Tumgik
#place: rachel's house
jauntilyplacedcaps · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media
41 notes · View notes
angelhummel · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media
⭐ Every Rachel Barbra Berry Outfit
3x13 Heart
16 notes · View notes
ctrvpani · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Decided to make a gif version of the incorrect quote post I made this morning
84 notes · View notes
pettybourgeoiz · 2 years
Audio
12 notes · View notes
devitalise · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
book haul 🤭😋
8 notes · View notes
hikari-writes · 11 months
Text
·˚ ◌༘₊· ͟͞꒰➳ tags
ꕥ #⋆ the golden lion -written works
ꕥ #⋆ the light purple roses -rambles
ꕥ #⋆ the fantasies -reblogs
ꕥ #⋆ the fairytales -self reblogs/icymi
ꕥ #⋆ the snow lotuses -answered asks
ꕥ #⋆ the one who longed for her -fun concept 
ꕥ #⋆ the iron widow -arts
ꕥ #⋆ the mothers’ tea time -queued posts
ꕥ #⋆ the von neuschwansteins ✧moot[emoji]✧ -mutuals
ꕥ #⋆ the von nurembergs ✧follower url✧ -follower asks
ꕥ #⋆ the streifes -anonymous asks
ꕥ #⋆ the ones who were trapped in solitude -selfships
ꕥ #⋆ shess house -games
ꕥ #⋆ the stepmother’s happiness -important
ꕥ #⋆ gatherings; insert fandom -masterlists
ꕥ #⋆ the gatherings; all star -main masterlist
2 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
2 notes · View notes
disapprovinghmm · 2 years
Note
You still having a hard time finding an apartment?
Nobody want to gib me place 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🔪
5 notes · View notes
playingbutter · 4 months
Text
My thoughts after watching Hunger Games: Ballad of songbirds and snakes (and I read the book) :
1. I thought the character of Lucy Gray was too cynical. In the books, her “jokes” are due to her sense of humor and ease in conversations with others. In the movie she seemed a bit too mature for a 16 year old girl, but I still think she wasn't bad. She was very well acted by Rachel Zegler. The scenes that I had a problem with were those that were added from outside the book to convey the content, e.g. SPOILER! When Corio found the gun and she started joking that she was the only one left as evidence so maybe he should kill her. I just don't think Lucy Gray would ever say that (and she didn't). This scene gives the feeling that she knew what he was going to do, so that's why she left the house, and when I read the book, I was convinced that she ACTUALLY left to collect food.
2. I think Corio was too confident. In the books, between his internal dialogues, you can read that he is extremely unsure of himself (and I understand that internal dialogues cannot be given in a movie, but I think it should have been solved with other acting). He was too chill, e.g. after the scene when he "killed Lucy Gray" he simply returned to the base, where in the book it was shown as a panic, manic attack that he couldn't stop.
3. NOT ENOUGH ROMANCE!! I'm not normally that person, but come on, they kissed ONCE! ONCE! When in the book it was more common. I also think that cutting out the kiss before the games really changes their relationship dynamic, and cutting out the scene where Lucy Gray sings to the peacekeepers and sings specifically to Corio and then they confess their love to each other takes a lot away.
4. NOT ENOUGH SEJANUS! This was a very very important character in the books, and the fact that we didn't get A SINGLE SCENE in Sejanus' house is really strange.
5. I know it wasn't possible, AND I WASN'T BORN YESTERDAY, so I'm aware that the movies are different from the books, but I think it would be possible to present this entire 600 page masterpiece in 2 parts of the movie, just like we got Mockingjay part 1 and part 2.
But what I liked!!:
1. I think that the casting of characters was perfect: Sejanus, Tigris, Highbottom and Gaul (and this is also of great importance for the film)
2. Beautiful and ACCURATELY presented places from the book, Poland did really well, in the scenes of the games and during the scenes in the meadows.
3. I think that the characters of everyone correspond to the descriptions in the book, which also suits me very well.
4. I love the ending scene where Tigris (Hunter Shafer) tells Corio (Tom Blyth) that he looks “just like his father” after he did all the things that they all pretend to ignore. It wasn’t in the book but I REALLY liked that.
5. Apart from the plot violation issues, I think Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler played really well and they deserve a big round of applause for that!
1K notes · View notes
seph-ic · 1 year
Text
My favorite thing ever?
Nico has a service dog 
Because after Mr. D diagnoses him with PTSD he feels kind of hopeless and overwhelmed (especially after her hears that it can’t be easily fixed with magic or anything) 
So Mr D. Suggests that he get a service animal. 
Nico argues that animals hate him because he ‘smells like death’. Mr. D Points out that Mrs O’Leary doesn’t hate him. 
They both go talk to Hades who jumps at the excuse to win back his son by buying him more stuff. 
The dog ends up being a hellhound mix (don’t ask how.) 
The mix is mostly so she is a bit smaller for convenience (so she can fit in places.)
I'd assume she looks something like a Burmese mountain dog mix.
Her names Penelope (Penny) and Nico loves her. 
Nico and Her spend a couple of months doing service dog training with Artemis and the hunters (dogs are one of her patron animals.)
the time he spends with them also gives him a bit of closure and helps him process what happened to his sister.
soon enough she's graduated their honorary service dog school and is fully trained.
She goes with Nico everywhere. Since she is half hellhound she can assist with shadow travel and make it easier for Nico. (To Wills relief) 
She helps Nico with panic attacks and nightmares. 
She grabs things for him (KitKats, sword, water, pillows.) 
she can even open the fridge in the big house.
If Nico is having a really bad episode or a flashback he can’t come out of or if he’s in any physical danger, she knows to go get Will Chiron or MR D. In a heartbeat. 
Again a shadow traveling dog being useful.
Will makes extra sure that everyone at camp is aware of how service animals work. 
He teaches all the campers about what Penny's job is and why they’re not allowed to distract her.
On occasion when she isn't working she'll play fetch or get pets from some of the kids. 
All Nicos freind's and family love her.
Like everyone wants to be a part of this dogs life, Nico has literally never been more popular.
Hazel buys her a sweater for the holidays.
Rachel helps Nico also dye part of her tail at one point (to keep her identifiable) and they give it a cool design.
Annabeth asks if she can make her a cool dog house.
Piper insists that they take her to the groomer and buys her little bandannas.
Percy helps Nico teach her how to swim.
She will also grabs medical supplies for Will sometimes.
Grover also knows how to talk to her and regularly lets her know how Nico is doing (not that she doesn't already know.) 
Nico finds it easier to eat with Penelope.
It kind of forces him to eat on a schedule, since Penny has to be fed three times a day and the two of them can eat at the same time.
Nico also gives her little scraps off his plate sometimes which makes them both happy.
She gets absolutely spoiled. 
At one point Nico gets worried that she might get hurt fighting a monster. Hades assured him she won’t but Leo makes her some extra cool dog armor just in case
She also has a little bag attached to her vest for carrying supplies on quests and long journeys. (list of things these bags might contain: Ambrosia, Dog treats, Water/kitkats, extra weapons, drachmas.)
Nico connects so well with this fucking dog.
Like he always struggled with people and he never really even considered being an animal person.
But he absolutely adores Penny.
He talks to her about things that worry him and just finds her presence so unbelievably comforting.
Will solace (who I think personally would become a vet sooner than a doctor) Has this dog on the best fucking diet you could imagine
you have never seen a more medically healthy dog.
And she ADORES Will
Partially because of how calmer Nico is with him, and partially because he keeps a treat jar in the infirmary now.
The best part! she cannot die (from old age at least) Immortal service dog!
Having a huge fluffy head is great for pressure therapy.
Nico (neurodivergent) likes the texture of her fur and stims by petting her or playing with her ears.
Tumblr media
4K notes · View notes
jauntilyplacedcaps · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
13 notes · View notes
angelhummel · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
⭐ Every Rachel Barbra Berry Outfit
3x12 The Spanish Teacher
14 notes · View notes
mvybanks · 1 year
Text
you drew stars around my scars
summary: when your boyfriend leaves you after finding out about your pregnancy, your best friend is not scared to take his place and show you how you and your baby deserve to be loved. (bestfriend!jj x pregnant!reader)
a/n: SHES HERE!!! i know that technically it wasn’t requested but by all of the asks i’ve gotten on this particular storyline, i had to! you guys have no idea how many times i had to do a research about pregnancy, i had to delete my google history😫 anyway, there’s a quote from friends from when rachel was pregnant AND the whole birth scene is just rachel giving birth because i have no idea how that works and friends was my only solution. i hope you guys like it!!! feedback is really appreciated <33
warnings: toxic and abusive ex, unwanted pregnancy, ANGST, mentions of sex (sfw), making out, reader goes into labour and gives birth (natural)
word count: 9.9k (i’m dead help)
my masterlist
add yourself to my taglist <3
Tumblr media
“i’m pregnant,” the conversation keeps replaying in your head, mocking you.
his voice is still clear in your mind, his laugh, so full of venom, “you can’t be pregnant.”
“i am, nathan. i took like ten tests, they’re all positive.”
and that look he gave you, as if you were scum, “that’s not my problem. you should’ve been more careful!” he yelled, starting to scare you.
“i didn’t mean this to happen. listen, we can-“
“there’s no we, no us!” the glass he had in his hand shattered on the wall beside you, for he had thrown it with force; had he tried to hit you?
“you’re not gonna trap me with a kid.”
