#I’m talking about both Tyler and Nick | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

banannabethchase · 2 months

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Jurassic Sanctuary

Chapter 2: Nick - also on AO3

Claudio takes Nick on a tour, where Nick refuses to follow directions and is introduced to consequences for it. The consequences, however, are big. And attractive.

Nick

He follows Claudio. “How’s Breeze?” Nick asks. “I was expecting him to come along. Or, like, meet him here with you.”

Claudio smiles. “Actually, he’s at home. Setting up the final touches of the nursery.”

“Oh duh!” Nick says. “God, that baby has to be nearly ready to pop. How’s Peyton?”

“About as good as I can assume someone is at 35 weeks pregnant,” Claudio chuckles. “Breeze visits her daily, and I’m getting in overtime to bulk up the paychecks while we’re both on paternity leave.”

Nick rolls his eyes. “Yeah, like Breeze will actually stop making his fashion videos.”

Claudio stops. “He will.” It’s the first insecurity Nick’s ever seen behind his eyes, and it makes him uncomfortable. “We have spoken about it at length. Both of us, for the first twelve weeks, no work beyond a video or two a week to make sure people know he’s not dead.”

“Oh.” Nick doesn’t even know what to say about that. “I – I know. You’ll both be great fathers.”

“Some things are more important than the videos, Nicholas,” Claudio admonishes. It makes Nick feel like a stupid little kid, the way Claudio speaks sometimes. Kind of makes him wish Breeze had married that weirdo guy he met in the fashion blog sphere before Claudio.

“I know that,” Nick says, a little too late. “So, um. Tell me about the projects.”

“You signed the NDA prior to coming on the island, correct?”

Nick nods. “I’m no stranger to NDAs.”

Claudio rolls his eyes. “I forget how you get.” He sighs. “Well, you can be assured that, as long as you follow the instructions of the staff, there is no chance of interacting or getting injured.”

Nick nods. “Follow instructions. Got it.”

“Do you?” Claudio asks. “I recall an event with you and Tyler a few years back with the triceratops at the museum in Houston.”

“I will argue until the day of my death,” Nick says, “that was Tyler’s fault.”

“I’m sure it was,” Claudio says. There’s a sparkle in his eye that assures Nick that, despite appearances, he has a mischievous side that matches Tyler. “But you still almost destroyed a priceless artifact.”

“Again, technically, Tyler almost destroyed it.”

“Tyler was on your shoulders.”

“Coercion,” Nick says, grinning. “I was forced to do it.”

“Well,” Claudio says, “be that as it may, don’t jump over any guardrails or anything.” His expression is stern. “Mox did something stupid a few months ago, thought he could balance to get a sample for Bryan from one of the blooms.” He shakes his head. “Let’s just say he had an interesting interaction with Jack.”

“Jack?”

“Yes,” and he says nothing more about it.

Claudio takes him through the first set of exhibits, letting him peer at plant samples and mushrooms from millions of years ago.

“I didn’t even know they had mushrooms,” Nick muses. “Guess I should have.”

“We would have called Bryan in to take you on this tour,” Claudio says as they walk through a new room. “But he’s working on his skin cream.”

Nick blinks. “Skin cream?”

Claudio nods. “Has multiple uses, from what I can understand. He really does have the expertise in the plant and fungi element.” He rolls his eyes. “I actually think it’s because he’s trying to figure out which ones he can live on and convince people are meat, but he hasn’t succeeded yet.”

When they reach a door with a complex sort of entrance, Claudio grins. “Ah, yes,” he says. “The locked wing.”

“Locked wing?” Nick asks. “Like, locked for everyone else but I’ll get to see it, wing?”

Claudio sighs. “Yes, but only because Tony gave me special permission because I accidentally talked you three up.” He sighs. “Truly, I owe you my current life and the life of my soon to be daughter, but you really are impossible. Nobody is supposed to have access to this area.”

“Why not?” Nick asks. “Are the dinos deadly? Am I going to get attacked?” The excitement wells. “Oh, my god, do you have Bigfoot?!”

“You,” Claudio says, “are the absolute worst.” He presses his hand to a computer screen, which moves a little like a scanner. Then he leans in, eye first. And then he says, “Castagnoli, Claudio.” Finally, the door opens, slowly, automated. “Welcome,” he says, “to the genetic evolution of man.”

Nick steps into the room, blinking. “The what now?”

“The genetic evolution – it was for the drama,” Claudio says. “Tyler says I should be more – stop laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing!” Nick lies. “I’m – choking. On air.”

“I rue the day you came into my life,” Claudio deadpans.

“You do not,” Nick chirps, skipping around the exhibit as Claudio turns on the light. “That’s the day you and Breeze made it official, and if you two weren’t together, you wouldn’t have the baby on the way.” Nick leans over the railing. “Why’s there no screen here?”

“Get off of there!” Claudio gets a handful of Nick’s jacket and yanks him back down with one arm. Nick resists the urge to have certain sinful thoughts about his best friend’s husband. “Honestly, I have just told you not to do this.”

“I was leaning,” Nick says, wiggling out of the jacket. “Hah. Now I win.”

“If you do something stupid, I will not defend you to anyone,” Claudio grumbles. He leans against the wall. “There is no screen because the people in this exhibit are actually in their homes.”

Nick raises an eyebrow. “People? Excuse me?”

“They’re here voluntarily,” Claudio says. “Well, in a sense. They are essentially Mr. Khan’s children.”

“I thought Mr. Khan was, like, a permanent bachelor.” Nick hops up to sit on the railing, ignoring Claudio's eye roll. He’ll be fine. “He have some sort of affairs or something?”

“The elder Khan,” Claudio explains. “Get down from there.”

“I’m fine.” Nick waves him off. “But, like. How? I didn’t know there was more than one Khan kid.”

“As I stated previously,” Claudio says, and Nick’s not sure he’s ever looked so annoyed, “they aren’t people in the standard sense of the word. They are experiments. Genetic experiments.”

Nick has a thousand questions screaming through his mind, all insistent to be the first. The one that strikes him first is about to come out when a bolt of lightning, accompanied by earth-shattering thunder, strikes somewhere nearby.

“Nicholas!”

He’s falling before he realizes. And he hits the ground before he has time enough to fear it.

Well. He thought it was the ground. He sits up.

“What the eff?” he asks, looking around. He’s in the branches of a tree, body aching.

“Nicholas, get back – oh –” Out comes a litany of swears from Claudio’s mouth. At least, Nick assumes they’re swears. They’re in German. Probably. And they’re drowned out by the onslaught of rain now dumping buckets down on him. He’s beginning to wish the coat was back on him.

“Get me out of here!” Nick yells. He can’t see the window anymore, only a speedily closing metal door.

“I can’t!” Claudio shouts at him. “The lockdown procedures – I will do what I can, Nick!”

And the door shuts.

Nick is stuck in a tree, in the pouring rain, without a jacket, in the middle of an experiment exhibit in a dinosaur sanctuary. If there were ever an event to earn it. “Fuck.”

He manages to get down the tree after longer than he would ever admit, stumbling into a puddle of chilly water up to his knees. The mud seeps into his sneakers, ruining them beyond any hope. He keeps them on, though, because he doesn’t know what kind of stuff is on this forest floor.

It’s nicer than any forest he’s been stuck in before, at least. And this time he doesn’t have a camera on him. It’s nice to not be making content of his misery, for once.

He’s been walking so long he barely registers the little home he comes upon, a quaint cabin reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. The energy is ruined, though, by the highly complicated electrical setup on the side of the house. Relief flooding through him, he stomps toward the door. It’s either a staff building or some sort of summer home, and either is preferable to pouring rain.

“Hello!” he yells, knocking on the door. “Hello! Nick Jackson, visitor! Could I get some help here?”

The door opens hesitantly, the person behind the door only showing one leg covered in black sweatpants. “A visitor?”

“Yes,” Nick says. “And it’s quite literally pouring. Can I come in?”

“To my house?” the voice asks, warm and smooth. “That seems rather presumptuous.”

“Are you Tony’s dad or something?” Nick asks. “I’m friends with Claudio. Well, Claudio’s husband. Tony approved a visit.”

“I,” the person says, “am not Tony, nor his father.”

