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#header living proof
u-uwin · 2 years
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fav, reblog and follow, baby ♡︎
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lewisvinga · 17 days
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pretty when you cry | pierre gasly x fem! reader
summary; y/n will always wait for pierre, no matter how many times he leaves her crying, she will always wait.
warnings; toxic! pierre, cheating, cursing
word count; 640
taglist; @namgification @louvrepool @locelscs @thehufflepuffavenger1 @minkyungseokie @goldenmclaren @ollieshifts @lavisenri
notes; this song reminds me sm of priscilla but lowk not proof read lollll
‘born to die’ series masterlist.
masterlist !
⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆
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⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆
“Mon amour, I’ll be back in 3 weeks. I promise.”
“3 weeks too long.” Y/n voice cracked, her eyes glued onto the large suitcase Pierre had in his hand. The triple header was coming up and she wasn’t ready for him to leave yet.
He had only been in Monaco for a few days. There were 2 races 2 weeks in a row, and the week off he had in between races was spent in France for some work within the factory.
He was gone for over a month and Y/n had only been with him for 2 days before he had to rush off to Texas to start the triple header. But due to a recent shortage of workers in the hospital, she couldn’t have taken any days off.
It didn’t help the fact she was on her period and more emotional either.
Pierre lets go of his suitcase and walks over to her. He gently cups her cheeks, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “At night, when you stare at the stars, just know I’m staring at the same stars and thinking of you. All the pretty stars shine just for you, my love.”
He leans down to kiss the top of her head, “You’re my girl. You’re the girl that I dream of and that I’ll always dream of. I’ll be back in 3 weeks. Don’t you worry. Just gotta be patient and wait.” He whispers against her hair.
Y/n sniffled as she nodded. “I’ll wait for you, babe.”
“As much as I think you look pretty even when you cry,” Pierre sighed and wiped away more of her tears, “I don’t like to see you hurt. I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Y/n takes a deep breath and nods again. “I’ll wait for you, babe.” He smiled down at her, leaving a kiss on her lips. He gently caressed her cheek, making her feel like she was his whole world in just that moment.
Maybe the 3 weeks will pass by quickly. Maybe it’ll be alright.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆
“You’re fucking unbelievable, Pierre Gasly!” Y/n exclaimed the moment he walked through the front door of their shared home. His smile immediately faltered in confusion at her sudden harsh tone.
“What-“
“You’re a bitch.” She scoffed as she held up her phone, revealing a picture of him making out with a girl in some club in Brazil after the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He had to cover up the smirk that was threatening to appear on his lips with widened eyes and an open mouth. “Y/n, look-“
“What? Let you explain?” Y/n quickly interrupted him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “Fuck, Pierre, again? What is it this time? Were you too drunk? You thought she was me? Tell me your excuse this time!”
“Amour, it was a stupid fucking mistake, please.” Pierre pleaded, slightly hating how he liked the way her round eyes filled with tears sparkled. “And I was black-out drunk. I had no idea what was going on!”
That was a lie but she didn’t need to know that.
“Pierre, no. I can’t do this.”
“Amour, please, I need you. I can’t live without you. You’re the one for me. Please, don’t leave me.”
She takes a deep shaky breath, looking at everywhere but his eyes. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands as she finally let the tears go. Usually, whenever her exes screwed up, she was always able to leave them no matter how much they begged.
Her friends would tell her that she was always stronger than all of her men. However, Y/n couldn’t be stronger than Pierre. No matter how many times he’d leave her in tears from going away to races and making out with a model, she couldn’t leave him.
“Y/n, say something. Anything! I’ll do anything. Just don’t leave me again.”
“Pierre, I can’t.” She let out a sob, her hands finding its way to cover her eyes.
Pierre immediately took Y/n into his arms, holding her close to his chest. She tried to fight back and pull away but the comforting scent of his cologne, the softness of his shirt, and his arms keeping her closed caused her to give up.
He pressed a kiss against her hair and mumbled, “I’m sorry. Forgive me, please. I need you.”
She glanced up at him. Her eyes filled with tears as mascara ran down her cheeks. The French driver let out a sigh, admiring how pretty she looked when she cried. He knew cheating just to purposely see her cry was something cruel.
Charles and Yuki always tell him that. He knew he was in the wrong but somehow he loved these types of moments. He loved how she’d suddenly act way more clingy after. He loved how she’d do anything for him. He hated that he loved it but he couldn’t help it.
“Y/n?”
“You suck.” She mumbled, pressing her cheek against her chest. “Swear to God, Pierre, you’re going to need to do a lot of shit to make up for this.”
“I promise, I will.” Pierre’s lips curled into a smile as he cupped her rosy cheeks. His thumb wiped away the streaks of mascara, “Have I ever told you that you look pretty when you cry? You’re always so pretty, no matter what you do, mon amour.”
Y/n let out a chuckle as she nodded. Deep down she knew what he was doing and she knew it’d happen again but she just couldn’t get enough of him. She smiled at him and before leaning up to kiss him, she replied, “You always do.”
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taylorlovesrain · 7 months
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the 1 - quinn hughes
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pairing: Quinn Hughes x ex!reader
warnings: angst, mentions of therapy, mentions of Lance Stroll x reader
word count: 2.2k
authors note: I actually wanted to post a Luke fic today because of his birthday, but I couldn’t figure out how to finish it, so here’s this <3 btw this is a work of fiction and I’m not saying Quinn would actually act that way
It’s been roughly a year since you and Quinn broke up, the first few months were hard, everything reminded you of him, his shirts you still sometimes found in your closet, because you forgot you had them, the smell of him not leaving his side of the bed until after multiple washes of your bedding, the dvd collection you bought and wanted to watch together, to proof your theory of the greatest films of all time never have been made.
Throughout those past couple of months you’ve changed, you moved to Montreal, started waking up early instead of sleeping in, got a new job that you actually enjoyed, booked your first therapy appointment to figure things about yourself out, dropped some shitty friends and made new better ones, you tried to become a new person. You developed a lot of new habits throughout trying to get over your break up and to be honest, they helped you a lot, you got better and actually were doing good now and thought you were ready to move on. This was a huge step in your healing process, you thought you were finally ready to step into the dating world again after not having dated over the last few years, since the beginning of college, because you were in a happy relationship with Quinn, which seemed like it would last, so you didn’t exactly follow if anything in the dating scene changed during that time.
Quinn and you met during the first few days at the University of Michigan, you shared multiple classes together and became friends quickly bonding over your shared love for cooking, movies and of course hockey, after a few months into your friendship, both of you realized that you didn’t want to be just friends and Quinn first kissed you after winning one of his hockey games. From this point on you’ve been in a at this time happy relationship, you stayed together during the good and the bad times and always supported each other, you were together when Quinn moved to Vancouver to play for the Canucks and you were still at college, you were together when he doubted himself and compared himself to others, you were together when you just wanted to quit college and move to Vancouver to be with Quinn but you also were together during summers at the lake house with his family and friends, when he got his first goal in the NHL and when you finally graduated college and moved to Vancouver for Quinn.
Now for the first time after your break up, you got ready for a date. After you’ve moved to Montreal earlier this year, you met Lance, he lived across the hall from you and asked you to water his plants for the week while he was away. You and him met regularly after this in the hallway him coming back home packed with his luggage and you leaving to either go grocery shopping, meeting up with friends or for work, he still asked you sometimes if you could water his plants while he was away and every time he asked you that he also asked you, if you wanted to go out with him. The first few times you said no, you still weren’t over your and Quinns relationship and you thought it would be unfair to Lance if you told him yes, while not being over your ex, but your nos, turned into maybes and those became a yes, after he knocked on your door one night after coming home from a triple header and asked you again if you wanted to go out on a date with him. Maybe you said yes out of pity, he was trying to get you to go out with him for months and you thought that you could tell him that it didn’t work out after and you could go back to being rather normal neighbors, on the other hand, you were excited to finally go out on an actual date again.
You picked out a simple black dress to wear and slipped on your favorite black heels, Lance didn’t tell you where you would be going, just that it was really nice, so you thought, keeping it simple might be the best option. A few minutes later Lance was knocking on your door and you went to grab your coat and purse, he didn’t say anything when you opened the door, just offered you his arm and led you down to his car. The car ride was quiet and you began to doubt your decision on going out on a date, what if it was too early for you to date again and something would go wrong and you would go back into your little cave of doubt and sadness. Your thoughts were interrupted by Lance stopping the car and him telling you, you were at your destination.
As soon as you stepped into the restaurant, you felt out of place, the place was nice, too nice for a casual first date. While you were lead to the table by one of the waiters, the door of the restaurant opened and a big family entered the restaurant. Your back faced the door, so you had to turn around to see what was causing all of the noice suddenly. And you couldn’t trust your own eyes if the sight you were faced with right now, was actually real or just another bad dream, because you always thought you were seeing Quinn Hughes wherever you would go, at the bus stop, the grocery store or anywhere else, but normally it wasn’t really him you were seeing. But right now, he was here, standing in the doorway of the restaurant you we’re currently attending your first date After months. And he stood there with one arm around his new girlfriend, and behind them her whole family. Of course you knew that he had a new girlfriend, it was everywhere on social media after about two months after you’ve broken up with him, that he had a new girlfriend and now around eight months later, they were all over the internet again, because they’ve recently gotten engaged. You couldn’t believe it, how he could ask some woman he met on the internet to ask her to marry him after only eight months of being together, when he never even wanted to talk about marriage in your six year relationship, always saying that you were too young to marry and should both focus on your careers.
When the news about their engagement came out, you felt betrayed, how could he ask someone to marry him after such short time of knowing someone, when he didn’t want to marry you after being together for six years. You felt like he didn’t even care about your relationship and that the past six years somehow didn’t mean the same to him as they did to you, if they even existed to him, or maybe he had forgotten everything about those years and your relationship and time together. You also felt like he never even even wanted you the same way you wanted him and that made you feel like he robbed you of your time. You believe if he actually wanted you and wanted to be with you, he really would’ve showed you. He wouldn’t have to ask you to marry him, but now seeing that he would marry someone else was horrible and made you doubt everything that happened when you were still together. You were together for six years, as teenagers and during the first few years of your twenties and those were the years that made you become the person who you were now and so you didn’t only doubt if your relationship with Quinn wan real but also if this was really you, you’ve become.
Lance and you went to sit down and the waiter brought you your menus. While you were trying to figure out what you wanted to eat, Quinn, his fiancée and her family were brought to a table on the other side of the restaurant, but you could still see everything that was going on over at their table perfectly. You could see the way he pulled out the chair for her, so she could sit down, you saw how he talked to her parents and the way his mannerisms changed, so they would like him, you saw how he ordered the same drink he always ordered when he went to a fancy restaurant, everything he did reminded you of when you were still together, it was like a deja vu, seeing everything he did and how he hadn’t changed after you broke up. The way that he would smile or take her hand when she said something, made you angry. Of course you were happy for him, you wished him all the best, but seeing him when he already moved on was horrible, when you still thought about him every day and wondered what had to be different in your relationship, so you might’ve been the one he asked to marry and would be sitting with in a restaurant celebrating with your family. Still you were angry about how he could be so happy already.
The waiter setting your drinks down in front of Lance and you brought you out of your thoughts “Do you already know what you want to order?” he asked, the both of you nodded and the waiter went to write it down on his little notepad. You smiled at Lance “I’m going to freshen up my self, I’ll be back soon” you told him and got up to try and find the bathroom.
As soon as you entered the bathroom, you let out a breath, you didn’t know you were holding. You thought you were over Quinn, maybe not completely but at least that much, that you could go out on a date or see him in the streets and wouldn’t think about your time together. But seeing him tonight, brought everything that happened in your relationship back up. It reminded you of how Quinn would kiss you every morning after you woke up, how you would hug each other after one of his games, summers you spend at his lake house with his family and your shared friends, when he took you to Rome one summer and made you throw pennies in the Trevi Fountain, so you would come back to Rome together again, that never happened because you broke up before you could visit Rome again. I also reminded you of how your relationship was never how people from the outside wanted it to be, you were never painting by the numbers, your relationship was never how others where, you spend so much of your shared time being long distance but you still thought that you managed to make it count somehow and in your opinion your love was one of the greatest loves of all time, that’s what it felt like to you, when you were still together with Quinn, but now it was over. You would never be in a relationship with Quinn again, you would never hear him laughing again after one of your jokes, you would never be sitting on your couch again watching old and new movies together, you would never hold each other again while crying, you would never fight about stupid little things again and make up with a loving kiss.
You checked your face in the mirror, so you didn’t look like you were about to cry and refreshed your lipstick, you unlocked the door and took a step outside the bathroom, after you closed the door and turned around, ready to make your way back to your table and the date, that was currently waiting for you, you were met with the face of someone, you never expected to stand this close to you again.
Quinn Hughes was standing right in-front of you, you had hoped you wouldn’t have to be this close to Quinn ever again, you moved to Montreal from Vancouver, so you wouldn’t have to see him again, maybe you should’ve just left Canada completely instead. But that didn’t matter now, because the once at a time love of your life was standing right in-front of you, with his fiancée right around the corner. “Hi” you mumbled, trying to be the bigger person out of the both of you and greet him and not act like you’ve never know each other, he muttered a “hey” back, “Congratulations by the way on your engagement, I’m happy for you” you told him, it might’ve been the hardest thing you’ve ever told him, he answered with a low “Thank you” and you turned around to walk back to your table. You wanted to ask him if one thing had been different back when you were together, if everything would be different today and you might still be the one he loved, but you resisted the temptation, because you knew it would be alright someday and you would eventually move on too. He would go back to drink Rosé with his chosen family and you to Lance, the date that would help you move on.