“trap you? nathan, this is also your kid! it takes two people to-“ your words were cut off by the sound of a plate being thrown on the wall behind you, and that time you were sure you had been his target. when you looked at him, he was not the man you had thought he was. although you didn’t show it, you were terrified, and you still are, because you didn’t know where and when he would’ve stopped. you walked to your bedroom and started gathering the things he used to leave at your apartment.
“y/n, wait. i didn’t mean to do that. just-“ you began throwing his clothes at him, interrupting the empty promises he was about to made.
“you don’t want this kid? then leave!” you scream.
“i always knew you were just a bitch! should’ve left you months ago!”
“leave!” you shouted, taking the framed picture of the two of you from the coffee table and throwing it at the door as he closed it behind him.
your empty chest squeezes every time you catch a glimpse of the mess littering your floor and the reminder of what he was about to do because of his unjustified anger.
you fall on the ground, your back pressed against the wall behind you as loud sobs escape from your lips. tears are now falling down to your neck, drenching your eyelashes and your face. your hand shakily reaches for the phone that rests in your front pocket, pressing the contact for the only person you want to see right now.
“hey, y/n,” the melody of jj’s voice already brings you comfort, “what’s up?”
“j…” your trembling tone and the sound of your crying is now clear to him as he becomes scared of your well-being, which makes him interrupt you before you can continue.
“y/n? baby? what’s going on? where are you?”
as usual, the nickname makes butterfly erupt in your stomach, even in the state you’re in right now. however, what really warms your heart is the jingling of keys, already working his way outside his house just to get to you.
“i-i’m home. p-p-please, come h-here.”
“i’ll be there in five seconds, baby, okay?”
you hang up, too exhausted to answer as the last bit of strength you have left is currently being used to dehydrate your body since your tears seem to never stop.
when you hear the rumbling of his bike from outside, you finally take a deep breath, although it’s still hard to breathe between your sobs. you thank yourself for always having a spare key, which only jj knows about and where it’s hidden.
as soon as he enters the home, nervously looking for you, his face drops, horror is written all over his features as he looks at the sight before him: broken pieces of glass and ceramic are littering the ground, clothes are thrown on the couch and right on the front door, a picture on the floor that shows both you and your boyfriend. ex-boyfriend, but to jj that wasn’t a given yet.
his eyes finally found your shaking figure and he runs to you, anger and concern are the only emotions on his face as he crouches down in front of you.
“tell me he didn’t hurt you. tell me he didn’t throw this stuff at you because i swear to god i’m gonna kill him,” and you believe him.
perhaps you wouldn’t have if it was a different situation, but the look in his eyes clearly tells you that he’s about to commit murder if you don’t stop him.
“baby, please, talk to me. i just need to know that you’re okay, i need to know you’re not hurt,” he pleads, but your breathing gets harder the more you think about the bomb you’re about to drop.
“he didn’t hurt me,” you whisper softly, your crying finally calms down for a second.
“what happened?”
you look into his beautiful eyes, the same ones that never judged you and only ever gazed at you with so much affection and admiration, “i’m pregnant.”
even saying the words brings you to tears again as jj tries to calm himself down from the shock. his best friend, the woman he has loved for as long as he can remember, is pregnant…with another man’s child. he’s hurting, but he knows that it’s not about him and his stupid feelings right now.
“wha-whe- is it nathan’s?” he’s so shaken up by your confession he can barely make out a coherent sentence, but his question is a genuine one.
the annoyed look in your eyes tells him that it was a stupid question on his part, ‘whose would it be?’ your expression says.
“he left, j. he left me. he-” you stop yourself before you can tell him what he did, “he didn’t want us,” you simply say.
now he understands. he wants to kill him. he can’t believe he would do this to you, he knew he was a douchebag who didn’t deserve you, but this? this is low even for him.
jj wraps his arms tightly around your body, sitting on the floor next to you as he shifts in order to let you rest your head against his chest. he gently shushes your sobs as he rocks your body, bending his neck to press his lips on your forehead.
“it’s okay, everything’s gonna be okay, sunshine. i got you. we’ll figure this out, ” he whispers, reassuring and reminding you of his presence.
the name he used to call you when you were just two teenagers brings a whole different sentiment grow in your chest as you finally feel safe.
you hold onto his t-shirt for dear life while your sobs finally seem to die down.
“don’t go, please,” you murmur against the cotton of his shirt and he swears his heart breaks.
jj cradles your face in his hands, rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs as they get rid of your tears, and he stares into your eyes, an intense and strange look in his, “never. i’ll never leave you, you understand? i’m right here.”
the rawness and honesty in his voice makes you let out another soft sob and he kisses your head again.
“listen to me,” he says once his eyes are fixed on yours, “i’ll be here for everything, okay? i won’t let you go through all of this alone. it’s you and me.”
you nod slowly, your head still in his hands, “you and me.”
jj has been your rock since you were just a couple of kids, of troublemakers running around the cut hand in hand. you don’t remember one time in your life where he wasn’t there, protecting you from everything that’s wrong in the world and holding you when things got tough.
and even in this new and complicated situation, one neither of you have ever been in, he doesn’t hesitate to step up and do what he does best: taking care of you.
once you don’t have any tears left in you, he watches as you relax against him, your arms around him as he keeps rocking you. jj lifts your body from the ground and brings you to bed, laying you on the mattress. he gently throws a blanket on your sleeping body before bending down to kiss your forehead.
when he goes to leave the room, the sound of your voice stops him, “where you going?”
“i’ll stay here, don’t worry. i was going to sleep on the couch,” he smiles, reassuring you that he’ll be here for you in the morning.
“can you stay…here?” your voice is weak and sleepy, and he can’t say no to you.
“of course, sunshine.”
he lies next to you and you immediately go to rest your head on his chest, while his arms wrap around you, protecting you for as long as he can. one hand starts smoothing your hair out of your face, while the other is firmly hugging your waist.
“j,” you call him, so softly he almost doesn’t hear you, “i’m scared.”
he tightly shuts his eyes and kisses your head again, his lips lingering on your skin a little too long, “i know; i know, sunshine, but i’m not going anywhere, okay? you’re gonna have to kick me out if you want me to stay away.”
you chuckle and nuzzle your head further in his neck, inhaling the perfume of cheap cologne that brings you so much comfort, “thank you.”
the next morning, you find yourself in an empty bed, no sign of jj. the thought of him leaving you too begins to crawl inside you, mixed with fear and disappointment. you can hear the soft sound of your old tv playing in the living room, you didn’t leave it on, did you?
you slowly walk to your kitchen, an open space with the living room, and there he is, your favorite person in the whole world standing in front of a cooking pan while humming a song to himself.
“g’morning,” you mumble, rubbing sleep from your eyes as you walk closer to him.
“good morning, sunshine,” he smiles at you, “i was making you breakfast.”
you grin at him; how stupid of you to think he would ever leave you.
your eyes scan the room as a frown starts to form on your face, “did you clean the mess from last night?”
he turns to you and nervously rubs the back of his head, “oh - uhm, yeah. there was glass everywhere, didn’t want you to get hurt, y’know.”
your feet take you to where he’s standing and your arms circle around his torso, resting your head against his chest. at first he’s startled by the sudden affection, but he recovers quickly, holding you close to him. you’re enjoying the comforting feeling of being in his arms when the smell of the eggs he’s cooking hits you, making you scrunch your nose.
suddenly, you feel an upsetting sensation in your stomach and you soon realize that your baby doesn’t agree with eggs.
“oh shit,” you say as you unwrap yourself from him and all but run to the bathroom, leaving a very confused jj behind you.
however, the sound of you being sick makes him move to the bathroom’s open door. you’re kneeling in front of the toilet, throwing up as you try to hold your hair back. jj immediately kneels behind you and wraps his hand around your hair while his other hand strokes your back.
when you’re done, you let yourself fall with your back against the bathtub while he follows you, putting an arm around your shoulders.
“what was that about?” he asks softly, “did you eat something bad last night?”
you chuckle, “morning sickness, j. gonna have to do this for a while.”
“you’re telling me you’re gonna throw up every morning?”
your hand plays with his shirt as your head finds a comfortable position against his chest, “i started having it a week ago and i did some research, it should last at least two months,” you sigh, “anyway, i’m going to the doctor this afternoon and i’ll ask her about it, just to make sure.”
“i’m coming with you,” he says, holding you tighter.
“j, you don’t have to,” although the smile on your face says otherwise.
his lips press against your forehead, “i told you, i won’t let you go through this alone.”
he keeps his promise, like always. that same afternoon he picks you up and brings you to the doctor’s office. when you’re ready for your exam, the doctor tells him that he can come into the room as your private parts are covered.
jj sits next to you as the gynecologist squeezes a cold substance on your stomach, prepping you for your sonogram.
“so,” she starts, eyeing the man beside you, “you are…?”
“i’m her best friend; jj, ma’am,” jj says, showing her a polite grin.
“well, nice to meet you. are you ready, y/n?”
you nervously smile at her, “yeah, i am.”
the gynecologist begins the sonogram and the sound of a pulse starts filling the room, “this is your baby’s heartbeat,” she smiles and you unconsciously grab jj’s hand, his fingers intertwining with yours immediately, “and this,” she points to a bunch of black and white lines, “this is your baby.”
a laugh full of disbelief escapes your lips and jj’s eyes fall on your face, admiring you.
“i’ll leave you alone for a couple of minutes, okay?” the doctor says before leaving the room.
he brings your joined hands to his lips, kissing your knuckles, “you okay, sunshine?”
your eyes are full of tears when you answer him, “thank you for coming with me.”