“Another staff member,” Nick says. “No worries. Is this like a staff lodge or something?”

“You are impossible.” The door swings open and Nick – Nick stares.

“This might be rude,” he says, blinking away what he thinks must be a hallucination, “but are those horns?”

“This is my face,” the man – dinosaur – dinosaurman – thing says. “But, yes.”

“I – okay.” Nick isn’t sure what to say next. “Hello.”

“Hello,” the marvel says. “You do seem uncomfortable. It would be rude to refuse you shelter.” He steps to the side and gestures into the little home.

If Nick were thinking, he wouldn’t go into a stranger’s house while he’s dripping wet and well out of his element. He wouldn’t smile at the person he’s unsure is defined as a man, worry about dripping all over the hallway rug, or feel self-conscious about how bad his hair must look.

“Come sit,” the dinosaur man says, gesturing toward the couch. “It’s cold outside. I’ll put some water on to boil.” His smile is shockingly soft and sweet. Nick is…intrigued. “Do you like tea?”

“I do,” Nick says. On a normal day, he likes it sweet, cold, and with a bunch of lemon, but he would drink anything warm right now. He shivers as the man’s back turns. “Um, sorry, this has got to be rude. But who – are you?” He almost said what.

“I,” the man says, “am one of a kind.”

“Yeah, no duh,” Nick scoffs. “There can’t possibly be anybody like you.”

He glances over his shoulder, green face amused. “Such a statement for a man who just met me.”

Nick shrugs. “I call ‘em as I see ‘em. And, look, I’ve been all over the world. I’ve never seen anyone like you.”

The man chuckles, something warm and rumbling. Nick shifts on the couch. “I appreciate the assessment,” the dinosaur man says. “Now, you are correct, as far as I know. There is only one of me. I am a genetic experiment, at least that’s what they’ve told me.” He turns up the heat under the water. “Human genes spliced with specially selected dinosaur genomes. It’s all very complicated.” He turns, leaning on the counter. Nick can’t resist the urge to scan the man’s body – long, broad. He can only imagine the strength under the soft clothing and tanned skin. “Frankly, I always preferred the humanities over the sciences.”

Nick nods. “Genetic experiment,” he says. “Only thing I can say is I was supposed to be a twin.”

“Ah,” the man says. His eyes sparkle. “An only child like me, then.”

“Not quite,” Nick says. “My older brother, Matt. He’s here with me too.”

The man tilts his head. Nick finds the horns frame his face nicely. They add character, extra expression. He likes it. “Here with you?”

“We came to visit,” Nick explains. “We really like dinosaurs.”

“You do,” the man says. He smiles. “Good to know.”

Nick shifts, crossing his legs at the ankles. “So, um,” he says. “I’m Nick, by the way.” He meets them man’s eyes, and tries his best to stay neutral. “What’s your name?”

“Devlin,” the dinosaur man says. “I call myself Devlin.” The kettle begins to whistle, and Devlin pours the water over two mugs with tea bags in them.

Nick nods. “Hi, Devlin.” He shouldn’t ask, but he does. “And – and what does everyone else call you?”

“Devlin, the same,” he explains. He sits on the couch next to Nick, handing him the steaming mug “But, for a while, before they knew what to name me, I was nameless. The elder Khan decided to discourage people from interacting with me. It took meeting Tony, when we were both young and he snuck in, for me to get a true name.”

“That sounds awful,” Nick whispers.

Devlin shrugs as he plays with the tea bag. “It was okay. I got to choose my own name. Tony was older, but seemed to know about as much about the world beyond books as I did. We chose my name based on a book he read to me.” He smiles, and Nick wishes he could step into the memories. “I can’t remember what book now. But it was nice.”

A million questions run through Nick’s mind, but he settles on asking, “So you live all by yourself?”

“Not quite,” Devlin says. “There’s another experiment, Jack, in this little environment. But he doesn’t often connect with me.” He offers a smile. “He’s a bit shy. Doesn’t enjoy speech. Tony and I learned sign language together and taught him, so that’s how we communicate.” He takes a careful sip. Nick follows suit, and the tea burns, but just a little bit.

“I know a little sign,” Nick says, “but, I mean, nothing like you all do, I’m guessing. Does he live in this part of the sanctuary?”

Devlin nods. “He does.”

Nick fights the urge to glance over his shoulder. “Is he, like, here now?”

Devlin laughs, and it’s sweet and honest and Nick’s worried he’s about to get addicted to it. “Not right now, no. When the storms hit, he tends to spend time in his house alone. He’s always hated thunder.”

A crash booms, closer than the past few, and Nick jumps. If he lands closer to Devlin than he’d been beforehand, that’s a coincidence.

“Don’t worry,” Devlin says. “I’ll keep you safe from the big, scary thunder.” His hand is huge next to Nick’s where they rest on the couch.

“Promise?” Nick jokes. He catches sight of lightning out the small window, the rain continuing to pour down. He shivers in his wet clothes.

“You’re cold!” Devlin says. “Oh, of course. Tea wouldn’t possibly be enough. Let me get you something warm.”

“Oh, you don’t have to –”

“Please,” Devlin says, smiling. “I’ve never had a real guest before.”

Nick nods and smiles. “Okay.” Their gazes linger on each other. This should feel weirder than it does. “It’s an honor to be the first.”

He takes the moment to look around the little home. It reminds him of a one or two bedroom apartment – through a door, he can see a bed and dresser. He can see a hallway, and can assume down it is a bathroom, maybe an office. It’s cozy in the living room, kitchen in the line of sight along with the front door.

“Here,” Devlin says, still smiling. “I’m sure it’s far too big for you, but it will keep you warmer than,” he looks at Nick, “that.”

“It’s a romper,” Nick explains, taking the blanket of a flannel from Devlin’s hands. It’s soft and worn, blue plaid. He pulls it on over his damp romper and immediately feels better. “Thank you.”

“Tell me about these rompers,” Devlin says, laughter in his eyes. “They seem less than appropriate for trekking through a nature preserve.”

“I wasn’t thinking I would be trekking,” Nick says. “I was visiting. With my brother, and our best friend.”

Devlin’s eyes go wistful. “I always wanted a brother,” he murmurs. “Jack was close, but…” He trails off. “I suppose maybe I’m yearning for more human interaction than I knew.”

“You’ve never spoken to a human off the island?” Nick asks. “Other than Tony and his dad and the staff?”

“Oh, I’ve spoken to them,” Devlin says. “Many times. My instructors and I converse very frequently via phone or video chat, but I always keep my video off.” He reaches up to touch at his horns, fingertips gliding over half-scale, half skin green space across his cheeks. “I decided early on to follow the initial suggestion that I keep my face hidden.”

“I don’t know why,” Nick says, “you’re gorgeous.”

He hadn’t meant to say that part out loud.

“Really?”

Nick looks at him. Really looks. “You don’t believe me?” He shuffles closer. Their pinkies touch.

“I suppose I’ve never heard it before.”

Nick’s not sure what’s going on, but he knows he’s leaning in closer. He doesn’t know what to do, only that he wants to do it.

Devlin’s kiss is gentle and quick, only a hint of a thing. Nick’s entire body is on alert, aching for more. He pulls back to see Devlin’s green face smiling.

“Is it strange,” Devlin says, “if I tell you that, in my thirties, that’s my first kiss?”

Nick smiles. “No. Are you okay?”

“I’m great,” Devlin says. He presses his lips together. “You must be hungry.”

Nick shrugs. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Impose?” Devlin chuckles. “Certainly not. You can’t imagine how many years I’ve wanted to cook for someone else.” He stands and walks over to the kitchenette with surprising grace. “You can only practice jerk chicken and beef Wellington so many times for yourself before it begins to feel banal.”

Nick nods. “Okay,” he decides. “I – okay. Will you be able to cook without power?”

“Gas stove,” Devlin explains. He pulls a lighter from a drawer and lights the stove. “You could say I prefer a more primitive method.” He winks, and Nick is having a rough time staying normal.

Nick watches as Devlin expertly prepares something with spices and peppers, chicken. It smells heavenly. “Tell me about the dish,” Nick says. “How did you learn?”

