#confessions of a part-time space queen

[wannaeatramyeon]

How Lookism men confess to YOU they've caught feelings

G/N. Soft. Fluffy. All that good stuff. (Gun, Jake, Goo, James Lee/DG, Johan, Vin, Samuel, Eli, Ryuhei)

Gun opts for somewhere private, just the two of you. Whether that's his home, yours, or somewhere only you both know.

He tells you with certainty his feelings for you. That there's no point divulging if he didn't think it would work out, if you weren't better together.

Intensity radiates from him. His words, eyes, aura. He keeps his confession simple and to the point, unexpectedly romantic with how matter of fact he is.

.

.

Jake thought he was being subtle, but there's a lot of prying eyes in the shadows.

He shoos the Big Deal members away in his best authoritative, no nonsense boss tone. The one he reserves to deal with serious matters. Which this is. Of utmost seriousness.

Behind his beaming toothy grin and confident stance are anxious eyes. His words are cheesy and well-rehearsed. Sincerity pulses through his every fibre, leaving you starry eyed and breath hitched.

.

.

Goo announces his feelings with a grin on his lips.

Corners you somewhere crowded, at a completely inappropriate moment. But of course. It's only inappropriate if Goo deems it to be so, and there's no time like the present.

The words are said lightly, like he could play it off as a joke any moment. His ego too fragile for rejection. But his carefree attitude is off kilter, body language tense. Gaze steady and more serious than you have ever seen.

.

.

James is flippant. The arrogant, cocky man claims you as his already. Confesses without any doubt in his mind that rejection could happen, or it could sting.

He's not a gambling man. Only plays when the odds are in his favour and the gains far outweighs the losses.

There's no ifs or buts. Talks about 'us' and 'we' and a future where you're by his side.

.

.

Johan pulls out the words reluctantly and when you least expect. Like they will choke him if he keeps it from you any longer.

He says it without looking at you. Eyes fixed on the ground, a point in the distance, Miro, Eden, anywhere but you.

Brows knitted together, hands white knuckled. A second away from running away. But he needs to tell you, he has to. The words are too big to swallow down anymore.

.

.

Vin peppers his confession with insults and half-jokes. A type of self defence to spare his heart.

Hands in pocket, like it's no big deal. Words spilling out, trying to inject indifference into them. Back against the wall, peering over at you. 

Sunglasses firmly on, eyes shielded. Because he can't bear to be any more vulnerable than he has to right now. His words are barbed and prickly, but his feelings are completely bared.

.

.

Samuel offers his heart in between lofty promises and delusions of grandeur.

Words murmured against the back of your hand, breath ghosting over your skin. Eyes fixed on yours, fiery and almost challenging you to say no.

But a relentless phantom haunts him, one that he silences over and over again.

-That being by his side won't be enough, that offering you to be his queen is inadequate, lacking and there's so much more that you deserve.

Still, he promises you the world and is committed to giving you nothing less.

.

.

Trepidation lines Eli’s words. Like he can’t believe he’s here again. After everything that has happened, with everything on his plate.

He’s forced himself to make room for you, carved out a part of his life.

He confesses in a cramped dusty room in Hostel. Sat opposite one another on rickety uneven chairs, so close your knees are touching and there’s no personal space left. 

Body leaning forward, craving your touch and proximity as he rids the last remnants of hesitancy and takes a leap of faith.

.

.

Ryuhei tells you over and over again.

Until it becomes a daily mantra of sorts for him, and part of your day for you. At first as a joke, or at least you thought so. And then his earnestness snowballed until you could no longer ignore it.

He confesses, with the same sort of childish joy he always feels when he's with you. Tonight, his blood is thrumming in his vein and his pulse is beating in his ears.

With a hushed voice and hope in his eyes: he tells you once more.

#yes still delusional and deranged over here #lookism #lookism x reader #gun park x reader #jake kim x reader #goo kim x reader #james lee x reader #dg x reader #johan seong x reader #vin jin x reader #samuel seo x reader #eli jang x reader #ryuhei kuroda x reader #gun park #jake kim #goo kim #james lee #lookism dg #johan seong #vin jin #eli jang #samuel seo #ryuhei kuroda #lookism manwha #lookism webtoon #wannaeatramyeon

[hotpinkstars]

ESPRESSO - aventurine x reader

- "now he's thinkin' bout me, everynight, oh, is it that sweet? i guess so." or, how does aventurine do when he's in love?

- GUYS GUYS QUEEN SABRINA DROPPED A SINGLE i've been listening to this for days and i needed to write about it sooooooooooo yeah! anyways i'll get to writing probably a few requests tomorrow and wednesday (expect 4-5 posts between those days to make up for my absence) and yeahhhhhh enjoy!!

- aventurine might be a little ooc, mentions of his trauma (so penacony main quest spoilers), reader confesses at the end. wc 1067

Aventurine doesn’t know what to do when he first figures out that the feeling in his chest whenever he saw you was because he liked you. He probably tried to deny it, until Topaz caught him blushing like crazy after you walked away from the conversation you two had just finished. (Even then, she had to tell him, and then he spent a long time thinking that possibility through. She might have been right). 

You plague his visions. Why does he always want something to do with you? Why does he always want to be in your space, but also never wants to see you again? You’ve noticed his weird behavior, considering you were one of the first people he’s ever genuinely called a friend, but didn’t really think too far into it. 

Though, it didn’t stop you from paying more attention to it, that's for a fact. Sometimes you’d pay more attention to his body movements around you, the way he speaks, his etiquette, etc. You and Topaz communicate through it, and it’s a little bit different from his conversations with her. 

You know he can be cocky. Like, very cocky. You know he’s not too afraid to talk back, to challenge someone to a gamble (spoiler he wins), and to be reckless. Though, you also know about his backstory. So you can kind of understand where he’s coming from. 

He’s been pretty open with you about all of the things he’s endured. You know his real name, he’s described how his family has looked, and he’s described his years he endured slavery and what his home planet was like. You know about the Men in Black and the Katicans. And you know how traumatized he is.

Now, you’ve known him for a long, long time before this. You welcomed him into the IPC when Jade first announced his arrival, and you kind of showed him the ropes. He thought you seemed kind, so he stayed in contact with you.

You’ve watched him change, all of his progress through life, the hard times and the good times, and so much more. And that's what gets him the most, he thinks. 

He never realized how much he trusted you until he realized he liked you. You know every single thing about this man, which was the reason why he was rather… nervous when he’d have to communicate with you face to face. He did a good job at keeping up his front he uses to talk to people, but you sensed a slight form of stress underneath all the layers he put up to look tough. 

He lays awake, thinking about you. You’ve made part of his mind your home, and it’s the part he comes back to over and over again. You replay in his mind like a good song that he can’t get enough of- on, and on, and on, and on. 

He does like to bring you little trinkets he finds pretty when he goes out in public to do some shopping. Considering how wealthy he is, he could probably afford to buy out the whole store, so if you even mention something you like to him, he’s on his way to find it for you. He likes to think of it as he’s buying your kindness, but you think something completely different. You enjoy his sudden gift giving, not just because of your gain, but because he thought about you enough to do such a thing. It always makes you slightly blush before laughing while opening the box presented in front of you. He thinks that's the most precious part about your time spent together; all of the opportunities he gets to listen to your gorgeous laughter and see your flawless smile. Topaz, pinch the man, he’s in his own personal dreampool.

Oh, how bad he wants to confess to you, but he’s really afraid of rejection. He fears losing you entirely, fears that you won’t look at him like you always do if he asked if you two could be a thing. He fears you’d think he was odd for wanting you to himself, and that you’d slowly back away until you refuse to even look at his broken, battered form any longer. The thought makes a shiver crawl up his back. He can’t lose you too. 

All this man asks is to find a way to remove you from his head. You’re absolutely tormenting him! Notice how he’s been lacking on his work lately, always caught in a daze when he’s sitting down at his desk? That’s you he’s daydreaming about. He’s no good with his emotions. He knows how to hide sadness, fear, and anger, but he’s never been in this boat before. Love is a whole new concept to him. 

“Aventurine, you’ve been out of it lately. Tell me, is something the matter?” You barge through the blonde's office, not even bothering to knock. You know you don’t have to, he’s never doing anything so significant in that tiny space that it needs to be kept private.

“What are you saying? Nothings up with me,” he drops his pen in the small plaster pen cup you bought for him. “Work has been tiring lately. Nothing to stress over.” 

You plop into the chair in front of his desk, resting your arms on the top and putting your head in between your palms.

“I can tell when you lie. Tell the truth.”

He looks away. What was he supposed to say? That he couldn’t get you out of his brain, and that you’re the only thing he can focus on? That’ll scare you off for sure!

“Aventurine?? You there?” you wave a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze once more. “You know, you don’t have to lie. I already know what you’re thinking.”

His eyes slightly widen, just enough for you to notice. You giggle very lightly before continuing on with your sentence. “You have a little crush, don’t you? Don’t worry, I like you back. Seriously, I do.”

He doesn’t know how to reply to that. He doesn’t know if he wants to faint or make out with you right now. “So that makes us…?”

“I don’t know. We could remain friends, we could be boyfriend girlfriend, whatever you want. I don’t care.”

Well, he believes he already knows the answer he’s choosing.

#aventurine #kakavasha #aventurine x reader #kakavasha x reader #honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #hsr #hsr x reader #star rail #star rail x reader

[sttm99]

Only Ever You and Me

Prince!Bakugo x reader.

Part 2 of Till Death Do Us Part

After the wedding ceremony, you and Bakugo retired to your chambers for the night. He sat at the edge of the bed, faced away from you, his elbows on his knees as he tried coming to terms with everything.

He'd just gotten married. He'd just been wed... to you. He turned back to look at you, watching you as you sit by the large vanity by the windows, pulling at all the pins that held your hair up.

You seemed so calm with this, so at ease despite the fact that you'd just gotten married to a man you'd met no more than 3 times before. Despite the fact that you'd practically claimed ownership over him just moments ago, despite him confessing to you that he loved someone else.

Your possessiveness had thrust him into an unfamiliar playing field. He'd expected someone timid, meek, a woman whom he could intimidate into keeping shut whilst he snuck around with the maid.

But you? Frankly, you intimidated him instead.

He'd realised what he found off about how perfect and regal you seemed. Sure, there was the fact that you may have slight obsessive tendencies laying claim to him like that. But before then, he'd realised that you just intimidated him.

You were the perfect royal, the perfect ruler his people deserved. From all he'd seen about you; you could reassure people, play court so effectively, and you had an energy that made people want to serve you.

He watched, breath hitching as you stood and began untying the sashes that held your dress up, walking towards the divider at the other side of the room, where your wardrobe was.

Even the way you walked was perfect.

You were so... perfect.

The perfect queen for his people.

He frowned as he stood from the bed. He pulled off his coat, threw it into the hamper at the edge of his bed, and then pulled his undershirt over his head and did the same.

"I've been thinking..." he turned his head to face you as you stepped out from behind the divider, now dressed in a flimsy, pale nightgown stopping just below your knees.

"About what?" Bakugo asked harshly with furrowed brows as he sat back on the bed.

"That servant girl you were looking at." You say as you go over to the bed, sitting atop it, a few spaces away from him. "How long has it been going on?"

He frowns deeply at that, glaring at you. "Of what use is that information?"

You shrug, leaning over to him. "These women, you know.... what if she's keeping your child or something-"

"Excuse me?" He spits out, growing angry at your words. Not only had you called her 'this woman', but also insinuating that he'd father a child out of wedlock.

He had some honour, at least. He wouldn't do that to her, to his love. He wouldn't have her keep a child who couldn't even call him his father.

But you just scoff and roll your eyes. "Oh, please. I'm being cautious. I don't need some bastards contesting the crown with our sons when the time comes."

He glares, a brow raised. "Our sons? Contesting the crown? You're thinking too far ahead."

"Far ahead? There's no far ahead with us, Katsuki. We're husband and wife, we should think of our chil-"

"In paper only." He cuts you off. "We're wed on paper only. The history books? Paper. The marriage contracts? Paper! My heart will always be with someone else! With her! You? You're just a position. Even if not you, there would have been another princess for me to marry!"

His words have you glaring, and you're standing, facing him from the other side of the bed. "We've been promised to each other since birth. There is no other princess to marry, Katsuki. It has always been me for you, and you for me. I was always going to be the one you end up with."

There's a glint in your eye as you speak, a sternness and finality in your voice that has him faltering in imagining a reality where he wasn't married to you, as though there really was no one else for him.

"This- this thing you have with that woman is nothing. It's not real. But us? We have the opportunity to create something real, okay? We're married now. We have all our lives to learn to love each other!"

"You're delusional!"

"I'm real!" You yell out. "What's delusional is you going ahead to cultivate a romance with a girl you knew you'd never be with. You've always known you had to marry me, and yet you went ahead to start something with someone you could never have!"

You pause then, taking small breaths as you look at him. "I've always known I'd end up with you. So I didn't bother giving my heart to anyone else." You glare. "You think I'm delusional. But here you are, tricking yourself into believing you could ever be with anyone other than me. If that's not delusion, then tell me what is."

.

.

.

There's silence for several long moments. Bakugo's frozen, hands clenched by his side, chest heaving and lips parted.

You're right.

You're obviously right.

He's always known he would end up with you. He'd always known he'd have no one else but you. Yet he went ahead and started something he knew would have no end. There was no future for him and the other woman.

Because that's all she'd ever be.

The other woman.

The only one he could be with was standing right in front of him.

"I-" He tries to speak, tries to find the words to convey how he's feeling.

"You should send her away," you say as you climb into the bed, settling under the covers. "You'll only break your own heart, allowing her to continue to stay here."

You try to drift off to sleep, try to block out the sounds of Bakugo shuffling into the bed. Until he's pressed up against you from behind, his arms wrapping around your waist.

"What- what are you doing?" You whisper, still facing away from him.

But he just sighs into your neck and pulls you closer to him. "You're right," he murmurs into your skin. "It was only ever going to be me and you... there's nothing else it could have been."

You hum, letting yourself relax in his hold. He's warm, and he's big, his large frame practically folding over you.

"I'll send her away," he says softly, pressing his lips to your neck.

"Good," you murmur, letting your hand rest over his on your stomach. "It'll only be you and me."

And he nods, "Only you and me, my wife."

#bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katuski x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #mha bakugou #bnha x reader #bakugo fluff

[poisonlove]

study Session | c.s

words: 13k

Part 1

"When are you going to have Professor Miller read your work?" Cairo asks curiously.

We were in Cairo's room, a cozy space with emerald green walls, a queen-sized bed in the center, and a sturdy wooden desk a few steps to the left. Despite having a window, the room was dimly lit, almost immersed in darkness.

but the acoustics were impressive.

"Don't even think about it," I say, eyes widening at her suggestion, feeling panic rising within me.

"And why not?" Cairo asks with a small smile on her lips, her eyes focused on the notebook she was writing in with a concentrated expression.

With her free hand, she brings the cigarette to her mouth, inhaling slowly.

She was damn sexy when she smoked, well, she was always sexy, but her charm was amplified by her natural beauty. Her sparkling eyes, long dark hair cascading gracefully over her shoulders, charming smile... Her intelligence and demeanor were captivating and intriguing at the same time. My crush on Cairo had grown recklessly in these days, but at least now I wasn't a bundle of nerves all the time; we could chat without my cheeks turning as red as fire every time she smiled at me.

I glance at my notebook, tapping the pen on the paper searching for some kind of inspiration. The study sessions had been going on for two weeks now, and my assignments were less dreadful than usual. Professor Miller had assigned us a task where we had to choose a book we had been studying over the past few months and try to immerse ourselves in their story.

As usual, a stupid assignment.

I snort loudly, and Cairo looks at me sideways, a smile playing on her lips. "Are you struggling?" she asks amusedly, her hand stopping on her notebook's paper.

"I don't know how to do it... Why the hell did I choose Zeno's Conscience?" I say exasperatedly, hands sinking into my cheeks as my mind works on possible solutions.

"Mmmh... I see," Cairo raises the corners of her lips and tosses the cigarette butt into the ashtray next to the bed.

"Aren't you struggling? You've been writing continuously for 10 minutes," I ask impatiently, a little jealous of her incredible qualities.

"I actually finished the report yesterday," she confesses quickly, shrugging.

My eyes widen, and my jaw nearly drops to the floor. "What? Then what the hell are you writing?" I say in shock, surprised that Cairo had already finished the task that I had barely started.

"A personal report," she says absentmindedly, looking at her notebook.

Curiosity takes hold of me.

Without hesitation, my instinct urges me to quickly reach for Cairo's notebook. Her expression transforms into a mix of surprise and nervousness as my hand grabs the notebook firmly. "Give it to me," Cairo says nervously.

I can sense her worry in the way her body leans towards me, eager to get the notebook back from the black cover.

I lay back against the mattress, keeping a certain distance between me and Cairo, whose chest draws closer to mine as she desperately tries to retrieve her notebook. With one hand, I hold the notebook open, while with the other, I keep Cairo at bay.

"Dream," I pronounce aloud, smiling at the surprised expression on Cairo's face.

Cairo hurriedly sits on my lap, her face tense with anxiety as she reaches for the notebook. I can feel the warmth of her body close to mine, but her worried expression warns me of the tension in her soul. Without hesitation, Cairo drops the notebook to the ground with a brisk motion, while her hand suddenly lands next to my face in an attempt to maintain balance. Her black hair brushes against my cheeks, the sudden contact and the rustle of the pages falling to the ground adding to the agitation of the moment.

A flash of anger appears in Cairo's eyes as she abruptly rises from my body to pick up her notebook from the floor. I can see the tension in her movements as she clutches the notebook tightly to her chest.

"Are you out of your mind?" she exclaims angrily, her voice filled with frustration and disappointment.

My heart races in my chest as I try to understand what happened.

My mind is confused, and the air around us seems tense. I sit on the bed, trying to calm the agitation growing within me, while Cairo holds the notebook tight against her chest, her expression hard and angry.

"I didn't mean to..." I start to say, but the words fade into nothingness as I try to find an explanation for what happened. My mind is in turmoil, and the feeling of guilt weighs heavily on me as I try to confront Cairo's anger.

Her sharp voice brings me back to reality.

"Is violating my privacy a joke to you?" she asks sarcastically, her tone as cold as ice. I blush with embarrassment, and my words get stuck in my throat as I try to find a justification for my actions.

"What did you read?" Cairo asks, her voice now colder than ever.

Her posture is rigid, her shoulders tense, and her jaw clenched, and I suddenly feel small and defenseless in the face of her anger.

"Nothing, I swear," I stammer nervously, trying to placate her fury with my trembling words. "It was just a joke... I didn't mean to..." I continue to say, but my apologies seem to fall on deaf ears in the face of her rage.

The tension in the air is palpable as I desperately try to find a way out of this difficult situation.

"What's going on here?" someone suddenly asks.

We both turn towards the entrance of the room and see Winnie, Cairo's roommate, looking at us with confusion. Winnie has a raised eyebrow as her gaze shifts between Cairo and me, filled with suspicion.

"Nothing special," Cairo replies coldly, heading towards the window. "Y/n was just leaving," she adds confidently.

Winnie seems perplexed, but decides not to delve further. "Alright then. Sorry if I interrupted something," she says with a hint of embarrassment, sensing the discomfort in the air.

"You didn't interrupt anything," Cairo replies angrily.

"Um... Bye Cairo," I say timidly but she continues to silently stare out the window, lost in her thoughts.I sigh and leave the room, feeling terribly guilty.

(...)

"Professor Miller, can I talk to you for a moment?" I ask timidly, biting my lower lip nervously.

The professor nods and smiles weakly, looking at me with curiosity as I approach his desk.

I can feel Cairo's gaze behind me, but I'm too scared to meet her eyes. I know she's still angry with me. However, I hope that what I'm about to do might make her forgive me, at least a little.

"I would like to talk to you about something," I say timidly.

"Is it about Friday's assignment?" he asks curiously, his brown eyes trying to read mine.

I shake my head.

"I would like you to read something," I say, my body tensing with tension."Oh, what a surprise," he smiles widely, showing his white teeth.

I still feel Cairo's gaze.

"I wrote it a while ago," I say, grabbing the folded sheet I had put in my pocket. "I've always been afraid to let anyone read it... but I would like to ask you to read it when you're alone," I add timidly.