“i wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
jj maybank isn’t known for being responsible, for owning up to his mistakes, or for making the smartest decisions, but when it comes to you? he’d give up everything just to get you to show him that beautiful smile of yours that makes his insides churn up and his heart flutter in his chest.
therefore, when he finds out you’re going to tell your parents about the pregnancy, he doesn’t leave your side, just like he promised. he might be unreliable to anyone else that knows him, but to you he’s always been the only person you can count on.
his hand is squeezing yours as you both look at your parents’ reaction after finding out about your situation.
“is it his?” your father asks, pointing at jj.
“no, it’s nathan’s. he - uhm,” jj rubs his thumb on the back of your hand, comforting you, “he left.”
“oh, come here,” your mom walks to you, taking you in her arms and your dad does the same not long after.
“jj, don’t take this wrong way, son, but what are you doing here?” your father asks, confusion written all over his face.
your parents have known jj since forever, just like you, and they both know how much you care for each other. it’s not a secret they’ve been waiting for you and him to get together, but no one dares to say it out loud.
“she’s a strong woman, sir, i know she could do this alone but i don’t want her to. so i’ll be by her side as long as she’ll have me.”
your dad nods at him while your mom goes to give him a hug too, taking him by surprise.
after spending the rest of the day at your parents’, jj takes you home. it’s been a couple of days since your boyfriend left you and although you’re still hurt by what he’s done, every time you walk into your house and remember that he’s not there, a sense of relief washes over you.
before jj can go back to his apartment, he stops at the front door, the question eating him alive for days. he calls your name, bringing your attention to him, “listen, i don’t want you to talk about it if you aren’t ready but…what happened the other night? i - i keep thinking about the mess on the floor and it’s haunting me.”
you walk to him, resting your hands on his chest, “promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
his eyes look into yours, “i can’t promise you that,” his low and raspy voice makes your stomach flip.
“j…i don’t want you to get hurt.”
“what did he do?”
you lick your lips, slowly gnawing on the bottom one, “he threw some things,” you swallow thickly.
“at you?”
“jj, please-“
“just answer the question,” his eyes are full of rage and you don’t know what he’s going to do once he gets to know the truth, but you’re too far into the story to lie now.
“yes. he missed…twice. i - i think he was drunk, that’s the only explanation i have. he had never done something like this before.”
the look in his eyes is scaring you, not because you fear him, but because you fear what he might do. he protects you; that’s what he’s always done for you and knowing that he couldn’t do that when nathan was with you is killing him.
“j?” you ask as he still hasn’t said anything.
“i’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
your arm wraps around his bicep, stopping him, “you don’t have to do this. i’m okay.”
“because his aim is shit! that’s why you’re okay!” he all but shouts, “i’m just going to make sure he doesn’t have the chance to do it again.”
you place the hand that isn’t stopping him on his cheek, cradling his face and forcing his gaze on you, “i don’t like this,” you whisper, your faces closer than you had realized before.
his eyes finally soften; he slowly wraps his fingers around your wrist, that was brushing against his chin, and gently places a kiss on it, then on your palm, “he’ll get what he deserves,” he rasps as his forehead falls on yours, your noses brushing against each other.
“just -“ you sigh, your breath hitting his mouth, and he swears his heart skips a beat at the feeling, “be careful.”
he uses all of his self-control to not kiss your mouth until you can’t breathe anymore, but he can’t help himself from kissing the tip of your nose and then your forehead, “i will,” he reassures you.
when he shows up at your door the morning after, you don’t ask questions. the split lip, the purple bruise around his eye and the bandages around his hand are everything you need to know. he doesn’t tell you what happened and if you want to be honest, you don’t really want to know, so luckily, that was the last time either of you brought the subject up.
everyday, jj is there for you, holding your hair up when you’re sick and bringing you all the weird foods you start craving. when he said he wasn’t going to leave you, he meant it. he picks up all your calls immediately, even if it’s in the middle of the night.
“hey, sunshine,” he answers his phone, one night. he checks the time on the clock sitting on his bedside table: 3 a.m.
you’re already in your third month of pregnancy, so it’s been roughly a month since you found out. it has now become almost a habit for you to call him when you have a craving, therefore he doesn’t worry anymore when you call him so late at night.
“hey…this is going to sound weird,” you say, clearly nervous.
“what’s up?”
“i really, really want cookie dough ice cream…and popcorn.”
a moment passes before he answers, the sound of him moving some things around does not go unnoticed by you, “okay, i’ve got popcorn at my place. i can see if i can find an open gas station? for the ice cream, i mean.”
you smile, “you’re the best, you know that?”
“i know, but i love it when you say it.”
your cheeks turn cherry red, “text me when you’re coming, ‘kay?”
“sure, sunshine. don’t worry ‘bout me.”
the thing that still takes you aback is the lack of hesitation whenever you ask something; no one has ever treated you like this, except him but something feels different this time.
“my hero!” you say in a theatrical manner when jj enters your bedroom, a bag of popcorn in one hand and a small tub of ice cream in the other.
“gotta save the princess in distress,” he smirks before handing you the goods and leaving the room again, “i’ll get you a spoon.”
he holds you close to his chest for the rest of the night, almost lying to himself that this could be a habit for the rest of your lives.
you can’t deny how much you want this too, and your pregnancy hormones are making it even harder to resist him.
“oh, c’mon! it’s impossible nothing’s happened between you two yet!”
your friend, mar, is currently trying to make you talk about your ‘secret affair’ with jj, which doesn’t exist, but she keeps insisting it does.
you’ve been hanging out with her a lot more these past few months since she also has a baby, and you’re desperate for advices from someone who has already been through this.
“i swear, mar! why would something happen?”
“because he’s hot and he’s been head over heels for you since forever?”
you chuckle, before taking a sip of the water in front of you. you’re sitting at a café, hoping no one is listening to your conversation, “yeah, sure.”
she looks at you, cocking an eyebrow, “don’t tell me you don’t know. you really think he’s not in love with you?”
you shrug, “yeah, ‘cause he’s not. he’s my best friend, that’s it.”
“you’re telling me you’ve never, even once, looked at him in a different way? not even in a i-want-to-jump-his-bones kind of way?”
you’re sure your cheeks are turning red now, “maybe…but that doesn’t count!”
“what doesn’t?”
“i mean, i’ve always thought he was hot, but lately things have felt different - i have been feeling differently,” you correct yourself.
you don’t tell her that you’ve been admiring him from afar all those years of friendship, how watching him with someone else makes a sick feeling in your stomach grow, or how your heart seems to jump out of your chest whenever he touches you.
she leans closer to you, her elbows sitting on the small table between you, “different how?” she smirks.
“the jump-his-bones thing…” you mumble, “but i think there’s something different with me! i don’t know, maybe it’s the pregnancy.”
she seems to think about your words for a moment, “wait, this is about your fourth month, right?” you nod, “that’s totally normal! your hormones start going crazy around the fourth month of pregnancy. i couldn’t keep my hands off mike during that time,” she says, referring to her husband.
“is that what this is? i thought i was turning into a horny teenager.”
you both laugh before you continue, “i guess i can call my gynecologist and see if she can give me a pill or something.”
“oh yeah, that’s what you need: a good…pill.”
you playfully roll your eyes at her, “shut up.”
“i bet jj would be happy to help you with that by the way.”
“mar!”
she throws her hands in the air, “just saying.”
as you drive back home, your friend’s words keep replaying in your head.
could he really be in love with you? and even if he were, why wouldn’t he tell you, especially right now?
you mindlessly walk through the front door, still deep in your thoughts, when you hear a strange sound coming from the corridor. you automatically place your hand on your phone, ready to call ‘someone’, before your head turns to the window, your eyes searching for jj’s truck. when you see it right outside your house, you sigh in relief.
“jj?” you call his name, walking towards the sound.
“in here!” he yells, his voice now clearly coming from the empty room in your apartment.
when you find yourself outside the room, you have to stop yourself from actually drooling at the sight; he’s kneeling on the ground, shirtless and sweating, as he’s working with some pieces of wood. you’re not really sure what he’s doing but you’re sure as hell enjoying the view.
“j, what are you doing?” you ask as you enter what’s supposed to be a spare room, confusion and amusement written all over your face.
“i’m building a crib,” he says nonchalantly while your lips slightly part at his words.
your hand automatically travels to your growing belly, “what?”
“i thought i would get ahead of things, before everything becomes crazy and shit, i don’t know. wanted to surprise you,” he shrugs, although it’s obvious he cares about your reaction.
“is this going to be the baby’s room?”
he finally rises rom his kneeling position and walks to you, standing at the door to look at the room in front of you, “you don’t like it?”
tears start to form in your eyes and you don’t even know why, “it’s just - it’s so boring and plain! i-“ you take a deep breath and look at jj, “i love what you’re doing, j. it’s the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me but…this room is so ugly.”
you almost start to cry when he wraps an arm around your shoulders, bringing your body flush against his, and kisses your head, “i’m sorry,” you whisper against his naked chest, your insides turning at the feeling of his skin.
“hey, it’s okay. did you really think i wanted to keep those beige walls in a baby’s room?”
you crane your neck to look up at him, “you don’t?”
he chuckles, “of course not, baby. i wanted to paint the walls a different color, that’s for sure. i was thinking green. would you like that?”
you nod and wrap your arms around his neck, jumping slightly to rest your head right where his neck meets his shoulder, “yes, yes! that’s so pretty!”
he’s completely taken aback by your sudden burst of happiness, not that he minds, he would do absolutely anything to make you happy. jj wraps his arms tightly around your torso and spins you a little as you giggle, the sound like a sweet melody he never wants to stop listening to.
when your feet hit the ground again, you place your hands on his reddened cheeks and kiss one of them sweetly, “thank you.”