Yet one thing you would still sometimes would think about was how it would’ve been fun if Quinn Hughes was the one.
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chromatographic · 5 months
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3 am means it's Tuesday right? (pt 4)
Happy Trauma Tuesday everyone! Have more of the Bruce Clone Danny Fic! This is Part 4. As discussed in pt. 3's header, it's a clone of @clockwayswrites City Pigeons Bleed Green, the first part of which is the top of my own Pt. 1
Will I ever get my shit together enough to make a proper masterpost? Look dude, I'm unmedicated ADHD, the answer is alway Hazy.
pt 1, pt2, pt 3 are all at those links though.
One day this fic will tell me it's True Name.
***
Danny can’t stop the whimper of pain, biting down on his core before it becomes another keen of betrayed-need.
He doesn’t know how healed he is. He’s not spurting liquids anymore, ecto or otherwise, but he needs to stay ghost, needs to not die again.
He doesn’t have enough energy to do this, to pull out his proof where he hid it inside himself, his phone intangible and inaccessible to anyone but him. 
“Jack and Maddie,” he gets out. He can’t bring himself to say Fenton - that’s him and Jazz, too. Or it was. He can’t say Mom and Dad, either. 
He feels them notice the names, and not on a ghost level, he’s still too weak for that. The first names - not ones a regular 15 year old would use for adults in their lives, mostly. ‘Least not how Danny was raised.
“Like I said, I thought they were my parents,” Danny gets out.
“Awww, fuck, kid,” Red Hood swears. 
“I was hoping it wasn’t something like that,” Red Robin sighs.
“Damn, another one for the parent issues club, huh?” Superboy says.
Huh.
“They’re… ectoscientists,” Danny gets out. “It’s their passion and stuff. Not a lot of people study what they do. Ectoplasm is weird. Jack’s an engineer and inventor, mostly. Maddie helps, and has more of a biology focus. But they’re both double doctorates - they couldn’t get grants early on and all. They didn’t talk about it, but my sister and I knew we all lived off some of their early work, just out of college, like, patents or something.”
He’s so tired.
“Danny, please. If you can tell us, we can start working out how to help you while you sleep,” Red Hood is kneeling beside him somehow. Danny doesn’t remember when he got there.
“The other title they like, what they really are… I thought being their kid would help,” Danny said. “They loved me. They said so. They acted so. I thought… it should have been enough.”
“Hey, we’re here for you. We want to help you, I promise,” Red Robin reassures him. “We’ve helped a lot of people.”
He’s fading. He’s falling. He doesn’t think he’s Ending, but he doesn’t know. He think he’d know, but - 
Well. He could be in Egypt again. Heh. Way up De Nile river and all.
“They always said they’d protect us, that’s that why they did what they did,” Danny is trying to talk clear and calm but he’s rambling, he knows he is. “That’s why they built everything they did. The weapons, to fight the monsters in the dark. I thought I got that from them, you know. I thought it was a Fenton thing. To protect. You know, in my genes and all.”
He might be mumbling, he hopes he isn’t mumbling.
“Hey hey hey, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Superboy is trying to reassure him, and pressure squeezes him gently, like a hug. Oh. Huh. 
“Danny, kid. They hurt you, didn’t they? Can you tell me why?” Red Hood asks. 
Danny smiles, and it’s weak and too bright and too fake and too shattered all at the same time, but he’s too tired for anything else right now. Too bitter.
“It’s their other title. The one they like best,�� he says. “They’re ghost hunters, like the GIW.”
He takes a chance, and breathes in, to breathe out that bit of extra - that energy that gives him more of a glow in his eyes, his skin, the stars that freckle across his face. It’ll take more out of him, he knows, but, well.
If he fades, if he ends… well. he wants to be seen first. Properly.
“I was able to hide it for a while. You know, growing up with a lab in the basement was normal to me,” he continues. “Even if I knew other kids didn’t have one or whatever. But I thought I was their son. I thought that was… gonna be enough, you know?”
“Kid -” Huh. That sounds like real sympathy, from Red Hood. Real empathy even. 
Phantom never gets that. Danny thought he’d maybe lost it forever.
“I knew I died down there, in the lab. I hid it from them for a while, but I knew it, even if I was able to fake being a full human,” he says. He has to get this out, but he swallows, licking his lips nervously. “I knew I died down there. I didn’t know I was born down there too,” he gets out, finally.
“I didn’t know I was a clone.”
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rocknrollbabe14 · 1 year
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I Wanna Be Yours (Joseph x Reader)
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@josephs-quinns
Author's Note: I did not heavily proof read this as I am posting this before work. This will be 2-4 parts not sure yet. Very cliche' but super cute. So far, no major warnings except maybe some lust. So I will keep the rating adult because it will change. Also, I am not from England so please forgive me if anything is not accurate.
Rating: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.
Once again, thank you to @josephs-quinns for the header. 🥺
It was a crazy idea when your friends had first mentioned it. A trip to London in the United Kingdom. You had never been outside of the United States. Now, you found yourself in a completely different country going on a morning coffee run. The time change had really kicked your ass, jet lag beginning to take its toll on you. London was six hours ahead of you, really screwing up your sleep schedule. It took your friends forever to get you out of bed and motivated just enough to get coffee. You somehow managed to put some make up on and look halfway presentable. It would take you at least a day to get adjusted.
Nerves took precedent over you as you opened the door to the coffee shop, the aroma of fresh, hot coffee hitting your nose. Just the smell alone was causing you to perk up slightly. Even though the people in the UK spoke English, you were nervous about your accent. You knew you’d stick out like a sore thumb. 
“What can I get you?”, the barista asked, her English accent very apparent.
“Um, just a venti iced coffee please?”
“Of course.”
She turned to help start preparing your order. Your eyes couldn’t help but look around the quiet coffee shop. Maybe you were just late to the party. Perhaps most British people were early risers unlike you. Your friends could be seen outside, sitting on the bench and waiting for you. There were very few people inside the coffee shop except for you, making small chatter. You weren’t paying attention to the counter when your drink was ready, the sound of the barista’s voice getting your attention. You smiled slightly, thanking her before turning to go. You were looking at the floor—not hardly paying attention to what or who was in front of you. 
Thump. You felt your outstretched arm make contact with something—somebody instantly knocking your drink out of your hand. You gasped in horror as your eyes panned up to notice the man dressed in black pants, a black sweater, black leather jacket, and baseball cap begin to wipe your drink off him. 
“Oh my God—I’m so sorry.”
The British were outspoken, or so you heard. At any moment, you expected to be degraded and yelled at. Which you couldn’t blame him. He was wearing your drink,  after all. You quickly glanced around the coffee shop, feeling all eyes on you. The man had sunglasses on the top of his baseball hat. An employee came to his aid quickly, bringing him a towel. He thanked her, voice soft. 
His attention turned to you, brown eyes soft. “It’s okay—really.”
“No—I can’t believe I did this.”
You were horrified. 
“It’s really okay—accidents happen.”, he gave you a small smile. 
How was he managing to be so calm and collected about this? 
“No—I really am so so sorry about this.”
You were handed another towel by the barista, immediately beginning to dab his clothes off. It was in that moment, your heart stopped. Looking up, your eyes made instant contact with his. He chuckled slightly, giving you a smile. His reaction was totally opposite of what you had expected, catching you completely off guard. You secretly hoped your friends hadn’t noticed, sure if they had, they’d never let you live it down.
“It’s really fine, love.”
Love. That made your heart flutter and your stomach turn. The British were very polite, using terms of endearment. That was normal for them. But you couldn’t help that it made your heart soar. Not to mention, he was good-looking. 
“It’s really not.”
“It’s alright, I promise.”, he insisted. 
There was something calming about his voice, his demeanor. The line cleared out and this handsome stranger finally had cleaned himself up enough to suffice for the time being. 
“What did you have to drink?”, he asked, easily.
You eyed him curiously. “Oh, just an iced coffee.”
“What size?”
“You’re not ordering my coffee, are you? Not after I dumped mine all over you?”
There was a hint of disbelief in your voice, causing him to chuckle. “It’ll be alright. I insist.”’
His voice was very calming, very soothing. 
“No—please don’t buy my coffee.”
Your voice sounded pathetic as it came from your throat. Before you could protest any further, the barista asked him what he’d like to order and he quickly squeezed in his order for your iced coffee and his macchiato. Your mouth was agape, shocked that he would do something like this—a kind gesture even after you dumped your coffee all over him. He gave you a small smirk as you both stood in off to the side, waiting on your coffees. 
“I’m sorry—I never caught your name.”, he turned to look at you.
“Y/N.”
“Lovely name.”
“And yours?”
“Joe.”
“Nice to meet you, Joe.”
“So are you visiting? I couldn’t help but notice your accent doesn’t quite match ours.”, he smiled, a small chuckle escaping from his lips.
“That obvious, hm?”, you finally giggled, causing him to smile.
“Slightly.”, he jested back. 
“Well to answer your question, Joe,” you emphasized his name slightly, causing a smile to spread across his lips. “I actually am visiting.”
He nodded, his brown eyes looking into yours. “I could give you a few suggestions of what to see while you’re here.”
“I’d love that.”, you smiled, brightly. 
“Okay, you definitely want to see Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey—both of those if you have any interest in the royal family.”
Joe shoved his hands in his pockets, looking at you. 
“All of those sound amazing.”
There was a smile so huge spread across your cheeks that it made them ache. 
“Oh—and the London Eye. You’ve got to see it—or ride it unless you’re afraid of heights.”
There was a small chuckle after he spoke the last part. You laughed little nervously, thinking about how high that really was. You were deathly afraid of heights, the thought alone causing a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.
“I’ll definitely have to look into it.”
His brown eyes looked into yours—warm and inviting. Part of you wanted to get to know him better, he seemed so easy to talk to. It was like it took no effort to talk to him just in this little frame of time. It was refreshing to say the least. 
“Here’s your iced coffee and macchiato.”, the barista caught your all’s attention. 
His eyes instantly broke away from yours as he grabbed your all’s drinks, walking back over to you. You watched him carefully, refraining from biting your bottom lip. He looked good all dressed in black, you had to admit it. He outstretched his hand, handing you your iced coffee. 
“Thank you, again. I am so sorry I spilled my drink on you—I should paid more attention.”
“It’s really okay, love. No big deal.”, he touched your shoulder reassuringly.
Love. There was that word again, the one that made your stomach do somersaults. His touched sent shock waves through your body, chills cascading down your spine. You had been out of your last relationship for over a year. It was a very dark time, your last boyfriend being very emotionally, verbally, and even borderline physically abusive. You hadn’t been with a man since and had no intentions of finding one, even feeling guilty you thought this man you met at the coffee shop was attractive. 
It felt nice to have a man’s touch—even if it was a simple gesture like this. You all began to slowly make your way towards the exit of the coffee shop. 
“Well, it was very nice meeting you—just not under the circumstances of spilling my drink on you.”
He closed his eyes, chuckling lightly before opening them again. “It was lovely to meet you even if you did spill your drink on me.”
You could tell he was slightly nervous, a little but anxious. 
“If you need anything around London while you’re visiting, I can give you my number. I’d be happy to show you around or give more suggestions.”
“Oh that sounds great.”, you reached in your pocket, pulling your cell phone out. 
You handed him your phone, allowing him to put his contact in. He smiled, giving you his phone to do the same. Exchanging phones back, he gave you a soft smile.
“See you later, Y/N.”
“See ya later, Joe.”
He grabbed the coffee shop door for you, allowing you to exit first. You could feel his eyes on you. He was being a true gentleman. You tried to keep your goodbye casual, cursing yourself slightly. He gave you a small smile as he went on his way, your eyes glued as you watched him walk away. You hated already to see him go, but loved to watch him leave. 
“What was that?”, one of your friends, Amanda asked.
“What was what?”, you sipped your iced coffee, somehow this one tasting sweeter than any other ever had. “Other than me making a complete idiot of myself.”
“Do you know who that was?”, another friend of yours, Christine asked.
“What do you mean? He was a random English….what do they called them—bloak named Joe?”
Your friend , Amanda rolled her eyes, laughing. “You’re really oblivious?”
Your glared at her. “Oblivious about what? So what? He was a cute British bloak named Joe who actually offered to show me some of London. Even after spilling my coffee on him.”
Amanda and Christine laughed, causing your facial expression to switch between confused and agitated. You didn’t see what was so funny. He was a very nice, respectful, attractive looking British bloak. Who was very nice and bought you a drink even after you dumped your iced coffee on him. He also offered to give you help touring London.
“That was Joseph Quinn.”
You heard what Christine said, but your brain didn’t process it immediately. “What?”
“Joseph Quinn, the actor who played Eddie Munson in Stranger Things?”
Your eyes widened, finally comprehending what she said. Your friends began giggling, watching your shocked reaction. 
“I spilled my coffee on Joseph Quinn?”, the words fell from your lips, dripping slow like honey as you tried to process your actions. 
They nodded. 
“Don’t worry though, he seemed to not mind. He definitely liked what he saw. We saw you all exchange numbers.”
You rolled your eyes. “No, he probably is laughing to all his mates about how stupid I am.”
