?”

“I’m twenty-seven.” Lion answers sheepishly. “When was your birthday, exactly?”

“Just about a month ago.” Blushing, you brush a curtain of your hair behind your ear.

“Is it okay if I wish you a late ‘happy birthday’ then?” Lion gives you a beaming smile.

“Yeah, why not?” You giggle back.

“Happy birthday, Rose.” Lion almost kicks over his bucket, gasping dramatically which causes you to laugh again. “Let’s wash that car, huh? Max, come on! Quit your starin’ and lollygagging!”

“I was under the impression you were the one wanting to wash the car.” Max clears his throat, holding his cigar between his lips firmly before giving you a wave. “Hi, there.”

“Hello.” You politely greet back.

Max already has a feeling he’s only left a bad impression on you as a drunkard yesterday, so as awkward as a formal meeting you’re having with him now (if one can call it that), Max just relies on your body language to tell if he’s weirding you out.

“Thanks for getting us out of that uh—predicament.” Max smiles at you. “Really appreciate that. Ain’t that right, Lion?”

“That’s right!” Lion squeezes some liquid soap into the bucket of water.

“Nice to see there’s no hard feelings.” Max grunts, rising from his seat and extending a hand to you. “My name’s Max. Nice to meet you, Rose. Welcome to Maxy’s Carwash.”

“Likewise, thank you.” As you shake Max’s hand back, you can’t help but think to yourself that he’s looking at you as if he knows something very obvious that you don’t.

“Think I can help?” After you let go of Max’s hand, you turn to face Lion. “Two hands are better than one, you know.”

“Aww, come on.” Lion laughs, holding up a soap-covered sponge. “I was gonna wash your car, not have the customers tire themselves out by doing it too!”

“Not taking no for an answer!” Grinning playfully, you rush by Lion’s side and pick up another sponge. “I’m not afraid of hard work, you know.”

“Me neither!” Lion exclaims, handing you a bottle of soap.

Yet again, something so mundane and routine as getting your car washed became a romantic outing for you and Lion getting to know one another better and making it more obvious you two are interested in each other.

“Safe” is one of the first words Lion uses to describe how you make him feel. He’s safe to be loved, safe not to be judged, to be forgotten or blamed for something out of his control—like an absence for work. 

Lion can already tell you enjoy his company and want more of him—to see him always, to be by his side and enjoy his silly jokes, his rants, and all of his cute antics.

You and Lion don’t make excuses for one another and nothing is forced. Everything flows together so perfectly with an instant connection and chemistry that you still have to remind yourself that this is neither a joke nor a dream.

You’re not a customer at Maxy’s Carwash today, you’re a friend, and even Max sees that. 

Although throughout the entire time you and Lion tackled washing your car Max remained quiet—choosing to sit back and admire your car over a cigar—his ears have been listening in on your conversation with Lion the entire time.

Max himself has no trouble with women nor has he ever been married like Lion or gotten a woman pregnant, but he wants the best compatibility for his best friend and nothing less.

Max didn’t honestly care too much about the interactions you and Lion had at the diner the other day at first, but when Lion simply wouldn’t shut up about you and then told Max about your 1 AM phone call at breakfast, Max’s perspective changed immediately.

Max couldn’t get the image out of his head of seeing his best friend in a cathartic state for two weeks at a hospital; broken, defeated, lonely, and now Max can hardly believe his ears hearing Lion laugh and smile twice as much as he used to. 

It’s not that Lion lost all of his light-hearted nature but you definitely brought out another light inside of him that Max can very much be grateful for, thinking the two of you match well. 

You and Lion already spent half of your time at the carwash giggling at the hose squirting over the window of your car than actually cleaning it—constantly bursting out in laughter every few minutes.

“I did that because you made me laugh!” Lion shakes the hose in his hands wildly, “you made me laugh!”

Max may as well be hearing wedding bells seeing the two of you interact and after all, you don’t remind Lion at all about anything to do with Annie.

If anything, now you mark a new chapter in Lion’s life to start fresh when it comes to love and companionship. This is, was, and will forever be your story with the love of your life, Francis Lionel Delbuchi.

~

[ 3 Months Later ]

Three months later and it all became official. You and Francis were dating and all it took was for him to show up at the diner you worked at by the end of your shift just as he had first come and met you, then asked you with the utmost confidence if you “wanted to go out with him”.

You’d been on plenty of dates with Lion throughout the past months, still getting to know one another and spending as much time with each other as you both possibly could.

Being asked out on a date was a very different question than Lion asking you if you wanted to go steady with him as his girlfriend.

You lost your focus at work almost instantly, blushing like mad and accepting. The two of you marked the occasion with one of your best and most romantic date yet; at a much fancier restaurant downtown where Lion greeted you with a bouquet of twenty-four, red roses.

It didn’t take until you and Lion became officially boyfriend and girlfriend for you to accept and realize that Lion’s brought such a beautiful light and vibrancy to your life.

Chores and otherwise tedious tasks became the most fun activities you thought you could ever do in life with someone you loved and in order to replace the sad, gloomy feeling inside of both of you after you’d returned home, a month later Lion moved in with you.

