#that wasn’t something added to the show

[starkeysprincess]

Late Night Needs

pairing: perv!bsf!rafe cameron x oblivious!reader

summary: your best friend, rafe, calls you one night to talk, or so you think.

warnings: male masturbation, smut 18+ only, perv bsf rafe, oblivious/unaware reader, sexual themes

a/n: ty to my faves @oceandriveab for proof reading hehe and @babygorewhore for helping me w the title MWAH

gif creds: @tetragonia

It was currently two in the morning when you woke up to the sound of your phone going off. You grabbed your phone, squinting as you looked to see several missed calls from your best friend, Rafe.

Just as you were about to call him back, your phone rang again. "Rafe?" you mutter as you answer the call but all you can hear is heavy breathing. "Hello?" you call out again and there's a small pause, "Yeah, 's me" his voice is low, "I've been trying to reach you all damn night".

"It's two in the morning" you groan, your eyes can barely stay open. "Just wanted to talk to my best friend, 's all" he breathes heavily, "Hold on, let me facetime you".

Before you can say anything, he switches the call to a facetime call, which of course, you accept it. As soon as he appears on the screen of your phone, you take notice that he was in his bed, sitting up against his headboard. He held his phone at an angle that showed his face and down to gist shirtless chest. “Why are you up?” was the first thing you asked, which made him chuckle, “Can’t talk to my best friend?”.

You give him a look, “At two in the morning?”. He shrugs, “Couldn’t sleep”. There was a pause and you could’ve sworn you heard the faint sound of heavy breathing but brushed it off, “Just got somethin’ on my mind” he added.

His comment makes you sit up in your bed and reach over to turn your bedside lamp on. As soon as you turned on the lamp, the light illuminated your features, causing Rafe to let out a small groan, one that you didn’t hear.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the FaceTime call, Rafe’s room was filled with the wet sounds of his hand stroking himself as he talked to you. His breathing was heavy and he was more than thankful at how oblivious you are.

For as long as Rafe has known you, he always knew you were an oblivious little thing. You never knew what was going on around you. It honestly turned him on even more knowing that you had no clue what he was doing on the other side of the FaceTime call.

"Wanna talk about what's on your mind?" you question, "No, ‘m fine. Just talk, wanna hear you talk" Rafe grunts, "You always make me feel better". You eagerly nodded because you would do anything to make him feel better. He was your best friend, after all.

He wasn’t really paying attention to exactly what you were saying, his mind is too focused on imagining how you’d sound under him as he moves his hand faster on his length and god, he just knew you’d make the prettiest fucking sounds for him.

As much as he loved listening to your voice and seeing your pretty little face on his screen, he desperately needed more. He needed to feel closer to you, almost as if you were with him in his bed.

Luckily, for Rafe, he knew just exactly how he can somewhat get the feeling of you wrapped around him.

He stopped for a second, unwrapping his hand from around himself before reaching into his pillowcase, pulling out a pair of your panties that he had stolen from the last time he was in your room. Sure, it wasn't anywhere near being what your cunt would feel like but it was the closest he could get to.

He wraps your panties around the base of his cock and starts stroking himself again. "Fuck" he groans, his eyes fluttering shut at the feeling. "Everything okay?" your voice rings through his ears, "Mhm, everything's good" he mutters, "So fuckin' good".

"What are you doing?" you ask curiously, still unaware of what he's really doing. "Just takin' care of something, nothing your pretty little head should worry about" he grunts, his hand moving faster as he opens his eyes to look at you while you were too busy paying attention to god knows what.

He bites his lip as he roughly fists his length up and down. The feeling of your panties wrapped around his cock, your voice, and the sight of you was all starting to get to him and he can feel himself getting close.

"Look at me" Rafe commanded with heavy-lidded eyes, his hand never slowing down. You stopped what you were doing and looked into the camera. "Oh fuck" he grunted as he reaches his orgasm, spurts of his cum covering your panties that he had wrapped around him.

"Are you sure you're okay, Rafe?" you question with concern, only to receive a smirk from him, "Never felt better" he mutters as he stares at your panties covered in his cum.

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron smut #rafe cameron blurb #obx smut #bsf!rafe #perv!bsf!rafe #perv!bsf!rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron imagines #rafe cameron imagine #obx blurb #outer banks smut #outer banks blurb #outer banks imagines #rafe cameron x you #rafe x reader #obx blurbs #obx imagines

[virginsexgod69]

Idk why, but I've really been loving the idea of Daryl proposing to reader recently. Like, he was just gonna pop the question in the confines of their own home, but maybe while on a hunt, the reader successfully tracks down and kills a deer on her own without Daryl's help, and while she's excitedly rambling about the fact that she finally did it on her own, Daryl just looks at her and thinks, "yeah, this is the girl I wanna marry," and then unexpectedly just says "marry me". He pulls a ring out and everything. Fluff all the way!

Thank you so much if you write this, but don't feel pressured to! You don't have to write something you don't want to. I completely understand either way. I appreciate you nonetheless 💜

❝ Marry Me ❞

pairing Daryl Dixon x F! Reader

cw killing a deer and some walkers

1.7k words

note this was such a cute idea and i loved writing it so much! i hope you like it and it fits the vision you had! =]

“What’s on your mind, baby?” You asked sleepily, running your fingers through his soft hair as his head rested comfortably on your chest. 

“Nothin’,” he lied. He hated lying to you, but he didn’t know how to go about popping the question. Now would have been a nice time, with two of you cuddled comfortably on the couch in the privacy of your own home. Moments like these were some of his favorites with you and adding the memory of a marriage proposal to them would only make these moments better. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He wasn’t scared you’d say no, in fact he would have bet his life on you saying yes. Yet, each time, the words kept dying on his tongue and the ring weighed heavily in his pocket. 

“You can tell me anything, you know that, right?” You insisted. He looked up at you sweetly and muttered an ‘I know.’ You gave him a sad smile, wishing he’d tell you what he was thinking, but respecting his decision not to. 

“I love you, Daryl,” you said dreamily. This was it, the perfect segue into a proposal. He sat up properly and felt around in his pockets for the ring. The words were just about to leave his mouth, but the tired yawn that escaped you interrupted him. 

“G’nite,” you muttered as you dozed off. Daryl would never not be amazed at how fast you could go from being wide awake one minute to falling asleep in the next. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and fiddled with the shiny piece of jewelry. It was a small, elegant ring with a fairly thin band and diamond right in the center. Whoever had originally bought it had to have paid a fair amount of money for it, but stuff like that didn’t matter now. Even though you would say yes without a ring, he still wanted to do something nice for you because you deserved it. The weeks of examining the hands of every walker he killed and searching through abandoned cars and buildings all became worth it once he found the perfect ring for you. But somehow, that was the easy part. Finding the right words at the right moment was proving difficult as every minute he wasn’t married to you passed by. He sighed to himself and tucked the ring back into his pocket, disappointed that yet another opportunity slipped by. 

He gently lifted you from the couch, taking extra care not to wake you from your peaceful sleep. He carried you up the stairs and into your shared bedroom before pulling back the comforter and sheets and tucking you in. He slid into the bed beside you and you gravitated toward his warmth like you usually did. He pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Love you, too.” 

The sun blooming over the horizon created an orangey hue across the clear sky, illuminating the once dark forest. It became easier to see the tracks of the deer you’ve been tracking since dark morning. Hunting wasn’t something you did before the dead started rising, but it quickly became a necessary skill to have and thankfully, you had Daryl to show you the ropes. He even showed you how to use his crossbow once when you joined him on a hunt way back at the prison. That same day you learned that you preferred a hunting rifle. In return, you shared with him the medical knowledge you had from being a paramedic. The quid pro quo relationship you had with the hunter slowly grew into something more deep and meaningful over time. 

Finally, after hours of following the tracks imprinted in the damp earth, you came across a clearing where the doe stood. You aimed the rifle at her, careful not to make any noise and scare her off. Through the scope, you pointed the weapon at the place Daryl taught you to in order to ethically kill it. Just as you were about to press your finger to the trigger, you noticed walkers approaching the doe. Their loud groans and clumsy footsteps spooked her, sending her running into the forest just at the same time you fired your shot. 

“Goddamn walkers!” You cursed. You put the safety on your rifle and hung it on your shoulder by the strap. Unsheathing your knife, you entered the clearing and approached the undead beings. You put them both down once they approached you and cleaned your knife on your jeans before putting it back into its sheath. Red blood contrasting on the green grass caught your eye. It belonged to the doe, meaning your shot actually landed and she could be somewhere wounded, or even dead. Excitement increased your heart rate as you followed her blood trail. This was the closest you’ve come to killing a deer on your own. You’ve managed smaller kills, like squirrels, before, but never a deer! You couldn’t tell if you were more excited about actually killing the deer or seeing Daryl’s reaction, but either way you were giddy. 

After trekking about a half mile in the direction the doe fled, you finally found her lying in the greenery having succumbed to your shot. You were beaming with happiness as you effortlessly picked her up and carried her across your shoulders. You’ve carried people heavier than her out in the field during your paramedic days. 

Daryl nervously fiddled with the ring as leaned over the railing of the front porch, smoking a cigarette. He hated how hopeless he felt when it came to actually proposing to you. With how long the two of you have been together romantically, the ability to propose should have come to him naturally. He knew there was nothing to be nervous about and that he was just psyching himself out and he should just ask you to marry him already. But every time it felt like the right moment to, that feeling was gone once he started digging around in his pocket for the ring. 

The sight of you walking toward the house with a big smile on your face and a deer draped over your shoulders snapped him from his thoughts. Maybe it was just the sun shining from behind you, but you were absolutely glowing.

“Daryl!” You shouted excitedly as you increased your walk into a small jog. You set the deer down before hurrying up the porch stairs. He put out his cigarette before you excitedly jumped into his arms, embracing him like you haven’t seen him in months. 

“Guess what!” You said as you reluctantly pulled away from the hug. 

“Wha?” Based on the deer laying at the base of the stairs he was sure he could tell what happened, but you looked so happy and he wanted to share your excitement and hear you tell him yourself. 

“I finally killed a deer! All on my own!” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as pride swelled in his chest. He remembered when he took you hunting with him the first time. You were the one who wanted to go with him and "see what he does when he's off to who knows where for who knows how long." When he finally did, you complained about how boring it was and how all you were doing was looking at dirt and not seeing any animals. But now, here you were with a deer you had hunted all on your own. 

"I had been tracking it since way earlier this morning and I almost thought I wasn't gonna catch it but then I saw it in a clearing and so I was gonna shoot it but then walkers got in my way like they usually do, those annoying sons of bitches, and then the deer ran but I had shot at it so then I followed the blood..."

Daryl stared at you in awe as you rambled on about your adventure. The sense of pride and adoration he felt whenever he looked at you, but now especially was overwhelming. You were perfect in every way and he'd be damned if he went another second without being your husband. 

"...and then I found it further in the woods and I was just so excited that I finally caught a whole entire deer all on my own for the v—"  

"Marry me!" he blurted out suddenly. 

"Huh?" You blinked at him in confusion, not sure if you heard him right. As if he suddenly remembered something, he patted all his pockets until he felt the one with the ring in it and pulled it out. The sparkle of the diamond in the sunlight caught your eye. 

"Will ya marry me?" he repeated, this time holding out the ring to you. He lowered himself to one knee, still holding out the ring. Your eyes filled with tears, happy tears, and you held out your left hand to him. 

"Of course!" you said as he slid the ring onto your fourth finger. It fit almost perfectly. As soon as he stood up from his position on the floor, you jumped into his arms. He caught you and held you tight as you peppered kisses all over his face. He set you back down onto your feet and held your face in his big warms hands, wiping away your tears away with his thumbs. 

"I'm so proud of ya fer catchin' that deer all by yerself." The smile that graced his face was contagious. 

"Learned from the best," you said, smiling up at him. He leaned down and you met him halfway in a kiss. 

"Can't wait to skin this deer with my wife," he said once he pulled away from the kiss. 

"Ooh," you exclaimed, giddy at the new title, "Can't wait to eat some venison with my husband!" 

thanks for reading!

note i've been a pescatarian for 3-ish years now, but I've been wanting wing-stop, so i got some wing-stop and it was great. thanks for listening

Taglist @banquetwriter @eternalrose81 @the-dixon-effect @dilfsandmartinis @millybaby @daryldixmedown @theoraekenslover @aeriean @lesbian-horror-fan @in-this-minute @paintlavillered @zhannamustdie @thegeorgiahuntsman @bigbaldheadname @Lumi362 @lettersfromyourlover-blog @princesssparkel2024 @hayweee @d0p3ys-delusions @xxlaynaxx

#the walking dead #fanfic #x reader #female reader #daryl dixon #fic rec #daryl dixon x reader #daryl x reader #twd daryl #oneshot #fic request #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon fanfic #the walking dead fanfiction #fanfiction #fluff #twd x reader #fluffy #hunting #virginsexgod69 #marriage #proposal #marriage proposal #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon x y/n #daryl dixon x female reader

[monstersflashlight]

Monster in the dark

Demon x chubby fem!human || chasing, dub-con (almost cnc), breeding, cum play, tail play

There wasn’t anyone in the street. You knew you should have taken the longer path, it took you all around the neighborhood but at least it was always crowded with people shopping, talking, walking around... anything. There were always people there, but instead you choose the fucking short path, going through the less light part of the neighborhood. You hated the dark with passion, but you were in a hurry, your favorite show was about to start and you didn’t want to run into anyone and risk them stopping you.

But apparently you were out of luck. "Hey dude!" Someone called out. You didn’t turn around. You walked faster, trying to get to the end of the long street where at least the lightbulbs weren’t flickering. Your anxiety was spiking, your heartbeat so loud in your ears you were scared someone could sneak up on you. A shiver ran down your spine when a cold breeze blew past you. A bad feeling creeping out on you.

"Hey you! I need a little help!" You turned around trying to decipher if your possible attacker was close enough that you should run faster. You knew you shouldn’t have done that. It was scary movies 101 to never turn around when something was chasing you. But maybe they were hurt or something. Your big heart betrayed you. You turned around completely, but there wasn’t anybody in sight. Just empty space. Confused you kept walking, almost running, but not entirely.

“Hey darling! The one with the cute butt, I need some help!” They called. What? Your anxiety was through the roof. The lightbulbs started to flicker like crazy, some of them even exploding, engulfing the street in darkness. You screamed and started to run as fast as you could. Which wasn’t so fast.

You ran and ran, the street seeming longer than ever. You prayed to whoever was listening to let you make it. To let you run fast enough to get to your house. Then you heard something similar to a growl, a primal sound that made your blood run cold and your body fuel with a fear so profound that it made your insides twist.

"Caught you!" Someone said as you felt a hand closing down on your shoulder. "Why are you running?" You were scared to turn around, but the stranger made you twist your body either way. The sheer force in that one point of contact made your fly or fight response activated. "Don't worry, darling, I just wanna talk."

You turned around and saw nothing. Not a peep. But the hand on your shoulder was there. The voice was there. You could feel it. You could feel a presence there. What the actual fuck. Your heart was going to get out if it kept beating like that.

"Oh, shit, sorry! I forgot humans couldn't see me in this form." And right before your eyes a tall figure appeared. Just like that. There was nothing, and then there was a big as fuck man. So big you have to look up. And up. And up. Your neck hurt from looking at his face. "Better like this, right?" He asked, the black tendrils around his body shimmering as he smirked. His mouth was too big, too wide, he had so many teeth you couldn't even process it. And they were sharp, so fucking sharp. You shivered. "Oh, darling, don't be scared, I'm not gonna eat you." You thought he added maybe under his breath, but your heartbeat was deafening in your ears.

“Wh- what are you?” You got out, your body frozen in place.

“A poor demon who needs your help.” He told you, his face trying to mimic a grin, but contorting in a creepy way, making you shiver.

“With- With what?” You asked, your body sending all kinds of alert signals to your brain.

“With this…” He whispered as he pulled your body against his, his erection rubbing against your stomach. “I need a sweet human pussy to help me with this, and your luscious body looks delicious. Perfect to breed.” He answered, making your blood turn into ice. And your body started to respond, trying to fight his hold, unable to do it.

“No. Stop. Let me go!” You struggled against him, but his hold was too strong.

He turned you around, pressing his front against your back, black tendrils coming around you, caging you. They started to touch every part of you. The tendrils and his hands moving freely over your body, groping your tummy, your tits, your hips, your ass, rubbing your pussy… There wasn’t a centimeter of you that was left untouched by him. You tried to scream, but his hand covered your mouth. “Don’t do that, baby.” That pet name made something inside your brain react. Could it be?

You talked with your demon boyfriend about wanting to try some CNC a couple nights back. He didn’t react to what you said, just kept listening as you listed your personal kinks. But this couldn’t be him, could he? He was a demon, but you never saw him like this. You couldn’t know. Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe you had a magnet for weird monsters who wanted to fuck you. Fuck. You couldn’t know. What if he wasn’t? What if this stranger fucked you and you realized later it wasn’t your boyfriend. What if a weird monster took advantage of you in the middle of a dark street?

You knew you should have taken the long path.

The anticipation and the fear mixed inside of you, making your stomach drop and your fight response kick in. You bit the hand around your mouth as hard as you could. The monster moaned and rubbed his hard cock against your back. It was so big, too big. There was no way that would fit inside of you.