You all began slowly walking down the street, opposite from where Joe had went. You were silently cursing yourself, taking another sip of your iced coffee. Somehow, this taste was slightly more bitter. How could you have spilled your iced coffee on Joseph Quinn? What a fool, an idiot you were. Even if you did text him, you were sure he would ignore it. He should ignore it, after everything you put him through. For the rest of the day, he was all you could think about. 
__________________________________________________________________________
Joseph kept walking. His brain told him to keep going, don’t turn around and don’t take a second look. But he couldn’t help it. He stopped up the street a little ways, turning around and taking a sip of his coffee. He silently cursed himself, hoping you wouldn’t notice. He could see you talking with who he assumed to be your friends. Your facial expressions were very animated, he chuckled to himself. It was the cutest thing he’d seen in a while. Before you had a chance to notice him, he reminded himself he needed to keep walking. 
His best friend, Wesley was waiting for him at his apartment. They were going to spend the day, hanging out. Joseph hadn’t been in a serious relationship since before he auditioned for Stranger Things. He had a few hook-ups and casual flings, but nothing worth bringing home to mom. All the people he passed on the street couldn’t take his mind off you. There was something about you that intrigued him. Wesley texted him, bringing him out of his thoughts by asking what was keeping him.
Joe texted and told him, he’d explain to him later. It was too much to explain over text. The wind had a nip to it, causing Joe to pull his jacket tighter. It didn’t help that he was still a little damp. But he didn’t mind. The walk to Wesley’s felt like forever before he knocked on his door, trying anything he could to get you out of his head.
Wesley opened the door, a surprised look on his face. “Finally decided to show up?”
Joe chuckled, coming inside. “Sorry, I went to get coffee.”
“You smell like coffee shop.”, Wesley joked. 
“Well—that’s kinda what kept me awhile. A girl—I met, she had ordered some iced coffee and accidentally bumped into me and spilled her coffee all over me. She felt so bad.”
Wesley’s eyes widened. “Was she at least pretty?”
Joe groaned before throwing his head back and laughing. “More than pretty. Beautiful—funny.”
“Well, did ya get her number?”
“We exchanged numbers.” 
“Has she texted you?”
“No. I told her if she needed more suggestions or wanted me to show her around to text me. Was that stupid?”
“No, not stupid. So she’s American?”
Joe nodded. 
“Did she know who you were?”
Joe shook his head. “If she did, she didn’t let on like she did.”
“Are you gonna text her?”
“I don’t know—is it stupid for me to text someone that probably won’t ever visit again?”, Joe sighed. 
“You never know.”, Wesley began before going to his room, grabbing some clothes for Joe to change into. “She may come back if she likes what she sees.”
Joe rolled his eyes, sighing. 
Wesley came back in, handing him the clothes. “Try not to worry too much, Romeo.”
Joe glared at him playfully. “I’m not worried about it.”
Wesley laughed before going to sit down in his living room. Joe rolled his eyes again before going to the bathroom to change. Joe sighed, closing the door and beginning to take his coffee soaked clothes off. All he could think about while staring at his shirt and pants was how innocently you were trying to help him dab his clothes, eyes finally meeting. Your eyes were soft, but he could see hesitation in them. Your anxiety was through the roof. 
He could tell you were waiting for him to blow at any second. But he wasn’t going to. It was an honest mistake, an accident. After changing clothes, Joe emerged from the bathroom and took a seat on Wesley’s loveseat, opposite of him. He laid his iPhone on the arm of the loveseat, praying you might just text him. He could see if you didn’t want to text him. His response was a little lame, even the way he tried to ask you out in a round about way. There was no way you didn’t have a boyfriend back home. 
Wesley eyed him. “Still thinking about her?”
“Am not.”, Joe looked off to the side, before looking down at his lap. 
“You sure about that? You seem really distracted.”
“I am sure, Wes.”
Wesley finally dropped it, beginning to bring up other subjects to Joe to talk about. They had been best friends for years. Even as they talked, Wesley could tell something was up with his best friend. But he had a feeling he knew what it was. It had been a while since Joe had a serious girlfriend. Joseph needed to find someone who would love him and want him for him—not his fame or money. 
Day soon turned into evening, the sun beginning to set. Throughout the entire evening, Wesley secretly watched Joe pick his phone up at the slightest ding, hoping it would be you. Wesley rolled his eyes playfully, wishing he could just text you. They had decided to eat dinner at Wesley’s apartment, opting to order pizza. Joe was finally about to give up on you texting him, letting out a long sigh. Wesley eyed him, grabbing his cell phone.
“Decided on a kind of pizza?”
“Just whatever you want.”
Wesley was about to dial the number when Joe’s phone dinged, him practically almost falling off the couch to grab it. 
Joe’s face lit up as he read the message. 
-Hey, it’s Y/N. The one who spilled coffee on you this morning. I know it’s late but my friends decided to go drinking tonight instead of sight seeing and I’m just not in the mood to have a terrible hang over. Does your offer still stand? X
Wesley could notice from the kitchen that his best friend’s demeanor changed. “Did she message?” There was no response as Joe texted back.
-Hey, offer still stands. Where are you staying? I can come pick you up, if that’s okay?
He tried his best to keep it casual. Not appearing or seeming like he was waiting in your text. Not like it had drove him crazy all day long. 
“Is it her?”, Wesley asked again, finally gaining Joe’s attention.
Joe nodded. “She’s asking if my offer still stands.”
Wesley smirked. “Told you she liked what she saw. My mate might have him a date.”
Joe glared up at Wesley as his phone dinged again.
-Sounds great. I’m staying at Park Plaza near Westminster Bridge. Just got out of the shower. Should be ready when you get here. 
Joe felt a stabbing, aching feeling in the pit of his stomach. His eyes fluttered shut, just imagining you fresh out of the shower wrapped in nothing but a towel. He shook his head, remembering he barely knew you and shouldn’t be having thoughts like that. But he couldn’t help it. You were beautiful. Wesley couldn’t contain himself anymore, bringing himself into the living room and peering over the couch to read Joe’s texts from you. 
“Think you might get lucky?”, Wesley teased.
Joe glared back at him. “No—no, we aren’t having sex on the first—whatever this is, Wes.”
Wesley laughed, raising his eyebrows. “Not even if she initiates it?” 
“NO.”, Joe said, more firmly. “I hate to do this—but I need to go get ready. Maybe pizza later this week?”
A laugh escaped from Wesley. “Yeah, pizza later. Go meet your mystery girl.”
Joe rolled his eyes, laughing before responding to you. 
-Sounds good. I’ll text you when I’m on my way. See you soon.
“Catch me up later?”
Joe nodded. “Yeah, I’ll let you know how things go.”
With that, Joe left Wesley’s apartment with a spring in his step. He was in a rush to get to his house and change before meeting you. A quick shower would be nice, just to freshen up and make sure he no longer smelled like coffee. He threw the door open quickly, throwing his keys and phone down. He wasted no time running for his bathroom, turning on the hot water. Looking in the mirror, he made sure his beard didn’t look too crazy—he had been letting it grow a little. Just thicker. 
He quickly trimmed it a little bit before jumping in the shower. He closed his eyes, feeling the warm water rush over his body. All he could think about was you—what you were wearing, what you smelled like—he tried to remind himself it was too early to be infatuated with you. Running his hands through his curls, he thought of what to do this evening, but decided he would let you lead. If you asked for his suggestions, he would gladly give them. If you wanted him to surprise you, he’d gladly do it. It was all up to you. 
Turning off the water, he heard his phone ding from the living room. He cursed himself slightly, remembering he had left it in there. He was careful to step out of the shower, afraid if he mis-stepped he’d up in the ER instead of being able to take you sight-seeing. He quickly dried his hair, leaving it in a curly, wild mess before using gel to smooth it down, still leaving the curls.  Blowing air, he was trying to decide what to wear to make a good impression. As the sun went down, it became colder this time of year in London. 
After spraying cologne, he left the bathroom and went to grab his phone. 
-Hey. Just checking in and making sure you’re alright.
Joe quickly began typing a response. 
-Hey, yes. Sorry had to run back to my place. I’ll be there ASAP. Want me to meet you at your room so you don’t have to walk down alone? Or do you want to meet me in the lobby?
He instantly cursed himself as he hit sent. He took his phone with him to the bedroom, laying it on his bed as he raked through his closet trying to find something that would satisfy him. Another ding, causing him to stop his search for the perfect outfit. 
-My room is fine. I’m in 221. See you soon. Be safe. X
Another smile curved across his lips, typing away.
-Sounds good. Getting dressed. See you soon. :)
Instantly, he began questioning himself. Was the smiley face too much? Groaning, he went back to searching his closet for clothes. He finally decided on black slacks, a white button up, and his peacoat seeing as it was pretty chilly this evening. Grabbing his phone and keys, he was out the door. The wind had a harsh nip to it, instantly hitting his warm face in contrast. Exhaling, he watched his breath in the cool, night air. There was a spring in his step, for the first time in a long time he felt eager. There was hope rising in his chest, the closer he got to the hotel. 
-Awesome, see you soon. :)
His brain quickly reminded him that this was only casual, he was just showing you around. The only reason you wanted to see him was for him to show you around his hometown. It was obvious, considering he knew the ends and outs. There was nothing more to this, was there? He turned the corner, reaching for the door of the hotel. The warm air hit his chilled face, him inhaling a deep breath. A small smile spread across his lips as he breezed by the desk. Pressing the button on the elevator, he began trying to talk himself up. 
The elevator dinged, reaching the second floor. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He was a bundle of nerves as he approached room 221. Reaching his hand up towards the door, he could see it shaking as he prepared to knock on your door.  A few broken knocks agains the door was all he could muster. 
He wasn’t prepared for you to open the door so quickly. The moment almost happened in slow motion. The first thing he noticed was how bright your eyes were shining. A smile spread across your lips, his eyes panning down to see you in a white sweater dress, hugging your curves perfectly. His mouth went dry, trying to find the words to say. You smiled at him, waiting for anything to come out of his mouth.
“Wow, you look—amazing.”, he breathed, trying to keep his cool.
Deep down inside, he felt like a little school boy. His nerves were getting the best of him, not quite used to feeling this way. He had been used to women throwing themselves at him lately, but it was different with you. 
“Thank you so much—so do you.”
Those words sounded so stupid coming from your mouth. 
He smiled, laughing nervously as he brushed through his curls. “So, did you have any idea where you wanted to go first? Have you had dinner?”
He was shooting his shot, hoping that it would work. There was a small glimmer of hope. 
You smirked, holding your small jacket folded over on your arm. “No, honestly. Have you?”
“No, actually. I know a really good place if you’re up for it.”
Your face lit up. “That would be amazing, I’m starving—if I’m being honest. And some of this stuff on the menus are—”
“Different?”, Joe finished for you.
“Different.”, you confirmed. 
He chuckled, immediately lightening the mood. “For sure. Let’s go. It’s in Soho, is that too far?”
“Oh no—it would be fun. We can always come back to London. I love a good dinner.”
He smiled, before he quickly frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. “Okay. Um, this is a hard topic—”
“Okay….”
What would he tell you? Was this the part where he shared with you a dark secret like having a secret girlfriend? Even if he was famous, you had to remind yourself you didn’t know him. You only knew what your friends had shared with you—causing you to beat yourself up all evening on how you spilled coffee on THE Joseph Quinn. You were surprised when he immediately texted back, offering to show you around London. You thought he would never want to see you again. 
“But um—there is something I do need to tell you….”
A sinking feeling entered the pit of your stomach. 
“Alright….”
“I don’t know if you know, but—”, he laughed nervously, closing his eyes before continuing. “I’m actually a little famous—not trying to brag—definitely not trying to brag, but there may be people who see us together.”
Your eyes lit up, feeling slight relief. “Okay.”
“It won’t bother you?”
“I don’t think so—I just hope it doesn’t cause trouble for you.”
He smiled. “I’m used to it. At least they’ll say I was with a beautiful woman.”
You felt your cheeks becoming red, a nervous laugh rising from your chest. “I’m sure you’ve brushed shoulders with women much more beautiful than me.”
Joe rolled his eyes playfully. “Aw, come on.”
“It’s true.”
You both stopped laughing, looking deep into each other’s eyes. Your smile softened as you made direct eye contact. It was like the entire world stopped spinning in that second—the second your eyes met. You swallowed hard, feeling the connection between you both. He held his out hand, motioning for you to go ahead in front of him. You smirked, immediately thinking about how much of a gentleman he was. The only time he got in front of you was to open the doors, feeling the cool air immediately hit you both.
“Do you want to take a cab or walk?”
“Doesn’t matter to me, what do you think?”
“We could walk to the restaurant, see the sights if you wanted?”
You smiled softly. “Yeah, sounds good.”
He nodded, leading you to through the streets. You all made small talk, beginning to talk about how your all’s lives. He told you about his mom and dad, that he always wanted to be involved in acting. You told him a little about your life in the States, telling him you worked for a doctor’s office. He didn’t poke or prod information out of you, allowing you to tell him what you felt comfortable telling him. There would be breaks in your conversations regarding your personal lives, him explaining some sights. It was so cold you both could see your breath in the air. 
Finally reaching the restaurant, you all entered and felt the warm air hit your pale, chilled faces. It looked very ritzy, nothing like you were used to. You all sat down, sitting across from one another. It gave you an opportunity to take him in, but you tried not to stare long—immediately grabbing the menu and trying to submerse yourself in it. 
“The steak tartare is amazing.”, Joe began. “I think you’d like it.”
  Your eyes panned down to the mains portion of the menu. You were a little surprised by the description. 