In terms of running the household, nothing changed. You both split bills half-and-half like Lion did when he was living with Max (who then came to appreciate having all that extra space left), but Lion never recalled a time when he had fun washing dishes with Max in the kitchen.

Lion even learned a few driving tricks and tips just to impress you and take you for a spin in your car—everything constantly laughs and smiles with one another.

Lion feels open and free with you, like his lungs are now breathing in new, fresh air after not truly realizing how suffocated he was all that time before.

‘Is this what it’s like to be in love?’ Even when your shifts at Sunrise Diner grew hectic and busy, the thought of Lion makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and you can’t resist thinking about kissing his plush lips again and snuggling up to him as soon as you get home.

“If this is any indicator for how our future is going to go,” Lion looked up at Max with a smile, “then I want it. I want it all with Rose, ya know? What’s not to want? She’s perfect.”

You yearned for Lion the way he yearned for you, and you never could have thought to be caught in bliss like this in your life.

[ Relationship: 6 Months In ]

Having grown so ridiculously comfortable with one another it was like home in someone’s arms. Lion ishome for you and you are home for him.

Tonight would mark the first time the two of you would get intimate with each other, and nothing set a soothing, romantic scene like sitting up in bed at night next to one another one summer night—listening to the crickets chirping outside, feeling a warm summer breeze flow through the curtains over open windows.

Snuggled into bed wearing a satiny, mini nightgown and Lion wearing one of his loose, wrinkled dress shirts just enough to hang off his arms and shoulders—otherwise fully shirtless—you look through a handful of old childhood photos of you and Lion next to him.

“Would you look at that?” You giggle quietly, comparing two photographs of you and Lion side by side making almost similar, silly poses before pulling up a more recent photo of you taken at the diner.

“Still so beautiful, huh?” Lion grazes his thumb over the sides of the photograph. “And look at that pretty smile,” he points to your face in the photo, “yeah, this picture here is of that pretty waitress Rose who works at Sunrise Diner and as you can see, she’s normally always smiling and happy like this right up until two idiots walk in with no money in their pockets and—”

You both burst out into laughter before Lion can even finish his joke, setting the photographs aside. “Yeah? I’m right, though!” Lion kisses your cheek, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “You’ll never let Max or I live that down, huh?”

“Hmm, how could I?” You blush, leaning over to kiss Lion’s lips. “It’s how we met. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Neither would I.” Lion rests his forehead against yours, pecking yet another kiss onto your lips. “And I think I’d definitely just keep comin’ back to see you again and again even if things didn’t end up this way.”

“This way?” The blush on your cheeks doubles as you feel Lion’s hand resting over your bare thigh. “That’s a very cute thing to say, to want it to come out to this.”

“It’s the happiest I’ve been.” Lion laces his free hand with yours, kissing your knuckles. “I promise. I thought happiness was just something I’d get to experience when I was workin’ as a sailor. All day every day out at sea, ya now? Kind of stupid to say.”

“Not at all.” You pout at Lion, cuddling him to lay back down in the bed with you. “I can understand that because it was like a home to you, and the more you tell me about it, the more apparent it gets.”

“It really was.” Lion lets out a deep breath, resting his head on his pillow and facing you. “I think of it from time to time, but not like before. With you, my perspective has changed.”

This time you can’t help but smile through the next kiss you share with Lion, and when you both pull away you two expect one another to speak, to say something else, and continue the conversation, but you and Lion melt into one kiss after the other.

The next kiss changes everything, deepening with passion felt between the both of you as you snuggle against Lion’s body over the bedsheets.

You inch your body close to Lion’s until there’s no space remaining between the two of you, essentially making the first move.

Then and there, Lion continues kissing you without breaking or parting from the kiss like before—instead letting his lips collide with yours softly with love, not insistence and greed.

As if your heart wasn’t thundering in your chest enough, another wave of excitement hits you as Lion begins to slowly move over top of you.

You wrap your arms around Lion’s shoulders, pulling him in closer while being unable to ignore the swarm of butterflies rushing inside of you.

Your cheeks are hot with blush and one part of you can only wonder if Lion can feel how hot your skin has grown in reaction to his movements.

Towards the move to intimacy, you feel safe and loved, not nervous, but also just as excited for what’s to come.

You let your hands roam through Lion’s dark, silky hair—tugging gently. You let out a soft whimper in his mouth—still continuing to make out with him before Lion begins to slowly part his lips away from you.

Now with your hands on his shoulders half pulling off Lion’s shirt and Lion hovering over top of your body, you both share an intimate look with one another that confirms his and your comfort to continue.

Slowly, you inch Lion’s dress shirt down his arms until you can throw it off him entirely, admiring the shape of your boyfriend’s arm muscles and his supple, soft skin.

Lion leans in, breathing softly, and kisses your neck gently, aiming to trail his kisses downward.

You let out a soft exhale, tilting your chin up to let Lion continue kissing around your neck as your eyes flutter shut.