Apparently, Devlin’s spent years learning different recipes from youtubers and cookbooks around the world. He keeps his own garden in the back of the house, where he gets most of his vegetables. Others are shipped in by his request. Nick listens and tastes as Devlin explains the necessary spices to create the correct depth of flavor, not even reacting to the thunder in the background anymore.

“This is karahi,” he explains. “Try it.”

Nick is immediately flooded with flavor as he tries the sauce. “That’s incredible.”

“I’ve done my best to honor its origins over the years I’ve made it,” Devlin says. “It’s good?”

“It’s great.”

“I have some tortilla, which isn’t the standard naan, but we can make it work.” He smiles.

“You really are a self-made man,” Nick says. He sees the tortillas on the counter. They look better than anything he could buy in a grocery store. “No one would know you hadn’t been out in the world before.”

Devlin sighs. “I do my best to pretend, but the face.” He gestures to it. Reptilian has always given Nick the connotation of sneaky, sleazy. Maybe untrustworthy. But Devlin’s reptilian smile is anything but that, more sheepish and sweet. “I doubt the world would be willing to give it a chance.”

“I would.” Nick’s confident in his words. “If – if you were interested in that as an option, I mean. My brother and I – well, we’re sort of famous. On YouTube and video channels.” It hits him that Devlin may have seen him before. “Um. Not like the cooks you watch. We sort of…” He trails off. He doesn’t know how to explain he reports on celebrity gossip when people like Devlin do so much more with their lives. “Matt reports on fashion and I report on celebrity events.”

“Would you believe I’ve seen a video or two?” Devlin asks. “You’re much more meanspirited in the videos than you are in real life.”

Nick shrugs. “It’s sort of a character I play. I’m much less judgmental to the people I meet in real life.” He pauses. “Also, most of the people I insult really bad are kind of awful.”

Devlin nods. “I can understand that.” He finishes cooking in silence while Nick watches. He feels the need to be close to Devlin, and hopes he’s not hovering.

“And there we are,” Devlin says. “I regret my choice not to have a dining room table.” He frowns.

“No, it’s fine!” Nick says. “I haven’t had, like, a homecooked meal since Breeze decided he could make pasta and screwed up alfredo sauce.”

“Breeze…do you mean Tyler?” Devlin walks toward the couch with two bowls, a tortilla in each. Nick follows as he watches Devlin scoop some of the karahi in the bread. “Has the baby come yet? I’ve been speaking with Claudio almost daily.” He smiles, wistful. “I can’t wait to see a picture.”

“Not yet,” Nick says. He mirrors Devlin’s motions, finding himself clunky and disastrous. He only just manages to catch a pepper before it slides onto his romper.

“Here,” Devlin says, smiling. “Let me help.” He takes the tortilla from Nick’s hand and expertly slides some karahi on it. “Open.”

Nick’s heart races as he takes a bite. He can’t be held responsible for the moan that leaves his lips. Anyone, man, dinosaur, child, whatever, would have the same reaction. When he opens his eyes, savoring the flavor, Devlin’s eyes are heat and flame on him.

“It’s incredible,” Nick whispers. “I didn’t – I haven’t…” He doesn’t know what he’s trying to say, only that he hopes Devlin understands.

Devlin nods and takes another bite, eyes still on Nick. “I’m glad to see you enjoy it.”

They laugh as Nick learns how to scoop, Devlin’s large hand helping him make the proper movements. Nick’s on the last bite and goes a little intense, scooping a whole pepper onto the tortilla.

“Oh, hold on –”

Nick shoves a large bite in his mouth and chews. And then his entire face is on fire. “Oh, my god,” he says gracefully through a mouthful of burning hellfire. He swallows, unsure what else to do. “Oh, my god, that was so hot.”

Devlin winces. “Yes, I can see – I would have recommended you didn’t eat half a jalapeño pepper, but you didn’t give me the time to stop you.”

Nick grabs for his tea, but Devlin’s hand stops him.

“Do you want me to burn into the stratosphere?” Nick asks. He thinks, perhaps, he can see the heat bubbling up as he looks around frantically.

“Tortilla,” Devlin says firmly. “It will be more effective at fixing the heat. Water will make it worse.”

Nick nods, willing to do anything to make it stop, and shoves the tortilla in his mouth. The burn dulls to something tolerable and he relaxes, flopping against the back of Devlin’s couch. Devlin’s chuckling as Nick finishes chewing. “You could have warned me earlier,” Nick says. “That was mean.”

“I assure you, it wasn’t intentional.” Devlin smiles. He watches Nick as he squirms, just a little. “I assumed I had a limited spice tolerance, but I also assumed you would know from sight not to eat an entire jalepeno in one bite.”

Nick sighs. “Well, at least I’m warm now.” He shoots a smile at Devlin.

Devlin’s expression shifts. “I haven’t given you a full set of warm clothes!” he says. “I should provide you with more than just the flannel.”

“It’s okay!” Nick says. “No, really, I – it’s fine.” He smiles. “The food was plenty.”

“You must be cold, though,” Devlin says. “Come, you can shower.”

“I thought the power was dead?”

“I work with solar for 50% of my energy,” Devlin explains. “Tony and I designed it when we were kids. It doesn’t have enough push yet to power a whole house, but I use it to heat my water for showers.” He shrugs. “If you’d like to, that is.”

Nick nods. “Yeah, I – I think…” He trails off, thinking of himself naked and wet and so, so, willing in the home of this incredible man, and not doing anything about it. “I think, um, maybe, you should join me.”

Devlin’s eyebrows raise. “Do you, now.”

Nick nods. “If you want. Showers can be, like, difficult. In a new person’s house.” He fights the smile tempting his lips. “It’s a whole thing.”

“Well, I couldn’t have my guest confused,” Devlin murmurs.

He leans in and kisses Nick again, heat exploding in Nick’s body oh so different from the pepper before. Nick meets Devlin, damp clothes and skin touching Devlin’s shirtless chest. Before he knows it, Nick finds himself in Devlin’s lap, straddling his hips, very aware of something he’d like to know better. “We, um,” Nick says, unsure of when the beard burn kicked in on his neck. “Shower?”

“Shower,” Devlin murmurs.

They stumble into the bedroom and Nick yanks Devlin on top of him first, grinning up. “I figure we could start here.”

“Reasonable,” he says.

They make out like horny teenagers, Devlin’s sweats and Nick’s romper and the flannel falling to the floor. He doesn’t want to rush this, doesn’t want to scare Devlin or make him feel pressured.

“You said, earlier,” Nick says, forcing his hands to stop shaking. “That was your first kiss.”

Devlin nods above him, caging Nick in but without any part of him touching. “Yes,” he breathes.

“So this…” Nick reaches up and touches Devlin’s face. His beautiful, green face. “You’ve never done this before.”

Devlin smiles. “Well, darling, you understand I can order from Amazon, correct?”

Nick laughs. “Yeah, and?”

“I may not have experience, per se,” he says. He draws open a drawer and pulls out every possible sex toy Nick could never have imagined. “But I do have video, Nick. I know what to do.” He winks. “Though, with a person, it is a little different. Perhaps you could give me some assistance.”

Nick nods, almost too quickly. “Yeah,” he says. “I mean – yeah, I can.” He’s never been somebody’s first before. He’s never felt like it mattered how he did it before. “What kind of assistance?”

Devlin’s smile is shockingly knowing. “Why don’t you get yourself ready, for whatever you want, and I can watch.”

Nick exhales. “Jesus,” he says, unable to fight the little laugh. “You, uh. You have a lot of – a lot of game for a solitary superhuman.”

“Superhuman,” Devlin says, like he’s testing the word in his mouth. “Huh. I don’t think I’ve thought of it that way before.”

The two of them have hands everywhere as they make their way to the shower. Devlin’s skin is warm, soft. Nothing like scales, which he finds himself expecting.

Devlin is intentional as he kisses, if a little clumsy. It’s charming. Nick’s never been anybody’s first anything before, and it’s a responsibility he’s willing to hold.

“Okay,” Nick says, stepping into the water. It’s warm, not hot. Comfortable. “So, it has to be the right kind or – oh.” He smiles at the bottle of lube in Devlin’s hand. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

“You act as if I haven’t had thirty years of research to prepare for a moment like this,” Devlin says. “Go on. Show me what to do.”

