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#for but one (1) sensible chuckle
spiritoast · 2 months
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dear mutuals and random strangers alike i am booping you . for two damage
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soysaucevictim · 4 months
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Not a fan at all about my District's State Senator options.
But I will give one of the candidates a +1 on Funny for this Ballotpedia survey response.
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stayinlimbo · 3 months
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the world is ending (but i'm happy you're here with me)
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pairing: lee minho x f!reader genre: established relationship, fluff, hurt/comfort warnings: one (1) swear, mc is mentioned to have longer hair at one point, slightly unedited, lowercase intended word count: 1.07k note: i had a lot of fun writing this, so i hope you enjoy it too ♡
there comes a time in every girl’s life where the overwhelming urge to change her physical appearance eclipses all sensible and rational thought. as it turns out, you’re no exception. 
“you’re going to laugh.”
“no i’m not.” 
“you already are,” you deadpan, frowning at minho’s pitiful attempts to repress the growing smile quirking at his lips. your boyfriend has the audacity to chuckle at your words, pushing himself off the couch and gliding towards your stiff figure standing at the entrance of the living room. 
“you can’t blame me, you look so cute and adorable right now,” he defends. an arm snakes around your shoulders and you relax slightly at his touch, wrapping your arms around his middle. “besides, it can’t be that bad—at least, not enough for you to have to hide from me.” 
minho pulls you further into the warmth of his chest, the tender embrace sending a small shiver down your spine. his lips meet the side of your hooded head in a firm kiss, the extra pressure ensuring you would feel the loving gesture. the usual trail of kisses towards your forehead and cheeks is blocked, currently concealed by your (his) hoodie’s drawstrings working overtime to reveal only a small oval of skin. 
the hood’s bunched fabric frames the top of your eyes and lips. you can barely see in front of you until one of minho’s fingers slips into the opening to try and take a peek at what’s covered inside. 
minho is being nice; you look ridiculous.
and it’s your fault really. you should have known you couldn't escape your misfortunes that easily. 
work for the past month has been hell: the road-closure of the usual route you’d take, tacking on an additional fifteen minutes to your commute. the early mornings you have to endure to clock-in on time. the “important” group project your boss delegated around the office. the unpaid overtime for said project. the same petty, passive-aggressive coworkers breathing down your neck and critiquing your every move because you made a mistake once—all casting insurmountable pressure on your already exhausted state. 
you finally snapped when someone callously stole the lunch minho had prepared for you from the breakroom’s fridge. 
you suppose now it was your brain’s attempt to regain some sort of control over the strenuous situation, but the impulse to cut your hair, try a new style, start fresh with your appearance bombarded every thought on the journey home. call it an impulsive thought, an intrusive thought, whatever—you needed to do something.
too bad the hair stylist couldn’t follow directions for shit. 
“minho, i’m serious,” you whine, burying your face further into his chest. suffocating in the arms of the man you love doesn’t sound like such a bad idea right now. “she ruined my hair. how am i supposed to go out in public like this?”
“i can’t tell you if you haven’t even shown me yet. i’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” he muses, chuckling at the vibrations tickling his torso from the muffled groan you release. 
minho starts to sway the two of you back and forth at your silence. the rhythmic movement cradles you in a comforting hold, temporarily soothing your spiraling thoughts. he’s right; you’re going to have to show him at some point. might as well just get it over with now. 
a defeated sigh escapes you. well, here goes nothing.
you step out of minho’s arms and pry the hood off to reveal your botched hair in all its glory. 
uneven bangs, a completely different color than from when you left for work this morning, fall into your face and cover the top of your eyes. you can’t see yourself but judging from minho’s small hiss and surprised, contorted face, it’s not pretty. 
and it’s not like you asked for anything outlandish: a standard cut and a new style of bangs was your definition of revamping your appearance. so when the stylist cut off a majority of your hair, it took everything within you to not immediately burst into tears as the salon’s floor and your lap splayed the once lengthy remains. 
you don’t even know where she got the idea of bleaching your hair. now your wallet and soul are emptier than ever and there is nothing you can do except hope minho doesn’t ask you to turn around because the layers are downright atrocious. 
“so? what do you think?” a wobbly smile makes its way onto your face. “not what you were expecting, right?”
you can’t help the tears welling into your eyes at his silence. he’s just…staring. certainly this can’t be the dealbreaker, right?
 …right?
you’re saved from your inner turmoil when minho moves forward to carefully bring you back into his arms. the tears finally spill down your cheeks and onto his shirt, the comforting scent of minho flooding your senses once again. if you could hide here forever, you would. 
“it’ll grow back.” 
“i know.”
“you still look sexy.” he pinches your side, coaxing a watery laugh from you. his smile is infectious, and you can’t help but tearfully look up at him with one of your own. 
you playfully guide one of his hands towards the back of your damaged hair, leaving it there. “so you’re not breaking up with me over this?” you tease, resting your head back against his chest. you don’t notice the subtle shift in your boyfriend’s gaze until he softly calls your name.   
“i would love you even if you were bald,” he confesses quietly, squeezing you tighter to him.
you can’t help but snort into his chest. “yeah?” 
“yeah. i will love you now until it’s long again. i will love you with any hair cut, color, style, anything. even if you hate it or one day regret it, my love for you won’t change,” minho assures, his sincerity echoing in his words.
“so if i dyed my hair pink tomorrow, you’d be okay with it?”
“do what you want, whenever you want.” 
because it doesn’t matter to him what you do with your hair. you’re still you, his beautiful and resilient (and sexy) girlfriend. even as his hands run through the chopped, disproportionate strands on the back of your head, he finds you more and more enchanting with each passing day.
“i will be here for you. always.” 
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺
(“i still have to go to work.” 
“just wear a hat.”)
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liked this work? want to let me know how i did? please like, comment, and/or reblog; they are greatly appreciated my asks are always open ♡
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thetriumphantpanda · 8 months
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where have all the good men gone? | javier peña
Take The Weight Off His Shoulders - Chapter Three
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Chapter Summary | A date, supposed to get your mind of Javier, goes terribly, and he's the only person you can think to call that will make anything better.
Chapter Warnings | Mutual pining, slow burn, sexual tension, flirting, alcohol consumption, protective!Javi, misogynistic comments (not from Javi), (1) man being a pushy douchebag (also not Javi), swearing, mentions of the drug trade - nothing else I can think of.
Pairing | dbf!Javier Peña x F!Reader
Word Count | 3k
Authors Note | I am truly having the most fun with these two and I hope you're enjoying their story so far! Things are definitely going to be heating up soon, so please hang in there, it'll be spectacular when they finally do get spicy with each other! If you're enjoying this then comments, asks and reblogs are my lifeblood and if you'd like to support me further, please consider a donation to my  Ko-Fi.
I no longer use taglists. Please follow @thetriumphantpandanotifs to be notified of new updates.
Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Ko-Fi | Series Playlist
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“I promise he’s good fun,” Liv’s voice speaks through the phone, cradled to your ear by your shoulder as you skim through your wardrobe, “Nice, and age appropriate.” She teases. 
“Shut up,” You grumble, still annoyed that you’ve allowed her to talk you into this at all, “This is still a terrible idea.” 
“You were the one complaining about Javier Peña being a bad idea,” She defends herself, “And you also could have said no, too late now.” 
You sigh because she’s right. You’ve been trying for the past week to convince yourself that finding someone else might make wanting Javier go away, even just a little bit. Someone your age, not entangled in your family dynamics, or at least you’re hoping anyway. Liv had suggested someone she knew from work, a nice boy, two years older than you, his head screwed on, a managerial position at work. Sensible. 
“I have no idea what to wear.” You groan down the phone, there are plenty of dresses you could choose, but somehow, it feels like this person you don’t know doesn’t deserve that of you. 
“Put those jeans on,” Liv speaks, crunching coming down the phone line, clearly she’s snacking like she always does, “The tight ones, makes your ass look phenomenal, and the lowest cut top you own.” 
“Liv,” You chastise, “I’ve never met him before, I’m not fucking him tonight.” 
“I didn’t suggest you did,” She chuckles, “Just give him a taste of what’s to come.” 
“Unbelievable,” You mutter, but follow her advice anyway, pulling out a shirt that cuts low, scooping out your jeans from the drawer, “Right, I gotta go and get ready, but if this is awful, you’re entirely to blame, okay?” 
“Hearing you loud and clear girl,” She chuckles, “Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 
“Goodbye!” You chuckle, hanging up. 
It’s still light out, so you opt to walk to the bar in town. It’s not all that far, and the air has cooled enough by the time you leave that it doesn’t feel too stiflingly hot. The bar is not one you would have chosen, one of the more upmarket establishments in town. You wish you could go back to your normal dive bar, with its slightly sticky floor and the smell of fried food. You give him the benefit of the doubt though, maybe he’s just trying to impress you and you can’t fault him for that, can you? 
Liv told you he’d be sat at the bar in a blue shirt, and there’s only one person it can be when you get close enough, “Victor?” You ask, stood next to him. 
“The one and only,” He smiles at you, standing from the barstool to give you a hug, which you allow, “You look hot.” 
“Thanks,” You chuckle, sitting down on the stool next him, noticing a drink already there for you, it’s a cocktail, bright pink, and you know you’ll already hate it, and you do when you take a sip, wincing as the fruity blend moves down your throat, “Oh, it’s very sweet.” 
“I thought it was a safe option, most girls love this drink.” 
You’re tempted to make a comment about this clearly being his favourite place to bring his dates but you bite your tongue, working through the necessary small talk as you try and drink it as fast as you can so you can choose something you might actually enjoy. 
“So, Liv told me you’re a journalist,” He comments, sipping his glass of whiskey, “What kind of things do you write?” 
“I mainly cover news about the drug trade and how that affects the town.” You explain, taking the last sip of your drink, flagging the bartender down. 
“Pretty morbid,” He shrugs, ordering himself another whiskey as you opt for a margarita, “Surely a girl like you should be writing about fashion or something.” 
You scoff, “So I can’t write about things that are important to our town because I’m a woman?” 
“No, I don’t mean it like that,” He tries to backtrack, “Just that it’s intimidating, is all, might put people off,” He chuckles then, “Although not me, like my girls with a bit of personality.” 
You roll your eyes and don’t even try and hide it as you sip at your margarita, much better, you think. It carries on like that for another hour, Victor and his thinly veiled misogyny and his boring, surface level conversation. He tries at some point to put his hand on your knee, but you jerk away, moving so he can’t touch you. 
“You want another?” He asks when you finish your third drink, “The night is still young.”
“No thank you,” You say, trying to be as polite as possible, “I have work tomorrow so probably best to head home.” 
You try and insist that you pay for your part of the bill, but to his only credit, he insists on covering the tab but does then try and wrap his arm around your waist to walk you outside, which makes you want to hit him more than anything. 
You stand next to him on the pavement outside the bar as the doors close behind you. You can still hear everyone else talking inside, but you have no idea what to do. You want to go home, but it’s dark, and you know you’d told your dad that Victor would walk you home, but you don’t want to spend another minute in his company. 
“So, am I gonna get my goodnight kiss?” He asks, trying to take hold of your wrist to pull you into him. 
He’s stronger than you, so he does sort of succeed in pulling you into his body, but you manage to put your palm against his chest to push him back. 
“I don’t think so.” You cringe a little, trying to lean back as far as you can with his hand pulling your wrist. 
“You’re joking right?” He scoffs, “I paid for your drinks, try and be interested in what you said and you’re going to refuse me?” 
“Look, I don’t mean to be rude,” You speak, trying to talk the situation down, “I just don’t think this is gonna work.” 
“Don’t need to tell me,” He snaps, “Such a fucking tease turning up dressed like this, but you’re really just a prude.” 
“Oh fuck off man!” You try and push him again, succeeding in doing it enough for him to let go of your wrist so you can put some distance between you, “I don’t owe you shit.” 
“Forget it,” He turns around and walks away, leaving you on your own, “Probably would have been a shit lay anyway.” 
You’re tempted to call back but realise it’s not worth it, so you let him wander off, leaving you on the sidewalk on your own with no idea what to do now. You would walk home, but if your dad see’s you on your own, he’s going to kill you for being silly enough to walk home alone after dark, and then find Victor and kill him too for being a jerk. 
You slump against the brick wall of the bar, rooting through your bag, there’s enough cash to go back in and get a drink and try and calm down a little, then, your fingers brush against the card you’d slipped in there a few days ago. The name and the number, and the few coins in the bottom of your bag, draw you to the phone box at the end of the street. You’re putting the money in and dialing before you can convince yourself it’s a silly idea. 
He picks up on the third ring. 
“Peña.” It’s so formal. 
“Javi?” You ask, trying to keep your voice level, but ultimately failing. 
“Are you okay?” Is the first thing he asks, and he sounds frantic. 
“Y-yeah, I’m fine, I just-” God this seems so stupid now, mainly because you don’t want to admit you were on a date, you don’t want to make yourself seem unavailable to him, “I was on a date and it didn’t go well, he was meant to walk me home and well, I don’t want him to, but I don’t wanna call my dad.” 
“He hurt you?” He seems cross, protective even, which makes your tummy flutter. 
“N-no,” You sigh, “He got pushy when I wouldn’t kiss him but I’m fine.” 
You can hear him shuffling around on the other end of the phone, can hear the jangle of keys, “Where are you?” 
“I’m at the phone box at the end of Grant Street.” You say, you’re about to speak again when Javi beats you to it. 
“Stay there, go inside a store or something and wait for me, I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?” 
“Okay,” You nod, like he can see you, “Javi?” 
“Yeah, querida?” 
“I’m sorry.” 
“Don’t you dare,” He scoffs, “Never apologise for needing my help, okay?” You can hear the sound of his truck engine in the background, “I gotta hang up to drive, but I’ll be there soon, promise.” 
“Okay,” You sniff, “Thank you.” 
You can hear the dial tone before he can reply, so you hang the receiver back up and head into the liquor store on the other side of the road. You smile at the clerk, who asks if you need anything, you shake your head, tell him you’re just waiting for someone and then spend the rest of the time looking out of the window. 
He’s parking up in a worryingly short amount of time, and as you walk from the store you worry that he put himself in danger driving so fast to get you. He’s opening his door and climbing down from the truck. As soon as you’re close enough, he’s got his hands on your shoulders, searching your face to make sure you’re alright. 
“I’m fine Javi, I promise,” You insist, holding gently to his arms, giving him a smile, “I’ve probably overreacted.” 
He lets his arm drops and signals for you to get into the truck, following swiftly, “If he made you uncomfortable it’s not an overreaction,” He speaks, turning the truck back on and pulling away, “He still around?” 
You shake your head, “I don’t think so.” 
“Good.” 
It makes you wonder if he means good because he won’t bother you anymore, or good because it means he won’t be tempted to do something about his blatant disrespect. You decide not to probe that one, but file it away for later. You’re driving down the street when your stomach grumbles, reminding you that you’ve not eaten since lunch. 
“You hungry?” 
“I could eat,” You mumble sheepishly, “I’m sure there’s something at home.” 
Javi nods, but drives straight past the turning he would need to take you home, driving straight on instead and turning off a little later. You’re about to ask where he’s taking you when he pulls into the parking lot at McDonalds. He parks up and tells you to stay where you are. 
You watch him as he walks away, perfectly broad back, shirt tucked into his jeans. He really is a vision in every way when you look at him. He’s striding back out a little while later, brown paper bag in one hand and a soda cup in the other. He passes them both to you as he climbs back into his seat. 
“What’s this?” You ask, taking a sip of the cold soda. 
“Cheeseburger, extra pickles and a Sprite with extra ice.” 
Yet again, he’s managed to amaze you with his observation skills. There was a time where he’d taken a trip with you and your parents, just a day out of town somewhere, and you’d stopped to get food on the way home, you’d made this exact order, turned to him and told him it was your favourite, and somehow he’d filed that away for right now, when you needed it the most. 
“Thank you.” You speak simply, reaching in for the burger, unwrapping it carefully before taking a bite. 
Javi can’t help but watch out of the side of his eye as you eat. God, you looked beautiful. Jeans that looked like they’d been painted onto your skin, showing off all those perfect parts of you. A shirt that was enticing without being too much. Fuck, he wanted to reach over, use his thumb to wipe away the tiny bit of sauce that had gathered in the corner of your mouth, push it into your mouth and let you lick it off his thumb. 
You ball up the wrapper your burger had come in once you’ve finished, dropping it into the paper bag, picking up the cup of soda to suck the Sprite through the straw, “You alright now?” He asks. 
You look at him, small, sad smile on your lips, “Just can’t help feeling there’s something wrong with me.” You shrug, offering him a sip of your drink which he declines. 
“What do you mean?” He asks, wanting to reach over to you, put a comforting hand on you, but deciding against it for now. 
You shrug a little, leaning your head back against the seat, “No-one ever looks at me in that way, I suppose,” You answer honestly, and he wants to tell you it isn’t true, that he thinks of you exactly like that, no matter how much he shouldn’t, “I’ve been with one guy in my whole life and I don’t think he ever really liked me, was only with me because I was the only one left out of my friends.” 
“Did he say that?” 
“He didn’t have to,” You shrug again, “He never really made an effort, never took me out, never really wanted to sleep with me much either, I guess I was just easy for him,” You say, “Convenient.” Is what you finish on. 
“It isn’t you,” Javi speaks, turning his head to look at you, resting it against his seat in much the same way you are, “First of all, college boys are always idiots, don’t let that be your base line,” You snort and turn your head to look at him now, “What did tonight’s idiot do?” 
You shake your head at him, “He was just a misogynistic asshole,” You add a shrug, “Apparently because I’m a woman I should write about fashion and not anything that actually matters.” 
Javi scoffs, because in his experience, women make the best journalists, quiet, unassuming but they always knew how to pull strings and get what they wanted and he doesn’t doubt you’re the same, “Take it as a compliment,” He offers, “Sometimes it’s best to intimidate boys, and the ones that you don’t?” He asks as a rhetorical question, “Those will be the men worth your time.”
You chuckle a bit, rolling your head on the headrest behind you to look back out of the front of the car, “You’re just saying this to make me feel better.” 
Javi reaches over, takes hold of your hand and gives it a slight squeeze before he’s letting it drop again, almost like he’s been burnt, like he knows he shouldn’t have done it, “I am saying it to make you feel better, that’s the whole point, but it’s true,” He shrugs a little in his seat, “Don’t feel like you’ve got to rush into that side of life either, you’re still young, there’s plenty of time for you.” 
You hum in agreement because you know he’s right, it’s what everyone always says to you in these circumstances, but somehow, coming from him, it means more. He’s older than you and although you’ve no doubt that he’s known plenty of women in his time, he’s in just the same predicament as you are. 
“Will you take me home?” You ask softly, “I’m tired.” 
He nods, starting up his car, pulling out of the parking lot and finally driving you back home. 
He pulls his truck up just down the street from your house, far enough away that your dad won’t be able to see, but close enough that he knows he’ll be able to sit and wait to watch you get in safely. He cuts the engine and turns to you, giving you a soft smile, trying to tell you that it’ll all be okay. 
“Thanks,” You speak softly, “For all this, made a shitty night not so bad in the end.” 
“Always,” He smiles back, “I mean it when I say you don’t ever need to worry about calling me.” 
