#but!! i wanna see if there's any interest in arena events

[vampiricsheep]

I want polls so i can ask one quick thing about the next rp event i wanna organize ;w; like i know i can google forms it again but

#tbh i might do another fill in the blank query for theme though since that got some great new ideas out there #but!! i wanna see if there's any interest in arena events #and if so if something structured or solo duels or a free for all are more appealing #it's the kinda thing where nobody has to fight and theres the expectation of spectators but i know pvp aint everyone's thing #also a note for ppl who dont know; when you duel in a guild hall it still uses your pve build and gear #so if youre set up specifically for pvp things might not translate! #but yeah. cheer on your friends. bruise your little guys ego. get your daily dose of adrenaline. whatever #like ofc theres plenty of non combat. theme options too but it's fun and it's like. an outlet for more destructive behavior #idk man im tired of people picking fights at my events and making it super uncomfortable for everyone else and a tussle in the pit is fun

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hello! I love your writings so much, I have a request if you down to write it. If not, no worries. Basically, it's Bishop Kallamar x Reader, Pre-game but after the the betrayal of Narinder so this hoe deaf.

Reader is the adult child of a noble, and their parents engaged in a ritual to force reader as a consort for Kallamar in hopes their house will stay eternal, and their family will have a healthy life. Reader was against this the entire time but in the end was forced to go through with it. Kallamar was reluctant but a marriage with a consort does strengthen the cult, something all the Bishops are encouraged following their injuries. However the two of them actually get along quite well with similar interests, and essentially go from forced marriage of convenience, to friends, to lovers? Thanks for taking the time to read this!

"I still can't believe they did this without telling me..”

“I understand your frustrations, young master. It came as a surprise to me, too. But look at it this way..if all goes well, our home will be blessed with good health and happiness for generations to-”

“What about my happiness? I’m not gonna be happy marrying the ugliest Bishop in the Old Faith. That’s for damn sure.” With a deep scowl, you sat in the chair, slouching as your servant helped you get ready for tonight’s ceremony in Anchordeep.

That being..a marriage ritual organized in secret by your parents, forcing you to become the consort to Bishop Kallamar--made only possible due to your family’s noble status.

The mere thought of standing next to him in the temple was enough to make you gag. You didn’t even pay much attention to his sermons and rituals anyways, only pretending to care so your parents didn’t scold you afterwards.

But to spend your whole life with him??? Just so your family could receive his blessing??

You’d rather swim with the fishes.

They had this insane idea that this gesture will bring good health to the household, and keep your home sturdy enough to withstand any tide. But as far as you were concerned..everyone under this roof was healthy as a horse, and the house wasn’t gonna collapse anytime soon.

You were absolutely convinced this was some divine punishment.

There’s no way Kallamar would agree to this himself, you thought.

But alas, he did.

In a few hours, your quiet life here will change forever...most definitely for the worst.

There’s no telling how he’ll treat you as his consort. For all you knew, that old deaf squid could be unbelievably cruel, or a paranoid sniveling coward.

Either way, you dreaded tonight’s events.

..........

With glowing crystals embedded in your jewelry, a veil over your face, and a silky gray and golden robe wrapped around your form, you entered the temple of Anchordeep, sighing deeply as you walked down the long path.

Every step you took forward made you wanna run the opposite way, but with your parents flanking either side of you, that was sadly not an option.

In the temple arena, you could see decorations hung all over the place, with cultists kneeling on both sides, humming in perfect harmony as you entered. The other followers gathered there turned their heads to see you, some awestruck at your appearance, while others seemed nervous for you.

You flashed a pity smile back at them, before one of your parents insisted you faced forward.

At the altar, underneath an archway decorated with bones, shipwreck wood, and crystals, stood Kallamar, who looked the same as he always did--except for changing his bandages to fresh ones so they weren’t bleeding. He showed no emotion, though even you could see he was adamant about this, too.

The truth was that ever since Narinder’s betrayal, the Old Faith’s morale had been considerably shaken, as everyone saw the grievous injuries he left on each Bishop.

That was the day they learned their “gods” weren’t invincible, thus dissention spread far and wide.

Despite his crown’s power saving him from going completely deaf, Kallamar still had trouble hearing at times. That was detrimental to his ability to weed out the whispers of betrayers until they orchestrated a mass exodus from Anchordeep. He managed to sweep them with a horrible plague to prevent them from leaving...but he couldn’t make that mistake again.

To save his realm, and all of the Old Faith in general, Heket, Leshy, and Shamura all came together with a proposition:

A marriage ritual. It’s notorious for wooing people’s hearts and strengthen the cult. If it could work for lowly follower couples, why not the Bishops?

As reluctant as Kallamar was at first, he decided to go through with it and organize the wedding, making all preparations. Upon hearing the news, your family offered you up to him right away, and he agreed to marry you despite not knowing you personally.

Only as that one follower of nobles keeps dozing off at his sermons.

Regardless of how you both felt about this arrangement, the marriage ritual commenced..and it turned out to be quite beautiful, with a big fish feast at the end and celebrations that went on all night.

You, however, didn’t feel like it was worth celebrating.

Your life was basically sold to Kallamar.

...............

It had been a few long months since the marriage, and....life has been oddly generous to you lately.

One of the big perks of being Kallamar’s consort was that you got a rather luxurious room within the temple, the windows allowing you to see the ocean and all its marine life. Not to mention the glowing crystals illuminating the seaweed in a beautiful light.

Least to say, it was quite mesmerizing, especially when this was your view almost 24/7.

Compared to your old home life, this was...rather nice. You never got bored of looking out the windows.

Even your parents were a bit envious of the view when they were allowed to visit. However, your home was permanently here in the temple; it made you wonder if your servants missed you at all.

Perhaps not.

Your family constantly talked about how “blessed” their home is after it survived a rather nasty storm...but didn’t ask you anything about being married to the Bishop (not that you think they’d care to begin with, as long as they got what they wanted in the end).

Of course you weren’t always in Kallamar’s company alone, as Witness Bathin, Haborym, and his other close servants waited on you hand-and-tentacle, catering to your ever need without question. There was never a request that they dared turn down.

As for your squid “husband”, well, you initially despised him and refused to even talk to him...and he turned out to be the submissive one in the relationship. He left you alone most days, and others he’d become paranoid of you “conspiring” to kill him, or demand to help him with sacrificing rituals.

You obviously knew he still had...issues regarding Narinder’s betrayal and his injuries, but you both agreed on one thing:

Being against this marriage from the beginning. This was only for the sake of convenience and nothing more.

Or at least..that’s what you both thought at first, believing it’ll remain this way for the rest of your life.

Though as time passed and you spent more days together, Kallamar seemed to have turned over a new leaf. He didn’t stutter or make harsh demands as much anymore, but instead started treating you like an equal.. 

Almost like a friend, you’d say, which is surprising considering you thought he was ugly inside and out.

He’d take you out in Anchordeep, showing you beautiful coral reefs and treasure rooms from sunken ships--places that no ordinary follower would go all alone. Whenever you got sick, he’d heal you without question, always checking up to make sure you’re okay.

Despite the slight barrier with his hearing problems, you two....actually managed to get along. You involved yourself more in sermons and rituals, even gleefully partaking in some. And on his bad days, you’ve comfort him and reassure him he’s a great leader no matter what.

A few dissenters and doubters believed he brainwashed you, but the truth is..

You realized he wasn’t all that bad.

The turning point was discovering that you both had a lot more in common than previously thought, including a love for seafood. Ironic as it was, the big squid adored any meal with fish in it.

Speaking of which, you were feeling a bit hungry, and so you left the bedroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen area. After putting water in the cauldron, you lit a fire underneath it before gathering some meat, fish, and vegetables.

As you waited for it to boil, you chopped up the ingredients and tossed them into the cauldron when it was ready. You then sprinkled some herbs in--humming a tune to yourself while doing so--and grabbed the wooden spoon to stir everything together.

Of course, one of the servants could have done this instead, bringing you up a fresh meal on a silver platter. But you insisted on doing things yourself. 

You didn’t wanna be coddled all the time; you needed independence too, damnit!

“Is that a mixed fish meal I smell?”

Looking over to the entrance, you saw Kallamar arrive into your chamber. You simply smiled and nodded. “Yep. Did you want any?”

“O-Oh! Um..it’s fine. You don’t have to-”

“I insist. There should be enough for both of us.”

“....alright.” He gave in quite easily, waiting at the table as you finished cooking.

After taking up some bowls and placing one down in front of him, you sat at the opposite end and dug into your meal. It was a rather comfortable few minutes of silence, with you only asking him how it tasted and his simple reply of “delicious”.

Gods like him didn’t need to eat, you knew this very well, but it would’ve been awkward if he stared at you the entire time you ate.

Besides, he wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you about something.

“[Y/n], I’ve been thinking..about us. And I wonder..could this truly work between us?”

Blinking, you paused in your feast and glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”

“I-I mean, erm...I know this arrangement was something neither of us desired in the beginning. But...h-how do you feel about it now? Do you think we’ve grown closer?”

“....I do.” You smiled lightly. “For what it’s worth, Kall..I no longer think you’re ugly on the inside.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.” Putting a hand on his cheek, you could see his golden ring gleaming in the light. “So what I’m trying to say is that....I think we’re at a point where..maybe..w-we could um..work out as a genuine couple? Not just one out of “convenience” or anything of the sort.” A light blue tint dusted his face, which he tried to hide--but to no avail.

You were surprised by that question.

You never thought he’d even admit that he might truly love you, and not just because he wanted to appease the cult and boost morale among followers. It became more apparent in his actions and words as time went on...that perhaps more could blossom from this relationship.

For centuries, he’s lived with his heart wrapped in thorns, constricted by paranoia and trust issues. But with you, it only took a few months for those thorns to unravel.

Now he had some confidence back--confidence in telling you the truth and opening his heart up, even if it’s just a little.

‘If he’s been trying, maybe I can too.’ You decided. ‘I’m gonna be with him for the rest of my life regardless. Might as well make the most of it.’

“Yeah. I think so.”

Immediately, Kallamar’s eyes lit up, although he seemed confused for a moment. “What? W-Was that “yes” or..did I mishear you?”

“No, you heard me right.” You chuckled, reaching across the table to take his hand into yours, gazing at the ring. “I never thought I’d say this, but..I truly do love you, and I’m willing to improve on our relationship. We can try, Kall.”

He nearly burst into tears on the spot, but his toothy smile only grew wider, overjoyed that you agreed with him.

“Wonderful! I see you’ve had a change of heart too, my dear. Then it’s settled..we’ll be the happiest couple in all of Anchordeep!”

#clanask #cult of the lamb x reader #cotl x reader #kallamar x reader #cotl kallamar #bishop kallamar

[hitmewithabusposts]

Steveo x reader; he falls for a cowgirl who helps with farm skits

This one is sending me for some reason lmao 😭 like I’m picturing him in a cowboy hat with the goats he has now too🫶

Cowboy Take me Away

I grew up on my parents ranch, riding horses and helping out with our other animals. But when my parents gave the ranch over to me, I decided to start promoting it for a petting zoo, horse riding lessons, and did events like corn mazes in the fall. So when I got an email from the creators of MTV’s Jackass, asking to come film stunts out at the ranch, I didn’t say no.

I had been a fan of the show, and I figured having them visit would be a good way to show the ranch off to adults too. The first day they arrived, they parked their trailers out in one of the fields, and I walked out to meet them.

All of them were super funny and sweet, and when Steveo had introduced himself to me, the first thing he did was ask if he could go see tne animals. Of course I took the guys on a tour of the ranch, showing the horses (including the ones they would use for their stunts), the goats and sheep, the bulls (which interested Knoxville, no surprise), and the pigs.

That night they had built a bonfire by their trailers, and I brought out beers for everyone and sat on the ground next to Steveo as I watched some of the other guys do stupid stunts with the fire.

“So, what do you think of everything so far?” I asked Steveo, looking at him as the fire reflected a warm glow off his face. He turned and smiled at me, saying “it’s rad that you own all this stuff, plus you brought us beer so you’re already number one in my book” tapping an elbow into my arm as he took another sip of his beer.

The next morning, they wanted to film a stunt they were gonna call “laser tag” where they would ride around the arena on some of my horses and try to tase eachother, only rule I set was to not tase my horses which they agreed to.

“Hey y/n, this is probably lame but do you have any tips about riding these things” Steveo asked approaching me and nervously laughing. I looked at his outfit for this stunt which consisted of cowboy boots, bootcut jeans, and a yellow plaid shirt with a neck scarf, and to top it all off, a cowboy hat. “Of course I do, here come over here” I said, motioning him to follow me. I led him into a tack room and handed him a pair of my spurs, showing him how to put them on his boots.

“Use those, I’m putting you on my favorite, just press the spur on your outer leg into him a bit and he’ll speed up” I told him, explaining what to do as he nodded. “Thank you” he said, climbing up on my horse as we walked outside. “Of course, good luck cowboy” I told him with a wink.

The whole thing was hilarious to watch, and I cheered for Steveo, him only getting hit once. “Hey good job, do you wanna see more of the place? I can steal one of the horses from the guys and take you on a trail ride” I offered, walking up to Steveo who was still on my horse.

“Yeah dude, that sounds epic” he replied with a smile. I walked over and took one of the horses they had just used that was still saddled, and climbed on telling Steveo to follow me as I headed for a path through the woods.

“I didn’t expect you to enjoy this farm stuff so much, you just seen so ‘city’-like” I told him laughing as we walked past a creek. “I love animals so I was pretty psyched to come out here, and it helps that the owner is a babe” he said suggestively, throwing a wink at me as my face burned red. “Y’know you’re not too bad yourself Steve” I said, stopping so he could come up beside me.

“Oh really? If that’s true, do you wanna go out with us tonight? Knoxville found some honkytonk type of bar a few miles away, you could go with me” he offered, smiling at me. “I’d love that” I sincerely told him as he suddenly said, “awesome, I’ll race you back” and took off speeding away back in the trail making me laugh.

#steve o #jackass #jackass number two #jackass forever #jackass 3d #fics #anon request

[sergeant-spoons]

OKAY IVE ARRIVED FOR THE SHIPPING. (Perdoname, @holdingforgeneralhugs that I copy/pasted my description)

I'm 5'3, of petite/muscular build, have very short silver hair that's shaved all the way around but the top. I'm very much a tomboy (lots of people think I'm a lesbian, if that is any indication). Wearer of backwards snapbacks. I love dogs (I have two 😁 a 13yo chow/dachshund and a 6yo chow/Pyrenees), I'm a drummer, I draw sometimes. I'm the epitome of the Aries/Taurus cusp that I am. Sassy as all hell, very sarcastic, very protective, loyal, lazy as fuck, love smells and soft things, I've been told I'm incredibly intimidating. But I'm mushy on the inside. I have tattoos, three helix piercings on one ear, an industrial on the other, and both lobes. Very extroverted. I love history. A bit of a hoodlum. I love baseball. Favorite colors are blue and grey. Morbid/macabre. An open book - I'll talk to anyone about anything and tell anyone whatever they wanna know. Uhhhh. I love grunge and 80s hair metal/arena rock. Always ready to fight if need be.

I think that's about it! 💁🏼‍♀️ Das me!

Thank you booboo!!

Ayyyyy my friend!! Thanks for the ghost gif 👻 So sorry this took me so long to come up with, I haven’t had much time to write the past month or so. I hope you like this! 💕

I ship you with... Joe Liebgott!

He thinks that you are so tough and so badass. In fact, you intimidated him the first time you met. In a good way. In an 'I need to see that girl again ASAP' kind of way.

If you would let him style your hair once or twice, he would be over the moon. He thinks the color is fantastic and he likes to play with it whenever your head is resting in his lap.

He will steal your snapbacks and wear them to meet his friends (and has done so on multiple occasions). He always makes sure people know they're your snapbacks, of course, because he wants everybody in the whole damn world to know just how cool you are.

He adores your dogs and they adore him. He probably spoils them a bit too much for their own good, but they're certainly not about to tell him that. You might, but with the way he's sitting on the kitchen floor while they flop around and cuddle with him... well, maybe reminding Joe to cut down on the treats can wait for another time.

He thinks you're hella cool, and your drumming is no exception. He wishes he had an iota of your talent, because if he did, he'd be in a band. As it stands, however, he's happy to watch you shine and listen to you rock on all day. Plus, he can be very diplomatic when he wants to (ie. for your sake) with certain overbearing neighbors you don't want to deal with.

He has pinned your artwork to the fridge so many times you had to tell him to stop, so he got his favorite ones framed and now they hang in the hallway. He really is incorrigible sometimes, but really, can you blame him?

He's more than happy to go out and do things with you all night and/or day, but he's just as content to laze around at home with you and the puppers. Whatever you're up for, he's game. If one of you isn't feeling as energetic or interested as the other in a certain activity, you have no problem being like "Go out and have fun! Let me know when you're on your way home." Hooray for healthy communication and a supportive relationship!

He's very protective, like you, and when I say you two as a team are a force to be reckoned with, you are a force to be reckoned with.

He's mushy, too. He'll never admit it in a million years, but he so is, he's the biggest sap for you this world has seen.

He wants to get matching tattoos someday. Something badass but also a little bit sweet. Because he loves you. So fucking much.

He loves all your accessories and style, but if you ever wore his dog tags to a public event, showing off that you are his, and he is yours... let's just say he'd have a hard time keeping his hands to himself.

He will go with you to baseball games all the time, whether you're playing, coaching, or watching. He buys the merch for your favorite team and becomes a huge fan because of course he does.

He never liked history class in school but he does like it when you talk to him about things you find fascinating from the past. I guess the teacher really does make all the difference, huh?

The first time he got in a fight to defend your honor, he figured out that you don't particularly need him to throw the punches for you, since you've got a strong right/left hook of your own. That was the day he knew he was in love with you. He told you so with split knuckles and the biggest grin you've ever seen- so yeah, you went on a date with him the next evening, and the rest, as they say, is history.

#itswormtrain #band of brothers #ship game #ship headcanons #ship: you x joe liebgott #band of brothers ship #hbo war show #joseph liebgott #ship

[sparklingchan]

Chapter 3|| Stormbringer- Stray Kids Demigod AU

Pairing : Reader(fem.) X Felix

Word count : 3.3k+

Warnings : A fight scene but it’s just practice XD

Genre : Romance, Demigod AU, fluff, angst.

Description: An unexpected incident brings you closer to Felix, but there’s one person who’s not very excited about this blossoming friendship. 

A/N : Things start getting interesting from here *insert the moon face emoji* Enjoy!

SERIES MASTERLIST ||  Click here for introduction to the story and glossary and here for the Stray Kids demigod diaries!

"A near miss, y/n."  Felix whispers in his deep, raspy voice sending shivers  through your entire body.

You blink awkwardly at him for a few seconds before he gets off of you and offers you his hand to help you stand up.

You hear the Aphrodite girls whispering behind you, giggling.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Your eyes are looking everywhere but at Felix, the heat from your cheeks making your whole face warm.

"It's alright, " he chuckles, "Are you hurt anywhere?" His freckles look even more gorgeous up close, his toothy smiles reminds you of bright skies and beaches and picnics and fresh fruits. And when the warm afternoon sunlight falls on his eyes, his brown orbs turn into a gentler shade of golden. Breathtaking.

"You're beautiful." You blurt out, involuntarily,  loud and clear so everyone hears you. A loud chorus of gasps run throughout the dining hall.

And you decide to run away back to your cabin with the little dignity you had left of yourself.

And there you are, once again thinking back to yesterday's events while polishing your precious arrow heads as you sit on the Zeus cabin's verandah.

You sigh, "It was the Aphrodite effect, right? It has to be!"

You've been pep talking to yourself all morning long, making up excuses for the way you behaved yesterday. You're too embarrassed to face your friends or the other people at camp.

"I mean he is good looking, but why did I say it out loud. Does he have powers? Like that of Hyunjin? Maybe he can charmspeak. Yes! That's probably it!" You mutter to yourself.

(a/n: Charmspeak is a rare type of hypnotic ability that Aphrodite kids possess)

Or perhaps he'd induced a new sense of adoration in you, like how Aphrodite kids usually can. But then again, they cannot actually induce these feelings. They can only manipulate them which means they'd have to exist in the first place.

You put the arrow back into it's case.

"Ugh!" You let out a loud groan, covering your face with your palms.

The image that you'd spent years to portray in front of everyone is all destroyed in the blink of an eye. Now no one's going to respect you as an only child of the Big Three, they're going to see you as a girl who gets smitten easily and not as the headstrong person you always acted like.