The professor seems somewhat surprised, but nods understandingly. "Alright, I can understand. It will be between us, I promise," he assures, accepting the sheet.

With a sigh of relief, I leave the room, ignoring Cairo's gaze, but this time with a new determination to pursue what matters to me.

Five long days have passed since I last spoke to Cairo.

Her absence has become a constant weight on my shoulders, and anxiety torments me as I wonder if I will ever have the opportunity to clear things up with her.

Meanwhile, I receive comforting news from Professor Miller. He informs me that my work has truly impressed him and that the assignment on Zeno's conscience was outstanding. His support and compliments give me a sense of relief and gratitude, partially alleviating the burden of tensions with Cairo.

With a sigh of relief, I reassure myself knowing that I have passed his class, but deep down I know that there are more pressing issues I need to address.

I find myself talking to some friends, joking and laughing to distract myself from the stressful situation.

"Hey, everything okay? You seemed a little nervous earlier," Emma asks curiously.

"Oh, yeah, everything's okay. Just a little hiccup, nothing to worry about," I smile nervously.

"Did you hear what happened in class today? It was really funny!" Joy chimes in, smiling at me.

"No, what happened?" I ask, happy for her enthusiasm.

We continue talking, trying to keep the atmosphere light even though my mind is still worried about the situation with Cairo. Then, I see Winnie approaching us with a serious expression and she calls me aside.

I glimpse a shiver of concern in her eyes and wonder what she might mean.

"Cairo wants to talk to you... Can you go to her room?" Winnie asks me, her voice tinged with concern.

My mind goes into overdrive as I try to understand what Cairo might want from me. With a knot in my stomach, I reluctantly nod. "Yes, sure. I'll go to her right away."

I head towards Cairo's room, trying to mentally prepare myself for the impending conversation.

Anxiety grips me as I approach the door, but I decide to face the situation with courage.

I lightly knock on the door and wait with my heart pounding in my chest.

"Go ahead," Cairo says with a calm tone of voice.

I open the door and see Cairo standing near her bed, holding the notebook in her hands. "Did you want to see me?" I say with curiosity and nervousness.

Cairo bites her lower lip nervously and sighs loudly. "I... I wanted to apologize for my reaction last time," she says timidly, embarrassed.

"I overreacted," she adds almost in a whisper.

I feel a wave of relief and gratitude as I look at her. "I also wanted to apologize," I reply sincerely, feeling the weight of tension dissolve between us.

"I shouldn't have taken the notebook without permission," I say with embarrassment.

Cairo smiles weakly, making butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"By the way..." She begins, hesitating, "I wanted to read you something..." She says nervously.

"You're not obligated," I say gently, trying to alleviate her anxiety.

"No, I have to do it," Cairo says firmly, sighing loudly. "Just... Don't comment until I'm finished," she says anxiously, looking at me with pleading eyes.

I nod and wait for Cairo to gather courage.

"In the silence of the night, among the yellowed pages of my favorite books, I found refuge. I have always been a dream seeker, a solitary traveler in the realms of imagination, but even in the deepest solitude, I found an inexhaustible companion: knowledge."

Cairo's voice resonates in the darkness of the room, warm and enveloping. It's like a gentle breeze, delicate yet determined, carrying with it a note of serenity and understanding. Her tone is calm and tranquil, but manages to convey deep emotion and subtle vulnerability.

"For years, I wandered among the words written by illuminated minds, hungry for wisdom and eager to understand the world around me. But in my journey, I encountered not only the light of knowledge but also the shadow of my own uncertainty."

Cairo sighs loudly.

"My intelligence, a gift and a curse at the same time, has created a labyrinth of doubts and fears within me. I often felt lonely, lost in my thoughts, and unable to find a kindred soul who could understand the complexity of my mind."

I can perceive a slight tension in her voice, a controlled intensity that betrays her inner emotion

"I envisioned my perfect companion, a man who could peer into me and see beyond my insecurities. But time brought disappointments, and the void in my heart grew, becoming a painful echo in the corridors of my soul. Yet, in the darkness of my despair, I found a sudden light. It wasn't the man I had dreamed of, but a girl with bright eyes and a gentle smile. In her, I found an understanding I had never known before, a bond that transcended gender and convention."

Cairo's grip on the notebook becomes ironclad.

"In her words, I found comfort; in her embrace, I found security. And so, my dream of a perfect companion transformed, no longer an ideal man but a hope embodied in a brave and compassionate girl. Now I know that my journey is no longer solitary, that I can face life's storms with the courage of one who knows she is not alone.

Thank you...

because thanks to this assignment Professor Miller gave us, I finally had the chance to get to know you better. I must admit that, even though I would never have said it before, I've liked you for months. Since I first noticed you in class, with your infectious smile and your eyes shining with curiosity."

Cairo smiles widely, her eyes becoming teary as she reads.

"But I was so scared, so convinced that I was too broken, too strange to deserve your attention. I was afraid of boring you with my insecurities, of taking away your smile with my fears. And so, I limited myself to watching you from afar, trying to hide what I felt and hoping you would never notice my presence."

Cairo's jaw trembles, her voice wavering.

"But now, thanks to this assignment, I had the chance to get to know you better, to discover your world and to understand that maybe, just maybe, I'm not as broken as I thought. And even though I don't know what the future holds for us, I'm grateful for this opportunity you've given me, for allowing me to get to know you better and to discover that maybe, just maybe, there's still hope for me.

Thank you."

Cairo looks up at me with determination, her eyes shimmering and red from crying. I just wanted to go to her and hold her against my chest until she calmed down.

"If you're listening to these words, it means I've finally found the courage to say what I feel. I don't expect you to reciprocate my feelings, but I wanted you to know how important you've been to me on this journey."

Cairo's voice continues to break, sobs threatening to break through.

"Thank you for giving me the chance to live this experience, to add a new chapter to my life that I never thought I'd write. You've been a turning point, an inspiration, and for that, I'll always be grateful. This moment will remain a precious memory in my mind. Thank you for being part of this experience, for making me feel alive and brave."

Cairo smiles widely, her lower lip trembling, her shoulders shaking more.

"Even if our journey together ends here, I know the lessons I've learned from you will stay with me forever. Thank you for teaching me to find the courage to be honest with myself and with others."

After Cairo finishes reading, she looks at me with teary eyes, but a delicate smile forms on her lips. I feel a weight on my chest, a mixture of gratitude and emotion that makes me want to cry.

Without hesitation, I quickly approach Cairo and wrap my arms around her shoulders, embracing her tightly. Cairo is carried away by the emotions, and we both burst into tears, our tears mingling in an intense and liberating hug.

After a while, Cairo calms down, but she still keeps her arms around me. Cairo looks up and gazes at me gently.

"Just to make sure... Does it speak about me?" I ask timidly, biting my lower lip. "If it's not you, who should it be?" she asks, chuckling and rolling her eyes at my comment.

"Professor Miller?" I say mischievously, and she nudges me lightly.

Cairo continues to hold her chin up, silently asking me something. With my heart pounding in anticipation, I lean in slightly and press my lips against hers, initiating the long-awaited kiss. My hand delicately rests against her cheek, caressing it gently as we let ourselves be carried away by the intensity of the moment. Cairo pulls me closer, making me smile during the kiss.

As the oxygen dwindles, we reluctantly break the kiss, our foreheads resting against each other. Our smiles widen as we gaze into each other's eyes with affection and gratitude.

"You've taught me so much too, my Muse," I whisper softly, feeling the warmth of her breath against my face.

Cairo smiles again and pulls me towards her for a long and much-desired kiss.

@classypauli

@thebloomonster

#jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #jenna ortega x you #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega x fem!reader #cairo sweet #cairo sweet x reader #miller's girl #jenna marie ortega #cairo #confession #love confessions

[princess-ibri]

King Magnifico Backstory : Part One

Ok! Here goes part one for my ideas for Magnifico’s backstory with the DisneyVerse! I based it on the fairytale “The Carnation/ The Pink” as recorded by the Brothers Grimm, the tale of a young man who’s every wish comes true…

Link to the fairytale I’ve based this on here

Once upon a time, a lonely, childless queen wished upon a star, and the star answered. The Fairy of the star said that for the Queen’s great kindness and pure heart, the child would be blessed with beauty, charm and that he would have the power to grant the wishes of his people, in order to bless the kingdom he would one day inherit.

(This is me justifying that “Mirrors love my face/got these genes from outer space” line xD)

The queen was overjoyed with her son, and marveled at the magic he already displayed. She intended to keep his gift secret from the kingdom until he was older, in order to protect him, but it was too late. Word of his gift had leaked out, and one day the child was kidnapped.

He grew up under the watchful eye of his “parents”, granting them whatever they desired, wish after wish, day after day. Gowns and jewels, a manor house on the kingdom’s border, a fleet of fine hunting hounds to tear up the countryside. A covering of protection from any who might try and discover their whereabouts.

The child gave it all to them, for he felt the power of Love inside him when he used the gift that was meant to bless, and thought the love came from them.

They told him to never be selfish and wish for himself, though this was only to keep him from one day wishing in anyway that might undermine them. They lived in luxury and he in loneliness, for they of course allowed none to get to close to their prize lest another steal their good fortune.

Finally though, when the boy had become a youth, his loneliness became too great, and he wished deep in his heart for companionship. And the wish was granted. A beautiful young woman stood before him, shocked to be suddenly in a strange place before a strange man. But the youth was so comely, and spoke to her kindly and with assurances she would be safe with him, that soon she lost her fear. She still wished to return home, but the youth persuaded her to remain with him a while longer.

(He’s not evil yet obviously, but he’s always been a smooth guy and now he’s got a taste of having something he wants he’s loath to let it go. Which is understandable but can and will of course turn darker…)

For a time the youth hide the girl within the hallow of the pink rose bush in the center of the garden, and their loved bloomed with the roses they both found sanctuary in.

But eventually they were discovered by the youth’s “Father”. The boy confessed he had wished for a companion, and the man feigned acceptance. He asked the girl her name and origin, and she told him she was called Amaya, and that she hailed from the Kingdom of Córdoba. Upon further questioning, the man realized his stolen ‘son’s wish had pulled a woman to him from a completely different world.

Realizing the youth’s power would soon grow out of any control they could exact over him, the man and his wife determined to cut their losses and finally do away with him, lest their treachery be uncovered. Unbeknownst to them, the youth had overheard their plot, and began to plot his vengeance against the people he had believed to have been his parents.

Meanwhile, the leacherous man had taken a fancy to the girl, Amaya. He told her that if she aided him in getting rid of the youth he would aide her in returning back to her own world. Amaya had no interest in either the foul man nor in betraying the youth she had come to love, but she knew if she did not do as the man asked both she and her lover would be killed. So she took the heart of one of the man’s beloved hounds and brought it to him, claiming it to be the heart of the youth.

She rejected the man’s advances though, refusing him vehemently and reminding him their bargain was for him to help her to return home. Pretending to accept her rejection, the man waited until night to steal into her rooms within the manor, with a dagger drawn to plunge into the sleeping girl.

But he was met with the livid face of his erstwhile ‘son’ instead.

“So, ‘Father’, at last you show your true face. Your heart is a coal of envy, your wishes are cruel and selfish, you would take and kill with no more thought then your beloved hunting dogs do. So I wish that your outward self might reflect the beast within you!”

And with those words, the man’s bones shook and snapped, his hair darkened and spread, and soon enough a great beast spawns tearing around the manner, fire pouring from its insides as it burned all the ill gotten gains in the manor, and itself along with it.

The youth attempted to return to his true mother, but tragedy has struck while he grew up ignorant of his heritage. The King, furious that the son he had waited so long for had been stolen, blamed the Queen for the tragedy, and locked her within a doorless tower. A bird came twice a day to bring her food, but her heart was broken, and she eventually wasted away. The people, who had loved the kind queen, rose up against the cruel king, and the kingdom was left broken and destroyed.

The youth had no wish to stay in this place, full of the memories of all the good that had been destroyed by two greedy thieves. The youth, a man now, innocence scorched from him, kept a part of the banner that once hung in the grand hall to remind himself the folly of granting the wishes of the undeserving

He was ready however to grant the wish of the one who had not betrayed him, his beloved Amaya. Her wish brought them a ship that would carry them across the waves of sea and space, and together they sailed off into another world…

Edit: Part 2

#my art #disneyverse #disney #wish 2023 #disney wish #king magnifico #queen amaya #amaya x magnifico #the pink fairytale #the carnation fairytale #the brothers grimm #villain backstory #disney villains #the blue fairy #who was very young when this all happened #and meant well but it didn’t go so well :/ #cw body horror #cw death #wish movie #wishing star #disney fanart #disney fanfiction #wish fanart #wish fanfic

[daenysx]

MASTERLIST

@daenysx | 20, she/her, virgo, coffee addict, daydreamer, in love with fictional men with platinum blonde hair, sleep-deprived, gryffindor, tries be perfect as arctic monkeys songs play in the background, daryl dixon' girl.

requests are open!!

about requests

1,111 followers celebration

GAME OF THRONES

ROBB STARK

one shots

make his queen smile

-king robb and you have a night filled with your slow tears for him and his comfort. nsfw.

concepts

you love falling asleep when robb stark stays inside you.

THE WALKING DEAD

DARYL DIXON

drabbles

your first time with daryl dixon. NSFW.

one shots

closer

-daryl dixon gives you the affection you need during your period.

your lips, my lips

-daryl dixon loves the aftercare and spending his nights with the love of his life.

fake pouting on a pretty face

-daryl dixon can't say no to you. morning sex. nsfw.

blame the alcohol

-daryl dixon tries not to fall for you but you are there to wreck his plans with an empty wine glass in your hand.

concepts

daryl dixon loves giving you pleasure

daryl dixon is your comfort person

daryl dixon loves you just a little too much

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

DAEMON TARGARYEN

one shots

curses & bubbles

-after a horribly stressful day, you and modern!daemon try to comfort each other.

let you love him

-daemon targaryen loves having you in his personal space. nsfw. (modern au)

AEGON II TARGARYEN

one shots

lost piece

-modern!aegon tells you he loves you for the first time.

princess treatment

-modern!aegon ruins your fake dating agreement by falling in love with you. nsfw.

adorable

-it gets too much for him and you are there to save his night with your cigarettes and your smile.

i'm here baby

-comforting modern!aegon when he feels terrible

AEMOND TARGARYEN

series

STRINGS ATTACHED

part 1 - pretending

-telling modern!aemond you are pregnant but you are not in a relationship.

part 2 - confessing

-you and aemond explain your feelings to each other. nsfw.

drabbles

you're the only person who can calm modern!aemond down

modern!aemond helps you deal with anxiety after a dinner with friends

modern!aemond gives you a massage and an orgasm. NSFW

soft sex with modern!aemond. NSFW

modern!aemond longs for your kiss

you and modern!aemond can't help yourselves before going to an event. NSFW

you take care of modern!aemond when he is sick

you help modern!aemond relax. NSFW

modern!aemond wakes you up by giving you an orgasm. NSFW.

modern!aemond is there for you when you don't like the way you look

you tell modern!aemond you love him for the first time

one shots

remedy

-modern!aemond helps you sleep when you're nervous. cockwarming, nsfw.

lucky man

-you help modern!aemond calm down when he is angry. nsfw.

quality time

-modern!aemond helps you relax after a long week. nsfw, cockwarming.

drunk lover

-modern!aemond takes care of you when you're drunk.

comfort person

-modern!aemond comforts you about your exam results.

good hair day

-modern!aemond doesn't really like his curls but you adore them.

overachiever

-you stress about your exams but modern!aemond is here to comfort you.

my good looking boy

-you are the first person modern!aemond has sex with. nsfw.

not a relationship

-modern!aemond knows exactly how to make you feel better. friends with benefits. nsfw.

feel better

-you are sick but modern!aemond is there to take care of you.

missing his sweet baby

-your voice sounds sad and modern!aemond is quick to leave everything behind just to make you smile.

come back to me

-an accident leads to an early labor and prince aemond never lets go of your hand.

the blurry mind and the perfect lover

-your head is full but modern!aemond is right here to take care of you. nsfw.

his priority

-modern!aemond is there for you when you're on your period.

sleep on his tongue

-modern!aemond helps you sleep. nsfw.

good for you

-you ease off modern!aemond's worries about being a father like viserys.

naked & happy

-prince aemond and his wife have a delighted night. nsfw.

the one you call

-modern!aemond is there for you when you feel uncomfortable because of a stranger.

the right brother

-modern!aemond falls in love with aegon's (ex)girlfriend

hidden places

-you have a secret relationships with your boss modern!aemond. nsfw.

give you anything

-soft, sleepy sex with modern!aemond.

still in love

-you dream of your ex-boyfriend modern!aemond. nsfw.

his strong girl

-modern!aemond comforts you when you have a bad week.

the brave one

-confessing your love to your best friend aemond targaryen

her own path

-modern!aemond comforts his daughter after a family dinner.

cups filled with love

-modern!aemond tries to comfort his pregnant wife.

his dreams

-aemond targaryen dreams of you and touches himself to the thought of you.

little dragon

-aemond targaryen holds his daughter for the first time.

irresistible

-soft sex with modern!aemond when he is worried about you.

belong with you

-modern!aemond being jealous of you.

i adore you

-morning sex and aftercare with modern!aemond.

for you

-prince aemond targaryen pleasures you.

such a lovely scene

-aemond targaryen looking after his wife and his baby girl.

dizzy & charming

-modern!aemond helping you relieve some stress.

worried

-aemond targaryen reacting his wife overwork herself with a sword.

all for himself

-trying to comfort aemond targaryen.

i don't wanna be your friend

-sharing a bed with modern!aemond.

headcanons

modern!aemond's little girl saying her first word.

having an academic rivalry with modern!aemond.

aemond targaryen falls in love with his betrothed.

modern!aemond loves when you wear your classic red lipstick.

concepts

modern!aemond loves having sex with you.

modern!aemond is addicted to see you in his clothes.

modern!aemond knows when you have a bad day.

aemond targaryen stays by your side when you are giving birth.

modern!aemond loves when you are tipsy or drunk.

modern!aemond keeps his feelings under control all the time.

#masterlist #aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #aemond targaryen x reader #modern!aemond #aegon ii targaryen #aegon ii targaryen x reader #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #the walking dead #daemon targaryen #daemon targaryen x reader #robb stark #game of thrones #robb stark x reader

[piglet26]

Reylo Scenes: TROS Part 2

After a failed attempt at killing Rey and Rey slashing Ren's fighter. He's relieved he didn't kill her. She's relieved she didn't kill him. He emerges looking fucking glorious while Rey tried to stop a ship from flying off cause she thinks Chewie is on board. What the hell are they doing putting a mask on him at this point?!

In the novel from Kylo's perspective, "But his impulse to kill Key had almost ruined everything he had been planning..... but his deepest desire, the thing he wanted most (Rey) would require planning and patience."

"It didn't matter what or who was inside that transport that made desperate to prevent it's escape, he was not going to let her have it. He reached out, felt the massive machinery in his mind, yanked it towards himself."

What's interesting in this scene is Kylo Ren is pushing her and Rey ultimately pulls from anger to best him and keep chewing. That's what always been interesting about Rey is she's the Jedi, but often times she fights with anger, fear and aggression. In the novelization it's revealed that over the course of that year she's been hearing voices. It looks pretty and it's a good shot, but I kept thinking didn't we already see this? Force wise... they're pretty even. While it doesn't hit as hard as the tug-o-war in the TLJ it does serve a purpose. Rey is a Palpatine after all.

In the movie, as per usual, this next bit doesn't make any sense. Ren seems stunned and just let's Rey, Finn and Poe run off. In the novel it makes more sense.

"Kylo Ren watched the freighter rise into the sky, Rey inside it. She had beaten him again (she thought she killed her friend not really a win but you're emo) and yet, he was filled with triumph. He'd been right to push her. She had just demonstrated unbelievable, mind blowing power. Dark power. Sith Power. The scavenger was almost ready to turn. And when she did, they would both kill their light, embrace their darkness, then the star destroyer fleet and the Sith throne would be theirs."

Kylo Ren is a Reylo and is trying to make power couple goals happen and we have to appreciate that.