“anything for you, you know that.”
you smile up at him, showing him your sweetest smile, one that’s always been his. his arms are still circling around your torso, keeping you close to him and you swear you see his eyes flicker to your lips for a second, but that’s it; only a second, before he goes back to what he was doing previous to your arrival.
the next day, jj shows up at your house with full buckets of green paint, brushes and rollers in plastic bags and that grin on his face you love so much, “put on some old clothes, baby, because we’re painting a room today.”
you look at him incredulous, “are you serious right now?”
“uhhh, yeah?”
he walks to what will be the baby’s room while you run to your closet, excited to do this for your child. you wear a big, worn, white t-shirt, which you’re sure is actually jj’s, and a pair of denim overalls your mom gave to you when she found out about your pregnancy, since they’re bigger than your usual size.
jj swears his heart skips a beat when he sees you, the look suits you so much he wishes he could kiss you right then and there.
“so, are we doing this?” you ask, walking to him as he tries to stop staring and gawking at you.
he hands you a paint roller, already covered in the light pastel green tint, and you take it with a determined smile on your face, which he returns.
“where do i start?”
“just paint the center and i’ll do the edges and hard spots,” he says as he also picks his own roller.
“you think i can’t handle the ‘hard spots’, maybank?” you grin in a teasing manner, making fun of the way he spoke to you and doing air quotes with your free hand.
“i think i don’t want you to climb a ladder. i won’t help you if you fall on your ass.”
you push his shoulder jokingly, “shut up, you would carry me around for weeks if i ever fall,” you add, laughing at the image you have in your head of a very tired jj giving you piggyback rides.
“yeah, i would,” and the smile on his face is a genuine one this time.
you and jj fall in a comfortable silence as you paint the walls of your baby’s room, illuminated by the soft afternoon light coming from the window. everything has always been easy with him, you never once felt judged or self-conscious around him, because you know that no matter what happens, he’ll always take your side.
you glance at him from time to time, his thin, white cotton shirt giving you a full view of his abs. you can’t help yourself from feeling warmer only by looking at him, and at this point you’re not sure you can blame it all on your pregnancy hormones.
“wanna listen to some music?” he asks after a while.
“sure.”
jj takes his phone out of the back pocket of his ripped jeans, and after scrolling his screen for a while, he sets it down on the floor as ‘i’m walking on sunshine’ by katrina and the waves starts playing.
“seriously?” you laugh at him as he starts moving his hips to the music and bopping his head.
“what?”
he keeps painting, enjoying the giggles leaving your lips as you look at him.
“you’re ridiculous!”
“oh yeah?”
he takes your free hand and starts spinning you around which leads the acrylic covering the roll in your other hand to splatter on him and yourself.
“jj!” you act mad, although you can’t keep the laughter inside you.
“you know, green hair suits you,” he teases.
“oh, you’re dead!”
suddenly, your roller is sliding down his shirt as a gasp leaves his lips.
“you didn’t!”
in the blink of an eye, you’re both splattering paint on each other, your clothes ruined and your smiles so big your cheeks hurt.
you turn around as you squeal from the amount of paint you’re throwing at each other, but it’s so fun you don’t even care. when you ‘accidentally’ cover his face in green, it’s over.
your mouth is agape and a choked laugh escapes you at the sight. jj lets his roller fall down on the ground as he uses both of his hands to get rid of the paint, so slowly that it’s now become comical.
“that’s it. come here!”
he runs after you, making you scream in amusement, but the chase doesn’t last long as he wraps his arms around your torso from behind, slightly lifting you from the ground while you bend your legs and then he puts you immediately back with your feet on the floor, never letting you go. he smothers his face on your shoulder and cheek while you keep laughing, your stomach almost hurting from how much fun you’re having.
“stop, stop!” you try to say between choked gasps.
you manage to turn around in his arms and face him, stupid grins on both your faces and as you both realize how close you are to each other, your chuckles die down. you reach his green cheek with your hand, trying to get rid of the paint.
“green suits you, maybank,” you say, mocking him.
“i hate you,” his voice is hoarse as he looks down at you, wrapped in his arms and completely happy.
your hand travels down to his jaw, until your palm touches his chin; his breath hitches at your soft touch.
“you don’t,” you whisper.
your eyes flicker from his to his lips while your thumb brushes against his bottom lip, removing the residual green on them. you can’t help yourself from staring at them, biting your own bottom lip unconsciously.
“yeah, i don’t,” he mumbles, slowly leaning down as your mouths get dangerously close to each other and you can feel his breath fanning out on your parted lips.
his eyes stare into yours, a thousand words left unsaid. your other hand is resting on his hard chest and the loud thumping of his heart against your touch makes you flutter your eyes close.
“do you want me to stop?” he breathes out, with his lips already brushing against yours.
you open your eyes, and when you’re about to tell him to just kiss you - the sound of your doorbell wakes you up from your trance.
as your heart tries to get back to a normal rate, you unwrap yourself from his arms with an apologetic smile; you clear your throat, “i - i have to - uhm, the door-“
to say he made you a flustered mess is an understatement. he chuckles lightly, “right.”
when you open the front door, annoyed at whoever ruined the moment you were having with jj, the last person on earth you would’ve expected stands outside.
“nathan,” you gasp.
you look down at your clothes, green paint all over you, and then back up at him. is this really happening?
“is this a bad time?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow.
“hey, who was at the-“
‘this is bad’ you think to yourself, horror clear on your face.
jj speed walks to you, an arm is thrown protectively in front of you as he gives the man the most intense death stare you’ve ever seen.
“what the fuck are you doing here?” jj asks with so much venom in his voice.
“i need to talk to you. what the fuck is he doing here?” nathan looks at you, completely ignoring the blond beside you.
“no. you’re going to stay outside and talk to me.”
shit.
“j, calm down, please. don’t do anything stupid,” you turn to the blond beside you, placing a hand on his chest, but it’s useless; he’s already walking outside, with you hot on his heels.
“get back inside,” he tells you, his eyes never leaving the man in front of him.
“hey, look at me,” you force his head to turn to you by placing your hands on his cheeks, and his gaze finally softens, “you’ve already done enough. stop it.”
“i don’t want you to be alone with him.”
“but i need to do this alone, please.”
you can see his adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he looks between you and nathan, “whatever happens, i’m inside.”
you give him a reassuring smile, “i know.”
you watch as he walks back into your apartment, and you turn back to your ex boyfriend.
“what are you doing here, nathan?” you ask annoyed.
“you’re my girl and that’s my baby,” he says pointing to your prominent belly, “what is he doing here?”
“your girl? what are you talking about? you left us months ago!”
“no, you kicked me out-“
“because you didn’t want us! you tried to hit me, nathan! what the hell do you want from me?”
he walks closer to you, but you instinctively take a step back, showing him how much you fear him, and that makes a sick smile appear on his face, “that’s still my baby. you hate it, don’t you?”
what you don’t realize is that he’s not smiling at you, but at the blond man standing outside your door with his arms across his chest. the thought of leaving you alone with nathan was making him sick to his stomach and he couldn’t stay inside any longer.
“i don’t hate my baby. i’m their mother and i’ll love them until my last breath, and i know other people will too. they’re just unlucky to have a sick and piece of shit of a father-“
your breath is knocked out of your lungs when a hand almost hits you in the face; the blow is stopped by someone else’s fingers wrapped around nathan’s wrist.
“you think i don’t know why you came here?” jj spits at him, “did you really think i didn’t know you were here for revenge? you want nothing to do with this baby, you never did.”
nathan looks at you and then back at jj, “oh yeah? then why are you here? i know you’re just waiting for her to give it up like the sl-“ before he could end his sentence, jj’s hand wraps around his throat, throwing him on the wall beside your door.
“c’mon, what were you saying, huh? let’s see if you’ve got the balls to say it!” he yells in his face.
“get off me!”
nathan tries to get rid of jj’s assault, pushing at him as he can feel his fingers tighten around his throat, choking him.
“JJ! STOP IT!” you scream as you can see the brown haired’s face start to get redder, fighting for air.
“stay the fuck away from my girl, you got it?” jj all but growls.
he finally lets go of nathan, pushing his head back on the wall violently as he does so, emitting a groan of pain from him. nathan starts coughing violently, trying to regain his breath, when jj speaks again, “and if i see you near her again, if i hear you talking about her, i swear i won’t stop until you’re dead.”
he walks over to you, placing one hand on your back as he gently pushes you inside the house. when he closes the door behind him, he spins you around and his eyes are immediately scanning over your face, checking for injuries, “he didn’t touch you, right?”
“j,” you gulp, “you could’ve killed him.”
he licks his lips and then avoids your eyes, “should’ve done it the moment i found out what he did to you. he’s lucky i haven’t done it yet.”
you put some distance between you two, causing him to look at you with hurt written all over his features, “you could’ve gone to jail, jj. what the hell were you thinking?”
“i was thinking he was about to hit you! did you want me to give him a pat on the back for almost slapping you in the face?”
you rub your hands on your face, confusion and frustration hitting you all at once, “i don’t want you to get hurt or get in such serious trouble because of me. that’s all i’m saying.”
he takes a step closer to you, “you do realize i would go to jail for you? i don’t care. there’s no way i would’ve let him get away for hurting you and the baby. and yes, y/n, i would kill for the both of you.”
you inhale sharply, closing your eyes for a second. when you reopen them, you take the last steps that separate you and throw your arms around his neck, hugging him close to you. he’s quick to catch you, one arm wrapped tightly around your torso and the other resting on your head.