All because of that Lee Felix!

(a/n: big three refers to the three major Greek gods namely Poseidon, Zeus and Hades)

You stand up from the floor, not being able to handle the bombardment of thoughts in your mind, and decide that practicing sword fighting is the right thing to now.

So you find yourself making your way from behind the Athena cabin (where you can clearly hear Seungmin and another Athena kid debating over mortal politics) and then through the Jasmine fields that Apollo personally tends to and down the hill to the weapon practice arena.

"Hey, y/n."

Oh no, no no no.

Why is it that when you are trying to avoid a person that exact person is the one who keeps popping up everywhere? Why is it, you tell me, that Lee Felix happens to be in the practice arena just when you arrive there?

The Gods must be having a nice laughter up there, especially your father Zeus.

"H-hey!" You try to reply with fake enthusiasm.

He has his bronze sword in his right hand while he jogs up to you, his messy blonde hair shining like the sun.

"Did you sleep well?"

No, you hadn't.

"Yes, I did." You laugh awkwardly, "Slept wonderfully."

Felix laughs back, eyes hooded with a hint of shyness that hadn't existed till yesterday afternoon.

He tucks his bottom lip in between his teeth, "Hey, um about what you said yesterday-"

"Do you wanna duel with me?"

If you cannot escape him, you might as well divert his attention.

He looks at you like you'd just punched him in the face. His smile threatening to disappear any moment.

And that’s when you realise asking him to duel with you might not have been the brightest ideas, and not to mention how you'd called him beautiful in front a hundred other demigods last afternoon.

"I'd love to!" He replies, with an excited voice, "Swords?"

You open your mouth to reply, but only air slips out so you subtly nod. He doesn't have to know you're a nervous mess that's lowkey about to pass out.

You walk up to the armory and grab the first sword that you lay eyes on. Truth be told, a sword wasn't really the best choice of weapon for you. It's always been a bow and arrow for you. Bows make you feel at control, like you know what you're doing and you'd always been good at archery, without even trying to.

"Do you not have a sword of your own?" Felix asks almost as if reading your mind.

"No, I don't. Actually I'm more of an archer." You admit.

"Ah, of course. I remember how you killed that Cetus in a single shot. I must say, I was very impressed."

Your cheeks heat up at his compliment. It's not like people haven't complimented your archery skills before - they have, in fact they do it all the time yet you wonder why is it so much more meaningful to you when coming from Felix. Has your biggest fear finally come true?

You shake your head mentally, no, it cannot be.

"Thanks. You're not very bad with your sword either."

Felix acknowledges your compliment with a smile. He then stands up straight, the sword in his right and bows gently, a silly smile playing at his lips.

"Oh we're following the courtesies?" You whisper to yourself, copying his actions.

The both of you stand facing each other, a silent understanding flowing between the two of you while you take your dueling positions.

You expect him to attack first but he doesn't; instead he watches you with a smirk, as if trying to make you flustered.

(It was working but you'd rather never say that out loud)

So he attacks first. He aims his sword near your abdomen but you quickly jump to defend yourself, blocking his attack with your sword. The metallic clang of your swords ringing throughout the otherwise quiet arena. He stumbles back, a surprised gasp leaving his lips as your sword brushes swiftly past his neck while he's still catching his breath, barely touching him though. 

Of course, hurting the opponent isn’t the aim here. Disarming them is.

"She's not bad with the sword." He thinks to himself, a little proud.

He then retorts back, swinging his sword right in front of your face, missing by merely an inch.

Your heart does a backflip, both out of excitement and fear.

You don't waste a second, gaining back your balance, thrusting your sword in the space between his arm and abdomen. Your sword clash together as you try to push his sword back with yours, yet this time he resists, putting in all his energy to make you loose your grip on the sword.

And it seems to have worked because the next moment, he sees you losing your strength, your face scrunched in concentration as you let out a few grunts. He takes a single step towards you while applying more force on your sword with his, and there goes your sword, falling onto the ground gracefully, like a martyred soldier.

"Do you accept defeat, miss y/n?" Felix teases through laboured breaths and you only have enough energy to roll your eyes at him, hitting his arm in response.

Felix passes you back your sword, as he walks over to the bench and slumps down.

Your body is too tired to worry about Felix bringing up yesterday's incident, so you follow him and sit by his side. Neither of you say anything, your fanning breaths and thumping hearts and the buzzing of insects are the only sounds in the arena. You'd never experienced this kind of peacefulness in the camp before, at least not unless you were by yourself.

When you recover from your momentary exhaustion, you look over at Felix and softly begin, "I was wondering..."

He glances at you with a smile.

Does he ever stop smiling?

"I was wondering...since Hyunjin already told you about the game, would you like to be my partner for the capture the flag game next week? I usually go with Minho but he's a referee this time." You say.

He is taken aback for a second - mostly because he'd never thought someone as cool as you would ask him to be your partner. Team games are very important in camps and its important  to make sure that the teammates do not turn out to be poor players. It somehow makes Felix very happy that you'd have such faith in him despite having known him for only two days.

He nods, "I'd be honored to do that."

Your heart beats furiously as you suck in a deep breath, "It's a deal then."

Gosh y/n, what has gotten into you!

*

You decide to take the longer route back.

Felix left early after finishing the duel so you spent the next hour practicing Archery alone before deciding to head back to your cabin.

Your thoughts are all over the place as it is, but the quietness of the woods help you to sort things out with yourself. You feel rather uncomfortable, experiencing emotions that you'd not felt in a long time, past insecurities and memories fighting their way back from the dungeons you'd locked them up in. This was ridiculous, wasn't it? How Felix comes out of nowhere and just flips everything up?

The sun rays fall on you from the gaps between the tree branches and as you listen to the birds chirp around you, you start to slowly hum to their tune.

"Wow, who hurt you, y/n?" A male voice calls you from behind, the sound of leaves getting crushed under a pair of hooves indicate the approaching entity.

"No one hurt me, Eden."

Eden is still as handsome as ever, you wonder to yourself everytime you return to the camp, with a sturdy upper body and beautiful grey eyes and two strong goat limbs instead of normal human legs, yet he's so much more alluring than any satyr you'd ever seen. (Then again, maybe you're just biased because he’s also your childhood friend) He flashes you a handsome smile and you immediately pray to the gods that he doesn't see you blush.

(a/n: Satyrs, also known as Fauns by Romans, are creatures with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat as well as goat horns, and the pointed ears of a goat. )

"What's up." He stands in front of you and kisses you softly on the head, "I had gone out yesterday so I couldn't come see you. Hope you didn't miss me too much."

You hit his chest, "You're so full of yourself, goat-boy." You continue walking back towards your cabin, Eden following right behind.

"Woahh. Using Minho's nicknames now, are we?" He snickers, "One of the kids told me that you had a little hormonal outburst last afternoon?"

An embarrassed sigh leaves you lips. The camp kids really couldn't miss out on one day of gossip now could they?

"I don't wanna talk about it." You mutter as yesterday's events flash into your mind. Felix, his face, his voice and your words. Oh God.

"Hey, no judgment here, okay? If you like the new Aphrodite boy then I support you. Do you want me to play wingman?"

You turn around and smack his chest once again. "I do not like him." Yet.

"Okay, okay. I get it." His tone falls serious, "Anyway  I heard about Poseidon's trident. It scared me, I won't lie. Something as powerful as that trident has never been forged in a millennia. And I can only imagine how powerful one has to be steal it. Are you sure only nine demigods are enough to find it?"

"It has to be, Eden." You say, "We don't have too many options. It's either this or we all drown and die or get killed by a monster. I'd like to choose the former."

Eden nods at your words, patting your head encouragingly.

You are about to speak up again when your eyes fall on a woman sitting on a log of wood just a few meters ahead of you.

"Is that one of the Aphrodite girls?" You whisper to Eden, only for him to shake his head in response.

The woman sits with her back facing you, a beautiful white dress adorning her small skinny frame and her brown hair tied in a tidy floral braid. Either the woman is a daughter of Aphrodite's or a Nymph, you conclude.

Without thinking much, you approach her, "Um, hello? May I know who you are?"

A startled gasp escapes your mouth when the woman turns around and looks at you with a very familiar smile playing at her lips - you'd grown up seeing that smile on Hyunjin and very recently on Felix. It's the very same smile, a Xerox copy of it.

"Aphrodite?" You mutter and she nods in response.

"Hello, y/n. Mind if I have a word with you?"

*

"So you were out with y/n? Dueling?" Changbin asks for the umpteenth time this morning, his usually playful eyes now focused seriously on Felix's body language.

"Yes, Changbin," Felix groans, lying flat on his fluffy bed, "Can you stop making a big deal out of it?"

Chan chuckles at the conversation, his eyes though focused on the book in front of him but his ears are on his two best friends' conversation. Chan knew Changbin wasn't the kind to trust people easily, especially Zeus' children so it's not surprising of him to be suspicious about you but what does come as a surprise to Chan is how oddly giggly Felix has been since last afternoon. After that awkward encounter with you. Could it be that Felix..?

"Do you like Zeus' daughter?" Changbin asks even before Chan can finish his line of  thought.

Felix's eyes widen, but the tips of his ears are bright red, "Dude I just met her. Can you not act like a love guru out of the blue?"

"Hey, you're the love expert here. Literally. So, I should be expecting a better answer from you, no?"

"No, I do not like her. Okay?" Felix groans, "But she did ask me to be her partner for the game next week and I'm telling you beforehand Seo Changbin, do not say or assume anything that would make her uncomfortable. "

The warning comes off as rather cute to Chan since he’s always seen the Aphrodite kid as his little brother while Changbin finds his words a tad bit alarming. A Zeus kid is not to be trusted this easily.

"Fine." Changbin mutters, his lips pressing into a thoughtful line, "But just be careful because  I - "

"Don't trust the Children of Zeus easily, yeah we know. Come on, Bin. Let him have some fun and make new friends. You should do it, too. We're not on our own anymore." Chan pipes in to save Felix this time and Felix secretly sends a thankful wink to him in return.

"Okay, okay." Changbin gives in.

The door to Felix's room creaks ever so slightly and the three of them turn their heads in anticipation of who it might be.

"Hey. Sorry to disturb you guys but we're being called for dinner." Hyunjin says, still getting used to having three new demigods around in the camp.

Chan closes his book, "Oh, come on, Hyunjin. You're not disturbing us. Come on in."

Felix gets up to greet his half brother with a fist bump and when he stands beside Hyunjin, the two older guys find it hilarious how terribly small he looks. Almost like Hyunjin were his father.

Felix almost as if reads their minds and narrows their eyes at them, "Dinner is ready guys. Can we move?"

"Shortie." Hyunjn whispers incoherently and makes a run towards the door.

"Hey, come back here you piece of -" Felix dashes right after him.

Changbin and Chan chuckle at their tactics, a foreign feeling of calmness settling between them. "This feels like home, Chan. We're finally home." Changbin admits, almost emotionally.

"Yes, Bin." Chan adds, "And I hope we never have to leave again."

*

"Aphrodite said what now?"

You sigh, running your index finger mindlessly along the lines of the wooden dinner table.

"She wants us to take the new demigods with us to find Poseidon's trident. Especially Felix." You look at your friends, "And she asked me to specifically visit the island of Sicily when we go on the quest. I asked her why but she said she doesn't know it herself."

Hyunjin grunts, almost irritated, "Y/n, I don't know how much you can trust my mother. She's known to cause drama for her own entertainment. "

Well, you do agree with what Hyunjin says but you cannot deny that Aphrodite didn't seem like she was purposely creating drama this time.

"Listen, y/n, you have to go to The island of Sicily. It will lead you to the trident, trust me." She whispers as if she is afraid of someone overhearing your conversation, "Take Felix with you. You'll need him. He'll need you."

You shudder at the memory of her unusually spooky tone.

"What do you think, dad?" Jisung turns to Apollo who has ever so naturally claimed a spot at your usual dinner table tonight, "Do you think we should let new demigods on a quest?"

"I don't think Aphrodite is playing this time. We should listen to her." He taps his finger against his chin, deep in thought, "We need as many people as we can get."

"Well, yeah. That makes sense." Minho says and you nod, "Yeah, Eden can talk to the three boys. He's always been good at all that."

The lack of protests from your friends indicate their approval and after talking about the quest for a few more minutes, Apollo leaves your table.

"So," Jisung chimes in as soon as his father is out of sight, "Our Y/n has been dueling with Lee Felix?"

You let out an exasperated growl, "Oh God, Jisung! It was just today!"

Jisung snickers and sticks out his tongue, rendering your words useless. Minho raises an eyebrow at your banter while the other boys giggle, "Eden tells me you are already smitten."

Eden! God, that Eden, you mentally vow to punch that smirk off of Eden's face the next time you see him. Why does he keep pushing ridiculous ideas into other people's head!

"I'm not smitten -"

"Who are you talking about?"

Your blood runs dry.

Please tell me Felix didn't just overhear this one conversation which includes me having a crush on him.

"Hey, Lix." Hyunjin laughs, "Took you three long enough to get here  I went to your room like an hour ago."

Felix rubs the back of his neck, guilty, "Changbin spilled water on my favorite sweatshirt. "

A short guy - probably Changbin - slaps Felix's back. "Ouch!"

"Liar!" Felix rolls his eyes, turning to speak with you, "Anyway, y/n, I'm assuming you're the only to not have met my brothers yet."

"Yeah, i think so." You reply with a small smile.

Felix pats the back of the two boys on his right and left respectively. "Chan, Changbin, meet y/n, she's Zeus' daughter and y/n, meet Chan, he's Poseidon's son and Changbin - Ares' son."

Oh wow that is a new combination.

The guy introduced as Chan has a kind smile and messy brown hair while the Changbin dude has jet black hair and very intimidating eyes. He looks up and down your form, as if checking whether you were worth being Felix's friend - vibe checking, if you may.

"Hi, I'm y/n."

With the introductions done and dinner served, your group of old and new friends enjoy this peaceful evening together. The loud laughs and sassy remarks and friendly banters make you feel somewhat calm, but a part of you knows this isn't for long.

It’s like the calm before the storm.

"So, are we meeting for practice tomorrow too?" Felix whispers into your ears when he finds the others too indulged in conversation.

Your heart picks up its pace but you manage to nod with pink cheeks, "Yes. Same time as today."

A few seats away from you, Changbin overhears your conversation and decides that he doesn't really like you.

*

Taglist: @chogiwow​@ctrlaltfangirl​@blueprint-han​@whattaweeb​@bigskzz​@judewalid​@kpopssuregi​@crispy-chan​@cookielino​@rebelspy​@persassystilinski@stayctday​@charlieshelves​

Note: Please DM or send an ask if you wish to be added to the taglist!

#skz #stray kids #skz felix #stray kids felix #skz au #skz scenarios #skz imagines #skz angst #skz fluff #skz felix au #stray kids au #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fluff #stray kids fantasy #skz x reader #skz felix x reader #stray kids x reader #skz lee felix #lee felix #skz ff #stray kids scenarios #stray kids imagines #skz x y/n #kpop au #kpop ff #skz kpop #skz fantasy au #stormbringer

[yikesharringrove]

Show Pony

Chapter 3: Roses Are Falling

Read on Ao3

-

Steve’s hand was sweaty in Billy’s as he pulled him through the crowds in the fairground, ducking and weaving between the people milling about. 

Billy let himself be dragged, staring at Steve’s ass in his little denim shorts. 

It had been one week since their date at the diner. 

A week of Billy showing up to the rodeo, watching Steve compete in his event, and making out with him behind the arena. 

It was fun, sneaking around together in the blazing summer heat. 

He had even brought Max a few times, letting her wander around with some chick her own age she met. Apparently, her dad works at the rodeo or someshit. Billy wasn’t listening when she explained. Steve had been across the arena, taking off his flannel shirt and trading it for another one of his slutty little crop tops. 

It was a gorgeous show. 

But Max was somewhere eating her body weight in funnel cake while Steve took him into a tent labeled Employees Only. 

There was an eclectic group of people sitting at the long tables in the tent, all greeting Steve as he pulled Billy through to a group of younger people sitting together at the end of one of the tables. 

Steve pushed Billy onto one of the benches, perching right on his lap like that was totally fine. Like it was easy for Billy to just. Keep his dick in check. 

The girl sitting across from them sighed heavily, raising one eyebrow at Steve. 

“Shut up, Robin.”

“I didn’t say anything,” she was still giving Steve a very pointed look. 

“You don’t have to.” Steve slumped back against Billy’s chest, no doubt petulant. 

She shook her head, finally addressing Billy. 

“I’m Robin.”

“She does barrel racing,” Steve leaned back, muttering the information into Billy’s ear. His breath was hot against Billy’s skin, and Billy had to fight down a shiver that crept up his spine despite the blazing heat.

Another girl was sitting next to Robin, a pretty brunette with doe eyes to rival Steve’s. She seemed vaguely familiar. 

And then it clicked. 

“Aren’t you in the pageants?”

She laughed softly.

“My name’s Heather. And yes, I’m reigning Miss Rodeo USA, so I’ve been with these guys and will be until the next girl is crowned. It’s been a good time.” She glanced over at Robin, bumping their shoulders together. Billy raised one eyebrow at Robin, catching her eye and making her flush slightly. He shot her a quick wink. 

Steve shifted in his lap, putting one arm over Billy’s shoulders, winding his fingers through his little ponytail. 

“So, Billy,” Robin tried to move the conversation along, rolling her shoulders back. “We’ve heard a lot about you.” 

“All bad, I hope.” 

“Nah, just, I feel like I know you quite well know. Like, really well. Like better than I ever wanted to know a guy-”

“Okay, yeah, Robin. We get it. Thanks.” Steve squirmed slightly in Billy’s lap, the back of his neck and the tips of his ears a bright red color. It was cute. Billy didn’t realize when Steve’s cheeks went all pink, that, other, places of him flushed too. He wondered how far down that rosy tint on Steve’s cheeks went. If it was all over his chest, if it leads down to his-

Nope. Not going there right now. Not when Steve is sitting on Billy’s lap, and they’re in fucking public. Absolutely not. No thanks. Billy’s fine. 

Robin squinted at him, and he tried to keep his face as blank as possible. 

Steve sighed heavily through his nose, shaking his head. 

“I’m getting a pop. Anyone else?”

Robin waved him off, and he was gone with a roll of his eyes. 

“So, you’re the poor San Diego bastard. My condolences.”

Billy squinted at her. 

“Not sure what you mean.” 

She took a deep breath, looking at Heather briefly. 

“Look. You know this little fling is just that. A little fling. Steve, he kinda, does this. Finds someone in every place we’re stationed, and has a month-long something with them. He loves attention but he’s too scared of commitment to do anything else. And honestly, I’m saying this all for your sake, because I’ve seen people get attached. He’s gonna eat you alive, and then he’s gonna leave, and it’s easier for you if you know that going in.”

Robin’s words settled like a fucking pit in Billy’s stomach. 

Because, yeah. He, like, kinda figured that. He knew their time was limited. Knew that Steve would slip through his fingers. And really, that was fine. Billy thinks he’d be the exact same way if the roles were reversed, that he would be constantly moving from one person to the next, never getting lonely, but never getting deep, either. 

He understands the whole commitment-phobe thing. Kinda takes one to know one. 

So he gets it. 

Doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel like shit to have it put. So plainly.

“I’m sorry. That was probably too harsh but, you seem like a nice guy, and Steve doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s not trying to hurt people, he just, definitely uses the whole traveling rodeo thing to his advantage.”

“Nah, I get it. Really, I kinda figured it out. He said he likes to make friends wherever they are. So, it’s fine. And I think sometimes harsh can be alright.” He doesn’t wanna make Steve’s friend feel bad. 

And really, he did know what they were doing and what this was about. It just sucks having it confirmed by someone else. And put. So plainly. 

“I’m really not trying to be mean. I just kinda wanted to prepare you. If this is gonna be something that hurts, maybe it’s best to get out now.” Robin had very pretty blue eyes and freckles all over her face. She seemed warm, and the way she was staring at him was with so much concern. 

“Thank you. I get it, honest. I’d probably act just the same if I were him.”

“If you were who?” Steve had returned, slapping a can of root beer on the table in front of them, taking a seat pressed as close as possible to Billy, lifting up his arm to slide underneath it. 

“Quit being nosy.” Robin reached out to muss up Steve’s hair, poking him in the forehead. “What are you two doing today?”

Steve shrugged, taking the bait and moving on. 

