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#it's such a fantastically written chapter though

sister-lucifer · 2 days

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HEY, YOU

Yes, you!

Do YOU like the idea of a gay polyamorous romance taking place in a fantastical medieval setting?

then you might like my upcoming original written series, Royal Courting!

Featuring the following cast of characters:

Lucian Hensley

A fair skinned, pudgy baker standing at about 5’4 with hazel-green eyes and a thatch of dirty blond hair that falls in thick curls around his freckled face. He’s usually wearing his beloved handmade crocheted sweater, the same color as his eyes, despite the wear and tear it’s received over the years. Nothing he wears is particularly fancy, but it’s all very well loved and cared for.

Though he’s not ashamed of the weight he’s gained from the years of sampling his own baked goods, he’s easily flustered by any sort of comments on his physical appearance, regardless of how mild, possibly related to his gender identity as a transgender man. He’s humble and incredibly kind, sometimes to a fault.

King Ambrose Verlice of Divestia

A dark skinned, slim man standing at about 5’7 with sharp brown eyes and a slightly effeminate nature about him. His dark hair is done together in thick locs so impossibly long they nearly brush the floor, decorated with gold cuffs and never less than perfectly maintained. He’s always wrapped in white and gold with jewelry to match. Any one of his outfits is worth more than every house Lucian has ever lived in combined.

He commands respect from all who lay eyes upon him, but knows how to use a gentle hand. It’s easy to get caught up in his flowery language, but beneath the purple prose and irresistible urge to flirt is a genuine heart of gold.

Tobias Silva

A toned man of Colombian descent with tan skin standing at about 5’9, with brown eyes and curly brown hair that’s cut short and shaved underneath, but left longer on top, still allowing a few curly strands to fall over his face. He’s got a foxy way about him and always has a smug, closed-lipped grin on his face that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners and dimples form in his warm cheeks.

He tends to keep his armor rather minimal to maximize his speed, but he’s got daggers hidden just about everywhere one can hide daggers on their person. If he’s being quiet, he’s probably busy scheming with his colleague and friendly rival, Rex.

Rex Theroux

Rex is a tall, pale, transgender man standing at about 6’1 with downturned blue eyes and shoulder length, golden-blond hair that curls a bit at the ends and is usually drawn into a loose, low ponytail that often leaves strands hanging around the sides of his head. Contrary to Tobias, he keeps his muscular form clad in armor at all times.

He’s the stoic tank of the duo, and proud of it. He’s completely mute and has never spoken a word to Tobias nor his king, but communicates with both Divestian sign language and his own unique methods. The only time anyone even sees his mouth is when he eats, as it’s usually covered with a neck gaiter. The scars that litter his limbs and body show his impossible resilience, but no one has ever heard the stories behind them.

When Tobias and Rex stop in at Lucian’s humble bakery, they’re completely amazed both by what they taste, and the man they see behind the counter. When a batch of these baked goods reaches king Ambrose, he demands to see the wonderful artisan who created them, and Lucian’s simple life is thrown into a whirlwind when he receives an official summon from his majesty himself.

Are you interested? Stick around! Chapter one of Royal Courting: Summoned By The King is in progress now! You can find the Royal Courting masterlist (among others) in my pinned post!

If you like this idea, please reblog! It’s free, takes two seconds, and helps spread my ideas to more people!

You can find me on AO3 as Sister_Lucifer; everything here is cross posted there!

dividers by @cafekitsune

#royal courting #ocs #oc #original characters #original character #fantasy character #fantasy #mlm #mlm fiction #mlm fantasy #medieval #fantasy fiction #original fiction #trans man #trans masc #t4t #poly ship

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speakergame · 2 months

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Progress Update - 3/4/24

Hello and happy March!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? 😅 Well, I finally have some good news for you this time: I have some actual news!

I'm happy to be able to announce at last that an update is on its way! I’ve still got some assets to make and code cleanup and testing to finish, but I should finally have something to show you soon.

I’ll put a cut at the end of this and go into more detail about the what and why of what I’ve been working on during this long and unintended hiatus, but the tl;dr is that I hope to have an update out by the end of the month, and that said update will break any saves made in Chapter 4. Unfortunate, but unavoidable, since Chapter 4 had to be recoded from the beginning 😞

I just want to thank all of you once again for sticking with me through my extended silence! Especially to my patrons who’ve put up with me putting everything on pause month after month while I dealt with my real life shit, and to everyone who’s sent me kind and supportive messages to let me know Speaker hasn’t been forgotten. It really means a lot to me.

Okay, enough of that sappy shit! I’m gonna get back to work finishing this up 😁 I’ll put out another update later this month once I have a more definite release date.

Thank you all for reading! I hope you’re having a fantastic 2024 so far, and that the rest of the week treats you kindly. See y’all soon! 💙💙💙

(For those who want a more detailed breakdown on what’s been happening and what to expect, hit the readmore)

I won’t go into the personal life stuff I’ve been dealing with this past year that has slowed down my work, but as far as the actual game goes:

To put it simply, I just wasn’t happy with it. Some of it could be because of how many times I had to reread the same section while I was coding the scenes that would’ve taken place after the last update, but no matter how much I edited or rearranged it, I didn’t like how that scene turned out. There was something… formulaic that had been happening with the way I always laid out scenes, and a bit of stagnation in the story, character, and relationship development that bothered me.

So I rewrote it. And when I still didn’t like it, I rewrote it again. And I still didn’t like it. I thought about scrapping the whole thing on more than one occasion as I struggled to get out of the corner I’d written myself into.

Inspiration finally struck at the beginning of this year, thanks in part to another interactive novel I follow, and I really like the direction I’ve taken it now.

Instead of the RO split scenes happening where the last one left off, Speaker, Seer, and Gavin are gonna have a chat about Things™ to move the next story arc forward. Then Speaker will get some downtime, by themself at first and then in an extended scene split with the RO of their choosing.

All the Big Plot Things that were going to happen in Chapter 4 will be moved to Chapter 5 instead, and 4 will be a bit more of a filler episode. A deep breath before the plunge, as it were.

This split won’t just be a quick conversation/reaction from the RO, but a full on different direction for the rest of the chapter based on who you choose. Most of them will involve leaving the house; all of them will involve actual one-on-one time (or one-on-two time, as the case may be) away from the others. And though romance isn’t required, all of them will have the potential to really move the romance forward if you so choose. One or two might even have a lock-in choice (maybe. I’m not 100 percent on that, so don’t hold me to it)

These scenes won’t be in the next update, because they’re all very complex, but the update will definitely have the Seer chat and at least some of the by-yourself stuff. The update after will have the rest of the alone time stuff (including the clothes/body CC you’ve all been waiting for), and then the one after will start the RO scenes. I think.

I may actually split the RO scenes into separate updates, and let my darlings over at Patreon vote for the order they’re released. That way I can focus on one at a time instead of trying to split my attention six ways at once.

Okay, that’s enough rambling for me today. Time to get back to work! Still got a lot to get done before this is ready, but it’s so close now.

#speaker game #progress update #so happy to finally have some progress to update about XD #maybe I can finally start answering some asks again too and fully resurrect this poor blog

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kingcrow01 · 4 months

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DC x Marvel Fic Recs

@jas-per11 @letthedeadghostrest

Hello! I saw your post, and I've been meaning to rec some DC x Marvel fics anyways, so I'll do that here. I don't know what you've read, so I'll start with

Peter Parker / DC Series:

The Dark Matter Multiverse Series by @mysterycyclone

Dark Matter is the blueprint for most Peter Parker / DC fics, and it's also fucking fantastic. If you're reading a crossover and don't understand why, without explanation, Peter is talking to ghosts? Why he by default ends up living in a firehouse? Read Dark Matter.

Spider and Bat Friends Series by @emmacortana

So far, 12 well written and hilarious works from my all-time favorite author, Miss emmacortana. This, coming from someone with over 1,500 bookmarks. She's that good.

Bitsy and The Bats Series Series by @wibbwoby

Haven't read this one in a while, so I don't have much to say, but Rated T for Traumatized is an absolute classic.

Pizzaverse Series by Irisen

A heavier read, wherein Peter tries to keep his job, make rent, and has a lot of unfortunate run-ins with Gotham's rogues.

Peter & The BatBoys (Doctor AU) Series by @thepoppypress

Peter is the Wayne family's doctor. He has a... chaotic time. I've only read Part 1, but I am still including this here because it's a series.

Peter Parker needs a hug (From the BatFamily) Series by @true-blue-fool

Shorter fics about Peter bonding with the Batfamily. Part 3 is especially cute.

Spider and Bats Series by @superklutzkent

Peter Parker whump, featuring the Batfam. All of the whump.

Let's take a break and look at some DC x Marvel fics that DON'T feature Peter:

Steve Rogers: Man out of Time and Place Series by RavenclawAngel

After Civil War, Steve gets exiled to DCs earth and builds a new team.

from the nucleus flight Series by @blackkatmagic

Khonshu whisks (Comic) Moon Knight away to DC. Very well written and passionate. If it's not your thing, don't let the Bruce Wayne/Marc Spector tag dissuade you from reading; since it's unfinished, the ship hasn't happened yet, and it's too good of a fic to miss out on.

The Devil's in Gotham (Remastered) by @prince-link13

Matt Murdock moves to Gotham and befriends Jason Todd, his neighbor. Bruce Wayne/Matt Murdock

Marvel/DC Crossovers Series by @bamboozled-and-alone

What it says on the tin. My favorite, part 2, is Matt Murdock taking care of Damian Wayne.

Echolocation Series by Firecat23

Matt Murdock and the bats; though, part 6 does have Team Red, meaning Peter.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Peter Parker slash fics:

Cassandra Cain/Peter Parker

Along Came a Spider Series by @rags-n-bones

Quiet Respite by @faeriekit

I'm not too far in this one yet, but it's Faeriekit, so it's bound to be good.

Peter Parker/Tim Drake, affectionately called redspider

a shining spider web by Selador

Needling by LaughingFreak

How dimension travel can lead to love. Series by Psychic_Queen05

My current Favorite Ongoing Peter Parker / DC Crossovers:

The Ones Burnt by This_is_lovin

After the events of No Way Home, Dr. Strange's magic sends Peter to Gotham. He wakes up in another boy's body, and has to deal with the consequences. Part one just ended with a bang, you all should be there for part two, it's gonna be awesome.

Arachnomaly by @songue85

The (Comic) Amazing Spider-Man, being neighborly in Gotham. Plus some sick art from the author.

time flies by (bye) by WHYISEVERYNAMETAKEN

Two difficult years after No Way Home, Peter ends up in Gotham, but with a whole lot of introspection. One chapter left; you better be there.

All of the rest, that didn't fit in the prior categories:

Unforeseen Consequences by @mysterycyclone

Gotta Get to Rock Bottom! by @emmacortana

Read the initial notes first.

Set Naked on Your Kingdom by sassydandelion

Peter's Gotham Debut by BlankGeode, Leeavy

This Was Home by @emmacortana

The Peter Parker Theory by nicfics

and even though we are strange and exquisitely scarred by Wingfeather6913

What happens in New York by @violent138

A Long Way From Home (And No Way Back) by Vivia_wants_boba

Ignorance is Death by No_idea_what_Im_doing_lmaooo

One Dead Spider by Miellonek

If you do check out any of these fics, always leave a comment. Authors love those, it’s like catnip to them.

#dc #marvel #dc x marvel #fic rec #spiderman #spider man #peter parker #ao3

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saintvainglorious · 3 months

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10 Best Black Sails Fics I Read in 2023

In honor of Black Sails' 10th anniversary, here's a list of my top 10 favorite Black Sails fics I read in 2023, in order from shortest to longest. Most Black Sails fic rec posts I've seen are now around 2 or 3 years old (though not all, bless @jaynovz and your #jay's esoteric rec lists tag) so nearly half of the recs in this list spotlight newer fics. It's amazing to see fantastic fics still being written and updated years after the show ended - y'all are keeping this fandom alive!

I didn't read that much Black Sails fic this year, comparatively speaking, so I'm sure there's plenty of newer gems that I missed. All the fics in this rec list are Silverflint unless otherwise stated.

1 - Gone To Port Royal by Apetslife (G, 3k) - a delightful oneshot from Gates' POV where they all go to a pirate afterlife. every scene is perfect. endlessly re-readable and never fails to make me smile.

Definition of Valhalla 1: the great hall in Norse mythology where heroes slain in battle are received 2 : a place of honor, glory, or happiness: heaven

2 - i’ll be seeing you by youatemytailor/@annevbonny (NR, 19k) - this is THEE post-canon Silverflint reunion fic. the anguish, the rage, the quiet jokes, the tenderness, it's all devastatingly in-character. particularly the chapter 5 climactic unspooling leaves me in awe upon every reread.

Silver is out of his chair and across the room before he knows it. He has a grip on the barkeep’s shirt before he knows it, and he’s pulling him up, hauling him eye-level, only to head-butt him to the ground again. The barkeep’s mouth is thrown open in a wail, but there’s no sound, Silver thinks, no sound at all, save for the blood rushing in his ears as he looks at the other man on the ground, watches him roll to his side with a groan. Flint, Silver thinks, and nothing else. It beats around the knife in his gut like a drum. Flint. And then Flint is looking at him.

3 - The Dark Lord Proprietor by Amiril/@runawaymarbles (M, 19k, Silverflintham) - a fuckin hysterical supervillain AU. Thomas has amnesia, Flint is pining, Silver tries to get them back together. what could go wrong? could not stop cackling.

A year ago, James Flint was in a stable relationship and was within spitting distance of taking over London. Now he’s single, with a dubiously loyal henchman, a lairmate determined to learn his every weakness, and a Secret Past with the new supervillain on the scene. And thanks to a new government program, it’s all a race to the bottom.

4 - the cross dimensional nassau bar of getting izzy hands laid by FortinbrasFTW/@fortinbrasftw (E, 19k ~WIP~, Flint/OFMD Izzy Hands) - a Black Sails OFMD Flint/Izzy Hands crossover. the very best kind of smut-as-character study. funny, gripping, and endlessly re-readable.

The first thing Izzy realizes is he looks absolutely fucking furious — which yeah, alright, fair enough. He’s got shorter ginger hair. A beard like Izzy’s but kept neater. Earrings like Izzy’s but worn simpler. Bleeding like Izzy but, well, maybe a bit less. And he’s handsome. Izzy realizes it suddenly and slowly somehow all at once. Bit like a bloody painting even. The kind you saw up on walls in rich folk’s houses. Only, well, no painting had eyes like that, did it? You’d have to be mad to keep a painting with eyes like that in your home. They were bright and clear and looked — honest-to-fucking-Christ — ready to set the whole damned world on fire. Izzy's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad night takes an interesting turn thanks to a completely different sort of pirate captain.

5 - frail and fragile bars by Ajaxthegreat/@francisthegreat (E, 21k) - Silver realizes, post-shark date, that he's in love with Flint. an instant, iconic fave fic. SO many delicious scenes and quotes that live rent free in my head. just read it, you won't regret it.

“I think you fuck,” Silver says. By which he means, with great intent: I think you are human. I know you are human. I see you.

6 - the whole estate of mortal man by Amiril/@runawaymarbles (T, 43k) - Creature Silver AU where he'll grant wishes in exchange for souls. first read this fic in 2020 and cried. reread it this year and cried again. the nature of the AU intersects so cleverly with Black Sails' themes, and the end result is devastating.

Silver has a limited memory, an unlimited lifespan, and a need for human souls. He spends months trying to buy Flint’s.

7 - our feast is but beginning by x_etoile_x/@etoilesombre (E, 55k) - Flint teaches season 1 Silver how to cook. they're definitely not dating. no, really. this writer writes dialogue so in-character that it cuts like a knife. features sensual cooking, Flint being a queer mentor for Silver, fun genderfuckery, and Them Being Real Tender.

Flint should walk away. Silver can figure out how to feed the men, it isn’t his problem. But roasting a pig is so easy, and when was the last time he had a hand in creating something rather than destroying it? Anyway, what else is he doing, with Billy taking the crew in hand with such annoying competency? He absolutely does not think about why he is reluctant for this interaction with Silver to end. “Go get another pig,” he says before he can reconsider. “Do exactly as I say.”

8 - With Strange Aeons by Amiril/@runawaymarbles (M, 60k, Silverflint + Flinthamilton + Jackanne) - Came for the Silverflint, stayed for the Silverflint but also for holy fuck Jack and Anne are sent to Savannah and break out of there with Thomas to battle literal Cthulhu. How can you NOT read this. I don't typically read Flinthamilton, but by god Thomas is amazing in this.

After the disappearance and presumed death of Captain Flint and Long John Silver, Max smuggles Jack and Anne to Oglethorpe’s plantation. Thomas learns that not only do the three of them have a friend in common, but he is not the only one whose dreams are haunted by a strange city and a terrifying name. Meanwhile, Flint and Silver try to escape an island trapped in time, impossibly built and impossibly old. Along the way they’re forced question reality, each other, and themselves. And in his house in R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.

9 - The Salt and the Sea by x_etoile_x/@etoilesombre (E, 60k) - a between season 2 and 3 recovery fic. i still remembered months after reading that chapter 4 in particular left me undone. a harrowing journey into the ruins of post-leg loss Silver's mind, plus exquisite hurt/comfort.

John Silver was always able to make the best of a situation. If this particular situation had started to feel complicated, well, a vast fortune ought to prove clarifying. Whatever he might have imagined he’d seen in Flint, the reality was they had used each other. And he had been set to walk away on top. Except now he couldn’t. Now he was trapped.

10 - the straight walk home by vowelinthug/@vowel-in-thug (E, 73k, Silverflint + Jackanne + Maxanne + Billy/Vane) - A western AU and one of the best long fics in the fandom. Excellent comedy, amazing AU twists on our favorite characters, found family vibes, nail-biting action, and a fucking fantastic climax. Also, I can't believe this fic got me invested in Billy/Vane.

Let me tell you a story, about a vaquero named Vasquez...