“I know,” You smile, and he feels his heart swell at the sight, “Well, goodnight Javi.” 
He doesn’t really register what’s happening until it’s too late. You drag your body across the truck instead of moving to the door to open it and press a gentle kiss to his cheek. It would be innocent enough if it wasn’t for the fact your lips press into the skin just far enough away from his mouth so as not to cross a line, but not right in the middle of his cheek either. It’s the softest way he’s been touched in a long time, and he can feel himself wanting to grip onto you, smash his mouth to your own and finally scratch the itch that’s sitting under his skin. 
You pull away, but before you can open the door, he’s taking hold of your wrist and moving closer, pressing his own kiss to your cheek right back, further up your skin than you had done to him, but it’s a kiss to your skin none-the-less, one that floods his chest with hope, a feeling he hasn’t really felt in years. He keeps his mouth there probably for a little longer than he should, committing the feel of your skin on his mouth because he knows this is as far as he should push things, but he also knows that he now needs to know what the rest of your skin feels like under his mouth. 
He pulls away and when he looks at your eyes, all full of hope and want, the same look he’d seen countless times in Colombia, whether he was promising a visa or led next to someone in bed, and he knows he shouldn’t have done it, shouldn’t have encouraged these kinds of feelings, but he’s done it now, he can’t take it back, wouldn’t want to if he could either. 
“There’s nothing wrong with you, querida,” He says softly, “Nothing wrong with you at all.” 
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thisblogisaboutabook · 4 months
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Bad Idea, Right? - Part 3
Eris x Reader/Azriel’s Daughter
What happened after Eris and reader were caught fooling around at the House of Wind?
Part 1 (Drabble) Part 2 Part 4
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Warnings: sexual content, language, alcohol
One would have thought we were in the Winter Court, or perhaps an iced over Hel by the chill that took over the balcony.
My father’s mask of icy rage appeared less as a mask and more as a permanent fixation plastered on at the sight of Eris standing so closely to me. Uncle Rhys stared vacantly, with a slight hint of indifference masking his own face. Surely he was communicating with someone. Aunt Feyre? My father? Who knows.
It was my mother who let out a gasp, placing a hand over her chest. Her face glazed over as she spoke out to nobody in particular.
“The burning flame drives away the wild shadow.”
Whatever the hel THAT meant.
Well, whatever the hel it did mean clearly upset my mother as her eyes lined with silver, looking between Eris and I.
My father clenched his fists, beginning to launch forward in a stance promising violence against Eris.
Before I could scream at him to stop, Rhys shot out his power, instantly placating my father. Once again eliciting a gasp from my mother.
Eris stood still. A smirk plastered on his face. Whether that be his own mask or true amusement at the chaos unfolding around - I didn’t know. While my more sensible side should have taken over, heat warmed my insides at the sight of that amused gleam in his eyes, the tilted corner of his mouth. So fucking hot.
Between the chaos of Rhys trying to settle my father, my gawking at Eris in all his - well, just HIM in general - nobody noticed the palpable rage emanating from Lucien. While my mother chose my father over him, and Lucien and Vassa were living in marital bliss, the bond between mother and Luc was merely rejected and not broken. They had deemed it too much of a risk to face the effects of a broken bond and were able to become friends over the years. Clearly, Lucien was feeling whatever my mother had inadvertently cast through their barely in tact bond - as the mating instinct kicked in.
One moment, Lucien stood with a muscle ticking in his jaw, the next he’d winnowed in front of Eris in a whirl of fists, and feet, and flame.
Nobody dared intervene in the battle between a High Lord and another High Lord’s heir - a fight that certainly would have ramifications if it weren’t for the fact that the two were brothers who did care for eachother in their own messed up way.
My father stood, arms crossed, expression clouded with rage - though a slight gleam of satisfaction shone in his eyes at the sight of Eris getting his ass kicked - but mostly, it was icy rage showing there. He should be the one dueling it out with the male who triggered my mother’s upset, fucked his daughter, and that he just all around couldn’t stand anyway. If it wasn’t for Uncle Rhys ordering him otherwise, he would be joining in against Eris.
Fortunately, Eris was holding his own as he and Lucien landed blows to eachother at the same time. Eris wouldn’t have stood a chance against both my father and Lucien.
Lucien could be heard over the tangle shouting “You fucked my mate’s daughter!?”
Eris only chuckled as he continued pummeling his brother.
At that, Vassa who had stepped onto the balcony soon after Lucien had winnowed in, rolled her eyes mumbling something about needing another drink before walking over to Elain and extending an arm. Father, of course, was too busy glaring at the brawl before him - his shadows hissing with rage - to notice as the females exited the balcony together.
The two males began throwing sloppier hits, breathing heavier, flames simmering as they wore themselves down. It was Helion who finally burst onto the balcony using a powerful voice, the commanding voice of a High Lord, “Enough! Both of you!” sending a flare of power he cleaved the two apart, surrounding each with a shield that they couldn’t break out of.
Eris crossed his arms, taking a casual stance that oozed arrogance.
Lucien stood straight, eyes shooting daggers at his brother.
Helion approached me saying, “Come Y/N, you’ve seen enough of this idiocy.” and escorted me from the balcony. Leaving only my father, Rhys, Lucien, and Eris remaining. Helion turned back toward the males before stepping inside stating “the wards stay up until everyone can settle.”
I looked back to Eris with a wink. He only smirked back with feline amusement. He clearly had no regrets - and honestly, I couldn’t find it in myself to regret anything either.
Helion escorted me to one of the open bars, signaled for two shots of amber liquor. The barkeep worked remarkably quick as two glasses appeared before either of us could utter a word. Helion raised a glass to mine with a “Cheers to an evening well spent in the Night Court - never a dull affair.” I smirked before throwing the shot back.
“Thank you for separating those two.” I remarked. Helion only grinned. “Somebody had to - otherwise they would have been at it all night. Lucien eventually would have won though.” He winked. “He has my stamina.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Helion was always kind to me, with a sense of humor that aligned with my own. He made countless odious court functions far more tolerable with his wit and overall charisma. I couldn’t blame the males and females that fought tooth and nail for a night in his bed. Hell, if he didn’t feel like an honorary Uncle figure to me, I would gladly take any opportunity for a roll in the sheets with the gorgeous male.
Helion raised an eyebrow, casting his gaze behind me as Nyx quickly approached us. Most would see him as collected and unbothered, wearing the same mask as his father, but I could recognize the frantic look in his eye.
“Helion.” He greeted with a charming smile and a nod of the head. “Excuse me while I steal away my lovely cousin for a moment.”
I extended my hand toward Helion who placed a kiss to it. “Try to stay out of trouble, lady. Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do.”
I laughed, knowing damn well there was nothing he wouldn’t do. “Bye, Helion.”
Nyx looped his arm through mine stating, “You’ve got about two minutes before your father is in here looking for you. Dad sent me a warning that Azriel is on his way back from the balcony and he is pissed.”
“Shocking” I sighed. My heart racing just a bit though as this was absolutely NOT the conversation I wanted to have with my father right now. For fucks sake, I am an adult after all. I can sleep with whomever I want so long as there is mutual consent.
“Come on.” Nyx smirked nodding his head toward the exit, “Let’s get out of here.”
———————-
It was 30 minutes later that Nyx, myself, and Adish found ourselves at our favorite bar(that our parents didn’t frequent). Rita’s was great, truly, the owners kept up with the times, making it appealing to younger and older fae alike. However, we had no intentions of going there and risking any of the Inner Circle showing up tonight. So, our favorite hole-in-the-wall joint it was.
Nyx threw back the shot before him, the colorful lights of the bar reflecting off his raven black hair - his wings involuntarily tucking in tight as the Cinnamon Whiskey I’d ordered us hit the back of his throat.
Adish simply laughed. “One of the most powerful fae in Prythian’s history and you can’t keep a straight face with a simple shot of whiskey. Get it together, Nyxie.”
“Come on, now.” I cut in. “You’re at an unfair advantage here considering you could throw back a literal flaming shot without wincing. We can’t all be so lucky as to have fire burning within us.”
Of course Adish couldn’t help himself as a wink and Helion’s sense of humor jumped out, “I could fix that.”
I rolled my eyes “Thanks for the generous offer, Adish. But, I’ve got your Uncle to help scratch that particular itch.”
“Good gods.” Nyx muttered. “I need more alcohol.” Adish nodded in agreement. We chatted and drank for an hour before two gorgeous forest nymphs strode by looking the two males before me up and down with lust in their bright green eyes, their long legs barely covered by their mini skirts. Nyx and Adish turned to watch them, eyes trailing the females all the way to the dance floor before returning their gazes back to me.
“You two are insufferable.” I mused. “Go. Have fun.”
They thought on it for all of a second before hurrying out of their seats. “Oh, Nyx, if anyone asks, I stayed at your apartment tonight…. And all day tomorrow.”
Before Nyx could protest, I added, “Best get going before the males flirting with your nymphs take them home - and you two leave with nothing but your hands company.”
Without further hesitation, Nyx and Adish were off to the dance floor - and I was off to the Autumn Court.
—————-
Winnowing in to the Autumn Court’s keep - I removed the hood from my cloak, discreetly revealing my face to the guard of a rear entrance into the residential quarters. The guard opened the door with a grunt allowing me to stride through the quiet corridors toward Eris’ chamber.
I didn’t bother knocking on his door - there was no way he had time to make it back here and find himself evening companionship in such a short period of time. Even if he did, I’m sure we could all have a good time.
The smell of crackling fire and roasting chestnuts greeted me granting a minor relief as the scent was fresh. Well, he made it back alive then - at least there’s that. Not that I was actually concerned for his safety. I knew he’d make it back just fine and preferably with all of my favorite parts in tact.
I sauntered to a drawer where my favorite lace underthings were stored. Nothing quite suited the mood I was in tonight - so I decided against anything in the drawer and summoned my shadows.
Was this what my shadows were intended to be used for? Absolutely not - but they had no objections when it came to Eris. They were rather fond of him - much to my chagrin. Stripping out of my clothes, my shadows whispered over my naked form, trailing over to cover just the places I willed them. A shadow barely covering my full breasts, darkened but with just a tempting hint of transparency, allowing the outline of my nipples to show through.
One shadow thinly settled over my waist, while its tendrils drifted downward to my thighs, circling around them tightly as garters would. My most bold shadow covered the front of my pussy, leaving an opening right over its already dripping center, and coming back together at my ass, a shadowy imitation of a crotchless thong.
This was my - well, their - best work yet. I heard Eris stepping out of the tub in his bathing chamber as I spread myself on his bed - his own personal feast to devour.
Heat pooled in my core like burning flames as my pulse thrummed with anticipation.
“Well” his low voice growled, stepping into the room, “my little minx came out to play.”
Eris tsk’ed, strutting to the edge of the bed with confident ease. He looked like a damned deity with only a towel slung low around his waist, his abdominal muscles trailing into an enticing “v” that narrowed down into his towel teasingly close to exactly what I wanted to see, to lick, to taste to my heart’s content. My mouth watered at the sight of him.
Not letting him catch a glimpse of how badly I needed him I cooed, “Aww, Eris, did you miss me?”
Without replying, he grabbed my ankles yanking me to the edge of the bed, a squeal escaping my lips that I wasn’t particularly proud of.
“You left me in quite the compromising position back there, little one.”
I wrapped my legs around his torso, tugging him closer to the edge of the bed - leaving just enough of a gap between the apex of my thighs and his body that he could see my exposed sex. “It seemed to me that you were more than capable of handling yourself, High Lord.”
“Fuck,” he growled, as he leaned down, wrapping his muscled arms around me and hauling me up against him in one fell swoop. Chills spread through me as his teeth tugged at my earlobe. His voice turning dangerously low, “Do they know where you are tonight?”
“Is this what you want right now, Eris? To talk about my family?” He turned, making long strides toward the nearest wall, effectively pinning me in place. One hand raised to wrap around my neck, constricting only on the sides - slowing the circulation beneath just enough to lighten my head in the most pleasurable of ways.
“What I want, is a direct answer Y/N.” Squeezing his fingers just a bit tighter for emphasis. “Do they know where you are?”
“They think I’m staying at Nyx’s place tonight.”
Eris smirked, smugly replying, “Good. I’d hate for your father to burst in here while you’re screaming ‘Daddy.’”
I couldn’t suppress the moan that escaped my lips at the threat in his words. He was NOT going to go easy on me tonight.
Good.
Releasing the grip on my neck, Eris reached between us, loosening the towel around his waist and letting gravity do the rest. Looking down, my mouth watered at the sight of his very evident arousal.
The look in his eyes turned predatory as my shadows gently vibrated in anticipation of what was to come.
“Sweet girl, I love when you take control, but tonight - you are mine to fuck however I please.”
A desperate, pleading little moan fell from my lips at the danger in his tone.
Eris raised an eyebrow in response, “Eager to be disciplined, little one?”
I locked my eyes with his, my bottom lip pulled between my teeth to the point of pain as I nodded.
A chuckle bordering villainous escaped him - “Words, darling. Use your words.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well. Let’s begin.”
—————————
Eris (earlier that night)
The balcony had emptied out save for Eris, Rhysand, and Azriel. The latter shaking with violent rage.
Eris could remember years ago when Azriel had given him a small taste of the power he could exude should he be provoked. Looking at the rage on his face now, he knew that the anger Azriel felt then was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. Eris almost felt guilty - almost.
Fortunately, should the Shadowsinger pounce, Eris could hold his own given the power bestowed upon him when taking the Autumn Court’s throne.
It was likely Rhyand’s earlier command and the fact that Eris was now a High Lord himself that kept the Shadowsinger from attacking.
Keeping his arrogant facade in place, Eris cleared his throat. “Call off your dog, Rhysand. Let’s talk this out High Lord to High Lord.”
Azriel’s cold voice cut in before his High Lord could respond - “You’ll be praying for a dog to rip you apart by the time I’m through with you.”
Rhysand held up a hand. “Enough Azriel, you can take your wrath out on Eris at a later time.” Amusement shown in the Night Court High Lord’s eyes. “I, for one, would like to hear what Eris has to say about this particular situation.”
Eris looked to Azriel and back to Rhysand, “I would like to speak to you in private.”
The ground shook with the flare of Azriel’s rage from the implied exclusion but Rhysand considered the request. Shrugging off the spymaster’s look that all but screamed don’t you fucking dare - he motioned toward the entryway. “Come then, let’s speak in my office.”
Rhysand escorted Eris to an office space within the House of Wind, tucked at the end of a quiet corridor, far from the earshot of any attendees. A flicker of motion in a dark corner not lit by firelight caught his attention. “I’ve known you for centuries now Rhysand, you think I don’t see the shadow listening to us in the corner?”
The High Lord dramatically rested a hand over his heart in mock offense. “What is it with all of this ‘Rhysand’ business? You wound me, Eris.”
Eris smirked with amusement. “If you see me as a friend worthy of speaking on such a casual basis - you will dismiss the shadow.”
Clearly communicating with the Shadowsinger, Rhysand’s expression glazed over for a moment and the shadow exited the room. Rhys then threw up wards around the space.
“Now, what is so pressing that my Spymaster couldn’t be involved in this conversation?”
“Despite the fact that I am fucking his daughter and would prefer to keep the details of the arrangement between her and I?”
A wave of darkness rolled off the High Lord at the crude mention of his niece. “Careful, Eris.”
A lazy grin crossed the Autumn Court High Lord’s face. “Care to make a bargain?”
Twenty minutes and a bargain tattoo later, Eris and Rhys exited the study together.
“Remember,” Eris said. “NOBODY finds out the details of our discussion. If the Shadowsinger or his daughter are made aware, I have every right to retaliate accordingly.”
Rhys simply picked at an invisible speck of dust on his tailored jacket, a casual irreverence masking his features. “Good luck, Eris. You’re going to need it.”
———————————————————-
Stay tuned for Part 4!
A/n: I know you all have patiently waited for this and I want to thank you for your patience! January was an insane month (in good ways!) and it caused a delay for me. I hope you all like enjoy this new part. I will be adding at least one more part to the series.
Tags: @b0xerdancer
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kanbockoida · 16 days
Text
Third time’s the charm.
Lucifer x fem!Reader x Adam
Deep down, Adam is a man who craves love.
begging the Heavenly Father for a third wasn't smart or sensible, but he'd do anything to have someone to love again. So just like that, God had created Y/N, a beautiful and graceful angel.
Will their love last or is their marriage doomed to fail like the others?
Chapter 1
See my Masterlist for more!
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Days in Eden usually felt warm and gentle, like a soft breeze caressing your body as you walk through the garden. That was how Adam would explain it, yet this day? It was cold, almost brutal so to say.
Lucifer and Lilith had used the forbidden fruit to tempt Eve, and it had worked. Through this heinous act, sin and evil was successfully introduced to the world. Not knowing what happened to Eve scared him, but that emotion was quickly forgotten as it was replaced with the feeling of having been betrayed for the second time by someone who was supposed to love him just as much as he loved her.
He was alone in this garden, no one to keep him company, no one to talk to and certainly no one to keep close. Time passed agonizingly slow.. he hated it. 930 agonizing years until his age had finally caught up to him. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that he was the first human soul in heaven.. meaning neither Lilith nor Eve made it, having been cast down to hell to pay for their sins, as was Lucifer.
Lucifer.. That name never failed to leave a sour taste in his mouth..
Adam was.. lonely. He missed having someone near him, with him. So like any other, sensible person?
..He prayed and begged the heavenly father for a third.
It took a bit of convincing and good arguments for God to agree to Adam’s rather big demand, and a deal was struck. Half of Adam’s heart was used to create the one he desired. It felt like a painful jab to the chest, deep inside his heart as it was practically ripped apart.
To his surprise, it only took a few short moments that felt like an eternity. There she was.. probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She looked.. dangerously beautiful. Adam looked at the heavenly father with eyes glistening with the purest form of curiosity. “That’s her..?” He muttered, looking back at the woman who was solely created for him, asleep before him, no ounce of life in her.. yet.
The creator of all let out a gentle chuckle, finding the reaction of his first human to be rather endearing. “Indeed, child. This.. is Y/N. Treat her how you want to be treated and all will go well.”
And just like that, she awakened, with a soft breath that would be her first. Adam was.. starstruck to say the least. The woman’s eyes glistened in the sun like two beautiful sapphires. Looking down at herself, the practically newborn angel observed her surroundings for just a moment, looking down at herself to behold.. everything. The movement of her ten fingers, the wiggling of her toes.. It all was so new, so beautiful.
After taking everything in, Y/N raised her head to look at Adam. Looking upon him, there were a bunch of different emotions bubbling in her chest that couldn’t be put into words as easily as one might think. To her, he looked precious. It was the only thing that came to her fresh mind after taking a moment to take everything in.
“You feel.. familiar?” Y/N’s first words seemed more like a question than a statement. However, the woman wasn’t wrong. Even in Adam’s point of view he felt as if he’d known her forever. With a shy but vigorous nod, Adam straightened his posture, peering down at the angel with a sheepish grin.
That confused expression wiped off her face quicker than someone could blink. She could.. feel so many things at once in such a short amount of time. “My name is Y/N.. Who are you?” Her smile was so big that her eyes crinkled a little. Usually the first man would say something cocky. Something to boost his own ego, something pathetic that he doesn’t even realize he’s making a fool out of himself.
