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dribs-and-drabbles · 2 years

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#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 5

You know how Pran asked if Pat was Pran's boyfriend in ep 2 as a joke despite actually wanting that...well, after Pran's heart gets broken by learning that Pat likes Ink and any hope for him and Pat to be together has been shattered, Pran somehow is able to take it to the next level and ask Pat if he's Pran's wife. I mean, go big or go home right? What's that saying that there's always an element of truth in a joke. Pran is so brave. (This also applies to the "Who on earth told you this was cute?")

I love that there's so much of that condensed milk stuff in that sandwich that it flies out when Pat picks it up and drips over himself and the worktop.

Also...@telomeke-bbs pointed out that when Pran's making his own breakfast at the beginning of ep 2 he only makes a sandwich but here there's also eggs, sausages, and salad...which might mean he made all that for Pat.

Oh and then Pat seeing Pran eating the sausage might be why he made Pran sausages when he cooked breakfast in bed in ep 8...because he thought that's what Pran liked/ate.

Pat's "I hope you're not as cruel as to make me wait outside" has always interested me because you can hear the teasing/whining tone and also because he uses the polite form of 'pronouns' of P'Pran and P'Pat instead of the informal/rude 'guu/meung' which they mainly use (not sure what it means when P' is being used for both people but brushing over that...)...BUT I think Pat ends with a 'ja' instead of the polite 'krap', which according to @absolutebl is "used with very close friends/family and by the queer community". I think Pat uses it here because they've been joking about the 'wife' status...but I wouldn't be surprised if this had an effect on Pran even before the pleading 'na'.

LAKYIM my beloved!

If you haven't read @telomeke-bbs analysis of this first scene you should - there's a fantastic bit about how a water splash is a substitute for saying 'asshole'. Love it!

"If I see any stain on them, I'll barge into your room and yell at you" -> Pat must have had a huge dilemma with this...I mean, does he clean the dishes well to impress Pran and get his praise? Or does he do them poorly in the hope that Pran will barge into his room and scold him? I mean...that's a difficult choice!

(omg I've only just got to the credits and I've written all this already...sorry it's going to be a long one...I mean, I guess it's to be expected since it's ep 5...)

Oh the embarrassment! We've all been there Pran.

I've never really understood the "Don't butt in next time" line... Anyone got any thoughts?

Ooof Cloaked Emotions by Lama House...another piece of music that stabs me in the heart...and the title fitting the scene -> Pran hiding his feelings at seeing Ink and Pat together.

Pat eating properly because of Pran 😭

Because of the order of filming, it looks like Pat gets a haircut before his date with Ink.

😂 I can't with the horse sound effect 🤣

The mental gymnastics Pa must have done without realising to justify why she should tag along to the date that she told Pat to go on with Ink.

"I don't have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancake". AFTER INK ASKED PA TO FEED HER THE PANCAKE AND THEN INK FEEDS PA THE PANCAKE.

I'm irrationally disturbed by the continuity error with the hands on the guitar.

But that gets erased because the choreography of Pat turning his head away unblinking when Pran looks at him on that bit of music (6:06 in part 2) is DIVINE.

Also, I love Pran's hair and I know it must just be because the instrument shop scenes were filmed early on and therefore Nanon's hair was shorter/tidier (like Ohm's) but still, I love that they both look so good during Pat's Oh moment.

When I first watched this I didn't need Pa's repeated voiceover of the four signs because I got it just from Pat's expression...but now I don't mind it.

But also back to the music again because the way they edited the recap of the four signs (actually the whole instrument shop scene) with Pat and Pran's head turns, their actions, or the camera angle/frame changes hitting either the piano chords or the 'silent' suspensions in the music is actual choreography and adds to why this scene is SO GOOD. They are dancing to the music...and the irony of them being in shop surrounded by instruments...

I've just noticed that during the bread-eating scene, the pink and purple of the condensed milk tube is amplified by the painting on the wall behind, the sticky tape and post-it notes behind, and the selection of pens in front...

This has already been pointed out, but the lyrics of the song Pat suggests they sing in the flashback, Never by 25 hours, basically reflects Pat's loneliness when Pran went away. brb crying.

When We Were Younger instrumental over the flashback scene 💖

That flashback is Pat wondering if Pran liked him, no? I mean, I know Pat is realising his feelings for Pran and remembering back to high school is part of that...but that particular memory is Pran telling Pat he wants to write something that reflects the idea of 'born to be together' and two people growing up together falling in love as well as them writing the 'are we friends or are we something more?' song...so Pat must be wondering how Pran felt and still feels now.

Pat's freshy day outfit!

I must have known this already but can't remember if I've written about it before when I've talked about this shirt, but the word 'pineapple' is written in both red and blue on Pat's shirt.

Oh the hurt in Pran's eyes when Pat says the song is lousy.

'silly' ... 😭

PRAN THE WARRIOOOOOOR!

And we're back to Cloaked Emotions. This time Pran is forcing Pat to stay quiet.

You know how the production team created the condensed milk tube...well I wonder if they put a rose on it because that's the usual flower people give as gifts to those they like...and Pat bought it as a gift for Pran...effectively buying him a rose. But maybe this has already been pointed out.

"IT WAS DEPRESSINGLY LONELY FOR ME" 😭😭😭

Pat's tear...😭 Then Pran's tear...😭 (and mine of course)

Oh god, the way they both move towards each other...

THE MUSIC when their lips touched...

It's the way we all thought the ep, the show, had reach its peak at that short first kiss because the music hit a crescendo and BECAUSE THEY HAD KISSED already in ep 5...but then not 10 seconds after their lips had parted the show absolutely DECIMATED us with that epic second kiss. Pran pulling Pat in, the hand on the neck, Pat's first hand gripping the back of Pran's head, the gasped inhales as they shifted their heads, Pat's second hand joining his first, the increase in speed, Pran's second hand also going to Pat's neck, the symmetry of it, the MUSIC, the way Pat hunched into his shoulders to devour Pran's mouth, and the slow pull away as the music tailed off...

Pat's smile and breath of relief

Pran's devastation

The rain

Pat's tear-filled eyes

Baseball mom

The prolonged black screen at the end as the music ended...

The way I was never the same again.

This ep has such special memories for me, not only because of the show and what it did to me but because of where I was when I watched it. I've since sold and moved from the apartment I was living in at the time and I treasure the memory of settling into my sofa with a blanket over my legs, a warm cup of tea and something sweet to eat, the light slowly dimming to black outside even though it was only 15:30 (it was end of november and I lived in Sweden), and then the euphoria when I realised this silly little Thai romcom bl was doing something different. Ep 5 part 4 not only changed me in many ways but it changed the way we watch bls now. We have higher expectations - a bar has been raised - and I'm seeing where shows are reaching for it. Last December, I watched the GMMTV Live for the first time because I caught some people talking about it on tumblr (I didn't know anything about it before even though I'd been watching Thai bl for a year). Now, I'm ridiculously excited about seeing it this year, to see what we may be in store for next year. Hopefully they will build on Bad Buddy, Vice Versa, The Eclipse, and others. And I know there are other production companies and I'm also excited to see what they do too...and for all the gl coming out... But back to Bad Buddy ep 5 and it was this ep that finally brought me to make this blog because I needed a way to process what I was watching - and to scream about it with others. I had never analysed a piece of media in this way before this show and I've since continued with many others. This is who I am now. This is part of what I mean by Bad Buddy changing me. And I'm thankful for it, and for Aof, Nanon, and Ohm, and for all the people who I've interacted with on here about it. There is something exceedingly special about this show and I wish I could adequately express it to the whole world but I also want to keep it for me, and for us, to treasure always.

#bad buddy #badbuddyrewatch #bad buddy episode 5 #episode 5 my beloved #one does not simply leave the rooftop #yes. as suspected. this ep broke me again #I am writing this from the afterlife #happy bad buddy ep 5 rewatch day everyone #I'm off to have a beer now and watch ep 6 straight away #not only to recover but also I'm suuuuuper busy next week so I have to get through the next 5 eps this weekend...#I'll schedule all my posts in advance #oh I got a bit personal there at the end #this show dammit #lin live-rambles the bad buddy rewatch

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nong-nao · 2 years

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I am so overwhelmed from this episode, literally the most conflicted this show has ever left me in emotions and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it is mostly in Pat’s pov this episode.

The show up until this point has been mostly in Pran’s pov and we all know how he feels, it’s been clear from the beginning. Nanon does such a great job at portraying all of the emotions that Pran would be feeling, really bringing to life the whole phrase "showing not telling." Ohm has also done well portraying Pat because this whole time he'd been acting “normal” since he didn't feel anything to his knowledge romantically for Pran.

This episode, you could feel the aloofness and confusion Pat has in the beginning where he’s almost trying to push all of his feelings in Ink’s direction but that’s not where they are and deep down he knows it. When he coincidentally [probably not since we saw that Pran had has Pat and Ink together] meets Pran at the music shop, he starts thinking about his interaction with him with Pa's hints of romantic interest. It's so brilliantly directed too because it's not Pat thinking about how Pran sees him [like what he was doing with Ink in the cafe?] but it's him taking an introspective approach of this what he is feeling. The idea of him liking Pran in that way scares him; thinking back on the Just Friends? lyrics, he’s probably feeling insecure and hesitant about it because Pran is important to him and they really are in such a confusing place.

Wai acts as a catalyst almost for Pat to realize his emotions because he can sense that there’s something more between Wai and Pran or at least he’s filling in dots with them because he’s consumed by his own jealousy, not only romantically but in a friendship way that almost says how can you be so close to someone else and hide me? lf we really think about it, Pat’s closest friend or confidante is Pa i mean if i had friends like his, I also wouldn’t confide in them with my deepest thoughts, Pat has probably also felt so guilty about being seen as Pran's bad luck that he never really got close to other people so they wouldn't get hurt and neither would he. I also could just be thinking to much about it. The song was just the tipping point for Pat since the song symbolized their cursed relationship even if at the time he said it in a joking manner and Pran chose to play it with Wai, someone who can easily be in Pran’s life. Pran’s mom likes him and invites him into the house for dinner, even lets him spend the night, not to mention that they are protective of each other as well. For pat to see them together and then celebrating as if nothing special had happened, it’s a huge slap in the face. On a regular day if Pran had won the contest, Pat would have teasingly congratulated him and said some sny remark, but so much has happened that it just can’t be the case for them. Pran pushing him away and putting distance between the two, trying so hard to hide their secret relationship, whatever it may be, from Wai just makes Pat angrier at the circumstances. After all he was waiting for Pran to come home and it ended in something much bigger than he would have wanted.

All of these events build up so much tension for the final scene, which left me shocked going to through a whirlwind of emotions. Pat ,when he finally finds Pran, breaks down in such a calm but hurt way all about how their relationship is so confusing. That it's so tiring being the sons of families who put them against each other, always having to be aware of the other, but that he wouldn't have wanted it another way because it was lonely not having him in his life even if he could breathe better. Pran, obviously the audience knowing his own side, cries hearing this because he also feels and knows the conflict of their relationship all too well. They're not enemies, but they can't be friends, what can they be really when they both want to be more than that? The first kiss, I can only imagine how conflicted they would both be feeling. Pran, probably confused by how this whole night went down, still trying to calm down and then be met with the lips of the man that he has loved on his own for years. He has wanted this moment for so long that he brought Pat back in for another kiss, which only eased Pat's worries going into the kiss in the first place because he didn't know the other's emotions or rather he never accepted them to be real before that night. Their whole relationship over their lives, every possible emotion was in that kiss, and that is what made it so overwhelming. So when it finally came to an end, Pran was met with the reality of this kiss and what can't be or what shouldn't be, maybe also how they were in a fight just minutes before. Pat just being crushed after being relieved that this kiss was mutual, meaning the feels were mutual as well, but watching Pran walk away leaving him feel that it was a mistake. Just so powerful, seriously major kudos to everyone that went into the production of this show.

#bad buddy #thai bl #ohmnanon #ohm pawat #nanon korapat #episode 6 is gonna be a hell of a ride and i can just feel the angst of the bet coming #the only thing that kept me sane after that last scene was me rooting for sapphic pa and ink #p'aof please never leave gmmtv because you literally never fail us #man i'm still reeling from this episode and it's been an hour already #kieta hatsukoi is also gonna be tense tomorrow with a touch of fluff so that's great for my mental health :)#i need to rewatch some super fluff filled show now to get my mind off of this ahhhh

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siimjaeyun · 3 years

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Chapter 3: A vote for ghost trucks

Synopsis: Heeseung’s father, the head of city, asks him to get more involved with the family tactics of politics. Luckily, the mystery group is up to lending him a hand and helping him get re-elected. Or well-that’s the plan up until a ghost truck appears in the city stealing door knobs.

Series Masterlist

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The young boy drove at full speed before stopping himself at witnessing the blaring blue and red rights of the motorbike behind him. The officer approached his window, moving his glasses downwards to meet the boy eye to eye.

“You do know your speeding right?”

“Yes officer, I'm’ v-very sorry.” The officer did not get a chance to respond before a thundering sound escaped from behind; following a large truck covered in fire and meshed cloth.

He quickly turned his attention towards the speeding vehicle, rushing and trying to get a response. Yet, the truck held nothing and instead moved sideways to push the man off the road. The truck escaped without a trace, and the officer was left dangling off a tree.

------

Heeseung found himself walking up the stairs of the city building and directly into his father’s office.

“You don’t think he’ll send me away. He usually never calls me here.”

“I doubt it. Besides, we’re right here.” Sunghoon patted his back gently and saw as Mayor Lee left the room to welcome his son.

“Heeseung, you’re just on time! I thought it was time for you to learn about the family business, politics.”

“But dad, that’s adulting. I’m a teen, and teens like building traps and mystery solving.”