#black sails #black sails fic recs #silverflint #fanfiction #fic recs #bsanniversary #10yearsblacksails #10bsfest

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greenhappyseed · 8 months

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Anyone interested in some fic recs? Here’s a few ones I recently read and am enjoying — I prefer long, slow burn stories heavy on characterization/character study with adult protagonists, so that’s what’s on the list! As always, check the ratings and mind the tags; almost all are M for themes/language and a few have E chapters. This list is not exhaustive, and doesn’t include many older works, so if you have q’s or want more recs, ask away!

EraserMight

Blood Orange by @flyingjemsaucer is my happy place right now (the author has other lovely EraserMight fics too). It’s a wonderful AU with orange farmer/vendor Toshinori and teacher Aizawa. This one is interesting and different because Toshinori is un-injured and Aizawa has his post-PLF disabilities. As a bonus, this fic also has great DadMight and Dadzawa, with David Shield and married Mic/Midnight as the best friends of the lead pair.

Closed Fist and Bleeding Heart by MoonlightAndDust (who I believe also wrote this AU twitfic). Just all around good, canon universe, angsty EraserMight.

EraserMic

Nine Lives by machiroads (also check out the author’s Naruhata Noir, which ties in to Vigilantes lore). This one is set during Aizawa’s canon post-war hospital stay and features a super fun Mirko, snarky little shithead [affectionate] Shinso, and good OCs. Honestly, the EraserMic romance is just one part of the story, and that’s fine because it’s full of other things.

And When It All Goes to Hell by @purekesseltrash (also check out the author’s Rooftop Necromancy series for a band AU). Both of these fics are examples of an author’s other hobbies/interests making the fic truly special. This one is a hockey AU and it’s great! Filled with lots of cool details, it cuts between the teenage rooftop trio and the adult Hizashi and Shouta reuniting after 10+ years to figure their shit out. Knowing some hockey stuff helps, but isn’t required at all — the drama is still there! And if you want to read about 1A students in this hockey AU, then you’re in luck because the author has that too (though I have yet to read it myself only because I prefer adult protagonists).

ToshInko

Naive Melody by @aconstantstateofbladerunner. I also like many of the author’s other works including For Kurou and Dekugate, but I think this one deserves more attention for its terrifying premise and action sequences. It keeps the core “hero society” concept from MHA and then goes and does its own thing. Also, I love the Talking Heads references — you KNOW how I get with my 80s new wave music!

Bones of You by @thoughtfulraven. A really sweet story set in the canon universe, with BFFs Inko and Mitsuki and a closer look at Toshinori’s mental state.

Nighteye/All Might

Happiness by @puddinginthemix made me like Nighteye, and that’s a feat. Set in the canon universe with canon events…I’ll just say this one made me tear up a bit.

DadMight and gen All Might

Living Well by @krisingtons is super sweet. If you want some DadMight fluff, this is where you go. (I also happen to really like the Quirk Development Theories series, especially the OC that pairs off with Inko in one of the later stories because they all work together so well to support Izuku).

Learning to Trust by @siriusfan13, a longtime favorite. Not only is this a fantastic look at All Might in the year before he agreed to work at UA, but the author links some amazing DadMight/genMight fic recs at the end of (most) chapters.

Kacchako & also Hawks (WhaaAAaa????)

Toy Soldiers by AJLenoire is a bit of a wild card on this list, but it’s really well-written. The multiple subplots within the Kacchako plot and the Hawks/OC plot are all fun, and the Hawks/OC relationship is a blast.

#fic recs #mha fic rec #bnha fic recs #EraserMight #eraserMic #toshinko #dadmight #kacchako

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turtleblogatlast · 16 days

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hey!!! this is less of an ask and more of a fic rec tbh 😭 but have you read 'I May be Invisible, but I Still Look Good" by Dandy over on Ao3???? It's after the movie AND Leo-centric and like he gets cursed so his spirit is ripped out of his body. It's like 125k words of wonderful storytelling

OH- but for an actual question, do you have and fic recs?? or any AU's you think people should go check out?

I tried answering this before and it erased my reply orz

ANYWAY YES I HAVE read this and I absolutely love it with every fiber of my being.❤️ 100% one of my top fics to read in this fandom that I even go back to for a reread more than once. The characters are perfectly done and the set up for the story is believable with a fantastic payoff, highly highly highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.❤️

As for recs, I’ve always been terrible at giving recs since my memory is very bad especially for ones I haven’t read in a while.😭 Off the top of my head I can recommend (note these are practically entirely Leo-centric since he’s my special guy you understand (the others aren’t forgotten at all though!!!) - and most of these are very very well known so you’ve likely already read them…):

[Note many of these are unfinished and may remain that way - please no one harass the writers for more, let them write at their own pace if they choose to write at all]

- The Neon Void by sugarpastels is absolutely incredible, the dramatic irony of it all as we follow Leo in the state he’s in and see just how broken all the Hamatos are by his “death” is just 👌👌👌 The fact that this places with one of my favorite tropes aka “Leo being in the Prison Dimension longer than canon” is just so good. Genuinely a thoroughly gripping tale that I highly recommend. It’s not complete yet (a lot of this list isn’t) but what is there is so amazing please read (though you most likely have read it already haha)

- little kid with a big death wish and firefight by remrose are another two you’ve likely seen but by god are they worth the read. Firefight isn’t done yet but it and death wish are so amazingly well written and really go into how trauma affects people differently and how ties with family can be tested in traumatic situations. Hard subjects definitely but very maturely done. (Also I misread firefight as firelight for way too long before I realized it-)

- Power Up and Times Five by pickedcarrotsandradish are both unfinished but I can’t care because what we were given is so good that I’m fine with them as they are. Both deal with Leo’s insecurities and bad feelings about himself and, very importantly, the fics go into how these insecurities establish a base for Leo’s very real flaws and how those flaws push him to act the way he does. Very interesting and compelling stuff here!! Power Up especially does really cool things for the boys’ mystic power ups, especially Leo’s, and I loved reading about the ins and outs of what they could do.

- Race Against Life, Death, and the EPF by Cass_Phoenix is just so engaging to read??? Like I love the entire set up for it - it’s feels so fresh and like you’re in Leo’s desperate situation yourself. I was so excited whenever a new chapter came out because the atmosphere was so well done.

- A Mixed Bag by GreatlyBlessed is SHOCKINGLY not Leo-centric for once haha. It’s not completed, but again, like the others above it is so good that I recommend it anyway. This story is actually a crossover between four sets of TMNT (‘87, ‘03, ‘12, and Rise) and the dynamics set up in it are SO fun I love it. Team 2 is my fave because you have literally all my faves on that team how could I not?? I also highly appreciate that everyone gets a chance to shine and that there’s no bashing at all, they’re all just very much in character and it’s refreshing to read ❤️❤️❤️

There’s a LOAD more that I could recommend I’m sure but I don’t remember them off the top of my head at the moment.😭 If I remember I’ll come back and add them in!

(Forgot about AU’s- honestly there’s some that I see and catch up on when I see them but there’s just so many that it’s a bit difficult to keep track of sometimes! I’d have to go around and fully look through many before having a solid answer haha! The ones I do see are always so well done though, I may come back and add them here if I remember 😅)

#non au ask #it’s killing me to not remember them all orz #I swear there’s so much more #‘are they all Leo centric’ yeah LMAO #maybe one or two are more ensemble but yeah haha…#my special interest hyper focuses on my fave sorry 😭 he’s also just the most fun for me to read personally #but yeah I’ll come back and add more when I remember them lol #wracking my head to remember #gonna tag this as #turtle fic recs #so I can find it again later

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picnokinesis · 3 months

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plottier / character focused thirteenth doctor fic recs

Ipseity by WalkerLister (43k, 10 chapters, gen) summary: Eight months since the Doctor sacrificed herself on Gallifrey, and Yasmin Khan is still struggling to move on. However, when she comes across a familiar face who is not acting like herself, Yaz may finally get the answers she has been looking for surrounding the Doctor. However, those answers will be revealed in a way a bit more dangerous than she had been anticipating. //Okay, so no one is surprised that I like the amnesiac!divisioned!13 fic, but in my defence, it's absolutely fabulous. This one was written waaaaay back in mid-2020, so we all knew that 13 was in prison and everyone was pretty sure that Jack was coming back due to some bts detective work, but that was about it - so, for obvious reasons, it doesn't align with ROTD, but it's such a fun one, guys, I love it a lot. Also, y'know, thirteen in a leather jacket and snarling at people? What more could you want?

don't have to make it to the moon by Ymae (28k, 7 chapters, gen/thoschei) summary: After New Year's, Ryan decides to stay traveling in the TARDIS for another little while. Only, the Doctor's rarely alright, and between experiencing the wonders of the universe, Ryan wants to figure out what's happening to his friend, too. //I love Ryan so much. He's such a wonderful character and I always love it when fics focus on him, or have him as the pov character. Unfortunately, fics like that are a bit few and far between, but this is one of them, and it's absolutely fantastic. It really delves into his character, but also his dynamic with the Doctor (especially after he talks to her in ROTD and she admits that she's scared and angry), and it's just auuuuuuugh so good!! And, it's also go some great whump and psychic content, with the Master showing up to cause trouble, alongside some gorgeous world-building, so I enjoy it very very much.

Ghost War by riptheh (25k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: All the Doctor wants to do is pass the time, and help a friendly face. So when a young man with a strange tattoo and a psychic wound shows up, she dives right into the mystery - and finds herself flung far into the future, mindwiped and alone, fighting a war that by all rights, shouldn't exist at all. A war she could help end, if only she could figure out who she is. //Oof, this one. It's absolutely stunning. This author really has a way of taking some absolutely fascinating and mind-bending concepts and just running with it, and just nails it each time. I feel like the less I say about the plot of this one, the better, because it sort of unfolds as you go, but please just trust me when I say that it's absolutely fantastic.

Lifelines by Sue_Denham (40k, 11 chapters, gen, wip) summary: Lifeline: a thing on which someone or something depends, or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation. Set just after the events of Spyfall, the Doctor has a few things to work through. //Okay this fic is one of my favourites that's been posting over the last year or so - it's a brilliant exploration of Graham and Thirteen, and how different races deal with loss, guilt and death. I honestly think the best kind of sci fi takes concepts that we sort of take for granted, and then shows them in a completely new light. That's what this fic does. Also, Graham is just wonderful for the entire thing - though, as a note, Yaz and Ryan do end up somewhat side-lined, so bear that in mind if you're particularly looking for fics about those two, but I forgive it because it's such a great look at Graham and the Doctor. It feels like a character focused tie-in novel, y'know? Also it's pretty angsty in places, naturally, but that's what I'm here for haha.

Disordered by Echo (44k, 7 chapters, jack/13) summary: Messing with memories is always a risky business. Messing with your own memories, now that's just asking for trouble. The Doctor is very good at asking for trouble. And Jack is very good at finding it. //Ohhhhh okay so. This has been one of my absolute favourite Doctor Who fics for a long while. Definitely the shippiest of this list, but it's so lovely and such an excellent look at the Doctor facing the consequences of trying to get back her Division memories in the aftermath of s12, as well as the relationship between the Doctor and Jack across multiple regenerations. It's just so so good, flowing smoothly from very angsty to very soft, and the Doctor and Jack's voices are just spot on (especially considering that we see different versions of the Doctor, this is a particularly impressive note). Highly recommend!

The Trial of the Doctor by wreckageofstars (20k, 5 chapters, gen/thasmin, wip) summary: Haven is a planet at the edge of time, on the brink of destruction. Ravaged by the Time Lords and a war that time forgot, its people are desperate for justice before it’s too late, and the Doctor might be the only being left in the universe who can provide it — because she was the one who started it. So why can't she remember doing it? //Okay okay so, this one has only recently started posting but I've known about it since about 2020 and ohhhhhhhhhhh my goodness, GUYS. If you're not following this one, you need to be. It's a mix between Doctor Who at it's finest, Kafka at it's most unsettling, and Douglas Adams at it's most absurd, and it's delightful. There's so much in this one, and as always this author is just spot on with all the characterisation - especially Thirteen, who suddenly finds herself being prosecuted for a crime that she can't remember, and is forced into a situation where she's physically incapable of telling a lie. It. Is. Marvellous. Also there's a cockroach lawyer, whom I adore HAHA

lighthouse keeper by BlueLillyBlue (57k, 12 chapters, gen) summary: The Doctor is missing, and the fam is concerned. Featuring Yaz being a badass, Ryan being a cutie, Graham being a granddad, Jack being Jack, and the Doctor's complicated moral code. Also: space prisons, galactic war, the Doctor's time war trauma, the Doctor caring about people in her own weird and repressive way, and, most importantly, Thirteen wearing Jack's coat. //Oh, this one is such a favourite of mine. It's very angsty, so if that's not your schtick then - well, then you're kinda scuppered for all of my recs, to be honest, but this one is a bit on the dark side. Oh, but it's fantastic. Again, this one feels like a tie-in novel, and this author (as I think I've said before) is just incredible at crafting these very vivid worlds and really hard-hitting stories. The situation is pretty dire and desperate, and the Doctor is often faced with the fact that not every plan works out, and sometimes the only choices are bad ones. It's just really excellent guys (also! Thirteen in Jack's coat!!)

angel ellipsis by SleepyMaddy (36k, 8 chapters, gen/thoschei) summary: When the Doctor and Yaz find a planet in ruins, they’re only half surprised to discover the Master is responsible. But when his plan backfires, suddenly they have no choice but to work with him to stop his former allies from tearing the universe apart. It goes about as well as one might expect. //OKAY SO. This one is SO much fun and SO great - in particular, if you like the Master being a tricky bastard, but also getting screwed over by his own plans? You'll love this one. Everything about it is so vibrant and brilliant, and aaaaaahh man it all comes together in such a satisfying way. As with many of the authors on this list, this author just really gets these characters and how they tick, with some absolutely beautiful prose, and it's just such a joy to read.

nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light by river_of_words (6k, 1 chapter, thasmin) summary: Two weeks since Yaz got the most confusing rejection she ever hopes to get and the Doctor seems to have decided to blame Yaz for every single one of her furiously conflicting emotions. At this point she’s sort of asking to get hit. And at this point Yaz is sort of curious to find out what the Doctor is going to say that’s going to make her meet that request. //These next two fics are a lot shorter compared to the others, but I really wanted to include both of them because they're great and SO interesting to me. With this one, it digs into the Doctor and Yaz's relationship in the aftermath of LOTSD, and the ways that the Doctor does not actually talk about anything but does also tell Yaz more than anyone else. It's about the frustration that builds between them and the way that they're still finding more comfort in each other than anyone else. It's also a little feral, which as a thoschei shipper, definitely had a lot to do with why I liked this one haha. Anyway, it's really fantastic - really quick paced and emotional, and packing a LOT of punches with mostly dialogue in a very effective way. Go read it!

we'll do it right by daring_elm (3k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: She's never really noticed Yaz's perfume before. Shoulders relaxing, nausea subsiding, the Doctor inhales again, filling her lungs with jasmine and sandalwood, steel and glowing crystals and her box out of time. She can be back with Yaz within minutes of her leaving. She can save the child, change the foundation of Gallifrey and still return to have a picnic on Soria T4. //Okay so I loooove love love this one because I just adore it any time someone explores the Doctor's reaction to the Timeless Child stuff after the fact, and this one is just so wonderful. The characterisation is just fantastic, and then just the progressive spiral of the plot as we follow the Doctor on a mission that is doomed to fail by the nature of her own timeline. It's about how by trying to change the past, all you do is mess up your present and your future, and I love that a lot. Augh, it's a gut punch and a half - highly recommended!

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tightjeansjavi · 11 months

Text

𝕓𝕝𝕦𝕖 𝕛𝕖𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕟’𝕋𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕤 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤

𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟠

She is so pretty, he is so fine!

♡ 𓃗 ♡

Pre! Outbreak Joel x horseback riding instructor f!reader

A/N: This is the longest chapter of blue jeans I have written thus far and my god, I want to be in a throuple with them so bad 😭 they are so unbelievably cute and my poor little heart is just BURSTING with love 🫶🏻

~word count: 6.5k~

Summary: Joel Miller, single father; total soft dad has an astronomically enormous crush on you, his daughters horseback riding instructor.

Warnings: soft! Joel, shy! Joel, horny!awkward!Joel, fluff, flirting, slow burn, feeling flustered, sexual tension, brief horny thoughts, bantering, teasing, some very very light angst, talk of feelings, fears, implied feelings of anxiety, so much fluff, comforting themes, Joel gets a little drunk at the end and feels bad about it, lots of kissing, affection, no use of (y/n), (+18) minors dni !

blue jeans playlist:

Song used in this chapter:

“Ain’t No Man” by the Avett Brothers

Austin, Texas

“So, not only did this man, I’m sorry, your Texas tall glass of water, pick you fucking wild flowers, take you to a drive in, act like a complete gentleman the entire night, he turned down sleeping with you after the first date just because he wants to properly date you? Girl, my panties would have been on the FLOOR at that point. Does he have a brother?” Your best friend Ryder was in the round pen with Javi G (who was her favorite out of your boys but she loved them all of course) She was braiding daisies in his silky mane while you were in the main arena, riding Javi P.

The only way Javi P would even think of cooperating with you is if his brother was in close proximity. You also could only ride him bareback with an extremely soft bit. An Eggbutt snaffle bit was one of the gentler bits on the market. This specific bit had a thick mouthpiece which prevented the horse's mouth from being pinched and causing irritation. “When I tell you it was literally the best date I have ever been on, I mean it. Ryder, I was quite literally ready to risk it all for that man. Did I mention the fact that he’s a fantastic kisser?” You spoke with a light giggle as you eased Javi P into a working trot with a soft squeeze. When he responded positively, you leaned over and gave him a light pat on his neck. “He does have a brother. Guarantee he’s just as handsome as Joel. His name is Tommy. Want me to find out if he’s single for you?”