“just because you would go to jail for me doesn’t mean i want you to,” you whisper, your lips on his neck, “i need you to stay here…with us. i want the baby to know the wonderful man that you are, okay?”
his arm tighten, if that’s possible, around you, “okay, baby. i’m right here; not going anywhere.”
it’s been almost two months since the last time you saw your ex boyfriend now. nothing has changed between you and jj, although the air is different; there’s a tension every time you look at each other and neither of you knows how to deal with it.
lingering touches and stolen glances are part of your day to day life and you don’t know how long you can keep this facade up before one of you decides to do something about it.
it’s currently five in the morning and you’re lying on your bed as one hand rests on your belly, rubbing the naked skin lovingly. you were awoken by a weird sensation in your stomach but now everything feels normal and you’re trying to fall asleep again, when the feeling comes back.
“oh my god,” you whisper to yourself, “you’re kicking. oh my god!”
you reach for your phone immediately, giggling at the feeling of little feet kicking in your stomach.
you don’t even give him the time to say something, “j, you have to come here right now!”
well, that got his attention instantly and he’s already putting his shoes on as he asks: “what’s going on? are you okay? is the baby okay?”
“they’re kicking! they’re kicking for the first time, j. you have to feel this! oh my god, it’s so weird!”
jj is already getting in his car when he smiles widely at your voice, your happiness so clear in your words that his heart clenches at the sound, “yeah? good weird or bad weird?”
“good weird,” you say, sighing happily, “definitely good weird.”
“stay right there, love. i’ll be there before you know it, okay?”
you hear the sound of the motor of the car, already moving and ready to get to you, “m’kay. we’ll wait for you.”
when he arrives, he almost runs into your room and launches himself on the bed, letting a big laugh erupt from your lips; his favorite music.
“come here, come here. they started kicking like crazy when i talked to you!” you tell him as he climbs up higher on the bed to kiss your forehead, making you smile even wider.
you take his hand and place it on your stomach, although the movements have stopped at least five minutes ago.
“is it happening?” he whispers, his eyes fixed on your face, admiring your beauty slightly illuminated by the moonlight coming from the window.
“not anymore,” your hand guides his around on your belly, hoping the contact will make the baby move again, “i can’t believe you missed it.”
“hey,” he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, turning your attention to him, “it’s okay. i wish i was here for the first time, but i don’t want you to be upset about it. they kicked! we should be happy about this, sunshine.”
you smile at each other and you lean into his touch, “i know,” you sigh, “they’re already growing so fast, i can’t-“
the feeling of something moving inside you, interrupts you, “they’re doing it again, j!”
his hand is still resting on your stomach and he chuckles in disbelief when he can feel the movement too, “oh my god, this is amazing!”
you look at him, your eyes shining from the joy of sharing this moment with him, and when he turns to you again and notices that your eyes were already on him, he kisses your cheek, so slowly and with so much affection that it takes you by surprise.
“i wish i could be here for everything,” he confesses, almost to himself, “every little thing, i want to be here; for you and for them.”
“then stay,” the words escape your lips unconsciously, but there’s no turning back now, “i mean, if you want. you can move in.”
his eyes widen while a big grin plays on his face, “are you serious?”
you nervously bite your bottom lip, scared that he might think that you’re crossing too many lines, “yeah, if you want. you said you want to be here for everything and if you lived here, you could. it was just a thought, if you don’t want this, i-“
his arms wrap around you in a swift motion, startling you but you recover quickly by returning the hug, “i’ll take this as a yes?”
he looks at you, lying on his side as one arm is still resting on your waist, “of course! i care about you, both of you. i don’t want to miss anything.”
you smile at him and scoot closer to feel his comforting touch, “go back to sleep, sunshine,” he whispers, “i’ll be here when you wake up.”
jj spends hours watching you sleep, the sound of your soft breaths, the peacefulness on your features, the way you try to get closer to him, even in your sleep; he’s so in love with you, it hurts sometimes. he wants nothing but to spend the rest of his life like this, sleeping in the same bed and holding each other until morning comes.
and that’s how you spend your nights from now on. when you asked him to move in with you, you both agreed he would have to sleep on the pullout couch, because that’s what made sense, right?
but how can you sleep so far away from him when he’s so close? he’s your safe haven, always have been and always will. therefore, you end up sleeping on the pullout couch more often than you’d like to admit, and he ends up in bed with you, because he can’t stay away from you either.
‘i had a nightmare’
‘i can’t sleep’
‘do you feel like watching a movie?’
bad excuses to spend the night together, that’s what they are.
you’re currently lying on the pullout couch, jj’s head on your chest as you’re both trying to sleep. when he thinks you have drift off, his hand falls on your belly, gently stroking it as a thousand mental pictures of your future together fill his head. he unwraps himself from you and positions himself in order to place his head on your stomach. maybe it’s silly, but the book that lays on your bedside table said that babies can hear you even when they’re in the womb; so it’s worth a try, he thinks.
“hi, baby,” he mumbles against your skin, “i know we don’t know each other yet, but i love you very much, and so does your mom. you’re very lucky, y’know? she’s the best mom you could’ve asked for,” he softly kisses the skin, “and i swear i’ll try to be enough for both you and her. i wish i could give you everything in the world, but for now i hope my heart is enough.”
jj sighs, slowly rubbing the skin with his thumb, completely unaware that his movements woke you up a while ago, “you know, your mom already had my heart before, she always did, but sssh, this is a secret between you and me, mh?” he chuckles softly, “but you? well, you and your mom have been sharing my heart since the moment i found out about you. i know it’ll be yours forever, i don’t want it to be anyone else’s.”
a moment passes before he can get the next words out, “i love you both so much, you have no idea,” he says, his voice breaking as he does so.
“j?” you inhale sharply, too scared of making a sound. your heart is beating so fast and tears are welling up in your eyes as you look down at the man who’s been taking care of you for as long as you can remember.
“i - i thought you were asleep…” he says, his eyes full of fear as he gets up from his position to lay next to you.
“what was that about?” your voice is barely a whisper. did he just confess that he loves you? what did he mean?
“i read that babies can hear you even when they’re not born yet…thought maybe it would be nice to talk to them i guess,” his eyes avoid yours at all costs, hoping that you didn’t hear everything he said. the situation is already complicated as it is, he doesn’t want to make your life harder than it is right now.
“not that. the things you said…j, did you mean them?” your hand cradles his face, forcing him to finally look at you as a thousand emotions are written in his eyes.
“y/n, i-“
“yes or no. did you mean them?”
you don’t want to play childish games, not anymore. you can’t keep acting like you don’t know what’s going on between you.
“yes.”
the breath you let out is shaky and you can barely keep your composure with the amount of feelings you have right now. you’ve always known he loves you, but not like this. this is a different kind of love that you thought he would never have for you, and it scares you.
your hand falls from his cheek, but he’s quick to hold it in his, bringing it to his chest as you can feel his thumping heart beneath your touch; or maybe it’s yours, you’re not even sure at this point.
“nothing has to change, please,” his eyes search for yours, full of panic, “don’t push me away; not now. i have to take care of you and the baby, i can’t imagine a life without you. i can move out, if that makes you more comfortable-“
“yes. you should move out,” you don’t want to do this, and that’s clear by the way your voice breaks, but it’s what’s best for everyone involved, “you can come over whenever you want, but i don’t think you should keep living here.”
he drops your hand, putting some space between you two, as rejection is written all over his features. he slowly nods his head, keeping his tears at bay, “whatever you think is right for you.”
you avoid his eyes, sitting up, and you start to get up from the bed. for the umpteenth time, he’s putting your happiness before his. your eyes water as you stand in front of the couch, showing him your back before you turn around to face him, his body still laying on the mattress.
“this isn’t what i want, j,” you whisper.
he finally looks up at you, “then what do you want, y/n?” he raises from the bed, towering over you, “because i’ll do it. whatever you want, but you have to say it. you know what i want, what i’ve always wanted,” his face is so close to yours that you don’t know how long you’ll be able to hold yourself back, “now look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want the same things.”
you close your eyes for a second before looking up at him, “i want you to be happy and free. i don’t want you to feel trapped, with a baby and everything, i-“ you sigh in frustration, “i don’t want to be a burden, not anymore.”
“you were never a burden,” his hands are placed on your arms as if to beg you to stay, “and you never trapped me. i stayed because i wanted to. what do i have to do to make you understand that this is what i want? i’m not messing around, y/n.”
you swallow thickly, the intense look in his eyes making your legs feel weak, “j, i-“
“just tell me.”
“what if you regret-“
“please,” he whispers as he lets his forehead touch yours, your heaving chests almost brushing against each other from the closeness.
“kiss me,” and he does, instantly.
his lips move gently against yours at first, tasting you, until the kiss becomes more urgent and rough. his tongue thrusts inside your mouth, claiming it and exploring it for the first time. years and years of pining and sexual frustration all in one long and breathless kiss.
one of his hands rests on your hip, almost brushing against your naked skin, while the other is placed on the back of your head, before it starts to trail down along your spine. you can’t help yourself from moaning against his mouth, tugging on his hair as you do so, which makes a low groan slip from his throat. he slowly makes you walk backwards and pushes you against the kitchen counter, without ever breaking the kiss.
his hands wrap around your naked thighs, slowly reaching for your behind and helping you sit on the counter. your legs rest on either side of him as his hands touch the exposed skin of your legs.
you lightly push him away, your foreheads still touching as you try to regain your breath, “oh my god,” you breathe out, emitting a chuckle from him.