“Wander the grounds. Maybe hang out at my place.” Billy’s interest piqued. He had no idea Steve had a place. “Might sneak out and go for a drive or something. You got any preference?” Steve leaned over the table, resting his elbows on top, placing his face in his hands, turning to look at Billy. 

“We could kick around here. I gotta drive Max home later so we should probably stick around.” Steve grinned at him. 

“Well, c’mon then. You’ve got plenty to see around here.”

Billy felt like Steve has already dragged through the entire grounds, he doesn’t know how there’s more to see. 

But it turned out there’s a lot more. Because Steve’s place, as it turns out, is one in a huge crowd of trailers. 

It was kinda out of Billy’s wildest imagination. Like what he’d picture an old-school traveling circus to be like. 

People were milling around everywhere, Steve saying hi to almost everyone they passed. Animals were being led to and from the large arena and the makeshift paddocks that were set up in the open grass. 

It was like nowhere Billy’s ever been before. 

Steve led him through the maze of trailers to a smaller version of an old school Airstream near the back of the lot, still hitched up to the back of a much larger, and very nice-looking, RV. 

Stevie Harrington was painted in curling dark green letters on the rounded metal door, a little cow munching on some grass painted below it.

“That your art?”

Steve snorted.

“ God, no. Robin did it for me a few years ago. That’s why it looks good.”

The hinges on the door squealed when he pulled it open and led Billy inside. 

It was hot in the airstream, and Steve turned on the solar power to get a small fan moving air through the place, propping open the door and the tiny window above the table.

“Home sweet traveling home.”

“Damn. This ain’t too bad of a setup.”

It really wasn’t. Sure, it was small, but it was perfect for one person. A tiny kitchenette faced the minuscule bathroom. The far sides of the trailer were taken up by a dining area, a table with booth-like seating, and a queen-sized bed taking up the opposite side, a small closet smushed between the bed and the kitchen.  

It was immaculately clean, not totally what Billy had expected from Steve. The bed was made, an old-looking, worn-out stuffed horse placed neatly in front of the pillows. 

There were pictures pinned up on little string light clothespins on the wall the bed was shoved against, and Steve even had a few posters over the booth seats. 

“It’s kinda nice. I saved up for a while to buy it. It’s kind of a lot being trapped in an RV with your parents, let me tell you. I’m still hooked up to theirs, and when we move I ride with them, usually, but at least I’ve got some space to myself.” Steve looked down at his feet. “Plus, I kinda figured, this is about as close as I’ll ever come to living on my own.”

“I really do like it. You’ve made it real nice in here.”

Steve looked back up to him, smiling proudly. 

“We don’t have to like, hang out in here. I just thought I’d welcome you in. To like, say, you know, if you’re ever around but don’t wanna hang out doing the same rodeo shit all the time, we could, like, spend some time in here.” Steve’s cheeks were going red. 

And Billy was fairly certain he knew where this was going. 

So he took the metaphorical bull by the horns, and wrapped his fingers in Steve’s literal belt loops, and pulled him close enough that their lips could touch. 

And apparently, Billy was right. Because Steve kissed him back immediately, and fervently, sliding his arms over Billy’s shoulders and pressing into him enough to move Billy back a few steps until his knees hit the bed, and he fell to sit on it. 

Steve wasted no time climbing on his lap, kneeling straddling Billy, pressed together as close as possible. 

Steve broke the kiss, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily and Billy attached himself to Steve’s neck, leaving wet kisses in his path down the long column of his throat. 

“God, fuck. Can we-”

“ Yeah. Yeah, Baby,” Billy was breathless as he replied, getting both hands under Steve’s ass and flipping their position in one fluid motion, getting Steve on his back, his legs wrapped around Billy’s waist. 

“Get the door.”

Billy pressed a long sucking kiss to Steve’s neck before pulling away, slamming the door closed as Steve drew the blinds on the window above the bed and turned on the air conditioning unit in the ceiling.

“It’s gonna get super fucking hot in here if we fuck.”

“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

Steve laughed at Billy, rolling back to lay properly on the bed, taking his stuffed horse and tossing it on the table behind Billy. 

“I don’t want her to have to see this.”

“Fine by me.” Billy was back on him in a second, pushing his hands up Steve’s shirt, yanking it off him as fast as possible. 

Steve was so fucking gorgeous. 

He had a light tan all over his body, with definite paler parts where his shirts usually sit. 

And he was fit. His muscles weren’t as bulky as Billy’s, but he was obviously strong. 

Billy leaned over him, tasting the salt on his skin as Steve began fumbling with the buttons of Billy’s shirt, pushing it off his shoulders so roughly one of the shoulder seams groaned, threatening to rip. 

Billy took that as his cue to pull away from Steve again, shedding his shirt and kicking off his shoes, helping Steve out of his little short shorts. 

He was wearing this excellent pair of boots, deep red with white embroidered stitching covering the boot. 

Steve leaned forward, moving to pull off the boots.

“Wait, no. Leave ‘em on.”

Steve looked at him.

“You call me a hick all the fuckin’ time, and now you’re here saying you wanna fuck me in my boots.”

“It’s hot. You’re like the chick from Footloose .”

“Aren’t you gay?”

“Hot is hot, Steve.” 

Steve huffed a laugh, putting his leg back down, letting Billy settle between both of them. 

“So, are we gonna talk about the girl in an eighties movie, or are you going to fuck me through this mattress?”

“Alright, bossy. You got lube?”

Steve huffed, poking Billy’s chest until he moved off him. 

Steve sat up, crawling to the end of the bed, digging through the laundry in the hamper for the bottle of lube. 

Billy stared at him. 

Mostly, he was just staring at his asshole. It was so perfect and pink, and looked buttery and soft. 

And Jesus, he really just wanted to lick it, to get his face buried between Steve’s cheeks and go to town on the pretty pink furl of muscle. 

And, well, what’s stopping him? 

Absolutely nothing.

He got up, following Steve’s path until he was behind him, taking each cheek in one hand. 

Steve froze where he was digging through the laundry, Billy’s breath puffing between his cheeks. 

“What are you-” 

And then Billy licked up his crack, his tongue dragging all the way up from his balls, flicking once against his hole. 

“ Billy .” Steve spread his legs, pushing his hips back into Billy’s face, wordlessly asking for more. 

So Billy gave it to him. 

He opened his mouth, licking all around his rim, pressing his tongue just slightly inside, sucking on the soft pink flesh, making Steve’s breath hitch and whines pour out of his mouth. 

“Fuck, you’re good at that.”

Billy responded by pulling back, and spitting on Steve’s hole. 

Steve was taken by surprise, if his soft gasp was anything to go by. He dropped his head against the bed, biting onto the blanket. 

Billy just kept going, using his lips and tongue and teeth, opening him up and getting him wet. 

“Fuck, Billy, please just fuck me. I want you so bad .” Steve’s voice was pitchy and breathy, muffled in the blanket. 

He was grinding his hips forward and back, pressing himself against Billy’s tongue. 

Like he wanted nothing more than he wanted Billy’s tongue in his ass right then. 

And Billy certainly wasn’t complaining, not at how fucking nice and soft his asshole was against his tongue, how he tasted kinda clean and kinda musky at the same time. It was heady and Billy would happily spend the rest of his stupid life with his face buried between Steve’s cheeks. 

Something smacked against the top of Billy’s head, and he pulled away briefly to find a bottle of lube on the bed, the one that Steve had no doubt tossed over his shoulder and accidentally accosted Billy with. 

“That fuckin’ hit me in the head, you piece a’ shit.”

“I don’t care,” Steve whined, pushing his hips back even further, spreading himself out more and more for Billy to hungrily take in. “Just finger me and fuck me !”

“Bossy.”

Steve huffed, shifting his head around until he could look back at Billy, his brows pinched in a little scowl, giving Billy a dirty look that was equal parts adorable pout and sexy scowl. He looked like the grumpiest little slut. 

And Billy indulged him, squeezing out a big glob of lube, meticulously coating his first two fingers with it. 

“I know what I like, and I get what I like.”

“Jesus, I thought all them girls were the rodeo queens. Not you .”

“I’m the queen of getting my fucking way. Now for the love of God, put your fingers in me.”

And Billy couldn’t do anything but indulge him. 

He began with just one finger, sliding it slowly and deliberately down to the last knuckle. 

Steve sighed as Billy’s finger entered him, relaxing his upper body into the bed, somehow canting his hips up even more, his back arched as much as Billy’s ever fuckin’ seen. 

So Billy took a chance, pumping his finger in and out a few times, pulling it nearly all the way out, only to replace it with both fingers. He moved slowly, simply fucking Steve with his fingers for a moment, watching Steve as he crooked his fingers downward. 

And Steve moaned, and it was like he became a puddle. All his muscles relaxing and unwinding as Billy curled his fingers, pressing deeply against his prostate, rubbing tiny circles into the small bundle of nerves. 

“God, Bill. That feels so fucking good,” Steve said through a throaty moan. Billy was slowly moving his fingers in and out of Steve, pressing down into that wonderful spot each time he was buried all the way to the knuckle. “Add another. Please, I want you in me.”

Billy had to palm himself to relieve some of the pressure of his own dick, flushed red and oh so painful where it was hard against his stomach. 

But he did as Steve told him to do, drawing out his two fingers to press in a third. 

There was something of a shift in the sticky airstream. As those three thick fingers sank into Steve, it was as though both boys agreed to move faster. Steve began pushing his hips back and forth, fucking himself on Billy’s fingers, matching the steady pace Billy had set with his hand. 

Billy was tugging his fingers in and out, pushing into Steve’s prostate with each movement, the lube creating a squelching noise as they picked up the pace. 

And finally, Steve had enough. 

He moved his hips forward, sitting back on his heels to look at Billy over his shoulder. 

His face was flushed, his bangs sticking to his forehead with sweat, his pupils blown wide, making his already dark eyes seem nearly black. He tossed Billy a condom, and Billy caught it against his heaving chest. 

Steve’s breath caught as Billy ripped open the condom wrapper with his teeth, looking like some kinda fuckin’ animal, rolling it onto himself with a practiced hand.

“Billy, I fucking want you-”

Billy cut him off by pressing himself against Steve’s back, kissing him harshly as he felt him up, his hands roving, touching every bit of Steve he could possibly manage. 

Steve had his own mission, reaching awkwardly behind him to take Billy’s stiff cock in hand, fumbling slightly as he lined up the flushed head of his dick with his slicked-up hole, teasing himself before urging Billy to push on in. 

Their lips lost touch from one another the second Billy began moving his hips forward, their moans mingling in the space between them. 

“God, fuck, Stevie.” Billy could hardly control himself. He so wanted to let loose, start fucking wildly into the tight heat of Steve’s body, take him as hard and fast as possible. 

He let his hands drop down and settle on Steve’s hips. He could feel the firm muscles tensing under his hands, like Steve was barely keeping himself from rocking back to fuck himself harder and faster on Billy’s cock. 

And that’s what pushed Billy over the edge. 

He pushed Steve forward until he was back in position, face down, ass up. His hands gripped Steve’s hips hard enough to leave bruises, and Jesus, Billy hoped to fucking God Steve had dark marks in the shape of Billy’s fingers for days and days. And he let himself go for it. 

Steve was making these breathy, punched-out noises, like with every harsh thrust of Billy’s hips, all the air in his lungs was being forced right out of him. 

Billy was slamming them together, pulling Steve’s hips back as he surged his own forward, pulling out almost entirely each time. He was relentless, taking Steve like a goddamn animal right there on the once neat bed. 

Neither of them was going to last long, they both knew it. 

Billy had taken so much time opening Steve up with his lips and tongue and fingers, Steve wouldn’t even be shocked if he came completely untouched, falling apart with only the attentions Billy has granted to his hole. 

Until Billy reached around him with his left hand, still gripping Steve’s body with his right. 

He took hold of Steve’s leaking cock, brushing his thumb over the slit to collect some of the glistening precum, drawing his hand tightly down the shaft, moving at an agonizingly slow pace compared to the buck of his hips, keeping Steve on the edge of something, making everything way too much and definitely not enough. 

And there was nothing Steve could do. 

He felt fucking helpless as Billy pounded him. It was taking all his energy not to just melt into the mattress at this point and let Billy have his way with him. 

But Billy was getting close, too close to keep this game up for much longer. 

He sped up the movement of his hand, his fist beginning to pump faster and faster over Steve’s aching cock. He wanted him to finish first, wanted to watch as Steve writhed and moaned about. 

It didn’t take long. Less than a minute of Billy jerking Steve as quick and rough as he was fucking him, and Steve was spilling out onto the blanket below him, nearly yelling out while his hips convulsed and his fingers twisted until he had a white knuckle grip on the blanket. 

Billy could only just hang on, fuck and jerk Steve through it, only letting his grip on his cock go a little slack when Steve finally relaxed a bit below him. 

Billy pulled out, snapping off the condom and taking his dick in hand, finishing himself off all over Steve’s lower back, watching his thick cum drip down the slope of his ass. 

“ Fuck. You’re so hot,” Billy said, totally in awe. Steve was even hotter than normal wearing nothing but his bright red boots and Billy’s spunk. 

Billy took a cloth from the tiny bathroom, getting it a little wet to wipe the cum off of Steve as he lay stretched like a cat on the small bed. 

“Thank God I don’t have to ride tomorrow, I don’t think I’ll be able to sit, let alone get in a saddle.” He threw a wink over his shoulder at Billy, bending his knees to let his feet kick up behind him, crossing his ankles in the red boots. 

“We should make the best of our good fortune, then. I’ve got a few more rounds in me.”

“Billy Hargrove, you fuckin’ devil .”

#yikes writes #show pony #lemons #steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove #rodeo au

[childofaura]

I know I’m late making a Trollhunters movie post but (SPOILERS)

I wanna talk about the elephant in the room with the movie’s ending. And how much it left a wrong taste in my mouth (like the ending of the Trollhunters show did).

So in my overall post about the movie, I mentioned how the ending where Jim rewrites the past events so that Toby is the Trollhunter REALLY bugged me. Because that meant that every relationship that Jim built up has now collapsed, but also diminishes his relationships with other characters while... you guessed it, pretending like his relationship with Claire is the MOSTEST IMPORTANTEST RELATIONSHIP YOU GAIZ so he takes great care to make sure he sets all that garbage properly in motion while disregarding his other important friends and family. I need to say that when you have a series that spends so long developing dynamics, story points, and relationships that are apparently as fragile as a gossamer thread, then you introduce time travel at the last minute to rewrite history, it feels like you’re devaluing all the work that previous writers had to do to create these stories and relationships. Like yes, you can do time-travel rewrites the RIGHT way, but this just made me mad.

So here’s all of the things that I felt were wrong about Jim rewriting the past like that, and all of his relationships with other characters that will now not happen or not be the same:

1. Blinky.

 Despite Blinky’s heartfelt emotions about seeing Jim as his son, despite the fact that the moment Blinky heard that Jim’s father left him he decided, “Is nobody going to raise this boy properly? Well I think I will!”, despite how much time and effort and love Blinky put into properly training Jim and spending time with him... Now that Toby’s going to be the Trollhunter, that’s all not gonna happen. Blinky will have no reason to invest any time into a mentor/father relationship with Jim because he’s not the one who needs to be trained. Someone might argue, “Well I’m sure Blinky would still feel the same and fall into the father figure role if Jim’s the sidekick!” Let me ask you: Did Blinky ever establish the same type of relationship with Toby when he was a sidekick, the literal orphan Toby with no parents and no father figure in his life either?

No. The most they have is a friendly relationship.

And the same thing will happen to Jim, because there will be nothing special to see in him when he’s not the Trollhunter.

And the thing that pisses me off about this is that Jim still makes the effort to get back into a relationship with Claire over becoming the Trollhunter again so that Blinky will not lose him as a son.

2. Strickler

You can argue that Strickler did not have as much of an influence like Blinky did, but Strickler still became an important figure in Jim’s life as a guiding figure. Them showing Jim inviting Strickler to have dinner with his mom doesn’t feel plausible because the whole point of Strickler’s conflict with his feelings for Barbara was that he develops feelings for her, and feels guilty that he lies about who he is and putting her in danger; this isn’t gonna happen with Jim not being the Trollhunter because Strickler will have no reason to spend so much time around Barbara and Jim. Plus, that scene of him and Barbara having dinner feels... insincere, I guess? Because at that point there’s no feelings for her established and he’s still at the point of plotting the Killahead Bridge project. The part in the first season of Trollhunters where he tells Jim to pass his number to Jim’s mom didn’t have any romantic connotations, he was just playing the part of the teacher concerned with his student’s wellbeing and checking in on his home situation. Then Barbara hints at being interested in him after he bails Jim and Toby out of the museum situation where she flirts with him; at that point he uses that to his advantage to be invited to dinner. It’s GRADUAL BUILDUP THROUGH CONSTANT INTERACTION. One dinner date isn’t gonna re-establish all that.

Oh, and also Strickler will have no reason to care for Jim’s safety as much because Jim won’t be the one in constant danger like he was in the show.

3. Draal

THIS ONE BOTHERS ME THE MOST. OR AT LEAST IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST. BESIDES BLINKY AT LEAST.

With Toby as the Trollhunter, Draal is now going to direct all his anger at HIM. Who is Toby going to face in the arena (granted provided that he does the same thing as Jim in standing up against Steve which... I would highly doubt that he would given that he was the first to say, “Ignore Steve and let him bully Eli so we don’t get targeted)? Draal. Who is going to be living in his house after losing the fight (Which we can agree that, as much as I love Toby and think he needs his moments to shine, he doesn’t have any pre-existing skills like Jim to be able to fight)? Draal. Who will be constantly spending time training him and talking to him about his human problems? DRAAL.

Draal has basically ignored Toby in the show because all his time lies in training the boy who inherited his father’s mantle. Can you honestly tell me that Jim will still have his brothers-in-arms relationship with Draal if he’s the sidekick?

4. Steve and Eli

Did you guys notice that in the scene where Toby and Jim are walking by Steve and Eli, neither one of them stopped Steve from shoving Eli in a locker? That “One hit and you will be changed forever” moment isn’t gonna happen now! That was supposed to be the pivotal character moment where Jim finds the strength to fight instead of passively laying down! And neither one of them stopped it!

Again, Jim has essentially forsaken all of these (and more!) relationships with other characters, but at the same time decides to treat his relationship with Claire like it’s top priority. It’s an insult to the previous work done in the show.

#Trollhunters #trollhunters spoilers #Tales of Arcadia #The writers REALLY didn't think this through did they #And honestly I have no idea if they have any plans for a further installment or if the series is supposed to end on that cliffhanger #But if it IS supposed to end with the movie then they made a bad choice erasing the past like that #Especially because that is NOT a happy ending #Nomura dead? Strickler dead? Toby dead? I don't care that Jim goes back in time because that doesn't change what we've seen!

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Study Buddy - Reader x Bolin imagine

Imagine being Korra’s brainiac younger sister who accompanies her to Republic city but is the complete opposite of her, you’re introverted, quiet and making friends doesn’t come as easy to you. But when Bolin moves to air temple island he finds your secret hiding spot and soon forces his way into your study routine. You’d usually hate having someone around while you work but for some reason you just can’t get mad at Bolin, the opposite actually happens...

Amon’s attacks on the bending arena left pro-bending in chaos and Korra’s team mates without a place to live or anything to do. Korra’s kind offer however solved that and now you had three more people in an already crowded house. Not that you disliked Tenzin’s family, you loved them all, even Meelo. You just struggled enough as it was trying to find somewhere quiet to read and now the new additions made it almost impossible.