“Oh my god, yes please. Put in the good word for me if he is in fact single. Wait, I just came up with the best idea ever, babe. You should invite Joel and Tommy to the rodeo this weekend! Y’know, so then Tommy can see just how good a cowgirl can ride.” Ryder spoke suggestively as she shot a wink in your direction with a light giggle.

Javi G let out a snort. Humans, man. What fucking weirdos.

You lightly dropped the reins along Javi P’s withers so he could stretch his neck out naturally. “Oh my god, Ryder! You little nasty slut! I mean, you’re right though. Cowgirls can definitely ride. Tell ya what, I’ll let Joel know that you’re interested in his brother, and I’ll invite them to the rodeo. I bet you guys will end up hitting it off super quick babe.”

“You’re the bestest friend a girl could ever dream of having. When are you seeing him again anyway? You guys still do those cute little phone dates and shit?”

You couldn’t help but feel the butterflies bloom in your stomach as you thought about Joel, your Texas tall glass of water. “In a couple hours actually. Sarah has a lesson later this morning and then I’m working a double at the bar tonight. He said he wants to stop on by later while I’m there to see me. He calls me every morning, and every night before he goes to bed. It’s so fucking cute Ry, like he’s so sweet my teeth ache just thinking about it.” You spoke with a dreamy sigh before easing Javi P to a light walk.

“Here we thought chivalry was completely dead and then Joel fucking Miller comes in and proves us all wrong. You guys are disgustingly adorable and I am so happy for you honey, like so so happy.” Ryder was sincere with her words. Your ex nearly made you believe that good men didn’t exist and then Joel, who had only been in your life for a short while now, proved you wrong without even having to try.

“I really didn’t think I was ready to date again, y’know? Joel just makes everything seem so easy. I can’t wait for you to meet him babe, and hopefully you guys can be friends but I’m really not too worried about it.”

“He’s all green flags in my book babe so I’m sure we’ll get along just fine. I’ll be giving him the ‘you hurt her and I will kill you’ talk regardless. I’m sure he’ll be expecting it.” Ryder said with a shrug as she finished braiding the last Daisy into Javi G’s mane. “Now there’s a pretty boy if I ever saw one! Gosh darn, doesn’t he just look so stinking cute?” She talked to him in a baby voice, giving him a big kiss on his velvety nose.

“I can’t picture that man hurting a fly, seriously. Can you imagine if Javi P let me put flowers in his mane? He’d look so handsome!” You eased Javi P into a canter, letting him stretch his legs out. All it took was for you to slightly lean forward along the bareback pad for him to recognize your silent cue to gallop. With a swish of his tail Javi P broke out into a gallop. Despite his cruel treatment during his racing days, this horse loved to run.

“Yeehaw cowgirl!” Ryder enthusiastically yelled from the round pen as Javi P galloped past, kicking up sand along the round pens metal fence.

You gave Javi P all the love and kisses for being such a good boy. You were starting to make some real progress with him and it’s all you could truly hope for. After letting him cool off, Ryder helped you hose him down, give him all the treats before turning him out with Javi G for the rest of the day. It took all of 5 minutes for Javi P to eat every last daisy from his brother's mane before they were happily grazing together.

Before Sarah would arrive for her lesson, you kept yourself busy with the usual barn chores and soon enough, you were hearing Joel’s truck pulling into the parking lot. You could hear Joel and Sarah’s chatter from outside the open barn doors. Joel’s deep, warm laugh sent your heart racing. As soon as they turned the corner, Joel had his arm around Sarah, playfully pulling his kid into a headlock because she had said something jokingly about his age and him being “too” old for you.

“I ain’t too old for her, sweetpea! Did your uncle Tommy say somethin’ about that?” He chuckled as he ruffled her head of curls playfully.

“HEY! Dad, not the hair!” She giggled as she playfully pushed her dad away, giving him a warning look.

“Who’s too old for who?” You chimed in, arms crossed as you were leaning back against Frankie’s stall. A knowing smirk played across your lips.

Joel felt his cheeks immediately heat up. His whole face felt warm to the touch when he saw you casually leaning back against Frankie’s stall. “Oh, hey there darlin’! Sarah here was just messin’ around. Right kiddo?”

“Uh huh. I was just messing around! Oh, shoot! Daaad. We forgot her latte in the car! I’ll go get it!” She shot you a little wink before she slipped out of her dad’s light hold and took off back outside to the truck.

Joel wasted little to no time to make his way over to you. His palms felt a little clammy on his approach and you could tell by his body language alone, he was a little flustered. Once he was close enough, you reached out and gently grabbed his hands, pulling him in close to you. “Joel, you got me another latte?” You playfully scolded him.

“Yeah, I uh–I did. I know you said I didn’t have to but it makes me happy to get you one. It ain’t cost me much. Just a couple bucks and that pretty smile of yours.” He had a small grin tugging on the corner of his lips as he gently played with your fingers between his.

“My pretty smile huh? Why don’t you give me a quick kiss, cowboy. Before Sarah gets back.”

Joel was quick to close the small gap between your bodies, bringing your interlocked hands to rest alongside either side of your head as he slotted his lips between yours. You could feel his small grin against your lips as Frankie had stuck his head out his stall door and was playfully nibbling on Joel’s flannel.

The kiss was short, but sweet and had your toes curling inside the confines of your riding boots. By the time Sarah returned with your latte, you and Joel had already parted from the kiss.

“Were you guys just?—I don’t wanna know!” Sarah said with a light giggle as she handed you the latte.

Joel’s face was the dead giveaway that you were in fact kissing like lovestruck teenagers just a few seconds ago.

“Are you ready to do some more groundwork with Frankie today kiddo? I’ve got a feeling that you’re gonna be able to successfully join up with him today!” You did your best to change the conversation so that Joel’s face wasn’t a consistent shade of beet red.

“Wait, seriously? Yes! I am so ready to do more groundwork with him today!” Sarah spoke with pure excitement as she walked up to Frankie’s stall and gave his velvety nose a nice soft pat.

“Why don’t you get his halter on kiddo and bring him in the round pen, okay?” You took a sip of the latte then, shooting Joel a little wink over the rim of the cup.

Sarah wasted no time to grab Frankie’s halter and leadrope before she was slowly opening up his stall door, wishing him a good morning as she slipped his halter over his head and ears. Frankie already loved this kid so much that he nuzzled his face into her shoulder affectionately. Joel’s heart just about melted when he heard the softest giggle slip past his baby girl's lips and you swore you saw your Texas tall glass of water tear up just the slightest.

He really loved his daughter that much.

Fuck, there goes your heart. Melting in a puddle of sticky sweet molasses and Joel fucking Miller.

Once Sarah had led Frankie into the round pen, you gave her a chance to show you, and Joel, everything that you taught her thus far. You were close by, sitting on top of a mounting block in the far corner of the round pen. Joel was on the outside of the fence, standing close to where you were sitting.

Sarah had no trouble getting Frankie to listen to her when she eased him onto the rail. She remembered the body posture you told her and to only use the long whip as a gentle guide. Frankie of course was the best boy ever. All she had to do was click her tongue a couple times and he broke out into a working trot. The excitement was written across your face when you saw Frankie turning his inside ear towards Sarah, showing her that he was listening to her completely.

After having Frankie trot a few times in one direction, she turned her shoulder inwards, switching the whip to the other hand. This signaled Frankie to change directions which he did flawlessly.

Once he was adequately warmed up, she asked him to canter. It took just a little bit of effort on her part for Frankie to listen to her cue, but she held her ground beautifully. After working him for a little longer, it was time for the join up. Sarah slowly dropped the whip to the ground, taking a deep breath as her shoulders relaxed. She exhaled, turning her shoulder inwards with her back facing Frankie. Her posture was relaxed and she held her hand out to her side.

Frankie had slowed down to a light walk and when he saw his favorite tiny human giving him the okay to relax, he turned his head towards her and slowly walked forward. His ears were facing forward, showing he was focused and listening. His velvet soft nose lightly nudged against her hand, signaling his submission to her. You could see Sarah’s face light up when Frankie had nuzzled her hand and she slowly turned around and gave him a well deserved pat, and kiss on his nose. The join up was completed successfully and as Sarah started to walk towards you and Joel, Frankie was following right behind her.

“Did you guys see that? I did it! He was such a good boy too!” Frankie was lightly nudging her back with his nose. He playfully nibbled on the end of her shirt affectionately.

“You did a great job kiddo! See, wasn’t that so cool? I think we can officially get you in the saddle for your next lesson. How does that sound to you?” You had an equally as big smile as Joel did. He could genuinely tell that you were excited and proud of Sarah and the progress she already had made.

“Wait, really? Can I ride Frankie then? I really like him a lot.” Sarah said with a big smile, giving Frankie a hug with her arms gently wrapping around his furry neck.

“Of course you can! I think you guys are the perfect match for each other. Frankie really likes you too, Sarah. I think you guys are gonna make a great team.” You reached into your pocket, pulled out a carrot and snapped it in half, giving Frankie the first half and handed the other to Sarah so that she could reward him as well.

To Joel, this whole scene playing out in front of him was truly a sight for sore eyes. He was so happy that he had met you, and that you were in his, and Sarah’s life. He hoped that you would be in their lives indefinitely.

After letting Frankie cool down, Sarah gave him a well deserved brush down before she turned him out into the pasture. She was happily sitting alongside the fence as she watched him, Javi G and Javi P, grazing together under the shade of a tree.

You were watching Sarah fondly when you felt a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist from behind. The slight stubble on Joel’s face tickled your ear as he kissed your cheek. He gently pulled you against his chest, smiling against your soft skin when he felt you relax in his warm embrace. “You really make my daughter happy. This whole experience has my kid feelin’ over the fuckin’ moon. Thank you. I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your website darlin.’” He whispered softly to you.

Your heart was melting all over again into a pile of gooey mush on the floor. This felt like an absolute fairytale. Something that you would see in the movies, or a cheesy T.V show. “I’m really happy that you stumbled upon my website as well, Joel.”

“Lookin’ forward t’seein’ ya later tonight babe. You mind if my brother Tommy accompanies me?”

“Oh, actually that would be perfect! My friend Ryder was actually asking me earlier if your brother was single. She wanted me to put in the good word for her. Y’know, play the wingwoman role and everything.”

“Oh? Well, lucky for your friend, my brother is absolutely on the market. I’ll let him know when I see him later and then you can give him all the details?” Joel gave your waist a light squeeze. He really enjoyed the way you melted into his arms.

“This is the best news I could possibly give her. I will absolutely give Tommy all the details on her. She’s a real catch.”

“Are we about to become matchmakers now darlin’?”

“I think so, cowboy.” you responded with a small grin on your face.

By 8pm the bar was absolutely slammed with locals and a large group of rowdy college students that were home for the summer. You and the other bartenders were barely given a chance to breathe, and by your 100th tequila shot that you poured, you were getting a little tired.

That was until you saw your Texas tall glass of water stride in the bar with his equally as attractive brother. You saw the similarities in Joel and Tommy Miller’s looks, and right away you knew that Ryder was going to be absolutely on the floor.

You watched the way that Joel effortlessly rolled up the sleeves on his flannel, revealing his tan forearms to you. You watched the way that he caught the eyes of multiple women in the bar and the way they looked him up and down, unashamedly. You couldn’t really blame them though. Your Texas tall glass of water was fucking gorgeous, and all yours.

Joel was paying no mind to the eyes wandering over him and he was solely focused on making it to the bartop. He spotted you immediately and Tommy couldn’t help but watch the way his older brother’s eyes light up when he saw you.

It took a bit of light pushing, and ‘excuse me’s’ for the two brothers to make it to the bartop and claim a seat on two empty stools.

“Hello boys. What can I get for ya?” You said with a small grin. You let your gaze fall on Joel as you gave him a little once over just to watch the way his cheeks immediately heated up.

Tommy let out a low wolf whistle as he wrapped his arm around Joel’s shoulder. “Woo Doggy! I’d love to have a tall glass of you sweetheart!” He said with a light chuckle. “Or your friend, if she’s around? Heard she’s got the hots for me!” He winked.

Joel let out a low grumble as he playfully shoved his brother’s arm off of his shoulder. “Please excuse my brother, darlin’. Ma dropped him on his head when he was a baby and he’s turned into a complete fuckin’ imbecile cus’ of it.”

“You gotta stop tellin’ people that Joel! They’re gonna start thinkin’ ma did it on purpose!” Tommy bickered back.

You brought your hand over your mouth to contain your giggles as you watched the two Miller boys bicker. “Oh, my friend is absolutely going to love you Tommy. You guys are gonna get along just fine. Maybe even a little too well. I think you are actually the male version of her.”

“Well, sweet cheeks, if your friend is anythin’ like me, I definitely might fall in love jus’a little. Now, before my brother here rings me up for havin’ no manners, it’s so wonderful to finally meet the pretty bird that has gone and stolen my brother’s heart. It’s a bout’ damn time too!” Tommy reached his hand out over the bartop for you to shake.

“It’s hard not to fall in love with Ryder. She’s a total catch. Gotta say, I knew you were gonna be easy on the eyes, but maybe I picked the wrong Miller brother?” You teased before grabbing his hand and giving it a firm shake.

The tips of Joel’s ears had turned red as he glowered at his brother. He might have been just a tad jealous. He knew his brother was a natural flirt, but you were his girl. Joel’s girl. It slipped off his tongue smoothly. His girl.

“Ooooh boy. Don’t go and sayin’ that in front of my brother sweetheart. He gets a lil’ jealous. I’m flattered though. You’re a real peach!” He lightly poked his brother’s cheek with his finger. “Aw, big brother! Don’t go gettin’ all pouty! I know she’s your girl. You ain’t gotta worry bout’ me stealin’ her.”

Joel’s girl.

You were his girl.

Now you were the one feeling slightly flustered when Tommy said that you were Joel’s girl. “Hey, grumpy? I can’t kiss that pout away when I'm on the clock, cowboy. Don’t worry. I know I picked the right Miller brother.”

“You tellin’ me that you can kiss it away when you’re off the clock?” Joel asked with a small grin playing on his lips.

“You bet your ass I can.” You grinned back.

“Alright, if you guys are gonna be gross n’stuff, I need a glass of whiskey stat.” Tommy said teasingly as he lighty pinched his brother’s cheek.

“Two Whiskeys on the rocks?”

“Make mine neat darlin.’” Joel requested.

You poured the Miller brother’s their drinks before you and Tommy engaged in a bit of chatter. You told him about the horses and how well Sarah was doing and he told you about Joel, of course. Tommy was incredibly easy to get along with and your eyes would glance in Joel’s direction every so often to see how he was doing.

Little did you know, Joel appreciated the small gesture more than you even knew.

“So your friend Ryder is a fuckin’ barrel racer? Jesus Christ. I think I just died a lil’ and went to heaven! Hey, big brother? You down to go to a rodeo next weekend?” Tommy glanced at his brother over the rim of his glass.

“A rodeo? Yeah. Sounds like a good time.” Joel responded as he took a large sip of his whiskey.

You found out very quickly that the Miller boys could hold their liquor incredibly well and you were happy to see Joel loosen up a bit and engage in the conversation more. When a new rush of people came in, you left the brothers to their own devices for a period of time.

Tommy dragged his brother over to the pool table, setting it up in no time. “I like her, Joel. She seems like a good one. Better than the rest of em.’ I ain’t just sayin’ this to say it either. You both clearly really like each other. I’m happy to see you happy.”

Joel was lining up for his first shot to break up the formation with the cue ball. “Yeah, she’s..amazin’ i’m afraid i’m gonna screw the whole thing up though Tommy. Like i’ll say the wrong thing or fuck, i’ll just get too in my head and end up pushin’ her away or somethin.’” He took the shot, watching as the balls broke apart on the pool table.

“Joel, you can’t be thinkin’ about that shit, okay? I don’t think she’s gonna judge you for your past. Why would she? She’s not like the other girls you’ve been with, man. She seems like a ball of sunshine compared to the rest of ‘em. If it’s botherin’ you this much, just be honest and tell her. She can’t fault you for bein’ honest.”

Joel let out a deep sigh before he finished off his glass of whiskey. He was definitely starting to feel a buzz creeping on now. “I don’t think she wants to hear my sob story about how Sarah’s mom left us when she was just a fuckin’ toddler, and I definitely don’t think she wants to hear about how sad my dating life has been because of it.”

“If you’re not ready to tell her about Sarah’s mom, you don’t have to jump right into that necessarily. Just be open about your feelings Joel. You told me she hasn’t had the best luck with dating either. This could be a conversation that you both are able to relate to.”

“So you don’t think its goin’ to turn her off if I tell her i’m still in like this..adjustment period?” He looked across the pool table at his brother.

“No. I literally don’t think you could possibly turn that girl off Joel. She’s got the hots for you, and only you. Just don’t try and force the convo, okay? Let it happen naturally.”

“I won’t force the topic on her. I promise.” Joel nodded.

“There’s my soft teddy bear big brother!”

“I fuckin’ hate you.” Joel said with a deep chuckle.

“Shuddp. You love me!”

Once most of the college kids had cleared out, and the bar was less packed, Joel and Tommy were able to rejoin you at the bar top. You had heard this specific song playing through the bar speakers about a 100+ times. It was a song that could get any crowd going. With that smooth country rhythm and head bopping beat. ‘There Ain’t No Man’ by The Avett Brothers.

Your head was already bopping to the beat as you hummed the lyrics under your breath, swaying your hips a little as you finished making another Cowboy Margarita, a new menu item. Joel was watching the way the music enveloped you and he couldn’t help but get drawn into it as well as he bobbed his head, and tapped his boot on the floor below him.

“I'm gonna fall hard, yeah, I know I am when the crowds crack up, I laugh with them.”

Joel, Tommy, and the rest of the bar crowd had sung along.

“There ain't no man can save me.

There ain't no man can enslave me.

Ain't no man, a man that can change the shape my soul is in.

There ain't nobody here.

Who can cause me pain or raise my fear.

'Cause I got only love to share.

If you're looking for a truth, I'm proof you'll find it there.”

“You say you look funny, I say you're a star.

I say you're whatever you think you are.

Watch the naysayers fall right in line.

