#my heart is as warm as that hot chocolate oat milk

[excuseme-greentea]

I don't know why this is the most romantic thing to me but it is

#buck was cold and eddie had that cup ready #love is stored in the beverages #my heart is as warm as that hot chocolate oat milk #etc you get it 🥺 #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #buddieedit #usercam #911hiatus2023 #911 #911edit #evanbuckleyedit #eddiediazedit #911 abc #911ramblings #911verse #6x10

[misshoneyimhome]

I know we’ve only done present day Willy fics and it’s totally okay if it’s not your cup of tea but these hospital pics have me thinking about how soft Willy would be with your kiddos at Christmas! My sibling and I would always make my mum and dad sit, make them paper tickets and serve hot chocolate to them as we watched the Polar Express like we were lil conductors and I can do imagine his lil blonde babies doing the exact same thing and he’s just so soft and excited that you two created such adorable toddlers and they’re at the age where the holiday starts to get really fun🥹

Not my cup of tea? 😍 Darling, that man triggers my desire for a baby even from over 3,500 miles away 🙈 one family Christmas scenario coming up ❤️

[So, let’s envision this scenario taking place in about five years; and also as a way for me to manifest that William stays in Toronto 🙏🏻]

I hope it's alright that I incorporated a bit of your childhood memory because oh my goodness, I wish my brother and I had done that too 😱 It's so sweet! Yet, I've also intertwined it with one of my own most cherished memories; and I hope it somewhat resembles what you had in mind ❤️

・✶ ｡ﾟ

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

“Mooom, Daaaaad!” a kid's voice rang out through the condo. "Wake up!"

You stirred slightly as the young boy's shouts slowly roused you from sleep.

“Hey, your son's awake,” you murmured softly with a gentle grin, nudging the man lying next to you. But he simply grunted deeply, still facing the other way and buried in the pillow.

“Mom! Dad!”

"Ugh," he let out another deep, sleepy groan. “I'm sleeping, so he's all yours…”

You blinked your eyes open, chuckling lightly at William's unshakeable sleepiness. Leaning over, you planted a soft kiss on his neck.

“Looks like our boys need us, love,” you tried to rouse him, but only deep, rumbling sounds came from the large man.

So, with another light chuckle, you rolled over, got up, and dressed in your most comfortable loungewear before heading to the kitchen.

“Wow, what's happened here?” you exclaimed with a big smile as you entered the kitchen/dining area.

"We made you breakfast, Mum!" exclaimed Eliot with so much pride. "Look! It's our favourites: chocolate crunch and oats."

It was incredibly heart-warming. Your two sons had woken up earlier than you and your husband, William Nylander, on this December Sunday morning, when William didn't have any training or a match in the evening.

"We did it almost like you do," Lucas chimed in, also brimming with excitement, and you had to fight back the urge to get teary-eyed.

On the large mahogany dining table, draped with a red Christmas cloth, the boys had raided nearly every cupboard in the kitchen - biscuits, bread, oats, chocolate crumbles, Nutella, jam - then continued to raide the fridge for butter, milk, and other breakfast essentials. They'd even set out plates, cutlery, glasses, and mugs, just like you typically did on family mornings.

And you could see they'd attempted to make coffee but had given up halfway through. Not that it mattered; their effort alone was enough to melt your heart.

"Oh, boys! This is so wonderful - I can't believe you've done all of this," you said, pulling the two young ones into a tight hug, embracing them both.

"Come on, Mum!" protested Eliot, eager to continue with his morning plans.

"Right, why don't you both go and give dad a surprise jump? I'll wrap things up here," you proposed with a wide smile, prompting them to dash into the bedroom and wake up William.

As you brewed the coffee they had attempted to make, you couldn't help but feel a rush of joy thinking about your amazing family. And taking advantage of the moment, you decided to whip up some scrambled eggs, a dish you knew they all loved.

**

Elliot, nearly six years old, was your eldest. He was a spitting image of William, from his blond hair and blue eyes to his well-defined nose and build. His laughter echoed that of your husband's, and that mischievous grin appeared to be a direct copy paste of his. Even William's love for food seemed to have been passed on to Elliot.

Eliot had also been a little unexpected. Sure, you and William knew what could happen when you’d have sex without any form of protection, but you hadn’t expected for anything to happen so quickly.

The idea of having children had been a topic in your relationship for some time back then, and after being together for almost three years, both of you felt it was a good time to start trying. While you had always considered children as an option, you weren't always certain about William's stance on parenting. Coming from a large family, he was naturally surrounded by discussions about children at family gatherings, yet given his boyish and charming nature, you weren't sure if he truly saw himself in a parental role.

However, something changed after a round of playoffs, where the Leafs nearly clinched victory in the second round. William had observed the many families within his team, witnessing how family members lifted the spirits of his teammates after the loss. He noticed the pure joy that radiated from them upon seeing their children, and just like that something had sparked within him.

Although your captivating smile and laughter were undeniably the most wonderful things for him, something deeper started to stir within the forward. A small urge to see you carrying his child emerged, along with a vision of the two of you with little versions of yourselves.

Consequently, during the following off-season, William brought up the topic, and you eagerly agreed to slowly start trying. However, it seemed that his strong genes and highly active sperm weren't interested in taking things slow, as by the beginning of the new season, you announced your very first pregnancy.

And then there's Lucas. He's more of a mommy's boy, incredibly sweet and almost innocent, always eager to lend a hand. And despite having just turned three, he showed a remarkable level of maturity for his age.

Elliot was undoubtedly his favourite role model, besides William, of course. However, he had his own unique qualities that set him apart from your other boys, although hockey remained a common passion among all of them. Whether it was watching daddy train or play at the rink, engaging in mini stick games, or watching a match at home, they were deeply involved whenever the sport was involved.

Yet, Lucas also harboured a love for drawing and enjoyed assisting you with cooking. He relished being around when you were cleaning and was content entertaining himself if you were occupied with something else.

In general, both boys were remarkable. Despite the typical sleep disruptions from cries and illnesses, they were relatively hassle-free. Right from their infancy, they seemed to inherit William's talent for sleeping and your family's collective love for food.

And you wholeheartedly loved cooking for your boys. They appreciated everything you made and devoured meals as if there was no tomorrow. Except on Mother's Day, when, if possible, William would take charge of the kitchen to prepare something special or opt for takeout. But the important thing was, you weren't the one cooking. 

And neither were you this morning.

Eliot had expertly guided his younger brother in setting the table like he remembered you always did, along with their homemade Christmas decorations. It was nothing short of perfection.

**

"Mommy, daddy's finally here!" Lucas hollered as the two boys practically dragged William out of the bedroom and towards the table.

"Took you long enough," you chuckled lightly, earning a soft smile from your man, dressed in his comfortable blue and white checkered pyjamas and a loose white t-shirt. His hair was a tousled mess, resembling a lion's mane, and his eyes betrayed the lingering tiredness. To be fair, he'd arrived home late last night due to an away game, and today you were just grateful that there were no hockey commitments. Today was all about cosying up together as a family and truly celebrating Christmas.

William, naturally, leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on your lips.

"Morning, babe," he greeted with a drowsy smile.

The four of you then settled into your usual spots: you across from William, with Eliot beside him and Lucas seated next to you.

"Now, what do we say?" You grinned at your sons.

"God aptit!" the two boys chimed simultaneously, before you all delved into the delicious bread and whatever else the boys had discovered in the kitchen cupboards.

It was a simple yet delightful meal.

William's face also lit up as he savoured the food his sons had prepared, and his sleepiness seemed to fade away as Eliot started chatting away, as he always did.

And as you all neared the end of the first course of the day, Eliot suddenly brimmed with excitement.

"Wait, there's more!"

"More? How can there be more, darling?" you chuckled, exchanging glances with William, both intrigued by the young boys' behaviour.

"Come on, Luke," the eldest instructed, leading them hand in hand towards Eliot's room. And when they returned, they held something behind their backs, sporting mischievous grins across their small faces.

You and William couldn't help but smile as you watched your sons beam with joy. They took deep breaths, almost acting shy, and the anticipation in the air was palpable.

"We've made you something..."

"I helped Eliot!" Lucas nearly shouted.

"And what's that?" William laughed, encouraging the boys to come closer to each of you and unveil the little piece of paper they held in their tiny hands.

"You've made these?" You smiled, seeing their excitement as they nodded in affirmation.

"We made them in kindergarten," Eliot explained.

The tiny piece of paper was covered in glitter, with the letters T E K K E T written somewhat crookedly in what seemed to be a child's handwriting.

"Baby, did you write this?" You asked, slightly surprised that your five-year-old had been practicing his writing.

"Yes, Miss Turner helped us spell."

"That's amazing, Eliot. I'm so proud of you," you beamed.

William's reaction mirrored yours in heartfelt pride.

"But then the big question is... what are tickets for?" he inquired curiously, prompting the boys to exchange quick glances before looking back at you and your husband.

"It's for the fort!" Lucas exclaimed with excitement.

"Oh, so you've built a fort?" you asked with a light chuckle, noticing no fort in the living room.

"Well..." Eliot hesitated for a moment as if trying to articulate his idea. "We thought that we can build it – together," he suddenly blurted out, throwing his arms in the air. "For when we watch the Christmas movies."

It was a tradition you had established in your family. Whenever you had a family day together in December, watching Christmas movies was a must. Well, the tradition might have expanded to other days outside the holiday season, but it all began here.

"Well, I'm sure daddy would love to build the fort with you then," you grinned at William, who chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"No, Mum, you need to help too," Lucas insisted.

"How about you strong boys build the greatest fort ever seen – and then I'll cook up some delicious snacks for when we snuggle up? How does that sound?"

"YEAH!" the boys exclaimed before darting off to gather pillows and blankets to throw onto the sofa.

"They're all yours," you smiled at William, knowing he was the ultimate fort builder in the household.

And soon, the condo resonated with cheers. You put on some Christmas tunes while clearing the table, and the boys began their creative fort construction.

Meanwhile, you started gathering an assortment of snacks from your kitchen. Considering William's diverse eating habits – especially his penchant for candies brought back from Sweden – you prepared a snack board comprising various Canadian candies, the best Swedish treats, alongside nuts, fruits, and, of course, popcorn to mix things up a bit.

Christmas ambience filled the air of your home, creating a perfect day brimming with laughter and joy. And after a while, you once again heard the boys' excited shouts.

"We're done!" Eliot's voice echoed from the living room area. Looking up, you saw the little boys, along with their dad, had fashioned a beautiful architectural marvel from an assortment of pillows, blankets, duvets, and whatever else they could find.

"Wow, I can't wait to use my ticket to see how it looks on the inside," you exclaimed joyfully, joining the guys by the sofa as you carried the snack board.

"Looks like you've been quite creative yourself," William chuckled, admiring the variety of foods before pulling you in for a tender kiss.

"Ew..." Eliot teased, before the boys eagerly snuggled in under the tent made from a large bedsheet serving as the roof.

With laughter, you and William then presented your "tickets" to the boys to enter the fort along with the two family dogs. You couldn't help but praise the cosy space they'd created. They'd even taken some of your decorative fake candle lights and placed them inside. 

And then, firstly, you began playing the timeless classic...

"The Polar Express" was naturally the first film to watch. The boys adored it, and truth be told, so did you and William.

After several much-needed bathroom breaks, the boys selected the next movie: William's favourite, "The Grinch."

Though it might have been slightly more serious than what you'd typically show boys their age, you caved in because of their genuine love for it.

By the end of the second film, you had all snuggled up entirely, slowly dozing off for a nap. And so, you did.

What felt like a brief moment later, you suddenly awoke and nudged William, prompting the boys to gradually return to reality.

"Hey, boys, let's step out and have a quick round of real food," you softly suggested.

"But I'm not hungry," Eliot whined.

"I know, sweetheart, but you need real food in your tummy after all those snacks," you chuckled lightly.

"Alright."

Once everyone had finished a plate of leftovers, you were back in the fort with mugs filled with hot chocolate.

"Alright, what movie now?" William asked, ready for the next choice.

"When are we going to watch hockey?" Eliot asked, hopeful.

"Nope, no hockey today, Eliot - mom's orders," William chuckled, aware he had to disappoint his son, which made Eliot pout.

"But Uncle Alex is playing today," the boy whined, casting his best puppy-dog eyes towards you, knowing you might sway.

"Alright," you sighed softly. "But I believe we can manage one more movie before Uncle's match, huh?" you suggested, earning excited nods from the family.

And soon, everyone was engrossed in the following film, “Home Alone”, as William held you closely, speaking softly into your ear.

"I didn't think we could watch hockey today," he playfully remarked.

"Well, with all these snacks we've had today, I'm sure these boys won't even be awake for puck drop," you cheekily responded, turning your head slightly to meet your wonderful husband's eyes.

"Sneaky," he chuckled, before planting a kiss on your lips, pulling you a bit closer before easing back. "You're such an incredible mom, you know that, right?" He spoke softly, lightly stroking your chin with his thumb.

"And you're an incredible father," you timidly whispered. But William shook his head gently.

"I haven't even done half of what you've done with these boys - the way you're always there for them, handling every situation when I'm not around..."

You could tell this was something that often weighed on William's mind. But you also both knew this was the lifestyle you had chosen. He was the professional hockey player with season-long road trips, while you dedicated yourself to your family when not at work.

"And I've cherished every single minute of it... Sure, it's been tough. And, of course, I prefer it when you're home with us. But Willy... you're an amazing dad. You're always there for the boys - never doubt that" you reassured him, sensing a slight relaxation in his muscles in response to your words.

And so, with another sweet and tender kiss shared, you both returned to the movie, enjoying the warmth of your family time together.

As predicted, your two sons were fast asleep by the time the credits rolled across the screen. So, you and William then switched the TV to the local sports channel to catch Alex playing tonight's home match.

Despite dedicating the day to a Christmas-filled family time, you also held a soft spot for the sport, and naturally, you wanted to watch your brother-in-law play.

However, during the first period, your attention was swiftly diverted by William, who appeared to have shifted his focus from the game to you.

"What?" you chuckled lightly, catching his gaze.

"Nothing," he replied casually, but you weren't convinced. He had that mischievous look in his eyes that hinted at trouble. "You're just so beautiful."

Ah, he definitely had something on his mind.

Your eyes darted from side to side, noticing his widening grin and his attempts to divert his gaze momentarily towards the boys before returning to you.

"Oh no..." you chuckled again.

"What? No, what?" he innocently protested.

"Don't give me that look."

"What look?"

"You know – last time that happened, something happened," your eyes flickered toward Lucas, sound asleep by your legs, hinting that William's expression meant more than just a naughty thought.

"Well, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?"

William had always valued family deeply. He adored his own immensely, and even when he was single, although he might not have envisioned having children, secretly, he hoped for it.

Sure, to everyone else, he was the laid-back, confident, cheeky guy with impressive hockey skills. But there were many sides to him, and one of those harboured a longing for a family.

Then, when you entered his life, it suddenly felt like a real possibility. Your mature and caring nature took him by surprise, and he fell harder for you than he ever imagined. So, after spending time in a committed relationship, navigating its highs and lows, the idea of creating a true family became a tangible goal for him.

In a way, he felt like a whole new person, although he didn’t change all that much despite becoming a little bit more mature. But it was all so right to him. You were the one he’d want to have by his side for the rest of his life, so after your first son was born, he’d quickly taken the next stepped and locked you down with a ring on that beautiful finger. Letting the world know you belonged to him.

"You're sure you want to try for another one?" you chuckled, your eyes scanning his face.

"Yeah... baby, I'd want a lot more if I could have it my way," he grinned back.

"Easy for you to say," you teased. "You're not the one carrying them around for nine months before having to squeeze them out of your tiny vagina..."

William couldn't help but find your little outburst amusing, though he knew you were right. You were both in agreement about this, so he understood he couldn't demand too much from you.

