#anyway it's got like. eggs and cheese and coffee in it. so that's basically breakfast right | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ceph · 1 year

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published Sparked, chapter 2: How to Make Cats on ROM

I woke up on the couch bleary and cold. It was really early. My phone was ringing over on my desk. Morgan? I stumbled over and managed to pick up the call. “Meet me in five minutes. I have to go to work.”

“Sure, I’ll - “ she hung up.

I was still dressed albeit wrinkled so I jogged over to Morgan’s. She walked out the front door just as I got there. “Morgan, I’m sorry about the - “

“Don’t care. Talk about it later. I have to go to work. I just needed to make some rules.” I nodded.

“Number one, do not fucking hypnotize me with other people around. Not unless we talked about it. And actually, that’s the only rule I have for right now. But I might think of others. I didn’t think I’d need any but apparently this is all just fun to you.”

“Sure. I mean, of course. I’m sorry. But I mean, you don’t think it’s fun? We were just at that show and we both got hypnotized. There were like a hundred people there watching.”

“That’s completely fucking different. That was an environment where I knew what I was getting into. And nobody there really knew if we were hypnotized or just pretending. When we started with just us, I had no idea there would be people seeing. I thought it would just be between us. I’m only even talking to you because I already asked Jessica what happened and she said I was just prowling around and eating steak like a lion. But if I’d done anything weird I would literally never forgive you.”

“Weird how?”

“I have to go to work.” We’d arrived outside the coffee shop. Morgan punched in the door code and went in. The door closed behind her. I stood dazed in the chilly morning light until Morgan poked her head out the door again. “Oh, and also, watch your back.” Before I could say “huh?” the door closed again.

“Hey! Alex! Was that Morgan?” Jessica was jogging.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Is something like up?”

“Oh. Kinda. I think it’s okay. Sorta.”

“She looked sick.”

“Yeah, she was. I guess she got better. I mean, she’s at work.”

“True! Hey, we should work on that thing for 379. Second floor!”

She jogged off. Fast…did she expect me to start jogging too? Well, I wasn’t gonna. And also, I was hungry. And also, wait, I didn’t want to work on matrices at…7:30 in the morning? God damn…

I planned to just meet Jessica there and say I needed breakfast, but she wasn’t there when I got there. I decided my best option was going back to bed, on one of the study couches.

Someone poked me in the forehead. Jessica poked me in the forehead. Jessica smelled really good. Wait, the thing Jessica was holding smelled really good. It said “El Reyes” on it. I blinked. “Where were you?”

“Uh, I had to shower, obviously. And get breakfast, obviously? I didn’t think you’d be here already. I was putting about 50/50 odds on you going home to shower and then falling asleep until 2. I guess you took me literally. Anyway, burrito?”

I reached out my hands in gratitude to receive the burrito, but it was cruelly withheld.

“Well, we can’t eat up here. I was just gonna put my stuff down on a good table. Cafe!”

I followed Jess downstairs, like a zombie. The burrito was huge. Hash brown potatoes with peppers, rice, eggs, cheese. Something was bugging me though. If Jess didn’t think I would be here yet, was she going to eat both burritos herself?

“Alex!” Jess snapped her fingers. “You’re so zoned out. You were definitely up all night.”

“Nuh uh.” It was hard to talk with burrito. And actually, I guess I didn’t know when I fell asleep. So I could’ve basically been up all night. I kinda felt like it anyway.

“So did you start on this at all?

“...no.”

“Figured! I haven’t either. This is perfect because I wanted to get this done early today, just so it’s not clouding me up.”

I guess my plans didn’t figure. But I didn’t have plans, really. And I had burrito. Jess good.

…was I really in a fit state to work on anything?

“Well, I’m gonna go set up. You’d better not pass out again down here.” Wait, she was done? I was only half done. I didn’t want to work on matrices…it was barely eight…but she did get me a burrito, so I couldn’t just leave. Cheeky.

Jess was typing something already when I went up. “You didn’t get me a coffee?? Alex! After all I’ve done for you. I want sugar, no cream and an espresso shot.”

Jess was typing even harder when I went up again with her coffee. I sipped in silence for a few minutes until Jess turned her screen toward me. “So this is how I started it.” I squinted at her screen. Jess snapped her fingers. “Alex, put on your glasses.” Oh yeah. “You’re so out of it.” She was a bit right. “Wait, you don’t even have your laptop! I feel like your mom today. Let’s go down to the computers.”

The basement computer lab was empty. Jess closed the door behind us, and locked it. “Nice! I love when I can take over a room. Most people will just try the door and leave, so I only have to open up if someone knocks real hard, and I can pretend it was locked by accident.” Cheeky.

I logged in and pulled up the assignment. God, it was too early for this. I started typing without thinking too hard, just so Jess could see I was working. Well, trying to work. I would probably have to redo this in a more organized way, but that was usually how it went.

Jess snapped her fingers. “Alex, look up here.” She was standing at the podium. She’d hooked up her laptop to the room’s projector,

“So for the second one, for the 3d graph of the function, this is what I’m getting. I think this is right because it iterates over 360 degrees back to zero without a discontinuity. It looks like an ad for donuts. Wow, what if there were such a thing as giant donuts?”

There were concentric toruses filling the projector screen. They were expanding and contracting like, er, I guess like an ad that was zooming in and out on concentric donuts. Good point, too - why was there only one size of donut? I mean, donuts from different places were sort of different sizes, but none were that far from average, and there were never multiple sizes of donuts at the same place. A big donut, like the size of a big pretzel, would be really - “Alex?” Jess snapped her fingers. “What do you think?”

“I - think that would be good.”

“What would be?”

“Big donuts.”

“I mean the function. Does it look good?”

I looked at the toruses again. It was a pretty interesting animation. When the rings contracted, the ring in the middle shrank down so small you almost couldn’t see it. But when they expanded the same ring got so big it almost went off the screen, and a bunch of smaller rings appeared from nothing inside it, so it wasn’t the smallest ring.. And I mean, that doesn’t sound that interesting, but it - Jess snapped her fingers. “You’re zoning out so hard.”

I really was.

“Did you even get to this one yet?”

“Uhh… no.”

“It’s the second one! I showed you my answer because I thought you’d be done already. We’ve just engaged in cheating.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Well, go do it! I’m going to get more coffee.”

I hadn’t even finished the first one, but I started on the second one. The function was pretty simple, so this was more of just a 3d graphics exercise than a real “thinking” kind of problem. I ran the animation and watched it while I waited for Jessica to come back. But there was something weird. It wasn’t looping smoothly - there was a little hitch in it. I couldn’t think of why there might be a discontinuity. Jessica’s looked fine. I stared at the animation, waiting for the hitch. It was jarring, like getting static sparked every time the animation looped.

Jess snapped her fingers. “Oh my god, Alex! I said your name like three times. You need a wakeup shot. Drink. You’ll feel like you got zapped.” Jess put a big coffee down in front of me. I took a long sip. Yikes, I did feel zapped. And burned. But awake. Really awake. I blinked. This was strong stuff. “This was from the coffee machine? I feel like I just snorted coke.”

“Like you know what that feels like. Yes, it’s from the machine. Coffee feels a lot stronger when you get up before two. So you wouldn’t know what that feels like either. Anyway! Looks like you’re done. Well, wait. It’s jumping at the end.”

“Yeah. I can’t think why.”

“Let me see what you wrote.”

“Sure.”

Jess snapped her fingers. “I see what it is. But it’s one of those things where you won’t notice no matter how many times you look at it, because you’re the one who wrote it out. Isn’t that weird?”

“What’s the thing?”

“Not telling! It’ll be really funny when you see it.”

I read my code over and over. I diagrammed out the logic on paper. It wasn’t complicated. Rather, it shouldn’t be. I changed the order of a few things to be more proper, but that shouldn’t have mattered anyway, and indeed it didn’t. “Jess, I’m going nuts.” She just sipped her coffee. “Can I get a hint? I’m dying.”

“Fine. Don’t hardcode your variables.” Jess clicked her tongue. “You can see it now.”

It was staring me in the face. Instead of 360, I’d written 365. For fuck’s sake…fixing it fixed the hitch.

“Well, I’m done with #2.”

“I’m almost done with everything!

“That’s nice.” I rubbed my forehead.

“All this getting stuff done is making me hungry again.” I guess she did need both burritos.

“You know what I want?” Jess snapped her fingers. “I want a hot dog.”

I stood up and headed out to get Jess a hot dog. Anything for a break from trying to code before noon. Outside the library, I blinked in the sun. Where was I gonna get a hot dog at ten in the morning? Where even sold hot dogs?

Circle K! It was right around the corner.

Before I knew it, I was back in the library computer lab with a hot dog. “Nice! I finished while you were gone. You got a good start, right?”

“Uhh..yeah.”

“Let’s go outside. It’s so sunny!”

We sat down in the grass on the field across from the library.

“Alex! You didn’t get yourself anything?”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Oh. I guess. Kinda.”

Jess snapped her fingers. “You’re definitely hungry.”

Actually, I was. I was really hungry. Why didn’t I get myself a hot dog? It looked really good. It was grilled and everything. It glistened in the sun.

“Alex, what would you do for a bite of this hot dog?”

“Uhm…anything.”

“Would you take off your shirt?”

I took off my shirt.

“Nice! Man titty! Score! Okay, you can have a bite.”

It was so damn good. Probably because I was so hungry. Being hungry turns porridge into pork chops, as they say. As I think they say. As they should say.

Jess snapped her fingers. “You know what? Eat this. Then take a nap. I’m gonna get more.”

I tried to savor the hot dog but I was too hungry. It was already gone. I did need a nap. I stretched out in the sun and I must have pretty much passed out.

Someone tapped me on the forehead. Jess tapped me on the forehead. Jess snapped her fingers. “Alex, wake up! You’re so sleepy.”

I blinked. I was really tired. I probably didn’t sleep last night. I yawned and stretched. My eyes felt really heavy. “What’s up?”

“Food? Remember?”

I ate another hot dog. It was almost even better.

“So, the next thing I need you to do is for Concepts in Film. My group’s short film for this week needs another person.” I guess she was taking me over for the day.

“We have to record each of us doing the same scene, but it has to actually be interesting to see it three times. Like we have to differentiate ourselves through how we act rather than what we say.”

“Neat.”

“Yeah, I thought it was interesting. But I didn’t want it to just be a monologue from each of us because those always suck and forget the same one three times in a row. But now I’ve got you, so problem solved!”

“So what’s the thing?” I yawned.

“I have an idea.” Jess snapped her fingers. “I’ll tell you at the studio. It’ll feel silly out in the daylight. Let’s go.”

The studio was dark except for a thin shaft of light resting on a chair.

“Alsex, go sit over there.” I sat down in the chair. The shaft of lights fell across my hands and my lap. “Look at the camera.” I hadn’t seen the camera yet in the darkness, but it was right in front of me. “I’m recording already. Don’t think about it. We aren’t starting yet. Fenley and Brit aren’t here yet.”

“Fenley?”

“Do you know her?”

“No, like, Fenley? As a name?”

“Oh. Isn’t it like, in Boston? Fenley Park?”

“No, that’s Fenway.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t know then. Anyway, they’re coming at 4, but we can get some stuff done just with you. I just need to zoom close in on your face -” Jess snapped her fingers “-look right into the camera. This is like an old timey shot that’s really close up, and you’re being hypnotized by a vampire. I thought of this because of your hypnosis thing. And that’s why you’re perfect, because you actually were hypnotized just yesterday. So when I click my tongue, you’ll start being hypnotized by looking into the camera.” Jess clicked her tongue.

I stared into the camera. I didn’t really feel any different at first. But the camera was like a vampire’s eyes. I couldn’t look away. Staring made my eyes go wide. My vision doubled and went blurry. The vampire said I was totally hypnotized. I couldn’t close my eyes until the vampire said to sleep. My eyes were so heavy. My arms were so heavy. I wondered if I could block my eyes to break the spell but I couldn’t move my arm. I tried and really really tried but I couldn’t move my right arm or my left arm or close my eyes or look away. When the vampire said “obey me now,” I would do anything the vampire said. The vampire said, “Obey me now. Sleep.”

I opened my eyes. There was nothing around me. The vampire snapped her fingers. “Obey me now. Wake up.” I blinked. “Good job. Brit and Fenley are almost here, they just texted me. You can just stay right there, though.” Jess moved the camera so it was close in by my right side. Two girls came in. “Shirtless! I didn’t know this would have fanservice.”

“Not the plan! Alex took a nap and lost his shirt, actually.”

“I think it fits.”

“Let’s start. If we wait I’ll get nervy.”

“Who’s up?”

“Me! Hi Alex! Nice to meet you. I’m Fenley.”

“Hi.”

“So you’re really hypnotized?”

“Uhm - well, I was.”

“Jess, what do I say?”

“Just do the script.”

“Fine!” Fenley closed her eyes, stretched her arms back and then touched her toes. When she stood up & looked at me again, she had a totally different aura. She ran her tongue along her teeth, leaned in close and stared at me powerfully. “Ready?”

“Yup. Rolling.” Jess snapped her fingers.

“Look into my eyes. You’re already lost. There’s nothing you can do. You can’t look away. You can’t move. You can’t speak. You obey me now. You’re paralyzed. Hypnotized. Frozen. Instantly. When I snap my fingers, you listen to me, and when I click my tongue, you do as you’re told. There’s nothing else. You don’t even know your name. You don’t know where you are. You don’t know how you got here.” The vampire snapped her fingers. “When I touch you, there’ll be a shock like lightning. That’s my power taking over.” The vampire clicked her tongue, and pressed her thumb to my forehead. There was a colossal crack of lightning, and a flash, and it hit me, my whole body arched. I’d never felt anything like it. It felt like I was getting tasered, but it didn’t hurt. It felt good. I couldn’t control my muscles. The vampire lifted her thumb and I collapsed.

Fingers snapped. “Hi Alex!” Brit was standing over me. She was really tall. Wait, I was slumped way down in the chair.

“Rolling.” Fingers snapped.

“Look into my eyes.” I stared into the vampire’s eyes. “You’re already lost.” I couldn’t see anything but her eyes. “There’s nothing you can do.”

Fingers snapped. “My turn!” Jess was standing over me. I was slumped all the way down out of the chair. My knees were on the ground.

“Rolling.” Fingers snapped.

“Look into my eyes.” I looked into the vampire’s eyes again.

The vampire’s tongue clicked. I opened my eyes but I couldn’t see anything. The vampire said I was in deep hypnosis, completely entranced. The vampire snapped her fingers. My dick jumped, like someone had activated a probe in the horny part of my brain. I didn’t know what was going on. The vampire snapped her fingers again. My dick was on fire. I already felt harder than I’ve ever felt. If I got any harder… The vampire snapped her fingers again. I came. I came so much. I could feel it flowing out of me in pulses. I could feel it running down my dick and leaving cold trails on my legs. The vampire’s tongue clicked. “Wake up, Alex.”

Brit, Jess & Fenley were sitting in front of me. I was standing up. I felt something weird. I looked down at my dick. I was completely hard. I looked back up at my audience. They looked at me. I sat down in the chair and crossed my legs. It was cold in here. Why didn’t I have a shirt on? Why was I even here?

“He looks cold. Are you cold?”

“Uhm, kinda.”

Fenley snapped her fingers. “You feel magically warm.” Fenley clicked her tongue. I felt warm all over. Almost like I was in a sauna. Actually, more like I had a fever.

“Obey me now. Take off your pants.” I took off my pants.

“Is this allowed?”

“I mean, we aren’t touching. Even if we were, it’s his own free will.”

“But he was hypnotized, or whatever. He’s totally out of it.”

“I mean he’s not intoxicated. There’s no logical reason he isn’t doing exactly what he wants to right now.”

“Can we make him like, forget this ever happened?”

“Why? Are you embarrassed, Brit?”

“I mean, he’s dating Morgan.”

“Morgan told me about this. She said it was revenge.”

“For what?”

“Well, she was hypnotized too. Alex made her act like a cat in front of me and Max. Actually, a lion I think.”

“I guess that’s sort of fair. So do the triggers work on Morgan too?”

“I didn’t think about that. Maybe. But what would you want to make Morgan do?”

“I don’t know. Make her give me a massage. Maybe eat me out.”

“What?”

“Tongues are all equal. And hers is long.”

“Considering what she’s putting Alex through just for making her be a cat, I would be careful.”

“Well, I wasn’t hypnotized like she was. Unless you mean she’ll just like sucker punch me.”

“Wouldn’t rule it out.”

Fingers snapped. “Alex. Obey me now. Let everything go blank and misty. You’re forgetting everything that happened today. I’ll take your hand and lead you outside. You’ll stay totally fogged up until we step outside and the sunlight hits you. Then you’ll wake up and you won’t know where you are or how you got there. You’ll just go with us and you’ll just accept everything as it is.” A tongue clicked.

I blinked in the sunlight and stretched. “So where to now? Are you guys busy later?”

“Just a floor party. We’re hosting though.”

“Can I come? My floor is boring. I think they all just go to the gym.”

“Sure, duh. We’re gonna go get snacks and stuff. You could come but I think Alex is going to get no shirt no serviced.”

“Hmm. I don’t want to lose track of him, though. Let’s go to my apartment. He can nap there.” Jess snapped her fingers. “Alex, let’s go.” Jess clicked her tongue.

Once we were in her apartment, Jess told me to lie down on the couch. Jess snapped her fingers. “Alex, obey me now. We’re going to get party stuff and we’ll be back later. You’ll just close your eyes and sleep until we’re back.” Jess clicked her tongue. I was super tired. I fell asleep really fast.

“Alex, we’re back!” I blinked. Jess, Brit and Fenley were carrying stuff. Jess snapped her fingers. “Come on. We’re going to a party.” Jess clicked her tongue. I stood up, but Jess came in and started changing her clothes. “Well, in a minute.”

Brit sat down on the couch. “This is crazy. This is like having a frankenstein. Alex, obey me now. Uhm…Alex, jack off.”

My hand went right to my dick. I was so hard. I couldn’t stop stroking. Fingers snapped. “Alex!! Stop!” Jess clicked her tongue. I blinked. What the fuck?

“Brit! Jesus christ!”

“I didn’t think he would do it!”

“He does everything!”

“But there’s no way this can be real!”

“Well, he did what you said. Are you happy now?”

I blinked. “Am I hypnotized?”

Jess and Brit looked at me. Jess snapped her fingers. “Alex, obey me now. Sleep.” Jess clicked her tongue. My eyes closed.

I opened my eyes. I couldn’t see anything but there were a lot of people around. Someone said, “Shot, please.” I poured out the perfect amount into their glass then went back to standing at attention. That’s all I had to do right now.

Someone’s arm was around my shoulder. “Alex,” someone whispered into my ear. “Have you learned a lesson?” Sounded like Morgan. I didn’t know what she meant. I had learned how to pour the perfect amount for a shot. I was really good at it. I was having a really good time. Was that what she meant? “Gosh, you’re really out there. Shot, please.” I poured out the perfect amount into the glass then went back to standing at attention. That’s all I had to do right now. I could feel myself smiling. I felt incredible. People and sounds were floating around me. “Shot, please.”

“Alex, how are you doing?” The room was quieter. “Great!” I said. “Pouring shots is all I have to do right now.”

“Yes, right. Well, I don’t think we need any more shots right now. Sit down over here with us.” I sat down with Morgan. Morgan snapped her fingers. “Alex, wake up. Come back down to earth. You’re Alex again.” I blinked. Morgan, Jess, Brit, and Finley were spread out across two couches. I blinked and shook my head. It looked like there was a party, but I didn’t remember anything. “I think you guys messed him up.”

“We just did what you said!”

“No, I know. I just didn’t think you’d really do it all.”

“I had to stop Brit from - you know what, I shouldn’t even say. Brit is a pervert.”

“I just - this is just crazy, though. I just wanted to know if he would really do something like that. I didn’t want to make him hurt himself so I thought that would be like, something he wouldn’t do.”

“What did you do, Brit? Are you why he’s half naked?”

“No, that was Jess.”

“No! He fell asleep on the grass outside the library and someone took his shirt.”

“I mean, that’s still kind of your fault.”

“I plead the same as you. I didn’t think he’d really do it. Oh, to be fair, I guess you’re right. I did tell him to take his shirt off as a trade for a hot dog.”

“Okay, so what did Brit do?”

“Brit told him to jack off!”

Morgan cracked up. “And he did it?”

“Well, yeah! I mean, he started to before I stopped him. Just inside his pants, though.”

Morgan snapped her fingers. “Alex, obey me now. Your dick’s getting hard. On the count of five, you’ll be completely hard, and you’ll take off your pants and jack off.”

“Morgan! Is this allowed??”

“He’s my boyfriend. I can make him do what I want! It’s not cheating if I told him to.”

“I mean like, legally.”

“He’s not even drunk. We are.”

Morgan clicked her tongue and counted to five. Every number she said, I felt a rush of blood to my dick. She said five and I took off my pants and couldn’t stop stroking. It was like I couldn’t see anything but my dick and I couldn’t feel anything but my dick. Morgan snapped her fingers. “Alex, freeze.” All my muscles stopped. I couldn’t do anything but listen. I could see what was happening in the blurry background of my vision. I couldn’t focus on anything, but I felt everyone looking at me.