Nick sighs and turns, leaning over a little. He feels observed as he slips a hand behind himself and decides, for this moment, he’ll take his time with it. He’s only had a few relationships – Matt’s more of the playboy of the two of them, and Kenny a close second – but this he’s gotten good at this over the years. Devlin watches, attention burning flame, and Nick tries not to grin too hard. He hasn’t felt this kind of watched in years. Like he wants it. Like he’s asking for the eyes instead of expecting them.

“You,” Devlin says, voice reverent, “are stunning.”

“Yeah?” Nick asks, finally warmed from the water. He turns, fingers slipping out of himself. “You are, too.” He steps toward Devlin. “Do you want to touch me?”

Devlin’s breath comes out slowly. “Of course I do,” he says. “I – yes. But, um.” He looks shy again. Nick wants to keep the memory forever. “But – I suppose it’s a bit silly, but I’ve always wanted someone whose hair I could wash.” His smile is sweet beyond words. “You could call it a fantasy of mine.”

Nick thinks to the multitude of hair products, conditioners and shampoos and toners in his bag back in the rooms. He glances to the two in one on the counter.

“Yes,” Nick says. “I’ve always wanted someone to wash my hair.”

Devlin blinks. “You’ve never had that?”

Nick shakes his head, surprised at his answer. “No, never. I – no one’s ever said they wanted to, and I was always too, I don’t know, weird about it to ask.”

Devlin leans in and cups Nick’s face in his hands, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “I want to,” Devlin says quietly.

His fingers are careful but thorough, massaging Nick’s scalp well enough that he can’t help a moan.

“Good?” Devlin asks, and Nick can hear the knowing smile behind it.

Nick makes a weird noise in the back of his throat, something he hopes is affirming and attractive. “You, um,” he says, wanting to feel those hands other places. “You can touch me more.”

“I can?” Devlin asks. His hands slide out of Nick’s hair and settle on his hips. “How about here?”

Nick hums. “And other places, too.”

Devlin chuckles. He reaches his hands around toward Nick’s stomach, not quite at his dick. “Here?”

Nick whines. “Touch me,” he pleads. “If – if you want.”

“I’ve wanted to touch someone else for a long time,” Devlin growls. He reaches a big hand and gentle, so incredibly gently, circles Nick’s dick. Nick can’t help it – he moans, openly, and drops his head back on Devlin’s shoulder. He can hear a sharp inhale from Devlin.

“You…” Devlin says, quietly. “My god.”

Nick laughs. “You’re pretty incredible, too.”

“Incredible isn’t enough,” Devlin says. He begins murmuring something into Nick’s ear, maybe French, or Spanish, he’s not able to tell. The sounds switch, almost frantically, as they fall from Devlin’s lips. “See?” he mumbles. “I know six languages and I can’t find any words to match what this moment means to me.”

“You have no idea how hot that is,” Nick manages to say. Everything’s swirling around him with meaning he struggles to catch. “I – are you – do you want to?” His hips twitch back, bumping into Devlin’s cock. “Because I do.”

“You are certain?” Devlin spins Nick in his arms. His green face looks fairytale as the water drips down it, horns and scales merging into soft skin and a well kept beard. Nick wants to be devoured, consumed, and he doesn’t know how to ask for it. “I want you to be sure,” Devlin says, brushing damp hair off of Nick’s shoulder. “I want to you to know – to know it’s this you’re asking it from.” He gestures to himself, height and muscle and skin and scale. “I want you to know it’s me.”

“I know it’s you,” Nick says, reaching up to stroke Devlin’s cheek. “That’s why I want it. Only because it’s you.”

Devlin hauls him close, hands on Nick’s waist, and the kiss is electricity enough to power the whole campus, Nick thinks. He throws his arms around Devlin’s neck and presses against him, hoping his intention and need is written across every inch of his skin. Devlin grunts, hands gripping Nick’s hips like he’s fighting to grab somewhere else. “You’re certain?”

Nick pulls away. “I’ve never wanted to be with someone more than I do right now.” He turns around and sticks out his ass. He throws a look over his shoulder, glancing down at the thick, long, unexpectedly ribbed cock. “Literally never. Oh my god.” He reaches over and grabs the lube, shoves it in Devlin’s hand. Devlin angles the showerhead away and then slides a finger between Nick’s cheeks. Nick hums, pushing back.

“Do I…?” Devlin asks.

“If you want to,” Nick says. “I can – I’m, um, good to go, if not.”

Devlin chuckles. “Well, I would like to be thorough.” He kisses the side of Nick’s neck. “Intentional. You understand.”

Nick moans, dropping his head forward on the shower wall as a finger slides inside him. He’s ready even before this, but Devlin’s so much more careful than he’s ever been with himself. Slow.

“Good?”

Nick nods. “I – another, please,” he mumbles. “If you want.”

“I certainly do.” He gently eases a second finger in and Nick’s about to lose his mind with the need to be completely filled. “This is beautiful. You’re beautiful.” All Nick can do is listen. “I never – I understood, truly, what sex was. But I didn’t realize the power my partner would hold over me.” He kisses the top of Nick’s head. “Nicholas, I’m afraid I won’t be one to have one night stands.”

“Good,” Nick sighs, rocking back against Devlin’s fingers, “because I know for a fact I’m not.”

Devlin seems entranced with the way he can draw sounds from Nick just with his fingers, because he takes his time. Nick’s never felt this close to sobbing from somebody’s fingers, usually needs to get fucked with reckless abandon to feel this way. But it’s different. He feels different. Partners in the past haven’t made him feel this much.

“Now,” Devlin says, “when it comes to protection –”

“Totally up to you,” Nick interrupts. “I’ve tested negative recently, and haven’t had any partners in a while.”

“And you know I am,” Devlin pauses, a laugh in his voice, “new to all of this.”

Nick’s head swims with the knowledge that Devlin is trusting him to be the first, that he may get to feel Devlin come inside him, that he gets to take care of Devlin the way he wasn’t cared for his first time.

“Whatever you want,” Nick says, “and nothing else. I promise.”

Devlin slowly eases his fingers out, leaving Nick empty for the quickest moment before Devlin turns him and leans in for a kiss. It starts sweet, gentle, then escalates back into fireworks and electricity and promise. “What you want matters, too, Nicholas.”

“What I want,” Nick says, “is you.”

Devlin turns him and presses him against the wall. “Well, for the sake of transparency, I intend to come inside you,” he growls into Nick’s ear. “Is that alright?”

“Effing – that’s more than alright,” Nick says, heart racing. “Yes. I want you to.”

“And you’ve seen that my anatomy is a bit, how should I say,” Devlin chuckles, “atypical?”

“Part of the draw,” Nick breathes. “You’re incredible.”

“As are you, beautiful,” Devlin says, lining himself up. “As are you.”

Nick relaxes, melts like putty, as Devlin slowly, achingly slowly, slides the first few inches of himself into Nick. The shape of it is familiar, but the ridges and bumps are different. Magical different. Making Nick’s eyes black out with the pleasure of it, different.

“Oh my god,” Nick says. “I – I don’t know if I can take all of you.”

“Shh,” Devlin says, “that’s okay. I don’t expect any more than you feel comfortable to give.”

Nick has fallen in love with this dinosaur, and there’s nothing else to it. He’d never believed in love at first sight. Infatuation, maybe. He’d loved partners in the past with almost all of himself.

But he’d never fallen this hard this fast.

Devlin is incredibly careful – never pushing too far, never going too deep.

“You can – more,” Nick pants, shifting his hips backward.

“Are you certain?” Devlin asks, pulling back slowly. The head of his cock grazes Nick’s prostate and his eyes roll back in his head.

“Yep,” Nick squeaks. “So certain. Please.”

It’s probably the limit, for now, but god is it good. Nick wants to hold onto this moment for decades. And maybe repeat it for the same amount of time.

“Alright?” Devlin asks, voice tight.

“Definitely,” Nick gasps. “I – I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold out, though.”

“Oh, thank god,” Devlin chuckles. “I understand there are adages about a man’s stamina during their first time.”

“There should probably be some about a man’s first time with a dinosaur, because this is so good,” Nick says. He reaches down to wrap a hand around his cock. “Yeah, this isn’t gonna last long.”