"No, you're kind of the expert in that area."

"Hmm..." You pondered his words, snuggling a bit more into his warm body. "Perhaps... we could try for another," you gently smiled. "Maybe we'll even manage to create a girl this time."

"I thought you loved having boys."

"Yeah, well, having now experienced all this testosterone running around all the time, I wouldn't mind a little girlyness as well."

"Hmm... well then I guess we'll just have to practice real hard to make the perfect little baby girl," William nudged into the crook of your neck, placing gentle kisses.

"Oh yeah, I think we'll have to put in some extra work for this one," you softly breathed out, letting his tender touch take over. 

And before you knew it, you both agreed on carrying each boy into their respective rooms, tucking them nicely in, before leaving the kitchen and living room in the Christmas mess is was, and spend the evening making love in hope for another member to your little family. 

#my asks #dad!willy #william nylander imagine #toronto maple leafs imagine #wn88 imagine #nhl hockey imagine

[capobegone]

The Hashiras’ Starbucks Orders (As told by a barista)

Capo job reveal! During my lovely six months working at Starbucks, I have acquired enough knowledge of my craft to confidently predict people’s orders. Just today, a lady came up who looked like she would order a caramel ribbon crunch five minutes before closing, and she proceeded to do exactly that! Which got me thinking—I love my job, and I love KNY, so why not use this superpower to match the drink to the Hashira?

So, uh, here we are!

Kanroji Mitsuri

-Starting off strong with our pink drink girlie! To be specific, it’s a pink drink with matcha cold foam. One of my coworkers gets some variation of this regularly and says it’s delicious.

-I couldn’t decide between matcha or pink drink for her so we met in the middle!

Kocho Shinobu

-In my heart, I desperately want to give her a Dragon Drink, but we all know that is not what she would get. Perhaps on a special occasion!

-Shinobu is a black brewed coffee type of gal, because it’s fast and efficient and will get her through the day so she can return to her Douma-killing, hospital-running routine! Girlboss!

Iguro Obanai

-We know from canon that Obanai can’t have heavier things without feeling sick, so one sip from Mitsuri’s drink would probably kill him instantly. Enter the light and fresh passion tea! It’s herbal and easy on the palate, which is right up his alley. His Starbucks dates with Mitsuri are officially saved!

-The pup cup is for Kaburamaru :D

Uzui Tengen

-He likes the drinks with long names so it’s extra flashy when the baristas call them out. Therefore, he gets the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew. -Besides, look how pretty that is!! I bet he has one of those bedazzled tumblers for extra flamboyance.

Tomioka Giyuu

-To be honest, I have literally no explanation for this. I thought about him and my brain immediately provided Hazelnut Latte with oat milk. So that’s what he gets.

-It’s warm and comforting which my man definitely needs. Besides the oat milk implies he’s lactose intolerant which is hilarious LMAO rip Giyuu

Shinazugawa Sanemi

-Sanemi strikes me as a pretty down to earth, no-nonsense kind of guy in his day to day. Therefore, he gets a classic Americano. (He’ll get it hot in the winter.)

-Surprisingly, I feel like he would be pretty nice to the baristas. A little gruff, but respectful and would probably tip his change. Unless you fuck with him, so best to just give him his coffee and bid him adieu.

Rengoku Kyojuro

-Alright, alright, I know I’m taking the easy way out on this one. But I genuinely think he would get it because it looks like him and he finds it amusing! It’s popular with his juniors too, so he’d probably get them drinks as well. -I actually had this drink today and it was pretty good, so he would stick around for the bright flavor!

Tokito Muichiro

-I wanted to say London Fog SO BADLY LMAO but let’s be real he’s like fourteen years old. The Vanilla Bean Frappuccino is every child’s favorite, which is valid because it’s fucking delicious.

-One day he would come in and slam a doppio espresso and give all the baristas a heart attack.

Himejima Gyoumei

-Gyoumei definitely strikes me as a warm and cozy drink guy, so he gets a chai tea latte!

-It’s wholesome and delicious. He’ll cry when the baristas give it to him because it’s so good. Often comes by to pick up a drink for Genya because Sanemi refuses to do it himself.

Anyway that concludes my official analysis! Which is totally based in facts and data and not at all conjecture. As always if I missed your skrunkle feel free to infiltrate my ask box or replies! And I wanna hear your ideas too so do tell if you have a different take :D <3

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #rengoku kyojuro #gyomei himejima #obanai iguro #kanroji mitsuri #muichiro tokito #shinazugawa sanemi #uzui tengen #tomioka giyuu #kocho shinobu #kny headcanons

[dunkzillla]

Requesting that you please put moxbry back together because my heart hurts too much otherwise.

hehehehe ok I will. just for you bc I love you

mox/bryan, implies bcc polycule.

the other parts to this can be read here. one | two | three

Mox hates fighting with Bryan. He hates fighting with anyone, but particularly Bryan, because Bryan’s the one who makes him his hot cocoa just right, Bryan’s the one who knows the difference between just a simple tapping of his foot and a the thoughts in my mind are getting too much kind of tapping. Bryan just gets him. When they’re fighting though, everything feels out of sync. Bryan feels too far away and too close at the same time. It hurts.

These past few weeks have been hell, but Mox is hurt. He’s so hurt and he can’t find it in himself to forgive Bryan for hiding his fucking neck and head injury from him. It’s brought too much back, made him feel sick and hurt from deep down inside of him. They don’t keep things from each other, none of them do, Yoots doesn’t even go to the bathroom without informing them all of his whereabouts. They don’t hide anything, and especially not health information. Not health information that’s about Bryan’s old injuries, stopping him form working for god knows how long in the past and doing it again.

But Mox doesn’t know how much longer he can go on like this for. Tip toeing around Bryan and ignoring him whenever he’s tried to apologise. Mox is tired though, and so are Yuta and Regal, who take themselves off every once in a while to give Bryan and Mox space to talk, only to come back and find that they’ve done nothing of the sort.

Which is what’s happened now. Regal announced that he and Yuta were going to the store and then to the dry cleaners to pick up his suits. They definitely don’t need anything from the store, and Mox is pretty sure Regal picked his dry cleaning up yesterday, but, it leaves him and Bryan alone in the house.

Mox has been laying out on the bed watching old wrestling matches that Eddie sent him for an hour now, waiting for the inevitable knock at the door from Bryan. He’s wearing gym shorts and nothing else, because Bryan had brought new sheets and put them on after Mox told him that he wore clothes to bed because the feeling of Regal’s sheets against his skin made him want to crawl out of his body. Bryan had gone out and got cotton sheets instead of the satin that Regal had been previously using. It was heaven, getting to lay out in bed with his bare skin against the sheets rather than wearing sweats, socks and a hoodie to sleep in.

The knock comes just as the bell rings on the match he’s watching, but Bryan doesn’t wait for Mox to answer, just opens the door and steps inside. He’s holding a mug of what Mox guesses is his cocoa, given the mountain of whipped cream, the chocolate flake and sprinkles and marshmallows threatening to overspill.

“I come baring a sugary death? I even used the half and half instead of forcing my oat milk on you?” Bryan is holding the mug up with a sheepish smile on his face. He’s ridiculous.

Mox presses stop on the iPad and puts it on the bedside table. He doesn’t say anything, but Bryan takes it as his queue to come over. He’s careful with the mug, some of the cream is already started to melt and drip down the sides.

“Thanks.” Mox murmurs gently, before taking a sip. It’s not too hot — that’s why Bryan’s the best at making his cocoa, he always makes sure that the milk isn’t too hot, that it’s ready to drink as soon as it’s made rather than boiling the life out of it so that it’s like lava on his tongue (he loves Regal, and Yuta, but they can’t make hot cocoa for shit)

Bryan gently gets in the bed beside him, can tell he’s moving slowly so as not to jostle him, and he ends up pressed against his side, chin tucked over his shoulder and a warm hand smoothing over Mox’s belly. He knows what he’s doing, does Bryan, he knows Mox likes to be petted while he drinks his cocoa.

“I’m sorry, Mox,” Bryan whispers, lips pressing against his shoulder. His beard tickles his bare skin and sends a shiver down his spine. “Should have told you about my neck. Should have told you right away.”

Mox licks cream from his mouth. “Yeah, you should have.”

Bryan lets out another breath and kisses his shoulder again, his fingers smoothing gently over his belly and the hair there. “I should have. But I didn’t because I didn’t want to upset you.”

“But I’m upset now. Either way I was going to be upset, but I’d rather be upset that you’re hurt than be upset because you hid something really fucking important from me, Bry.”

“I know.” Bryan’s voice is full of shame.

“How come Yuta and Regal got to know? Would they not be upset like I was?”

“Yeah but —“

“There ain’t no buts, Bry. They would be upset and disappointed that you couldn’t do a couple of events with them. But they were able to fucking know ahead of time and be there for you while you went through it, I fucking wasn’t, for no reason. You know how shit that makes me feel? That you think I care more about working with you than your fucking health?”

“That’s not—“

“But that’s what you said, Bry. That you knew I’d be upset about not getting to do blood and guts with you. Yeah, fucking sucks, but it sucks more that you’re hurt. That you don’t think that’s more important to me.”

“I fucked up.”

Mox takes another sip of his cocoa, letting the warmth of it melt all the way down to his belly, where Bryan’s hand is still rubbing soft circles around his belly button.

“Yeah you did.”

“I won’t hide anything from you ever again.” Bryan murmurs against his shoulder, and he tangles their feet together. Mox let’s him, because Bryan’s been apologising since it happened, and he knows he’s sincere, Bryan doesn’t apologise unless he means it and the wounded look he’s had on his face for a week now tells him all he needs to know. Mox has had enough too.

“Better not, I’ll kick your ass.” He says around the rim of his mug, cream coating his lips as he takes a drink. Before he can lick it away, Bryan’s fingers are wrapping around his chin and pulling him in for a kiss. It’s been weeks since they properly kissed, and Mox can’t help but let himself be pulled into it, can’t help but melt into it like the cream is melting down the sides of the mug.

“Hey, that’s not, the cream, you bad vegan.” Mox says when Bryan pulls away, and Bryan’s beard has cream smeared in it.

“That’s vegan whipped cream,” A grin breaks out on Bryan’s face. Oh that asshole. “Nice isn’t it?”

“It’s alright.” Mox shrugs. He hadn’t been able to notice the difference, and that pisses him off because he’s always arguing with Bryan about vegan alternatives, they don’t taste the same!

“You couldn’t tell the difference!”

Mox scowls, swiping some cream onto his finger and shoving it into Bryan’s mouth. “Shut the fuck up.”

Bryan sucks the cream from his finger, sucks his finger entirely too long while giving him his comedic ‘sultry’ eyes before Mox can’t take it anymore and tugs his finger back.

“Freak.”

Bryan smirks and leans over to press a sloppy kiss against Mox’s cheek. “Love you.”

Mox shoves him gently, but not enough to push him away from him. He’s not had Bryan leeching onto him for weeks now and he needs it. He needs him close.

He takes another sip of his cocoa before pulling the flake out and sucking the cream off. God Bryan’s hot cocoas are the best.

“Yeah yeah, love you too.”

#renee dropped that Mox lore that he drinks hot chocolate every night and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since #so have a healthy dose of it !!! #kg said stop killing me with angst #I hope this is ok #moxbry #jon moxley x bryan danielson #blackpool combat club #jon moxley #mox #bryan danielson #writing #asked #answered #whorehausen

[rvnwtch]

Mo’s Recipe for Fic Writing, Warm Drink Edition: Hot Chocolate!

One packet of hot chocolate mix (I used Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate packets)

Three Andes Mints chopped up

Milk of choice (today I used whole, but I’m lactose intolerant so I usually use oat milk. Whole is better for hot chocolate though) I never measure ingredients so you have to follow your heart on this one. (Or more accurately, your hot chocolate mix directions will tell you how much to use).

2 cups. One for the hot chocolate and one for heating the milk up!

Heat up the milk in the microwave in a microwave safe cup. You don’t want it too boil over or anything crazy, but you do want it hot enough to melt the chocolate. (I did 40 seconds and then another 40 seconds, but it’s possible that our microwaves work different so keep that in mind!)

While that’s heating, add the chopped Andes into the hot chocolate mug of choice. 

Then add in hot chocolate mix. 

When the milk is done heating, add some of it to the mug. Stir well until the chocolate powder is dissolved. Then, add the rest of the milk. Stir again to help melt the candy and then don’t worry about it because it’ll likely melt as you’re drinking it. (Mine is as I write this).

And there you go! A good old mint-y hot chocolate.

I’m going to need to go make some more for when I get back to my fic, because I drank all of mine while writing this

#hot chocolate recipe #mo's recipe for fic writing #warm drink #hot chocolate

[lifestyle-foodies]

#ChiaSeeds #Oatmeal

[ghost-party]

nanamin + 24? 👉👈

Thanks for requesting, anon! I hope you enjoy! 😁

A/N: I chose Nanami’s drinks based on my recent coffee orders. I feel like, as a foodie, he would be open to trying new things but still have some solid go-to beverages. (And I don’t know why I’ve come to associate him with chocolate croissants. It just sort of happened.)

• • •

Nanami + “confusing a handshake for a fist bump”

You have quite a few regular customers at the small coffee shop where you work, from the nearby florist who occasionally brings you fresh blooms, to polished businessmen who always order the same thing, in that clipped, serious tone.

But recently, you’ve noticed two newly-familiar faces stopping in a few times each week. And without you realizing it, you’ve begun to look forward to seeing them — well, one in particular, if you’re being honest.

“Nanamin!” A teenage boy with pale pink hair is crouched in front of the baked goods display, face nearly pressed against the glass. “Look! They have those chocolate croissants you like.”

The man standing beside him sighs. “I can see that, Itadori-kun.”

He’s tall and well-dressed, wearing a tan suit and a navy blue button-down paired with an abstract-patterned tie. His blond hair is pushed back from his angular face, and a pair of armless glasses sit on his nose, making it difficult to see his eyes.

As if sensing your gaze, he turns and asks, “Can we please have two chocolate croissants, a flat white, and a hot chocolate to go?”

Behind him, the boy’s head whips around, his expression elated. “I get one, too? Ooh, ooh, can I have whipped cream on my hot chocolate?”

The man sighs yet again, but when you laugh softly, he looks at you — really looks at you, in a way many customers don’t — and you swear the corner of his lips tilts up.

When their order is ready, you hand everything across the counter, smiling as the boy — Itadori — immediately takes a gigantic bite of his flaky treat.

“‘S’good!” he proclaims, mouth still full, and the man grimaces.

“You’re impossible.” His tone is deadpan, but the look he gives you is much less harsh. “Thank you. Have a nice day.”

“You, too!” you manage to reply, glad that you didn’t stumble over your words this time. The last time you saw him, you stammered so badly while repeating his order, you were positive he assumed you were incompetent.

In reality, you just have the biggest, stupidest crush, on a man whose name you don’t even know, apart from “Nanamin.” That has to be a nickname, you think, watching them both walk away.

Outside, you see Itadori turn and offer his fist to your mystery customer, and with what looks like another heavy sigh, he stiffly bumps his own fist against it, resulting in what seems to be a loud cheer from the boy. 

Before they turn the corner just beyond the front window, you see the man push his glasses further up his nose. He looks beleaguered — but also, you think, happy. In his own subdued way.

A few days pass, and you would never admit it to your coworkers, but you spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about your handsome new regular. And every time the bell above the door rings, you look up, hoping it’s him who walks in.

But you don’t see him again until the following week. This time, he’s alone, and he’s carrying an umbrella, looking dismayed by the afternoon downpour. At the moment, he’s your only customer, and with your coworkers out for a late lunch, you’re the only one behind the counter.

Here’s your chance, you tell yourself, heart pounding anxiously as he approaches.