He used his tendrils to manhandle you into the air, lifting you so his cock rested between your ass cheeks. Your feet didn’t touch the ground, you were completely suspended, at his mercy. You regretted putting on a dress this morning, making his advances so easy now. You felt the cool air hit your rear as he lifted the back of the dress, exposing your almost naked ass.

“Aw! Look at that, you are wearing the prettiest thong. I bet your boyfriend loves it, too bad he’s not going to fuck your pussy tonight. I am.” His voice went so low in tone that it sounded distorted, making your insides tingle. To your shame, making your pussy tingle, too.

He moved the thong aside, pushing two fingers in right away, his claws pointy, dangerous. Your walls contracted against his fingers. “Someone is excited…” You blushed so hard you could feel the blood in your cheeks. “You like it, don’t you? Of course you do, you are a proud monsterfucker, aren’t you? I saw you with that demon boyfriend you have…” He whispered against your ear. You shivered, feeling humiliated as you moaned when his fingers hit your G-spot. “You are so wet and so hot… I’m going to enjoy your slutty pussy.” He teased, a tendril flickering your clit harshly, making you cry out in pain and pleasure.

He didn’t wait, he didn’t care about you or your comfort. He pushed his dick inside of you in a fluid motion. As far as it could go. You could feel he wasn’t fully inside, his dick too big for your human pussy. But he didn’t seem to care about it. He started to fuck you hard and deep, hitting all your sensible places at once as his hands groped your tits over your dress, not caring if you screamed. Shame filled you as your pussy got wetter and wetter around his assault. You tried to struggle, but your forces bleed out every time he hit your G-spot. Fuck.

“Are you going to be a good breeding bitch for me? Are you going to keep fighting as I fill your pretty little cunt with my cum until it overflows?” You moaned, embarrassment filling you as your pussy pulsated around him. “You like that, don’t you? You try to fight but you are enjoying this. You are enjoying to have a monster’s cock deep inside of you.”

“N-no.” You choked out, the moan you let out after made your words pointless. He laughed harder, the movement of his body making his dick go a bit deeper.

“Yes, you do. You love to be a little human cum-dump for me. I bet you’d love if I fucked you harder.” He speeded up, setting a punishing pace that made a chorus of ah ah ah leave your mouth. He didn’t try to cover your mouth anymore, clearly enjoying the sounds you were letting out. You felt like the bitch he called you, enjoying as someone took advantage of you in the middle of the street. Anybody could come and see you there, exposed, being fucked by a monster, acting like his personal fleshlight. His cumdumpster.

“Prepare yourself slutty human, I’m going to cum so deep you are going to taste my cum.” His words were nasty, so dirty you wanted to say something, anything. But instead it made you moan, turning you into a mess.

And then you felt his cum hitting deep inside, so much of it you felt your lower abdomen bloating. “Look at that, you are so full… Poor little human, let me help.” He laughed cruelly, pushing against the bulge there, as cum gushed out of you, trying to escape around the cock still buried inside of you. Some of it came out, making the filthiest sound you ever heard, accompanying his laughter. He pulled out at that moment, his hand still on your abdomen, making a splosh sound as what felt like a river of come dripped down and hit the pavement under you. “So messy…” He chastised.

He lowered his hand, collecting some of his cum gushing out. He played with it, spreading it around your pussy, pushing some inside again. You groaned and moaned, his tendrils holding you in place as he played with your pussy like it was his personal toy. He took some of the cum and rubbed your clit with it, the most delicious friction taking you to the edge. It was dirty, so dirty… And then he took his hand away. You whimpered loudly and he laughed at your pathetic slutty act, slapping your pussy hard and making your eyes roll inside your head. You came, right there, right then. You screamed at the top of your lungs, his laughter fading into the background as your brain blacked out for a couple seconds.

You came back slowly. He lowered you to the ground, his front to your back and tendrils still around you. “Told you it would be fun!” His voice was back to his normal tone, making you relax, finally recognized your stupid boyfriend’s voice. He never showed his full demon form, just giving you glimpses of it through the months you dated. It came in handy for him today, you guessed, anger rising inside of you.

“You didn’t say you were going to use your fully transformed form. You scared the crap out of me, you ass!” You yelled back at him, your eyes still teary and your voice raw after the screaming marathon you just had.

“Hey! Don’t lie to me, you like my ass. And I definitely love yours…” He smirked, his hand groping your ass. He kneaded your ass cheeks like he was making bread, chuckling when you tried to pull away. You knew you were going to have some pretty nasty bruises the next day. He would love that. To have you all marked.

“I hate you.” You whispered, trying hard not to moan as he pulled on your thong’s string, the fabric rubbing your asshole and abused pussy in the best possible way.

“Aww, baby, don’t be like that.” He said softly, placating. His lips trailing kisses along your neck. “But you looked so good running away from me, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass. Also, your booty moves so nicely when you run, and your tits were bouncing like you were an anime girl.” You didn’t need to look at his face to know he was smirking like a madman.

“You are nasty.” You told him, reaching back and grabbing his balls, hard. He just moaned. You knew he liked the pain.

“You love when I’m nasty.” He teased you. He was right, you couldn’t deny that. “Can I fuck your asshole next?” He mumbled, rubbing his still hard dick against your back. You looked over your shoulder at him, trying to decipher if he was kidding. He wasn’t.

“You give me the scare of my life!” You repeated, mad at him for being so heartless, but deep down loving how shameful he was.

He didn’t look guilty at all. “You came either way. You loved to be my prey, didn’t you baby?” He teased, tendrils coming around your body to hold you tight against his embrace. You mumbled about how mad you were, not really meaning it. “Does that mean I can’t bend you down and fuck your ass?” He asked again in a pouty voice. You hesitated, and he took that as an invitation to move your thong to the side again, teasing your asshole. He pushed his traveling tail up your hole, circling it. You tried to push him away, but he just laughed and moved it to collect some of the mixture of his seed and your juices. He used it as lube as he pushed the pointed tip inside you, making you moan. “There she is, my lovely slutty girlfriend.”

“Take me home first, at least.” You told him, already giving in to the pleasure you could feel building for him pushing his tail in an out, just the tip, but it was enough to make your pussy tingle all over again. His cum was still coming out of you. He always came in what felt like buckets.

“But I don’t wanna wait!” He complained, fucking you faster and holding your hips flush against his body. You pushed back, making his tail go deeper, his laughter almost cruel.

“Don’t be a brat. Take me home.” You choked out, already feeling the signs of an orgasm building. You didn’t want to be caught, and you already pushed your luck too far tonight.

“Can I fuck all your holes if I take you home?” He tried to negotiate.

“Ugh, fine.” You tried to fake the annoyance, but you knew he saw right past your facade. Who were you trying to lie? You loved when he was so shameless, you loved when he used all of your holes as you were nothing more than a human fleshlight for him. And specially, you loved when he used his prehensile tail to fuck your ass as he pushed his dick inside your pussy. Fuck. You were so close.

He lifted you up and carried you home, his tail still fucking your hole sloppily all they way there, bouncing you over him and staring at your tits.

You came two more times before you reached your bed.

#monster #monster fucker #monster imagine #monster x human #teratophillia #monster boyfriend #monster x reader #demon #demon x human #demon x reader #chubby reader #chubby reader x monster #demon x chubby reader #monster fuqqer #monster fudger #monster kink #monster lover #terato

[endiness]

okay, i have gone through probably 50+ s2 interviews of hc researching this so far and i have to say that at this point i really don't see how he wasn't deliberately trying to manipulate the fanbase and the media against the writers and the show to get them onto his side. (and also, like, a very specific, extremely toxic section of the fandom at that.) (it's the sexist incel gamerbros. i'm talking about them.)

"I wanted to represent as much of a book-accurate Geralt as possible and a lot of the fans did as well, and so I campaigned really hard to make sure that he was more verbose, he sounded more intellectual, his choice of words was more thought out and that his approach to Cirilla and everyone else wasn’t antagonistic. Because it initially came across as he was just grumpy all the time with everyone and everything and I really wanted to show this three-dimensional character […] It’s gonna be tough to do the stuff which is as brilliant as Sapkowski’s writing, but it’s something I’m always gonna campaign for and it’s hopefully fit into the vision of the show."

there are so many interviews (ie virtually every interview out of 50+ with the exception of maybe, like, 3) where hc says the exact same thing about how he just cares so much about book accuracy, specifically where geralt's characterization is concerned, and that he really started to push for a more book accurate geralt in s2 and wanted him to be more verbose and intelligent and show that he isn't just a one dimensional character who just grunts and says hmm all the time like in s1 — and at no point does he ever take any responsibility for how that was due to his acting choices in the first place because he would cut his lines.

he also just straight up lies about the situation because the writers originally wrote geralt as being more verbose and book accurate in s1 but then changed the way they were writing him due to the acting choices he made. and yet he acts like that was never the case and that geralt was never originally written that way and he pushes this idea that a book accurate geralt went against lauren's vision. even though, once again, that was the original vision and it only changed due to him.

and on the extremely rare occasion (i'm talking, like, maybe 2 con panels here) that he ever takes any kind of responsibility for his role in all of that, he still waffles about and tries to present this image that he wasn't really cutting that many lines and they weren't really that important anyway and it didn't really matter:

"I didn't even cut that much. Just little bits when someone says how they feel, I thought if Geralt says nothing, and maybe the well-known grunts or hmms and sometimes the occasional f-word, people can take from that what they will."

even though that can't be true as confirmed by joey:

"Henry likes to cut his lines, 'cause he's lazy. No, he literally just likes to cut them. He likes to do more up here [frames his face with his hands] and just with face and hmms and grunts. There's a lot of hmms, and so I often have to take a lot of his lines and turn it into a lot of my stuff so that the plot happens."

and even hc himself confirms this and what joey said in a s1 interview:

"All the grunts, I either added or I didn't say anything and just grunted instead. It was often up to the other actors to go, 'I think he's not gonna say anything now.'"

i also have to point out that hc directly links his push for a more book accurate geralt to reading comments on reddit as i think that's very relevant to what section of the fandom exactly that he's pandering to and why he's been so vocal about it while lying about the role he played in everything and what actually happened:

"I’m on all the Reddit forums. I’m reading all the reviews. I’m literally trying to get everyone’s information. Some of it is not useful, and other criticisms are incredibly useful. I take it all in, and I look forward to bringing it even closer and closer to Sapkowski’s writing. I think any of those criticisms, they often lie in things like I was saying—we don’t have the advantage of a long involved conversation or dialogue with Geralt, so they are criticisms which I think I was prepared for. So for me, it’s about seeing that, understanding it, and working out how I can do my job better within the framework provided, [how to] appease and make those people feel comfortable that I do actually understand this character—and love this character just as much as they do."

"As a source for information, it's really helpful for me to see what everyone's saying, what everyone's thinking, and to see how much my thinking falls in line with whichever side of that spectrum it is and whether I'm doing the wrong thing, for example, by campaigning hard for the book Geralt to exist or whether I'm doing the right thing."

and just another important thing to point out imo: virtually the only times hc ever takes any responsibility in any capacity whatsoever for his own role in the show not adhering to the books (which even then he barely does and it's still always with a lot of excuses), it's only ever at con panels — which are far less likely to get picked up by news outlets and seen by a broader audience — and not in formal interview settings. (except for, i think, one interview he gave early on when s2 first went on hiatus. but even then, it still has the same problems that the con panels have where he comes up with a lot of excuses that don't match what happened.)

then there's an interview hc gave where he went on about how he added some book dialogue into a scene and he made it out to be like it was some kind of rebellion against the writers and he didn't consult them as he was just going to do what he wanted, consequences be damned:

"I did not feel like having long discussion about whether I could add this bit somewhere. So I just did it, said the words in front of the camera, and was ready to face the consequences."

and meanwhile what actually happened was that lauren eventually let hc have free reign and rewrite a scene that he was unhappy with. which, y'know. kinda fucking weird to present what happened in the way he did.

and then there's him pushing this narrative that the female characters — namely yennefer and ciri — were given more depth and focus than geralt and the male characters as if that came at their expense and all of which is somehow due to lauren's women-centric vision of the show as if that's somehow opposed to how the books themselves are:

"On season two, I wanted to bring as much of 'Book' Geralt into the show that Lauren's vision and that the plot would allow. That's a tricky thing to do, because the plot, as Lauren has said, is very centred around bringing women into the centre of The Witcher."

"In Season 1, there wasn't really much of an opportunity for expansive dialogue which Geralt is known for — in the books, he's often known to monologue — because we had two original origin stories which were the center point of the show."

"Lauren’s vision was more of an ensemble piece than the first Witcher books. It’s driven a lot more by the characters of Yennefer and Cirilla."

"I wanted to make sure we really explored as much as showrunner's vision could allow. She has her own plan, so I’ve got to toe that line between book Geralt and Lauren’s vision."

"I wanted to try and bring as much of the book’s Geralt into Season 2 as possible, and as much as the vision, the plot and storylines would allow. The toughest part for me was finding that balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books, and trying to bring that Geralt to the showrunners’ vision."

"It’s important for me to have the character be three-dimensional and it’s tricky to do, as I was saying earlier, because there’s a certain vision and there’s a certain set, storyline and plot. And so, it was about me trying to find Geralt’s place within that."

"There’s only so much space to provide the same character from the books within the showrunner’s vision. But, I did my best to provide a bit more of a three-dimensional character with a bit more emotionality."

"It's important to me that the men in the story are three dimensional as well."

like, first off — and not to continually reiterate this but — that's not true. in s1, geralt was originally written as being just as verbose and intellectual as he was in the books and that only changed due to hc cutting his lines and we know that joey often had to take his lines, too. so there was, in fact, always plenty of time for geralt to be book accurate and for yennefer and ciri to have their own focus. these things were never mutually exclusive and it's definitely some kinda take to imply otherwise.

secondly, while it is true that geralt is the main character of the short stories, ciri is the main character of the main series starting from blood of elves, the book that s2 adapted. and despite claims otherwise, her pov has always had the most focus — yes, even more than geralt (sans baptism of fire, obvs.) and it's not like ciri is the only female pov, either, or that there aren't other important female characters that make up the series. there's yennefer, triss, milva, philippa, fringilla, nimue, condwiramurs, kenna — and that's just off the top of my head. there are plenty more where that came from. women and their stories have always played a central role in the books. nothing about that goes against them or is unique to lauren's vision.

and just with boe in particular, like. triss's pov is either focused on more than geralt's or at least about as much as his depending on how you want to break things down. and with dandelion following very close behind them, too! like, ciri may be the main character of the main series and geralt may be the main character of the short stories and their povs are the most focused on overall, but the books are still very much an ensemble piece made up of a collage of many, many povs to paint a full picture of the universe. and, yeah, the women make up a huge part of that. so the show focusing on ciri and yennefer and the women — and, yes, the men as well because it does actually do that! — is um, still book accurate. so y'know, why the fuck is he presenting this idea that's somehow not the case.

in general, hc emphasizes in a lot of interviews how much he fought for "male characters to be three dimensional." which yeah, given the context of everything else, is some suspicious kinda phrasing because it gives this undertone that the show wasn't writing three dimensional male characters in the first place as opposed to the women and that it's only due to his efforts that anything changed.

also, i have to highlight this quote of him talking about the three dimensionality of men because ~curious that he omits women from the list of people real menTM can be loving and caring toward:

"I believe that real men are very sensitive. They are very capable of doing things which can be violent, if possible, or necessary. But at the same time, they are incredibly capable of love and caring amongst men and towards children and family and all sorts."

and then there's the way hc talks about changing things which comes across as so suspicious, too, imo. especially when there is every other cast member to compare him to. because the way the rest of the cast has talked about this is that they all very consistently say that the whole process is very collaborative and that lauren is very much willing to hear them out about their thoughts and concerns and that it really feels like a team effort and that everyone is working together. and meanwhile the vibes that hc gives off is either "me vs the world (ie the writers)" or "but there's nothing that i can really do to change anything and it's all on the writers~" either way, his attitude very much comes off like all bad decisions are the writers' fault but meanwhile any good decision was due to him and him alone (or maybe the rest of the cast, but definitely not the writers.) like, weird af to play it off that way especially since every other cast member didn't seem to have any problems and they all gave credit where credit was due ie to lauren and the writers.

in conclusion, it'd be one thing if hc had just taken the l and admitted that he is the one who fucked up geralt's characterization in s1 and so he sought to rectify that in s2. but yeah, he doesn't really do that. instead he lies over, like, 50 times to create this narrative of him pushing for book accuracy as if that's somehow in opposition to lauren and the writers and as if they didn't originally write geralt book accurately in the first place and as if he played no role in the lack of book accuracy at all. and then that there's also him pushing this subtle (or not so subtle) narrative about how the women were taking a more central role as opposed to the men and that's somehow unlike the books and something purely due to lauren's vision, too? even though women have always played a central role in the books to the point where ciri is the main character of the main series? and that he's directly linked this narrative he's pushing to reading comments on reddit? (and that he also has a history, since s1, of trying to cater to game stans?) yeah, i just don't see how this doesn't add up to him trying to manipulate the media and audience — especially the worst parts of the fanbase — against the writers and the show and onto his side.