Each kiss sends fire through your body and you’re already beginning to feel your knees feel weak and tingle with arousal.

Heavily aroused himself, Lion ignores his growing erection and lets his firm, large hands roam down from caressing your face to the straps of your nightgown.

Your eyes slowly open as you give Lion a small nod, watching him pull the straps down your shoulders before working to nudge your nightgown down your thighs completely—leaving you only in a pair of panties.

“Rose…” Lion murmurs against your skin as he kisses around your collarbones—his voice ushered and soft. 

“Yes, baby?” You breathe out, taking Lion’s hands and placing them over your breasts.

“Only if you’re comfortable.” Lion whispers to you.

“More than comfortable with you.” You tell him back quietly.

A smile crosses over Lion’s lips before he leans down to kiss you again; this time the excitement inside of you doubling and hitting hard.

Before either of you know it, Lion is taking off the rest of his clothes and you’ve kicked your panties off your ankles; now completely naked with your bodies pressed up against one another.

Neither you nor Lion has had sex in years, and the closest the two of you have been sexually is heated makeout sessions while touching one another so far.

Now fully naked and vulnerable with each other for the first time, you and Lion gaze at one another lovingly.

Lion gently squeezes your breasts—his hands still over them—before letting his touch trail to your stomach and your hips.

You can tell just by the way Lion touches you that his only goal and intention is to tease and please you, admire you, and worship every inch of your body.

“You’re so beautiful,” Lion breathes, planting kisses between your breasts and down your chest.

Growing shy from the compliments and touching, you bite down on your lip and can’t help but admire Lion’s naked body over top of you too. 

“I have protection,” Lion moves his hand back to gesture to his nightstand.

“Oh, really?” You tease, cupping his face with both hands. “Came prepared?”

“More like Max did for me, just in case.” Lion jokes, leaning his body to the side to pull open the drawer and rummage inside before grabbing a condom out. “There…”

“Perfect.” You giggle quietly, watching as Lion blushes before you, opening up the condom wrapper and pinching the tip of the condom to let the air out.

You can hardly deny any longer just how severely aroused you’ve grown being naked with Lion, let alone watching him slick the condom over his cock with a soft grunt.

The sight of Lion’s length is enough to deepen the butterflies forming a knot in your gut, and it’s then when you see Lion pump himself for a brief few seconds that you already find yourself spreading open your legs. 

Positioning himself between your legs, Lion maintains eye contact with you—the tip of his nose brushing up against yours from how physically close you are to one another.

You softly breathe over one another as you begin to wrap your thighs around Lion’s waist; a spike of shyness you’ve otherwise never felt before surging through you as Lion begins with a kiss first.

Finding yourself increasingly drawn to Lion’s seduction by the moment, you shiver against his touch and let yourself take at the moment as Lion’s hand makes its way between your legs.

A breathy “oh” escapes your lips to feel Lion’s slim fingers parting open your dewy lips, slicking your wetness over them.

Your clit throbs desperately against Lion’s fingers, desperate to be touched so much so that you writhe underneath him. 

“L-Lion,” you moan, eyes half open and feeling your boyfriend’s fingers rub around your clit in lazy circles.

For one thing, even during the heated makeout sessions and touching, you’ve never had any troubles becoming easily aroused when it comes to Lion.

The yearning, the passionate sexual desire, and insistence to love one another blocks out all and any other emotion entirely.

Lion breathes against your neck, feeling how increasingly wet his fingers have become. “Ready, baby?”

“Yes,” you whimper out, gazing down to see Lion positioning himself closer to your entrance.

As Lion slowly begins to penetrate you with the tip of his cock, he runs his hands down your inner thighs gingerly, continuing to plant kisses over your jawline.

You relax your body against Lion, grunting softly as you feel a slight burning sensation as Lion enters inside of you inch by inch until your body grows accustomed to him.

“Everything alright, baby?” Lion whispers breathily to you, looking at your expression for a green light to move his hips.

“M-mhmm,” you whine, nodding.

Feeling very full inside, only pleasure begins to rack through you as Lion begins to thrusts his hips back and forth to meet yours.

“God,” you hear Lion moan softly against your neck, pushing every inch of himself into your tightness.

Shaky moans spill out of your mouth until you get accustomed to Lion’s slow, lovemaking pace—now craving to feel him back inside of you with each and every thrust.

Lion intertwines both hands with you, keeping yours gently pinned down on the bed and his lovemaking to a passionate and deep pace.

You bury your face into Lion’s shoulder to muffle out your moans, exceedingly turned on by hearing him moan which only makes your body beg and cry out to feel him make love to you again and again.

“I love you,” Lion kisses your cheek, dazed by all the pleasure hitting him at once. “So much, Rose.”

“Francis,” you moan out his actual name, digging your nails into Lion’s back but not enough to hurt him. “I-I love you more—ooh!”

Lion chuckles, pleased to see how turned on you are and enjoying the way he rocks over your body. “Just like that, baby… Yeah, yeah…”

Lion hits every sweet spot inside of you that you didn’t even know you had one at a time, teasingly beckoning you to a slow but sure buildup of an orgasm. 