“i second that.”
your noses brush against each other as you take deep breaths, “you have no idea how long i’ve wanted to do this,” he mumbles on your lips.
“me too, j,” you say with your hands still tangled in his hair.
he pecks your lips once, then twice, before his mouth starts leaving a trail of wet kisses from your jaw down to your neck, sucking and lightly biting on the spot below your ear, making you gasp at the feeling; the sound going right into his pants.
“fuck - the things you do to me, sunshine…” he rasps, his lips still nipping and kissing your exposed skin.
“wait,” you say and he raises his head to look at you.
“you want me to stop? we don’t have to do anything.”
he rubs your thigh with his thumb, comforting you, “i want this; i really do, but…” you look down, too embarrassed to face him, “my body is…different now.”
“oh, baby. your body is perfect. you really don’t know how hard you make me, do you? you’re sexy as hell, baby. so fucking gorgeous.”
your let your eyes fall to the prominent bulge in his pants before looking up at him, your cheeks flushed, “hey, if you want to wait, i’ll do it. i’ll wait for you as long as you need. waited my whole life, i can do it a little longer,” he whispers, seeing your hesitation.
“you can’t say things like that and expect me to not want you to take my clothes off.”
he chuckles lightly, before you slowly jump down the counter and take his hand, intertwining your fingers together.
you begin walking towards your room, your back to the door and your front to jj’s. your lips press against his jaw, leaving sweet kisses, until they reach his ear, “i want you to make love to me,” you murmur, your lips on his earlobe, gently biting it as a growl leaves his mouth, “then i want you to fuck me.”
and let’s just say he doesn’t hesitate for one second. he worships your body all night, showing you exactly how you should be treated, how all of the other guys you’ve been with were nothing compared to what he’s able to make you feel. you’ve never felt more comfortable with someone in bed, and even in your situation, he still manages to make you feel beautiful and sexy.
you fall asleep in his arms, naked and finally happy.
week 34 of pregnancy
“JJ I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON’T DRIVE FASTER I’LL KILL YOU!” you yell as your boyfriend is driving you to the hospital.
his foot hits the gas a little bit more, his arm wrapped in front of you, as if the seatbelt isn’t enough.
“breathe, baby, just breathe,” he keeps telling you and you’re really close to strangling him.
another contraction hits you and you grab his arm, tightly shutting your eyes from the pain. jj quickly checks the time on the watch on the hand that’s gripping the steering wheel.
“shit,” he whispers to himself, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by you.
“what?”
“the last one was four minutes ago. the baby is coming and soon.”
“it hurts, j!”
“hold on, baby, we need to get to the hospital NOW.”
by the time a nurse is pushing you on a wheelchair down the hospital halls, the contractions are three minutes apart. once they bring you to your room, jj sits next to you, holding your hand in his.
“we’re here! we’re here!” your mom says as she enters the room, followed by your dad and mar.
“i need everyone to leave the room for a second,” your doctor says and everyone follows her orders.
she examines you, checking to see if the baby is ready, “okay, y/n. it’s time. two minutes and we’re going to start, okay?”
you nod, fear obvious in your eyes, “can they come in for a second?” you ask, referring to the people outside.
“of course, but just for a second,” she calls them in.
jj runs to your side, kissing your forehead sweetly and holding your hand again, “everything okay?”
“she said two minutes and we’re starting.”
he sees the panic in your eyes and brushes some hair out of your face, in order to comfort you, “it’s okay. everything’s going to be okay, mh? and i’ll be right here, baby, i’m not leaving you.”
after hearing your parents’ and your friend’s reassuring words, the doctor comes back, “okay, i need everyone, except the father, out.”
they all leave, jj still sitting by your side. the gynecologist raises one eyebrow at him, “are you the father?”
“yes,” you answer, without thinking twice.
he doesn’t say anything; one of his arms is resting on the pillow behind your back, for you’re in a sitting position, while his other hand is still tightly holding yours.
“okay, then. ready to push?”
you nod. as the whole process goes on, jj and your doctor’s words are the only thing that are helping you through this. one of jj’s arms is now under your knee, keeping your legs open, as you start crying.
the doctor gives you a five seconds break, waiting for the next contraction while your back hits the pillow behind you, giving up the fight.
“i can’t push anymore,” you cry, jj’s hand pushing your hair out of your face, sticked to your forehead due to the sweat, and yet he thinks you look like the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.
“i know, sunshine, i know. a little bit more, you can do it,” he kisses the side of your head.
“i can’t, i can’t. can you do it for me?”
he looks down at you, smiling sweetly, “i wish i could, but you’re gonna have to do this one.”
“c’mon. again, y/n,” your doctor says, resuming your previous actions.
when you finally hear the sound of a baby crying, your whole body relaxes against the pillow.
“did so good, baby. you did so good,” jj praises you, pressing his lips to your forehead.
his eyes look for the baby, resting in the gynecologist’s hands, “oh my god. oh my god, it’s a girl,” he tells you.
you look for your baby and when you see her, tears start streaming down your face again, “oh my god. she’s so tiny,” you watch as the nurses bring her away from you, “where are they taking her? j, where is she?”
“it’s okay, baby. they’re just washing her.”
“oh, okay, but be careful, she’s really tiny!”
jj chuckles wetly, tears also running down his face. a nurse hands you your baby and you instantly hold her to your chest.
“she’s so beautiful,” you whisper.
“she looks like you.”
you look up at him, “how can you say that? she was just born!”
“she’s beautiful, so she must look like you.”
your lips lightly touch her forehead, admiring her as jj does the same. when your eyes search for him again, you find him completely in awe with the baby, rubbing her small, blanket-covered arm with his thumb.
“maybank, if you don’t kiss me right now, i swear to go-“
his mouth is on yours before you can end your sentence, gently kissing your lips.
“i love you so much, sunshine.”
“i love you, j. so, so much.”
Tumblr media
taglist:
@jjmaybankisbae @rosie-cameron @idli-dosa @notslay-norcleor @ry1ssa @jjgirl4eva @poppet05 @jjsmads @solargazes @cindersnightmare @fairlymax @chaostudee @Isabellaheulwen @fictionlife4ever @alinag11 @neteyamo @goldenroutledge @tenaciousperfectionunknown @drewsgarfieid @urrtranny @highl1lac
3K notes · View notes
mypoisonedvine · 8 months
Note
Jackson Rippner- he DOES fuck you in the bathroom on the plane. Instead of Rachel McAdams, it’s the reader. V noncon, and he even keeps his hand over her mouth and says, “better be quiet. Don’t want the flight attendants to see you enjoying having your little pussy filled, right?” Eiiseodkdownsiwos
had to combine this with another request, it's just too good
Tumblr media
soo... get ready for heavy dubcon/noncon with lots and lots of choking and degradation :)
Tumblr media
He slammed you up against the plastic wall, and the door slid shut on its own: trapping you in here with this monster.
You struggled, obviously, kicking and shoving randomly to try to get him away, but it wasn't very effective; you knew you weren't strong enough to best him, that was why you'd done this in the first place-- to try to outsmart him.
"Don't fight me," he informed you. It was a warning, surely, but the softness of his voice was unexpected. You were trying to yell out for help but there was still a strong hand over your mouth; you still tried, despite what he said, to kick at his feet one more time but he only pressed up against you harder to pin you down. "Shh, shh," he soothed-- well, really, it was more like an order, just given quietly in case someone outside could hear.
You waited in silence together; you glanced over his shoulder to the message you'd left in soap on the mirror: 18F HAS BOMB. Technically not true, but as long as somebody got some attention on this guy, you might be able to get out of here alive-- and spare your father from the hitman apparently waiting outside his house.
"Creative," he smiled at you, though he didn't seem particularly amused. "Why are you so deadset on making this harder for both of us?"
"You don't have to do this... you don't have to do any of this..." you whimpered, but he bared his teeth and tightened his grip suddenly on your neck.
"Neither do you," he hissed, pressing his face close to yours as you reached up and tried to claw at the hand restricting your air. "You could just do what I fucking tell you, save us both a lot of fucking trouble, and stop gambling with your father's life. Doesn't that sound so much better?"
You obviously weren't paying much attention; your face was starting to go numb, your mouth was gaping and gasping for air that never came, and-- much to your horror-- your thighs were clenching and rubbing together. It was a fantasy you'd never dared share before, partly because you were afraid you wouldn't like it much in real life... well, even when there was an actual threat of being forced to pass out, not liking it was far from an issue. You shut your eyes tight, your grip on Jackson's wrist getting weaker as strength fled your body.
You'd rather him actually choke you to the point of passing out, than him notice the way your back arched and your hips searched for friction. Why now, of all times-- with him staring dead into your watering eyes with white hot rage, pressing you to the wall, threatening to really hurt you-- did you have to get wet?
His eyes moved down from yours to your lips-- watching you try to mouth that you couldn't breathe, begging for some air-- then down to your chest where your blouse had shifted out of the way to expose just the edge of your bra. His free hand reached up to it, delicately toying with the lacy edge as a small smile curled on his lips.
"Who's this for?" he cooed, just barely relaxing his grip on your throat so you could gasp in a massive breath of air. "Who are you dressed up for, were you planning to meet someone after we landed?"
You were too busy sputtering and trying to get some air back in your lungs to even entertain an answer to that.
"Answer me," he insisted, and you started simply shaking your head.
"N-no, no one," you promised, "I just-- I didn't put it on for any reason..."
"If that's true," he growled, reaching down to your skirt, "then these won't match--"
"Fuck, don't--" you tried to protest, but he gripped your neck again while his other hand pulled your skirt up your thighs.