After much exploration of the house you’d finally found a quiet corner and were sat making notes on traditional dialects when Bolin burst into the room chasing Pabu. He barrled into the room but stopped when he saw you "hi y/n". Ever the person to choose a book over a human you hadn’t socialised with Korra’s friends much but from what you saw Bolin was a nice guy, he was always so confident and cheery, but now you just wanted to read in peace no matter how nice he was. You smiled back to be polite, hoping he’d get the message but Bolin was too social for that. He smiled back "what are you doing in here all alone...ow you’re reading? Well I’ll get Pabu and leave you alone". You nodded and went back to your reading but Bolin’s calls made it hard. "Pabu come here" he cried reaching for Pabu who hid under the table. You tried to ignore them but Pabu was fast and scampered around the room while Bolin followed like a bull in a china shop. "What’s wrong with him?" you asked curious and Bolin looked at you still smiling "it’s bath day and he knows what’s coming". You smiled slightly and watched the event continue, giving up reading while this was happening. Finally Bolin had him cornered under a dresser but his arms were too big to reach under. Still bolin tried almost breaking everything on the dresser. "Bolin" you said as he almost jerked it over "let me try". Bolin looked at you and you gestured to your much smaller arms "i can reach under better, my arms are twigs". Bolin nodded "thanks y/n". You nodded "no problem, block his exit...erm is he likely to get violent?". "Pabu? Nah, he’s never attacked anyone". You nodded and leant down cautiously. "Do i just grab him..it seems mean". Bolin appreciated your worry for Pabu but nodded "you have to grab him and hold on tight, he hates baths a lot". You nodded and reached down to Pabu talking to him, telling him what you were doing for some reason. You almost touched him when suddenly he sprang at you and ran up your arm. You yelped as he reached your neck but all he did was nuzzle in it. Bolin knocked him away from you but Pabu tried scampering back up to you. "He seems to really like you" Bolin grinned "you must smell like noodles to him". You looked confused if that was a compliment and Bolin looked at you "sorry he jumped on you, I forget everyone’s not an animal person". "No it’s fine" you told him "I just wasn’t expecting him to do that" you smiled looking at Pabu "he’s really cute". Bolin nodded "wanna hold him?". You nodded and held out your palms. He placed Pabu in them and Pabu immedietly moved closer to you and climbed back up your neck. Bolin went to pull him away but saw you were laughing this time. “He tickles” you giggled "he must like my perfume”. You laughed as when you moved Pabu away he just wriggled back "hes adorable". Bolin nodded proud Pabu was finally getting some well deserved praise.

"Sorry again" Bolin told you backing out of the room. You told him it was fine and Mako entered as Bolin left. You realised Mako probably wanted food and pointed him in the direction of the pantry. He thanked you and paused "just so you know Bolin doesn’t mean any harm". You looked up confused and Mako rushed to explain "It’s just Bolins always been really outgoing and friendly, he doesn’t realise not everyone’s like that so im sorry if he and Pabu disturbed you, he didn’t mean to bother you, Korra says you’re very smart so I’m sure you have a lot of work to do". You blushed shaking your head "Korra exaggerates and Bolin and Pabu didn’t bother me, they’re both very sweet". Mako smiled at your expression, an idea forming in his head but he didn’t want to embarass you by pushing further, instead he just nodded "ill leave you in peace" and left the room.

Bolin had learned that was your hiding spot and found you there the next day. "You read a lot" he told you after  observing you for a bit and unsure what to reply and deep in thought translating texts you just nodded. "Is it school work?". You nodded "history". "Korra said you were smart". You brushed away his comment with your hand concentrating on getting the specifics of the text right. Pabu appeared on the table next to you watching you which put you off. You tried to ignore the fire ferret when you felt a presence behind you and jumped to see Bolin bent over trying to see what you were doing. "Sorry" he cried seeing you jump "i was just wondering what it is!". You shook your head as your heart returned to normal "it’s fine don’t worry". "So...what is it?" he asked and you bit your lip, you’d usually yell at Korra for talking while you were doing work but Bolin was too sweet to yell at. "It’s about an ancient settlement in the earth kigdom". Bolins interested sparked and he looked closer before he frowned "wait but..what language even is that?". "Videz" you explained and bolin nodded "i had no idea you knew different languages". You nodded "i know the traditional languages of all the 4 nations". Bolin grinned "awesome, what’s hello in water tribe dialect?". You told him and he grinned "awesome, what about in fire nation?". You told him and he grinned “what’s Bolin in air nation?". "Bolin" you told him and he blushed "ow yeah...what’s..." Bolin started when Mako and Korra appeared. "Bolin leave y/n alone" Mako scolded him. "Yeah y/n likes silence when she works, she always yells at me for asking stupid stuff like that" Korra said pointedly making you roll your eyes. Bolin blushed "ow sorry y/n i didn’t realise, you have to tell me to shut up sometimes, don’t feel bad I get it a lot". "It’s okay" you smiled slightly and Korra went to argue you never said that to her but Mako hit her gesturing between you both. Bolin saw him do it and frowned "what does that mean?". "Nothing" Mako said quickly "we were just getting food, now we’ve got it so were gonna go". They quickly left and Bolin stood up awkwardly "sorry for annoying you, I’ll leave you in peace". You smiled suprised you actually didn’t want him to go "Bolin if you want I could teach you some of this stuff...I mean if you’re interested". Bolin grinned "really?". You nodded aware the he was bored senseless now he didnt have pro-bending. "That’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to learn the ancient earth language, my father never taught me". You smiled “well I’d be happy to help you learn, although I’m not the best teacher". "I bet you’d be awesome" Bolin told you and you blushed "okay give me time to plan it, come back tomorrow and I’ll be ready". Bolin who never planned anything in his life was confused by the concept but nodded "me and Pabu will be exactly on time" he told you serious faced and him and Pabu saluted you in goodbye as they left the room. You laughed quietly and felt giddy at the thought of your little study date the next day which made you blush all over again. You guessed having more people in the house wasn’t so bad after all...especially if they were like Bolin. 

#legend of korra #lok #korra #bolin #mako #pabu #lok imagine #legend of korra imagine #bolin x reader #bolin imagine #avatar #avatar imagine

[fizzysugarwater]

Uhhh no title for this one

This is just the product of my brain when I ask “What if Cole had had Enough of Jay skirting around his actual attempts at flirting and passing them off as him trying to get with Nya, and got fed up with him and at the ToE duel just kissed him on the moUTH-” Enjoy!

A/N: I use fessin’ as a ninjagan version of frickin bc I physically cannot imagine jay saying frick, but he doesn’t swear in this so. also fessin sounds like someone tryna pronounce FSM phonetically (which is a thing I’ll talk about in my ninjagan expletives hc post in the near future)

Out on the hexagon tiles of Chen’s arena, Jay felt a strange kind of aching in his chest. A tugging, sinking feeling. Like somewhere in his heart he didn’t want to be fighting Cole.

And he didn’t! Not like this. Sure, he was still mad about seeming to have lost Nya to him, but there seemed to be more to it than that. He had… small inklings, that his and Nya’s breaking up was due to grief, the toll Zane’s death had on all of them. The longer he thought about it, the more he figured it was mostly grief, the rest being dysfunction on his part. Losing Nya was his fault, Cole had nothing to do with it. But Jay wasn’t ready to face that, so he kept blaming Cole. 

But… he didn’t want to do this. He didn’t wanna fight him for the right to keep his powers, he didn’t wanna fight him to settle a score, he didn’t wanna fight him at all! Fessin’ hell, it was easier to hate him from a distance. Now, here? His heart kept aching for him. For… Cole.

Jay didn’t recall much of how the fight played out in the early beats. Just throwing earth and lightning around, and yelling at each other. Even when he was fighting with all he had, Cole seemed to have this hesitance about him. Nothing like when they were sparring, or when Jay watched him kick ass against a common enemy. Against him, Cole hesitated. And seemed to grow more agitated with every word out of Jay’s mouth.

Eventually he reached a breaking point. Cole looked mad, like right pissed, and he managed to get close enough to pull a stunt Jay never expected. This part he remembered vividly.

“Okay, fine. Fine!! You wanna know why I’m mad about this still, sparkmouth??? You REALLY wanna know?!” Cole shouted at Jay, having him backed practically against the wall with stalagmites on either side. Jay kept his fists up, not sure what Cole was about to do. Of course, there wasn’t much he could do when Cole outclassed him on a purely physical level. The earth ninja grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted Jay off his feet, slamming him into the wall. Jay yelped in surprise and pain, and for a second he caught sight of Cole’s glaring face, filled with a kind of meaning Jay wasn’t expecting. His breath would’ve hitched, if something else hadn’t happened not a moment later.

Cole kissed him. 

He fessin’ kissed him, and the kiss filled Jay’s senses all at once. Maybe it was the exertion they had both been doing but it was… warm, in a good way. Soft, too. Cole’s eyes were shut tight, while Jay’s were wide open, too shocked not to. A loop of WHAT WHAT WHAT kept playing in his brain, and he felt his whole face go red, all the way to his ears. The most jarring part of this was his desire to return it, to kiss back. I mean, sure, Jay may have had ridiculously strong feelings for Cole back during those couple of weeks when it was just them at the monastery! Sure, those feelings may have never actually subsided and he had to catch himself months later to stop staring at Cole when he was training in the courtyard and just looking - yknow. Hot. Sure, this moment being as confusing and fantastic as it was may have sprung those feelings back full force, and Jay really, really wanted to make out with this dumbass for like, another five minutes. Maybe so.

What was happening again? Oh yeah. Jay was being kissed, hard, by the guy he never got over. In the middle of an arena. Oh yeah, we’re supposed to be fighting. And people are seeing this. Oh hell, Kai and Lloyd are seeing this too!

Finally, Cole pulled back, still pinning Jay to the wall, and Jay sucked in a breath, realizing that he wasn’t even trying to breathe there. He glanced up at Cole after a second, absolutely bewildered, and was met with a red-faced gaze from a normally-stoic, suddenly embarrassed master of earth, staring back at him with so much meaning.

“That is why, Jay. That is why I’m still mad,” Cole said breathlessly. And despite the thousands of thoughts running through Jay’s head, one managed to slip out.

“Huh??? That doesn’t explain a thing!” Jay blurted out. Cole’s eyebrows shot up and he looked something like a deer in headlights, blinking at Jay and turning even redder.

“Uh-“ Cole choked out, like he was a little surprised that his kissing skills didn’t convey the meaning he wanted. He didn’t get the chance to say anything else, because a frustrated groan sounded from above them in the stands. Chen was clearly very upset with this turn of events, and Jay was subconsciously offended. Excuse you, we’re having a moment here!

“Ughhhhhhhh, you’re supposed to be fighting each other!!!!!” Chen smacked his chair buttons a bit and glared down at the pair of them. “Send in the Condrai Crushers! That will get them fighting again!”

A door opened up in the wall of the arena, and Cole promptly dropped Jay and whirled around, cursing under his breath. Jay landed on his feet, and was looking to where Cole was as two large vehicles rolled out into the pit, both outfitted with extremely sharp implements. Jay’s breath caught, and before he had a chance to react Cole grabbed him by the wrist and dashed away from them.

“Wh- Hey!” Jay protested, wrenching his arm out of Cole’s grip and running to keep pace with him. “This conversation isn’t over, boulderbrain! What the hell was that supposed to mean?!” Cole glanced at him, then groaned slightly, skidding to a stop and whirling around to face the crushers again, stamping hard on the tiles and kicking up a large rock at one of them. Then he turned and looked at Jay, brow half-furrowed.

“The reason I’m still mad with you is because you still think I’m trying to take Nya from you or some bullshit like that. Even after every master-damned hint I keep shoving in your face!” Despite the situation he let out a dry laugh and pushed hair out of his face. “It is honestly baffling how you can be so ridiculously, beautifully smart and also so stupid at the same time!”

“Huh???” Jay squeaked. “I- wha- beautifully smart???” Wow, way to go that THAT’S what we latch onto. He shook his head out to clear his ears, then heard the thrum of the motor of the other crusher, behind them and dove sideways into Cole, knocking them both to the center. Once there, he stood up and kept talking. “So you’re not...?”

“OF COURSE NOT!! Fuckin hell, Jay, I never had any interest in Nya like that! She’s my workout buddy, but that’s it!” Cole pushed his hair off his face again, and shook his head. Jay couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“B-but I thought- th-the soulmate machine-“

“Was a prototype, and a tourist trap kind of attraction and I don’t know why you trusted it! Seriously, I still don’t get how you trusted that thing over me.” Cole chucked another boulder at one of the crushers, flipping it over. He turned back to Jay with just this nervous smile that made Jay’s heart flutter. The lightning master stuttered, trying to figure it all out.

“So then- it was- wait, it was me? You’re in love with me?” Jay finally put the pieces together. Cole just lit up once Jay admitted he figured that out, a bright grin plastering onto his face, and then they jumped apart into spinjitzu to dodge before joining up again. Cole grabbed both of Jay’s shoulders and kept grinning, a frankly adorable look.

“YES! Jay, you stupid gorgeous bastard, yes it was you! It was you the whole time! Still is, actually!” Cole looked almost like he was gonna cry, cry happy tears at least. Jay looked rather flabbergasted.

 Admittedly, Jay was still figuring this out, because what???

The whole time? The whole time, when Jay thought Cole was interested in Nya, Cole was in love with… him? With Jay? It felt like something out of a cheesy rom-com. Or one of his daydreams. The fact that he had to make this realization while dodging out of the way of a very sharp vehicle did not help matters.

Jay was suddenly wrenched out of his thoughts when he realized the remaining crusher was coming right at them. He had to act fast, so he dashed at the wall, ran up and sprang off of it, landing behind the driver of that one. He then proceeded to fry the living daylights out of the driver, until he was incapacitated and the thing came to a stop, just in front of Cole.

Jay hopped off again and came right up to Cole, mind spinning. He may not have had everything together, but he did have something he needed to do, to at least tell him without telling him.

“Are you serious with this? Are you genuinely, actually serious about this, Cole?” About me? Jay didn’t add. He looked up into Cole’s eyes, trying to convey about the same meaning to him as he was earlier. Cole froze, for a second all deer-in-headlights again, but then nodded.

“Yes I mean it. I am seriously in love with you,” he said, with all the conviction in the world. Jay looked up at him, took a small breath, then popped up on his tiptoes and kissed him.

In all honesty, this kiss was far shorter than the earlier one. It was small, and sweet, and soft (fessin’ hell his lips were soft) but it got the point Jay wanted to make across, clear as day. He cupped Cole’s face for a short moment, then dropped back down to his feet and was met with a rather starstruck look from Cole, to which Jay couldn’t help but smile. He almost didn’t register the audience they were still before, offering an “awww”, before he heard it drowned out by the whining of Chen.

“... okay, good, glad we got that squared aWAY-“ Jay started to say, before the floor tile he was standing on suddenly dropped out from under him. He yelped, but was very quickly grabbed in a bear-hug by Cole, keeping him from plummeting. With a start, Jay realized the arena floor tiles were disappearing into a pit at a rapid rate. “Crap, Cole!! The Jade Blade!” He pointed up at the knife stuck into the top of the central pillar.

Cole seemed to be on the same wavelength as Jay again, and holy crap was that a feeling Jay missed. “Cmon!” Cole barked, grabbing Jay by the hand and starting to dash forward to the center pole again, hopping from tile to tile as they dropped. Jay tried for a second to ignore his heart fluttering again when Cole gripped his hand - jeez I’ve really got it bad - and instead yelped in fear when he let go for a fleeting moment and got cut off by the ever-increasing pit. Separated now.

Cole whipped around for a second, eyes full of worry. Jay frantically shook his head. “Go, go!” He yelled, and Cole hesitated another beat before turning back around and sprinting for the pillar, then climbing it, then-

Once the blade was pulled the tiles stopped falling. For a very short moment it went quiet. Then Jay caught sight of something hurtling to him and he caught it on instinct. And then he looked down at it in his hands and-

What?

The Jade Blade. It was the Jade Blade, and he was holding it. Jay’s eyes darted back up to see Cole at the top of the pillar, looking down at him with a look of determination.

“WINNER!” Chen’s voice rang out over the announcement but Jay wasn’t processing it, still looking at Cole. Cole gave me the win. Why? He knows what happens when he loses, and I lost! What is he-

“Jay it’s gonna be okay, you hear me? We’ll figure it out. I want you to keep going,” Cole spoke up, landing back on the arena floor several feet away. He looked pained, but he was smiling all the way through it. There was an ache in Jay’s chest again, for Cole. “You keep going, zaptrap, and you win this thing for both of us, okay?”

“Cole, I- wh- we can’t just leave it like this!” Jay found himself blurting, frantic and scared. This CANNOT be how this goes, I barely even got time to get into it! The whys, the since-whens, all of it!

“You’re gonna be alright, Jay! I’ll see you. I’ll see you on the other siIDE!” Cole’s last word was cut off, as he was suddenly dropped into the pit below the arena. 

Jay could’ve screamed because it wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair that they didn’t have any time to talk about this. He wanted to talk, he wanted to tell him all these reasons why he was so hopelessly in love with him and for a brief moment he was scared he’d never get the chance, now.

Instead, he just found himself reaching for the spot where Cole fell, feeling tears pricking at his eyes as the door in the wall opened again and Chen’s men ushered him back through to the others.

It shouldn’t be ending like this.

#ninjago #bruiseshipping #geodeshipping #ninjago s4 #writ.fiz #dw there's a second part in the works ;0 #jay ninjago #cole ninjago

[shortythescreen]

Learned Skill

Summary: The reader has asked their partner, Bloodhound, to train them so they could compete in the Apex Games. When it proves to be more difficult than they originally thought, they get a little frustrated. Bloodhound is here to help. 

Pairing(s): Bloodhound/reader. 

Warning(s): NSFT/18+ under the cut. Gender neutral AFAB reader, AMAB Bloodhound. Bloodhound eats the booty at one point. Semi public/gym showers sex, though not a ton of emphasis placed on that. Some dom/sub undertones. Mentions of exercise being used as a punishment but it’s very brief and not spoken about in a negative way.

Author’s Note(s): A commission for the lovely @mika-aris! She has been so patient with me between work, school, and this, so what was ORIGINALLY supposed to be 2k wound up being nearly 3! She specified AFAB reader, so I got to talk about some clit action [insert eyes emojis here]. Anyway, she really seemed to like it and I hope y’all do too! 

The worst part about this whole thing is that you were the one that asked Bloodhound to train you.

The worst worst part is that you didn’t think it would be that hard. Sure, you knew that you weren’t the most athletic person in the world, that you would need to have some patience with yourself. But if Caustic, who you’ve seen eat a whole cheesecake when he thought no one else was looking, can do it, then why can’t you? If Octane can do it when he looks like a strong breeze could knock him over, then why can’t you?

Why can’t you?

You expected Bloodhound to beat your ass at every turn. They’ve been the Champion of the Arena more than once, have earned the title Apex Predator. You didn’t think you were going to knock them off their feet in one fell swoop. You didn’t think they would stare up at you with hearts in their eyes, amazed and impressed by your strength and beauty (even if you thought about it a few times). You’re not stupid.

You just. Fucking. Are having a hard time.

“Again,” says Bloodhound. You have no idea how the hell they’re wearing a cloth face mask. Sweat must be dotting their upper lip beneath it and their tinted goggles give you no hint to how they’re feeling. You stand at the opposite end of the boxing ring, panting, your hands on your knees. “Do you need a break, elskan?”

“No, no,” you grunt. “I’m good. I wanna get this.”

“The decision is yours.”

You wonder if they’re annoyed with you. You two have been running this same fucking sequence for four days. It’s really not that hard and you’ve understood every other drill before it. Hound insisted before showing you how to handle weapons, you needed to know your way around your fists.

The overseers make us find our weapons, they said, if you ever intend to compete, you will have to know how to survive with only your wits and your fists. Especially in the event you are paired with Octavio and he throws your squad into the hot zone.

Which, okay, cool. You were disappointed that you weren’t going to be able to spin a Wingman around your finger like Elliott did but you weren’t opposed to learning how to upper cut someone, or whatever. Last week, they taught you about your stance, about basic punches and kicks, how to block. Now, you were combining all of those things. Simple, right? Punch, punch, block, kick, block, punch. Simple.

Yet you can’t seem to get it right.

You fix yourself, putting your fists up, tucking your elbows in. You shift one of your feet in front of the other, your dominant foot forward. Hound copies you and if you weren’t so wound up, you would probably be distracted by the way the muscles of their shoulders contract.

You two circle one another and then you launch yourself forward. Easy. Simple. Punch, punch, block, kick, block-

“Keep your hands up.” Bloodhound says and, fuck, when did they drop? You punch but you’re thrown off, overthinking how high or low your fists are, and instead of hitting their block, you miss them entirely.

“Damn it,” you huff.

“That’s alright,” murmurs Hound, “try again. Remember, if your hands are not protecting your face, your opponent may take the opportunity to hit it. It’s very easy to be caught unaware if you have to deal with a broken nose.”

“Right,” you say, then drop back into position. You got this. Punch, punch, block-

“Fuck!” You hiss, your foot slapping the floor of the ring. It echoes, and echoes, and it probably wouldn’t be fucking echoing if you could just get through this sequence. You throw your hands up, your legs spread in an awkward squat. “I fucking! I just! I need a shower.”

You don’t spare your partner a backwards glance as you stomp to the edge of the ring. You dip under the stretched band, hopping down and hurrying towards the locker rooms, blinking back the tears gathering in the corners of your eyes.