(also just one last thing i'd like to note as i find it super weird that when hc was asked about giving freya any advice, he immediately shut down the notion that he would ever do anything like that and he would never offer her any unsolicited advice and he would only ever give her any if she came to him first. like, there are literally s1 and s2 interviews where freya talks about hc giving her advice. i mean, maybe she did come to him in the first place, idk. but the immediacy in which he shut down the idea that he would ever do anything like that as if offering someone younger than you advice and being a mentor to them is wrong… weird. sus, even. like, why are you scrambling to cover your ass for something that's not even bad and, also, why are you lying about it by omission in the very least.)

#anti henry cavill #!txt: the witcher #also just a friendly reminder that hc didn't even know the books existed when he started pursuing the role #and he had only ever played the games and he actually thought that the books were based off them #(and yet still never picked them up at all or y'know googled the series despite being such a massive fan) #and he's only read the full series once in 2018 right before he got cast #and he's never played the dlc either

[ramblingoak]

Peonies

Mushy May in Lucifer's Hollow: Day 13 - I Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice

Mountain x Rain

This fic is set in an alternate universe in a town called Lucifer's Hollow. It's sort of like a Satanic version of a Hallmark town. For Mushy May I'll be using the prompts to post little snippets of life for the humans and ghouls that live there 💙 Thank you to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together!

~ In Lucifer's Hollow Mountain has a little farm and sells flowers at the local farmer's market. Rain meets him there while selling his art. ~

Warnings: none, sfw, 570 words (thank you to @ghuleh-recs for the dividers!)

His phone started ringing as soon as Mountain threw the truck into park.

“Shouldn’t you be schmoozing the crowd right now, duckweed?”  He grabbed his wallet and the flowers before getting out.  The art gallery was across the street and Mountain took a fortifying breath before beginning to cross.  Fancy events weren’t his thing but he’d suffer through anything for Rain.  “You there?”

“Yeah.”  

Mountain frowned at Rain’s voice.  It sounded off, quiet and wavering.

“Everything ok?”  

“Sorry.  I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Hey, you don’t need to apologize for that.”  He paused outside the building, peering into the windows to try and find Rain amongst the crowd inside.  “Did something happen?”

“No, no, everything's ok.  I promise.”  Mountain heard Rain sigh and when he spoke again his voice was barely above a whisper.  “I wish you were here.”

The guilt was immediate, gripping his chest like a living thing.  Mountain had felt terrible about not being able to come with Rain.  The water ghoul had gotten invited to display his work during an art show in a nearby town, his very first art show, but Mountain had needed to stay behind.  Every year Lucifer’s Hollow had a huge community picnic and Mountain made more money that day then he did throughout the whole winter season.  It wasn’t something he could miss.

He had spent his entire day there, selling bouquets and plants nonstop.  Right up until Primo and Sunshine appeared, sending him home to change and get on the road.  Mountain hadn’t wanted to at first, not wanting them to miss out on spending time with their own families but his friends had been insistent.  He raced home to throw on the nicest jeans and flannel he had, quickly clipped some flowers and managed to make it to the art show right before it started.

“Yeah, about that,”  Mountain pulled open the door to the gallery and strode in, his eyes scanning the crowd.  It would probably be easier for Rain to find him amongst everyone.  Even without his horns Mountain was nearly a head taller than anyone else.  He was also sticking out like a sore thumb with how he was dressed but right now all he cared about was finding Rain.  “Where are you?”

“I’m at the gallery.”

“Where in the gallery?  I have a delivery for you.”

“What?”  Mountain grinned when he heard the sound of a metal door creaking open, realizing that Rain had probably been hiding in a bathroom stall.  “What kind of delivery?”

“Quit hiding and you’ll find out.”

Mountain ended the call, shoving his phone into his pocket and then fixing the bouquet up a bit.  He had chosen peonies since they symbolize good luck.  The only ones that were blooming were pink but it was the exact same pink that graced Rain’s cheeks when he made the water ghoul blush so they were perfect.

“Mountain?”  He turned at Rain’s hopeful voice and his arms were immediately full of his boyfriend.  Mountain buried his nose in Rain’s hair, inhaling his scent and then pressing as many kisses he could into the dark blue strands before Rain pulled away.  “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me too, duckweed.”  Mountain handed Rain his flowers, pleased to see his cheeks brightening.  With his hands free he cradled those same cheeks in them, tilting Rain’s face so he could lean down and kiss him.  “Me too.” 

If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

More snippets from this verse are on my masterlist under "Ongoing Series"!

Other Mushy May days: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

#mountain x rain #the band ghost fanfiction #ghost band fanfic #nameless ghouls #mountain ghoul #rain ghoul #tales from lucifer's hollow #oakies' writing

[magicshopaholic]

Drowning (Namjoon x OC)

Summary: You give Namjoon a piece of your mind and you both discover your feelings have gone nowhere.

Pairing: Namjoon x OC

Genre: Angst, hint of fluff

Word count: 9.6 K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: language, insinuations of sex

A/N: As requested, including appearances by Taehyung and Dilara. Takes place two weeks after A Day in the Life.

Tagging: @bbl32, @quarter-life-crisis2, @margopinkerton, @faearchives, @whoisbts, @purpleseoul7, @kflixnet (if you want to be added to the taglist, lmk)

Listen to: "cold/mess" by prateek kuhad

namjoon masterlist | main masterlist

All it takes is a fifteen second phone call from the concierge to the penthouse suites for Kaya to be escorted upstairs. 

She tries not to let her impatience show; the concierge is walking at a normal pace, all straight-backed and poised, and Kaya simply wants to tell him to hurry up.

“I can take it from here,” she says abruptly when they reach the door of the suite. “Thank you.” The concierge looks vaguely surprised at being ushered away, but nods and leaves.

Swallowing, she stares at the door. Now that she’s actually here, she doesn’t know what to do next, besides the obvious. She doesn’t know what to expect or even whom to expect - all she has is Seokjin’s text telling her to hurry over because -

Buzz. 

Kaya rings the bell and waits for less than five seconds before the door swings open.

“You came!” Seokjin sounds more surprised than relieved, stepping aside to let her in.

“Where is he?” Kaya asks, striding into the suite to see only Yoongi sitting on the sofa with a laptop on his knees. She looks around the living room, possibly bigger than her entire apartment, and towards the bedrooms - but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here. She turns to Seokjin. “Well?”

“You actually called her?” Yoongi asks, sounding just the slightest bit wary.

Kaya frowns. “Wait, you didn’t know?” she asks, but Seokjin interrupts her to answer Yoongi.

“Yeah, I - I had to. I didn’t tell him, though.” He turns to Kaya. “He’s in the other suite. His suite.”

“Well -” Something is off. “Then… let’s go. Why are we - wait, what did you mean you didn’t tell him? Is he… awake?”

Yoongi raises his eyebrows. “He’s on a conference call with management so I hope he is,” he answers dryly.

“Okay, hold on.” Kaya bites her lip, a small part of her brain telling her she’s been tricked somehow. She fixes Seokjin with a look and is somewhat glad to see him look nervous. “You told me he collapsed. You said I should hurry and when I asked to talk to him, you said he wasn’t in a position to talk.”

Seokjin nods slowly. “Um, okay, so… he did collapse during the group interview we were doing because we’ve been travelling and he hasn’t been getting a lot of sleep - and is London going through some kind of heat wave? Because I don’t remember it being this bad -”

“No. Focus.” Kaya is sure now she’s been lied to, or at the very least manipulated. “You said he couldn’t talk. I thought he was unconscious or - or on a drip -”

“No, he couldn’t talk because he was on the phone with his mum - but, wait, Kaya -” Seokjin says hurriedly. “I didn’t lie. I just - I couldn’t think of any other way to get you here unless I… shit, what’s the word?”

“Exaggerated? Embellished? Aggrandized?”

“Lied,” supplies Yoongi, barely looking up from his laptop.

“Shut up, Yoongi,” mutters Seokjin through his teeth. “Look, Kaya… I’m sorry. But he honestly hasn’t been doing great, okay? He hasn’t been eating all that well and the travel back and forth is crazy and he’s constantly up at all hours writing, so it’s not even a surprise that he finally cracked under the pressure -”

“But he’s fine!” she exclaims. “If he’s taking work calls and bossing people around then all he probably needed was some Gatorade and a cookie! God, I can’t believe you lied to me,” she mutters, shaking her head and pulling out her phone. “You just cost me eighteen pounds to get here, Seokjin.”

“Look, he’s not a good place right now -”

“That’s not my problem anymore! He doesn’t need a babysitter and he definitely doesn’t need me hovering over him because he got light-headed for a second. This was really low of you, you know,” she snaps, turning around and heading towards the door but he stops her at the last second, sliding in front of her and blocking the door.

“I’m sorry. I really am. I did not want to lie to you and I understand why you’re angry, but…” He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. “You actually came here,” he blurts out. “You thought he was sick and you dropped everything and you came to him, even though you two aren’t on good terms right now. Kaya -“ He makes a motion as though about to grab her shoulders, but stops himself at the last moment.

“Seokjin -“

“Timing is everything,” he interrupts her, and his eyes look completely serious, almost manic. “You don’t know when you’re going to run out of it or - or when all of a sudden, you’re strangers.”

“What?” Kaya frowns incredulously. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s a mess,” he repeats, and his voice cracks a bit. “And I know you are, too, so while it’s not really any of my business, just please… please talk to him.”

Kaya has the distinct impression that this topic has run away from him entirely, but his audacity makes her hands shake. She turns briefly to look at Yoongi, who’s staring at Seokjin with his eyebrows raised, clearly as much in the dark as her.

She turns back around. “Seokjin,” she says in a low voice, “with all due respect, you don’t know the half of what happened between Namjoon and I. Okay? He ended our relationship. He did that. And we have nothing between us anymore. Now - please move so I can leave.”

Seokjin swallows and he looks hurt - but Kaya neither knows nor cares what that’s about. He lowers his head and shuffles to the side; Kaya opens the door and storms out, feeling sad and cheated and relieved all at once - only to be faced with Namjoon exiting the room on the opposite side of the corridor.

Kaya’s heart stops for a moment. Namjoon looks more surprised than ever, almost as if he’s seen a ghost. 

“What - what are you doing here?” he asks, sounding a bit breathless.

She doesn’t know where to start. It’s just occurred to her how long it’s been since she last saw him, but she doesn’t want to stare. Her eyes fall slightly to his hands by his side, one of them holding a brand new phone.

“Ask Seokjin,” she says shortly, turning to leave.

“What? Wait -“

Kaya shakes her head to herself as she continues walking away, even as she hears his footsteps on the carpet behind her. She’s so annoyed at Seokjin - it’s hard to be outright angry at him, especially when he looks so pitiful - but whatever he’s working through is not her problem.

Without realising it, her feet slow down. Sighing, she turns around.

“Are you really not eating? Seriously?” she asks, not meaning to sound so exasperated. But now that she actually looks at him, plain white t-shirt and faded blue jeans, his hair a silvery-purple and brushing the collar of his t-shirt, she can see it. He’s getting thinner and his face is pale and while his frame is still broad, there’s no muscle left near his shoulders and chest.

Namjoon’s eyes shutter over slightly. “I’m eating just fine,” he mutters, looking away. Even the veins in his neck look more prominent. “Is that why you came here?”

“I heard you fainted. Or something.”

“I didn’t faint,” he clarifies, rolling his eyes. “I got a little dizzy and fell, kind of. I’m fine. Wait, is that why you’re here?” He frowns, but there’s a flash of hope in his eyes.

Kaya feels her cheeks grow warm. He’s looking at her like he’s just registered she’s here in the flesh and he looks relieved. Or disbelieving - either way, she feels the need to look away.

“Seokjin made it sound a lot worse. And I was already in London, so…”

“Work?”

“Kind of. Class off-site.”

Namjoon nods and takes a step forward. “It’s really good to see you,” he says, voice softer than before.

An old, familiar flutter passes through her stomach. Hooking her thumbs into the back pockets of her jeans, she hunches her shoulders slightly. “The purple suits you,” she replies, feeling the corner of her mouth lift up slightly. Namjoon smiles, too: a small half-smile but enough to make his dimple pop.

They hold each other’s gaze for a few moments before Kaya feels her smile fade. Heart hurting, she turns around and resumes walking away.

“You’re still mad at me,” he says from behind her. “Even now?”

She doesn’t stop, but slows down. “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters.” His answer is instant. His voice is closer now and even after all this time, Kaya’s entire body tingles when she thinks about their proximity.

“Why? It’s not going to change anything, right?” she asks, shrugging and finally turning.

Namjoon bites his lip. “I -” He stares at her, as though really studying her, before dropping his gaze to the floor. “It’s been six months,” he murmurs. “It might be too late to change anything, anyway.”

“What does that mean? Wait, no - you know what?” she adds quickly, her heart jerking. “I need you to stop doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Reeling me back in. Constantly. Saying these things and - and coming over and -” She sniffs without meaning to. “Your friends luring me to your hotel to - what? Talk? You’re just making it worse. This is what you wanted.”

He scoffs. “No, I didn’t. Believe me, this -” He gestures to the space between them “- is definitely not what I wanted. I made one decision which was -”

“And it was a dumb decision!” she exclaims. “And I wasn’t even a part of it. But you made that call - so live with it. You don’t get to keep acting like you care about whether I’m angry -”

“Act? What the hell, Kaya? I’m miserable,” he argues, “and I hate myself for how this turned out but I had to do something. This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me and I can’t go back in time but I can try not to make it worse! Being miserable is worth that.”

Kaya scoffs and folds her arms across her chest. “So that’s what this is about. You’re punishing yourself,” she states. “And it doesn’t matter that you hurt me in the process, too.”

Namjoon shakes his head, looking drained. “This isn’t about me.”

“No, it is.” Something about how defeated he looks is only making her angrier. “It’s about your self-inflicted sense of responsibility where everything is your problem, anything that goes wrong is your fault, and the only person that can fix it is you.”

“Fucking hell - do you think I like being wired this way?” he demands and his mouth trembles a bit. “Do you think I like not being able to sleep because I have people depending on me, or - or constantly worrying if I’m doing the right thing for everyone? The onus is on me and so is the blame. I hate it but I don’t… I don’t know how else to function,” he finishes, his voice cracking. “And I’m sorry you’re mad and I’ll let you hate me for however long you -”

“I don’t hate you. Jesus Christ,” she mutters, but she can feel her throat beginning to hurt. “And I never blamed you. Not once. What would I blame you for? I didn’t even get hurt last time - I was just freaked out. And then you bailed on me - some might call that cowardice.”

He flinches, like she’s slapped him. “Call it what you want, Kaya. And, yeah, maybe that wasn’t bad enough for you to blame me,” he admits. “But what about when it gets bad enough that you do blame me? Because you’ll be right. And I’ll have nothing - I’ll have no way to fight for us because you will be right to blame me and I will lose you, knowing that I did nothing to try and stop it. At least this way, I know I tried to do the right thing by letting you go.” 

Kaya stares as he turns away, looking up at the ceiling and sniffing. It’s been three years but it’s still shocking to see him break down in front of her, her tall, strong boyfriend with the world on his shoulders. It takes her another moment to remember he’s not her boyfriend anymore.

“Okay,” she murmurs, hearing her own voice shake. “I’m going to say this for the last time, because… I’m so tired, Namjoon.” Walking towards him until she’s right in front of him, she hesitates before reaching for his face. Up close, the bags under his eyes are more prominent but she forces herself to meet his eyes, which look both confused and longing at the same time.

“I love you,” she says, waiting for the words to sink in. “I love you… and I want to be with you. And I want to marry you and I want to have your children and I want to grow old with you and die together, eighty years from now. But I’m so tired, Joon,” she repeats in a small voice, searching his eyes for something familiar. “If you ask me to leave right now, then… I’ll go. I’ll go and we’ll lead our separate lives and everything we were can just stay a nice memory. But -” She swallows, feeling her voice break again. “But if you ask me to stay… I promise, I will never leave you. It’s okay to be the one taken care of, Joonie,” she whispers.

Namjoon closes his eyes and touches his forehead to hers before opening them again. His hands are big and warm on her shoulders, long fingers curling around her arms like he’s still convincing himself, even now that she’s really here.

“I love you,” he whispers, but his eyes fall to the floor. “And I will always love you, but… Kaya, can we -”

Kaya shakes her head, not wanting to hear anymore. Ignoring the tear that escapes her eye and clenching her jaw to stop herself from sobbing, she lowers her hands, her heart breaking because now they’re really done. 

“Goodbye, Namjoon,” she murmurs, reaching up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Take care of yourself.”

It’s closure, or maybe it isn’t. Either way, it feels like the end.

—

It’s too warm for London; Kaya doesn’t remember ever feeling this hot in her two years living in this city while she was getting her Masters, but maybe global warming really is catching up with them. The air conditioner in Dilara’s apartment is extremely effective, though, so despite the fact that she’s been in shorts and a thin off-shoulder all day, she cradles a cup of steaming green tea in her hands, barely feeling the heat.

A knock sounds on her door and jerks her out of her numbness.

“Hey,” says Dilara softly, poking her head in. When Kaya nods in acknowledgement, she steps inside. “You alright?”

Kaya considers this. “No,” she answers honestly. “But I wasn’t really expecting anything different.”

While Dilara doesn’t know the details of what transpired earlier this evening, it seems as though she’s guessed the general gist of it. “Well… we’re going to get drinks in a bit. Do you want to join? Get your mind off it?”