This is concept art from "The Rise of Skywalker" notice how their costumes mirror each other.

The chemistry between Rey and Kylo is electric whenever they share the same space, so much so that sometimes it feels like we, the audience, are intruding on a private moment between the two.

On board Ochi's ship Rey confesses she has sex dreams about Kylo Ren. Let's be honest they both do and she confesses she's had visions of her and Kylo Ren on top the Sith throne.

Next scene is them in Kijimi. Ren is looking for his future Queen who is trying to find the sithway finder or whatever. Arriving in his pretty cool ship.

In the novel per Zorii, "As the black clad man approached the squads officer snap to attention, "Supreme leader".... the man standing below with his gang od butchers was Kylo Ren himself.....The supreme leader said his voice was tight and calm, but Zorii got the feeling he was barely containing his rage. He looked around almost as if he were sniffing the air. "We have a perimeter around the city." The lieutenant began, but Kylo Ren cut him off, "We're too late, the scavenger is gone." Zorri goes onto describe Kylo Ren having a moment whipping his lightsaber out and going beast mode.

In the movie through the force it's implied that that's how Rey knows Chewie is onboard Ren's destroyer, but in the novel it's different. He interrogated Chewie forcefully (wink wink ha ha ha) to get information on Rey. Rey was able to link mind with Kylo Ren and that's how she knew Chewie was onboard. They should've shown them linking minds more.

Then Rey was in his room, or excuse me, private quarters. Anyone else surprised his room was so white and pretty, if no impersonal. Where's his bed? I saw it in the first movie I think.

"Rey. Wherever you are, you are hard to find."

I'm wondering if at this point that can connect to one another more voluntarily. Rey is always swinging first. Like always. This scene can only really be described as exposition scenes, but there is a nice aspect to it. It's nice to see what they see from one another's viewpoint when they force bond. They just see each other. The dyad is increasing in power, not only can they now touch through the force, they can fight and their spaces even blend. They were together and yet separate. Kylo Ren also seems to be very excited his girl is in quarters and wants to lock down that ship.

In their next scene, again, Kylo tells her the plot of The Rise of Skywalker while wearing that damn mask. I have questions when did Kylo Ren find out they were a dyad?! Why were denied this scene? Obviously they instinctually know they are connected, they just never knew the word to put to it, but were is the exact scene? The thing about Kylo Ren is he uses information to twist it like a knife. He's going to use the truth that they are Dyad, that she is a Palpatine and ultimately the attraction she feels for him to seduce her to the dark side. From Rey's perspective, "He extended his black gloved hand to her, she looked at it, remembered. The last time he extended a hand had been in the wreckage of Snoke's throne room. Their combined power had defeated him. It was true. That together they could do such incredible things. Suddenly, she sensed a weight at her back and along with it... Finn. His presence a bright beacon of light piercing the dark." Ren pulling some MJ Smooth Criminal moves there.

After Rey flees with her crew, in the novel it's gives Kylo Ren's reaction. Her surveys the damage left from The Falcon's engine wash. "Kylo considered it a small price to pay to encounter Rey again. To provoke her into a rage. To say the word Dyad and watch the truth of it wash over her lovely face......he hardly paid attention, he kept seeing her face. The way her lips had parted with surprise. The way her body had canted (leaned) toward him. If the Millennial falcon hadn't appeared she might have come to him. Taken his hand. Kylo really hated that ship.... he'd been so very close, but now she knew the truth. She would accept it."

Yeah, they're horny. It's the first time Kylo described her in such detail and really let us as the reader or audience know..... he wants power, but he wants Rey more. If Ren had the world in his hand it wouldn't mean as much without Rey. This is the first scene in the movie where Rey acknowledges how much she wants to be with him. Interesting, Finn again is really her solid base on the good side of the force.

Side note: Dark Rey is hot.

The lightsaber fight onboard the death star wreckage. I've heard criticism that this fight while beautiful is pointless. I disagree. It's actually a scene that pushes them forward. Rey said, "give it to me" and Ren giving this shudder like he just came in his pants. hmmhmm! Ren likes feral, passionate Rey. He's pushing her and pushing her when she's already at the edge. Interesting enough, Ben can take whatever Rey has to give. All the anger and the fury she's had to hide from everyone else she can express to him. The fight is really about their likeness and yet difference, their passion, how Rey has grown in her lightsaber fighting and fixing the end of The Force Awakens. Ren is fighting at full force capacity, he's not injured and he's not emotional.

The way he is in love

“He sent the thought directly into her mind: I know you. No one does, she shot back. But I do.” WHY WASN'T THIS IN THE MOVIE?!

They fight until Rey is exhausted and when it looks like Kylo Ren might strike the killing blow, Leia reaches out through the force before she passes. In a fit of rage Rey stabs Kylo Ren, but snaps out of it when she feels Leia's passing. She begins to heal the wound she created.

How did she heal? Oh, you know those books she had in the beginning of the movie? Those book were the sacred Jedi text from Acht-to. She smuggled them onboard the falcon. So they never were actually set fire. Turns out Yoda that they actually were useful.

Rey showing him compassion, healing him, believing in him almost doggedly is so empowering for Ben Solo to return. His parents might be gone, but he still has someone to return home to. This movie has flawed writing but sometimes almost accidentally that land on something that works. The line where she admits she wanted to take his hand is a great line. It's declaration of love for Ben, not a rejection of Kylo Ren. It's her saying, "I didn't reject you. I wanted the best version of you"

After the unconditional love offered by both parents and the selfless, sacrificial love offered by Rey...... Kylo Ren becomes Ben Solo again. We just don't see him for the next 20 minutes as Rey processes her identity crisis and then goes off to fight to Palpatine..... without a plan.

There's also something purely adolescent about Reylo. Even in TLJ, these two throw themselves into one another. Like Rey having a vision of their future together so she goes alone to an enemy ship based purely on belief in him. Now we have Ben Solo, in a moment of pure adolescent "I gotta get to my girl" just needs to be with her on exegol as she faces down Palpatine.

From Adam Driver, "and the thing that we started with for "Who is Ben, then? There's no ambiguity about what it is that he has to do. There's no more seesaw that's happening. For the first time, someone who has never had the answer now finally knows his purpose or destiny. But I don't know that he entirely is sure of what's going to happen from there, nor do I think he cares. I think it's so long as he is with her, he's on the right path. " Adam driver is a Reylo.

Ben solo is back and he's glorious. He's likeable, charismatic, he's funny and he shoots backwards like his dad. People appreciated Adam Driver in an all new way with these scenes. He doesn't say a word except "oh, but you know he's shifted from Kylo Ren to Ben Solo. His physical acting is so strong. The subtlety showed his talented and not many actors can say that.

It such a beautiful moment when finally Ben Solo and Rey connect instead. In the novel and in the film especially so because she reaches for her connection to Ben right before she's going to kill Palpatine.

He acknowledged her and Rey’s lips parted in surprise. The connection was… right. Good. Like coming home. They wasted a precious moment reveling in this new sharing. This is how it should have been all along. A true dyad.

Rey lowered the lightsaber behind her back, as if readying for a massive blow. She reached for the Force. The effort made tears sting in her eyes. [...] She raised her hand ... which was now empty. She had projected her weapon away. [...] The moment Ben felt the grip of Luke’s lightsaber in his palm, he knew it belonged to him, an extension of his very own self. He raised it slowly, relishing the feel of it. ”

It's a beautiful moment where Rey and now Ben Solo have a redo of The Last Jedi. Rey looks at Ben with such love, joy and relief. Ben looks at Rey with such confidence, determination and love. It's the "Are you with me? "Yes, I'm with" Now with them both in blue light.

Finally Ben Solo and Rey are united. These soulmates separate by so much over the course of two movies are finally as they were suppose to be. Palpatine and Skywalker standing together. What it should have been is act of love, redemption and hope defeating evil. It should have been Ben Solo confronting his demons with the woman he loves and fought to be with. It should have been is Rey belonging; a redeemed Ben was supposed to become her new home and/ fulfill her need for a family. It should have been a power couple fighting evil with the Force.

But no. Somehow the two of them coming together empowered the devil. Their power like a source of life itself. Then Ben Solo is chucked off a cliff after draining their energy. Why? Ben Solo should have faced his grandfather's and father's enemy, or his clone. Palpatine confirms all the voices he's been hearing in his head has been Palpatine. He literally made irrelevant to something he is very relevant to.

They fail together, but she succeeds alone after the spirits of the Jedi aiding her?! I hate all this. Then she dies after her energy being drained, or she clutches the lightsaber too hard, I'm not sure it's not described. It's annoying. Ben drags himself up broken ribs and all to get to Rey. He crawls to her when he realizes she's passed. It's a horrible moment where you feel how alone Ben feels.

"He could see her now, collapsed on the floor, and the pain in his chest was suddenly so much worse than that of a couple broken ribs."

Ben initially mourns her until he realizes there might be a chance to save. He heals her like she healed him. Oh also none of the films go into the fact that because of their bond they were able to learn the force, including fighting moves, from one another. "Ben poured everything into her. He found reservoirs he didn’t even know he had. He gave her his whole self"

Then Rey finally takes his hand! She's back! Ben is so relieve that she's there. In the novel, "She was glad to see him. Glad to be with him in this moment. It was the greatest gift she could have given him. His heart was full as Rey reached for his face, let her fingers linger against his cheek. And then, wonder of wonders, she leaned forward and kissed him."

Reylos! We finally get our kiss, they smile at one another, look they're so happy! Probably the happiest they've ever been. A celebration!

Anddddddd he's gone. Seriously. Rey mourns him in the novel like we never see her do in the film. "The girl who had felt alone for all those years on Jakku had been part of a dyad the whole time. And just when she'd discovered that precious connection, that incredible oneness, it was ripped away. A voice came to her through the Force, clear and strong. I will always be with you, Ben said."

It's tragic because there's so much to Ben Solo we just don't see as an audience after 3 films!!!!!! He doesn't have any lines.

This movie was edited until literally the week before the films release. The recall of the artbook, the last-minute editing, Adam Driver recording new dialogue in his closet..... I'm wondering if the original idea for TROS Reylo was, well, this. We know from the editor, they didn't know for sure if they wanted them to kiss until post-production. Much of the movie wasn't decided until post-production.

And then we get to the ending. Rey Skywalker. How are you not Rey Solo after the man you felt kinship with and the man you were in love with?! Like da fuq?!

Moving forward to this Rey 2025 movie. I'd like it to do well. I hope it does well. It probably won't unless Ben Solo returns. Reylo might be controversial (whatever) but it's currently one of the biggest draws this franchise has. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is the most popular character out of the sequel trilogy. We deserve it and I'd pay to see it.

sigh the ending we should have gotten

This post took me like 4 days

#reylo #ben solo #star wars #finnrey #kylo ren #kylo x rey #rey skywalker #rey star wars #tros #star wars fanart #star wars reylo #kylo ren star wars #sequel trilogy #rey

[zorosbeau33]

They have a crush~ Momo Yaoyorozu Headcanon

❖ MHA/BNHA, Momo x genderless reader

❖ Headcanon, possible series part 1, fluff, romance

❖ No trigger warnings today!

❖ wc: 850

❖ @kimnamshiks @d0uble0hd0nut ❖ Masterlist ❖

. ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

My first time writing for one of the gals! Inspired by my friend and her love of "Wamins!"

. ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ⋅˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Momo is such a doting partner lets begin with that however, she is also a romantic who has seen most romance through her rich and eccentric parents, or through cheesy romance movies and fanfiction

She would totally have a little tumblr anonymous blog all about her crush on you long before she felt confident it was more than just a fleeting sensation.

Would totally have little lyric snippets about her feelings for you as posts to go as her status for that morning or lunch or tea time or dinner etc “When I see your face there's not a thing that I would change~” “Oh I can’t believe its happening to me! Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this!” 

Several friends have caught on and know about it, some even send her little memes or romantic posts they think she’d like or relate to!

Or some memes to tease her for her crush as friends do

Expect her to blush and stammer and stutter around you, eyes lighting up if you ask to do something together

It can be work, fun, or just food she is as happy as the first time the others went to her house

This tall beautiful girl is so in love with you, she is total puppy eyes for anything you do

If you hug her she may short circuit for a moment out of complete joy and panic before hugging you back gently

She is not super strong like some other heroes but she does work out and she never wants to press even slightly too hard when she reaches for you

Queen of respecting your space, she strictly adheres to your boundaries and won’t even ask if they’ve changed when you both get closer. So if you start out not wanting skinship as that is something you reserve for people you’re really close with you will need to be the one to bring it up if you change your mind.

Seriously out of respect, she may not realize if you just try to hold her hand or hug her after you’ve gotten closer, she is daintily stepping out of reach thinking you had moved closer unintentionally and she doesn’t want to erode your trust in her even by accidentally breaking your space bubble

A Momo with a crush will slowly gain more confidence as she gets positive feedback from you. Of course, all of it anonymously goes on her blog, and she talks it out with her friends to make sure she isn’t missing anything and to plan her next steps

Bless their hearts, they help ground this romantic in reality a bit so she doesn’t end up confessing way too soon and way too publicly or dramatically to the point it might feel like a staged prank

Todoroki is sitting on her bed absolutely clueless as he listens to her babble excitedly to Tsu, Ochako, Jiro, and Hitoshi. Surprisingly other than his small mumbled words of surprise at relationship things in general makes good points for her and the others by just using logic and his level-headed reasoning. 

He is also your biggest supporter of you two getting together because he sees how happy you make her and that alone makes him smile and tell you you have his full support…to what you didn’t know and Momo was too embarrassed and stunned to explain when he just walked off afterward

She can make anything with her body so long as she knows the molecular compound, or buy anything for you with her money. But she is too romantic for that, she insists on learning how to handcraft something for you

Lots of little love notes end up in your mailbox, hand scrapbooked edges and lace envelopes without a name

She moves slowly and lets you realize on your own through the small touches here, words of affirmation, handwritten letters, and small handcrafted gifts (even with bandaged fingers from failing at first to craft them properly) that she likes you

If you ask she will blush and stammer but tell you if you want to know then why don’t you go to the park with her that weekend and she’d answer you then

Like I said she is a romantic, It is clearly a date and she dresses up so beautifully and sets up a wonderful picnic on the grass by the stream

When you get there she’d finally confess unable to look you in the eyes as she plays with her fingers but admits she has liked you for a long time and asks if it’d be okay for her to act on those feelings today

Your hands being held together not only gets sent to the group chat while you two sit together and talk but posted to her blog as she adds a little dreams come true quote to it

Congratulations you have just gotten the sweetest woman as a girlfriend, she is going to dote and spoil you rotten. Please take gentle care of her heart, it's so fragile hold it carefully in your trusted hands

#boku no hero academia masterlist #boku no hero academia x reader #boku no hero academia headcanon #boku no hero academia headcanons #boku no hero academia #boku no hero academia x gender neutral reader #my hero academia #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia x you #my hero academia x gender neutral reader #my hero academia headcanon #yaoyorozu #yaoyorozu x reader #yaoyorozu x gender neutral reader #yaoyorozu x you #yaoyorozu headcanon #yaoyorozu x reader headcanon #momo yaoyorozu #momo yaoyorozu x reader #momo yaoyorozu x gender neutral reader #momo yaoyorozu x you #momo yaoyorozu x reader headcanon #momo yaoyorozu x gender neutral reader headcanon #momo x reader #momo x gender neutral reader #momo x you #mha x reader #mha headcanons #bnha headcanon #bnha x reader

[p8rasite]

FINE.  ›  SUNG HANBIN ݃ 0612

synopsis.. where hanbin says it too often, he starts to believe he is.. until he isn’t.

muses.. roommate! hanbin x gn! reader

pantone.. angst & comfort ft. and they were roommates

cw + tap the mic.. self-doubt, reader kinda dislikes hanbin & mention of drinks + first zb1 writing let’s gaur! this was a mix of request & word vomit so i hope this is good enough 🥺 also new layout : @/stealanity & @/chiyuv

“no one’s here, come again in four to seven business weeks.”

you bite the inside of your cheek. as clear as it is that hanbin doesn’t want to entertain anyone at the moment, you refuse to let him be. not when he’s isolating himself within those four walls. not when you can just tug that handle and let yourself in.

so you do.

the abrupt bang of the door against the wall was slightly.. over the top, but at least it got his attention. well, more like his frown, but you can be bothered about the details some other time.

“what are you doing in here?” he mumbles, voice lacking its usual coat of vibrancy. this time, it’s soft and fragile, just like its owner.

you shrug your shoulders. “the kitchen told me you haven’t visited it in a few days so i’m checking in on you on their behalf.”

he chuckles, but even that sounds so hollow. another sign that he isn’t your roommate, but a shell of him. and as much as you hate to admit it, you’re even more a tad bit worried.

“may i?” you gesture to the space next to him, shortly receiving a nod. sitting on the floor—legs stretched out and back slouched against the wall—isn’t ideal, especially not when there’s a queen sized bed just a few steps away. although, given why you’re here in the first place, you suppose you could refrain from complaining this time.

(singular—you’re already stressing that before your friends can make assumptions.)

the two of you let silence wrap around you like a blanket, one neither of you seem eager to remove. you excuse your awkwardness by claiming you want to take in your new surroundings before moving further. to which, in fairness, makes sense because this is your first time in his room.

weird, isn’t it? living in a place where you’re familiar with everything but your roommate and his space. there were times where he left his door ajar enough for you to catch glimpses inside, but nothing could have prepared you to see it in its entirety.

so tidy, so cozy, so.. hanbin.

the young man in question fidgets with his sweater’s sleeve, a loose thread in particular. a translucent pane of absentmindedness hovers over his cocoa-tinted irises as he twists the material between his lithe fingers.

“i don’t know what’s missing,” hanbin gauges your reaction (seemingly blank, actually surprised) before continuing. “i gave everything i had to them, constantly tried to do and be my best self to make up for the things i lack, yet they still left.”

you nervously rub your palms upon your thighs, unsure where to pick up after such a heavy confession. there’s also that guilt that chews on your soul as you come to realize that this little mister perfect persona of his isn’t just for attracting people.

it’s supposed to convince those he loves to stay.

with this newfound understanding, you finally speak up, “them leaving isn’t on you.”

his brows furrow, lips slightly parting to reject your words but you lift your hand to cover his mouth. probably not the best idea, ‘specially not when he can just make muffled sounds through the makeshift gag, but it’ll have to do. all you need is for him to listen to you, no interruptions allowed.

“you gave almost all of yourself to them, which isn’t wrong—almost every person who’s been in love has done that. but that isn’t enough to make the relationship work because there’s two of you. now, either it’s a responsibility that they can’t or don’t want to face, which is why they broke up with you.

whichever it is, the fault still lies with them. and that, binnie, is why you shouldn’t be beating yourself up on this. yes, it’s okay to grieve what has been lost. but at the end of the day, you should acknowledge and accept that it isn’t your fault.”

you’re completely winded by the end of your speech, you don’t realize your hand had pulled away halfway through it. but then you notice the upward curve of his lips, and your eyes instinctively narrow at the suspicious sight.

“did i say something funny?”

he shakes his head and points out, “you called me binnie.”

..damn. you were so caught up in your rant that you hadn’t noticed your mistake. with a light hit at his shoulder, you grumble, “don’t read too deep into it, i just heard one of your friends constantly call you that so it slipped.”

“are you sure~?”

“yes.”

“very sure~?”

“..‘right, that’s the end of our therapy session. i expect you to pay me with a cup of karak tea later.” a groan emerges from the deepest part of your tired soul as you get back on your feet, backside sore from maintaining the same position for at least 10 minutes.

right as you’re on your way out, hanbin calls your name. intrigued confused as to what else he’d need, you take the chance and turn around. those busy fingers you noticed earlier? now they’re put together to make a unique heart gesture.

“thank you for keeping me company and opening my eyes to the bigger picture.” the warmth and cheeriness hasn’t been fully restored yet, but you can hear a sliver. and regardless of whether you admit it or not, you feel proud of yourself for assisting in bringing it back.

“no need to thank me, matters like this are why roommates were made.”

(uh huh, sure..)

❀ ... ⃕ not sure if i’ll make a taglist but feel free to donate to my kofi ! now, would you like to return to the masterlist? yes / no.