Adam could only feel his heart race, his blood rushing through his veins at an incredible speed. Instinctively, the first man immediately straightened his posture, the feathers of his golden wings puffing up as if to say ‘look at me. My wings are so beautiful, don’t you think?’
Clearing his throat he gave the woman a nervous yet cocky smile, arms crossed over his chest as he peered down at her as mischief glistened in his eyes. “Adam, first man to ever exist. Pretty cool, right?-“
His attempt to impress the angel would be considered pathetic, but not in the eyes of Y/N. With a kind smile she stepped forward, taking his bigger hands into hers to hold them. “You are impressive enough just being yourself, Adam. You don’t have to try to make me like you when I already do.” To think someone would be so expressive when they were created not even five minutes prior is shocking. Hearing these words from her felt.. astonishing.
With a throbbing heart he looked down onto their hands, with Y/N holding them so tenderly. Speechless. That’s the only way one could explain Adam’s current feeling. Like a lovestruck idiot, that was how he had felt in this very moment. Who wouldn’t? Having someone look at you like you’re everything was the best feeling one could ever feel. After a moment of panicking internally, Adam could finally speak up. “You think I’m impressive?” From a confident and prideful behavior he switched to one of insecurity and shame. Everything about this situation felt so familiar yet so very distant. It’s been a long time since he had someone so close, and yet so far. Truth be told, he was afraid of messing up this last chance the heavenly father had provided him with. Before he could bring another word in, the woman had noticed his uneasiness. “I might not know you yet.. but I’d like to change that.”
Her words were gentle, not once turning her head to look away from him. Y/N still held onto Adam’s hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze and that alone made his worries fade.
Just like that, a new bond has been formed between two heavenly beings. A warm, genuine smile formed onto Adam’s lips, caressfully interlocking their fingers as if she’d slip away. “Yeah.. I’d like that a lot.”
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anika-ann · 8 months
Text
Seven Minutes (S.R.)
Type: TWO-SHOT, independent, canon-ish
Pairining: Steve Rogers x reader    Word count: 8700
Summary: You’re not obliged to go to that party, but you go because it’s a rare occasion during which most of your fellow Avengers meet and have some fun together. Until someone suggests a stupid teenage game. Until you and Steve end up locked in a closet together and things take a turn you couldn’t have possibly predicted.
Maybe you should have. Whenever Tony or – god forbid – Loki gets involved, it’s bound to end up in a disaster. Only this time, the victim of the shenanigans might be your heart.
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Warnings: SMUT, 18+, NSFW, (unprotected sex, fingering, glimpses of size kink and praise kink, soft hints of D/s, mirrors, possessiveness;), alcohol, a drop of angst, language (a lot)
A/N: written for @jtargaryen18 Halloween challenge. Prompt in the final notes. I toyed with it so much that it might have been cheating 😅 dividers by @firefly-graphics 💕
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Part 1: Seven Minutes in Hell
“I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare to let out.” ― Ally Carter, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover
The party had died down; or as Tony said, only the fittest had survived. Banner, drunk on Asgardian liquor, let out a sensible chuckle at the words and fell asleep as he was, sprawled over one of the couches in the communal area, which looked more like a war zone than an aftermath of a giant party.
It wasn’t the mess of empty bottles and glasses and cushions having been thrown around at some point. It was the skeletons. The fake blood. The few smashed pumpkins, literally beaten to a pulp. Luckily, the one single torn-off arm which some idiot had smuggled in despite the strict ban on those, based on the fact that at least half of the guests suffered some form of a PTSD, had been kicked under the bar and covered by a cloth as soon as you had found it. Tony, despite already finding himself in a drunken haze, agreed to kick the asshole who had brought it out. Steve had shot you a grateful look when you had asked Tony to do so. Bucky – thankfully – never learned about the tasteless joke ever taking place.
Unlike the space, the Avengers had an aura of comfort around them. Lying around, some chatting sleepily, chuckling every now and then, some talking animatedly with a few friendly nudges under the ribs, they lounged in the area and welcomed the 1 a.m. announcement by Friday with relative grace.
Except for Tony, who booed and proceeded to glare at every single conscious Avenger present, one by one; Natasha and Clint comfortable on one couch, Steve and you on the other, Thor filling out a huge armchair, Rhodey looking a bit small in the other in comparison, Wanda practically lying in a lounge pug with Vision hovering by her like a guard, Helen and Maria crossed legged on tiny tabourets, Sam and Bucky, having been fighting each for their space on the couch, now sitting carelessly with Bucky’s feet against Sam’s thigh. And then there was Loki, spinning slowly in his egg chair he had charmed up and kept up in the air with his magic, Pepper having reluctantly sat down in the other which Loki had graciously made for her with a snap of his fingers.
“Seriously, guys! Just… boooo! This party is dying! We need to shake things up!” he called out theatrically, standing in the middle of the Sleepy Hollow with judgement written all over his face. Then, he lowered his voice, a wicked smile twisting his lips. “Do you wanna play a game? I do.”
At least four distinct snorts sounded around the group at his poor impression.
“Really, Tones?” Natasha questioned, probably referring to both his acting skills and the suggestion.
“I do want to play a game. It’s called let’s go to bed,” Bucky groaned, rolling his shoulders and throwing his feet back to the ground, startling Sam in the process.
“The night is still young, Barnes,” Clint huffed despite his eyelids barely staying open as he kept twisting a rubber imitation of femur between his fingers. “You sound like an old man.”
“Oh? That coming from you really says something,” Sam pointed out, a good-natured smile curling his lips; at the same time, Tony hummed: “Or a kinky one.”
“I must say I agree with Stark this once,” Thor boomed, nodding thoughtfully as several voices groaned at the gleeful grin lighting Tony’s face. “There seems to be a lull to these revels and it is indeed too soon to retire to bed. The sun has not even risen yet!”
A single clap of hands and Tony was gesturing towards Thor. “See! The Asgardian agrees with me. I must be right.”
“I bet he’s already regretting his words,” Steve noted, drawing a small chuckle from you.
In all honesty, you would be inclined to agree with Bucky on this one. Going to bed sounded heavenly, but there was one huge disadvantage to bed compared to the Sleeping Beauty Castle the Halloween party had turned into: the company wasn’t nearly as good. You weren’t greedy – you wouldn’t need all the Avengers present to come cuddle you in bed. Just one would do. The one whose thigh occasionally brushed yours as you talked about anything and everything, all kind smiles and a slightly tipsy spark in his gorgeous blue eyes which were complimented by the treacherous midnight shade of his one-size-too-small shirt.
“Now, now, Captain. The other Asgardian agrees too,” Loki’s voice slowly sneaked in, something in his tone causing your heart to skip a startled and yet excited beat.
Loki was… a friend. After trying hard for redemption, he had begun to join the Avengers business on occasion, his magic always proving to be of enormous help. His humour was a little wicked and twisted, but his heart was not nearly as dark as people had believed – or even he himself had. You sensed Steve’s wariness towards him still and understood his reasons; and secretly, you revelled in the worry Steve expressed whenever you spent time with Loki, which the golden-hearted captain feared you did so with a little too much trust.
The only reason why you wouldn’t throw it back to Steve’s face that he was questioning your judgement was the fact he had admitted he did actually not do that, ever – but simply cared for your safety – and that fact that he attempted to be as respectful about it as possible. That and the heartwarming knowledge that he thought of you, one way or the other. Maybe him being the person who was giving out the gentlest hugs could have played a role as well. Or perhaps even that you had – like a silly, silly girl – fallen for him long time ago and would let him not only get away with murder at this point, but probably also ask him if he needed any help to hide the body. Because you’d either believe him it was for a good reason that he had committed the crime, his moral compass just about perfect, or simply because he deserved the most loyal friends and loved ones he could get.
The sudden heavy thud snapped you back to present, causing you to jump in your seat. Steve’s warm hand covered yours in an instant, gaze trailing to you to make sure you were alright. As he gently squeezed your hand, you glanced at him and shot him a grateful smile.
He let go as soon as your gaze returned to the source of the noise: a large closet now standing a few feet from the seating area.
“How about this?” Loki suggested, calmly beckoning to the piece of furniture having just appeared out of this air.
“Do you… want to play Seven Minutes in Heaven?” Wanda, suddenly wide awake at the stronger present of magic, questioned.
“Why not? I was under the impression Midgardians enjoyed this game during a party.”
“What are we, thirteen?” Sam asked, eyebrows creased sceptically.
“…going on thirty? Good movie,” Clint hummed, his grin showing pride at his reference.
“Ew, no-“
“Do you even know what Seven Minutes in Heaven is about?” Natasha asked, her expression intrigued; you had no doubt her mind had already begun to race as she tried to decipher the trickster’s motivations.
“Yes. I am quite pleased by the concept. If we play, perhaps I will be lucky enough to spend some private time with lovely Lady Speedy.”
Your eyebrows shot up as your gaze found Loki’s, a provocative smirk twisting his mouth. Interesting. Maybe even intriguing. Except it was not; at least not for the reason one might think. Loki was not at all interested in you. If he had, you would have known without a shadow of doubt. He wasn’t one for subtlety; if he had had an eye on someone, he would make sure to court them, persistently so. Or perhaps he would simply take.
No, Loki had not spent time thinking of you, much like you hadn’t spent time thinking about him.
There was only one Avenger whose company and love you longed for and had for the longest time – and you wouldn’t be surprised if Loki knew. What you hoped he had no idea about was the fact that you could have had it, once.
You could have had Steve, but you had mucked it up, too shocked to yes when he had asked. It had felt too fast, too surreal to be even happening – Steve Rogers asking you out for a cup of coffee – too good to be true.
Naturally, in a very Steve Rogers fashion, he had been too polite to disrespect your decision or let it negatively impact your blooming friendship back then; he had not made a single attempt to ask you out again since. In return, you had been too embarrassed to explain yourself – to explain that you felt like the luckiest girl on Earth, if not in the universe, that you would have jumped at the chance if he as much as hinted he was still interested – and in a very mature way, you never mentioned it again.
That was fine. You and Steve had become friends. Perhaps even good enough friends to mention it as an awkward memory; and only that, because you doubted that he was still carrying a torch for you. He had even briefly dated with Sharon Carter after the incident; he clearly moved on, because there was nothing to move on from. You had barely known each other back then. It wasn’t like you broke his heart or something. You just decided mess up what could have been a beautiful relationship.
Instead, you had a comfortable caring friendship. That counted as a win, yes?
And if you ended up in a closet with him for seven minutes now, you would, once again, acted like mature adults and… hug or something, yes? You would not give in into some stupid game and kiss him just because you’d have an excuse to do so. You would not be tempted to--- no. You respected Steve too much for that. You would never make anything to make him uncomfortable; if you had, you would not only not deserve to call yourself his friend, but even a decent human being.
And you were not thirteen anymore. You knew better. The awkwardness would not be worth it; the rejection would not be worth it. Losing the gift of Steve’s friendship would most definitely not be worth a few seconds of Heaven, of testing whether his lips were be as soft and gentle as you thought, if they tasted like you dreamed of. Knowing whether he would respond, whether he would kiss you, whether maybe, just maybe, there could be the faintest traces of seeing you differently than a friend and colleague.
No, the stakes were be too high.
“Hm… I think we should play,” Natasha said, earning at least five shocked stares, including yours.
“What?!”
“We should definitely not,” Steve protested, leaning forward with a very displeased frown, his eyes burning as he glared murderously at Natasha for entertaining the trickster’s whim.
“I mean… why not, after all? Two people in a closet, in cramped space? What is not to enjoy?” Bucky added, clearly changing his mind about going to bed. He was next at the receiving end of Steve’s disapproval.
“Ask a claustrophobic, I’m sure they’d come up with a reason or two,” you hummed, earning a sardonic ha ha from the dark-haired supersoldier.
“I mean… who knows. Could be magical,” Tony wiggles eyebrows.
“Are we back to 13 going to 30?”
Wanda, Pepper, Maria and Sam said NO with impressive coordination.
“I must say I am intrigued as I cannot quite see the appeal. It would be an enriching experience for me to understand. What is the worst that can happen?” Vision questioned.
“You did not just ask that,” Sam complained.
“Please tell me it’s just a closet and not some sort of a portal to Narnia?” Pepper chimed in, Loki’s smile surprisingly pleasant as he turned to her.
“It is simply a closet, my dear Lady Potts.”
“I don’t know, you guys, it still sounds like a pretty bad idea,” you chuckled nervously as you felt the air shift towards agreement to participate in this ridiculous game.
“Seconded,” Steve grunted by your side – but it was too late.
“Too bad, I’m getting an empty bottle,” Tony blurted out as he practically sprang after the nearest bottle indeed.
It was the perfect opportunity to walk away; it was the last chance to get out.
You didn’t.
Perhaps you didn’t want to look like a coward. Maybe you didn’t want to be a party pooper. You guessed you hoped they would scrape the idea after one round, because they would realize the game was lame and boring. Maybe, just maybe, a little part of you wondered if something interesting would come out of it – and you didn’t want to miss it.
Those were the things running through your head when you walked side by side with Steve, cursing the universe or some sort of physics cheat Tony had pulled or maybe Loki’s magic. Because of course it happened. Of course, the bottle pointed at you – and then on Steve.  
Could have been worse, you reasoned with yourself. Could have been… yeah you didn’t know who. Bruce who might turn in to the Hulk while in there was asleep, so he never was an option.But it was too late to back out now.
Steve, ever the gentleman, let you walk in first, offering a hand, a gentle smile on his face as he rolled his eyes at your friends being children. You squeezed his hand and smiled back, grateful – and calm.
Yes, being with Steve in such tight space with the knowledge what the game was about sent a few tempting thoughts into your head – but you’d be fine. You’d just chat, privately; you had done that countless times before, late night talks and maybe even your head resting on his shoulder when you got too sleepy to sit straight. You’d be fine.
Steve climbed up after you so you stood face to face, flashing you one last comforting smile. And then Tony closed the door behind you, leaving you in utter darkness.
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Your first thought was that the inside of the closet was a lot smaller than it had appeared from the outside.
Your second thought was that perhaps that was not the fault of the closet or your eyes; the sheer width of Steve’s shoulders and other proportions of his body which had starred in too many of your dirty dreams and innocent fantasies alike were to blame instead.
Your third thought was that the air was becoming a little too hot and heavy to breathe a little too fast and that you weren’t certain you could last seven full minutes in this space where it felt you might as well already be wrapped in Steve’s arms. The subtle tones of his woodsy cologne, the heat radiating off his skin, the faintest light peeking through the door reflecting in his slightly ruffled hair and in his eyes, caressing his features the very way you always wished.  
Your fourth thought was, incidentally, less of a thought and more of an emotion – a red hot one at that. The flash of anger that ripped through you honestly took you by surprise, and hit you too hard to be ignored.
Because this was stupid.
This game was the stupidest thing possible that your friends could come up with. Steve was entirely stupid with his brilliance and courage and care and morality and outrageous handsomeness and most of all with giving you hope once that you could be good enough for him, that there was a glitch in the universe large enough that would somehow made the two of a potential couple. And you, oh you. You were the most stupidest of it all. To allow yourself to hope as well. To not let go of that fleeting seconds when the light of Steve Rogers was in your reach and you stood there like a dumbass without grabbing it, never speaking of it again then and yet still carrying a torch for him for two idiotic years.
Maybe if one of those things had been different – most likely of all, you – you could have been making out now. Maybe, you would feel his gentle touch in these shadows; or maybe hungry touch even. Maybe, because your friends were nosy assholes and drama queens, they would have banned you from participating in this in fear that they would have to disinfect the closet after you got full seven minutes in here.
Instead, all you had was a tentative brush of Steve’s hand to your elbow and the kind rumble of his voice, laced with worry.
“Hey, Shines. Are you okay?”
Ah yes. Another maddening thing: Steve’s sweet nickname for you. Where others called you Speedy – because of how quickly you had finished the intelligence test and made your way up in the Initiative – Steve had expressed his distaste in the nickname because just around the same time, he had learned about the modern term “speed”. Apparently, he did not like the idea of calling you something that reminded him of amphetamines. So instead, he had once admitted, he converted it in his head to the speed of light. And so Shines had been born.
The affection he sometimes spoke the single word with – the affection you longed for and mostly only imagined – was perhaps even more idiotic than your lack of reaction to his slightly shy advance two years ago.
For someone with your IQ score, you really were surrounded by stupidity and radiated it generously yourself.
The chuckle that escaped you tasted bitter on your tongue. “Why, sure. You?”
Even with the limited amount of light, you could see Steve’s searching gaze clearly. You could practically hear his mind whirling, wondering where the sudden ire had come from.
In an instant, you felt bad for snapping. Your trouble and your insecurities nor your anger at yourself were something he deserved to bear consequences for.
“I’m… fine,” he said after a while, kinder than you would have in his place. “Is there anything I can do to make the ‘sure’ better?”
Yeah, you thought. There were quite a lot of things; either put his mouth on yours – or elsewhere on your body, you weren’t picky – or maybe stop being so damn good of a person and being so damn loveable all the time when he didn’t mean anything beyond friendship by his behaviour.
You swallowed the once again bitter note and charmed a smile, your hand covering the back of his, still softly resting on your elbow.
“No. But thank you. I’m… sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he replied, eyes still searching. And soft. So annoyingly soft and caring.
You lowered your gaze and gulped, not finding it in yourself to respond. What could you even say to that?
The problem with Steve was that even if you weren’t looking at him, you could still feel him looking at you. At rare times, it felt like a punch, if he got truly angry with you – when you did something he considered stupid and dangerous as if you hadn’t been quite inspired by his own bravery – but at other times, like this, it felt like a fluffy blanket and a warm cup of tea pressed to your hands when the blues came knocking on your door.
No words were spoken for a long minute. And then, like you should have known they would, Steve’s arms carefully pulled you to his chest and wrapped you in a hug which felt just like his gaze a moment ago; except this feeling was real. He sucked up all your anger and frustration you into his chest with ease, breathed in once, then twice and unlike you, he simply let it go, allowing you to soak in his affection instead. 
You could cry at the sweet gesture. Sweet, sweet Steve: deadly force, righteous passion, beautiful soul and infinite kindness locked in a body of a gentle giant.
“Thank you,” you muttered into his shirt and you could hear the smile in his voice when he responded, arms tightening just a fraction.
“Any time.”
You felt your lips curl up in a smile too, allowing yourself to bask in the goodness he was. Strong embrace, but kind. Almost too hot to touch, like a sun, but somehow still feeling like sunshine instead. Lips soft as they touched your hairline, fingers gently running through the length of your hair-
You stiffened. It felt too good; it felt like what you wanted but didn’t actually have. Steve Rogers did not kiss you; not your cheek, not your lips, not your forehead or the crown of your head.
Or at least he never had before.
“Steve?”
His smile was a little bashful as he retreated, his hand sliding down your hair, holding your chin in gentle hold you could easily escape should you want to. But you didn’t. Why would you when his thumb caressed your cheek, eyes firmly holding your gaze even as his smile was slightly shaky?
You didn’t dare to stop whatever this was; because this was what you wanted. Whether this was Steve giving into the game only or anything else, you’d take it. Because you didn’t start it, you didn’t force him into something you wanted. He initiated it; he held you as if you were something precious all on his own. If this behaviour expired in a few minutes, well. At least you would have a sweet memory to cherish, wouldn’t you?