“Good afternoon! What can I get you today?”

He looks at the menu on the wall behind you, tilting his head slightly as he considers his options. You take the opportunity to openly gaze at him, noticing that his tie is the tiniest bit crooked, a few strands of hair have fallen across his forehead, and there’s a small stain on the front of his otherwise-pristine shirt. Maybe some jam or ketchup...?

“What would you recommend?”

You’re thrown by his question. Every time he’s come in, he’s been decisive, always ordering either a flat white or a black coffee. You suspect the choice depends on his mood, though, at this point, you don’t have much data to support your hypothesis.

But this is something totally new.

“Oh! Uh... I’m kind of all over the place with what I pick,” you say with a smile. “But for a rainy day, maybe... a lavender latte with oat milk?” Before he can respond, you quickly add, “But if you don’t like lavender, we also have —”

“I’d like to try it.” Unlike the rude customers who sometimes talk over you, his voice is quiet and kind, his interruption meant to reassure rather than exasperate.

You busy yourself with his drink and ask, head bent down, “Did you want anything else? I think there’s a chocolate croissant left.”

“I’m surprised you remembered.”

“They’re my favorite, too.” The excuse comes easily, maybe because it’s the truth, and you feel your face grow warm. You secretly hope it’s one of many things you both might have in common.

He doesn’t reply, but you go ahead and retrieve the pastry anyway, carefully bagging it up before handing him his coffee.

It’s while you’re counting his change that you swallow thickly, take a breath, and ask, “What’s your name? If you don’t mind me asking.” When you look up and notice his raised eyebrows, you hastily explain, “I like to get to know our regulars, and you’ve come in a lot lately...” You hold out your hand. “I’m Y/N.”

“Nanami Kento.” But when his hand nears yours, you’re startled to see that it’s... clenched in a fist? He freezes, having noticed his mistake, and immediately readjusts, clasping your hand tightly.

“I apologize,” he mutters. “Itadori... He —”

“Oh, I know.” When you laugh, you’re even more amused to see a faint blush in his cheeks. “It’s cute.”

He looks stunned. “Cute?”

“Yeah.”

You both stand there for a moment, looking at one another, and you’re not sure you want to break the silence. It’s comfortable, talking with him in the quiet of the afternoon lull, listening to the rain patter against the windows.

Nanami takes a sip of his coffee, and then says, “I’ll have to remember to order this next time.”

“If you don’t, I’ll remember for you,” you offer without thinking. And even as you wonder if that was too forward, too weird to say... he smiles. Not just a quirk of his lips, but an actual smile, albeit a small one.

“Thank you, Y/N.”

#valentine's day event #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #nanami kento #nanami x reader #nanami kento x reader

[silversatoru]

hot chocolate

megumi x yuuji 

synopsis: megumi’s days get a little less boring when yuuji starts stopping by his coffee shop 

tags/warnings: fluff, college au!, coffee shop au!, characters are aged up, making out, swearing

word count: 3780

The whipped cream bottle whizzed and sputtered, the scarce remains of its contents flying all over the counter. Megumi stifled a few cuss words under his breath, silently cursing whoever finished the whipped cream and didn't replace it with a new one. He tossed it in the garbage and drug himself into the back of the shop in search of a fresh bottle. He was only two hours into his shift at his university's coffee shop, but it had easily been the longest two hours of his life. Midterms were this week, meaning every student on campus was stopping by for some extra caffeine to get through their day.

When he finally returned with his new container of whipped cream, the line of students had nearly doubled — what a hassle. He threw a quick, fluffy spiral of cream onto the drink he'd been working on and gave it to the customer, apologizing for the wait. He shoved the money into the old cash register and handed them their change, a small sigh leaving his lips as the next customer approached.

It was an athletic looking boy with pink spiky hair and a round face. He wore a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, and his rose-colored hair looked as if he had just rolled out of bed. Megumi didn't recognize him, which was weird because he had a knack for memorizing the faces of every student who walked in and out of the shop.

"Hi, what can I get for you today?" Megumi spoke in his signature monotone voice, too tired to add any customer service flare.

"I'm not sure," The boy stared up at the menu with a terribly confused expression on his face.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Megumi stared at the boy like he had two heads — he'd been waiting in line for at least ten minutes and he still hadn't decided?

"Well, I don't actually like coffee. So, I'm not sure what to get," he stated bluntly.

"If you don't like coffee, why did you come to a coffee shop. We literally only sell coffee," Megumi deadpanned.

"Well, I want to try and force myself like coffee — acquire the taste, you know? For the caffeine and stuff. Maybe you could recommend me a drink?"

"Uh... yeah sure. I'll just make you what I usually get," Megumi had to forcibly stop himself from rolling his eyes at the customer.

"Okay, great!" The pink-haired student called after him as he walked over to the array of coffee machines.

Megumi grabbed a cup for hot beverages, sliding it under the latte machine and filling the it with the warm brown liquid. He stirred in some oat milk and a drizzle of honey before topping it off with a layer of cream. He made his way back over to the peculiar customer and carefully handed him the drink.

"It's a honey oat milk latte," Megumi stated plainly.

"I'm not even sure what a latte is, but thank you!" His lips twisted into a toothy smile as he handed Megumi his debit card.

The dark-haired boy swiped his card through then machine and finished the transaction before returning it to the boy, "Have a nice day".

"Thanks, you too! My name is Itadori Yuuji by the way, it was nice to meet you...," he squinted his eyes in attempt to read Megumi's name badge, "Fushiguro! That's a cool name".

"Uh, thanks. I have to help the next customer now," Megumi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly — this whole interaction was so weird.

"Oh, right. Thank you again!" He called out as he turned and left the shop.

Megumi found it impossibly hard to concentrate on his job after that. For some reason his mind was consumed by his interaction with Itadori Yuuji — the peculiar pink-haired student. He found himself still thinking about it later that night, even after working all morning and attending classes all afternoon. No amount of school work was able to distract his mind from this stupid new boy.

When he woke up the next morning and slipped on his apron before heading to work, he wondered if the pink-haired boy would be back again today. He searched all morning for a head of fluffy pink hair amongst the hoards of students, but he never came.

Around ten o'clock the coffee shop always dies down, as all the students and teachers are in class. Megumi leaned back against the counter and pulled out his phone, mindlessly scrolling through twitter while he waited for a customer to show up.

The golden bells hanging from the front door emitted a soft ringing sound, signaling that someone had entered the shop. Megumi looked up to see a baggy sweatshirt and messy pink hair, and for some reason his heart jumped.

"Hey, Fushiguro!" Yuuji's face was plastered with a bright smile.

Megumi scrunched up his nose, it was weird for the boy to call him by his name — they didn't even know each other.

"Hey, how was the honey oat milk latte?" Megumi slid his phone back into his pocket and approached the counter.

"Oh, it was terrible. Fucking awful, actually," Yuuji's faced scrunched up in horror as he reminisced on the atrociously bitter flavor.

Megumi was genuinely offended. Yuuji could have told him he was the ugliest person he'd ever seen, that he had the personality of a brick wall, but to insult his coffee? That was crossing a line. Megumi knew his coffee-making skills were impeccable.

"Excuse me?" Was all he could manage.

"Yeah, it was probably one of the worst things I've ever put in my mouth. Anyway, I was hoping to try something different today," Yuuji said nonchalantly, his hands resting comfortably in the pocket of his hoodie.

"Okay..." Megumi took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep his cool, "What would you like to try?"

"Could you just make something for me again? I really don't know what to order".

"But you hated my last recommendation," Megumi stared at him blankly.

"Yeah... but eventually you'll have to make something I like," Yuuji insisted.

Megumi grumbled a quick "alright" and headed back over to the machinery, searching his mind for a recipe Yuuji might like. Eventually, he decided on a caramel macchiato — everyone likes those. He handed Yuuji the drink and the pink haired boy quickly payed before leaving the shop again.

Megumi watched him as he walked past the coffee shop windows and took a sip of his drink. The pink haired boy's face twisted with disgust, and he looked like he could barely keep the liquid down. He immediately took another sip, his body having the exact same reaction as the first time. Megumi let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he watched that absolute idiot until he could no longer see him.

He continued to refer to Yuuji as stupid, weird, or annoying, but that was completely contradictory to the fact that he couldn't get the pink-haired boy out of his mind. He found himself wondering if he would come back again for a third time, and if he did, what drink would Megumi make him? A small part of him was getting invested in this outlandish journey of finding a drink that Yuuji actually liked.

That night Megumi had a revelation — maybe hot coffee just wasn't Yuuji's thing. He decided that tomorrow he'd make him something cold, that was sure to work.

So, when the third day rolled around and Yuuji's messy pink hair came waltzing into the campus coffee shop, Megumi made him an iced cinnamon dolce latte. This time though, Yuuji followed him over to the array of coffee machines, asking him questions about how coffee was made. Megumi found himself explaining the entire process, from how the coffee is brewed to what sweeteners and creams he was adding to this particular beverage. He was honestly appalled by his own actions, he would never put in this kind of effort for any of his other customers — so what made Yuuji so different?

"So, what's your major?" Yuuji questioned while Megumi dusted some cinnamon over the top of his drink.

"Biology with a minor in veterinary technology," Megumi answered without looking up at him, snapping the plastic lid onto the coffee cup.

"Ohhh somebody's smart," Yuuji mused, "Animals, huh?"

"Yeah, they don't talk as much as people do," Megumi said, only half-joking.

"Right? People can be so annoying sometimes," Yuuji shook his head.

Megumi found his lips cracking into the tiniest smile — how ironic and blissfully unaware this boy was. He seemed to truly live life without a care in the world.

"What's yours?" Megumi asked, finally stretching out his arm and handing the pink-haired boy his iced coffee.

"Oh, sports med," Yuuji responded, his nose scrunching up as he took the first sip of his drink.

That answer didn't surprise Megumi at all, given the boy's athletic physique it was obvious he was into that sort of thing. The poor reaction to Megumi's coffee didn't surprise him either — this endeavor to find him a drink he likes is proving to be futile.

"Not good?"

"So bad," Yuuji shook his head, his eyes filled with despair and disgust, "We'll find one eventually though!"

"Maybe," Megumi didn't know it, but his face softened when he talked to Yuuji, his shoulders fell and his jaw unclenched.

There was so something so simple and calming about conversing with that strange boy.

"Well, thanks anyway! See you tomorrow Fushiguro!" His voice rung out through the shop — he really had no volume control when he spoke.

Megumi found himself watching Yuuji through the windows until he could no longer see him again —this was becoming a bad habit.

When the rush of students on their way to morning classes finally died down, one of his coworkers approached him.

"Sweet cream?" The boy questioned him, one of his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

His coworkers name was Inumaki Toge, and he was deaf and mute — selectively mute, anyway. He only communicated in words related to coffee, which was entirely too strange for most people, but Megumi didn't mind.

The two of them had been friends since Megumi first got this job two years ago. They'd even created their own communication system — Toge would talk in coffee terms, which translated to certain things that really only Megumi understood. Then, the dark-haired boy would respond in sign language, a skill he learned just so he could talk to the boy. It broke his stone-cold heart when he first started working here and saw Toge was always alone in the back of the shop. Most students didn't have the time or energy to learn a whole new language for the sake of someone they didn't know, but Megumi decided to put in the effort.

Megumi rolled his eyes, signing that no, he and the pink-haired boy were not friends.

"Americano," Toge furiously crossed his arms over his chest, accusing Megumi of lying to him.

I'm not lying! He's been coming here the past few days for coffee. I don't know why he talks to me so much, Megumi quickly signed back, his eyes narrowed at the white-haired boy.

Toge rolled his eyes at him in the hardest, most exaggerated way possible.

He's just a customer Toge, don't look at me like that, Megumi folded his fingers into the different signs, his frustration towards the mute boy growing.

"Espresso," Toge mumbled under his breath, twisting and returning to his spot at the back of the shop where would grind coffee beans and restock their shelves.

What? You're out of your fucking mind Toge. I do not like him, he's just a regular customer, Megumi angrily signed at him, but it was to no use, as the deaf boy had already turned around and was paying him no mind.

Their conversation lingered in his head for the remainder of the day though, because maybe Toge was onto something. Megumi was terrified to admit it, but Yuuji's daily visits had quickly become the best part of his day, even if he was kind of annoying.

And it continued to be the best part of his day for the next few weeks. Yuuji would come to the shop everyday and they would make pointless small talk while Megumi brewed him new drinks to try. Not a single one ever suited his palate, but he continued to return none the less. His motives were becoming questionable at this point — was he still coming for the coffee, or had this turned into something much bigger?

So, when winter break was right around the corner, and the last day of classes began, Megumi wondered what his days would be like when he didn't have their daily interactions to look forward to.

It was especially snowy today — enough to dust the ground and freeze the air, but not enough for classes to get canceled. Bundled students trudged in and out of the shop, buying coffees and hot chocolates in attempt to keep themselves warm. Their was an excited energy in the air though, it seemed everyone was thrilled for fall semester to be over — everyone except Megumi.

His heart skipped a few beats when Yuuji's familiar soft face appeared in the door.

"Hey, Megumi!" He called out, waving his had furiously through the air.

Somehow they had transitioned to a first name basis about a week ago — the dark-haired boy wasn't even sure how it happened but he certainty didn't mind it.

"Hey, you want something warm or cold today?"

"Definitely warm," Yuuji answered quickly, a shiver coursing its way through his body.

Megumi nodded, getting to work on something that he was sure Yuuji would like.

"Are you visiting family over break?" Yuuji wasted no time addressing their winter-break dilemma.

"No," Megumi shrugged his shoulders, he was one of the very few students who never went home on holidays.

"No family to visit. I live in an off-campus apartment so I just stay here over breaks".

Megumi expected Yuuji to frown, maybe even show him some pity for his unfortunate situation, but he did the complete opposite instead. He lips spread into the widest smile, and he swore he saw him jump in excitement.

"Me too! I used to visit my grandfather, but he died a couple years ago. My holidays have been pretty lonely".

Megumi looked up at him, a bewildered expression on his face. Who could have known that someone as cheerful as Yuuji was carrying such a burden?

"Where do you live? Maybe we could hang out over break," the pink-haired boy cocked his head to the side.

"Second street," Megumi answered, filling Yuuji's cup with steaming brown liquid.

He certainly wasn't opposed to the idea of seeing Yuuji more often, but it scared him just as much as it excited him.

"I live on Third! I can't believe we haven't run into each other before," Yuuji gasped.

Megumi wordlessly finished up the hot drink, subtly scribbling his address and his phone number onto the coffee label while the other boy blabbed on about how close they lived. When he was done he held it out to him, the pink-haired boy reaching out with his mitten-covered hands to take the drink.

He took a small sip and his eyes sparkled like they held the stars inside of them.

"This is so good! What kind is it?" Yuuji asked, eagerly taking another sip and inevitably burning his tongue on the hot beverage.

"Hot chocolate," Megumi spoke plainly, "I've come to the conclusion that it's impossible for you to like coffee".

"You're probably right," Yuuji nodded, "I think I'm more of a hot chocolate guy".

"No, you're a child with immature taste in drinks," Megumi scrunched up his nose.

Yuuji faked offense, and then held up his hand and attempted to flip Megumi off through his mitten — but it didn't really work.

That's when he noticed the dark-haired boy's phone number and address scribbled on the side of his cup. A light blush dusted over his cheeks and he offered Megumi a warm smile.

"I'll see you around!" He called.

A thousand butterflies flew around Megumi's stomach as he watched the boy leave and walk down the snowy sidewalk. What the hell kind of cheesy hallmark movie was his life turning into?

"Americano," Toge's accusatory voice shook Megumi out of his trance.

Okay fine, maybe I'm a liar. Fuck off, Megumi signed at him, to which the deaf boy chuckled to himself.