#zb1 #zerobaseone #zb1 x reader #zerobaseone scenarios #zerobaseone imagines #sung hanbin #zb1 imagines #zb1 scenarios #hanbin imagines #hanbin scenarios #sung hanbin imagines #sung hanbin scenarios #zerobaseone x reader #hanbin x reader #sung hanbin x reader

[twistedwonderlandimaginesblog]

Hi if it's okay to request childhood bestfriend into lovers to riddle? i just really like to imagine it hehe sorry for bad english...

Riddle Rosehearts:

You had been there since the beginning. Your influence was certainly one Riddle’s mom scorned, even moreso than Trey who fed her son delicious but sugary baked treats. You inspired something else in Riddle, a little more rebellion, though your influence was clearly squashed by the time you reached your NRC years. You stayed friends, however, with Riddle trying to bring a little more structure to your daily life while you tried to bring more fun into his.

You were as surprised as anyone else seeing him Overblot, scared but heartbroken for him. Seeing the clear pain that he was in afterward also didn’t sit right with you; Trey had to stop you from making the rash decision of throwing hands with a grown woman over the treatment of her son but saying it wouldn’t make matters with Riddle much better. You felt protective over him suddenly, even though it might not be your place to say something on his behalf.

Romantic love isn’t really something you speak about, or even realize you feel, until your 3rd year. It’s not like the feelings hadn’t been there all along but you had felt quite comfortable in your relationship with him, to the point that any potential changes to your dynamic set off some alarm bells in your head. It made you a little nervous to start seeing Riddle in a different light, and there were some sleepless nights where you questioned how he saw you. You had noticed he avoided your touch now, that any casual hugs you initiated were rebuffed, but the meaning behind them could be anything. You respected his space and then there were no other complaints.

Riddle has to be the one to make the first move. Trey had told him as such, quite directly, as Riddle himself had rebuffed most of your advances. Not conscious ones, of course, but when you had asked to be his partner at an upcoming event he had turned you down due to his own ‘busy schedule’ and also because he thought you should go with someone you actually wanted to date. Trey’s implication that you had asked him with purpose left Riddle flustered and looking back on all your past interactions, wondering if you had been trying to send him subtle signs that he hadn’t acknowledged and now…

It’s closer to the end of your 3rd year that you and Riddle finally have a serious talk about your relationship. You were discussing your futures with sparkling eyes, the smile on your face not wavering even as you came to terms with the reality you might be parting for good; you had always wanted success for him and knowing he was going to stay out of his house, that he would be traveling to expand his knowledge, brought you great joy. Friends from a distance was obviously manageable, but your feelings for him had only grown over the months, especially when you tried to ignore them. You couldn’t imagine not seeing him every day, not talking to him every day, not helping him study or hearing about some Queen of Hearts rule you’d never heard of in your life.

If Riddle wasn’t such a serious person you would wonder if you were just being punked with his confession, but there are other feelings coursing through you. Your heart felt like it might explode if you looked at him too long, the blush that matched the shade of his hair perfectly taking over his face. You don’t think you’re doing much better but it’s at least mutual embarrassment, your hand reaching out for his as you silently lace your fingers with his, feeling his tight squeeze of approval in return. Now, the two of you could plan for a bright future spent together, closer than ever.  

#Twisted Wonderland #Disney Twisted Wonderland #TWST #Disney TWST #TWST Imagines #TWST x Reader #Twisted Wonderland x Reader #Riddle Rosehearts #Riddle Rosehearts x Reader

[soaps-mohawk]

heyy, i saw you responding to another ask and it briefly mentioned reader running away. that’s be lowkey highkey so funny. like it’d make my heart hurt with all the panic and distress everyone would go through with reader being gone, especially since ghost just confessed about him actually deeply afraid of losing reader. but also that little vengeful part of me wants to see ghost suffer for how he treated us, knowing he was probably the reason we left. or even if he wasn’t and it was something to do with readers lore, when (or maybe if) reader came back the protectiveness , comfort-and having to rebuild that trust with the pack. gorgeous.(know this prob wouldn’t happen and would be way too dramatic but i’m a drama queen what can i say <3)

but anyways take a good rest! and thank you for blessing us with your writing. (price is daddy and so r u)

live laugh love you💕

(yk who it is ;) )

Hello lovely live laugh love anon!!!

No, but here's the thing about this.

You would not get very far.

These men hunt people for a living. People actively trying to avoid being found. Hard to find targets? Never heard of 'em. And they have resources. You disappear? Price is on the phone with Laswell and she's got eyes on you before you even hit the next town over. They will follow you and find you, even if you don't know they're there until they're literally standing in front of you.

You would not get very far.

Of course there would be the emotions and they'd be pissed, but also upset because you just up and left, but here's the thing. Whether they bring you back or if somehow you've managed to avoid them, when you come back? You're never leaving their sight again. The door locks from the outside now. Personal space? Never heard of her. Time alone? Ha. That's cute. I wouldn't put it past Price to handcuff you to one of them at all times to make sure you don't escape again. The guards at the front gate know you and they will detain you if you even get close to them. All of the soldiers on base know if they see you alone? Detain until one of TF141 can get to you.

They would not let you out of their sight again.

Anyway, while that would be heartbreaking and add so much angst, it's just not something reader would do. Even if things got really bad, that's just not something the reader would even think of. Reader is bound by a sense of ingrained duty to their new pack and there's no getting out of that. They're stuck there and even if reader did want to leave, that's incredibly dangerous. We've seen how close others have gotten with the boys there. Imagine if reader was just out in the world alone.

You'll understand too as the fic goes on why the reader running would not work , as more and more gets revealed about things. But yeah, that's kind of the answer on that one. Reader wouldn't run, and even if they did...you're running from specially trained soldiers that hunt hard to find targets as their day job.

Live laugh love you too wonderful anon!! 💚

#*clears throat* #anyway i'm not thinking about being hunted down by them or anything now #thank you for these thots maybe now i can start chapter 9 #answered

[vermithorn]

* MOONLIGHT

pairing: aemond targaryen x fem!reader!stark

summary: aegon is drunk and you have an urge to the defend the younger prince.

author’s note: bro i cannot sleep properly i have to post everyday at 3/4am god help me!!!!!!!!! enjoy and please remember english isn’t my first language < 3… he is my babygirl after all,,,

aemond never wanted a protector, he could do very good on his own.

aegon was too much in today’s dinner, after a few cups of wine he became a mean drunk with his favorite target of the month, his younger brother. queen alicent and king viserys were in dragonstone with the hand of the king, dealing with very urgent foreign affairs so in the dinner table were only prince aegon, princess helaena, prince aemond and you, lady stark, a very important guest from winterfell.

he knew bringing up the day he lost and eye was a sore topic, knowing he could get away with anything because his mother wasn’t there to reprimand him, so he started making fun of his little brother for his ‘lack of body parts’ and ‘ugliness’, it was enough for aemond to stand up and slam the table, but you did it first.

you went off, and aemond could only look at his brother scared face, eyes widened and mouth agape. you went on saying he was lucky to have someone like prince aemond as his brother, and if he continued to say the horrid words he was speaking the north would have his head in a spike, because he was no one to say things like that to his younger brother.

dinner was quickly dismissed, aegon running behind helaena to their chambers, without giving you or prince aemond a second glance.

“i’m so sorry, prince aemond, my outburst was beyond inappropriate.” you bowed and escorted yourself out to your designated chambers.

aemond’s head was spinning, he couldn’t take you out of his mind, he never had someone stand up for him besides his mother and probably he’ll never had someone to do it again. it all made him blush of embarrassment, he was fighting with himself, on one side he could very easily defend himself against aegon, who was no match for him… but in the other side he really wanted to hear you again, and again, and again.

he paced like a maniac in his room, the moonlight touching everything around him. it was very late, and of course his best idea was to go and knock on your chambers, totally uninvited.

you were probably sleeping, this was the worst idea ever, he was about to turn around and come back to his own bed when the door before him opened.

your eyes softened as you saw him in front of you, you were still wearing the clothes you wore for dinner. “prince aemond? how can i help you?”

he coughed a little, “i wanted to speak to you,” you opened the door a little to make space for him to enter.

“make yourself comfortable,” he sat in the couch you had near the window.

he tried to speak but words wouldn’t come out of his mouth, you gave him a little smile as you sat on your bed. “my prince, i would like to apologize again for my outburst on the supper, you don’t need me to defend you at all, i am, again, so sorry.”

his features softened, as he tried to relax himself.

“i wanted to thank you,” your eyes widened. you weren’t expecting that at all. “my brother is like this since we were young, so i am kind of used to it now.”

you frowned, “that’s not an excuse, my prince, he cannot treat you that way.” you crossed your arms as aemond looked away, with a sad smile.

“you wanted to thank me? thank me when i beat his ass from here to flea bottom.” a blush formed in his face because of your words.

“i will not do that again…” you stopped, as he tilted his head looking at you, “in front of other people.”

he smiled slightly, making you feel good as he looked mesmerizing under the moonlight, like a god. you took your time examining his features as he looked out of your window.

“thank you, i don’t think i had anyone defend me besides my mother…” he confessed in a moment vulnerability, trusting you to not break the trust he had put on you.

“do not worry, my prince,” you said walking up to him, kneeling to get on his level because he was seated on the couch, he looked like a scared cat with your presence so close to him. “i will do my best to defend your name and integrity until you don’t want me to anymore.”

he grabbed your hand, caressing it softly as he nodded with a lump on his throat.

maybe he could allow himself to have someone on his side for once.

© all content belongs to @vermithorn. do not copy / plagiarize / repost or translate my work on any other platforms.

#aemond #aemond targaryen #tvrgvryen #aemond targaryen x female reader #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x you #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen imagine #house of the dragon #hotd #got #game of thrones #hotd x reader

[smokestarrules]

I want ALL of your Amity's analysis. Do u hear me? ALL, hahaha

ok bet

The family Amity grew up in was very simple: Odalia and Alador are the authority, Edric and Emira can do no wrong (though, of course, it’s more complicated than that), and Amity can never be enough. 

Luz was everything Amity wanted to be herself. 

She loved Grudgby, but she stopped playing it because she didn’t like the person she was while playing. 

She has no fucking idea on how to talk to people, including and especially Willow.  

Amity wasn’t going to fucking dissect Luz, and neither was Principal Bump. 

Amity Blight does not cheat. That is an essential part of her character. She does not cheat to get to where she is, because 1) Blights don’t cheat (and it doesn’t matter whether or not that’s actually true) and 2) Amity doesn’t cheat. Amity doesn’t cheat because she’s worked hard for every single thing she’s ever been given and cheating would undermine her entire character. 

She doesn’t have many safe spaces, so when she does find one, she makes sure to go all-out on making it feel like home. 

Amity grew up having to justify every single thing she did to her parents, having to justify her own existence, and that especially includes things she enjoys. 

If Luz hadn’t joined Edric and Emira in the library during Lost in Language, the relationship between the twins and Amity literally would have been damaged irreparably. She would have never spoken to them again. 

Luz was the first person on-screen to make her laugh.

She is just a little bit dumb sometimes <3

Luz saying “We can fix this together” in Understanding Willow is one of the most monumental moments in Amity’s entire life. 

If it weren’t for Luz, Amity almost 100% would’ve campaigned for the role of Grom Queen. Because Luz was there, though, her fears changed, and she knew it. 

Amity was going to confess to Luz before she had to go and fight Grometheus in Enchanting Grom Fright, but Luz offering to take her place stopped her in her tracks, because she wasn’t at all ready for that. 

Amity’s fear, too, is the culmination of everything she was scared of losing, not just Luz rejecting her advances. 

After King’s reassurance in Eclipse Lake, she’s self-aware enough to understand that the similarities between herself and Hunter don’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, and she makes a conscious effort to reach out to him. 

She started learning Spanish before she was stranded in the Human Realm in an attempt to further connect with Luz. 

Amity does not snoop through Luz’s things even when she thinks knowing more could help because she’s had that happen to her and she understands how small it makes you feel. She is ridiculously emotionally intelligent when it comes to Luz, and, later, when it comes to herself. 

She would do anything for her friends. 

She’s the only witch who’s ever read The Good Witch Azura series, which she latched onto because it served as a sort of escape for her. She sees herself within Hecate, because despite her wrongdoings, the narrative treats her with kindness. Consequently, the book in which Hecate is effectively redeemed is the only one she hadn’t been able to collect herself. 

She sets incredible boundaries with her father. He’s trying now, sure, but that doesn’t take back the years of pain, and it shouldn’t. 

Amity gets noticeably more and more silly as the time goes on, because she’s coming back into herself.

Also as time goes on, her magic grows more versatile!

She was not trying to antagonize Willow in Labyrinth Runners, but trying way too hard to protect the person that she had once hurt so deeply. It’s a setback, nothing more, and one that arises from miscommunication. It’s settled, too. They’re on the same page now. 

And because of that, Amity is able to let herself be silly with Willow, too!!

She may be the least powerful (certainly one of the least powerful, at least) of the main cast, but that’s a good thing. 

It’s also a good thing that we haven’t seen her library hideout since season 1, as cute as it was. She doesn’t need it anymore. 

Over time, her relationship with her siblings has improved to the point that they know her well enough to know how to calm her down, and she’s comfortable with them to be able to talk freely about Luz. 

Amity still had hope for Odalia, because even after everything she’s done to her, Amity still wanted to believe that she wasn’t all bad. 

She tried so hard to make sure Luz also got through the portal in King’s Tide. She would’ve stayed behind if Luz did. 

Amity knows full well in Thanks to Them that Luz is feeling guilty, if not the extent of it, and she tries to help out by setting up Halloween costumes that she thinks they’ll both love; Hecate and Azura, which is the thing they bonded over initially. 

Recognizing that Luz doesn't feel like she deserves love, Amity quotes her girlfriend to show her that, yes, she does, and this is how much she means to her. 

#what? you did say 'all' #god this took a while but it's worth it dhgjkdlfsghdf #toh #toh spoilers #the owl house #the owl house spoilers #amity blight #luz noceda #willow park #lumity #smokey answers #anonymous

[aalissy]

Sharing a Bed

Woop woop! Day 13 is doneee!! And it's a prompt that I'm so glad I finally got to write hehe. I've had an idea for this for agessss. I hope you like it <3

AO3

Oh.

Oh no.  

Marinette gaped down at the one queen-sized bed that was planted in their hotel room. Alya and Nino were just down the hall in their own room. Maybe they were in the wrong room. 

Glancing down at her key, she gulped nervously. Nope. This was the right room according to the hotel.

Her gaze darted over to Adrien before quickly darting away when their gazes met. She was certain her face must look tomato red as she shifted awkwardly on her feet. She still had time to call Alya and beg her friend to let her sleep with her instead.

Half of this crazy plan was from Alya anyway. Thinking it would help her to confess if they spent the night in the same room. At the time, Marinette had thought it was a good idea too. Until she saw that there was only one bed!

“Well,” Adrien started with a chuckle, causing her to peek back over at him. He was scratching the back of his neck, an easy smile on his lips. “I can take the floor.”

“What?!” Marinette practically screeched, shaking her head rapidly. She turned fully, meeting his gaze head-on. She crossed her arms against her chest, her eyes blazing with determination. “No, you can not! Adrien, this whole trip was for you. It’s a miracle your father even let you come. So... I’ll take the floor.”

She gave a firm nod. She would take the floor and that was that. It did look kind of cold, though. Nibbling on her lip, Marinette gave him a small smile. “But, um... maybe I can have just one blanket?”

Soon Adrien burst into a fit of raucous laughter that had her frowning over at him. Surely it wasn’t that funny! She was taking the floor so surely he could part with one little blanket!

Opening her mouth to defend herself, she was stopped by Adrien finally sucking in a deep breath as his laughter fell away. “Marinette, don’t be ridiculous,” he finally said. “I’m not going to just let you sleep on the floor. And, even if I did, I’d be giving you all of the blankets, Marinette.”

Her furrowed brow deepened. His reaction made much more sense now. But... even still...

“But that’s not fair to you, then, Adrien.” She shook her head. “I don’t want you to be cold.”

His gaze softened as he looked at her in a way that had her heart thumping loudly in her ears. Why did he have to look so adorable all of the time?

“Well, if neither of us wants the other to sleep on the floor, then how about we share the bed?” Adrien suggested, his voice gentle as he took a step closer to her. Marinette's breath caught in her throat at the suggestion.

“W-what? Share the bed?” she squawked, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. Did he really just ask her to do that? Was he a secret mind reader? Was he reading her hopes and wishes right now?

Adrien nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, why not? It’s big enough for both of us, and we can each have our own space.”

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up even more at the thought of sharing a bed with Adrien. It was something she had only dreamed of, quite literally at times, but now that it was actually happening, she wasn’t sure how to react.

“I... I guess that could work,” she stammered, trying to sound casual despite the butterflies in her stomach. She gave a large smile that she prayed didn’t look completely awkward.

Adrien chuckled softly. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll take the bathroom first if you don’t mind.”

“N-not at all.” 

When he shut the bathroom door behind him, Marinette finally released the breath she hadn’t known she had been holding. Why oh why had she let Alya talk her into this? 

Fiddling with her suitcase, she took the side closest to the window and away from the bathroom door. Needing something to do to keep her mind from spiraling, Marinette began to unpack everything into her little drawers. 

When Adrien came out of the bathroom, she couldn’t help but steal a glance over at him. Her mouth dried at the sight. He was in an adorable set of pajamas that she had never seen him wear before.

He cleared his throat and Marinette prayed he hadn’t noticed her staring. “Bathroom’s open now.”

She gave him one final grin before sprinting into the bathroom. She grabbed onto the counter, sucking in air as quickly as possible. How on earth was she mean to share a bed with him if she could barely handle seeing him in a pair of pajamas?

Finally, after a few moments of panic, Marinette managed to calm herself down. Everything was going to be fine. She’d put on her pajamas, turn off the lights, and run over to her side of the bed where she’d press herself against the very edge for the entire night. Sure, she might not get much sleep but that was a small torment she was willing to bear to share a bed with her crush.

With that plan in mind, Marinette threw on her pajamas. Slowly, she opened the door, wincing at the small creak it made. Adrien was facing away from her, curled over on his side. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, she turned off the light.

Suddenly, the room was pitch black and she could no longer see two feet in front of her. It was fine. She knew where the bed was. Slowly, with her arms out in front of her, Marinette began shuffling over to her side of the room.

She was almost there. Her eyes had almost adjusted in the darkness and she could see the pillow awaiting her. Abandoning caution, she quickened her pace only to stub her toe directly against the edge of the bed.

Marinette squeaked in pain, grateful that she could collapse onto her side of the bed as her toe ached. She winced at the seemingly unending agony, hoping to rub some of the pain away.

The lamp flicked on at the other side of the bed and Marinette quickly had to clench her eyes shut at the sudden onslaught of light.

“Marinette, are you alright?” Adrien’s worried voice called out to her as his eyebrows furrowed over a pair of concerned emerald-green eyes.

“Yep!” she chirped, flinching again at how high-pitched her tone was. Clearing her throat, she lowered it. “Just, um, stubbed my toe.”

“Oh.” His frown deepened. “Well, are you sure you’re alright? You didn’t break it or anything, right?”

She couldn’t help but giggle, relaxing for the first time that night. “I’m really okay, Adrien. I promise. No broken toes over here.”

“Alright, if you’re sure,” he trailed off, seemingly still uncertain. “Goodnight, Marinette,” Adrien then said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Goodnight, Adrien,” she replied, her heart fluttering as he turned off the bedside lamp.

In the darkness, Marinette lay awake for a while, listening to the sound of Adrien’s steady breathing. It was surreal, being so close to him like this. She couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through her at the thought of sharing this intimate space with him.

As sleep finally began to claim her, Marinette couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this crazy plan of Alya’s hadn’t been so crazy after all.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #mlb #ml #fic #fanfic #adrienette #adrinette #ml fic #adrienetteapril2024 #adrinetteapril2024 #adrienetteapril #adrinetteapril #sharing a bed #there was only one bed #love square

[ourtearsofrain]

Ride a Cowboy- Save a Horse pt. 2 (D.R.W/S.F.K)

Summary: Danny and Sam tell Jake and Josh they’re dating. Their reactions? That they need to see the line dancing bar where they finally confessed to each other. Lucky for them, there’s a partners night coming up where the newbies dance with local drag queens. What neither expected was to leave the bar with a man on each of their arms.