You huff as you flop down onto a bench in front of the locker you stuffed your gym bag into. You’re yanking it out, digging through it to find your shampoo and conditioner. All you want to do is jump in one of the showers and rinse the grime off you and maybe forget what a fucking failure you are.

That’s harsh. You know it’s harsh. It’s so hard not to feel that way, though, when Bloodhound makes it look so easy. They move with such grace, such agility – they’re a warrior and you’re- you’re just-

You’re pulled from your thoughts when the bench creaks next to you. You look up briefly, seeing that Bloodhound has joined you. They’ve pulled their cloth face mask off, letting it rest on one of their ears as they stare at the lockers, their goggles on top of their head. Which means they can’t see shit. You turn back to your bag and the silence that follows feels stiff, rigid. Congested with the aggravation rolling off you in waves.

“Arthur taught me to hunt when I was a child,” says Bloodhound, breaking the silence. You pause, your fingers stilling in their relentless search. You don’t move, barely breathe.

“As a young one, mistakes seemed… Unimportant. I rarely wanted to understand the tracks of beasts for any other reason than to try and make friends with them.” Your lips twitch up. How adorable. “As a teenager, this changed. For many reasons. I did not want to disappoint my Uncle. At all things I have done, I have wanted to be the best. Though he might have been strict, and unrelenting, Arthur taught me one thing that I hold onto in the moments that I feel the competition within myself flare.”

You finally turn to face them, and you find their eyes on you. Their full lips are curved up at one corner, the softness of their copper colored eyes making your heart squeeze. “Rarely is battle something someone is naturally gifted in. It takes practice, discipline. Patience.”

You sigh heavily, sitting up, resting your hands on the edge of the bench. You press your lips to the side, in an ashamed little pucker. Your knee bounces but Hound doesn’t press, doesn’t force you to speak.

“You’re so… Good at this stuff,” you mutter, “and I want to be good at it too. For it to make sense for you to be with me.”

“Does it not now?” Bloodhound asks and their rough knuckles find the apple of your cheek, caressing the edge of it. You lean into their touch.

“You’re this amazing warrior. Four time Champion of the Arena. Apex predator. And I’m… squishy.” You say.

“You too can be an amazing warrior, beloved,” they say, “but please, do it for yourself. I would love you if you never chose to participate in the games or if you remained… squishy for the rest of our days.”

A laugh tumbles from your lips, unbidden. Bloodhound has the audacity to beam at you, clearly delighted they’ve made you laugh and with a sigh, you careen into them, your head finding their shoulder.

“Alright, okay.”

They loop an arm around your shoulder, resting their cheek on top of yours. “Once, when I kicked a rock in a fit of irritation, Arthur made me run the perimeter of our village three times.”

“Ouch. You gonna make me run, Hound?” They chuckle at your words, their gun calloused fingers blazing a trail down the length of your bicep before they gently grip your elbow, pulling your body firmly into their side.

“No. But I have another idea of how to make you sweat,” their voice lowers with dangerous promise and your breath hitches in your throat. “You meant to shower?”

“Yes.”

“Then go. And perhaps I will join you.”

Oh shit. Ohhhhh shit. The husk of their tone makes heat bolt through you, makes you squirm in your seat. They press a dry kiss to your temple, and you hop up, completely forgetting the shampoo and conditioner you had been digging for in favor of hurrying towards the showers.

You can barely focus on how good the hot spray feels. You don’t know how Hound cleared out the gym today, if they paid someone or just knew the Legends well enough to know they wouldn’t be here today. They did though and now they’re following your training up with fulfilling some of your naughty fantasies. Not that you’ve expressed to them that you’re interested in kind of public, kind of wet sex, but-

Rough hands find the swell of your hips and your breath stutters in your lungs. Shit. When did they even get in here? They waste no time, dragging you back, against their body as naked as your own.

“Do you think it yours to decide whether we have finished with our training, hm?” They whisper in your ear, the brush of their lips on the shell making a little tingle go down your spine. “Do you think yourself in charge, beloved?”

“No,” you say softly, shaking your head, only to tilt it to the side as their lips find the side of your throat, the juncture between it and your shoulder. “No, Bloodhound, I never meant-”

“Never. You never meant,” they nod against your shoulder, their curls sticking to your wet skin. “Oh, beloved, I understand. I do.”

They don’t. They walk you out from under the spray, pressing your front against the tile wall of the shower. Their hands that have been static on your hips move, gracefully migrating down to the tops of your thighs. They part them, nudging them apart and forcing your knees against the tile.

“But I cannot let you play at authority,” they growl out and the slow, steady roll of their hips against your ass lets you feel their cock, twitching and hard between your spread thighs. You gasp, pressing your forehead against the tile. “Keep your legs apart. Do not look back.”

You nod slowly, resting your hands on either side of your head. Hound shifts behind you and the delicious pressure of their dick disappears, much to your chagrin. They must sense this because they chuckle but before you can ask them what’s so funny, wriggle around, their hands grip your ass cheeks, spreading them apart.

Your breath hitches, whatever smart comment that you wanted to make dying on your tongue as your legs tremble. You have to fight the urge to close them, the feeling of being so exposed making you twitch in their hands. They let you sit like that, with your cheeks spread, your breath stuck in your throat like food that’s gone down the wrong pipe.

“Do you remember your safe word?” they ask, and you nod, eagerly. They blow cool air against your puckered asshole, and you shiver, knowing that the water must be hitting their back, knowing that their cock is bobbing between their legs. They say no more, their tongue finding home between the globes of your ass, and you squeak.

Their tongue is relentlessly, working against your tight hole. They flicker the tip against it, before dragging themselves all the way down until their tongue almost touches your cunt. The noise they make into your ass makes you squirm, but you know they have to see how wet you are, how much you want them. How much this is turning you on. They suck their way back up, pulling back to kiss each of your cheeks before their tongue flattens all the way into your ass.

“Hound,” you whine, desperation edging at your tone. They keep teasing you, their tongue flickering close to the wet edge where ass stops and your pussy begins, but they are not merciful. You find yourself panting, your breath joining the steam all around you both.

“Who do you belong to, elskan? Who decides when we are finished?” They ask, lowly. Before you can answer, their fingers find your wet lips and they slide two inside without warning. You absolutely wail at the stretch, at the way that once they have spoken, they attack your ass.

“Hound! You, you, shit, it’s you, please-” You plead, and you guess this must do it for them because they shoot to their feet. Their fingers don’t stop, curled inside of your cunt, fucking up hard and fast into you. You glance over your shoulder but instead of being reprimanded, their lips find yours, forceful tongue parting your lips to find yours as they seal their chest against your back. You squirm, your thighs trembling, aching, before you finally cum with a shout around their knuckles.

Your legs twitch and they barely move away, their breath mingling with yours. Their fingers slide out of you with an embarrassing squelch and you feel wet, sticky, but your clit still throbs when they push their cock between the seam of your pussy lips.

“Can you take me, elskan? Now that I’ve made you cum?” They ask, their soaked fingers creeping around to your front so they can massage your thick clit.

“Fuck, yes,” you whisper, and they grin at your eagerness, all hooded eyes and feral energy. The hand not toying with your clit finds your shoulder and they whip you around. That same hand slinks down and they hitch up your leg over their hip, kneeling just enough so that this time when they grind their hips up into you, their cock catches against your soaked hole.

They whisper your name and in a moment of tenderness, their lips find the apple of your cheek. You smile delicately, meeting their eyes. They give you a serene, sweet smile, before their cock sinks home into your cunt.

The pleasant stretch of them has you throwing your head back, your lower lip catching between your teeth.

“Look at me,” they murmur and it’s with great effort that you open your eyes. The second you meet their gaze they thrust into you hard, abrupt, hips smacking wetly into yours and you whimper. Your oversensitive walls are fluttering around them, squishy and soft from the way they made you cum earlier.

They don’t show you mercy, though, pounding into your wet cunt like they own it. They do, fucking Christ, you swear they do. Your fingernails dig into their muscular shoulders, your teeth weakly scraping across their throat and making them moan your name. They angle their hips just right, tilting in such a way that suddenly they slam into something hot, and deep, and it has you crying out as they groan.

“There,” they hiss. It’s not a question, not when they brutally thrust into your twitching cunt, so deep inside of you that you see stars. You suck hard at their neck, trying to fight back your noises, trying to make them feel as good as you do now. Their nails dig into the thigh they have hostage and to your surprise, they start talking.

Bloodhound isn’t normally a talker during sex, not unless you two are in scene. Giving orders, correcting you, calling you names. That’s usually what they reserve their filth for.

“You are more than worthy of me,” they almost whisper and you sob as they punctuate this with a sharp thrust, “you are the first thing I think about when I wake, the last thing I think about when I sleep. The love-”

They outright growl when your cunt flexes around them in tandem with your nails raking down their back and their hips stutter into yours. Their cock slowly grinds into you and you tremble in their arms.

“The love of my life,” they huff out, their voice deepening, thickening, “you’re mine, forever, I love you, I love you-”

They groan as their hips begin to stutter and clench and the twitch in their dick inside of you has you jerking, so, so close. Their fingers fondle your clit, haphazard, messy, and you whimper as you finally cum a second time around their throbbing cock. They twist their head to press against your ear, panting harshly, and you try to catch your breath too.

“I love you too,” you breathe.

They chuckle softly, squeezing your hip in their hand. Then they kiss your temple, eyes sliding shut as they relish in your warmth against their chill. The water behind you two has run cold by now and the parts of your hair that haven’t been under the spray are drying.

“We should clean ourselves.” They whisper.

“Or we could go again?” You offer and they growl out, sending a bolt of heat straight through you.

“That can be arranged, beloved.”

#bloodhound/reader #bloodhound x reader #apex legends #apex lemons #apex legends imagines #apex legends bloodhound #apex bloodhound #shorty writes #shorty commissions #mika-aris #nsft #lemon

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part twenty) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±7600 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part twenty: It’s auction time! Two horses of the Gold Canyon Ranch are up for sale. Will they get the price they are hoping for? Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music:  Sold - John Michael Montgomery (Auction scene), Save A Horse - Big & Rich (Jo & Y/N dancing scene), Good Time - Alan Jackson (Dean & Y/N dancing scene), In Case You Didn’t Know - Brett Young (Final scene). Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Prepare for cuteness and a bit of angst! Thank you @kittenofdoomage​, @manawhaat​ and @winchest09​ for helping me. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999​, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these.

Ride With Me Masterlist

     “Sold! For 3750 dollars to number 48!”

     The auctioneer slams the gavel down on the block, sealing the deal. A sigh of relief falls from Dean and Jo’s lips, who are leaning over the high fence at the auction pen. Almost four grand for an unbroken two year old Mustang is more than a fair price these days. The average numbers have been decent so far, especially considering the current economic depression that is weighing down on the country.  

     Benny leads the young horse out of the arena, him and Dean exchanging a nod, accompanied with a smile. The Gold Canyon Ranch crew is playing it cool, but all are well aware how desperately the cash is needed. It’s not something the whole circuit needs to know, however. Much like any business where money is involved, there are always those who are eager for an opportunity to profit off the loss of others. There are plenty of vultures circling the skies above their potential prey, waiting to take advantage. Dean will not let that happen.

     A new horse is brought in and the auctioneer starts rambling again, announcing prices while assistants scan the crowd for bidders. It’s a vibrant ambience, most people here to make deals, others to have fun. Upbeat country music rallies on the buyers who watch one animal after another come into the pen, judging their conformation, gait and looks before they raise their sign into the air to announce their bid. The small indoor arena is more crowded than one would expect after the market collapsed earlier this year. He notices that Y/N is experiencing some difficulty getting through the mass of people, trying to push past people while transporting three huge burgers.

     “Sorry, got held up, there was a line,” she excuses, handing the fast food to the wranglers.      “You didn’t have to do that, Yank,” Dean returns, taking the large burger in his hand nonetheless.      “Yes, I did. You haven’t eaten, yet. Dig in,” she returns.      Grinning, he moves the welcoming food to his mouth to take a bite. Once again she surprises him with her care and observations. Nothing goes past her, especially when it comes to his well-being.

     Y/N glances at the large display on the back wall where the sold horses are listed. She thought the biddings stalled just under 4000 dollars and the numbers on the screen confirm it. “The price for the Mustang wasn’t bad, was it?”      “Not at all. Dad still has to pay ten percent commission, but he’s gonna be satisfied with almost three and a half grand,” Jo agrees. “If that Pinto sells for good money, you might wanna break it to him that you two are the new Sonny & Cher, before he catches you two lovebirds red-handed.”      With his mouth full, Dean chuckles at the blonde Cowgirl’s remark, which she paired with a perked eyebrow. He lets his free hand slip around his girlfriend’s waist, gently pulling her closer.      “I’ll tell him when we get back on Monday, promise,” he announces, more to Y/N than to Jo. “He’s too busy doin’ business now anyways.”

     Y/N smiles at the assurance, leaning into him. She’s glad Dean is so comfortable with her by his side in the presence of others, but just as important, she’s glad Jo has realized Dean isn’t just fooling around. Her friend has always supported her, but it took her a second to believe her cousin’s intentions are, in fact, good. Her skepticism wasn’t random; she has seen plenty of tears fall for the ladykiller. But those days are in the past now.      “What time is the second horse going up for auction?” Y/N wonders.      Dean checks his watch and glances at the horse currently in the pen, who is carrying a tag with ‘204’ on it. “He’s number 211, so he should be up in twenty minutes or so.”      “Think Benny will manage?” Jo checks.      “Yeah, he has plenty of time to switch them. Let him make himself useful, he’s not riding any horses this weekend anyway,” the head wrangler grins.

     The crew members finish their quick meal, the three of them now leaning over the fence while watching the exciting auction. The burgers are delicious, fresh off the grill from one of the many food stands, topped with cheddar and crispy bacon. Quality greasy event garbage, but Y/N wouldn’t want it any other way. Usually she tries to eat healthy, keep her body nourished for  the hard physical labor she puts into her work. During shows, however, she always lets go. She knows that she can’t swallow a bite before her runs, not with the nerves always closing off her throat and having her stomach in knots. But staring down at the big, juicy burger in her hands, she just dives in; figures it’s better to stash up on carbs before her big day than to fall short.

     Twenty minutes later, Benny leads the Pinto into the auction pen. The horse looks magnificent, his white patches washed clean and the fur that’s black shining under the limelight. His mane, detangled and brushed, cascades down his well formed neck, reaching his shoulders. The stallion is stunning, getting a reaction from the audience.

     “Alright, y’all, this is quite the looker we got here. We present this two year old Pinto stallion, owned by the Gold Canyon Ranch. A tall fella which stands at sixteen hands, strong enough to carry a big Cowboy around the competition arena. Sired by Cash Button, well-known APHA champion producer. As you can see he’s haltered, but unbroken, so if you’re lookin’ for a fine show horse to start fresh with, this is the one for you.”

     Dean is glad to hear that the auctioneer does a good job promoting their horses. The speaker can make or break an auction, so he’s thankful the organization hired a skilled one.

     Somewhat nervous, Dean sets his jaw, the muscles flexing under his stubble as he takes in the traders on the bleachers. Jody managed to buy Sundance, despite the huge interest in the mare. She paid a whopping fifteen grand for the talented barrel racer, who stayed at the top of the rank and scored Jo the first win of the competition. Now that the Mustang switched owners for a reasonable price as well, a big stack of cash for the Pinto would really bring the ranch back in the clear… for now. Dean is aware that it will take more than one good day to nurse the company back to financial health again, but it would be a good start.

     “Opening bid is 2500 dollars, so let’s get this bid started, people. 2500, 2500 for the gentleman on the front row. Can I get a 3000?”

     The auctioneer begins his bid calling, the rhythmic repetition of numbers and words adding to the tensed atmosphere. It’s a fast chant that engages the crowd and brings a sense of urgency on the possible buyers. But no matter how hard the speaker tries, the biddings slow once they near three grand, nowhere near the number they hoped the stallion would sell for.

     “Last chance to become the new owner of this stunning future prospect, folks. 3500 dollars now, will you give me 3750? Going once…”

     “C’mon, c’mon,” Dean mutters, drumming his thumb on the wooden fence.      Y/N watches the mass of people, but she can’t see any new signs popping up. It couldn’t possibly be that the Pinto will go for less than the Mustang, even though he’s worth more?      “Did Bobby arrange a reserve?” she checks with Jo.      Her friend shakes her head, glancing at her with worried eyes.      Y/N now shifts her attention to her other side, taking in the head wrangler, noticing the frown edged on his forehead under the brim of his hat. He’s radiating tension, much like Jo, all three keeping their eyes on the $ 3500,- on the screen. It’s not enough, but it might be the amount they will have to settle for.

     “Going twice…”

     “Four thousand!”      All three perk up, trying to make out where the bid originated from. The distinctive voice is easily recognizable though, the woman’s strong accent hard to miss; it’s Donna.      “Four grand, ladies and gents! Do we have another bidder? 4250 dollars, 4250 anyone?”

     Out of nowhere, another number is raised into the air, one of the assistants pointing at the bidder and shouting back a ‘yup!’ at the auctioneer.

     “We’ve got 4250 dollars now, 4250. Can I get a 4500?”      “Five!” Donna calls out.      “Five grand! Do we have 5500?”

     And there you have it, a bidding war. Dean exchanges a look with Jo, who smiles as the bids keep going back and forth like a tennis match, the stakes taken higher every time the ball is bounced back. Y/N watches in anticipation, getting more excited every time the amount that is about to be paid for the Pinto grows larger.

     “Seven and a half grand. 7500,- dollars. Is bidder number 24 gonna raise? You tell me, young lady. For 7750 dollars this gorgeous stallion can be yours. What do you say? 7500 dollars, going once...”

     The rancher with Minnesota roots seems to hesitate, discussing her next move with Jody, who’s seated next to her on the bleachers. After a few nerve-wrecking seconds, Donna keeps her sign down; they can’t go higher, but she took it high enough to make this a successful auction for Bobby Singer.

     “Going twice… Sold! To lucky number 7 for 7500 dollars!”

     The audience applauds the entertaining battle, Benny making a little fist, modestly celebrating the good sale as he walks the horse out of the pen. All the members of the Gold Canyon Ranch family know it; this is a much needed win.

     Unable to contain her elation, Y/N reaches for Dean’s hand, entwining her fingers with his. It draws his attention and he glances aside at her, his green irises full of delight. The worry has dissolved from his eyes, the weariness gone for a moment. Today is a good day; they can let their guard down for a little while.

     “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but with three horses sold and Jo winning the barrel race, I believe we have reason to celebrate!” Y/N says cheerily, looking between Dean and her best friend.      “Hell to the yeah! I think I deserve a drink,” Jo agrees victoriously.      “Come on then.” Y/N grips Dean’s hand tighter, nudging him to follow. “Let’s hit the bar.”

     “Does everyone have a drink?” Y/N checks, looking around to make sure everyone has either a glass or a beer bottle in hand.

     The Gold Canyon Ranch crew is standing around a barrel that serves as a high table, accompanied by Donna and Jody. A live band, consisting of a drummer, a banjo player and a singer who also plays an acoustic guitar, treats the attending guests to a great show. Strings of lightbulbs are connecting the steel frame that keeps the high tent up, its canvas lit with alternating colored spots. The bartenders have to kick it up a gear to keep up with the demand, people waiting to place their order on all sides of the horseshoe-shaped counter. Riders, trainers, horse owners and spectators are laughing, dancing and having a good old time. Nothing today would suspect that business isn’t as usual.

     Dean enjoys the carefree feeling and raises his bottle, joined by his workers and his boss. Even the grumpy old man lifts his IPA into the air, a sparkle back in his uncle’s eyes that he hasn’t seen in a while.      “Alright, y’all. Let’s congratulate Jody Mills here with the purchase of a future champion. Glad to do business with you as always,” he starts, giving the short haired ranch owner a nod, “and of course we raise our drinks to my Joanna for the win.” He throws his daughter a subtle but proud smile, before he turns to the rest of the crew. “Thank y’all for pitchin’ in and for all the hard work.”      “To the Gold Canyon Ranch,” Benny adds, clinking his glass against those of his colleagues and friends, who repeat his words with a cheer.

     Being on the opposite side of the table, Dean takes the opportunity to move his hand to the small of his girlfriend’s back, letting it rest on her hip, knowing Bobby won’t be able to spot it. He presses his fingertips into the denim, meeting her gaze as he takes a good swig of his drink.