“Served with egg yolk?”, you asked, sliding your menu down to view him.
He chuckled. “Yeah, it’s pretty popular over here…kinda like baked beans with our breakfast.
You nodded easily, but he could tell you were slightly shocked. It made a smile curve across his lips. It was a breath of fresh air to talk to someone who had a different outlook on things. 
“Do you want a shot?”, he asked.
You widened your eyes easily. “Sure.”
The waiter came around, taking your order. He ordered oysters, immediately causing your nose to crinkle up slightly. He ordered you both a shot, your main dinner, and said you’d debate dessert. 
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”, Joe smirked as the waiter took your all’s menus. 
“I’m not sure about oysters.”, you chuckled nervously. 
“Just try one. If you hate it, you can blame me.”
You all continued to make small talk, waiting on your food. The waiter was quick to bring the shots, you immediately noticing they were smaller than the ones in the States. On a count of three, you both turned up your shots, you having no trouble downing it. He smirked at you as you both sat your glasses down on the table with a clink. It wasn’t long before you felt a small buzz, just enough to make you unwind and not feel so uptight. Even though Joe was easy to talk to you, you still felt a little unsure of yourself. You’d never been overly confident when it came to dating. 
“So you graduated LAMDA in 2015?”, you asked, taking a drink of your water.
He nodded. “Yes, had a few acting roles afterwards…nothing to brag about.”
“No, that’s really wonderful—I mean sounds like you were popular over here.”
“I guess you could say so…..I didn’t really gain a lot of traction though until I played Eddie on Stranger Things”, he smirked.
You could tell he wasn’t telling you this to brag about his filmography. 
“That was you?”, you asked, surprised. 
He nodded. 
“Wow….you were amazing….”
“Aw, come on.”, he laughed nervously, raking through his curls.
All he could focus on was how beautiful you looked—even in the lowlight of the restaurant. 
“No, I mean it. I cried over the season finale.”, you laughed as the waiter brought the oysters. 
Joe smiled widely, looking up from you with his deep brown eyes. “You did?”
You nodded, looking up between him and the oysters. He thanked you, genuinely surprised by your reaction.  You can’t believe that you had completely glazed over the fact he played in something you watched with your friends. You felt like such a fool—an idiot, You could only imagine what he was secretly thinking about you. You wouldn’t be surprised if he never called you again or texted—which you couldn’t blame him. 
He somehow talked you into trying oysters. While they weren’t your favorite, you didn’t hate them. Your reaction caused him to laugh, ending with both of you all laughing. There was chemistry between you both, but you tried not to get your hopes up, realizing you had to return home in a few days. Most of the time, nothing long distance worked out. At best, you all could be friends. 
After finishing dessert, you left the restaurant, immediately entering the cold air. The temperature had dropped since you all had came. You instantly cursed yourself for not bringing a thick coat. As you all continued to walk and talk, you did your best not to let him know you were practically freezing.  It wasn’t a long walk back to see Big Ben. Your teeth were so close to chattering, it wasn’t funny. You felt them chatter silently in your mouth, not knowing whether it was from the cold or your nerves—or a mix of both.
“Are you cold?”, he asked, turning to eye you.
“A little.”, you admitted, seeing your breath in the cold air.
Big Ben came into view, illuminated in the dark of the night. You both looked up at it, the clock hands nearing ten. 
“Wow.”, you breathed, eyeing up at Big Ben.
A landmark so simple as Big Ben had you in awe, amazed by the sight. It was nothing like you’d ever seen before. 
“Nice, isn’t?”, Joe smiled over at you, 
“Amazing.”, you looked back at him.
Turning your attention back to Big Ben, you didn’t notice him sliding off his navy blue peacoat. Your body was shocked when you felt the warm fabric around your shoulders. It smelled like his cologne and aftershave, the scent encasing your nose. You felt yourself swallow hard, looking up at him in the pale moonlight, your faces illuminated. 
He chuckled through a smile.
You instinctively put your arms in his coat, the chill melting away.  “You didn’t have to do that Joe.”
“You were cold, it’s what a gentleman does, you know.”, he chuckled, leaning in closer. 
“Yeah, but—why are you being so nice to me? Even after I poured my coffee on you?”, you looked at him.
Your eyes were locked, your stomach twisting and turning at the obvious chemistry between you both.
“I—it was an accident.”, he began. “Plus, it’s easy to forgive such a beautiful girl.”
A smile spread across your lips. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“Of course. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Man, he was really turning on the charm now.
You giggled easily. “That can’t be true.”
“It is, what do I have to do to prove it to you?”
There was something about this romantic rendezvous that made your heart beat a little faster, made you excited. It made your blood pump a little faster through your veins. It was like a wild romance novel where you met this handsome stranger who immediately knocked you off your feet. 
“I don’t know….”
He chuckled again before his smile faded slightly. There was a gleam in his brown eyes, unlike you’d seen before. Maybe it was the moonlight. Maybe something was shifting. Was it the alcohol in your systems? His fingers brushed your cheek, causing a soft sigh to escape your lips. Your eyes fluttered shut, before opening to view his face right in front of you. Was this some kind of dream?
His face inched in closer to yours, feeling his breath hit your soft skin. In this moment, it was like your brain went into auto-pilot mode. You both inched in closer, his fingers trailing up your cheek to finally meet some of your hair. It felt like time stood still—his lips finally meeting yours. They were soft, sensual and everything you would have dreamed them to be. 
It started off as a peck—soft and small. His eyes fluttered open just as yours did. Another soft, approving sigh escaped your lips. Your mouth gaped open, words wanting to come out but you were unable to form any. He heard the slight stutter but quickly crashed his lips into yours again, this time deepening the kiss. You held back the moan that begged to escape your throat as his other hand rested on your waist.  It had been so long since you’d felt this way, it was uncharted territory.
You both finally pulled away, his hands still resting on your hips as your eyes fluttered open to view him.
“Wow—that was—”, your mouth was dry like cotton.
“Amazing?”, he finished for you, chuckling softly before brushing your hair back.
You nodded, a small giggle escaping from your lips. This felt like a fever dream, like it shouldn’t have happened. Your mind was still reeling from sharing a kiss with him. You couldn’t help but to look deep into his brown eyes, mesmerized and completely enamored with him in this moment. You didn’t want this night to end, knowing you were one step closer to having to return home. Your brain quickly tried to rationalize the situation, reminding you that once you went home you would just be a memory to him. 
He’d probably never even text you, much less call you. He’d forget he even met you, blinded by all the pretty women he met in the industry. There were women much more beautiful than you—models, actresses, artists. The list went on and on. You, on the other hand, was just a normal American girl. What did you possibly have to offer him? There was one of two ways this night could possibly go—allow him to take you back to your hotel or see if he offered to take you back to his place. 
Your thoughts were derailed as he leaned in for another kiss, making this one consist of a few soft and slow kisses. You weren’t complaining—it was probably the best kiss you had ever had in your entire life. It felt like your brain was overloaded, the circuits malfunctioning as he pulled away and took another look at you. Your cheeks felt red and flushed as he smiled at you. 
“When do you go home?”, he asked, out of the blue. 
“Sunday. I fly home Sunday.”
He nodded easily, looking back up at you. “We could do something everyday until then—if you friends wouldn’t mind, that is….”, he stammered nervously. 
You giggled, his arms still around you. “That would be amazing, Joe.”
Without much more thought, you all shared another kiss. It was like one wasn’t enough. Maybe it was the fact you knew you’d never see him again. Maybe it was the fact he was British—you didn’t know. 
“It’s getting late and I’m sure you’re jet lagged. Anything else you want to do?”, he asked softly. 
“This has been an amazing night. I think I need some sleep.”, you laughed, your laugh fading into a yawn. 
Your body shivered as he fixed his peacoat around you. You shivered just looking at him, how was he surviving the cold?
“How are you not cold?”, you asked easily.
“Oh, I’m cold. I’m just used to London weather.”, he smirked. 
“I’m freezing.”, you admitted. 
He pulled you into him, completely shocking you. He smirked down at you, sending shivers down your spine. You dreaded the walk back to the hotel, realizing your amazing night was almost coming to a close. London was beautiful, but at night, it was magical and breath taking. As you all continued to walk, you rummaged through your wallet attempting to find your hotel key card.
“Shit—sorry shoot.”, you corrected as you stopped, Joe halting his steps with you. 
“What’s wrong, love?”, he asked easily. 
“I forgot my key card. It’s locked up in the room.”
His eyes widened easily as he continued to watch you comb over your wallet, checking every nook and cranny. 
“Can’t find—it—could have sworn I put it in here.”
“Maybe try calling your friends?”, he suggested.
He felt guilty as he secretly hoped your friends wouldn’t answer. He didn’t want this amazing night to end with you. He wasn’t sure how long this dilemma would prolong it, but he was willing to take anything else he could get. You awakened something inside of him.
You nodded, pulling out your phone and dialing their numbers. No answer from either. 
“They didn’t answer.”, you groaned, eyeing your phone. 
He felt hope rise in his chest, decided to shoot his shot. 
“Um, my flat is close by…if you want to go back there…you don’t have to stay—just until they answer, maybe?”
He immediately wanted to kick himself for babbling on like an idiot. So much for being smooth about it. 
“That sounds great, Joe. It’s so cold. I’m so sorry to put you in this position.”, you sighed, looking up at him. 
“No-no, I insist. If they don’t answer, you could stay. I can give you the bed and I could take the couch?”
He closed his eyes, immediately cursing himself again. What were you doing to him? He was usually cool, calm, and collected when it came to trying to romance someone—but that went out the window with you. 
“You’d do that?”
“Of course.”, he smiled.
283 notes · View notes
owlight · 1 year
Text
Trafalgar law x Gn!reader [reptiles are cool]
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Summary: law is trying to get much needed sleep,but unfortunately to him ,(y/n) got other plans for the evening
Word count: 842 (: short but sweet
Tags: fluff,reader likes reptiles,Law is very sleepy but trying to be a supportive boyfriend , fun facts about reptiles,adhd coded reader ngl, not fully read proof
Also Thank u @nekomacheercaptain for listening to my lizards rant and for the the headers pics ily 💞🦭
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Law lay on his bed, exhausted after a long few days of having to travel in Wano ,fight big mom and Kaido then having to deal with more mess after,he can't believe he is finely back on the polar tang for some actual rest. He closes his eyes, humming himself to drift off to sleep, but his thoughts kept wandering back to the events of the big fight,the last meeting with Luffy and his crew...tch he will secretly misses them....Just as he was about to slip into unconsciousness, he felt the bed shift as his lover climbed in beside him,With The energy of a rabbit for some reason
"Hey Law, are you awake?" his lover asked, their voice full of excitement,unlike everyone else,(y/n) time at Wano county could been described as a whole adventure of their dreams,they really enjoyed the country and they were so fascinated with Kaido Dragon form,they almost didn't move away from the fight and law had to room Thier ass to safety ,ever since the crew came back to the polar tang,(y/n) occupied themself in the library...law should have Guessed there was a reason for that
Law sighed, knowing that sleep was now out of the question,since (y/n) was clearly as awake as Luffy high on Sugar"What is it?"law asks as he keeps his eyes closed, perhaps hoping his lover would see him trying to sleep and have mercy on him
"I was reading about reptiles today and I wanted to tell you all about it" they said, bouncing with enthusiasm , clearly not noticing law trying to sleep,law almost snort at Thier enthusiasm it's so...giddy to witness,he open one eye to look at them,seeing Thier face basically glowing ,Law raised an eyebrow, not particularly interested in the subject matter but he wanted to humor them for now "Do you have to do it now?"he asks,voice sound bit too sleepy to his taste
"Yes, I have to tell you now! Before I forget" they exclaimed, grabbing Law's hand and pulling him into a sitting position,law groans as he sits ,he looks at his partner with as much as focus as possible"Did you know that some snakes can sense infrared radiation?"they tell law with so much excitement it threw law off his sleepiness for a moment,he blinked, trying to process the sudden burst of energy "No, I didn't...I didn't know that" he mumbles
"It's true ! It's so... interesting! Do you think a snake devil fruit user can do that too-actually and And did you know that most lizards can change color to match their surroundings?,that's why sometimes you see them looking colorful then out the blue they are kinda dim as they move around ,it's so cool that's chameleon are not the only ones in that aspect " they continued, their words tumbling out at a rapid pace ,law sleepy mind trying to catch up with them as best as he can,they continue "And some Some species of lizard will go their entire lives without drinking water! That's why there's so many lizards in alabasta living so freely!"
But you know Law couldn't help but be amused by their excitements about the subject Despite his exhaustion, he found himself smiling at their enthusiasm as they spoke,so much spirit and excitement, it's adorable in his opinion.."That's fascinating" he said with humor in his voice.
"I know, right?" they said, settling back against the pillows,law himself watches them laying down on the bed "There's so much to learn about them, I'm going to start a journal to write all about them from now on,from each island we visit,I have already few pages written down... it's going to be awesome" they tells him with excitement lacing Thier voice
Law leaned back against the headboard, then he moves to lay in bed,head hitting the pillow, he was feeling his eyelids droop as he spook"I'll have to take your word for it, let's talk more about it tomorrow shall we?right now I need to sleep before I end up speaking non Sense" law mumbles with tiredness in his voice
(Y/n) pouted, but reluctantly settled down beside him and Started cuddling him, Law wrapped an arm around them, feeling their warmth and the gentle rise and fall of their chest as their breath slowed down, showing they are going to be good for him for now and let him sleep,law closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep holding them tightly to him as they smiles gently closing Thier eyes as well joining him to sleep, law last thought and feelings was him feeling grateful for the presence of his lover, even if their interests were vastly different most of the time,he can't help but love them for how they are.