“Morgan, this is wild. What the hell was that show you guys went to? You said you were hypnotized too. Was it really like this?”

“Sort of. He’s a lot deeper now that we’ve been working on him so much.”

“But did you really go into trance? What did it feel like? I just can’t even imagine.”

Morgan paused. I sensed that she was thinking back to the demo. I was too. It started so normally. The hypnotist was just telling us to sit back and relax. Then my hands were stuck together. Then she shined a light in my eyes that I focused on. Then I was on the stage. “Well, it was - it’s hard to explain.” Morgan’s voice was slower and a bit faraway.

Brit leaned over toward Morgan. Brit snapped her fingers. “Morgan, obey me now. Sle - hey!” Morgan had grabbed Brit’s arm. “Look at my finger, Brit.” Morgan was waving a fingertip back and forth in front of Brit’s eyes, and Brit was watching it go back and forth. “Morgan, I was just - “ Morgan jerked Brit’s arm and cut her off. “Hypnosis happens fast, Brit. Look at my finger or you’ll miss it.” Brit watched Morgan’s finger go back and forth. “Getting sleepy. See? Closing your eyes already.” Brit blinked. Morgan snapped her fingers, then said, “Sleep.” Morgan tapped Brit’s forehead and clicked her tongue. Brit’s eyes rolled back. “You’re completely hypnotized, Brit. When I drop your arm, you’ll fall into a deep sleep that you can’t wake up from until I tell you to, no matter how hard you try.” Morgan dropped Brit’s arm. Brit slumped back onto the couch.

“Try to open your eyes, Brit.” I could see Brit trying to tug her eyelids open but it was hopeless.

“Try to lift your right arm, Brit.” All she managed to do was jerk it a little. “Try to lift your left arm, Brit.” I couldn’t tell if she even did that.

“Kick off your shoes, Brit.” Brit kicked off her converse.

“Stand up, Brit.” Brit stood up.

“Brit, obey me now. Take off your dress.”

Brit pulled her mini dress off over her head. Brit was standing there in nothing but black underwear and socks.

“Morgan! Oh my god, I’m so confused.”

“Did she really think that would work? Did you guys talk about this?”

“No! Well, she asked about it. I said you’d probably be mad if she tried.”

“I’m not mad. Just teaching lessons.”

“If you say so. But wait, why didn’t it work on you?”

“Well, I kind of guessed what she was about to do. She wasn’t very subtle. And also, that “obey me now” thing wasn’t a part of the show. Your script gave Alex that suggestion.”

“Why did it work on Brit, then? She wasn’t hypnotized at all before.”

“It’s pretty simple. You’ve all been using these words with Alex, so you knew what to expect. Basically, you learned how to be hypnotized from hypnotizing Alex. I didn’t have to explain what hypnosis is or define the trigger words because you already knew what they meant.”

“So you could hypnotize me right now? As fast as that?”

“Well, maybe. I mean, if you wanted me to.”

“Did Brit want you to, though?”

“Well, that’s a bit different. I interrupted her so she was kind of off-balance. I mean, I wasn’t sure that would work. I just thought it would look cool if it did. I think it helped that she was already thinking about hypnosis right then, even if it was doing it to me.”

“It did look cool. But why did you make her get naked?”

“Proves the point fast.”

“You might both be pervs. So are you gonna wake her up?”

“Maybe.” Morgan snapped her fingers. “Alex and Brit. Obey me now. Stand up. Eyes forward. When I say “recite”, you’ll repeat the words “I am deeply hypnotized” over and over, until I say “stop.” Morgan clicked her tongue. Morgan framed us in her phone camera. “Recite.”

“I am deeply hypnotized. I am deeply hypnotized. I am deeply hypnotized. I am deeply hypnotized. I am deeply hypnotized. I am deeply hypnotized.” I started to get numb to the meaning of the sounds but I still knew what to say. “I am deeply hypnotized.” Eventually, Morgan said “stop.” Then Morgan said we were really sleepy, which was true. We were really sleepy cats. We curled up together on the couch under a blanket. Being a sleepy cat felt better than anything.

“Alex! What the fuck?” Brit’s face was two inches from mine. “Brit?”

“Alex, why are we sleeping together? Why am I naked? Did we - ?”

“Oh. No. Well, I don’t know. Actually - I think you tried to hypnotize Morgan.” “I what?” Brit blinked. “Hypnosis? Is that real?”

I blinked. “Yeah, it’s - wait, what? What do you remember from yesterday?”

Brit blinked. “Oh. It’s coming back to me. A bit. My head hurts. So wait, what happened?”

“You tried to hypnotize Morgan, but she hypnotized you instead.”

“Morgan hypnotized me? Is she a vampire?”

“No, it’s - well, it’s not magic or anything.”

“I don’t see how that works. She made me get naked?”

“Well, you said you’d make her eat you out.”

“Oh my god, did you tell Morgan that?” “No. Just saying, it’s sort of fair.”

Brit sat up. “Okay. But why were we sleeping together? No one else is here.”

“Well, I was hypnotized too. I think.”

“I don’t even know what that makes this. If two people get hypnotized to fuck, is that legal?”

“I really, really don’t know.”

“Okay. You know, I don’t feel like we had sex. But this is still weird. It feels like morning-after.” Brit stood up and stretched. “I need some god damn coffee before I can deal with this.”

Jess poked her head in the door. “The cats are awake!”

#hypnosis #hypnokink

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jakestravels · 2 years

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Europe 2022 - Day 4 - Zagreb to Neustadt

Man, some days are just rougher than others.

I was awoken at 10:40 AM by one of the hostel people swinging the dorm door over and clicking on the lights. “Hey, Jake!” she said. “You were supposed to check out.”

I didn’t know who she was, but she knew my name, so clearly I was late. I was still drunk(ish) and in a half-stupor. “Okay, I’ll hurry,” I mumbled.

I chucked all of my shit in my backpack - I had extra space, so i wasn’t too worried about getting a tetris-like pack job in. I was out in 10 minutes, and realized they waited 40 extra minutes before ejecting me. That was nice.

I got to the front and dropped by bag - I had a flight in a few hours and wanted to explore some more. I asked about breakfast, like a real proper American or English breakfast, because I needed it. No one knew anything, but I was suggested to try a place called Roots.

Roots had smoothies, and I got one, though they all had banana, likely because it’s a thicc fruit. I also saw no eggs, but caught glance at some avocado toast and thought, “I’m from Portland and have a beard. Yeah, I could pull that off.”

Sometimes when you think about staple foods, you imagine their going to be the same everywhere, right? Eggs are eggs, milk is milk, butter is butter.

Simply not true.

Now this is in no way a slight against any country, but we each have our own palate, and that varies from person to person, as well as country to country. I remember my first time out the country, when I saved up my shekels to attend school in Spain. Before I started the school, I had just enough money to fly in early and stay in Madrid for a week. But there were zero extra frills. I ate sandwiches out of the grocery store, and was thrilled to find out that the hostel provided a breakfast that was more than a piece of bread. (Jesus, Europeans loooovvvveeee their breakfast breads.) I came down to find not one, not two, but three cereals, milk, fruit and coffee.

I haven’t eaten much cereal since I was a kiddo: It was almost every day we ate it, and due to a combination of being lower middle class and perhaps my parents caring just enough (or perhaps not at all?) we got basic-ass cornflakes, or basic-ass raisin bran, or puffed wheat or rice. If you don’t know what those last ones are, good for you. But what if I called them “Completely unflavored and bland-ass Sugar Snaps?”

Cuz that’s what they are. Fucking packing peanuts in a bowl with milk.

Anyway, getting way off topic here. Point is: I don’t have a lot of Saturday Morning Cartoon TV commercials in my life where I’m eating sugary bright colors fruity sugar bombs. Just adult cereals. But I admit, I do have a soft spot for raisin bran. So in that moment, at that hostel, with very little money, I grabbed a big bowlful, poured some milk, and took a bite.

Something was wrong. Way wrong. The milk... tasted like plastic.

Now if the Jeopardy question was, “This country makes everything take like not-real food,” we both know your answer would be, “What is America?” (And they call it the states here in Europe, because Canada and Mexico are also America, as is the whole damn continent below that as well. But that’s a story for another day.)

Other non-Americans were happily eating and didn’t see the issue. Well it turns out that many countries ultra-pasteurize their milk. This removes things that can make it spoil, and allows it to be shelf-stable. Can you imagine milk from your pantry that’s been sitting there for six months?

Now if you’re used to it, fine. It’s all you knew: it’s what you grew up with. But I simply cannot. Something in the process changes the flavor, and like calling American cheese, while it sorta is, it’s also not. At all.

So yeah! My story! Right! This isn’t why you’re reading (or is it?) So I got the avocado toast. And I feel as if you have a contract with avocado toast. Everything that’s included is built into the title. Except whatever the green goo was on the toast, it was not wholly avocado. It was cut with something, and it did not sit well.

I did some wandering, but not the whole, “Ooh! Let’s go out and explore!” but more of the zombie-like “please let a tram strike me down and end this misery” type. I found some historic buildings and snapped a few photos, but my heart wasn’t in it.

I gave up the ghost, grabbed my pack, and wearily made my way to the airport. I hadn’t take a shower; I felt like death warmed over. Which always feel greattt when you’re flying.

I deboarded the plane at Baden-Baden airport, an old military airport in the state of the same name. After a few buses and trains, I found myself in Neustadt, a quaint German town nestled into the mountains. Many moons ago, when I hitchhiked throughout the US, I ran into a German family who said if I should ever be in Germany, to look them up. And so I did! Unfortunately the family has split a bit - the kids are grown and gone, and Gabi, the wife, lost her husband due to a surprise heart attack a few years ago. But we caught up over homemade pumpkin soup, and I slept like a rock.

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a-n-conrad · 3 years

Text

Sparring Partners (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

[Summary: Being the newest Avenger was a little rough. You appreciated how helpful most of the other Avengers were with getting you adjusted to life in the tower. However, you got a little too friendly with your new sparring partner. (She/Her Pronouns)

Warnings: SMUT (dirty talk, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, oral sex (female and male receiving), biting, slight hair pulling), not canon compliant (I’m too stressed for real angst), “Avengers Tower” AU, swearing, fairly long

Request: From my Request Form (https://forms.gle/GRTQ1eQt8rk7jJgf6)]

It was an odd adjustment, being the newest member of the Avengers. You really couldn’t complain about living in Avengers Tower. It was a nice facility, with everything you could ever need. The training center was high-tech, the kitchen was always fully stocked, and the infirmary was nice enough that you didn’t mind having to be the group’s healer. But the other Avengers were interesting roommates to adjust to.

Everyone had their own schedule, and it took you a little while to adjust to it. It took you a couple weeks before you stopped bumping into people on their way out of the kitchen. And you eventually realized that unless you wanted to accidentally be caught up in one of Nat’s sparring matches, training in the middle of the day was basically a no go. But eventually you started to get used to it.

You had figured out that if you got up early, the only people you’d run into in the kitchen were Steve and Tony. And you could avoid having to actually talk to them right away if you made them breakfast. Steve usually appreciated something lean and healthy, though you usually added a bit of shredded cheese to the top of his scrambled eggs anyway, because he really needed to stop worrying so much. And Tony would usually be happy with some bacon and coffee. Honestly, it was just good to get him to eat something.

And then, for most of the day, you would work in the lab or the infirmary, occasionally running through a few tests with Bruce. He was one of the few Avengers who didn’t stress you out. You really couldn’t help it. You may get most of your healing ability from your powers, but you still had some medical training. And that meant that you knew full well that every member of this team was a different brand of self-destruction. So you and Bruce were working on a few projects to help the team take at least slightly better care of themselves.

And then you’d train at night. Not many people trained at night. Usually just you, though occasionally someone would wake up in the middle of the night, and need something to do. Nightmares weren’t exactly uncommon among the team. Tony would occasionally be up late, testing out some new gadget of his. Sometimes Nat would go running late at night. However, the most common late-night visitor to the training facility was Bucky Barnes.

You knew that he had some fairly bad nightmares, though he refused to talk to you about it. And you could tell that they had been getting worse lately. He was visiting a lot more often, and getting a lot more aggressive with his training. You could tell that something was wrong, but you knew that Bucky hated when you tried to counsel him. So instead, you had just been monitoring him, watching out for anything more concerning than usual.

- - - - -

“Hey, (Y/N)?” Steve asked you one morning, as he leaned against the counter, waiting for you to finish making breakfast, “Have you noticed something weird with Bucky lately?”

You raised an eyebrow at the question. You were still fairly new to the team, so it was odd for anyone to consider you an expert on any of the team members, let alone someone’s close friend, “Why do you ask? You’re his best friend, you should know if there was something odd going on.”

“Oh, well,” Steve seemed a bit sheepish, “It’s just that you’re like the resident doctor, so I was wondering if he told you anything. He’s just seemed a bit upset lately.”

“Well, first of all, Steve, you know that Bucky refuses to talk to me,” You start, beginning to move the completed food to the plates that you had set out, “And second, even if he did tell me something, you know that I couldn’t tell you about it, in good conscience.”

“So you haven’t noticed anything?” He gave you that stupid golden retriever pout as you handed him his food. You wondered if that was part of why Bucky kept him around when he was just a scrappy kid getting into fights that he couldn’t win. It was just so hard to say no to him when he made that sad, puppy-dog look.

“I mean,” You sighed, “He’s been up a lot, training in the middle of the night recently. So, I wouldn’t say I haven’t noticed anything. I’ve just been minding my own business.”

“And you should keep minding your own business,” Tony spoke up for the first time through a mouthful of bacon, “If he wanted to talk to someone about it, I’m sure he would. You don’t need to pick up on any of Capsicle’s nosiness.”

“Oh, please,” Steve scoffed, “Like you’re one to talk about getting up in everyone’s business, Tony.”

Tony flipped him off, grabbing his coffee and slinking away back to his lab. You weren’t sure if he had slept at all the night prior, but that was decaf coffee, so you were hoping that at the very least he’d sleep during the day. It was the little things that kept these heroes alive.

“Ok, anyway,” Steve drew your attention back, “What has he been doing?”

“Just training, Steve. He’s just been going off on the training dummies. It’s clear that he’s just taking something out on the dummies. He’s got it handled, Steve. He doesn’t need anyone up his ass to try and ‘fix’ him. It’s just gonna piss him off.”

Steve nodded as though he understood, though you could tell by the look in his eyes that the conversation wasn’t really over.

- - - - -

You knew something bad was about to happen when Steve walked into the infirmary, Bucky being dragged along behind him. They didn’t get hurt. And they rarely needed to stop in for check-ups. So you had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well for you.

“What can I help you two gentlemen with today?” You asked, pausing the task that you were originally working on.

“Well, I was just thinking,” Steve started, already giving you his stupid puppy-dog eyes, “You really haven’t gotten a lot of combat training...”

“No, I suppose I haven’t,” you set your face into a neutral expression, getting ready to try and turn down whatever scheme he was trying to pitch to you. You didn’t know Steve that well, but you knew that he had a bad habit of getting into everyone else’s business to try to fix everything.

“Well, I would offer to help, but I know that you prefer to train at night, and I usually train early in the morning,” he was starting to ramble like a nervous teenager, trying to get all of his reasoning before you could say no, “So I thought Bucky could help you.”

You should’ve known. He was trying to get you to help Bucky work through whatever was going on. And he was hoping that you would just go along with it. And you hated that the puppy-dog eyes were working on you again.

“Steve, I’m not going to force Bucky to train me. What do you think about that plan, Bucky?” You asked him, hoping that he would give you the excuse that you needed to say no. He just needed to say no for you, and you would both get out of this.

You saw Steve turn to face him, that look still on his face, and you knew that you were done for. You really should’ve known that Bucky couldn’t say no to Steve either, “Whatever, I suppose our healer shouldn’t get herself killed on missions. Just try to keep up.”

And with that, he turned and left. And you were left behind, not quite knowing how to react.

- - - - -

It was that night that your training started. Bucky walked into the training room about half an hour into your regular training session, giving you just enough time to warm up. The look on his face told you that he wasn’t thrilled about the idea, though you had a feeling that it was for a much different reason that you had.

“Alright, training mat. Now.” He demanded, his tone sharp and gruff. It reminded you a bit of your gym teacher in school. He had never been your biggest fan, for one reason or another.

“Don’t you need to warm up?” You asked a bit timidly, not wanting to upset him any more than he already was.

“No.”

You nodded, following him as he walked over to the area that was designed for sparring. It was padded enough that no one should get hurt in a reasonable fight. The sparring matches around here were rarely reasonable.

You situated yourself in the center of the ring, facing Bucky as he set his stance. He looked so focused, his brow set as he got himself ready. You realized that it had probably been a very long time since he had actually done any formal sparring. At least, without the intention to kill. But something about his face, set into a look that you couldn’t quite read and covered slightly by a bit of hair that was hanging in his face, made your heart skip a beat.

He was an attractive man. You knew that. You had heard from Steve almost constantly about how much of a ladies man Bucky was back in the day. But you hadn’t really gotten a good look at him. He was always looking down. And he had definitely never looked at you with this much focus in his eyes before.

“Hit me,” he commanded, though there was a hint of friendly coaching in his tone. Like he was actually looking forward to training you.

“What?”

“Throw a punch. Hit me. I need to see where you’re at before I can teach you anything.”

You throw a sloppy punch with your right hand. He blocked it without even thinking. You tried again. And then tried a kick. Tried to get a new angle. Tried to sweep his legs out. You had tried everything you could think of, everything you tried being easily blocked or dodged. You were starting to get tired out, and Bucky hadn’t even thrown a punch. You threw another punch, aiming straight for his face, only for him to grab your fist.

Before you knew it, he had pulled you into a chokehold, your back pressed firmly against his chest, and his metal arm wrapped around your neck as his other hand twisted your arm behind you. You could feel him breathing, just as steady as usually, and you had to wonder if he could feel how flustered you were as your body pressed against his. You could tell your heart was picking up, but you hoped that if he could feel it, he’d just attribute it to the training.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” He muttered, his mouth so much closer to your ear than you had expected. You could feel your cheeks heating up as his breath made your hair move just a little.

“Y-yeah,” you managed to choke out.

- - - - -

You two had been training like that for weeks, and it was starting to get to you. The close quarters, the skin to skin contact, it was going to kill you. If you wanted to know what a siren would look like to you if they existed, it would be Bucky Barnes, coated in sweat and getting ready to pin you to the training mat. And you were definitely having a hard time staying focused during your training.

It was especially late one night, you were guessing somewhere around 1:30 AM. Your training usually stopped around 12:30-1, but you were running a bit long. You had been especially distracted that night. Bucky had gotten a haircut for the first time in a long time, revealing his bright blue eyes. You could feel them on you as you trained even more than usual. You hadn’t minded his long hair, but when it was out of his face, you could see him much clearer. And that wasn’t always helpful.

There was a predatory glint to them as he got into position to spar, like a wolf stalking its prey. And as he loomed over you, pinning you to the ground after another failed attempt, you couldn’t say you minded feeling like prey.

“Alright,” Bucky groaned, his metal hand still pinning you to the floor, “What the hell is your deal tonight?”

You tried your best to hold your voice steady as he straddled your waist, his legs brushing against your own, “What do you mean?”

“Come on, (Y/n). You’ve been improving a ton lately, I know you can do better than this. So what’s got you all distracted?”

His face was so close to yours. His metal hand was holding both of your arms above your head, and his other was positioned right next to your chest. You could feel his body heat against you, and you were sure that he could feel your face heating up. There was no way he couldn’t figure it out by looking at you at this point. You were trembling, your eyes dilated as they locked onto his eyes. You looked like an absolute mess.

You could tell that he saw it too as his eyes scanned your body. You felt as though time slowed down as you watched his expression change. He raised an eyebrow, making you squirm a bit. Soon enough, though, a smirk spread across his face that reminded you of the stories that Steve told of Bucky from before the war, though the wolf-like glint never left his eyes.

“I see…” He drew out. You didn’t know if it was on purpose, but you saw his tongue dart out and flicker across his lips for just a moment. He leaned down a bit more until his face was next to your own, his lips nearly brushing your ear, “You know, Doll, if you wanted to do something else, you could’ve just asked.”

You swallowed deeply as you felt his warm breath brush against your ear. It sent a shock down your spine. You went to say something, only for the words to get jumbled in your mouth. You felt like a babbling idiot as your breathing refused to steady enough to let you get a single word out. And you felt a cold, empty feeling creep into your chest as he pulled back, leaving you without the extra body heat.

The tension between you was palpable, and you had been awake for long enough that you were starting to lose your impulse control. As Bucky leaned back, letting your arms go and smirking in a way that told you that he was proud of himself for people able to get under your skin so effectively, you couldn’t stop yourself. Before you knew it, you had flipped him onto his back, taking his spot on top.

You had caught him off guard, and the surprised look on his face told you that. But you had to admit he looked just as good down there as he did when he was pinning you down.