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka, Josh Kiszka x male OC, Jake Kiszka x male OC

Genre: fluff (aftercare and everyone being cute and in love), angst and a little bit of hurt/comfort, smut (minors DNI)

Word Count: 15.5 k

Warnings: they’re all gay and have stupid little gay crushes on oc’s but are all too shy to act on their crushes for a fat minute, Dallas is back, smut, anal sex (fingering and penetration), Sam’s not a bottom this time????

A/N: I would like to thank my friends that read pt. 1 and kept (lovingly) pushing me to write a pt. 2, couldn’t have done it without your input. Also, if you’re new here, this is the second part to a series, so I recommend reading Save a Horse first if you haven’t already as topics, people, and events from that fic are mentioned here and slightly crucial to parts of the plot. Thank you for reading!

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“What if they have a problem with it? With us? What if telling them ruins our relationships with them?” Sam says anxiously, pacing across his kitchen as Danny watches him, perched at the edge of his bar stool.

“Love, Josh is queer, it would be extremely hypocritical if he had an issue with it. And you know how Jake reacted when Josh came out, he’ll be fine too.” Danny calmly explains, “They’re your brothers, I’m certain you’ll get nothing but support from them.”

Sam ceases his movements, fully turning towards Danny before he counters, “Yeah I know, that’s not the problem. The problem is that I know they see you as a brother, they have for as long as you’ve known them. I just don’t want them to, I don’t know, feel weird about us being together because of that. I don’t want it to affect how we are, as a group.” He lets out a defeated sigh and runs a hand roughly through his hair, already laying haphazardly and tangled from the anxieties plaguing his mind.

“You three are my best friends, and if I ruin that, I-“ he pauses, tears brimming in his eyes, “-I don’t know how I would be able to live with myself.”

Danny gets off his chair, moving around the counter and quickly closing the space between them. He cups Sams face in his hands tenderly, looking down at the other boy.

“Sammy baby, please. It’s gonna be ok. I promise. And even if it does change anything between all of us, which it won’t, it wouldn’t be your fault love.” He wipes a stray tear away with his thumb and presses a light kiss to Sam’s forehead. “Everything is going to be alright, ok?”

“Yeah… ok. Everything’s gonna be alright.” Danny smiles and Sam manages to offer a weak one back, thoughts still running wild in his mind.

“That’s my boy. We got this.” He brings his hands down to Sams biceps, offering a gentle squeeze. “You got this.”

Sam smiles fully at this, appreciative of his boyfriends’ calm words of reassurance. He pulls him into a tight hug, grateful for the claw clip keeping his mane of hair up and out of the way, allowing him to nestle his face against the soft, warm skin of his neck.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” He mumbles.

Danny laughs lightly, knowing Sam had told him he loved him every day since after the night they got together. He runs his hands up and down Sams back in soothing motions. “Yeah, couple times.”

Sam pulls away to look up at the other boy, still close enough to stay in his warm embrace. “Well I think I’ll say it a few more times anyway. I love you, Danny. Thanks for keeping me sane.”

“Of course, Sammy.” He briefly kisses the other boy, before pulling away to check the notifications he just realized were blowing up his phone where it sat forgotten on the counter.

“Hey when did you say they were getting here again? Oh- never mind.” He begins to clear the texts from both Jake and Josh as he continues, “They texted me. So, so many times. Most of them are ‘Hey’ or ‘You dumbasses really need to check your phones’. Looks like they tried calling you,” he raises his eyebrows as he scrolls through the seemingly endless string of messages, “A lot apparently. They’re on their way. At least they were about five minutes ago, so they should be here soon.”

“Shit, my phone is in my room, I completely forgot about it. I told them to be here at 4:30 and, knowing they’re always late, I said to get here at 4:30 or I’d leave them locked outside.”

Danny checks the time, “Well, it’s now five soooo…”

“Guess they’re staying outside then.”

“As funny as that would be, we do really need to talk to them, love.”

Sam fakes an annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes as he shuffles over to Danny, stopping beside him and leaning his forehead against his shoulder. “God it’s so annoying when you’re right.”

As if summoned, the sound of two fists banging violently against the front door startles them.

Josh’s voice can be heard clearly through the door, loud enough to piss off the neighbors. “HEY FUCKERS YOU BETTER LET US IN.”

Jake’s shout comes next, “I KNOW WE’RE LATE BUT I SWEAR TO GOD SAM IF YOU DON’T OPEN THIS DOOR, I’M GONNA TELL MOM ABOUT THE TIME YOU GOT ARRESTED WHEN YOU WERE 18 FOR GETTING PULLED OVER AND HAVING A HALF EMPTY BOTTLE OF FUCKING FIREBALL ON YOUR PASSENGER SEAT!”

“Jesus fucking christ, ok ok. I’M COMING, NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Sam yells as he makes his way to the door, unlocking it when he gets there.

The twins saunter in as Sam holds the door open for them, both already starting to speak at the same time.

“That’s what Daniel’s mother said to me last night, what a lovely woman she is-” Jake starts in a gravelly British accent.

“Why thank you Samuel, wow even holding the door open for us like a true gentleman.” Josh jokes, fluttering his eyelashes at Sam and placing a hand over his heart.

“Both of you, shut the fuck up. You guys are lucky I even let you in, Danny convinced me to.”

“Awwww thanks Danny, I knew you loved us more than Sam does.” Josh says to Danny, still standing by the counter in Sams kitchen.

The twins make their way past him and into Sams living room, unceremoniously throwing themselves down onto the couches and making themselves comfortable as Sam and Danny stand together in mildly tense silence. While the twins are distracted, Danny grabs Sams hand and gives it a light squeeze, giving him a small smile of encouragement before the pair make their way towards the others.

“Hey when is food getting here? What did you order? And what movie are we watching?” Jake says the second he spots Sam and Danny.

Sam wipes his palms on his pants, taking a seat on the unoccupied couch next to the one the twins were taking up all the space on. Danny sits next to him, close enough for suspicion to begin to arise in the twins.

“Uh, we actually wanted to talk. Before getting food or deciding on a movie. I mean we’re still doing that but that was kind of an excuse to get you here.” Sam rambles, causing Jake and Josh to sit up straight in their seats and give him their full attention.

“Talk about what? Is everything ok, Sam?” Josh asks, concern painted across his face at his younger brother’s demeanor.

Sam takes in a shaky breath, looking at Danny before he continues in a rush, “Well, ok, so, uh, there’s really only one way to say this but, Danny and I are dating. We’ve, I’ve waited so long to tell you guys because I was worried it would negatively affect the group dynamic, I didn’t want it to get weird between all of us because of it and I know you guys see him as a brother so I didn’t know if that would be weird for you guys that we were dating. But anyways, yeah that’s kind of all I wanted to say so, uh… now you know.”

A moment of silence passes over the group before Josh breaks it. “Fucking finally, I’ve been waiting for you guys to get together since you guys were Juniors in High School. Jake, you owe me $20, cough it up I know you have the money on you.”

Sam snaps to full attention, looking between the pair as Jake begins to pull his wallet out defeatedly. “You fucking bet on us??” Sam half-yells.

Jake hands Josh a $20 bill, which he snatches from his hand with a grin. “Thank you.” He gestures to Sam and Danny. “And thanks to you too, I was rooting for you. And yeah, we made a bet years ago. Jake thought you guys would never confess. Actually, he thought there was nothing between you two.”

“Shut up, Josh.” Jake retorts, rolling his eyes.

“Anyways, bet aside, we’re happy for you guys. Thank you for telling us. And don’t worry, I promise nothing will change between all of us. Like I said, I’ve been waiting for this for years. We love you guys.”

“We’re proud of you for telling us, Sam. I’m sorry if any worries about how we might react prevented you from telling us sooner.” Jake pauses, “Not to ruin this beautiful tender moment, but I have to ask, how long have you guys been together?”

Danny looks at Sam, giving him a questioning look before answering. “Uh about three months I think? That sounds about right?”

The twins’ eyebrows shoot up. “Three fucking months?? How the hell did you guys act so normal around us? I don’t know about Jake, but I had no new suspicions.”

“Yeah I didn’t think anything was different. You guys did a great job at hiding it. I mean, not that you guys should have felt the need, but.” Jake says.

“Remember that night I went out with Danny and refused to tell you guys where I was going?” Sam asks.

Both boys nod in unison, waiting for him to continue.

“Well, don’t laugh, but I went to a line dancing bar with Danny. And it turned out to be a gay bar. Whole lot of shit happened with this one douchbag, which we don’t need to get in to, and that all led to Danny and I finally confessing.” Sam finishes.

Theres a pause before both boys break out into laughter, Josh hiding it better than Jake. He clears his throat, attempting to speak through his broken chuckles, “Ok, you guys have to take us there some time. I need to see this place.”

“I mean, we can arrange that.” Danny starts. “My friend who told me about the place, I think you guys have met him before? His name is Austin. Anyways, he told me there’s a partner dance night coming up where the local Drag Queens offer to partner with the newer people to teach them how to line dance. The three of us were already planning on going, you guys are invited if you want to go with us.”

Josh snaps to attention, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “Wait, Austin? He’s going?”

“Uh yeah, why?” Danny asks, brows furrowed.

“Oh, just because Josh has a massive fucking crush on him.” Jake teases.

“I DON’T, JAKE.”

“Oh yeah, right. Not like you’ve been debating on asking Danny for his number since the day you met him.”

“Jake I swear to god-“

Sam cuts him off, “Awwww that’s so cute. Josh, I bet you could ask him to show you the moves, instead of partnering up with a Drag Queen.”

Josh’s face turns an even darker shade of pink. “Shut up, all of you.”

Danny comes to his aid, “C’mon guys leave him alone. So, are you guys coming or not?”

“I’m down if Josh is. I plan on getting drunk though, so one of you is going to be the designated driver.”

All eyes turn to Josh, hands on his cheeks to hide his vivid blush. “Yeah, ok whatever, I’m down. As long as no one gives me shit about Austin.”

“Great! I’ll let him know we have two more people coming!” Danny says with a smile.

Josh gets up, talking as he makes his way across the living room. “Well since you guys haven’t ordered food, I’m going to go raid Sam’s pantry.” He stops behind the couch Sam and Danny are seated on and bends down to give Danny a hug from behind. “Hey, I’m proud of you guys. Again, I love you two.” He straightens and reaches over to ruffle Sam’s hair. “Maybe Danny a little more than you, Sam, but.”

“Hey! Knock it off! And why is Danny the favorite now?” Sam snaps.

Josh calls over his shoulder, already walking away in the direction of the kitchen, “Because he’s the only one that didn’t give me shit about Austin.”

Jake chuckles, “It’s just too easy to fluster him about that, he’s so in loooooove.” he finishes in a sing-songy voice.

“I FUCKING HEARD THAT, JAKE!”

————————————————————————

Five days later, Danny and Sam find themselves pulling into the driveway of the twins’ house, ready to return to Bradley’s Honky Tonk once more. Danny fiddles with the top buttons of his dark brown suede shirt, undoing a couple before his hands begin to fidget with the bottom of the shirt tucked into his black jeans. Deciding it would look better untucked, he pulls the fabric out and moves on to fuss over how each necklace and bracelet was laying on him.

“I still can’t believe you decided to wear my cowboy boots.” Danny sighs, checking the time on his phone as he speaks. As usual, they were late and knowing the twins, Danny guessed they would be sitting in the driveway for at least 15 minutes as they finished getting ready at the very last minute.

“Hey, can’t have me tripping all over the place like last time. I’m practically a pro now, gotta dress and act like it.”

Danny shoots a glance towards Sam casually draped across the passenger seat of Danny’s car. His gaze goes from his cowboy boots, up his long legs clad in tight blue jeans, to his teal flannel tucked into the waistband of his pants with all but the bottom two buttons undone in true Sammy fashion, and finally lands on the tigers eye pendant resting at the base of his throat.

Danny cocks an eyebrow at the other man, “Oh, so you’re a pro now?”

“Yessir I am.” Sam smiles and begins reaching back to retrieve something from behind Danny’s seat. “And the boots aren’t the only thing I stole from your closet.”

Sam straightens, and in his hand is Danny’s black cowboy hat. Danny watches as he places it on his head, his long, wavy hair down, cascading down his shoulders from under Danny’s hat.

“Don’t think I forgot about that little comment you made about you doing the riding the next time we went back to Bradley’s.” Sam grins widely at Danny, shooting him a wink before both back doors of the car suddenly swing open.

The twins fling the doors open and practically throw themselves into the back seat, their trip from the front door to the car having gone unnoticed by both Sam and Danny, too distracted by their conversation to notice the other boys. Jake puts his seat belt on and settles into the seat behind Danny, with Josh doing the same behind Sam.

“Yes, I know we’re late. If you want someone to blame, blame Josh. He changed like five times I swear to god.”

Josh lets out a frustrated huff, rolling his eyes at his twin. “Shut up Jake I did not.”

“No? Oh ok, let’s see then,” he begins counting the different outfits Josh went through on his fingers as he explains, “There was the short sleeve brown striped jumpsuit, then the black muscle tee and your khaki pants, then there was the long sleeve white shirt with those pants, after that there was the long sleeve button up with leaves on it and your khaki shorts, only for you to finally decide on a short sleeve white shirt, your khaki shorts, and a brown bandana around your neck. So yeah, five different outfits.”

Jake continues despite Josh’s obvious annoyance with his brother’s rant. “Wanna know how many times I changed? None. I put this on, and I didn’t change it.”

Sam exaggerates looking Jake up and down, from the brown suede Chelsea boots he almost never took off, up to his hard-loved ripped jeans, and finally landing on the light blue button up he wore, all buttons undone except for the bottom two, just like Sam. “Maybe you should have.” Sam teases.

“Shut the fuck up dipshit. I’m not taking any outfit advice from someone wearing a cowboy hat.”

“Alright children, settle down.” Danny says as he backs out of the driveway. “Austin said his brother has his car, so we’re gonna pick him up before we head to the bar.”

Josh’s face pinkens at the mention of his name and immediately pretends not to care, turning his face towards the window to prevent the others from seeing the violent blush spreading across his cheeks.

As if practiced, Jake and Sam set in on teasing Josh, speaking at the same time, “OOOOOO Austinnnnn.”

“C’mon leave him alone guys.” Danny starts, stealing a glance back at Josh through the rear-view mirror. “I will warn you though, Josh, Sam refuses to give up his spot as passenger princess so he’ll have to sit in the back with you guys.”

Josh looks down at his lap, still attempting to pretend he was indifferent about Austin’s presence. “That’s fine, why would I care.”

Sensing his genuine shift in attitude, Sam and Jake quickly reassure their older brother.

“Hey, we’re just joking around. Promise we won’t say anything in front of Austin.” Sam starts.

Jake continues with the same sentiment, “Yeah, promise. We’re sorry if we went too far.”

Josh looks up and glances between his brothers, offering them a small smile. “It’s alright, you didn’t. Sorry if I’m sensitive about this, God it’s so stupid.” He laughs dryly, bringing his hands up to his face before continuing, “I haven’t had a dumb crush like this since like high school, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Josh.” He drops his hands and makes eye contact with Danny through the rear-view mirror before Danny continues, “Do you know how many times I got so embarrassingly easily flustered or nervous around Sammy before we got together? It’s normal, don’t worry.”

Josh smiles at his brother, “Thanks Danny.”

Danny returns the smile before shifting his focus to the numbers on each apartment building they passed. “Anytime, Josh. Uh speaking of, I’m pretty sure this is where he lives so one of you is gonna need to scoot to the middle.” He puts his car into park and reaches for his phone, sending a quick text to Austin letting him know they were there.

“I’m not moving my ass out of this seat.” Jake says pointedly.

Josh groans, letting his annoyance be known to his brothers as he unbuckles and shifts to the middle seat. “You are fucking insufferable.”

“You know it.” Jake responds cooly, casually putting his sunglasses on and leaning into the corner before manspreading, causing Josh’s body to be pushed into the space Austin would soon occupy.

“Seriously?? You’re fucking doing this on purpose. Move over.” He argues, beginning to shove at Jake and reclaim some of his lost space.

“No actually, my knee isn’t feeling too good right now, must have smacked it on something. Anyways, it’s uncomfortable bent so,” he spreads his knees wider, straightening his right leg out and further encroaching on Josh’s space. “I need to straighten it out.”

Josh knows that he’s lying but still gives up trying to fight Jake, looking at his twin defeatedly. “I wish I had eaten you in the womb.”

Sam snorts from the passenger seat as Jake responds sweetly, “Mmmmm you know you love me.”.

The car goes silent as a man approaches the car; he notices Danny and smiles at him warmly, dimples creasing his cheeks as he makes his way towards the passenger side of the car.

He opens the rear door and pauses, slightly confused at the palpable silence that had come between the boys. Danny is the first to break this silence, attempting to make casual conversation to ease the tension. “Hey Austin! How ya doin?”

Austin gets in the car and tries to put his seatbelt on, the latch blocked by Josh as Jake silently shoves his brother closer and closer to Austin. Having given up on trying to push Jake back, Josh grabs the back of each front seat, and pulls himself up long enough for Austin to buckle his seatbelt.

“Sorry, my brother is being a dick and taking up a shit ton of space next to me.” Josh says timidly, too nervous to look him in the eye.

“I told you, bad knee right now Joshy.” He responds, prodding Josh in his ribs for good measure.

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’. And I’m good Danny, thanks for askin’.” The surprise as the casual pet name causes Josh to meet his eyes, hazel and bright. He smiles wide and Josh returns it, despite the action sending a swarm of butterflies straight to Josh’s stomach. Austins cool leather jacket presses against Josh’s bare arm, and the rough denim of Austins black jeans rub against Josh’s thigh with each slight movement of either boy. With Jake subtly shoving Josh towards Austin, the points of contact between them causes a warm blush to settle on Josh’s cheeks.

Danny interrupts their moment, “Anyways, guys this is Austin. Austin, you obviously know Sam.” Danny gestures to his boyfriend in the passenger seat, who raises his hand in a brief wave and answers with a quiet “Hey” in recognition. “Behind me is Jake and next to him is Josh, I think you’ve met him a few times?”

Austin turns slightly in his seat to look at Josh as Danny shifts the car into drive and makes his way towards Bradley’s. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we have! I remember that I really liked the hoop you have in your conch ear piercin’! I meant to tell you but didn’t get the chance the last time we were around each other.”

Josh’s face lights up at Austin’s compliment, and at the fact he even remembered him in the first place. “Thanks! I really like your septum piercing!”

“Thank you, darlin’.” The two gaze at each other, smiling for a couple seconds before a look passes onto Austins face as if he remembered something unpleasant. His attention turns towards Danny once again. “Oh uh, Dan, I just remembered. My asshole brother has my truck because he totaled his about three months ago, we got in a fight today because he’s a dick, and I finally snapped and told him he wasn’t allowed to use it anymore. Which worked out perfectly because the repair shop is right down the street from Bradley’s, and he said the work on his truck just got finished. He’s droppin’ it by the bar tonight, so I won’t need a ride home.”

Keeping his eyes on the road, Danny responds, “Sounds good, thanks for the heads up. Sorry you had a fight with your brother, I know you don’t mention him much but from what I’ve heard, he sounds like he sucks.”

Austin lets out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, uh, I don’t like talkin’ ‘bout him much, he’s a dick. He’s been stayin’ with me while his trucks in the shop and it has been livin’ hell being around him this much; I’m glad he’s goin’ back to the family farm now that he’s gettin’ his truck back.”

Jake lets his curiosity get the best of him, “So you and your brother, you aren’t close? You guys don’t get along?”

“Not anymore. We were fine as kids on the farm, we’re Irish twins, he was born in January and I was born November that same year, so we were real close growin’ up but,” he shrugs defeatedly, “As we got older he became more and more of an asshole. Anyways, he’s ruined enough of my nights these last couple months so since he ain’t gonna be my problem anymore I ain’t gonna think about him too much tonight.”

“I’m sorry your brother’s an asshole, Austin.” Josh says sympathetically.

Austin forces a smile onto his face, and looks at Josh. “It’s alright, darlin’. Not your fault. Besides, we’re goin’ out to have a good time tonight, we don’t needa think about him. Speakin’ of, it looks like we’re here.”