“I’ve been thinking of you.”
Your eyes must have been wide – even ridiculously so – at the admission, your heart like a thunder in your chest and in your ears. You… certainly you must have misheard. You must have misinterpreted what he was trying to say. That was not right. Was it?
“…you have?”
His smile widened, eyes full of good-natured amusement. “I’m always thinking of you, Shines. I’m honestly surprised I’m keeping it so subtle that you are this shocked by the revelation.”
You licked your suddenly dry lips. You must have breathed in something. You had too much to drink. Tony sneaked some edibles into the refreshments – yes, that had to be it.
But then the even more rational part of your brain chimed in: you could never dream up something as detailed. And Steve would have been immune to the drugs. He hadn’t drunk too much of the Asgardian liquor from Thor’s flask either.
You were both perfectly sober at this moment – as insane and surreal as it felt. Did Steve really…? You swallowed the slightly hysterical giggle trying to claw its way up your throat.
“You wouldn’t… you wouldn’t make fun of this, would you?”
Steve’s eyes grew serious even as they remained kind.
“No. I wouldn’t,” he assured you, the slightest hint of offence in his tone. “You’re just… you’re everywhere. I try to focus on work, but you’re always on my mind. That smile, those pretty eyes. This… this drive and passion you have and turn it into hard and good work and kindness. Those gorgeous, gorgeous lips…”
You licked again them on instinct, not missing the fact that Steve’s gaze flickered down at the motion.
No way. No way.
You had hit your head. This was a fever dream, this… this was all you wanted and needed, it couldn’t possibly become true all of sudden. Right?
But if this was a fever dream, you might as well enjoy it. If it was reality, even the better. Because Steve Rogers was serious in matters of heart – he was most definitely not pranking you. So if he was saying he had been thinking about you, you had no reason to doubt him.
There rarely ever was a reason to doubt Steve Rogers.
“I… I think about you too,” you reluctantly admitted, his lips suddenly so, so close you could feel his breath when he spoke only one word in response.
“Good.”
The first touch to your lips was nothing but tentative; nothing but temptation and yet everything you could ever want. His hand cradled your face like precious porcelain and his kiss was like one of an artist asking his muse to allow him into her favour. Warm and soft; his lips were as soft and gentle as you had always thought they would be. The tender brush of his fingertips to your face however made your first kiss all the sweeter, as did his smile and the sparkle in his eyes when he released your lips. The giddy feeling burst inside your chest with intensity you couldn’t possibly contain.
“Yeah, I’m… I’m gonna have to agree with good,” you whispered; and before you could feel silly, Steve’s low chuckle echoed in the limited space, his thumb tapping your lips.
“Yeah.”
That was the only warning you received before his mouth were back on yours, letting you taste that smile of his; his arms, still around your waist, pulled you closer against the hard planes of his chest, the sensation reminding you that you could in fact too do more than simply lay your hand on him. He appreciated your initiative with a content hum, the vibration against your lips sending pleasant shivers down your spine and into your belly. When he deepened the kiss, his touch on you growing firmer, angling your head to his liking, you felt like you could melt from the inside, all nerves on the most beautiful fire.
Your startled sound when your back bumped into the wall of the closet drowned in Steve’s mouth, your parted lips but an invitation for him. The sensations were quick to rise into your head like a heady wine and suddenly only seven minutes in whichever alternate reality you felt as if you had entered seemed unfairly short. Your fingers flexed in the material of Steve’s shirt, his large palm sliding to your hip and squeezing. His hips rocked ever so slightly against yours and the semi-hard bulge pressing against your core had you whimper his name just as his lips moved to your jaw.
“Love hearing my name like this from your lips, Shines,” he whispered like a secret into your skin, teeth grazing your sensitive flesh and nearly causing your knees to buckle. I’ll say it as much as you want, you wanted to say, the words stuck in your throat, only a breathy Steve coming out again, much to his apparent delight. “That’s it. Wanna hear it more… but not here.”
The flash of a rationality was brief; before it could take, his lips were back on yours and you felt yourself falling, leaning into his touch, hands wandering over his exquisite body, hips rutting forward at the beautiful, beautiful groan your touch elicited from him.
I did that. He wants me, he wants me like this. I want him. I need him.
The simple thoughts occupied your brain, a last portion of coherency you managed as his palm slid to your ass with purpose and pressed you against his hardness in a promise of what was to come. You decided that you could die a happy woman right there and that you needed his mouth on your more than you needed oxygen; you grabbed onto his face, pulling his lips back to yours, rewarded by a deep kiss and both of his hands grabbing your hips, fingers digging into your flesh with a little too much vigour.
You succumbed to the pleasure of his touch, head spinning, the world passing by in a blur.
It didn’t matter how you got into his room next; it didn’t matter, not when his hands were on you again, an absurdly polite can I? as his dextrous fingers slid the strap of your dress off your shoulder, a kiss to every inch of the newly revealed skin, leaving nothing but hunger for more in their wake.
“You’re so beautiful, sweetheart,” he praised as he mouthed at your skin, the new endearment causing your heart to tremble, stomach fluttering pleasantly. “The times I imagined this, imagined you… turn around, Shines.”
You’d swear that you would let Steve Rogers get away with murder; but asking you to turn away from his hot lips, that was toeing the line of insanity.
“Steve-“
“Shhh… I’ve got you,” he cut of your protests, strong hands simply spinning you around.
He rewarded you for the lack of resistance by placing his hand over your stomach, skin hot even over the thin fabric, pressing you back against his chest and his more than evident arousal, lips attaching to the column of your neck, sliding the other strap of your dress down. Instinctively, you leaned your head back, exposing your throat to him, a small but sharp nip of teeth sending a fresh wave of arousal into your core.
Long fingers slid up your throat, turning your head so his lips could meet yours again, demanding and yet so giving, hand inching from your belly down your thigh, toying with the hem of your dress and causing your breath to hitch.
God, you needed him. You wanted him in every way possible, but if this was what came before he’d take you out, you had zero problem with that. You needed to feel him.
The please escaping your newly freed lips sounded almost pathetic to your ears, but Steve clearly disagreed with your assessment.
“Oh sweetheart, you sound so pretty like this… and look at you,” he rasped, nudging you to actually look ahead, only for you to realise you were now facing the tall mirror of his closet, gaze setting on your own face, dominated by the kiss-swollen lips and pupils blown up by lust. “Gorgeous… and you’ll look even more beautiful when you’re coming apart for me. First on my fingers and then…”
You shuddered when his fingers finally slid under your skirt, caressing the lace of your thigh-highs, chest vibrating against your back with an appreciative hum. Your gaze strayed to Steve’s face, only to find his eyes laser focused on your face in the mirror, flashing darkly when his fingertips found the soaked fabric of your panties and pressed.
“So wet for me, Shines. I can’t wait to feel you wrapped around me. Can’t wait to make you mine… you want that, don’t you?” he whispered, your lips parting wordlessly and at the very moment, he pushed the offending fabric to the side and dipped his index finger in your slick. He stroked a few times, coating his fingers in your essence and entered you with two with laughable ease. You pushed your hips forward on instinct, already needing more.
“Steve, oh god-“
“Fuck, look at you,” he rasped, free hand pressing your back to his front, hardness digging into our ass. “I can’t wait to see you take my cock. You’ll be as pretty as a picture…”
Vainly wriggling against his strong hold because that was exactly what you wanted, you caught his smile in the mirror, his lips pressing softly against your temple as his fingers begun pumping in and out of your tight channel, stealing the breath from your lungs. Resigned and secretly thrilled by his dominance, you leaned against his chest, letting your head fall back against his strong shoulder, praying he’d give you more soon.
Instead, he pulled his fingers out altogether, painting your inner thighs with your slick, stepping back, leaving you cold and empty.
“St-“
His hand landed gently on your shoulder, his other hand easily sliding the zip of your dress down your back, letting it fall to the ground. Standing in front of the mirror in nothing but your stockings, soaked panties and lace bra, you shuddered under Steve’s hungry gaze; but at the same time, the adoration and admiration shining from his gaze even made your stomach flip and stopped your hands from self-consciously covering yourself at least a bit.
You weren’t shy. You weren’t ashamed of your body; but goodness, Steve’s eyes trailing the length of it, taking in every inch of bare skin and appreciative of how the fabric hugged the parts still covered made you feel like a goddess. A muse.
His gaze was hypnotic as his eyes met yours in the mirror again, his smile soft before it earned a lustful edge.
“You’re a piece of art, Shines…” He stepped back to you, lips attaching back to your neck and his fingers pushed the panties down and let them slide down your legs, hand sprawling over your pubic bone and teasing your core with his fingers again. “And I’m going to appreciate that in every way I know… but you’re gonna watch. I wanna watch you as you fall apart for me, and I want you to see how beautiful you look when I make you mine. Can you do that, sweetheart?”
You didn’t think. You nodded at the promise of pleasure, instantly rewarded by three fingers stretching you, one of your hands landing on his wrist to keep him inside, the other grabbing at his head behind you. You felt his smile against your neck before he sucked on your skin, setting a punishing pace, this time letting you meet his advances. The sight of his large hands over you was insanely erotic; his size and strength captured in a repetitive picture, your muscles contracting as you tried to encourage him to give your more. The pleas seamlessly blending with his name were falling from your lips as the pressure inside you built and built, the wicked curl of his fingers nearly having you reach for the stars.
“Oh my god, oh my god, Steve-“  
“Watch, sweetheart,” he reminded you feverishly, the blue of his irises nearly swallowed by his blown pupils, dark, pleased and unabashedly on you taking his fingers one moment, on your face contorted with pleasure next, the sheer hunger in his gaze aimed at you only adding fuel to the heat in your abdomen.
You tried to keep your eyes on your pair, you truly did, just to please him, just to gain more. It earned you a whispered praise to your ear, a sucking kiss on your throat and circling motions on your clit.
That had you were done for. Your eyes fluttered close as you clenched around Steve’s fingers with a breathless cry, ecstasy exploding inside you and lighting your body on fire.
You could feel Steve’s burning gaze on your still, but he didn’t push you again, didn’t deny you just because you didn’t give him what you couldn’t at the moment, too wrapped in your bliss. Of course, he didn’t. He was still Steve; much filthier than you imagined, but still himself. Warm and safe, holding you close when his motions slowed down, prolonging your pleasure, still supporting your weight when your legs nearly gave out. Chuckling silently with an adoring soft kiss to your jaw when you breathed out a thank you, thinking about the fact he caught you, probably sounding as if you were thanking him for absolutely ruining you with his fingers only, not so subtly showing you that you might not survive when he’d turn it up a notch and actually took you.
“You’re beautiful, doll,” he whispered into your hair, carefully pulling out his fingers as not to hurt you. “Even more beautiful that I imagined.”
You shuddered, unable to respond with words, turning around and chasing his lips instead. He obliged and kissed you sweetly, wrapping his arms around you close, only now having you realize he was still fully clothed himself. And that the way his had cock pressed against his slacks must have been painful at this point. For that reason alone – that he put your pleasure before his, as you knew he would – you would sink to your knees in an instant if your core wasn’t already throbbing for him.
“I want you,” you said against his mouth, revelling in his smile and the playful nip on your lower lip he graced you with upon your admission.
“Good. Because I need you. I need to see those pretty lips parted for me and unable to speak anything but my name when I fill you up so well you’ll never even think about another man again,” he said slowly, letting every heavy syllable sink into your skin and have your already racing heart nearly give out – and letting your lips loose.
“Yes. Please.”
When you suddenly found yourself in the air, held firmly in his arms and carried to the bed, you couldn’t find the shame in you to be bashful about your needs.
Because when he sunk into you and delivered on his promises, you felt like you entered another plane of existence. When his hands grabbed onto you, his body an art piece you could feast your eyes on and touch, you suddenly understood his need for a mirror, for a glimpse from every angle, the absolute beauty of your bodies together as one, of seeing him lose himself to pleasure of his own.
His chants of endearments, praise and mine echoed in your ears, your lips indeed only remembering to speak his name, whisper it and scream it. When he lifted you to your high two more times, filling you with his spent to make you his indeed, you knew that you would be his forever; you had been for a long, long time.
“You’re mine, you’re mine, you’re mine…”
“Yours, I am yours.”
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Blinking your eyes open, you slowly realized you never knew darkness could feel so violent to your eyes. Steve’s deeply concerned gaze was firm on you, frown settled in his brows, both hands on your biceps holding you as if you were about to pass out any second.
His relieved breath brushed over your face, shoulders sagging.
“Thank god, Shines. I was starting to get worried. Are you alright? It’s like you went to a completely different place for a moment there.”
Why were you standing? You had been just lying down, the heat of Steve’s skin seeping into yours from your back and his arm wrapped around your middle as you had fallen asleep.
“What?” you rasped, feeling the ghost of the soreness in your throat as you nearly lost your voice having screamed his name. You blinked again as the image of his beautifully red parted lips trembling with your name flickered in front of you, disappearing just as fast – replaced by him growing worried by the minute.
In a closet. You were in a closet. The sound of idly chat and chuckles dimmed by the walls of the closet reached your ears. The party was still in a sleepy swing; a stupid game was still on.
The realization was like a bucket of icy water dumped on your heated body, all-consuming confusion swallowing all your thoughts.
But… how? You--- that wasn’t- you had been to Steve’s room. He had—- he had kissed you, right here, a dream coming true when he admitted he was still thinking of you and was ready to act on it, his hot soft lips, his hands, deliciously long thick fingers, wickedly dextrous as they sneaked between your legs, opened you up for his--- he had stretched you so good, in every way imaginable, his gaze so dark as he watched you both in the mirror, so sweetly and devilishly delighted at filling you up to the brim, making you his-  
“Okay, that’s it, Shines. We’re out of here-”
“No!” you blurted out, horror seizing you at the mere thought of coming out to the light right now. With you face flushed; with your core painfully empty and slick even as the aftershocks of your orgasms, having felt so real, turned from echo of pleasure to mortifying all-consuming shame. “No, no, it’s fine! I’m fine. I just… I must have had too much to drink and zoned out.”
“You didn’t drink that much,” Steve opposed swiftly, his gaze so unnerving, and could he just stop, stop looking at you like he cared, so sweet and nice and so frustratingly not yours even if the affection in his gestures felt all the same as in whatever fucked-up dream experience you just had just been through. “We should-“
“Please, don’t-- they’re never gonna let us live this down if we bail,” you argued lamely, unconvincing even to your own ears, feeling tears burn in your eyes and desperately trying to stop them from showing.
“Fuck that. It’s just a stupid game.”
‘Fuck, look at you. I can’t wait to see you take my cock. You’ll be as pretty as a picture…’ echoed in your ears, so crystal clear you would have sworn it had happened – but what other evidence did you need that it was just a wild creation of your mind?
Steve didn’t love you. Steve didn’t want you this way. It had never happened. You were still in this closet in the dark, blinded by the light his persona, this time annoyed since the light only hurt your eyes.
And you heart. Your stupid little foolish heart.
“…yeah. Yeah, just a stupid game. Just… so so stupid,” you muttered, no longer talking about the game – and unable to stop the tears from coming anymore.
You laughed bitterly, understanding nothing, but not caring, even more irked at the alarmed expression on Steve’s face when he noticed the few glistening drops rolling down your cheeks.
“Shines… what is it? What can I do to make it better?”
His hands, having been burning a brand onto your biceps, shifted, one caressing your arm, the other rising to your face; and you couldn’t take it. You couldn’t take the touch, not when it meant less than what you wanted and needed, not when his fingertips brushed your cheek as if it was something precious to him – not when you knew it wasn’t.
You stepped back out of his reach hastily, your back hitting the wall; but not without catching the flash of hurt on his face when you rejected the affection and comfort he was offering.
“I’m sor-“ The words died in your throat, the sudden almost electric shift in the air making your hair stand on end.
As fast as if you snapped your fingers, Steve was no longer looking at you.
In fact, he wasn’t looking at anything.
Your stomach dropped.
“…Steve?”
Your whisper was tentative, but your step forward was not. Heart thundering in your chest, your eyes roamed his suddenly expressionless face. What the hell was happening?
Gulping, you reached out for his hand with yours; but as you squeezed, his hand remained limp by his side.
“Steve, can you hear me?”
Frustration and shame swiftly forgotten, your fingers slid to his wrist, feeling for his pulse. It fluttered under your touch like a hummingbird; but with how fast your own heart was beating, it might have been that you could feel your own.
You went to a completely different place for a moment there, you recalledhis words, real words, right after you found him observing you with concern rather than pulling you to his bare chest after an intense session of fucking.
Whatever had happened to you, be it blamed on alcohol or anything else, was clearly happening to him now. That or you accidentally triggered some kind of a flashback with the way you had reacted. If you had, you’d never forgive it yourself; but you’d have time to feel like an asshole later. Now, Steve needed your help. Fast.
Except you had no idea what was actually taking place in here, let alone how to solve it.
“Yeah, fuck this game.”
You were not going to stay here another second. Not when Steve, sweet kind Steve who deserved the world, was stuck in some strange trance you might have caused.
You were just about to bang on the door of the closet with all your might when a gasp for air had your head snap back to Steve so quickly you almost gave yourself a whiplash.
Your hands were on his arms to steady him before you could think about it twice. Relief flooded your body when his gaze unmistakably found yours, even if he stared at your wide-eyed, clearly rattled by whatever had just happened.
“Shines?” he rasped, blinking a few times as if to adjust his sight to the darkness again, following the lines of your arms to where you were holding onto him with confusion. You swiftly dropped your hands, his frown only deepening at that.
“Sorry. Are you okay?”
“I--- I think so?”
The uncertainty in his voice and the suddenly unreadable emotion in his face made a lump grow in your throat.
“Yeah, the fact that this sounds more like a question than an answer really tells me you were right,” you stated, feeling small as you saw Steve had trouble finding his footing. As his friend, you had the privilege to see him vulnerable more often than the general public, but that didn’t mean the fact he seemed clueless and slightly lost now was still unsettling. “We should get out of here, right now. You were staring blank ahead for at least a minute. You really scared me, Steve.”
His eyebrows shot up as he learned that was what happened.
“I was…? That’s what-- you scared me too. You were staring into space before too... What happened to you in that time?” Steve queried, gently despite obviously being affected himself. “Do you… do you remember any of it?”
You let out a small distressed noise, heat of shame flooding your body all over again.
Yeah, no. You were not going to tell him what exactly happened, regretfully only in your head.
You rarely lied so blatantly, less so to Steve, but these were desperate times. You’d rather keep at last some of your dignity.
You licked your lips. “I… I just zoned out. And then suddenly you were here, asking if I was sure I was okay. You?”
His eyes searched your face for a moment as if he could sense your lie – or at least lack of complete honesty. Yet, he didn’t press, swallowing loudly instead and giving you a shaky smile.
“…yeah. Yeah, same. That was… strange.”
No kidding. You believed him losing consciousness the way he had was strange indeed.
Except when you zoned out, you dreamed of a world where Steve railed you into oblivion while watching you both in a mirror. Until now, you thought that shoving you against a wall and hauling you up in those enormous arms and railing you like that would be more than enough to satisfy your cravings, but apparently you were wrong. But never mind that, right? You could be flexible… flexible enough, in more ways than just one. God knew sex with a man as fit as Steve might require some stretching.