                                                             ☃

It was Christmas Eve now, and classes had ended a few days ago. Megumi checked his phone obsessively, but a text from Yuuji never appeared. He started to doubt that the boy actually meant what he said about wanting to hang out — maybe he was just being nice and Megumi had taken it the wrong way. He couldn't help but feel disappointed, no matter how much he wished he didn't care. He'd even taken a container of the coffee shops' hot chocolate powder for Yuuji. He planned on gifting it to him, because he had liked it so much.

So, when six o'clock at night rolled around and there was still no sign of the cheery pink-haired boy, he felt his heart squeeze in his chest. Who knew he was so invested in this idiot?

A light knock on his front door pulled him out of his thoughts, and his heart leaped into his throat. He peered through the small peep hole of his door and euphoria spread through his body — the stupid, spiky-haired boy had finally arrived.

He opened the door and Yuuji immediately blushed, his eyes wide as he looked around Megumi's apartment.

"Hi," He squeaked, "Sorry I didn't text or anything".

"It's okay," He ushered the boy inside and closed the door behind him.

"I stopped at a convenience store and bought some cookie dough. I thought we could make them, since yanno, it's a Christmas Eve thing".

Megumi found his own cheeks get warm at the other boy's forwardness. Baking cookies felt so familial, not like something you'd do with a coffee shop acquaintance. But none the less, he nodded his head and guided Yuuji into the kitchen.

The awkwardness between them quickly melted away as they rolled out the dough and attempted to cut out fun Christmas-themed shapes. Megumi chewed on his bottom lip as he focused on the intricate snowflake cookie was trying to make, his perfectionism getting way too involved. Yuuji on the other hand held up a half-smushed blob with a few spikes coming out of the top and two holes punched through the middle.

"It's you!" he laughed, holding his monstrosity of a cookie up for Megumi to see.

The dark-haired boy scoffed, "That's terrible, it looks nothing like me".

"Sorry, Mr. I'm smart and good at art. Are you sure you're not a sculpting student or something?" Yuuji stuck his nose in the air, carefully placing his Megumi cookie on the greased metal tray.

They each cut out a couple more shapes before the oven let out a loud ding to let them know it was preheated. Megumi picked up the tray and shuffled over to the oven, carefully placing it on the top rack. He closed the door before standing up and turning around — bumping right into Yuuji, who for some reason was standing right behind him. They were the exact same height, so Megumi's nose practically slammed into Yuuji's. He blushed furiously, quickly backing up into the counter.

"Sorry," he mumbled a quick apology, though Yuuji had been the one standing right behind him, so maybe he should apologize.

"Can I ask you a question?" Yuuji cocked his head to the side, completely ignoring Megumi's apology.

"Sure?" Megumi gave him a confused look.

"This is more than just two coffee shop friends hanging out, right? You can kick me out if I'm wrong, but if I'm right, I'd really like to kiss you while those cookies bake".

Megumi's eyes widened, his heart thumping hard against the walls of his chest. Of course he wanted to kiss Yuuji, he'd wanted to for weeks — it was all he thought about while he brewed him his stupid coffees everyday.

"Yeah... yeah, you're right," Megumi nodded, those few words were all that he could manage.

That clarification was all that Yuuji needed, a soft smile blossoming on his face before he stepped forward and cupped his fingers around the back of Megumi's neck. Heat spread through his face as their lips collided, every other one of his senses fading away as his body honed in on Yuuji's touch.

He'd been kissed before, several times by both men and women — but none of them compared to this. None of them were this gentle, soft, and electrifying all at the same time. Yuuji's fingers curled into the base of Megumi's hair, and he found his own hands tracing up the sides of the others' torso. He was completely drowning in the ocean that was Yuuji's lips, his mind growing foggy. He'd imagined what this would be like far too many times, but never once did he think it would be this good.

The ten minute timer Megumi had set on the oven started blaring through the kitchen, and he couldn't believe it had been that long already. A soft sigh escaped his throat as Yuuji pulled away, a smile tugging at the other's lips.

"I didn't expect so much experience from the quiet coffee barista," Yuuji poked at him, his eyes glistening with a fire that hadn't been there before.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, I guess," Megumi shrugged, grabbing his oven mitt and pulling the cookies out of the oven.

The pink-haired boy let out a light chuckle, immediately trying to grab a cookie off the metal sheet. Megumi swatted his hand away, insisting that the cookies would be too hot eat right away.

Megumi found his lips intertwined with Yuuji's again after setting down the tray — after all they'd have to pass the time while the cookies cooled somehow.

And so for the first time in a long time, Megumi didn't spend Christmas alone. Rather, he spent it with an overly-cheerful pink-haired boy who became a ray of sunshine in his life of clouds. Though he wished he liked his coffee, Megumi had no problem with brewing him hot chocolate instead. And he did, every morning for the rest of the spring semester he always had a cup of hot chocolate ready for Yuuji. He'd even stopped charging him for it at this point, throwing on a free drink discount every time he came.

#jjk #jjk oneshot #jujutsukaisen #fushiguro megumi #itadori yuuji #fushiguro x itadori #itadori x fushiguro #megumi x yuuji #yuuji x megumi #fushiguro x itadori fluff #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff

[rigmarolling]

Historical Holiday Traditions We Really Need To Bring Back

Here comes Santa Claus, and also a bunch of annual holiday Things we do to ensure he commits a truly boggling act of breaking and entering and leaves goods underneath the large plant in the living room.

Because I’ve always got a hankerin’ for the days of yore, here are some historical holiday traditions we really need to bring back:

1. Everything that happened on Saturnalia

Saturnalia was the ancient Roman winter festival held on December 25th--which is why we celebrate Christmas on that day and not on the day historians speculate Jesus was actually born, which was probably in the spring. 

Saturnalia was bonkers. As the name suggests, it celebrated the god Saturn, who represented wealth and liberty and generally having a great time.

Above: Their party is way cooler than yours could ever hope to be.

During Saturnalia, masters would serve their slaves, because it was the one day during the year when everybody agreed that freedom for all is great, actually, let’s just do that. Everyone wore a coned hat called the pilleus to denote that they were all bros and equal, and also to disguise the fact that they hadn’t brushed their hair after partying hard all week, probably.

Gambling was allowed on Saturnalia, so all of Rome basically turned into ancient Vegas, complete with Caesar’s Palace, except with the actual Caesar and his palace because he was, you know. Alive. 

The most famous part (besides getting drunk off your rocker) was gift-giving--usually gag gifts. Historians have records of people giving each other some truly impressive white elephant gifts for Saturnalia, including: a parrot, balls, toothpicks, a pig, one single sausage, spoons, and deliberately awful books of poetry. 

Above: Me, except all the time.

Partygoers also crowned a King of Saturnalia, which was a predecessor to the King of Fools popular in medieval festivals. The king was basically the head idiot who delivered absurd commands to everyone there, like, “Sing naked!” or “run around screaming for an hour,” or “slap your butt cheeks real hard in front of your crush; DO IT, Brutus.”

Oh, wait. Everyone was already doing all that. Hell yes.

(Quick clarification: early celebrations of Saturnalia did feature human sacrifice, so let’s just leave that bit out and instead wear the pointy hats and sing naked, okay? Io Saturnalia, everybody.)

2. Leaving out treats for Sleipnir in the hopes of avoiding Odin’s complete disregard for your property

The whole “leave out cookies and milk for Santa” thing comes from a much older tradition of trying to appease old guys with white beards. In Norse mythology, Odin, who was sort of the head god but preferred to be on a perpetual road trip instead, took an annual nighttime ride through the winter sky called the Wild Hunt. 

Above: The holidays, now with 300% more heavy metal.

Variations of the Wild Hunt story exist in a bunch of European folklore--in Odin’s case, he usually brought along a bunch of supernatural buddies, like spirits and other gods and Valkyries and ghost dogs, who, the Vikings said, you could hear howling and barking as the group approached (GOOD DOGGOS).

That was the thing, though; you never actually saw Odin’s hunt--you only heard it. And hearing it did not spark the same sense of childish glee you felt when you thought you heard Santa’s sleigh bells approaching as a kid--instead, the Vikings said, you should be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

Because Odin could be kind of a dick.

Odin was also known as the Allfather, and like any father, he hated asking for directions. GPS who? I’m the Allfather, I’m riding the same way I always ride.

And that was pretty much it: “I took this road last year and I’m taking it again this year.”

“But,” someone would pipe up from the back, “there are houses on the road now--we’re gonna run right into them. We could just take a different path; there’s actually a detour off the--”

“Nope,” Odin would say. “They know the rules. My road, my hunt, my rules. We’re going this way.”

So if you were unlucky enough to have built your house along one of Odin’s favorite road trip sky-ways, he wouldn’t just plow right past you.

He would burn your entire house down--and your family along with it.

Kids playing in the yard? Torch ‘em; they should have known better. Grandma knitting while she waits for her gingerbread Einherjar to finish baking? Sucks to be her; my road, my rules, my beard, I’m the Allfather, bitch.

Above: Santa, but so much worse.

To be fair to Odin, he could be a cool guy sometimes. He just turned into any dad when he was on a road trip and wanted to MAKE GOOD TIME, DAMN IT, I AM NOT STOPPING; YOU SHOULD HAVE PEED BEFORE WE LEFT.

To ensure they didn’t incur Odin’s road trip wrath, the Vikings had a few ways of smoothing things over with Dad.

They would leave Odin offerings on the road, like pieces of steel (??? okay ???) or bread for his dogs, or food for his giant, eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, because the only true way to a man’s heart is through his pet. 

People would generally leave veggies and oats and other horse-y things out for Sleipnir, whose eight legs made him the fastest flying horse in the world and also made him the only horse to ever win Asgard’s coveted tap dancing championship. 

(Side note: EIGHT legs...EIGHT tiny reindeer...eh? Eh? See how we got here? Thanks, nightmare horse!)

Above: An excellent prancer AND dancer. 

And if Odin was feeling particularly charitable and not in the mood for horrific acts of arson, children would also leave their shoes out for him--it was said that he’d put gifts in your boots to ring in a happy new year.

If all that didn’t work and the Vikings heard the hunt approaching, they would resort to throwing themselves on the ground and covering their heads while the massive party sped above them like a giant Halloween rager. 

So this holiday season, leave your boots out for Odin and some carrots out for his giant spider horse or you and your entire family will die in a fiery inferno, the end.

3. Yule Logs

Speaking of Scandinavia, another Northern European winter solstice tradition was the yule log. Today, if you google “yule log,” something like this will pop up:

...which isn’t an actual log, but is instead log-shaped food that you shove into your mouth along with 500 other cakes at the same time because it’s CHRISTMAS, and I’m having ME TIME; so WHAT if I ate the whole jar of Nutella by myself, alone, in the dark at 3 am?

But that log cake is actually inspired by actual logs of yore that Celtic, Germanic, and Scandinavian peoples decorated with fragrant plants like holly, ivy, pinecones, and other Stuff That Smells Nice before tossing the log into the fire.

This served a few purposes: 

It smelled nice, and Bath and Body Works scented candles hadn’t been invented yet.

It had religious and/or spiritual significance as a way to mark the winter solstice.

It was a symbolic way of ringing in the new year and kicking out the old.

Common belief held that the ashes of a yule log could ward off lightning strikes and bad energy.

Winter cold. Fire warm.

Everybody loves to watch things burn. (See: Odin.)

The yule log cakes we eat today got their start in 19th century Paris, when bakers thought it was a cute idea to resurrect an ancient pagan tradition in the form of a delicious dessert, and boy, howdy, were they right.

In any case, I’m 100% down with eating a chocolate yule log while burning an actual yule log in my backyard because everybody loves to watch things burn; winter cold, fire warm; and hnnnngggg pine tree smell hnnnnggg.

(Quick note:  The word “yule” is  the name of a traditional pagan winter festival, still celebrated culturally or religiously in modern pagan practice. It’s also another name for Odin. He had a bunch of other names, one of the most well-known being jólfaðr, which is Old Norse for “Yule father.” If you would like to royally piss him off, or if you are Loki, feel free to call him “Yule Daddy.”)

4. Upside down Christmas trees

I just found out that apparently, upside down Christmas trees are a hot new trend with HGTV types this year, so I guess this is one historical trend we did bring back, meaning it doesn’t really belong on this list, but I’m gonna talk about it, anyway.

Side note: Oh, my god, that BANNISTER. I NEED.

Historians aren’t actually sure where the inverted Christmas tree thing came from, but we know people were bringing home trees and then hanging them upside down in the living room as early as the 7th century. We have a couple theories as to why people turned trees on their heads:

Logistically, it’s way easier to hang a giant pine tree from your rafters upside down by its trunk and roots. You just hoist that baby up there, wind some rope around the rafter and the trunk, and boom. Start decorating.

A Christian tradition says that one day in the 7th century, a Benedictine monk named Saint Boniface stumbled across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. So, instead of minding his own damn business, he cut the tree down and replaced it with a fir tree. While the pagans were like, “Dude, what the hell?” Boniface used the triangular shape of the fir tree to explain the concept of the holy trinity to the pagans. Some versions have him planting it right-side up, others having him displaying a fir tree upside down. Either way, it’s still a triangle that’s a solid but ultimately very rude way of explaining God. Word’s still out on whether anyone was converted or just rightly pissed off that this random guy strolled into their place of worship, chopped down their sacred tree, and plopped HIS tree down instead. Please do not do that this holiday season.

Eastern Europeans lay claim to the upside-down tree phenomenon with a tradition called podłazniczek in Poland--people hung the tree from the ceiling and decorated it with fruits and nuts and seeds and ribbons and other festive doodads. 

(God, who lives in these houses? Look at that. That’s like a swanky version of Gaston’s hunting lodge. Where do I get one? Which enchanted castle do I have to stumble into to chill out in a Christmas living room like that?)

Today, at least in the West, upside-down trees are making a comeback because...I don’t know. Chip and Joanna Gaines said so. 

Some folks say it’s a surefire way to keep your cats from clawing their way through the tree and then puking up fir needles for weeks afterward, which checks out for me.

5. Incredibly weird Victorian Christmas cards

So back in the 19th century, the Christmas card industry was really getting fired up. Victorians loved their mail, let me tell you. They loved sending it. They loved getting it. They loved writing it. They loved opening it. They loved those sexy wax seals you use to keep all that sweet, sweet mail inside that sizzling envelope. (Those things are incredibly sexy. Have you ever made a wax seal? Oh, man, it’s hot.)

The problem, though, was that while the Victorians arguably helped standardize many of the holiday traditions we know and love today (Christmas trees, caroling, Dickens everything, spending too much money, etc.) back in 1800-whenever, a lot of that Christmas symbolism was, um...still under construction. No one had really agreed on which visual holiday cues worked and which...didn’t.

Meaning everyone just kind of made up their own holiday symbols. Which resulted in monstrous aberrations like this card:

What the hell is that? A beet? Is that a beet? Or a turnip? Why is it...oh, God, why does it have a man’s head? Why does the man beet have insect claws? 

What is it that he’s holding? A cookie? Cardboard? A terra cotta planter?

And then there’s this one:

“A Merry Christmas to you,” it says, while depicting a brutal frog murder/mugging. 

What are you trying to tell me? Are you threatening me with this card? Is that it? Is this a threat? How the hell am I supposed to interpret this? “Merry Christmas, hide your money or you’re dead, you stupid bitch.”

Also, why is the dead frog naked? Did the other frog steal his clothes after the murder? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?

Victorian holiday cards also doubled as early absurdist Internet memes, apparently, because how else do I explain this?

Is this some sort of tiny animal Santa? A mouse riding a lobster? Like, the mouse, I get. Mice are fine. Disney built an empire on a mouse. And look, he’s got a little list of things he’s presumably going to bring you: Peace, joy, health, happiness. (In French. Oh, wait, is that that Patton Oswalt rat?)