Sure enough, the boys look outside to see the passing neon lights of Bradley’s Honky Tonk. Just as it had been the first night Sam and Danny had gone, the parking along the road was completely full and people were milling around the entrance smoking or talking. Danny drives down to the same small mom and pop shop, already closed for the night again, and parks in an empty spot.

“Are y’all ready to party?!” Austin whoops, already unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door.

The others follow suit, all of them piling out of the car before Danny locks it.

“Hell yeah!” Sam shouts, “I can’t wait to see my brothers eat shit trying to dance.”

Danny takes Sams hand as the group begins to walk towards the bright lights of the bar. “Love, you almost ate shit the first time we danced.”

“Shhhh they don’t need to know that, Daniel.” Sam jokingly whispers back.

“Correction, Sam. It’ll be fun to watch Josh eat shit trying to dance. There’s nothing you could do to get me on that dance floor.” Jake responds.

“Why the fuck did you even come then?”

Jake dons a gravelly British accent, “Because, Joshua, I fully intend on drinking so much that the horrid sound of country music no longer irritates me.” He pauses and loops his arm over Josh’s shoulders, continuing in the same accent, “And I truly wish to see you eat shit trying to dance.”

Josh shrugs his arm off and puts a few feet of distance between him and Jake as they walked. “Fuck off, Jake.”

Austin strolls up alongside Josh, putting his arm around his shoulder just as Jake had done. “Aw, it’s alright, darlin’. You can dance with me if you’d like to. I ain’t got a partner tonight and sure as hell know my way around on the dance floor so wouldn’t wanna steal a queen from any newbies in need.”

Josh blushes bright red and leans into Austin’s side without thinking. “Yeah, uh, that’d be great.”

The group make their way past small congregations of people, mostly drag queens taking a break from the crowded bar to have a cigarette or two before they hit the dance floor. As they pass a group of three standing near the door, one of the queens notices Jake walking alone behind the other two pairs, the only one in the group without a “partner”, and reaches out to lightly touch Jake’s shoulder.

She speaks in a voice as smooth and sweet as honey, “Hey mon beau, find me later if you ain’t got a dancing partner.” She winks as they continue past her group, and Jake lets himself stare as he takes in every aspect of each of them.

To her right stood a drag queen with a cigarette hanging off her bottom lip. Her long black hair laid in messy waves down her back, cascading over the silky green fabric of her dress. Jake lets his eyes travel downwards as he notices the slits on both sides of her dress, exposing her legs all the way up to the thigh. He brings his eyes upwards, finally noticing a name tag pinned to her chest reading “Faebelle” and the bright red of her colored contacts contrasting perfectly with her tan skin.

To the left of the queen who had spoken to him stood a shorter drag queen with tight, bright pink coils of curls framing her face. She wore a multicolored pastel tulle A-Line dress that showed off her legs clad in fishnet tights with small hearts here and there and pastel pink platform heels. As Jake had done with Faebelle, the last things he noticed was her name tag reading “Shimmer”, and the stark white of her contacts.

Finally, Jake allows his gaze to settle on the queen in the middle, the one that had initially spoken to him. He takes in her neat, black locks held back by a thin scrap of maroon fabric as if it were a headband, before his eyes travel to her white button up shirt, the top couple of buttons undone with a tight black corset overtop. Her legs are covered with tight leather pants, tucked into brown suede knee-high heels. On top of it all, she wore a green coat, the bottom of it coming to an end just above her ankles. He tears his gaze upwards, catching a glimpse of her name tag momentarily. “Sirena”. When his eyes finally find her face, he is met with her staring right back at him, a fake scar painted vertically on to her face above and below her left eye, the color of it standing out against her warm brown skin.

“Hey! Jake! You coming or what?” Sam calls at him from the entrance to the bar. Jake suddenly realizes that he had stopped to gawk at the three drag queens, leaving him behind with them as the others made their way into the building.

Jake rapidly looks from the queens still staring at him, to his brother calling out to him 20 feet away. “Yeah, uh, coming.” He takes one final look at Sirena before turning and walking towards Sam, cheeks warm and tinged pink from the interaction.

He gets past the bouncer quickly and joins Sam as he pulls him further into the bar. “Hey, I think Josh grabbed a table for us over there.” He shouts over the blaring music.

They weave their way through the groups of people occupying the bar space, finally spotting Josh across the room at the only “empty” table and Jake comes to a stop next to him, Sam weaving around the table and taking a seat on the other side.

Josh only needs to take one look at his twin to know that something had happened. “Hey, Jakey. You good? You look a little flushed. Do you need water or anything?” 

He sits down next to Josh, thoughts racing in his mind as he tries to sort through his feelings. “Uh yeah, I’m fine. You know that group of three drag queens we passed right by the door?”

Sam inserts himself into the conversation. “Do you mean the ones you were ogling?”

“Shut up, Sam. I wasn’t “ogling” them. I think one of them was flirting with me? They were-“ he sucks a sharp breath in through his teeth. “Very very attractive. And, I’m realizing that I don’t really care that they’re a drag queen. I mean, I don’t know what they look like out of drag or what pronouns they use but, I don’t think I would care.” He looks between his brothers, expecting to see even the slightest look of surprise on their face. Instead, Jake is met with deadpanned looks, their eyebrows only slightly raised.

“Well,” Josh starts, “I mean I would say I’m surprised but, surprisingly, I’m not. Listen, I understand the feeling and I know this really isn’t the best place to have this realization. All I can say is, thank you for sharing this with us and try not to let it weigh on you too much tonight. Just follow your initial feelings and see where it leads you, Jake.”

“I agree. And hey, maybe following those feelings will lead you to their place tonight.” Sam teases lightly, winking at him.

“Again, shut up Sam. And yeah… yeah ok. Thank you, Josh.” He says quietly, already losing himself in his thoughts.

“Anytime, Jakey. And hey, now you can’t give me any more shit about Austin, cause if you do I have this to fire back at you.” He jokes lightly.

This jest pulls Jake back into the moment, chuckling at his brother’s retort. “Yeah, yeah, ok. I’ll try and lay off the jokes.”

Just as their conversation ends, the other two boys find their way to the table, drinks in hand.

“Alright Jake, I got you a tequila on the rocks.” Danny tells him as he hands him a glass.

As they set the rest of the drinks on the table, Danny continues listing off their various orders. “Rum and coke for me, Dirty Shirley for Sam, with four maraschino cherries of course.”

Sam smiles at his boyfriend, “Thank you, Daniel.”

Danny returns the smile. “Of course, love. Anyways, a salty dog for Josh, and last but not least, a Screwdriver for Austin.”

Austin takes the seat on the other side of Josh, slightly leaning into him as the rest of the group situates themselves on the bar stools, quickly losing themselves in conversation amongst each other, giving Austin and Josh a small amount of privacy.

“Oooo a Screwdriver,” Josh starts, “Haven’t had one of those in so long.”

“You can try mine if you’d like, darlin’. It’s one of my favorite drinks. Although in return, I might need to have a taste of that, what did Dan say it was? Salty Dog, right? Don’t reckon I’ve ever tried one.”

“Of course, go ahead.” Josh replies smiling, sliding his glass towards Austin as an invitation. They exchange drinks, each taking a sip at the same time.

“Hoowee that is bitter!” Austin exclaims.

Josh laughs, “Yeah that’s the grapefruit juice. Your Screwdriver has a little too much orange juice for my liking but, not the worst I’ve ever had.”

They swap glasses again and take a sip of their respective drinks.

Josh makes a face, half wincing at the tartness of his drink. “Ah- yeah that does have a bit more grapefruit juice in it than what I make at home but, hey, still good.”

“I guess I’ll just have to come over and have you make one for me then.” Austin says quietly, shooting Josh a small smile. “Just for, y’know, fairness. Can’t judge you too hard on your drink order until I taste one made to your liking.”

Josh’s face pinkens and he looks down at his drink, fidgeting with his glass as he summons the courage in him. “If I didn’t know any better Austin, then I’d think you were flirting with me.”

“Maybe I am, darlin’. Is that a problem?” The comment catches Josh off guard, his eyes darting back up to Austin only to find him calmly staring back, paused with his glass raised to his lips before he takes a slow sip. He sets the glass down, a sheepish smile playing on his lips as he waits for Josh to respond.

Josh stutters, trying to find the words as his mind reels at this confession. “Uh, yeah, WAIT, no, I mean no. That’s uh, not a problem.”

Austin smiles wide at how flustered Josh had gotten over one sentence and chuckles lightly. “I’m not tryin’ to be rude by laughin’, darlin’. You’re cute, is all.”

Josh grins at the other boy. “Thanks. Uh, I think you’re cute too.” He takes a sip of his drink to cool down, sure that his face is bright burning red.

Both boys suddenly realize that the rest of the table had grown quiet, now staring at the interaction between them with bated breath.

Jake is the first to break the silence, “Fucking finally.” He takes a swig of his drink, noticing the ice had begun to melt as it sat untouched, his mind still too focused on Sirena.

The topic is changed suddenly when Austins phone screen lights up with a text from “Asshat”. He checks the message, sighing deeply as he puts his phone in his pocket, taking a long drink from his glass before speaking. “My brother just got here, I gotta go grab my keys from him. I’ll be back in a second.”

“Want someone to come with you?” Danny asks, concern for his friend apparent in his tone.

“Na, I’ll be alright. Thank you though, Dan.” With that, he makes his way through the people and out the door.

The group goes silent, each turning to their drinks, finishing or close to finishing them.

“So, uh.” Danny starts, looking at Josh. “Not to be nosy but, you and Austin?”

Josh smiles softly, once again fidgeting with his glass. “Yeah, uh, I guess the feeling was mutual after all. I mean, it’s not like we’ve had a conversation about our feelings or anything but, it’s looking good? I think.”

“Looking better than just good, Joshy. I’d bet you could be getting lucky tonight.” Sam says with a wink.

“Shhh, love. Leave him alone.” Danny says with a smile, silently agreeing with his boyfriend but wanting to keep the others from teasing Josh about it too much.

Dannys phone buzzes and he checks the notification, frowning as he reads the message out loud to the others. “It’s from Austin. He says, ‘Hey, I’m really sorry Dan, my brother is insistent on meeting y’all, I can’t convince him otherwise. I’ll try to make it quick, just wanted to give y’all a warning that we’ll be in in a minute.’”

Danny sighs, looking around at the others before speaking. “No matter how much of a douche this guy is, please just grin and bear it. The sooner he leaves, the better. And I have a feeling he’ll start shit if he feels any “threat”.”

The boys grumble their agreements, promising to try and play nice.

“Oh shit, don’t look but here they come.” Josh says to Danny and Sam, their backs to the entrance of the building. “God, he even looks like an asshole.”

A figure appears by Sam’s side, sandwiching him between Danny and this newcomer. Sam feels him before he hears him, an all too familiar arm snaking around his back and grabbing his side.

“Well I’ll be damned. I’ve been hopin’ I’d run into you again, sugar.”

Dallas.

Sam jumps out of his seat away from Dallas, putting space between them as he takes a few steps back. Danny stiffens and turns in his seat towards Dallas, subconsciously putting his arm in front of Sam and pushing him behind him. His response comes fast. “Didn’t I tell you we’d have more of a fucking problem if you came near us again?” Danny spews, anger instantly taking him over as he tries to stay collected.

“I see you’re still hangin’ round with this overprotective bastard, sugar. He finally man up and make it official or are y’all still ‘just friends’?” Dallas sneers.

“Woah, woah, you know each other?” Austin asks, confusion clear on his face.

Dallas winks at Sam, still held behind Danny. “I sure as hell know Sammy boy, very well might I add-“

Danny cuts him off. “Unfortunately. He wouldn’t leave Sam alone the last time we were here, he fucking sexually harassed him and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He tried to fight me and got himself kicked out.”

Everyone at the table’s jaw drops and Austin turns to Dallas, enraged. “Oh my god was that the fuckin’ night you totaled your truck? You told me that you had a little too much to drink and was distracted at your anger from unfairly gettin’ kicked outta a bar. If what Danny said you did is true, that don’t sound unfair to me, Dallas.”

Dallas turns on Austin, his voice rising as he grows angrier and angrier. “Pretty boy over there is a fuckin’ liar. That ain’t what happened. He’s just upset someone else showed interest in his friend, he was too chicken to make a fuckin’ move so I did. Who are you gonna believe, Austin? Some random friend who has jealousy issues, or your own fuckin’ brother?”

“Dan.” Austin says in a calm and collected tone. “I believe Daniel.”

Dallas makes a noise of indignation, furious at his brother for not taking his side. “You gotta be fuckin’ jokin’ me, Austin! Seriously? You’re takin’ his side over mine?”

“You’re a piece of shit, Dallas. I don’t care if you’re my brother. I know you, and I know Dan. I know that he’s tellin’ the truth. You’re so fulla shit that your eyes are brown. Now get the fuck out before I make you.” Austin replies through bared teeth.

Dallas laughs, loud and self-righteous. “What’re you gonna do little brother? I would like to see you try.”

Austin takes a threatening step towards his brother, using the extra inch of height he had on him to his advantage. He jabs his finger into his chest, using all the anger he felt to convey how serious he was about making Dallas leave. “I’ll only say it one more time, Dallas. Get the fuck outta here before I make you. I put up with you this long because I had to, and I didn’t have the nerve to say it sooner. This is the final fuckin’ straw, I don’t wanna see your pathetic fuckin’ face again. Now run back home to the farm with Ma and do the only thing you’re good at. Shovelin’ shit.”

Dallas sputters, looking to the others at the table for any backup. Finding none, his attention turns towards Austin once more. He mutters a livid “Fuck y’all.” before turning on his heel and marching out the door red faced.

Austin watches him leave and takes a deep breath before turning to Sam and Danny, guilt and apology written across his face. “I am, so fuckin’ sorry. I would never have let him come in with me if I knew the shit he did to you, Sam. Hell, I would’ve kicked him out onto my doormat the second he came callin’ askin’ for my help.”

With Dallas gone, Sam takes his seat again, now between Danny and Austin. “It’s alright, really. You didn’t know. And it was fucking incredible to see him get put in his place.” Sam offers a slight smile to Austin, “Thank you for backing us up.”

Understanding that he wasn’t upset with him, Austin returns the smile. It slowly turns into a grimace as he thinks about his brother’s actions. “Of course. It’s… it wouldn’t be the first time he’s had issues with takin’ ‘no’ for an answer. Over the last few years I’ve, unfortunately, had to drag him out of multiple bars before he got us kicked out for tryin’ to start shit with people who called him out on it.”

Prompted by various questions from Jake and Josh, Austin begins telling them stories of the trouble Dallas almost got him in to. With the others focused on Austin, Danny silently tugs on the elbow of Sam’s shirt, getting his attention without the others noticing.

“You ok, love?” Danny questions his boyfriend quietly. “We can leave if you want.”

“No, no, I want to stay. Just like last time, I don’t want a few moments with him to ruin the entire night.” He reassures, placing his hand on Danny’s thigh and giving it a gentle comforting squeeze. “I’m ok, really.”

Austin finishes summarizing some of the things Dallas had done, and the attention of the three other boys is drawn to Sam. “Listen, Sam, we-“ Jake starts, “We had no idea that happened, that he did… that to you.”

Josh continues, “Yeah, that’s some serious shit. Are you ok?”

Sam looks between his two older brothers, grateful for their genuine concern. “Yeah, I’m ok. He didn’t… he didn’t go “too far”. Just a few less than pleasant comments and he wouldn’t let go of me while dancing after he stole me from Danny.” He looks over at his boyfriend, “Danny swooped in and saved the day though. I swear he looked like he was about to take and/or throw a punch for me.”

“Not that we didn’t approve of him as your boyfriend before but,” Jake laughs, “We definitely approve of him now.”

Josh cuts in, “Not that you need our approval of course.” He pauses for a moment, turning his attention to his twin for backup. “Right Jake?”

When he doesn’t get a reply, he looks over at him only to see his focus had suddenly shifted to across the room, his eyes fixed intently on the drag queen that had spoken to him before they entered the bar stepping up onto a small stage.

Josh elbows him in the ribs. “I said, right Jake?”

He whips his head towards the rest of the group again. “Oh uh, yeah? I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Josh chuckles. “Distracted? Are we?”

Jake’s cheeks redden, and he looks down at his glass, embarrassed. “Shut up.”

Before Josh can retort, the drag queen in question taps a microphone, getting everyone in the bar’s attention. “Hey y’all! How we doin’ out there tonight?”

She’s met with a cacophony of whoops and hollers from the patrons. She lets everyone quiet down before continuing with a grin, “Fantastic, just what I like to hear! For those of you who don’t know, my name’s Sirena de Lune,” she searches through the sea of people before her eyes land on Jake, winking at him as he stares, awestruck. “But y’all can call me Sirena. Now, before me and my drag sisters, and a few of my drag brothers, hit the dance floor to welcome all you newcomers tonight, we have a little performance for y’all!”

The crowd cheers once more, causing her to almost need to shout to be heard, even with the mic. “So I better see some tips in the air for my sisters!” Met with another roar from the crowd, she hands the mic off and is joined by the two other drag queens Jake had seen her with outside the bar. They take their places, and the twangy guitar intro to their song begins blaring over the speakers.

“I remember it all very well, lookin’ back

It was the summer I turned eighteen.

We lived in a one room, rundown shack

On the outskirts of New Orleans”

The three of them light up the stage with their personas, lip-syncing to the song in practiced perfection before quickly splitting off into the crowd. They weave through the crowd, continuing their performance as they pluck the tips from the fingertips held high in their directions.

“Shit, I only have fives and tens, any of you have any ones?” Josh shouts at the others at the table. All except Jake shake their heads, not having expected the performance and need for dollar bills. He turns to his twin, noticing he hadn’t responded. “Jake? Hey, what about you?”

Jake is too enthralled to hear the question, blindly shifting through the bills in his wallet as he keeps his eyes on Sirena, who was slowly but surely making her way towards their table. Her eyes seem to skirt over Jake, teasing him with her avoidance.

Her eyes finally lock on him, and his breath catches in his throat as she begins to make her way directly towards them.

“It sounded like somebody else, that was talkin’

Askin’, “mama, what do I do?”

She said, “just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy

They’ll be nice to you.””

She reaches their table, taking the tips from the other boys before finally reaching Jake.

“She said, “here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down.

Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down.

Lord, forgive me what I do,

But if you want out-”

Her hand that wasn’t clutching her tips traces Jake’s hairline and slowly lowers to his jaw, tilting his chin up to her, just inches from her face as she sings along to,

“well, it’s up to you.

Now don’t let me down now

Your mama’s gonna move you uptown.”

Her hand runs down his arm holding the tip he had for her, slipping it out of his grip before she winks, breaking their contact by taking two steps back and turning away from him.

“HOLY SHIT JAKE?” Sam shouts over the music, “I DON’T CARE IF YOU SAID YOU WEREN’T DANCING TONIGHT, YOU HAVE TO DANCE WITH HER!”

Josh physically shakes him out of his daze roughly, snapping him back to reality. “YOU KNOW YOU JUST GAVE HER A TWENTY, RIGHT? SHE’S DEFINITELY GONNA ASK TO DANCE WITH YOU NOW, THAT’S A HELL OF A FUCKING TIP!”

With his mind still occupied with the interaction, Jake doesn’t care that he gave her the largest bill in his wallet. His eyes follow her as she zig-zags back through the crowd towards the stage, still collecting tips.

The three queens arrive at the stage and throw their tips in the air, causing them to flutter down on them as the song comes to a close and they stand, catching their breath. Without the music to drown the crowd out, their volume is deafening as people stand to applaud them as they re-collect their tips from where they had fallen.

Sirena is once again handed the mic, straightening as she continues to catch her breath. “Whoo, I don’t know about my sisters but y’all, I am winded!” She jokes as the other two laugh and nod in agreement. “We’re headin’ straight to Shake Shack later so, thank y’all for the tips. Looks like got a whole round of shakes on y’all!”

Her laugh sends a thrill through Jake, her personality and stage presence electrifying him from within.