They matched alright; he grinned proudly when he saw them, because he'd proven himself right-- but he was much more preoccupied with how they felt when he ran his fingers over them, petting you roughly between your legs. "Oh," he purred, looking up at your flushed face again as he choked you to keep you quiet. "I think somebody is getting some naughty ideas about us being alone in here, hm?"
You shook your head, but it was pretty hard to deny-- even if you were capable of speaking, you'd be struggling to deny it. And the more he held you by your neck, the worse it got; he grinned wide when he slipped his fingers into those panties and felt for himself how soaked you were.
"Should've known," he chuckled, clicking his tongue as he slid two fingers into you; your eyes went wide, but you felt your walls clenching on him as you struggled for air. "Those sweet faces, they're always hiding something-- of course a pretty thing like you gets off on this. Dirty fucking whore."
You shut your eyes, afraid it was only moments before you lost consciousness, and yet you felt your hips rocking forward onto his fingers. He released your throat for a moment, and you whined as you screwed up your face tight. "Jackson, please--"
"Go ahead, baby," he instructed you in a low voice, "fuck yourself on my fingers. I know you need it."
You didn't really realize that you were already doing it, your body moving desperately against his hand: your hips rocked on his fingers, and you heard yourself moan hoarsely at the feeling.
"Shh, shh," he ordered again, though this time there was a grin on his face. "Don't want anybody hearing you, do we? Don't want them all to know what a needy fucking slut you are for me..."
Your pussy throbbed again and you winced-- because you hated yourself for this, feeling completely helpless to the way your body chased pleasure. Hatred and shame tugged at your chest from the inside, and your mind still wanted more than anything to fight him off; but for better or for worse, your mind wasn't steering this ship anymore.
He curled his fingers inside you, making you whimper again, and he actually laughed at you-- softly, but an outright laugh. "So fucking desperate," he mocked, pressing his thumb up to your clit hard enough to make your legs shake. His smile fell and he grabbed your face hard, pulling his fingers out and forcing them into your open mouth until you gagged. "Can you taste it?" he snarled. "Can you taste how bad you fucking need me?"
Tears rolled down your temples from all the deprivation of air; when he took the fingers out, he brought his hand down to his trousers. You couldn't even try to describe the look in his eyes as he started to open his belt and fly, and even when you opened your mouth to try to tell him no, nothing of any use came out.
Roughly, he grabbed you and spun you around, slamming you into the wall again as you winced. "Fucking whore," he sneered, holding you down with one arm across your shoulders as he tugged your panties down roughly.
"W-wait--" was all the protest you could get out before he pressed his body against yours again, the tip of his erection sliding between your lips as you gasped.
He grunted as he forced himself inside you, and you when you let out a whimper from the stretch, he put his hand over your mouth again.
His hand grabbed your hip and pulled it back against him, forcing your back to arch. You felt his hair against your shoulder as he looked down at you, and you shut your eyes tightly as you tried not to imagine how it must look: his cock pushing into you, stretching you wide...
Each rough thrust pushed you into the wall, and you whimpered, but your legs quivering gave you away. "So fucking wet for me," he purred, leaning in to breathe by your neck. "Gonna have to make this quick, before somebody catches us-- it's a shame, though, sure could take my time with you..."
When your walls clenched on him, he let out a small chuckle just by your ear, playfully biting on the lobe.
When you moaned again as he fucked you just a bit harder, his hand found itself around your throat one more time, tightening until you were forced into silence. "That's better," he whispered, "good girl."
2K notes · View notes
hedgehog-moss · 8 months
Note
"rn I feel like reading about someone's quiet daily life, maybe a diary or letters, set in a place or context I don't know much about, without turmoil or tragedy" oh! do you have any recommendations for books like this?
This is one of my favourite types of books! Here are 30(ish) recs...
May Sarton's The House by the Sea or Plant Dreaming Deep
Gyrðir Elíasson's Suðurglugginn / La fenêtre au sud (not translated into English unfortunately!), also Bergsveinn Birgisson's Landslag er aldrei asnalegt / Du temps qu'il fait (exists in German too)
Gretel Ehrlich's The Solace of Open Spaces, which iirc was originally written as journal entries and letters before being adapted into a book
Kenneth White's House of Tides: Letters from Brittany and Other Lands of the West
Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book
The Diary of a Provincial Lady, E. M. Delafield
Growing Up with the Impressionists: The Diary of Julie Manet
Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim (do not read if you don't like flowers)
The Road Through Miyama by Leila Philip (I've mentioned it before, it feels like this gif)
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, I keep recommending this one but it's so nice and I love snails
Epicurean Simplicity, Stephanie Mills
The Light in the Dark: A winter journal by Horatio Clare
The Letters of Rachel Henning
The letters of Tove Jansson, also The Summer Book and Fair Play
The diary of Sylvia Townsend Warner—here's an entry where she describes some big cats at the zoo. "Frank and forthcoming, flirtatious carnivores, [...] guttersnipishly loveable"
Tumblr media
The Letters of Rachel Carson & Dorothy Freeman were very sweet and a little bit gay. I mostly remember from this long book I read years ago that Rachel Carson once described herself as "retiring into her shell like a periwinkle at low tide" and once apologised to Dorothy because she had run out of apple-themed stationery.
Jane Austen's letters (quoting the synopsis, "Wiser than her critics, who were disappointed that her correspondence dwelt on gossip and the minutiae of everyday living, Austen understood the importance of "Little Matters," of the emotional and material details of individual lives shared with friends and family")
Madame de Sévigné's letters because obviously, and from the same time period, the letters of the Princess Palatine, Louis XIV's sister-in-law. I read them a long time ago and mostly I remember that I enjoyed her priorities. There's a letter where she complains that she hasn't received the sausages she was promised, and then in the next paragraph, mentions the plot to assassinate the King of England and also, the Tartars are walking on Vienna currently.
Wait I found it:
Tumblr media
R.C. Sherriff's The Fortnight in September (quoting the author, "I wanted to write about simple, uncomplicated people doing normal things")
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith
Pond, Claire-Louise Bennett
Rules for Visiting, Jessica Francis Kane
The following aren't or aren't yet available in English, though some have already been translated in 5-6 languages:
ツバキ文具店 / La papeterie Tsubaki by ito Ogawa
半島へ / La péninsule aux 24 saisons by Mayumi Inaba
Giù la piazza non c'è nessuno, Dolores Prato (for a slightly more conceptual take on the "someone's everyday life" theme—I remember it as quite Proustian in its meticulousness, a bit like Nous les filles by Marie Rouanet which is much shorter and more lighthearted but shows the same extreme attention to childhood details)
Journal d'un homme heureux, Philippe Delerm, my favourite thing about this book is that the goodreads commenter who gave it the lowest rating complained that Delerm misidentified a wine as a grenache when actually it's a cabernet sauvignon. Important review!
Un automne à Kyôto, Corinne Atlan (I find her writing style so lovely)
oh and 西の魔女が死んだ / L’été de la sorcière by Kaho Nashiki —such a little Ghibli film of a book. There's a goodreads review that points out that Japanese slice-of-life films and books have "a certain way of describing small, everyday actions in a soothing, flawless manner that can either wear you out, or make you look at the world with a temporary glaze of calm contentment and introspective understanding [...]"
I'd be happy to get recommendations in this 'genre' as well :)
1K notes · View notes
cuubism · 4 months
Text
work is driving me fucking insane this week, so here's this silly self-indulgent thing i wrote to distract myself.
the spirit of this post is here as well XD
coffee shop au, meet cute, literally falling for your crush
--
In retrospect, forgetting to eat for three meals in a row wasn't Dream's best move. Not that he'd done it on purpose. Hence the forgetting. But taking time to cook always felt so wasteful when he was finally making progress on his novel. He could eat later, whenever the hyperfocus burned itself out.
The only thing that eventually got him out of the house was caffeine. He'd run out of both coffee and tea in the dysfunction of this week, and thus was forced to venture out to the cafe a few blocks away from his flat in search of enough energy to keep him awake for a few more hours.
Technically, there was a place that was closer. There was also a grocery store, where he could have bought coffee grounds. But Dream took the excuse to go a bit further, and not for the quality of the coffee.
He and Johanna, on the occasion she could convince Dream to leave the house and attempt to be part of society, had first started coming to this particular coffee shop because Johanna's girlfriend Rachel worked there. But Dream had to admit that what really kept him coming back, including at times when he wasn't being dragged along by Johanna, was another employee entirely.
Hob.
Hob was, in Rachel's words, "a perfectly nice guy but I don't know why you're so obsessed with him." In Johanna's words, Hob was, "quite fit, I can't lie, but I really thought you'd have gone for someone who's a bit more of an arts gremlin like you."
In Dream's words, Hob was perfect. He always had a smile for Dream, and a kind word or compliment, and he had kind eyes, and nice hands, and was terribly handsome. Dream had never been particularly attracted to masculinity before but Hob was proving him wrong over and over. He looked like he was strong enough to pick Dream up, and that did all sorts of exciting things to Dream's insides. Dream may or may not have had an actual dream about Hob holding his hand.
Hob also made terrible coffee. But Dream didn't care. He took whatever coffee Hob made him, whether the grounds were burnt, or it had way too much cream, or was vastly overbrewed, and drank it quite happily, sneaking looks at Hob all the while. Because Hob's coffee might be awful, but he always smiled at Dream as he gave it to him, and sometimes their hands brushed and it sent a thrilling little shock up Dream's arms. And anything Hob made for him felt made with love, he could tell, it was like a homemade birthday cake with uneven frosting and an undercooked part in the middle.