“Oh, you’re feisty,” He said, shifting to make himself comfortable, “But what’s your plan, Doll? Go on?”

You knew that he was egging you on, just trying to get you to do something. And it was working. You had been holding back the entire time. And your will was wearing thin.

You pulled him up a bit by the collar of his shirt, meeting him halfway in a passionate kiss. It was sloppy, but you really weren’t going to complain. You didn’t mind the clumsiness to it, especially once he sat up the rest of the way, pulling you even closer to him. Without even realizing it, you had started to grind against him, rolling your hips without meaning to. He groaned into the kiss, his hands gripping your hips to hold you in place as he pulled away.

It was then that you realized exactly what you had been doing. Your face was flushed, your hair was a mess from him running his hand through it, and you could feel the thumb of his metal hand press into the skin of your stomach since your shirt had started to slide up. You looked utterly desperate.

“Doll, are you sure you wanna do this?” You could hear the insecurity seeping into his voice, and you felt the grip of his metal hand loosen as he went to move it away. You knew Bucky was insecure about his past, and that his metal hand was a symbol of that. But at that moment, as you felt his hard-on press against you through your pants, there was absolutely no way you could possibly understand that.

“James Buchanan Barnes, shut the hell up and fuck me,” you demanded, though you left him space to back up if he wanted to. You didn't really want to pressure him into anything, but your brain was foggy.

Luckily for you, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he flipped the two of you over again, pinning you to the mat again. He had the wolf’s glint in his eyes again, and it made you weak. And as he bit into the crook of your neck, soft enough to make sure that he didn’t hurt you, but hard enough to leave a mark, you couldn’t help but let out a moan.

“Shh, (Y/n),” He whispered in your ear, making you rub your thighs together as the frustration and desperation built up between your legs, “We don’t want to wake anyone up.”

You nodded, biting your tongue to stop yourself from making too much noise as Bucky started to slide one of his hands down your body. You could see him admiring you as he pulled your clothing away. He held so much want in his eyes that you couldn’t even imagine feeling insecure under his gaze.

“God, doll, you really are just perfect,” He muttered as he lowered himself, his face nearing your cunt as he pulled your pants and underwear away. He was looking at you like he wanted to eat you alive. And you wanted him to.

You could feel the cool air against your soaking wet pussy as he pulled you into the position he wanted. You could feel his breath and against your pussy, and that in itself was enough to make you hold back a moan. You needed him so desperately. And even as he moved to bury his face in your cunt, you could feel his eyes on you.

One of your hands moved to grip his hair as he started with a broad lick up the length of your core. The other moved to your mouth, hoping to, at the very least, suppress your whimpers. You weren’t even entirely sure what he was doing with his tongue as he went down on you. Your vision started getting soft around the edges as he swirled your clit around with his tongue. You were sure that if you weren’t covering your mouth and biting your tongue, you’d be screaming. You were surprised at how good he was at this, but you definitely weren’t going to complain.

The feeling in your lower gut began to tighten after about ten minutes, and you knew that you were getting close. Bucky could tell too, as your grip on his hair tightened, pushing his face in even more. He was enjoying watching you be so desperate for him. And as he slid his tongue into you and then across your clit one more time, he enjoyed watching you come undone even more.

It took you a few moments to recover from your high. Your chest was heaving, and your skin was glimmering with a thin layer of sweat. You looked like the most perfect mess that Bucky had even seen. He couldn’t help but sit up and admire you. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been thinking about you in the same way that you were thinking about him. And seeing you there, spread out completely in front of him, was what he was sure heaven would look like if he ever got to go.

After a few minutes, you had finally recovered, and you had decided that Bucky deserved a little bit of care in return. You flipped him back over, again surprising Bucky. He really did look pretty as he laid under you, and as you pulled his shirt off, you had even more to admire.

You could tell that he was a bit insecure, reaching to cover a few of the scars on his chest. But you brushed his hand away, choosing instead to distract him. You kissed slowly down his chest, choosing a few spots to nibble slightly, hoping to leave a few marks for him. As you reached the waistband of his shorts, you felt a hand on your shoulder, signaling for you to pause.

“You really don’t have to do this, (Y/n). I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything,” he said, his blue eyes soft as they looked down at you. Soft, and insecure, and sweet.

“There is nothing that I want to do more right now, but I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

He contemplated for a moment, and you waited, despite wanting so badly to keep going. Before long though, he nodded, giving you the sign to go ahead.

You freed his cock in second, moving quickly out of need. It was nice for both of you to finally have all of your clothes discarded, and he was a sight to see. Bucky Barnes was modeled like a Greek god, and you couldn’t keep your hands off of him.

You tried your best not to rush things, giving his cock a few soft pumps and kitten licks before taking it into your mouth. He was trying not to groan just as hard as you had been as you bobbed your head, sucking desperately. He was big enough that you had a hard time fitting him all the way into your mouth, so you added a hand at the bottom to pump as well.

He started to buck into your mouth as you swirl your tongue around the head of his cock. It was like a work of art to watch him writhe in pleasure as you sucked him deeper and deeper into your mouth, until you were gagging on his cock. His abs were starting to flex a bit on their own, and you could tell that he was getting close. And you pulled away.

“Fuck, that isn’t fair,” he groaned, trying his best to quiet his voice. But he couldn’t complain about the view as you pulled away, a string of saliva running from the tip of his cock to your perfect lips.

“Do something about it then,” you said, feeling bolder than you had expected yourself to be. And he took your invitation to heart.

You had been expecting it, but the feeling of his naked body looming over you, his eyes trained on you as his cock began rubbing against your entrance, was a kind of euphoria that you had never imagined. His lips were on yours in an instant, muffling your moans as he slowly pushed into you, filling you up completely. You couldn’t help yourself as you scratched down his perfect back, leaving large claw marks down the muscles of his back.

You threw your head back as he bottomed out, the tip of his cock already found the spot that made your eyes roll back into your head. It felt as though he was made for you, the way he felt so perfect inside of you.

He started to move slowly, thrusting softly as though he was scared to break you. Even then, he hit all of the right spots, but you needed more. You needed him to take you completely. And so you started to move with him, thrusting your own hips up in time with him, pulling him even deeper into you.

He buried his head in the crook of your neck, “Goddamn, doll, you feel amazing. It’s taking everything in me not to fuck you with everything I’ve got.”

“Do it. Please.”

He looked at you surprised, still not fully believing that this was real, let alone that you were here, begging him to let go and ravish you. He searched your face for any sign of doubt, and found none. You wanted him, and that made him feel more worthy of your attention than he had before.

“Bucky, please, I need you,” you whined, and he felt the walls of your cunt tighten around him. And he couldn’t control himself anymore.

His thrusts were hard enough to actually slide you forward on the mat, causing you to wrap your leg around his waist. You were starting to see stars as he continuously pounded into you, hitting the right spots every single time. You couldn’t keep quiet, fucking him was better than anything you had imagined. And so he moved a hand over your mouth to help keep you quiet.

The two of you were a sweaty mess, completely focused on each other’s bodies. You couldn’t think of a single thing besides Bucky. Bucky and his perfect body, and his cock so deep inside of you that you forgot what it felt like to not have him pounding into you. The rest of the world was more than irrelevant, it was forgotten entirely.

“Fuck, babe, I’m so close,” He groaned into your ear, making your eyes roll back into your head again. You were close too. And as his cock hit deep inside of you again, you felt the coil in your stomach snap.

The walls of your pussy fluttered and flexed around his cock as you came undone again. Velvety, warm, and wet, massaging his cock as you screamed into his hand. He couldn’t hold it back. He buried himself in you one last time, rougher than before even, and sprayed hot ropes of cum inside of you, filling you up even more.

You couldn’t remember your own name when he was done. The world around you felt as though it wasn’t real. Everything felt warm and fuzzy, the only cold coming in as Bucky pulled out of you, leaving you empty and exposed to the air. He collapsed onto the ground next to you, pulling you to his chest. You felt his breath heave in time with your own. It was the first time in a long time that either of you felt at peace.

“Well, doll, we really should get cleaned up and get to bed before anyone else wakes up,” Bucky sighed, his voice a bit gruff and unsteady.

You groaned softly and buried yourself into his chest.

“You can stay the rest of the night in my room if you want. But you definitely need to shower,” He added. And you reluctantly agreed.

(A/N: So, this is my first time writing smut... I honestly... got a little too into the sparring idea. Oops.)

#marvel x reader #marvel #bucky x female reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader

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justmeandmysickies · 3 years

Text

Sevan’s turn

This is kind of a part two to this fic. It’s quite long cause I got carried away so sorry about that.

warning: description of vomit

Well, this sucked. It was safe to say that Sevan was miserable.

Yet his day had actually started out quite nicely. He’d been woken up by the smell of fresh coffee and eggs and upon entering the kitchen Sevan was greeted by his handsome boyfriend pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Naoko had just returned from a nightshift at the hospital and swiftly decided to surprise his boyfriend with a nice breakfast before getting some sleep himself.

So Sevan enjoyed the delicious meal the taller man had prepared for him before getting ready for work. His day was mostly uneventful, his students going easy on him since the young man was still learning and obviously trying his best.

Unfortunately, lunch was when things started going south. Stepping into the school’s cafeteria, the strong smell of food had Sevan’s stomach churn uncomfortably. Not thinking much of it at first, he got himself a cheese sandwich and sat down in his usual spot next to his friend and colleague Sungjin. A few bites in, however, the uncomfortable churning turned into full blown nausea blooming in the pit of his stomach, causing Sevan to abandon his lunch.

The nausea did not subside over the course of his lunch break but neither did it increase in intensity, so Sevan considered that a win. Unfortunately for him that ‘win’ did not last long.

Now that he was sitting in his last class for the day, Sevan was feeling positively miserable. His stomach was cramping painfully, and every wave of pain threatened to send the delicious breakfast he had up his throat. It took him every ounce of willpower in his body to not double over and whimper in pain right then and there, but he had to keep up his appearance in front of his students, so Sevan powered through.

The end of class approached painfully slow but finally the bell rang, and the students hastily left the classroom while Sevan let himself sink into his chair.

He was confused as to why he was suddenly feeling so awful but if the memory of his boyfriend slumped over their toilet a few days ago was any indication, he’d probably caught whatever Nao had been dealing with at the time. And that worried him a lot – if Naoko was hit hard, Sevan with his compromised immune system had to prepare for the worst. So he decided that it’d be best to get home as quickly as possible.

So there he was, at the front door to their shared apartment, fumbling with the key. His plan? Complain to Naoko for getting him sick (yes, he was aware that it was technically his own fault for not leaving Nao alone but shhh) and then getting all the kisses and cuddles he so desperately needed.

Which is, of course, exactly what he didn’t get. The apartment seemed suspiciously empty, as Nao would usually be sitting in the living room curled up with a book by the time Sevan got home. The sofa however was unoccupied. A quick glance at his phone confirmed what Sevan had been thinking.

From Baby: Getting some groceries. Be back in an hour or so. Love you.

Great. Of course his boyfriend was not home to comfort him. So Sevan did the only helpful thing he could think of – he took some Pepto Bismol, the thick liquid settling heavily in his stomach, and went to lie down in their queen-sized bed, arms wrapped protectively around his tormented middle.

He hadn’t even noticed he was dozing off until a hand on his shoulder startled him awake.

“I’m sorry angel, I didn’t mean to scare you. Hard day at work?”

Upon seeing his boyfriend’s gentle eyes, warmth instantly spread through Sevan’s body.

“Work was fine but I’m pretty sure I caught your bug. I feel awful.”, Sevan sighed, still rubbing his eyes sleepily.

Naoko’s face darkened at the statement. They both knew what such a stomach bug would mean for Sevan. It would take him at least twice as long to recover as it would take other people. And a visit to the hospital was often unavoidable. Nao did not like the idea of that at all.

“Have you taken any medication yet? And what about your temperature, how high is it?”, at that the taller man put a hand on Sevan’s forehead.

“Damn it, you feel warm. We need to bring your temperature down before it gets bad. I’ll have to call Marissa; I’m not going in today. There is no way I’ll go to work and leave you alone.”

There it was. Naoko’s mother-hen-mode. It happened every time Sevan was sick, without fail. Sometimes it was quite amusing to Sevan. Seeing his usually so calm and level-headed boyfriend freak out like that. And normally the sick man would tell him to quit worrying so much – he’d be fine. But right now Sevan felt far from fine.

The loving warmth he had felt upon seeing his boyfriend had turned into an uncomfortable heat spreading through his entire body. His stomach felt like it was on fire, causing Sevan to desperately clutch at the upset organ. He sat up and leaned forward, his nose almost touching his thighs, hoping the pressure would lessen the pain. Unfortunately, the motion of sitting up proved counterproductive. Dizziness hit Sevan like a brick making his vision swim.

Sevan whimpered as a wave of his breakfast suddenly surged up his throat. He tried to swallow it back down, but it was a losing battle. Pink-tinged vomit noisily splattered onto the wooden bedroom floor. A low groan escaped Sevan’s mouth before a second wave of half-digested food joined the puddle on the floor.

Naoko, who had left to find some supplies so he could properly care for Sevan, had no idea of his boyfriend’s unfortunate predicament, since Sevan was a rather silent puker. However, the sob coming from the bedroom was anything but silent.

Alarmed, Naoko jogged down the hall to find his boyfriend. The smell reached him even before he saw the state his poor boyfriend was in. And the sight wasn’t a pretty one either – Sevan’s shirt was drenched in sweat and tears were streaming down his face. If they were caused by pain or exertion Nao couldn’t say. At the poor boy’s feet sat a considerably large puddle of vomit.

Nao winced in sympathy. He put a hand on the small of his boyfriend’s back rubbing gentle circles, the other hand coming up to cup Sevan’s forehead, keeping him from falling forward.

Sevan was panting hard, and Nao bit his lip nervously. His boyfriends condition got worse alarmingly fast. Luckily, Sevan seemed to be done for the time being and Naoko crouched down next to him, carefully avoiding stepping into the puddle, and put a comforting hand on Sevan’s knee.

“Okay baby, how about we get you cleaned up and then we’ll take a trip to the ER, hm?”

“Noo”, Sevan whined, “No hospital. Not yet. I feel better, I promise.”

Naoko sighed. It was always like this. No matter how bad Sevan felt, he’d always fight going to the ER.

“Fine, no hospital for now. But if you get any worse, I will not hesitate to drag your ass to the emergency room, so help me god.”

Sevan chuckled at that – his boyfriend could be so dramatic at times. Then he remembered that he just threw up so much on their bedroom floor, it would put ‘The Exorcist’ to shame, and figured that maybe, just maybe, they could both be a little dramatic every now and then.

And with that he let Nao hoist him up so he could take a shower. To say Sevan was exhausted would be a massive understatement. So it took them quite a while to properly clean up with Sevan basically falling asleep on his feet.

When Nao finally put his boyfriend to bed about thirty minutes later, medicated and luckily somewhat hydrated, Sevan was out in a matter of minutes.

Naoko knew that they’d probably end up in the hospital anyway but as of right now his boyfriend actually looked somehow peaceful and that was all he needed for now.

#em writes #naoko #sevan #my ocs

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arguablysomaya · 4 years

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Waynes + Food

Dick:

eats the weirdest shit

probably was that one kid who would mix chocolate milk and ketchup in grade school and would dare people to drink it (we’ve all been there)

the type of mf to say “it’ll all mix in my stomach, so who cares??”

does the bare minimum in terms of nutrition. if he has regular people food, he’ll eat it, but he can go a week on cold pizza and cereal and be fine

gets heartburn and just fucking takes a bite of raw broccoli then goes about his day

surprisingly healthy

all added weight goes straight to his ass so it doesn’t even matter

tried once to set a good example for damian but broke after two days

alfred would literally cry if he saw dick’s pantry

drinks “girly drinks” because he likes the colors

Jason:

Very Picky Eater

keeps a list of foods he refuses to eat for the dramatics of it all

thinks raisins are an atrocity, gags when he finds them in salads

would rather starve than have his flavors mix

firm believer in food segregation

has a “perfect bite formula” that he whines about whenever the bacon slips out of his breakfast sandwich

“i’m savoring it, demon brat”

health nut. only one who actually reads nutrition labels

hates big brands, so sometimes the Actual Red Hood will stop by a farmers market to pick up like eggs or smth

thinks tex-mex is a joke. “eat real latin food or don’t eat at all” - jason todd, 2020

his sweet tooth ruins the fuck out of his reputation

Cass:

eats basically anything except fast food

saw a video of how mcdonalds nuggets are made once and Never Forgot

eats breakfast food all day every day. co-owns the waffle maker with steph

never in her life has she dropped food but if she did she wouldn’t throw it out cuz she on dat grind all the time

very wide palate but she hates cheese so much. makes fun of dick on her snapchat because he eats shredded cheese straight out the bag

doesn’t really see the appeal of junk food but doesn’t like. hate it

“food is food???” -cassandra wayne, 2020

eats when she’s bored

Tim:

fucking weirdo

horrible taste in food

eats pineapples on pizza like it’s not a war crime

if unmonitored, will eat solely take out and junk food for months on end

eats cheese puffs that are literally glowing neon orange. jason once shot the bag out of his hands

brews coffee with mcdonalds sprite because why not

not at all picky but he really likes korean food because it’s like the only memory he has of his grandparents

not at all conscious of money, eats caviar with ketchup and fries

half the time he’s too busy to even see what he shoves in his mouth but the intensity of cass’ glare will tell him if he’s gone too far

Duke:

eats like a Normal Human Being. mostly

made fun of people who put ranch on pizza for 14 years then tried it once and realized it was actually pretty good

does the puzzles of the backs of cereals

also buys cereals that have prizes in them but the prizes always end up in dick’s hands. when will he learn

never matured enough to like vegetables :///

is lactose intolerant but doesn’t really put in the effort to avoid dairy

buys almond milk (the sweetened kind) but still eats cheese and yogurt and ice cream

his stepdad was half nigerian so he eats jellof rice religiously

prefers colorful food over bland food

fucking hates coconut. would rather die than have coconut. unfortunately he loves (virgin) piña coladas sooooooooo

Damian:

vegan and never shuts up about it

thinks he’s hot shit because he can cook like. spaghetti and tofuballs

spoiled rotten because there’s way too many people in the house who cook for him

spicy foods

suffers greatly during ramadan but powers through every year

would never even touch food that has been on the ground, thanks

demands high quality. dick tried to make him a peanut butter sandwich and he wrinkled his nose so hard he got a nosebleed

would never admit this, but he puts coins in his mouth because he likes the metallic taste. also likes the taste of his own blood (we’ve all been there)

drinks orange juice after brushing his teeth just to hear jason gag

Bonus: Bruce

square

eats the lamest shit

like. we’re talking lunchables level, here

black coffee, corn flakes with no sugar, spaghetti with butter on it

eats because he has to, not because he likes the taste

keeps a schedule because he’s That Basic

that being said, he can’t really cook

spices? you mean salt and (maybe) pepper

tastebuds are like 80% fried off anyway

never drank apple juice and that’s the source of all of his problems

once burned his hand opening a rice cooker because cass didn’t tell him it was still on

#tag yourself im jason+duke #dick grayson #jason todd #cassandra cain #tim drake #duke thomas #damian wayne #batman #batfamily #batfam #DC comics #dcu #incorrect batfam #incorrect batfamily

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notveryglittery · 4 years

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birthday prince (2)

summary: roman had no idea it was possible to die from too much love but logan sure is trying. words: 2,000 / ship: logince (logan/roman) author’s note: this is part two of my Giving The Gay Anything He Wants series for roman’s birthday (june 4)! all ships are written implied romantic but i’m not stopping you from interpreting it otherwise. check the end notes on ao3 for credit on these gifts (bc i don’t know where to put them in this post)! i hope you enjoy!!

part 1 (roceit) | part 2 (logince) | part 3 (prinxiety) part 4 (royality) | part 5 (dlampts) read on ao3

— — —

Roman woke to the smell of bacon. And eggs. And hash browns. … Cinnamon rolls too, maybe? He groaned, rolling over onto his back. Kicking his legs up, he used the following momentum to swing himself into a sitting position. There was a little bit of vertigo at moving so quickly, but this was how he always got himself out of bed since it usually provided him a sudden surge of energy. He squinted, looking towards the door, and trying to decide how badly he actually wanted to get out of bed in order to have breakfast. On the one hand, it all smelled absolutely mouthwatering. On the other hand, he was very warm and comfortable.

Three precise knocks made the decision for him.

"Roman, are you awake?"

At the sound of Logan's voice, a smile lit up Roman's face. "Yes! Come in!"

The scents of all the tempting foods were much stronger now and, as Logan entered carrying a tray in one hand, it became clear as to why. Logan was still wearing an apron and there was a smidge of flour on his forehead. He moved carefully so as not to spill or drop anything. Roman hoped the mug was filled with coffee made with too much cream and sugar. Before he could offer any help, Logan gestured at him to sit back; in the same moment, he flipped the legs of the tray open. Once Roman was settled, Logan set the stand down over his lap. His nose had been right in picking out eggs, bacon, and hash browns. There was a small bowl of fruit (with green grapes, his favorite!) and yes, the coffee was the exact color as he liked it.