“No they don’t Heeseung. I want you to be involved, and you can start by helping me print pamphlets for my re-election.” He shoved a slip of paper into his hands and trudged in the opposite direction.

“Looks like we’re on office duty.” Sunoo and Jake quickly got to the copy machine, first attempting to even figure how to turn on the damn machine.

“y/n can’t make it today, but I know she’s sending you support.” Jungwon gave him a small smile, and joined the confused duo by the copy machine.

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“Are we an item? Girl quit playing.” The Bieber sang rang in the background as you worked on the embroidered design on the black bucket hat in your hands.

“Y/n! Dad wants to see you!” Jay’s voice echoed from down stairs, leaving you with no other option than to obey his wishes. You made your way downstairs and saw a young man waiting by the entrance.

“Ah, Y/n, I’d like you to meet Han Jaehyun, the son of Han Cooperation.”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you, here’s a small pendant for you.” He tossed you the ladder shaped pendant, but you casted it inside your pocket.

“Well, I must get going, but um how about I give you a call later for a magical outing on the town. See you later, babe.” Confused, you turned to Jay who had simply been observing quietly from the staircase.

“You’re trying to set me up on a date!?”

“Honey, at least give Jaehyun a chance”

“B-but, what about Heeseung?” You pushed them away and took a seat on the stairs waiting for them to respond.

“Yeah, but aren’t you guys just friends?”

“Yeah, but it feels like cheating,” an uncomfortable pause broke out so you spoke again, “I mean cheating on a good friend of course.”

“Sis, come on. It’s just one itty bitty date.” You unconsciously rolled your eyes, and made your way out the door.

“You only say that because you're the family's favorite.”

-------

“Uhh...Jungwon, I’m pretty sure that’s not how you do it.”

“Relax, just type 40,000 and boom.” He pushed the big green button without a care, and soon enough, the machine crashed and blasted a dark ink through the room.

“Just fantastic, you broke it!” Sunoo gave him a smack in the head and saw a man approaching them; his suit covered in a similar ink.

“Look what you did to my suit!”

“What’s the meaning of this?” Mayor Lee stepped out from the comfort of his office and saw his rival, vivid and clearly upset at the disaster he found.

“If you’re going to play dirty Lee, then two can play that game.” Without another word, he left quickly.

“Who was that dad?”

“Mr.Xiang, he’s the candidate I’m running against. His father was mayor, but was removed when he robbed a diamond. He still claims his father is innocent.” A small hum escaped from him before he left the scene.

“Let’s get this fixed now before picking up Y/n.” They got to work; picking up the pieces and cleaning the ink off the walls.

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You sat on the edge of curve, patiently waiting for a light purple van to pull up with your chaotic friends.

“You have a moment?” Jay peered out the front door and took a place beside you.

“Do I have an option?” You both chuckled and sat in a comfortable silence.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I don’t know how you feel, but if you really don’t want to go on that date...I’ll try to convince mom and dad.”

“Really?” You turned at him with confusion and played with your hands not knowing how to deal with the issue in front. Jay was trying to help you, and you had found a way to get rid of dating random guys that your family finds ‘fit.’ Yet, a bigger part of you knew that your feelings for Heeseung would go unresolved if you never gave yourself the chance to explore.

“I-I really appreciate that Jay, really, but if I ever want to get over my crush, then maybe trying wouldn’t hurt.” You gave him a small fist bump and looked up when a honk welcomed you to join the friend group.

“I’ll see you later Jay.” You got up and into the van you went, lightly waving at Jay from your window seat.

The night had settled, and your drive towards home was engulfed in a karaoke talent show.

“Yikes, what kind of maniac has such bright lights?” All of your bodies turned backwards and a sudden force pushed the van to the edge.

“The heck is this man’s problem.” The phantom truck soon drove stronger and managed to get the van to sked off the edge of the cliff. Running on adrenaline, Heeseung managed to prevent the van from falling into the ocean below. A breath of relief escaped from everybody in the van, and it was a while before the truck finally managed to disappear in the fog in front.

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“So you’re telling me a ghost truck tried to kill you?” Chief Kim looked at you with a questionable expression, but when your head nods affirmed what you had told him, he broke out into a smile, “finally, a tourist attraction!”

To be frank, the mystery group was no longer shocked by the man’s comments. At the end of the day, both Chief Kim and Mayor Lee heavily relied on the creatures to gain tourist attraction.

“Hey guys, I think I found something.” Heeseung managed to pry your attention away from the officer, his hands motioning over the road that you had driven on earlier.

“Y/n, let me borrow your phone.” Without hesitation, you tossed your phone to him. He turned on the camera, and the shutter of the photograph broke the silence of the night. Heeseung turned back his attention to his friends, displaying proudly the image he had managed to capture.

“Tire tracks?” Sunghoon held the phone closer, and saw the patterns of the tires painted on the road.

“But ghosts don’t have tracks?” Sunoo looked at his older friends with no response.

“Exactly,” Before Jungwon could continue his thought, your ringtone broke him off from doing so. Heeseung, who still had your phone, answered the call to place it on speaker.

“Hey y/n, this is Jaehyun. I wanted to remind you about our very wonderful date for tomorrow at the Delia Diner.” You didn’t even get to react before reaching out to get your phone and pry it away from Heeseung.

“I-um, J-” Your stutters managed to do nothing and eventually Jaehyun hung off with a “see you later babe.”

“Heeseung I can explain,” all of your friends turned in the other direction. Heck, everyone besides probably Jake and Heeseung himself were aware of your feelings towards the oldest member.

“He sounds great y/n, make sure to order the chocolate shake though, it’s better than the vanilla one.”

“You want me to go on the date?” The hurt in your tone was noticeable, but to a very dense Heeseung, it didn’t mean much.

“We should head home.” Jake gave you a light pat on the back and led you back to the car with the others; Heeseung slowly trailed behind.

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“The doorknobs are missing?” Sunoo inspected all the doors of the city hall, finding no trace of the regular crystal like knobs.

“They’ve gone missing all over town. It’s at the museum too.” Jungwon stood next Sunoo, pacing his eyes between the door and his friends.

“Too bad for old Mr.Lee,” behind them stood Mr.Xiang, a man who seemed too happy at the sudden disappearance of the door knobs, “remember missing stuff means angry voters.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the robber.”

“You can’t just go around accusing him,” Jake tried to ration with his 02 companion, but had no luck when Jungwon spoke again.

“I think Sunghoon’s right. At the end of the day, he’ll benefit from all of this.”

“The only way to be sure is if we trap him right?” Heeseung showed up a proud smirk before skipping down to his van to retrieve all of the items he needed.

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“Too bad y/n missed out on the fun of setting a trap.” Sunoo mentioned sarcastically before staring at the shark tank in the middle of the room.

“Jake, you look quiet today.” Sunghoon pestered his friend, who since the night before had been filled with a blank expression.

“Is this about...no...what...Jake…for a moment I thought you might be upset over y/n’s date. How dumb of me.” Jake remained silent; he’d rather not mix his confusing teen emotions with the business at hand.

“But I’m sure she’s having fun on her date.” Heeseung managed a response to Sunoo’s earlier comment, and continued on with his mission of untangling some ropes.

Meanwhile, you were clearly not having any fun. You’d almost think that Jaehyun had bailed on your date, seeing as though half an hour had already passed by. You were getting impatient; there was some trucker guy trying to kill you and your friends, yet you were here waiting for a guy your parents had chosen.

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“What is the meaning of this!?” Mayor Lee hung on top of the shark tank; he was loosely held by a chord and couldn’t manage to bring himself down.

“We thought you were Mr.Xiang, he’s the trucker.”

“Non-sense Heeseung. You and your friends' imagination is too strong, now get me down!” In the background, Mr.Xiang was seen in the shadows, strolling by casually.

Heeseung and his friends abandoned the post after letting down his father, following behind Mr.Xiang who was inside his small car.

“For a villain, I would assume his car would be cooler.” Eventually, his car got lost in the blanket of fog, but luckily, the van stopped right in front of the ghost of the truck.

“This is our chance, hurry.”

“What happened to staying alive?” Sunoo and Jungwon didn’t manage to have an opinion before Jake and Sunghoon dragged them from the van.

They inspected it carefully, inclusively a smudge revealed that it had been recently touched up with paint. Still, nothing else was achieved before the group found themselves once more fleeing from the scene, however now in a backwards direction.

The truck roared and pushed the van in reverse; the cliff leaving in a dent in the front side of the poor van. With fright, the five boys shouted at the top of their lungs, but managed to stop when Heeseung turned off the front lights and hid in the small road to head to your supposed date.

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“Hey sorry I’m late, work got busy.” Jaehyun took a seat in front of you and managed to go by without noticing you rolling your eyes.

“I’m starving.” With no warning, his hands revoked the plate from your hands to dig into the order of fries.

He continued to eat, and managed a word or two between mouthfuls. Thankfully, your five friends arrived on time, and broke you away from the date.

“Can’t you see we’re on a date?”

“Sorry Jaehyun, but my friends are in an emergency. Guess we’ll continue some other time.”

“Woah, sick bucket hat.” Heeseung complimented your date, and discussed his appreciation for the outfit that Jaehyun had worn.

“Y/n, you mind? I forgot my wallet at home.” Just great, first he arrives late, and now he pulls this stunt. It didn’t take long for Jaehyun to finally leave, but Jake waved a cd with the familiar JK stamped on the front.

When you had made your way to the van, the cd played the recording.

“Hello my fellow friends. If you want to solve this mystery, you have to follow the fog, and remember some diamonds can open a lot of doors. Happy hunting.”

“Come on, we have to go back.” This time, the blanket of fog led to a canyon. The marble rock gleaming a bright purple given the time of day. Using your limited light, you managed to reach into a crevice that contained a lever. Pulling it back, an entrance to the cave revealed itself.

“Woah, this would make a sick hangout.”

“Yep, just us and a few thousand doorknobs.” A couple of piles with crystal doorknobs became emphasized with the moonlight shining in. Sunghoon’s hands graced over a book, and within it, a confession to a diamond robbery.

“He stole it. Mr.Xiang’s father is confessing to the crime in black and white.” Jungwon held onto the book, but didn’t get far into reading, when the earlier roar once again cried in the depths of the cave.

“Hurry!” Heeseung took control over the van, heading back to town at the fastest pace that he could. The frontside of the phantom truck grabbed onto the tires of your van, sliding the car further back. Heeseung, having been in this situation at least two times before, skated off the frontside, and managed to turn the car to face forwards.

“How do we get off his trail?”

“Head to your trap Heeseung!” Listening to Jungwon’s order, the van began to drive onto the streets, diminishing and destroying whatever objects were in the way. Eventually, the van pulled into the city hall.

“Now.” Grabbing a straw, Sunghoon shot at the record player, the disk spinning far enough to cut the rope that would catapult the truck. That it did.

The phantom truck was swung backwards, landing on the top and the driver’s seat missing the shark tank by a slight inch.

“I heard a monstrous noise, tell me it’s true!” Mayor Lee displayed Chief Kim’s earlier reaction; a tourist attraction brightened his gloomy face.

“We caught the ghost trucker, and it’s none other than Mr.Xiang.” Unlike what you had expected, Jaehyun came crawling out of the machine.

“Jaehyun!?” He fell hard onto the marbled floor, dusting himself as he got back onto his feet.

“That’s right, and I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for my meddling date and her obnoxious friends.”

“It makes sense. When Jaehyun had heard about the missing diamond Mr.Xiang’s father had stolen, he went looking for it. Remember JK’s clue, ‘a diamond can open doors,’ he had the diamond as a door knob, but because he never specified, you stole them all. You stole the crystal door knobs and smuggled them in a truck.”

“But why, you’re rich?” Jaehyun preferred to give no response and was led off by the authorities.

“I must say son, you managed to bring back the missing treasure, I’m happy.”

“Does this mean you support my dreams for mysteries and traps?” Mayor Lee responded with a hard no, and made his way back to his office.

-------

“Since Mr.Xiang has pulled from the race, I am happy to say I will be once more serving as your proud Mayor AND, that MY son, future mayor of Seoul, Heeseung has managed to return the missing diamond to us along with his friends.” The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, eating up every word that Heeseung’s father had managed.

You made your way back to the van before being stopped by Jake who held out a bracelet to you. You looked at his eyes, and saw a small smile forming on his face.

“I thought you might like it.”

“Thanks Jake, I love it.” You admired the white chain hanging on your left wrist before welcoming him into a hug. Maybe Jake had gained more than just a solved mystery.

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Note: Jay and Niki will be added to the story as the plot progresses. Jay to be added more into the next chapter!

P.S: My asks should be open lol, and I was wondering if people would like a taglist lol, but feel free to send a message or suggestion! :) <3

#enhypen #enhypen scenarios #enhypen imagines #jungwon #heeseung #heeseung imagines #jay #enhypen jake #jake imagines #sunghoon #sunoo #niki

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superman86to99 · 4 years

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Superman #83 (November 1993)

Funeral for a Friend: uh, that one Green Lantern supporting character who died when Coast City got blown up (Joe? Gary?). In this issue DC’s superheroes pay tribute to the tragedy of Coast City while also deciding what the hell to do with the giant engine that’s now in its place. Weird early ‘90s Hawkman! Dr. Fate with boobs! Already-slightly-psychotic Hal Jordan! EVERYONE IS HERE.

(Nice one, Guy.)

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor Jr. is also sneaking around Engine City, supposedly to prevent it from falling into the ocean and killing some of Aquaman’s friends, but in reality he just wants to look into the Cyborg Superman’s computer to see if he can find a recipe for making kryptonite. As the heroes argue about what to do with Engine City (Hal says drop it into the water, screw the fish), some leftover Warworld aliens start attacking them, like the holdout Japanese soldiers who never found out WWII was over.