It was possible Dream should care more about the quality of the coffee and less about the symbolism of it.
In any case, he went to the coffee shop, underfed and undercaffeinated, hoping that Hob would be there, even if it meant he would have to down another cup of extremely bad coffee. Hob should be there, he did usually work Tuesday afternoons, not that Dream had memorized his schedule like a stalker or anything.
He stepped inside, the little bell over the door jingling, and found that he was right, Hob was there. A thrill of delight ran through him. Dream did not often feel anything as carefree or joyous as delight, but he was very sleep-deprived, and Hob was there, so there it was. Rachel was also working, and waved to him as he stepped up to the counter. As she and Johanna were both very aware of his embarrassing crush on Hob--much to Dream's chagrin--she didn't come over to take his order, instead leaving him to Hob.
"Hey, it's Dream, right?" said Hob, wiping off his hands on a towel and leaning on the counter, looking at Dream with a smile. He knows my name, Dream thought with a heady rush, then remembered that Hob was obligated to write it on his coffee cup, and that Dream came here often, and it didn't have to mean anything. "Dark roast with almond milk and caramel?"
How Hob could be so diligent about remembering his order and so terrible at making it, Dream didn't know. "That's correct," he said.
Behind Hob, Rachel mouthed keep going, which Dream took to mean that if he wanted to get anywhere he had to attempt to engage Hob in slightly more conversation than his usual coffee-ordering script. This was unfortunately true, particularly since Hob had already nullified half the sentences Dream would usually say by predicting his order.
"You remembered my order," he said, which felt like a reasonably normal response, definitely better than do you want to see if you can pick me up? which would probably be creepy. Rachel gave him a thumbs up.
"Of course. You're quite memorable," said Hob, and winked at him. Was he flirting? Dream would like to think so, but he wasn't usually very good at picking up on that sort of thing. Why would Hob be interested in him anyway? Perhaps he meant that Dream was memorable in a bad way, that he was annoying or weird, or--
Dream still hadn't responded.
"I am not trying to be," he said, and behind Hob, Rachel sighed. It was true, though. In most areas of life Dream preferred to go unnoticed. It was only Hob's attention that made him feel all bubbly inside.
"Task failed successfully," said Hob, "because I can't stop noticing you."
Was Dream... still succeeding at the conversation? That was truly unexpected, that he hadn't already turned Hob off by being utterly unsuitable for human society.
"Is that a good thing?" Dream asked.
"Is it?" asked Hob.
Undoubtedly it was. Dream liked the thought of Hob noticing him. He liked the thought of Hob remembering his name, and his coffee order, and when he came into the cafe, with as much detail as Dream had memorized his schedule. He did not normally like having people's eyes on him but he liked the thought of Hob looking. Of Hob caring about what he saw. It made him feel interesting and worthy, and sort of giddy and lightheaded--
Oh. No. That wasn't Hob's attention. That was the fact that the last meal he'd eaten had been a sleeve of biscuits for breakfast two days ago, and that he'd been on his feet for a long time, or what constituted a long time when one had only had a sleeve of biscuits two days ago to eat. And he hadn't slept, and he'd had quite an exciting few minutes just now, and apparently this all meant that his body had decided it needed to check out for a moment, thanks, goodbye.
Inconvenient timing, Dream thought, as everything went sort of spinny and blurry. He was making such progress! He really thought Hob might even like him, and falling on the ground was not going to help his case.
Inevitable now, though. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Hob's face, expression shifting from amusement to concern, and really, there were worse ways to go out.
He woke up not much later, or at least it felt like little time had passed, to find himself lying down on a couch in what seemed to be the cafe's back office, as best as his overtaxed mind could gather. And Hob was crouched beside him, looking at him worriedly, Rachel leaning over his shoulder, face likewise creased in concern.
Dream wondered how he had gotten to the couch. Had Hob carried him there? It was a pleasant thought, though he wished he could have experienced it in person.
"You know," said Hob, "there are easier ways to get out of talking to me than blacking out." The words were light, but he sounded genuinely stressed out about it.
Dream immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry."
Hob chucked him on the cheek, a light touch that felt fond. "Not what I meant. Are you okay?"
Dream carefully pushed himself up to sitting, Hob watching all the while, hands hovering over him but not touching. Dream sat up. His head didn't spin. "I am okay," he said.
"Probably didn't eat anything today, huh?" said Rachel. She didn't look quite as concerned as Hob did, she was used to Dream's habits. Meanwhile, for all Hob knew, Dream had a brain tumor and would imminently die.
"No," Dream admitted. "I was... occupied."
"Will you be okay here for a sec?" Hob asked, brow scrunching as if he truly thought Dream might just collapse again onto the floor without him. "I'll get you some water. Something to eat, too."
It was worth fainting in a public place, Dream thought, just to have Hob look at him with such care.
When Dream nodded, Hob hurried away to do just that.
Only now his crush was going to be one million times worse, and certainly not reciprocated, not after the scene he'd caused.
Beside him, Rachel was laughing, hiding it behind her hand.
"Is my suffering humorous to you?" Dream asked, but there was no heat in it, he was too busy looking after where Hob had disappeared.
"You should have seen it," she said. "He launched himself over the counter to catch you. Oh my god, I wish you could have witnessed it."
"Surely Hob would aid any customer in distress," Dream sniffed. But something turned over in his stomach, a little flutter of hope.
"Yeah but not literally vault the counter. It was terrific. I was worried he'd break a hip."
"I'm not that old," said Hob, coming back around the corner and crouching beside Dream again, water bottle and what looked like a chocolate muffin clasped in his hands.
Rachel was unrepentant. "You're lucky you didn't wind up on the floor, too."
"You caught me," said Dream, staring into Hob's eyes. He had such pretty eyes. Rich brown, like coffee with a dash of cream.
Dream might still be a bit lightheaded.
"Of course," said Hob, and uncapped the water, handing it to him. Dream took slow sips, realizing as he did that he hadn't drank any water all day. "I'm fond of you, you know. Can't let you hit your head on the floor."
Fond. Dream might faint again.
"Should I take you to hospital or something?" Hob asked, still so concerned it was making that floaty feeling bubble up again in Dream's chest.
"I will be fine here," he said.
"He just fell for you, that's all," said Rachel, and Dream glared at her. She just smiled back. "Swooned and everything."
"I did not swoon," Dream protested.
"You kind of did, actually," said Hob. "I've never seen someone just crumple so dramatically."
"Oh, have you seen many people faint, then?"
"No, but--"
"I'm going to man the till," said Rachel, patting Dream on the arm. "I don't think I want to be in the middle of this. Let me know if you want me to take you home, Dream." She winked at him. "Unless you'd rather Hob do it."
Johanna was never this meddlesome, Dream thought bitterly. She just made fun of him and left it at that.
Then he was alone with Hob, which was both an exciting and anxiety-inducing state of affairs. He clutched his water bottle for balance.
"Um. I got you this," said Hob, and handed him the muffin. "Made them this morning."
Dream was really quite hungry, so despite Hob's poor coffee record, he took a bite of the muffin.
And this was how he learned that Hob was utterly lacking in coffee-making skills because all his talent was in baking.
The chocolate was so rich, it tasted more like cake than a muffin. the chocolate chips melted on his tongue, and he had to force himself not to just immediately take another huge bite. He really was so hungry. Perhaps, now that he knew he could get such things here, he would have a reason to visit the cafe other than just Hob -- and a reason to eat breakfast, too.
"Good?" said Hob, and Dream nodded, licking the melted chocolate from his lips, and he didn't fail to notice Hob watching the movement of his tongue. Perhaps Johanna and Rachel were right, and it wasn't hopeless, even if Dream's best attempt at flirting back was collapsing onto the floor.
He did not know what possessed him then. Perhaps it was the chocolate. Perhaps it was the worry still lingering in Hob's warm eyes, or maybe he had just hit his head and forgotten about it. Either way, he leaned forward in his seat, and kissed Hob on the lips.
His lips were so soft. Just as Dream had dreamt they would be. Hob made a sound of surprise against Dream's mouth, and caught him by the arms so he wouldn't fall out of his chair. Which was a definite possibility, though now the lightheadedness was not caused by a calorie deficit but rather because he was kissing Hob.
Hob who was kissing him back, too. Softening against his mouth, licking the remaining chocolate from Dream's lips. Would Hob hug him, too? If he had already caught him? Dream had fantasized so much about being hugged by Hob.
Only one way to find out. He leaned into Hob's arms, and Hob caught him again, wrapping his arms around Dream's back. He was so warm, and strong. He was wonderful.
"It is a good thing," he said into Hob's shoulder.
"What is?"
"You noticing me."
Hob chuckled. The sound rumbled through Dream's chest. "It's not hard to do. I've been eyeing you for a while, you know. I always hoped you'd talk to me more."
"I am not very good at talking more," said Dream.
"I think I've got that now." Hob pulled back to look at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Falling over is more your style."
"I only faint on occasion," Dream protested, which only seemed to amuse Hob more.
"Well. If talking is a bit tough, maybe we can go for a walk sometime?" He tucked a strand of Dream's hair behind his ear, and Dream shivered. Hob clocked it, too, and let his hand rest on the back of Dream's head, fingers curled in his hair as his gaze flicked to Dream's lips and back up. "Or. Something else?"
Dream thought something else might make him spontaneously combust. That might have to wait a bit, at least until he could cope with Hob looking at him like that without feeling like he was about to explode in a flurry of butterflies.
"A walk, if you will hold my hand," he said, and Hob smiled, and took his hand, and Dream learned that all dreams really could come true at once.
509 notes · View notes