We, meaning Taehyung and her friends Lexie and Chris. “I’m good, thanks,” mutters Kaya, privately thinking it’s the last thing she wants to do right now. “I think I need to just be alone and… process. Or forget.” She takes a sip of the tea but it’s tasteless. “I want to get it over with before I leave tomorrow. By the way,” she adds, setting the tea on the bedside table, “thank you for letting me stay while I’m here.”

“Of course,” says Dilara, like it’s obvious. “Whenever you’re in London, just give me a ring. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, though?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Okay.” She nods, looking slightly doubtful but thankfully not pushing. “Well, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Liquor is in the cabinet by the dining table. Food… not much of it. Booze - a lot of it.”

Kaya nods, giving her a small smile as she moves to leave.

“Oh, um.” Dilara stops. “By the way, I just want to let you know that while I really like Namjoon… if it comes down to choosing sides, I’m on yours.” She shrugs sort of sheepishly as she says it.

“Oh.” Kaya pauses, not expecting this. “That’s… not necessary.”

“Maybe,” she admits.”It’s just… I know that Tae and I are disgustingly into each other right now, but not too long ago, we were broken up, too. And as much as I love the guys…” She sighs and purses her lips. “They’re one team and they will stick up for each other, no matter what. And it can be a little intimidating,” she adds. “So, just to clarify, I’m on your team.”

Kaya doesn’t quite know how to respond to this. “That’s really nice,” she says at last. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

She sighs and runs her hands over her face. “In any case, I don’t think it’ll ever go there. We’re pretty over. And believe me, the last thing I want to do is be the cause of any conflict between you and Taehyung.”

Dilara shakes her head. “Are you kidding? We fight over everything. It’s kind of become a thing now. Besides,” she continues, “being on opposite sides, opposing teams… can you imagine how much hotter the sex would be?”

“Okay,” mutters Kaya quickly, chuckling despite herself. “Glad to help.” But she’s grateful for the momentary lightness.

Dilara grins. “You have a really pretty smile.”

Disney princess eyes. “Thanks, Komyshan.”

“You’re welcome,” she replies in a sing-songy voice, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind her. Not a moment passes before it opens again. “Oh, also?”

Kaya tries not to sigh; she’s very fond of Dilara, but she really needs to be alone right now. “Yeah?”

“Um…” Dilara cranes her neck to look at something outside the room before stepping inside and closing the door again. “Don’t be angry, but… Chris let me in on a little secret.”

Kaya freezes. “He did?”

“Yeah…” she says slowly. “Don’t be angry with him. I’m one of his closest friends and… this is the kind of thing he’d need to tell someone.”

“Jesus.” Her heart is still racing from this unexpected turn in conversation, but she’s too tired to care much about it now. “You know what, it’s fine. Just… don’t tell Namjoon.”

Dilara shrugs. “Of course. It’s none of my business.” She pauses. “I just hope you’re being careful. And like I said, I’m on your side, so if you need anything -”

“I know.” 

She nods and opens her mouth to respond when the doorbell rings. “Hang on,” she mutters, disappearing out of the room. 

Kaya closes her eyes and drops her face into her hands, sad and exhausted and empty. She appreciates Dilara’s concern but right now, she just needs to be alone. She hears the door open and Dilara’s voice say something, before she calls out her name.

“Kaya?” Dilara appears in the doorway again and the delicate look on her face is telling enough. “It’s for you.”

It’s almost an out of body experience, hearing her own footsteps on the hardwood floors and stepping out of the guest bedroom to see Namjoon at the end of the hallway. Part of her gets it now, why when she’d arrived at the hotel, he’d looked like he couldn’t quite believe she was real. It seems surreal that he’s here now, and her chest feels like it’s being crushed with sadness and fury.

She barely registers Dilara muttering something and leaving them alone, disappearing into her bedroom, no doubt to give Taehyung an update. For a few moments, there is silence. Kaya doesn’t want to look at him anymore; the rejection is fresh and cuts like a knife, and no part of how broken he looks means anything to her anymore.

When a few more seconds pass and nothing happens, Kaya folds her arms across her chest and scoffs, looking away. “Are you here to break up with me some more? Because believe me, I get the message, alright?”

Namjoon seemingly ignores this. “What did you mean when you said you didn’t get hurt last time?” He takes a step forward. “The break-in - that was the only time, right?”

Kaya frowns, momentarily unsure of what he’s talking about. But his gaze is unwavering and even when she remembers her own words, she doesn’t answer. “You are unbelievable,” she mutters.

“Kaya, I’m serious.”

“I don’t care,” she snaps. “I don’t owe you any answers, about anything. Not after you expressly asked me to leave.”

“I didn’t, actually,” he points out. “I couldn’t. And I know you don’t owe me anything, but -” He breaks off and looks around, presumably for the words, but eventually just hangs his head. “Please. Did something else happen?”

“How is it - why do you - what are you even going to do with this information?” she asks incredulously. “How does it matter? And why did you come all the way here -”

“Why did you come all the way to my hotel when you thought something happened to me?” he interrupts.

Kaya falls silent. Her heart hammers; she thinks of his words an hour ago, of the last time he’d come to Amsterdam, of Chris Park and feels moments away from crumbling. 

“I can’t keep doing this,” she whispers. “I don’t know what you want anymore.”

“I want you to be safe,” he answers immediately. “And I don’t know if this is the way to go about it but I had to do something. How inadequate of a boyfriend would I be if I did nothing?”

Kaya shakes her head. There are too many things she can say in response to that but it’s hurting too much to argue. “You bought a new phone?” she asks instead.

“What? Yeah.”

“What happened to your old one?”

“It broke.”

She raises her eyebrows, albeit not very surprised. “How?”

Namjoon hesitates. “I threw it at a wall.” 

It’s enough to give pause. She wants to ask if it was on purpose; something in his expression tells her it was and if it was out of anger, she can’t think what would have set him off that badly.

She decides she doesn’t want to know. Fishing her own three year old iPhone out of her back pocket, she taps on the screen. “If I toss my phone to you, will you catch it? Because a new phone is not something I can afford right now.”

Amidst everything, a shadow of doubt passes across his face. “I mean, I can - I can try.” He bends his knees slightly and holds his hands in front of him, like a wicketkeeper, looking tense. For a brief moment, Kaya almost smiles. 

“Okay.” She glances at her phone screen and bites her lip. If she shows him this, there’s no going back. Then she shakes her head. “Here goes,” she mutters, carefully tossing her phone in a clean arc and aiming as closely as she can for his hands.

Namjoon winces and still fumbles it, but thankfully manages to avoid it hitting the ground. Sighing in relief, he straightens up and turns the screen towards him, and she can see him type her security code with his thumb. Kaya watches him carefully, her heart sinking when she sees his expression drop and all the colour leave his face.

“What - what the hell is this?” he asks, his voice hoarse, and looking nauseous. 

“Read it,” she says quietly. The characters on the piece of paper are foreign to her but aren’t to him, and the moment she’d seen it, even through the shock, the first thing she’d done was snap a picture of it. “Out loud.”

“No, I’m not going to read it out loud.” He shakes his head, looking paler than ever. “Kaya, what is -” His voice cracks.

“It was taped to my front door a couple of weeks ago,” she says listlessly. “I tried translating it on Google but nothing made sense, so I asked Dilara’s friend Chris to help me out.” She recalls Chris’s confusion at her pointed question, followed by horror and embarrassment. She’d had to urge him to be honest with her and he’d finally, after a long time and profuse apologies, typed back in English: you’re dead namjoon’s whore.

Namjoon is staring at her phone screen, motionless except for his hands shaking. “I just don’t understand,” he whispers, closing his eyes and lowering the phone, “why you still want to be with me. After all this, after being stalked and now this? After getting actual threats?” 

She rolls her eyes even as her stomach twists with the memory of that day. “Who says I still want to be with you?”

He ignores this, exhaling shakily. “Are you okay? Did you - wait, how did this even happen? I put out a statement that I was single.”

“Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe they didn’t care - I don’t give a shit. But it happened.”

Namjoon swallows. “Fuck. What - what do we do? Tell me what I can -“

“You don’t have to do anything. The person who did it got caught on the building’s security camera. I called the cops and they charged her with harassment and I got a restraining order, too. But I guess my apartment is truly a loose cannon now, so…” She sighs. “I’m moving. I found a new place that’s closer to campus. It’s a little more expensive so I probably won’t be able to afford food for a while,” she adds with a roll of her eyes. “But, yeah. I’ve been staying on campus since then. I officially move in this weekend.”

Her explanation is followed by almost a minute of silence. “You’re staying on campus?” he asks softly.

Kaya notes the change in his voice and knows exactly what he’s referring to. “I don’t have a choice. But… it’s not so bad. I don’t stay out too late unless I’m with someone.” She bites her lip. “It’s only for a couple of more days.”

“Fuck. That’s incredible.”

“Yeah. Hard as it is for you to believe, I can actually take care of myself.”

“I’ve never doubted you or your ability to take care of yourself, Kaya. I only -“

“No, you just doubted me enough to make a decision to end our relationship all on your own.” Kaya scoffs quietly, even as her chest feels lighter. She’d asked Dilara not to tell him but now that he knows… it feels right somehow. 

“It took every bit of strength I had in me to leave you, Kaya,” he confessed. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I couldn’t just do nothing.”

“What are you talking about?” she bursts, her frustration exploding. “You were on tour! You were working but you dropped it in a second for me when I called you! You missed a fan meeting, you took an eight hour flight from a different continent - you did everything! Every single thing I could’ve asked of you! Until you left,” she finishes abruptly, feeling her eyes start to well up again.

Namjoon’s eyes flicker. “But… I didn’t - that’s not what I -“

“I was terrified after the break-in, Namjoon,” she reminds him, “and the only thing that was keeping me going was that you were still there. But after this, I -“ She shakes her head, the debilitating fear reappearing in flashes. “I was terrified all over again but this time I couldn’t call you.”

He steps forward. “Kaya, you can always call me -“

“No, I can’t,” she interrupts him, snapping incredulously. “You’re my ex - I can’t run to you if I’m in trouble anymore. That’s what it means to break up. God, Joon, I didn’t need you to fix it for me - I just needed you to be there. You think you were an inadequate boyfriend because of the break-in?” She scoffs. “You were the perfect boyfriend for the first eighteen hours after that. This was when you let me down, because you weren’t there for me when I needed you!”

Namjoon shakes his head slowly, his lower lip trembling. Through everything, his devastation at her words is clear as day. Placing her phone on the side table in the hallway, he takes a hesitant step forward, then another, and doesn’t stop until he reaches her. Their eyes meet briefly before he wraps his arms around her and for a moment, he takes her breath away.

She can feel his heart pounding through his chest, just under her palm. It’s fast and irregular, but it’s still familiar and for the first time in two weeks, Kaya closes her eyes and feels some of the heaviness in her chest disappear.

“Fuck,” he whispers, voice hoarse and trembling against her hair. “Fuck, I fucked up. I’m so sorry, Kaya. I’m so, so sorry…”

She nods silently, not wanting to cry out loud because the relief - even a momentary relief - is so overwhelming that she just wants it to last a little longer. From living on a college campus after years to having to leave her small, cosy haven of an apartment, she exhales shakily into his shoulder and finally relaxes because this… this is safe.

“I love you,” he murmurs, “and I wish I could keep you safe from everything, baby, but I just don’t know how.” His voice cracks on the last word.

“You can’t,” she answers thickly but firmly. “And I don’t expect you to. But… Joon, you broke my heart,” she confesses, sniffling.

“Please don’t say that,” he whispers, holding her tighter. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…” He takes a deep breath, lips pressed to the side of her head. “Did you really mean what you said at the hotel? Even after all this? Because if you did… I’m yours, baby, if you’ll still have me.”

Kaya’s heart skips a beat. “You’re really fucking skinny,” she murmurs into his neck. “What the hell happened?”

Namjoon scoffs quietly but doesn’t answer. Slowly, as though it’s the biggest struggle in the world, his arms loosen. “Kaya,” he says.

She sighs and steps out of his arms, hating every moment of it. “I did mean it,” she admits. “But I don’t know how to be in a relationship with someone who won’t let me be a part of it.”

He shakes his head. “That was never my intention. I just wanted to help - I know I went about it the wrong way but that’s all I wanted. I swear.”

“No, Joon, I’m not doubting your intentions, okay? But it’s not fair. It can’t just be your decision every time. You’re the leader, the point of contact, the eldest son, big brother - whatever. I don’t care,” she says flatly. “But you are not in charge of this. Of us. You don’t have to be,” she adds after a moment, softer.

Namjoon lowers his head, his gaze on the floor, and nods. “I understand what you’re saying,” he says slowly, “but it’s really hard to see a piece of paper calling you… that -“ he says through his teeth, jaw clenching “and not feel angry about it.”

“You’re just going to have to try.”

“Yeah? Do you remember at your friend Alex’s birthday when you “accidentally” -“ He puts quotation marks around the word “- spilled that guy’s drink onto his phone? The one who thought I didn’t understand English and called me an Asian wannabe who should stick to math instead of playing at rap?”

Kaya feels her face go slack. “That - that was an accident. Not to mention completely different,” she tacks on when he gives her a look indicating he doesn’t believe her. “I was pissed but I didn’t take it out on you.” 

“I - I know. You’re right, Kaya. I’m sorry,” he repeats, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “I get it. My guilt, my problem.”

“No,” she disagrees, seeing him look up in surprise. “No guilt at all. Namjoon, if I choose to be with you, knowing what I know, then it’s my decision. And if there is guilt… God, just talk to me about it. Because this whole suffering in silence thing? I’m over it.”

Namjoon nods. “You and Yoongi both,” he mutters dryly. When she simply sighs and looks away, he speaks again. “So, are you? Choosing to be with me?”

Kaya takes a deep breath, finding it hard to meet his eyes now. “I don’t know. God, I am so mad at you,” she mutters, dropping her face in her hands.

He doesn’t argue. She can feel his eyes on her but doesn’t want to get swayed, not by how horrified he looked when she showed him the note, how disappointed he seemed in himself when she unleashed her frustration at him, or now, with so much doubt and vulnerability in his voice.

A sound startles her out of her silence and she turns to see Dilara poke her head out from behind the wall in the direction of the master bedroom.

“Heeeey,” she says slowly, as Taehyung’s head appears similarly above hers. “Didn’t, uh, mean to interrupt… but we kind of have to…” She points to the front door sheepishly.

Kaya nods jerkily, having sort of forgotten that they are in Dilara’s house. Her face heats up when she thinks about how much they might have heard; she takes care not to meet either of their eyes as they traipse out, fully dressed for a night out.

“So… are you sure you guys don’t want to come?” Dilara asks doubtfully. “It might be fun?”

“We’re meeting Chris and Lexie at a bar,” adds Taehyung helpfully, ignoring Dilara when she corrects him with “pub” and tosses his long bangs out of his eyes, “… in case you need a drink.” He raises his eyebrows.

Kaya can’t think of anything she wants less than to be in a crowded pub, but she turns to Namjoon anyway who’s looking back at her with his hands in his pockets.

“I think we’ll sit this one out,” she answers after a moment, watching him for his reaction. “We… kind of need to talk.”

“Okay, then.” Dilara pulls out her phone. “I’ll text Chris that we only need a table for four, then.”

“The same Chris?” Namjoon mutters to Kaya, who nods.

“Yeah. Buy him a drink on me?” She suggests to Dilara. “Kind of owe him.”

Namjoon half-chuckles without humour and Dilara raises her eyebrows. “Oh, you told him?” When Kaya nods, she sighs. “That’s a relief. I was feeling sick keeping it to myself.”

“Wait, you knew?” Namjoon frowns, his jaw sharp. 

“Well, yeah - Chris is my friend and he is terrible at keeping secrets so I had -“

“Hang on - how could you not tell me?” he interrupts her, and she falls silent. “Dilara, seriously?”

“I didn’t -“

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that.” Taehyung steps in front of her, frowning handsomely. “Hyung,” he tacks on after a moment.

“Namjoon, come on,” says Kaya, grabbing his forearm and pulling him back a step. “I asked her and Chris not to.”

He opens his mouth to say something but then simply sighs and shakes his head, hands on his hips. Behind Taehyung, Dilara glares at him.

“Now I really need a drink,” she mutters, starting to head towards the door. Taehyung gives Namjoon a knowing look as he follows her out and the front door closes behind them.

Namjoon sighs. “What is wrong with me?” he mutters, running his hands tiredly down his face.

Kaya bites her lip. Under different circumstances, she would be pulling him into a hug right now, ignoring his half-hearted protests until he gave up and hugged her back, his hold getting tighter with every passing second.

But things are different now.

“I have a theory,” she says finally. “Come with me.”

—

Namjoon watches as Kaya examines Dilara’s kitchen cabinets, frowning and humming to herself. She stands on her tiptoes and rummages inside a box and he hesitates before looking away, distinctly feeling as though he hasn’t yet earned the right to check her out without her knowledge.

“Insanely understocked,” she declares, retrieving a box of Pop Tarts and heading towards the toaster. “But we’ll make do with what we’ve got.”

“Sure.”

She glances back at him briefly. “Are you sure you don’t want a beer?” she asks him, gesturing to her newly opened can, the condensation still only just forming. “It’s terribly hot.”

It is and he would love a beer right now. But he shakes his head. “I don’t think I should be drinking Dilara’s booze right now,” he mutters, wincing inwardly.