“Now, me and my sisters need a few minutes to catch our breaths, but we got a whole crew of queens and a few kings that will be hittin’ the floor momentarily. I’ll turn the mic over to my baby brother,” she points to a drag king in the crowd with the same eye and jaw shape as her, clad in tight leather pants a white fishnet shirt, tattoo patterned chest tape visible through the mesh. “He’s gonna help all you new folks warm up for some dancin’!”

The crowd cheers as he makes his way towards the stage, taking the mic from Sirena and turning to face the crowd.

“Hey y’all! Let’s give another round of applause for my big sister and our lovely drag sisters!” He pauses, letting the crowd cheer one final time for the queens as they exit the stage. “My name is Sparrow de Lune, and for all of y’all wondering, yes, Sirena is my biological sibling. She gives me shit for “stealing” the de Lune part of the name but, hey, guess you could say it’s a family name now.” He laughs, watching Sirena as she shakes her head at him smiling, before heading backstage.

“Anyways, before we officially kick off the line dancin’ tonight, we’re gonna warm y’all up. Anyone here know the Cotton Eyed Joe?”

The crowd erupts once more, a few stray wolf whistles joining in with the cheers.

“Fantastic! So I need everyone to hit the dance floor, nice and orderly like please, and for those of y’all who aren’t familiar with the dance, I’ll be up here on stage doin’ it too so y’all can watch me and follow along!”

The statement is followed by the sound of chairs skidding across the floor as people get up and make their way to the dance floor, organizing themselves so no one bumps into each other when the dance starts.

Josh looks over at Austin, raising his eyebrows as he asks timidly, “You wanna-?”

Austin smiles broadly at him, already hopping off his stool and making his way around the table towards him. “Hell yes, lets go.” He looks at the others at the table, “Y’all comin’?”

Danny’s already getting up, his hand on Sam’s arm to pull him with him. “Of course!” When Sam doesn’t move, Danny uses the same tactics he had to get Sam to come with him the first night they came to dance, batting puppy dog eyes at him. “C’mon loveeee, you wouldn’t make me dance alone, would you?”

Sam rolls his eyes, pretending to be annoyed as he tries to hide the slight smile on his lips. “You won’t be alone, you’ve got Josh and Austin.”

Danny rolls his eyes back, “You know what I mean. C’mon it’s way easier than any of the dancing we’ve done before. Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder and carry you to the dance floor.” He jokes, both men knowing he wouldn’t if Sam really didn’t want to dance.

“Yeah, I’d like to see you try.” Sam replies as he slides off his barstool, willingly being pulled by Danny. Before the group leaves Josh looks at Jake, who still sat unmoving on his stool.

“Hey, you coming with us?”

“Na, I’m good. I’d rather not be a fifth wheel, you guys have fun though.”

“Loserrrrrrr.” Sam calls as he walks away from the table, Dannys hand in his own.

Jake rolls his eyes, flipping him off before he gets lost in the sea of people.

“You sure, Jakey? It could still be fun.” Josh tries one more time.

He smiles at his twin, “Yeah, go have fun. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

With that, Josh shrugs and turns towards Austin, grabbing his hand in a bold move as they follow Sam and Danny to the dance floor.

The intro blasts over the speakers as the four boys find a spot on the dance floor.

“If it hadn’t been for Cotton-Eye Joe

I’d been married long time ago

Where did you come from, where did you go?

Where did you come from, Cotton-Eye Joe?”

Danny immediately jumps into the motions perfectly, with Sam struggling beside him, his motions delayed as he tries not to trip over his own feet.

“Jesus fuck, Daniel. How the hell are you so good at this?” Sam yells, still struggling to time his movements with the song.

Danny looks down at Sams attempts at the dance, lightheartedly laughing. “You’d think for a bass player, you’d have better rhythm.”

Sam swats his arm lightly, still too focused on the dance to do anything more. “Yeah, yeah, leave me alone I’m still learning how to play. I’m not good enough yet to play at Madison Square Garden or anything.”

He looks over towards Josh and Austin, hoping that at least one of them would be struggling as much as he was. To his dismay, both men are laughing and hitting each beat flawlessly.

“Fuck me.” Sam grumbles to himself under his breath.

“Mmmm maybe later, kinda busy right now.” Danny replies with a smile.

Blood rushes to Sams face as he literally trips over his own feet, Danny coming to the rescue and helping to steady him, somehow not skipping even a beat as he does it.

“Woah there, steady partner.” Danny laughs.

“Shut up.”

A few people in the crowd over, Josh and Austin dance, oblivious to the events that just unfolded between the other two.

“Wait wait wait, Austin. Why the hell are you adding that spin?” Josh shouts with a wide grin on his face.

“Why the hell are you not? This is how you do the dance!” He replies, grinning back at Josh.

“I’ve never seen anyone in my life do it like that!”

“Then I guess you’ve never seen anyone do it right, darlin’”

Jake watches from the table and laughs as he sees Sam almost fall (again), only to be righted by Danny beside him. He spots Josh and Austin, caught in what seemed to be a playful argument, both men beaming at the other as they danced.

A familiar voice beside him distracts him from his observations.

“You not into dancin’, mon beau?”

Sirena. Jake turns slightly to face her, towering over him.

She gestures to the stool next to him that was previously occupied by Josh. “Mind if I sit?”

“Oh, uh, no, go ahead. And uh, not really? I hadn’t planned on dancing, just came as support for my brothers. I mean I know this dance but didn’t want to be a fifth wheel.” Jake wipes his palms on his pants, already flustered from the brief interaction with her.

“That’s understandable, mon beau. It’s nice you came for your brothers though. You said “support”, mind if I ask what you mean by that?”

He points at Josh, “You see the short one with curly hair? That’s my twin, Josh. And the two over there are Sam and Danny. Danny’s not my biological brother, but he’s been best friends with Sam for so long he’s like a brother to Josh and I.” He glances at Sirena, who sat intently focused on his story. “They’ve been into each other for years, but just now got together a couple months ago. They came out to Josh and I last week and told us how they finally admitted their feelings to each other dancing here, so they invited us tonight cause we wanted to see the place.”

She smiles at him. “That’s sweet of you and Josh, mon beau. I bet Sam and Danny are grateful for y’alls support.”

Jakes cheeks pinken at the comment and he smiles, “Yeah… it’s kind of funny, with them coming out, I’m the only,” he brings his hands up, motioning air quotes as he says, “”Straight” brother left. But anyways, if I may ask; what do you keep calling me? “Mon beau”? What does that mean?”

“It means “my beautiful” in French. If that ain’t too forward of me.”

His face lights on fire, and he knows he must be red as a tomato. “Oh- uh. Yeah. Ok. That isn’t… that isn’t too forward of you. Thank you?” He clears his throat, finally getting the courage to look at Sirena again. “Uhm, you know French?”

“Yeah, my dad’s from France, so Sparrow and I are fluent. That’s why part of our drag names are “de Lune”.” She smiles at him again. “It means “moon”.”

He smiles “Oh shit- that’s really cool, I love the moon. I see you’re a man of many talents then.” He pauses, thinking about what he said. “Or- shit, I mean woman?” Smiling timidly, he continues. “I’m sorry, I’m kind of new to this.”

This brings a laugh as smooth as her voice from Sirena. “Don’t worry about it, mon beau. You were right the first time, I’m a man who’s comfortable in his gender identity enough to do drag sometimes. Well, a lot of the time to be honest. Pretty fun “side gig”, if you will.”

“Ah, ok. That’s cool.” Still nervous, Jake rethinks his response once again. “I mean it, I don’t know if I don’t sound genuine. I really do mean it.” He tries for a smile. “I’m just digging myself into a deeper hole at this point, I’m sorry.”

She touches his arm lightly, reassuring him. “Don’t worry about it, mon beau. Like you said, you’re new to this.”

The Cotton-Eye Joe ends, and Sparrow grabs the mic again before Jake can get any more flustered by Sirena’s pet names.

“That was great y’all! Are we all warmed up now and ready for some more dancin’?”

The crowd cheers, and he continues over the remaining few whoops here and there. “Fantastic! Now tonight is a partners night, but if you’re new here or don’t have one, find one of our lovely drag queens or kings out there and ask ‘em to dance! Thanks for comin’ out tonight!”

With that, patrons bustle around the dance floor, exiting it or finding their partner for the night as a song starts loudly.

“I don’t care if it rains or freezes long as I got my plastic Jesus

Sittin’ on the dashboard of my car.

Going down there, it ain’t scary ‘cause I’ve got the virgin Mary

Sittin’ on the dashboard of my car.”

Jake spots the others leaving the dance floor and making their way back towards their table.

“You guys have fun?” Jake asks, attempting to divert any conversation away from him and Sirena as he sees Sam’s “told you so” smirk creeping onto his face.

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun tripping over my feet the entire time.”

Danny tries to lift his spirits. “Awww, c’mon baby you weren’t that bad.”

Sam looks at him doubtfully. “Uh huh, right.”

“Y’all ain’t dancin’ to this song? Don’t like it or just don’t wanna dance?” Sirena questions.

Josh answers, “I don’t know about them, but I am fucking winded holy shit. I need a breather. Everyone makes it look so easy to just dance song after song.”

Noticing the others taking their seats, leaving Josh standing, Sirena realizes that she must have taken his. “Oh shit, hun. I stole your spot, didn’t I?”

She makes a move to get up before he interjects, “Don’t worry about it! I’m fine standing, really.” He moves to the other side of the table, standing close next to Austin.

“So, Jakey,” Sam starts with a mischievous smile. “You gonna introduce us to your new friend?”

“Oh, shit yeah, my bad.” He blushes, already knowing how much Sam and Josh will tease him later for it. “This is Sirena.”

She smiles at the group, “Nice to meet y’all.”

“Nice to meet you too. So, you single?”

Danny swats his boyfriend. “Sam!”

He puts on a show of innocence, “What?”

“Yeah, I am, hun. Why do you ask?”

He smirks at Jake, “Mmmm no reason. Just curious is all.”

Their conversation is interrupted by a man with curly, sandy colored hair tapping on Sirena’s shoulder.

“Excuse me ma’am, I was wondering if you had a dance partner tonight.”

“Oh I’m sorry, hun. I do.” She gestures to Jake. “However, over there’s Faebelle, I don’t think she’s got a dance partner yet.”

He smiles kindly at her and Jake, “No worries! Thank you, ma’am.” and turns, walking towards Faebelle across the room.

Stepping fully into his annoying younger sibling role, Sam butts in. “So, you’ve decided to dance tonight? What happened to getting drunk and not dancing?”

“Change of heart, I guess.” Jake half-grumbles, knowing exactly what game Sam was trying to play with him.

“Well, darlin’, I’m glad you did. I reckon it would’ve been awkward as hell if I had turned down that gentleman just to not have a partner after all.”

The rest of the table quietly observes the interaction, Sam just waiting for another chance to butt-in and tease Jake.

“You ever line danced with a partner before, mon beau?”

Surprisingly, it’s Austin that interrupts their conversation. “Oh, tu parles français aussi?” [Oh, you speak French too?]

She beams at him, “Oui, je parle assez couramment.” [Yes, I’m quite fluent.]

The rest of the table watches, jaws dropped, as they casually continue their conversation in French.

“C’est génial! As-tu étudié le français à l’école?” [That’s cool! Did you study French at school?]

“Non, mon pére est français, donc j’ai grandi en parlant français.” [No, my dad is French, so I grew up speaking French.]

“Encore une fois, c’est genial. J’ai appris à l’école, donc tu en sais problement beaucoup plus que moi.” [Again, that’s cool. I learned at school, so you probably know a lot more than I do.]

Sam and Josh speak at the same time.

“I’m sorry, what?” Sam asks in awe.

Josh comes next, “Jake, did you understand any of that?”

“Only about half. I mean I remember enough from High School to get the gist of it but definitely not enough to carry or join in on a conversation.”

It’s Danny’s turn next to ask a question, “Austin where did you learn French and how the fuck did I not know you were fluent?”

Austin laughs, “Hold your horses there, Dan. I wouldn’t say I’m fluent. Took it in High School, somehow ended up in AP French so it’s kind of just stuck in my head. Never have a need to use it ‘round here so I guess that’s why you’ve never heard me speak it.”

Josh looks at Austin as if he’d just hung the stars in the sky.

“That’s fucking incredible. I don’t know about Danny, but all I remember from High School German is “Krankenwagen”.”

“Yeah no, all German is gone from my mind. Blocked that shit OUT. I fucking hated Frau Werner, and she hated me too.”

Sam joins in on the conversation again, “All I remember from Spanish is “¿Puedo ir al baño?” because my teacher wouldn’t let us go to the bathroom if we asked in English.”

“¿Recuerdas algo mas?” [Remember anything else?]

“YOU KNOW SPANISH TOO?” Sam exclaims, drawing a laugh from Sirena.

“Yeah, and Latin, hun. I’m learnin’ Portuguese and Italian but I ain’t good enough to carry a conversation in ‘em.”

Jake stares at her in wonder. “You’re fucking incredible.”

She grows bashful from the compliment and eyes on her, chuckling before she responds. “I don’t know if I’d call myself that, mon beau. I guess y’all could say one of my hobbies is learnin’ languages. Anyways, back to you, you ever line dance with a partner?”

“Uh, no. This isn’t exactly my regular scene.”

“Don’t worry about that, mon beau. I got you.”

“Yeah, it’s so easy even I can do it, so if you’re shit at it just keep that in mind.”

“Shut up, Sam.” Jake says for the third time that night.

Before Sam can make a quip back, a new song starts playing, drawing a dramatic gasp from Josh.

Everyone’s heads snap towards him, trying to figure out the cause of the gasp. He grabs Austin’s arm, already trying to pull him towards the dance floor. “Oh my fucking god I love this song. Can we dance?”

“Jesus fuck, Josh, I thought someone died. You scared the shit out of me.” Sam says as he rubs his forehead like an exasperated parent.

Austin only laughs, sliding off his barstool to join him. “Of course we can, darlin’.”

They leave without another word with Josh practically running towards the floor, dragging Austin behind him.

Sam turns towards Danny, smiling at him. “You love this song too, don’t you?”

Danny grins at the fact that Sam had remembered, only having mentioned it once or twice over the many years they’d known each other. “Yeah, I do. Wanna dance?”

“Lead the way partner.”

The pair split off into the crowd together, once again leaving Jake and Sirena alone. The second verse starts as Sirena begins to speak.

“I, I, got a new girlfriend here

Feels like he’s on top.

And I don’t feel no remorse.

And you can’t see past my blindness.”

“Well, mon beau. This is sort of a slower song to dance to but, you down to start learnin’ how?”

Jake flushes, his stomach alight with butterflies. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

She offers him her hand as they get off their stools, “Don’t worry about it, mon beau. Follow my lead, promise I’ll do all the heavy liftin’.”

They follow the path the others had taken through the crowd, finding a spot on the dance floor. Sirena places her hands on Jake’s shoulders before she brings them down his arms, taking his hands in her own.

“Loosen up, mon beau. I gotchu.”

She slowly pushes him away, still holding his hands in her own before bringing him back towards her, steadily spinning him behind her with one hand. He ends up pressed flush against her, face to face, as they slowly sway to the music.

“See, that wasn’t too bad?”

He laughs lightly, his breath shallow from the proximity. “Yeah guess not.”

A few pairs over, Sam and Danny dance together, more slow dancing to the song than line dancing. Danny twirls Sam around a few times out of the blue, causing him to laugh and press close to him as they continue swaying to the music.

“Having fun, baby?”

“Yeah, Daniel, I’m really glad we came.”

Dannys eyes sparkle as he gazes down at his boyfriend, still shorter than him despite the small heels on his (Danny’s) boots. Danny sings along to the song, quietly enough for Sam to be the only one that hears it.

“”Honey, I love you.”

That’s all she wrote.

Oh, Ophelia

You’ve been on my mind, girl, like a drug.

Oh, Ophelia

Heaven help the fool who falls in love.”

Sam beams at Danny, pressing a light kiss to his lips as they keep dancing. “I love you too, honey.”

The song comes to a close and another starts, the upbeat twangy guitar intro a complete 180 from the song before it. Sam laughs as he sees Austin immediately switch the pace of Josh and his dance, catching Josh by surprise and almost falling, steadying himself against the other man’s chest.

“Shit, darlin’, didn’t mean to catch you off guard there.”

Josh laughs, blushing as Austin keeps him pressed close to his chest. “Don’t worry about it, I need to learn how to line dance for real anyways.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” he whoops. “C’mon darlin’ I gotchu.” He says before spinning Josh behind him and carrying on with the faster pace.

Jake’s attention is caught by this exclamation, looking over to see his brother grinning ear to ear as he got spun around again by Austin. Sirena gently grabs his jaw, turning his head to face her once more.

“Eyes on me, mon beau. This song is more upbeat, you think you can handle it?”

Probably not, he thinks, instead responding, “Yeah, sure!”

She smiles broadly, giving, “Hold on tight!” as the only warning before she suddenly spins him behind her, keeping the swift pace as she takes the lead in their dance.

“When I get the money, we can run away.

Sing a little song ‘bout yesterday.

They’re never gonna catch me, long as I’m alive.

You and me together, we’ll survive.”

Her smile widens when Jake doesn’t trip, and instead matches the time of her movements. “Hey, you ain’t too bad at this, mon beau. You’re keepin’ up mighty fine.”

“Have a great partner. One who’s not just great at dancing but also gorgeous as hell.”

It’s Sirena’s turn to be flustered by the others comment, “You flirtin’ with me?”

Jake’s doesn’t hesitate with his response, “Maybe I am, Captain.”

She raises her eyebrows in question. “Captain?”

“Yeah uh…” Jake blushes, the confidence he had suddenly gained slowly draining from him. “I was just thinking, Sirena, Siren, Piratey, y’know? Sorry, that came out of nowhere.” He looks down, too embarrassed to make eye contact.

Sirena brings her hand to his chin, bringing his gaze back to her as she tilts his head up. “Don’t apologize, mon beau. I like it.” She laughs, warm and bright, “If you couldn’t tell based on my outfit, I love piratey shit.”

His mood is restored with her affirmations, and from now knowing they shared an interest. “No way! Me too! I have a Johnson Mercator Projection map copy and a collection of old pirate coins at home, unfortunately they’re expensive as hell since I try to get authentic ones, so my collection is smaller than I would like it to be.”

“That’s so cool, mon beau! I’d love to see them sometime. Again, if that ain’t too forward of me. I have model ships of the Royal Fortune and Queen Anne’s Revenge, those thing’sre my babies, my prized possessions.” She laughs, remembering something, “And a Lego Pirate Ship that Sparrow got me for my birthday a couple years ago as a joke. Took me a hell of a long time to finish that.”

Jake smiles earnestly, “That isn’t too forward of you, I’d love to show you. On one condition of course.”

She cocks one eyebrow up at him, “And that is?”

“You have to show me your model ships some time.”

“Looks like we got a deal there, mon beau.”

The song changes to something with a strong fiddle intro, Jake thinks he recognizes but can’t quite place it; but Sirena’s eyes light up at the song, a wide grin spreading across her face.

“Oh HELL YEAH! They finally fuckin’ took my song suggestions! Took them long enough”

“I was ridin’ shotgun with my hair undone

In the front seat of his car.

He’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel

The other on my heart.”

“What song is this?”

“You don’t know, mon beau? It’s classic Taylor Swift, baby. This is my SHIT!”

Jake smiles wide, “You’re a, what do they call them? Swiftie?”

“Hell yeah, mon beau. Momma loves her some classic Taylor.” She laughs at his expression, “Hey now, don’tcha go judgin’ me.”

He chuckles, “I’m not, I swear. Just didn’t expect that from you.”

“Our song is the way he laughs

The first date, “Man, I didn’t kiss her, and I should have.””

At these words, Jake’s eyes flit down to Sirena’s lips, and he subconsciously starts leaning towards her.

“Wait.”

With these words, he stops, cheeks burning bright red as he stops dancing. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have, without asking, I’m sorry.”

Sirena ceases her movements with him, holding onto his arm as he tries to back away out of reach. “No, Jake, please don’t leave.” He stops pulling away from her but is still unable to look her in the face.

“Jake, please look at me.”

He forces himself to look at her, her sympathetic and caring gaze bringing tears to his eyes.

“I didn’t stop you because I don’t wanna kiss you, Jake.”