The attack precipitates the city’s fall into the water and the heroes have to think fast to prevent a fish holocaust. Their solution is for all the Green Lantern-related characters (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, Alan’s daughter Jade) to “detoxify” the debris with their powers before it falls into the ocean. And it works! These guys should totally open a carpet cleaning business.

As for Lex Jr., he does find the recipe for kryptonite inside the crumbling city, but just as he’s about to write it down (he wasn’t carrying any floppy disks, apparently), Supergirl yanks him out of there to prevent him from burning alive. What an unsupportive girlfriend. Anyway, Superman then takes some of the debris and builds a giant memorial for Coast City’s 6,999,999 anonymous lost souls, and Gary. Sweet Gary. You will be missed.

Creator-Watch:

If the art looks different that’s because this is the first issue inked by Joe Rubinstein, ending Brett Breeding’s classic two and a half year run as Dan Jurgens’ main inker (so classic that it feels a lot longer than that). Breeding will be back for Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey and other stuff, though. As for Rubinstein, Don says: “At the time, I had trouble with the transition, being soused to Brett Breeding’s finishes over Jurgens’ pencils, but looking at it now, the art looks great. It doesn’t look as smooth or blocky as Breeding’s finishes, but Rubinstein’s hatchier style serves Jurgens pretty well, even if it takes some getting used to.”

Plotline-Watch:

At the start of the issue, Superman goes to pick up Batman to take him to Coast City, only to find him wearing a different costume, acting differently, and sounding like a different guy. That’s because that’s not really Bruce Wayne in the suit anymore, but the replacement he got after Bane broke his back. That’s right: freakin’ Psi-Phon and Dreadnaught.

Superman gives a speech about how superheroes must work together to prevent another tragedy like Coast City from happening, but when Guy asks him if that means he’s going back to the Justice League, he’s like “uh, not yet.” Wisely, he’s gonna wait for Grant Morrison to get there first.

Hal Jordan’s characterization in this issue is interesting. In Green Lantern #47 (which came out the same month), he’s bummed about Coast City but still hopeful and serene, while here he’s already going Parallax on us. Wonder if Dan Jurgens knew more about what DC was planning for Hal than the other comic’s writer.

There’s a cute scene where Superman is flying by Kansas on his way to Coast City and quickly drops some flowers for Ma Kent. (That, or Flash picked this moment to hit on a random older woman.)

Former TV exec/crime boss Morgan Edge has released an autobiography where he trashes the Daily Planet’s Cat Grant for using her sexiness (and, you know, sex) to get dirt on him and send him to jail. He also accuses Cat of being a crappy mother to her son Adam. He kind of has a point there, because what kind of mom would let her kid play with an Atari in the early ‘90s?! The SNES and the Genesis were already out!

Believe it or not, Morgan Edge’s pervy dad in that screenshot above isn’t the creepiest thing in that scene. Don: “Very spooky how the guy dangling outside of Cat’s apartment goes without mention. An ominous foreshadow of one of the very few missteps of Jurgens’ run.”

But the most ominous part of the issue is at the end, when Clark Kent accepts Jimmy Olsen’s offer to become roomies, since Clark lost his apartment on account of being dead and all. Don wants you to know that “Jimmy is still in that towel by the way” in the scene below. I hope.

Patreon-Watch:

Shout out to our patrons Aaron, Murray Qualie, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, and a warm welcome to Samuel Doran! Last month our patrons got to read an article about Superman’s bizarre first Elseworlds appearance ever, the Kamandi: At Earth’s End miniseries, and got a veeeeeery early look at this post you’re reading right now (since Don finished his part way before I did mine). Right now I’m preparing this month’s Patreon-only article, which involves Superman wearing pointy ears and Luthor wearing make up. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/superman86to99

Oh, and in case you missed it, we’ve been posting Don’s new commentary for older issues on the Patreon as free posts (click above and scroll down to see them). EVEN MORE from Don after the jump!

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow):

Another classic issue, and such a nice wrap-up to the "Death and Return" storyline (as well as being a much-needed check-In on the DC Universe at large). We start with the cover, and it’s a very good one, letting the reader know right away that it’s a big team-up issue. (It also is a real showcase for 90s costume design, and how weird the JLA lineup was at this point).

The opening splash is a neat image of a rarely seen pairing, Superman and Commissioner Gordon. Jurgens draws James Gordon a little heavier and more Pa-Kent like than I’m used to seeing him, but it’s still neat to see him interacting with Superman. A page later, we get another rare pairing—the returned Superman with the imposter Batman, Jean-Paul Valley. The tension in the interaction between “AzBats” and Superman comes across well in their exchange, as does Superman’s doubts about who he was really speaking to.

It’s a dreamy looking Superman crossing the country from Metropolis to Coast City, and I daresay that they’re trying to channel Dean Cain a little as he approaches Kansas.

The best panel of the issue though is the two page spread of all the heroes gathering at the wreckage of Coast City, and there’s so much to love here. The body language, and facial expressions speak volumes about each of the characters: Superman looking swashbuckling and upbeat, Green Lantern brooding like a man barely holding on, Green Arrow all attitude and shadow. Just a great spread.

Another cool image is Aquaman showing up late, and emerging very royally in protection of his ocean (undercut masterfully by a legitimately funny couple of lines from Guy Gardner). Page 14’s Hal Jordan is a great drawing, and this whole storyline seems like a table setter for the "Emerald Twilight" story coming up.

The sequence of a firelit Luthor at the computer is a good look at his madness, but it does beg the question of just how little Supergirl seems to take in. He was JUST talking aloud about Kryptonite, and she emerges seeming not to hear. The image of Supergirl flying Lex away as he struggles against her psychic grab is a good one, even if her uniform is depicted as a little clingier than I imagine it to really be.

Superman floating above his obelisk with his arm in front of his face like Dracula is a cool look, even if it is a little dramatic.

Lastly, the image of Clark turning up the stereo is a good one, even if his hair length is wildly shorter here than in Coast City (and I usually dislike it when they mention real world bands, as it comes off trying too hard to be hip).

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

I have to love how meta it is to have Superman outright saying that Batman is dressing more “threatening” these days, on page 2. I guess he couldn’t come right out and say “you have an extreme new look, and it’s totally badass! Batman the next generation!”

Last we saw of Supergirl she was storming out of the party on Lex’s Zeppelin after Lex II was getting all horned up at the sight of Lois Lane, but it appears here they’ve mostly patched things up as they fly to Coast City.

More meta-stuff: Jimmy clunkily complimenting Lois on her new hair by saying she “oughta be on TV or something!”. This whole exchange is very expository, really, “Clark must be pretty mad… though he’s busy worrying about where he’s going to bunk…” Anything else to get in there, Jimmy?

The harshness some of the heroes have for Lex Junior seems a little out of place, especially since he’s still known to most of the heroes as an ally from "Panic in the Sky", and the "Doomsday" storyline. Superman’s comment was borderline, but where is all this anger Flash is showing coming from?

Being as familiar as we are with these writers, there are certain phrases or ideas that a certain writer will go to way, way too often. Byrne had a number of stories where Superman would “ionize” something with his heat vision, and it occurred to me that maybe he just liked that word. I would submit that Dan Jurgens likes the word “atomize”. It was used by the Cyborg Superman when talking about Doomsday, and is used a bunch just in this issue.

I find it hilarious that Hawkman appears so prominently in this issue, but doesn’t get any lines. This issue is an interesting time capsule—I had almost forgotten about the de-aged Starheart powered Alan Scott era.

Speaking of lines, they don’t give Captain Marvel much to do in this issue, but I always like seeing him, even if his only contribution is the odd “Holy Moley!”

Colouring error on page 12, where Hal’s ring has a red centre (maybe the colourist had Alan Scott’s red and green look on the brain?)

A raging Hal standing by Green Arrow is a sad foreshadowing of their confrontation to come in Zero Hour.

16 notes · View notes

bensboynton · 5 years

Text

Good Enough b.h; Part 2

part 1 is in my masterlist: link in my blog description

Word Count: 5.1k

Warnings: angst, swearing, mentions of drugs/alcohol, infidelity(PLS DON’T CHEAT ON YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD)

feedback would be greatly appreciated:)

Key: Y/BF/N = your boyfriend’s name

A/N: this gets heavy towards the middle and end, but i promise part three will be really fluffy and have a lot more ben in it okay? okay.

also i should probably mention that your boyfriend is also an extremely successful singer.

“Gwil, you’re needed on set.” Gwilym rolled his eyes playfully, looking over at you. “I’ve just sat down!” you giggled at the man’s exasperated response, lightly tapping his leg with your foot as he stood up to leave.

“Go get em’ tiger.” you murmured as he gave you a thumbs up, flipping his mop of brown curly hair over his shoulder. You laughed and turned your attention back to the book currently laying in your lap.

The PA’s voice had interrupted the extremely interesting conversation you were having with Gwilym; a heated debate over the better type of chocolate. Clearly, dark chocolate was superior, but Gwil was very passionate about milk chocolate.

You had only been working on the set of the movie for a few days, (you weren’t exactly sure how many, though. Due to the ever-present jet lag and SEVERE lack of sleep, the days were starting to melt together) but you already felt like your cast mates were your second family. You had grown especially close with Gwilym and Joe, who acted like your big brothers.

So far, you had already had one lack-of-sleep-induced mental breakdown, (these happened more often than you’d like to admit) and both Gwilym and Joe were there to comfort you every step of the way.

You began blocking out the rest of the world as you focused on the story sitting in your lap. It was the original Romeo and Juliet play, one of your favorites. Since minoring in creative writing in college, you had become quite the sucker for Shakespeare.

“Romeo and Juliet, eh?” you heard a deep British voice echo from your left. You spun a piece of your hair around your finger, meeting the forest green eyes of the only other man in the room. “One of my favorites,” he continued, biting into a green apple in his large hand.

“These violent delights have violent ends,” Ben spoke dramatically, “or something like that.”

You nodded, biting your bottom lip as he made his way over to sit down on the couch opposite of you. Ben was in his full Roger Taylor gear, his wig and costume astonishing enough to make even the biggest of Queen fanatics do a double take.

“It’s been my favorite since I did an analysis in college.” you murmured, flipping the page over quickly, beginning to chew on what was left of the nail on your right thumb.

“What was your major?” Ben inquired, furrowing his brows in curiosity.

“Technically psychology, and I minored in creative writing. But my psychology degree doesn’t really get much use now.” Ben nodded thoughtfully at your response.

You glanced back down to the play, continuing to gnaw at the skin on your thumb.

“Stop that.”

You glanced up at Ben through your thick eyelashes, confusedly cocking an eyebrow at him.

“Stop what?”

“Biting your nails. I’ve noticed you do that a lot.” He spoke as he lazily leaned back on the green couch.

You quickly placed your hand at your side, sitting on your fingers as you meet the eyes of the crazy good-looking British man.

Your friendship with Ben was… unnecessarily complicated. He acted strange around you sometimes, and the awkwardness that resulted in some of your conversations was unnatural compared to the camaraderie you shared with the rest of the cast.

“Sorry if that came off as rude or something, I used to bite my nails too.” you smiled up at him, noticing the slight bouncing of his left leg as your eyes drifted back to the page of your book. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t seem to comprehend a single thing.

You glanced back up at the jittery blonde man. “I feel you. It’s been a bad habit of mine since grade school.”

He hummed in acknowledgment. The quiet buzz of the heater unit in the small waiting room was the only disturbance in the increasingly awkward silence between you and Ben.

“Oh, before I forget,” he exclaimed as he rummaged through his pockets, “I forgot to give this to you yesterday before you left, but you dropped this napkin on set and the lyrics on it kind of looked important.” your heart soared at the sight of your familiar blue ink on the white piece of fabric.

“Oh my god. You found it!” you practically shot off the couch and snatched it from his hand. “Thank you so much, I thought someone had thrown this away. This is the chorus for my next song, I think.”

Without really thinking, you leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You know, you shouldn’t worry as much about how you’re perceived by me. Or anyone else, really. Just a word of advice.” you spoke as you admired the napkin in your hand.

You noticed the beaming smile resting on his face, accompanied by a slight flush of pink as you identified the smell of cigarettes and an oddly scented cologne that suited him strangely well.

“It was really no problem. I had a feeling it was important, especially with lyrics as amazing as those,” you blushed as you hastily pushed a few strands of hair behind your ear, “and thank you for the advice. I’ll try to keep it in mind.”

Ben winked at you playfully, causing you to let out a small chuckle, but your heart was doing backflips in your chest. He just had this effect on you…

There was a small pause as you skimmed over the lyrics on the napkin before you placed it in the small bag you brought with you to set every day.

“Not that my opinion really has much merit, but I think you’re really talented,” Ben paused, moving a piece of his blonde wig out of his eyes, “not a lot of people can compose something like that on a napkin and have it be solid enough to make a complete record out of it."

You bit back a big smile as you met his stunningly wide eyes that could blow a breath of fresh air into you anytime you looked at them. His tiny grin was gentle, with sincerity practically bleeding through the edges of his lips.

"That truly means a lot to me, Ben, thank you. Means more than you could ever know, actually.” he lightly scratched the back of his neck, breaking your intense eye contact, “and, not that my opinion has much merit, but I think you’re an amazing drummer.”

He laughed, lightly rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger, reaching to adjust the wrist band that was tightly coiled around his left arm, “I appreciate it, but I’m no Roger Taylor.”

“Woah, hold up there. I never said you were that good.” Ben’s jaw fell slack as he playfully glared at you, his eyes seeming to be searching you for something.

You carefully moved to go sit back down, but before you could even take a step, the door swung open.