"There are cinnamon rolls baking still," Logan said, sitting down on the mattress and reaching forward to brush Roman's hair back from his eyes. His smile was so soft and fond, Roman thought he might melt if it were directed at him for too much longer. "Did you sleep well?"

Catching Logan's hand before he could pull away completely, Roman pressed a kiss to the bottom of his palm. "I did, thank you. So, what's this for, then?"

Logan shook his head, as if he didn't understand the question. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. Eat. I'll return momentarily."

He was up and gone by the time Roman remembered that his birthday was later that week. He laughed a little, burying his face in his hands. The food was delectable, all of it still hot and fresh. Somehow, the coffee was even better than usual; perhaps because it had been made and served by someone he cared for so dearly. He scrolled through social media as he ate, feeling happy and relaxed. It was an exceedingly nice way to start his morning, especially knowing that he had plenty of things to deal with later on.

True to his word, Logan was back in roughly twenty minutes. He had a plate and two glasses of milk. He seemed satisfied that Roman had finished all his food and, with a snap of his fingers, removed the breakfast tray. He left his things on the bedside table and pulled a notebook from thin air. Roman recognized it as one of his many planners. He sat down again, posture slightly stiff, but Roman could tell it was because he was resisting joining Roman in bed. He wondered how he could convince him…

Flipping through the pages, Logan adjusted his glasses before beginning. “As far as I’m aware, the tasks you had scheduled for today were the following: selecting the name and song for Shoutout Sunday, washing the linens, preparing April’s shorts for compiling, and… corralling Remy to ensure Thomas sleeps well tonight.”

Roman snorted at Logan’s choice of words. “That’s all of it. Thank you for breakfast, darling. I’ve got plenty of energy to get started now!”

Logan tutted and held up a hand to stop Roman from getting up any further. “It is taken care of.”

Roman frowned. “... Pardon?”

“Your chores. The last load of laundry is in the dryer now. I’ve spoken with Thomas regarding Sunday’s video. Bargaining with Remy did take some time. However— Are you crying?” Logan’s voice hitched in sudden concern and he reached over to cradle Roman’s cheek in his hand.

Roman sniffled. “It’s okay, Lo. I’m happy… Just a little overwhelmed.” He pressed his own hand against Logan’s and gave him a shaky smile. “Why did you do all of this?”

Logan shifted so that he was better facing Roman. “You deserve to be taken care of. That is a constant, of course. In particular, this is in celebration of your birthday. I am well aware of the shenanigans made for the day itself so I thought I would ‘jump the gun,’ so to speak.”

Roman didn’t want to be dramatic or anything (hah) but he was pretty sure Logan was trying to kill him. “I haven’t the faintest idea how I could begin to thank you.”

“That’s just fine,” Logan reassured him. “I wouldn’t want you to, anyway.”

Roman laughed under his breath and gently moved away from Logan’s hold. He wiped at the tears that lingered on his eyelashes. “Well, it seems I have more free time than I thought I would. Have you got anything else up your sleeves?”

“Seeing as this garment lacks the necessary amount of fabric to do so, no. However, I did have something in mind that I believe you would enjoy participating in?”

“Lead the way, my star.”

After giving Roman some time to freshen up and change, they left his room, snacking on their cinnamon rolls and milk as they walked. It was still early, not yet noon, and Roman appreciated the peaceful atmosphere more than he thought he would. Normally, there would be music playing, or the television on as background noise in the living room, or the kitchen full of clanging utensils. This was pleasant. Having Logan with him made it all the better.

Eventually, Logan paused at the door between his and Patton's rooms. It was decorated with stickers, paint, glitter, buttons — any and all crafts that would fit basically, for that's exactly what was on the other side. Simply called the Crafts room, it was a creative space available for anyone to use however they pleased. Roman most often honed his vocal talents but he knew that Virgil liked to paint murals on the walls. When Logan led the way inside, the room transformed to match his vision. Warm sunlight spilled in from multiple windows. There was a rolling cart filled with every color of paint Roman could ever think of and more. There were a handful of easels, all holding various sizes of canvases. On the table in the center of the room was a stack of paper bound by ribbon, numerous pens, and a platter of snacks. Speakers set up in the corners of the room were already playing music.

"Will this suffice?" Logan asked, breaking Roman out of his daze.

"Suffice… Moonbeam, this is wonderful! And that smell… Is it—?"

"Jasmine to produce feelings of confidence and Eucalyptus to boost creativity."

“Well, they certainly are doing the trick!” Roman exclaimed, skipping fully into the room. He darted for the nearest easel, grabbing the handle on the cart as he did and pulling it over with him. His head was already full of ideas, sprawling landscapes and detailed portraits and, and, and!

The next hour passed in comfortable silence. They did, occasionally, duet along to various Broadway or Disney love songs that came through on their playlist. Sometimes, they dissolved into giggles afterwards, or they’d pause in their work to send each other sappy smiles. Sure, Roman was immensely curious about what Logan was working on, but he knew best what an awful thing it was to be interrupted while spending time with one's muse and motivation. Besides, he wasn't sure he could find a moment to pause in his own projects even if he wanted to. He moved from canvas to canvas smoothly, a new creation springing to mind the second he finished the last. There was an open expanse of night sky, stars dotted in yellow, blue, and red; a portrait of the lovely Valerie, dressed up and imagined as one of Roman's fellow knights; some abstract thing that was only recognizable from upside down and depended on the viewer having seen Parks and Rec at least two and a half times.

Eventually, though, his energy waned, and he set down his paintbrushes to take a break. He dropped a kiss to the top of Logan's head as he stepped by before taking a seat at the table, and reaching for the snacks. He went for a bagel but appreciated the variety of fruits and veggies, too. A few minutes later, Logan looked up from his work. He looked satisfied.

“All done?” Roman asked, interest piqued once more.

“Yes. Thank you for your patience.”

“Oh. Lo, that’s nothing you need to thank me for. This was really nice. Honestly, I didn’t realize how badly I needed it.”

Logan leaned closer, startling Roman when he kissed him quickly on the nose. Logan licked his lips after, smirking. “You had a bit of cream cheese…”

Roman made a sound akin to a tea kettle whistling.

Wasting no time, Logan stood and positioned himself in front of one of the windows. He looked as handsome as ever, silhouetted by the sunlight. He seemed relaxed and confident and Roman quite suddenly began to worry about his well being again.

He squinted at the brightest star in his sky. “... What are you up to?”

Logan cleared his throat. And began to sing.

It felt like the floor gave out underneath Roman. He might as well have no longer been tethered to his body. It was a miracle he stayed present enough to continue listening; he assumed it had something to do with knowing that missing even a millisecond of this would be the biggest regret he could make. Not only was Logan singing, completely of his own volition, he was singing about Roman. Lines about his bravery and his recklessness, his confidence and his ego, his creations and his work ethic. It was balanced, neither too praising nor too harsh. There was mention of how much love he carried, of how he deserved to receive as much as he gave, of how there was magic at his fingertips.

By the time Logan finished, Roman was outright sobbing. It wasn’t fair, how someone he loved so much, so so much, could make something so beautiful and heartfelt for him. How was he ever supposed to return the favor? When Logan pulled him up and out of the chair, he fell easily into his arms and tried to quiet his weeping.

“I would apologize for making you cry but that would be apologizing for the things I said, which I cannot do. I mean every word. My life is better with you in it. You inspire us all to be our very best and that is so admirable. Happy birthday, your highness.”

“Stop, stop,” Roman argued weakly, pouting up at Logan. “You’re killing me. You’re so cruel.”

Logan smiled down at him. He took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and patted Roman’s face dry. “I suppose you’ll do something about it?”

“Yes,” Roman answered vehemently. “Your punishment is to be trapped in a pillow prison. A blanket barricade. Confined by cuddles.”

“Oh no. That final one might be the worst sentence of them all.”

Roman pressed a kiss to Logan’s jawline before firmly grabbing his hands. “I’ll have to stay and make sure you don’t escape, of course.” He began to pull Logan out of the room, cheeks starting to hurt from his wide smile.

“Of course,” Logan agreed, in a tone so gentle, it should have been impossible.

Perhaps Roman kept this thief of his heart wrapped up extra tight and snug in his arms, but that wasn’t really anybody else’s business, now was it?

#sanders sides fan fiction #logince #logince fan fiction #roman sanders #logan sanders #gifts for roman's bday #dani writes

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lilfellasblog · 4 years

Text

Anniversary Fluff

Summary: This is pure, tooth-rotting fluff that's placed within the Healing Broken Wings universe but can be read as a standalone fluff fic! I put this together to mark the 1-year anniversary of Healing Broken Wings being posted. I also learned literally TODAY that HBW and Thomas posting on Vine for the first time share the same anniversary date?!

This fic was directed by a fictive introject (an alter in a Dissociative Identity Disorder system that is based on a fictional character in the outer world). Specifically, this fictive introject is Virgil from Healing Broken Wings. I hope you love this sweetie. <3

There are no warnings. There is no angst. This is pure fluff. I know, I can't believe it either. But it's true!

A/N: If you liked this, please reblog. It is the only way to help this fic reach a wider audience.

TW: None whatsoever.

Word Count: 2131

AO3 here!

Fic Masterlist here!

Virgil groaned as he woke to the sound of a loud bird that decided it needed to scream at the sun directly outside his window specifically. He swore upon looking at his alarm clock, which read Sat. 8:48 AM.

Only Logan gets up this early on a weekend. Virgil smiled to himself as an image of Logan’s sharp face entered his mind. The promise of getting to see his cute boyfriends was enough motivation to roll out of bed and expose his eyes to dreaded sunlight. He tamed his hair just enough to be presentable and threw on some black eyeshadow just below his eyes, then threw on his usual outfit, taking a moment to appreciate the soft weight of his hoodie. He balled a little of it up in each hand and pulled it around himself lightly, allowing himself the small indulgence.

Finally, he ventured out into the kitchen. Patton was making griddled pancakes with a frittata and bacon, Logan was sipping on coffee while reading the newspaper, and Roman was setting the table.

Roman saw Virgil first and beamed. “My lovely raven!! You look simply ravishing today!”

Virgil felt his cheeks get splotchy. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I know!”

Virgil snorted and hugged Roman, who hugged back firmly.

“Breaky is ready!!”

Roman and Virgil pulled apart and went to their chairs. Virgil raised an eyebrow at Logan, who had a soft smile on his face.

“Apologies Virgil. I simply agree with Roman.”

Virgil booped Logan’s nose with Crofter’s jam in retaliation, to which Logan just blinked widely.

Patton giggled at their antics. “Should I kiss it better Lolo?”

Logan met Patton’s gaze evenly. “I would not be opposed.”

Patton kissed Logan for a few moments before returning to serving breakfast. He wiped at his nose and laughed.

“Looks like we both got jam on our noses! I wonder how that happened?”

“I have a hypothesis.”

Virgil smiled at his boyfriends’ antics before he dug into his meal. Roman was gesturing widely, talking about how Thomas would be going to a Broadway play later that night and had all the lyrics memorized, so why wouldn't he sing along with the cast and crew? Virgil had to hide his smile in his food while Logan listed off the many reasons that would be a very bad idea.

When breakfast was over, Virgil volunteered to stay behind and help clean up. As Roman was leaving the kitchen, he embraced Virgil in a side hug and kissed his cheek.

"I'll see you later, my love" Roman said lowly while Virgil blushed and Patton cooed. Virgil walked over to the sink, grinning. Patton was sending him knowing looks, which Virgil pretended not to see.

While Patton was focused on a particularly stubborn bit of burnt egg, Virgil swung his hips over and bumped the side of Patton's hips with his. Patton mischievously side-eyed Virgil and retaliated. Eventually, they were both bumping each other's hips back and forth almost constantly, giggling uncontrollably.

Virgil looked into the sink. "Have we done any dishes?"

"Nope!" Patton chirped. This made them both start giggling again.

They calmed down and went back to washing the dishes. Just as they were about to finish up, Patton bumped Virgil's hip again.

"Hey cupcake! Wanna help me make cupcakes?"

Virgil tilted his head down a bit, staring into Patton's eyes. "That sounds great, cupcake."

Patton blushed prettily and giggled, flicking some suds at Virgil. Virgil huffed and flicked them right back.

Once they wrapped up dishes and wiped down the kitchen, Patton got out the stand mixer and ingredients. Virgil raised his eyebrow at the Crofters raspberry jam.

"You'll see!" Patton sing-songed.

Virgil helped by preheating the oven, buttering the sides of the muffin tin, and putting in cupcake holders while Patton did the rest. When Virgil turned around, Patton booped his nose with chocolate cupcake batter. Virgil wrinkled his nose.

"Awwwwwww you look just like a little bunny rabbit!!" Patton squealed. Virgil laughed and wiped the batter off the tip of his nose, tasting it.

"It tastes really good already Pat."

"Thanks cupcake!"

"...are you going to call me that all day?"

"Do you mind?"

A sigh. "Nooo…"

Patton put the cupcakes in the oven, set a timer, and turned back to Virgil.

"Whaddya wanna do while these bake?"

Virgil shifted. "Hmmmmm…"

"Want a hug?"

Virgil nodded gratefully and was pulled into a gentle, loving hug. Patton's warmth enveloped him, and he could smell both chocolate and vanilla. Patton swayed them back and forth gently, and Virgil had to hide his eyes in Patton's shoulder, feeling all of his love for the sweet man bubbling up in his chest.

Patton gently pulled away. "There you go. Wanna go cuddle?" he asked quietly.

Virgil nodded, and they headed to the couch. Patton snuggled against his chest and Virgil nuzzled his hair, rumbling.

Patton giggled. "My little kitty cat!"

Virgil just smiled. "All yours."

The two men soaked up each other's presence, floating on a cloud of happiness and comfort. Virgil breathed in vanilla, while Patton inhaled lavender. They both jumped when the timer for the cupcakes went off.

Patton took the cupcakes out of the oven and started dolloping strawberry jam and mascarpone on some shortbread cookies.

"Oh, that's not for the cupcakes?"

"No it is! I'm just making Logan a little snack! A little snack for my snack!"

Virgil groaned but chuckled. It was tax season, and that meant another large responsibility on Logan's shoulders. Virgil spied a bit of jam that had somehow made it to Patton's cheek, and kissed it off. Patton turned sparkling eyes to Virgil.

Virgil smirked. "You had some jam on your cheek."

"And you had to kiss it off, hm?"

"How could I resist?"

Patton's ears turned red as he giggled. "Mind taking this up to Logie Bear? I'm gonna try to get these cupcakes on a cooling rack."

"Sure."

When Logan opened the door, he looked frazzled and a few hairs were out of place. However, he relaxed and smiled a soft smile when he saw Virgil. He opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw the cookies with Crofters jam he let out an actual whimper.

Virgil snorted. "I'll give you two some alone time."

Logan gratefully took the cookies with a sheepish look about him. "Thank you Virgil."

"Patton made them, I'm just the messenger."

Logan's gaze turned dark. "I'll be sure to thank both of you later."

Virgil smiled shyly and ducked his head. Logan huffed in amusement.

"I'll see you later darling. Thank you again."

"Yeah, no problem."

With a last smile, Logan disappeared back into his room. Virgil made his way downstairs and walked in just as Patton was setting the last chocolate cupcake on the cooling rack.

"Need any more help? Logan really liked the cookies."

Patton beamed. "That's great!! And I think I'm okay for now! Just need to let these little fellas cool off completely and then we can start the next step!"

Virgil was intrigued, but he trusted Patton to make anything delicious. He thought back to Remy and Saul, who used to struggle with boxed mac and cheese.

"Hey Pat? You good if I go hang out with Remy and Saul for a bit?"

"Go right ahead sweetie! Just let me know if you'll be here for supper! I'm making a pork ballotine with roasted veggies and a beet and goat cheese salad!"

"I'm gonna be here for dinner."

"Awwwww you're too sweet!!" Patton said as he kissed the tip of Virgil's nose. "Go have fun with your dads!"

Virgil sent him a two-finger before he sank down. When he appeared in the Neutral Side, he found Saul and Remy throwing shredded cheese at each other. They stopped long enough to look at him before bursting into laughter.

"Sorry sugar! We are trying to cook!" Remy said through his cackling.

"...I'm so confused."

That just made the two Neutral Sides start laughing again. Virgil shook his head fondly at the two.

"What made you stop down here little one?" Sail asked, still grinning.

Virgil shrugged. "I might've missed you guys or whatever."

"Awwwwwww babes!!" Remy exclaimed as he launched himself towards Virgil. "You can always visit us whenever you want!"

Virgil stumbled but hugged Remy back. "I know, just was thinking of you today."

Remy gave him a final squeeze before letting him go. "It's time for a manicure anyways! Your nails are crying out for help."

"So are your cuticles."

"Excuse you."

Virgil snickered while Remy flicked tea water at him. Remy summoned the items needed, and all three Sides sat down at the table.

"Alright, let's get our fingers soaking." Remy poured scented water into bowls. They chatted idly for a few minutes before Remy removed his hands and started cleaning up his cuticles.

"Always put on your own oxygen mask first."

Once he was done, he worked on Saul's nails next, and finally moved into Virgil's.

"I know Saul's a basic bitch and only wants a clear coat-"

"Love you too bae."

"-but I'm assuming I raised you better?"

Virgil snorted. "Yeah, I-" he thought for a moment. "Do you have dark blue nail polish with glitter in it?"

/////

After watching trashy reality television for a few hours while being cuddled by his surrogate fathers, Virgil appeared back in the Light Side. His mouth watered when he smelled the aroma wafting in from the kitchen. He could hear giggling and kissing, so he cleared his throat loudly before entering.

Roman and Patton were both blushing and smiling.

"Did I interrupt something?" Virgil teased.

"It's okay sweetie, dinner's just about ready anyways! Just don't come in Roman's room without knocking later!"

It was Virgil's turn to blush as Patton continued. "What did you and your dads get up to?"

"Oh, we just did our nails and watched some television."

“Nails?!” Patton whispered, vibrating in his spot.

Virgil chuckled. “Come on over Pat.”

Patton bounded over and looked at Virgil’s nails in awe. “They’re so pretty!!”

Virgil’s face grew hot. “Thanks Pat.” He heard footsteps behind him.

“Indeed they are! Remy did a wonderful job!” Roman declared.

“Ooooooo Logie!! Look at Virgil’s nails!!”

Logan appraised Virgil’s nails with raised eyebrows. Logan had visible tension in his forehead, but had a small smile on his face.

“They are quite lovely, my dear.”

Virgil ducked his head. “Yeah, I know you’ve been super stressed lately and I know you like space, so…” he trailed off, unsure of how to continue his sentence, and just gestured wordlessly.

Logan understood. “That is so thoughtful Virgil,” he said somewhat thickly. “I love you.”

Virgil felt his eyes sting. “I love you too Lo.”

They were staring into each other’s eyes, heat building between them, when the timer went off, causing them both to startle.

“Sorry fellas! Veggies are done!”

Everyone sat down at the table and was drooling over the feast laid before them. Even Roman ate in silence for a few minutes before starting up the conversation. Just before everyone finished, Patton brought out chocolate cupcakes filled with raspberry jam and topped with a white chocolate and dark chocolate ganache swirl. Once they were all stuffed beyond capacity and Patton decided it wouldn’t hurt the dishes to soak overnight, Patton and Roman went up to Roman’s room.

Logan turned to Virgil and smiled. “Would you like to watch Planet Earth?”

Virgil agreed, and soon they were watching field mice do what they do best. Virgil and Logan were holding each other on the couch with a blanket thrown over their legs. Virgil was rumbling intermittently, loving the scent of Logan and loving being held against a firm yet comfortable chest. Logan’s arms around him made him feel so loved and so safe he could cry. He loved having his arms around Logan, knowing that with Logan in his arms he could protect him. And it helps that Logan’s sexy as hell too.

After a few episodes, thanks in large part to the massive meal Patton had put out, Virgil began dozing off. Logan roused him with a gentle kiss to his temple.

“Darling, we’ll feel better in the morning if we sleep in a proper bed.”

Virgil grumbled but followed Logan to the bedroom, only changing into sweatpants and leaving his t-shirt on. He crawled under the covers while he waited for Logan to finish brushing his teeth. Logan got into bed next to a very sleepy Virgil, mint on his breath. Virgil immediately reached out to hold Logan and rest his head on his nerd’s chest. He felt a puff of air on the top of his head and nuzzled against the man beneath him as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

#sanders sides fanfic #sanders sides #sanders sides fanfiction #fluff #lamp/calm #lamp/calm fanfic

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teejaysnow · 4 years

Note

Here's a fluffy prompt! Breakfast in bed on a chilly morning :)

Thank you very much a lot - you helped!! <3

(also, this turned out a lot longer than expected...)

Do you want toast with all that cheese?

Isak was not happy. Not with the world, not with the temperature outside (which was way too far below zero for happiness anyway), and not with the landlord who ”wouldn’t be able to fix the heating until tomorrow - sorry, boys”. There was a small space heater noisily blowing warm air towards a very limited area of their combined dining room/living room/bedroom, but the kitchen was a complete no heat area and the floor’s arctic climate laughed in the face of his knitted socks. So no, Isak was not happy.