If we believe it they'll say,”

"She is so pretty, he is so fine!" You and Joel had leaned in close together, singing the lyrics together. You were close enough that your noses were nearly touching.

“Oh just fuckin’ kiss her!” One of your local townies yelled from the end of the bar top.

Before Joel could even utter a response back, you were gently grabbing his jaw between your fingers and kissing him sweetly.

Every single person in the bar had let out a loud cheer when you and Joel had kissed, and you both were laughing in the kiss, noses bumping lightly as your fingers gently brushed against the stubble along his jaw.

“Guess you kissed my pout away on the clock after all darlin.” Joel chuckled warmly against your lips. You could taste the whiskey on his tongue.

“Keep kissing me cowboy.” you mumbled against his lips, pulling him in closer.

It was 1a.m by the time that the bar was beginning to close down for the night. Whatever stragglers were left were gonna have to get the hell out soon because you were ready to head home and knock the fuck out. “HEY! LISTEN UP! If you don’t work here, sleep here, fuck somebody that works here, finish your drinks, close your tab out, tip 20% and go the fuck home!”

Joel and Tommy were already getting ready to close their tabs out when you had stopped them. “You guys don’t have to leave. I just have to say that every closing shift. It’s become a tradition around here.” You noticed the way Joel’s cheeks heated up as soon as you said “fuck somebody that works here.”

“Man, I knew you were one rad chick!” Tommy laughed and gave his brother a little squeeze. “You got my brother out here feelin’ speechless darlin!’”

“You say that every closin’ shift?” Joel asked curiously as he playfully swatted at his brother.

“Mhm. You’re in luck, cowboy. You fall into one of those categories.”

“But we–” Joel was cut off by his brother, shushing him with a finger over his lips.

“Alright, kids. Imma head home! This has been such a fun time, and i’m really lookin’ forward to seein’ more of ya sweet cheeks! You tell that friend of yours that I'm lookin’ forward to meetin’ her next weekend. Can you make sure my brother gets home safely? I know he’s gonna wanna spend some extra time with his girl.” He shot you a wink before paying out the tab, leaving you a fat tip before slipping off the leather stool.

You waved goodbye to Tommy as he left the bar and you quickly started to wipe down the counter and place the various bottles back on the shelves. Joel had waited till it was just the two of you left in the bar before he slipped off his own stool. His head was slightly spinning and it was a good thing that he didn’t drive. “Can I uh–help ya with anythin’ darlin?’”

You looked over at your Texas tall glass of water with a small grin on your lips as you finished wiping down the bartop. “Nah. I’m just about finished up here and then I can drive you home.”

Joel had slipped around the bartop as he approached you. As soon as you were within his reach, he snaked his arms around your waist, slowly backing you up into the counter with ease. “Well, in that case..” he whispered as you brought your arms up around his neck, playing with the soft curls on the nape of his neck.

“Did you have a good time tonight Joel? I’m really happy that you came out to see me. Made my shift a hell of a lot more fun.”

Joel tightened his grip around your waist as he let his thumbs dip into the waistband of your shorts, pulling you in closer to him. His nose was lightly brushing against yours as he dipped his head down. “I had a wonderful time with you tonight, baby. I hope my brother wasn’t too much of a nuisance.”

Your breath had slightly hitched in your throat when Joel had yanked you in closer by the belt loops of your shorts and your lips brushed against his lightly. “Less talking, more kissing please.” You whispered against his lips.

“Someone is awfully eager.” Joel chuckled lightly as he properly kissed you. It wasn’t long before he was gently grasping the back of your thighs and lifting you up onto the cool countertop. He drank in the soft gasp that slipped past your lips as he kissed you deeper, licking your bottom lip lightly before your lips parted for him and he explored your mouth expertly with his tongue.

Time seemed to completely stop from the way Joel was kissing you. You could tell that with each swipe of his tongue, he was gaining more confidence. Your senses were completely overtaken by him. His cologne, the whiskey lingering on his tongue. The way his fingers were tightly gripping your hips.

A light moan had slipped its way past your lips and the sound seemed to urge Joel to continue, and possibly throw all rational thoughts out the fucking window. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful and these shorts your wearin’ are drivin’ me up a fuckin’ wall.” He rasped, giving your hips a firm squeeze.

“Why don’t you take them off, cowboy.” You whispered, kissing him deeper as you lightly tugged on the roots of his hair.

Joel let out a low groan as he felt his own head begin to spin. “Darlin’ you can’t be sayin’ stuff to me like that. You can’t be doin’ that. I’m about ready to rip these off ya, but I'm a little drunk. I don’t wanna do anythin’ when i’m under the influence. That ain’t right to you.” He whispered.

“I hope I can meet your mom one of these days just so I can tell her thank you for raising such a fucking wonderful gentleman.” You broke the kiss momentarily for a breath of air.

“I think we can arrange that baby.” Joel lightly rested his forehead against yours, eyes fluttering open as he looked down into yours.

You gently cupped his jaw in your hands, kissing him a few more times as you nuzzled your nose against his. “You wanna get out of here?”

“Yeah, take me home baby.” He chuckled and gave you one more deep kiss before he was gently helping you off the counter. He even fixed your shorts for you a bit as they had hiked up your thighs.

“C’mon lover boy, let's get you home safe.” You grabbed his hand, interlocking your fingers together before you finished locking up the bar and brought him out to your car.

Joel was sober enough to give you the directions to his home, but you could tell by his position in the passenger seat that he was definitely a little drunk. You rolled his window down a little so he could get some fresh air. You had to gently shake him awake when you pulled into his driveway. “Joel, honey? Hey, we’re home.”

Joel slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times before he sat up. “Shit. M’sorry darlin’ I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” He mumbled.

“It’s alright, Joel. Let's get you inside okay? C’mon cowboy.” You spoke softly to him as you got out of the driver’s seat and walked around to the passenger seat and helped him out of the car.

“Shouldn’t I be the one walkin’ ya to your door?” He mumbled into your shoulder, draping his arm around your waist for support.

“Baby, you’re drunk. It’s okay. I’m gonna make sure that you get into bed safely. Now, where are your keys?” You had gotten him to the front door at this point.

“Back pocket. I’ll get 'em for ya.” He reached into his back pocket with his free hand and pulled out his keys and dropped them into your hand.

Once you had the door open, you helped Joel inside before gently closing the door behind you. Getting Joel up the stairs was a bit of a challenge but he wasn’t complete dead weight. He mumbled into your hair about his bedroom being the first door on the left. Once you had him inside his room, you slowly set him down on the edge of his bed and helped him take his boots off and set them aside.

Joel was watching you with droopy eyes as you unlaced his boots. His body was swaying slightly as his forearms rested along his made up comforter. “M’sorry that you’re havin’ to take care of me like this when you probably just wanna go home and sleep.” He mumbled.

“Joel. It’s okay. I promised Tommy I'd get you home safe. You’re fine, okay?” You looked up at him with a soft expression on your face.

“You’re too good for me darlin’. I don’t deserve you.”

“Joel..What are you talking about? Where is this all coming from?” You rose from your knees, taking a seat next to him on the comforter.

“They all leave me anyway. I never–I can never hold someone down.” He whispered as he looked down at his lap.

“Joel. Hey, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I’m not going anywhere.” You reached for his hand, gently interlocking your fingers together and held his hand in his lap. “Listen, I know that you have been out of the dating world for a while, I know you’re adjusting to all of this. I understand where you’re coming from, and I'm here for you.”

Tommy was right. Joel had nothing to worry about, nothing to fear when it came to you. You truly were a ball of wonderful sunshine.

“Thank you for understandin’ where i’m comin’ from. I appreciate it more than you know. I didn’t mean to get in my head like that. I just..I don’t wanna fuck things up.” He admitted quietly.

“Joel, it's okay. We all get in our head over these things sometimes. It happens more than you think. It’s what makes us human, right? Having these feelings and being able to express them in a safe space? You’re a wonderful person, Joel. I can’t imagine you fucking something like this up. I just want you to know that anytime you wanna talk about these things, I will always be here to listen and be there for you.” You gave his hand a gentle squeeze, stroking your thumb across the back of his hand.

“You’re so incredible, you know that? Thank you for just..validating my feelings. Sometimes that’s all a person needs to hear, y’know? Thank you sweetheart.” He turned his head slightly so he could rest his chin along your shoulder.

“Hey, don’t you go and make me cry right now cowboy. I completely understand though. Your feelings are valid. Now, let's get some water in your system and then get you to bed.” You gently squeezed his hand once more as you were standing up from the comforter.

“Stay.” He whispered.

“What?..”

“Please stay the night.” He was already reaching for your hand again.

“Joel..we said we wanted to take things slow. Remember?”

“I just wanna hold ya. I don’t want you drivin’ home alone this late either. I understand if you don’t want to, and I won’t pressure you.”

“Okay. I’ll spend the night.” You whispered.

“I’ll get you somethin’ to sleep in.” He was slowly rising from the comforter to grab you a tshirt and boxers to sleep in. “bathroom is just down the hall. I think we got extra toothbrushes in the cabinet. There’s face wash and stuff too.” He grabbed you a fresh shirt and boxers from his dresser and handed them to you.

“Thank you. I’m going to get us some water as well and then i’ll come to bed, Okay?”

Joel nodded before his arms were wrapping around you and giving you a warm hug. He kissed the side of your head before he slowly pulled away.

You left his bedroom quietly so he could have some privacy to change as you quietly padded down the hall to the bathroom. You changed out of your work clothes and into the T-shirt and boxers Joel gave you. They smelled like him, and lavender vanilla laundry detergent. You found a spare unopened toothbrush and quietly brushed your teeth and washed your face. You found your way down to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water.

Joel was changed and under the covers by this time. He texted Tommy that he was home safe and that he was right about you. He left out the part that you were spending the night, because he knew that he’d never hear the end of it.

You quietly slipped past his bedroom door, handing him the bottle of water before you set your clothes, and purse down on the nightstand and slowly climbed under the covers. Joel had chugged nearly half the bottle of water before he rolled over onto his side to face you. He had mumbled something incoherent as he reached his arms out and slowly wrapped them around your waist and pulled you in close. His chest was bare, and warm against your cheek, and you could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat as your legs gently entangled together.

“G’night, darlin.’” Joel whispered softly into your hair as his eyes closed.

“Goodnight, cowboy.” You whispered back as you let your body relax in his grasp. Soon, you were drifting off into the peaceful dream realm.

tag list: @chaotic-mystery @peterhollandkait @soft-cryptids @dinsdjrn @lovers-liability @777-wonders @mirasantidotes @pedgeitopascal @loquaciousferret @korynnekorynne @kirsteng42 @bonglorddaryl @novemberrain-writes @sarahhxx03 @myrealmofchaos @finnsbubblegum @danilakozlovsky @pedrit0-pascalit0 @ssa-raye @pedropascalfan221 @missgurrl @leeeesahhh @yazsos @sunakochansama43 @casa-boiardi @last-girl @frankthesexualsadist @shatteredbaby @rye-flower @elliewilliamsno1simp @wonder-harley @userpedros @pedrospartner

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moonfoxgazer · 4 months

Text

'This time, however, Danny found himself in a small town on the razor’s edge between prosperity and decline. The town called itself Amity. Danny vaguely remembered the town from his youth, though nothing really specific. He recalled playing with a hoop with some kids and sometimes helping his mother sell wares at the general store. There was that one hunter fellow he saw once with a massive beard and a bear skin coat with the head of the bear acting as a hood. But he didn’t really remember much of Amity. Though there were some who recognized him.' From Spooks and Spurs written by Sean Dillon.

Hello party people, and welcome to my @ecto-implosion art! I really wanted to play on the idea of Western Danny Phantom and explore not just cowboys but a little bit of some history of my home state and such.

I was paired with the awesome Sean Dillon and they have written this fantastic piece that I hope ya'll will enjoy. Sean went with a more spaghetti, Tarantino and Guillermo del Toro vibe, so it's more grounded in reality and has more dirt, grime and blood. Think Hateful Eight or Django vibes. :3

Now if you're interested, I have concept art and other variations of the main piece down before the cut-

Originally I went into this thinking more along the lines of DP set in the west, so I kept the ghosts and Infinite Realms as a thing and then added in a dash of Ghost king.

You had the Crown of Fire set as a hat band and then the Bolo Tie of Rage to replace the ring. My idea also was to have portable portals via six shooter and instead of a thermos, there would be the lasso and he'd just keep the captured ghosts tied up on the back of his horse, which was really just Cujo because of course the ghost dog would be his mount, it works too well.

I also did some designs for some of the other cast. These were based on a combination of historical photos, preserved outfits and modern gunfighter reenactment garb.

Tucker, Sam and Valerie.

Vlad, Walker and Ember

And lastly:

An Oppenheimer who actually is our favorite meddlesome time bastard Clockwork. Had a lot of fun with this one, Oppe is a big time figure back home so it was awesome getting to include him.

If you've read this far, thank you. I really hope you enjoy the art and story and stay tuned. Sean and I have plans for the fic they wrote, which may or may not involve adapting it into a graphic novel format.

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makeste · 5 months

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do you perhap have bakugou whump fic recs?

I have many such recs! not all of them are "whump" in the purest sense of the word, but they've got angst and hurt/comfort in abundance, so yeah.

I also have an older rec post from like five years ago which has quite a few Bakugou whump fics as well, so I'll link that here.

and here are like 16 new ones lol.

some quick notes:

I'm just including links and summaries here, so please make sure to check the tags for each fic if you have certain squicks or triggers you're trying to avoid!

please be aware that I am not very nitpicky about grammar and style and spelling and the like, so long as I'm feeling the characterization and general vibes. so while I can't promise that all of these fics will read like Nobel Prize-winning lit, I can say that I personally enjoyed each one enough to go back and reread more than once.

although it tends to be one of the most common tropes in Bakugou angst fics, I do not vibe with the "abusive Mitsuki" angle, so you won't find any of that in the works below. same goes for Midnight-bashing (which is also surprisingly common).

I also did not include any fics with sad endings just because I didn't feel like depressing myself today lol.

I don't think there are manga spoilers in any of these fics except one (which I noted and marked with an asterisk), but definitely check the tags just to be safe.

lastly, though I'm by no means a prude when it comes to fanfic, all of these particular fics are SFW, just FYI.

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gen Bakuwhump:

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It's Already Tomorrow on the Other Side of the World by Nicole_Silverwolf

In the absolute immediate aftermath of his rescue at Kamino, Bakugou just wants to sleep. If he sleeps then this nightmare will be over. Except he's freezing in the mid August heat. And he can't stop shaking. A glimpse of two imperfect humans trying their best told in 3.5 parts.

post-Kamino Dadzawa and Katsuki. easily one of my all-time favorite BnHA fics. it's so sad and cozy.

Coming Up for Air by achievingelysium

Katsuki has nightmares. He doesn't think he deserves the comfort, but Aizawa-sensei sits with him anyway.

more Dadzawa dealing with nighttime Kacchan angst, since that's like my #1 BnHA fic aesthetic. this is so well-written. like, there are a couple of lines in here that just... guh. just hit right to the core of me.

Bakugou's "Super Fun" Three Day Vacation by Marvelless

Bakugou and his parents arrive home after the Kamino Ward incident for some much-needed recovery time.

post-Kamino Bakufam angst. lots of paranoia and dissociation. this is one of those fics that's sort of a guilty pleasure for me, because Katsuki definitely feels a lot more... fragile?... in this than I think he would have been in canon. but he's still enough of a grump during all of his spiralling that it still feels like him. and I do love me some Bakufam wholesomeness, and this fic has got that in spades.

the art of poor judgement by emelinelou

It's a Tuesday when Bakugou admits to himself that maybe, maybe he is sorta, kinda under the weather. Things go quickly downhill from there. . Alternatively: Bakugou's too stubborn to be "sick," Midoriya and Kirishima are in over their heads, Todoroki is the Most Useful in a pinch, and Aizawa is not paid nearly enough for this.

probably my favorite sickfic. chapter two especially. Bakugou's narration in this is fucking fantastic. he's so fucking done with life. meanwhile everyone around him is freaking out, and he himself is a complete mess even though he won't acknowledge it, and it's just great. it's equal parts funny, sad, and absolutely adorable.

(incidentally, even though this fic is marked as incomplete, it really doesn't feel that way and ends at a perfectly reasonable stopping point, so don't let that put you off.)

Solar Flare by TheQueen

Three weeks after Katsuki Bakugou receives his quirk, he takes a short tumble off a bridge and watches, dumbfounded, as stupid Deku extend a hand. Don’t take it, the universe commands. Don’t tell me what to do! Katsuki snaps.

this is a really cool AU in which Baby Katsuki accidentally starts defying the universe and ignoring his predestined path, which has a profound ripple effect on his life. sort of like a time-travel fix-it, minus the time travel. also just a heads up that Bakugou is like five years old in this so I guess it's technically a kidfic. and there is plenty of angst, a little bit of whump, more Bakufam, and plenty of baby Kacchan and Deku being cute like it's their job.

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BKDK/DKBK whump:

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lose it all (with eyes wide open) by ghostwriterofthemachine

Katsuki is blinded. Izuku is muted. Both of them are kidnapped. Things get worse.

this is one of those fics that just kind of leaves you stunned at how freaking good it is. featuring: psychological mindgames, hopelessly bleak situations, and codependency so utterly raw and desperate that it broke my heart roughly 17 times.