     It doesn’t take long before his uncle is dragged away from the fun by a horse trader, without a doubt stealing his time to negotiate about other horses Bobby plans to sell. As Dean predicted, he will be too busy mingling and so Y/N is delighted when her boyfriend leaves an affectionate kiss on her temple. She closes her eyes and smiles at the sweet gesture, counting her blessings. With every touch, every look, the nervousness dissolves a little further.

     When she entered the tent earlier, she felt her heartbeat quicken and her mouth running dry. She’s well aware Dean is easy on the eyes, because she has caught herself getting lost in the image of him more times than she can count, but now it wasn’t just her who noticed his looks. The handsome cowboy made plenty of heads turn, a few women greeting him with a flirtatious ‘Hey, Dean’ as the group passed through the crowd to find a spot. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, her boyfriend’s reply to them stinging sharply in the pit of her stomach, even though he was only trying to be polite. It’s not just jealousy that has her lose grip. It’s worry, because she feels intimidated by all the girls that seem to throw themselves at the wrangler. They are all beautiful, stunning looking women, vibrant and confident. More beautiful than me, the insecure voice in the back of her mind once again reminds her.

     He noticed the uneasiness, able to read her body language better each day, and he tried to reassure her the best he could with Bobby still being in their presence. Now that the owner of the Gold Canyon Ranch has moved away to do business, she’s glad Dean instantly rose to the occasion to pull her closer and let her know who he belongs to.

     “Want another drink?” Dean asks, not just his girlfriend, but the other people in his company as well while he takes the ranch’s credit card from his wallet.      Y/N notices the slight hint of hesitation in Jo’s expression before she answers, and she reckons it has something to do with the ridiculous prices on the venue, a beer being seven dollars. Four bucks might not sound like much, but when you start buying rounds, the money to be paid at the bar adds up. That card already got declined once today, and both she and Jo  don’t want Dean to deal with the same embarrassment the youngest Singer had to go through at the show office earlier.      “This round’s on me,” Y/N decides, digging up her own card from her back pocket.      “You don’t have to do that,” he objects under his breath, trying not to let his pride slip through.      “I’ll be glad to,” she counters quickly, not taking no for an answer, turning to the others. “Another beer? Jody? Donna? Glass of wine?”      Eagerly, Jo and Benny look up, completely in sync with the two women who they share the table with, all nodding at the offer, all nodding at the offer.

     “At least let me pick up the drinks then?” Dean offers before she gets up from her seat, not too keen of his girlfriend paying for him, but knowing that determined look in her eyes well enough to not go against her.      She agrees on the compromise with a sigh and gives him her card. “Three beers, two white wines and a coke for me.”      “No margarita?” he checks.      “No, sticking to the one. I have a ride to win tomorrow,” she explains, adding a smug smile.      Dean chuckles at that before he turns around, heading for the bar.

     Y/N takes a second to watch him walk away, wondering if she did the right thing. She doesn’t want him or the ranch to pay now that she knows they are low on money while she has plenty, but Dean seemed bothered. She gets it, the man is supposed to pay for the drinks, but this is the twenty-first century; she is just as entitled to pick up the bill as he is.

     “Y’know, you don’t have to keep savin’ us,” Jo comments, making sure that Donna and Jody, who are having a laugh with Benny, can’t pick up on the conversation.      “It’s okay, Jo,” Y/N assures. “It’s the least I can do. I don’t mind at all.”      “I know you don’t, but he might.” She nods at her cousin. “It’s a guy thing. My Dad’s the same way, you should have heard him when he found out you paid the fees because his card didn’t work. Old fashioned country boys seem to think the weight of the world is theirs to carry.”      The intern sniggers, hiding her concern. “Well, those country boys need to learn that us girls can take on that weight just fine.”

     She glances to the bar again, expecting her boyfriend to return with a tray of drinks, but when people move away and no longer obstruct her view, her breathing hitches. Y/N spots Dean casually leaning on the counter with his elbow, talking to a girl. The young woman is all smiles, raking her fingers through her wavy, blonde locks, the light above the bar shining down and highlighting the chemistry. She looks stunning; slim figure, long legs wrapped in torn jeans, exposing skin of her knees and thighs. When she leans forward while laughing at something he said, her cleavage is on display.

     As  the color drains from Y/N’s cheeks, Jo follows her friend’s fixated stare, her face falling when she notices the two by the bar. Dean doesn’t cross a line by any means, but it’s clear that the woman who took an interest in the head wrangler has every intention to persuade him.      “Who is she? You know her?” Y/N asks, the questions rapid and laced with worry.      “Yeah, that’s Jamie Sward,” Jo states.      “Please tell me it’s not one of his exes?” She rips her eyes away from the painful sight, shielding her face in embarrassment.      “‘Ex’ wouldn’t be the right word, but yeah, they did have an on and off thing in the past,” Jo admits carefully, not wanting to lie to her. “Sis, it’s fine. He’s an idiot, but he’s not that much of an idiot. They are  probably just talking.”      “Her breasts are hanging out of her shirt!” Y/N hisses frustrated, blood rushing to her face now, a contrast to her pale skin tone mere seconds ago.

     “So…” Jamie says, taking a sip from her drink while looking over her glass at the handsome wrangler. “What are you up to these days? Still working at Gold Canyon?”      “Yeah, kinda became furniture of the place. Don’t think I’ll ever leave to be honest,” he chuckles, watching the bartender preparing the drinks he ordered. “What about you?”      “Oh y’know, worked a few bars in Phoenix to pay for college, sulked over the fact that you stopped calling me,” the beautiful blonde returns, the smirk that accompanies her perked eyebrow telling him that she’s not too broken up about it.

     “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” he rubs the back of his neck, well aware that he ignored her messages the past month and a half.      “Don’t sweat it. We weren’t dating. Just having fun, right?” Jamie shrugs casually, setting down her drink again. “Talking about fun, I have a room at Days Inn if you’re interested.”

     The offer hangs in the air and it’s only now that Dean realizes he’s on thin ice here. When the blonde cowgirl approached him, somehow it didn’t dawn on him where the conversation was heading towards, simply because he’s not interested in her in the slightest. Ever since he met Y/N, he can’t bring himself to give a damn about any other woman, and Jamie is no exception.

     “I’m uh - I’m gonna have to say ‘no’,” he says, almost apologetic, not wanting to hurt her feelings, because she is a sweet girl. “Doesn’t have anything to do with you. I met someone and things have been really great--”      “Wait. Are you taken?” she interrupts, astonished. “Are you serious? You’re in a relationship?”      He nods, unable to stop a beaming smirk from showing. “Yeah. She’s awesome. I don’t get why everyone acts so surprised, though.”      “C’mon, Dean Winchester. With your reputation?” Jamie snorts. “But hey, no hard feelings. I’m happy for you.”

     She means it, he can tell. He gives her an appreciative nod as the bartender sets the last two beers on the carton tray, which Dean picks up from the bar.      “Right, I’m gonna get back to my girl. Good to see ya again, James,” he says before he leaves.      “You too, Dean. Good luck tomorrow!” she says cheerily, giving him a little wave before she heads off herself.

     With a content smile on his face, the head wrangler returns to the table. It’s only after he has given everyone else their drinks and sets down the Coca-Cola bottle in front of his girlfriend that he locks eyes with her and notices the stale, yet anxious look on her face.      “What is it?” he wonders.      “Jamie seemed awfully friendly,” she comments, fidgeting with the straw of her drink to have something to focus on.

     Dean lifts his head slightly as his jaw lowers. He tries not to roll his eyes and pokes his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Right, that conversation might have looked a little different from a distance than how it actually went. The penny drops and he turns to face Jo and shoots her a glare. The fact that Y/N has learned the name of the woman he’s been talking to gives away that his cousin apparently revealed more than he would have wanted.      “Okay!” Jo takes her cue and clears her throat, deciding that this would be a good time to exit the conversation. “I’m gonna request some songs to dodge the awkwardness. Have fun, you two.”      The ranch owner’s daughter quickly sneaks past Dean towards the dancefloor, heading to the stage. Before Dean speaks, he glances aside to make sure the others won’t pick up on their conversation. Deciding that he wants some more privacy, he takes Y/N’s hand and beckons her to come with him to an empty booth on the side.

     “Y/N, listen. I don’t know what Jo said--” he starts, before she cuts him off.      “- Jo has nothing to do with this. She was actually defending you. Don’t tell her I told you that.” Y/N sits down on the bench next to him, knowing that her best friend wouldn’t be happy with Dean knowing that she actually did something nice for him. God knows he will hold it against her.      “Jamie and I were just talking. Yeah, we hung out a couple of times, but I don’t feel anything for her. Hey…” He takes her hand, squeezing it softly. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m serious about us before you start believing me, huh?”

     He watches her take a breath, contemplating on what to say and on what to feel. Sure, a part of him gets it that she’s not a fan of the women who throw themselves at him. He didn’t like it one bit when Benny took an interest in her either, shutting that down immediately. Still, it hurts, because deep down he knows she assumes he will fall out of line.      “I believe you, it’s just that…” She exhales, shaking her head while she doubts herself more by the second. “I don’t believe the girls who have their eye on you have only good intentions.”      “You don’t have to worry about Jamie. She’s cool. And considering other flings and what not; it doesn’t matter. I don’t care what they want from me, because I know what I want for myself, and she’s sittin’ right beside me,” he tries to assure her, slipping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. “You’re the only one I have eyes for, Yankee.”

     She looks up from under her lashes, his soft voice slowly beginning to ease her anxious mind. Dean casting those negative thoughts away only does one thing, though; it makes room for a different kind of self loathing.      “God, I’m such a bitch…” she says softly, rubbing her face with her free hand.      “No, you’re not. Don’t say that,” he dismisses, not wanting her to be so hard on herself. “But I need you to trust me.”

     Y/N eyes dart up to his, stunned, realizing that her behavior might have hurt him more than he’s letting on. He avoids her eyes, trying to mask the harm her actions did, but even in the dim light she can detect the damage. Of course she trusts him. She trusts him and Jo more than anyone on the ranch, yet it came across like she didn’t. Damn it, she could kick herself in the head right now. Jealousy isn’t a good look on her, neither is self-consciousness, but sometimes she can’t help but to feel intimidated and overwhelmed. He needs to know that it’s not his fault, though.      “Dean, I do trust you,” she promises, lacing her fingers with his, hoping to sooth him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel like I didn’t.”      He turns to look at her, allowing his thumb to rub over the smooth skin on the back of her hand. Despite her efforts, he can’t quite shake the feeling, but she doesn’t have to know that this bothers him more than it should. And so the corner of his mouth pulls up in a small smile as he looks deep into her eyes, and kisses her softly.

     The intimate connection brings more peace than they both expect. They have that effect on each other, that instant calm washing over with a small touch or a sweet kiss. It’s during moments like these that the insecurities lose their proof, the sources that are the patronizing and condescending voices in their heads suddenly unreliable.

     After a few peaceful seconds which silence his troubled mind, Dean moves his lips from hers, glad to see that the kiss worked the same wonders for Y/N. Her warm eyes look up at him when she leans into his chest.      “So we’re okay?” she checks, needing that confirmation.      “We’re okay,” he promises, leaving a kiss on her hair.

     The music changes, the lead singer persuading the attending guests to move to the dancefloor. As people leave their seats and gather, Jo emerges again and grabs her beer from the barrel table, carefully testing the water before she approaches the couple.      “Is the coast clear? I come in peace.” She holds up her hand innocently.      “Everything’s good,” Dean states, not just aiming at the bond between him and his cousin.      “In that case, can I steal your girlfriend?” Jo asks. “This is such a good song and I for one wanna dance!”

     Y/N’s face lights up, fueled by the blonde cowgirl’s contagious smirk. Before she slides out of the booth, though, she shares a look with Dean.      “Go, seriously. Have some fun,” he encourages.      “You’re not coming?” she wonders.      Dean scoffs. “Hell no!”      “Oh, come on!” Y/N tries again.      “It’s no use, Sis. Dean doesn’t dance. Not good for his John Wayne reputation,” Jo nags, taking her best friend’s hand to pull her to her feet.      “Wranglers don’t dance. They ride,” Dean defends, aggrieved.      “Alright, tough guy. You go stir in your own juices while you miss out on all the fun.” His cousin twirls around, dragging Y/N with her before she can change her mind.

     The most horrible and yet catchy country song ever made sounds from the amplifiers, ‘Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy’ covered by the band that is rocking it out on stage. A fiddler clad in a charming saloon dress like the women used to wear in the old West has joined them, adding spice with the crisp sound of her instrument.      Trying to get her best friend out of her funk, Jo pulls Y/N in the lines that have formed, without missing a beat getting into the choreographed series of steps that every cowgirl knows by heart. Laughing, Y/N joins her, getting the hang of the dance quickly.

     Dean has stood up and joined Jody, Donna and Benny at the barrel table, nursing his drink as he watches his Yankee dance it out. He lets the tension flow out of his chest with a deep breath, the ache melting away with the sight of her. The colored lights flick over her features in the same rhythm of the music, her hat hanging between her shoulder blades by the stampede string. Forgetting the troubles for a moment, she copies Jo’s motion, who pretends to rope a lasso above her head as she makes a circle, while shouting out the words back to the lead singer when he points his microphone to the dancing crowd. It makes Dean chuckle.

     “Well, that seems too jolly to miss out on,” Benny decides, holding out his elbow for Jody to hook her arm through. “Can I have this dance, darlin’?”      “Benny Lafitte, always the charmer,” the woman with pixie hair comments, but takes his offer, leaving just Donna and Dean.      They watch their friends, both with a pleased smile on their lips. It’s quiet for a while between old companions as they take in the carefree portrayal.      It’s the head wrangler of the Gold Canyon Ranch who eventually breaks the silence. “Thanks for the save.”      “What save?” Donna returns, pretending to be oblivious.

     He can see by her mischievous smirk that she’s well aware what he’s talking about; her bid on the Pinto at the auction. Donna never intended to buy the two year old stallion. She and Jody spent fifteen grand only an hour prior to the sale, and especially during current times, Dean can’t picture the girls spending another 7500 dollars on a second horse. He knew the moment Donna raised that sign; she was doing them a favor and drove up the price.      Dean throws her a knowing look, his eyebrow perked, triggering Donna to drop the act.      “That Pinto is a hell of a good horse. Would’ve been a good buy,” she grins. “If only I had done the final bid.”      Grinning, he takes a swig of his beer. He appreciates the help, knowing that the two female ranch owners will not spill the financial secret to anyone else in their circle. It’s safe with them, and he considers himself lucky to have friends like that. Everyone needs a hand sometimes, and he’s more than glad that Donna and Jody offered theirs in time of need.

     “Anyhoo, I’m gonna join the girls for a dance off. You should join us for a change. I’ll bet your belle would love it,” the broad-smiling woman suggests.      “She’s having plenty of fun without me,” he sniggers, watching her belt out the lyrics to the song with Jo.      “Okeydokes. But you’re missin’ out, handsome.” Donna winks at him, heading to the dancefloor with a spring in her step.

     Dean watches the cheery woman from Minnesota go, but his focus soon darts past her, immediately captured by the sight of Y/N. Damn, they could shut off the power and she would still light up the room. He can’t keep his eyes off her, the familiar swell of his heart once again taking up so much space that it’s hard to breathe. It’s not an unpleasant sensation, not anymore. It used to terrify him, feeling something so strong for a woman he’s known for such a short amount of time. But now when he feels it, it just strengthens his fondness and devotion for the girl who he wishes he had met years ago. Maybe he could have saved her the heartache that has her self-conscious about her place with Dean. Maybe his track record wouldn’t be so long that she would question him. He’s willing to do anything to make up for that time, though.

     As Jo and Y/N dance in circles around each other, clapping their hands and laughing, her gaze meets Dean’s. She’s caught off guard by the adoration in his eyes, his smile so warm and affectionate, that she slows her step. The good-looking cowboy she gets to call hers just stands there by himself, adding action to his words. He’s watching her as if she’s the only girl at the party, like she’s the only girl in the world.

     Y/N breaks away from her friends and steps towards him, swaying her hips a little more than she usually does. She shook the concern that weighed heavy on her earlier and got her footing back. A cheeky smile plays on her lips and her eyes sparkle, telling Dean instantly she’s up to no good.      When she reaches her boyfriend, she takes his forearm between both hands and pulls at it. “Come dance.”      “I don’t dance, Yankee,” he refuses, not budging.      The music changes to a new song, triggering cheers to rise from the small crowd. The new rhythm has her eyes go wide, then pleading.      “Oh, come on. This is a good song to move to!” Y/N begs, using all her strength to shift his tall form.

    ��He stands his ground, surprised at her physical strength, but the stand off is as much for his own sake as for hers. If he lets her go, she’s gonna land flat on her ass, but Dean spares her the embarrassment. The cowboy sighs, not that fond of being at the center of attention anyway, not to mention on the dance floor in this big tent. But how the hell is he going to say ‘no’ to her?      “One song,” he complies, strict on the conditions.      She jumps into the air excitedly and the delight in her eyes is already worth it. He adjusts his grip and laces his finger through hers, walking towards the dancing group of people, their friends amongst him.      Jo’s jaw drops to the floor when she notices Dean on her tail. “How the hell did you manage to drag his sorry ass over here?”      She wiggles her eyebrows. “I can be quite persuasive.”

     Her cowboy catches her by surprise when he tightens his hold on her hand, raising it and spinning her. When she comes full circle he pulls her in again, slipping his arm under hers and smoothly transitions into a two step. Completely flabbergasted, she grabs his shoulder and stares up at him with big eyes. Whoa, where the heck did that come from?      “I thought you couldn’t dance!” she giggles, while he leads her across the dancefloor, not missing a step.      “Never said that,” he smirks. “I just said I don’t dance.”      “Well, you’re dancing now,” Y/N returns, delighted.      He chuckles at that, looking deep into her eyes. “Only because the most beautiful girl at the party asked me.”

     They nail the routine, even though they’ve never teamed up on the dancefloor before. It’s not a complicated choreography, a simple one-two mixed with some country swing, but apparently it looks impressive enough to earn a ‘yee-haw!’ from Benny.      Y/N glances aside when the others rally them on, clapping in the rhythm of the song from the sideline, making room for the couple. Jo gives her two thumbs up, clearly entertained by the unexpected turn of events. She can’t stop her smile reaching from ear to ear when Dean twirls again, not missing the same expression on his face.

     The fiddle and guitar work together in harmony, throwing in a variation during the bridge of the song. Having her a little closer than at arms length, his right hand on her higher back, his left hand holding hers out to the side, they continue to move from one end of the open space to the other swiftly. The cowboy is enjoying himself, even though he was being a grump about dancing earlier. How can he not, now that he’s a witness of the pure joy his girl is radiating?

     The drummer finishes the song with a ruffle and the music dies down, the band receiving applause from the attending party-goers. Beaming, Y/N looks into Dean’s emerald green eyes, which sparkle every time the spotlight hits them. Dean was right; she’s having a blast, just like he predicted.

     Not ready to admit that he doesn’t really want to stop dancing with Y/N, he glances at the musicians, waiting for the next song. He narrows his eyes confused when he spots Donna, who got the attention of the lead singer. The young man has crouched down at the edge of the stage, Donna whispering something in his ear. Dean can see him nod in agreement before he rights himself and grabs the mic stand.      “Alright, y’all. I got a special request for a ballad just now. We’re gonna perform an original, so take your lady to the floor. Time to take things a lil’ slower.”

     He puts away his electric guitar and picks up the acoustic one, plugging it in. A romantic tune coming from the speakers when he strums the strings. Questioning, Y/N glances up at her boyfriend, almost sheepishly. Dean agreed to one song, which had a totally different vibe to the music that was sounding right now. The wrangler has been nothing but wonderful and sweet with her, but she doesn’t expect him to openly show how much he cares about her, especially with Bobby still present in the tent.

     But against the odds, Dean moves his extended hand that was still holding hers closer to his chest, letting it rest there. Gentle fingertips press into her skin as they sink to the small of her back, encouraging her to come close. He looks at her, the playfulness dying down and replaced with something deeper, something even more profound.

     I can’t count the times I almost said what’s on my mind, but I didn’t.      Just the other day, I wrote down all the things I’d say, but I couldn’t.      Baby, I know that you’ve been wondering.      So here goes nothing.