And who in their right mind had their birthday in February anyway? What was wrong with a nice, clement June birthday when their boyfriend wouldn’t have to freeze his bollocks off while preparing breakfast in bed? Not that Even was expecting breakfast in bed - or breakfast anywhere else for that matter. Even was much too familiar with Isak’s very reluctant acquaintance with mornings and was happy enough to make breakfast for both of them, birthday or not. Which was the reason that Isak had had to get up at fucking arse o’clock in the morning to make the fucking breakfast before his boyfriend woke up and ruined the surprise. (Did I mention that Isak wasn’t happy?)

Isak glared at the scrambled eggs (and yes, Even, he had remembered the spoon of sourcream, thanks), willing them to cook faster so he could finally get back into bed and warm his cold feet on his hot (heh...) boyfriend's toasty warm legs. The breakfast tray was already decked out with a red rose in a small vase, two badly wrapped presents, and two mugs full of wonderfully warm coffee. The toast was toasting along while the scrambled egg scrambled, and Isak was just about to get the small cake - that he’d somehow managed to keep hidden from his annoyingly nosy boyfriend - out of the refrigerator when a hand on his lower back and a chin on his shoulder made him start.

“Breakfast?” Even asked, still sounding half asleep. “Also, fuck, it’s cold!” he added as an afterthought.

Isak hummed in agreement with both those statements - as well as in appreciation of Even sneaking his arms around Isak’s waist, his nose finding its favourite spot just at the junction between Isak’s shoulder and neck.

They were interrupted by the toaster spitting out two more or less unburned pieces of bread and Isak turned around and shoved petulantly at his boyfriend’s chest.

“Move over, arsehole! Why are you awake already, anyway? Except for spoiling your surprise, obviously,” Isak complained.

“The bed was too cold without you,” Even said with a small shrug, grabbing at Isak’s waist and pulling him into a tight back hug. Isak rolled his eyes, the toast burning his fingers as he transferred it onto the tray.

“And you thought it would be warmer in the kitchen? Really?”

“Noooo, but I’d rather be cold with you than warm without you...?”

Even leaned in over Isak’s shoulder and twisted his head to the side so he could flutter his eyelashes up at him, but Isak only wrinkled his nose and gave Even an unimpressed look.

“And do you perhaps want toast with all that cheese,” he scoffed.

Even kissed him on the cheek and removed the frying pan from the hob.

“Well, I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give me.”

“Oh God, please just go back to bed without saying another word,” Isak begged, turning his head to give Even’s cheek a quick kiss before turning back towards the scrambled eggs and distributing them onto two plates.

“Aww, it’s like you don’t love me anymore.”

Even sighed mournfully, eyes widening into the expression of an unusually hurt and confused puppy. This time Isak turned his whole body around and leaned his head back so he could look up at Even with heavy-lidded eyes.

“I’m sorry, this was not the way I intended you to find out, but… yes, there is someone else. Sorry.”

Even put a hand to his chest in feigned shock, collapsing - cautiously - against the stove.

“Whaaaaat? Why? What’s he got that I haven’t?” he asked, taking a step back to flex his biceps in a feeble attempt at muscled manliness.

Isak couldn’t keep his grin under control any longer so he leaned over and gave Even another quick kiss, “Well, first of all, he stays in bed when his boyfriend tries to do something nice for him. So… why not be more like him and maybe I’ll grow to love you again? Now, fuck. off. back. to. bed!”

Even grinned back and repaid Isak’s kiss with two hard kisses on the mouth and a third that was originally aimed at Isak’s cheek but hit him in the eye instead.

“What the fuck, you uncoordinated giraffe,” Isak protested as Even quickly scurried off and threw himself headfirst on the bed.

“Sorry, can’t hear you, I’m in bed, sleeping. Waiting for my wonderful boyfriend to bring me breakfast in bed,” came the unrepentant reply and Isak smiled fondly down at the plates of scrambled eggs he was holding.

“Your wonderful boyfriend just has to butter the toast and then he’ll be right there,” Isak promised, fetching the cake from the fridge and stabbing a birthday candle into it, actually buttering the promised toast, and then remembering to grab the bacon slices peacefully degreasing on a paper towel, before carefully carrying the tray towards the bed.

He was met with loud (and very fake) snores from his boyfriend - who in the short time between leaving the kitchen and Isak’s arrival at the bed had managed to turn himself into a very well wrapped burrito. Isak kneeled on his side of their bed and placed the tray between them before leaning over and kissing Even on the nose.

“Happy birthday, baby. I love you!”

Even opened his eyes and grinned up at Isak before trying to force his expression into something that could, in a good light, be described as shocked. Possibly.

“Oh, you remembered! I have never been so surprised, like, ever!”

“Idiot,” Isak muttered, slowly stroking his index finger down the small part of Even’s cheek that wasn’t covered in duvet.

“Your idiot,” Even agreed, turning his head so Isak’s finger got better access.

“Mm, yeah,” Isak hummed before abandoning Even’s cheek in favour of burritoing into his own duvet, only sticking out a hand to grab a fork. “Now enjoy your surprise before it gets cold.”

Even quickly unburritoed and sat up to cross leggedly enjoy his meal, duvet loosely wrapped around his shoulders.

“Best breakfast I’ve ever had,” he complimented after a few mouthfuls, happily chewing on a slice of bacon. “How have you managed to get the eggs so moist? That’s Gordon Ramsay quality right there, that is.”

“Old family recipe, you know how it is,” Isak replied with a shrug and a toothy smile. “I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you afterwards.”

“Still worth it, I think.”

“Well, in that case…” Isak flopped over so he was back on his knees, leaning up towards Even, eyes flitting between Even’s eyes and lips, “The secret is…”

“Yeah?” Even whispered back, licking his lips as his eyes followed Isak’s every movement.

“...a tablespoon of… shit!!”

Isak quickly replaced the coffee cup the right way up and pushed Even’s presents out of the way - the toast not faring quite as well as it met with a swift but wet coffee related death.

“‘Shit’ is the secret? Really?? I would never have guessed.” Even’s voice sounded muffled as he tried to look like he wasn’t laughing at his irate boyfriend.

“You suck!” Isak informed him on his way back from fetching paper towels to clean up the mess, his temper not helped by the floor still being just on the warmer side of zero degrees.

“Mmhm. Just let me finish breakfast first,” Even agreed, thus significantly improving Isak’s mood.

Dropping the now coffee drenched paper towels on the floor beside the bed, Isak crawled back under his duvet and pushed one of the gifts towards Even.

“Can’t wait, baby. Now go on, open this!”

“Still eating,” Even protested, taking a careful bite of a small piece of still uncaffeinated toast.

“Don’t care. Open it.”

“Fine.” Even looked around for somewhere to dry his hands but couldn’t find anywhere. Reluctantly he dried them on his pants before reaching for his gift. “What is it?”

“You’re really not up to date with how this whole birthday gift thing works, are you?”

“Open it and find out, huh?

Isak nodded.

“Open it and find out,” he echoed.

Even fought a losing battle against the tape until Isak impatiently handed him a pair of scissors.

“Jeez, how many tape rolls did you use wrapping this thing?” Even wondered out loud.

“Less complaining, more unwrapping,” Isak huffed back, his fingers trembling like he was itching to help, only relaxing when Even finally uncovered the gift.

“Umm… thanks?” Even gave the bottle of beer a puzzled look. He knew that Isak was fond of beer, but… the enthusiasm that he’d shown over this bottle had been slightly more than Even thought it deserved.

Isak giggled at Even’s bewildered expression.

“It’s a hint for the real gift, okay? Any guesses?”

Isak was more or less bouncing on the bed now and Even quickly moved the tray to the floor before another accident happened.

“Beer tasting?” he hazarded, none too excited with the prospect.

“Beer tasting? Really? That’s what you think I’d get you? Oh, Even...” Isak shook his head in mock disappointment. “I mean, what kind of beer is it? Maybe there could be a clue in that?”

Even looked back at the bottle. London Pride? Not his favourite beer to be honest. Pale ale. Red label. Fuller’s. Nope. Nothing.

Isak sighed, “Good thing you’re pretty, baby... Now open the other one!”

This time Even reached straight for the scissors instead of battling it out with the tape.

“Gin? Do either of us even drink gin?” he mused, even more confused as he eyed his second birthday gift.

Isak was still basically vibrating with pent up excitement.

“We can give it to Magnus, he drinks anything,” he shrugged. “It’s just another clue for your actual gift, get with the program here.”

“We’re giving my present to Magnus?” Even asked, feeling more confused than ever.

“We are not giving your present to Magnus. We are giving Magnus this bottle of gin because we two have standards when it comes to getting drunk - but the gin is just another fucking clue for your actual gift, okay?!”

“Okay.” Even kept staring at the bottle. Beer and gin. B&G? Well, apart from his boyfriend spending too much money at Vinmonopolet, there wasn’t too much information to be gained from that, was there? London Pride. Beefea… what the... “We’re going to London?” he asked hesitantly and Isak nodded, smile wide enough to almost reach his ears. “Really? We’re going to London?!”

“We’re going to London,” Isak confirmed.

“Really?” Even repeated, excited but not quite daring to believe it yet.

“Yep. London, baby!”

Apparently Isak’s grin wasn't letting up anytime soon.

“But… how? When? And can we actually afford it?” Even’s brain was multitasking hard, partly already planning what to do in London, partly worrying about the state of their bank account.

Isak let his hand skim down Even’s arm, intertwining their fingers when he reached Even’s hand.

“We can afford it,” he assured him. “As for when… how do you feel about celebrating Pride in London this summer?”

Based on Even’s bright smile, Isak decided he was probably feeling pretty good about it.

“Wow. I’m… this is just… I mean, London!?”

“So what pretentious movie locations have you already decided we’ll have to visit?” Isak asked fondly, pulling at Even’s hand to encourage him to lean over and kiss him.

“Well, we have to visit Notting Hill and take a photo in front of the blue door!”

“‘Have to’, huh? You’re using those words again. I don’t think they mean what you think they mean,” Isak teased him.

“And we have to go to 84 Charing Cross Road, because that’s the most epic non-love love story there is,” Even continued, ignoring him. “And I guess we’ll have to do the 221B Baker Street thing, which… ugh. Oh, and we have to go to Leadenhall Market, and the Harry Potter studio tour, and…”

Isak let go of Even’s hand in favour of pulling at his t-shirt hard enough for Even to topple over into Isak.

“We already have tickets for the Harry Potter thing because I’m the world’s best boyfriend,” he stated, combing back Even’s hair and kissing his forehead. “The rest we’ll just have to fit in where we can.”

Even shoved at Isak and crawled up to lie face to face to him where he’d let himself fall.

“World’s best boyfriend,” he whispered reverently, cupping Isak’s cheek and looking into his eyes for a few long seconds before wetting his lips and leaning in to kiss him.

Isak hummed encouragingly into the kiss, dragging his boyfriend closer so he was half lying on Isak’s chest. They could continue the argument about who had the world’s best boyfriend later anyway - but Isak was pretty sure it was him.

#skam fanfic #the cheesiest cheese to ever cheese #my shit #thegirlnooneknows5

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lingenthusiast · 4 years

Text

@painfully-oblivious, um, so I don’t know what you’ve had in mind, this ended up being all messy and the style is not consistent at all, but well. here we go, I guess. it kind of went out of hand. hope you enjoy anyways!

________________________

Sunday, January 26, 10h21

Robbe yawned widely and turned his head against Sander’s chest. “Hey!” Sander jumped slightly in surprise. “That tickled!”

They were lying on Robbe’s bed, arms and legs completely entwined with each other, listening to music. Sander loved physical contact but his need was nothing compared to Robbe. Robbe was not a touchy person in general, but when it came to his boyfriend, he couldn’t get enough. Especially when they were alone, in the safe haven of the flat, he always wanted to be closer and closer, even if they were already lying as closely as somehow possible.

“I’m getting hungry,” Sander said, caressing the back of Robbe’s neck.

“Mh…” Robbe answered, shifting his head. “And how do we solve this problem?”

“How about the host of this room goes and gets breakfast?”

Robbe’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “The host of this room?”

“That would be you,” Sander said needlessly, poking one finger into Robbe’s arm.

Robbe grinned and turnt so that he was lying on top of Sander. “And why would the host of this room do that?”

“Because I specifically asked for breakfast when I booked this room,” Sander said with a smirk.

Robbe nodded. “That’s too bad, then.”

“Oh come on! I’m sure you don’t want to receive zero stars on booking.”

Robbe blew a raspberry on Sander’s neck and laughed when Sander pushed him off for that.

“I’ll complain to the manager then.”

“Who’s the manager?”

“Milan, of course,” Sander said very matter-of-factly, “And you wouldn’t want Milan to know that you don’t take proper care of me, would you?”

Robbe laughed and didn’t move to get up.

Sander turned to him, so they were lying face to face now, and gave him a pleading look, obviously going for a different approach when the first didn’t work out the way he’d wanted. “Please, Robbe? I’ll make it up to you afterwards?”

Robbe chuckled. “Ooohhh, nice try, there.”

“Did I succeed?” Sander asked hopefully.

Robbe sighed. “What would you like to have for breakfast, Sir?”

“Yeeeessss,” Sander exclaimed in victory, “Pastries!”

“What? No babe, I’m not going out!”

Sander pressed his face against Robbe’s side. “Oh please, Robbe, pleeease!”

“Nope, no way!”

“Croques then? Do you have everything for croques?”

“I should yeah. Alright, croques it is!” Robbe sighed and carefully pushed Sander away from him to get up.

“But make them good? Otherwise that’ll be zero stars on booking as well!”

“Oi,” Robbe said and took a pillow to smack Sander across the chest.

Sander grabbed him and pulled him back against his own body, dropping kisses all over Robbe’s face, head and neck. Robbe smiled a big smile and brushed a few strands of hair out of Sander’s face. For a little while, they just lay there, looking at each other, smiling at each other.

“I’m getting really hungry now,” Sander whispered eventually, but Robbe didn’t want to let go of his boyfriend.

“How about we make them together?” He asked innocently, his fingers trailing up and down Sander’s side.

“Ugh,” Sander groaned at the suggestion.

“I don’t really know how to make good croques, you know? Maybe you could show me.”

Sander stuck his tongue out but then got up.

“What are you doing?” Zoe asked when she came into the kitchen a few minutes later, yawning widely.

“Did we wake you?” Robbe asked back, a tiny bit of uneasiness in his voice.

“No, you didn’t. And even if! It’s almost 11am, Robbe. It’s okay to be noisy in the kitchen by then. So,” She put a capsule in the coffee maker and looked over his shoulder, “What are you doing?”

“Croques.”

“Mmmh. Sander is one lucky guy!” She winked at Sander.

“I know,” Sander answered and dropped a kiss to Robbe’s shoulder.

Robbe didn’t know what to say but he smiled at their words and blushed a little.

“Do you want one as well?” He asked instead.

“Um…,” Zoe hesitated, looking at the butter he spread all over the toast. “I’m good, I think, but Senne would probably love one, if you don’t mind?”

“What would Senne love?” A rough, drowsy voice came from the doorway.

Zoe reached out to him, put her arm around his waist and leaned against him, handing him the cup of coffee she had just made. “Robbe and Sander are making croques.”

“Ooh, Senne would definitely love one,” Senne said after one look at the pan.

Robbe smiled. “Coming.” He opened the cupboard again, reaching for the bread, then went to the fridge to get out the cheese, handing both to Sander. “Do you want anything else on it? Sander always only wants cheese but I could do something else as well?”

“What a basic bitch,” Zoe mumbled fondly.

“Ey!” Sander exclaimed laughingly and pretended to hit her with the bag of bread.

Robbe and Senne however looked at her, both quite surprised at her words, and laughed in shock. Her tone had been sweet but bitch was not a word that came out of her mouth that often.

“Didn’t have your coffee yet, mh?” Senne teased, kissed her temple and sat down at the table. “I’ll be a basic bitch as well then, Robbe, thanks.”

“I can do one with only little butter, if you don’t want too much fat, Zoe,” Robbe said contemplatively. “Or no butter at all.” Sander made a disgusted face at his words, obviously disagreeing with this idea of making good croques, but he didn’t say anything.

“You don’t have to make food for all of us,” Zoe said and shrugged, finally taking her cup of coffee from the coffee maker. She also got a glass of water and then made herself comfortable on Senne’s lap.

“I don’t mind,” Robbe said, getting some vegetables for Zoe’s croque from the fridge. “They just probably won’t be ready at the same time.”

For a while they were just silent, listening to the pan sizzling, listening to Robbe cutting vegetables, all of them still in the process of properly waking up. Then they heard Milan’s door open.

“I hope you have more bread, Robbe,” Senne said with a chuckle.

Sure enough, Milan walked into the kitchen a few moments later after having been to the bathroom.

“Oi, someone is hungover!” Zoe commented his appearance.

Milan gave her a pained look and sat down across from her and Senne. “What’s going on here? Early morning party without me?”

“Robbe and Sander are making breakfast,” Zoe explained.

“You want some?” Robbe and Sander asked in unison.

Milan’s crumpled face de-crumpled a bit. “Croques and scrambled egg??” He asked and his eyes brightened as children’s eyes on Christmas.

“Only croques, no eggs,” Robbe said.

“But why? There’s still a whole box of eggs in my compartment in the fridge. We can use those.”

Robbe hesitated. This was getting a bit out of hand. The croques were almost ready and making eggs would take another few minutes. He just wanted to eat something and then climb back into bed with Sander. He looked up at his boyfriend but Sander just smiled.

“Sure, why not?” He answered for Robbe and put his hand on the small of Robbe’s back. “I’ll do it, it’s fine.”

“Coffee, Milan?” Zoe asked, already getting up from Senne’s lap. “Anyone else another coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Milan answered. “What did you guys do last night?”

“We went out for dinner,” Zoe said, “And then we actually wanted to go out with some friends but we decided to go home and … have a chill night at home.”

“Well, from what we’ve heard there wasn’t so much chill, was there?” Sander teased while cracking an egg into a bowl. Zoe blushed, Senne laughed.

“Ah, that kind of chill night, I understand,” Milan said knowingly. “Good for you.” He raised his cup to Zoe and Senne, saluting them. Senne thanked him. “What did you do?” He then asked into the direction of Sander and Robbe.

“We’ve been out with Jens and the others. Having a few beers, nothing special.”

“Nice,” Milan nodded, “When have you been home?”

“Are you our babysitter?”, Robbe asked at the same time as Sander said “Approximately when these two still had one and a half round to go.”

Robbe shoved him, suppressing a smirk while simultaneously shooting Zoe an apologetic look.

Milan laughed again, absolutely delighted by Zoe’s embarrassment.

“Next time, put on some music,” Senne advised graciously and laughed when Zoe hid her head between his shoulder and neck.

“Don’t worry, Zoe,” Milan assured her, “It’s fine. We live in a free, enlightened country. We’re young, we have human needs, and sex is healthy. It’s not that these two should complain anyway.”

“Huh?” Robbe, who had just plastered himself against his boyfriend’s back while watching over his shoulder, asked distractedly.

Milan decided not to elaborate on that and just chuckled into his cup. “Well,” He then said, “Thank for asking, thanks for your concern, my night has been absolutely Ho-Ri-Fic. A disaster. Absolute waste of time” He made a pause, obviously wanting the others to ask some questions but they all just looked at him more or less interested because they were all positive he’d tell them anyway.

So they got to listen to a story that was so typically Milan that nobody was surprised but they all enjoyed it anyway because only listening to him talk was so endearing and funny. Mid-story breakfast was finally done and they all sat at the table. Milan kept talking while putting eggs on everyone’s plate and Sander carefully cut in half the best croques ever , to be able to see what’s inside of which. When everyone had food, coffee and water - Zoe insisted on that - they started eating.

Milan’s story about a bad one night stand kind of became a background noise for Robbe. Other than Zoe and Senne, he and Sander were not sitting on top of each other but on two different chairs, however, Robbe had his feet propped up against one bar of Sander’s chair and Sander had his legs stretched out across Robbe’s leg. They kept stealing food from each other’s plates, totally engrossed in each other as if the other three flat mates weren’t there anymore. That was until Robbe pushed Sander’s thieving hand away with a grin, looked up and caught Senne’s teasing look. Robbe blushed again and looked down at his plate, but then decided that really, he probably shouldn’t mind. He gave Sander, who had immediately noticed the change in his boyfriend’s posture, a reassuring smile and offered half of his croque to him. Right when Sander, all surprised, wanted to accept his gift, Robbe pulled back his hand and bit into the croque himself. Sander pretended to be offended but failed and chuckled instead. So did Senne, who had still been watching them, but also Zoe and Milan who also had noticed their little game by now.

“Honestly, I’d rather have you hear sex noises from our room than ever see me being so cheesy!” Senne said.

Zoe playfully poked his nose with her croque. “Here’s some cheesy stuff for you!” And Milan made some gagging noises and exclaimed “Oh come on, Senne as if I hadn’t had to witness you being all gone for this one!”, pointing at Zoe.