The feeling alone is overwhelming in the most erotic way possible and you feel it through every inch of your body captivated by the way Lion makes love to you.

Sharing several, sloppy and loving kisses with each other, Lion’s able to tell you’re close to your orgasm by the way your thighs begin to shake against his waist.

“Please, please,” you whimper, clutching onto Lion’s back as if you’d break if you let go—consistently feeling your pussy contracting around his cock as your orgasm is about to release.

“Baby,” Lion holds back his own climax, gazing into your eyes and attempting to catch his breath amidst his thrusts. “I’m close, baby, I’m c-close.”

“Do it already,” you push your hips back against Lion’s eagerly, wanting to feel him release his own orgasm inside of you. “Do it, baby.”

Lion gazes down to watch his cock thrusting in and out of you, now doing so agonizingly slowly as he slicks in and out of you with ease.

Safe day or not, it’s another level of intimacy altogether you’ve never experienced before, and it’s when Lion releases inside of you that you lose grip of your own orgasm and let out a filthy moan—cumming around his cock.

Sparks of pleasure wash over your entire body from head to toe—the orgasm having built from perfect momentum, hitting all the right spots and angles.

“Oh, baby,” Lion moans before he muffles himself out by kissing you over the mouth.

Lion’s thrusts slow before they come to a complete spot, and still inside you, the two of you continue to kiss until your thighs no longer quiver around Lion’s body.

“Oh my God,” you groan, clutching onto Lion’s arms as he slowly begins to pull out of you.

“Come here, baby, come here…” Lion’s hands caress over your thighs as he yanks the blankets towards the two of you, throwing it over his back and snuggling it over top of you.

Feeling every inch of your body grow hypersensitive from the aftermath of your explosive orgasm, you gaze at Lion as if you’re in a dream-like state, still relieving all the pleasure you felt.

You can feel Lion’s hot, sticky cum slowly beginning to ooze out of you as Lion pulls you into his arms; your hot, sweaty bodies against one another.

“You’re absolutely perfect, you know that?” Lion kisses over both of your cheeks. 

“That was…” You smile weakly at him, biting down on the corner of your lip. “Mm, that was so, so good… You’re…” 

But your words are cut off from realizing the afterglow of sex hitting both of you with all those hormones released. Instead, all you and Lion can do is gaze at each other like two new lovers who can’t get enough.

Still, you’re not about to forget what just took place in your own bed for the first time in years, and it causes you to blush furiously and easily become flustered just thinking about it seconds after.

Lion notices how shy you’re beginning to grow after sex, and he remains quiet—simply enamored by your beauty and appreciative of the loving silence between the two of you as he strokes your hair.

“I love you, Rose.” Lion tells you again, breaking the silence.

“I love you more, Francis.” You smile at him shyly, lacing one hand with him and keeping it close to your chest. 

The rest of the evening is a blur, but a dream-like blur you and Lion are eager to get lost in and fall asleep curled up in each other’s arms after letting one last, soft conversation come to an end.

All you can hear is Lion’s soft breathing as you cuddle onto his chest, picking up on the scent of his fragrant body wash, feeling warm, calm, and safe right where you want to be, and right where Lion’s always wanted to be.

~

When you awake still in Lion’s arms, you expect to be greeted by not just the kisses of your beloved but also the rays of the sun shining against your face—signaling it’s the morning.

Instead, as you blink your eyes open weakly, you feel Lion’s hands gently stroking through your hair; definitely not a rude awakening.

“Hi, baby.” Lion whispers to you as you tilt your head to face him. “Hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Mmm…” You squeeze your eyes shut, realizing you’re in the exact same position cuddled up to Lion naked under the covers. “Not at all…” Your hands find Lion’s chest as you pull him closer to you—feeling wide awake within your lover’s embrace. “You’re up early…?”

“5 AM.” Lion chuckles softly. 

“What…?” You furrow your brows, quickly turning around to face the alarm clock on the nightstand. “5 AM?!”

“I’m so used to waking early, I can’t help it.” Lion grins, snatching you back in his arms by your hips. “This time you woke up with me.”

“Always?” You giggle quietly, “but why?”

“I like to watch the sunrise.” Lion smiles, shrugging his shoulders. “I used to at sea. It’s a habit I can’t shake off.”

“Lots of bad habits in this world.” You lean up and kiss Lion’s lips. “Mm, but not this one.” You raise your head towards the window to peek out at the warm glow of orange and pink melting in the sky as the sun begins to rise slowly over the horizon.

“See?” The smile over Lion’s face grows wider. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? Now if only you were a morning person, maybe you wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’ll be an anything person for you.” You laugh softly, sitting up in bed. “Well? You said you love to watch the sunrise every morning, so let’s not miss it today.”

“Not especially if you want to come to see it with me.” Lion’s eyes light up. “But first…” He gestures to the blankets covering both of your dignities.

“Oh, right.” You wink at Lion playfully, getting up out of the bed naked first.