The lack of her pet name for him causes a tear to escape, slowly rolling down his cheek. He can’t bring himself to wipe it away.

“Oh Jakey, don’t cry.” She brushes her thumbs across his cheeks, wiping away the tears that had started falling for him. “I stopped you because I cannot, in good consciousness, kiss you before I say this. Earlier, you said you were “the only straight brother left”. I’m not a woman, Jake. I need you to recognize that by kissin’ me, and doing whatever happens between us, makes you not straight. I know I’m drop dead gorgeous right now, in drag,” Jake lets out a quiet, wet laugh at this and Sirena is glad her comment got the reaction she had hoped for. “But I don’t look like this all the time, Jake. Now I know we’ve been flirtin’ back and forth all evenin’, but I need to hear it from your mouth. I need to know that you understand the weight of your actions.”

Jake sniffles, roughly wiping away the last of his tears with the back of his hand. “Yeah, I know. I… I’ll be honest with you, I thought I was straight at the beginning of this night but, then I saw you and…” he makes eye contact with her as she patiently listens to his explanation, “…and I thought you were attractive and then we started talking and it just grew from there. I’m having a whole sexuality crisis right now but honestly, I don’t care. All I know is I really like you, and if that makes me queer, then I don’t care.” He pauses, once again overthinking his words. “Not that I don’t care! I care! I just mean it’s not important to me that you’re a man and I’m attracted to you. I… I know what I’m doing, what my actions mean.”

She smiles wide at him, “Don’t worry, mon beau, I know what you mean. Thank you for communicating with me, Jake.”

Her smile lifts a weight off Jake’s shoulders, and he takes a deep breath to calm his still racing mind. “Of course, thank you for stopping me to have this conversation, Sirena.”

“Sebastian.”

“What?”

“My name is Sebastian.”

“Oh,” Jake thinks for a moment, “Sebastian. Well in that case, thank you, Sebastian.”

“Of course, mon beau.”

Jake becomes anxious again as he tries to find the courage to ask what he wanted. “So, uh, Sebastian. Now that we have that cleared up, can I kiss you?”

“Thought you’d never ask, mon beau.”

With that, their lips come together in a slow and gentle kiss. Jake slightly stands on his toes, leaning into Sebastian’s touch, so he doesn’t have to lean down too much to reach him.

Danny and Sam dance a few groups over as the song nears its end. Sam is the first to notice his brother, “Oh shit.”

Danny whips around, his mind immediately thinking that Sam had seen Dallas. “What???”

When he instead sees Jake and Sirena still kissing, his eyebrows shoot up in pleasant surprise. “Oh- You scared me for a minute there, love. I’ve been waiting for them to do that since Jake introduced us to her, it was so clear they were into each other.”

Sam laughs, “Me too honestly. Hey, do you see Josh and Austin anywhere?”

Danny uses his height as an advantage, looking over the crowd to try and see Josh and Austin. He smiles at the sight of his friends with their foreheads pressed together and small smiles on their lips as they sway slowly to the end of the song across the room.

“Yeah, they’re over there, they look like they’re having a good time.”

The intro to a very familiar song starts playing over the speakers, interrupting what Sam was about to say.

“DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAAAAA

DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAAAA!

Well, I walk into the room

Passing out hundred dollar bills.

And it kills and it thrills like the horns on my Silverado grill.”

Both boys’ eyes go wide as they stare at the other. “Oh we gotta-“ Sam starts, before being cut off by Danny already flinging them into the flow of the dance.

“Hey, Sammy, you’re better at this than last time! You’re doing great!” Danny says after dancing for about two minutes.

“That was my plan all along, Daniel. Impress you with how good I am at dancing. Is it working?”

Danny snorts, “Yeah, baby, it’s working don’t worry.”

“Perfect.” He makes sure Danny is looking directly at him before continuing, “And don’t think I forgot about your comment you made that night we came here for the first time, Daniel.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I didn’t. I’m a man of my word, Sammy.”

“And the girls say

Save a horse, ride a cowboy.

Everybody says

Save a horse, ride a cowboy.”

Danny dips Sam before taking his (Danny’s) cowboy hat off Sams head and placing it onto his own with a wink.

Sam’s lips part in anticipation from the sudden shift in energy between them.

“Can we go?”

Danny’s brow furrows, worried that he did something wrong. “Right now? Are you ok?”

Sam blushes, “Yeah I just uh, am about to have a problem in my pants that is going to start being… really noticeable if we stay much longer.”

A smirk dances on Danny’s lips as he realizes what Sam meant by that. “Oh- yeah of course. I’ll let the others know that if they need a ride home, they better leave now. My place or yours?”

“Yours. Closer.”

“I see someone’s a bit impatient. Can’t handle the anticipation, can you, Sammy?”

“Shut up or I’m having you take me to my place, you can go back to yours, and I can fix the problem myself.”

“Hmmmmm you wouldn’t. Anyways,” Danny says as he begins making his way towards Josh and Austin, pulling Sam behind him. “C’mon.”

They reach Josh and Austin and Danny taps on his brother’s shoulder to pull his attention away from his partner. He has to almost yell over the music, “Hey, Sam and I are heading out right now, so if you want to stay, you’ll need another ride.”

Josh’s face is immediately painted with concern, “Alright, you guys ok?” His eyes sweep over Sam, noticing the way he was beginning to uncomfortably adjust his jeans. “Oh- never mind I see you guys are more than ok.” He says with a smirk.

Austin inserts himself into the conversation, “I can take Josh home if y’all are needin’ to split.”

“Sounds good, thanks. I’m gonna go let Jake know too.”

“You two have fun.” Josh says with a wink, before Danny turns and pulls Sam towards Jake and Sirena.

Once again, he taps his brother on the shoulder to get his attention. “Hey Jake, Sam and I are heading out. Josh is getting a ride with Austin, so either catch a ride with him or leave now with us.”

Just as his twin had done, he asks “Are you guys ok?”

“Yep, just tired.”

Jake looks towards Sam, also immediately knowing what was going on. “Uh huh, well, get some rest guys.”

“I can give you a ride home if you’d like, mon beau.”

Jake and Danny both smile at Sirena as Sam is too busy staring at his boyfriend in the cowboy hat to respond to her offer to Jake.

“Thanks, Sebastian.” Jake turns to Danny and Sam once more, “See you guys later, have fun and get some rest.”

“Thanks Jake, see ya.” Danny says before turning away, finally pulling Sam towards the exit. Once out the door, its Sam who’s now leading them, pulling Danny along so quickly that he has to speed walk to keep up.

“You’re very eager to get back to my place, I see.”

“Daniel. Shut the fuck up and unlock your car.”

He does so, and Sam practically flings the door open, throwing himself in the passenger seat before Danny can even fully open his door. He gets in and starts his car, turning the radio on to fill the silence in hopes that it would help ease Sam’s clear rush to get back to his place. Unfortunately, Danny’s phone automatically Bluetooth connects, and the song that had been up next in his queue starts playing loudly. The electronic intro snaps Sam out of his focused daze as Danny scrambles for his phone.

“I like the girls that do drugs (Drugs).

Girls with cigarettes in the back of the club (Club).

Girls that hate cops and buy guns (Guns).

Girls with no buns, girls that’s mean just for fun.

I like girls who make love, but I love girls who like to fuck.”

“SHIT- sorry uh that just automatically started-“ Danny stammers as he pauses the song.

“No, no, no. I’d like to hear the rest of this song, Daniel.” Sam says as he snatches Danny’s phone away from him. Danny lets out a defeated sigh, accepting the fact that he would never be able to wrestle it back from him, before putting the car in reverse to pull out of his parking space and start the short drive to his house. Sam hits play and a shit eating grin graces his face as he listens to the lyrics as the song continues.

“I like tall girls, small girls,

Girls with dicks,

Call girls.

Girls who get naked on the ‘Gram.

They say I’m too fuckin’ horny,

Wanna put me in a cage.

I’d probably fuck the hole in the wall

The guy before made.”

“Y’know, I have been mistaken for a tall girl a few times with my hair being as long as it is. And I do have a di-“

Danny cuts him off, “Shut up, shut up, I don’t wanna hear it.”

“I’m not judging you Daniel, it’s a good song. Just, not what I would expect you to listen to.” Sam finishes with a smirk.

Danny rolls his eyes at the other man playfully, attempting to keep an identical smirk off his face. “Yeah, yeah, whatever, Sammy.”

The chorus starts again, and Sam thinks for a moment before asking, “Daniel, have you ever done molly?” out of nowhere.

This causes a sudden laugh to escape Danny, who turns towards his boyfriend while questioning through giggles, “What?”

Sam shrugs in a show of innocence, “Just a question.”

“Uh huh,” Danny turns his attention back to the road, “You know I haven’t.”

“I like the girls who like to lie that they came,

Girls who fuck on the train.

Girls who got so much hair on they ass, it clogs the drain.”

Sam snorts, unable to contain his laughter as Danny begins shaking his head. “Whatever you’re about to say, I don’t wanna hear it.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything!” Sam replies through broken laughs.

Danny raises his eyebrows, glad that Sam was too distracted by the song to notice how red his face was, both from embarrassment that the song started playing, and from the anticipation of what would happen when they got back to his place. “Uh huh, right.”

The song ends, leaving them in brief silence before another song starts, a complete 180 from the previous one. Sam notices, the gradual guitar intro twisting his face into amused confusion.

“This is… different than the last one. It sounds familiar.”

Danny chuckles, “Uh yeah, I think this is my “Whiplash” playlist. And it’s the same artist and album as the first song we danced to.”

They sit in comfortable silence listening to the song as Danny quietly hums along. He reaches over and grabs Sam’s hand, interlocking his fingers with his own. He keeps his eyes on the road as he begins to sing along;

“But I must admit it, that I would marry you in an instant.

Damn your wife, I’d be your mistress just to have you around.”

Danny takes his eyes off the road to momentarily glance at Sam, only to be met with his lovesick gaze as he offers a slight squeeze to his hand. Danny returns it, smiling at him before looking back to the road as they turn into his neighborhood. Sam snaps back into his previous mindset, having been too distracted by the tender moment and lyrics Danny had sung to him, as he realizes they had arrived at Danny’s house. The charged energy that had been between them as they left the bar and during the first half of the drive returns suddenly, and both boys quickly get out of the car and make a beeline for the front door.

Once again, as soon as the door is closed and locked behind them, Danny’s hands immediately find their place on Sam’s sides, pulling him into a deep kiss. Danny makes a move to take his hat off before Sam breaks their kiss to stop him.

“Wait. Keep it on. Or at least- wear it while you ride.”

Danny raises his eyebrows, smiling wolfishly. “Whatever you want, baby.”

He takes it off momentarily to take his shirt off, replacing it on his head and reconnecting their lips. They make their way towards Danny’s room as they had many times before, having stripped most of their clothes by the time they reached his bed. Danny breaks away to grab the things they needed for prep in practiced motions, coming back to see that Sam had taken off the rest of his clothes and was waiting in already breathless anticipation while he was away. He pulls his briefs off swiftly and sets the Cowboy hat on the bedside table, quickly joining Sam on the bed, wasting no time as he begins to immediately bite and suck marks into his neck.

“So… I know… I know I’m always… oh fuck, baby-” Sam pants as Danny grinds down onto the other man, nipping at a part of his neck he knew was the most sensitive. He collects himself for a moment before continuing, his words broken from his huffs and heavy breaths. “I know I’m always the one that’s receiving... but oh my god- but I think we’ve done this… enough times that I think- I think I know what I’m doing.” Danny hums an agreement, his lips still attached to Sam’s neck. “But if I do anything… anything wrong or uncomfortable, please- please tell me.”

Danny kisses his way up to Sam’s face, giving him one final kiss on his lips before responding. “I will, I promise love.”

With this having eased all of Sam’s worries and concerns, he grins up at Danny before flipping their positions and finding a spot between his legs as he reaches for the lube. As he had seen Danny do many times before, he coats his fingers liberally before ducking his head down to the inside of his thighs, teasing him with nips and kisses as his middle finger circles Danny’s entrance.

He looks up at Danny through his lashes, making eye contact with him before asking, “Ready baby?”

He offers an eager “Mhm.” as his hips involuntarily grind down on Sam’s fingertip in anticipation.

Sam needs no other confirmation, before he presses his finger into Danny fully, relishing in the way his eyes screw shut in pleasure and his head falls back onto the pillow. He begins pumping his finger in and out in a steady pace, his lips finding the insides of Dannys thighs once more, both actions drawing a whine from him. Sam picks his pace up his pace causing Danny to groan, his hands fisting the sheets at his side.

“You ready for another, love?”

“Fuck- please yes, Sammy.”

Sam’s ring finger joins his middle on the next thrust in, the action followed by a breathy moan as Danny’s back arches off the bed. Sam savors each sound he makes and expression that passes across his face as he pumps and scissors his fingers in and out of the other man. Sam brings his lips to Danny’s stomach, peppering kisses across it as he brings his fingers together, curling them at the knuckles in hopes of finding the spot that Danny was so good at finding in Sam. After a few seconds, his attempts are fruitful as he feels Danny’s abdominal muscles flex as a string of curses and praise flood from his lips.

“OH SHIT- Fuck, Sammy baby, right there, keep going, FUCK, oh shit-“ Sam smiles against Danny’s stomach, continuing his movements inside Danny.

“Fuck- baby I’m so close- shit- I don’t- I don’t know how much longer I can last, love.” Danny groans.

“Want another or are you prepped enough?” Sam says against his stomach, his breath sending a shiver down Danny’s spine.

“I’m ready- I’m ready, baby.” Danny repeats. Sam removes his fingers, allowing Danny a second to catch his breath as he cleans off his hands and rips the condom wrapper open. As soon as he finishes putting it on, Danny pushes Sam down onto the bed, having grabbed the cowboy hat while Sam was distracted and replacing it on his head as he straddles him. Sam sits up, running his hands up Danny’s thighs, coming to a stop on his sides as he gazes up at the other man.

Sam checks in with Danny, “Still doing ok, love?”

Danny grins down at him, replying, “Couldn’t be more ok, Sammy.” before lining Sam up at his entrance and sinking down on his cock in one swift motion.

Both boys moan, their foreheads coming together as they pant, adjusting to the feeling of each other. Danny’s the first to move, bringing his hands to Sam’s shoulders as he lifts himself almost completely off of Sam, before bringing his body back down again. He continues his motions, quickening his pace as their breaths become erratic once more, interrupted by various moans and whines. Danny’s lips find Sam’s as he continues to ride him, their kisses messy and eager as they both head towards their climaxes. Sam’s right hand, still slightly slick with left over lube, moves to wrap around Danny’s cock, sliding up and down when he finds it. Danny moans into Sam’s mouth, biting down on his lower lip from the sudden added pleasure.

Despite the pain from the bite deliciously mixing with his pleasure, Sam tears his mouth away from Danny to gasp, “Fuck, baby I’m so close-“

Danny thrusts into Sam’s hand, changing his motions on Sam’s dick to grind against him, taking him deeper. “Cum for me baby. Fill me up.”

His words send Sam over the edge, his head falling forward as he moans, his left-hand gripping Danny’s hip with the other slightly squeezing Danny’s dick as he fills the condom inside him.

“Ah- shit-“ The added pressure sends Danny over the edge with him, his release coating Sam’s stomach as his nails dig into his shoulders.

They both ride their climaxes out, breathless as they come down from it. Danny lifts himself off of Sam, collapsing on his side next to the other man, his hat falling off his head and rolling onto the ground. Sam removes his condom, throwing it into the trash next to the bed and cleans his hand and stomach off with the still wet washcloth. He turns to Danny, still catching his breath as he lay on the bed and wipes the small amount of cum left leaking from the head of Danny’s dick off with the other side of the washcloth. Danny sucks in a sharp breath at the contact, overstimulated from his orgasm.

“Sorry love.” Sam says as he tosses the washcloth across the room in the direction of Danny’s laundry hamper before helping him under the covers, following suit soon after.

“S’ok. Thanks for handling the aftercare.”

Sam turns the bedside light off and leans down, kissing Danny’s forehead before pulling him close, wrapping his arms around his abdomen and tangling his legs with his own. “Of course, baby. You always take such good care of me after, it’s time I return that favor.”

Danny laughs lightly against Sam’s chest, already falling asleep from exhaustion as he nestles his face into the crook of Sam’s neck.

“Maybe I should do the riding more often.” He mumbles into Sam’s skin.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that, Daniel.” Sam replies, quickly realizing his comment had fallen on deaf ears as Danny lightly snores, already asleep.

Sam buries his face in Danny’s hair, giving him one final gentle squeeze as he holds him, before joining his boyfriend in a deep, calm slumber.

————————————————————————

A/N: The bar that Bradley’s Honky Tonk is based off of is an actual bar in Nashville called Layla’s Honky Tonk, which I realized while writing this part that it is right across from Bridgestone Arena where Greta performed their first show of Starcatcher at.

All the songs mentioned, in chronological order:

Fancy- Reba McEntire

Cotton-Eye Joe- Rednex

Plastic Jesus- Tia Blake

Ophelia- The Lumineers

A Bank Robber’s Nursery Rhyme- Goodnight, Texas

Our Song- Taylor Swift

Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)- Big & Rich

Girls- The Dare

Cleopatra- The Lumineers

Thanks again for reading :)

#fic #greta van fleet #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fic #greta van fluff #daniel gvf #greta van smut #gvf smut #sammy gvf #sanny gvf #cowboy sanny #cowboy danny #josh kiszka x oc #jake kiszka x oc

[vinziel]

Just One More Time....Please? Male reader x Branch (One-Sided)

A/N: Angst with no comfort....yay.

You and Branch were best friends. Ever since his Brozone days to now, you've always supported him, and overtime you've grown a bit of a crush on him, you kept it hidden to not break your friendship in the case that he didn't like you back, after his brothers left him, you've visited him everyday to hang out with him and to try and cheer him up, after his grandma's death your parents took him in with you, when he formed a new band, you were there to be their manager, you loved this troll so much it hurt you to not be able to have the courage to tell him how you feel.

Sadly during the great troll escape, your parents got caught and eaten, you were depressed and Branch helped you recover, as you did with bim when his brothers left him and his grandma got eaten, you both built the bunker together, and lived inside it together, all and all you can say your friendship was one to be cherished, but still no matter how much you try to ignore it, there's still that love you feel for him, and you thought maybe it was time, after 10 years of living together you told Branch you wanted to tell him something, you both sat on the couch and with a heavy breath, you told Branch how you felt, with shocked loo Branch... didn't love you back. Your heart broke and you couldn't take it, you tried to move on but the feeling lingered around you, the despair haunted you but of course you hid it from Branch and said you were fine.

Over time you and Branch had grown apart, you both still live together in the bunker but every time you both walk past each other it's like walking past a stranger, you tried to make conversations but Branch looked uncomfortable or made them short, this broke your heart since you still wanted to be friends with him. Once he and the queen of pop, Poppy got together you congratulated them, you cried that day, alone. You were looking at all of the photos you had with him and just reminisced, you wished you could take back your words, you wished you could turn back time. After Branch reunited with his Brothers, you knew it was your time, Branch wanted his brothers to live with him and there would be less space with you. You wanted Branch to be happy. No matter what, so you packed and left when no one was around, you wanted to live with the Rock trolls, since you found their stuff cool anyways.

Before you could leave with your stuff someone stopped you, it was Branch "Where are you going?" You responded "Oh I'm moving to Volcano Rock City" "Why?" Branch asked, you sighed, answering "I... honestly Branch, I've noticed how we've grown apart ever since I confessed, I wish I could turn back time to stop that from happening, after reuniting with your brothers, I realize some of them are gonna live with you, the bunker isn't gonna fit all of us, so I'm moving away, it's for the best" You were holding back tears, your voiced broke "Can I get a hug? Before you go? Just one more time....please?" Branch said, you noticed he was also tearing up, his voice breaking, you hugged him tight and he hugged you back tightly, you started to cry "I'm gonna miss you" You said, Branch responded with "Me too, travel safe..ok? And have a great life ahead" You both pull away from the hug, you wipe your tears, smiling, before walking away with your stuff. This was the start of a new chapter in your life, one without Branch in it.

A/N:Woo this was a ride. Tell me if y'all want a part two or smth.

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