“Ben, Y/N, you’re needed on set now.”

You offered Ben a soft grin as he held the door open for you, walking into the hustle and bustle of the movie set. Today was going to be a long, long, day.

You had been working on the Bohemian Rhapsody movie for about two weeks at this point. Saying that out loud makes it seem like a lot less time than how it felt. Nevertheless, the glamour of being an actress has most definitely worn off.

The dazzling red carpets and interviews felt like they were eons away, seemingly working their way farther and farther into your future with each passing hour.

Don’t get it confused, you loved acting, you loved your job, but the long days and long nights were starting to mess with your system more than you’d like to admit.

Just last week, you were in the middle of shooting a scene with Rami when you felt lightheaded and fainted for a few seconds. Right there, in front of the entire cast and crew. Definitely not one of proudest moments.

The combination of lack of sleep, all the caffeine to attempt to make up for said lack of sleep, having to memorize your lines, rehearse for the final three shows of your tour, and deal with all the absolutely wonderful elements of being a woman was really starting to wear on your wellbeing. Mentally, and physically.

But, nevertheless, you were playing your dream role in your dream movie about Queen, whom you got to go to work with and talk to every day. There really wasn’t that much for you to be complaining about.

And, for the first time in a really, really long time, you felt completely and totally happy.

“Y/N, we’re going out to get some drinks. Wanna tag along?” Allen smirked at you, nudging your shoulder as he grabbed a bottle of water before turning to leave.

“Dumbass question, of course I wanna go.” You spoke, turning to grab your purse on the counter and beginning to follow Allen and the rest of the cast out the door.

You were about two feet away from the exit, able to feel the cold London air on your legs when someone called your name. You turned around and saw it was one of the PA’s.

“Y/N, you have a visitor. Says his name is Y/BF/N? Should I let him in?” she inquired from across the room.

You stopped dead in your tracks, all the color quickly leaving your face. He couldn’t really be here, could he?

“Yeah, let him in,” you said breathlessly, sympathetically looking up at your friends, “could you guys wait here for a few minutes while I deal with this?"

They all nodded and went to sit back down on the couches and chairs in the little side room. Ben gave you a reassuring smile from across the room, before reaching over and putting a rugby game on the TV. You turned towards the woman at the door.

You walked with the PA who informed you that he was in the room right across the hall. You took a deep breath and stood in front of the maroon colored door.

It wasn’t like him to come for surprise visits. And he knew you hated surprises, so there was definitely an ulterior motive here. Just the thought of that made butterflies erupt in the pits of your stomach as you gathered your courage. You finally knocked on the door twice before letting yourself in.

Seeing him awkwardly standing there was certainly… something. For lack of a better word, he looked like shit. Pure, unadulterated shit. And you weren’t surprised, because he had a bad habit of getting absolutely wasted most nights while he was on tour.

Whether it was backstage after his show or at some random club or bar near the venue he performed at, he was always under the influence of something. That’s why you never went with him on his tours, because he’d be too drunk or too high to have a conversation with you that didn’t end in a screaming fight. And something about his posture signified that this meeting was about to end in a similar way.

You now realized how long you had truly been avoiding this. The inevitability of the conversation you two were about to have felt to be swarming around your bodies. You were truly now able to realize how unhealthy this has been for you. How you kept everything that bothered you or made you even slightly upset inside rather than provoke the man you “loved” over something so small.

You two definitely didn’t have the healthiest of relationships, you’ll be the first to admit that. But the idea of having to eventually have to go to weddings alone, go home to an empty apartment and live in constant silence scared the everliving shit out of you. You hated silence, you hated being alone.

So you had just put up with it.

Sometimes you would think that he gave up on you. He would stop returning your calls and the number of goodnight text messages from him would dwindle, so you’d think maybe he was done with you. Maybe you wouldn’t have to put up with the heartbreak of the severing of your relationship. Maybe the connection would diminish over time until it eventually dissipated into thin air.

But now here he was, in all his drunken, grimy glory on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody in London, about 6000 miles away from what should’ve been his current tour stop. And you felt like you were going to throw up.

All the feelings for him you thought you had lost came rushing back with a force so strong it almost knocked you off your feet. You wanted so desperately to run into his arms and greet him with a kiss, but you couldn’t. You had to fight your muscle memory.

"Hi.” he murmured, his voice slightly hoarse as he shifted his gaze to your shoes. He couldn’t even make eye contact with you.

“Hey,” you whispered back, staying quiet for the fear that a normal sound would shatter the delicate chain that was tying your faltering relationship together.

He turned away from you, walking over to the tiny window in the eerily silent room, pulling out a cigarette and lighter from his black leather jacket. You sighed to yourself. You weren’t allowed to smoke in here but you would be damned if you were going to tell him that, and risk angering him.

You acted… different, around him. It was like he was a damp towel that was thrown on top of you whenever you two were together. You suddenly became a shell, a ghostly hollow of whom you were supposed to be. And you fucking hated that. And you hated him for that.

The silence in the room was so heavy on your shoulders you swore your feet would break through the wooden floor. It was uncomfortable, just like everything about him. He was an uncomfortable person.

“I don’t want to draw this out, because this won’t be pleasant for me or for you.” He broke the silence, speaking louder than before. And just like you feared, it shattered whatever was left.

“My management agency got a courtesy letter two nights ago from TMZ about a story that was breaking tomorrow about me. And I wanted you to hear this from me, not some stupid fucking twitter news highlight.”

The sharp, stunningly cold tone in his voice was so foreign to you. The last time you two were together for longer than three days, his voice had been warm, welcoming, and like a home. He was your home. And now you felt like you were listening to a stranger speak.

You almost stopped him. You almost barged out of the room and left whatever it was that he was going to say unsaid. He was hesitating, and you could feel how hard he was trying to force the words out of his throat. And that scared you more than anything. He was never the type to shy away from the truth, or what needed to be said.

That used to be something you admired, something about him you were in love with. He was crazy and wild, completely explicit and transparent. The complete opposite of you.

And maybe when you went on your first date with him you thought being around someone like him would change someone like you. Maybe you thought he would be able to coax you out of your shell.

He suddenly looked away from the window, meeting your eyes. Your stomach dropped at his pin-head sized pupils, the harsh color of his blue irises reaching out and slapping you across your face.

He let out a shaky breath, retrieving a piece of yellow folded paper from his jacket pocket. “You know, I’ve never been good with words, so to be completely honest with you,” he paused, taking a drag from the cigarette perched between his slender fingers, “I have no fucking idea how to say this right now.”

You wanted to comment, to say something, but it was like you suddenly forgot how to speak. You were frozen. He had his imaginary grip around your throat and you couldn’t move. You couldn’t breathe. These few seconds felt like they were dragging on for an eternity.

“You cheated on me, didn’t you?” you whispered, feeling the familiarity of strain in your throat.

You weren’t religious, you had never been to a church in your life. But at this moment you would’ve dropped to your knees and prayed to any God that you were wrong. That he hadn’t been unfaithful to you.

He handed you the piece of paper he had been holding for a few minutes, “I wrote down as many as I could remember. But some of the times I-” he began before you let out a laugh.

“Because you were too drunk?” you continued. He nodded, letting his head fall to stare at his shoes.

You had run through this scenario in your head before, on a particularly late night when you couldn’t fall asleep. You never thought you’d be actually living it, yet here you are.

To be honest, you expected to be a tearful mess. But all you felt was pure anger coursing through your veins as you unfolded the paper and glanced at the words.

Jessica from Calgary, July. Allison and Tiffany from Montreal, June. Megan from Iowa, mid-August. And there were way more on the list that you couldn’t bring yourself to read. You let out a chuckle. You should’ve known.

“Did you think about me, when you were with them? Did you ever give me a second thought?” you inquired. He looked back up at you like a deer in headlights.

“Did you ever wake up and see my voicemails, my text messages, and regret it?” He was still speechless, looking at you like you were speaking in some long lost foreign language.

You let out a deep breath of disbelief that you hadn’t realized you’d been holding, collapsing down on the upholstered couch, “when did you decide you didn’t love me anymore?"

"Y/N, I never stopped-”

“Don’t. Don’t do that. Don’t sit here and try to make everything better with your cheesy bullshit of how you never stopped loving me, how you still love me even after all we’ve been through. I really don’t want to hear it."

There was an uncomfortable pause as you felt scalding hot tears well up in your eyes. You tried blinking them away but this just caused them to spill down your cheeks. "I’ve been on two world tours across five continents and I never once thought about betraying you. Betraying us. Betraying what we had. It wasn’t even a question.”

You looked back up at him, your tears dripping off your chin and settling into the hollows of your collar bone. And you suddenly lost the loose leash you had on the emotions running rampant in your gut.

"I would’ve done literally anything for you. If you asked me to not take the part in this movie, my absolute dream job, I would’ve declined and apologized for being an inconvenience to you.”

“If you asked me to throw myself off a cliff, I would’ve done it in a fucking heartbeat. And you have the nerve to stand here and act like you cheating on me however many times you did is no big deal? Like you didn’t just betray the only person you had left?”

You were yelling now, and to be frank, you didn’t care. You didn’t have the empathy nor mental capacity left to care. You had never experienced a heartbreak so severe it made you nauseous.

You were confused and so dizzy. You felt like you were about to pass out or throw up the sandwich you had for lunch, but you couldn’t tell which one. You’re weren’t sure if you were dreaming but also not sure if you were even alive. Maybe this was Hell. Maybe you passed away in your sleep last night and you were living in your own, personal Hell.

Because you could deny it all you wanted, but you were still in love with this man. Hell, you’d still die for him. That wouldn’t change. He had you wrapped around his pinky finger and both of you knew it. And that’s why it hurt so bad. Because everything hurts more when it comes from someone you love.

"I came out here as a fucking courtesy, so you didn’t have to find out about this on the internet. I didn’t have to fly out here, didn’t even have to tell you, but I did. There’s no need to act like a god damn child!” he screamed, angrily opening the window to his right.

He threw his cigarette butt out the slim opening and slammed it shut, causing you to jump slightly. It sent shivers up and down both of your arms.

“A courtesy? Oh wow! All for little old me? Well, aren’t you just a fucking saint! You deserve to be knighted by the fucking Queen of England for that, really.”

You took a deep breath, grabbing your hair by the roots before throwing your head back with frustration, “All I ever fucking did was care for you, look after you, and put up with your bullshit excuses and mistreatment and I’m done. I am so, so fucking done."

You stood up abruptly to get a little closer to his towering height. "Looking at this entire shit show in retrospect, I can’t believe I ever wasted even a moment of my time on you. I’m over it. I’m over you. I’m over us.”

After speaking those words into the quiet atmosphere of the room you were in, you felt your anger evaporate into thin air. “You know, you’re a real piece of shit? I pray to God that the next girl has some standards and goes running for the hills when she gets to know the real you. Because I sure as hell didn’t.”

Suddenly, your tears were back, welling up in your eyes as you looked him over once again, his face a mixture of shock, sadness, and disbelief.

He chuckled, returning to his spot near the window, mumbling something under his breath. “So, we’re done? That’s it? Just like that, two years out the window?” he huffed out in disbelief.

“Yeah, just like that. Because you’re not supposed to cheat on your significant other. This isn’t an open relationship. This isn’t how this works, genius.”

He rolls his eyes, walking over to the window yet again as he mumbles something under his breath. "Speak up.” you snarled. He studied you for a moment, an amused expression on his stupidly perfect face.

“I said, you wonder why I would cheat on you, then you go and act like this.”

You were speechless. Your head was pounding so ferociously hard, you didn’t want to believe he had actually just said that to you. You wished you could wake up in a cold sweat in your bed back home in LA and you could turn over and go back to sleep. You just wanted this to be over with.

“Get out,” you mumbled. Your voice cracked, and noticeably so, and it allowed your sadness to leak out of your words into this already small room that felt like it was getting smaller.

“What did you just say to me?"You could hear the aggression practically gushing out of his mouth, and you didn’t want to stick around to find out what happens next.

"I said,” you spoke, taking a pause to soak the absolute hatred form the air into your skin, “get. out.”

“So you’re really going to tell me to leave? After a 12-hour flight?” he let out an exasperated sigh, “God, you’re such a fucking bitch.”

You’re not quite sure what, but something snapped deep inside you, like a gate opened and all the immature anger you had been trying to contain escaped like air escaping a popped balloon.

“Get the fuck out and leave me and my friends alone! I hate you. I fucking hate you!” your voice was hoarse, and every word leaving your throat was like a punch to your stomach. “I never want to see you again. Just leave, please. Leave me alone.” you cried out, clutching your arms as close to your sides as humanly possible.

He stomped past you and slammed the door behind him, and you swore the ripped it off it’s hinges. And it was definitely enough to make you shatter into a thousand little pieces.

He was finally gone.

You managed to make your way to the wall, resting your shoulder againsst it handle before turning around and slowly sinking down to the ground. You covered your mouth with your hands, letting the tears freely slip down your fiery red cheeks.

You don’t know exactly how long you sat there, but it was definitely a long time. By the time you recovered, the sky outside had darkened and the moon was becoming ever more present in the evening sky.

You made your way over to grab your phone from its spot on the table. You pulled up the camera app and looked at yourself. Your eyes were puffy and swollen, and your nose was raw from wiping it so many times. Frankly, you were a mess. You attempted to calm yourself down, trying to take deep breaths.

After finally returning back to Earth, you grabbed your bag and walked out of the room and across the hallway where your group of friends was still waiting. You briskly walked across the room, pretending that nothing had happened.

Your cheeks and eyes were red, but you didn’t wanna give away the fact that you had been crying, so you turned to the table of snacks and started tidying it up, moving your hair in your face.

"So sorry that took so long guys. We can head out now if you’d like.” There was no response.