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bangtan-madi · 1 year
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All Of Our Lifetimes — Chapter Nine: The Truth Untold
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Pairing — Taehyung x Reader
Tags — boyfriend!Taehyung, husband!Taehyung reincarnation au, lovers to strangers and to lovers again, established relationship, implied soulmate au
Genre — fluff, angst, crime (ish)
Word Count — 2.6k
Summary — Does love ever truly end, or does it simply take another form in a new life? The cycle is like clockwork: your lives end and you’re reborn again. You’ve lived it over and over. Each cycle, one of you loses your memories and is tragically unaware until the other finds and awakens their lover. After all these eons, all these lifetimes, is it possible to find each other again—even when neither of you awakens with your memories?
Part — 9 / 15
Warnings — discussion of violence/murder
Note — Sorry for the delays on this chapter, and for the format that it's being posted in. Unfortunately, between the hurricane and a broken computer, I won't be able to post in the exact format I usually do with all the pictures and everything. I also won't be able to link anything, update my master list, or put a breaker in this chapter unfortunately. For now, this is how it's going to go up. I do plan on going back and editing in the banners and the headers and all of that as soon as my computer is fixed. Hopefully that will be in the next couple weeks, so if this chapter looks different later this year, that's why lol. Thank you all for being so patient and so kind on the previous chapters, but I am finally back to writing again! Enjoy!!
Previous — Next
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"Where are you going?"
"To find that curator."
"[Y/n], hold up—I'm coming with you."
Your stomach does somersaults as Taehyung grabs your hand and pulls you in the direction of the elevator. His stride is just as determined as yours, and you feel immense comfort with his hand in yours. As small a gesture as it is, it feels warm and helps subside the anxiety within you.
Despite the lack of film in the last few months of their lives, for whatever reason, you know exactly how your past lives' story ends. You've seen it your entire life. It ends in a bloodbath.
But you had no idea that they were being threatened for months before their deaths. You didn't realize the ins and outs of reincarnation, as [Y/n] told it. If what she said was true, then Taehyung should have gotten his memories back when he turned twenty-one in this lifetime. If you think back to your dream, you remember she'd said something along those lines.
"Come find me. In the next one: meet me there."
From his spot next to you in the elevator, Taehyung looks down at you with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Are you?" You turn and lock with his gaze. "Those were our past lives, and not only were they murdered shortly after those clips, but I now know that they were being stalked way before then. All of this, everything lines up with my dream. And god, I don't want to be skeptical or logical... I believe all of it."
"I do, too."
"You do?"
Taehyung nods, and his dark curls fall over his forehead, barely brushing over his eyes. "What I'm wondering is why didn't I get my memories back at twenty-one?"
Shaking your head, you sputter, "Maybe it's because we were murdered at the same time? From the way they were talking, that's a first. The cycle was messed up. I don't know how or why." You pause, and the elevator dings up another floor. "Do you remember anything at all? Have any memories come back?"
Taehyung bites his lower lip and turns his gaze away. "Something's there. It's like a word on the tip of your tongue. You're familiar. All of this feels...right? I don't know how to describe it."
"You said you believe it."
"I do. That film wasn't faked. Those people were us. Everything they said feels right in my heart. I just...I don't have proof to back it up."
Your hand tightens around his, fingers lacing together as you state, "Well, I know who can give us some of that."
The elevator doors open, and you pull Taehyung along as you head straight for Ms. Jwa's office. You might not know exactly where it is, but the wing of offices is just down the hall from the service elevator. She can't be far.
The middle-aged woman looks up from her computer as both of you enter without knocking. She seems surprised at the sudden entrance, but her shock dissipates quickly.
"I have to say, that was faster than I thought."
"Who were Kim Taehyung and Kim [Y/n]?" you ask, getting straight to the point.
Ms. Jwa sighs and leans back in her office chair. She gestures for you to close the door, then motions to the chairs across from her. "Have a seat." A beat of silence follows the closing of the door, and you both take your seats. "I assume you watched the film?"
"We did," Taehyung nods. "Have you?"
The curator nods. "I did."
"Then you know about reincarnation. You knew Taehyung and I might come back."
Another affirmative shake of her head. "Which is why I kept everything that belonged to you both, as you requested I do in late 1994. I was surprised, but now I see why." Her gaze shifts back and forth between you and Taehyung. "You really are mirror images of them. It's astonishing."
"You were their friend?" you inquire.
Ms. Jwa's face shifts to a small smile, but behind the expression, there's deep sadness. "I was. If you want, I can start at the beginning." When neither of you speaks up, she continues. "Taehyung and I went to the same art school in Daegu. We're both from the city and wanted to make it big in Seoul. He was kind of like the big brother I never wanted."
She flashes a grin at Taehyung. "No offense. When we moved to Seoul, we got jobs here as junior curators. I was more on the art history side, whereas Taehyung was the true artist. He always said he wanted his works to be displayed here someday." Her eyes drop to her hands, clasped in her lap. "Which is why I felt it was only right to put his memorial here and display his favorite photographs."
She shakes her head, pulling herself out of memory. "Your past selves met and fell in love very quickly. I thought it was strange. Taehyung was a...unique person. Always was, and he didn't often click with people right away. But [Y/n]? I don't believe in soulmates, but those two were the exception."
"Before they died, they were being stalked," Taehyung intervenes. "By who?"
Ms. Jwa shrugs her shoulders. "We don't know. We assume it's the same person that killed them, but there's no way to know for sure. He was practiced. He knew what he was doing. The evidence was inconclusive, and the cameras were blacked out. I have no idea how he got in after-hours, what his motive was, or how he got away."
Your breath catches in your throat at her words. Something in the back of your mind told you that he might've escaped. Your dream shows him injured, bleeding profusely, but stumbling out of sight. You'd hoped that he'd wandered off somewhere and died, and he might have—away from the Museum—but your stomach sinks regardless.
"It wasn't just stalking. Taehyung and [Y/n] received death threats for months before they died. It started with Taehyung, around the time he met [Y/n], and then she started getting them as well. Always anonymous. Even the police were baffled."
"So what you're telling us is that even after all this time, there are no answers?"
Ms. Jwa clearly sees your dismay, but can offer no condolences or closure. "I wish I had more to tell you, but that's the extent of what I know. I kept everything in that vault downstairs hoping that one day one of you would show up again and be able to tell me what happened to you. I figured Taehyung would be the one to get his memories first, based on the video footage, but when he showed up as a pop star with clearly no memory of his past, I thought..." She trails off and takes a pause before continuing. "I thought it best not to push the issue. I wasn't sure if the cycle had broken, or if he was merely trying for a different life this time. Either way, I wanted him to be happy. He looked happy to me, at least from the outside."
Taehyung heaves a deep sigh, shaking his head profusely. "How many times did I come to visit this place, and you said nothing? You must have seen me before yesterday. Why didn't you tell me anything?"
You're right." The curator's eyes drift downward as she says, "Maybe I should have said something. Perhaps that would have sped up the process. I did what I thought was right at the time. Maybe that was to quell my own guilt." She lifts her head and offers an apologetic smile to us both. "Now I can see that that was wrong. For that I apologize. All I can do now is make up for the lost time and offer you answers that I have." She gestures with a flourish of her hand to the doorway. "All of the things downstairs or yours, feel free to take any of it. But as for who killed you, or why, or what happened to them, I'm afraid no one has those answers."
You ride from your seat, take a step forward, and move closer to the curator to lower your voice. "Then tell us why were we here that night. If we knew we were being followed, I know what I would have done and it's not coming back to the one place that I knew we wouldn't be safe."
"You're correct," she says. "That is the only other thing I can tell you. You were about to leave the country that night. Like I told you, Taehyung and I were very close. He didn't have many friends, but Emelia Popescu and I were the only people he considered as such. It was fate that we all worked in the same office. Because of that, he wanted to see us one last time before you left. Both of you came here to say your final goodbyes to Emelia and I."
"And we didn't say anything that made you ask questions?" Taehyung inquires.
Ms. Jwa scoffs lightly. "I asked all the questions in the world. You wouldn't tell me anything more than the matter was urgent and leaving was necessary, and that you would send word for where you were when the coast was clear. To be honest, everything about that night terrified me even before...before the accident."
The name she mentioned moments ago brings back memories of a corpse at the base of a stone figure, crimson expanding along the tiles of the floor. "Emelia was the other girl that was killed, right?" You have no idea what the girl actually looked like; those memories have yet to resurface.
Ms. Jwa nods once. "Yes, I had left to take an urgent call after I had said goodbye. Emelia had offered to walk you both out. That was when you were attacked." She shudders, and Taehyung instinctively reaches out and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. At his touch, she steadies and flashes a watery smile. "Emelia was killed first as a distraction and lure, and then the both of you were..." Her sentence trails off, but you all know how that story ends.
That can't be it. This cannot be all that there is. All the memories, all the dreams, the flood of confusion and emotion that has wrapped you in a vice-grip the last few months -- it's all been leading to the moment of truth. Your heart was racing this morning, the thought of finally knowing what happened in 1995 sending you into an elated but terrified tizzy.
You never thought that the answers would be so close, yet slip between you fingers like the water from the Museum fountain where you and your lover were brutally masacred.
But you've seen the evidence yourself, all of your belongings, and spoken to someone who knew you both well. Every piece of truth she has is in her mind and in her vault below your feet. If the answers aren't there, where could they be?
How can that be all that there is?
You step back, leaning against the nearest bookshelf for support, gripping one of the shelves so tightly you know your knuckles are white. "There has to be something you can tell us about who he was," you murmur. "Something, anything."
Taehyung's gaze meets yours, and you can see for the first time that his desperation mirrors your own. Even if it wasn't obvious to you when you first arrived in South Korea, Kim Taehyung has been searching for his own answers just as fiercly -- if not more so -- than you. Whatever cycle you both have been in for god knows how many centuries has not been broken, but it is damaged. While he should have been the one to remember at twenty-one, there is a part of him that longs for rememrance. Something deep inside has been pushing him towards the truth and constantly reminding him that parts of his life are awry. Even if everything from the outside seems perfect, you can tell from those eyes that he needs this just as much as you.
"Did no one see his face, or a glimpse of anything?" he rephrases. "And how did he let you live when the only other three people in the building were murdered?"
The curator walks over to the bookshelf nearest you, searches the columns for a moment, and retrieves an old file. This one is a bright red color, different than the others on the shelves and easy to locate. She opens it and hands us a composite sketch notebook for that has Seoul Police Department written on the face.
"There was one witness that saw him in a dark alleyway. Not much detail was captured, but she did remember a few distinct details that she told the police. This is the composite sketch that was created based on her details. I'm not sure how much help it will be, but it's yours if you want it."
Taehyung joins your side, arm brushing yours as he God's affirmatively towards the notebook. He doesn't say a word, but his expression tells you everything: "Go ahead. I'm here. This might be the only answer we get."
In a burst of untethered courage, you open the pages to reveal the single composite sketch on the first page. It's merely charcoal on white paper, but the expression of a man you've seen in your nightmares stares back at you with a haunted hatred all over his face. Memories from the past flood back to you, not just from your deathly dream but further than that.
Decades.
Centuries.
You've known this man's face for as long as your soul has been a soul. The last lifetime, the one before that, all the way back to the very first one. The death in your dream from 1995 is only the beginning; this is a face you've seen in your very first life, the one you only started to remember when you came to Seoul.
Your hands begin to tremble, and a lump swells up in your throat. Taehyung steadies your grip, concern covering his features. He says your name, but your ears are ringing and his voice is drowned out by the panic racing through your body. The book drops from your hands, your knees buckle, and your eyes roll back into your head.
Never in any nightmare did you ever think you would the face of your first parent again, let alone with a smoking gun in his grasp and your blood on his hands.
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Taglist — @just-call-me-trash-can ​​ @jaiennn ​​​ @happyhrsme ​​ @butaes​​, @peter-pan ​ @twoteen-yup​ @dreamcatcherjiah @aelinashryv @luvth @cheoriemoawa @xyahrinx @say-something-nice-missy @btseverafter7 @kris10duh
(Taglist is always open! Comment below!)
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kalamity-jayne · 11 months
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uh uhm.. is it okay if i ask for some validation on me transitioning later in life,,
I'm gonna be real with you my friend, I was hesitant to say yes to this today because my dysphoria flared up on me today, and it is very much wrapped in this subject. But, I can tell I'm starting to feel better having talked about it with my wife and friends. Among the fresh insights, my wife reminded to take my own damn medicine. So I want to begin by thanking you, for providing an opportunity to refresh my memory on the medicine. Anyways, lets get into it.
If I understand you're tumblr header correctly, you're 16? If that's the case then I wonder what obstacles are in your way now that are making you have to wait later in life because surely you know that starting around 17ish is pretty dang on schedule. So, is it your parents? The state? In short, if you're a minor and you really do have to wait to adulthood there is additional advice I may be able to provide to you.
Now, let's swallow the bitter pill first. One of the hard, painful things about transitioning is that the longer you wait to start the more time you will have to grieve and mourn. I have very few regrets in my life, but top of the list is wishing I transitioned sooner. BUT it's never too late to start and no matter how old you are, you will be so fucking happy you did it.