When Ice Doesn't Float by Ma_skee

A simple rescue exercise goes south when Izuku falls through the ice and it goes from a class assinment to an actual rescue and a race against time to keep him from freezing to death.

technically this is more Dekuwhump than Kacchanwhump (though we do get a bit of the latter toward the end), but I'd argue that few things could possibly stress Katsuki out more than being in a tense survival situation in which Deku is hurt and needs help. anyway so yeah. this is classic hurt/comfort and very good.

spinning out of control by mollE

Katsuki joins the 'I've Been Mind Controlled' Club. He wishes he hadn't.

please see above re: how all Dekuwhump scenarios are secretly Kacchanwhump scenarios in disguise. anyway so basically a mind-controlled Bakugou beats the shit out of Deku while being fully aware of it the entire time, and has a complete (and understandable) emotional breakdown afterwards.

all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing by maxisnotokay

Izuku has had this thing about him that Katsuki has never been able to name, but he's been chasing it since he learned how to run. It takes a catastrophic building collapse during their third year and a severe concussion for him to realize what it is. Aizawa loses ten years off his life. When does he not.

gotta love a good building collapse fic. this one has a concussed Katsuki, a very worried Izuku, and the usual "thanks to this intimate life-or-death situation, I have belatedly realized some fundamental truths about the nature of our relationship" tropes. but it's good. a lot of really good banter and back-and-forth dialogue in this one too.

takes one to know one by Sour_Idealist

Deku has left UA. Ochako still looks for him in unguarded moments. Bakugo is, unsurprisingly, being a jerk.

some good emotional hurt/comfort post-Jakku. Ochako has a chat with Bakugou about Deku. specifically, Bakugou's feelings toward Deku. it's good shit.

*fear is the heart of love by nikkiRA

*please be advised this fic contains major manga spoilers!!

Bakugou gets hit by a quirk that amplifies his greatest fear for 24 hours.

losing Deku. the thing that scares him the most is losing Deku. this is a good fic. emotional hurt/comfort for days. though once again do keep in mind that there are a couple of major spoilers in this.

silence is what i do best by notreally

the one where both Izuku and Katsuki were hit with a truth serum sort of quirk, and things aren't going all too well.

not just a truth-telling quirk, but a truth-compulsion quirk, to the extent that (spoiler alert) the quirk causes them physical pain and distress if they don't speak the truth. which, as you can imagine, leads to all sorts of extremely vulnerable conversations and a lot of good h/c.

close by not quite by blossomshed

When Bakugou goes after a beacon during a class-wide rescue op, he doesn't expect to find Deku - or to find himself dealing with the fallout of a gift he doesn't want, and a side of himself he'd never bothered to examine. He deals with it nonetheless.

this fic is so dear to me. it's yet another "Deku transfers OFA to Bakugou fic", but it's just so fucking good. and it also features a (very much confused) ace Bakugou, which is such a rare find. there are lines from this fic which I still think about constantly. it's funny and profound and adorable and so wonderfully IC, please go read it.

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BONUS NON-ANGSTY FICS because I just felt like ending this list with some happy stories where Kacchan gets a lot of love:

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give me compliments (i said give me compliments) by wonhaebunny

“It’s just cute,” Ashido is telling them as she walks into the classroom. “Like, when you compliment someone and they get flustered so easily, don’t you think it’s endearing?” Kaminari blinks. “Like Bakugou?” he asks slowly. - 1-a realises that katsuki is really, really bad at receiving compliments. exposure therapy ensues.

he is bad at accepting compliments. this is a very, very cute fic.

The Friendship Ladder by nikkiRA

Bakugou and Kirishima tell their classmates they're dating, but everyone seems more interested in who gets to claim the newly vacated spot of Bakugou’s best friend.

as the summary implies this is technically KRBK, but the focus here is very much class 1-A as a whole. there's just something about seeing the entirety of the class squabbling over their Kacchan love that tickles me to no end. Deku is also fantastic in this lmao.

The Yoshida Trail by WinterSwallow

Mitsuki Bakugo returns with her gift to the mountain.

last but not least we have this gorgeous character study with a criminally low view count. Mitsuki climbs Mt. Fuji with an eight-year-old Katsuki in tow, as the fic explores his childhood and young adulthood through a series of vignettes. the insights in this really have no business being as profound as they are, given that they're voiced from the perspective of one of the most graceless characters in the series as she observes her equally graceless son through all the ups and downs and tumbles of his life. but somehow that just makes the whole thing even better. idk I just really love this a lot.

---

anyway that's it for now. hope at least a few of these are enjoyable. thanks for the ask!

#bakugou katsuki #bakudeku #bkdk #fic recs #bnha fic recs #bnha #boku no hero academia #makeste reads bnha

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heartkyeom · 1 year

Text

now or never pt. 5 (finale)

xu minghao x fem!reader

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 (finale)

word count: 12.3k

synopsis: when you make a chance encounter with your ex, you end up saying that you're engaged to your estranged neighbor xu minghao. when you find out your ex is coming to your friend's wedding, you've only got a month to become a convincing couple.

warnings: cursing, oral sex, slight dumbification, alcohol, asshole ex!joshua, fighting, mostly domestic shit idk lmao

notes: after 5 months of restarting and almost giving up on this chapter entirely, the now or never series is complete. thank you all for loving this story so much, now or never is unlike anything I've ever written and I am so happy that it's finally done. I was scared that making the story so simple would turn people away, but I am grateful for all the support! shoutout to @maijunejuly + @flowerwonu for supporting this story so much <3 and thank you all for loving these two and watching them fall in love! I hope this is a satisfying ending, longtime readers I'm giving you a big smooch on the cheek

taglist: @kwonranghae @butterfliesinthenightsky @sugarrimajins @cosmicwintr @lztespring @justasoftstan @lilactangerine @jeongiegram @hoohoohope @trashygigi @itzelise06 @bonsaijoons @playboygeniusphilanthropist @thedeeppoet @mo-onlar @kyoko-22 @thesunsfullmoon @jungish @twancingyunhao @knucklesdeepmingi @crystal-phoenix-and-silver-fox @jaehyunfilms @awyunh @fiantomartell @milk-leaves @junoluvr @rhia-clyde

The morning of the wedding is particularly quiet in your shared hotel room. Since the wedding didn’t start until later that afternoon, it gave both of you an opportunity to settle into the day.

Thus, you’re not rushing out of bed, you’re interested in watching the sunlight filter through the curtains instead, insisting on letting yourself wake up slowly. You eventually turn your attention to your lover who is still sleeping peacefully beside you. You decide to stir up some movement with slow touches to his hair, trying not to move too harshly against his skin.

He replies with a soft hum, idly turning his head towards you. His eyes are still closed though, it seems like a silent invitation for you to keep going.

You decide to kick it up a notch with a few kisses along the side of his face, you feel his cheeks pull into a smile from the contact and you launch into giggles, resting your head on his neck.

“Well, good morning,” His voice is raspy in the way you love it, right on the edge of sleep.

“Good morning,” You reply, you can’t help but kiss his neck and he lets out a gentle sigh.

“Big day, huh?” He asks softly. The anticipation stirs in your chest, but truthfully a medley of emotions seems to swarm there.

You hum in confirmation, but it wasn’t your big day, not by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, your mind tries to play out all possible outcomes to the evening’s events due to your anxiety.

First, you could confront Joshua, verbally or physically, but likely the former since you don’t want to be kicked out of the wedding over him. You could approach him or he could come to you, it’s a matter of how the events unfold.

Second, he could try to initiate confrontation, but you could refuse to engage. You could argue it’s not the time or place to hash out personal drama, especially not at a friend’s wedding, which would be correct. Sure, there would be about 100 other guests there and the booming music could cover up the conflict so seamlessly that no one is made aware of the situation, but you fear that it’s not worth the risk.

Third, you could end up avoiding each other altogether. Again, there were enough people attending that you could somehow not cross paths the entire night. This was the most likely option, as you probably wouldn’t muster up the courage to do anything. The tension would remain unaddressed and you’d likely still have a good night watching your friend get married, bolstered by free alcohol and Minghao’s companionship.

Fourth, the entirely fantastical option, Minghao would confront Joshua himself.

The odds are quite slim, but Minghao might not have the patience to engage in Joshua’s fake niceties. You don’t think it would turn physical, but Joshua would likely leave with his feelings hurt. Although you’ve never been caught in the crossfire of Minghao’s anger, it was best to avoid this option if at all possible.

He adjusts himself so that he’s partially sitting up against the headboard of the bed, his eyes meeting yours. “Are you feeling okay about everything?” He inquires with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

“I am. Are you?”

“Yeah. Whatever you want to do, I’m fine with that,” He offers. Minghao had been quite compliant with your feelings about the situation in the past month, enough that it wasn’t surprising that he’d go full throttle on Joshua if needed.

“So if I ask you to beat him up, you’ll do it?”

“Not sure about that,” he scoffs, “but if you want to escalate things, I’m fully supportive.”

You nod to yourself in satisfaction, it was enough to push the fears to the back of your mind temporarily.

He ended up getting out of bed before you, of course, but you’re up soon enough, the both of you naturally weaving between each other to get ready for the morning. Before going to bed last night, you both agreed to ditch the hotel breakfast in favor of exploring the local restaurants in order to maximize your vacation time.

You both settle on a seaside cafe with sweeping windows that overlook the coveted ocean, the main attraction of the small town. It’s not as busy as you expected, but there’s still lots of movement once you arrive. The combination of patrons talking over pastries with hot drinks, baristas manning the noisy coffee machines, and the indie pop music in the background are all just tolerable enough to make the venture outside of the hotel worth it.

You decide to indulge in chocolate chip pancakes while he opts for oatmeal with assorted berries on top. While eating across from him, it occurs to you that being out with Minghao in public is still such a foreign sensation.

The past month of getting to know him had been so insular, so concentrated on the apartment complex that you were almost enveloped in the relationship completely, it almost felt suspicious for it to exist in the real world.

Sure, you’ve been out in public together numerous times.

Yet, there’s a way his eyes fixed on yours, the way he dissolved into giggles just from looking at you. When you ask him what’s wrong, he just shakes his head and looks down at his plate again, but you’re sure it’s love.

His hands aren’t hesitant when they grab yours out of habit, forcing you to place down your fork.

He plants kisses on the back of your hands, insisting that he had to do it right that second. Yet, he concedes by feeding you a few bites of your pancakes.

You’re sure it’s love by the way you move his hair out of his eyes, you call him handsome when he least expects it just to see the blush creep onto his cheeks.

It was a quiet yet showy affection all at the same time. There was a silent sense that you were both waiting to change the trajectory of your relationship, but you decided it can’t happen in the café.

As you finish the meal and the check is handled, it’s back to holding hands with a tight grip, barely restraining your romantic thoughts through such a simple gesture.

The walk back to the hotel is once again quite short, but any moment spent with Minghao felt worthy of experiencing.

—

“Can you zip me up?”

“Of course,” Minghao is behind your back before you can get the question out, hands gently tugging up the black zipper. The late morning had slowly spun into the afternoon and he decided it would be best to start getting ready earlier rather than later.

You aren’t in a position to argue, seeing as your routines took a considerable amount of time no matter how formal or casual an event was. You figure it’s just him accounting for the inevitable second-guessing about accessories or the possible existential dread about attending the wedding altogether.

Your dress is still incredibly bold, you think to yourself as you study your figure in the mirror. Minghao decided to make you a matching pair of gloves that only emphasized the beauty of the look.

“You look so beautiful,” He emphasizes it with a gentle kiss on the lips, craning his neck slightly to meet your face.

“Thank you,” You reach up to cradle his head and turn him toward the mirror. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” You tease, but it was a complete understatement. He was nearly done getting ready by the time he walked over to see you, but his black suit made him look even more handsome than you expected.

He opted for his regular middle part, letting his shaggy black hair hang in front of his eyes. You asked him a few days ago if he wanted to get it cut for the wedding, but he knew you liked it too much to do anything.

“Let me see your piercings,” You touched his ear and he moved to reveal the few pieces of silver jewelry that led down the shell of his ear. His piercings are something you always forget are there until he tucks a piece of hair behind his ear, but he lets you pick out the set he would wear today.

“Gorgeous,” you affirm with a kiss on the cheek.

“Do you have everything in your bag?” He gestures toward the desk, it currently has too many things strewn across it in your efforts to get ready.

“Shit,” You rush over to fill your clutch with the essentials you needed for the night and he laughs at your frantic energy.

“Relax, baby, we won’t be late,” He reassures you with a quiet voice. You notice that you’re clutching the lip gloss in your hand a bit too tight and relax your grip, dropping the item into your purse before zipping it up.

“Right,” you shut your eyes for a moment.

“We’ll be fine,” You feel his hands snake around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest. He could sense the tension in your muscles, he steadies your breathing with his own deep breaths, and you naturally follow his pattern.

“Thank you,” Your voice is barely above a whisper, you take another moment before turning around in his arms.

“I just have to tell you again how sexy you look right now,” He admits with a sly grin. It makes you laugh with your whole body, nearly falling out of his arms from the combination of embarrassment and joy.

You cock your eyebrow at him. “Don’t praise me too much or else we’re not making it out of here at all,” He lets out a short laugh.

“I have no problem with that,” He grabs your face and peppers kisses all over your cheeks, despite your immediate protests.

It helps you remember that no matter what happens at the wedding, this is what’s waiting for you afterward.

—

The venue is only a few minutes away from the hotel, so the drive is much shorter than you wanted it to be. You tried to wrench away the last of your nerves as you stared at the entrance of the country club, you noticed the other well-dressed guests and their occasional stares at you, your chest, and your hips.

He catches on and squeezes your hand. “Come on, we don’t wanna be late,” He pulls you gently into motion, and you instinctively wrap your arm around his.

The venue is stunning, if not expensive, it definitely costs an arm and a leg to get married near the beach during peak wedding season. The wedding ceremony is outside, and the heat hits you the moment you make it through the back exit with Minghao. The late afternoon sun bore itself down on the guests, but you couldn’t exactly be upset when the atmosphere was so beautiful.

The space was a converted lawn that overlooked the nearby beach, the venue’s most anticipated view, and now prime wedding location.

The arch, aisle, and individual seats were ivory-colored, each adorned with white floral arrangements. Most of the guests had filed in by the time you made it to your seats, but Minghao led you both to seats right near the aisle toward the back of the seating arrangements.

There were a few things to keep your interest within the scenery itself, but Minghao mostly stayed quiet. Besides checking in once to see how you were feeling before the ceremony, he mostly observed the people around him.

Namely, a baby that was in the row ahead of you. The infant was slightly fussy, understandably with the heat and noise from the live orchestra. The mother seemed slightly flustered trying to keep the baby under control, but Minghao’s interest seemed to catch the baby’s focus once he made himself known.

He babbled and made funny faces that made the baby stop crying, their watery eyes watching him in surprise. The cries soon turned to laughs as he gently pinched the baby’s cheek with his fingers, his cooing soothed their nerves almost instantly. There was something that stirred in your chest at the sight of him, your “not really fake” boyfriend being so gentle with the baby and the sight of his engagement ring could’ve made you cry on the spot.

It was almost like a glimpse into the future, a memory that you captured in your heart instantly. You hadn’t discussed anything past marriage yet, but this made you want to have the conversation soon.

Not that anything could happen in the immediate future, but something in you wondered if he would want to start a family with you someday. You’re snapped out of the daydream when you hear the mother thank him and he turns his attention toward you.

“What’s wrong?”

You shake your head. “Nothing,” You choose not to elaborate, to keep the feeling sacred in your chest.

He notices how high your cheeks are from smiling and clutches your hand tighter than before.

A few minutes pass before the procession officially begins, the guests all rise from their seats and watch as the bridesmaids, groomsmen, the ring bearer, and the flower girl each have their moment walking down the aisle.

Mingyu is then escorted down the aisle with his mother, and you realize this is the first time you’ve seen him in so long.. He settles at the altar and anxiously waits for his bride to join him, the entire crowd also holds an air of anticipation.

Once she steps into view, Mingyu looks absolutely enamored with the bride, he can’t stop beaming while watching her. You even see a few tears fall from his cheeks and it makes the moment even more precious.

You wonder how that feeling would settle into your bones, knowing that you’ve built such a strong bond with someone that there’s no other option than to marry them.

Despite your initially rash decision, the longer you were living with the concept of getting married, the more it started to scare you.

Sure, you liked the idea of wedding planning, picking out a dress, and all the other decisions that were meant to be a dream come true, but being at a wedding was completely different. It was a visualization of months of effort to bring so many different elements together that you feel almost intimidated by it.

Yet, there’s no reason for you to even have cold feet, you two aren’t even formally in a relationship! You have all the time in the world to let the relationship bloom completely, you know he wouldn’t jump into anything too quickly.

You sit with all these feelings as the ceremony goes on, their vows to each other are filled to the brim with adoration and care for one another.

This was a result of years invested into a relationship, but how could you feel nearly the same way, truly feel the descriptions of being cared for and protected beyond measure, after a few weeks?

You tear up at how they speak so highly of each other because you love Minghao in this way, you love this person who has enriched your life so deeply that you can’t even recognize yourself from a few weeks ago.

As soon as they’re pronounced husband and wife, you watch them exchange that first kiss as if their bodies couldn’t bear to be apart for another second. You cry silently as you watch them through slightly blurry eyes, the realization is all a bit too much to bear at the moment.

You force yourself to keep sniffling occasionally until the ceremony is over, but the moment Minghao holds your hand as the rest of the crowd disperses, you lose the rest of your composure.

Minghao glances over at you in slight shock.

“Darling, what’s wrong?” His tone is especially warm tonight, and you know you can’t wait any longer to tell him.

“I love you,” You face him and cup his face in your hands. “I love everything about you and I mean that,” Your voice is choked by sobs, but you manage to get it all out.

You wanted this moment to be more private, but when you see the relief hit his face, the tension melts from his shoulders and he smiles so wide that you know he’s only focused on you.

“I love you too,” He can’t stop grinning, he’s on the brink of tears when you observe his eyes and you pull him into your arms immediately.

You stay there for a little while, just silently rocking each other in a tight hug.

He finally whispers in your ear. “I think we’re missing the party,” He looks back at the brightly lit venue before facing you again. You finally hear the music thumping and come to your senses.

“Yeah, I think so. We don’t want to miss the speeches, right?” You ask with a tilt of your head, a hint of a smile playing on your lips.

—

The inside of the venue feels especially cozy now that the ceremony is over, the room is dimly lit and almost lulls you into a false sense of security.