“If you guys are okay with it, do you think we could stop at McDonald’s on the way there? I could really use a milkshake.” Silence. You ignored the quiet in a room that would normally be filled to the absolute brim with sound.

“Y/N…” you heard the uncertainty in Gwilym’s voice as your name rolled off his tongue.

“Do British McDonald’s even have milkshakes?” you inquired, taking a shaky breath, “I’ve just realized I’ve never been to a McDonald’s here. Personally I’d prefer chocolate but vanilla would do the job.” Your voice seemed to shrink until you were speaking at the volume of a whisper.

You just kept your hands moving, trying to distract yourself from the tears welling up in your eyes yet again. There was still silence other than you organizing the snacks and rummaging through your purse.

Suddenly, you felt a large, warm hand on your wrist. You slightly turned your head to the side to see Ben, his brows furrowed together and a look of genuine distress powdered across his normally light and carefree eyes. And that’s what caused you to hit your breaking point.

You slammed your face into his chest, letting your fatally weak sobs echo in the silent room. His arms were around you in a second, supporting most of your weight due to your knees suddenly giving out.

Your body was shaking with your echoing cries, your sobs so intense they were comparable to dry heaves.

Rami’s voice was heard behind you, quiet and still. “I don’t think we’re going out tonight.” This caused you to rip yourself out of Ben’s iron-tight grasp.

��Please don’t let me and my personal problems put a damper on your fun night out. Go and enjoy yourself,” you wiped a few tears from your eyes, “I’ll be fine, I promise.” you heard Joe let out an exasperated sigh from the couch, drawing your attention to him.

“No, you’re not fine. And you probably won’t be for the immediate future. And that’s completely okay because you have us,” he took a deep breath, looking you up and down slowly. You could see a flash of pain in his deep brown eyes.

“I’m really very sorry that we eavesdropped on you, but we can’t change the fact that we heard almost everything that happened in there and I know that you’re not okay right now,” he spoke quietly, the usual tinge of humor in his voice gone without a trace, “and I may not have known you for a year or even a month yet, but I do know that no one likes to be alone when they’re hurt. So we’re staying.”

Being truthful, you could’ve collapsed right then and there at the sound of someone having your back as unquestionably as Joe did. It was such a relief, tears began leaking out of your eyes again. Ben pulled you into another one of his comfortingly tight hugs and led you over to the couch, where he sat you down between himself and Joe.

Looking up to momentarily meet Ben’s eyes, he gave you a sad grin. Not having the energy left in your bones to return it, you slouched down and plopped your head on his muscular shoulder.

You felt his body stiffen slightly beneath you, but at this point, you didn’t care. You just wanted to go to sleep for a really, really long time. Part of you didn’t want to have to deal with this absolute disaster.

You were tired. And tired of being tired. And tired of being used and thrown around and treated like you were nothing but a toy. You wanted to stand up and shout how you weren’t something to butter up and taste when others got bored, you wanted to scream and cry and break things and punch holes in the wall. But your body was so fragile at the moment, everyone around you thought the smallest touch might cause you to break.

Yet somehow, even after the most violent break up of your life, you had never felt so accepted and genuinely cared for in your entire life. Ben’s arm was now wrapped around your fatigued body, your head still on his shoulder, the TV in the dressing room was on, and you were surrounded by your new family. Strangely, you had never felt more wanted in all of your years of existence.

This feeling of comfort was just enough to lull you to sleep in the middle of the evening, sitting on an uncomfortable couch, slouched over and your neck already beginning to stiffen.

But somehow, through all of this, you managed to feel one overwhelming thing for the first time in your life; inner peace.

taglist: @pastel-world14 @benhardyseyesjj

#ben hardy #ben hardy headcanon #ben hardy fic #ben hardy x reader #ben #bohemian rhapsody #borhap #lucy boynton #rami malek #gwilym lee #ben hardy fanfic #ben hardy fanfiction #borhap boys #borhap cast #queen #joe mazzello #allen leech #bohemian rapsody movie

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aggresivelyfriendly · 5 years

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A Premonition of Love-Final Chapter

Hey Babies! I hope you are all getting on with real life in this fallow Harry season. I cannot wait for the harvest. (Please rescue us with new music Styles, Sharpish) Hopefully this Rom Com Ending will help feed any content needs that are plaguing you! Here she is-the final chapter of A Premonition Of Love!

Thank you @emulateharry and my other halves- thirds- @dirtystyles and @bleedinglove4h! Now-onto my Gryles Exchange!

Chapter 11-Erubisu

“Harry!" She'd been being sweet and softly blowing in his ear. Then she had tickled it, then Licked it. Nothing seems to be rousing him. He was a very heavy sleeper and could fall asleep anywhere if left unattended for any length of time, but this was ridiculous. She was beginning to think she had killed him last night.

What a way to go. She had at least exhausted him. Her volume was bothering her own ears, and not a stir.

Ada had just been so jubilant when they made it back to the room last night. The last several weeks probably could have not gone better. After her freak out and their private painting party, they had hit their stride. Harry had been consistently amazing on camera, and at home, with the occasional grand slam to bout.

Clearly last night helped both of their batting averages.

The studio was thrilled with the dailies and so was Ada. It was cute and timely and classic and beautiful, her cinematographer captured Japan and her vision and Harry, all to their best advantage. They had submitted a request for just a little extra time for the Elvis scene. And she thought they made get it.

Even with all of the progress they had made, they'd still need another couple days in the schedule to get the love me tender scene, but Ada had been sneaky and was shooting the film like it was a sure thing.

After she had her encouraging call with her studio handler she'd basically flown to the vans that took everybody back to the hotel, and she nearly sat on Harry's shoulder to chirp out her lark's song. But then she remembered that they were trying to be subtle.

She sucked at subtle, it wasn't her style, but she liked privacy, and craved respect. She was working on that with her therapist, as it went to crazy lengths. Nevertheless, it meant they were clandestine lovers, which was lovely and exciting, if limiting.her boyfriend, as he had self identified, shocking the hell out of her the other day, was right there and she couldn't share her hope.

It would wait, she caught his eye and his eyes lightened in that way they did when they made eye contact and then further when he read her open face like a book.

Harry knew she was excited, he could tell. It was lovely all over her warm face, but they had lots of company. Ada wasn't ready to share with everybody that they may have a few extra days. Firstly, because she didn't know for sure and discretion, as she had told Harry the other day, was the better part of valor, and secondly, she wasn't going to ask everybody. They didn't need them, and she would never get the days with the full budget. Concessions. They had to be made.

So, he'd have to wait to find out if they gave her all the time. She looked hopeful enough. Just not here.

But her caught her in the bathroom, there was only the one stall with the very high tech toilet, and as she came out, he gently gripped her waist and causally hoisted her back in. She loved when he handled her with ease, but she didn't like being handled. Or so she thought until he was Dali and she was Kahlo. She'd loved how he handled her emotional state and then handled her.

"What's up Harry?" She asked, with her hands on his forearms then gripping his elbows.

"You tell me. You are lit up like the Tokyo tower! Why didn't we film there by the way?"

"Permits, expense!" She shrugged. She'd tried, they'd shoot on the lawn if the could manage it. "Why do movies ever diverge from "the vision." She didn't grump More, but maybe harry didn't know that. She bet Nolan got his vision. With his track record and noms, and following and penis. Speaking of, she was ready to say fuck valor and his buddy discretion. What height was the sink.

"Nope, no distracting me!" He said when she tried to kiss him. "What's the news?" His leaf green eyes, the color of wasabi today, flicked back and forth over her ink eyes. He was written there. So was her excitement.

"I want to tell you when we have something to celebrate." She smiled and widened her large eyes.

"Does it have to do with the film? Might be nice to celebrate with the crew."

He was holding her hands, clutching them the way he did while she rode him. Bad thoughts, Harry. "You're distracting me now." His tongue touched the side of his mouth. "On purpose. And they can't all know, some won't be able to stay." Ada said like he already knew what she was talking about. "To stay...." he paused for her to fill him in. "To stay on the film for our Elvis scene." She squeezed his hand and bounced onto her tippy toes then heels. "I have to cut costs. But I think we might get the days!" "They said that?" His eyes were so big, like saucers and she wanted a big drink of their shared cup of joy. "Well, not yet. But they seemed enthused about the idea and one of them winked at me!" Ada sounded like that made her too sure. He bit his lip. "Who winked at you?

"Stu."

She put her head in his notch, right beneath his chin. Her notch. She slept there and smelled it when she woke up. "Let's not get our hopes too far up, ‘k, Smokes? Maybe low flying hopes?" "Ok!" she'd agreed but all of her was an exclamation mark.

Ada stayed entusiastic all night. She drank too much, a rarity for her, was chatty as all get out, and he had to drag her off the balcony naked. She was still buoyant this morning when she woke up, surprisingly not too fuzzy headed to smell his notch. Her headache, cowed by Harry's pills and water flush before bed, started to come back as she worked to wake him up. "Ighh!" Was the first "word" out of his mouth. "Smoke, I can tell it's very early by the light. The sun's not even up in the land of the rising sun! No human is meant to be awake right now, especially not one who was as excited," tongue between teeth. "As you last night."

He rolled over and she held him with her thighs. "That was bad, even for you, Velvet Elvis." "That was bad too." He rolled over and cracked an eye. "I veto that nickname. Seriously, how are you so bright and bonnie at such an early hour. You hit it harder than me." "Natural high!" She hopped off him taking his hand with her. "I've got a feeling, a good one." She kept on singing. He didn't join, was biting his lip in an unsexy way. "If you tell me you don't know that song, that it was before your time, I'll scream." "Course I know that song," he scoffed. "Yeah, your taste does run late middle age." He grr'ed, that face he made where he furrowed his brow cuz he was thinking hard, or hard thoughts. Then he shook it off. Damn she thought he'd chase her to the shower. "What's up, Harry?" "Nothing, just like to see you smiling." He then gave her a narrow eyed smirk and followed her to the bathroom, and grinned ��before he had to grit his teeth to end their coupling. But something was up, when they had a minute on set. She caught him staring pensively at her. More that once. "Hey Elvis!" He winced a little, she noticed. "You look upset." She poked the place his dimple should be and cocked her head to the side. "M'fine!" He cupped her elbow after a quick check of the clear coast. "Just, I don't....." he shook his head. "Got water in my nose when I was on my knees this morning." He flashed her his eyebrows. She allowed the distraction then. He kept it up, the not telling her, for days. She didn't think whatever he was not sharing was a secret, nothing harmful or tangible. That the way she felt at least, but why wasn't he sharing his thoughts? He was a brilliant boy, she liked when he shared his dreamy cerebral locomotive from one place to another.

She was sitting in her makeshift office trying to puzzle him out when her phone rang.

LA! Her news!

They were ready, all caught up with open endings for her choose your own adventure, all they needed was a yes! Harry knew the minute she came down her steps with heavy footfalls that his worries were true. He’d shared the hopes with Jeff right away, when they'd had the idea. Jeff had brightened and he could see it. Then he got that look, the one Harry hated, when he was gonna tell him no, or bad news. "Hersch." Oh, breaking it to him gently then. “I can almost guarantee they aren’t gonna give her an extra week for that scene, for any scene. Likely not even three days. Try to help her not get her hopes up too high.”

And he had, he had wanted to at least. He'd changed the subject when he couldn't but also tried to talk to her. But she was so young and free since she got the idea in her head and nourished herself on the possibility. Harry forced himself to talk sense to joy, had reminded her they were in the industry, and it was a harsh business, and even said, “don’t get excited til they tell you ‘yes.’” They had definitely told her no. And she was definitely in the angry portion of her response. She was coming onto set like an angry tsunami. He saw the PA in front of her scramble. Should he intercept her? Would it even help?

Instead he watched her, she had a look of absolute childlike disappointment, like when his dad would cancel visitation for a business event. Harry knew that look. He wanted to rescue her, but she wasn't a damsel in distress. What could he do? And then he saw her roll her shoulders, up, back, and down. Her face blanked and she nicely called for Kiko. 'Matcha' he read on her lips, she conferred with her AD and then sat down and got to business. He had never been so proud. Or so sad. She'd had to swallow disappointment, maybe even in public, more times than he could imagine if she did it so well and so quickly. And then she filmed the open ended scene. The one she'd written to make Harry Presley as she had recently called him, available. It worked for both narratives. She hadn't given up.

Neither would he. She held it together all through the day, and everybody seemed to sense her need, and they rose to their leader. Ada was a fantastic leader in triumph, and in defeat, he surmised. She'd make a wonderful wife in those for better and for worse moments. For worse, he felt when she made it back to their hotel room. He'd ordered mac n cheese, hot chamomile, and tacos, those he'd had to get from a carrier. She'd bitched about them not being available lightheartedly recently. How maybe it was all she missed of LA, tacos. Ada hadn't said much when she'd come in, just looked at him and shrugged. "Hungry?" "No, but I want to eat every bit of mac n cheese in the world."

She'd already found that plate, was chewing and opening the wine he'd had brought over. She drank from the bottle and smiled at the flavor then at the label. It was as fleeting as a hummingbird's flap, but he loved that he had earned that lip lift with his choice. Was it better to get her to talk now? Or later after they had decompressed? Now would get it out of the way then she could ignore it until tomorrow. Or let it roll off her back, get two glasses and comfort food down her neck, then ask for the detail he needed. When the tacos arrived, she cried. They were a little weird, it was rice instead of corn in the tortilla, but she couldn't believe he had found them. Then she launched into a story about her and Alysia, her best college girlfriend, going from Porto's to Tito's when they broke up with each of their first loves. "I’ve never been to Tito's." "You've been to Porto's right? Or we will have to go there as soon as you visit me in LA." "You asking me on a date?" he asked with a smirk and kept rubbing her shoulders. "I'm asking you to move in if you are gonna casa surreal, feed, water, and rub me when I'm not ok." She took her last bite and fell back onto his lap. Ada looked sideways. He gave her his attention, but didn't' stare her down, he could tell she had something to say. "If I only get you out of this movie..." her eyes glossed. "Do you, do you know what I mean?"