But a LOBSTER? What’s with the lobster? It’s basically a sea scorpion. Why in the name of all that is good and holy would you saddle up a LOBSTER? I hate it. I hate it so, so much. Just scurrying around the floor with more legs than are strictly necessary, smelling like the seafood section of Smith’s, snapping its giant claws.

This whole card is a health inspector’s worst nightmare. It really is.

I gotta say, though, I am a fan of this one:

Presumably, that polar bear is going in for a hug because nothing stamps out a polar bear’s innate desire to rip your face from your skull than candy canes and Coke and Christmas spirit.

This next one is actually fantastic, but for all the wrong reasons:

I know everyone overuses “same” these days but geez, LOOK at that kid. I can HEAR it. SAME.

If you’ve ever been in a shopping mall stuffed with kids, nothing sums it up better than this card. This is like the perverse version of those Anne Geddes portraits that were everywhere in the late 90s. “Make wee Jacob sit in the tea pot; everyone will--Jacob, STOP, look at Mommy; I said LOOK. AT. MOMMY--everyone will love it.”

Actually, you know what? Every other Christmas card is cancelled. This is the only card we will be using from now on. This is it. 

Wait, no. We can also use this one:

Merry Christmas. Here’s a fuckin’...just a dead fuckin’ bird.

#victorian #listory #christmas #holidays #mythtory #norse mythology #odin

[diner-drama]

Cuddle Buddies (4/?)

Steve's a busy human rights lawyer who doesn't have time for a relationship but still wants to snuggle up with someone. Luckily, Bucky happens to be a professional cuddler. Chapters: 1, 2, 3. Also on ao3.

"Let's start a café," said Bucky dreamily. "A café that only serves hot chocolate."

"We could call it Hot n' Creamy," replied Steve, making Bucky snort into his drink.

"Who's hot and who's creamy?" he asked after surfacing, a teasing smirk on his lips.

"You're the creamy one," laughed Steve, giving into the temptation to wipe the whipped topping from Bucky's upper lip, sweeping his thumb over the soft skin.

Steve spent the next week alternating between walking around with a spring in his step, a secret little smile hovering around his lips, and being gripped with sudden self-doubt. Something was happening between him and Bucky, and the anticipation before their next meeting was delicious.

Unfortunately, the fates were conspiring to interrupt his plans.

"Hey, Buck," sighed Steve when the phone connected. He was leaning on a wall outside his apartment building, shivering a little in the brisk evening air.

"Hey! What's up, Stevie?" said Bucky's warm voice, sending tingles through Steve's body.

"There's a carbon monoxide leak in my building, they want us out of the place all evening so they can air it out and fix the boiler," said Steve, trying hard not to sound petulant as he kicked a pebble vindictively down the road.

"Oh man! I hope you didn't breathe any of it in."

Steve chuckled. "I think I'm safe. But unless you want to do our session in a coffee shop or the New York Public Library..."

"I bet that wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's ever happened in that library," Bucky interjected, laughing.

"Or I guess we could go to a hotel?" offered Steve hopefully, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"How about my place?" said Bucky immediately. "I live pretty near you, got a nice big couch."

"Sure," said Steve, a little breathless at the idea of seeing Bucky's private space. "Text me your address, I'll be there in half an hour."

He stopped off at a grocery store during his walk to Bucky's and picked up some ingredients. When he reached Bucky's building - a fairly ordinary-looking apartment block over a coffee shop - he hesitated a second to check that he was precisely on time before pressing the buzzer.

Bucky's crackly voice broke into the intercom. "Steve! Come on up, I'm on the third floor."

When he walked inside, Bucky was grinning down the stairwell, easing Steve's nerves somewhat.

"Come on in," said Bucky when Steve reached the top of the stairs. "Don't mind Alpine. She hates everyone."

Alpine, a stunning white cat with regal bearing, was regarding the newcomer with suspicion while aggressively headbutting Bucky's shins. Immediately forgetting why he was there, Steve dropped into a crouch and held a hand out to her, making pspspsps noises and blinking slowly until she cocked her head at him. He clearly managed to pique her curiosity, and she stalked over to sniff his fingers, even deigning to let him scratch her under the chin before turning up her nose and leaving to inspect her food bowl.

Bucky made a small, impressed sound, reminding Steve where he was. He looked up to see Bucky beaming at him.

"Cat whisperer," he said, fondness lacing his voice.

"She's beautiful."

"She's an asshole and she has no respect for me," snorted Bucky. "But yeah, she is the prettiest princess."

"I brought ingredients for a new drink," said Steve, standing up and gesturing with the shopping bags. "Can I use your stove?"

"Stevie," said Bucky. There was something indescribably soft about the way that his mouth caressed the syllables. "You didn't have to do that."

"Don't thank me yet," grinned Steve. "This is an experimental recipe."

"OK, fine," amended Bucky, leading the way to the kitchen. "I will thank you if you don't make me blind or something."

Bucky's apartment was an odd mixture of lived-in and minimalist, with classy wooden furniture and sleek lines, interspersed with fuzzy blankets and cat toys. Steve noted with interest the big, deep couch, and a couple of bookshelves bursting with science fiction novels and books about different types of therapy.

The kitchen was well-appointed but, with the exception of the coffee maker, seemed to have been barely used. Bucky pulled him out a saucepan and two mugs.

"Teach me the ways of your hot beverages, oh great and powerful Steve," he said, bowing low.

"Alright," said Steve, handing him a package. "You chop up half of this bar of orange chocolate into little pieces, I'm gonna start heating up the oat milk and mixing together the spices."

"Spices?" asked Bucky, grabbing a chopping board and knife and doing as he was told.

"Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom," said Steve, placing the jars on the counter as he spoke. "I figured, they go well with orange, and it's not like adding chocolate can make any combination worse, right?"

By the time they'd finished making the drinks, sprinkling extra spice mix and grating chocolate over the top of the creamy topping, and Bucky had as usual buried his entire face in his mug, Steve could fairly confidently say that the experiment was a success. It was the right mixture of comforting and luxurious, rich with chocolate and homely with spices and orange.

"Let's start a café," said Bucky dreamily. "A café that only serves hot chocolate."

"We could call it Hot n' Creamy," replied Steve, making Bucky snort into his drink.

"Who's hot and who's creamy?" he asked after surfacing, a teasing smirk on his lips.

"You're the creamy one," laughed Steve, giving into the temptation to wipe the whipped topping from Bucky's upper lip, sweeping his thumb over the soft skin.

Bucky's tongue darted out to lick the cream from Steve's thumb, and he hummed in agreement. "You are the hot one," he purred.

"Flatterer," huffed Steve, rolling his eyes and finishing off his drink to distract himself from the blush coloring his cheeks.

"Right," announced Bucky, slurping down the last of his hot chocolate and grabbing Steve's hand. "Let's get to cuddling."

Steve's fingers felt right slotting between Bucky's, and he allowed himself to be led over to the large, plush couch. Bucky lay down on his side and pulled until Steve's back was pressed against his front, two spoons nested together.

"How was your week?" asked Bucky, gently stroking up and down Steve's arm, his chocolatey breath tickling against the back of Steve's neck.

Steve burrowed closer, his feet finding the space between Bucky's calves and aimlessly rubbing up and down. "Not bad, actually. Had a few cases end all at once, got to do some cool courtroom theatrics."

"So you have some free time now?"

"I have to tie up some loose ends tomorrow, then I get a little breather."

"You gonna go on some wild adventures?"

"I'm going to finally get all of my laundry done."

"Oooh," teased Bucky. "Save some fun for the rest of us, rock star."

"You realize I can see your box of hand-made cat toys from here, right?" said Steve, lazily waving towards a cardboard tub full of pom poms, ribbons and sticks glued together.

"Shut up, punk," grumbled Bucky, flopping down to rest his head on his arm, pressing his nose into the back of Steve's head. "My cat thinks I'm very fun," he mumbled into Steve's hair.

"That's the cat who's over there licking her own ass, yeah?"

Bucky lifted himself up to scowl over at Alpine, who ignored him and continued to groom herself. "You're making me look bad," he hissed.

Steve laughed, startled by his own volume, and Bucky let out a huff of laughter of his own, settling his head back down so that he stirred Steve's hair with every breath.

Something about being inside Bucky's private space made their cuddling seem more intimate, more personal. Steve's heart felt like it was beating louder than usual against his chest, and each touch amplified, warmer and firmer.

In his gentle, coaxing way, Bucky got him talking about the mundanities of his week - how his cases had gone, whether he'd made that lasagna he was talking about last time, the way the washing machine won't take your quarters unless you thumped it - and Steve felt his worries slipping from his shoulders, the world narrowing to the warm little heap they made together on the couch. His breaths slowed to match Bucky's and he started to feel almost meditative, his thoughts drifting through like fallen leaves down a passing stream.

Bucky was draped half on top of him by this point, one leg hitched over Steve's hip and his arm cradling him protectively, wrapping him up completely in his body. Steve, nestled in the warm cocoon of Bucky's presence, sighed happily, shifting around a little to find a comfortable position for his bony hip on the soft cushions. He stopped short when a movement brought his ass more firmly into contact with Bucky's crotch and he felt an unmistakable hardness pressing against him.

Very deliberately, he gave an experimental wiggle, for which he was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath and Bucky grinding against him, the hard line of his erection electrifying through the thin fabric of their pants.

Not wanting to push his luck, he stilled his body and digested this new information. His skin was prickling with excitement, but at the same time he felt deeply relaxed and in no particular hurry, happy to enjoy whatever sensual pleasures were on offer as the evening unfolded. He threaded his fingers through Bucky's and pulled his arm tighter around his chest, tilting his head down to invite Bucky to bury his face in the join between Steve's neck and shoulder, which he did. Neither of them seemed inclined to rush things - Bucky occasionally rocked his hips a little, Steve sometimes circled his own, and the little noises of pleasure they were both making mingled with the drowsy conversation they were somehow continuing about the merits of different types of fabric softener. Bucky was everywhere, stroking his thumb over Steve's collar bones, nuzzling into his neck, body warm and enticingly solid against his back.

Time melted, and at a certain point Steve began to wonder if Bucky's alarm was ever going to go off, but couldn't bring himself to be upset about it. As the evening darkened into night, they began to drift off to sleep, safe and comfortable and wrapped up in each other.

The first time you spend a night asleep with a new partner is always a bit fractured - you have to muddle around together until you find a position that works for both of you. The first time Steve half woke up, slightly too warm, it was to make a little disgruntled noise and roll over, so that they were sleeping face to face on the couch. He promptly fell back to sleep and didn't notice when Bucky, woken by the feeling of Steve breathing on his face, rolled over so that he became the little spoon.

They slept quite companionably like that for an hour or so, until Steve began to shiver and burrowed his way into Bucky's armpit for warmth. Feeling Steve's cold body against him, Bucky rolled onto his back, pulling Steve into his chest and groping for a blanket from the arm of the couch, which he tenderly tucked around Steve's body. This seemed to be the winning formula, and they slept peacefully together until the early hours of the morning.

The first thing Steve noticed on waking up was that Bucky's dick was very hard against his thigh. The second thing he noticed was that he was in much the same predicament, and that the sleepy way that they were lazily rubbing against each other was incredibly nice.

The third thing he noticed was Alpine plaintively meowing directly into his ear.

Bucky groaned and reached out a hand blindly to pet the cat on the head, simultaneously gripping Steve tighter with his other arm and rolling them away from the source of the noise. Steve found himself pressed between the back of the couch and Bucky's body, which was not an unpleasant way to start the morning.

"Hello," murmured Bucky, his voice thick with sleep.

"Mmm," hummed Steve, continuing to rub himself against Bucky's thick, muscular thigh. "Hi."

Bucky shuddered pleasantly and pressed against him harder, raising his head to look him in the eye, a sleepy grin spreading over his face. Steve was just reaching his hand up to brush the hair out of Bucky's face when Alpine decided to interject by slapping her paw into Bucky's eye.

"Christ!" yelped Bucky, reluctantly disentangling himself from Steve and rubbing his eye. "Fine, I'll feed you, you horrible gremlin." Grabbing Alpine around the middle, he held her to his chest with one arm with practiced ease as he walked to the kitchen and started preparing her breakfast. Docile now, she let out a satisfied purr and rubbed her face against him.

"Time is it?" said Steve through a yawn, groping for his phone, and then "Crap!" when he saw the clock. Jolted into action by a wave of anxiety, he leapt from the couch and started searching for his shoes. "I've gotta go, I'm meeting a client in an hour and I have to change and get my papers and get across town."

"Oh, crap," echoed Bucky, wiping the kibble dust from his fingers onto a cloth while Alpine applied herself to her food dish, audibly purring. "Sorry, I didn't think to set an alarm last night, and then it was so nice..."

"So nice," agreed Steve breathlessly, hopping around the floor gracelessly as he put on his shoes. Bucky strode across the room to grab Steve's jacket and hold it out for him, stroking his shoulders after he shoved his arms into the sleeves. His breath tickled the back of Steve's neck, and Steve turned around, resting his hand on Bucky's chest as he looked up into his eyes, enjoying the crooked smile on his handsome face.

"Buck, I-" he started, before being interrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone. His eyes widened when he looked at the screen and he cursed again, shooting Bucky an apologetic look. "Sorry, I have to take this, and I have to run. I'll-" he stalled, looking into Bucky's hopeful blue eyes. "I'll call you," he promised, swiping to answer his phone and barreling out the door.

"Fury? Yeah, I'm going to be about fifteen minutes late..."

#cuddle buddies #my fics #stucky

[briefololtragedy]

Frazzled Friday

Kakashi x Sakura

Rated G

Follow up to Pakkun's plan. Kakashi and Pakkun have been coming to Sakura's coffee shop regularly. What happens when he comes a day late, hopefully some awkwardness.

Just popped into my head. Attempt at the two being awkward ducks. Fluff. Also posted on AO3

“ I need two large Caramel macchiatos with almond milk, one with half the caramel and the other with an extra caramel pump, one medium white chocolate mocha with a raspberry syrup. Could you hold the whip cream on that one? And then I need one large honey latte with oat milk and then one medium vanilla latte...Hmm and can I get six cinnamon scones.” 

Sakura was ready to wring someone’s neck, she was frazzled. It would not pay to strangle a customer, who was going to give her money. However, she really wanted to strangle the snot nosed acne prone teenager who decided not to come into work today. It was Friday morning, one of their busiest mornings and she was short handed. She had to take a couple of deep calming breaths. Putting on her best smile and perky voice that grated her own nerves. 

“Not a problem! We will get your order to you shortly.” She could do this. She loved her job, but her left eye started to twitch after the current customer paid for her order. So many sugary drinks. Sakura herself could feel her own blood sugar spiking. The customer then had the audacity to say they were in a hurry. Sakura made sure everyone got their orders in a timely manner, but for a suit to act high and mighty...Sakura had to recenter herself again. She was going to strangle Konohamaru when he comes in for his next shift. Scratch that after he is done with his next shift, she refuses to be short handed again. 

Thankfully her other two workers had shown up for work today and were a godsend. She had recently hired a new employee with how well business has been. Thankfully the next few customers had reasonable orders. They had a mild lull and Sakura was able to take stock of the display case. Making a note of what was selling well and not. She was thankful that most of her items seemed to go over well with those who visited her shop. She was able to pop into the back and get some more of the baked goods to bring to the front. 

As she went to refill the display cabinet she saw a fluffy white dog, who looked very family. “Kiba what brings you in today? Akamaru have you been a good boy?” Akamaru started wagging his tail and barking. 