Robbe laughed. He looked over to Sander who was laughing as well. They were all laughing or grinning or chuckling and Robbe once again noticed how easy it was. And easy is what he needed in his life.

Sander leaned in and gave Robbe a kiss. “Thank you for breakfast,” He whispered against Robbe’s lips.

“How many stars on Booking?” Robbe asked equally soft.

“Five stars,” Sander replied with a smile.

“Five stars? That’s a lot.”

“Yeah, five out of five, would totally recommend.”

#wtfock #robbe x sander #robbe #sander #zoenne #milan #this is probably full of mistakes #and as I've said #the style is absolutely inconsistent #but well #drabble

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in-tua-deep · 5 years

Note

Hi, I'm the anon who asked for the fluffiest most heartwarming headcanons and they really cheered me up thank you so much! ❤️

asdfghASFGHJ i can give some more random headcanons if you’d like >:3c

we’re gonna go with a theme of food since i went grocery shopping today

After a while in the apocalypse, some things started to grow back. Plants are tough, and a fantastic way to supplement a diet of insects if you know which ones are edible

that’s a long way to say that the siblings witness Five just stuff an Entire Flower into his mouth and he also randomly will stoop while walking and just grab some clover or something and stuff it in his pockets

“And y’all say I’m weird.” Klaus says while they watch Five absently pick and eat an entire patch of dandelions on their Forced Family Bonding Picnic

Five isn’t the only one with food issues - Klaus and Ben also come with food issues and surprisingly Luther also has food insecurity thanks to his time on the moon (everyone noticed that nice note which asked his dad to please remember to send more food right)

Klaus lived with homelessness and Ben hasn’t eaten actual food since he died regardless of the fact that Klaus always sets a place for him or saves him a cup of coffee or tea to include him, and the day that Klaus manages to make Ben manifest enough to actually eat and drink is going to be a Whole Barrel Full of Emotions

honestly what i’m saying is that there is some really wholesome mealtime shenanigans where everyone takes turns providing dinner or lunch and everyone has to attend because it’s family time and there is. varying level of success.

Luther’s food is a little basic but edible enough once they all grab some seasoning. He doesn’t do anything fancy with it, but he can put together a fairly solid meal - and if he actually genuinely studied for this and watched a bunch of youtube channels on cooking well he’s allowed to do whatever he wants on his free time thank you very much

Diego is. Well. He’s been living on his own for a while he’s technically capable of putting a meal together. And if everyone is served scrambled eggs on toast then hey it’s breakfast for dinner shut up that’s a real thing screw you all. (He might have forgotten it was his turn until someone casually mentioned it and he had to make do with whatever was in the kitchen oops)

Allison looks competent in her life but the first time it’s her turn to do dinner they end up having to order pizzas because Allison gets distracted and everything burns. There is some extreme heist shenanigans scrubbing everything down and busting out the air fresheners before Five gets back and Five scowls when he finds out but is actually endeared though he’d never admit it

Everyone expects Klaus’s dinner to be a fucking disaster and it was but that disaster is not what the family was fed so it all turns out okay in the end. Mainly because they went shopping earlier and ended up with a bunch of freezer food and so the family is served a wonderful mean of turkey dinosaur shaped nuggets with sides of kraft mac n’ cheese and microwaveable steamed broccoli

look Klaus is easily distracted and inclined to experiment to the point of inedibility which is not a fantastic combination for family dinner night. the only reason it goes decently is because Ben exists to act as Klaus’s one brain cell and Ben’s intervention depends entirely on how much his siblings have pissed him off this week so.

Five probably just fucking. Proudly dumps a bunch of cans of food on the table and considers his job in ‘providing’ for his family done. When question he defensively says “they aren’t even out of date yet!” and everyone is left squinting at these metal tubes containing their dinner

Next meal though, after much explanation on what they mean by family dinner nights, is probably some kind of stew?? probably a really bizarre and weird veggie stew because you can just kind of toss whatever in a stew pot and go with it which is probably one of the only real things he knows how to make. He may or may not build a fire in the courtyard to cook it since he isn’t sure how to do it making an oven and stove but like. baby steps y’all baby steps.

Ben gets to opt out of being in the roster for family dinner nights due to. his dead-ness. plus the fact that Klaus isn’t reliable in keeping him corporeal yet, but he does make some bomb ass desserts on klaus’s dinner nights when klaus has the energy to manifest him (as long as ben bugs klaus to remember to get whatever it is out when it’s ready)

Vanya makes so many casseroles y’all. When she was on her own she looked up stuff she could make that could be made in one dish and kind of went from there. Did she watch too many shows as a kid where a kindly neighbor brought over some casserole? probably. but her food is actually both edible, homemade, and freeze-able which puts her a leg up on pretty much all of her siblings tbh

the last day of the week, bc ben doesn’t cook, goes to Grace and everyone eagerly awaits those days because let’s be real Grace’s food is the best food and yeah, they might have come up with this thing to give her a break in the first place but damn if she isn’t the real expert and at one point or another they all end up seeking out her advice which she is always pleased by

Five might mainline coffee but surprise! He’s actually not alone in that. Vanya has long long hours of orchestra practice and needs a kick to stay awake, and Allison is completely unashamed with her starbucks obsession. Klaus is always eager to accompany Allison and gets the biggest most sugary drinks possible (as long as she’s paying)

Vanya does try to switch and keep to teas though. Especially after the whole apocalypse debacle. Look her powers are linked to her emotions and she’s going to drink whole gallons of calming whatever tea if it means she isn’t going to punt her idiot brothers through a few walls and go full on Carrie (even if they totally deserve it). She does have some regrets about the frequent bathroom breaks though

Luther is the sibling who tries the teas with Vanya. It’s quiet, they don’t really have to talk to each other, and it’s supposed to be calming so it’s their little bonding thing since god they both need it a lot tbh

Diego thinks coffee pollutes his system and probably keeps a whole bunch of sports drinks. and SMOOTHIES or like those dumb blended drinks? everyone loses respect for him the day they witness him voluntarily drink something with not one but multiple raw eggs in it

even Diego “my body is a temple” Hargreeves balks at Allison’s health smoothies which havekale in them. Allison insists they don’t taste that bad but everyone sees her grimacing when she thinks they aren’t looking. The only one that dares drink Allison’s smoothies is Five and everyone is convinced his taste buds died with the rest of the world in the apocalypse

Allison and Diego team up at least once to try and get the rest of the siblings to go on a health kick. Luther reluctantly joins their side because of the power of Allison and is regarded as a traitor by the rest. Vanya was almost persuaded until Allison said they were having spaghetti and brought out spaghetti squash.

Klaus is ardently against this health kick because he wants waffles for breakfast, mainly. Five is only against it out of spite because they tried to throw away his marshmallows for his sandwiches

Klaus gets really hungry after using his powers to manifest Ben. His power is usually passive but when he’s actively using it, he’s burning calories. This probably leads to at least one collapse before Five elbows his way in to coach Klaus on How Not To Pass Out and to keep snacks on his person

Five’s power is similar in that jumps burn calories for him, which is why he almost never jumped in the apocalypse unless his life was in danger. The peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches were created to give himself some much needed calories and energy. He fainted a lot as a kid and knows how to handle this kind of bullshitbut Klaus is kind of garbage at taking care of himself so i mean. it’s a big old learning curve going on and tbh both Klaus AND Five don’t eat enough they’re both too skinny smh

Everyone takes turns going grocery shopping except for Five and Klaus. Five because he’s not driving to the store alone because he might get arrested (plus his grasp of paying for things is. very loose).

Klaus because of the Incident that Shall Not Be Mentioned involving a local grocery chain store, an entire aisle of baby food, just a little bit of public nudity, and a wet floor sign. That, and Klaus always came back with the most ridiculous things possible anyway so

Klaus tries to wheedle everyone into letting him go because Ben is with him, guys! But no one falls for this. Ben is petty and will take Klaus’s side or egg him on almost as much as he acts as Klaus’s sole brain cell, and Klaus also has a history of ignoring Ben even when he is acting like that one brain cell

Klaus does occasionally tag along with the others. Mainly Diego, because Diego has a not-so-secret Klaus-shaped soft spot. Klaus usually demands to ride in the trolley and knocks things off shelves like a small toddler or particularly mischievous cat

Everyone in the house teams up to make sure Klaus eats at least one (1) fruit or vegetable at least every other day

okay that’s all i got for now i have to take a shower but enjoy ;3c

#ask me #anonymous #tua #the umbrella academy #tua headcanons #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #number five #ben hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #some headcanons to do with food !!#i thought it would be fun #they're all disasters tbh #allison had to grow up from age eighteen with hollywood's bizarre dieting culture #luther had food insecurity up the wazoo #diego ate RAW EGGS #klaus was homeless and had food insecurity #five's food insecurity doesn't even need mentioning #boy ate COCKROACHES #ben can't eat anymore!! let's talk about that!#how much would he give to actually eat a waffle!!#a whole lot is the answer!#vanya is the only siblings with an actual healthy relationship with food in any way and that's the tea on that #and honestly i wouldn't be surprised if she had food issues as well smh

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kspforeverwriting · 4 years

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Hey you, @ask-bungyfarm! I’m your Secret Santa! And I’m also super sorry for this being so late, but I didn’t really have time to upload it properly before now! Hope ya like it dude!

Thank you @stardewevents for hosting this event!

In the Valley they all had their traditions. Hardcoded, wired down, duct taped till nobody could cut through the layers traditions that for the most part were enjoyable. The Luau, free food and the weird governor coming into town to give his weird blessing like a weirdo. The Egg Festival, it was fun to watch the kids, Abigail, and the Farmer race around for eggs. Their Fair and Spirits Eve, what wasn’t fun about costumes and the wheel of cheese Marnie always aged consistently tasting amazing?

The Ice Festival, it was less of his own thing and more of watching Haley take pictures of the scenery, and him getting distracted by the Farmer accidentally getting smacked in the face by a stubborn fish. The Night Market had free coffee. But now…

“Dear Alex, this year, your secret friend is: Bocci the farmer!

Don't tell anyone! The feast will take place on the 25th from 10AM to 2PM at the town square. See you then! Don’t forget your gift!

-Mayor Lewis”

Now he was panicking a little bit. Every other year he didn’t have to worry too much about the Feast, he found a decent gift in Zuzu and would give it to whoever it needed. Haley was easy, he would find her the lens she would always want all year and slide it right over. Emily, he’d have his gran help him with a vegan recipe. Abigail, Maru, they liked the pretty rocks. The weird emo kid just wanted to avoid interacting with people so he would take anything and dip. Sam, he could just buy a big pack of Joja Cola and call it a day.

But Bocci?... He hadn’t even known his name before reading the letter. Bocci was an odd dude that moved in not too long ago, and he had seen him and two other people wander around town that he didn’t recognize.

This wasn’t about them though. This was about Bocci, and more importantly, his lack of knowledge about the man. He didn’t even know where to start as he slipped his scarf on, preparing to head back outside. Despite what the letter said, he had to follow through and ask someone about him.

Might as well ask who he knew best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There you are! Okay, in, right now. Abby, we got him!” Haley yanked Alex into the house as soon as he knocked, using her foot to shut the door and her hand to easily unravel the scarf. He knocked his boots together on their welcome mat, facing backwards due to Abby’s warnings.

“Sweet! Pamper time dude! A friend of mine sent these in from her farm, she’s got some cool stuff in here and you’ll love it.” Abby looked from around the corner to their kitchen, mixing some kind of concoction in a sparkly pot thing. “Just cause it’s winter doesn’t mean you get to skimp on basic face care. You’re getting a mask and moisturizer and that’s final.”

“I appreciate it, but I need you two’s help here. I got my secret friend for the winter feast.” Alex was sat down at the table, leaving his boots by the door and his scarf hung up on a hook. His sweater went over the back of his chair, and his hair was soon pinned up to make way for the weird bubbling mask.

“Ooo, is it me? I’ve been dying for better film lately.” Haley giggled as she put her own hair back, using her fingers to smear the mask around her cheeks as Abby did the same. Alex scrunched his nose up at the smell, but went with it anyways out of trust.

“Neither of you. I’ve got that new dude, Bocci. Typically I wouldn’t care too much, but not caring isn’t a good way to go about things nowadays.” He puffed out his cheeks and leaned back in his chair, feeling the mask slowly hardening into a weird sheet on his face.

“Bocci is pretty cool. He let me make sure there were no weird monster things on his farm before building his stuff.” Abby twirled a lock of hair around her finger, continuing to mix the pot despite the mask still bubbling within. “He really likes hash browns. Like, I brought over breakfast before we went into the mine and I think he considered screwing me kinda like.”

“That’s love, Abby. He loves hashbrowns.”

“My point still stands!”

“He also really likes milk. He helped me get onto a cow the other day and kept rambling about different milk qualities depending on animals and biz.” Haley started filing at the tips and edges of her nails before pulling out a weird pen brush thing, rubbing said thing over her fingertips. “So there’s your options.”

“I’m not giving him a plate of hash browns and a jar of milk guys. That’s just… That’s so weird.” He watched as Abby pulled at the edges of her mask, wincing as her face was pulled with it as well.

“Well, why not make something? I made Abby a necklace one time and she still hasn’t taken it off.”

“Cause it’s beautiful! If anybody makes me something, I gotta wear it!” She yanked off the last bits of the mask with a firm tug, tossing it away and patting at her cheeks.

“That’s it!! I know what I’m doing!” Alex got up with a start, snatching up his jacket from the chair as he spun right back around. Back to the table to give goodbye cheek pecks, he was stumbling with his boots as he ran out. “Thanks you guys! See ya!”

“... He knows it was still on his face, right?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next week, Alex was all over the kitchen and his room. His desk was covered in materials, having figured out another gift as he saw Bocci in the store.

He had a dog, just like he did. Dusty didn’t even growl at him.

“His name is Dingo! Not Bingo, but because he’s a little bit of a dingus and I like that about him.”

“This is Dusty. He’s a little old, but he’s a good boy, aren’t you?”

“Aww, makin’ friends Dingo?”

“Atta boy, Dusty.”

He saw the lack of collar and leash, and knowing how uptight the mayor can be about certain things, set out to make him a really cute one. Dusty’s was old enough for a change, so he made the leather and gold tags match.

But what he was making in the kitchen…

“Gran, are we out of milk again?... Don’t worry about it, I’ll go grab some!” He shouted as soon as he opened the fridge, passing by the sweet old lady in the hall. A smooch to her forehead and he was off to Marnie’s, taking too much for his family to drink but enough for what he had to make.

A double tiered tres leches cake. Too many were trashed already this week, but on the final day right before the event started, he put the last of the icing and assorted berries on top. Perfection. He just had to make sure it was wrapped accordingly.

“Alex sweetheart, did you see my scarf? I swore I set it down right here, but my eyes are going a bit bad…” He heard Evelyn’s voice from around the corner, and picked up her scarf from the rack they had in the hallway. Around her neck it went, and she gave his cheek a soft peck.

“We’ll wait for you outside, dearie! Don’t take too long now.” A gentle pat to his cheek and the chill of outside was brief, the door clicked shut behind the two elders. By the time he got the collar and leash tied up, the cake was all he had to worry about.

“Hmn… I think just foil can work.” He mumbled to himself with the two presents, now wrapped and ready to go. Town was fully decorated for that day, and he adjusted his mittens as he spotted his friends.

“Hey guys, happy eat till we die day!”

“I’mma eat till I can’t breathe!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, uh… I’m your secret gift giver this year!” Alex let out a chuckle from the surprised look on Bocci’s face, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck. “This is both a gift, and an apology. I didn’t think about trying to say hey before, but… You’re a pretty cool dude.”

“Woah… Dingo’s gonna love this!” Bocci gently thumbed at the leather before him, looking at the tag and the well done engraving. “Alex, this is great!”

“Ah-ah! One more. This one’s got a bit of a time limit though, so be sure to--” He was cut off by the so not excited squeal the other man gave out, looking into the berries before him.

“Tres leches cake! I haven’t had this since I left Zuzu…” A small sniff and he looked up, setting the gifts on a nearby table before pulling the other man in for a hug. Alex froze for a second, but let himself sink into it like a puddle of mush. “Thank you.”

“Heh… No problem.”

Or in this case, a warm sweet puddle of milk.

#My Stories #My Works #Stardewevents #Stardewinter

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afewmarvelousthoughts · 5 years

Text

Truth Pt. 12

Truth Master List

Request:

What’s up sug! sorry you’re struggling right now but I’ve come to help you If you could bring this to light for me I’d absolutely love for YOU TO DO JT So basically Bucky X Enhanced reader who are fuckin enemies. Hate each other to every last fiber of their beings bc Bucky is rude and she calls him out on it. AnywHs, they get drunk, truth or dare (go crZy baby) and LOTS LF dirty talk if u wanna do smut but if u don’t then buck taking care of her while she’s drunk cause she admitted her feelings

Pairing: Bucky X Reader (Enhanced)

Summary: Since The Avengers gave you a home the only blight has been Bucky Barnes, a ghost from your past that you can’t seem to shake. It makes you hate him. The feeling, it seems, is mutual. But… a simple game reveals that maybe things aren’t quite so simple. (Post Winter Soldier AU)

Warnings: FLUFF, FEELS, CUTE MOMENTS, only a little sad

A/N: Look. I’m a sucker for Bucky dancing, I’m a sucker for cheese (sometimes) and also I just thought these two deserved a moment like this after everything they’ve been through. Ugh. I love them.

Tags are open!

@midnightdream83 @mywinterwolf @disagreetoagree @breezy1415 @peachthatdrinkslemonade @wonderlandmind4 @piensa-bonito @handplucked @buckysstar @sam-jae @marauder--harder @for-the-love-of-the-fandom @andreagf956 @marvelousmeggi @jewelofwinter @fairislesheets @animegirlgeeky @lydklein1 @katecolleen @siriuslycloudy2 @zannemes

The next morning you slip out while Bucky is still sleeping for your appointment with Tony and Bruce.

You were happy he managed to get some sleep. Throughout the night you kept waking up, terrified he’d stopped breathing or constantly seeing that image of him bleeding from a wound you’d inflicted on him…

The moment the elevator opens you’re met with Black Sabbath blaring. It wouldn’t have been your first choice but you’re not mad about it either.

“Mornin’ Sparks!” Tony bellows from the other side of the room.

“Coffee or tea?” Bruce asks.

“No fasting?”

“Nah.”

“Coffee.” Bruce pours you a cup and brings it over to the chair you were at a few days prior.

“We just needed that for the initial blood tests.” You hold your arm out and he begins to attach the nodes.

Tony heads over when Bruce is about done, Dum-E on his heels. “Sorry, had to fix this idiot.”

“Be nice to him,” you smile at the robot.

Tony laughs shaking his head and holds out a bag of banana chips. You take a few, munching them, mind wandering back to Bucky.

“Hey,” Tony sits next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder, “you ok?”

“I’m fine. I’m not the one who got a hole torn in their side yesterday.”

“It really looked worse than it was,” Bruce says, tone trying to reassure you.

“I know how much worse it could have been…” You feel the energy rise in you.

“Damn,” Tony looks at the screen. “Tell me, after a fight are you able to get your power up and running faster?”

“Uh… maybe? I’ve never really paid attention to it.”

“Because it took almost an hour for you to reach this high of a level the other day. And now what, five minutes?”

“Could be linked to emotion too.” Bruce would know.

“Yeah. Both maybe? Sorry, I know that’s not helpful.”

“No, but it’s interesting.” Tony studies the readings as the energy quiets. “The signature is also just a touch different-”

“Not quite as stable,” Bruce finishes. It’s like you’re not really there. Which is honestly ok with you.

“So you and Lefty,” Tony pops some chips in his mouth, “had quite the tiff. Guess you made up?”

You glare at him for a minute before responding. “I guess making him bleed was good enough payback for being a chauvinist.”

“Maybe,” he glances at the screen. “You should actually talk about it though.”

“Are you really giving me relationship advice?”

“More of a suggestion. Based on my own many and likely continuing mistakes.” Bruce snickers and Tony throws a chip at his head.

You laugh and sigh. “As much as I hate these words, you’re probably right.”

“You just broke rule #1, Y/N.” Bruce shakes his head in mock disappointment.

For the rest of your appointment, you run through some of the same things you did before. Bringing your energy up and down, letting it crackle from your fingertips, forming and dissipating.

Tony and Bruce both study the screens after you’re unhooked. “You boys need anything else from me?”

“Nah, you’re good Sparky. I’ll let you know if we need ya.”

“Have fun nerds!” You call over your shoulder as you head back to Bucky’s apartment to check on him.

When you open the door the smell of bacon makes your stomach growl. The sound of Bucky singing along to Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon brings a smile to your face and an ache to your heart. What if you’d-

“Y/N?” Bucky’s calls from by the stove.

“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry I didn’t knock…”

He comes out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee for you. “You don’t have to knock.”

“Thanks,” you take the mug from him but don’t take a sip, your lips pursed, trying to settle your nerves.