“Let me,” Devlin murmurs in his ear. It’s a hand around Nick’s cock, a few pumps in time with his thrusts, and Nick’s gone. He moans loudly enough that he’s pretty sure somebody on this giant campus must have heard it, almost losing his legs from underneath him. Devlin’s thrusts increase in speed, but not in aggression or roughness. Nick wants to kiss him for it, but he doesn’t have time. With a sound that is more animal than man, Devlin’s filling Nick, adding his name somewhere along the growl.

“Nicholas,” he breathes, dropping his head down on Nick’s shoulder. “I think you may have exceeded my expectations, beautiful.”

Nick giggles, lightheaded and sated. He squirms as Devlin pulls out of him. “Oh, that’s going to be messy,” he mumbles.

“Good thing we’re in a shower then,” Devlin says. “May I help clean you up?”

Nick nods.

The water is a bit startling, becoming colder as the cistern starts to run out of the heated water, but Devlin is careful and gentle.

“That’s good,” Nick says, and he doesn’t want to add that he wants to hold a little more of Devlin inside of him. It might be going too far, for his first time.

“You’re right,” Devlin says. He stands and turns the water off, wrapping Nick in his arms. “We should get a towel. Warm up.”

Nick nods, beaming. “Do you have, like, extra-large sized towels?”

“I use bath sheets,” Devlin explains. “You could definitely call them extra-large.”

Nick feels blanketed by Devlin’s towels, but it’s in a good way. The two of them curl up and make their way to Devlin’s bed, wrapped up together.

“You’re welcome to take a nap,” Devlin says, tying his damp hair up and back. He offers a hair tie to Nick, who accepts. “You’ve had quite the day.”

Nick barks out a laugh. “No kidding.” A yawn betrays his attempts to stay awake. “I think I will take some rest. Nothing much to do other than sleep until the power comes back.”

Devlin picks up a book. “You could read.”

Nick presses his lips to me. “Um.”

Devlin tilts his head. “Yes?”

“Would you read to me?” Nick almost whispers. “You don’t have to.”

“I would love to,” Devlin says, face brightening. “I’m right in the middle of this one,” he shakes a book in his hand, “is that alright?”

“That’s great,” Nick says, beaming up at Devlin. “I just want to hear your voice.”

Nick is lulled to sleep by Devlin’s steady, low tone. He’s not quite sure what he’s talking about, Nick himself having zero background in medieval poetry structures, but that doesn’t matter.

He’s cozy. He’s safe.

And he may be a little in love.

Nick wakes from cozy sleep to hear footsteps and low voices. The door creaks open, and Nick blinks himself awake, weary. “Do you mind?” he mumbles. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”

Claudio’s staring at him, jaw practically on the floor. “I’m – we wanted…” He trails off. Nick’s never seen him thrown off before. It’s kind of hilarious. “Devlin, what is happening?!”

“Hello there, Claudio,” Devlin says pleasantly as he sits back into bed. He wraps his arm around Nick’s shoulders. “Has the power in the campus returned?”

“Not – not quite,” Claudio says. He looks over his shoulder. “Tell, uh. Tell Willow that Nick is accounted for and safe.” He blinks. “Nicholas, I had been spending the past four hours worrying that I would have to tell my husband his best friend had been devoured by raptors.”

Nick snorts. “Wrong dinosaur.”

“Good lord,” Claudio says, shaking his head. “Okay. I’m – we will be leaving. Devlin, we will notify you on your intercom if and when the electricity is fully functional again. Nicholas…” He trails off. Watching him try to rationalize and process what’s in front of him is kind of hilarious, Nick thinks. He’ll have to ask Breeze if this is how he’d looked when Breeze proposed. “Nicholas, I think you’re in safe hands, but I’ll expect the two of you to return to the Center once it’s safe to do so, as neither of you have appropriate gear.”

“I don’t have any gear,” Nick grins at him.

“I don’t need to know,” Claudio says, shaking his head. “For the record, Devlin is far more the gentleman than anyone you’ve brought home, Nicholas, and unfortunately my loyalties lie with him above you.” His eyebrow raises.

“Chill, Swissman,” Nick says, cuddling into Devlin’s chest. “I don’t plan on screwing this up.”

Mini playlist: C’Mon – Kesha Love You a Little Bit – Tanner Adell I Think I’m in Love – Kat Dahlia Sledgehammer – Fifth Harmony

#Jurassic Park AU #JPAU #wtf i like wrestling now???#in which sara writes #Teehee #sarahcakes613 #All in thanks to that stupid fucking shirt from Nick this time last year

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atlsportsstan · 8 months

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Why Falcons vs. Lions is the Game of the Day.

Today, the undefeated Atlanta Falcons made their first road trip of the young season to Detroit, MI to play the 1-1 Detroit Lions. This game could very well fly under the radar, and I’m here to tell you why this is the game you should pay attention to.

First, let's talk about the visitors. The Atlanta Falcons are trying to usher in a new era of football. Gone are the days of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones torching defenses for 200 yards a game. Now, head coach Arthur Smith is focused on a strong rushing attack. And, at least through the first 2 weeks, they’ve done a damn good job at that. Both running backs Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson have combined to give the Falcons a top 5 rushing attack in the league at this point. 2nd year quarterback Desmond Ridder is still experiencing growing pains, as he threw 1 interception and almost threw another 2. Despite this, he is growing into a leader and giving Atlanta Fans a symbol of hope.

Last week, against Green Bay, the Falcons ended up being down 24-12 at the end of the 3rd quarter. 2 gutsy 4th down play calls from Arthur Smith and 13 points later, the Falcons came back and won the game 25-24 in front of an almost sold out Mercedes Benz Stadium. “When you see the Atlanta Falcons out there, we’ll never be down for the count. We’re gonna fight til that clock hits zero.” This is what Desmond Ridder said after their win on Sunday.

One thing about this Falcons team is that, even though the Falcons are 2-0 for the first time since 2017, there is still a ton of room to grow. Arthur Smith said Monday, “The encouraging thing is that we can get a lot better,” and the crazy thing is that he’s right. The Falcons went into Sunday without cornerback Jeff Okudah, running back Cordarelle Patterson, and outside linebacker Troy Andersen. Not to mention the team’s pass rush has been subpar, especially on Sunday.

Anyways, enough about the Falcons. Let’s talk about three blue ski masks wearing Detroit Lions. After seasons of ineptitude, the Lions actually have playoff aspirations this season. 3rd year head coach Dan Campbell is also trying to usher in a new style of Lions football. “...we're going to kick you in the teeth, all right, and when you punch us back, we're going to smile at you and when you knock us down, we're going to get up. And, on the way up, we're going to bite a kneecap off," said Dan Campbell in his introductory press conference back in 2021. They have done just that. Despite starting 2022 with a 1-6 record, they came storming back, winning 8 of their last 10 and finishing about a half game out of the last wild card spot.

Last Sunday, the Lions welcomed the Seattle Seahawks to Ford Field, the team who ended up with that last wild card spot last year. It was neck and neck all game, until there was 8:14 left in the fourth quarter, where a bad ball by veteran quarterback Jared Goff resulted in the arms of Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown and a pick six, making it a 10 point game. However, they started biting kneecaps. A Josh Reynolds touchdown and a Riley Patterson field foal later, the game was tied and going to overtime. The Seahawks won the overtime coin toss and scored without the Lions getting a chance to touch the ball

So why should you watch this game instead of watching literally anything else at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon? Well, this will be a physical fight between 2 teams who feed off the physicality. But also, there really aren't too many good games on in the early window. Of course, you have the Patriots traveling to New Jersey to play the Jets, and everyone wants to know how the Browns will look without Nick Chubb. Apparently, it's not just me who feels this way, as the line from sportsbooks is set at Lions by 3.5 points. The point is, this will be a really close game, and I would not be surprised if we have to see Younghoe Koo or Riley Patterson kick a game-winning field goal late in the game.

Enough talking about the game. Who will win? If the Falcons can get out to a fast start, the defense will do their job holding Detroit and Atlanta will travel to London a perfect 3-0. However, it will all depend on if Bijan Robinson can get the Falcons started off hot. I think this happens and I have the Atlanta Falcons covering the spread and winning outright. Let me know your thoughts on the game in the comment section below. Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day.

