I'm coming to COLORADO! Catch me in DENVER on Jan 22 at The Tattered Cover<, and in COLORADO SPRINGS from Jan 23–25 where I'm the Guest of Honor at COSine. Then I'll be in OTTAWA on Jan 28 at Perfect Books and in TORONTO with Tim Wu on Jan 30.
Call it "lifehacking," or just call it, "paying attention to how you stay organized" – I don't care what you call it, I am an ardent practitioner of it.
I like improving my processes because I like what I do, and the more efficient I am at all of it (with apologies to Jenny Odell), the more of that stuff I can get done:
I want to do a lot of stuff. I am one of those people who is ten miles wide and one inch deep (it probably has something to do with imbibing Heinlein's maxim that "specialization is for insects" at an impressionable age). There's a million waterways I want to dip my toe (or my oar) into, and the better organized I am, the more of that stuff I'll get to do before I kick off. I'm 54, and while there's a lot of road ahead of me, I can see the end, off there in the distance. It's coming, and I'm not done – I'm barely getting started.
I've been around lifehacking since the very moment it was born. I was there. I published the notes on Danny O'Brien's seminal 2004 talk at the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference, "Life Hacks: Tech Secrets of Overprolific Alpha Geeks":
https://craphound.com/lifehacksetcon04.txt
In the years since, I've cultivated a small – but mighty – repertoire of organizational habits and tools that let me get a hell of a lot done. Weirdly, many of these tools are things that other people hate, and I can see why – they use them in very different ways from me. That's true of browser tabs (I loooove browser tabs):
And to-do lists, which will totally transform your life, once you realize that the most important to-do list is the one you maintain for everyone else who owes you a response, a package, or money:
Other essential tools languish in neglect, artifacts of the old, good web – the elegant weapons that dominated a more civilized age. First among these? RSS readers:
I will freely stipulate that people have a good reason to hate all this stuff. "Productivity porn" is often proffered as a mix of humblebrag (a way to make other people jealous of your almighty "productivity") and denial (fiddling with your systems is a ready substitute for actually doing things). Many (most?) of the foremost self-appointed pitchmen for "lifehacking" are cringey charlatans peddling "courses" and other nonsense.
But if you keep digging, there's a solid foundation beneath all the rot. At its very best, this stuff is a way to figure out what you really want to do, and to organize your life so that the stuff you want to do is the stuff you're doing.
A lot of people get into this kind of thing thinking it'll let them do everything. No one can do everything. The best you can hope for is to make conscious decisions about which stuff you'll never get to, while leaving at least a little room for serendipity.
Like I said, I want to do a lot of stuff. My organizing tactics are as much about deciding what I won't do as they are about deciding what I will do:
Which brings me to another tool that everyone hates and I love: email. I live and die by email.
First of all, I filter all my incoming email: mail from people who are in my address book stays in my inbox; mail from people I've never heard from before goes into a mailbox called "People I don't know." When I reply to a message, Thunderbird adds the recipient to my address book, so the next time I hear from them, they'll stay in my main mailbox.
I also filter out anything containing the word "unsubscribe," sending it into a folder called "Unlikely" (but not if the message contains my name – which is how I can stay subscribed to mailing lists I don't have time to read and make sure to reply when someone mentions me).
Second of all, I have a zillion Quicktext macros that I use to reply to frequently asked questions. I have one that spits out my mailing address; another that spits out my bio; and others for politely saying no to things I don't have time for, for information about how to pay one of my invoices, etc, etc.
Third: I have a small folder of emails that I can't reply to right away (usually because I need some information from a third party), which I review every morning and answer anything that I can clear.
Finally, I save it all. I have so much saved email, which means that if you ask me about something from 20 years ago, there's a good chance I can find it – provided we organized it over email.
All of which explains why I refuse – to the extent that I can – to do anything important over instant messaging, whether that's Signal or any of the other messaging tools that come with social media, workplace software, etc.
I understand why people like instant messaging: it does not overwhelm you with the burdens of the past. It is largely ahistorical, with archives that are hard to access and search. Its norms and register are less formal than email.