“I heard that you opened a new shop and had to stop by. I was surprised about dogs being allowed in here, great idea.” She wondered what he was up to. “Allowing dogs have been a great hit. Why don’t you treat Akamura to a delicious dog treat, while you tell me why you are here.” Sakura started to pack up a treat for Akamaura and Kiba gave one of her workers his order. When they told him his total he looked like he had been kicked. “What no special treatment for an old friend?” Kiba had a sheepish grin on his face. 

“Kiba I’m running a new business, do you want me to close only a few months after opening? “ Sakura would not mention how she gave a complete stranger coffee and pastry on the house. Well he wasn’t a stranger anymore. Since that day Kakashi and Pakkun have been frequent customers. Although they hadn’t made it in yesterday like they usually do. Nope she wasn’t going to dwell on it, he had his own life and was just a customer. 

“You're cold Sakura.” She had to shoot him a glare. “Kiba really it's busey what do you need?” 

“So my sister, Hana, you remember her right. Well  is having a launch party for her vet clinic and was wanting you to cater for it. “ Sakura looked at Kiba with an eyebrow raised. “Of course I remember your sister. She got all the good genes between the two of you. Why didn’t she call me herself?” Sakura was being slightly mean to him, but couldn’t help but perk up when she saw a familiar mess of grey hair. Her heart started to beat slightly faster. 

“She knows that you don’t like to cater anymore and was scared to ask. Could you do it? Pleeeaase!” Kiba looked pathetic. She did adore his older sister and while she vowed to never cater for any company again she couldn't say no to Hana. Part of her thought process was being interrupted when she saw Kakashi and Pakkun at the counter ordering. He quickly looked to her and Kiba. She was hoping that they would stay, he was the highlight of her week.

“Fine. I’’ll do it for her. Have her call me with the details. And do us all a favor and go take a shower, you smell worse than a wet dog.'' She gave Akamaru a scratch behind the ears and watched them leave. 

She tried to ignore the feeling in her stomach when she saw that Kakashi had sat down at a table by the window. He had his laptop pulled out and looked to have laser focus. Pakkun by his side like always. Sakura couldn’t help herself as she got one of the dog biscuits she reserved just for Pakkun as she went over to his table. 

“There is my favorite customer! I missed you yesterday.” She couldn’t help herself as she lowered to the floor to pet Pakkun and give him his treat. He let out an enthusiastic bark and jumped up so she could pet his head. 

Kakashi didn’t know how he felt at the moment. He doesn’t know why he stayed to have his coffee here after seeing Sakura with her boyfriend, he felt like an idiot. She barely glanced his way when he came in. The guy even had a dog, one that Pakkun couldn’t compete with. That guy's dog looked like it came from winning a dog show. He should have just taken his coffee and left. A wave of relief did wash over him as he saw the guy and his dog leave, shocked they didn’t do a goodbye kiss. He was lost in his wallowing that he didn’t notice Sakura approach. 

“I’m your favorite customer?” Kakashi cursed his pitiful tone. He found himself slightly melting as Sakura looked up at him. 

“Oh… I was talking about Pakkun. He has been my most loyal and regular customer since I opened. Plus look at this smushy face! How can you resist this cuteness?” Her voice took a higher register as she talked about Pakkun’s face, one that he had heard with his friend’s wives when they talked about babies. 

“Your boyfriend and his dog aren’t your favorite customers?” Oh god Kakashi wanted to kick himself. Why! He was doing so well with talking to her after that first meeting. 

Sakura didn’t know what Kakashi was talking about and was utterly confused. “Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.” She took a look at Kakashi and noticed he was more slouched over then normal. 

“The guy you were talking to before coming over here isn’t your boyfriend?” Why couldn't the ground open and swallow him up? 

“Kiba?” Sakura wanted to gag. “Kiba’s a friend from high school. He came to ask if I could cater for his sister. She is opening her own vet clinic.” Sakura wanted to get off the subject of Kiba. She decided to take a seat at Kakashi’s table. 

“ I meant what I said that I missed you guys yesterday.Where were you guys?” She was hoping she wasn’t coming off as noisy or desperate. She had come to enjoy the moments she had with Kakashi, her mood had gone down yesterday when she realized he wouldn’t be showing up. 

“I had a business meeting yesterday that made me want to bang my head on the table repeatedly till I passed out and would need medical attention.” Sakura was intrigued. She didn’t know what Kakashi did. 

“Well I’m glad you didn’t bang your head. I would worry about even more brain damage.” Sakura couldn’t help but laugh at herself. She blamed her lack of social skills on focusing on academics more than socializing when she was younger. 

“What was your meeting about, if you don’t mind me asking.” She at this point decided to pick up Pakkun and placed him on her lap, this was after he continued to paw her legs. 

“My boss decided to discuss one of his new books and it got a little out of hand.” Kakashi couldn’t help but start to feel warm. Yep he was going to do this. He was going to tell her what he did for a living. 

“Do you work in publishing?” Sakura was fascinated. Maybe she could get his opinion on some books to place around the coffee place for customers to read if interested. 

“I’m an editor. The meeting was going well, but they decided to do an audiobook as a trial run. They were having an argument on who should be the one reading it.” Kakashi could do this. Him working for Jiraiya’s publishing company was nothing to be ashamed about. After he started working for them they actually expanded into actual literature, not that his precious Icha Icha didn’t count.  

“I should get your advice on some books to have here. Who did they decide to read for the audiobook, is there book one i would know?” 

“It’s for Jiraiya’s newest Icha Icha series.” Sakura couldn’t help but start to blush. Jiraiya was her best friend’s godfather and Naruto had all of his books. 

“Oh… that would be interesting as an audiobook. Did they decide on a person?” Kakashi gulped. 

“Me.” Sakura looked at him confused. Did he just…”You?” Sakura could feel like her cheeks were heating up more. 

Kakashi couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck. He tilted his head to the side. “Yes me. One of the PAs came up with the idea. Kinda embarrassing really.” 

Sakura wondered if she should turn the heat down. Was anyone else hot? She couldn’t help but imagine Kakashi reading one of those books, his deep voice. 

“Do you not want to?” She wasn’t drooling right? 

Kakashi could feel his heart racing. She hadn’t run off yet. “It’s just not something I ever thought I would do.” 

Sakura doesn’t know what spirit came into her body at that moment that gave her the audacity to say what came out of her mouth. “I could always lend an ear, if you want to practice.” Sakura was sure her face was going to melt off. 

Kakashi did not expect that. He felt warm imaging reading to her, yep he was blushing now. “Are you free sometime this week?” 

Extra: Pakkun’s thoughts

Pakkun did not like what he saw when he entered the coffee shop. Who was this big dog and smelly owner? He wanted answers! He wanted to blame Kakashi for all of this. They have been coming for weeks and he wasn’t making any headway. Then they weren’t able to show up yesterday due to Kakashi having to work, didn’t he know there were more important things. Important things like delicious baked goods from a pretty pink haired woman who gave the best head scratches. 

Yes he was extra needy with Sakura once she came over. He allowed her to grace his presence. He felt buttered up with the special dog biscuit. As he was eating it he heard mention of a possible boyfriend. Oh hell no! His plan was crumbling, like this delicious dog biscuit in his mouth. His anxiety was soothed when she said no and they continued to talk. He couldn’t help it when he curled into her lap. He felt like the heavens opened up when she offered to help his owner and then heard the mention of dinner. 

#sakura x kakashi #kakasaku #kakshi hatake #Sakura Haruno #pakkun #naruto #fanfic #fluff

[zaritarazi]

Zari + ☮ and ☯️

okay i’m gonna do this with zari 2.0 in mind bc i can already feel our deep kinship and i am ready to love

☮ - friendship headcanon

okay. i think zari wants to be more guarded bc i think she’s aware of the fact that like, people just want to be her friend bc she’s rich and famous! but she’s also like, but why is that a bad thing??? i’d want to be my friend! being rich and famous is great!! and i just genuinely think she’s like, i am a sTAR and if people love that about me i will NOT apologize for it. but she’s also like, when she has like, real issues, when she doesn’t know what to do next or she’s feeling lost like, it’s in those moments that she’s like fuck. who do i talk to about this. bc i think she has a lot of friends or people she is friendly with and i think she is a charismatic person but i don’t think there’s a lot of trust there. i think the real stuff she keeps very close to her chest.

that being said, she does have a picture frame that reads BEST FRIENDS with a selfie she took with amaya before anyone had explained to amaya what a selfie is, so amaya looks kind of bewildered but is trying to be polite about it. zari is like i dont really have a lot of “real” friends except for amaya jiwe, who was my best friend in the whole world, and behrad is like you guys talked like 3 times and zari, yelling over him, MY BEST FRIEND, MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN FRIENDS, AMAYA JIWE,

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT ZARI LIKES.

• bright colors • leopard print • SNACKS!!! • but especially aesthetic snacks • like fancy cupcakes and rainbow donuts • she likes the color gold • she likes pretty girls • she likes when people play hard to get but not so hard to get that they dont like her but in that like, they’re teasing her and she’s teasing them and there’s that will they won’t they tension • i know i mentioned snacks let me add some more she likes fruit tarts and marzipan tarts and chocolate tarts and tarts that are heart shaped and tarts that are big and tarts that are small • she likes fancy chocolates and regular chocolates and chocolate dipped chocolates • she likes all the disneyworld snacks from churros to prezels to ice cream to orange soft serve ice cream • she likes kittens and ponies • she likes doing her makeup and thinking about how pretty she is • she likes real hugs, the kind where you get wrapped up in someone like they’ll never let you go • she likes dragons!!! • she likes being a little dramatic for the attention • she likes big buckets of movie theater popcorn with reeses pieces mixed in • she likes big mugs of hot cocoa • she likes sweetened ice coffee with oat milk • she likes vegetarian dim sum on the weekends with her friends • she likes homemade cookies and brownies and cakes • she likes when someone makes her cheeks feel warm but in a good way • she likes glitter • she likes changing her whatsapp icon every 2 minutes • she likes hot fudge sundaes and banana splits and ice cream sandwiches • she likes to laugh, so much so that it hurts her stomach and she feels like she can’t catch a breath • she likes to love and so she does it a lot.

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT ZARI DISLIKES.

• jerks • under-seasoned food • end of list

#lot headcanon #legends of tomorrow #zari tomaz #zari tarazi #dykerory

[subtlerain]

BTS Reaction → s/o being shy after their first time

→ Maknae Line ♥ Hyung Line

A/N: Here is the Maknae Line! Make sure you check out the Hyung Line for more sappy sweet fluffy stuff!

Requests are open! Pop some writing prompts/requests → Here

Read my other reactions! → Masterlist

→ Park Jimin

The familiar signal from your bladder to your brain was what shook your from your peaceful slumber that morning, and as much as you wished to just curl up in your sheets, you stumbled from the mattress and walked with one eye open to the en-suite.

After relieving yourself, you walked to the sink and yawned, craning your head up to look at yourself in the mirror.

You yelped, now quite awake.

The girl who was looking back at you mirrored your expression, and you traced over your features, blinking into the mirror.

The bed-head was predictable, but your swollen lips and flushed skin was surprising, and suddenly your fuzzy mind cleared just enough to remember what exactly happened.

Your hands were still wet as you slowly lowered the collar of your wrinkled t-shirt, eyes sweeping over the violets and peonies that dotted your neck and clavicle, face reddening as they continued to the tops of your breasts.

Oh.

You smiled wildly at your figure, goosebumps crawling up your arms as you stood on now-wobbly legs.

Hesitantly, you opened the bathroom door, peeking out and squinting at the bed.

And there he was, Park Jimin in all of his glory, sleeping soundly on your bed, curled up like a cat in your sheets.

Although bashfulness crawled up your arms and legs, you slowly walked from the bathroom, eyes trained on your boyfriend, his chest rising and falling softly.

You stood over him, and traced over his soft features, biting your lip.

He looked so darn soft on the outside, the picture of innocence with his golden hair and warm eyes.

But he was also a man full of desire and need, and he demonstrated that side of him perfectly the night previous, his eyes solely on you as he swept you under the sheets, your bodies intertwined on your first night together.

Your cheeks flushed at the memory, and you suddenly felt very hot, your hands running over the marks that ran up your neck as you turned away from his sleeping form.

“Good morning.”

You jumped at the sound of his low, sleepy voice, heart thumping erratically in your chest.

In a split second, he was sitting up, blankets still wrapped tightly around his body.

He reached up and rubbed sleep from his eyes, “You’re up so early….” He yawned, his hoarse voice resonating in your skull.

You stood very still in place, “Y-yeah, I was just coming back the washroom.”

He yawned again, “Come back to bed, I’m getting cold…” He said softly, eyes now trained on you.

You turned away from him, “U-uh, no that’s okay, I-I’m just—“

Suddenly Jimin’s hand was wrapped around your wrist, his eyes wide and looking into yours with upmost concern, “Is everything alright?”

You bit your lip and deliberated slipping out of his grasp to shove your head in the freezer, to cool down, but you knew that would only make matters worse.

So, instead of a response, you lowered the collar of your shirt, exposing the garden of marks left by his mouth on your soft skin.

Jimin’s eyes widened dramatically, “Oh…” He said softly, flicking his eyes up to gauge your expression, worried that you may be upset.

But, to his relief, the only thing on your face was a deep shy flush, and he grinned at the way your eyes glowed and lips pinked as you gnawed at them out of an adorable embarrassment.

He pulled you down so you were sitting on the bed next to him, tracing over some of the marks on your jaw, “No need to be embarrassed, sweetheart.” He cooed, “Although I could’ve been more subtle…”

You smiled, and looked into his eyes as he shifted to kiss you lightly on your cheek.

When he pulled away, however, the thin bedsheet fell off his shoulders, exposing the skin on his torso.

The marks left on his chest matched yours perfectly.

“Oh, Jimin…” You whispered, feeling another wave of embarrassment.

Jimin glanced down at his own chest in confusion, his eyes widening like saucers. You giggled as he raised his head, bright rose blush mirroring your own.

→ Kim Taehyung

It was too early too be eating a large bowl of cheerios, but you were anyway.

The sun was just beginning to stream through the windows as you munched on the circular oats, your heart still hammering relentlessly in your chest, the reason you could hardly get to sleep.

You smiled down at your bowl, the tops of your ears turning pink again as you recalled the events from the night before for the thousandth time.

You had been with Taehyung for a long time, and you both had decided to wait to be intimate, and the night was full of lust and desire and laughs and awkward kisses and shallow breathing.

And most importantly, it was full of love.

The way he had looked at you was burned in your mind forever, you thought, his deep chocolate orbs looking down at all of you with such a burning passion, such a tender love that you still—

“You’re up early.”

You jumped and your spoon dropped from your hand, sputtering milk onto your hand and the shiny, marble countertop.

Your eyes snapped up to meet with the amused smile on a tousled haired, sweatpants-clad, shirtless Taehyung, his eyes solely on you and your bowl of cheerios.

You darted your eyes away, a deep flush crawling up your neck, “Y-yeah, I’m sorry if I woke you.” You squeaked.

Suddenly he was sitting at the table in front of you, his eyes sparkling.

You let a small smile creep onto your mouth, and looked back down to your cereal, memories from the night before rushing to the front of your brain.

You cursed to yourself, why do you have to be so shy and awkward? You’re so—

“Y’know,” Taehyung rested his chin on his open palm, eyes sparkling, “You really are so adorable when you’re all shy.”

Your eyes widened, “I-I’m not shy!”

Taehyung chuckled, the sound like music to your ears, “Are too.” He sang.

You crossed your arms, “It’s your fault I’m so embarrassed anyway…”

A familiar smirk fell across your boyfriend’s face, “Me?”

You pouted, but couldn’t help but let a smile grace your lips, “Yes, you.”

He grinned and reached across the table to hold your hand, softly, tenderly.

Lovingly.

→ Jeon Jungkook

You flinched as a familiar, ringing sound pierced through your unconscious, your ears buzzing uncomfortably. You wondered if it would just go away, but as your roused from sleep, the sound grew more prominent, and you popped one eye open.