#nfl #atlanta falcons #detroit lions

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glenrocklibraryteens · 1 year

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Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

Coming of age , drama , graphic novel

Page count: 288

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: AS

In my opinion I loved Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. This book made me feel happy, and I genuinely enjoyed the characters, the plot, character development, writing, etc. I think this because this book had amazing build up and it was very enjoyable to read. The characters were written well, and most were likable and enjoyable. I was hooked on this book, and I didn’t want to put it down until I finished it. I didn’t relate to any of the characters, but most of the characters I think can be relatable to some who read the novel. This is because there is a lot of diversity within these characters. Also, a lot of the characters have different personalities and the way they act, so it makes it easier for most of the characters to be seen as relatable. This book showed me the struggles of anyone who identifies to be a part of the LGBTQ+. It talked about a lot of struggles LGBTQ+ members face. This graphic novel talks about a lot of important issues like identifying your sexual orientation, being taken advantage of, the struggles of coming out, etc. I think representation is important, and Oseman did an amazing job in showing teen struggles. I believe Oseman did an incredible job on writing and illustrating this graphic novel. I like the small details she includes. For example, Oseman creates leaves and puts them on multiple pages and the cover of the book. Even the front and back cover include these leaves, which definitely symbolizes something. I would recommend this graphic novel to any teens who enjoy romance and coming of age books/movies. The romance in Heartstopper is entertaining and sweet. For people who enjoy coming of age the characters face adult problems, and losing their innocence. I would rate this book 5 stars, for it was amazing and one of my favorite books I've read this year. This is why I believe you should read Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.

Playlist for Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

Eventually by Tame Impala : Charlie is genuinely bothered by Ben and in the song "Eventually” by Tame Impala there is a lyric “Wish I could turn you back into a stranger”. Charlie does regret the choices he’s made with Ben, including liking him and kissing him.

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? by Tyler, The Creator: In the ending of Heartstopper Nick ends up walking out the room, with Charlie anxious and confused. In this song “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS” Tyler’s lyrics are similar to the ending, for Charlie is left with the question are we still friends? Charlie doesn’t know if Nick is mad or if he doesn’t want to talk to him anymore.

Melting by Kali Uchis- This song can represent Charlie’s crush on Nick. With lyrics like “Melting like an ice cream when you smile” which means having a crush on someone.

Dream boy by Beach Bunny- This song can represent both Charlie and Nick’s crush on each other. Beach Bunny says in the song “You’ve got my heart bursting at the seams'’. This lyric does relate to Charlie And Nick's crushes on each other.

I THINK by Tyler, The Creator- Since Charlie has a crush on Nick, but is convinced Nick is straight, “I THINK” is similar to his situation. Tyler states “I think i’m falling in love How can I tell you?” Charlie doesn’t know how he would tell Nick, and Charlie doesn’t know if he is gay or not, so he wouldn’t wanna tell him if he’s straight.

Invisible String by Taylor Swift- I believe this song is similar to Nick and Charlie's friendship. The lyrics of the song is “All along there was some invisible string tying to me?” Which can be a metaphor to Nick and Charlie connecting quickly with each other when they first met. There is an invisible string tying them together to always be together and for them to never diverge.

Where is my mind? by Pixies - This song can relate to Nick being stressed with his sexuality. This was stressful because he didn’t know who he liked and he even tried taking quizzes. In the song a lyric is “And you’ll ask yourself Where is my mind?” which can represent Nick not knowing who he was and he was in a stressful situation.

Sparks by Coldplay- This song does relate to the ending of the book. This could be Nick's point of view of what happened with Charlie. Almost kissing and then him leaving. A lyric in “Spark” is “ And I know , I was wrong But I won’t let you down” which can be seen as Nick knowing what he did was wrong, but still caring for Charlie.

Flaming Hot Cheetos by Clairo- Charlie had a feeling his crush on Nick would come out positive. Tao, his best friend, tried convincing that Nick was straight, but somehow Charlie knew his crush on Nick would end positively. Clairo sings “I’m feeling something right” in Flaming Hot Cheetos. Charlie felt something right with Nick, that is why he continued to have a crush on him.

Treehouse by Alex G- “Treehouse” by Alex G can represent Nick and Charlie’s friendship in the first chapter. In “Treehouse” a lyric “Do not enter" is written on the doorway Why can’t everyone just go away? Expect you, you can stay” This lyric can show that even through a tough time Nick and Charlie will always be there for each other.

#book review #classic #glen rock teens #nonfiction #submission #teen book review #biography #glen rock nj #fiction #blog post

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snarkwriteswrasslin · 4 years

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2020 - archived

[18+ advised ] This is going to be long af. I’m going to do my best to put everything - all my writing on this blog, in one goddamn place, but I make no promises, so forgive me in advance. Below the cut is everything I’ve written and posted, for every single wrestler I’ve written for so far. If its’ not linked, then I haven’t posted it yet or it’s a placeholder. If it’s bolded/has an m out beside it, it is most definitely mature and only meant for a mature (18+) audience. If there’s an asterisk (*) out beside the title, it belongs to or is part of something else that I have on the blog.

If you want to be on the taglist for my writing, you can find that [here]. If you want to know what I write / how often I write and stuff like that, my faq/about post is [here]

adam hangman page | take you home | spring | mature.

adam hangman page | baby fever | winter| mature.

adam hangman page | darlin | summer | mature.

baron corbin | right now | winter | mature.

darby allin | the sound of silence | spring | mature.

drew mcintyre | somebody watching me | spring | mature.

drew mcintyre | alpha | winter | mature.

ethan carter iii | worship you | winter | mature.

jon moxley | duality| summer | mature.

jon moxley | allnighter | summer | mature.

jungle boy | touch myself | winter | mature.

jungle boy | unnamed as of yet | summer | mature.

kevin owens | morning | summer | mature.

kyle o’reilly | backseats and phone calls | spring | mature.

kyle o’reilly | the quiet game | winter | mature.

mjf | dessert first | winter | mature.

mjf | sweet | summer | mature.

mjf | morningafter | summer | mature.

roman reigns | alpha | winter | mature.

sammy guevara | dirty dancer | winter | suggestive.

sammy guevara | cheater | summer | mature.

trent beretta | blackout | summer | mature.

trent beretta | sneaky | fall | mature.

adam hangman page | whatcha gonna do by hinder | angst / comfort.

adam hangman page | push my buttons [ suggestive] |

adam hangman page | i’m erasing myself from the narrative | i’m putting myself back into the narrative | may you always be satisfied | the story of tonight.

adam hangman page | second one to know | dancing around an open fire | |

adam hangman page | dreaming of a wedding dress | |

adam hangman page | the love boat || |

adam hangman page | sweet cherry pie || that dress is begging to come off [ virgin oc; mature af }

adam hangman page | | honey on my table suggestive | motion of the ocean - cruise romance au, mature |

adam hangman page | alone among the couples |

adam hangman page | im yours - alphaverse au | won’t you stay with me alphaverse au | bathtub mermaid - alphaverse au/suggestive |

adam hangman page | she’s a nutcracker |

adam hangman page | virginia on my mind, angst | fuck you and the horse you rode in on [ an au of what ifs second chapter, holy shit mature] | | punishment pretty please, goes with wildside/whatifs holy shit mature | pour some sugar on me, mature | |

baron corbin | everything you can do i can do better |

baron corbin | follow me | prince not so charming |

baron corbin | love on the rocks |

curtis axel | discount chocolate day | |

drew gulak thoughts of yesterdays | august rush | lost in your eyes [ suggestive.]

drew gulak | he loves me, he loves you not [ miiild suggestive, alphaverse] | | leave her wild [ suggestive alphaverse..kinda] |

drew gulak |once upon a dream [ soulmate au] | starcrossed lovers and other strangers [ suggestive ] |

drew gulak | valentines day episode |

drew mcintyre | marionette | | just between me and you |

drew mcintyre | burnt homemade chocolates [ conclusion to my alphaverse short fic, suggestive and fluffy ] |

edge x ofc x christian | seeds of unrest |

elias samson | couples costume contest |

elias samson | waiting on your friends to leave

ethan carter III | winners remorse | rewrite history [ a retelling of w.r] | |

finn balor | after an endless dream |

jay white | graveyard smash | punch drunk princess [ vampire au; mature] | it should’ve been you [human version of vampire au]

jeff hardy | it all started with glow paint [ suggestive; bordering mature ] |

jeff hardy | do i look lonely | my lips are up here [suggestive]

jon moxley | hurt me so good | if I loved you less I could talk about it more | can’t find a better man [mature].