“You’re welcome. Thought you may be hungry.” He nods toward the kitchen and heads back.

Slowly you follow taking a seat at one if the bar stools. You stare into the mug, the silence only broken by the sizzling from the pan for the next few minutes.

As he cracks and whisks the eggs you can’t stand it anymore. “Why are you doing this?” You snap.

He turns around, bowl in hand one brow raised. “Like I said, I thought you’d be-”

“I could have fucking killed you Bucky…”

“Yeah,” you feel your face contort at the admission. “But it was my fault.” You turn back to your coffee, the guilt too overwhelming.

He turns the burner off and comes to your side, “Look at me, Y/N.” His right fingers graze your left cheek, gently turning your face to his. The expression on his face is soft, eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. “You had it handled. I… I was... well I was acting like my fucking father. Like I knew better based on nothing but my own pride. Because of that I got in the way and got caught in the crossfire. That isn’t on you, baby.”

You reach a shaky hand out to touch his side lightly where the bandages were. Bucky takes your hand in his, lifting it to his lips. “I can’t promise I won’t ever be an authoritative prick again. But I’ll work on it, I promise.” Sniffing hard you nod. “We ok?”

“Yeah. We’re good.”

The two of you enjoy a nice breakfast and have just curled up on the couch to watch a movie, both of you still tired from the mission, when Tony texts you:

“Hey. Can you come back for a minute? Wanna talk about something.”

You sigh heavily.

“What is it?” His back is pressed against your upright torso, head on your chest. Tilting his head to the side he looks up at you.

“Tony needs me to come back to the lab for something.”

“Ok,” Bucky groans a little as he sits up, the exhaustion clearly kicking in. “Tell him if he keeps you too long he’s gotta deal with me.”

You laugh, “You got it, Sarge.” Standing you lean down and press a kiss to his forehead.

Tony’s at his desk, the lab quiet for once. It’s unnerving.

“What’s so bad that you don’t even have music on, Ton?”

“Huh?” He looks at you distracted. “Oh! Nothin’ bad just needed to focus and couldn’t find the right song.” He flashes you a half smile.

“Tony…?”

“I just can’t work out how you tick. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen…”

You can’t help but laugh bitterly, “Well you’ve only tested me twice.”

“True but the results are so different. I mean… the base readings are pretty similar but… I just hate a problem I can’t solve, or that I don’t even know how to start.”

“Are you trying to… fix me, Tony?” A cold feeling of betrayal begins to settle over you.

“No! Absolutely not!” He looks horrified and you feel like an idiot for thinking that. “Unless you want me to… I just want to be sure we can keep you, ya know...”

“From blowing up and killing everyone?”

He rolls his eyes, “I was going to find a more tactful way to put it.”

“Tact isn’t your style man.”

“Ouch!” He dramatically grabs his chest. “Anyway, I was wondering if you’d be cool with me tagging along on your next few missions as a non-combatant. I just want to monitor your levels in real time, see how they change in combat vs. in a controlled setting. But I don’t want you to feel like I’m babysitting you.”

You think about this. It could be a little weird. Tony usually stayed out of most basic missions, only really getting involved in the ones where they needed the extra firepower. Honestly you always like when he’s along and you can think of another good reason to have him…

“I’m game. But I need you to promise me something.”

Tony’s brows raise with suspicion. “That makes me nervous… suuuuuure.”

“If you’re with us and something goes wrong. If I’m down or compromised in some way… get him out.”

Tony’s face settles into a stoic mask as the weight of what you’re asking settles over him. “Y/N…”

“Look, I don’t have any intention of throwing myself to the wolves or anything but after yesterday… I just don’t trust he won’t do something stupid to save me if he thinks he can… no matter if it’s a lost cause.”

“He’ll put up one hell of a fight. I saw how he looked at you Y/N the other day. That man is-”

“You can handle him. Plus… you’re the only one that can besides Steve and…”

“He’ll hate anyone who pulls him out. You figure I can handle that.” He smirks.

“Tony…”

“No you’re right, I can. And I am the only one. So yeah, deal.”

You give him a cold smile, it wasn’t exactly something to be happy about. “Alright.” You stand and extend a hand to shake on it.

He takes it and pulls you into a hug. “Just don’t put me in that position Sparky. You don’t get to just cash it in, ok?”

“I won’t.” You pull away, this time your smile is genuine. “Besides, without me, who’re you gonna make playlists for?”

“Exactly.”

You enter the elevator with a strange sense of hope warming your chest. A sense that grows and grows over the next few months.

For the most part, you’ve moved into Bucky’s place. Sure you still technically have your own apartment in the tower but you haven’t stayed there one night since that mission where you injured him. Your clothes, records, and even some of your photos have made their way into his drawers, shelves, and onto his walls slowly but surely.

On nights where you’re not beat from a mission or eating with the team, you cook together. Dancing everything from the waltz to tango as various dishes bubble away on the stove. You even convince him on a few occasions to invite one or two people over for dinner or drinks that aren’t Steve.

Nat and Clint join you one night. Another it’s them and Steve, which proves to be hilarious back and forth between best friends calling one another out on their reckless bull shit. You laugh yourself to tears more times that night than you can count. When you have Sam over things are awkward for about a half hour before they gang up on you to argue the superiority of Star Trek to Star Wars.

Tony accompanies you to whatever missions he’s able. Mainly he hangs back in the jet, looking over the feedback Jarvis sends him from the cuffs he modified to not only offer (hopefully anyway) emergency stabilization but to give him readings on your energy levels, how the signature changes, temperature fluctuations, and other minute details you never pay attention to.

When you’re back on the jet he usually would do a more thorough scan as you fly home. Determined to figure out just what Hydra did and how he can give you the most control possible. It warms your heart that he’s so determined.

Only twice do they pick up on any more energy signatures that come close to your own. The first was a false positive. While the other seemed to be just residual energy since the facility appears to have been abandoned for years. In fact, you’re fairly certain it was one of yours, judging from the way your head feels like it’s filled with static and the soul-shredding dreams that followed that night.

Bucky held you while you screamed and cried. You weren’t able to make your tongue form the words, some block in your brain preventing you from speaking about that facility. It was ok though, he understood. The night was spent with him rocking you gently in his arms, singing softly to you, grounding you to a present so wonderful it made the past truly feel like nothing more than a bad nightmare.

You weren’t the only one to deal with ghosts though. It was a particularly brutal mission, the Hydra agents were determined to win or die… needless to say, they didn’t win. Bucky had been cornered with Nat by about 10 agents. When you saw them after they were both covered with viscera and blood, looking more like animals than humans.

That night you rolled over to find the bed empty the door to the bathroom cracked, the sound of the shower running seeping out. You padded quietly over, pushing the door open slowly, not wanting to startle him. Bucky was on the floor of the shower, head pressed to his knees. Scalding hot water hitting him from all angles, his skin pink and red. When he lifted his head you felt your heart shatter. His face a mask of fear, pain, regret, and horror.

He didn’t have to explain to you why, though he wants to. What he wants is irrelevant. Had you asked for a mission report he could have given it, could have recited every horrifying detail of the day. His mouth opens and closes as you tentatively approach.

“Zamorozka,” is all he’s finally able to manage in a shaky voice when you’re by the shower. Freezing. Cryo. That’s what they would have done after a mission like that just to be sure. Wipe. Reset.

Nodding you strip your clothes, stepping into the cloud of steam to sit behind him, warm him further with your body, pull him as far from that freezing hell as you possibly could. For a long while, you hold him, kiss his tense back muscles, remind him where he is. When you coax him out of the shower you tell Jarvis to crank the heat in the apartment. You wrap Bucky in cozy clothes and blankets and though you’re practically sweating you don’t care.

But even with those and a handful of other times that your past comes knocking in the night, the two of you find something neither ever hoped for. Happiness. He frustrates the hell out of you some days but he makes you laugh, never questions your silences, and goddamn if he wasn’t incredible in the sack.

And it seems that you make him happy too. You’ll catch him watching you from time to time, a warm smile lighting his features. He’s more personable to everyone, even Sam commenting that he likes him better now. Steve is convinced you’re bringing back more of his old self, you hope that’s true.

Bucky can’t help the smile on his face. All you’re doing is caring an armload of blankets in from the bedroom but still… it makes him unbearably happy.

Everyone is wrapped up in gala business. Some necessary evil PR stunt for the Avengers. No one has mentioned anything about having to attend to either of you so instead, you’re taking the time to watch movies and eat copious amounts of shitty food.

He pops a cheese puff in his mouth and you look over to him. “If you eat all those I’ll zap you.” Laughing Bucky walks over and tosses a neon orange ball at you. Effortlessly you catch it, munching loudly.

“What’re we starting with?” He settles next to you, tugging you close.

“Reservoir Dogs, Tony’s been harping on me to watch it and I just want him to shut up about it.”

Bucky laughs, “Alright. Hit it Jarvis.” The windows darken to block out some of the early afternoon light and the film starts.

They’re no more than 20 minutes in when Jarvis pops in. “Pardon the interruption, Captain Rogers is on his way up.”

You exchange a glance, “Everything alright, Jarvis?”

“To my knowledge, yes.”

When Steve raps at the door Bucky gets up to let him in. “Hey, sorry to interrupt.”

“It’s fine.” You pipe from the living room as they head in. “Cheese puff?” Steve smiles at the proffered bowl, never one to turn down a snack he grabs a handful as he sits.

“What’s goin’ on?” Bucky settles back at your side, automatically taking your free hand in his own.

“This damn gala.”

Bucky laughs, “You never did like a dance, Stevie.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “Hard to when every gal had a foot on me at least.”

“Mhm. That was why.” He turns to you, “He just doesn’t like dancing.”

“You do though.” You both turn your eyes back to Steve, Bucky’s suspicion mounting. “That’s kinda why I’m here…”

He reaches over and nabs more cheese puffs, shoving some in his mouth before continuing. “Hill thinks maybe you should both attend.”

You just popped a puff in your mouth and begin coughing a bit, “What?!”

“Don’t shoot the messenger,” Steve holding a hand up in surrender. “She said it would be excellent PR for the team to let people see-”

“The reformed freak show?” Bucky’s grip tightens on your hand. This puts a bad taste in his mouth. Steve looks wilted and Bucky regrets his tone.

“No man, at least I don’t think it’s like that.” His fingers begin to drum on his knee. A classic Rogers tell that he’s nervous as all hell. “I think it’s more to show people that you’re not something to be afraid of, either of you.” Bucky feels you shift next to him.

“The public knows there are two former Hydra assets on the team. You,” he gestures to Bucky, “they know about from the Battle of The Potomac. But, Y/N, you’re a total mystery which is almost worse.”

Bucky stares at the place where your clasped hands rest. People fear what they don’t know. “So… this is a PR suggestion, not a team decision?” He can feel the tension in your body.

“Yeah, but everyone agrees it’s probably a good move. It’s a secure event, every attendee vetted. Plus it’s here in the tower so if you need to duck out, you can.”

“Bruce said the last one wasn’t bad,” your voice seems kind of small.

He looks over at you, your eyes also glued on the spot where your bodies connect. “Do you wanna go, doll?”

You laugh a little bitterly, looking up, “I mean… it’s not my thing, I didn’t even go to prom but if everyone thinks it a good call and will help PR… I kinda feel like we should.”

Suddenly he feels kind of excited, having you on his arm, dancing with you… Of course, there’d be all the other people, press, and… He swallows hard. “Alright. We’re in.”

“Thank god.” Steve looks genuinely relieved.

With the gala on Saturday night, your relaxing Thursday afternoon immediately shifts. Now there are clothes to be chosen and fitted, logistics to discuss, various preparations to be made.

Bucky is drug off with Tony and Pepper takes you on. Tony gets his tailor on fitting a suit for Bucky immediately since apparently what Bucky had wasn’t suitable, despite the fact that Tony keeps insisting that the event isn’t super formal. It makes him think of when he’d let his sisters dress him up. Except he’s more annoyed and less endeared.

The next day you’re both back in fittings after breakfast. When you’re done it’s lunchtime and you both look spent. Still, it’s off to a meeting with Hill to cover security details, as much for the attendees as all of you.

Most everyone would enter at the beginning of the party, do the press thing, answer a few preselected questions, etc. When they’re going over this Steve looks like he wants to puke. It’s the one time Bucky’s happy he’s known for being an unstoppable murder machine.

The two of you and Bruce would hang back, coming in an hour after the others once the event actually starts. This doesn’t mean there won’t be some pictures snapped throughout the evening or even that people won’t attempt to interact with you all but it will take the pressure of being in the spotlight off. All that’s really asked is that you all stay for at least a half hour but if you need to leave that’s ok.

No weapons would be allowed into the building. All of you were welcome to arm yourselves as you saw fit. While they never anticipate anything to go wrong, few were bold enough to make a move inside Avenger’s Tower, after all, it never hurt to be prepared.

Saturday morning comes and you’re both already over it. His initial excitement has been smothered in anxiety and general annoyance with the whole process. Plus he knows as soon as he sees Tony, he’s going to have to once again make it clear that he’s not cutting his hair.

“Let’s just say we’re sick.” You press tighter into his side, burying your face in his chest.

His lips curl a touch as he strokes the back of your head. “Don’t think that’ll fly, doll.”

“Thirty minutes has never seemed so long in my life. And after Hydra, I feel like that’s saying something.” You roll over onto your back next to him.

He can’t help but laugh. “It’ll be fine,” he tangles his fingers with yours. “Besides, didn’t Tony say he put together a great playlist?”

“Not worth it.” Your phone buzzes on your nightstand. Groaning you pick it up. “It shouldn’t take a whole day to get ready for anything ever. It’s just not right.”

“You’ll have fun, Nat’ll be there.” You slide him a sidelong glance. “Promise after this we’ll see about running off someplace for a few days. Sound good?”

You smile before pouncing on him, straddling his hips, kissing him hard. “The thought of having you all to myself for a few days may just get me through this.”

Your phone buzzes again and you go to get off, he pulls you back, “I think they can wait a minute.” He lifts his hips to fully press the hard length of him against you.

“I think you’re right Barnes.”

His good mood lasts until the exact second Tony asks about his hair for the sixth time in the last three days. “Stark, if you ask me one more time I swear to god I’ll-”

“Alright, alright,” Tony’s hands are up. “At least pull it back.”

“Planned on it.”

“Give him some credit, Tony, the man wasn’t raised by wolves,” Clint pipes up from the couch where he’s waiting to try his suit on too.

Bucky doesn’t see you for the rest of the day. Pepper planned what she swore would be a fun ‘girls day’ for all the women on the team. He hopes you’re having fun but as the clock ticks closer his anxiety over everything is peaking. Seeing you, he knows will calm some of it. He’d face anything with you by him.

You were all meeting in the common space for a toast before the majority of the team went down to kick things off. When he gets there, it’s just the guys, drinking whiskey and lounging.

“I guess you clean up alright Barnes.” Sam lifts his tumbler of amber liquid in Bucky’s direction.

“You don’t look terrible either, Wilson.”

“Psh,” Sam scoffs as Bucky takes a seat by Steve on the couch, “I know I look damn fine in this Armani. Not that you’d know taste if it hit you upside the head.”

Bucky has to admit, Sam’s burgundy suit is pretty sleek. He’d opted for something black. Its slim cut seems strange but it’s the style now. The jacket, Tony insisted, could be worn open and thank god this wasn’t something he needed a tie for. In fact, the perfectly tailored white button-up was open a few buttons, making it fairly comfortable.

It’s almost twenty minutes before the elevator dings. Everyone but you and Natasha file out. Tony catches Pepper up in a passionate kiss. Hill looks incredible in pants that hug her legs and what looks like a men’s blazer without a shirt under, very her. The other gals look great too.

Since time was getting tight Tony goes ahead and gathers everyone around, popping a bottle of champagne and pouring glasses. Finally, Natasha saunters in but oddly you’re not with her.

“Sorry I’m late, had to figure out where comfortably put a pistol,” Natasha announces. She’s in a bold number. Gold, short, strapless, with a triangle cut out showing her cleavage perfectly.

“Told you not to go with the Versace,” Hill quips.

“Ok, but how could I not. Just look at me.” She flashes Bucky a smile, “Y/N is right behind me.”

On cue, the elevator doors open and you step out and Bucky’s jaw hits the floor. You’re radiant in a floor-length black gown, sheer from the waist down with black overlays resembling roses with crystals providing shimmer, the neckline plunges almost to your waist, your arms bare. Your hair is swept and pinned to one side, curls perfectly shielding half your face, your lips a deep blood red.

“Woah.” Steve breathes out next to him. “I don’t know if you can handle that Buck.”

“You may be right,” Bucky can’t take his eyes off you as you float over to them.

“I feel slightly ridiculous.” You say exasperated as he wraps you in his arms.

“You look beautiful.”

You smile softly, a slight blush on your cheeks. “Thanks”

“I may have to take back what I said about your lack of taste, Barnes.” Sam teases before Tony shuts everyone up for the toast.

When the time finally comes to slip into the party you grab his metal hand so hard you’d likely break a regular Joe’s bones. Bruce goes first. Since you’re supposed to wait a few minutes he pulls you into him. Kissing you, his fingers grabbing your hair by the roots, body pressed tights against yours. Your panting when he releases you.

“You’re lucky this lipstick is magic.” He laughs noting it didn’t budge.

“Ready darlin’?”

“Now I am.”

Hand in hand you walk into the room. The door is tucked in a back corner so no one really notices either of you for a minute. That is until Captain America just has to pull up next to you both.

“Save me,” Steve whines.

Bucky can’t resist laughing at how visibly uncomfortable his best friend is. He clasps his free hand on Steve’s shoulder, “Come on, pal. Can’t be that bad.”

Honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. People keep a wary but curious distance from the two ex-Hydra agents in their midst. This means when the other team members want to have a minute away from their PR faces they just gravitate toward the two of you. He wants to dance with you but honestly, he’s too nervous to drag you out into the big middle of it all. It’s fun to watch the others dance and get a little silly though.

After a couple of hours, Tony and Pepper approach you.

“Come on,” Tony’s free hand grabs Bucky’s.

“What?” Bucky has no clue what Stark is playing at.

“Grab that gorgeous woman and get on the damn dance floor with us.”

Pepper smiles at you with a wink, “As much as I hate to agree with Tony, that Elie Saab you’re wearing is too beautiful to be a wallflower.”

A few light synth notes start and all the sudden you bust out laughing. “Foreigner?! Tony? Really?”

“This is a great song!” Tony’s face takes on a mock look of offense. Bucky doesn’t know the song but he’s not hating it, unlike some of the other stuff you had him listen to.

As the four of you begin to sway on the dance floor the crowd there thins out a bit. You’re still giggling in his arms. “Tony is such a lame ass.”

“What was that Sparky?” Tony shouts over the music.

“You’re a lame ass!” You shout back, Pepper belts a laugh and there are distinct snickers from the crowd.

You’re both laughing as he spins you out when the melodramatic chorus kicks in. The two of you manage some kind of waltz sway mashup, giggling like kids.

Natasha and Sam join you all and seem to be getting a kick out of the song choice too, singing along. As the song turns takes on a choral vibe you, Tony, and Pepper, along with a chunk of the crowd all join in. Bucky swears his face aches from smiling.

When it ends he can’t help but spin you into his arms and kiss you. A few whoops from around them makes it sink in just how public this is. Somehow he doesn’t really care. Your head falls back and your ringing laugh sends his heart soaring.

“Careful Tin Man,” Tony playfully elbows him, “wearin’ your heart on your sleeve there.”

Bucky thinks that Tony Stark had never been more right in his life.

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky #soft bucky #bucky fluff

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dogbearinggifts · 5 years

Text

Tattoos With Better Stories

Umbrella Academy

Author’s Note: Well, here we are—Part Three of a series that started as a single oneshot meant to fix the VFW scene and soon gained a sequel. If you haven’t read either of those, start with He Saw the Ghosts before moving on to Dead Ringer.

Both are available on my AO3 account.

Tagging: @timelesspromise

Jim didn’t know what to make of the unnamed soldier’s expression.

It wasn’t a whole smile, but it was near enough to one for Jim to wonder what might lurk behind it. Such a look wasn’t unexpected of a soldier in an active war zone, but there was something more about it, some strange contentment that kept it from sinking into despair. Not for the first time, Jim found himself searching the faces of the other men in his unit for any clue, no matter how small, that might force the facts in his head to fall into their proper places and form a picture clearer than the one before him. But no matter how long he looked, no matter how much the pit in his stomach urged him to look elsewhere, his gaze drifted back, again and again, to David Katz.

The quality of the photograph was par for the course, for its day—a middling caliber that was better than the worst and disappointing when placed alongside the best. Had it been a little less grainy, Jim was certain they’d have been able to make out the barest outlines of the soldier’s tattoos, distinguish a few features that might have separated the soldier in the photo from the veteran they knew. A little grainier, and the soldier would have been only somewhat clearer than most images of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, his resemblance to Klaus dismissed just as easily.

Richard took a long pull from his soda, lowered it, and spoke for the first time in a good while.

“What the hell?”