     Comfortable in his arms, Y/N lays her head against his chest, the soft thump of his heart beat and the slow swaying motion calming every nerve that was ever there. She couldn’t feel safer, more sheltered than in this very moment. Right now, she’s the only girl in the world. She couldn’t care less that she’s in the limelight, that everyone is a witness of the bond between them that’s strengthening each day. In fact, she feels proud. Dean stepped on the dance floor, just for her. He is showing a side of him not many are familiar with, just for her. If this doesn’t prove that he’s her man, and no one else's, nothing will.

     In case you didn’t know, baby, I’m crazy ‘bout you.      And I would be lying if I said that I could live this life without you.      Even though I don’t tell you all the time,      you had my heart a long, long time ago.      In case you didn’t know.

     Careful not to stand on her feet and ruin the moment, Dean continues to slowly sway her from side to side. Softly pressing his cheek against her hair, he shuts his eyes for a second, storing the memory amongst the other precious recollections. God, this feels beyond amazing.

     When he opens his eyes again, his gaze travels over the faces watching the pairs in front of the stage. Tensing slightly, he notices Bobby, who watches the two slow-dancing. His uncle shoots back a judgemental glare, seemingly not too pleased with the fact that there’s more going on between the supervisor and the intern than he originally thought. The head wrangler looks back guilty, grimacing awkwardly.

     “What is it?” Y/N wonders, apparently feeling him stiffening.      “I think we’ve been made,” Dean whispers in her ear, dipping down his head slightly.      “Bobby?” she assumes, concerned. “What should we… Should we stop?”      But Dean shakes his head, not caring about the ranch owner at this point. He’ll get over it, and if there was ever a right time to tell the old man, today, after the wins they so desperately needed, would be the day.      “Keep dancing,” he whispers, pressing a soft kiss against her hair.        Y/N eases, leaning into him again, the space between the two decreased to the minimum. A breath slips from her lips, the air warm against his chest, even through his shirt. He can smell her shampoo lingering in her locks, mixed with her scent that’s so unmistakably hers. Slowly but surely, everything about her is becoming familiar, yet there’s not a single aspect of the woman before him that he takes for granted.

     The way you look tonight, that second glass of wine. That did it.      There was somethin ‘bout that kiss. Girl you did me in.      Got me thinking. I’m thinking.      One of the things that I’ve been feeling, it’s time you hear ‘em.

     Listening to the words, feeling the music reach his soul, he can’t help but to evaluate the thoughts that cross his mind and the emotions that leave him vulnerable. He knows he’s beyond falling in love at this point, but even if he could, he would never want to go back. Y/N is what he never knew he needed, yet it stuns him when that three word sentence settles on the tip of his tongue. He can’t tell her, though. Not yet. The way he’s holding her right now, how he softly leans into her, is the closest he can get to actually saying it out loud. God, he hopes she knows. Dean silently promises that one day he will tell her. One day.

     In case you didn’t know, baby, I’m crazy ‘bout you.      And I would be lying if I said that I could live this life without you.      Even though I don’t tell you all the time,      you had my heart a long, long time ago.      In case you didn’t know.

     The cowboy pulls back slightly, dipping his chin to establish eye contact again. The kindest smile awaits him, her beautiful orbs glazed over with emotion. She’s not sad, though, quite the opposite. She’s moved. No one has ever made her feel this whole. This is the true definition of happiness, being in his arms, him looking at her like he’s doing so now. Their noses brush when Dean leans in, then he moves his mouth to hers and captures her lips with his. The kiss is soft and slow, just like the music, just like the dance. But of all the intimate moments they shared so far, this has to be the greatest one yet. The thought swirled through her head before, but in this very moment, she is sure: she loves Dean. More than she ever thought she was capable of.

     You’ve got all of me.      I belong to you.      Yeah, you’re my everything.

     In case you didn’t know, baby, I’m crazy ‘bout you.      And I would be lying if I said that I could live this life without you.      Even though I don’t tell you all the time,      you had my heart a long, long time ago.      In case you didn’t know.

     From a distance, the company of four watches the couple. The dim light coming from the strings of lightbulbs above the dancefloor falls over them like a soft blanket, the spots by the stage illuminating their silhouettes. The vision before them is the definition of romance, one that silences the normally so chatty personalities on the sideline.

     Jody and Donna sigh collectively, swooning at the sight.      “I can’t...” The blonde ranch owner swoons. “I can’t with these two.”      “They are so good together,” Jody agrees, endeared.      Jo nods, proud of her friend, and secretly also of her cousin. “Gotta say, never thought I’d see it happen. If he can settle down, there’s still hope for all of us.”      “You guys can thank me with a beer,” Benny sniggers, his eyes not leaving the pair either.

     His comment earns a look from the three women in his presence. The farrier is about to move a beer bottle to his mouth, but pauses the action when he feels their eyes burning in the side of his head, demanding an explanation.      “Who do you think talked sense into the bastard and told him to get his act together, huh?” he brags, taking a sip of his drink.      “Who do you think told him to never let go of that girl and that he better put a ring on her finger?” Jody says, earning impressed nods.      “Who do you think requested this song?” Donna bounces back victoriously.      “Well then,” Jo holds out her bottle, waiting for the others to join her in a toast. “To the matchmakers!”

     Jody is the last one to raise her wine, her eyes not leaving the sight before them. “To love,” she adds.      The four agree to that, clinking their glasses together. After all, it’s what life is all about. Friends, family and that one person you’re going to share the rest of your life with.      They repeat her wise words with abandon. “To love!”

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part twenty-one here

#Ride With Me #Dean x Reader #Cowboy!Dean #Cowboy!Dean x Reader #Dean Winchester series #Dean Winchester #Dean Winchester x Reader #dean series #Dean Winchester x Y/N #Dean x Y/N #Cowboy!Dean series #Supernatural #SPN #Supernatural AU #Supernatural series #Cowboy!Dean AU #supernatural fanfiction #SPN fanfiction #Dean Winchester fanfiction #dean fanfiction #dean fluff #Dean angst #Kate Huntington

[curestardust]

if you want: some insight on Japanese underground idol groups and idol group wotakus / or you’re a wotaku yourself and wanna sympathise a bit / comedy / pretty and cute idol girls uwu / a possible really fun time if you vibe with the tone of the show and its humour

Now, first of all I need to state that while I’ve more than enough experience with idol culture, I follow K-pop and not J-pop, which seems to have quite a few differences from what I’ve seen. So, I apologize if I make any mistakes.

Second, some terms that are good to know for this anime: the “Budokan” mentioned in the title of the anime is a big sports stadium which also holds concerts. Naturally, the only groups who can perform there are ones who would be more or less guaranteed to fill up all seats in the arena and thus performing there is a huge goal set by any idol group (see: the K-pop groups I follow who’ve also made a debut in Japan often dream about performing in the Tokyo Dome). Then we’ve “chika idols” which as I understand are underground idols. Basically a term for small groups who either perform outside or have a quite small venue (usually on the basement floor). Finally, the term most often used by the anime is “wota” which is just short for wotaku. From a quick research, wotaku seems to have no difference from “otaku” and is only written with a “w” because the Japanese writing is in Katakana and is written with “ヲ (wo)“ while otaku is written with Hiragana using “オ (o)”. Also, we’ve the anime “Wotaku no koi wa muzukashi” where wotaku is also used but with the exact same meaning as otaku. I’m talking about this so much because the anime implies that “wota” is only a term for otakus who’re into Japanese idol groups. It seems that outside of Japan, wota does seem to hold this meaning nowadays (I don’t know if the same is true for them) but I just wanted to talk about this cause I thought it was interesting.

So, our story’s protagonist is Eripiyo, a 20yo woman who accidentally stumbles upon a chika group’s outside performance. This group is ChamJam, sporting 7 members with completely different personalities and appeals. Eripiyo falls head over wota heels for one of the members from first glance. This member is Maina.

Fast forward a little bit and Eripiyo has been transformed into a super wota. Maina’s representative colour (an often used gimmick with idol groups) is salmon pink and as she only has one piece of clothing in that colour (I’m going to guess it’s her middle school track jersey) she refuses to wear anything else but that. She has hit up a friendship with two others, Kumasa who is kind of a wota veteran and Motoi who is the complete opposite. (I’m going to be using the term “bias” for “favourite member” as we do in K-pop circles cause it’s shorter) Kumasa’s long time bias is Reo, the center and most popular member of ChamJam. Motoi’s is Sorane, an also quite popular member. While Eripiyo’s is Maina...who has one fan. That being Eripiyo.

This is especially awkward during the handshake events, After the performance, fans can buy X number of CDs with their biases covers for which they get handshake tickets, 1 usually being for 5 seconds. Seeing Maina standing there with no one in her line is really... depressing. Eripiyo obviously tries to rectify the situation by buying EVERY single album of Maina’s and yet, these 2 can’t have a proper conversation even with that time. Maina is shy and has a hard time speaking up which Eripiyo takes as her feeling awkward so she talks her head off the entire time. This leads to my least favourite trope of “misunderstandings caused by not speaking clearly enough”. Thankfully, none of it leads to drama and is more just a set-up for funny situations (but I still hate it!).

Honestly, the humour gets quite repetitive after a while, most of it just being recycled from the first few episodes. Eripiyo is also going to be a very hit-or-miss character. She is either hilarious or she will get on your nerves very quickly. Luckily the anime ended before that happened to me but her constant screeching was oof, too much. 

After a few episodes, they start showing more of the ChamJam members and their behind the scenes of their idol lives. They painted the most realistic scene for me, with them sometimes not getting along or getting pissed off over not being more popular. Most of it though, was cute and fun and 2 of the members are veryyyy strongly “hinted” to be in a relationship (we just don’t see them kiss but they’re together y’all).

For a fellow idol fan (although on the more saner side thankfully), it was interesting to see the differences in the 2 idol cultures. Also, sometimes I feel like screeching over a single picture of my bias as Eripiyo and I’ve seen the behaviour of the 3 main wotas in K-pop communities before so I kinda sympathise with them. 

“Oshibudo” is a good anime overall. The animation, designs and the colour pallette are excellent (except for those...very few CGI shots that are seriously one of the worst made character models I’ve ever seen). The music is fun, there’s a wide variety of characters and if you’re a fellow idol stan, you’ll probably find a bias for yourself in ChamJam as well. The humour and the subject matter are what can make or break this anime for its viewers. I’d definitely suggest watching episode 1 if you’re even slightly interested. The tone for the rest of the show is all there so you can make a quick decision based on it.

[7/10] (x)

Recommend: HELL Yeah! | Yes | Eh??? | Nope | This anime killed my parents

#dusty reviews #Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu #If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan I Would Die #Oshibudo #this is so fcking long im sorry #also it's a 6 only because of the repetitive humour everything else was a 7 #wait but then shouldn't it be a 7? okay i changed my mind

[kyotakumrau]

2020.05.30 DIR EN GREY SPECIAL TALK - Q&A - Kyo and Kaoru - translation

(if you notice any mistakes, typos or have any comments, I appreciate them! ^ ^)

Joe (introduces the Q&A segment)- Question: Kinoko no sato or Takenoko no yama, which team are you? (it's a very popular question in Japan like are you a tea or a coffee person, or cream or jam first etc - those sweets are mushroom and bamboo shoot shaped, the chocolate content and cookie texture are different in each) Kyo- I prefer Kinoko (mushroom). Joe- Ah, you're Team Kinoko. Kyo- At first, I liked Takenoko (bamboo shoot) more, but I think everyone gets tricked by the cookie. Joe- The crunchiness of the Takenoko? Kyo- Yeah. But it's not about what's inside (?) Joe- I see, the chocolate part is more important. Kyo- Exactly. Joe- So as a result of thinking about chocolate, Kinoko wins. Kyo- Yeah. Joe- And how about you, Kaoru? Kaoru- Both are okay (laughing) Joe- (??) ok, both, thank you for the answer. A response of an adult. So many comments and questions.

Joe (reads)- 'You talked about getting tattoos earlier, please show us your new tattoos' (Kyo starts stirring) If possible. Kyo- How much will I get for it? Joe- How much? (in English) Depends on money. (=wanna see, pay...) (they laugh, a bit awkward) Kyo- Anyway, it's in a place you can't see. Joe- By the place you can't see you mean you shouldn't show it. Kyo- I would have to take my pants off. Joe- That would be a bit weird. Did you get any new tattoos, Kaoru? Kaoru- Nah. It's painful so nah. Joe- You didn't because it's painful? Kaoru- I'm paying for it, why does it have to come with pain? Kyo- That's how it is. Joe- Yeah... But talking with me on the radio, isn't that a torture? (laughing) Kyo- It is a torture.  But I will write about tattoos in my post in Haiiro, so interested fanclub members should check it.

Joe (reads)- 'Kaoru, how many mugs do you have at the studio?' Kaoru- A lot. Joe- A lot. Okay. Next question, ah it's so fast, woah.

(he struggles with picking a question) Can both  of you just talk together on your own? Go ahead! (... XD) Kyo- When you say 'go ahead'... (awkward chuckles XD) Kyo- Oh, I can read the comments here? Ah. I see.

Joe- Those two are not talking. Then, let's go with this. 'Kaoru, please tell us about some chords you just thought about' Kaoru- I don't know. Really. Joe- You're serious? Kaoru- Yeah, I can't think of any.

Joe- Actually, you both used to live together in the past, right? Kaoru- Yeah we did. Joe- When you were broke. Kyo- Eating beansprouts (=they are super cheap, even like 20~70 yen per pack). Joe- What did you talk about when you lived together? (he laughs to himself about eating beansprouts when broke) Kyo- When going to the studio we went together. Joe- So did you confirm like 'what time should we leave tomorrow'? Kaoru- What was it like? I can't remember anymore. Kyo- We probably did that. Joe- You lived on the same floor with a shared toilet right? In one apartment? KK- Yeah Joe- As fellow adults, after you came of age. Kyo- Yup. But, there was one more guy, from the company. We lived 3 guys together. Joe- Is there any story about that time you can share with us now? Kaoru- The living room was quite big. Because we had that space we had members' costumes (Kyo's painful reaction)there, preparing stage sets there and so on. There was a lot of stuff around. Joe- Hehe. So instead of a peaceful living space it was more like an office? Kaoru- But each of us had our own room. Joe- I see. So Kyo, can you share with us anything you remember from that time? Kyo- Costumes were by the window. And there were train tracks just in front of our windows. So you could see the costumes from the train. Joe- I see. So if by chance a fan saw that they'd know. Kyo- Probably. Joe- And the train passengers'd think 'what's that?'

Kyo- But at that time we really didn't have any money. I just remember being hungry. Joe- But beansprouts don't even cost 100 yen. Kyo- I think... we both got beansprouts... (?) Kaoru- We really couldn't buy much. We really didn't get much money then. Joe- Were you at least able to cook those beansprouts? You didn't eat them raw? Kyo- No, we cooked them. Joe- Which one of you did the cooking? Kyo- Each of us cooked. Joe- And each ate beansprouts. Kyo- That situation continued until around the time we did Nakano two or three day event in our indies period, maybe a bit after that. Joe- NO WAY. Kaoru- Yup, until around Nakano Sunplaza shows (=August 1998). It got slightly better around Shibuya Koukaido (=May 1998). Joe- ...oh. You were eating beansprouts until Nakano Sunplaza, that's some story. Kyo- I wasn't even able to buy McDonald's set. Really. I was so envious (of others). Joe- I see. So when you finally became able to feed yourselves as musicians, what did you eat then? As a 'finally, as a musician, I made it!' (KK both thinking) Kyo- Food...I don't have a memory like 'I can eat this because I finally made it', but there was a time when Tommy, our president now,  learnt that we don't have money, he treated us to a meal and gave us some money. That time I had McDonalds. I only have this memory that I could die happily then it was so good. Joe- With the money you received you had McDonalds and it was delicious. Kyo- It was amazing.

Joe- How about you, leader? (watermelons are considered a bit expensive fruit, usually you buy a cut, not a whole watermelon) Kaoru- As for me... I got a whole watermelon and I was eating it by myself, that time I thought I'm not getting any income and felt really guilty. Joe- Like it was too expensive/lavish (?) Kaoru- As I thought that the watermelon started to taste bad. I finished eating it thinking 'I'm sorry mum'. Joe- Ah Kaoru- I thought it's much better to cut it into pieces and then eat. Joe- Yeah. That's also a good story.

Joe- There are so many comments. (reads) 'Kaoru and Kyo, what clothing brands are you wearing?' Kyo- I will make an instagram post later. Joe- What about you, Kaoru? Kaoru- Ah, it's something I received. Joe- Oh, a present. Is it a t-shirt? Kaoru- It's not a [cotton] t-shirt, it's hemp. Joe- Like linen? Kaoru- It's a type of folk clothing.

Joe (reads)- 'What do you usually talk about?' Kyo- About movies, mostly about the band, like 'this would be good for the next single' etc. Basically we talk about music a lot. Joe - About movies and music. Kaoru- Yeah. Joe- When was the last time the two of you talked together? Kaoru- It's been a while to actually talk. (not use messages) Joe- Really? Kaoru- Since Europe... yeah, no chance at the March show, the last time we talked properly was in Europe. So not since the tour. (silence)

Joe- Then as we have this opportunity, could you talk together for 2, 3 minutes? And I will pick up some questions. (he 'frames out' XD)

Kyo- Talking is actually not that easy... (We can hear Joe's laugh XD) Kaoru- Yeah. Joe talks a lot. Kyo- Yeah... (Joe laughs harder) Kaoru- Right? Just keeps talking... He enjoys having people at loss. Kyo- (laughs) I see.

Karu- Last week Toshiya was drunk, so it was quite interesting, right? Kyo- Ah, I didn't watch. Kaoru- I didn't watch after my part finished, but he was really drunk. (Kyo starts laughing) I felt sorry for Die (he laughs) Kyo- That's unusual. Kaoru- He was really drunk. Probably he was drinking while watching the show. (?) Toshiya can't really drink so much. Kyo- True, usually after we finish playing he will only drink a little. Kaoru- Usually until Shinya starts messing around. Shinya would poke fun at Fujieda. Kyo- Yeah. (he laughs) Fujieda, huh... ...silence >w< Kaoru- It's not easy to talk, huh! Joe! ( ??)

(Joe returns)- Sorry, you were troubled, but everyone wanted to see the members talking. I got some info from the staff that you're working on a project members produced (designed) t-shirts, but I don't know the details. Is it all settled? Kaoru? Kaoru- No, it's all settled. We will be selling t-shirts, each member making their own design. Just that. Joe- I see. Have you started designing? Kaoru- I've already finished, waiting for other members (?), but mine’s not printed yet, so I'm waiting. Joe- How about you, Kyo? Kyo- Just back side left. Joe- So the front design is done. Kyo (nods)- That's right. Joe- When will you start selling them? Kaoru- I don't know yet. Joe- Details will likely be posted on OHP. Or please check the fancub magazine. All members designing their own t-shirts.

Joe- So as you can't tour, can't play shows and fans can't see your shows, we all are getting restless. Kyo how do you feel about the current situation? Kyo- Hmm... I don't want to say anything inappropriate... there are so many things involved. I think that saying you want to do something is maybe not right. Forcing things is probably also not right, but saying that, it's also not good to do nothing... So, it will take some time until we can play shows, that's why, we all think about what we can do only at the time like this, all members think the same. Joe- I see. How about you, Kaoru? Kaoru- Right. One thing at a time. Next month baseball comes back, movie theatres will open. The possibility to hold shows will be after after after all those other steps. Joe- Like Kyo said, what you want to do and actually can do and what people will enjoy, you have to be able to make all three work well together. Kaoru- I'm doing everything with the mindset that we can do Pia Arena somehow, but there's still no announcement what will happen with the shows. If I didn't have this mindset that it’s possible, what then? But I'm thinking we should make an announcement. So. Joe- Of course there are many comments saying 'I want to go to the concert soon!' or 'We love you!' Kyo, are you checking the comments? (Kyo nods) Everyone, please stay strong a bit longer. What will happen with the July shows is something on everyone's mind. But at the current situation it's hard to say if they will happen or not.

Joe- There are many comments asking you to make masks. What do you think? Kaoru- Masks? Joe- Yeah, there are many comments, like that. Kyo- Yeah, I can see many. Kaoru- Joe- The pandemic situation might last for a long time. Right now you can buy masks in some shops fine, but seeing the masks used for example in France, most of them are quite distinctive. In Japan we only have white or some black, no other colours. So it'd be nice to have colourful masks or masks for summer. If anything it'd be great to have not only a t-shirt of your fav band but also a mask, as a message in a way. Look (at comments) DIR mask, DILL mask (laughing). Kaoru- But it'd be hard to fit ‘DIR EN GREY’ on a mask. Joe- But the same way you create tour t-shirts, do the same. Kaoru- Okay. In the end we will be wearing masks for quite some time. Joe- And when concerts start again it's very possible that fans will have to be wearing masks. So in the future t-shirt and mask will be a set for every concert goer. Kyo, did you see any interesting comments? Kyo- It's true that there are many comments asking about masks. So, if we have a chance to do it we will.