You’re acutely aware of Minghao’s hand around your waist, his fingers are idly running across the fabric of your dress and it eases your nerves once again. The room is lively, music and conversation fill the space to a decently loud volume that you still have to adjust to. You don’t spot Mingyu or the bride, but you’re sure they’re mingling happily amongst their guests.

Your eyes scan across the room to find your table, but you turn to face Minghao in confusion. “Do you remember our table number?”

“It was 13,” He speaks over the music and turns to look for the table in question, letting out a quiet hum when he spots it. He points to the table and you both head over, not seeing the other guests in view quite yet. You can tell it’s fairly full, and you decide that you weren’t against getting to know new people.

That’s what you tell yourself until he’s the first person you spot at your table.

Fucking hell.

Of course, he’s at your table, looking at you expectantly. You can almost see a glint of regret in his eyes when you adjust your posture, but you look at her before you can fixate on his expression for too long.

She’s glowing in that expectant mother kind of way, you almost feel uneasy when she offers you a smile. You’re certain that your thoughts are pulling you too far back into your brain when Seokmin makes himself known.

“Look at you two, it’s been a while,” He chats excitedly, eyes disappearing with that brilliant smile of his. He directs his attention at you first.

“You look absolutely stunning!” He opens his arms for a hug and you happily oblige, placing your arms on his back in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” You’re nearly breathless by the time he pulls away, but still happy nonetheless.

“I need to know where you got this dress, I can’t get over it,” Seokmin gushes, he gives you a once over before smiling up at you again.

“Oh, he made it for me,” You respond easily, you’re determined not to shy away from the compliment. You look at Minghao briefly and he returns a smirk, but it’s affirming, you’re grateful that your confidence has yet to waver.

“I’m not shocked at all,” He pulls Minghao into a hug and pats him on the back, “he’s always had a good eye.” Minghao laughs and pulls himself into conversation with the journalist easily. You realize that it’s rude to not at least acknowledge the other people at the table, but you’re pleasantly surprised by the sight of Soonyoung and Chan, who are both equally excited to see you.

The table arrangement is overwhelmingly positive besides the obvious, but it was likely out of convenience that Mingyu’s college friends were all arranged together at one table.

Soonyoung and Chan sweep you away from the table in a hurry, giving you no room to look at Joshua for even a second longer. “I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve seen you,” Chan is beaming when he pulls you into a tight hug. Weeks felt like months now that you were out of the hypothetical bubble, but you start to feel guilt in the pit of your stomach.

“Yeah, your man really pulled you away from your friends,” Soonyoung jokes as you embrace him toward your chest. You laugh into his suit jacket, but the fact still remains. You hadn’t updated them nearly enough on the situation recently, especially not about your revelation toward Minghao.

You didn’t want to become that person who neglected their friends once you got into a relationship, you didn’t want to be consumed by him that you forget to live outside of him. You pull away from the hug and look at both of them with wistful eyes. You don’t have any excuses, to be honest.

“Sorry that I’ve been hiding, it wasn’t intentional,” You shake your head pathetically, shifting your eyes down to your feet before looking up at them again.

“It’s not okay, we’ve been starving for details,” Chan replied with a cheeky grin. “But we’re happy you’re okay,” Soonyoung interjects.

“You two look like you’re in love,” Soonyoung leads the two of you further away from the table to make sure Minghao is completely out of earshot.

“Wait, are you in love with him?” Soonyoung clutches your arm and you see that Chan is anxiously awaiting the answer too.

You chuckle lightly and lower your voice. “I confessed to him earlier,” you whisper. The men both gasp in excitement, giving you proud smiles that invite you in so easily.

“I knew it,” Chan pats Soonyoung’s shoulder as a sly smile plays on his lips.

“We both did,” Soonyoung puts a hand on your shoulder, “there was no way you were getting out of this without catching feelings.” You start to blush and look for a way out, taking a glance around the room.

You want to focus on other guests, what they’re wearing, the gossip that’s on their lips, but you can only look for him. He’s not too far, of course, but your heart can’t slow until you see him.

You lock eyes with him and his face noticeably softens. You watch his smile spread to his cheeks before turning away. “Let’s get drinks before the speeches start,” You nod in the guys’ direction and they approve the decision immediately.

You settle on a vodka soda from the bar and lazily nurse your first drink in your hand, occasionally taking a sip while talking to Soonyoung and Chan.

It was ultimately a good idea to drink now, you thought it best to have your senses slightly blurred when facing the elephant in the room.

You needed just a bit of liquid courage, not too much to make it through whatever the night had yet to present. Once all three of you had mingled to your heart’s content, you made your way back to the table with a newfound confidence.

As you took a seat next to Minghao, his hand found your thigh instantly.

He leans in to whisper against your ear. “Enjoying yourself?”

You feel yourself blush. “Yeah, just needed a little pick me up,” You reciprocate the action and he runs his hand along your leg in affirmation.

“Good,” He pulls away with a nod. It’s a bit cheeky, but you wouldn’t fold for him like this, not yet at least.

“More importantly, how are you holding up?” You place your chin in the palm of your hand, gazing at him softly. The upbeat music and distant conversations from other tables make you feel a bit fuzzier while making eye contact with him.

“I’m good, Seokmin kept me pretty occupied thankfully,” He sucks his teeth and lets out a sigh. You nod in a silent understanding, you wish you had the ability to diffuse tension like he could.

“Hopefully it’s smooth sailing,” You reassure him with a gentle smile, one that he accepts with a small grin. You say it in an effort to soothe the hint of doubt in your own mind, but you were getting ahead of yourself.

There weren’t any problems yet, so why create them out of thin air?

You only had to idle for a few more minutes before the speeches got into full swing. The maid of honor and best man both had emotionally touching speeches that kept everyone’s spirits high. It was emotional for both the bride and groom, who you noticed wiping stray tears on occasion while listening to their loved ones. It was clear that they were surrounded by a supportive circle who were excited to send them off on their new journey as newlyweds.

The real trouble was dinner.

You learned that Mingyu loved cooking, so the spread for the meal was quite thorough enough to suit a variety of dietary restrictions and tastes. Once each of you had gone up to get food, and in your case extra alcohol, you could no longer delay the inevitable.

The tension was unbearably thick.

The sound of utensils scraping against plates and the occasional clink of glassware were the only noises that filled the silence amongst the table.

As much as your second and third drinks were continuing to soothe your nerves, the presence of alcohol could only do so much. Each person at the table had varying levels of familiarity with the situation at hand, but it wasn’t their place to instigate anything, so the silence endured.

“How was your trip up here, Y/N?” Joshua asked suddenly.

“It was fine, we drove up,” You held your composure at the question, making eye contact with him briefly before looking down at your plate to take another bite of your food.

“Nice, so you got to prepare how you were going to lie to everyone, right?”

“What?” You look up at him with a deadpan expression. You notice Minghao shifting in his seat next to you. He seriously wasn’t trying to do this over dinner, right?

“You know what I’m talking about, Y/N, don’t play dumb,” He scoffed at you. You glance at Seokmin, who is clearly confused at his apparent line of questioning. Soonyoung and Chan both seemed to catch on immediately.

“No, Joshua. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Enlighten me,” You smile at the end of your response. You lean back in your chair and tilt your head slightly.

If he wanted to embarrass you, he was going to have to work for it.

“When did you get engaged, Y/N?”

“Joshua, what the hell are you doing?” His girlfriend interjected.

“No, it’s okay,” You reassure her with a nod but she still looks concerned on your behalf. “It was 2 months ago. He set up a picnic for us like our first date, it was lovely.”

“When are you getting married?”

The detail you discussed with Minghao during the road trip immediately came to mind. “This time next year, so sometime during the summer, we’re still early in the planning phase. Anything else?”

“You didn’t even have your ring on when I met him with you,” Joshua stutters through his words.

“I knew I had a long day of work ahead of me without much sleep the night before so I naturally forgot. Minghao told you that I forgot it. You knew I had terrible sleep issues while we were together, or did you conveniently forget that so it could fit your narrative about me?” You tilt your head slightly, the answer comes together almost too easily.

That response earned a light chuckle from Minghao, and everyone else at the table knew they were in for a show.

“Your relationship is fake, no matter how much you delude yourself or him. I honestly can’t believe you got him to do this in the first place,” Joshua sets his jaw in frustration. You adjust your posture once more so you can properly read Joshua to filth. It was fun being a bit underhanded with Joshua, but now he was getting unnecessary.

“First of all, you don’t speak for him or me. The fact that you have nothing better to do than to interrogate me about my relationship is a sign that you can’t bear to think of me being happy without you,” Your tone remains firm as you let out your innermost thoughts.

“I’m clearly in love with him and that bothers the shit out of you because you’re miserable as fuck. The fact that you’re an emotionally stunted dickhead is not my problem. You should be worrying about becoming a father and minding your business, but here you are making a fool out of yourself,” Joshua seems to shrink slightly behind your words, but you don’t lose your momentum.

“I don’t know what your goal was in trying to humiliate me in front of my friends and my fiancé, but you’re a fucking loser and I suggest you spend some time getting your head out of your ass. Fuck you.”

You take a sharp exhale. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom,” You don’t hesitate to stand up and make a beeline away from the table.

You don’t stop walking through the seemingly endless halls until you’re in the comfort of the bathroom, clutching the edge of the sink and letting out a shaky breath.

You did it.

You let him have it in front of Minghao, his girlfriend, and your friends.

It felt good as hell.

It was long overdue, but the feeling of freedom in your skin felt too good to ignore.

You take a moment to assess if there was any damage to your makeup. Thankfully, nothing looked out of place once you spent a few moments admiring your features.

It felt like your mind was finally catching up to your body now that you were alone.

First, you said that you were in love with Minghao and you truly meant it. Defending him was so natural to you that it felt like you’d done it for ages.

Second, Joshua knew the original setup was fake. It didn’t really matter now that you had actively gaslit him into oblivion, but you had clearly made up for a less than stellar performance when you first introduced Joshua to Minghao.

Lastly, you still had to go back out there. Sure, you were tipsy, but you still had to perform for a bit longer. It weighed on you the longer you looked at yourself in the mirror.

You brought yourself back to reality with a shake of your head, you turn to open the door and are shocked to see Minghao’s face.

“Hao,” You breathe out.

“I wanted to come check on you. You really went off back there,” He gave you a kind smile and a pat on the shoulder.

“I did. It felt good,” You let out a chuckle.

“Are you anxious? Do you wanna go back to the hotel?” His comforting tone makes you smile, but shockingly, you don't feel completely overwhelmed by your surroundings.

“I’m fine, babe,” You lower your head slightly at the questions. Most times, you think you would’ve preferred going home after being so confrontational, but you wanted to have fun. You didn’t want to hide anymore.

He pulls you into a hug and mumbles into your ear. “I’m proud of you,” His words melt into you so easily, it makes you feel at ease. You spend a few more moments with your head against his shoulder, savoring the silence away from the commotion of the wedding party. It didn’t matter what anyone thought about the two of you, you were determined to enjoy yourself.

You lift your head up and find his hand to intertwine with your own. He gives you a reassuring look before you make your way back through the corridors into the main ballroom. The party is far more lively than when you first left a few minutes ago, the DJ is playing some party song that was popular when you were younger.

The dance floor is noticeably fuller as well, the atmosphere makes you grateful that you decided to stick around for the rest of the reception. You briefly tried to look for the other guys, but Soonyoung was the only one that made himself known to you once you reentered the ballroom.

“There you are!” He exclaimed in relief at the sight of you. He was yelling above the music to catch your attention, even when both you and Minghao eventually got closer to him.

“That was really intense, huh?” He furrowed his brows, his face slightly concerned.

“Yeah, but he deserved it,” You rolled your eyes and scoffed. If anything, you could’ve gone harder on him and expressed every single inch of your rage, but your composure was commendable considering the circumstances.

“Definitely, you should’ve seen how pale he was after you left,” Soonyoung shook his head in disbelief at the thought of it.

“He was definitely shitting himself, I didn’t know you could be that lethal,” Minghao pinched your arm and you smirked. It made you happy that your goal was accomplished, it made the trouble of making a scene worth it knowing how much it affected him.

“I’m only lethal when I need to be,” You clarify with a chuckle, averting your gaze toward the rest of the dancefloor, “and we should go dance. Enough Joshua talk for now,” You whined into Minghao’s shoulder.

“Okay, okay, we can go,” Minghao kissed the back of your hand and gave a sympathetic look to Soonyoung.

“Don’t go too crazy,” Soonyoung winked and walked away, working himself back into the hustle and bustle of the party. You lead Minghao into a free space on the dance floor, immediately feeling the vibe of the dance track in your body. You weren’t a spectacular dancer by any means, but you figured you didn’t look too awkward compared to everyone else around you.

Minghao naturally snakes his hands around your hips and you don’t resist his touch, it only elevates your mood. He falls into a natural rhythm with you, falling away to make you laugh with his dance moves before pulling you in again. When one song gets particularly heated, he pulls you against his chest and lets his hands wander further down to graze the curve of your ass.

The lights are dim enough where people can’t see unless they’re being particularly nosy.

He doesn’t linger for much longer before bringing his hands up to cup your face briefly before leaning in towards your ear.

“I wanna fuck you so badly,” He hums into your ear. You feel a blush creeping up your neck, you didn’t expect him to be so forward about it. He had never expressed desperation like this before, it almost made you lose it right then and there.

“You’ll have me soon enough, babe,” You respond as evenly as you could with the mounting tension between you. He doesn’t seem satisfied, his energy becoming a bit bratty in your hold.

“One more hour, baby, can you make it until then?” You tease. He averts his glance from you and sighs deeply.

“Yes, of course I can,” He scoffed. His behavior only made you laugh, you had no idea how you’d managed to pull this reaction out of him.

You held to your word, sticking around the party for exactly one more hour, but he wasn’t exactly concealing his reaction. As you started to make your final goodbyes around the party, his eagerness started to make its way to the surface.

When you exchanged goodbyes with Seokmin, Soonyoung, and Chan, his grip got a bit tighter on your arm.

You notice the way his hands wander across your lower back. He’s still cordial with the guys, of course, but every time you lock eyes with him you feel butterflies in your stomach.

Surprisingly, you even got to meet Mingyu and his wife for a moment right before you left.

Yet, Minghao is still lingering on you as if Joshua is right around the corner. When you feel him nestle his face in the crook of your neck to leave a prolonged kiss against your skin, you assume he’s nearby.

The tension keeps itself incredibly high at every point until you’re in the car.

“Don’t look at me or else we’re not gonna make it out of the car,” He shifts the car into drive and your skin suddenly feels like it’s on fire.

—

“Fuck fuck fuck,” All other words are lost by the feeling of Minghao’s tongue on your cunt.

He didn’t even undress you or anything, he simply instructed you to lay back against the bed and let him take over which you could never be mad at.

He doesn’t let up at all, leaving you slightly torn at the contact. You’re enjoying yourself without a doubt, but the structured form of the dress starts to show its discomfort after a few moments.

“Minghao,” You breathe out.

“Hm?”

“I’m still in the dress,” You stare at him in confusion.

“Is that okay?”

“I just want to get out of it, my boobs hurt,” It comes out more like a whine than a statement, but the point still stands.

“I promise I’ll undress you soon, okay? I just want to enjoy the way my darling looks wearing my masterpiece since I couldn’t do that in public,” He gently rubs the black fabric that adorns your legs. It gets you to soften up a bit.

“I look that gorgeous?” You ask quietly. You didn’t realize it had that much of an effect on him, but you’d probably be freaking out if you were in his position. He lets out a soft laugh and crawls up to your mouth, a wandering hand finds its way to your cheek.

“Baby, you look incredible. You don’t know how many times I wanted to tear it apart tonight just to taste you,” He whispers against your mouth. “But it’s a gift,” He leaves a kiss on your jaw. “And I want you to remember how well I’m about to fuck you in it,” He moves back to your mouth and your moan gets trapped in a kiss.

His words make your cheeks flush with warmth. He sits up slightly to pull your gloves off one by one. “Okay, hands above your head,” He instructs you gently.

You follow his orders with curious eyes. He proceeds to use the gloves to tie your wrists together, the increasing tightness against your skin makes your heart pound in anticipation.

“Is it too tight?”

“No, I’m fine,” You admit. You’ve never had your hands restrained before, but you trust him to not hurt you.

He lets you adjust to the new feeling for a moment before disappearing under the fabric of your skirt and resume his previous movements, but it’s not long before he hikes your skirt up with forceful hands.

“Shit,” You whimper.

He replaces his tongue with two of his fingers, the sudden pressure forces out a moan that almost makes you ashamed.

“Gonna work you open just how you like it, ok?” His eyes are noticeably darker when they meet yours, the lust seems to overtake him completely. You get lost in the feeling of his fingers repeatedly hitting that spongy spot, your walls keep clenching around him out of habit. He’s just too good at it, his slender fingers always have you seeing stars pretty quickly.

His speed increases and your arms fall slightly. He’s getting noises out of you that you’ve never heard before, the cries of his name are all you can register in your brain beside the pounding in your ears.

“My pretty little brat, always so needy for me huh?” The resurgence of the nickname makes the coil in your stomach tighten even more, you can barely hold yourself together.

You want to say something, anything on your mind, but you’re simply reduced to babbling.

“Come on, tell me how much you wanted me to touch you,” His low voice has a complete hold on you at the moment. He wants to work you up as much as possible before you break, and you could only force yourself to submit.

“So badly, please, I thought about you all night,” You squeeze your eyes shut to hold yourself together, his fingers haven’t slowed their pace yet.

“Look at me,” His voice is so gentle, but the moment you meet his eyes, you know that you need to cum.

“You wanna cum?”

“Yes, please, I’ve been good tonight,” You beg him for mercy knowing you’re at the point of no return.

“You’re close, aren’t you, baby?” He smirks at the mess in front of him, how desperate you are as your legs start to shake from the pressure. You can only nod at this point.

“Holding on for me like a good girl?” He curls his fingers tighter and it rips a scream from your throat.

“Yes!” Your reply comes out just as loudly.