Kaya’s eyes linger on him for a moment before she turns around and starts placing the Pop Tarts into the toaster. “You can have a sip from mine,” she offers.

Namjoon shakes his head. “That’s okay.” 

“Okay.”

They stand there in the kitchen, the six feet of distance between them feeling like a chasm. But it’s the closest he’s been to her in months and he can’t help but take in her presence, drinking it in for as long as he can.

Kaya casually picks up her can and takes a long sip, eyes fluttering shut momentarily. “Oh, that feels good.”

Namjoon suppresses a chuckle. “Alright, then. I’ll have a sip.” His heart skips a beat almost painfully when a smile flashes across her face and she silently hands him the can.

“Oh, God,” he mumbles, swallowing a sip and pressing the cold tin to his cheek. “Oh, man, this is everything.” 

Kaya raises an eyebrow but says nothing, moving to pick up the toasted Pop Tarts. Piling them onto a plate, she pushes it towards him. “Eat.”

“What?”

“Eat,” she repeats, dropping another batch into the toaster. “It’s good.”

Namjoon’s gaze falls on the packet, the huge animated chocolate staring back at him. “I - I’m on tour,” he murmurs, a little apologetic.

Kaya looks as though she’s about to insist but then simply shrugs. “Okay, then.” Picking up a Pop Tart, she takes a small bite.

Sighing, Namjoon takes one, finishing it in three bites. It’s better than he’d anticipated; he takes another, and another after that and before he knows it, he’s eaten six. 

“Wow,” he says, staring at the crumbs on the plate.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll burn that before the next concert, right?” he asks hopefully.

“I doubt it. I can already see it hitting your thighs.”

He gives her a look that she returns, still finishing her second Pop Tart. She heads to the fridge and retrieves another can of beer, sliding it to him. 

“Just drink it,” she tells him before he can decline again. “Dilara has a whole carton in here. And I have her express permission.”

Pausing for a moment, he cracks open the can and holds it up. She clinks hers with it and they drink together in silence. They don’t speak again until they’re out of the kitchen and in the softly lit dining room.

Kaya takes a seat at the head of the table, lifting her feet up on the edge of the chair and hugging her knees. Namjoon sits on the adjacent chair, wishing he could pull her chair closer to him.

“How’s tour going?” she asks softly.

Small talk. She’s trying, and Namjoon’s heart fills with cautious hope. “Tiring,” he answers. “I can barely keep track of which city we’re in. But I’m writing a lot,” he adds.

She tilts her head. “Can’t sleep?”

“Not really.”

“Jetlag?”

“Sure.”

He waits to see a flicker of knowing on her face before smiling back at her. Before the break-in, they had discussed Kaya joining him on tour for some of their European concerts. He wonders if she still remembers, and how different the tour would be right now.

“I heard you got published,” he says, adoring how she smiles involuntarily at it, part shy and part proud. “I can’t believe it. Or, I can. Just - congratulations,” he says sheepishly. “You deserve it.”

“Thanks. It was a lot of work and a lot of iterations -” She shakes her head and takes a drink. “But career-wise, it’s a pretty decent step. And I get royalties on it, so that makes two of us now.” She raises his eyebrows in satisfaction. “It was worth the late nights.”

Late nights. Namjoon wants to ask and he has a feeling she wants to talk about it, but he doesn’t want to presume. Hesitating, he places his arm on the table towards her, his palm facing up. Kaya doesn’t move, though, and for a moment he can feel his throat close up.

But then she gingerly lifts her hand, pauses, and eventually places it in his. It’s unsure and guarded, but it’s more than he could hope for. His thumb runs over her knuckles, soft and delicate, and he’s more grateful than ever that she doesn’t move away.

“Do you still stay late in the library?” he asks.

Kaya’s eyes stay on their hands as she shakes her head. “I prefer working out of the dorm room. It faces the river so the breeze is much cooler. And my roommate plays a lot of old school rock so that’s nice, too.” She nods to herself, her gaze unmoving. “I don’t like being there,” she whispers.

Namjoon says nothing and simply squeezes her hand. Ordinarily, this would again be one of those moments when he would have stood up and pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms and silently letting her vent. 

“I can’t sleep either,” she confesses after a moment. “So I guess that makes two of us, too.”

He tilts his head, hoping she’ll look up at him. “I get why you couldn’t call me before. But you can now. You know that, right?” he asks gently. “For the next few weeks, we’ll actually be in similar timezones for once.”

She cracks a smile but still doesn’t look up. “I might just take you up on that. I’ll start moving my stuff into the apartment the moment I get back, anyway, so when I actually get possession, I’m done.”

“That’s a good idea. Actually, if you want,” he ventures hopefully, “I could help.”

“Help me move in?”

“Yeah. If you want,” he repeats, trying not to sound nonchalant. “Our concert isn’t till Saturday and we’re supposed to have a radio show on Friday but I can take a couple of days off to -”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that,” she starts to say, but Namjoon shakes his head.

“I don’t think the company will mind,” he offers, thinking privately that even if he does have to argue with them a bit, how completely worth it it would be.

Kaya bites her fingernail, observing him. Then she shrugs. “Alright. If you want.”

He nods slowly, continuing his attempt at the nonchalance. “And, uh… I’ll book a hotel. If you want,” he says again, “you can - you can… stay. Over.” He bites his lip. “If you don’t want to stay on campus.”

Some of her casual facade breaks. “Really?”

“Yeah. And - and don’t worry, it’ll be big enough so you don’t - I mean, we don’t -” He breaks off and cringes inwardly.

Kaya raises her eyebrows. “Separate beds?”

A half-chuckle passes his lips, for it sounds ridiculous. “Yeah. Separate beds.”

“You don’t think we can control ourselves in the same bed?”

“I think it’ll take everything we have in us to do it,” he admits boldly. “But I think we can.”

She doesn’t answer but tries to suppress a smile. On the table, her hand feels looser in his. He’s just about to say something when her phone buzzes next to her and she automatically reaches for it, letting go of his hand.

“Everything okay?” he asks when she clicks her tongue.

“Yeah,” she sighs, scrolling through a message presumably. “Got a quiz to grade by the weekend. And it’s a finance elective so I’m going to need the prep material from - from the professor.” She sets the phone down but doesn’t look up at him again.

Namjoon lowers his hand as well, something like a dark cloud feeling like it’s just appeared above them. “Are you sure you’ll be okay staying with me?” he asks in a low voice, looking at his knees as the incongruity of the question creeps into his chest. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t feel any pressure.”

He nods. “It’s just… I know we were - are technically apart for a while. It wouldn’t be strange if you… you know.”

Kaya takes a few moments before answering. “Well, I’m not,” she clarifies. “And also… Namjoon, I didn’t have sex with Adam.”

Namjoon feels his gaze freeze on the leg of her chair. “What?”

She sighs hugely, turning away when he slowly looks up to face her. “I didn’t sleep with him. I just said that to piss you off,” she confesses. “It was stupid and petty and childish, but… yeah. I lied.”

There’s a roaring in Namjoon’s ears, like a sugar rush in his veins after months of dieting. He feels like he could sing, and the restraint to not jump to his feet and yell in relief almost causes him to have a hernia. Clenching his fists in gratitude at his sides, he nods with difficulty.

“Oh. That’s - that’s… interesting.”

Kaya narrows her eyes and gives him a look, clearly not fooled by his forced nonchalance. But Namjoon doesn’t care. The sleepless nights and never-finding flights where his own brain continued to punish him by generating the most traumatic images feel like nightmares from a different lifetime.

“We did kiss,” she admits after a moment, and Namjoon’s heart sinks a little. “After a few drinks. But we agreed it was a mistake. And I’m not saying you were right,” she adds quickly, as when he rests his chin on his palm and places his fingers over his mouth, “because he didn’t push or get weird about it, but there’s a chance you may have been… kind of… on the right track.”

Namjoon could kick him - but then again, by her own admission, it sounds like the least troubling thing to happen to Kaya over the last few months. 

“Okay,” he manages.

She pauses, then looks at her hands. “What about you? Have you…”

“No.”

“Not even…”

“Nope.”

“Oh.” She takes another sip of her beer, a big one, and doesn’t speak for a few seconds. “Are you hungry?” she asks suddenly. “There’s, like, a crazy amount of ramen in this house.”

Namjoon doesn’t know if it’s because he hasn’t been around ramen in a long while, or if it’s because it’s Kaya who’s asking, but for the first time in a long time, his stomach rumbles. 

—

It’s nearing one am when Dilara returns home. 

Namjoon is jerked out of the small, comfortable, familiar bubble with Kaya on the sofa where they moved after consuming two steaming bowls of soupy ramen. A glass of rosé each, they’re sitting face to face with their sides against the back of the sofa, only their knees touching ever so slightly to maintain the distance.

“Wait, no… it’s this part -” Kaya pauses and concentrates on the song playing at a low volume from the neighbouring apartment. “... can’t help… falling in love with you… and that’s the trumpet,” she finishes, the UB40 cover coming to a peppy end. “This was dad’s favourite song - I know it inside out.”

“Fine, you were right,” he admits. “Whoever this is probably has the most varied music taste I’ve ever seen, though. Eminem, Guns N Roses, Camilla Cabello and then Elvis?”

“And Nsync before that,” she adds. “Maybe it’s multiple people. Oh, wait - I know this song.” She wrinkles her nose as the guitar picks up, apparently having mistaken it for something else, when the front door opens. “Shit,” she mutters, startled.

“Hey, we’re back,” calls Dilara, sounding slightly wary. Multiple footsteps follow her in, followed by a mixture of conversing and laughing.

“Komyshan, is yesterday’s pizza still in the fridge?” Chris Park asks, shuffling in and taking off his jacket.

“Check for yourself, Park,” mutters Lexie, kicking off her shoes. “Hey, guys,” she says to Kaya and Namjoon, who wave back. “Wow, the neighbours aren’t even trying to keep it quiet, are they?”

“Oh, wait, I know this song!” Taehyung exclaims, and he and Dilara look at each other in excitement before breaking out into grins. 

“I haven’t heard Tous les garçons et les filles since… wow, since that day?” She beams when he winks at her and starts swaying by himself to the music, shoulders and all.

Namjoon raises his eyebrows as the renewed chatter and chaos in the apartment continues, and he can’t help but feel a little sorry that the rare time he was having with Kaya has been cut short.

“I’d hang out but I’m exhausted,” groans Lexie, downing an entire tall glass of water. “And drunk,” she adds after a moment. “So I’m going to bed but I’ll see you all in the morning. Goodnight.” She glances deliberately at Chris before departing in the direction of her room.

Namjoon frowns as Chris nibbles on the last of a pizza crust, while Dilara raises an eyebrow at him. “Goodnight, everyone,” he mutters abruptly, following Lexie. A moment later, they hear the sound of the door closing.

Dilara rolls her eyes and gently pushes Taehyung in the direction of the kitchen. “You should drink some water, too, babe…”

Taehyung faintly says something in response and floats towards Dilara’s room instead but Namjoon glances at Kaya, who silently cocks her head towards the dining room. Nodding and feeling vaguely anxious, he gets up and goes over to where they were sitting earlier and talking. Dilara is bringing out a bowl of fruit, piled high with apples, bananas and grapes when she catches sight of him and quickly looks away.

“Hey,” he says gingerly, stopping at the dining table where she continues bustling around, twisting her long curly hair into a loose knot. “How was your night?” When all he gets is a shrug in response, he places his drink on the table and rallies. “Thanks for… hosting, I guess. Your apartment’s really nice.”

“Mhm.”

With renewed respect for Taehyung, Namjoon continues. “And, uh… oh, Kaya talked me into a glass of this wine. It’s delicious. Where did you get it from?”

“Harrods.”

“Great. I think we drank about a fourth of it tonight. Can I buy you another one to replace it?”

Without warning, Dilara turns around on her heel and places one hand on her hip. Despite being a foot shorter than him, she startles him into taking an automatic step back.

“Are you bribing me?”

Namjoon swallows and frowns, pressing his tongue to his upper lip. “Is it working?” When she narrows her eyes at him, he sighs. “I’m sorry I snapped. That wasn’t right of me.”

“You’re not the only one who cares about her, you know? Why do you think I invited her to stay here?” 

“I know. You’re right. It’s just…” He runs his hands through his hair. “It’s been an emotional night.”

Her features soften slightly. “Been apologising a lot tonight, have you?” But she doesn’t sound sarcastic - more curious.

He glances at Kaya who’s still in the living room, leaning against the arm of the sofa and watching them, her glass of wine now empty and resting on her thighs.

“Kind of.” He lowers his head. “Guess I had it coming, though. But it’s been a lot better than I expected,” he adds, realising as he says it that it’s true, that even the distant, cautious dynamic was miles ahead of what he could have hoped for.

Dilara raises her eyebrows. “Are you back together?” she asks in a hushed voice.

“Not yet,” he admits, shoving his hands in his pockets. “But soon, maybe. I hope.”

She purses her lips. “Well, she’s angry, I suppose. But she’s missed you, too,” she adds after a moment. “And she knows why you did what you did… even if it was a shit idea.” She smiles innocently when he gives her a look. “Her words, not mine.”

“Alright.” He exhales, reaching over and affectionately grabbing her head. “Are we cool, though?”

“I guess.” She pauses, then rolls her eyes dramatically and accepts his hug, the top of her head just about reaching his shoulder. “But only if you do the robot at least once on stage at your next concert,” she decides as they separate.

“What’s that now?”

“You heard me. Oh, and it has to be during a sad song, not a dancey one.”

“I - fine,” he agrees, rolling his eyes and privately dreading the next performance already, grateful for Kaya as she joins them.

“Everything okay over here?” she asks delicately. “Because it kind of looked like you were going to get your ass kicked for a second there,” she tells Namjoon.

“Oh, no,” says Namjoon. “It’s much worse. I have to do the robot on stage on Saturday and possibly go viral for looking like an idiot,” he guesses, fixing Dilara with a pleading look, who simply shakes her head.

“Forgiveness has its price,” she says wisely.

“It’s like placating a kid,” points out Kaya. “Which kind of adds up, probably - you used to say you were kind of like a babysitter to these guys.”

Namjoon rolls his eyes again and, without thinking, places an arm around Kaya’s shoulder. There’s a moment of awkwardness when he remembers where they are and he’s about to drop it, but then she seemingly leans into it out of habit, and he lets it stay.

“Hey, what are we talking about?” Taehyung appears from behind them and accidentally brushes Namjoon’s arm. As he makes way for his group member, Namjoon has no choice but to drop his arm to his side. “We’re out of toothpaste, by the way,” he says, nudging Dilara’s shoulder.

“We’re talking about what it’s like to have kids,” offers Kaya. “And the lengths you have to go to for them.”

“Kids?” Taehyung frowns slightly as he pops a grape into his mouth before looking straight at his girlfriend. “I’d like to have kids with you.”

All traces of the smirk on Dilara’s face drop at his words. “That - that isn’t even close to what we were talking about.”

“I always used to think three, but I think four is a nice, round number.”

“Taehyung,” she interrupts him, while Namjoon snorts and Kaya watches in amusement, “shut up. We were only saying that -”

“We’ll need a minivan to fit four, though. With three we still have a chance to have at least one boy and one girl, no?”

“Are you serious right now?” 

“Of course. Three, minimum,” he decides seriously. “And I think we should name the oldest one Princess. Even if it’s a boy.”

Dilara glares at him before rolling her eyes. “That’s my cue to leave. Goodnight,” she states. 

She turns around and leaves, Taehyung casually following her. As they disappear around the corner, Namjoon can hear him go, “But, jagiya, think how gorgeous you’ll be pregnant…”

“Shut up, Tae, I’m serious…”

There’s a fading sound of rustling and groaning and giggling before the sound of a door closing shut. Finally alone again after a fifteen minute fever dream of some truly unexpected chaos, Namjoon glances at Kaya.

“You must be tired,” he murmurs.

She shrugs. “I guess.” She starts to walk towards the guest room, the only one in the main area of the apartment, and stops a few feet away from the door. “My flight’s tomorrow evening,” she says.

He nods, reasonably sure of why she’s telling him this. “I’ll be there on Wednesday morning. If, you know, you’re still okay with…”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

“Cool. I’ll have to be back Friday for rehearsal, though,” he says, slightly apologetic. 

“That’s okay. I appreciate the help.”

There’s a silence, an expectant one. They spent hours talking today, with topics ranging from their relationship to the most minor, unimportant things. But there’s no avoiding it now - whatever happens next feels foundational.

Namjoon’s brain is working in overdrive, trying to decide the right thing to say, when the sounds begin. Kaya’s jaw drops and she turns her head halfway before shaking it, her eyes wide.

“Is that -”

“Unfortunately,” he mutters tightly. “In a happy coincidence, Taehyung’s room is right next to mine at the dorm, so this is… not the first time,” he informs her, squeezing his eyes shut.

When the muffled sounds only get louder, Kaya covers her mouth in shock. “Okay, I’m going to bed,” she says quickly. “Um, goodnight.”

Namjoon’s heart skips a beat. “Yeah, okay. Goodnight, Kaya.” There’s a painful pause after which he takes a hesitant step forward, raising his arms slightly.

Kaya exhales and meets him halfway, reaching up and hugging him. It’s comforting and hopeful and Namjoon holds her tight, trying to block out the sounds but instead becoming more aware than ever of the shape of her body against him, the coconut and vanilla scent of her hair and her bare legs under her shorts.