You licked your lips again, mouth feeling dry at the memory. And yet. It wasn’t all a memory. He still was so close, watching so intently. Almost as if… no.
You laughed without a trace of humour.
“Yeah, well, maybe Stark laced the walls with something when he was closing the door-“ your voice trailed off, eyes growing wide as you entertained the wild thought. “Actually, you know what, I wouldn’t even be surprised.”
Honestly, it would be a perfectly plausible explanation. In fact, you wanted that to be the explanation; it shifted the blame. You and Tony could share the blame for the inappropriate images still flashing in your mind at least.
Not to mention that theorizing was the most welcomed distraction you could get in the tiny space growing hotter by the minute, full of Steve’s masculine scent seeping into your skin and making your underwear even damper by the second.
“Hm…” Steve hummed, intrigued, his concern melting into outrage. “Loki suggested the game and made the closet. Whatever happened could be on him.”
You frowned at the implication, instinctively protective of the god of mischief; Tony was the kind of guy who would pull this kind of shenanigans using precisely the fact Loki might end up being blamed while he’d laugh his ass off.
“Tony didn’t exactly protest, maybe he just jumped at the chance.”
“Hold on a second… do you think they would team up? To deliver some sort of an advanced Halloween prank?”
Your first instinct was to say no. The thought was absurd. Loki and Tony tolerated each other at best, Tony being one of the people having the hardest time forgiving Loki for the destruction he had once caused… when it suited him. Other times… well.
“I’m…” you hesitated, “I’m not sure, actually. But I know I’m not laughing.” For sure.
Steve face was serious as he observed you, worry creeping into his expression again – you only hoped he forgot all about your earlier outburst, even as you were aware that was very unlikely.
“Can’t say I do. Once we’re out, this game is over.”
“Yeah, good idea,” you agreed instantly. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”
He seemed a little flushed, a little shell-shocked still. Then again, you imagined you did too. At least you hoped you did; you hoped Steve couldn’t read you like a book… and you hoped Wanda was smart enough not to enter your mind while you were in here.
Oh god, Wanda.
“Yeah… but that’s only cause it’s not a terrible imposition to be here with you of all people,” Steve said lightly, a ghost of a genuine smile curling up his lips, an unvoluntary smirk passing over yours at his choice of words.
“Well, I’m honoured not to be a terrible imposition to you, Captain,” you sassed, unable to stop the warmth spreading in your chest. “I suppose there are worse people to get stuck with.”
“Such a compliment,” he threw back readily, eyes twinkling. Minutely – and you would swear it – his gaze flickered to your lips.
You heart started racing. You only imagined it. There was no way. Was there? Or…?
“Shines, I… there’s something I think I should tell you,” Steve said slowly, voice turning surprisingly soft.
You blinked, the feeling of déjà-vu hitting you like a train. You had to be dreaming again. There was no way he said those words, not so tenderly, not-
The door opened so suddenly you had to squint against the flood of light; light as harsh as the truth, overtaking all of your senses.
You stumbled out of the tight space with a deep breath, the colder air sobering you up fast.  Whatever Steve was about to say, it didn’t matter; it was probably your mind playing tricks on you again and if it wasn’t, it was probably just words of consolidation he came up with at the spot, an attempt to sooth whatever had bothered you before. Nothing more.
Because whatever you had fantasied about in the closet, it was just that: a fantasy. True, one you weren’t aware you had, but a fantasy nonetheless.
Steve had long moved on from asking you out two years ago. Whatever could have been, you had missed your chance then; he was just being friendly. He tried to offer comfort, because that was what he did. Even when you hurt him by your rejection of it, even when he was rattled himself by whatever he had experienced, he tried to comfort you again what could be two minutes later, because that was what good friends did.
Not a terrible imposition – that was what he said, after all. Even as you knew he probably chose the words on purpose to distract you and amuse you, it was not exactly a declaration of love. There was nothing but friendship between you, not from his side and that meant you would keep it that way unless you were ready to risk it all.
Which was going to be never.
As Steve firmly announced that the game was over, contrary to the booing from several Avengers, you wondered what it would take to rename the stupid activity to Seven Minutes in Hell.
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Part 2
Steve Rogers masterlist 
Complete masterlist
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Thank you for reading 🥰 I hope you had fun! Leave feedback if you have the energy and time, we love interaction in this house💕
I suppose this is where you could end it, but you won't find the what the heck actually happened and how - and what will happen next 👀 I hope to post part 2 soon since it's almost done 🎃 If you enjoyed and wish to be tagged, let me know :)
Prompt: 7 Minutes in… Where?: You know the game. Only when you and your significant other are locked in the closet for 7 minutes, you’re transported somewhere else.
Many thanks for Jamie for hosting this challenge and stirring this sleepy fandom to life 🥰
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satureja13 · 1 month
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Beltane - Part 4 It all starts -> here (incl prequel)
The Boys spend a wonderful day together and it was so good to see Noxee again (and even Greg ;) They'd been on their own in the Otherworld (only with Arturo from time to time) for months now. Time for the fireworks and 'traditional' (says Greg) Beltane Canons before Ji Ho's spell fades!
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Noxee looks so beautiful. (The way Greg looks at her <3)
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And then the 'traditional' Beltane Fire broke out! (We also had a fire at Beltane last year...) The whole Beltane 2023 episodes are -> here
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Greg to Jack: "Is this your fault?" Jack: "What? No!" (of course it is -.-)
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The spell faded slowly and it's time to part. Greg, Jeb, Kiyoshi and Vlad will stay here, at Hotel Elvis, and Noxee, Jack and Saiwa will spend the night at the Campeggio (campsite), where the Boys had spent their last summer holidays. Before they left, Vlad went over to them to charge the Bond. He felt that Ji Ho will need more than the usual today because he is so exhausted from the ride and the spell. But he wasn't with the others.
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Vlad: "Where is he?"
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Saiwa: "We brought him to your room. He's too tired to make it all the way up to the campeggio. You will care for him. Properly." Vlad: "What? I told you I wont go any further with him! The spell is still affecting me. If I have to be near him, alone with him - I am not that strong. When he tries to kiss me again..." Saiwa: "He's your bonded and you already did anything imaginable with him! Ji Ho did everything so we can spend this day together! You know he's the most sensible of us and how much he suffers because we are apart from each other! We are going to do our best to be together again with the help from Tiny Can and the Therapy Game and until then, Ji Ho's well-being is your concern!"
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Saiwa: "Have a good night!" Vlad to Jack: "Stay with us!" Jack chuckles: "Vlad. I love you - but I won't do that. He needs you." Saiwa: "Let's go, Jack!"
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Vlad sighed and went upstairs to their room. He refuses to get physical with Ji Ho as long as he is not able to love him. But Vlad also knows how much Ji Ho longs for physical intimacy with him. When Vlad entered the room, he found Ji Ho collapsed on the floor. He was so exhausted, he must have been trying to take a shower to hydrate but it wasn't enough. They need to charge the bond. Thoroughly.
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Ji Ho knows that Vlad is only reluctantly charging the Bond and refuses any interaction that involves anything romantic until he's able to love him.
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Vlad approached Ji Ho to embrace him to charge the Bond. Ji Ho: "Vlad. This won't be enough - I tried everything to avoid it but I..." Vlad: "Don't worry. Come."
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Ji Ho: "Forgive me." Vlad: "Shh."
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It's the same room where Jeb and Sai spent their second date!
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Ji Ho: "I will be yours, I promise." Vlad: "I know. Don't worry. Do whatever is necessary for you to heal. I will be fine." Ji Ho: "Wait for me." Vlad: "Always." (They are speaking of Ji Ho's ingame wedding with Caleb.)
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'How many beautiful baths together and alter in the night Close, close I shiver a bit Don't try to deny that tonight, if I insist I will have you So small and fragile you seem to me and I'm making a mistake
So small next to me. And fragile, or not. But you're more strong than I am'
'Quanti bagni mozzafiato insieme e poi di sera vicino vicino a me tremi un pò Non cercare di negare che stasera magari se insisto io ti avrò.
Così piccola e fragile mi sembri tu e sto sbagliando di più. Così piccola accanto a me e fragile o no ma in fondo sei molto più forte di me!'
Piccola e Fragile - Drupi
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Outtakes
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Here they laughed together <3
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Until Ji Ho got a message from Leander ^^'
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No festival without chaos...
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Them :3
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From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest Current Chapter: 🕹️ 'The One' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28
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bubbles-lounge · 7 months
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!Their Younger Sibling!
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Summary: You had successfully escaped you're older brothers and you one and only friend Azul(Or how reader calls him Zuzu). You had were texting Yuu about meeting him with his friends, the ones you met before heading for you're brothers, and Azul. What will their reactions be?
A/N: Part 1 There's mention of a bag, you pick how the bag looks and what type of bag it is. Debating on making a series of the octavillene trio having reader keep running off and befriending the main cast. Remember to look after yourself and get rest!! Enjoy.
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You put you're phone in you're bag as you looked around you making sure you're brothers nor Azul were near. You weren't worried about the other students too much since you have similar speed and strength to you're brothers, although abit weaker than them. Once you were sure they weren't near you stood up and ran for the botanical gardens, keeping an eye out for any of the first years you saw with Yuu or Yuu himself.
You eventually reached the botanical gardens, looking around for Yuu and the rest of his friends. Spotting them not to far you walk up to them.
"Hey, Yuu!"
Yuu turned around to see you smiling at him as he waved at you.
"(Name), You got here fast!"
You chuckled abit as the other first years saw and recognised you from earlier that day. You remembered each of their names roughly, the one you think was juice?? No, Deuce!
"Hey There, Your (Name), the leech twins younger sibling, right? We met you earlier on today!" Deuce smiled at you and extended a hand for a handshake.
"Yes, that would be me! You're Deuce if I'm correct." You shook his hand as he nods confirming you was right. It was bit awkward for you, not because of the people but because of the socializing. The only friend you'd ever had was Zuzu, so it felt awkward but they all seemed pretty laidback.
They all introduced themselves, Sebek seems to be loud constantly, though you were used to Floyds random yelling so it wasn't too bad. They are a lively bunch, it was quite enjoyable, your awkwardness and anxiety went quickly as you hangout with them.
"Hey (Name)."
You look over at Jack as he approaches you, you've noticed he is quite sensible probably the most sensible here.
"Yea? What's wrong?" You stare at him confused as he scratches the back of his neck and looks away.
"Don't take this badly towards you're brothers but, you're not really like them, you know? I mean it in the sense you not as terrifying as you're brothers make themselves nor do you try and make you're self unsettling like them."
Jack was now looking at me in an almost confused manner as you laugh abit at the statement Jack made. You weren't offended to be honest, you just found it funny how right he was. Epel had joined the conversation and agreed with Jack, you replied to them.
"Well, I try not to appear unsettling or anything of the sort. I'm here for abit and my brothers are protective of me. I've never actually had a friend that wasn't Azul. Its only been us four basically my entire life..."
You look at Jack and Epel sheepishly, it felt weird to tell others about you're brothers way of looking after you. It almost felt wrong to be talking to these guys, but you pushed those feelings away and looked at them. The others had at some point had joined the conversation as they looked at you with pity.
"You've never had anybody out of those three??! That must be tough...We're your friends now! Therefore you now have people out of those three!" Deuce wrapped an arm around you're shoulders as the others seemed to agree.
"Yeah, you don't seem so bad, what harm could it do?" Yuu smiled at you confidently.
You smiled at them all, this was nice. Having a group of friends like this was nice...Your phone buzzed ruining the moment of happiness you felt, you only had 5 contacts outside of the people currently around you, 2 of those contacts were your parents but they had already told you they wouldn't text you until you did a week at NRC, the other 3 were you're brothers and Zuzu. You got caught, shit.
The others look at your panicked face as you run over to your bag, they question what's wrong.
"My brothers and Azul know I left the monstro lounge. They said I wasn't to leave due to the people at this school not being trustworthy enough for me to even talk to."
The others looked at you with concern, until Ace spoke up.
"They do that?! They stop you from interacting with people like at all?!"
I nod my head as I search my bag for my phone, you grab it quickly and look at their texts.
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After you had read their texts and you felt sick to you're stomach you shoved you're phone into you're bag and threw the bag onto you're shoulder as Sebek yelled.
"THATS UTERLLY WRONG. YOU'RE STRENGTH OUT DOES THE NORMAL HUMANS STREGTH. THERES NO REASON FOR THEM TO DO THAT!!"
You don't stay around much longer as you bolt for monstro lounge. You slam open the door but make sure not to scare any customers, you dint need those three anymore angry than they already are.
You think back to what Sebek said about being inhumanly strong like you brothers, it does make sense why they d-, you're thoughts were stopped by the tap on you shoulder looking at the person to see you brothers. Floyd grabs you and drags you into the V.I.P room and puts you on the couch as he starts going on about how you weren't meant to leave this place and you could have gotten hurt. Jade interrupted Floyd and looked at you.
"Elver. Did you speak to anyone?"
Jades voice was stern, you knew damn well that you couldn't avoid answer him. Not with Floyd and Azul right by.
"Yes..."
You watched there faces morph into disbelief. Now Azul and Floyd were yelling about how you're meant to stay by their side and not run off to talk with others. That's all they could yell about, not only did you leave monstro lounge like a normal human but you talked with others. Jade just let them go off at you, you don't think you've see him so angry. You knew this was the punishment, you knew they would tighten security on you.
You decide that, they aren't gonna stop you. You were 16 for fucks sake! a year younger than them. You not gonna sit idle by their side and alone, not when you now have friends. Of course you weren't gonna tell them that you just looked at the floor and listened to their yelling.
This will be an interesting time at NRC...
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asmutwriter · 2 months
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Are You Scared Yet? (Part 1)
DESCRIPTION: You're a new student at your university. You were smart and dedicated to learning. But every uni student gets up to some crazy things, right?
A/N - I have work tomorrow and instead of going to sleep for my day I'm here writing a fan fic. I make very sensible choices.
WORD COUNT: 2245
Next / Master List
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WARNINGS: Reader is an introvert/anti social, mild cussing (bloody/Jesus), reader is a little judgy, mentions of drinking, mentions of sex/nudity
DISCLAIMERS
This is fiction. Please always talk to your partner before doing anything and make sure they are ok with what you are doing beforehand
Not been proof read
You take a deep breath. Living on campus was new to you so you were quite nervous to say the least. Going into the dorm rooms you hear people chatting around you. Finding your room number. 16. Opening it with the new key you had. You shut the door behind you. Placing your rucksack down onto the chair in your new room.
You’d not been in education for about a year at this point. Having had a gap year to do some exploring so you had to get back into the mindset of doing if. You rst your head back as the door knocks. SOmeone walks in "Oh hey!" your roommate says. Her bubbly personaltiy being a surprise based on the rudeness of some of the other dorm people that you’d bumped into. "Im Lucky" she comes over to you. Hugging you. You gently pat her back before she moves away. Resting a hand on her hip she eyes you up and down.
Your oversized hoodie and jeans being a contrast to her mini skirt and tight shirt. Both leaving very little to the imagination. You wihs you had the confidence to wear something like that. "Im Luna"
"Oh that is a beautiful name" she says, cuaisng you to smile. SHe hugs you again "I think we're going to be best friends" she says. ALmost squealing as she moves away from the hug. "What is it that you're studying?"
"Art and drama"
"Oh my friend did that last year. I tried but got bored. Everything I do mildly creative ends up looking like a toddler did it” you let out a soft chuckle
“So does mine but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to do it”she laughs “what do you do instead then?”
“I do psychology"
"Thats cool. I was debating doing it but decided against it” a knock at the door stops your conversation as she looks owards it
"come in". she says. SOmeone walks in.
"Lucky do you want to come see my new room?" she nods, looking at you as she stands
"DO you want to come?"
"No Im ok tha k you. Ive got to unpack" she looks at your singular rucksack but nods
"ALright then. See you later" she smiles before walking off. You grab your bag. Taking out your various items. Your diary, book, clothes, etc. SOrting it all out onto your bed before putting it away properly on your side of the room.
Youd moved in on the Saturday. Sunday having a few induction days or various groups you could join. Then Monday being peoples first day at uni. Now it was Sunday. After a night in reading yur book. Your roommate coming in during the early hours of the morning, very drunk. You got up early and explored the grounds. Going over to a stall with various cakes and such on it.
You hear someone letting out a groan beside you. "Hi there Luna"
"Did someone have a good time last night?" you look at Lucky standing next to you. Sunglasses on despite the dark weather. SHe nods. Taking the glasses off as she looks at you. A black eye adorning her face. "Jesus what happened to you?"
"I had a terrible fight. With the floor. ANd lost" you let out a slight chuckle as she picks up one of the cupcakes. The lady at the stall going to speak but she shushes her. Walking off. You grab out a fiver from your purse, placig it down and mouthing 'sorry' to her. Catching up with your new friend. SHe bites down into the cake, a moan escaping her lips as she speaks with her mouth full "That is a bloody good cake". SHe looks at you, swallowing before talking again "what did you get up to last ngiht?"
"Nothing in particualr. I read my book, had a shower, then went to bed"
"You should come out with me tonight"
"I have classes early tomorrow morning so I really shouldnt"
"Oh come on. Itll be fun!" she grabs your arm "I can introduce you to some of my friends. I think you'll like one of them. Hes handsome and he likes books to. Plus you have similar fashion tastes. Oh lets look over here" SHe drags you over to a stall. Making small talk with the person behind it. You both go round to the rest of the stalls. Meeting a couple of her other friends.
The day going past quckly. You manage to convicne your new friend to stay in the night. Inviting her and two of her other friends rund. You stay up till quite late. Talking about a whole variety of things. Sadly things that didnt overly interest you. Boys you found cute. WHat lipstick shade was the best. Hair products. Although you found the conversation lacking in intellect you enjoyed the girls company so engaged in the talk with them.
You found one of the girls was also doing art. So you agreed to walk to class together. Her name was Hope. Sitting next to her in class, you found she had a lot higher intellegence then you initially thought when yo first met her. ACtually having a decent conversation with her until your professor walked in. Then every brain cell she seemed to have rotted away as she practicly stared at her. A young woman. Probably early thirties. Eyeliner perfect, hair styled in a way that looked both messy yet neat. You chuckle slightly. You were unaware that this new friend of yours swung that way, and this was certainly an interesting and entertaining way to find out.
"Please can you all call me Destiny. I would go about the formality of you using my doctorate name but we are here to make art. Not have a tea party with the queen. So-" she says. "I want everyone to pick up their pens. Pencils. Paints. Paper mache. WHatever you need to make a piece that says 'I am me'. You have the rest of the day. I will be judging them when you all go home to some sort of party Im sure"
You pick grab out your sketch book and pencils. Starting to trace your art piece. Noticing your friend still drooling over your teacher. You nudge her. Cuasing her to fall out of the trance. SHe looks at you. Her face turning a wonderful shade of tomato red.
"How much of that did you get?"
"Soemthing about her being our destiny"
"Ok then" you laugh. Explaing to your love stricken friend what she needs to do.
Once she listened she started her piece, as did you. You did a simple piece of work. A black and white picture of yourself. Behind it a mass of colour. Tryng to show that although you appeared dull on the outside, you had a lot of fun to show to those who got to know you.