I never thought I could have the life I currently do. One of the things that made it hard for me to say yes to transitioning was I thought I had to make a binary choice; I could either transition and finally answer all the questions I'd been asking myself my whole life and achieve some semblance of internal peace or I could have a family, a career, a good life, but I could not have both.
But here I am, living proof that it's not our transness hindering us from living our dreams, it's cis gender people constantly trying to rain on our parade. If the cis got out of our way, and gave supports to those who need it, the world would be our oyster. I regret and still feel sad about all the time I spent in the egg, but I'm also unspeakably happy and grateful for the life I have now. Even if you can't transition today doesn't mean you don't have a tomorrow to look forward to and hon, you've got so much beautiful life ahead of you.
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pffffftttttttt · 6 months
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I’m annoyed so excuse this rant about toxic k-pop fandoms and apologies in advance for my rambling:
I’m so sick of solo stans and delusional fans. You ruin the fandom. (And I don’t mean people who support their bias)
Two recent examples completely prove my point about fans needed to grow the fuck up:
1. Bang Chan saying he can’t do Chan’s Room anymore. We don’t know if the company canceled it. Maybe they did and it would be fans fault. He made one passing comment about younger groups not doing proper greetings and fans started analyzing every interaction he’s had with other idols. Then you made up your own narratives and starting calling out other fandoms and groups. How do you think antis and other fandoms got involved? Because you started a fucking fire with no proof. I’d venture to say he needs protecting from fans delusional narratives more than he needs it from antis.
Or maybe when he said he can’t do it anymore it’s because he’s busy. Two comebacks in one year? With him at least touching every track? A tour? A rise in popularity that has lead to brand deals and interviews and festivals? He’s got to be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Every week he’s in a different country. Give the man a fucking break to breathe. I understand you love Chan’s Room, I did too, but he’s human and as much as you love that connection, we don’t actually know him or what he’s going through.
2. The BTS header being changed from V’s album to JK’s single. This one blows my mind. Solo stans seem to think the company is out to get V? Like they have a personal vendetta against him. Stupid. You think they’re under the company’s thumb and have no control over their lives/music?
First of all, do you think the other boys would stand for that? You think that RM, who had the power to shut down the company’s idea to get involved in NFTs, would stand for that kind of treatment towards one of his members? And it is a business as much as you hate it. Those boys have to be major shareholders/stockholders in that company. They aren’t going to fucking leave. BTS brings in money, so the company makes money, so BTS makes MORE money off of stocks/shares. The company isn’t going to alienate their star money makers.
Second, they’re on the fucking clock. Time is ticking until all these boys have to enlist so they don’t necessarily have the luxury to spread the releases out. They’re jamming in as much as they can, while they can. It would be nice if V got more time before the next member releases something sure, but V even admitted to scrapping the whole album and starting over. It’s not like it’s been sitting around ready waiting for release and the company said “fuck you we’re going to hold off and only release it during the end of the year rush.”
These idols show an insane amount of their lives to us but you seem to forget that you don’t actually fucking know them. Of course they adore their fans, but your insane need to over involve yourself like you know what they’re thinking just creates a toxic environment for other fans and for the idols themselves.
Get over yourselves.
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devilcharge · 1 year
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the management company has been having wet dreams about kicking out my family for over a year now, but i have reason to believe they might’ve finally found something to blame on us.  in the event i actually do find myself out a place to live, i would at least like to not be flat - broke on top of it.    so im taking graphics commissions!    i can do  headers,  promos,  banners,  and  icon borders \ psds.  i might be able to do  themes  and  aesthetic boards.
all payment is through my  ko-fi page  ( allows both paypal + card )
i will not use fanart unless you can show proof the artist has given you permission for it to be used in a for - profit commission, or if it is your own
you can contact me on @devilcharge​ or @sortaequaltoheaven​, or on discord
prices may change depending on my circumstances.  probably not tho
---
HEADERS + PROMOS.  examples grouped together because i tend to make them similarly, but i can do the multipart style that’s trendy in the rpc.
$15  static image $20 - $25  simple gif ( ie. particle overlay, )  depending on complexity $30<  fully - animated piece ( ie. gifs made entirely by me from scratch )
DASH + PINNED BANNERS.  examples
$5  individually $20  set of 5
ICON PSDS / BORDERS.  examples
$5  border design, byoc ( bring your own coloring, )  depending on complexity $5 - $8  border + coloring, depending on complexity
---
themes + aesthetic boards i say i might be able to do because i am not yet at the chad pro level of “i do this on demand” and instead am subjected to my brain’s whining about lAcK oF iNsPiRaTiOn.  i do not guarantee that i can accept these.
AESTHETIC BOARDS.  examples generally, i am rather confident in my ability to can complete these.  you will need to vastly detail to me EXACTLY what you’re looking for, all the way from colors to symbolism.
$25
THEMES.  examples themes will require that we communicate in length to work out a solid outline and  extensive description  as to what you're interested in / have in mind.  following this, i will later on get back to you about whether or not i can accept.  if i do accept, be aware it will take a while to complete, and i mean a while.
$55  static bg      +$5  simple gif       +10$  complex / fully animated gif
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airxn · 7 months
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SPORADIC ACTIVITY . TWIN DEITY OCS . AIRIN . XAVIER . RULES .
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                              i’m living proof that the strength you will need                               has been in you forever, but to get it you'll bleed .
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br : @aiirn . @thegearshift . @korck . @empcrer . @lurinoodle . @tangerp icon by shapetales // header by blackberry-s0da caravan palace . l’envol  asks: 4 drafts: 8
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harrydracompreg · 1 year
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HD MPREG 2023—Fest Information, Rules & FAQ
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banner art by iero0
  If you missed our post about the key dates for the fest, check it out here: 2023 Key Dates & Info. We also managed to find and nuke the pesky gremlins in our tumblr theme! (Yay us!) Now we're primed and pumped to open prompting next week.
Here's the general rules and FAQ for the 2023 HD MPREG Fest.
What is the Harry/Draco MPREG Fest?
This is an anonymous prompt-based fest focused on mpreg and the relationship between Harry and Draco. Works forming part of this fest have three basic criteria—
Harry/Draco relationship is a must
Either Harry or Draco must get pregnant
They must not mainly identify as female while pregnant.
The change to the last criteria is explained in further detail here. 
Prompting
All prompting will be done through AirTable. We will post the link to the form when prompts open on Monday 23 January 2023. Prompts will be displayed in a gallery, and are typically available live unless flagged for review.
You are absolutely welcome to leave prompts for this fest even if you don't intend to create for it.
You are welcome to claim your own prompt too! If you want to create for your own prompt, this will be indicated on the form. While the prompt may still display in the gallery, AirTable will preserve your anonymity. If you have any questions about this process, please ask.
When prompting, be mindful that this is a prompts fest and not a gifts exchange, so while the creators will stick as close to the prompt as possible, they are allowed their creative license. Try not to make the prompts overly detailed, and keep the dislikes/squicks list to a minimum.
You can submit up to ten (10) prompts, and we will allow anonymous prompting.
You may re-prompt from previous fests when the prompt in question was yours, was not selected in a previous fest, and is not actively prompted in another open fest. If you saw a prompt that you loved elsewhere and think it would make a great prompt for MPREG, ask the prompter if they'd consider posting it here.
Creating
This is an anonymous fest!
While you are working on your submission, please do not tell anyone other than your beta(s) about the specifics of your creation. During posting, you should not reply to any comments or cross-post your work to other platforms. Once the fest posting has concluded, all creators will be revealed and then you can respond to the comments and cross-post the work on other platforms.
All written entries must have a minimum word count of 2,000 words, and there is no maximum word count. Art works and podfics should demonstrate equivalent effort.
All ratings and creation genres are welcome. Romance, pwp, drama, humour, dark, flangst, fluff, hurt/comfort, family. If it fits the fest's guidelines and you can write it, draw it, or record it: we want it!
Submitted works must be unique to this fest. We ask that they not be part of an existing universe or a prequel or sequel to an existing story. Submitted works must be complete works—we will not accept WIPs (work-in-progress). You may not submit a work that you have previously posted.
Submissions
Closer to the submission date of 23 April 2023, we will make a detailed post on the finer points of submissions. For now, some basic details are provided below.
If you finish your creation early, you are most welcome to submit early. If we haven't made the submissions post by that time please contact the Mods via email or DM.
All works will be posted to AO3. You will upload your own submission to the AO3 collection. A header is required to ensure uniform details for each work are posted on tumblr and LiveJournal. We will offer a html-free header experience also via AirTable, and the details will be provided in the submissions post.
Written works and podfics must be beta-d. This is not negotiable. The Mods will proof-read and proof-listen to these entries, and reserve the right to return them to you with corrections if necessary. If you do not have a beta lined up, there are resources where you may find someone to assist you including the Drarry discord server. Please keep the anonymous nature of this fest in mind while discussing your beta requirements in open forums.
All works must include the appropriate HTML coding tags on AO3. If you are unsure what the HTML tags are or how to use them, please check phoenixacid's N00b's guide to HTML. All submissions shall be uploaded directly to the 2023 H/D MPREG Collection on AO3. It is strongly recommended that you double-check when you post to verify that your coding and spacing is correct.
Extensions and Withdrawals
Extensions to timeframes will be considered on an individual basis. We will check in with you periodically, and if you think you're going to need an extension, you should tell us as soon as possible. Giving the Mods an idea of how much time you think you'll need, as well as where you're currently up to will help us plan the posting schedule better and fit things in.
Communication goes a long way, and we like to think we're easy to work with. Please talk to us if you're having problems.
If you find yourself in the regrettable position that you have to withdraw from the fest, we'll be sad to see you go. Sometimes, real-life ruins the best of fandom intentions and there's very little we can do about that. Please send us an email or a DM before your submission deadline so we're not left waiting for something that isn't coming.
Something Else
In the event that you've got something else to ask, please direct your comments, concerns, inquiries, Howlers, compliments and the like to [email protected]. You can also send us an ask on tumblr, or a DM, or reach out to us on the Drarry discord. Be patient—one of us will answer you.
If you haven't already, please follow us on tumblr, or join or watch us on Livejournal.
Fantastic, sassy_cissa and timothysboxers H/D MPREG MODS
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coffeestay · 10 months
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coming soon…5/25
-> you’re my gherkin (jongho x reader) 
summary:  post workout fluff
wc: .5k approx lmao (it’s a oneshot alright?????)
warnings: food triggers potentially, exercise mention, pet names, established relationship- reach out if i’m missing a trigger!
notes: more proof that ateez members lives in my head rent free…. thank u @applejongho​ for the header gif! i’ve already said ty a million times what’s one more to the leader of ribo nation <<<3333
taglist -> open
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rainbowchewynuggets · 10 months
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[Image description: A tall yellow poster announcing an upcoming comic series. The texture of the drawing and lettering is scratchy, like dense pastel or graphite. The header is a brown banner with ragged orange letters that reads “RAGS” in all capitals. The dark yellow sub-header banner beneath that reads “a comic book by Carlie Hughes / rainbowchewynuggets. Coming 2024” in yellow letters.
The body of the image is a close-up view of a masked figure in robes riding into the wind, drawn with brown outlines. Their body is spindly with oversized gloves and clothes. These clothes are orange, with shading that implies the sun is ahead of them. The figure is accented with yellow on the details of their mask and the trim of their robe, buttoned down the middle. The animal they’re riding on is rendered as a shadow. The negative space of the poster is occupied by song lyrics. The yellow lettering is the same color as the background, but they stand out because they’re written on darker yellow blocks of color. It makes the lettering look like part of the negative space. Each line of the song has the number of syllables next to it to make it easier to interpret the rhythm in your head.
The lyrics read:
9 Build your tower out of stones, they say
9 The poison pool felt like home to me
7 Cus I was busy drowning
Pause
9 I learned to see with my eyes turned in
9 And blindness to the kill–that is
7 Until I heard you drowning
Pause
7 Your hand reached mine to pull
8 But when I saw that you’d saved me
7 At last I felt the burning
Pause
7 They’re sending out their hounds to
8 Tear with jaws of steel and break you
7 Along the stones that I’ve earned
Pause
9 Time ain’t on our side, how long it takes
7 Burns an ache to break the day
9 When the illness in them turns fatal
Pause
9 These filthy hands stain my heart and bones
7 I’ll throw off the shame I lived
9 And grow new in a sandy cradle
Pause
8 I’ll peel the dead leaves from your face
7 Mend your stolen pieces and
7 Give you every breath I have
Pause
8 Crickets sing with no sympathy
7 As the sunlight stretches out
7 On our land of broken glass
Pause
5 Give me no doubt
5 Give me no proof
5 I’ll scale the walls
5 And shatter the roof
9 Let the rain fall, break down the tower
Pause
5 Lightning will flash
5 And thunder will shout
5 You’ll gather them up
5 And wash it all out
9 Let the rain fall, break down the poison
Pause
5 Break down the poison
Pause
5 Break down the poison
End description.]
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Note: Probably not actually coming in 2024. This is conceptual art.
P.S. The song is written to the tune of Gotta Knock A Little Harder.
INDEX
(I’m trying to play with formatting the description vs commentary section since I can’t seem to get the alt text function to work on mobile--and it seems to not work for everyone anyway. Let me know if having the header of the commentary section helps and what else I can do.)
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reverie-starlight · 2 years
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{lover- m. atsumu}
I was listening to lover and I got inspired... this song makes me feel all kinds of lonely. Like- there's lonely, and then there's the kind of lonely I feel while listening to Lover.