They separate slowly, and she takes a step back. Giving him a small, silent wave, she backs up and opens her bedroom door. Namjoon watches as she steps inside and moves to close the door when she pauses, and a moment later, leaves it open.

He frowns. It takes him a beat. Then two. The sounds from Dilara’s room seem to be in no position to stop anytime soon and in a split second, Namjoon makes the decision to follow Kaya inside, closing the door behind him.

—

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review :)

#namjoon x oc #namjoon fanfic #taehyung fanfic #thebtswritersclub #bangtanwhq #k-vanity #houseofddaeng #hyunglinenetwork #namjoon angst

[twinsunstars]

Thank You, Mother's Day - a small Bad Batch fic

Sypnosis: Omega learns what Mother's Day is, and she's got a few ideas, while Eva, Jax, Sami, and Baryn prepare something for Emerie.

Oh my gosh, Mother's Day is almost over for me where I am in like less than an hour, but I started working on this all day after putting up this post this morning and just finished it quickly (I was so inspired by my own thoughts lol). I hope you guys like it, and Happy Mother's Day!

also up on ao3! read under cut if you want to read it on here instead!

The galaxy had many unique holidays shared around many planets. Life Day, Harvest Day, and the Festival of Light were a few that were more commonly known. One holiday had grown very popular recently as it was coming up soon, as many people on Pabu were getting ready to celebrate it with their loved one.

Mother’s Day. 

When Omega first learned about the holiday from Lyana, she was curious to hear more. Lyana barely remembered celebrating Mother’s Day with her own mother, who had unfortunately passed away from a heavy illness when she was three. Lyana showed Omega a few holophotos she had left of her mother, reminiscing in the memories.

Omega listened closely when Lyana described what a mother was upon her asking. A kind, caring, nurturing, and strong female who always watches out for her family, making sure her kids are safe and healthy.

Nala Se had taken care of Omega ever since she was born, though Omega wasn’t sure about any of those motherly characteristics matching her. All she did to Omega was run tests and make sure she was staying healthy for her own purposes. 

While Lyana described what a mother was, she added, “But you know, mothers don’t quite have to just be female. My dad is like my mom too, and he does everything he can to keep me safe.”

Omega thought about that. Her brothers matched those characteristics way more, always there to make sure she was safe and cared for her wellbeing.

The brother who did this the most was Echo. He always broke up Hunter and Crosshair’s fights before they escalated to violence, helped Omega sew Lula back up whenever Lula got a hole in her fabric or one of her ears ripped, made sure Wrecker wasn’t overeating and wasn’t eating anything that would make him sick, and always tried to get Crosshair to eat something. 

“Lyana,” Omega began, thinking about an idea. “What if I do something for Echo? He’s always taking care of all of us, and he’s my brother but Hunter and Crosshair like joking that he’s the mom.” She would always hear things like “Listen to your mom” or “Okay, Mother” whenever Echo was around, but Omega never got the chance to sit down with her brothers and ask what that meant. 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” Lyana said. Lyana was already planning to do something for her father and having Auntie Phee help; ever since her mother had passed away he was fulfilling that role, and even if it wasn’t Father’s Day she wanted to have her dad feel appreciated. 

Omega began brainstorming ideas, asking Lyana what people usually do on this day. Gifting flowers, making a heartfelt message card, giving them gifts and letting them know how much you appreciate them. She had to share this with her brothers. 

***

“Mother’s Day for Echo?”

Omega nodded with excitement, deciding to talk with her brothers about her ideas during their time out fishing today and telling them what the holiday is. “Lyana told me about it, and you all always call Echo the mom.” 

“He certainly does act like a mother,” Crosshair scoffed, chewing on his toothpick and holding the fishing rod with his one hand. Batcher leaned over the ship, keeping an eye out for any fish. 

“Yeah, we always joke about it,” Wrecker chuckled. “But would it be right? Echo’s not actually a mother.”

“Lyana said someone close to you who acts like a mother doesn’t actually have to really be a mother to be celebrated on this day. She’s going to celebrate her dad. I feel like we should do the same for Echo, and he’s coming back for a visit on that day. It’ll be fun!”

Omega hopped up and down, trying to convince her brothers to agree. Omega had a point; Echo always took the most care of them and made sure they were keeping things neat, clean and tidy. Wrecker and Crosshair exchanged a look, and then looked over at Hunter, who was lost in thought. 

“We… could give it a try,” Hunter began. “Echo has been doing a lot lately with Rex. He does need a break.”

Hunter also didn’t want to say no to Omega. She looked so determined to appreciate Echo, he had to give her a chance to experience a Mother’s Day celebration like natural-borns do. 

Omega squealed, telling her brothers the plan. 

***

“Do you think we should do something for Dr. Karr?” 

Eva, Jax, Sami, and Baryn resided under the tree in central Pabu, relaxing after chasing around the moonyos and playing a lot of games to keep Baryn entertained, who was now sleeping soundly in Sami’s arms. 

The kids still resided on the island for their safety, waiting for their chances to go back home once the older adults found a safe way for them to get back to their families. The tricky part was finding Baryn’s family, but the kids had hope that he would get to be reunited with his mother. 

Everyone was talking about Mother’s Day during their stroll in the market, putting up sales and handing out flowers and chocolates. None of the kids had been away from their family on Mother’s Day until now. They missed their mothers much more, longing for their warm hugs. 

Eva suggested giving Dr. Karr a Mother’s Day gift to fill that void of longing to appreciate their mothers. Dr. Karr had been the nicest to Eva, and she felt like appreciating her. She had been away from the island for a while, so Eva was excited to see her again. 

Jax tilted his head, confused. “She’s not our mother though.”

Sami replied, “But she helped us escape and kept us safe. Mothers try to keep their kids safe.” 

The memory replayed in her head of when her mother tried to keep her away from the strange man who was trying to take Sami away. Everything else was a blur after that. She laid her chin on Baryn’s head gently, trying not to cry. 

Eva nodded. “I have a friend who always celebrates her dad for Mother’s Day. Dr. Karr has been so nice, and Omega said she’ll be coming on that day to visit.”

Sami thought for a moment. “Should we ask Omega? She could give us advice. Dr. Karr is her sister.”

“I think she’s near the docks right now. Dr. Karr did try to protect us Maybe it could be fun,” said Jax. He missed his mom a lot, as he would always make drawings and pick flowers for her.

Eva knew how he felt. Eva missed her mother and father so much, and she prayed it was only a matter of short time before getting to be reunited with her again. Dr. Karr had given her the hay doll Eva grew to love so much, reminding her of the small plush dolls her mother would buy for her to feel happy and safe.

“Let’s go find her.”

***

“That… sounds really nice, Omega.” 

Omega had commed Emerie to talk about Mother’s Day for Echo, sitting in a corner near the docks on Pabu. She was really excited, and Echo was bringing Emerie along too during his annual visit. Omega wanted her to be a part of her plan. 

Emerie found this Mother’s Day interesting. Just like every other clone, she never had a mother, nor any parents. Nala Se may have taken care of her for a short period of time, but she wasn’t quite someone who you would call caring and nurturing. Hemlock may have raised her after taking her in, but he didn’t fit any of those categories either at all.

“I knew you would like it!” Omega said. She was about to tell Emerie more, but she heard an outside voice calling her name. 

“Sorry, Omega,” Emerie turned with a frown. “I have to go take care of something. But I promise to keep it secret.”

Omega smiled. “It’s okay. We can go over the plan later.”

Emerie gave her sister a nod. “Be safe, Omega.” 

The call ended, and Omega tucked in her holo-comm into her pocket. She turned to see Eva, Jax, and Sami coming over. Baryn was awake, snuggling with his toy. 

Omega noticed Eva had a nervous look on her face. “Hi! You guys doing okay?”

The kids nodded. Eva held her hands together behind her back. “We wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure, what is it?” Omega gave the young ones her full attention, feeling a little concerned. 

“Well… everyone says Mother’s Day is coming. Our moms aren’t here, but we felt like giving a gift to Dr. Karr.”

“She’s been nice to us, it’s the least we could do,” Sami added. 

Omega’s eyes widened. “That sounds fantastic! I’m going to do something for one of my brothers, and Emerie is going to help. She’ll love your surprise!”

Eva smiled. “You really think so?”

Omega nodded. “Emerie never had a mother either, but I know she will love your gift.”

The kids were happy that Omega liked their idea. Now they just had to think of the perfect gift. 

***

It was perfect timing. Mother’s Day was today. Omega had been wide awake since the sun rose, awaiting Echo and Emerie’s arrival. She had her brothers help her paint banners, pick flowers, and cook some food. She had drawn a picture of her and her family together for Echo to keep with him, and she had Lyana help her frame it. 

Omega had gotten Mox, Stak, and Deke to join in, who were helping the Batch set the table. They had decided to make handmade bracelets for Echo to have on his missions, adding touches to his new painted armor. 

Lyana came over, informing Omega that the ship was arriving. Omega ran out, Hunter exclaiming to tell her to be careful. Batcher followed her, wanting to see Echo and Emerie. 

The ship landed, and Omega ran to Echo, leaping into his arms. 

“Whoa, good to see you again too kid!” Echo returned the hug, carefully setting Omega down. Omega gave Emerie a hug next, as Emerie knelt down to give her sister a tight one. Omega was still getting used to seeing Emerie without those rose-tinted glasses, but she looked pretty either way. 

Batcher nuzzled herself on Echo’s legs. Echo smiled, giving her some pets. She came over to Emerie, who slightly flinched. Batcher tilted her head and sat down calmly, allowing Emerie to come near her when she felt comfortable.

Emerie was still getting used to Batcher, as she would always see the lurca hounds as these vicious creatures who could easily rip one’s throats with their claws. But there was nothing to worry about with Batcher; she wasn’t one of them anymore. Emerie slowly reached her hand out, gently petting Batcher’s head. She smiled, enjoying the feeling. 

“Dr. Karr!” Emerie heard little voices call her name, looking over to see Eva and Jax running towards her. Sami walked over with Baryn in her arms; the baby never wanted to leave her gentle hold. Emerie stayed down on her knees to receive a hug from each of them. 

“Hello, Eva, Jax, Sami. Baryn.” Emerie smiled and scrunched her nose at Baryn, who giggled, happy to see her. “You all can call me Emerie. You don’t have to keep calling me Dr. Karr.”

“Okay. Emerie,” Eva responded, getting the feel of calling Emerie by her first name.

Echo looked around. There was no sight of the Batch. “Where are the others?”

Omega smiled. “Getting ready.”

Echo raised an eyebrow. “Ready for what?”

Omega grabbed Echo’s hand, pulling him to go with her. “Come with me. You’ve got to see this!”

Echo laughed, following his sister to where she wanted him to go. Emerie began to follow Omega, turning to the kids. “Coming?”

Eva replied, “In a bit. We’ll  be there.” Emerie nodded, following Echo and Omega.

“Let’s go prepare her gift,” Jax whispered. The kids nodded, heading off to get Emerie’s Mother’s Day gift. 

***

Omega excitedly led Echo to her family’s new home on Pabu. Echo noticed her being more energetic than usual, wondering where this girl had in store for him. They reached the door, but Omega stopped before opening it. 

“Could you close your eyes?”

Echo scrunched his eyebrows, starting to grow suspicious of what was behind those doors. He hoped it wasn’t one of their pranks they convinced Omega to do with them. Last time he had a whole mishap with his scomp arm and sticky string.

“Please?” Omega held her hands together. As much as he was worried, Echo couldn’t say no to his favorite girl. He shut his eyes, feeling Omega take his hand again and heard the door open. Emerie opened the door so Omega could lead Echo in.

Echo slowly walked, trusting Omega to take him safely. He felt Omega stop walking as he stopped as well. 

“Okay, open.”

Echo swallowed, ready to face anything that was thrown onto his face. He opened his eyes, and all he saw were his brothers, standing together with smiles on their faces. There was a whole table set with food and flowers carefully arranged. A painted banner was hung above on the walls with the words colorfully written in Aurebesh: “Happy Mother’s Day.”

Echo was about to ask what Mother’s Day was, but Omega began, “Everyone may joke that you’re our mom, but in a way you really are. You take so much care of us, and we wanted to thank you for it. Happy Mother’s Day, Echo!”

“Yeah, happy Mother’s Day, Echo!” Wrecker exclaimed, happy to celebrate. Hunter and Crosshair couldn’t help smiling at their older brother. Mox, Stak and Deke came over to Echo, handing him the bracelets they made. 

“For your new armor. It’ll add some color,” Mox said. 

Echo smiled, grateful for all of this. 

Omega walked over to the table, reaching for a frame. She handed Echo the frame, who got to see her drawn picture of him and Omega standing together, the rest in the picture as well along with Emerie. “I drew this for you to have wherever you go, so you have a picture of us for you to look at whenever you miss us on your missions.”

Echo knelt down, holding the frame. He loved it so much, and the picture being drawn by his little sister was the best thing for him. “Thank you, Omega.”

He pulled her into a hug, which Omega returned warmly. Wrecker joined in, and so did Hunter. Wrecker dragged Crosshair into the hug, which he actually enjoyed.

Emerie came over to Echo, holding an untied bracelet. “Senator Chuchi told me about these bracelets that are shared between brothers and sisters. I wanted to make you one as a gift. It’ll bring you good luck.”

Echo looked at the delicate bracelet in Emerie’s hand. He reached out his arm, allowing Emerie to put on the bracelet for him. Emerie smiled, tying the bracelet onto his wrist next to the bracelets the young triplets gave him. Echo loved his gifts, and he was happy that his family decided to do this for him. 

“You should eat, you’ve probably had a long journey,” Hunter suggested. 

“The cake is delicious! Your favorite berry is in it,” Wrecker said. 

Echo nodded, following his brothers and sister to the table. 

Emerie was ready to follow Echo, but she heard Eva’s voice behind her. The kids stood together shyly, and Emerie noticed a red box in Eva’s hands. 

“We… thought of making something for you for Mother’s Day,” Jax said. 

“For helping keep us safe,” Sami added. 

Eva reached out the box. Emerie was shocked. She wasn’t expecting to get anything for Mother’s Day. She didn’t feel she really fit the qualities of a mother. 

Emerie knelt down, taking the box gently from Eva’s small hands. She opened it carefully, revealing a beautiful woven necklace.

“Did you all make this?” Emerie asked. The kids nodded. 

“It was Sami’s idea,” said Eva. “You can wear that on your adventures, and when we go back to our families, you can have that to remember us by.”

Emerie held the necklace, fond of the design. The colors of gold, maroon, and dark blue were so beautifully woven together. She had never received a gift as precious as this. 

"I have some flowers for you too," Jax said, handing her a bunch of colorful flowers he found around Pabu. Emerie took the flowers gently.

“Do you like it?” Sami asked. 

Emerie smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. “It’s beautiful. It’s perfect. Thank you." 

The kids smiled, coming in for another hug. Baryn cooed as Emerie set a hand on his head. She felt grateful to be loved by these children. 

“Emerie, come eat!” Omega called. 

“Come join,” Emerie said to the kids. She stood up, holding Eva and Jax’s hands. She helped Sami set up Baryn so he could eat something good for him. 

The family was happy to be together like this, just like other normal families in the galaxy spending a holiday together. Echo had listened to Omega explain Mother's Day to him and often looked over at his bracelets, loving his gifts. Emerie had Eva put the necklace on her carefully, loving to wear it. 

Mother’s Day had become a new special holiday for them in their hearts, and Omega was ready to celebrate it every year, just like this.

#feel free to share and lmk your thoughts! #pabu life headcanons #the bad batch #star wars #tbb #sw tbb #the bad batch spoilers #tbb s3 #the bad batch omega #the bad batch echo #emerie karr #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch hunter #the bad batch wrecker #the bad batch crosshair #the bad batch eva #the bad batch jax #the bad batch sami #the bad batch baryn #tbb sami #tbb eva #tbb bayrn #tbb jax #tbb emerie #lyana hazard #happy mother's day #mother's day #happy mothers day

[xonavia]

i just saw your bllk boys getting jealous of reader’s cat (it was so cute)

so can i request a part 2 where the reader’s boy cat makes biscuits on her chest IN FRONT OF HIM?

and the cat makes the smuggest look ever when he glares at him and just pissing him off sm

bonus points if the cat like bites him when they were alone (when reader wasn’t around) and he tries to tell her but she says smth like “my baby would NEVER” and he’s just like “YES HE WOULD HE JUST DID” and the cat just purring in her arms as if he didn’t just bite his owner’s bf’s hand. damn actor.

same characters as the previous cat hc + reo pls 🥰

(chigiri, rin, nagi, bachira, isagi)

-> So for this request I got this one plus another one that were very similar so I'm gonna try to combine them the best I can, and if either of the original requesters want me to make a second/fourth part of this with some changed things that fit more with their individual request I can totally do that just lemme know!!<3 (The second request with this theme will be linked onto a Google doc linked here - Second Request) -> And yes there will a part two posted right after this with Reo and Sae, who were Also both requested to be added on!

ChigirI Hyoma

-> I know i've said this so many times but when your cat is out here making biscuits on your chest he is pissed, and he will side eye that bitch till the day he dies

-> It's even worse that it's right on your chest, like your leg, yeah sure whatever, stomach, sure whatever, but chest?! That's for his hands when he's cold!!