jon moxley | bloody valentine |

jon moxley | your days are numbered | spared but not forgiven | nature adores a virgin [mature]

jon moxley | siren song [ soulmate/pirate and siren au |

jungle boy | sweet boy |

kyle o’reilly | can I see through you | | death of a bachelor |

mjf | did you just grab yourself on tv |

mjf | candy hearts taste like chalk |

pete dunne | you jump i jump jack | | you can’t win | I’m melting

pete dunne |bitter bite alphaverse au | aftershocks suggestive |

roderick strong | trying not to smile |

roderick strong | kisses like cruelty [suggestive,borderline mature] | | |

roderick strong | walking the line | put ‘em up |

roman reigns | patchwork heart |

roman reigns | slow roasted |

roman reigns | anorgasmia |

sami zayn | farmers market | moonbeams on pumpkins

sami zayn | heart and soul |

sami zayn | reflecting light |

zack ryder | rough rider

12 Days Of Christmas Masterlist 2020

My entries for the 12 Days of Christmas on both my writing blogs can be found on this post right here. [ merry christmas clicky ]

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas

New Years

Valentines Day

Other Holidays / Special Occasions

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS I HAVE / USE TO WRITE

original character, Adeline x |

original character, Kasey x |

original character, Violet x |

WRESTLERS ONLY DOWN BELOW

buddy murphy x [ mature, sex life] |

cash wheeler x [ suggestive ] |

chuck taylor x [soft]| x more soft |

damien priest x [ mature ] |

darby allin x[soft] | x [mature] |

drew gulak x |

drew mcintyre x [ mature ] |

eddie kingston x | x | x mature | enemies to lovers |

elite x celebrating Halloween with the Elite |

ethan carter iii x [m] |

finn balor x [ m] | x [m] |

heath slater x |

jeff hardy x[m] | sick female!SO [pms mentioned briefly] |

jon moxley x [m] | x [m] |

jungle boy x[food/cooking] | x [ actual! jungle boy in love ] | fall softness |

kenny omega x [ suggestive ] | x | x [halloween] |

kevin owens x [m] |

kyle o’reilly x [ mature - werewolf!kyle ] |

luchasaurus x[mature+soft] |

marko stunt x soft and mature | x mature | x soft | x daddy kink of sorts |

matt jackson x [m] | x more m | enemiest to lovers -suggestive |

nick jackson x [suggestive] | losing a basketball game to you | x mature/soft mix |

orange cassidy x [lowkey m] |

Pac x [suggestive fluff] |

pentagon jr x mature |

pete dunne x [ mature ] |

prince devitt x mature |

ecw era raven x [soft ] | x [m] | x[halloween] |

roderick strong x [ adopting a kid with ] |

roman reigns x!HeelRoman, slight nsfw |

sami callihan x [ music preferences ] |

trent beretta x [lowkey m] | x [ soft ] | x [ more soft ] |

tyler breeze x [ enemies to lovers, polyamory hinted at |

undertaker x [ gender neutral baker / biker taker SO] |

AEW;

- adam hangman page [ f s v ] | o i d | c m x | k l |

- cash wheeler [ i l s ] | [ m o r ] | c s u |

- chuck taylor [ j m w ] | [ a d l ] | [ c v ] | i k w | n u x |

- darby allin [ k o t ]

- jack evans [ b t h ] |

- jon moxley [ a k r ] |

- jungle boy [ d m o ] |

- matt jackson [ k q w ] | [ b d e ] | f i o | u y | c j v |

- mjf [ s k v ] | b m u |

- nick jackson [ a b g ] | [ m o ] | c i o |

- orange cassidy [ f h x ] | [ o ] | [ i p v ] | [ k w ]

- pac [ d m x ] | [ i p u ] | [ f o s ] |

- santana [ a o q ] |

- trent beretta [ j m u ] |

- wardlow [ d j w ] | [ k u ] | [ b m r ] | [ a o v ] | c i p |

WWE NXT;

- chad gable [ b o u ] |

- damien priest [ d i v ] |

- drew mcintyre [ b e d ] | i p w |

- jinder mahal [ g i w ] |

- roman reigns [ c u m ] |

- timothy thatcher [ c j y ] | f k | d |

- tyler breeze [ l x y ] | d j u |

TNA;

- heath miller [ b e d ] |

NJPW;

- jay white [ d f k ] | k u m | b j w |

AEW;

WWE / NXT;

AEW;

WWE / NXT;

#wrestling fanfiction masterlist #masterlist wrestling fanfiction #wrestling fanfiction writer #wrestling fanfiction blog #out with the old; in with the new

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starsbythepocketful12 · 3 years

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headcanons cause i’m in flarrie hours

they are THE couple when it comes to halloween costumes

all their outfits for big events (parties, gigs where dirty candy and/or jatp perform) are coordinated

carrie my femme queen & flynn my nonbinary lesbian darling

go to protests & marches together

flynn lends carrie books by her favorite Black female authors & carrie lends her books by her favorite sapphic poets

they make playlists about each other but the other doesn’t know they do it (julie & kayla are the only ones permitted to know of the existence of these playlists & have been sworn to secrecy, though julie has a strong suspicion carrie also makes playlists about flynn and vice versa)

have a joint pinterest account for their wedding moodboard

carrie adopted a tiger cub and named it flynn for their three month anniversary

they go to the mall together every other weekend and shop, which they both love to do and when they get home they always model the new outfits they bought

flynn squeals every time they see a dog in public and always runs over and asks if they can pet it and carrie always watches her with such a fond look that the owner almost always makes a comment on what a lovely couple they are or asks how long they’ve been together (something that has actually been happening since even before they were dating, and back then you can imagine the flustered ness it caused)

flynn often comes to watch dirty candy rehearsals, cheer them on, make sure they’re staying hydrated/taking snack breaks and that carrie’s not overworking herself

carrie is the first person that flynn tells she wants to DJ professionally and carrie gets her her first gig

eventually flynn gets into producing as well and ends up making a track for carrie, who writes lyrics to it and it becomes dirty candy’s most successful song to date

carrie says i love you first one saturday afternoon while they’re watching a movie on flynn’s computer in her room. flynn laughs at a joke and carrie looks over at her, her beautiful, incredible girlfriend, and simply can’t resist the urge to say it

flynn’s shocked into silence so carrie panics and leaves and doesn’t answer flynn’s messages

that night flynn shows up at the wilson mansion and throws rocks at carrie’s window until she comes out

flynn is upset with carrie for running out and ghosting her and carrie’s trying to defend herself so they argue but then flynn interrupts carrie by kissing her and breathlessly saying, “i love you.” carrie kisses her and not another word on it is said

carrie steals flynn’s hats

they’re not really PDA-y, they just happen to engage in a lot of unconscious, casual affection, like flynn often absentmindedly intertwines their pinkies and carrie doesn’t realize her arm is around flynn’s shoulders until she’s doing it

even after months of dating will still flirt like they’re in their enemies who are secretly very attracted to e/o era

flynn really loves art, particularly murals, so she drags carrie to a lot of gallery openings and museums

at one point when flynn’s going through a hard time carrie enlists all their friends for help making a giant mural full of drawings of things that make her happy

flynn happy cries when she sees it and is pretty much always seen hugging carrie for the rest of that night

only really cuddle when one (or both) of them is sleepy, though flynn does often sit on carrie’s lap

before starting to date, carrie would tease flynn for having stuffed animals during their sleepovers at flynn’s until they started dating and flynn started spending more time at carrie’s and flynn discovers that her girlfriend’s a little hypocrite

flynn has a younger sister and brother (sister is six, brother is four) and they absolutely ADORE carrie and think she’s the coolest and carrie thinks they’re the cutest