Lion’s eyes admiringly gaze over your body as you pick up your panties and nightgown, slipping them back on yourself.

He gets up from bed too, shrugging his now wrinkled dress shit over his shoulders again and pulling over his briefs and slacks.

Neither of you are concerned about appearances, to begin with, but summer mornings in Pittsburgh can be chilly ones.

“Come on,” Lion grins, extending out his hand to you. “The balcony has the best view.”

“Alright,” you blush, taking your boyfriend’s hand and letting him lead you out of your bedroom and over to the balcony just by the living room.

Lion unlocks the sliding door and you both step out, sharing a lounge chair together as Lion lovingly wraps his arms around your hips and keeps you on his lap.

“I’ve never been up this early before,” you admit sheepishly as Lion rubs warmth into your arms.

“It’s a sight I’d wanna get used to with you if you want.” Lion kisses the nape of your neck.

“If I want?” You feel a rush of butterflies hitting you again. “Always. If it means I get to share another moment with you, I’ll never say no. Otherwise, it has no meaning to me.”

“No meaning, huh?” Lion spends most of his time gazing at you in awe than he does at the sky. “I like that.” He smooches your cheek before turning his attention to the hue of colors mixing with one another upon the horizon.

Enjoying each other’s silence and the view as you hold a hand with Lion, a few minutes pass before he speaks again.

“Ya know…” Lion’s eyes wander around your balcony, knowing it’s the most spacious one he’s ever seen so far but he’s much more fascinated with the fact you garden little berries and fruits in small pots on the balcony too. “Since you grow all these here, I think we should get a scarecrow.”

“A what?” You burst into a fit of giggles. “A scarecrow? Like a real one.”

“Oh, yeah.” Lion nods, barely able to keep his own laughter contained. “Not those cheap makeshift ones you find at a craft store. I mean like a real goofy lookin’ guy—a real scarecrow you see on those farms. We should get one riiiiight, here.” He points to the center of the balcony, envisioning a scarecrow would protect all of the berries. “It would be nice! That way the crows don’t eat all of our berries.”

“And we can share the view with Mr. Scarecrow?” You suggest with a grin.

“For sure, for sure.” Lion nods, stealing a kiss from your cheek. “It would make the crows laugh. They always do when they see a scarecrow.”

“The crows are laughing?” You ask, not even doing so intentionally as Max had before in Lion’s little inside scarecrow joke with him.

Lion’s eyes widen a bit at your response—surprised in the best way possible as he laughs with you, saying, “the crows would definitely be laughing,” before kissing you again.

#melis-writes #scarecrow #scarecrow 1973 #francis lionel delbuchi x reader #al pacino x reader #francis lionel delbuchi x reader fluff #francis lionel delbuchi x oc #scarecrow x reader #scarecrow x oc

[jerzwriter]

A Quite Carrick Halloween

FICTOBER 2022 - DAY 1 - "I CHOSE YOU."

Fic Type:             Fanfic

Fandom:             Choices – Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing:                Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey MacTavish)

Rating:                 Teen

Category:            Holiday Fluff

Summary:           It's their first Halloween with baby Samantha, and they're wrapped in sugary sweet domestic bliss - but with these two, there's always a side of something extra. 🎃

Words:                1465

A/N:                     This was based on a prompt ask from this list.  “imagine your OTP handing out candies in amusing couple costumes.” I think I went a little “cuter” than amusing, but Tobias & Casey pack their own amusement into every event, as you’ll see 😊 I am participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge Spooktober - Candy / @fictober-event - day 1 - "I choose you" - and @choicesficwriterscreations Naugty & Nice Event - "Want to see what I turn into at midnight."

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS

It was the perfect Halloween day. The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky, and the air was crisp, though not yet cold. There may have been more leaves on the Boston streets than on its trees, but those that remained scattered on branches helped paint a beautiful fall scene.  

Casey stepped outside and paused on their townhome’s top step. Tossing her head back and shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath until the cool autumn air filled her lungs. A genuine, joyful smile spread on her lips as memories of Halloweens from her younger days flooded her mind. The memories were precious, but the future was even more dear. A new mother herself, she was about to create new ones with her own baby girl, and she couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to start. 

She sat on the steps, smoothing her royal blue dress and placing the large bowl of candy on top of her lap. It wasn't her first choice of costume. But not having a family costume on their first Halloween as a family was not an option. Tobias had been calling Samantha pumpkin practically since conception, so her costume was a given, but her parent’s choice was not so simple.

"I got it!" He ran into the kitchen exuberantly. "Peanuts! Charlie Brown. Lucy. DONE! Sammy is the Great Pumpkin. It's perfect!"

"Sammy is a generic pumpkin, honey, not the Great Pumpkin. Besides, Lucy was so… mean in that show. Do you think I'm mean?"

"Well…” he smirked, “you do have your days."  He pulled away before she smacked his shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and lavished her neck with ticklish kisses. The rest of the night was spent doing things they had to be careful about if they didn't want Sammy's sibling on the way.