“Then you can cum,” His instructions send you over the edge, you feel yourself coat his fingers repeatedly and you can barely keep your eyes open.

You take a few heaving breaths and you feel his lips against your thigh.

“You did so well,” He offers praise in between kisses, his mouth against your skin helps ground you again.

“Are you good for some more?” He’s up to untie your restraints before you can think about it, and you revel in the feeling of your wrists being untied.

“Yeah, I’m good,” You nod. He tosses your gloves to the floor before moving to straddle you.

You can feel his erection against you and your breath hitches. He captures your lips in a kiss before you can call him out on it, you can taste traces of your cum against his lips. He moans against your neck and you wish you could hold him there for the rest of the night.

“Want you to cum in me so badly,” You whisper.

“I’m on it, angel,” He leaves one last kiss against your lips before he stands up.

“Wait,” You rush to sit up, adjusting your position on the bed a bit too quickly.

“What?”

“Let me help you get undressed,” You soften your voice, placing your hands on his hips.

He grins at your touch and guides your fingers to his zipper. You take the hint and unbuckle his belt, throwing it to the side before unzipping his pants. He strips out of his pants and you already have your hands tugging on his boxers.

You force them down to reveal his very irritated cock. He’s clearly been holding his restraint for far too long, so you don’t think too hard before you stroke him gently.

His knees almost buckle from the contact, and he forces your hand away.

“Shit, don’t make me cum, I’m not supposed to cum on you, right?” He asks with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“No,” You shake your head with an unassuming smile.

“Exactly, I can’t ruin this beautiful dress, now can I?” He straddles you once again, helping you gather your skirt up as far as it’ll go before it hits the bodice.

He lines himself up at your entrance and you’re already bracing yourself for the intensity of it all.

The initial push isn’t as bad as you thought, but it still makes you groan as you clutch onto his arm. He pushes through until he’s bottomed out, but you both sigh audibly the moment it stops.

You’re just so full that it’s hard to focus on anything else, so much so that he notices.

“Baby?”

“Yeah,” You force your eyes open to look at him.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes, it’s just you,” You place emphasis on the last word and he’s lowering his head in surprise.

“I’m gonna move now,” He confirms his plan and you nod.

His strokes are incredibly slow at first, you’re sure that you’ll cum if he adjusts himself any further. He soon finds his rhythm though, you notice how intently he’s watching you when you look at his face again.

He’s obsessed with you, the way your face scrunches up in pleasure, and how your moans sound heavenly in response to him.

“I love you so much,” The words sound blurred with pleasure as he tries to fight the groans escaping from his mouth. You’re not faring much better, he manages to render you speechless as the sound of his skin hitting yours echoes throughout the hotel room.

“I love you,” You breathe out, your arms draped around his neck and you pull him closer until he’s nearly laying on your chest.

“Is this what you want, baby? Do you want me to cover every inch of you like this?” His voice is gravelly in your ear, begging you to give in to him.

“Yes, fuck, stay low like this please,” You pull yourself onto his mouth and lose yourself to him. He moves his head to the crook of your neck to help him gain some control, he’s able to cage you in slightly to hit you even deeper than before.

You can only grasp his hair and whine through it all. Your nerves are ready to let go at any moment, but you’re trying to savor how close he is to you. His cologne, the feeling of his skin on yours, his voice, your brain can only process pieces of him.

“Minghao, fuck,” You can’t even begin to form a coherent sentence, just mumbling his name over and over again.

“Gonna cum?”

“Yes, yes yes,” He picks up the pace slightly to accommodate you and lets your orgasm hit full force, his cum fills you up so well that you can barely breathe. You clutch him even tighter than before and he fucks you through the orgasm, mumbling sweet nothings in your ear to calm you down.

“You’re always so good for me,” He whispers against your skin. He takes a moment to admire you despite your heavy panting.

His orgasm hits soon after and you feel him still around you, inhaling a sharp breath beside you.

You don’t separate for a long while, you just bring him back down to earth with soft touches. He’s always taking care of you, so you figure it’s time to do the same for him.

“Ready to get up, baby?” You rub his shoulder with encouragement.

“Not really,” His laugh vibrates against your chest. He was very cute, but you knew you had to convince him because it was getting a bit too hot in this position.

“Well, you have to take me out of the dress since you put me in it,” You try to sway him. “And it’s gonna feel so good to be in our pajamas, right?”

“Mhm,” He agrees.

“So let’s get up before I lose feeling in my legs,” You joke with him, but you’re rapidly feeling more and more tethered to the bed.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” He pulls out of you swiftly and falls to the other pillow beside you. You finally feel like you can breathe once you sit up.

You take a moment to remove your jewelry and place it on the nightstand before turning back to him. You’re sure that he’s been looking at you the whole time by the way he grins at your attention.

“Hi,” You turn your head over your shoulder, his eye contact makes you shy.

“Hi, love.”

“Can you unzip me? Pretty please?” You raise your voice slightly, pursing your lips to make him smile.

“Yes, sorry I kept you waiting,” It succeeds when he grins at you, he finally scoots toward you and pulls down the zipper, which allows you to slip out of the dress.

“Thank god,” You sigh a bit too loud. You have to steady your nerves before standing up, but you’re still a bit wobbly when you’re stumbling around the room looking for a shirt.

“Felt that good?”

“Feel like my boobs were held hostage all night,” He looks slightly worried and you have to backtrack slightly, “which was not your fault, it’s just naturally a bit uncomfortable,” You slip an oversized shirt over his head, one that you stole from the back of his t-shirt drawer.

“Okay,” He still watches you hesitantly. “Wait, that’s my shirt,” He points at you in fake shock.

“Yeah, I’ve stolen quite a few of your shirts. I’m shocked you haven’t noticed yet,” You sift through your bag to find clean underwear and slip them on with your back turned to him.

“I have noticed,” You hear him get off the bed to find clothes, “and I don’t care, you look pretty in them.” You realize he’s fully dressed when he hugs you from behind and kisses you on the cheek.

You hum in affirmation, closing your eyes and you naturally start to rock back and forth in his arms. You feel him kiss the top of your head and you revel in the moment, the silence that always speaks volumes between you.

“Hey,” You speak up.

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” You’re getting used to saying it out loud more often, you force yourself to fight past the nerves of expressing it to him more often now.

“I love you too,” He responds immediately, it makes your heart sing.

It feels like a new chapter has unofficially begun, one where you have to address the future standing in front of you. How do you not let yourself get lost in this relationship?

How do you love when you’ve never been in a healthy relationship before?

It’s something that lingers when you fall asleep curled up next to him, trying to quiet the fears creeping up in your mind.

—

The next morning moves far more slowly than the day before. You can’t help but hold onto him a bit longer in bed, your fingertips just want to feel the warmth of his skin, your mind feels at ease when you feel his heartbeat against your ear.

By the way he tightens his arms around you, you figure he’s not itching to let you go either. The beach day you’ve both thought about seems like it’s drifting away with each passing moment.

“Baby?” He rasps.

“Hmm?”

“You’re awake.”

“So are you,” You sit up to get a better look at him. His hair is completely messy, and you watch him try to smooth it out but to no avail.

“Do you still wanna go out today? We don’t have to,” His offer is definitely inviting, but you figure you should make the most of your trip before the inevitably long ride home.

“No, we should. I wanna see you in that outfit you packed,” You giggle.

“You’ve just got ulterior motives, huh?”

“Maybe,” You bite your lip and concentrate on his eyes.

“That’s okay, I was thinking about what you’d wear too,” He admits with a shake of his head. You give him a peck on the lips and push on his chest lightly.

“Come on, let’s get going then,” You kiss him on the cheek before forcing yourself out of bed to get ready. You both fall into separate routines, only converging to eat breakfast and brush your teeth while getting yourselves together.

Minghao does end up wearing the outfit he showed you back at his apartment, the baby blue set is slightly oversized on him but it works against his skin tone. You opt for a similar coverup layout, wearing a tropical print shirt and a pair of shorts to cover your bikini.

The beach isn’t too far from the hotel, but the walk feels especially crisp with the late summer air on your skin. The day was breaking into early afternoon by the time you both left, it was bright enough that you both ended up needing your sunglasses.

Just like the day before, you strolled arm in arm taking in the sights of the neighborhood. You were grateful that there wasn’t any internal pressure anymore now that the wedding was over, you were still trying to adjust to not being on defense the entire time.

As you approached the beach, it dawned on you that despite enjoying yourself last night, fighting with Joshua made you realize just how hard you were willing to fight for Minghao. It’s easy to say what you might do when you’ve spent a month ruminating on the moment, but the pressure made your anger hard to ignore.

Since it was the weekend, there were a moderate amount of people enjoying themselves along the beach. Couples, families, and friend groups were sunbathing, playing around, eating food, or just enjoying each other’s company.

Somehow, you were able to find a spot to lay down your old beach towel for the both of you to sit on top of. It was thankfully out of the way from the crowds, so you were able to observe people without too much trouble.

You were able to sit in silence with each other for a few moments, absorbing the white noise of the people and the distant noise of the waves on the horizon.

“When does your lease end?” He asks you suddenly.

“January. Why?”

“Do you still want to live there? You know, after everything?” His questions make you shrink in on yourself once you hear them.

You honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead. You figured that if you managed to avoid Joshua for this long, you could continue to make it happen. Yet, you couldn’t imagine how that could possibly work now knowing how badly you’d gone off on him.

“Shit,” You let out a shaky breath, concentrating on the ocean that sat at the edge of your sight.

“We don’t have to do anything,” He reminds you gently.

“No, you’re right. If I want it to be completely over, I need to move,” You affirm your decision. You need to be firm with your own boundaries, mostly for your own sake.

“Okay.”

“How do you feel about moving though?” You posit the question and he’s already adjusting himself on the beach towel.

“I mean, aside from everything else, the apartment is getting kinda small for me. I just need more space in general,” He sighs at the thought.

“What’s top priority?” You humor him and he smiles for a moment before answering.

“An actual home office. I think not having enough space to get work done is bothering me,” His thought seems unfinished by the way he looks up at the sky, trying to conjure more ideas.

“But?”

“But I’m trying to keep my work and home life more separate, especially now that we’re together,” He says it without thinking and your eyes widen.

“We’re together, huh?” You joke.

It seems to hit him immediately. You’ve both said I love you, so it just seemed natural that you were together already.

Yet, he hasn’t asked. You haven’t asked.

“Y/N,” He reaches out for your hands and you gladly let him hold them.

“Yes?”

“Will you be my girlfriend?” He’s grinning so hard just waiting for your reply, you don’t think that you could ever tell him no.

“Of course, Minghao,” You cup his face and pull him into a kiss.

He’s noticeably shyer than before once he pulls away from you, his cheeks are slightly pink. “Anyway, I just want it to be our space now that we’re together. I want it to feel like home.”

You can only imagine what an apartment mixed with both of your tastes looks like, but it still makes your heart feel warm.

“That makes sense, so I assume your lease ends around the same time?” You lean back onto your palms, letting out a quiet sigh.

“Yeah, mid January. It seems so far away just thinking about it,” His words make you think of how brutal winter is back in the city. You hate having to trudge home in the snow, boots covered in sludge all while trying to stay warm with too many layers on.

You push it to the back of your head once you look up at the bright blue sky, drawing you back into the feeling of summer.

Silence falls over the two of you again. The idea of planning a future with him feels foreign, how do you begin to process all of that?

“Scary,” You shiver from the breeze passing by.

“It is scary,” He doesn’t comfort you this time, instead confirming the fear of it.

“Honestly, Minghao, I’m just scared of us,” You cross your arms and let out a deep sigh, focusing your eyes on the ocean ahead.

“How so? I want to know what you’re feeling,” His voice is so inviting, you know that you can’t hold back from him anymore.

“I’m scared that I’m gonna fuck this up. I’ve never been in this kind of relationship and it scares me so much,” You clear your throat to avoid the tears threatening to spill out. “I don’t want to sabotage this because I’ve never felt this safe with someone before.”

“Baby,” He places a hand on your arms, gently trying to pry them apart. You let him hold your hand, but you still can’t look at him. You’re not sure why it’s so embarrassing to be so vulnerable with him.

“I’m scared too. We’re still learning about each other’s boundaries, and it’s honestly still hard for me to express things to you. We’re gonna make mistakes with each other, but that’s natural. But, I know you’re bringing this up because you want us to start on a good foundation, right?”

“Yeah,” Your voice is still shaky, but you nod in agreement.

“Exactly, and that’s a great first step. I know it’s hard for both of us to open up, but I’m happy you told me,” He validates your fears and you finally look him in the eyes.

“Thank you, I just didn’t want to hide that when we’re about to truly start the relationship. I trust that we can call each other out on things if we cross a line, you know?” You still tried your best to hold eye contact, but you can’t help but focus on anything but his face.

“Yeah, absolutely. We’ll get there,” He finds your hand and squeezes it gently. The burden wasn’t completely resolved, but it was shared and that felt much better than keeping it all bottled up.

You found yourself staring out at the sea once again, eyes sometimes wandering to the people that would pass by. The silence wasn’t heavy this time, but rather full of mutual understanding. You soon felt a pull to explore the beach.

“Do you want to go down to the water?” You speak up.

“Yeah,” His face brightens and he helps you up off of the towel before standing up on his own.

You strip down out of your cover up, fold your clothes and place them in a neat pile near your shoes. “Race you there!” You yell suddenly and break out into a sprint.

“That’s not fair, you got a head start!” He’s close behind you, you can hear him catching up to you but you’re still running your hardest.

He passes you soon enough, sticking his tongue out at you before breezing past you. You’re out of breath by the time you reach the waves, but he’s waiting for you with open arms.

His embrace is as welcoming as always, and you spend a few moments catching your breath against his shoulder. He instinctively holds you a bit tighter and it feels heavenly. The moment you’re alright, you both wade deeper into the ocean, splashing each other until you’re both laughing uncontrollably.

You don’t realize how long you’ve been out in the water until you feel the heat of the sun against your skin more harshly than before.

You both retreat and dry off in your designated corner before covering up again. The walk back to the car is quiet, but you’re learning to embrace those moments with him a bit more.

After grabbing lunch at a nearby restaurant, the road-trip begins once again, with you in the passenger seat while he drives. It’s more or less the same as when you first drove up, he entertains you with conversation until you fall asleep, only to wake up dazed hours later.

This time, you manage to fall asleep for the rest of the ride, only waking up when Minghao tells you that you’re home.

You mutually decide to spend the night apart to properly prepare for the first day of your new jobs the next day, plus you need a bit of space to recharge from the trip.

You wouldn’t be apart for much longer though, you mutually agreed that Minghao would carpool you both to and from work each day unless he had to head in early or stay late at his office. However, he reassured you that he’d always let you know about those kinds of things early on.

It was a reliable routine that you could look forward to, you thought to yourself as you unpacked your clothes from your compact suitcase.

Once you text Soonyoung and Chan to let them know that you made it back safely, you delve into your nightly routine. It’s odd not to have him around, you feel his absence at every point of the night.

You’re able to fall asleep that night, but not as easily, silently hoping that he misses you all the same.

—

“Minghao? Are you okay?”

“All good,” He nods at you, staring at your shared workplace the next morning. The building seems a bit more intimidating when you’re about to begin the biggest job you’ve both had thus far.

“You seem nervous, love,” You see past his neutral expression and catch the slight tension in his brows.

“I am, I thought I’d be okay since I’ve already started the new work, but it’s different now. Everyone’s looking to me for all of the answers,” His brows furrow while he rants, but you notice the tension in his shoulders as he clutches his bag tighter in his fist.

“Hey, look at me,” You force him to meet your gaze, turning him around gently. “It’s okay to be nervous. You are perfectly capable and if you have any concerns, you’ve got people there to help right?”

He nods silently and your eyebrows perk up in support. “That’s great! You won’t be alone. I’ll be there in spirit, okay? Take this,” You give him a small frog statue that you’d been holding in your coat pocket and he smiles so wide that he breaks into laughter.

“This is cute, where’d you get it?” He admires the glazed figurine with care.

“I went to the hotel gift shop. I know you like frogs, I saw something on your desk,” You took a moment to look at the few items on his desk while you were there for the dress fitting and noticed a small frog plush, so you figured it needed a friend.

“This is really sweet, babe, thank you. I feel a bit better about it,” His smile doesn’t go away as he tucks the figurine into his pocket.

“You’re welcome, I’m happy that I could help a little bit,” You kiss him briefly and he gives a kiss on your cheek in return.

“I’m really glad that I have you to rely on,” His words are so sincere that they make you blush. You’re always worried that you’re not doing enough for him, but you remember your conversation on the beach and realize that you’re both trying to be better.

“I’m just glad that I can be there for you,” You offer the sentiment and it’s clear that it means a lot to him by the way he squeezes your hand and kisses it sweetly. The small gesture is enough to carry you through the rest of your day.

The first full day is quite long, and you’re still overwhelmed by the full scope of your department, but you’re not meant to understand everything in the first day.

Your coworkers seem nice, your supervisors are intimidating, but you’re actually able to do some design work the first day. It’s far more than you expected out of the job, but it feels meant to be once you think back on your day.

You tried your best, and that’s all you can do.

The best part of the day is watching him come outside to meet you, noticeably more tired than the morning, but he’s clearly excited to see you. He doesn’t say a word, silently enveloping you in a hug while he collects his thoughts.

“Good first day?” You ask quietly.

“Yeah,” He mumbles into your ear, he pulls away soon enough and grabs your hand, leading you both to his car.

The drive home is far more talkative than normal, both of you swapping first day stories that gain laughs and surprised expressions from each other while looking back on the day.

The routine starts to fall into place naturally in your mind, you’re excited to get used to hearing him hum along to music in the car and asking you what he should make for dinner.

You’re worthy of this, worthy of being in a calm and healthy dynamic. It may seem boring to other people, but the comfort of knowing your partner trusts you and understanding that they genuinely enjoy your company is far more valuable than you originally thought.