Hope links an arm with you as you leave the lecture. "Are you coming to the party tonight?"
"You know that we're here for education right? ANd npt to drink ourselves to death"
"Oh come on"
"Ive got a very good book and a film to watch though"
"You can do that any day"
"I can have a party any day" she rolls her eyes.
"Come for like... an hour. If you dont like it then you can go back to your room"
"Fine..."
"Yay!" she exclaims. "I'll be round to take ypu and Lucky at 9. SPeak of the devil!" Lucky walks up to you both. Linking an arm with you on the other side. "I was just telling Luna about our party tonight"
"Youre coming?"
"I am" she squeals. Hugging you close to her. You gently pack her back. "You can borrow one of my dresses if youd like?"
"Oh no. Im not wearing a dress"
"Yes. Yes you are" you give her an uncomfortable look "At least wear a skirt".
"Skirt but a hoodie. ANd tights"
"Deal" she holds her hand out for you to shake. To which yo do.
If this was a movie. There would be a cheesy dress up montage. WHere the popluar girl takes off your glasses and straitens your hair and your suddenly beautiful. But this isnt a movie, so you settle with them doing their makeup in your room. Playing various pop music on their 'top of the charts' CD. Putting some mascara on your, as well as a deep blue skirt paired with a grey hoodie and black tights.
You get to the partry. You stand awkwardly in the corner. Watching men and woman get more and more drunk. With each drink they seem to strip too. Leaving a lot of half naked people around you.
Lucky stuck by your side for the first hour. Getting herself drinks. She had gone off to get drinks some more 20 minutes ago and hadnt returned. Hope stuck by your side though. Not drinking, joining you in a joint sober. You did start to enjoy yourself. You were planning on going for an hour but ended up staying for 2. Not a long time compafred to most people but for you, it was a lot of time to socialise.
So you bid your friend farewell. Telling her that you were grwing tired and would see her in class the following day. SHe agrees. Seeming happy that you had a good time. Sad to see you go but understood how introverted you are.
You head back to your dorm room. WHen you get there you see a tie firmly tied around the door handle. Now, you werent necersarily the most outgong person you knew. But you did know what that meant. So you turn tail. Annoyed that your friends had managed to convince you to not take your tote bag with you book in. You guess youd check the university library and see if they had anything in there to read.
Thankfully the library was run by book enthusiasts so was open 24/7. You go inside. Smiling at the lady at the desk as she smiles back to you. You idle down the rows of books. Seeing if any screamed out at you. You found one in the fantasy isle. Picking it up you turn it to read the blurb.
"Id recomoend this book instead" a voice says. Making you jump back at the suddeness of a male voice. You thought it was only you and the librarian (who was a female). "Sorry, didnt mean to startle you"
"No. No its fine. I just wasnt expecting anyine else to be here" you say. Now that you were over your initial scare you take a look at the man. Dark hair contrasting his vibrant blue eyes. Glasses sat comfortably on his nose as he wears a blazer over a vest shirt.
"I wasnt expectinh to see anyone else either. Normally its just me here reading up on studies". DUe to his youthful featrues yete his smart attire you couldnt tell if he meant in a professor or a student kind of study. He seemed to be able to tell your confusion as he continues speaking. "I work here". He outsteetches his hand towards you. "Professor Crane". Yiu take his hand.
"Luna. Like the moon. Ironic given that I often suffer from insomnia" he chuckles. "What do you study then professor?"
"Psychology"
"No way. My friend is studying that! Lucky... I dont know her last name"
"Yes. I know Lucky" he smiles. Obviously not overly impressed by the name drop. "WHat do you study then? Assuming you do come here and havnt just decided to sneak into a unis library"
"I stidy art. Not quite the level of psychology but still good fun".
"WHat made you come here rather then go out and party?"
"I was at a party but I decided to go back to my dorm". He looks around the library. "Oh no. There was a tie on my dorm door. I know how promiscous my roommate is so I just decided to leave her to it".
"Ahh. Well, if your wanting something to read whilst you wait then Id recomend this" he turns. Taking out a book from the shelf and handing it to you. You take it from him, turning it over to read the blurb. "Its a very good stroy line with some strong characters"
"Ive read this author before. Hes a good writer". You place it atop the oteer one youre still holding. "Ill add it to the pile"
"What book is that one?" he motions to the one your holding. "I saw you get it from the fantasy section"
"Its part of a series I read. Not read this one rhoufh. Its about an angel who solves crimes. Using his powers to force people to tell the truth"
"Sounds..."
"Utterly insane?"
"I was going to say interesting but yeah, that sums it uo better" he smiles. "I have taken up enough of your time. I imagine that you are wanting to get back to your reading. So I shall leave you to it Miss Luna. I hope you enjoy your books. And I hope tat your roommate lets you back into your dorm at some point tonight"
"If not then Im sure the librarian wont mind me camping out here" you joke. Causing him to let out a laugh. Adjusting his brief case before turning and walking out.
Next
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jellyfishsthings · 6 months
Text
My lips. Your lips. Apocalypse.
Warnings: angst, smut
part 1
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A whole eternity seems to pass instead of mere hours, until he wakes up. He looks all around him, bleary-eyed. His eyes land on me and the gun I am holding and naturally he panics trying to move to cover himself up only to notice that his hands are tied to the bed.
"You know." He says it as a statement and not as a question. I simply nod, unable to frame my thoughts. "Are you going to turn me in?" He asks in a scared voice.
Thing is that Hydes are manipulative and completely controlled by their urges and yet… all I see is Tyler. My Tyler. So I nod negative. "Will you let me go? What are you going to do to me?"
"I don't know." I whisper." I have been sitting here for over three hours trying to find a solution but I am still empty-handed."
I hear the front door shut loudly and after that.
"Tyler, what did I say about taking out the trash."
I quickly unlock his handcuffs and quickly get out of the window running at full speed into the forest, until my lungs give out. Supporting myself in a tree bark as I take deep breaths. That's when I feel a hard chest press me to the tree, gluing my front and turning my head to the side. My breaths are uneven and panicky, yet I still pick up his scent, coffee with a smidge of his cologne.
"How-"
"I run fast. Now I want you to stay still and listen. Can you do that for me?" He whispers in my ear, as his breath fans my upper neck. I try to push backwards and free myself. That's when I feel something hard pressing in my backside and my cheeks flame. He presses me harder and I whine in protest." What did I just say huh? Do you see what you are doing to me?" My frantic beating heart seems to be trying to escape my ribcage.
A part of me rebels at that, Tyler wants me. But the more sensible part of me is scared out of his mind because as I let my mind slip into his, turning my eyes into a deep midnight blue, I see everything Ms Thornhill and everything she has done to him. So I make a fast decision in a slip of a second.
As I turn my head towards him as much as possible and mutter " Do something about it then."
He manhandles me, spinning me so to face him. Attacking my lips and tearing apart my shirt, exposing my bra-covered chest. His head dips down sucking mouthfuls of my neck and my chest and then somehow locating my nipples, wetting the thin material of my bra to pinpoint them and then sucking them, creating an amazing friction. My eyes well up as he slowly draws my bra straps down my arms, and attacks my nipples once again, paying them a special tribute, sucking licking and lightly biting them, being encouraged by my breathy moans.
I grab the hem of his t-shirt and feel up his strongly defined pecs, his midriff and then the v between his hips. Eager to see the rest of him. He chuckles and unbuttons my pants, letting them drop to my feet. He waits until I step out of them and grabs my thighs, easily lifting me up as my legs wrap around his waist. He lowers his pants and boxers and grabs my panties by the waistline. He draws them up slightly until they are snug against my entrance and then in one quick motion he tears them to shreds.
He grabs the head of his cock, running his finger over his tip and guides it towards my center. He looks me dead in the eyes and enters me in one swift motion. My tears finally spring free as I gasp at the feeling of him. I am filled to the brim, and despite the pain it feels amazing. He quickly starts moving, snapping his hips fast and hard. The force of his movements is so much that my back is moving up and down the tree bark, and it surely leaves red marks in its wake.
My hands latch to his shoulders, keeping him impossibly close, and he grabs handfuls of my ass, using it as leverage to bounce my on his cock. My moans are loud and borderline pornographic as he hits all the right spots. Before I know it my stomach contracts and my pussy tightens around him, resulting in the curses that fly out of his mouth. I am so close, and he knows it. I am ready to let go as I feel a sharp pain in my ass cheek.
"You cum when I say so. Understand princess?" He punctuates the question with a couple of spanks and I squeal in delight as my back arches and my tits land in the front of his face. He takes full advantage of that, wrapping his lips around one of my nipples once more.
"Tyler please." I sob. His answering chuckles are muffled by my breast. His thrusts soon after turn sloppy and lose their rhythm.
"Let go for me" he whispered into my skin and that is exactly what I do. I see stars under my eyelids. And pant as his forehead rests against my own. I slowly regain my senses and most importantly my composure, as I open my eyes and find his loving stare and giddy smile. I feel my heart tore open as tears run down my face and collect in my chin. His expression turns into a confused one as he sees my tears and asks. "What's wrong princess?"
"I am sorry Tyler. I love you." I say as my eyes turn once again midnight blue. I slowly collect his memories, those that include Thornhill, those that include me and turn them into ash. I make him forget and instead plant the idea of the High-strung academy, the one that accepts mythical creatures as students, the one he will be safe. His body slowly sags against mine as he loses his sense while his brain rebuts. My feet fall to the ground, they are weak but they still hold up my weight. I dressed us up and I let him rest against the tree. That beautiful mahogany tree.
My torn shirt does little to protect me from the cold weather, but I pay no attention to it. I walk fast, with a purpose as I find my phone in my pocket and I dial a number. I hear it ring a couple of times before I hear an answer.
"Hello this is the Jerico police department. What is your emergency?"
"I found a boy in the woods please. Come quickly."
"Alright ma'am tell me exactly were you -"
I cut the line short and hide behind some bushes.
He is still visible from here. The police cars soon arrive and find him. Their Sheriff's son, he is safe. That's what matters. I wait until they disappear, only then do I allow myself to break in tears. Only then do I realize that I lost him forever.
words: 1.078
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writingonleaves · 4 months
Text
things you never said (things you'll never say to me) - nico hischier
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pairing: nico hischier x original female character
warnings: swearing, sadness, angst, not my traditional fluff folks, very little dialogue, kinda a ramble disguised into a piece lol, google translated german, projection?? is that a valid warning
inspired by + title: "things i wish you said" by sabrina carpenter
word count: 2.8k
author's note: got into my feels randomly for this (incredible) song and decided to write something with it. also a part of @wyattjohnston 's lowkey loverfest 2k24!! hope you all enjoy this melancholy ride and please let me know what you think <3
*****
Nico Hischier has always been a leader. 
You ask anyone in Naters or Bern who knew him growing up and they would say the same thing — he’s a polite, young boy with so much talent and a sensible mind. He may be the youngest of three, but everyone’s always turned to Nico for guidance. With a calming voice paired with a warm smile, it’s rare for Nico to steer anyone wrong. 
And he sees it in himself too. Even when he was a rookie, when the C stitched into his jersey was only a blurred dream, he still felt like he had to lead by example. No one was expecting that of him, he knows that now, but he was a first overall pick, the weight of a losing team’s hopes on his shoulders. If he crumbled, those supporters’ hopes fell with him. His own hope would fall with him. 
It took a few years, a pandemic, another first overall pick, a shit ton of roster changes, a new coach and other things to walk into a locker room that wasn’t used to losing. And Nico prides himself as being a leader in that transition. C on his jersey or not, he would’ve done it. Because he doesn’t know how not to.
Leanna always said he didn’t know how to turn it off. 
When Nico had first met Leanna Spritz, it honestly was one of the worst first impressions he’s ever given. It was the morning after a brutal 6-1 loss against the fucking Flyers. The final score itself was bad, but the fact that it was against the Flyers rubbed more salt into the wound. He knew Lindy was gonna bag skate them all to hell and back the morning after and he just really wanted his cappuccino before to take away some of the bitterness. 
All up in his head, he had crashed literally into Leanna. Before they both could comprehend, her cold brew had spilled. Somehow, Nico got away with an unnoticeable splash on his hoodie and no spillage from his own drink. But Leanna wasn’t so lucky. Her brown sweater wasn’t dark enough to hide the fact that half of her cold brew was on it while the other spilled to the ground. 
“Fuck,” Nico had exclaimed, eyes widening and darting between her now coffee stained sweater, the empty cup on the ground and her red hair that only glistened with the sun rays. “Shit! I am so sorry. That’s totally my fault.”
Leanna had waved him away with a small chuckle as she dug into her purse for stray napkins. Far too nice for someone who now had coffee all over them because of him. “It’s okay. Mistakes happen.”
Nico looked at his watch and grimaced. Shit. He was going to be late to practice. And that would be even worse than usual with their horrible performance the night before. “Listen. I really want to buy you a coffee to make up for my clumsiness, but I’m gonna be late to work and-”
Leanna had nodded in understanding, lips quirked up. “Don’t worry about it. Promise. Go. Don’t be late for work.”
He had been so frazzled that all he remembered doing was blurting out another apology before practically running away, partially from embarrassment but also because he really did have to go. 
A week later, Nico went back to the coffee shop. In the back of his mind was the redhead who he still owed a coffee to. But Nico’s also realistic and he knew he’d probably never see her again. 
While he was patiently waiting in the long line, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He braced himself to interact with a fan, but turned around and was pleasantly surprised by who he did see. 
“I thought that was you,” she had said, pink beanie over her hair and a twinkle in her eye. “Not going to spill coffee again on me, are you? I’m wearing white today.”
Nico swallowed before his brain turned back on and he grinned. “Good eye. And no. I promise I’ll be less clumsy today. And I’m less in a rush.” They were next in line to order and he ordered first before turning to her. She had tried to deny him but he just raised an eyebrow until she gave the barista her order. 
“I’m really sorry again,” Nico said as they had shuffled out of line to wait for their drinks. “I hope the sweater didn’t stain.”
Leanna waved him off with her bright smile. “That sweater has been through too much for some coffee to ruin it. You don’t need to worry, Captain.”
Nico had been shocked that she knew who he was, which, in hindsight, is dumb. He’s not Jack, but he gets recognized a good amount around New Jersey still.
He cleared his throat. “Nico is fine.”
She smiled. “Okay, Nico. Well, I’m Leanna. Thank you for paying for my coffee. You didn’t have to, by the way, especially to clear your conscience.”
“That’s not why-well, it is. But I also, uh, are you in a rush?”
Nico remembers that day so well still, his English failing him despite living in North America for over five years as he basically asked Leanna on their first date right there and then. He remembers being thankful that she took some pity on him with her sweet smile and led them to a table. He probably would’ve stood there stuttering like a fool if she didn’t cut in.
“Nico?”
Nico blinks himself out of his memories as Jack walks into his living room. Sometimes he questions if he should’ve given Jack a key. 
“Hey. What’s up?”
“We have skate,” Jack gives him a look. “Dude, take a shower. Quickly. Or we’ll be late.”
“Right,” Nico says, stumbling over to the shower. As the water’s warming up, his eyes stop at a purple bottle tucked in the corner of the sink. Hair oil. Leanna always joked that she couldn’t live without it. His hands twitch to reach for the bottle just so he can smell the grapefruit scent, but he forces himself into the shower instead. 
He can hear Nina’s voice so clearly. Throw it away, she’d say in their mother-tongue that realistically Nico will never not be fluent in but sometimes is scared will slip away. Nina liked Leanna a lot, actually, the one time they met when she came to Jersey to visit last year. But Nina is also Nico’s sister, and cursed her name many times when Nico called her crying, waking her up in the middle of the night. She had stayed on the phone with him for three hours, letting him cry.
He forces himself to take a shower. To wake up a bit and shift his focus to the upcoming skate and game tonight. They’re playing the Rangers, which is just always a grind. He needs to be all in.
Nico keeps to himself while getting ready for practice, putting on his gear quietly while his teammates chatter about something or another around him. He speaks quickly to the equipment team about his skates and smiles in thanks. He catches a whiff of the perfume of their head of PR as she walks past in the hallway, and Nico swallows. 
Realistically, he knows it’s not the same one. But it’s floral and smells like jasmine, so it might as well be. 
As he’s driving home, he has the radio down low. He was never the one to fuss about putting his music on in the car. Because the world just works like that, a song that he doesn’t know the title to comes on. He hums along, because Leanna always played this song.
Instinctively, his fingers twitch to reach out to someone who won’t ever be in his passenger seat ever again. He can hear her voice, her thigh under his palm. It’s not safe to drive with one hand, she’d say with an amused laugh interlaced in her voice. He would always roll his eyes before giving her thigh a squeeze and keeping his hand there for the majority of their journey. 
He remembers that sentence bringing him comfort when they were driving to her sister’s house in upstate New York. He was scared shitless to meet her whole family for the first time to celebrate her cousin’s birthday. It was below freezing point outside, but his hands were so clammy that one would’ve thought it was summer. 
Leanna had put her hand in his hair at the nape of his neck. He had immediately calmed down. 
He swears if he focuses hard enough he can still smell the green tea shampoo Leanna used. It was always interesting to him, because the first thing he would think of when he saw her flaming red hair wasn’t green tea. It deserved something more bold attached to it. Like orange. Or vanilla. Or coconut.
Because Leanna was exactly that. Bold. Bright. Crashing into the lives of everyone in her path with her bright smile, loud laughter and a personality that sucked you in. 
Nico stops at a red light and absentmindedly looks to the right. His breath catches at the sight of a woman walking a beagle. Leanna always said that once she was more settled down, a beagle was the kind of dog she wanted to get, just like the dog she had by her side throughout her whole childhood. 
At one point, Nico had thought she meant settling down in Jersey. Never did she give the indication while they were together that she had meant London. 
He couldn’t force himself to unfollow Leanna on Instagram after the break-up. He catches himself way too often seeing if she still follows him. She does. And she even likes his posts most of the time. He checks.
Nico shouldn’t be surprised. Even though she cried so much when they broke up and he couldn’t handle it, through tears, she wished him nothing but the best. Even as she was actively breaking his heart.
As he pulls into the parking garage for his apartment complex, he kills the engine and just sits there. He should be focusing on the game tonight. Focusing on how they need to stop taking stupid penalties. Focusing on their positioning in the offensive zone. 
You think too much, honey. Leanna would say, kissing his forehead twice, something she started doing to calm him down. You just need to play hockey. Least that’s what you always tell me. Everything else will follow. 
And he would never admit it out loud — especially to Jonas — but he still repeats those words in his head. He’s not sure if it works, but it’s like a mantra. A routine. And hockey players know more than anyone how important routines are and how difficult they are to change. 
It’s been two months and three days. It’s annoying that Nico can still hear her voice in his head, clear as day. He hopes one day he’lll never be able to remember. But he also dreads the day that he’ll forget what she sounds like. 
He walks up into his apartment and pours out a glass of water, downing it in one go. The sun’s out for the first time in two weeks, and a small smile spills on his lips as he admires the sunlight through his glass windows. His eyes shift to a spot on one of the tables by the window on the right, where it seems like something is shining. His curiosity takes over and he walks over, a reminder popping into his brain that he needs to dust his apartment. Why does dust accumulate so quickly anyways? 