And, of course, instant messaging is far superior to email in some contexts. If you're on vacation with friends, having a big group-chat where you can say, "I'm making dinner – is everyone OK with cheese?" is indispensable. Same goes for asking a friend for directions, announcing that you've arrived at someone's office, or confirming whether it's OK to substitute 2% for whole milk on a grocery run.
But if you're like me – if you've figured out how to do as many of the things that matter to you as you can possibly squeeze in, then getting an IM mid-flow is like someone walking up to a juggler who's working on a live chainsaw, a bowling ball, and a machete and tossing him a watermelon while shouting, "Hey, catch this!"
The problem is that if you are asking about something important, something that can't be instantaneously managed by the recipient, then they will have to drop everything they're doing and, at the very least, make a note to themselves to go back to your message later and deal with it. Instant messaging doesn't have an inbox with everything you've been sent. Of course, that's why people love it. But the fact that you can't see all the things other people are expecting you to answer doesn't mean that they aren't expecting it. It also doesn't mean that everything will be fine if you just ignore all those messages.
Instant messaging is a great tool for managing something that everyone is doing at the same time. It's also a nice way to keep an ambient social flow of updates from people in a rocking groupchat. But IM is fundamentally unserious. It is antithetical to the project of making a conscious decision about what you won't do, so that you do as many of the things that matter to you before you get to the end of the road.
A massive email inbox is intimidating, but switching to IMs doesn't make all the demands in the email go away. It just puts them out of sight until they either expire or explode. Far better to decide what balls you're going to drop than to have them knocked out of your hand by a fast-moving watermelon.
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
In which Trevor Herbert is shown, that in another universe, he became the thing he hunted. Again.
Will those Dogs ever learn.
P.S. Archive Spoilers?
A friend of mine once told me that a Trevor and Julia spin off a la Supernatural would be amazing and I whole heartedly agree. I would have week re binge session, ngl.
Once Christmas was over, Marinette and Damian returned to their normal routine, which meant they didn’t see very much of each other. It was frustrating for him because he had hoped to spend more time around her so that she could perhaps start to see him as a potential romantic partner. But the only thing that seemed to be happening was that he was losing sleep by waking up early, only to find that she had gone out to work with one of what seemed to be an endless list of clients.
It was after Valentine’s day, and almost Richard’s birthday, that they sat down all together to discuss what they could do to celebrate. Marinette seemed to be bursting with ideas, suggesting many things that seemed difficult but she also seemed extremely confident that it could be done. Damian was happy to let her run with whatever event she wanted as Richard perked up with interest on plenty of the ideas.
Somehow - he wasn’t sure how - the conversation moved over to soulmate bonds. Richard was interested in how they worked, and had an absurd amount of questions for both of his adoptive parents. Marinette was fielding most of them, as if she was used to it, and that suited him fine because he wasn’t sure he would be able to say anything without spilling his feelings for Marinette to reject.
“Okay, but why do soulmate bonds exist?” asked Richard flopping into Marinette’s lap. “And how does it know that you would be good together? Are all soulmates good together? What if my soulmate doesn’t want me?”
“Having a soulmate isn’t really like anything else,” she replied, stroking a hand through his hair and smiling. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I think Damian and I compliment each other with our personalities, don’t you?”
“What about you, Dami? What do you think of being Maman’s soulmate?” Richard turned his wide blue eyes on him, and he panicked internally.
“Dick, that’s not-” Marinette began to admonish but Damian spoke over her.
“I cannot imagine having anyone else as my soulmate,” he said steadily, looking at her rather than their son. Which is why he could see the flush spreading across her cheeks and neck in a way that made him want to see how much more he could make her blush.
“Oh, okay,” Richard said, sitting up and hugging Marinette. “I’m going to bed now, goodnight!”
Damian and Marinette lapsed into silence as they listened to Richard getting ready for bed, until he was ready for the latter to tuck him in. Damian took the time to move from the floor to the couch so that when she returned they were closer again. He might not want to be the one to change their relationship but he wanted the chance of more.