You reached across the beside table to tap at your phone, an unwanted call from your best friend blinking up at you in a familiar jingle.

You groaned and rolled over to the other side of the bed to look at your phone, hesitating before declining the call, sending her a quick ‘we’ll talk later’ as a response.

You had just started to put down your phone when a loud groan sounded from behind your body, accompanied by a bare arm wrapping around your chest, akin to a steel rod.

Yelping as you were forcibly turned over, your breath laving your lungs as you came face to face with the still-asleep form of your boyfriend.

The grogginess of sleep mixed with initial surprise of suddenly being touched, you were confused, unable to do anything else but look at Jungkook in an honest muddle.

Oh.

You suddenly realized you were very bare, and slanted your eyes downwards to notice that he certainly was too.

As you gazed over his features, relaxed and asleep, your cheeks heated up, a flush crawling up from your toes to every part of you.

Your mind was clear with memories from the previous night when you two had decided to be intimate for the first time, and you bit your lip at the awkward smiles and giggles you had shared.

And then the fact that he had seen all of you made you shiver, and his arm clutching your body tight to his had your skin burning wherever his ligaments touched yours.

Your phone vibrated loudly against the wood of the side table, and his eyes were open instantly, big, brown orbs looking into yours intently.

He visibly flinched at your proximity, his eyebrows shooting up and hand twitching on your waist.

“Oh!” He exclaimed, voice hoarse.

You tried to looked anywhere other than his face, “H-hi.”

He flashed you a crooked smile, bunny teeth on display, “Hey.”

You knew he could see the bright pink on your cheeks by the way his eyebrows furrowed with confusion, and then his lids drooped as he looked down at you, quickly flicking them up to meet your eyes again, the same pink blush on his face.

“O-oh! Ah!” Jungkook said quickly, raising his hand from your waist, “I-I’m sorry, I must’ve just grabbed you in my sleep and—“

You breathed out, “That’s okay.”

It was silent for a moment as the two of you just looked at each other, pink-cheeked and bashful, but making no effort to move.

A smile quirked at the sides of his lips, “You’re cute when you’re blushing.”

You pulled up the sheets to cover your face, and Jungkook laughed, the sound like music to your ears.

You poked at his chest, “You’re blushing too!”

He turned away from you, hair tousled and grin still on his face, “Am not!”

“You’re practically a tomato!”

“Fine. At least we’re matching.”

“I hate you, Jungkookie.”

“I love you too, babe.”

#bts #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bts reaction #bts fluff #maknae line #maknae line reaction #bts one shot #bts fanfic #bts writing #bts writing blog #writing

[emmatrustsno-one]

Food (and class) in Harry Potter A (lengthy) guide for fans who aren’t British

After another user asked me some questions about British food as it appears in Harry Potter I decided to make a post about it, as no doubt other foreign readers have similar questions. I will talk about EVERYTHING so sorry if you have to scroll through loads of stuff you know to find what you want, but I have written it to be accessible to literally anyone and I don’t want to assume people know what something is just because I do.

Also, it was impossible to make the post without referencing class. The fact that it was impossible only goes to show how it’s probably impossible to understand the books in depth without an understanding of class in Britain. The whole texts are encoded with references to class which are so subtle (much like class itself) that even I, who grew up being encoded in the same way, had to analyse the texts to find them. At some point I’ll make a post about just class, but for now we’ll stick to the light-hearted topic of food!

Foods eaten at Hogwarts:

Main courses:

Probably to give a subtle wave to the fact that Hogwarts is the magical version of a public school, nearly all the food consumed there is traditional and British. A public school here is NOT a state-maintained school, it is a private, extremely expensive, prestigious, boarding school, e.g Eton, which only the children of people with a lot of money and a lot of influence attend. By default, these people are usually upper class or aristocracy. (Obviously in the wizarding world money isn’t a factor in school attendance, but nevertheless that is what Hogwarts is modelled on.) There is never any mention of processed foods at Hogwarts except chips and a few common desserts. Here is a list, with explanation, of foods mentioned there:

stew/casserole (meat and vegetables cooked together with stock for several hours)

roast beef and chicken (the two most commonly eaten meats here, I would say)

pork/lamb chops (cuts of those meats with a bit of bone through the top)

sausage (usually made with pig meat in the UK)

bacon (here it is larger and softer than in many countries)

steak (a cut of beef, usually expensive)

boiled (in water until soft, no skins), roast (in the oven until brown, no skins) and mashed (boiled and puréed, no skins) potatoes

chips (not crisps, of course, but rather fat French fries)

Yorkshire pudding (pancake batter which is cooked in a muffin pan in the oven until risen and crispy; originated from the county of Yorkshire and usually served with roast beef)

PLEASE NOTE THAT ‘PUDDING’ IS NOT NECESSARILY SWEET, NOR A MOUSSE-LIKE SAUCE THING. I MADE A BLOG POST LAST WEEK ABOUT ‘PUDDING’.

peas (usually small and taken out of the pod, a bit like petit pois, – garden peas; occasionally larger and softer – marrowfat peas; sometimes mashed up into a purée – mushy peas, which are usually served with chips)

carrots (peeled and either boiled or roasted)

gravy (like meat jus, but nowadays normally made from a flavoured powder that you add water to and stir. It’s brown and fairly thick)

ketchup (this one annoys me because no-one I know says ketchup – it’s tomato sauce, at least in the north)

sprouts (brussels sprouts )

steak and kidney pie (pastry filled with steak and kidney in a gravy)

PLEASE NOTE THAT PIE IS USUALLY SAVOURY HERE. We do have fruit pies, but if someone says ‘pie’ a British person will picture a savoury thing, probably with meat in it.

steak and kidney pudding (steak and kidney in gravy encased in suet pastry, which is a crumbly, soft pastry made from just suet, flour and water. It is steamed, not baked, usually)

sausage rolls (a staple of British lunchtime foods – sausagemeat wrapped in a flaky pastry and eaten hot or cold)

jacket potato (also called a baked potato, it’s a whole potato baked in the oven with the skin still on until it’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and is usually served with cheese in it)

porridge (oats cooked in milk or water, often called oatmeal in other countries)

marmalade (jam made from citrus fruits, usually orange)

PLEASE NOT THAT JAM IS NON-CITRUS FRUIT AND SUGAR COOKED UNTIL IT SETS INTO A SPREAD.

Desserts:

jam tart (a small, open pastry case with jam in it)

ice cream (the most common flavours here are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry)

apple pie (pastry case with sweetened apples)

treacle tart (pastry case with a sweet, thin filling made from golden syrup and breadcrumbs, not treacle)

éclairs (popular French cream cake – long choux bun filled with cream and topped with chocolate)

jam doughnuts (dough fried in oil and filled with jam, most often strawberry)

jelly (called jell-o in some countries – flavoured gelatine)

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH JAM – AMERICANS CALL JAM JELLY.

rice pudding (short grain rice cooked for several hours in milk and sugar until it forms a thick mixture not unlike sweet porridge)

custard tart (pastry case filled with an egg, milk and sugar mixture which has been baked until set)

spotted dick (steamed suet pudding, which is like a warm sponge cake, filled with raisins and served with custard)

chocolate gateau (fancy chocolate cake with cream on top)

trifle (layered fruit, jelly, sponge cake, custard and cream – a classic)

mint humbugs (a hard mint to freshen your breath after eating)

At Christmas:

roast turkey (the meat we traditionally eat at Christmas)

chipolatas (tiny pork sausages)

buttered peas (just peas with a bit of butter on the them)

cranberry sauce (cranberries and sugar cooked together until set – served with savoury foods like turkey – it’s not as sweet as jam)

turkey sandwiches (literally the entire country eats this on Christmas night to use up some turkey)

Christmas cake (very rich, dense fruit cake topped with a layer of marzipan and then a layer of icing)

Christmas pudding (hot, very rich steamed pudding made from dried fruits, nuts and suet, often served with brandy sauce)

crumpets (these aren’t a Christmas food, they just happen to eat them at Christmas. They are round, flat buns, though not exactly bread, with holes in them, that you toast and butter. Often people eat them for breakfast, or, like in the book, as a snack at night. They are savoury, not sweet)

mince pies (small pies filled with a mixture of dried fruits, sugar and brandy – sweet, not savoury – they were made with minced meat a few hundred years ago, and the name mince pie has stuck)

fudge (a type of sweet made by heating sugar, butter and milk until it sets)

During the Triwizard Tournament:

bouillabaisse (French fish stew/soup that hardly anyone here has heard of/would try!)

goulash (Eastern European stew made with meat and paprika that a lot of people have at least heard of and would try!)

blancmange (French dessert which is a basically white, almond-flavoured jelly that some people have heard of and a few would try)

It’s necessary to mention here, how the fact that Hermione knows what the bouillabaisse is and has tried it is a DEFINITE indicator of class. She is upper middle class. I’ll talk more about why when I do a class post, but for now it’s enough to say that no working-class child, unless they have family ties to France or have learned about it in French at school, would even know what it was and would be very unlikely to try it if given the opportunity. You can’t read that scene, as a British person, and not understand that Hermione comes from a cultured, moneyed background.

It’s also interesting to compare these foods with the foods usually served at state-maintained schools at the time HP was written: we are talking about fatty, greasy, processed rubbish with no nutrition at all, e.g. turkey twizzlers, nuggets, pizza, chips, hot dogs, cakes. You do still find such foods in state schools but normally alongside more healthy options. Since Jamie Oliver’s war on school food things are a lot better, but the point is that the food at Hogwarts is a clear nod to the privilege of the pupils: working-class kids wouldn’t have been able to eat things like that at school. My primary school (ages 4-11) served stew sometimes, with overcooked vegetables, but that’s all, and my secondary school served pizza, hot dogs, nuggets and chips every day and that was it.

Foods mentioned but not eaten in the Great Hall:

sherbet lemons (real sweets, they are strong, lemon-flavoured hard sweets that contain a powder that makes your tongue fizz)

custard creams (biscuits made from 2 square simple biscuits with vanilla cream sandwiched between them)

Foods eaten at the Weasleys’:

Food is one of the main ways by which the Weasleys are coded as working-class. Everything they eat is either a comfort food your grandma makes or some cheap thing you eat and don’t mind but wish was something else.

corned beef sandwiches (corned beef is beef which has been processed and salt-cured and has the mushy consistency of cat food. It was popular during the war, when meat was scarce and rationed, and is associated with poverty and lack of better meat. That isn’t to say that people don’t like it, but it is true that many people don’t)

Speaking of processed meats, the Weasleys eat a lot of sausage and bacon, which are very popular but also available cheaply.

chicken and ham pie (this is the only time I can think of that it is mentioned that the Weasleys were having a ‘proper’ meat, as in unprocessed, and if I remember correctly it was for Harry’s birthday, so a special occasion. It’s pastry filled with chicken and ham in a white sauce and is the sort of thing your grandma probably made)

boiled potatoes (they do have boiled potatoes at Hogwarts, but alongside other types of potato.)

It’s hard for me to explain why, but boiled potatoes, specifically, have a working-class connotation. You are definitely more likely to eat boiled potatoes in a working-class family. Here are 2 anecdotes form my life about boiled potatoes to illustrate my point!

1. I know someone from a privileged background. Her father was an electrical engineer who held government contracts. She went to a grammar school (a school that’s free but you have to pass a test to go to) and lived in an affluent city where one of the main public schools is. As soon as she opens her mouth you can hear that she’s from an upper middle-class background. I once discussed cooking dinner with her and said I was making boiled potatoes. She scoffed and said she never did as she couldn’t see the point – if she has boiled them she might as well mash them.

2. At university my friend started going out with a guy from a solid middle-class background. His parents had a second home in South Africa, where his father worked for part of the year. They were staunch Tories (supported the political party to the right of the centre). She and I once discussed making dinner and she said it was her turn to make it tonight and the guy wanted sautéed potatoes. Her exact words next were “he’ll just have to make do with boiled, I’m too tired”.

Somehow the fact that the Weasleys eat boiled potatoes makes them working-class, an under-class. It’s somehow seen as lazy and simple by people from higher classes.

rhubarb crumble (stewed rhubarb topped with a flour, butter and sugar mixture that goes hard and crumbly, usually served with custard)

Again, this is a working-class mainstay. Many people used to grow rhubarb in their gardens because it grows easily and is hardy in our weather. Add a bit of sugar and it’s an almost free dessert.

chocolate pudding (not to be confused with chocolate pudding in American terms, ours is a suet pudding made with chocolate and served hot, usually with a chocolate sauce)

Foods eaten with the Dursleys:

a bun from the bakers (could be either a sandwich made from a bread roll or a sweet bun such as an iced bread roll, without more info it’s not clear. The word ‘bun’ is used to describe many things, and it’s different depending on where you are in the country. For example, I would never say ‘bun’ and mean sandwich but I know some people do. I personally picture an iced bun).

knickerbocker glory (an ice cream sundae)

fruit cake (dense cake made with dried fruits, like a dressed down version of Christmas cake, seems quite old-fashioned now)

roast pork (a joint of pork roast in the oven, often with a layer of fat over it that goes crispy)

soup (a common starter)

salmon (usually a whole fish, baked or poached)

lemon meringue pie (the French dessert anglicised – a pastry case filled with a layer of set lemon cream and topped with meringue)

grapefruit

I want to pause at this point to point out how clear it is that the Dursleys are higher class than the Weasleys. For one, Uncle Vernon just buys whatever he fancies from the bakers for lunch but Ron (and presumably the whole family) are given sandwiches made by Mrs Weasley, containing what they can afford. Secondly, roast pork and salmon are expensive and only eaten by people with more than the basic amount of money and even then really only on special occasions. Sometimes people will have a salmon on the buffet at their wedding, for instance. It’s a far cry from processed meats and chicken and ham pie. Not least because you can make a decent pie out of even poor quality meat, but to make a good roast, especially if you are trying to impress your boss, you need a good quality joint. Thirdly, if on a diet it’s unlikely someone working-class would eat grapefruit for breakfast. I know working-class kids who wouldn’t even be able to identify a grapefruit. Moreover, the fact that they served the meal to Vernon’s boss in three courses, followed by after-dinner mints shows that they either are middle-class, or, more likely, trying to appear so. The Weasleys just have their main course and pudding, even on special occasions. I don’t think I’ve ever had a starter in my life except for in restaurants. Furthermore, at the zoo Dudley and Piers get ice creams and Harry gets a lemon ice lolly. I don’t think there is any more striking a symbol of a working-class person in the 90s trying to treat themselves than cheap lemon ice lollies! All ice cream stands had one and it was always the cheapest thing. By doing this, Vernon is showing that he views Harry as a lesser-class than himself and Dudley. Lastly, while Petunia is preparing the meal for Vernon’s boss, Harry is given bread and cheese for his supper. Bread and cheese conjures up images of Scrooge sitting in the dark eating alone because it was so cheap: Victorian levels of poverty and definite allusions to being a lesser-class.

On a side note, the Dursleys still got their milk and eggs from the milkman, a man from a dairy who delivered to people’s houses in the mornings. In those days lots of people still did, and you do still get milkmen now to a lesser degree. My grandparents got their milk from the milkman and so did my husband’s parents, up until at least 2000.

whipped cream and sugared violets (I had to look up sugared violets myself. I think I am probably too working-class, or possibly too northern, to have heard of them. They seem to be the head of the violet flower dipped in egg white and sugar so that it becomes hard. I have never heard of putting them in cream to make a pudding before.)