Casey never came up with a better idea, and that’s how she ended up sitting here in her blue dress and Mary Janes, eagerly awaiting her husband and daughter’s arrival.

Tobias was simply bubbling over, more animated than the character he was supposed to be. Decked out in his bright yellow shirt with a black zig-zag and matching shorts, he beamed from ear to ear as he spoke jibberish to the bouncing baby pumpkin on his hip. Casey's heart filled with joy watching them, but she couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" he queried, quickly turning back to Sammy with a sing-song voice. "What? What's Mommy laughing at Sammy? Do you think she's laughing at you or me?"

"Oh, you," she assured. "A thousand times you!"

"Gee, thanks, babe!”

"It's not bad. I'm just thinking it wasn't too long ago that you were this playboy doctor. Mr. Non-Commitment and never settling down,” she joked. “Halloween activities were probably far more naughty than nice then… but now look at you. You're a natural. It's like you were born for this life."

"Well, maybe that's because I was," he said, sitting next to her and meeting her lips with a warm, tender kiss. "I just needed to find the one who could make it feel like a gift instead of a prison. I knew it was you the moment you came along and, well… when deciding between my old life and you, it was a no-brainer. I chose you."

"Awww," she giggled, snuggling close to his side. "That is so sweet. I'd say you were trying to butter me up for those naughty favors later… but then again, you know I'm a sure thing."

"Casey!" He exclaimed with feigned anger. "In front of the baby?"

"She doesn't understand us yet," she winked as her husband shook his head in bemusement.

"And this is just one reason I love you. But while Sammy may not understand yet," he pointed a few doors away, "those kids will. Now let's behave, baby girl; it's time to hand out some candy!"

Within minutes their steps were overtaken by neighborhood children. Sammy clung to her Daddy’s t-shirt, thoroughly unimpressed with the strange children, but her parents were another story. Tobias & Casey excitedly greeted each child, inquiring about their costumes as they dropped candy into their sacks. Witches, ghosts, a princess, a baseball player or two, the Carricks made a fuss over each and every one. 

The day was winding down when a little girl showed up with her mother.

“Trick or treat,” she said with a soft voice. 

Casey beamed as Tobias informed her that he knew she was Casey’s favorite costume of the day. Blue scrubs, a white lab coat, and a stethoscope on her neck. 

"Oh my goodness!" Casey squealed. "You’re a doctor! Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?”

The girl's dark curls bounced around her face as she nodded. Shyness getting the better of her, she moved against her mother’s leg.

“That’s all she talks about,” her mom grinned. “I used to think it was a passing phase, but now I’m starting to think I should save up for med school!”

“That’s not the worst idea,” Casey smiled, squatting down to talk to the child at her level. “Hey, you know I’m a doctor, and my husband here is a doctor, too. I think you will make a wonderful doctor one day.” 

Pleased with the little girl's bright smile, Casey turned to Tobias. “Hon, give her a little extra candy. She deserves it for all that studying she will need to do.”

“You got it! But if you want, I’ll run inside and get my stationery. We can drop a letter of recommendation in there.”

“Oh, we may take you up on that in another fourteen years!” Her mom laughed.

Tobias looked at the little girl. “I went to Hopkins, the best med school in the country. They love when they get letters from people who went there. I’ve got your back.”

Casey turned to him, unamused. “The best! You were ranked fourth last year!”

“Still better than Perelman's sixth,” he winked.

Casey turned around and placed the candy in the child’s bag. “Sweetheart, when you are a doctor, you might want to think twice before marrying another doctor.”

“HEY!” Tobias yelled, sending little Sammy into a litany of babbling. “See, our daughter isn’t happy with that statement either!”  

Standing up with a chuckle, Casey wished the little girl and her mom well before reclaiming her place at her husband’s side. She took Samantha in her arms and snuggled her close. A warmth he never thought he’d experience filled Tobias’s chest as he wrapped them both in his arms. They sat in silence and let the moment linger, each sharing the same thought. This was pretty much perfection.

“I was only joking,” Casey finally spoke. “Marrying my doctor was probably the best thing I ever did.”

“Probably!” He sneered. “I know marrying you was the best thing I ever did, and if I forget, I always have my mother to remind me. But you go ahead and think about it.”

Casey silenced him with another tender kiss while Samantha began falling asleep in her arms. 

“We should get her inside. I don’t think we’ll be getting more trick-or-treaters today.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “and Sammy is tuckered out. Besides, I want to pull those med school rankings up to prove you wrong.”

“Are you kidding me?” Casey laughed.

“Second in my class!” He said, picking the empty candy bowl up from the steps. “From the best med school in America. Where were you, dear? Sixth? Seventh?”

“FIFTH! And you know it! That’s from an Ivy League med school. Is Hopkins an Ivy?” she placed her pointer on her chin in mock confusion. “Hmm. No, it’s not.”

“Ivy Schmivy!” He said, opening the door, “did I tell you I was the most published student in Hopkins history?”

“Only seven dozen times… by our second date. But, Tobias?”

“Yes? Samantha is going to be out for the count any minute now. Is this really how you want to spend the first alone time we’ve had all day?”