“I think he’ll be asleep pretty quickly,” she said in a low voice when she came back. “I don’t know where the soulmate questions are coming from, he’s never been so focused on finding his own before. But I guess that’s what happens as they get older. I can’t even imagine what he’ll be like as a teenager.”
“If he is anything like my friend, Jonathan, he will be very enthusiastic about meeting his soulmate,” Damian confirmed, almost casually moving his arm to rest along the back of the couch. Luckily, she appeared to be lost in thought and didn’t notice the move so he felt comfortable leaning against it too.
“But if he’s like us, maybe he’ll change his mind and decide he doesn’t want one after all,” she countered, not quite meeting his eyes as she said it.
“You did not want a soulmate?” he asked, intrigued. His assumption had always been that she had wanted him as a soulmate, supported by the fact that she had been so angry when he came back to ask for help. But if she didn’t want him…
“I mean, when I was really little I thought it was stupid,” she said, apparently unaware of the way his mind and heart were now racing. “Over the years, I’ve changed my mind a lot. I thought I had someone else, before we met, and then that fell apart. And then I did meet you…”
“When I was very young, before I came to live in Gotham,” he began slowly, speaking quietly enough that she leaned towards him to hear it all. “I wanted nothing more than I wanted a soulmate. My mother’s family expected my soulmate to assist me in achieving their goals and expectations. And so when I moved and learned to be less like them, I was terrified that my soulmate would drag me back into their clutches.
“When I finally met you…” he said, trailing off and concentrating on her earlobe to distract himself from what he was saying. He swallowed and began again. “I had spent years convincing myself that I did not want, nor need, a soulmate. I am mature enough to realise that I was wrong.”
“You don't have to pretend-” Marinette murmured, glancing to Richard's closed door before returning her gaze to Damian's chin. Her cheeks were still flushed and the room felt charged with the potential for more. Throwing his resolve to leave the decision to Marinette, he brushed his knuckles against her burning face before speaking.
“There is no pretense,” he replied in a hushed voice, running his thumb along her jaw. She shuddered under his touch and he leaned closer completely unintentionally, unable to help himself. He had been enchanted by her the moment he met her when they were eighteen but had buried the attraction under his desire to cut her from his life. “I would not attempt to deceive you in such a manner, not after everything I have already-”
“Damian, shut up,” she whispered, her fingers coming up to his mouth delicately. He surged into her touch, silencing himself by kissing her fingertips. Her breath caught and he dared to move even closer, brushing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
“Perhaps you should make me,” he said equally quietly, leaving the decision to her. He was rewarded when she closed the remaining distance, pulling him down to her level and kissing him hungrily. There was nothing soft about the way she tilted his head before all but demanding entrance. Not that she needed to, Damian was more than happy to acquiesce and open to her.
When she moved across to straddle his lap, he was incredibly relieved that Richard was already in bed, fast asleep. The thought was fleeting as he ran his hands up her thighs and she gasped into his mouth. Unwilling to let her pull fully back he chased her lips but her head had fallen back. Instead his lips found purchase on her neck, succeeding in eliciting a soft noise from her.
She sighed his name and he thought he might combust; she recaptured his lips and he wondered if this was what he had been missing when he had denied her all those years ago. Jon had told him that getting to know your soulmate intimately was one of life's truest pleasures and he found he couldn't disagree.
A creak of a floorboard made her jerk away from him, and he helped her move smoothly from his lap and back onto the sofa next to him. There was nothing he could do about her bruised lips or mussed hair, but he decided to pretend nothing was amiss as he looked to Richard's doorway.