Then her eyes turned red while she suppressed the waterworks. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's enough, you, for me too." He kissed her forehead. That night, she lavished him with oral affection and passed out after her own favor. But Harry couldn't sleep. She'd told him they were liking the dailies but the climate wasn't right for all the nostalgia she was feeling and his fan base was too young to know Elvis, though she argued they were wrong, pointing to Japan, and other bands cross generational appeal, rockabilly and car culture. They were impressed with the accelerated schedule, but wouldn't grant them the days. She'd said it matter of factly. Her tears were dried up through her tidal will, but she was sad. She ate the tacos, then a bit more mac n cheese, and made him promise to wake her up early enough to work out together. He'd called Masa, set up an early sweat sesh-- start the day with no guilt and with tension released. As the hours waned, he'd played with some lyrics, simple and heart felt, guitar on his lap in the living area. Then he had an idea. He'd have to talk to Jeff. Harry knew Ada was special, the first time he met her-- scratch that! The first time he saw ‘Wildflower’ but watching her champion and carry her hope had inspired him that day.

And it kept on inspiring him. It inspired the whole crew. And they did it, they finished, not early enough to squeeze in the scene. But they finished both story trajectories, so that if the producers were touched, they could do it and it would be a narrative match.

She'd gathered all her bravery today and asked for the time again. She had good reason too. A streamlined crew, shooting schedule, willing crew and hopeful cast.

He knew by Ada’s brave face they’d said no. He had some loving to do for the next few hours before the wrap party. For her, and her broken heart. And for him and his dashed hopes. He wanted the scene too, badly. “You ok?” He didn’t touch her, the crew eyed him funny and he knew they knew, or at least suspected. But Ada would blow a gasket. He wanted to hug her, but that would explode their cover. “Yeah.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I just wish I wasn’t surprised every time, ya know? When somebody says no.” Somebody like Garner to her music, or the producers to her vision.

“I think that just means you remain hopeful,” he shrugged. He’d prefer that to the alternative, her artist streak of optimism mixed with her day to day realism was a sight to behold. He wanted her to remain surprise-able. He was gonna feed it, water it, grow it. He saw Jeff nod at him from where he stood off set and Harry hid his grin. Ok. Plant food for his wildflower. “Let’s finish this ending, yeah?” he squeezed her shoulder. “Then let’s go celebrate our work, cuz it was stellar and swift, and then go home and cuddle until you feel better.” “I don’t WANT to CUDDLE.” She eyed him. “We can do that too, and Bob Ross all weekend. Let’s go have Akio meet Henry at the airport and they can get hitched by the pilot!” “The other ending is better, Akio should let Henry fly to Paris, and he should run back, like a reverse Rachel and Ross. Henry has making up to do. A public statement of love, a song.”

She knew she was pouting, and was letting her walls down enough so if any one was watching they’d see it. That was growth, or she was feeling loved and soft for her set family she couldn't help it. The vulnerability made him proud too. Harry knew for a fact they felt the same. Ada had maybe done a little too much celebrating by the time they got to the “wrap party.” Or commiserating, Harry wasn’t precisely sure which. She’d barely mentioned it, until she made a second drink sans mixer and sighed, “Oh well!” She was hanging on him a little, arm through his, and he was trying to pass it off as being gentlemanly and hoped no one noticed, until she said, loudly “What’s the stage for, Styles?”

He looked at her and smiled and shrugged. He watched her eyes haze over a bit.

“Are you....are you gonna sing for me?” None of her American reserve on show.

She was fully holding his hands now. And people, not hiding behind the cameras she hadn’t noticed, were smirking. “Yeah,” he chucked her chin. “Sorta, and that’s not all.” He made eye contact with Jeff and his manager nodded then gave a signal and everybody popped out of the woodwork ready to go. Ada looked around, in bafflement, then disbelief, then rapture. “We’re gonna get our Elvis?” She had crocodile tears, by the size of them, though the emotion was real. “We,” he motioned to everyone “Are gonna get our Elvis. They all agreed to work for free for a couple hours,” an editor cleared their throat, “days.” he conceded. “Oh my god! You guys!” Major, happy tears slid down her cheeks and into her dimples. He couldn't help but hug her.

Revelations be damned! Everybody was gonna know in an hour or so anyway. Harry went to change and Jeff got Ada situated. Gave her a matcha and a wine, to ensure she had her choice. It was meant to be a party after all, a wrapping party as they finished the film with a figurative bow. Harry came out, in his Elvis finery, from the earlier scene, took a deep breath, and made sure his eye line for the camera was on Akio, for the shot he had spent a long week organizing, but he really only had eyes for Ada. “Love me tender, love me sweet

Never let me go.

You have made my life complete

And I love you so

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfill

For my darling I love you”

He sounded good, he’d been practicing. Ada knew, she knew he was everything people thought he could be, more. It was why she had taken the movie. When the movie request had come across her desk, she’d immediately done her research, it was obvious, his charisma. So she’d slipped her way into Harry and Megan’s real reception, and she had listened. She and Megan were old friends. And then she knew.

She’d said yes. To the movie. Ada never felt surer of a decision than that moment. Harry had made her doubt it, until Nirvana.

But she felt even surer now. She'd say yes to anything he ever asked her again, maybe. The boy was moved by love. The wedding the first time, and for her, here in this moment. The whole crew, he’d convinced them all, to give her her vision. She had to stop crying. Unlikely, until he stopped singing.

And I always will

Love me tender, love me long

Take me to your heart

For it's there that I belong

And will never part

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfill

For my darling I love you

And I always will

Love me tender, love me dear

Tell me you are mine

I'll be yours through all the years

'Til the end of time

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfill

For my darling I love you

And I always will!

The song had the crew swaying, in the moment. And when Harry kept going, when he said his sorrys, Henry begged Akio. Akio who simply hugged him, forgave him, ran away with his Prince and there wasn’t a dry eye among them. Ada was floored and vindicated. The studio would be amazed. She had no doubt. “Cut!” Ada hiccuped. “Than--!” “Actually, Smokes, there’s a little more, if you don’t mind.” “What?” Ada sat back down in her astonishment, like his sentence was weights in her pocket. Harry couldn’t stop his explosive laugh. He choked up on the third word, but Ada was standing with her hands on her heart by the first bar. She cupped her face when he started singing.

He’d refused to sing it in the movie.

Or for Karoake.

Anywhere.

But, he was singing it for her, only to her, though others could hear it. “Wise men say....only fools rush in, But I can’t help, falling in love with you.”

She was on stage with him before the song was over, he barely uttered the last syllable before she held his chin and kissed him tender and true. The crew clapped when he cued the song to play again while they kissed, though they couldn’t hear him sing it into her ear between nuzzles. He sang “Love Me Tender” at the premiere, and the Golden Globes.

But he only sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love” into her fragrant neck ever again.

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #apol #a premonition of love #harry styles imagine #erubisu #chapter 11 #the end

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ty-talks-comics · 5 years

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Best of DC: Week of May 29th, 2019

Best of this Week: Doomsday Clock #10 - Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Brad Anderson and Rob Leigh

And yet another wrinkle is added to the DC Universe.

Or should I say, “Metaverse” now? Yes, after I think three months since the last issue, Doomsday Clock returns with yet another strong issue that expands upon the mythos of the DC Universe and just how Doctor Manhattan viewed and affected things at the many different positions of time that he has been able to inhabit.

The issue is framed around an actor by the name of Carver Colman, a very huge star in DCs 1954, who has been referenced or used in previous issues. This gives some kind of continuity in the context of the story as Johnny Thunder was seen watching his movie in the retirement home al the way back in issue two or three. Colman, unfortunately, has a secret that gets him killed soon after wrapping up the filming of his biggest hit, The Adjournment and as we make it through the issue and the back and forth of his life, we find the biggest change to Doctor Manhattan’s character and how he has to bend to the rules of this new universe.

Doctor Manhattan actually meets Colman in 1938 when he was a struggling actor who had just lost his job delivering mail to a movie studio after an unfortunate accident and things he saw. Manhattan takes Colman out for some food, attempting to use him as a rod to focus on to look towards the future as he can’t seem to do so on his own after arriving. He does so and is able to see a year into the future, then four and so on. His abilities work again, but then he hears something strange.

A radio report of a man lifting a car into the air. The first appearance of Superman on April 13th, 1938. Suddenly, it was gone, the crowds of people were gone as if they never existed. He follows the path where Superman existed in 1938 and finds the Justice Society, having formed and waiting for Superman to answer their summons. Jay Garrick “Flash”, “Green Lantern” Alan Scott, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and others, waiting for the Man of Steel to join their ranks and suddenly, they too have never heard of him.

Manhattan follows the many arrivals of Superman, from 1956, to 1986 and sees his arrival change again and again, noting the many deaths of Ma and Pa Kent and how this “Universe” seems to use Superman as a focal point, even going to a thousand years from now when Superman was briefly part of the Legion of Superheroes. So to test how things revolve around Superman, he changes the past by moving the Lantern away from Alan Scott, killing him, and drastically changes the future, creating the New 52 Timeline.

Everything is recontextualized as Manhattan sees that this action changes this universe and that it’s constant state of flux affects the wider multiverse. From the parallel worlds, to the anti-matter, to the Dark Multiverse, Earth Prime is a “Metaverse” in his words. The others change to match whatever is going on in the Prime World and once it realizes what he’s done, it begins to fight back. Manhattan sees Wally West trying to fight his way back to the Universe. This one action causes a chain reaction that will lead to his inevitable confrontation with Superman where Superman either kills him or he kills the Metaverse.

Cutting back to 1954, Manhattan is at Carver Colman’s home on the night that he’s murdered. He doesn’t do anything to stop it.

There’s a saying that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” In the Watchmen Universe, Doctor Manhattan was allowed to do or not do as he pleased because that world was a little bit more grounded or at worst cynical. Though, one might say that because he refused or didn’t care to use his power at a larger scale, Ozymandias’ “evil” won. Though Ozymandias thought what he did was the right thing, this series proved it it be disastrous in the wake of Rorschach’s journal being published, but initially Veidt’s plan did succeed. Doctor Manhattan escaping to the DC Universe put him into direct conflict with the Metaverse and its Hope. Its innate desire to have the good triumph over evil won’t let Doctor Manhattan get away with inaction and in his words, “To this universe of hope… I have become the villain.”

Words can’t describe how hype I was for this. With each and every issue, a new layer is added and brings us closer and closer to the epic conclusion that only Geoff Johns and Gary Frank can realize. I also love how they’ve expanded on the importance of Earth Prime, seeing as how it has indeed gone through many changes. It’s good to finally have an explanation that implies that even through the many reboots and retcons that if DC wanted to, they could tap into those timelines as main universes at any time. Everyone’s favorite time period matters or will matter again soon.

---------------------------------------------------

"One last adventure together…"

Runner Up: Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1 - Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia and Tom Napolitano

Joker's words to describe his and Batman's last run together in the hell that is the world after some unexplained event killed numerous heroes, villains and just about anything else. It also describes what MAY be the last time we see Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo do a big Batman story together and I already feel like we're in for a BIG one.

After a curious case of large scale chalk drawings, showing a dead Batman, leads the Dark Knight to the Crime Alley he inadvertently sets off a trap laid by an unknown assailant using the decomposing body of a ten year old child. He later wakes up in Arkham Asylum, apparently having been there since KILLING HIS FAMILY in Crime Alley all those years ago. Capullo does a great job of setting atmosphere and making things unsettling as even a small fly buzzing around and "Dr. Redd Hudd" looming over a straight jacketed Bruce Wayne looks creepy.

Arkham appears to be just a regular Asylum with Alfred showing up and trying to convince Bruce that Batman was all in his head, showing him a mock costume they made to keep him calm with a cowl stitched to a straight jacket. Bruce sees through it all and fights his way through Arkham until Alfred reveals the truth. He only wanted to keep his boy safe because half of Gotham was just gone. Years had passed and Batman has no idea what happened.

He later wakes up in a desert and coincidentally finds the head of The Joker. He wakes and immediately begins cracking jokes as Batman takes him and they begin to walk to Coast City. I don't know how much of this is real and that adds to the mystique of the story. We're never given an explanation as to how he got there from Arkham or how Joker is surviving.

They arrive at Coast City and the decayed corpse of Mogo looms over a giant crater and ruins. Joker says that all of the Lanterns fell and rings are just there for the taking. Suddenly the duo are attacked by projections of babies before being saved by Vixen and Poison Ivy. Ivy then knocks Bruce out just in case and he wakes up surrounded by the new Amazons; Vixen, Donna Troy, Poison Ivy, Supergirl and Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman explains that one day, Luthor just… convinced most that they should just take what they deserve. He told them that goodness was a lie and they just ate it up. It echoed the future that Luthor saw back in Justice League/Legion of Doom #5, but given that this is a Black Label book, one wouldn't be wrong if they didn't want to think of this as the explanation of that timeline because they're not in the same canon.

Wonder Woman also tells Batman that the one wielding the Anti-Life Equation may be one of the Boys and pleads with him to join the Amazons in Hades.

But Batman is Batman and he decides that he's going to put a stop to this.

Last Knight on Earth reads like an alternative ending for Scott Snyder's Justice League epic. Even though that story is far from over, not even close, there's this unsettling feeling that, if Scott didn't have to have the heroes win in the end, this should be the absolute endgame. A world, no UNIVERSE possibly, under siege by someone wielding the Anti-Life Equation, hope dead and dying and the ever creeping feeling of dread knowing that somehow life and death have lost enough meaning that Joker as a decapitated head still lives… this story is terrifying.