Additional foods relating to Hagrid:

birthday cake (usually sponge and covered in icing. In Britain, unlike many countries, you do not buy your own birthday cake: your parents usually get one for you)

rock cakes (these are real, though I grew up calling them rock buns. They are a basically a blob of cake cake batter with currants in, baked for a short time. They are like a cross between muffins and cookies)

treacle toffee (hard black toffee, often eaten around bonfire night)

stoat sandwiches (as far as I am concerned these are not real! I have never heard of anyone eating that! A stoat is small animal like a weasel)

Foods sold by magical establishments, e.g. Honeydukes/the Hogwarts Express:

these foods don’t exist outside HP, but could theoretically be made –

pumpkin juice

pumpkin pasties (a pasty is like a pie but the pastry is filled and then folded over, not topped with a lid)

chocoballs filled with strawberry mousse and clotted cream (clotted cream is thick, rich cream that has thickened naturally, not by whipping)

mulled mead (you can get mead, though it’s not common, and mulled just means it’s cooked through with various spices)

cherry syrup with soda (to us, soda is carbonated water, not pop)

these foods aren’t real but are based on real ones –

Drooble’s best blowing gum (wizard bubble gum)

liquorice wands (you can get sticks of liquorice

fizzing whizzbees (imo based on a sweet called a flying saucer, which is a     thin, rice paper-like shell shaped like a flying saucer and filled with sherbet

exploding bonbons (bonbons here are round and soft, sometimes with a powdery centre, which break apart easily and fill your mouth

these foods are real –

peppermint creams (icing sugar mixed with peppermint oil until soft but firm, often coated in chocolate        

mars bars (chocolate coated nougat-cream and caramel)

these foods aren’t real and aren’t really based on anything, as far as I can tell –

                                                  butterbeer

                                                  gillywater

                                                  sugar quills

                                                  ice mice

                                                  cockroach cluster

                                                  blood pops

                                                  toothflossing stringmints

                                                  pepper imps

                                                  cauldron cakes

these foods weren’t real before HP but now exist as part of the HP merchandise –

Bertie Bott’s every flavour beans (they are like jelly beans)

Chocolate frogs

Two final things. Firstly, on the topic of class it is worth noting that Lupin felt he had to apologise for only having teabags. Literally nobody who is working-class drinks tea in any other form than teabags 99.9% of the time. You can get loose leaf tea, which is seen as fancy, nicer and is certainly more expensive. I got some for Christmas last year, for instance. Nobody working-class would ever even bat an eyelid at someone offering them tea in bag form. It’s totally normal. The fact that Lupin apologises shows that he is acutely aware that he is more lowly than the average Hogwarts teacher. He is embarrassed by something that most of the population find normal. He feels under them, in class terms. Even though he knows Harry grew up without privilege (though the Dursleys themselves are middle-class), now that Harry is part of Hogwarts he has ascended enough in class terms that Lupin is concerned he will disappointed to have tea from a bag. This goes some way to showing how class isn’t just about money: it’s about tastes and habits.

Secondly, in compiling this post it became really clear that sausages are a leitmotiv marking times when Harry feels cosy, familial and homey. The first thing Hagrid does is cook him sausages, which represent being lifted out of the world of cold and hunger he is living in; becoming someone who others care about and want to care for. When he is rescued to the Weasleys in CoS and is blown away by the wizarding house and starts to feel at home and safe, the first thing Molly does is feed him loads of sausages. Sausages are often mentioned at breakfast at Hogwarts, especially when Harry is in a good mood. Perhaps it was unconscious and JKR herself associates sausages with feelings of family and at home-ness.

One final thing and that’s it, I promise. While writing this it struck me how different what I mean when I say “privilege” is from what an American means when they say it. I have mentioned this before, and at some point will do a blog post about it, but race is bound up so intricately with American history and life that words like “privilege” are encoded with images of skin colour. I bet the average American read “privilege” and pictured a white person, but in the UK that wouldn’t be the case. Skin colour has nothing to do with it. Here, “privilege” means what you have access to, how valid other people see your tastes and way of life, what you have grown up doing, seeing, eating, hearing, believing. It is bound up inexorably with how much money you have, what you do for a living and where you live and, crucially, with your family’s status historically. That one thing is the reason that comparisons between death eaters and Nazis don’t really hold up: HP is about genealogy and not ideology.

#Harry Potter #british food #british class system #snapedom

[blackrippedskinnybeans]

I'm about to take such good care of you bitches but brace yourself cause this is a long post!

I'm going to tell you how to make the ultimate aesthetic and beneficial bath and I think we all need this after all the stress everyone has been going through this year and the last year.

Here's how to make a milk and rose bath which btw is the same shit pharaohs used to bath in and while it was expensive then, it's kinda affordable now and really anyone can do it.

• Add 1 to 2 cups of milk to a full tub of warm water. (You can use normal milk but to get the best results try Coconut Milk, Oat Milk, Almond Milk, Goat Milk, or Buttermilk.)

• Fill bathtub with warm water and add in the milk.

• Mix water and milk with your arm or foot to combine.

• 8-10 drops of a relaxing/rejuvenating essential oil of your choice.

• ½ cup of dried rose petals.

• Epsom Salt (Adding Epsom salt to a hot bath helps draw out toxins, calm nerves, cures headaches and muscles.)

• Olive Oil (Adding olive oil to a bath will moisturize and soften dry skin.)

• Soak and relax for 20 to 30 minutes and try to forget that the whole world is constantly bitch slapping us like a pimp.

• Once your done make sure you rinse.

Benefits of a milk bath:

• Soothe and hydrates skin.

• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

• Exfoliate skin.

• Improve skin firmness.

• Reduce dry spots and flare-ups.

• Ease sunburn.

• Improve inflammatory skin conditions.

• Ease tension.

• Relieve stress.

• Promote restful sleep.

Potential risks:

Really nothing but if you suffer from allergies to milk or have especially sensitive skin you should be cautious before taking a milk bath.

Benefits of rose water:

• Helps soothe skin irritation. (this includes both internal and external. It may even help soothe irritation of eczema or rosacea.)

• Soothes sore throats.

• Reduces skin redness and acne.

• Helps prevent and treats infections. (Rose water has naturally powerful antiseptic which is why it's in variety of natural and medicinal treatments! In fact, Its antiseptic and analgesic properties helped in treating the ocular disease.)

• Contains antioxidants. (Rose petals and rose oil contain a number of powerful antioxidants, which can help protect cells from damage. It was found that these antioxidants had potential lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects and that offers powerful cell protection as a result.)

• Heals cuts, scars, and burns.(Rose water has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that can help wounds heal faster. These properties can help clean and fight off infection of cuts and burns. They can also help cuts, burns, and even scars heal faster.)

• Enhances mood. (Rose water can have strong antidepressant and antianxiety properties. A study in 2011 found that the extract of rose petals can relax the central nervous system which resulted in antidepressant and antianxiety effects.)

• Relieves headaches.

• Has anti-aging properties.

• Soothes digestion problems. (In folk medicine, rose water has been used to aid in digestion and cure a upset stomach and a 2008 study found that there is some evidence that rose water can positively influence digestion and relieve an upset digestive system. It may also improve bile secretion, which can further aid digestion.)

Potential risks:

Literally nothing, the only exception is if you are allergic to rose.

Epsom salt benefits:

• Epsom salt is a natural pain reliever.

• Epsom salt is great for your body. (It helps relax muscles and relieve pain in the shoulders, neck, back and skull. For example, by relaxing the muscles surrounding the skull, the magnesium in Epsom salt may help release a headache or migraine. Sadly it doesn't remove the pain of this world but eh, at least your body feels nice.)

• Epsom salt kills bacteria. (This shit is especially useful nowadays because of the pandemic.)

Potential risks:

• Magnesium overdose. Some cases of magnesium overdose have been reported, in which people took too much Epsom salt. Symptoms include nausea, headache, lightheadedness, and flushed skin.

• Do NOT take an Epsom salt bath if you have high blood pressure, a heart or kidney condition or any circulatory problems.

Note: The bath is perfectly okay without Ebsom salt and doesn't change anything if it's gone so if your worried about it then simply don't put it in. Better safe than sorry!

Essential oil benefits:

Note: These are the actual scientific benefits not that antivax bullshit and I spent like a whole 5 minutes trying to find the real benefits because all those websites kept showing up. That's 5 minutes of my life stolen by Karen's so I hope your happy.

• Lavender oil. (Lavender is prized for its ability to calm and relax.)

• Eucalyptus oil. (Eucalyptus has a cooling effect on muscles and reduces pain and inflammation.)

• Roman and German chamomile oils. (Chamomile oils can help with pain and inflammation.)

• Peppermint oil. (Peppermint contains menthol, which has a cooling effect on sore, achy muscles. It also has analgesic, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory properties.)

• Helichrysum oil. (Helichrysum relieves muscle spasms, inflammation, and pain.)

• Marjoram oil. (Marjoram relaxes muscle spasms and tension. It’s known for its ability to ease pain and inflammation.)

• Rosemary oil. (Rosemary is noted for its ability to ease pain and inflammation.)

• Yarrow oil. (Yarrow is used to reduce pain and inflammation.)

• Cypress oil. (Cypress calms and relaxes muscles spasms and works to soothe inflammation.)

• Sandalwood oil. (Sandalwood alleviates muscle spasms, tension, and inflammation.)

• Ginger oil. (Ginger has a warming effect on sore muscles, which helps relieve pain.)

• Black pepper oil. (Black pepper alleviates pain by warming up your body.)

• Clove oil. (Clove is often used to treat pain. It also has a warming effect on sore muscles.)

• Clary sage oil. (Clary sage alleviates muscle tension and spasms while promoting relaxation.)

• Juniper oil. (Juniper eases tension and eliminates muscle spasms.)

• Arnica oil. (Arnica relieves inflammation and swelling while soothing the skin. It’s often recommended for bruising.)

• Lemongrass oil. (Lemongrass works quickly to reduce inflammation and swelling.)

Potential risks:

• Do NOT consume.

Essential oils are not safe to consume and can cause significant poisoning even if small amounts are ingested. If you try to eat this I will find you and spray you with febreze, don't try me.

Olive Oil benefits:

• It moisturizes your skin. (Olive oil is well known to moisturize and hydrate your skin.)

• Fights bacteria. (If you're prone to acne, using a soap made with olive oil may help decrease your acne by killing off the bacteria that causes the acne.)

• Olive oil is a natural anti aging option. (Nearly 73% of olive oil consists of monounsaturated fat, which is associated with increased skin elasticity and firmness.)

• Olive oil helps protect against sun burn. (Animal and lab studies suggest it has strong anti-inflammatory effects on the skin and may protect it from sun damage.)

Potential risks:

• Olive oil is honestly a double sided snake because while it fights acne, It also might cause acne.

To quote Dr. Gohara “Olive oil is a naturally heavy oil, making it a breeding ground for bacteria that can clog pores and cause acne.” but of course, everyone's skin is different, and some acne-prone people may have no problem doing this while others may find that it breaks them out.

• You might end up smelling like a Olive Garden if you don't rinse that off probably.

• Don't use daily, once a month is completely fine but honestly even that's kinda pushing it. Constant treatment with olive oil significantly damages the skin barrier, and therefore has the potential to promote the development of, and exacerbate existing, atopic dermatitis. This said, the use of olive oil for the treatment of dry skin and infant massage should therefore definitely be discouraged under any circumstances.

Note: Just like the Epsom salt, Olive oil is optional. You don't have to risk smelling like a fucking walking olive if you don't want to.

Now, let's move on to how much this will cost aka let's move forward to the part I hate.

Roses typically cost about $10-$15 but I have seen cheaper so don't worry.

I'm pretty sure we all know how much milk cost but if for some reason if you don't, $3-$4.

Olive oil is typically $15-$20 so thank god that's optional and besides you probably already have some in your kitchen somewhere or maybe that's just me since my mom's a retired cook but eh, you probably do so look before you leave to get it!

Do not buy essential oils in person, trust me it's fucking easier that way! Anytime I had tried to buy some in person it was like $30 for just one of them but online I got like 12 of them for the same price so just save your bank account the crying, and get it online. If you do this it should be about $15!

Epsom salt is around $10-$12 for a supply of 454 grams, depending on the pharmacy or walmart you visit.

So, let's move onto the pricing of showing yourself this much love.

If you choose to use all the ingredients then this whole real life aesthetic bath is probably at the most around $53 - $81 and that's kinda a big yikes but you can find it for cheaper depending on how and where you shop and I know this because I have done it.

If you choose not to use the Ebsom salt and olive oil which once again is perfectly okay then this should be around $28 - $43 at most because once again I have done this for cheaper before, it honestly just depends on how you shop so be smart about it!

Tip: try and find coupons through apps or newspapers if you still think you can't afford it.

This one is completely up to you but consider stopping to buy some chocolate, because I feel like that will taste even better when your treating yourself like this.

[chairfreon5-blog]

10 Cozy Things to Make In February 2019

10 Cozy Things to Make In February 2019

Adventures

While February is a very short month, it’s also a very cool month. Lots of things going on in this month. There is game day (which I barely partake in), Black History Month and of course, Valentine’s Day. When I was in New York, I did root for The Rams because I felt like they needed the support. I will be rooting for them on Super Bowl Sunday, too. And while, I think the NFL is V problematic, I understand people’s need for joy in the name of football.

Anyway, here we are in February. These are some things I’d like to recommend for your cooking consideration:

1. Red Velvet Heart Surprise Cupcakes – These cupcakes felt like a victory. After a handful of failures, having these turn out felt like we finished the marathon. But we didn’t. We just ended up with good tasting cupcakes.

2. Warm Caramelized Fennel + Leek Dip – This dip is one of my favorite things EVER. It’s an oldie (sorta) but still incredibly solid. If you’ve never really liked fennel, trust me cheese makes it way better. You will be a changed human.

3. Instant Pot Pozole Verde con Pollo – This recipe was super popular last month because it’s EASY EASY EASY. And the polar vortex decimated the mid-west and north east. It was even chilly in Los Angeles and rainy so this has been on repeat.

4. Warm Cuban Dip Sandwich Dip – Have you ever had a Cuban sandwich? This is the dip version, utilizing all of the components that are usually in the sandwich. This dip is DELICIOUS.

5. Mini Chocolate Sheet Cake for Two with Raspberry Frosting – If you’re looking for a cake that is perfect for two people (ok, maybe four people), this is it! The frosting is super tasty, too.

6. Ginger Shrimp Stir-Fry with Garlicky Bok Choy – I’ve made this a few times since I posted it because it’s so simple to throw together and it’s healthy. At this time of year, I want dishes that are comforting and warm but light.

7. Strawberry + Cream Cookies – I know that spring is still far away and yet all of us—especially those living in colder states—can’t wait for its arrival. These luckily don’t require fresh spring strawberries. They get their flavor from freeze-dried strawberries and paired with white chocolate chips, it’s a nice win.

8. Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies – These chocolate chip cookies are PERFECT for a party because they have everyone’s favorite ingredient: alcohol.

9. Classed-Up Double Decker Tacos – My college self loved Taco Bell with absolutely zero shame. My thirty-something year old self cares about ingredients a bit more and, well, balance? Lol. But sometimes you gotta make double decker tacos and homemade ones are even better!

10. Oat Milk Collagen Hot Chocolate – Since it’s still chilly and it’s 2019 and we’re annoying and now consume collagen, here is a recipe for oat milk collagen hot chocolate. I still drink this.

11. Strawberry Heart Conversation Cake – Did you hear that they stopped making conversation candy? I honestly can’t say that I’m THAT bummed. That candy sorta tastes gross but you know what is delightful? This strawberry heart cake!

January 29, 2019 by Adrianna Adarme

Adrianna Adarme

A Cozy Kitchen is a blog written by Adrianna Adarme. Adrianna likes corgis, pancakes and cute things.

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Hi! This is my lil’ corner on da internets called A Cozy Kitchen. I live in Los Angeles, California with my husband Joshua and my corgi Amelia.

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Source: https://www.acozykitchen.com/10-cozy-things-to-make-in-february-2019/