“Maman? I had a bad dream,” came the tiny voice, and Marinette was out of her seat in less than a second, her focus wholly on their son. Which left Damian to think about what had just transpired between them, and what it might mean.
tmr thomas x fem!reader smut where they're a couple, make it to the safe haven and they've been trying to have their first time together but they keep getting interupted until one day when they finally can.
and its just fluffy n stuff
𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕦𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 - thomas (t.m.r.) x reader
complete masterlist | the maze runner masterlist
words || 𝟛.𝟚𝕜
summary || in which the reader and thomas try to have their first time together - but keep getting interrupted
a/n || i have not read/watched the maze runner in forever
➵ i hope you like this @marmar-c it was a fun request and apologies for how long it took to come out
➵ 18+/MDNI content, individual warning below the cut
➵ not edited (yet)
➵ send me requests if you have ‘em. enjoy!
warnings || fluff/smut
➵ unprotected p.i.v.
➵ orgasm denial (because of interruptions)
➵ oral (m receiving)
➵ handjob
➵ cum (tell me if i miss anything)
thomas was an early riser - whether it be to get an early head start on the maze in the past, or simply to enjoy the solitude that morning bought when he wasn't bombarded with the onslaught that were the other gladers - their fights, loud voices and boisterous actions.
now, though, he didn't enjoy them alone. instead, he would make the short trek out of his room to the adjacent one of his girlfriend, where he'd always find her sleeping soundly, curled up under her covers, even in warm weather.
he'd close the curtains for her if she'd forgotten, to shield her from the upcoming sunlight, and would choose whichever side she was less splayed across - a feat, as she really enjoyed stretching her body to its limit to fit each crevice of her bed - before slipping in beside her.
he'd take a moment to appreciate the soft, warm feel of her flesh against his own - usually bare or only lightly-clad - chest, wrapping a large hand over her midsection, and pushing her hair away from her pillow gently, greeted by a whiff of a distinctly sweet, almost floral scent.
he wouldn't sleep - he usually couldn't, once he'd already awoken - so, he'd allow his breaths to slow to match hers, he'd allow his muscles to relax against her, and allow his eyes to close, focusing on the effects on his other senses.
she could tell when he'd come, as the skin of her midsection would grow warmer, and she'd feel the back of her calves and feet entangle with another's. she wouldn't allow her eyes to open just yet, but would turn over to face him, wrapping her own arm around him. he felt so hot against her - a goddamn furnace - and she brings her head up so her nose grazes his own.
"hey." he mumbles, a whisper in the space between them
"g'd morning." she mumbles back, not moving her lips much and leaving her words a bit garbled. she brings a hand to her eyes to rub them, willing them open and hoping she didn't look too groggy.
she did, of course, making thomas exhale a laugh.
"you're so cute," she smiles, knowing that he's not being sarcastic.
"why, thank you." it's a jokingly dramatic response, and she finally pulls herself up a little, smoothing her hair and rubbing her eyes, "what time is it?"
"too early," he answers, pulling her back down. she laughs at the aggressive action, pulling away from him just slightly in order to look at him.
he always looked his best like this: still-there bed-hair and that morning calmness that came with no impending responsibilities. it was a good look on him, and she makes this clear, tilting up just slightly in order to bring her lips to his.
it's soft - but only for a moment - before a sense of desperation weaves through the both of them and, suddenly, she's gripping his biceps and he the flimsy material of her sleep-shirt bunched around her waist.
they didn't get many moments alone like this, but that worry that someone may walk in on them had stopped them from going much further than any above-the-clothes touching. besides, their lives had been so hectic until now that the simple pleasures of life were things they hadn't completely learned.
today, though, the throbbing between both of their thighs: her at his firm grip and him at her swallowed moans, had culminated in that lesson being necessary. her hand ventured down his torso, settling on the waistband of his trousers, not even bothering to take them off, and slowly reaching her fingers under them, feeling his warm cock jolt at her touch.
he detached from her, his head thrown back as he attempted to be quiet.
"fuck, baby-" he's got this apprehensive look in his eyes, but she needs this so much, letting her hands gently squeeze and release.