Please enjoy this! I had fun writing it. I even made a special header for it cause this has literally been months in the making. I used the lover logo and everything hehe.
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Reader: Gender Neutral!
Warnings: some language and alcohol consumption by reader, like one (1) dirty joke. slightly suggestive, but very very briefly in a couple spots. this is one of the fluffiest things I've ever written and I blame Taylor Swift for making me soft. not proof read.
Character: Miya Atsumu (you have no idea how long this has been sitting in my drafts under the name (lover- unspecified hq character) because I couldn't decide between Akaashi, Atsumu or Suna. Of course Atsumu prevailed bc I am in love with him.)
Word Count: idk but it’s long... definitely closer to 2k?
Synopsis: A collection of moments from when you and Atsumu navigate having your own home and living together for the first time.
Notes: The way this is set up isn't going to match the song 100%, I just chose some stand out lyrics, so it's a songfic, but not really. It isn't the whole song. And these moments aren't like, in sequence or anything, it's basically drabbles based on whatever I thought of for the chosen lyric.
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we could leave the christmas lights up 'til january
this is our place, we make the rules
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you were able to sit down on the sofa and admire your handiwork. You curled up against your boyfriend's side and smiled at what had been accomplished.
For the past week and a half, you and Atsumu had been busy moving into your new shared home. It was an apartment, and it was already a million times better than your previous living arrangements. You were living together now and it was surreal.
And what's more was that it was yours. You weren't just spending the night, you weren't visiting- it was your shared home with someone you cared for so deeply. It was your place, and both of you were free to do as you pleased with it.
"You know," you started off quietly, not wanting to disrupt the peace but also wanting to get this thought off of your mind. "We could potentially put up the Christmas decorations around the apartment one day after work this week. We're not running on anyone else's schedule anymore. We can literally put them up whenever we want."
Your boyfriend peered down at you and smiled. It wasn't one of his usual arrogant grins reserved for the court, or one of the teasing smirks that he used when he wanted to get on your nerves. This one was softer. It matched the look in his eyes and you knew it meant he was as happy as you were.
Tired from helping you move around furniture all day, but very happy.
"That's true. And that also means we wouldn't have to rush to take 'em down within a socially acceptable timeframe. 'Samu was always a stickler for that." He slightly shifted so that he could look at the one storage box that had been left out for the time being. In black marker it read Holiday Decorations- they had come from your old apartment.
You felt bad leaving your friend without any decorations at all, but since you paid for them (and Osamu refused to give his brother their shared box) you took yours with you.
"That is also true." You sighed and looked around the newly finished living room. A comfortable silence took over once again.
"So were ya thinking tomorrow after you get home, or..." Atsumu trailed off.
Home. He must've said sentences similar to that a million times over the course of your relationship, however it was always referring to a different place with people who weren't him. The weight of it was different now. Home was with him, and though it felt like that even before moving in together, home- as in the physical place you now lived- was also with him.
"That sounds perfect." you grinned up at him.
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have I known you 20 seconds, or 20 years?
The only way to describe this moment was pure.
Lying face-to-face in bed with your lover, not talking at all, just admiring each other. Sometimes he would brush away a strand of hair from your face and follow up with caressing your cheek. Talking wasn't needed. You were at a point in your relationship with Atsumu where silences didn't need to be filled with meaningless small talk.
You had an understanding of each other now and it ran so deep that you wondered how you hadn't known this man your whole life. In the grand scheme of your time on this planet, you had only known him for a small part of it.
It baffled you, in all honesty, how you knew he would be your forever.
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can I go where you go?
can we always be this close forever and ever?
When he first brought up the prospect of living together, you were a bit hesitant.
You knew there was no need to be, considering you had been together for years, but you were scared of change and you really loved how things were going. Moving in together was bound to cause more petty arguments until you could both navigate the new dynamics that it was bound to bring to your relationship.
And if you were being really honest, you were worried that you wouldn't necessarily have your own space- your room would now be shared, you had to be mindful of how you decorated the place so it would be to both of your likings... you were scared that moving in with someone (who wasn't just your roommate) would take away some of the joys of independence.
But once you got settled and used to living together?
You never wanted to be apart from him again.
Laughter rang through the kitchen as he flung some flour at you. It was one in the morning and the two of you decided it would be a good idea to make cookies.
"Okay, okay! I yield! Just stop!" He laughed as you were about to crack an egg over his head.
You set the egg down and pretended to be done with your attacks. Walking over to the sink to wash your hands as he put the cookies in the oven, you silently filled up a small cup with water.
"Alright, I'm gonna go change-" he was cut off by a splash of water in his face.
You grinned at him and started backing away as he wiped a hand over his face. He noticed you trying to sneak away and lunged at you.
"Oh no, you're not getting away that easy," he laughed, chasing you around the kitchen.
Yeah, you wouldn't trade living with him for the world.
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take me out, and take me home
You were drunk.
You had gone out with a group of your friends to celebrate a birthday and you were lucky enough to not be playing designated driver. You were going to offer but Atsumu suggested that he take that role on instead since he had practice the next day and didn't want to go in with a hangover.
("Plus," he said, "You always offer and you deserve to have some fun, too.")
You seldom drank when you went out with friends, usually just preferring to watch over them and make sure they were safe. Even Atsumu had only ever seen you drunk a handful of times, and never in a public setting with loud music and other drunk people involved. But tonight you decided that as long as he was there to keep you from doing something stupid, you could let loose. He had no idea what was in store.
So when you stumbled up to him and interrupted his conversation with one of your friend's boyfriends (who also opted to stay sober), he couldn't help but laugh a bit. You tried to lean on the bar beside you but missed it, causing your boyfriend to quickly catch you before you could drop to the ground. You bounced back quick from the embarrassment, using his hands on your waist to your advantage.
"Hey, handsome," you tried to flirt, putting your arms around his neck, "can I buy you a drink?"
He stared at you for a second before smirking. If he knew one thing about you when you got drunk, it was that your confidence could easily be turned into clinginess or shyness depending on how he responded to whatever advances you made.
He whispered something in your ear that made you flush. Then you were hiding your face in his neck as he laughed at you even more, patting your side.
"'Tsumu, c'mon, let me be the flirt in this relationship for once," you mumbled against him.
He rubbed your back comfortingly and said "I'm very sorry, baby, you can flirt with me all you want on the car ride home, kay?"
You nodded and brought your face out of hiding.
He checked his phone for the time. "We should get going, actually, it's getting pretty late. Is that alright with you, sweetheart?"
You nodded and jumped on him, making him scramble to catch you once again. "Take me home, lover."
And when he did eventually get you home, after saying bye to your friends, and a car ride full of your flirting, he realized had to carry you the whole way up. Sleepiness was taking over and you were getting sappy- his favourite part.
He sat you down on the bathroom counter, washing your face and brushing your teeth for you with the softest look in his eyes as you rambled on about all the reasons you loved him. He listened to you speak with a fond smile, small hums of acknowledgement leaving his mouth and his chest swelling with love.
"And, I'm just so proud of you, baby, you're amazing." You finished your slurred rant with a bright smile and a sloppy kiss to his forehead.
He giggled a bit and hugged you tightly before pulling away to look into your eyes. "You have no idea how much I love you. How grateful I am for you," he ran his hands up and down your sides and smiled when you squirmed. "Now let's get you into bed, sleepy." He peppered you with a few kisses before taking you to your shared bed and lying you down.
He always wanted to be the one who brought you home.
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and i'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you
i've loved you three summers now honey, but i want 'em all
He had taken you as his plus one to an event he was obligated to attend. It was some sort of banquet- you weren't really clear on all the details but you did know that it was a big deal for Atsumu. There was going to be a lot of potential sponsors for him and his teammates, so you wanted to make sure that you weren't being anything less than perfect so you wouldn't attach a negative image to him. (He told you that there was nothing to worry about, that nothing you could do or say would ever be so bad, but you worried anyway.)
You really were trying to be calm and collected.
But this girl, the daughter of a potential sponsor, was seriously pushing your limits.
The entire night she had been eying him, just waiting for you to leave his side- glaring at you then smiling at Atsumu if he happened to look over. You were not having it, obviously, and you tried to make it clear that she had no chance.
But she was persistent.
"I mean, come on, I can get my dad to sponsor you so easily- I have a lot of sway with him, you know? There’s just one condition you’d have to meet," you heard her say as you were walking out of the bathroom and back to his side.
You rolled your eyes. You knew your boyfriend was attractive- it wasn't unusual for people to try to flirt with him before realizing he wasn't single- and you knew you had nothing to worry about. He was so loyal and loving and he would never even entertain the thought of betraying you like that.
But sometimes he could be a bit dense.
He definitely wasn't the playboy flirt the media often made him out to be. In fact, you even made the first move before you started dating. He hadn't realized you were flirting at all until you made it clear to him.
So you didn't hold it against him when you heard him being friendly with the girl who now had a hand on his arm. You walked up beside him and looped your arm through his free one. He immediately turned and smiled at you, then tried to introduce the girl. 
“Oh, hey baby, there ya are. This is-” he widened his eyes at you in panic as he realized he forgot her name and you had to fight back the smile that was making its way onto your face. He quickly turned to face the girl to make it seem like he directed that last sentence at her. “My partner, (L/n) (Y/n).” 
She didn’t remove her hand from his arm and only seemed to latch onto him tighter at your arrival.
The girl faked a smile towards you. “Hi,” it was obviously cold, and if Atsumu hadn’t noticed her behavior before, he was definitely catching on now.
He pulled his arm out of her grasp and moved closer to you. “She was just telling me about how ‘er father’s company could be a potential sponsor. What were ya saying before about me having to meet a condition?” 
She flushed but didn’t lose any confidence. “Well, I was going to say the condition was buying me dinner... would you be interested, Atsumu?”
Your eyes widened at her use of his first name and he frowned. “Uh... definitely not. Please call me Miya. We’re not close, and we’re never going to be. Thank you for your sponsorship offer, but I think your condition is a little too impossible for me to meet. I have a partner and the least ya could do is respect that.”
With that said, he moved his hand into yours and tugged you along behind him. You stuck your tongue out at the girl as you passed her, not feeling bad at the embarrassed look on her face one bit.
Once you were out on the balcony, he apologized for not realizing she was flirting sooner. 
“’Tsum, it’s all good. Once you did realize it, you shut it down immediately. You did nothing wrong.” 
He nodded but you could still tell he felt guilty. You grabbed his hand and squeezed it so he would look at you. “If you feel bad about getting hit on a lot when I’m around, or flirted with despite this relationship being public knowledge, please don’t. I trust you and I know that you would never break that. It can be frustrating, and maybe some days I feel more insecure than others, but at the end of the day? We go home together. We’re a team, okay? I love you.”
Atsumu looked at you like you just hung the stars in the sky. “I love you so much.” He wanted to hug you, pick you up, kiss you- show you how much your words reassured him and how grateful he was for you. 
But there were still people on the other side of the door who would be eager to call the two of you out for being unprofessional at one of his work events. So instead he settled for placing a quick kiss on your hand.
He glanced through the doorway and then stood up. “How mad do you think my publicity rep would be with me if people saw us leaving early again?”
“He’d be pissed. You’ve been so good tonight.”
“And you’ve been perfect. Just like I said you’d be. I think we can risk a few articles, right?”
You sighed, but smiled up at him anyway. “One of these days we’ll see a work party through to the end, but today is not that day.” 
The two of you giggled and snuck out of the party, not caring one bit about the affronted looks of old businessmen or the teasing glances of his teammates.
The next morning, his phone was blowing up with angry messages from his managers and some snarky texts from his brother. He shut off his phone and rolled over to fall back asleep with you in his arms. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me
“Baby, I lied, I have another one,” said Atsumu as he walked up to where you sat on the couch. 
You groaned. Your boyfriend had been telling you bad jokes all morning, obviously trying to get on your nerves, and you finally managed to get him to stop.
Or so you thought.
“Atsumu, I swear, it’s only been twenty minutes-”
“Just listen! I think you’ll like this one.”
You sighed. “Fine. Go ahead.”
He dramatically cleared his throat and stood up a little straighter. “Now this may seem corny but you make me-”
“Atsumu,” you cut him off when you realized where the joke was going. 
“Knock knock,” he said, as if he anticipated you’d cut him off.
“Who’s there?” you couldn’t have sounded more done with him if you tried.
“Al.”
“Al who?”
“Al give you a kiss if you just open this stupid door!” The smile he gave you reminded you of a puppy after doing a trick- proud and looking for a positive response.
You pulled him down by the collar of his shirt and kissed him.
“You’re lucky that one was cute- it made up for that other one.”
His smile widened. “Speaking of that one-”
“Oh fine, have your way.” You tried and failed to sound annoyed as you put your arms out for him. 
He laughed and picked you up, running to your shared room.
You had to admit- you were happy that you were the only one he directed those types of jokes to.
And even if they were lame, you still loved him with everything you had.
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you're my, my, my, my lover
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streets-in-paradise · 2 years
Text
Dulce de Leche? - Andy Barclay x (fem) Reader
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Masterlist
Word Count - 3K
Relationships: Andy Barclay x Reader 
Canon characters involved: Andy Barclay, Junior Wheeler, Bree Wheeler, Logan Wheeler. 