Honestly, this might be some of Capullos best art to date. With Glapion and Plascencia's help, this book feels so atmospheric and dark. Glapion accentuates Capullos lines and shading well with dark-dark inks, making Batman appear to be shrouded in it even in the sun. It's haunting, especially in the Arkham scenes where things are absolutely not as they seem and dark secrets hide behind and within the walls. Plascencia, on the other hand, can make even light and vibrant colors threatening. The red sand on Jokers jar is intense and the Green Lantern babies are deadly. Hell, Coast City, Hall Jordan's crown jewel, looks unbelievably desolate, colored like a wasteland. Capullo pulls all of this together with as much detail as he possibly can and his work shows.

Faces are expressive, from Batmans fear, to Alfreds regret to Jokers madness. Body language is utilized greatly as Batman fights like a caged animal. He's taken aback by Jokers head, but still finds his resolve. Wonder Woman is still fierce, but even her edge has dulled with the sheer lack of hope that running away and going underground has given her.

This story is terrifying and I absolutely love it. From the creepy visuals of Capullos art, to the expression of thought because of the mature liberties Black Label books can take, it's all beautiful. This one is absolutely going to match my love for Batman: Damned and every one should go and read this. High recommend!

#comics #dc #dc comics #geoff johns #gary frank #doomsday clock #doctor manhattan #watchmen #the multiverse #superman #alan scott #dc universe #scott snyder #greg capullo #last knight on earth #batman #joker #the joker #dc black label

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overcaffeinated-creative · 6 years

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Solus Vetra, Modern AU

Title: I have the Best Work Stories Ever

Rating: T

Characters: Unnamed New Guy, Solus Vetra, Pre Vizsla, Akaan Kast

Summary: A new guy gives a first person run down of the wildest day in his blossoming Kyr’tsad career. Solus shows off what makes her a total badass. Assume they’re operating within an American HQ.

Notes: This was inspired by the introduction scene of Natasha in Iron Man 2. You know the one. There’s a lampshade for it.

Being the New Guy always sucked. If there is someone to be blamed for something going wrong it will be you. Food and coffee runs also became your job without your approval. The really sadistic bastards made up things for you to find on wild snipe hunts to supposedly find. No one cared if you have known each other half your damned lives (looking at you, Conner, who has shared my room for ever family thing since birth) because you are Fresh Meat. If leaving out key information could result in something funny they just had to do it. Because all that matters in the end is there’s a new di’kut around HQ to be tormented until the next batch arrives.

Take for example, no one telling me that Vizsla’s personal assistant was one of those vode. Basic warnings were given (because they’re all shebs but they’re not intentionally malicious shebs) about how things ran. Careful with the loud noises if her name is highlighted red on our intra-communication network, don’t mind the black Husky in the service vest (his name is Sen and they openly argue with each other), and the sweet black and silver Cadillac CTS V in the parking lot is hers. It was to be given a wide berth and never, ever startle her when she’s getting in or out. Things can (and do) go sideways with sparks.

Getting to their sheb quality was no one ever braced me for what she looks like. See, Solus Vetra is one of those bathed-in-the-blood-of-the-Ka’ra, born-in-a-fiery-burst-reeking-of-Mandokarla, my-loyalty-is-only-to-the-true-Manda’lor names. Anyone who knows their history knows Aliit Vetra was one of those old school families; as in ancient old school. The kind that is (still) dripping money, are very proud of being Mandalorian, and who have the past to make Renaissance Borgia look tame and never got caught doing any of it. So, this petite, smoking hot, white haired, Asian chick was not who I pegged for Solus Vetra. (In fact, I found out my pick for Solus Vetra out of seeing the Higher Ups was actually Bo-Katan Kryze...a different level of Traditionalist asskicker but not the PA) Every single time I had seen Vetra she was dressed to the nines, wearing labels even I know mean Wealth, and darting around with her face buried in a tablet and wearing this tweaked Google Glass display. Basically, I would have bought her as one of the Duchess’ people before Vizsla’s...well ever. There was too much Silicon Valley Tech Start Up in her look.

Assuming makes an ass out of you and me as the saying went.

Near a month into my tenure with the company was when the Day of Reckoning all went down. In the span of three hours she went from Pepper Potts with her unruly boss and love of art to Natasha Romanoff with everything you would expect of the world’s best spy. (Seriously, I want to know if we have a Black Widow Program and if that’s where we found her. Because she is scary.) First, came The Argument with the Boss that would have made a lesser man piss himself. Few hours later, she popped up in the gym sparking The Beat Down to her vocal heckler. It cemented her as Certified Badass in my mind and shot her to the top of my “Never Ever Fuck With” List.

The Argument was held in an adjacent meeting room to the fourth floor supply closet at 10:23 AM. I was down there looking for this weirdly specific ink cartridge for our satanic printer when this feeling of doom washed over me. I swear the room dropped ten degrees while clicking suddenly picked up. It was like gearing up for a boss fight in the wrong area of a video game. You just knew shit was about to go down and it was not going to go in your favor at all. Instead of some kind of insectoid monster making the noise it was the rapid fire click of $1200 USD, real python pumps (I got curious enough to Google how much her red soled kicks cost and the answer is more than my rent) beating down on the tile floor with a Purpose.

I have to say a Smart Man would have waited for the danger to pass and ran away. This is where I say I am not a smart man. Di’kut is the right title for me because I stayed to eavesdrop...and maybe a little (a lot) of stunned silence freezing me into place. See, she cornered ‘Alor in the recently emptied meeting room with this chilled civility. I heard the door close with this crisp professionalism (how is that even possible?) before she started reaming him.

It turned out Vetra was a Smart Person because she had a lot of languages to yell in. I lost track of the clearly individual ones after the five mark. Whatever he did (I speak English and Mando’a with some passable Spanish to her rapid fire Everything) it had to have been bad if she was suicidal enough for this. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows Vizsla can be a giant kad when he feels like and he always feels like it. When he started yelling back I had the kneejerk reaction to go help her. Again, Vetra is Small and I am a Dumbass. Before I could move, her voice shot up a couple more decibels in the angriest (and I had Dred Priest overseeing part of my training) Mando’a to have ever been uttered. Then it was drop a pin and hear it echo for eternity silent.

Conner sent three texts while I was holding my post (and my breath) behind several stacks of xerox paper. Just to keep him from blowing my cover I shot back it was taking a while to dig around and he left me alone. It was a good thing because without their yelling-and with my luck-I would have gotten busted. Until this, I would have picked getting busted by Vetra...every time really. I knew what she looked like smiling in a good mood without someone dying. A’lor only smiled when things were going to shit for someone else. Now...now it was way harder. Since she had the gett’se to get in the Manda’lor’s face and live. But, he was not only a giant kad but one who could survive her wrath. I had no winning options except to hope for a mercy kill from a heart attack or something.

My internal strife stopped when I heard them pass by the closet door and they were...laughing? What in the hell had I missed falling down that rabbit hole? Twenty minutes ago she threatened to cut his gett’se off and parade them around with the stick he kept up his ass. Now, they were friends? What kind of fucking magic did he just pull? Could I learn it? Holy Shit. Pre Vizsla knew how to laugh? Without murder and chaos raining down around him? What kind of magic did she have?

Keeping it on the safe side I waited another ten minutes to return to my desk.

Witnessing The Beat Down was one of the best things to happen in my twenty years of living. Seriously, it came straight out of a movie it was so unbelievably awe-inspiring to see. Angels sang, the lights of the heavens shined down, and I watched the best ass kicking to have ever went down this year and possibly ever. A little digging around and the offer of enough uj cake even got me a full on video of the event. It makes the bad days better in twenty-five seconds.

Everything kicked off when I stopped by our gym when my shift ended at one. The shellshock from overhearing The Argument kept my head shoved pretty firmly up my ass. (I mean, that had to go down in some kind of history right? PA owns Manda’lor with words alone. It was going down in my history.) Conner picked up on something being off enough to leave my ink cartridgeless ass alone. I think he assumed I walked in something I shouldn’t see. Namely that nympho from Recruitment climbing some of the ground team guys...again. Why in the hell he was into men who could pass for hockey goalies, missing teeth and all, I would never know...fucking Canadian.

Somewhere between changing into workout gear and returning to the main room Vetra had shown up. Okay. I mean, I guess anyone could work out here and she was a Vetra? I had to assume she had at least basic self defense training. That had always been a huge part of the Mando Culture, especially with the Traditionalists. On second glance, I saw she was still in her outfit of the day. She even had her tablet with the intention of getting Kast to sign something. That made way more sense. Yeah, she would square off verbally with her boss but this would not be a verbal battle. Knowing how to defend herself was important; throwing the ground forces around moved away from that. It went more into the, “This is going to horribly wrong. Why are you brushing up the Basics with them?” because they could break her.

Remember, how I said I’m a dumbass and not to make assumptions? This is a good time to remember that I am one because I made the same mistake twice.

But, so was Akaan Kast.

See, Akaan Kast was a cycle ahead of me in training with a reputation for being both a bully and a show off. He thought because he was directly assigned to a company in HQ he was a Big Deal. “Kasts are always around the most powerful," he liked to brag, “Because we are the most powerful and recognize our own.” However, that did not get him an invitation into the Nite Owls or the A’lor’s personal company. Both ate him alive even if he refused to acknowledge it. (If I toasted the gods for that good fortune a few different nights no one had to know.) He also had this Thing for trying to impress Traditionalist girls. (Don’t ask me what it was because I tuned it out every time he tried to pontificate on the subject.) Plus, Priest liked the guy and that is all anyone needs to know.

Point was Kast was being up to his usual antics and Vetra was taking None of It. Everything in her body language screamed “Predator ready to maul a man’s face off” masked behind this stone cold smile. Picturing her with pinned back ears and bared fangs looked too right. All she wanted was him to sign something on her tablet but he was being Difficult. The last man who made her life Difficult was chewed up and spit out with words alone. This was going to be funny as hell to witness.

“Kast, sign,” she huffed while jabbing the tablet into his chest. “Then we both can get back to our jobs.”

“You can call me Akaan and I’ll call you Solus,” he started off in complete ignorance. Except not. He clearly knew he was riling her up. “What if we trade instead? You get a true combat lesson then I’ll sign.”

“Kast, do you damn job. Sign now. That’s an order.”

“Can you really give orders as a personal assistant? Thought you job was to fetch coffee and answer phones.”

All eyes were sneaking glances at them by this point but no one was stepping in. I was a little confused. Some of these people had to have been around when Vetra first come through. Some of them even looked amused at her being hassled. I knew Kyr’tsad had a Reputation but I thought taking care of their own was part of it. Letting Kast be a kad to their own wasn’t taking care of her.

“If I’m echoing an order of the Manda’lor I can.”

“Just a fifteen minute lesson? It's been a while since you've been out in the field. Wanna make sure you can keep that pretty little head on.” I gagged at this point. How disgusting could someone be? How could he thing this was even going to work in his favor? Was she supposed to be impressed with his only okay muscles and terrible (Ba’buir would call it Americanized) attitude? Did he really think insults would work?

“Fine.”

Anyone who has ever met another human being knows fine is past “Fuck You” on the Scale of Responses. But, Kast looked pleased with himself while Vetra pointedly left most of her belongings on a bench. Which was a lot of belonging to just be moving around the office. Tablet, Goggle Glass, ear piece, earrings, watch, bracelet, shoes, cell phone, suit jacket, and top shirt? I guess if I paid that much (I had no idea the real price but I could only imagine) for a button up I would avoid getting it dirty too. Course I’d never pay who knows how much for a shirt no matter how soft it was.

I edged closer to their makeshift ring to see what was going down. Fantastic choice on my part. See, Kast made some off-handed comment about the cutesy tattoo he could see through her undershirt. He asked what it was prompting her to offer a clear view; a colorful Barn Owl nestled on her hip. Here, Barn Owls had a special meaning because they were only for the Nite Owls. The Nite Owls, being Kryze’s personal team of unmatched Spec Ops ghosts who could probably destabilize an entire first world country over night or something ridiculous. So, Huge Deal.

I put several fragments of thoughts together all at once; Kast did not. He asked why she had that Mark of Honor. Made some vague comment about why it was important “just a personal assistant” could not just wear it around. As the cherry on top he even tried to lecture her on the rules and demanded it be removed. I could detect the jealousy in his voice. He wanted one of those tattoos and would never get one.

Have you ever seen a six foot, three inch wall of could have been Alabama linebacker get his ass handed to him by about five feet and some change of definitely could be a model? I just did. It. Was. Awesome.

Before he could finish his spiel she had him on the ground. Not with dirty shots, simple but effective basics, or even an unexpectedly lucky flail. Hell no. It was like watching absolute poetry in motion. A twist of the hand in front of her face, launching her body up and over his arm to flip him forward, with his neck trapped between her thighs and his arm pinned. That held down hand looked like it was really hurting with the way she had it twisted. Everything Solus Vetra did in that moment was built to show the fuck off. When I said Natasha Romanoff I meant it.

He tapped out and she waited a few seconds longer before releasing him to gracefully rise. “Your lesson got my suit dirty. I’ll have payroll deduct the dry cleaning costs from your next check. Providing there is one of course.” In a flash she popped back up while he remained sprawled in an undignified heap. Hands on her hips, red lips pulled into a feral smile she looked down at him, “I’m the Alii'alor of Vetra and a Nite Owl within Kyr’tsad. I earned my colors and you have earned nothing. You challenged both my honor and my authority. Good luck explaining that one to A’lor.”