"please? please, lemme make you feel good - i just-" she doesn't finish, cut off by his vigorous agreement. smirking, she uses both her hands to grip his pants, pulling them down just enough to expose his cock to her. she traces her fingers up and down his length, feeling the telltale sign of his arousal on and over his tip. his shaky breaths right by her ears spur her hands to move just that bit faster. she's tempted to slip the covers off of them and go the whole way for the first time, and his lips on her neck to subdue his noises were definitely not deterring her from that plan.
what did deter her, however, was the sharp knock on the door, causing her to wrench her hand away and squeak in shock, as thomas attempts to not lose the friction of her hands, his hips bucking as he tried to chase the feeling.
"is thomas in there?" minho's voice is muffled, but obvious, through the door, as thomas's head tips backwards, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
"yeah - yeah, minho. s'everything alright?" she says it back, her hand still suspended in the air, embarrassed at being interrupted.
"breakfast's ready - get it while it's hot!" another voice - a female voice - shouts through the door in a way where it's obvious she's walking away - going to eat, presumably. she finally lets her tense muscles relax in the knowledge that it's not an emergency. she's almost inclined to slip her hand back under and finish the job, and when she looks over at her boyfriend, he seems incredibly interested in the idea, but a better plan springs to her head.
"we should get going, baby. they'll get suspicious." it's a meek excuse, but it's solidified by her rising from bed, causing him to groan, and follow her lead, pulling his clothes over himself.
blue balls didn't even begin to describe the tension that coiled in his muscles as he meekly sat down across from minho. he felt as though every sense was heightened, like when he'd jumped at a quiet clatter from inside the kitchen. his friends all watched over his antsy behavior, unsure of the reason for it.
on the other hand, his girlfriend - sat next to him - knew exactly what was wrong, and she used it to her advantage, by being more touchy than usual. a hand on his arm, or around his shoulders, or on his chest as she rose to get some water. it's like she'd left hand-prints in his already warm skin. it came to a head when the hand she'd already precariously been resting on his knee started venturing higher, trailing along the inseam of his pants.
he tries, god, he tries to ignore it, but it's all too much when her finger finally rests over the head of his cock, her palm encompassing him.
he chokes on his sip of water, causing it to spill all over him, and minho's eyebrows immediately furrow.
"you alright, man?" her hand's out from under the table, and is resting on his bicep.
"yeah, babe, are you feeling okay?" he glares at her, jaw clenched and eyes narrow. she looks back up at him innocently, though he can see the ghost of a devilish smile dance on her lips.
"'m'fine. just gonna go change." his food is practically untouched as he raises from his seat, hoping his situation isn't particularly obvious, as he heads back in the direction of his place. minho turns to her, a bit confused by the abrupt nature of his actions.
"'s'he okay?" she shrugs.
"maybe he slept wrong?" she pauses, contemplative, before raising up as well, "i'll go check on him." minho watches as she walks off as well, still a bit confused, before turning to gally, sat a bit away from him, who had an almost sour expression on his face.
"what's wrong?" why was everyone acting so weird today? minho thought, as gally looks at him incredulously, shocked he doesn't realize what was happening between the couple.
"you-? you know what, it's nothing. don't worry about it." it's dismissive, but minho shrugs his shoulders, figuring it was, in face, nothing.
in that time, she's knocking on his door, and, as soon as he realizes who it is he pulls her in, pushing her until she's facing his bed.
"fuck, what're you doing?" she mumbles, and he sighs.
"finishing what you started, baby." she smiles, looking back at him, before turning around.
"well, if you wanna finish, let's start here-" she lowers to her knees in front of him, and his head rolls back at the sight of her in the position. her fingers greedily clutch at his waistband, pulling his pants and boxers down in one motion.
he's aching, she can see it in the way his cock's pulsing, as she takes him in her palm, slowly - tortuously - stroking him as his hands weave through her hair. she can feel the lightest push against her head - to the point where he probably didn't even realize the action - and succumbed to his untold request, moving her head forward to gently wrap her lips around his tip.