-> Though he knows how much you love your cat so he won't actually say anything well that is until one day when you got up to use the bathroom when you two were cuddling and watching a movie and the second you left your cat jumped up on his lap and bit the arm that was laying closets to it

-> He was even more pissed! First it was making all grabby paws on your chest showing how much it loved you and then it bite him?!

-> This first (and last) time he said anything because this was just unfair

"Your dumb cat bit me. Tell it to knock it off.."

You gasped

"WHAT? He/She/They would never!"

You quickly picked up your cat and gave it a bunch of kisses

-> Yeah he was never gonna say something again, but his teammates will be a little confused when he always comes into practice with new bites

Rin Itoshi

-> Again another guy who is side eye central

-> Like he knows he is jealous watching your cat make biscuits on your stomach, where he was cuddled into just a couple minutes ago

-> But instead of actually facing his feelings he will be silent about it and instead just pretend that he doesn't care

-> And he won't for a while, well until your cat got up from where it was sitting on your stomach and walked over towards his and sat down on his lap, as you turned your attention to them for a second "awwing" at the sigh of your boyfriend and cat finally getting along

-> But damn, you left your phone in your bedroom so as soon as you left the room to go get it, your cat bit him and as soon as you walked back Rin looked pissed

"Your lukewarm cat bit me."

You laughed and little and picked up your cat, cuddling with it and kissing its stomach

"Aww my little baby? Rinnie you're just being silly! He/She/They would never bite anybody!"

-> Would try to bring it up a couple more times but eventually he would leave it be and just side eye your cat even more than normal, he may even get into a little tussle with it when your not looking

Nagi Seishiro

-> Is normally laying on your lap when he goes over to your house so it's a little harder for you cat to actually get any sort of attention from you, but you were sitting on your bed while he was playing a game while laying over on your shoulder

-> That's when your cat found a way in, and with that it quickly came and laid down on your lap before nagi could change his mind and take it back

-> He looked a little upset when he saw the little feline laying down on your lap and making biscuits on your upper thigh

-> He did mention it once though a little request to move your cat a little so that he could lay on your lap but you replied with he already had his head on you shoulder and your cat has been needing some attention

-> so he sighed and just let it go, well that was until you had gotten up to get a couple snacks for you and Nagi (and maybe a cat treat or some catnip for your cat) but a couple minutes after you had left the room Nagi wanted to see if maybe he could actually try petting your cat

-> But when he reached out and placed his head on his/hers/their head, he/she/they quickly turned and bit his hand before jumping off your bed and nuzzling against your leg when you walked in the room, which Nagi quickly (well for his laziness) got up from his spot on your bed

"Your.. cat bit my hand.. and now I can't play my games.."

"Oh Nagi.. We all know that it's impossible, maybe you fell asleep on it or something and now it just hurts! My little kitty would never!"

-> That's when he learned that he had to be a little less lazy to actually get what he wanted and not fight with a cat over it

Bachira Meguru

-> Your cat is most likely scared of this man based on what he does so it's not often that you see the two together

-> Not to say that they don't cuddle sometimes, but your boyfriend will always end up with a shit ton of scratches

-> The first time that your cat actually bit him tho was a whole different story

-> The two of you were sitting and cuddling on the couch watching some stupid reality TV shows, and then your cat came over and sat up on your lap and started making biscuits on your stomach

-> Bachira tried to get it to stop and while you weren't looking your cat bit him, and instead of being normal.. Bachira bit her/him/them back.

"Ew cat hair doesn't taste good"

"What? Did you just.. bite my cat?!"

"It bit me first!!"

"My baby would never!"

-> Would bite again to try to get your attention again, also did wash his mouth out after but it was totally worth it (in his eyes)

Isagi Yoichi

-> Was not all that happy when he found you and your cat playing on the couch and it was pushing her/his/their paws into you and making biscuits all over you stomach

-> He did talk about it for a couple minutes to you before he had just gotten a little upset and an even more distaste for your cat

-> But what made him even worse was the fact that even though you said your cat was so sweet and it would never even hurt a fly, and little thing bit him!

-> It was a normal day that he was hanging out at your house and he was sitting on the couch as you were cooking something for dinner and your cat jumped up on the couch and laid next to him

-> He was a little shocked at first but tried to pet her/him/them and it reached up and bit him like wtf!

-> He called out for you and instead you just responded with he was being a little dramatic because you know that she/he/they would never actually do that to anybody

"But (Name) Your cat bit me!"

"Isagi, We both know that she/he/they are my little baby and would never do that!"

#blue lock x reader #blue lock #bllk x reader #bllk #chigiri hyoma #chigiri hyoma x reader #rin itoshi #rin itoshi x reader #nagi seishiro #nagi seishiro x reader #bachira x reader #bachira meguru #isagi yoichi #isagi yoichi x reader #xonavia's writings!

[leesjuicycalves]

For Tonight

As you scrolled through your phone, his words hit you like a velvet harmer; both tender and weighty. Was he really that serious, or was this just a dance of words, a teasing jest? Yet the undeniable truth still remained, hanging over your head like a dark halo. You also wanted the same; to see him one last time, to feel his soft touch one last time, to breath him in again, to feel his lips on yours again. You knew you were crazy for thinking this, you were more than delusional, there was no way you could have him. You knew, and he knew it too, but maybe you just wanted to relish a bit more in the fact that he yearned you just like you did him. You wanted to remain in that little bubble that said, “He could have been yours if you met him sooner.” You wanted to stay in that little bubble a little longer, let it be the source of your late night fantasies, let it be something that made you smile just a tad bit; even if you knew there was absolutely no point in being in the bubble. You had absolutely no right to put yourself in that bubble, no right at all but still, here you were considering his proposal. Rights and wrong blurred into insignificance, shadowed by the all-consuming flame of passion and desire.

Minho didn’t know what he was doing, he just found himself adding your contact to his phone and texting you. He wasn’t sure you would even respond. He had to see you again, he needed to. It was mandatory. He could still taste the sweetness of your lips, still feel the softness of your skin under his fingertips. If he were to concentrate hard enough, he could still smell your scent around his senses and the image of your tear stained eyes a clear vision in his mind. How could he not though; both of you had just merely been a breath apart in the small of the closet he had found you in, crouched on the floor, sobbing and bawling your eyes out.

He hadn’t intended on finding you in that state but you were clearly embarrassed when he did, whispering a quiet ‘sorry’ and quickly drying the stains of your tears with the hem of your dress.

“It’s ok, what happened?” He had asked oh so softly sitting down next to you and completely forgetting what his mission was upon passing by the closet area. You had asked him not to pay mind to you and that it was stupid and personal and most importantly, you didn’t want to be a Debby downer among all the festivities happening just a floor below you.

“Stop being so silly, how can I let one of my newly wedded wife’s bridesmaid be sad on such a joyous day?” he had said in a stern but playful tone. “And it’s not stupid if you’re crying your eyes out.”

He remembers how you chuckled sadly sniffing and pouting and how his heart clenched at the sight of your lips pursed oh so cutely. He remembers how you struggled getting out the fact that your boyfriend of five years decided to end things with you just because you would soon be going abroad because of work. His excuse being that he couldn’t handle a long distance relationship and that he would get tired waiting for you. You cried harder articulating the last part. He wanted to hug you, to cage you in all his warmth because he was sure he had more than enough, he wanted to give you all the love he could master, give you the world and show you that you deserved better than your shitty ex.

“Am sorry, am…I shouldn’t….please don’t mind me. Y-you should go back to the party. I think it’s best if I go. I-I don’t wanna ruin the fun. Congratulations by the way,” you smiled for the first time since he found you and he didn’t understand why his heart beat twice as fast. Softly and carefully, afraid that you’d break, he slowly turned you to face him and wiped your tears away with his thumb grazing over your soft skin. He could see and feel the goose bumps that formed on your skin.

“You deserve better,” he spoke in a whisper as if he was telling you the deepest darkest secrets of his soul. “Way better,” his face was so close to you, you could see every detail of it and he could see every detail of yours. Your eyes shined even in that poorly lit closet, wide in shock, he thinks (you probably didn’t expect him to be that close to you), your cheeks flushed and lips glossy and plump. He kissed you, this he remembers way too many times that it keeps him awake at night sometimes. And you had kissed back surprisingly, eyes closed, palms rested on his thighs. He had his hands on your soft cheeks softly smoothing over them and tilting your head so he could taste you deeper, his tongue exploring every part of your mouth. And then you suddenly pulled back, all color drained from your face eyes wide in shock and fear? You ran out of the closet like you’d seen a demon, pushing past him and leaving your coconut sweet smell dancing around the air. He hadn’t asked about your name then but he would never forget your face and the taste of your lips.

Minho hopes you show up, he really wants you to show up. He booked the hotel the day before, Camei doesn’t know about it. He told her he’d be going to settle some important issues before they leave for their honeymoon; he wasn’t lying, technically. You were an important issue, and seeing you one last time would definitely settle everything, he hopes.

You have no idea whether you’re doing the right thing or not. You shouldn’t have checked the address text Minho sent you, you shouldn’t have gotten dressed to see him, you shouldn’t have gotten into that taxi. Fuck, you shouldn’t be right in front of the hotel room that he was supposedly in. You shouldn’t be knocking, you shouldn’t be anxious to see is beautiful face again, you shouldn’t be excited to see him. You shouldn’t, shouldn’t, shou-

“Y/N,” his sultry voice along with the sound of an opening door breaks you out of your spiraling thoughts. It’s too late to take back what you’ve done. You’re here, he’s here, in front of you, just a few feet apart.

“Hi,” you sheepishly breath out.

“Come in, please.” His voice is nothing above a bare whisper, pleading, his lips so plump and beautiful.

You enter the fairly spacious hotel room, it has a medium sized bed in pastel ivory sheets. The walls are a blinding white color, there’s a nightstand just beside the bed. On it sits a bottle of wine that looks quite expensive and two wine glasses. Minho must have gotten the wine for the both of you. There’s no chairs or small sofas in the room, you just realized. So you just stand in the middle of the room like an awkward acquaintance gripping on your phone (the only thing you brought with you) like your life depends on it, palms sweating and heart beating out of your chest.

“I-I’ve missed you so much,” Minho voice is so close to you, you can feel his breath against the nape of your neck. Maybe that’s because he has his hands around your waist, head against your cheek and lips directly on your neck.

“Minho you….”

“Please just…just let me. For tonight, just…please.” His right hand lays right on top of your bosom and your breath shakes.

“Just for tonight, please. Be mine just for tonight. No logic, no right or wrong. Just us behind these closed doors. Let’s…let’s deny the truth and just stay here with me,” he still hasn’t raised the tone of his voice, still so low and quiet.

‘As it should be.’ You think to yourself. You don’t deserve to be known in his world, youre not meant to be in his world.

“Just for tonight,” you whisper back a drop of tear falling from your eyes and landing on Minho’s hand that rests on your bosom. He feels the warm liquid land on the cold skin of his hand and he squeezes lightly on your breast. He kisses the nape of your neck softly and turns you so that youre facing him and he wastes no time in kissing your lips. You hear him audibly sigh into the kiss and you mirror his action hands flying to the back of his neck slowly curling your hands into his soft hair. His lips are as sweet as the first time you kissed him, maybe even sweeter this time. He kisses you fervently and passionately, tongues dancing like flames in a wildfire. Your hands tangle in his hair as you feel your body responding to his touch, his warmth. You sigh once again as you feel his tongue exploring every inch of your mouth, the taste of him driving you crazy with desire, both of you lost in the moment, carried away by the sheer force of your passion for each other.

You pull away from him for a second and he eagerly chases after you’re soft lips but settles on grazing them with the flesh of his thumb, tenderly, delicately. Then he’s back on your lips again this time more intense and eager as though he's trying to memorize the feel of your lips, the taste of your breath, the way your body feels against his. Because he knows he’ll never again get to taste them as freely as he is in the moment.

He walks you backwards until the back of your knees hit the bed and your ass settles on the soft mattress hands falling behind you to support you from fully laying on your back. Minho slots himself between your legs wasting no time in putting his lips back on your skin, but this time his tongue swipes a long stripe on your neck and you keen. Minho seems to understand you as he moves to take off the V shaped sweater (that showed just enough of his collarbone and his chest to have you wet right at the door) and the khakis he was wearing leaving him only in his boxers that really seemed to be a discomfort to his clearly hard dick. All you could do was gawk at his god-like mouth-watering body standing in front of you, all yours, just for tonight.

You stretch your hands and smooth over his sculptured abs, so strong and firm. You feel him shiver under your touch and it encourages you to touch him more, lowering your hands to where his bulge is.

“Fuck….Y/N….” he groans as you give a light squeeze to his clothed balls.

You slowly pull his boxers over the curve of his ass and over his thick thighs while looking up at him through your lashes, his cock springs free and slaps his abdomen and you’re sure your eyes comically widen at the sight of him. You waste no time and scoot closer to the edge of the bed fisting his dick and putting your lips as close to the tip as possible giving him slow kitten licks. The sounds Minho makes from your slight ministrations have you leaking more than you already were when you first saw him that night and you set yourself on hearing more of his pretty sounds. Your lips wrap around his tip, taking your sweet time to engulf the entirety of his length into your mouth whilst making sure to twirl your tongue around him once every few seconds.

“S-so warm, shit…” Minho involuntarily thrusts forward into your mouth making his dick hit the back of your throat and your eyes water a little bit. He looks down at you and settles his hands on your head, you struggle a bit to look at him as well and he’s sure he might as well cum just from the sight of you. Big round eyes, teary and sparkling, lips full of his cock. Fuck! He tries as much as possible to master that exact image of you in his head for as long as possible.

“M’ gonna cum…please…s-stop,” you immediately withdraw from him with a pop sound, saliva dripping onto your chin.

Minho makes haste ridding you of your clothes and laying you on your back all while littering kisses all over your body. You feel his fingers prod at your entrance and your back arches, your hole more than ready to take anything he gives you.

“Relax for me, mmh?” He tells you in his sweet sultry voice and you feel something bigger than his fingers poke at you now. Minho pushes his tip inside of you but stops once he feels you clenching around him.

“Fu-so tight, d-don’t…I’ll cum…”he struggles to let out and you try as much as possible to give him space to enter you fully. His lips find yours once again, kissing away any tension you had built inside you.

You try and get your head back to this moment, to now, when he’s all yours. When his beautiful face is above you, when he’s inside you. Not when he’ll be gone, not when he’ll be living with his family; probably already forgotten about you because it’ll be that easy for him by then. You try and relish in the feeling of him now, so you hold him, hold him like he might disappear any moment from now. You hold him and burry your face in the crook of his neck pulling him lower so that your chests touch and that’s when you realize he’s all in you, Tip kissing your cervix, you can feel him poking at your belly. He feels it too, how deep he is inside of you. How warm you feel around him, how tight and just right your cunt is for him.

“Min, move….” you whisper and he begins plunging in and out of you at a bearable pace keeping in mind not to hurt you. And your brains takes you back to how lucky his wife must be, to have found such a gentle man. Caring in the most intimate of times, so gentle and considerate. You could have used a man like him back then, when you needed him. But that’s too late to think about now. In fact nothing is worth thinking at the moment.

“F-faster Minho, harder. Please,” Minho thought you’d never ask. Because that’s exactly what he also need to do, fuck you hard enough so that his brain can forget the fact that his dick will never again feel the warmth of your sweet tight cunt.

“aaaaahhh-ngghhh….y-yes….f-faster. M-minho,” you cry out as he pounds into your hole, balls slapping at your skin and legs up high on his shoulders. He quickly changes the position so that you are now folded in half, legs at your chest and hand caged in between your legs.

Minho fucks you like it’s his last time, it is. He wants to be able to feel your warmth for days, he wants you feeling him for days as well.

“Wanna keep fucking you forever. W-wanna stuff you….”

“D-don’t……..please….please….” you try to tell him not to stop but you choke on a sob and Minho hears it. He thinks he’s hurting you so he stops and pushes your legs aside so he can see your face.

“M’ sorry,” he says kissing away your tears.

“N-no, keep going. Pl-please…am so close,” you mewl moving yourself on his dick trying to get your high back.

Minho turns you sideways now and drapes one of your leg over the other, he’s still inside you and he could still hit your right spot in that position. He moves to kneel his right leg beside you and then he keeps going, alternating between a hard, fast, slow and soft rhythm; his hands on your ass kneading and toying with the flesh of it. You’re so close to your high that it physically hurts. Minho’s now kept the slow and soft pace of fucking into you, drilling every inch of you. He feels your desperation though, he feels how you’re constantly clenching around him and so he moves to spoon your sweaty figure; his hands going directly to your clit harshly rubbing figure eights over it and you finally let go. You cum around him with a loud groan of his name and that’s more than enough to push him over the edge. You feel him starting to pull out of you but you try and keep him grounded and he releases inside of you. Painting your walls with his warm sticky fluid.

“Haaah,” you sigh as you feel some of it ooze out of you. “Stay, j-just for tonight.” You hurry to let out as you feel Minho wanting to leave from behind and inside you.

“Just for tonight,” he says back as he kisses your bare shoulder, wrapping his arms tighter around your torso.

‘Always. Stay forever.’ You both want to say it to each other but you can’t and you know the reason but you’d rather not think about it. Just for tonight, let it be okay to lay in his embrace and each other’s warmth. Just for tonight let your hearts scream the words that your lips can’t seem to utter.