Warnings: This goes into a very specific AU idea. On it, Andy lived a time in Hackensack at some point of the years of his life canon doesn’t cover. There he casually bonded with the Wheelers, (a paralel for Charles Lee Ray bonding with the Pierces) then discovered the abuse going on in the family and infiltrated as a friend in order to protect the kids./ I’m being like the Muschietti siblings on IT regarding references to my country through the eyes of a tourist character.     
Summary: A friend of Bree returns from a vacation trip and Logan doesn’t waste the opportunity to set her up with Andy. 
Notes: @losersclubisms​,this is inspired in your AU idea. I hope you’ll enjoy it. I am running out of grown up Andy pics,( he had so few screentime) but fixed it using an Alex pic I know you have found cute before for the header lol. 
His wife was slightly reluctant about the idea, but her opinions never stopped Logan before. Whenever something occurred to him, he wouldn’t stop until making it happen. Andy was a good friend of his who had been lonely for too long and that couldn’t do any good for a man, his brother Lucas was the proof of that. Finding out that your return would coincide with his visit convinced him of taking action, it was a natural move to make because you were an old friend of Bree. The only one he liked and the only one she kept, also known to have long periods of singleness that he would unfortunately ‘ well intentionally’ tease you for occasionally.  
If you had to be fully honest, you would admit you were still there only for Bree and her son. You weren’t blind to who was the kind of man she married, but any direct confrontations would make you lose her and you made the promise of sticking with her. Sometimes you would have to stand Logan’s bullshit, but you had to in order to remain in her life. It was incredibly narcissistic on his part to think you would be taking his dating suggestions, Andy was one of the few friends he shared with Lucas and that alone was a red flag. However, Junior had a strange fondness of that man that you would never observe of him with any other of his father’s friends and that was quite intriguing. 
It was as if the positions he attributed you were analogues. Back when he was little he shamelessly called you aunt a few times and he got to be called uncle, which obviously stopped quickly through the subtle reprehension of the father for doing it. The only contact you ever established with Andy was through Junior and the genuine appreciation he had for you both, but you frankly didn’t know much of him. He seemed a nice man, but Logan also was in the eyes of an outsider and you knew he really wasn’t. You haven’t crossed paths with him in a long while, last time being one of the boy’s birthdays, but you remembered he was the only adult there besides your friend that wasn’t a total nightmare. You two stuck together for most of it and a few tension driven misunderstandings happened because you did find him attractive. 
That wouldn’t mean that Logan wasn't doing an insidious intromission, the only upside being that Andy seemed as uncomfortable as you. He clearly didn’t ask for it, as you neither did. You were there to reunite after your vacation trip, share stories and bring gifts. It wasn’t on your plans to stand a set up feeling like in an episode of The Office. 
“ Buenos Aires was awesome, there is so much to do that I would end up exhausted at the end of the day and still get shit to do on my list.” You were explaining, trying to get the conversation secured into the topic of your preference. “ I loved the art museums and antiquity stores. There is an alley that is a literal open-air museum in La Boca, that was  wonderful to see. And, of course, I almost forgot about the football stadium!”  
“ I saw the pics, truly awesome.” Junior added. “ Boca Juniors, pun intended in the name of the soccer club because it sounds like it is speaking of my mouth.” 
“ I WAS THINKING OF THAT THE WHOLE TIME! “ You followed him with excitement. “ I knew I was gonna hear one of your jokes as soon as I posted the pic of the entrance sign. You know, there is a curious detail in the origin of the nickname for the stadium you can read there. ‘La Bombonera’, which means ‘ box of chocolates’ in spanish, comes from the fact that an engineer on its development got a box of chocolates from a friend on his birthday and the team in the project found the shape very alike to the stadium they were creating.” 
He seemed to find your tellings quite amusing. 
“ The Box of Chocolates? Who thought that was a good idea for a stadium name?” 
You both laughed together and you could see how pleased Bree was of that, a subtle smile in your direction showing how impressed she was because of that carefree reaction from her son. 
“ Well, slang there is super confusing so it must make more sense for them.” You guessed in return.” Chocolate is a soft catcall word, when an argentine dude in Buenos Aires thinks you are pretty he may call you bombón.” 
You knew you were going to regret that later, but the flow of the talk with Junior made you forget you shouldn’t have mentioned it. 
“ Andy knows a bit of spanish, he may be able to explain to us how that could work on a phrase.” 
The implied ask got him embarrassed, but he acceded. 
“ The language doesn’t work the same way everywhere, just as we don’t speak like the british. “ Andy tried to explain. “ I don’t know how they speak in Argentina, but with the little I do know I would guess something like ‘ Eres un bombon.’ ” 
“ Sos un bombón.” You corrected, not daring to admit to yourself that the cheap trick imposed may have worked. “ You have a great spanish accent, by the way.” 
You were actually thinking of how soft he sounded, sweet even if he didn’t intend so. 
He smiled in return to the simple compliment, a shy response meant to close the topic, but you wouldn’t have that luck. 
“ Look at that, you sound like you are about to dance the tango.” Logan teased you. “ Did you actually get to do that on the trip?” 
“ Yes, of course! A little bit of watching, a little bit of dancing… What reminds me of one of the gifts I brought.`` 
It was a great distraction that bought you some time of peace, you had tons of things to show between the stuff you bought for them and what was for yourself but you wanted to display anyways. The best of all was the sculpture of a dancing couple that you got in an antiquity store for Bree, she loved it right away and you were super happy about that. Since appearances forced you to be friendly, you got Logan a pair of shoes made of argentinian leather. As you watched him receive the gift with delight, you remembered the process of finding the proper thing for him with disgust. You knew it had to be something of leather,a famous speciality of the country. The first recommendation you got in the store was a belt but you quickly refused it. 
It would have been like gifting a gun to a murderer, you knew he was an abusive bastard and Junior was taking the worst part of it. The thoughts on the hate that man made you feel dissipated for a while when the boy reacted to his presents. Two soccer shirts, one you bought in a gift shop near the stadium and another of the national team. 
“ Messi! “ Junior commented, reading the name of the worldwide popular player on the inscription in the back. He didn’t have a great knowledge of soccer, but he liked it enough to once have considered wanting to play it for fun. When it came to sports, he would have preferred soccer practices on a non professional team a thousand times over cross country racing. “ Thank you so much, I’m gonna put it on right now.” 
It wasn’t the gift that truly mattered to him, but the action of support. You knew he preferred soccer over cross country, as you also knew he preferred music over sports. Buying him a guitar would have been too much of a provocation, a hostile act towards Logan’s wishes that would make him detect you as a threat, but you thought of it so many times before. 
Junior had a wide smile on his face on the shared knowledge in the imperceptible act of rebellion, wearing the shirt like it would be a silent counterculture statement. You rushed to take a pic but Andy got ahead of you, the happiness of the boy seemed to affect him in the same way it got you. The way in which Junior hugged you, then asked him and only him to take a picture of you both together confirmed it for you. 
He was telling you that man was an ally in knowledge of the same code, also a pleased participant in the underground meaning of the act. 
You wouldn’t get much time to celebrate your small victory before the forces of order would strike again. After the individual gifts were presented you showed some other things you bought for them that were meant for the house and your collective enjoyment. Food and drinks: you displayed first a fine wine for the adults, then one of the things you were the most excited about. 
“ Dulce de Leche, I got a ton of jars for myself and I knew I just had to bring some to you. “ You sweetly explained. “ If you never tried this, it is going to blow your mind.” 
“ Thank you! ” Bree followed you. “ I should have guessed it. You have always had a sweet tooth, dear. It was a matter of time until you would be talking of the local desserts.” 
“ I plan to go back to Argentina someday and see the snowy mountains in the south of the country. People have told me that in Bariloche they have amazing chocolate and I know I’m going to lose it.” 
Your friend was sharing a few chuckles with you, but Logan managed to ruin the moment for you once more. 
“ Thanks, (y/n), but I think Junior will not be able to try this. I can’t tell for sure, but that looks like the kind of heavy calories that his competition diet doesn’t allow.” 
Your inside was burning from rage, keeping a fake smile was progressively harder. Even when that was tecnically true, a fucking teaspoon of that caramel spread wouldn’t do the kid any harm but that dick had to restrict him as an act of power. 
“ Mate has no calories, it’s just warm water on some herbs. Can he try that? “ The acid comeback came out of you before you could control yourself because you were about to explode. 
Andy knew what you were going through, he shared your frustration and he impressed you by saving you from that uncomfortable situation. 
“I’m really interested in that weird doll you told us you found at that flea market. Can I see it? You said you liked it because it was a horror movie doll kind of hideous and that sounds like my thing.” 
It was an improvised request, he had no idea of what he was doing but he wanted to get you out from there before the tension could escalate and any talk regarding dolls was a fact that his memory would fixate on enough to make a quick excuse. He knew that it would bring no questioning because it served the purpose Logan had settled for the encounter. 
As soon as you were far away from any listeners, he made you feel safe enough to vent your anger out. 
“ FUCK! I hate his guts… How can you be friends with that piece of shit?” 
" Glad to see you realized I don't share his viewpoints on parenting.. or anything in general." He confessed to you. " I have many guns and a military background. I am aware of the impression that it causes on most people, but I am not the kind of guy who supports or condones that. The kind of discipline that looks like abuse is actually abuse. " 
Andy kept surprising you for all the reasons his so-called friend wouldn't imagine. 
" Why are you here, if it's not for him?" 
" I'm not friends with him anymore, but he doesn't know that and he doesn't have to because my actual friend in this house is Junior. " He simply stated. " I'm holding on to the bond with Logan because of him, I lost any true respect for him years ago. The same can be said about Lucas, but someone has to be there for Jake and I am happy to be that person. Whenever my times allow me to travel back here I check on the boys, make sure they are alright. It is really important to me, I care about them even when I wouldn't want to keep seeing their fathers." 
Finding someone who partially shared your frustrations was so relieving.
" My goodness, that is wonderful! I'm so sorry, Andy. Part of me was doubtful about you because of absolutely shallow reasons... It's the very manly lumberjack, bear hunter like thing you have always had going on." 
It was a teasing description of something you actually found attractive. The combination of his shyness giving him a sweet charm and his masculine aesthetic was an interesting mix. 
Getting the certainty that behind that rough look there was a really sweet guy worried for the wellbeing of Junior was fascinating to you. 
" Don't worry, it has happened before and I really can't blame people for their guesses. '' Andy calmed you, then proceeded into a deeper confession. " My father passed away when I was very little and someone took advantage of that gap in my life. That man got inside my home, he told me he was my friend and for a time i believed that. It was bullshit, all he wanted was to control me and he destroyed my life. Charles is the reason why I went to the military school and even there he didn't let me be." 
You thought he was talking of an abusive stepfather pushing the military career on him in the same way Logan was pushing his goals on Junior. 
" You are nothing like him despite what he did with you and that's something of your own achievement you must celebrate. " You attempted to comfort him. " You are a wonderful guy, Andy. What you are doing for the kids is something that not many men would. My bond with Bree kept me here even from before Junior was born, but you are pretending to be friends with two men you dislike just to protect their children. " 
" Many years ago, when I lived here in Hackensack, I was looking for answers. Perhaps I was also looking for him, my abuser used to be from here and I wondered if he ever felt homesickness. All I found were more abused children, kids who need the support of an adult friend really being there for them like their fathers will never be. I guess I wanted to be that adult because I was afraid that, if it wasn't me, someone like Charles would. I don't regret it, even after moving out of town I still keep in contact because I want to keep an eye on them. Remain in their lives, know how things are going and if they need my help. " 
You hugged him and he could tell that it wasn't pitty. There was a warm feeling in your approach, it felt like a call for intimacy and you were so close that he was smelling your perfume. 
" You are so sweet, it's unbelievable. " You purred a compliment. "I am finally getting to know you for real and I am frankly amazed."
" Muchas gracias. Tu siempre me has parecido una mujer muy dulce. " He answered, the softness in his voice making you melt a bit as he was calling you a sweet woman. Admitting he had always thought that of you, making you wonder what more he kept saved. 
You were staring at each other and the tension was unbearable. It was even more intense than that time at the birthday party when your doubts about him helped you keep your sanity. 
Trying to come up with an excuse to cool things down, you picked one of the jars in your travel baggage. 
" Dulce de Leche?" You innocently offered him a try. " I only have a plastic spoon from the plane flight, but that should work just fine." 
Andy saw you struggling to get the jar opened, then kindly asked for gestural permission to do that himself. It was a classical act of service from a traditionally masculine man, almost a cliche, yet you found it adorable.
At that point, you were putting out a fire with gasoline. He allowed you to spoon feed him the first try and your eyes were on him the whole time. The sticky consistency made him lick his lips and you had to bite yours to avoid releasing a gasp to the visual. 
" Was it good?" 
" Excellent. " He confirmed for you, the heat of the moment giving him some unusual courage. " Do you want to get a taste?" 
You kissed him without hesitation. Hungrily, yet sweetly, his hands got to your hips as you caressed his hair with one hand. Only realizing what you had done while you were gasping for air, you knew then that there was no turning back from there. 
" The lumberjack thing really works for you, It's very sexy. " 
He smiled at the confession. 
" I have to say I haven't been kissed like that in a very long time, hermosa. " 
He called you beautiful in spanish and it really got you. 
" Don't do that! Not here. " You complained with frustration. " We have to go back to pretend for that horrible man and you can't distract me with your spanish accent. " 
He chuckled against your lips. 
" We are going to have to do something about this, don't you think?" 
" Absolutely, but it will have to wait. "
He agreed, but kissed you one last time anyways.
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