I have no idea if I am in love or if I am going to be scared for my life from here on out...maybe both...definitely both. At least, Kyr’tsad is fun to work for if it is a hot mess.

#caff the writer #caff writes #solus vetra #c: more than you bargained for #au: i'm the devil in the details #akaan kast #unnamed pov character

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mysecretchapbook · 7 years

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Imagine you, a Slytherin Seer, have predicted Draco’s task and have been dealing with the consequences ever since... (PART 3)

PART 1

PART 2

I should really name this thing, any suggestions? TW:Language

“Gaze deeply into the crystal, press the smoke aside and reveal the unknown!” Professor Trelawney was crooning too close to your ear. She hovered behind you, trying to coax a miracle out of you. “I’m sorry, Professor, it’s just not working,” you huffed and pushed your chair backwards away from her desk. After having two visions in a matter of weeks, it was decided that you’d be having private divination lessons for your, and other students, protection. “You’re not trying, my child,” she sighed. “I most certainly am!” you argued, “Look, the visions just come when they want to, you know that!” “Yes, but there are certain steps, precautions, and attitudes you can take to will them toward your mind,” she mused, “Let’s try reading the leaves again,” she suggested. “Professor, can we please take a break?” you’d been at it for hours. She was so excited to have an actual Seer as a student that she could barely leave you alone these days. “That’s what the tea is for,” she smiled and you rolled your eyes when she turned around. “So tell me, child, in these visions do you see anybody?” “It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen anybody in a vision. Usually I don’t know that I’ve had them until somebody has told me,” you explained. “Ah,” she whispered, “like the prophecy” “What?” you asked. “Oh nothing dear. So you have no idea who your prediction was about?” “No but…” you paused. You did know what your predictions had been about. You’d foretold Draco Malfoy failing his Voldemort-given task directly to him. You’d done it unknowingly and by accident, but now he had it out for you. “But what?” she prodded. “Well…I…I don’t know who, but have you ever had a prediction about somebody who was in your presence?” “Oftentimes those are the most powerful, perhaps the stars wanted that person to know their fate. Perhaps the stars were giving that person a choice to change it…” “But what if that person doesn’t believe in the fates?” you asked. “Well then that person has no choice…”

Your days were long and lonely, your nights were short and sleepless. Your eyes drooped and you were afraid to sneak in a nap during classes because Draco was always there, watching you. He noticed now that every time you looked at him your clavicle would shudder and swell with shaking breath. You never gave him that shy smirk he always used to expect from you. It was replaced by fearful eyebrows and and your clenched jaw. He needed it this way, he needed you to stay away from him. At night you struck fear into his bones, thinking that you’d tell Dumbledore what he’d revealed to you. How you cowered at the ink that spilled over his canvas white forearm. Every day when Draco woke up he prayed it wouldn’t be warm outside. The longer it stayed Spring, the longer he’d have until he had to complete his task. However, with each new singing bird or new flower bloomed, he could feel his heart darken. On your end, you still couldn’t find sleep. You’d found some solace in a couple new friends, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, though you didn’t know them well. Your house mates made it nearly impossible to talk to them without ridicule. Meanwhile, you’d received word that your Father had gone missing. You were left to assume he’d joined the ranks of The Dark Lord's Army like he had in those years before your birth. Your Mother was nowhere to be found as well, a fact that emptied you out so completely that you spent your days feeling much like the shed beetle skins you used on your potions exam.

You howled and cried the day he did it. You dropped to your knees and silently begged the universe to kill you for keeping Draco’s secret. For believing he would make the right choice in the end. You couldn’t get yourself out of bed for days knowing you could have stopped it. Professors McGonagal and Trelawney constantly prodded you with questions about your well being. They were the ones who made you finish out the year. They told you that it wasn’t your fault, the visions never gave you enough information to indict Draco or figure out exactly what his mission was. But you knew. You consistently lied to them, like telling them you had a safe place to stay over the summer.

You finished out the year with higher marks than you’d expected. There was nobody waiting for you when you got off the train. With no other option, you walked toward the ticket booth and caught another train. You’d had enough of the magical world for a while. You woke up in Paris and decided you’d get off there. You found a job. You worked very hard night shifts keeping a bar in a nice, but very slow place. You picked up a smoking habit. You cropped your hair. After a particularly long shift one day, you locked up, and stood under the awning outside in the pouring rain, watching the smoke dance hypnotically from your cigarette and then disappear into the alley. Something transfixed your eyes on the ghostly wisps. You wondered if you could feel somebody’s eyes on you, but some otherworldly force kept your eyes on the cigarette smoke. Then, you saw it beginning to change. Something changed in your vision, it flickered like somebody turned the lights off behind your eyes and then you lost your ability to see. The scene that played behind your eyes terrified you, though there was nothing gruesome about it. It terrified you, because why were your visions always about him? Draco Malfoy is wandering down a cobblestone street in the rain, he’s completely soaked from head to toe and he’s shaking. He looks as if he’s been crying. His right fist is bloodied. A crack of lightning behind him suddenly blinds you. You blink away the vision. Is it coincidence that you see a crack of lighting up the street? You grabbed for your wand just in case, and there he was. This was not a vision, this was Draco Malfoy walking directly towards you, but his head was down. Did he know you were there? If so, how? You backed into the corner, fumbling with your keys so you could scramble inside. With your luck, you dropped them and he heard the cling of metal on metal and looked up to see his company. You’re kneeling down to snatch them up when your eyes locked. You had no idea your cigarette was burning into your jeans. Desire, pity and fear were fighting to smother one another within you. You couldn't take your eyes off each other, it was clear neither of you expected the other. He looked as if you’d just shot him in the chest when he backed away and disappeared. You did nothing to stop him.

That was not the only time you saw him that summer.

The bar was completely empty one late Wednesday night, only days after Draco saw you in the Parisian rain. You were busying yourself with the crossword puzzle in the Daily Prophet. You heard a distinct CRACK outside and you knew it was either a car backfiring, a gunshot, or somebody apparating. You felt for your wand in your boot, but stayed in your spot behind the bar in case you were over reacting. You heard maniacal laughter outside and somebody cry out into the night. It wasn’t anything you weren’t used to, but this particular laugh on a Wednesday night made you nervous. Shadows began to move outside. POP! one street lamp went out POP! POP! POP! and they were all out. “This calls for a celebration!” The voice, a female’s, cried out and your heart leapt as you heard the bell of the front door ring.

You’d know that silver hair in any light. Like one of your own nightmares, Lucius Malfoy, his wife Narcissa, and their son walked right through that door with none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. Your heart hammered against your chest, you wanted to bolt from the room but Draco’s apologetic, panicked eyes caught yours. Somehow the dim lit space seemed even darker with them in it. They chose a table with a white cloth. Your feet felt like cinderblocks as you dragged them over to their table. There were no other employees present, but you’d never endanger one of them if they were there by making them take care of the Malfoy’s and Bellatrix Lestrange. You were certain they could hear your panicked heartbeat as you went through the motions of providing them with a wine list. “This one,” Lucius Malfoy pointed at the most robust red wine bottle on the list. You silently went to retrieve four glasses and place them in front of the table. You don’t remember presenting or opening the bottle. You were in a silent daze. You couldn’t look any of them in the eye. “You look familiar,” Lucius Malfoy said, squinting at you. "Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas anglais” you lied, telling him you didn’t speak English. He waved his hand away dismissively and you poured everybody their first glass. When you got to Draco he gave a small “Thank you”. “What a polite boy!” Bellatrix cackled, as you shakily poured hers. “Don’t spill,” she laughed at your trembling hand. You kept catching Draco staring at you, he looked like he was trying to tell you something. He mouthed “I’m sorry,” and all you could do was glare. Why had he brought them here? What was his plan here? Why would he put you in this danger? If you were going to rat him out, wouldn’t you have done it before Dumbledore was killed? You stared at the dirty table long after they left. You sat in Draco’s chair, starring at the marks his lips made on the rim of the glass. As you begun to clean up so you could go home and sleep off the experience, you noticed a small note had been tucked underneath Draco’s napkin. “The Shrunken Head Knockturn Alley 3PM, August 30th"

You weren’t sure what to expect when you arrived at The Shrunken Head. The hood of your cloak stayed up the entire walk through Knockturn Alley. You were, frankly, terrified to be here. When you arrived the bar seemed nearly deserted, save for a few drunkards practically asleep at the bar. “Looking for someone?” An old hag asked you as you creeped inside. “Um no…” you said warily and she cackled and turned to face a blank wall. You went to the bar and ordered a Butterbeer, paid, and sat down. Had what you found under Draco’s napkin actually been an invitation? Or were you about to get yourself into the exact mess you’d been avoiding? You sipped at your drink and let it warm up your insides for a moment. You heard the door creep open. It was unseasonably cold outside and it seemed like the air rushed to surround you as you sat. A tall, slim figure walked through the door. “You came,” he said, looking like he was half disgusted, half in disbelief. “Don’t get too excited,” you muttered sarcastically, unable to completely conceal your blush at the sight of his face. “Follow me,” he said gruffly and lead you into a more private room. He sat down and somebody came to take his order. They were back with a fire whiskey before either of you broke the silence. “Why did you come?” He asked. “Seriously? I should be asking you the same thing! Why did you show up at my bar?” You demanded. “First off, what were you even doing working there? Like you’d ever need the money, I’ve seen your Father’s house…” “I don’t want his money,” “Well aren’t you Miss High and Mighty? Tell me, how was it serving muggles all day?” he spat. “More enjoyable than serving you,” you retorted. He sighed and it went silent between the two of you for a moment. “Why did you go there?” “I didn’t know you’d be there. It wasn’t my idea,” he argued. “Oh bullshit, Draco I know you saw me outside that place. Why did you come there? To intimidate me?” “No I—“ “To manipulate me? To scare me?” you demanded. “Listen I—“ “You brought her there!” Your voice cracked, “You brought Bellatrix Lestrange there when you knew I would be there. Your father recognized me! Either one of them could have killed me, or taken me!” “I know, I’m sorry. It was pure coincidence that Bellatrix wanted to go there. We were staying not far from there and—“ “Did it have something to do with my Father?” You asked as soon as the thought came to you. “No you aren’t listening to me,” his laugh was full of annoyance, “Look, I’m sorry that happened. I’ll try to keep you safe from now on,” he said. “I…I just wanted to say that I was stupid to insinuate that divination wasn't real…” “Oh,” You said, crinkling your eyebrows at the unexpected turn of conversation. “I believe it now…I was so sure then. I was so sure I could do it,” he argued. “If I had believed you maybe I could have told him the truth,” “Draco, what are you saying?” why was he always so cryptic? “Dumbledore, he told me he could help me…I should have…fuck…” he groaned into his hands. As he pushed his hair out of his eyes you could see how sallow his face looked, how pale and anguished he looked. “Are you trying to tell me that my prophecy came true? That you failed your task?” “Be quiet!” He grabbed your wrist in desperation. “I’m sorry,” you whined. “Yes, it came true.” “You didn’t do it? You didn’t kill Dumbledore?" “No… I thought you would have known...” “I thought you’d done it. So what happens now? Are you on the run?” “No, not exactly…” “How did you survive that?” you whispered. “I don’t know just…Just don’t fucking say anything Y/N remember what I said,” he said threateningly. Though knowing what you knew now, this threats seemed empty. “So what are you going to do?” You asked, “You can’t be going back to school, can you?” You prodded. “No…I’ve got no choice. I have to stay with my family…With him,” his expression was hard to read, but you knew he was in pain. “You always have a choice Draco,” you said, “It’s not too late. I know people who will protect you. I can protect you…Hell, I know enough, I don’t need to go back to school. We can go find you some place safe. You can come over to the right side…” “No! Stop. Just stop. You have to go back to school,” he said like you were being outrageous. “Why?” “It’s the safest place for you right now,” he insisted. “No, you’re not helping me. I don’t need help. This is what I want,” he was lying to himself and you. “You’re not even kidding yourself, Draco,” you sighed. “It’s gonna be different there, at school…” He said after some silent moments. “Yeah, it will,” you trailed off, pressing your lips together. “In all honesty though, I have no where else to go…” you admitted. You stared out the window, it had begun to sprinkle. You watched raindrops chase each other to the bottom of the pane. He watched your lips part as you thought. He watched your fingers fidget. He watched you catch your lower lip with your teeth. He longed to touch your hand, to have some sort of contact with your goodness. To feel even a sprinkle of what redemption would feel like. He wanted to kiss your innocence, he wanted to squeeze and absorb your light until he could crush it into himself. “I know you say you don’t have a choice, but I just have to know…You don’t really think these people deserve to die for being born with unpure blood, do you?” You whispered. “Not at all,” he said, painfully, like it was the hardest thing he’d ever had to say. You sat together in silence. “I’m going to have to go soon, I shouldn’t even be here. I’m putting you in danger as it is…” He said. You wanted to ask why he hadn’t just sent you an owl, but you decided not too. Maybe you didn’t want to know. “Maybe we will see each other…You know, when all of this is over…” “Maybe,” he sighed. “You should go,” You said, feeling your throat tighten “Just…” You started to feel emotion swell inside you. You wanted to kiss him goodbye, you knew this may very well be the last time you ever saw him. But you wouldn’t kiss those lips, you didn’t need a prophecy to tell you that. You stood up. “Be careful, Draco,” you whispered. You reached out for his hand, pulled at it, and stood on your toes to kiss his cheek. His face turned pink. As you allowed him to leave you, you saw him turn around for one last look at you. You didn’t smile. You didn’t wave. You allowed him one last, honest look at you. Before he stepped out into that rain, he took his time. Dragging out his one last look at his other choice.

#draco x reader #draco malfoy #imagine #hp #slytherin #harry potter

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