Earlier

“Okay, so first you need to cast on a few stitches.”

“Cast on.”

“Right. What you’re gonna do is you’re gonna make a slipknot and put that over the needle.”

“Which needle?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Klaus looked down at the two identical knitting needles in his lap. “Oh. Right.” He formed the knot easily enough and slipped it over one needle, holding it upright. “Now what?”

“Now you need to make the first stitch.”

From all Richard had relayed of his encounter with Klaus the night before, he’d never intended to give the younger man a personal knitting lesson. Plans to meet up with him at the library, to pull him into the circle and let him absorb suggestions and tricks from a group eager to teach had taken a blow when Klaus had called earlier that morning. “Said he couldn’t make it,” Richard had told Jim on their way to the shop. “Went on about how he’d tried to knit and couldn’t do it, so he couldn’t come, didn’t want to slow us down.”

He’d also said Klaus had sounded as if he’d hoped to leave a message rather than speak to the person he’d called, but that was neither here nor there.

“You’ll take one end of the yarn like this.” Richard lifted his own yarn to demonstrate. “And then lay it over top the rest to make a loop.”

Klaus had to look back at the example once or twice, but he replicated it without trouble.

“Now you’ll just slide the loop onto the same needle as the slipknot.”

Jim glanced toward the cash register. Aimee shot him a smile before pretending to straighten an immaculate display of crochet hooks. Despite her age, she was an old hand around the shop, having been hired on the year before their knitting group outgrew the small meeting room and moved to the library. She still dropped by whenever night classes aligned to keep Thursdays free, bringing along her latest project and a story or two about her dog.

Klaus tried lifting the loop and sliding it over the needle, as Richard demonstrated, but he hadn’t twisted it correctly and the loop disintegrated and he had to form it again. After a moment of frustration, he managed to slide his new loop down alongside the knot.

“Great. Now you’ll just do that another eighteen times.”

Klaus let out a puff of air that wasn’t quite a sigh, but might have been on its way to one. With care, he formed another loop, lifted it gingerly, and placed it on the needle. Richard nodded approval, and Jim’s gaze drifted back to the tattoo on Klaus’ bicep, to the words Sky Soldiers printed above the skull emblem. There were more letters inked in tiny font above, but Klaus’ sleeve kept getting in the way and they were too small for Jim to read from where he sat.

Like the olive drab vest he wore, like the dog tags dangling against his shirt, the tattoo was just familiar enough to poke at memories ranging from bittersweet to unpalatable. There were a few sweet ones, sure, but war and time had a way of working in concert to change the flavor of those. Perhaps the words meant something different to Klaus, perhaps there was another reason he had chosen to have them inscribed on his skin, but to see it on a man so young sent a dozen questions bubbling to his mind, each more uncomfortable than the last.

He looked to Richard, but if the man shared his misgivings, he didn’t show it. Jim traded a look with his friend, then spoke.

“So Klaus. You from the city?”

Klaus kept his attention on the next stitch he cast on. “Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I’ve always lived here, so I guess that’s where I’m from.”

Jim had heard less conclusive answers. “So no military family for you.”

He wasn’t expecting a laugh, let alone one with such a bitter edge. “Not like that, no.”

No confusion crossed Richard’s face, but he did toss Jim a quick glance. Talk later, it said. Of Klaus, Richard asked: “So what made you decide to enlist?”

Klaus hesitated, and that hesitation went on a little too long for Jim to believe he was simply concentrating on his knitting. “Just kinda….got thrown into it, I guess.”

Jim nodded slowly. He’d heard that sentiment before, expressed a dozen different ways—from men who were drafted. Those who enlisted had longer stories, some inspiring and some less so, but they had stories. Reasons. Ideals that were confirmed and challenged, shattered and tested. There were exceptions, of course, but when there hadn’t been a draft in forty-six years, stories and reasons usually replaced uncertainty and bewilderment.

He looked to Richard, trying to guess whether he should ask the kid where he’d served or leave that to his friend, but Klaus lifted his cast-on stitches for inspection. “Got it!”

“Looks good,” Richard said, and Klaus smiled at the approval. “Now you’ll take your yarn like this….”

He threaded the yarn around and between his fingers, and Klaus did the same, mimicking as Richard lifted his second needle and slid it into the first stitch. His fingers slipped a bit, missed the yarn the first couple times, but he managed. That smile resurfaced when Richard nodded encouragement.

Jim knew better than to interrupt a novice knitter in the midst of his first uncertain stitches, so he cast about for something, some small and mundane task that might distance him from the questions tapping him on the shoulder. A glance at his watch told him it was a little late for one meal, a little early for the next—as good a time as any for a snack.

“I’m gonna head down to the coffee shop on the corner,” he said, stretching. “You guys want anything?”

“Ooh! They still have those breakfast sandwiches, with the sausage and egg on a biscuit with all that melty cheese?”

“I’m sure they do.” Jim had expected a little more hesitation from Klaus, but the younger man’s enthusiasm brought a smile. “You want anything, Rich?”

“Just coffee.”

Jim stood, but before he’d gotten completely to his feet, a familiar glint of steel against Klaus’ shirt caught his eye. The letter K was up where the surname belonged, but that only proved this Klaus wasn’t a Hargreeves, so he read further.

What the hell?

For a long moment, Richard’s words hung in a silence filled by low chatter and Tom Petty’s voice filtering through the speakers: Somewhere, somehow, somebody must’ve kicked you around some...

“You heard what he said.”

Jim nodded. He’d found Richard and Klaus mid-conversation, but he’d caught enough to stop in his tracks and listen. “Maybe he’s just read more books than most.”

“But why Vietnam?”

“Could just like military history.”

Richard shook his head at the photo. “World War Two’s the one everybody wants to learn about. Vietnam’s the one they want to forget.”

After a halfhearted search for a counterpoint, Jim gave up. “Was he…”

Richard met his gaze.

“From the sound of it, he knows a lot about what the 173rd was up to. He talk about anything else? Overall strategies, basic timeline, any other shit that makes it into those books?”

“Not much.” He paused in thought. “Actually... I’d have to check the dates, but I don’t think he brought up anything outside of ‘68 or ‘69.”

Jim took another swig of beer, hoping it would quell his unease. Most amateur historian types liked to study everything, and they’d talk your ear off about anything that occurred within their eras of interest. A self-described WWII buff had spoken about D-Day, the myriad faults in Hitler’s strategies, the American and English home fronts, and scientific advances courtesy of wartime technology. Not all historians were like that; some had a narrower range. But when a particular era sparked their interest, many of those who made research a hobby became intellectual magpies, snatching up every halfway interesting fact for their ever-growing collections.

“How the hell’d Vietnam come up, anyway?”

“He asked where I’d served.”

Klaus should have fielded the question first. He was the mystery, after all, the one who had walked into a room full of strangers to sob over a man fifty years gone. Even if he didn’t care to discuss what he remembered, he should have at least mentioned where he’d been. “He say where he served?”

“Never got to that, no. But he talked an awful lot about Vietnam.”

Jim lapsed into silence again. What he’d seen of that talk, of the look Klaus had worn as he spoke, was enough to make him want to down the rest of his beer, grab another, and head out on the town long enough to put Klaus and the unnamed soldier and everything in between out of his mind. Researchers, amateur historians, history buffs—whatever you wanted to call them, most of them bore a certain expression when their favorite era surfaced in conversation. Their eyes lit up, their faces softened as if in preparation to smile. Some talked with voices pitched higher in excitement; some talked with their hands as well. It had repulsed Jim at first, seeing them discuss the Second World War as if a conflict that had left blood and bodies strewn across a ruined landscape was the plot of a popular film they longed to see again. It wasn’t his war, but it was still a war. Even after reminding himself that what they knew of it was cold facts on a page, old posters and stories collected years after surrenders were made and victories declared, he couldn’t say their enthusiasm set him at ease.

When Klaus spoke of Vietnam, of battles fought years before his time and a war ended decades before his birth, there was no light in his eyes. No eagerness, no sharpened interest, no horror or shock. He responded to Richard’s stories with somber nods and words, but not surprise. He’d shared no anecdotes of his own; any facts he’d named had been in the form of questions—were you here, were you there, did you see this go down or were you wrapped up in a different shitshow—but Jim had seen the look in his eyes, heard the subtle catch in his voice before. It was a question, a plea for recognition.

You’ve been to hell. Did you see what I saw? Do what I did?

“You see his forearm?”

Richard’s voice, quiet though it was, gave Jim a start, but it faded quickly. “Academy kids weren’t the only ones to get those tattoos.”

Richard gave a slow nod, eyes on the photo. “Even if he is that Klaus, it doesn’t explain how he got the tags.”

Katz, David. Jim saw the dog tags in his mind’s eye, as sharp and clear as if they sat before him, the name pressed into the metal and his memory. The man himself stood in the photo beside Klaus’ doppelgänger.

“Might explain how he knew Katz, if he can talk to the dead.”

“Doesn’t explain anything else.”

Jim said nothing. Something had happened to Klaus—anyone who looked more than a second could see that. But a longer gaze and a while spent listening told a story, one set in a faraway jungle and filled with blood and the chatter of gunfire and awful lights blazing through the darkness—one Klaus was too young to know. One he heard with the solemn quiet of a man who had witnessed it.

Scars are just tattoos with better stories. Jim wasn’t sure where he’d first heard that or how much stock he put in it, but it had stuck. But when those scars weren’t the kind you could show off to a retired Marine over a few drinks, when they were the sort that appeared only as ripples in a pond, there was no narrative. Only a jumble of events and details—a sobbing man and things he shouldn’t have known, tattoos with significance that ought to escape him—strung together in a manner that might have made sense in a fever dream, but nowhere else.

“Could be a scam,” Jim said. To his relief, Richard shook his head almost immediately.

“Tats are expensive.”

“Research is free.”

“You don’t learn what he learned without reading a shit-ton of books and old documents.” He took another sip. “Too much investment for too little payoff.”

A similar thought had planted itself in Jim’s mind, but hearing it echoed allowed it to take root through the silence that followed. “He never asked for anything.”

Richard looked to him; Jim saw him out the corner of his eye as he regarded the photo again.

“Never asked for a goddamn thing. Not even help.”

Richard nodded slowly, somberly, and Jim shut his eyes. All those disparate elements swirling around him, all those impossibilities played as fact, and that was what kept Jim from dismissing it all as a sick hoax played for profit. If there was profit to be gained, Klaus didn’t seek it. He only sought to carry what he’d brought back with him, even as the burden crushed him beneath its weight.

The two of them stood in silence as the music played.

“Never did track down everyone in his unit,” Richard said after a long minute.

Jim nodded. The war had taken some and spared others, but those it spared weren’t shielded from death by other means. Others could have lived, but with their whereabouts unknown, they were no more able to name the soldier who appeared in their photo.

“Got any other leads?” Jim asked.

Richard drew a long breath. “There’s one guy. Tried contacting him a couple times, wound up getting put in touch with a friend of a friend. That trail might lead to a dead end for all I know….but it might lead somewhere.”

Jim looked to the unnamed soldier again. All those years between the taking of the photo and Klaus traipsing into the bar, all those years spent trying to connect the man to a name, had culminated in a morning of knitting and a conversation that made no sense and too much sense.

This lead, this man from Katz’s unit—as Richard said, it could be yet another dead end in a long string of dead ends. But if it wasn’t, if they could speak to a man who had served alongside the unnamed soldier, had talked with him and eaten with him and exchanged a hundred jokes with him that would have drawn gasps and looks of horror from anyone who didn’t spend their days marching from one battlefield to the next….

The thought brought a mixture of anticipation and apprehension, and Jim wasn’t sure if the two could be separated.

“And if it doesn’t?”

Richard regarded the photo again, and Jim couldn’t say whether his gaze went out to the unnamed soldier or to Katz. Maybe it had settled on the both of them.

“Then I guess we’re back to square one.”

Author’s Note: For anyone who’s curious, the song playing in the background is “Refugee” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy fanfic #umbrella academy spoilers #sheepdogs series #tua fanfic #oneshot #klaus hargreeves #original character #original characters #long post #not sure how this scene fits into the show's timeline #i mean #i know it can #but not sure how #but i liked it so here it is

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lavidaatravezdeunavion · 5 years

Text

Week 3

June 30

We had to be up and ready to go at 7:40am because today we were going to be driving to the Jesuit Missionaries about 3 hours away. Before the missionaries, we went to an amethyst mine. It was cool to hear about it and they said that they don't export the gems so the only way to get it is by buying directly. The gems were breathtaking!

After another two hour drive we finally arrived at the San Ignacio's missionaries and ate at the comedor right in front. I got a pollo milanesa and a salad. I crushed the salad but the pollo was average so I didn't finish it.

After lunch we toured the missionary. Our tour guide explained to us that these missionaries were sent to spread the word of God to the Guarani People. They had built multiple communities in the surrounding area including brazil and paraguay. Later they were taken out and some of the guarani people went back to living in the jungle. San Ignacio was abandoned and destroyed, so the restoration is only partial. It was cool to be able to walk through their common spaces and know that a couple hundred years ago there were indigenous people walking on the same grounds.

The tour finished and we loaded up on the bus for the three hour ride back home. We ate dinner at the hotel and I got a pumpkin soup as a starter and let me tell you I was a little on edge because I’ve never had pumpkin soup but it was sooooo delicious. Since it was a starter they only gave me a little but I would’ve been happy eating a whole bowl of it, 9/10. For my main course I got the fish of the day which was “pacu” with a side of mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes didn’t disappoint but the fish could’ve been better. Not my cup of tea. And for dessert I got a flan.

After dinner we all went to bed since we had to get up even earlier to head to the waterfalls.

July 1

We left the hotel at about 7:30am and headed to the waterfalls that was only 30min from our hotel. We were trying to get on the first train up to the waterfalls so that it wouldn’t be as crowded on the lookout. It was perfect timing because as we wrapped up taking all of our pictures a crowd of people were walking up. If you are able to get on the first or second train in Iguazú falls it honestly will make taking pictures a lot easier.

After we saw “la garganta del diablo” we went to the little store they had and I got an empanadas de espinaca y queso (spinach and cheese). When I paid for it the guy told me to be careful with the animals. But I realized that the birds here are VERY vicious. I stayed inside to eat my empanada but my professor went out to drink her coffee and eat her empanada and got attacked by some birds! This is why they have cages specifically made for people to eat in LOL.

We did another trail to see the falls from a different angle and it was just mind blowing.

After the trails we had little time for lunch. I didn’t want to eat too much because we were going to be taking a boat tour right after. From one of the comedores I got some chicken and rice. While on this trip there are two things that I really miss: rice and beans. They have rice here but they usually eat potatoes and beans are not very popular here so my Salvadoran blood has been a little sad.

Anyway we got on the boat and I definitely recommend doing it if you are able. They give you a waterproof bag to put your stuff in and I also recommend taking your shoes off and putting them in the bag. I was also wearing a poncho which helped protect me, but regardless you will get wet. They take you really close to the falls and you can take some pictures in front but then they tell you to put your phones away because they take you sooooooo close to the falls and get soaked!!

Once the ride was over we got back on our tour bus and headed back to the hotel.

For dinner, we ate at the hotel and I got the pumpkin soup, salad and the chicken milanesa with a side of mashed potatoes. Pretty good meal, favorite of course was the soup.

After dinner some friends and I went to the store to get something to drink. I got a white boxed wine that was only 55 pesos! (~$1.30). If you were wondering, no I did not finish it.

July 2

We were able to sleep this morning till about 9am since we had to leave the hotel at 10am. We got on the plane and headed back to Buenos Aires.

After we got off the plane and back to the resi (which I sort of missed) we dropped off laundry and got a little snack.

Later that night we went to “Caracas bar” to watch the Brazil vs Argentina game. I got this drunk called guarapanita which was rum and fruit juice. I also got some tostones de carne which really hit. The bar was a really cool and had a big screen to watch the game on but unfortunately the energy in the bar was really off. If you don’t know Argentina lost and it was really sad :(.

July 3

I was so excited to wake up today because my sister was going to be coming to Buenos Aires! I got up at around 10:30 and went to brunch with some girls at this cafe called adobo. We ended up walking but then couldn’t find it and then google maps said it was twenty min away so we got a taxi but what we didn’t realize that there were two locations #whoops. Anyway the food was bomb. The bagel sandwich just hit differently and Nutella and banana French toast was to die for!

After breakfast I went back to the resi and picked my things for our trip to Uruguay later that evening. I picked up my laundry and waited for my sister to arrive. Once my sister got there we went to exchange some money. I thought that Uruguay was going to be cheaper than Argentina for some reason but I was wrong. The exchange rate right now is about .55 Uruguayan peso for 1 Argentine peso.

We went to a cafe near Plaza Serrano called “La Panera Rosa” and I got a Chicken Rigatti Pasta. It was honestly one of the best meals ive had. It really had a lot of sauce and contrary to what Future says you can really never have too much sauce.

After lunch we got in a taxi and headed to the port and got on a Buquebus. Which is a ferry and then a charter bus to Montevideo,Uruguay.

We checked into our hostel and then I messaged a friend I had met back in 2016 through Amigos de las Americas a nonprofit organization that I volunteered for. When my friend said he'd love to meet up I was ecstatic! We went to a random cafe near by and got a Chivito, which is a typical Uruguayan sandwhich and of course some wine.

After my friend Miqueas gave us a little tour of the city and we headed to a bar to get a night cap.

July 4

Happy fourth of July!!

This morning we got up and checked out of our hostel since we would be traveling to Colonia later. We walked to a restaurant to get some “breakfast” even though it was 11:30 am. My sister and I shared a milanesa that came with two fried eggs and some fries and potato salad. No need to mention the restaurants' name there are probably better ones out there.

After lunch, we headed to Montevideo Shopping because my friend works around there so he said he would meet us up after he got out. Sooo in the meantime, we got to walk around and window shop.

Once my friend got out of work my friend took us to the coast to get a good view and he knew I had a blog so he wanted to make sure I got good pictures! ( Gracias Miqueas!!! <3)

After the photo session, we headed to the bus terminal and got our tickets for the bus ride to Colonia. We decided to get a quick bite to eat in the terminal to this restaurant called “La Mostaza”. My sister and I shared Ravioli, which was pretty bomb. The filling for the ravioli was like spinach and it was different but definitely tasty.

Once we finished we headed back to the hostel to pick up our luggage and then got a taxi back to the terminal and then got on the bus for Colonia. Once we arrived to Colonia I was a bit nervous because I did not see too many taxis but luckily once we walked outside there was a stand and then headed to our hostel and went to bed.

July 5

Today we got to sleep in again and then got ready to go get some breakfast. We went to this cute coffee shop called “Colonia Sandwich and coffee shop”. I got a roast beef sandwich and some tea. The place was really cute and since its winter time here they had blankets for everyone who sat outside which definitely helped.

There were a bunch of birds surrounding us it was a little scary but more cute lol.

After lunch we just walked around the town which is really small so it wasn’t too long. We saw a lighthouse and some cool views on the coast.

Later we did some more walking and found the drawbridge that we couldn’t find earlier. We also gained a new friend along the way lol.

We decided to get a little snack to hold us over so we could try and eat dinner at a “normal” time. (Dinner in Argentina and Uruguay is usually eaten around 9 or 10pm so its been something difficult to adjust too) We walked into this restaurant that was right in the center, I wish I could tell you the name but the sign outside literally just said “Restaurant”. Anyway my sister and I shared a Rice with seafood dish and some wine. I loveeeee seafood so this was a perfect combination for me.

After we decided to walk and get some ice cream at Freddo which is a pretty popular chain here. We got a Dulce de Leche cone.

Much later we went to go get some dinner at a pizza place called “Napo” it was really delicious. You could even see them making your pizza. My sister noticed that the guy making the pizza had a hat on and said that's probably a health code violation but im still here so I guess it's not that big of an issue. My sister and I got a salad and a pepperoni pizza and some red wine. (forgot to take a picture of the pizza sorry!)

After we headed back to the hostel and went to bed.

July 6

Today we woke up and checked out of our hostel and then headed to go get some breakfast. We went to this cute cafe called “Picnic”. I got an orange juice and a caprese empanada and then my sister and I shared a donut which was nothing like ive ever had before 10/10.

Since we had basically seen all the important landmarks we walked around and went window shopping. After we decided to go do a wine tasting at a place called “Buen Suspiro”. We had tried to go there the night before but it was closed. We got some charcuterie and tasted four different wines: Rose, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tempranillo. My favorite was the Tempranillo and a close second was the Sauvignon blanc.

After the taste testing, we went back to collect our belongings and headed to the port to get on the ferry back to Buenos Aires.

Once we got back I helped my sister check into her hostel and then headed back to our resi to work on this blog because it was long overdue!

After I finally caught up we went to dinner at “La Robla”. I got myself a Milanesa with a salad and my sister got a Steak with some mashed potatoes and we shared half a liter of sangria. I didn’t know sangria is literally just wine and fruits lol, the more you know.

For dessert we got a banana split!

After dinner, we walked my sister home and then went to bed.

This week we’ve done a lot of traveling so im excited to be back in BA!

Hasta luego,

T.L.

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