"just - shit, just like that, baby." her tongue traces his head, as low moans escape him. she hums around him - something akin to a 'thank you', but all it translates to is increased sensation on his cock. his head tips back at the feeling, and his hand grips her head a little tighter, pushing her down a little further. she lets him, stilling her movements to focus on his guidance. he moves her head up and down his length, her tongue poking out along its underside, languidly lavishing the area, "you're so good - fuck me, you feel really good-"
he doesn't hesitate to continue praising her, before gently tugging her down and holding her there. immediately, her fingers reach up to grip his thighs, feeling the light - and then more serious gag at the sensation. he takes another moment to appreciate the pretty sight in front of - or under - him, before releasing her, letting her off her cock and allowing her to take deep breaths to account for her lack of oxygen.
"get up here for me, baby." he practically orders, taking her by her arms and helping her up, lightly pushing her against the bed, "first time - i'm not finishing in your mouth." she smiles, whole-heartedly agreeing with his plan, as she felt her own core throb with a need for friction.
he pushes her so that she's sitting on the bed, and, just as he goes to lay her down - there's another knock at the door.
"thomas - you said you'd help with fixing that problem on the east side." it's minho - again - calling thomas for, admittedly, a project he had signed up for the previous week, fixing some construction issue or something on the east side of the haven. admittedly, it'd seemed important work - until now, "we needa fix it quick, man - apparently it's gotten worse." thomas is literally stopped in his tracks, until she taps on his thighs, about chest level with her, essentially reminding him to get ready instead of staying still.
"c'mon, baby - go on." she mumbles, as she also rises, pulling her hair back. she waits as he gets ready, leaving the room and greeting minho - with a tone of voice that is a little distraught - making her smile.
on the other side of the door, minho's a little exasperated.
"how long does it take to change?" thomas looks confused, before remembering his lackluster excuse, and coughing.
"i - just tell me what the issue is, yeah?"
over the day, she'd continued with her own work, as thomas had continued with his. of course, both of them had been a bit distracted the whole day - unable to exactly focus when remembering what was waiting for them back home. their states were obviously noticed by the people around them - with both their friends stepping around them with quirked eyebrows or concerned impressions.
finally - believing he might actually be feeling ill - minho simply shrugs, telling thomas that maybe it'd be best he go back to his and sleep the day off. thomas was a little hesitant, but finally agreed - he wasn't exactly the biggest help in this state.
as he headed back, he swung by where she was, muttering a quick greeting to the others also working. she'd been taking a small break to clear her head of - well, the person now standing in front of her. her face lights up at the sight of him, wrapping him in a hug - though he's a little sweaty from his work earlier. one of her friends, in a similar manner to minho, urges her to head on home, and to pick up again the next day - a offer that she almost meekly accepts.
finally, the both of them are walking back towards her place.
she's got a bit of a pep in her step, and it makes him smile, his muscles aching - from his work, or from this morning, he wasn't sure - yet he knows exactly where her energy's coming from. she steps into her place, and he's right on her heels, pushing against her back as she laughs, trying to slip her shoes off as his hands relentlessly wander her body. finally, as she rises, she grabs his loose shirt, pulling him into her, capturing his lips against hers. he smiles into her mouth, and she hums contently - having a distinct feeling that it was the day they'd actually go all the way. her hands trail under his shirt until she pushes off of him for a moment, grabbing the bottom of the shirt and pulling it up and off of him. he smirks at her eagerness, but before he can make a dumb comment, her hands are at his trousers, gently tugging them down his legs. his hands join hers without a second thought, helping her get them the rest of the way down.
she can see him, hard against his boxers, and, after pushing him so he's laying down on her bed, she appreciates the way he looks - a little desperate, a lot pretty. he reaches for her hips, but she steps back, and a strange - almost garbled - whisper of indignation leaves his lips. it makes her lips quirk into a smirk, as she slowly begins taking her clothes off - each with weighty effort and a teasing smile. it doesn't defer him - as his eyes follow her movements greedily - but it definitely piques his excitement much more effectively when she finally places her thighs on either side of him, straddling his own. his hands reach up to grip her hips, guiding them down to rub against him, enjoying the slight buck of her hips, and the small noises leaving her mouth.
finally, she pulls his last article of clothing off, procuring his cock - thick and heavy - in her hand, languidly stroking him, causing his grip to tighten. she smiles against him, contemplating teasing him further but, feeling her own need, she decides against it, choosing to sit up a little higher on her knees instead.