Joe- Will you do something like this special talk again? Toshiya said that in a situation there are no concerts for some time he doesn't mind doing it one more time. How about it, Kyo? Kyo- Well... I don't really want to do it. But before that, we had an audio stream, right? I wouldn't mind doing that again.

(bad connection time)

Joe- How about you Kaoru, would you do a talk stream again? Kaoru- Sorry, the connection is bad. (Joe repeats, probably) Well, once in a while... I will think about something we can do next.

(next Joe says musicians prefer to communicate with fans through concerts, but we can get some encouragement through special projects like this; but connection is bad again)

Joe- At the moment over 14969 people are watching us, can you [give us some message]? Let's start with Kyo.

Kyo- Huh, what should I say... We lost many types of freedom, all of us. It's tough. It's the same for me. Let's stay strong a bit longer. A bit more. Joe- And then, a message from the leader to wrap this up. Kaoru- The connection is still bad, can you hear me? Joe- Yeah, we can. Kaoru- It's a very tough time, but I'm really hoping we will be able to play concerts again soon. But, as I keep thinking about things we  are able to do in this period, I'm waiting for the time we can all meet again on the stage.

Joe reads comments about all 5 members doing a stream together. Kyo- With 5 people... Kaoru- it would be hard to follow (?), it'd be hard to know who is talking at the time. It'd be difficult. Will all members.

(bad connection again, Kaoru repeats that with too many members it'd be difficult, 3~2 are better)

Joe- but there is a chance to have members create different teams. (bad connection, Joe thanks everyone for watching, he's also looking forward to the next dir show)

#dir en grey #kyo #kaoru #joe yokomizo #translation #DIRENGREYSP #薫 #京

[milknette]

chapter 05 - jagged stone

we’re making waves of conversation; got a rush of energy, getting high on humans.

tumblr month: @adrinetteapril​​

links: ao3 | ff.net chapter: previous | next

THE CONCERT arena is absolutely packed.

Marinette’s only too grateful that Nino’s apparent connections allow them to slip past the crowds of humans, noisily screaming and bumping over each other as they try to catch a glimpse of their idol.

Even seeing them all gathered together is more than enough to give her a headache, and she can’t help but wonder how Nino survives through, much less enjoys it all— after having proudly told her that he worked similar shows and events whenever he had the time.

“You like this?” Marinette tries to ask, although she’s quite sure her voice is effectively drowned out by the noise around her.

(Mermaids aren’t one for loud places: they like the peace and quiet of the ocean— all-natural sounds outside of the ‘synthetic’ music of the humans, which they argue isn’t anything more than noise.)

Nino responds like there isn’t any problem. “Doesn’t seem to make sense since I’m a merman, huh?” He shouts back, laughing as they navigate through the concert hall. “But I think there’s a lot of things that our kind brushes off too quickly without really taking the time off to appreciate it. So we keep missing out.”

“What do you mean by that—?”

He and Alya share a meaningful look, with the latter rolling her eyes and playfully nudging his side. “He just means that if you were more open, you’d probably enjoy yourself a lot more.”

Marinette doesn’t get to respond— or even ponder on that question, however, as they’re led through a guarded door, entering backstage.

It’s a lot more quiet and less crowded, though the area buzzes with activity; people either giving or taking orders, rushing around as they attempt to ready everything for the concert in half an hour.

“Come on,” Nino tells them, waving his hand forward. “I have to get ready, but Adrien’s somewhere around here so he can show you around.”

(They don’t have to look long— finding him animatedly speaking with a group of stagehands who altogether seem to hang on to his every word.)

“Of course,” Alya laughs lightly, as he notices the group come into view.

Adrien doesn’t even take a second thought before rushing over to them, evidently leaving a group of unenthused fans in his wake. “Alya, you’re here!” he greets, before turning toward the mermaid and smiling. “And Marinette— a pleasure, as alwaves. I’m glad you made it.”

“Believe me, it wasn’t easy to get her to go,” Alya responds instead, rolling her eyes. Then: “or would ‘beelieve’ it be more on-brand?”

Adrien laughs goodnaturedly. Marinette’s only trying to recall where the deepest trench is in their area.

(Just for reference.)

At that moment, a stagehand rushes over to Nino, holding a clipboard as he rushedly asks him to hurry over for a sound check.

“Guess that’s my cue to go,” Nino finally says; then, with a sudden (almost wicked) grin: “Alya, wanna see my setup?”

“What? I’ve seen your setup a thou—,” a nudge, then: “oh… yeah, I’d love to!”

“Adrien, you’d be good to show Marinette around right?” Nino asks, a cheeky grin on his face.

The two of them share a meaningful look, and after a brief second, Adrien nods, shyly smiling at the mermaid. “Don’t mind if I dew,” he replies. “Come on, I’ll shoal you around!”

Terrible. Terrible. Terribly cute.

Marinette nods, and they begin to go around the set. Adrien’s a great guide, and he easily navigates through the venue to show and explain to her the different tasks that are being done. (She’s trying to listen, really: but it’s much more interesting to watch him animatedly talk about something he evidently enjoys.)

Only because he’s being a good friend to her, of course.

.

.

“How have you never listened to Jagged Stone?!” Adrien’s clearly in shock, and she has to stop herself from laughing. “Who hasn’t even heard of Jagged Stone?!”

After some time going around, they take a break in a more quiet part of the stage area. And after a lengthy conversation about the concert, she’d accidentally exposed what Adrien had kindly called ‘the greatest sin of all time’.

“It’s not like we have Jagged Stone underwater!”

“But you’ve been on land for a month,” he rebuts, shaking his head. “There is no excuse that you haven't listened to the greatest musician of all time.”

“He’s human, he can’t be that great.” Marinette pauses, then rolls her eyes. “Besides, I think you’re being a little dramatic.” 

“And I think you’re not making the most of your time here,” Adrien argues. “Come on, you’re stuck with us humans for a year. You might as whale make the most of it, and give us a chance.”

(Marinette catches the pun, but she ultimately decides to ignore it.)

“I am making the most of it!”

“Really? So what have you done in your first month here?” She’s about to protest, and he continues. “Aside from this concert. Which Nino and Alya basically had to corner you to go to.”

Marinette pauses, then audibly hmphs, knowing she’d been caught.

“I’m just saying,” Adrien points out. “Not all humans or human-related things are inherently bad. Some of what we do is pretty cool.”

“Sure,” she replies dryly. “Like toxic oil spills, trash pollution, dynamite fishing, coral mining, canal-digging and dam-building… need I go on?”

“I mean, of course those things are bad— but you can’t just use that as a reason to hate on all land mammals as a whole,” he explains, then pauses briefly. “Though I do get the feeling of wanting to throw those kinds of people into the ocean. And if you ever do meet them, don’t worry; I’ll be your willing partner in coralime.”

Marinette feels her lips curve into a smile, and nods. “That was pretty awful.”

“It still made you smile, though.”

Can’t argue with that.

Then she takes a moment to think about the rest of his points, as her eyes wander off to the humans busily walking around her— seeing them working together to make something a reality. And she spares a moment to look at Adrien, who continues to prove that everything she’s ever known about humans was wrong.

(For the first time, maybe since ever, she doesn’t quite mind being the only mermaid in the room.)

The lights suddenly flash around them, and Marinette subconsciously grabs his arm in surprise.

He laughs. “Don’t worry, that just means the show’s about to start,” Adrien explains, before standing up. “Come on, let’s go and support Nino.”

Marinette prepares to let go of his arm, but he easily manoeuvres it in a way that they end up holding hands.

They’re holding hands.

He… they… 

?!!!?!?!??!

“What are you just standing around for?” He asks, smiling as she dumbly looks at their interlocked fingers.

“I— just— I— uh.”

His hands are warm, but the good kind: the kind that makes her want to melt in the absolute best way possible.

Adrien gently pulls her forward, the same expression on his face; something she can’t exactly describe, but is definitely two things: (1) something she’s never felt before, and (2) something she wants to keep feeling forever.

They walk together to meet up with Alya, and are consequently guided to a stage area where they’re able to watch the rest of the concert.

Alya looks at their linked hands, then stares at Marinette in a half-victory and half-I-told-you-so expression. 

She pointedly ignores it, and decides to try and enjoy herself.

Nino is wonderful. He plays a beat that reminds her of ocean sounds, and she can’t help but miss home with it.

When Jagged Stone comes on to perform, Marinette immediately pins his personality down to be loud and chaotic and nothing short of intense— playing something that mermaids would objectively call as nothing but absolute noise.

As he continues to beat down on his guitar and scream, however, Marinette begins to think that maybe she likes it.

She watches Alya and Adrien excitedly screaming back, with the former documenting the whole event on her phone. Adrien pauses to look at her upon noticing her gaze, offering one of the brightest grins she’s ever seen him give.

She’s wrong.

Marinette likes it a lot, actually.

#sandbar nine #adrinetteapril2021 #adrinette april #adrinetteapril #adrinette #adrienette #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #ml #miraculous ladybug #milk writes #ml fic #ml fanfic

[comphersjost]

Being a dancer and Matty finding out. He would get so cheeky so fast with all his chirps and when y’all eventually get together he definitely tests your flexibility😏

oh my god okay

smut under the cut

hear me out

like, you’re on an internship with the flames as a junior athletic trainer

and like, it’s your last year of college and you really just want to get this degree and go

and your kinesiology advisor was some washed up hockey player and had given you two options:

apply for a different physical therapy related internship

or work with the university’s hockey team

and after a few run ins with those guys at parties well, there was no way you were working with your university’s hockey team

so you applied for the flames position

and got it

but like, youre still a college student, and you still have to do things like make rent and pay your car insurance and your health insurance and utilities and groceries and billion other things that sucked all your money out of you

so, you found a nice little side hustle that only required a few hours a night for a couple hundred dollars

and it was perfect because it didnt just help you with your expenses, but also made you comfortable

you were financially secure with this job - as long as you kept your face covered

and you did

one night, it’s matthew tkachuk’s birthday

you only really know because noah hanifin had come down to the trainer’s rooms to get his knee checked out and taped just in case - he had an awkward fall and wants to be safe

he’s nice enough, always smiling politely and asking how you are

and then matthew shows up, waiting for you to finish

the two talk about their plans for the night, and you pretend not to listen

your ears perk when you here noah say “come on man it’s your birthday, let loose” 

“i know dude, theres just one thing i really wanted for tonight and i cant have it,” matty replies, and when your eyes flick up at him hes already staring at you. “ill  still come out with you guys though”

you finished up with noah’s knee and tapped him, signaling he could go

“look man, just try to have fun,” noah hops off the table, “dont think you much you know - thanks y/n - you know dude?”

matthew rolls his eyes and shoves noah in front of him, ignoring his yell of protest

“bye, y/n” he says, his gaze too intense for you to keep eye contact

“bye guys, see you tomorrow,” you say softly, the clean up in front of you suddenly the most interesting thing in the room

you push them out of your head as youre finally leaving the arena

youve got somewhere to be and you werent going to let whatever these two hooligans said make you late

you make it to the club you work at just in time

you get ready in a rush, trying to fasten all the clips and tie all the ribbons as fast as you can

one of the other girls helps you, fasting the last few clips while you tie a masquerade mask over your face

and like - you shouldve double knotted it

or at least double checked it like you normally

because you get out there and your boss tells you

“you’ve got a private booking first, some hot shot kid’s birthday”

the description makes you uneasy but you figure, calgary is a big city, theres not way its him

but you walk into a room set a side for private shows and -

there he is

dumb navy suit and dumb curls and all

he looks up when you enter the room, a smirk on his lips

but youve been around the team long enough to know when its fake

his eyes dont have the fire in them

you drop your voice a few octaves, purring to make yourself sound seductive but more importantly - different

every thing is going well, and youre almost through

matt has a hand on your hip as you grind on him and then -

it’s your fault really, you reached up to brush your hair out of your face and the same time matthew reached up to do it for you

your hands knocked together and his finer catches on the ribbon thats looped through your mask

it falls into his lap and he stares at it for a moment, before staring at you

you’re looking at him with wide eyes, while he stares between you and the fallen mask

“you’re-”

“please don’t tell anyone!” you blurt out before he can say anything “please matthew don’t tell any of the team or anything, please, i’ll owe you whatever you want”

“woah, hey, relax,” matthew laughs, calming you by squeezing your now-still hips with his abnormally large hands “i wont tell anyone, its okay”

with an uncomfortable and short conversation about you doing this because you needed the money (and quickly shooting down matty’s offer to help you out, the two of you stumble through awkward goodbye’s

he double knots your mask for you this time, making sure it’s on tight before promising you your secret was safe and walking out the door

you pretend not to notice the tent in his pants that started growing the moment your mask fell off your face

you and matthew dance around each other for a few weeks, until some gala thing you were required to go

“the event is mandatory for all staff, even the interns. the organization will pay for all of your attire and transportation necessary to arrive at the banquet hall” your advisor had emailed you, making it clear you werent being given a choice here.

you showed up at this event dressed to the nines

your best friend had been in town visiting you when you had gone shopping for the event, refusing to let you wear something she deemed anything less then goddess-like apparently 

matty doesnt see you at first, hes at the bar with his back to you

hes a few drinks in already cause like, he really doesnt wanna be here

and then elias shoves him in the shoulder, motioning with his head over matty’s shoulder

you watch as matty turns around, your mouth going dry at the burgundy suit, white shirt, and black tie he was wearing

his lips are parted, frozen in his spot

and really - you didnt mean to match with matty, you and your best friend had just seen the dress and fallen in love with it

until his friends chirping turns into sean shoving him again to get his attention

without even sparing a glance at his teammates matt is barreling for you

hes dodging higher ups and execs and reporters and everyone who wants to talk to him like it’s his goddamn job

you finally release a breath that youre holding when he reaches you

he grabs a hold of your hand, pulling you along as he weaves through the people

both of you catch your breath when youre finally out the door and into the garden area of the venue

“you said anything” matt says abruptly, turning to you

“what?” you say, confused, and matt wants to kiss the pout off your lips

“at the club,” he says, and your blood runs cold. “you said youd owe me anything i wanted if i kept your secret.”

you nod slowly, apprehensive of what his ask was going to be

“well, it’s you,” he repeats, sighing when you stare at him, not understanding what he wants

“i. want. you.” he punctuates every word with a step towards you. “you said anything but i’m letting you choose, let me take you home, or take you out, but any part of you that you’ll let me have, that’s what i want.”

hes towering over you now, his bright blue eyes darkening with every second his eyes roam your skin

it takes you a moment to find your voice, but you clear your throat and say

“how about both?”

a smile tugs at matty’s lips, and his hands slide around your waist

he leans down to your ear, whispering “both sounds just short of heaven pretty girl”

“what will it take to get you to heaven, mr. tkachuk?” you whisper against his mouth, arms looping around his neck

he chuckles darkly, stealing a kiss, then another, and another as he pulls you closer to his body

“let’s just say,” he hums, trailing kisses down your neck, “it definitely involves some of that flexibility i saw in the club that night”

and, well, you’re okay with that

#do yall want a smutty pt 2 to this hc #lmk #smut night #matthew tkachuk #matty #ratthew #calgary flames #nhl #hockey imagine #blurb #*concepts #hc

[sheerbeautyreigns]

Joe A'noai / Roman Reigns fic with a female love interest on the weekend of Payback.

Part 8

As soon as Joe got home, he grabbed a bite to eat and had a workout. He needed to get out his anger from the argument with Jade earlier that day. He couldn’t figure out what had changed and she wouldn’t tell him.

As pissed off as he was with her, he hoped she would come around. At least before the Payback PPV. He had enough on his mind with that already. Thankfully, he got the podcast interview done without a hitch. The interviewer was pretty funny so it helped lighten his mood. For the rest of the afternoon, he took care of some emails and social media. He hadn’t been this busy in months but it was good. He liked to keep himself busy and it seemed he had gained some great momentum since aligning himself with Paul Heyman on Smackdown.

When he was catching up on some football that evening, his phone rang. The expression on his face changed when he saw Brianna calling. He let it ring out. She hadn’t been in touch since they broke up at the start of the year. They had been dating for almost a year until she broke things off and started dating someone else about a month after. What did she want now? It had almost rung out by the time he answered.

“Hello?” He said hesitantly.

“Hey Joe. How’s it goin?” Came her voice. Just as he had remembered. “Good.”

“I saw you’re back on TV. You look good...like you’ve been working out more.”

“Cut to the chase Bri, what do you want?” He said standing up. He slowly paced around his living room. “I, I just wanted to see how you are. I missed you.”

“Well that’s bullshit. You ended things months ago-“ he started. “I know, I’m sorry, I was wrong to. So wrong.” She apologised. “I fucked up.”

“You did.” It took him months to get over it. “Maybe this was a mistake...” She now thought. There was a hesitation in her voice. One he hadn’t heard before. “I just wanted to hear you.”

“Look it’s OK. I just, have a lot going on right now. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.” His voice was calmer now. “I didn’t plan on getting in touch. I just saw you on Smackdown and didn’t realise how much I miss you.”

“Bri...”he sighed. “I know, I know. I always tell myself not to bring up the past...”

“You really fucked with me.” Joe swallowed, stopping to look out the window at the street outside. “I totally understand if you hate me. I’d hate me too. I just want to see you. Talk.” He could hear the hope in her voice. “A lot’s changed Bri. Things are different.”

“I know. I thought you would have moved on. You’re a great guy, I’m not surprised-“ he cut her off. “No, not like that. I’m just putting myself first for a change.” She stayed quiet. “I’m sorry.” She eventually said before he discreetly hung up. He could feel a lump in his throat and his eyes start to well up. No! He wouldn’t let her get to him. He set his phone aside and rubbed his face, trying to ward off any tears. Why were women so complicated? He asked himself.

The following day, Joe awoke pretty early, went for a run, had some breakfast, had a workout and did some admin. As busy as he was, he still couldn’t shake yesterday’s events. He eyed his phone and brought up Jade’s name. He took a deep breath and pressed the screen. He waited until it eventually rang out. Frustrated, he set the phone down. After a few minutes later, it rang. His eyes lit up but it was Paul. He was calling to go over a few things for that evening against Braun and The Fiend. It set him in motion to get his things together and leave for Orlando. Before he left his house, he tried to call Jade again but still, no answer so he text instead.

“I want to fix whatever’s wrong. I’ll be at the arena from around 4pm. We need to talk.”

The drive to the Amway Centre seemed longer than usual. Joe had so much on his mind but Jade was at the forefront. He hoped she would at least reply before he reached the arena but that wouldn’t be the case.

He was greeted by various crew members and some of the guys when he got there. She was bound to be around since the show was kicking off in a few hours. Just as he was going to his dressing room, he spotted her coming out of Gorilla. She froze upon seeing him, her stomach dropping in the process.

“I’ve been trying to reach you.” He told her, walking towards her. “I know.” She grumbled, not making eye contact with him. “So you’re ignoring me? What the hell have I done that you hate me?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it here.” She was clearly annoyed. “Well, let’s go outside then.” Joe offered. She huffed and walked towards the fire escape behind him.

“So, you gonna tell me what’s going on here?” He folded his arms and looked down at her. “I know there’s someone else Joe.”

“Someone else? What are you talking about?” Joe asked with a look of disbelief. “There’s another woman, this Brianna...” She let out. Sometimes she just couldn’t contain herself. “Wait, how do you know about her?”

“So it’s true huh?” Jade pushed folding her arms looking up at him. She was clearly upset. “She’s an ex. There’s nothing going on!” He spread his hands in defence. “That’s a lie, she messeged you yesterday!”

Joe was pissed off. “You went into my phone!? I can’t believe you!” His voice was deeper now. She felt her stomach churning. “I didn’t! A notification popped up!”

“You didn’t have to read it!” He shouted at her just as Braun appeared at the door. “Sorry, I didn’t realise you two-“ he apologised knowing he’d walked in on the middle of something. Joe passed him a glance “We’re down in the ring waiting for you.” Joe sighed looking down at Jade, who still looked pissed off and went inside with Braun.

#joe anoai #roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns #wwe fanfiction #wwe #tribal chief #fanfiction #fic writing