“Heh,” he snickered. “Screw Hopkins. It was overrated. Now, the important questions. Do you have that other little Halloween costume we picked out?”

“Yes,” she smirked. “Operative word being little.”

“That’s the one! Why don’t you go put that on, and we’ll see what I turn into at midnight?”

“Sweetheart,” Casey teased. “Samantha can hear you….”

“It’s OK. She doesn’t understand us yet.”

“What are we going to do when she does?”  

“Got me,” he shrugged.  “But my Mom already has a trust fund set up specifically for therapy bills. She said with us as parents, Sammy’s bound to need it.”

“No arguments here,” she laughed.

“Good…” he winked, “now go get changed. I’ll put Sammy to bed, then we’re about to have an extra Happy Halloween!”

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[stargazingfordreams]

A court of Night and stars

Hey guys, welcome to my first fanfic. I hope you guys enjoy it. I couldn't get this story out of my head, so here goes. Nyx pov will be up maybe in the following two chapters.

Summary- Random killings have been happening all over Pythian and make its ways to a kingdom in the fae realm known as Mareen. Emrys grieves the loss of her sister and keeps her domain away from war, and she gets help from an unexpected ally.

Pairing- Adu!t Nyx x OC

warnings-None 

Chapter One

Emrys Pov 

Song- The other side by Ruelle

I sat on the dais in the throne room. My mother, the queen, sat on her throne above everyone, looking at her people. She wore all white like my older sister and me. Everyone else in the room wore black.

“ We are here today to honor the death of my eldest child, your future queen,” her voice wavered ever so slightly that no one in the room seemed to notice.

My older sister Sauda was looking down. Her dark ebony skin was pale, and her eyes were tired. I hadn’t slept either. My mother looked over at Sauda and reached out her hand, and she stood and took it. She led her in front to speak to the room.

“My sister Annika was Joyful and loving. Kind and brave. She would have been an amazing queen, and I will lead you all with the same grace she would have.” she walked to Annika's unmoving body on the pyre that was going to be burned. I could feel it panging in my chest as my sister's emotions washed over me. Finally, I pulled myself back, leaving only my sorrow in my body; only my feelings resided again.

“I know you will be watching me, kessa”(kessa-sister), She said and then turned to me. Everyone turns to me because there expect a warrior princess who has trained in combat and fought her enemies, but today that is not me; today, I am a girl who has lost her older sister and does not know what to do without her. Our mother, the blood queen, and the ruler were waiting on me. My mother trained me to fight and lead, but my sister taught me to be more.

I walked up to her Pyre. I fought back the tears, the tightness in my throat, the whelming in my eyes.

“In death, there will be light, this is not the end for you, kessa, and this isn’t goodbye for us. May the spirit of our ancestors guide you; I will see you again in the next life” I let the tears run down my cheeks. My mother will see it as a weakness, but I see it as my love for her. I took the torch from the maester and lit the pyre. It went up in flames but so did her body.

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

I walked down the hallway alone. It had been a whole week since the funeral, and I hadn’t seen much of my family since then when I walked into the council room. My mother and sister, council and general were waiting.

“I apologize for my lateness,” I said as I took my seat.

“We will begin now, then as many of you know, Ranthian has been going from courts and kingdoms killing people, and as of recently, he took the life of our late Princess.” Maester Harken spoke.“This cannot go unpunished. So we have agreed to meet with the high lords of Prythian.”

“Will this mean war?” I spoke up and asked; my spine chilled, and my stomach pitted.

“I will not let this go, so if it comes to it, then yes, and that goes for anyone who stands in my way,” My mother said. There was silence in the room. I understood more than anyone what a war would mean, not just for me but for our tropes. But it's for my kessa. My kessa. She wouldn’t want this, but I had to give this to her. I had to do this for her.

“Yes, Of course, we will wait for the word of Queen Kirsi '' Sujeed said. He looked over to me, and with a boyish smirk, he nodded. I simply looked away. I had always ignored his advances, mostly because I knew my mother expected me to marry him. He is the general of our army, and the third princess could not ask for anyone better, and if I do not do so of my own free will, she will arrange it, and he knows it too. However, the night that I found out my sister had died, he found me crying and gave me comfort. I wanted to feel anything other than sadness, and I made the mistake of fucking him not once but twice that night. He wasn’t my first. I would not tell him or my mother that, but he was acting as if we were love-sick youth, and I have been avoiding him.

“So if there is nothing more, then that will be all” we were all dismissed to go. I was the first to leave.

“Emrys'' I heard a hushed whisper, looked down the hall, and saw Leola coming toward me.

“Well?” she asked me.

“We might go to war with our two neighbors if it comes to that,” I said, strolling down the hall toward the gardens. We passed by large floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed so much natural sun. I looked out those windows at the parks and past that was my kingdom, my home that would soon be tainted by the blood of war. No, I won’t let it come to that; I won’t let it come to the shores of my home. Leola gave me a small smile, but I could see the look of sadness and a little fear in her eyes.