"ready?" she mumbles looking down at his length as she attempts to situate herself correctly. maintaining her balance as she does, he hums in response, nodding as much as he can while keeping his eyes glued to her face. he can see the slight stress occur to her when she feels his cock against her, and he rubs his fingers against her lightly.
"'re you - want me to help?" she thinks he's asking if she needs to be taken care of and - though it wouldn't hurt - she's too desperate to finally feel him inside her to wait much longer.
"n-no, i wanna feel you, now." the admission makes him exhale lowly, appreciating her appreciation, and he lifts her ass up to help her hover over his cock. she can feel his head at her entrance so, taking a deep breath, she sinks down.
she's watching his anticipatory face fall into one of pleasure, and he's watching the same occur on hers - but there's that hint of discomfort that she desperately trying to ignore, stilling as her ass reaches his hips and attempting to adjust.
"'re you okay, baby?" he's massaging the expanse of her thighs and hips, trying to focus on the fucking amazing feeling of her, but also on relieving as much of the pain as he can. she's got a light wince on her face as she nods through gritted teeth.
"yeah - fuck, yeah - just give me a minute." he reassures her with short mumbles and loving phrases, hoping it was doing something to help. after another couple of moments, she breathes deeply, nodding at him lightly, before gently placing her hands against his shoulders.
she pushes up using her thighs, not loving the feeling of emptiness, in that half moment, before she sunk back onto him, releasing a small, gasping moan at the sensation. he looks up at her as she slowly repeats the action, grunting at the feeling of her cunt around him. she looked good like this, situated over him, desperately trying to both make him feel good, as well as to chase the newly-realized sensation she was also experiencing. wanting to return the favor, he grabs the bottoms of her thighs, easing her effort and pulling and pushing her with just that bit of fervor that forced him deeper inside her. she could feel him brushing against something that was making her twitch, her head falling back at the sensation as she tries to muffle her moans with one of her hands. unable to comprehend the feeling alongside moving her thighs, she slows her pace, but he didn't.
he pulls her to be situated with her face over his, hands more tightly clutching his shoulders, before he begins thrusting up into her with the newfound space. he keenly watches her face fall into a shocked pleasure, a loud moan falling from her lips at the newfound intensity and speed.
"oh my god - baby - fuck -" she's mumbling into the small space between them, desperately trying to explain how good he was making her feel, but the words escaped her, as her mind blanked at the sensation. it's spurring his thrusts on - moving that much faster, that much harder to make her fucked out nature more pronounced. it worked, as evidenced by her loud noises - ones she couldn't even think about trying to keep contained when he was making her feel like this. she can feel the feeling in her core begin to yearn for some sort of release, and she attempts to communicate this to him. it's not a great explanation, but it's more than enough for him.
"please - god, please, cum for me, baby - i want-" he wants to feel her orgasm as much as she does - anticipating the way her body would still, her face would contort, and her cunt would feel around him. she nods desperately, feeling the knot snap as the sensation of her orgasm washes over her, making her cry out over him.
he watches her, and it's as pretty as he thought it'd be: her mouth falling open and brows furrowing, her muscles tensing, and her cunt fluttering around his cock.
the feeling prompts his own orgasm as, after a few thrusts, he's pulling out of her, his cum glazing her stomach as a low groan escapes him. she gently sits back against his thighs, taking a moment to collect herself and catch her breath, as he does the same.
finally, she pushes off of him, reaching the bathroom to take a shower. he follows her after a moment, gently placing a kiss to her head.
"that was - was good." she hums in agreement, letting the water run behind them.
they both failed to realize the acoustics of the area, not realizing that the noises of their coupling had reached some of the others - maybe most notably, minho.
he sits, red faced, eyes wide. when gally notices his expression, he laughs.