—

January rolls around and apartment hunting is moderately stressful, but you end up with a two bedroom apartment that both of you like. You both agree to make a detailed spreadsheet with all your options, comparing all of them while nestled in bed together. Your lease ends before his, so his apartment is crowded for a few weeks before you’re both able to move out.

Furniture shopping is far more stressful, and there’s plenty of small arguments about your styles, but the end product is worth it. This apartment is far more cozy than your last living situation, far more inviting than before and you’re not scared to be yourself around him.

You’re not afraid to be at home knowing you’re both ready and willing to support each other.

The first year of your relationship is naturally filled with ups and downs, but the downs are especially frightening.

Complications with your medicine put you in the hospital and Minghao has never been more terrified, he isn’t able to think of anything else except if his love is safe and sound.

The incident pulls you both back from work, but you’re able to make it through. Knowing how easily he could’ve lost you, Minghao doesn’t want to waste any more time.

You think nothing of him asking about if you prefer gold or silver or when you find him exploring your jewelry box, he just explains that he left one of his own rings in there.

He was just eager, eager to make you a more permanent fixture in his life.

Minghao is incredibly nervous, all things considered.

Your one year anniversary is today and he wants, no he needs, to propose to you tonight. The ring has been burning a hole in the back of one of his drawers for months now. He’s not sure how he’s managed to keep you off his tracks, but he’s grateful that you’ve had a bit more work to deal with lately.

He had managed to pull a few strings and was able to rent out your favorite botanical garden in the city for the evening, it was something he’s wanted to do for you ever since you mentioned your affinity for gardens on the road trip last summer.

You were under the impression that you were both invited for a self guided tour, but you were blissfully unaware of his ulterior motives.

If his timing was right, he’d be able to propose right as the sun was setting against the glass panes of the expansive greenhouse towards the end of the tour.

The tour had gone according to plan, you were enthralled by seeing the various kinds of plants and flowers that were displayed through each of the rooms. You were both on the way to the last room when you gushed over the experience once again.

“Everything is just so beautiful, I can’t believe you did this for us,” You lean your head against his shoulder.

“Of course, I figured it would be nice to not do a traditional dinner, but something we’ll remember,” He hints unknowingly and kisses you on the forehead.

It’s not too far ahead now, and the sounds of your heels clicking along the tiles make him exponentially more nervous.

You reach the double doors and you stop walking.

You look down to see a path of roses leading into the greenhouse. Your eyes widen slightly and you turn to offer Minghao a hesitant smile. “What’s all this?” You ask quietly.

“Just a little something for you,” Minghao responds calmly, but he can barely keep it together internally. It’s hitting him all at once you walk in, your eyes immediately hitting the centerpiece in the middle of the room.

“Oh my god,” Your eyes nearly pop out of their head at the sight of the words staring directly at you on a big sign.

Marry me.

“What are you doing,” Your voice is slightly shaky already, but he continues to walk you towards the setup.

“Hao, seriously,” You ask him again, but he simply holds your hand and starts to speak from the heart.

“This has been such an amazing year with you, and I honestly don’t think my life has ever felt so joyful before. You’re so supportive of me that as a result, I’ve been able to be much kinder to myself,” He stops to wipe his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath before continuing again.

“Every day, I think about how I’ve been lucky enough to find someone who cares so deeply about me. I know this relationship didn’t start in the ideal way, but I would be your fake boyfriend 100 times over if it meant we could find each other again, if we could grow together. I want to take care of you for the rest of my life, if you’ll let me. So with that said,” He finally kneels and it breaks any of the resolve you might've had left in your body.

He opens the black velvet box to reveal a gold floral shaped diamond ring that knocks the wind out of you.

It’s so startlingly beautiful that you almost forget he hasn’t said the words yet.

“Y/N, will you marry me?”

“Yes, what the fuck,” You sob at him and he’s beaming, you can barely see his smile through your tears.

He instinctively grabs your hand to place the ring on your finger. It feels like your body is floating the moment he stands up to kiss you, your hands instinctively find the back of his neck and nestle into his hair.

“Glad I put on a shit ton of setting spray,” You whisper in his ear and pull away from him. He giggles and wipes the stray tears that are strewn across your cheeks.

“You still look beautiful, love,” He reassures you with a soft swipe against your cheek.

“You’re handsome too. I didn’t think you’d cry during the speech,” You push his shoulder lightly and he blushes.

“I basically blacked out, I practiced it so much,” He shakes his head at the thought of it all.

“It was worth it, that was beautiful,” You pat his hair lovingly.

“I have another surprise though,” He offers.

“Wait, what is it?”

“Well, the director of the gardens is a Semicolon fan, and I happened to be working as assistant creative director on her favorite collection. So, she’s letting us get married here for free,” He raises his eyebrows and looks at you with a playful glance. “Minghao,” You’re practically in tears again. You couldn’t be happier.

“I told her this was your favorite place in the entire city, and she was quite happy to hear that,” He reaches to tuck a stray hair behind your ear and you melt into his touch.

“You’re so perfect, thank you baby,” You don’t let him get a word out before you’re kissing him much deeper this time, all the love and passion seems to come through immediately.

He reciprocated with the same level of commitment, holding you tenderly as you led him through the kiss.

“You’re welcome,” He mumbles into your ear.

It’s difficult to capture just how much has changed in a year. You’d like to think you’re much easier on yourself, now that you’re focused on what’s ahead of you instead of being so fixated on the past. It seems impractical that you were able to give yourself so easily to love, but you can’t deny how much it’s softened you.

When Minghao holds you in the aftermath of the proposal, you think you could stay there forever.

In that moment, you were simply grateful to be understood, grateful to be loved, and grateful to start a life with someone who saw the potential in you despite everything in the world that made you feel the opposite.

You can’t help but feel excited at the prospect of a life where there’s always love waiting for you when you least expect it.

#svthub #minghao smut #minghao imagines #minghao x reader #minghao fluff #seventeen smut #svt smut #minghao angst #the8 smut #the8 x reader #y’all this actually felt like giving birth #this has been going since APRIL!!!!!! that’s damn near an entire pregnancy #I’m just very proud of this #and thank you all again for reading <3333

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alovesongtheywrote · 5 months

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kicking my feet and giggling over pt. 5 of nightmare academia pls bless us with another part

♥ Summary: i'm afraid you'll have a different response to this one :/ in this chapter of nightmare academia, the reader meets the team and the world crashes and burns. [Prof!Spencer Reid x GN-Prof!Reader]

♥ Warnings: remember those jokes kate callahan made about beating up pedophiles in her custody? yeah, we're exploring that. tws for police brutality, spencer being a dick, Angst, and a passing mention of vomit

♥ A/N: okay, it's honesty time. i don't like kate callahan. i specifically have issues with how she's written- even more specifically, i don't like a lot of her dialogue. this chapter kinda explores that? anyway, im sorry :( (big thanks to @mxcheese for the help on this one :D )

♥ Word Count: 2147

Series Masterlist

♥♥♥

You weren’t much more than a ball of nerves. Standing outside the bar, looking up at the sign, all you could feel was panic. You felt like you weren’t supposed to be there, like you never should have come at all.

So. You just stood there in the street, leaning against your car like a creeper. Spencer was already inside. They all were. All those fucking FBI agents. You bit your lip and let your nails dig into the palms of your hands.

Maybe you should leave. You could text Spencer, tell him you had come down with a sudden bout of illness. Maybe you would tell him you were projectile vomiting all over your apartment. Maybe that would kill whatever was growing between you.

You turned, grabbing the handle of the car door. Before you could open it, though, something made you stop. You could feel eyes on you. You were being watched. You looked up to see a woman staring out at you from the front seat of a black SUV. She looked a touch panicked- as if you had caught her doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. She reached for her door just as you let go of yours. Something about this woman made you nervous.

By the time she got out of her vehicle, you were safe behind the doors of the bar.

You didn’t hesitate once inside. The second you saw Spencer- not even Spencer, the second you saw Morgan- you made a beeline for the table. Despite the anxiety you felt, you were welcomed with open arms. Literally.

A ball of colour and flower-themed hairpins flung herself at you, “Hi! Hello! I’m Penelope, we spoke on the phone!”

“Oh fuck, hi! It’s nice to finally meet you in person!” you responded, “You’re even more fabulous than you sound.”

Penelope beamed, immediately charmed by your compliment. She wrapped an arm around you and turned to Morgan, half-whispering a, “Can we keep them?”

You let out a laugh, almost forgetting your previous discomfort. You turned to gaze at the other faces around the table. Morgan and Spencer sat next to each other- Morgan with an easy grin on his face, and Spencer with a look so anxious it made you nervous again. Beside Spencer sat an older man with the most fantastic set of eyebrows you had ever seen. Beside him sat a severe-looking man with short dark hair, and beside him sat two women- one blonde, and one brunette. Neat. Totally a normal amount of people to meet in one night.

“Ah, so this is the infamous Dr. (Y/N) (L/N).”

The sound of your name caught your attention. With all the speed you possessed, you pulled something witty out of your brain, “Last I checked, that is my identity.”

Eyebrow man cracked a grin. Morgan caught your attention, “(Y/N), this is SSA David Rossi.”

The man nodded and extended a hand for you to shake. Between him and Morgan, you realized you had faced more handshakes today than you had in the past year.

“Beside him is Aaron Hotchner,” Morgan continued. Aaron Hotchner just nodded a hello, his severe look breaking to allow a nice grin to cross his features. You smiled back, trying your best to come off as polite and sweet and not completely fucking terrified.

Garcia took over for the last two introductions. With one arm still around you, she pointed to the women beside Aaron Hotchner. “Those two lovelies are Jennifer Jareau and Kate Callahan.”

Jennifer Jareau and Kate Callahan both waved hello as Penelope spoke. You waved back. If you weren’t intimidated before, you absolutely were now.

Penelope turned to you, “And this, my fine furry friends, is the lovely and terrifying (Y/N) (L/N).”

“More commonly known as the doctor who’s had my team distracted for the past few months,” Aaron smiled at you, “It’s nice to meet you, (Y/N).”

“We haven’t been that distracted-” Garcia tried to argue.

“No, baby girl, we’ve been distracted.”

“That’s my bad,” you said, giving Penelope’s arm a pat, “I’m just naturally distracting.”

“Clearly,” Jennifer said, smirking not at you, but across the table at Spencer, “Anyone who can distract Spence from spouting off statistics has to be distracting.”

You nodded, “I’ll be honest, it takes effort. It’s nothing my distraction skills can’t handle.”

The group laughed at your attempted joke, and Garcia gestured for you to take a seat next to Morgan. You were in- and good lord did you feel like some kind of spy. The agents accepted you quickly, asking you questions about what Spencer was like as a professor, and what sort of things you did to get under his skin. You gave them the answers you thought they’d like to hear. The funny answers, the sweet answers.

You did not tell them that you were scared. You didn’t tell them that you kind of wanted to slam their doctor boy into a wall and kiss him until he couldn’t stand straight, and you didn’t tell them that it terrified you.

You gave them the good answers, and asked them about themselves, and generally, it was a good set of social interactions.

You learned that Aaron Hotchner and Jennifer Jareau both had kids. Rossi had three ex-wives. Morgan remodelled properties as a pastime. Kate enjoyed cute animal photos. Garcia was a ball of pure joy.

And Spencer was quiet. He didn’t say a word and he didn’t bother to correct you on anything- he wouldn’t even look at you. His eyes stayed on his drink, on his friends, on the other people in the bar. He looked everywhere except for you.

You tried to be okay with that. For a while, you were. Then the night crashed and burned.

Kate was regaling you with a story of how she took down a pedophile. That was fine. It was all fine. Then she said, “Yep, that one just so happened to trip over his own feet right before I brought him in.”

You froze. Discomfort seeped into your bones as the group of federal agents laughed off a joke about police brutality. As someone who volunteered extensively with former offenders, at-risk youth, and many in between, well… discomfort was putting it lightly. You understood to a degree- everyone wants to beat up pedophiles. You are no exception to that. However, the difference between everyone and federal agents is that the latter are federal agents.

You felt sick. You could feel your hands shaking slightly at your sides. The conversation carried on around you- like normal, like nothing had happened. Spencer laughed. There was a gaping hole in your chest, filled with stale bar air and anxiety. It was getting hard to breathe.

You were right. You never should have come at all.

You checked your wrist, forgetting again that you weren’t wearing a watch. When you laid eyes on the bare skin of your wrist, you pulled your phone from your pocket and checked that, instead. It was just late enough for you to slip away without raising too many questions. For that, you were thankful.

“Oh, shoot,” you faked the exclamation, “It’s getting late, and I have papers to grade tomorrow. I should get going- it was nice to meet you all, though!”

“Oh, really? Do you have to go?” Penelope asked, hitting you with massive puppy dog eyes. You panicked. She really was lovely, and until that comment, you had a good time. The parts of you that wanted to stay surrendered immediately.

The parts of you that wanted to leave were fighting off a panic attack and couldn’t come up with anything smart to say.

And that’s how you came up with, “Yeahhh, I really should go walk my… fish. I’ll see you guys around, good luck with the crime!”

You didn’t give them a chance to respond. In seconds, you had cleared the bar, pushed open the door, and slipped into the night. The street was empty. The black SUV was gone. You struggled to unlock your car, keys slipping between your fingers like a fuck mothering fish. When you heard a voice beside you, you jumped.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

It was Reid, finally talking to you after a night of silence. You wanted to be petty- but more than that, you just wanted to leave, “It’s nothing. I’ll see you next week, okay?”

“It’s not nothing. You don’t have a fish, if you did Garcia would know about it.”

“Yeah, okay, I don’t have a fish. I’m just feeling kinda sick. I’ll see you later.”

“You’re not feeling sick.”

You finally unlocked your damn car. That gave you the strength to be a bit of a bitch.

“Oh, and how would you know, Reid? It’s not like you asked me. It’s not like you’ve said a word to me since I got here.”

He had the audacity to look shocked. He paused for a second. In the silence, you pulled open the driver’s side door. He placed a hand on it, stopping you. He winced when you glared at him, but your gaze didn’t soften. He didn’t deserve that.

“Okay, I’ve been quiet tonight. I’m sorry. But something is wrong with you, too. What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing,” you slammed the car door shut, “Y’know, it’s good, actually.”

You opened the door and slammed it shut again.

“What? (Y/N), what are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing,” you opened and slammed the door, “I just remembered that we come from different worlds, Reid. Different universes. You come from a place where you go to report a crime, and the police take care of you because you’re an affluent white boy and you’re a cop. I come from a place where if something happens to me, I can’t go to the police because they’ll either treat me like I’m a criminal, or the first question out of their mouths will be, ‘What were you wearing when it happened?’”

“I- I don’t follow.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t, you’re a cop.”

“I’m-”

He looked confused. You slammed the door shut again. You decided to elaborate for him.

“It’s about Kate, Reid. Look, I get it. She likes to beat up pedophiles. Everyone wants to beat up pedophiles. That’s why most of them get their faces bashed in in prison- but the difference between us and Kate Callahan is that she’s a Federal Agent. She has a responsibility, not only to the public, but to the victims to carry out each arrest like a professional so that she doesn’t lose any cases or cause undue bodily harm to an innocent person by mistake. And shit- look me in the eye and tell me the FBI has a perfect track record with arrests. Even if she does, the rest of you don’t.”

He paused. His eyes searched your face desperately. You weren’t sure what he wanted to find. You opened the door again. This time, he didn’t stop you, and you didn’t slam it shut. A look of resignation took over his features. Whatever he was looking for, you assumed he’d found it.

“What would you know about being a professional? What would you know about being a Federal Agent? You aren’t one, (Y/N). And you aren’t a cop. You don’t know anything about police work. You’re just an academic- and you aren’t even good at that. That’s part of why you act out. You’re insecure about your own intelligence, you’re insecure about your place in the world, and you have every reason to be.”

Reid looked at you expectantly. He wanted you to snap. Maybe he wanted you to break. Too bad for him. If he wanted to hurt you, if he wanted to win the prank war, he should have pulled some Carrie shit back in the bar. Honestly? You would rather be covered in pig’s blood.

You refused to meet his eye. You wrapped your hand around the edge of the car door until it hurt. You smiled.

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“I said, thank you. Thank you for reminding me what this is. Thank you for reminding me that despite how close it feels we’ve gotten, we are two complete strangers. You may think you know me because of your bullshit profiling and an invasive background check, but you don’t, and you never will. I’m no one but a colleague to you, Dr Reid. That’s all I’ll be for the rest of my life.”

You pushed away from the car door and left it open. You didn’t stop until you were chest to chest with Reid. He stumbled backwards into the street like a scared animal. You refused to feel bad about that. The thing growing between you was already dead.

“Now get the fuck away from my car, and stay the hell away from me.”

♥ Tags: @icarusignite, @usuallyunlikelyfox, @maraudersforlife2005, @fictionalcomforts

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x gn!reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x y/n #x reader #nightmare academia

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mihrsuri · 2 months

Note

2 and 18 for the current WIP asks

2. Give the first line of this chapter/fic

Settling in with snacks for Some Fantastic Cromwich Content RN. Surprised by the content warning at the beginning though.

(From the in universe Tudors OT3 Verse discord discussion of Unmasked Part I and II aka the episodes of The Tudors in this universe in which if you don’t know the history you will be Getting A Shock that @nocompromise-noregrets @herawell have really helped to build this one)

18. Share the scene you just wrote, written from another character’s POV

Aleksander takes a look at the jewellery he has chosen for his precious sunshines - he likes elegant pieces but pieces that make clear that they are his, that no one is to touch them - Alina’s is midnight black diamonds set in gold with earrings to match, Nikolai’s bracelets to match. Yes, he’s visiting the training centre but he won’t let them out of his sight, not when he has so little time. Not when some in the capital still don’t believe they are for him alone.

(From my Grishaverse Hunger Games featuring Capital Mentor Aleksander who may or may not have been a Victor at all, is definitely playing both Coin and the President of Panem against each other and picked both Alina and Nikolai to be his ‘lovers’)

#meme #lil and her ridiculous aus #ot3: political power trio #au: grishaverse hunger games #fic

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