“Does this mean you're going to give your lover a proper send-off?” she tried jokingly teasing me to make light of what she was feeling. I scoffed at her remark.

“I didn’t tell you that, so you can use that against me. You know I told you that as My best friend,” I nudged her side playfully, letting out a small laugh.

“Emrys,” I heard a strong voice behind me, only to turn and see my mother standing there with her hands resting in front of her. Leola turned around and gave her a deep bow.

“Your grace,” she said, ensuring she had moved along fast.

“Yes, mother?” I said to her as her ever-obedient daughter. She stalked toward me with grace and power. Not even turning her head in my direction, she says, “walk with me.”

We walked outside into the garden of roses and lilies. She turned to face me, and her brown eyes met mine. I studied my mother like she had taught me to learn an enemy. Her eyes watched my brown. I watched as the sun kissed her chestnut skin like it was kissing mine. I watched as she fixed the sleeve of the maroon-colored dress that I was wearing.  

“We are going into war, crana. Do you know what that means? Do you know what I will expect of us, especially of you?” But, she said to me, There was still hope, still time to stop it.

“Yes, mother, of course. I am to lead the armies with Sujeed if it comes to war. We are to be led into victory. Being captured isn’t an option. Failure isn’t an option,” I said, standing up straight so she would find no fault in me or my answer.

“Good.” she took paused and then sighed. “ Emrys, we are fae. We live long and are hard to kill, but no one and nothing can escape death. I will not always be here, and with us charging into this war, I cannot say that we will all make it.” She looked to the horizon, the sun's pretty colors

“Mother, I-” she cut me off.

“I might die in this war; your sister might as well, and if we do, that will make you the queen of Mareen. You will not disappoint me or this bloodline.” Her eyes held an unreadable expression.

“I won’t, mother, but you and I both know what this is about and who Ranthian is killing. We should be telling the high lords of Prythian,” I pleaded.

“No child If we make it through this war. I will need to plan your sister's wedding and then, of course, yours; I am sure that Sujeed will need some time to heal his battle wounds, but as soon as he’s healed, you both will have a grand wedding. The secret will stay safe with us.” she began walking away with that last statement, most liking avoiding giving away her genuine emotions about what she was feeling. My people have managed to stay away from the business of another fae since the very beginning. We have wanted no part in what Prythian or Hybren had done to their land or the humans who lived on it. We have created peace between the humans who lived here and us, and now we will alter all of it.

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

I watched the night sky enjoying it as if it would be my last as a warm breeze flowed in. Midnight my familiar lay at my feet, his bright yellow eyes alert, and his black fur shined in the moonlight. I was at peace petting the spoiled panther before me until I heard a knock at my door.

“Princess?” Sujeed moved his head into my room.

“Yes, General Sujeed,” my voice couldn’t hide my annoyance. I just wanted tonight. I just wanted a minute to process what tomorrow might be like. This will not be my first war. Maureen hadn’t been a place of peace, but after the civil war, I thought that maybe this would be it.

“The watch for tonight will be changing now.” He said with a bow and smirk.

“You’ve never felt the need to tell me you would be standing guard before,”  I said to him.

“Oh no, it won’t be me but rest knowing that I put one of my best to guard for you tonight. I really came in here to talk to you.” He moved further into my room though the door was still open. I shifted in my seat on my window sill.

“I don’t think that we have anything to talk about,” I said to him.

“It’s about tomorrow. I want you to stay close, and if you see danger, please just run. I can protect you.” I scoffed and shook my head.

“You want me to run from a fight when my people are risking their lives,” I said

“I want to keep you safe,” he said. Coming closer. Midnight's eyes were fixed on him.

“Well then, I hate to disappoint you, but I won’t be doing that” I got up from the window sills and moved to my vanity. I picked up some hair oil in a bottle and started putting it in my hair, looking into my mirror and not at the general, who took it upon himself to come further into my room and close the door behind him; I stopped what I was doing to glare in his direction. Still, it seemed as though no matter how much he looked at me, he wasn’t seeing me.

“I don’t want this to be up for a discussion. Truly it shouldn’t be your safety that is best for all of us. If anything happens to the Kirsi or Sauna, then it will be you to take over the throne, and we can’t have you dead.” A nerve in me was being pushed at. He quickly forgot his place, and then a thought struck me.

“You spoke to my mother, haven't you? What did she tell you?” My tone was deadly, and he was wise to be worried. He straightened his back and took straight at me.

“When all is done, you are to be my wife, I look forward to that, Emrys, but that day won’t come if you are no longer here. So please, for our sake, for the sake of the life we will have, stay away from danger” he took a step forward, but I took one back.

“I think it is time for you to leave.”

“Emrys, please I-“

“No, just leave,” I said, taking a threatening step toward him. Midnight was now up, eyeing him down. A challenge to try if he dared to disobey. He stepped back, took his last bow, and left through the door. When I was again by myself, I finished my hair for the night, went back to the window sill, and looked up at the stars. A million thoughts and emotions ran through my head, but none mattered, not right now, and it was just me and the night sky.

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