His stomach drops. One of her combs placed nonchalantly behind one of his plants. The shine is coming from the light hitting the red hair caught between the bristles. 
What the fuck?
Nico closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before hastily grabbing the comb and tossing it into the trash. She never officially moved in with him, but she was around the apartment enough to leave some things lying around here and there. He thought he had thrown everything out. Or more accurately, he trusted Jesper, Timo and Jack to do it for him during a particularly bad Saturday afternoon two weeks after everything fell to shit. 
He checks the time and sighs. He needs to nap or else everything will be thrown off. Checking his phone to make sure no one needs him, he plugs it in to charge by his bedside, ignoring a text from Nina he’ll answer when he wakes up.
It’s a text she sends a few times a week when she senses that her younger brother’s having a harder day. From almost 4,000 miles, she still knows. Nico’s always loved his sister, but he’s never felt more grateful to have her as he has in these last few months. 
eins zu zehn?? ❤️
One to ten, it translates to. On a scale of one to ten, how shitty or good are you feeling about it today? 
Nico sighs, responds back with a 6, and wills his mind to rest. 
Somehow, he wakes up decently well rested to his alarm. He stays in bed a few extra minutes, getting his mindset ready for gametime. He chooses to wear the gray three piece suit tonight. One of his more fancier fits. It is the Rangers, after all. 
It was Leanna’s favorite suit of his. She always joked he “ruined the look” when he slapped on his beloved white beanie. I love your hair. I wish you’d show it off more, she’d say.
He digs out the beanie from his clean laundry. 
He always leaves an hour or so to himself before he has to go to the rink. He usually spends it tidying up or doing things around his place to clear his head so he can come back after the game and just crash. 
Today, he replays the breakup in his mind. Or what he remembers of it, since he blocked a lot of it out. 
When you picture your future, do you see me in it at all? He had choked out, holding Leanna’s hands in his for what was the last time. 
It hadn’t helped that she had also been crying as she said her next words. Neeks, baby. It’s not you, it’s me. And I hate that I’m pulling that out, but it’s true. Maybe this isn’t the right time for us. 
Why can’t it be? Nico had said. Why can’t we make it work?
Maybe in the future, if things are different. She had said, biting her trembling lip. But even then, Nico knew they were empty promises. She’s too stubborn of a person to not bend the world her way. She just doesn’t want Nico to be a part of that world.
It’s not fair, he knows that realistically, but oftentimes he wonders if she ever loved him at all. That thought especially rode his mind after he saw her post a story on Instagram earlier last week. It was clearly a soft launch, with her hand in the hand of some faceless guy over dinner. Nico ended up scoring two goals that night out of sheer adrenaline and anger. 
Because all he’s ever wanted was for Leanna Spritz to be happy. Even now. Even after all of this. Even if it’s not with him. 
But fuck, she’s clearly moving on. Why can’t he?
He blinks, collapsing on his couch in the living room and staring at the wall. The last time he heard from her was a month ago, when he had gone down after a rough hit during a game against Minnesota. He ended up only being out for the next two games, but the hit hadn’t been pretty. His chest had taken the brunt of the damage. Everyone, including him, had been relieved that it wasn't more serious.
While he was getting checked out by the trainers the next morning, his phone had buzzed and he almost threw up. 
Leanna Spritz✨
I saw the hit last night. Hope you’re okay. Listen to the trainers. 
Nico was angry. What right did she have to text him that? 
But then, he just felt sad. That bottomless pit in his stomach opened up. He felt nothing but emptiness. 
His phone buzzes, this time with a text from Timo, and Nico takes a deep breath. It’s game time. No more crying over his ex-girlfriend. 
As he’s sliding on his beanie in the bathroom, he catches sight of the hair oil again. He picks it up, smells it, before throwing it in the trash. It lands on the bottom of the can with a final thud. He clicks all the lights off, makes sure he has everything he needs, grabs his key off the hook and shuts the door. 
Two hours later, everyone’s getting hyped up. He gives a mini impromptu speech, Jack slaps his back way too hard and Nico smiles, dimples and all.
He takes a deep breath before his blades touch the ice.
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adaptacy · 5 months
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The General Drow's Celebration {2/2}
Pairing: General!Minthara x Durge!AFAB!Reader
{Part 1}
Warnings/Tags: NSFW! Pure smut this time. Knifeplay, bloodplay, consensual poisoning, exhibitionism, the slightest hints of foodplay, etc.
Word Count: 2.4k
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Her hand slides up your body, finding purchase around your throat, and she meets your gaze, her prideful smile meant entirely for you. “Tonight, we celebrate two deaths. The death of Late General Thorm, and the death of The Nightwarden. Indulge in the wine and feast as you deem fit – a rebirth occurs this evening. A rebirth of values. A rebirth of power. A rebirth of The Absolute.” Her gaze lifts, meeting the intrigued smiles of her soldiers. “Hear the testament of my reign – straight from the voice of darkness,” Minthara chuckles, eyes drawn once more to you. “Speak my title, dear oloth.” 
With a lustful smile, you oblige; “General Minthara.” 
“General Minthara,” she agrees, leaning over the table to meet your lips, hand tightening around your throat, robbing you of breath in the two ways she knows best. Her other hand is placed on one of your knees, fingers tracing the inside of your leg and tugging outward, creating a little more room between your leg and her waist. Her hand disappears, and it’s only sensible for you to immediately miss it, especially when she’s forced to break the kiss, leaving the two of you to catch your breaths. She stays close, her voice low and steady as she makes a command; “Swallow.”
Without question or hesitation, you do as she asks. Immediately, there is a stinging present, starting at your lips, washing over your tongue and down your throat. Some tart bitterness that you’d subtracted from her mouth – you know both from experience and from the faded glisten on her lips, a mixture of your spit and the poison, some custom concoction made only for the two of you to share. The taste fades as your mouth borders on the edge of brimming numbness, your throat tight, and before long you feel it lull you into a state of light-headedness. She’d increased the dosage for the occasion, and you were, slowly, building an immunity to it, but tonight was a test of many things. A test of her guild’s loyalty, a test of her power, and a test of your constitution. 
“Stay awake, my love. You will not want to miss what follows. You are far more entertaining to please when you are conscious. Your attentiveness shall be rewarded in full.” Her coos are accompanied by a snicker, and you nod in understanding, in a silent promise to obey her every request – her every demand. Your efforts to fight the artificial weariness in your head are pushed to the forefront of your priorities, and you keep your eyes strictly on Minthara, relying on her to be your point of focus, to keep you grounded and awake. 
The kiss is resumed, and you allow yourself to close your eyes, very quickly regretting that choice as it makes the urge to drift off significantly stronger. So, instead, you force them open just in time to catch the glint on the blade of her bloodied dagger, lifted from the table and venturing towards your thighs. The chill meets your skin with the flat length of the weapon, though her hand rises enough to slant the dagger and poke the sharp point into your skin. Had your mouth been free, you certainly would’ve been forced to give some small hiss of discomfort, but you’re thankful for her lip’s presence working as a preventative. 
The point is drawn down, and then curves inward, and then is drawn out again – soon, there’s five slightly curved lines of blood on your thigh, but she’s not yet done. Two lines in the middle are what it takes to complete it, and the pinching pain serves as an assistant in keeping you awake, making you grateful for the branding in more ways than one. Despite not being able to see her work, the web design imprinted on your thigh is a perfect recreation of the mark that she bears on her own skin. Minthara pulls out of the kiss, and you release her with a quiet whine, your mind too preoccupied with the challenge of staying awake to bother splitting your attention to prevent your own natural pleading. 
Fortunately, the general doesn’t seem to mind – in fact, she grins, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head at you, as if surprised by your minor show of desperation. “Poison caught your tongue, dark one? Oh, do indulge me; what is it that you crave?” She asks, an unusual curiosity admitted in her tone. 
Well, there’s only one answer for that question. It’s a simple one. “You.”
“Me?” She clarifies, and you nod – sleepily, thanks entirely to the effects of the barely diluted poison, though you suppose your confusion isn’t helping. “What about me? Which part of me do you desire? My hands? My tongue? My blade, perhaps?” Her hand releases some of the tension around your throat, tracing your arteries under her fingers until she cradles your jaw, angling your head upwards as she awaits her answer. Her thumb crosses your lower lip, wiping it clean of lingering poison, though it has no effect on what you already ingested. 
Again, the question isn’t a difficult one, even in your faded state. “All of you, my General,” you elaborate, your eyes trailing down towards the hand that wields the dagger, but a tug on your chin is enough for your gaze to snap back onto the drow. 
“Do not get distracted, xi’hum. I have trained you better. We have an audience tonight – do behave. You fight the poison well. It seems you are adapting to the taste,” she praises, her thumb tucking into your mouth, and you blink up at her, staying quiet as she seems to be directing. “As you have so willingly consumed my gift to you, it is only just that I feast upon you in return. After all, a banquet is only complete with a meal. And a meal, I shall have.”
It’s not entirely clear if the butterflies in your stomach are due to your excitement or the poison beginning to digest, but either way, they’re a pleasant and welcome sensation, and Minthara is quick to catch onto the smile that they bring across your lips. Her thumb pulls away from your mouth and glides down to the very bottom of your stomach, her palm located just under your belly button as it presses you into the table, earning a momentary squirm from you. Once you settle, she leans down, her other hand firmly holding your marked thigh, and once she’s close enough, her tongue sweeps over the wound, collecting the spilled blood. Her eyes close in order to truly savor the taste, and her hand squeezes, pushing out as much blood as possible. 
Perhaps due to your light-headedness, or maybe just how much she seems to be enjoying it, the feeling is strangely pleasant – despite what your short whine may lead the audience to believe, the warmth of her tongue over the cuts is oddly comforting, even if it is joined by the faintest of irritated stings. You don’t see a world in which it would be possible to not let your mind drift, anticipation and elation curling into a fantasy of what is sure to soon play out, once Minthara deems you desperate enough to earn the gift of her mouth’s company on your core. Unfortunately, that time hasn’t come, and dreaming of it only makes you squirm with expected neediness. Minthara reminds you of her plans with a soothing, yet firm, “Patience, dark one.” 
And patient you are – as patient as one can be when they’re displayed so lovingly over a table of prying eyes, teased by the expertly dangerous (and expertly attractive) General Minthara, left powerless until she permits further pleasure. Every movement of hers is a carefully planned test, either of your obedience or your control; meticulous, gentle trailing of the tip of her dagger over your underwear, enough to tease what’s beneath without so much as catching a single thread of the fabric. She trails kisses up and across your thighs, her lips claiming every inch except the place that so terribly needs her attention. 
The flat width of the blade presses against the length of your underwear, and you flinch just barely, earning a ‘tsk’ of disapproval from Minthara. You fall still once more, finally letting your eyes squeeze closed, your head tilting back as you try to divide your focus between fighting the poison and fighting your reflexes. You feel an unfamiliar, trivial chill brought on by the removal of cover, and you lift your head in time to catch Minthara pulling your underwear away from your skin with her knife, slicing it on the blade in a quick tug. Her eyes meet yours, and the point of her weapon presses against your throat, tilting your chin up towards her. “Tell me, my love. Who is it that controls you? Who is it that you belong to?”
“You, General Minthara.” 
She chuckles, drawing the edge under your chin, enough to cause a scratch without spilling any blood. “What a good girl.” Her praise is followed by the removal of the blade against your skin, and she sets it aside, instead pulling up her chair and placing her hands on the outside of your thighs, tugging you a little bit closer to the edge of the table. Your knees hang on her shoulders, and soon her hands slide up to hold your hips, thumbs pressing bruises into the soft skin they rest on. “Sing my name as I command, and pleasure shall be yours,” she promises, kissing your thigh once more. 
Your head falls back once more, and she only allows you to lay in wait for a few seconds before her tongue runs over your folds with the same meticulous precision that she exercised when tasting your mark. Your ankles lock where they rest on her back, trying to pull her in closer, but she only chuckles at your attempt, the near purr against your skin sending a shiver up your spine. Though she’s hardly even begun, you feel all of the anticipation paying off, your high standards miraculously met, and you hum out “General,” in an effort to earn further pleasure. 
Minthara obliges, letting her tongue bathe your clit, the movements nothing short of loving despite how intensely violent and unapologetically rough she could be, though that side of her is still ever-present, especially as she runs her teeth over your clit, threatening to introduce a pinch amongst the pleasure. 
Partially in an effort to avoid facing the attention of the surrounding True Souls, you close your eyes, which also causes all of your attention to be drawn to the sensations between your legs. Just in time, Minthara pulls her tongue back, drawing a long line from the lowest point of your entrance up to your clit, still teasing you before she takes it any further. Her nails aren’t quite as willing to remain on the surface, however, and an accidental squirm earns you eight pricks where her fingers hold your skin, her thumbs settling on merely pressuring their spots. It takes a lot to subdue a whine, though the pain is slight in comparison to the carving of her blade. 
Your ankles thump – gently, nearly disguised as a flinch – against her back, and she chuckles against your skin, refusing to continue just yet. At least, until you sing out a “Please, General” of desperation, to which she replies by finally moving forward, slipping her tongue into you as a form of affirmation. This is hardly the first time the two of you have been in this position, but it never fails to overwhelm you – in all the best ways, of course. 
There’s a tingle on your skin, no doubt a side-effect of the sting of poison, though the slight traces still remaining on her lips are hardly enough for any actual damage or irritation to set in. Just a tingle, enough to prick your skin without genuine danger. Of course, that’s not to say the rest of the dosage wasn’t still in effect, as your eyes felt heavy even despite them being closed. Fortunately, with Minthara lapping up everything your insides had to offer, you were far from at risk of falling asleep. 
Your hands reach down, one holding Minthara’s arm, her grip on your hips tightening in acknowledgement, and the other pushes against her head, encouraging her as best you can without being able to move your hips much. She lets go of your body with one hand, instead her fingers wrap around your arm, keeping it in place. Minthara moves with your eager pushes, and you can feel her smile against your skin, buried beneath the stimulation provided by her tongue. 
It doesn’t take much, or very long – she’s fantastic at giving speeches and winning people over with her words, but it’s hardly the only thing her tongue is gifted at – before you feel yourself approaching the very edge of pleasure itself. You do as she demanded; singing out her title, begging your General for release, and as promised, she doesn’t let up. Every swipe or curl of her tongue is a carefully planned one, completely unraveling your dignity, revealing your desperation before her, and before her devoted followers. 
Your legs tense, pulling her closer and locking her between your thighs, hips rolling as you hit your release, your pitiful whines met with a sinister chuckle from the drow. Once you settle back, you feel her stand and force your legs to unclasp, and you open your eyes to meet hers, her glare simultaneously satisfied and yet still hungry. Your hands fall to your sides, and she leans down, gripping your chin and narrowing her eyes at you. 
“You obeyed. A magnificent show, my darling. Perhaps it will not be your final performance. Certainly not for my eyes,” she praises, pulling your head up enough to capture your lips in a kiss, and your already weakened body isn’t able to do much but melt in her hold, mumbling mindlessly against her mouth. You feel a second hand on your waist once more, and you’re pulled to sit up, your legs locking around her hips. The kiss breaks, and she glances around at the audience, contemplating something before she speaks. “Finish your meal as you wish. There is excess wine in the kitchen. Your general must finish a banquet of her own.” 
Those around you either snicker or mumble understandings as Minthara moves her hand from your throat to your waist, lifting you off of the table. Immediately, you wrap your arms around her shoulders and lean into her, allowing her to carry you off, letting your high fade in the journey back up to your quarters.
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trivialbob · 4 months
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Last night Sheila and I went to a seafood place. For a cheeseburger.
Coastal Seafoods in Minneapolis is a fresh seafood market. It's a neat little place. When @littlerunnergurl visited us years ago she and I shopped there for ingredients of a seafood stew LRG made for us.
There's a small counter for hot food in back. Two four-tops and a small row of bars stools next to a cold window is the complete dining room. A Facebook page devoted to smashburgers had mentioned this place's burger recently. That's what got us over there.
We ordered one Coastal Burger. "Two 4oz Wagyu Beef Patties, Caramalized Onion Jam, Pickles, American Cheese, & Dijon Mayo on Toasted Brioche!" (images from the Coastal Foods website)
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I also ordered the wonderful looking Connecticut Style Lobster Roll. "Warm Lobster & Seasoned Butter on a Toasted Tom Cat Bakery Roll"
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The cook cut them in half so Sheila and I could try some of each. Both were fantastic. We didn't order French fries or any sides. The older I get the wiser I am about not ordering too much food. For sure if there had been a serving of fries in front of me I wouldn't have left until the plate was clean. As it was, we walked out feeling satisfied yet not needing to adjust the car seats back so we could fit in the Subaru.
I'd been wanting to see some dive bars. A block away is the Fraternal Order of Eagles #34. It's an appropriately dimly lit place where most of the customers seemed to know each other. We didn't order food, but I almost did just to purchase a cheeseburger for under ten bucks, a rare thing these days.
The bartender was friendly. She knew what to pour for people a few times without asking. I chuckled when she asked us if we'd be okay for a bit unattended when she went outside for a quick smoke.
It's located at the intersection of two similarly named streets. When I was a kid it was mind-blowing when I saw Minneapolis street signs with the same numbers. Sure, the Av and St make a difference, but it still seemed like division by zero to someone not yet accustomed to how cities named numbered east/west and north/south roads. Similarly, I was amazed when my dad pointed out the named streets in some places were in freaking alphabetical order.
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After a bottle of beer (and a sunset) we drove south a short distance through the cold and dark night to the Schooner Tavern. It too is at an intersection of numbered streets.
It was a bit louder, but no less dimly lit, than the previous place. The two bartenders were very friendly. Sheila and I again sat at the bar for one beer.
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We listened to conversations around us. It was only 5:30 PM but some folks appeared to have started the evening early. A frazzled looking guy (who was probably 15 years younger than he actually appeared) must have gotten the happy hour special on "fucks" which seem to have been a 20-for-1 deal. Whew, I got tired of hearing that word used as noun, verb, adjective, preposition, pronoun, article, and adverb.
The bottles behind the bar appeared to glow. If the bar had been quieter maybe I would have heard them hum.
Sometimes I want of those tiny Red Bull refrigerators with the glass door (as seen in the left side of this picture I took). Sheila doesn't think it would look appropriate on our coffee table no matter how well it fit. People would probably trip over the power cord she also claims. I still want one though.
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We still enjoyed the atmosphere while we had one beer. After that we headed to the brewery by our house. It's at the intersection of one named and one numbered street, more to the sensibilities of my suburban mind.
We met up with one couple we know and another couple who were on a second date. The guy is a regular, the woman is new to that crowd. At first she seemed like she wanted to move to a private table. Soon though she warmed up to us, and the six of us had a great conversation.
I'm going to start looking up some more dive bars for another weekend.
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Sparks tour 2023
Posting this close to a whole year after the fact, but a tour this good really takes time for me to process. My chest was constantly exploding with how much I loved it all and I have no idea how to put that into words. (I've fully come to understand why Sparks themselves stick with a lovely audience photo after every show accompanied by a massive "THANK YOU!".) However I do want to preserve my tour memories with more detail as well, so at a risk of terrible writing... here's part one of me attempting to write it all down. I went to 5 shows (Manchester, Royal Albert Hall x2, Utrecht and Brussels) and I'll be making posts for all of them. (...I am unreasonably excited to talk about the show in Brussels, but all in good time.) This first post will probably be the longest one as I will be including my first reactions to all the songs, and will equally talk about Mr. B's set in detail :) (Spoiler alert: he too was absolutely amazing and contributed considerably to how great everything was.)