Reblog if you liked....🥰

#indie thoughts #stray kids #lee know smut #stray kids x you #lee know x reader #lee minho smut #minho smut #lee minho x reader #lee know x y/n #lee know x you

[snowflakeanimelover]

Relationship: Thomas Shelby x Mafia Boss!Female Reader

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Warnings: cussing, death, major character death, secrets, lies, no Y/N mentioned, she is only given a last name, badass reader, lots of lore, slow burn, this chapter is a little rushed.

NOTE: this is basically just a Prologue, but if enough people like it then ill continue this :)

I believe this would be a perfect fit for readers theme song, for this story. Hence where the title comes from, as well.

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Prologue: The Greeting

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“Where is Tommy?”

That particular voice is very well recognized in this area. It has a stern and motherly tone with strict trauma behind it. The voice is so familiar that anyone who hears it from a distance of a mile away would know exactly who it belongs to. That voice belongs to none other than Polly Gray, the aunt of the Shelby brothers and sisters. Polly is known to be the intelligent one in the family, along with her nephew, Thomas Shelby.

Anyone who knows Polly knows to keep themselves a few feet back. She’s one woman no one wants to mess with—Thomas Shelby’s protection added to the threat.

“I don’t know,” John Shelby, second youngest brother, replied to his aunt with a simple shrug of his shoulders. “Fucker went off on his own a few days ago without saying a bloody word.”

A woman sat not too far from the Shelby and Gray. Her job is quite simple. Someone who counts the money in the Betting Shop, amongst other people. So far, she’s been working there for a few months now. Never has she spoken to the Shelby’s much, besides when she first met them to get the job.

But she wasn’t looking for talk. Her bright orbs often glanced over the shop, studying each and every person who belonged to the Peaky Blinders. And most importantly, she keeps her eyes on the important people, such as the Shelby family members and their allies.

Her back was facing John and Polly as they spoke, due to her desk being in a certain place, but she didn’t care. She doesn’t have to look at them to know what they’re talking about.

”What’s the trouble?” John finally asks after a beat of silence. Knowing her his whole life, he can't miss the unusual way she paced and looked a bit frantic. She’s worried about something, and if that's the case, then it ain’t good for the business or the family.

“Sullivan,” she answers him a bit harshly. “Tommy is supposed to meet him today, and he’s not fucking back.”

The woman listening in on the conversation raises her brows, pausing her writing and she tunes in. This was very important.

John nods absentmindedly, showing he’s listening. “Alright,” he stresses, rubbing his chin in thought. “Alright. Well, send Arthur.”

”Fucking Arthur?” Polly asks in disbelief. “You can’t be fucking serious. Tommy would have his shit if he knew Arthur took his place.”

”Well, what the fuck do you want me to do?”

The woman had already tuned out their voices as she brought herself into deep thought. She takes a moment to think properly; her plans, her ideas, her past business. And within a few minutes, a wicked smirk plays on her lips.

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Light chatter and curses echoed in the small, empty church. The cloudy day had refused to shine light into the holy building, only candles lit in the most important places.

”What the fuck is taking him so long?” A man curses, pacing back and forth in the candlelight. His few body guards stood around, guns in their hands for preparation.

His lips part once more to complain about the tardiness of his new ally, but the sound of the door to the church creaking open makes him pause. Sullivan tilts his head, focused on the new arrival. Although it was too hard for him to see, the darkness took over the corners. “Thomas Shelby?” He calls out, guessing who it could be. “I don’t got all fucking night, eh? I’ve got things to do. Business to take care of,” he boasts, annoyed that his ally was late.

”Well, that’s no good,” a feminine voice breaks the silence, one Sullivan knows well.

Sullivan flinches back in surprise, pointing a finger at the darkness. “No, no…” he mutters in disbelief. “H-How the fuck did you know I was here?!”

“Come on, Jordan,” she teases lightly, slowly stepping into the light. Sullivan takes another step back. It’s her, for sure. The clothes say it all. The only woman to wear such material, such style. Much like the Peaky Blinders. “You’ve done me dirty. You think I’d just let you go so easily?”

”I said,” he yells out, anger and fear taking over his form. “How the fuck did you know I was here?!”

She takes another step forward, a threat. And that was it for Sullivan. “Fucking shoot her!” He demands, his bodyguards doing exactly as they are told.

Guns fire and men fall. It ended within seconds, with Sullivan’s men down in a heartbeat.

Sullivan watches in fear as two women come out from the darkness, dressed the same as the woman he fears the most. Members from her gang. Guns held tightly and confidently in their hands, pointing directly at Sullivan. She didn’t even have to lift a finger.

Sullivan doesn't say a word as he turns and flees, running through the back door of the church and into the dirty streets. She merely laughs, trudging off her long trench coat and handing it to one of the women standing by her side. “A chase?” She chuckles, rolling her shoulders. “How fun.” With that, she starts the chase.

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The run didn’t last long, to her disappointment. The man was down with one simple trip on the uneven gravel, hitting the ground hard. She jumps over a crate that was in the way, and stops to study the scene.

A smile grows on her lips as she pulls out her gun from her holster, pointing it right at him.

Sullivan’s words are slurred together fearfully as he begs to leave her alone, to let him live. He stumbles to push himself back up and eventually gives up, staying on the ground with his hands up in surrender.

“Where’s the money, Jordan?” She hisses, cocking the gun back.

”P-Please—please let me go, I-I swear I’ll pay you back all that I stole, Miss Rose,” he begs, “I-I’ll give you even more than that!”

She takes a moment to observe his fearful state. The way his body shook. The way he cowards with the gun being pointed right at his head. She reveled in all of it.

She wastes no more time putting just a little bit of pressure on the trigger, the bullet flying. Sullivan jerks back as the bullet goes straight through his head, and his body falls back.

Relief didn’t come as much as she hoped. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end—A feeling she was being watched. Her hand holding the gun lowers as her orbs turn, finding none other than Thomas Shelby, Arthur Shelby, and John Shelby standing there with their guns pointed right at her.

A sigh leaves her lips as she puts the gun back in its holster, pulling a smile at the boys. “Apologies,” she says, noticing the shocked expressions they hold, “I didn’t know I had an audience.”

#kates blabs #x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby x you #arthur shelby #john shelby #polly gray #mafia boss reader #female reader #mafia boss #mafia #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #fan fiction #badass reader #Spotify

[jovieinramshackle]

Tea and Tenderness

VERY self-indulgence Inky Ribbons one shot because I needed it 🐙🎀. If you guess what book/movie I'm referencing in this you're officially super cool.

Words: 1064

Prompt: “. . . sorry, I talked too much” “No no no not at all. Keep talking” (the prompt was taken from this list)

(if you wonder about the pronoun changes, me and Jovie/my sona use she/they)

(Reblogs and Likes are appreciated 💕)

Jovie had a lot of interests.

And they loved talking about her interests.

As reserved as they seemed, once she was comfortable with someone who would listen, they would not close their mouth until the air left her lungs.

Despite being a chatter himself, Azul couldn't compare to the amount of chatting and information sharing Jovie could do. It was common practice for the two to get together, enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee, and talk. Or more accurately, for Jovie to talk as Azul carefully paid attention to their words, taking in the information, and storing it in his head for potential future use. 

He often didn’t fully comprehend what exactly they were talking about— he lacked the proper context to fully understand, even if she did their best to provide it. What kept Azul focused was his adoration for their enthusiasm— he loved how passionate she was about their interests, the way her eyes sparkled while talking about their favourite books or shows. He, admittedly, found it attractive. 

Azul, like the researcher that he was, made sure he researched their interests to follow their conversations better. Although he couldn’t dedicate his time to fully watching all the shows or reading all the books, he made sure he had a general idea of the topics and ensured he remembered the information she would offer him.

As they sat once more in the dimly lit Mostro Lounge, sharing one table long past closing time, romantic soft jazz quietly played in the background, adding to the ambience. This time, they were enjoying a warm cup of tea Azul had prepared beforehand— Lemon tea, Jovie's favourite. Silence embraced the room, ruined only by the constant chatter of the young witch.

This time Jovie had a new fixation to share during their alone time— a dark fantasy novel about a young girl, who discovers a hidden door inside her new house that leads to a supposedly better world, when in reality, it was a trap to lure her in.

Azul wasn’t versed in this book, though he was a reader himself, his preferences laid with autobiographies of businessmen and the economic news. So the dark fantasy genre was a whole new subject of discussion to him, let alone the particular book Jovie wanted to talk about.

Despite that, Jovie went on, animatedly talking about the plot, explaining every point, all the little details in it. They spoke as if she had made a world-alternate discovery, as if the whole world needed to know about this one book they loved so dearly.

If he had to be honest, he would be at a loss at times, especially when Jovie began to explain the differences between the book and its movie adaptation— she wasn’t the best with words, sometimes stuttering while speaking as their voice got tired. He started feeling a sense of overwhelmingness taking over him as they continued. Despite that, it was something he was accustomed to, it had no negative effects on him. So he let her continue, occasionally asking questions to catch up to them.

But then, suddenly, Jovie stopped, fixing their gaze on him as if analysing his current facial expressions and body language. Her face changed from radiating excitement and enthusiasm to becoming completely expressionless.

The abrupt shift in Jovie's demeanour made the gears in his mind start. He couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong, since it was unusual for Jovie to go silent so suddenly. Even if they were tired after so much talking, she wouldn't stop and just stared at him, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Is everything alright, angelfish?” He finally decided to ask, his concern evident with his eyes betraying a hint of worry. “...sorry, I talked too much again.” She turned their look away from him. They spoke quietly, like a kid realising they did something bad and had to apologise. “I know it's not really your thing.” 

Azul's eyebrows furrowed slightly in surprise at the unexpected apology. He began wondering— or overthinking— if he had unintentionally shown any hints of discomfort, with Jovie picking up on them. And if he did, he never intended to, he quite enjoyed learning more about his girlfriend, after all. 

“O-Oh- no no no not at all.” He reassured them with a smile, part of his worry slipping through his words.  “You can keep talking, I don't mind.” 

They shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Are you sure?” Their faces turned a slight shade of red while they fidgeted with their fingers, embarrassment running over their body. “I know I can be…a lot when I get like this.” 

Azul felt his heart beating as a warm flush spread across his cheeks, this sight of them brought up his own feelings at the forefront. He rarely saw this…unusually vulnerable side of her. Jovie was known for being animated and talking loudly—them speaking so quietly and so unsure of herself was a rare sight, even if he had seen it before. And every time he'd see it, it prompted an urge to comfort them, as if that very moment nothing in the world was more important than that.

 “I promise you, it's alright.” His voice sounded smoother as he spoke with such sincerity. “Besides, I do enjoy delving into your interests. It offers valuable insight into who you are."

Jovie's eyes met his once more, absorbing his words. A small, shy smile made its way onto their continuously flustered face “...Thanks, it means a lot.” They admitted quietly.

“Of course, angelfish.” His expression softened at the sight of their smile, his heart melting a bit too. “Now please, do continue— what happens once the girl throws the cat at the monster?” Leaned closer as he raised an eyebrow, his genuine curiosity of the absurd plot point evident in his tone.

“Oh, that's the best part-! You see, in the book…”

They launched into an explanation of both the events in the book and the movie once more, emphasising the biggest differences between the two and why they loved both for their own reasons.

With how much they had talked about it, Azul thought he might as well watch the movie himself.

As he thought about it at the moment, he realised it would make for a perfect date idea.

And as he kept that thought in mind, he continued listening.

tagging: @ramshacklerumble @thehollowwriter @summerspook @scint1llat3 @skriblee-ksk @cyanide-latte (lmk if you wanna be added)

#twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #twst persona #azul x oc #azul ashengrotto x oc #azul x yuu #twst yuusona #twst oc #twst x oc #twst yume #twisted wonderland yume #yumeship #twst writing #jovie's writing #inky ribbons

[overheard-at-camp-half-blood]

“They changed the narrative from the books to make Athena bad.”

Athena was horrible in the books too, it was just glossed over by everyone. 💀

#percy jackson #annabeth chase #like I have had opinions on Athena for a while #long before the show came out #the idea that she willingly has kids with men without making sure they want kids #the way she DISOWNS Annabeth in hoo #or do you guys just forget that happened #how about the fact that she spent years ignoring annabeth and then had the audacity to disprove of her friendship with Percy #like she was a shit mom in the books too #that wasn’t something added to the show

[thatrandomblogsays]

Annabeth: I, a child, had to earn Thalia’s love, that’s how the world works! I have to earn my moms love. Love is transactional, you gotta be worthy of it first silly :)

Percy, listening to this on the train

#STOP TRAUMATIZING THIS CHILD PLEASE #this is what it’s like when you were raised in a loving home and you find out your friend wasn’t #but they don’t know they weren’t #so you’re like um hey that’s fucked up and sometimes a crime? #you tell them parents are supposed to love you as is without earning it and they don’t believe you #you can hear the therapy bill racking up #annabeth chase #Percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #pjo series #pjo tv show #mine #adding on to my tags because some people are debating if that’s how love works #love is meant to be a mutual exchange and something that grows over time between two people as their bond grows #whereas how Annabeth says it #in my opinion at least #she had to do XY and Z to be worthy of thalias love before receiving it #like with her mother #she has to be amazing before Athena is proud of her #vs Athena being proud of her just for being her daughter #that being said I’m not hating on a traumatized child having potentially negative and toxic patterns #more pointing out the comedy of the scene from Percy’s perspective who has a good grasp on healthy vs unhealthy relationships

[wynandcore]

Okay I wanna show my favorite piece of Uprising concept art, it’s been in the back of my mind ever since I saw it

Look at that.

#I can’t quite put my finger on why but I love it so much #theres a serenity here in its light colors. for once the use of scale doesn’t feel used to show how small and ‘insignificant’ programs are #instead it’s used to show how all of these programs have their own lives. and they filled up this vast world with their presence #LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE LITTLE DOTS. ALL PROGRAMS. ALL LIVING LIVES. #all of this data all of these little lines and shapes making me think of renaissance art and research and the homo universalis #ripping all of this shit out of my heart bc I’m certain that wasn’t intentional. idc tho #like. programs have added so much to this world there’s humanity and life showing in this structure #its something CLU or anyone else can’t just take away as an imperfection #idk I’m still reeling over it and I saw this first like last year #tron #tron uprising #save #wanna come back to this n see it over and over again #I ramble

[cha1cedony]

Idk what it is that makes me fixate so hard on one specific thing for years at a time, but I need it to chill out 😭 DnDads has been my only long-term media interest for like 1 and 1/2 years now, and it’s BORING to only like one thing ever lol I’m BORED!!! I need other things to be interested in, but I struggle with getting into new stuff (other than video games) sooo bad :(

That said, if you have DnD podcast recs that have interesting characters……… GIMME 👀 Also where the early episodes aren’t a nightmare to listen to 🙏 I have never listened to any other DnD podcasts, and I think it’s mostly bc the earlier seasons are always poor audio quality or like 3 hours long 😭 I’m also good with any type of narrative podcast. I just want compelling characters and platonic/familial dynamics pls. Stuff I can write sad shit about!! But also not TOO sad the whole time… maybe a little bit silly idk

So far, ones I’ve written down to listen to are Cast Party and Friends at the Table? I don’t know anything about either of them, though so? Also I keep seeing my mutuals posting Oxventure and Woe.Begone (although the latter isn’t a DnD podcast.. I think?) sooooo let me know your thoughts. And recommendations! Send me your propaganda! Tell me about your blorbos

#the only podcasts I’ve really listened to are dndads and tma #but not the new tma one or whatever it’s called #I don’t really remember anything about it and was never into the fandom anyway #it was interesting ig but just not for me #I listened to it on 2x speed 😭 #I’ve also listened to a bit of wtnv and it was fun #but I also just wasn’t super invested. I like the concept a lot though hehe #anyway pls give me podcast recs. you guys can probably assume my favorite types of characters/relationships #I’m easy to read lol #tv show and book series recs are also appreciated #but idk I feel like there are probably a lot of podcasts and audio dramas I’m missing out on #and I drive 45 mins - 1 hour pretty often so it’s nice to have something I can listen to instead of sitting down with #also my last super long-term media interest was fucking danganronpa 😭 #which I exclusively fixated on and talked about ad nauseum for like 4 years so. so yeah #chalcy stuff #tma #danganronpa #<- remembered I should probably tag things that aren’t what I usually post lol sorry #hopefully the other stuff doesn’t need tags

[lesbianwillbond]

was covering someone’s break on self checkout today and some guy was like. ummmm my chips are supposed to be $2.77 not $3.40 and i was like ugh fine i’ll call someone to check it out and confirm and he was like no i’ll go do it. which okay. i give people more freedom to do that on self checkout bc there doesn’t tend to be a line they’re holding up. and so bro leaves and comes back two minutes later having ripped the fucking price tag off the shelf. like. what. and handed it to me like. i know i’m not supposed to do that. like. YEAH YOURE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.

#he was right it was $2.77 but labelled as an ad match so it just wasn’t in the system yet #price correction on self checkout is really fun btw bc #when you do an alt price on something you need to put a reason why. and on our tills it tells us what each reason is by number #so like if it’s an ad match you put 1. if it’s just a correction you put like 4. but on the self checkout screens they don’t show us those #and also they’re different!! like 1 on self checkout is a correction not an ad match. #it’s frustrating. anyway. #en