Show #1: Bridgewater Hall, Manchester (may 27, 2023)
Things had not gone smoothly at all for me with the ticket sale for this show, but it worked out amazingly as the result was that @where-did-the-groove-go got to be my concert buddy which was such an honour! It was her first Sparks show and my first one of the tour and honestly, you can't do much better than to start of with a Manchester show. I had been worried about how far away our seats would be but it was a lot closer than photos of the venue had made it seem and we had an amazing view: we were in the centre of the middle of the first balcony, the seats were on a slight slope so no heads were blocking our view. Both of us had decided not to listen to the album before the show as it had only been out for a day. It was a tough decision to make, but it was absolutely the right one :D Okay, onto the show!!
Opening act: Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer
I was so excited to see Mr. B! I've known about him for years independently of Sparks and had missed out on seeing him with the Hippopotamus tour, so FINALLY I was seeing Mr. B! He came on in an amazing outfit and graced us with the opening lines of... Here Comes Bob?! I was losing my shit! We're not just being treated to Mr. B, but we're treated to Mr. B playing Sparks?! I am not normally one to enjoy Sparks covers, but I was having the time of my life! I love this guy! He then went on to play the Mr. B classic All Hail The Chap! (my sister would be jealous hehe), which I loved so much! The audience was a little slow to catch on, but eventually got there with doing their part which I was happy about. This was followed up by once again familiar notes... Amateur Hour?! MORE SPARKS?? Are you kidding me right now, what did we do to deserve this! IT WAS SO GOOD! After which it didn't end, because then he went on to play Get In The Swing (which is one of my favourite songs of all time - I was being very normal and chill about everything). It took me a moment to grasp the fact we were being treated a full-blown Sparks medley, because it didn't stop there and he just kept going with the Sparks songs. The medley lasted nearly 10 minutes and my mind was blown at many points. He included so many songs that I had only ever dreamed of hearing live. I was having THE BEST TIME. He ended the medley by loudly singing "ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT IS SEX!!!!". I was laughing so much, it really was the perfect medley. The next song was one of his own songs that I hadn't heard yet but it had me chuckling so much, a song called Looking Forward To Leaving that he thought might resonate with the Sparks sensibility and their fans. (All too right, sir, all too right.) He finished his set with a cover of Suburban Homeboy and I couldn't have been happier. THE Suburban Homeboy supreme covering that song, Mr.B you have all my love. Sparks had yet to hit the stage but this evening was already made. (@dinkydiamond had seen the show the night before and like a good friend who doesn't spread spoilers, had only told me that at many points she had thought about how much I was going to love it. I hadn't even thought about the fact that that statement would include Mr. B's set to such a degree!)
Mr. B's setlist
(You may enjoy listening to the medley first before knowing what songs were part of the medley, so proceed with caution. I've added asterisks to the titles of the songs within it that blew me out of my seat the most.)
Here Comes Bob
All Hail The Chap!
Medley: Amateur Hour, Get In The Swing*, Big Boy, Moustache, What Are All These Bands So Angry About?*, Strange Animal*, Mickey Mouse, I Predict, When I'm With You, Missionary Position*, All You Ever Think About Is Sex*
Looking Forward To Leaving
Suburban Homeboy
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The music played in the hall was SO TENSE AND DRAMATIC. You just got to love and respect Sparks for their music picks to play in the hall before the show, they really know how to set the scene and get the audience excited and anxious in equal amounts. (A few shows later we learned it was film music by Bernard Hermann, which really was such an amazing choice. I'll come back to this subject later on with a bit more info on the songs in my write-up of another show.)
The big event! ~Sparks!~
HOLY SHIT their entrance music was so exciting and beautiful!!!! Russell's outfit! GOD YEAH. It also immediately became clear this audience was going to be AMAZING, everyone was so ready to go! RON WAS WEARING JORDANS!!!! (A dream of mine to see one day!!!) To a lot of very loud cheering, Russell proceeded to do his famed "So.... Manchester, may we start?" to start things off. Still the perfect opener, and I never tire of when So May We Start kicks off and Russell does the jump. The audience response was amazing, which was really fun to see from the balcony! I was really enjoying the lights, which also were especially great to see from our balcony seats! (Also Russell gets an award for performer of the year for pretending to look at his imaginary watch while singing "it's time to start".)
I loved doing the ah-ah-ah's with the entire audience for The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte, and it was so cool to see it live! The lights were absolutely excellent. But a gif will say what I loved the most about the performance of that song a lot better than words ever could, so:
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Russell was being really sweet about how playing Manchester is always really great and then added it was the "first time we play this ProPEr THeAtrE, but uh we'll try to make due anyway". (Footage of him saying this exists and it's extremely blessed.) He spoke about the new album and asked the audience which number it is. The audience incoherently shouted some things back, to which Russell's response was to roast us all by saying "Clearly you don't know."
Eaten By The Monster Of Love was a totally unexpected treat that blew my mind! It's quite possibly my favourite song from Angst In My Pants and I love the synth line so much! So lucky!!! I loved Russell's dancing during Angst In My Pants, I had really missed his dancing and with that song it's always especially excellent. Beaver O'Lindy blew my brains out! I'd not expected that at all! The lights were amazing (the spotlight for the accordion parts, the portraying of the letters, light flashing on Ron from all sides - I've got footage of this and somehow it looked especially good this night), shouting along to B-E-A-V-E-R, Russell's falsetto... What a perfect song, it's got it all :D "Yes I knooow - WOO!" When I'm With You was so special, it's so blessed that they chose to play it. It's how we all feel about them, and what's better than to sing it back at them while they're playing it for us :) It's also a song that highlights Russell's amazing voice especially well, his voice absolutely kills me and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also loved those swirly lights! And what we've gone on to affectionately refer to as "Russell's swim dance". Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is is an absolute banger and it was my favourite of the 3 singles that had already been released before the album came out - I was so ready to go :D I loved Russell's moves for this song so much! Something that really stayed with me is that he actually spun around for "Take a look around and you'll understand". (Can I love him even more?)
The time arrived for the first new song from the album that me and @where-did-the-groove-go hadn't heard yet, which Russell introduced with these words: "This is another brand new song for any of you who feel like maybe you're not on the right course." *small pause* "It's a song that's called 'It Doesn't Have To Be That Way'." ...I was simultaneously having an out of body and in of body experience and already felt teary eyed, and the song hadn't even started yet. It hit me really hard, it was so beautiful and I am so grateful that this was how I first heard this song. "It doesn't have to be that way, OKAY". I was literally holding my heart throughout the whole song (which I was doing quite often during the show anyway but, I literally couldn't do anything else). Absolutely transfixed. "I'll pay for it, I'll pay for it". Thank you so much Sparks for having our backs <3 Genuinely one of the most beautiful experiences and songs ever. (We all spoke about it for many days, for weeks, even months after the show. And obviously I am still talking about it now. I've got my full essay on it elsewhere so you'll be spared of that here - I think you all understand what I mean anyway.)
BALLS hit me in the face like a brick! (Positive. SO VERY POSITIVE.) It's one of my current absolute favourite songs and I had been raving about Balls all the time for the last year or so! I would have never expected to hear it live, AND HERE WE WERE! I was completely losing my shit!!! It was intense, banging, and also beautiful. Also the lights during the instrumental bit?! The way the light filled the hall?!! R&R were both going at it with full energy, I couldn't love it more! Balls and shouting along to it with my fist in the air was one of the absolute biggest highlights of the show for me! (And there were so many highlights.) I am pretty sure there was at least one BALLS [insert fist emoji here] aimed in my direction which I am so grateful for! It was so cool! *synced up BALLS!* Hearing one of my favourite bits of lyrics live, "Do you want to wait, or crash the gate?", was just something else. Balls is one of THE inspirational songs of all time. At least to me. (After the show 3 friends seperately came up to me and shouted BALLS! at me before saying anything else and I love you all so much, you all really know me well [teary eyed smile emoji] That was really special to me. I've made some gifs of some of my Balls footage too, most of my footage of it is rightfully feral but some of it came out well: 1, 2.)
Shopping Mall Of Love remains such a win live, Ron is appropriately intense and cool (not that Ron is ever not cool - Ron is always cool) and I love the way he performs the song. Russell did some great dancing behind Ron too, and also walked around like a badass while singing his "Come, the shopping mall of love, come with me" parts. Award winning! Also THE CLAPS. Always, THE CLAPS. And Manchester audiences know how it's done [fire emoji] Toughest Girl In Town was yet another absolutely amazing and surprising setlist choice, so cool! What I especially liked was that I could see Sarah and Amanda losing their shit to it downstairs in the stalls, dancing so hard in their seats :D That really added to it - some big Toughest Girl In Town fans down there! (I am so proud of my friends.) Also.. THE TAMBOURINE!!! [heart emoji]
The next song that was new to us was Escalator, and I loved it SO MUCH!!! It had me immediately. The driving machine type of sound, the very clear and bright sounding synth sounds, Russell's escalator dance (!!!!! which he did a lot, btw, almost the entire song), the lights! This song just *feels* amazing, the lights going up and down - hell yeah. Russell's escalator dance really is everything to me. I was holding my heart the entire time. I live in this song now, this is now my new home. You can wake me up in the middle of the night for a live performance of Escalator. Any time. (To say it was an instant favourite is an understatement.)
We Go Dancing was similarly new to us, and sadly it felt like it went over most of the audience's head a bit because obviously very few people had heard the album so far and it's a hard one for catching the lyrics live. A very intense experience but also really cool, it's a super blessed thing to be able to hear songs live before hearing it elsewhere. After hearing it I was excited to find out later what the song would have been about.
*Ron plays piano motif* OH MY GOD BON VOYAGE?! YOU WHAT?!! Russell's vocals were literally everything and I loved all the arm swaying, it was such a sweet experience and another song that so clearly shows how awesome Manchester audiences are when it comes to Sparks. I loved this so much! Russell's moves for the "two of you, two of them" bit were absolutely *chef's kiss* too :D All of this was soon followed by me gasping yet again when the first notes of Music That You Can Dance To filled the hall! My literal reaction was OH MY GOD THEY KEPT IT!!!!! *proceeds to go nuts* One of The Live Songs Ever, a song I already loved before hearing it live, and possibly my favourite live song from the tour the year prior too. (I am pretty sure I screamed quite audibly and notably on the previous tour every time they played it, and I am happy to report I still feel exactly the same.) We all know this gets everyone out of their seats, and with this being Manchester it was especially amazing. It was so great to watch everyone equally going nuts from the balcony, party of all time! Russell's mic stopped working at some point though which was sad, but it only lead to him clapping and dancing harder. So mic be damned, it was possibly even more fun and special because of it.
You know there's little point in sitting down after Music That You Can Dance To (and I don't really want to sit down after that to begin with, if at all, but I am a bit self-conscious about dancing in the balcony), so we leaned on our seats for a second while the opening notes of When Do I Get To Sing My Way were played. It obviously *really* took off again rather quickly :D Unfortunately the mic problem came back but this time it was rapidly solved and Russell got to sing almost the whole song anyway, and I can not overstate how great it was to watch this whole audience dancing.
The party continued with The Number One Song In Heaven which obviously always wins, and of course included Ron's dance - HELL YEAH. However towards the end of the song Russell's microphone stopped working YET AGAIN. He was handed another microphone, which was equally not doing anything, and so he yeeted the mic. (all too right honestly, how many broken mics are you going to hand him?! That was not ok.) Of course this really sucked, especially for Russell, but this man's a true professional and made all of this extra fun for everyone: he went at it extra hard with the clapping and dancing and no one in the audience was going to let this ruin anything either. Russell gestured for the audience to sing the lines and we *really* did our best. ([salute emoji] On it boss!) It ended up being extra special because of it and we all still had the absolute best time. But of course at the same time it was rightfully upsetting. Once Russell had a mic that worked again he expressed his disappointment in not being able to sing the end of the song, which is one of his favourite parts. (Oof tech team, bad job.)
The show went on and Ron did a false start for This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us which is always a great time, people go nuts and then the song doesn't start hahaha. This audience was so phenomenal, it was the best time. And such a party when the song did properly start! Obviously there was a really large applause after that :) Which seemed to only stop because they started playing Gee, That Was Fun. It was so beautiful and touching. And really sad because indeed, noo, we don't want this to end! The standing ovation afterwards was massive and so very love filled. From my perspective even the bouncers seemed in awe with the audience. This audience could switch from going nuts to completely silent to a loving standing ovation in an instant, depending on what was happening on stage. It really was one of the best audiences I've been part of, I loved it so much! ^^ Ron and Russell very sweetly waved before leaving the stage :)
~Encore!~
They came back to a lot of cheering to which Russell said "Thank you - THE PARTY IS NOT OVER!" and we all cheered yet again, as A Love Story started. Another new song! WOOOOHH THIS WAS HITTING HARD! I loved it so much! And the lights with the massive X's were so cool! Absolutely a highlight! When My Baby's Taking Me Home started me and @where-did-the-groove-go yelled out in unison which is still so funny to me and also, all too right, all too right!!! It doesn't matter if you've seen it live a couple of times or if it's your first time - it HITS. The audience was once again utterly amazing, really heightening the experience. (ALSO, the rainbow lights that fades to white!)
During the band introduction Ron was still clapping for the other band members when Russell went "oh yeah..." and went to stand beside Ron and did a cheesy grin, "the guy who writes much of what you've heard this evening and what you've heard on albums 1 to 26", *Ron does a Ron-cringe*, "my big brother, Ron Mael." This started a RON RON RON chant which made me so happy :D When it seemed to die down just a tiny bit, Russell interrupted and said "He says thank you." asdjhds, sir XD He also added that Manchester shows are always amazing but "this one tops them all". [insert teary eyed smile emoji] (True though, it really was one of the best shows I've been to, if not the best one!) After that, All That was such a smiley lovely performance and I did quite a bit of internal screaming with how lovely exactly it all was and had been. (When I watch footage back I can't help but say "aww" out loud quite a few times. It really was so sweet.)
Something I hadn't realised as it happened but learned about later was that they were so happy with their bow - which was so fun. I had avoided spoilers of course but I learned that there was a bit of bowing-chaos in Oxford. So in Manchester there was a 'Wahey, we nailed the bow!!' moment after bowing XD (I made a post about that, it's too good.)
MASSIVE STANDING OVATION. Russell forced the microphone on Ron, saying "Here! He hasn't spoken on the tour so it's only cos it's Manchester", as he proceeds to evily walk away. This moment was so funny to me because Russell clearly knew very well what he was doing and Ron was just standing there smiling looking at this happening, with no chance of handing the mic back. His speech was wonderful and really sweet, starting off with saying that the citizens of other cities were going to hate him for this XD The audience was so silent while he spoke and didn't start cheering until he had actually finished speaking which was real nice. Russell wanted to grab the mic back after that but Ron didn't want to let it go yet, which was another moment I really enjoyed witnessing. Ron introduced Russell as the vocalist of the band, which had Russell standing there smiling really wide, after which Russell quickly grabbed the mic back. (I love them so much hahaha.) Russell asked to take a photo with "all of you fine people" (I am normal about this) and happily bounced after the photo was taken. The applause got going again and it was just the best. Russell blew kisses to people and the amount of love in the hall was just so damn high.
It felt like they didn't want to have to leave that stage and obviously we didn't want them to leave either. Everyone was just so happy to be there. What a show. What an audience. It really was the sweetest :)
Sparks setlist
So May We Start?
The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
Eaten By The Monster Of Love
Angst In My Pants
Beaver O'Lindy
When I'm With You
Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is
It Doesn't Have To Be That Way
Balls
Shopping Mall Of Love
The Toughest Girl In Town
Escalator
We Go Dancing
Bon Voyage
Music That You Can Dance To
When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'
The Number One Song In Heaven (featuring Ron's dance)
This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us
Gee, That Was Fun
A Love Story
My Baby's Taking Me Home
All That
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(I did not make it into the photo as I am behind Ron's head, but @where-did-the-groove-go and some other friends did make it in ^_^)
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~ Bonus: post show shenanigans ~
After the show we were hanging out with a little group of us in the entrance hall of the venue, quite a lot of our tumblr people and even some of our friends from Japan were present which was so cool! It was so very nice to see everyone, whether it was seeing again or for the first time! I went to say hello to Mr. B who was manning his own merch table to let him know how much I'd loved his set, and that covering Sparks isn't easy to do in my opinion but that he truly nailed it. He said he had been nervous about it and only had had 2 weeks to prepare. (Sir that's incredible!) He was really lovely. He said he hoped to see me again and I gave him the cringiest: "Oh, you WILL!" (With fingerguns.) (...I really am like this.)
Our little group decided to check out the artists entrance, but there were so many people there and so when Ron and Russell actually *did* come out me and another friend both instinctively hid behind a wall. (Normal behaviour. ...but we just really don't want to crowd them.) There was another round of applause, which was really lovely. I was very busy hiding behind that wall though so I am not the most reliable person to say what happened next, but Ron and Russell kept their distance and stayed for a little bit to wave and smile at people which was really lovely. When they entered their car to leave, the fans instantly parted like the sea to clear the road for the car and I love that our fandom is like that :) We all waved as they passed by, and then ...the car had to immediately stop in front of a red traffic light 5 metres away. I absolutely lost it, you just can't make this up XD (We left immediately.) It was so hard for our group to then have to split up after such a lovely evening, but attempts to sleep needed to be made and there was the journey to London the next day. (Not that we slept much at all, there was a lot to discuss and think about.) Luckily a lot of us would be going on to London so at least we'd all be seeing each other again soon :)
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gowns · 15 days
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the more i think about tar the more pissed-off i get. the ending is supposed to be like *sensible chuckle* like a left turn kind of joke that comes at the end of a story on the moth storytelling hour.
he he he, the great lydia tar has been brought low by being Banished to the Far East and now must sing for her supper by conducting video game scores for cosplayers.
again, i ask -- if this is "just desserts," it's insulting to the cosplayers, their culture, their foreignness, their plebeian status. if it's like, "actually this is a good thing for tar," it's insulting to the 2.5 hours that just passed. ajkslajldjldjljhdhjhslh
my dad is a conductor of a community band at a community college, and has done various conducting gigs throughout the years in between doing jazz and session recording etc. which is way lower status than what lydia tar was just doing. like she could have gone "lower." and still what my dad does is pretty impressive and good for his local community. and he would still have a lot to lose if someone came forward about him abusing his power.
i was reading that todd field talked to one (1) conductor while writing his screenplay and it shows. the references seem really intelligent but put all together it's just stupid. like oh really. lydia tar was bernstein's protege. how does that make sense. if you know when bernstein was alive and how old lydia tar is and the kind of work that she does and the way that he is actually most lauded for being a *populist* conductor it's just. aflajgalajkaldga the whole fucking thing falls apart if you know anything about conducting. "oh but it's not about conducting, it's about the fall from grace." and the fall from grace is.... Exile this woman to the Far East for the Cardinal Sin of Pride. the most regressive banal story arc i can imagine.
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