flynn’s like no they’re little demons and carrie’s says who says demons can’t be cute? you once called me a demon right, and im cute, aren’t i? and flynn rolls her eyes and fights back a smile

flynn also has a college aged older sister who she looks up to a lot, like that’s her hero and absolute role model, so naturally carrie’s terrified to meet her, and though she tries to appear intimidating at first, she can’t keep up the act for long and starts being friendly with carrie pretty much right away

one day they’re supposed to go on a date but carrie’s sick and forgot to text flynn telling her not to come so flynn shows up at her house but stays anyway to look after her

flynn reads to her and makes her soup

trevor & flynn play video games while carrie naps

flynn makes jewelry in her free time and consults carrie for her thoughts on every piece (in junior year she starts selling them at school & turns out to be quite the entrepreneur)

they have an inside joke about cosmo and wanda

a couple of the dirty candy members sometimes jokingly flirt with flynn and are like “watch out! we’re gonna steal your girl!” and carrie gets possessive and apologizes for it pretty quickly but flynn thinks it’s hot so it works out pretty well

will watch bad rom coms to make fun of straight people and throw popcorn at the screen when they get together

pet/nick names: care, baby, babe, love, (from carrie to flynn who shuts down upon hearing it) honey, (flynn to carrie, who becomes very giddy the first time flynn says it in a text message) sweetheart

if you couldn’t tell before they ofc have an enemies to friends to lovers arc

move in together after graduating, neither planning on going to college (julie goes to berkeley and nick some other place in california where they have lacrosse cause that’s the sport he plays right) and their parents think it’ll be a disaster but it actually goes really well

the first couple of weeks they fight more, all petty arguments mostly out of the stress of moving, but they always talk it out

it doesn’t take long for them to be happy they’re living together and feel really glad they took that step

two years after graduating flynn gives her a promise ring

carrie cries her eyes out and replies “of fucking course, you dumb fuck” when flynn asks if she’ll take it

ten years later carrie’s a successful pop star/choreographer & flynn’s a record breaking producer/DJ and they’re about to buy a house when they realize they never got married

it’s just a moment where they’re relaxing together on the couch and suddenly are like. oh

and proceed to burst out laughing

it’s a small ceremony, thrown together in just three weeks

carrie wears a short, light pink dress with a heart cutout in the back that would probably be more suited for a high school sophomore’s spring fling but no one cares

flynn wears a suit, and is walked down the aisle by her older sister

they both tear up upon seeing each other and sob through the vows (the traditional pre written ones, they wrote vows for each other but they recite them to the other when they’re alone, so it’s something special only they can share)

julie & kayla are the maids of honor, nick and alex are the best men

julie & luke’s five year old hernando is the ring bearer & alex and willie’s three year old umi is the flower child

trevor, flynn’s older sister and parents cry

even flynn’s now teenage younger siblings, who as of late have often been stereotypically cynical and moody shed tears

jatp perform at the reception (they have also become a hit band at this point)

when they get back from the honeymoon the first thing they do is get a dog

they adopt a golden doodle rescue named stella

a couple years later they start talking about kids and look into getting a sperm donor

because they love being competitive they do little games to decide who will be the one to carry the baby

it’s all jokes though, they decided at the start of the process that it would be flynn for the first kid and carrie for the second

but then SURPRISE flynn has twins

a boy and a girl named tyler and ollie (who’s who i won’t tell you cause fuck gender)

they don’t even talk about carrie getting pregnant now cause they’re busy with the babies and trying to manage their careers but one night, when the kids are eight, and flynn has just flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh after putting them to bed, carrie puts down her kindle and quietly says that she wants another kid.

they talk for hours because while flynn wants another kid too, when you’re both celebrities with demanding jobs and people constantly trying to peer into your life, that decision involves even more factors

they decide to have another kid and carrie chooses to take a step back from her career for now-she’ll return to it eventually but for now she wants to be able to just be a parent without worrying about work and not have to deal with the guilt that comes with working when she feels like she should be being a parent

though the kids have always been their main priority and they have done quite well dividing their time between work and being with them, and have done decently shielding them from the public eye (majority of the pictures of ollie & tyler that the public has are blurry candids, and the few high quality ones are from when they were three and they no longer look like that anyway so it’s all good)

it’s a harder process for carrie to get pregnant as she’s almost 40 and flynn was 31 when she had tyler and ollie

but it happens though they’re careful about choosing the sperm donor-even briefly consider asking reggie or nick-because with this kind of thing there’s always the risk that other parent could track down where their kid ended up and want to be a part of that kid’s life later on which is uber complicated for many reasons so they get those scary possibilities out of the way by just finding someone who they know wants to be in the child’s life

preston choi, a thai & korean american mathematics professor ends up being their guy

he’s immensely genuine, sweet, respectful, polite, and gentlemanly

when he came out at fifteen his parents kicked him out of the house

it was a long and difficult journey but they’re in a decent place now

but it’s not the family he wants to have and he’s tried but has yet to find a partner

but doesn’t want to wait to have kids so here he is, more than happy to co parent with flynn and carrie

so that’s what they do! tyler and ollie become big siblings to miles wilson-choi on december 10th, 2044

miles grows up in the most multicultural home ever, being fluent in 4 languages (English, AAVE, Spanish thanks to their tia julie, Korean, and Thai) all their life

tyler & ollie welcome preston and miles into the family with open arms, as well as the addition of korean and thai cuisine to the already amazing dinner tables they had of soul and caribbean food

when miles is seven carrie goes back to work full time, with preston’s assurance that he’s got this when her and flynn are busy and tyler and ollie (who are now fifteen) promising they’ll help out as well

at that point the long awaited julie and the phantoms/carrie and flynn wilson collaboration FINALLY happens

flynn wins her 28th grammy for it, leaving her tied with beyoncé for most grammys won by any woman ever (its julie’s 14th, luke’s 6th, and carrie’s 12th, and the band’s collective 10th cause alex never did any solo projects and reggie released one country album but it didn’t win any grammys rip though it was nominated for 2 CMAs)

#whew this got away from me #im sorry idk why this ended up being so long #like i legitimately apologize #idk what happened #long post #jatp #julie and the phantoms #flynn jatp #carrie wilson #carrie jatp #flarrie #flarrie jatp #headcanons

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somedayonbroadway · 3 years

Text

Santa’s Little Helpers

Fandom: Newsies

Word Count: 2k+

Characters: Racetrack Higgins, Albert DaSilva, Jack Kelly, Katherine Plumber, Smalls (Newsies)

Summary: When Albert had told Race that he’d had a surprise for him at the mall, this is not what Race had had in mind.

A/N: So this little fic was a request from Katrina Miller. This reviewer did ask for a Christmas fic with Race and Albert and while that's definitely here, this did turn into a bit of a Sprace fic. I hope that's okay!

Please enjoy!

When Albert had told Race he'd had a surprise for him down at the mall, this is not exactly what Race had had in mind.

Race was now making minimum wage at, what he had been told by Saint Nick himself, was the perfect job for him. He was an elf. If the pointy ears and ridiculous jingle bell hat weren't enough, the shoes certainly completed the outfit. He was clad up in ridiculous green and white socks and even worse tiny red overalls. What didn't make sense to Race was that he had never been particularly short. Neither had Albert. And yet, here they were, pretending they were tiny, had squeaky little voices and painting red little red circles on their noses and cheeks.

Currently, Santa's was on a ten and that meant that Santa's helpers had to deal with the oh-so understanding parents and their screaming kids who had been waiting in line for about two hours now only for Santa to decide he needed a break.

"Oh my gosh, look at him," Race groaned a bit at the voice, turning around to be met with the sight of his all too adorning big brother who was not even alone. No, he had his girlfriend on his arm. "Honey, look at our little elf! They grow up so fast."

The pair had bags and bags of things in their arms. And Race couldn't even be bothered to be the nosy kid he was and try to prematurely snoop. All he could do was glare as Katherine cooed at him, "Aww, we raised a good little elf, Jackie."

With a roll of his eyes, Race just prayed no one else he knew from school stumbled through Santa's Village. As much of a loser as he already was, he didn't think he'd survive the torment. Albert, however, didn't seem to care as he slung an arm around Race's shoulders and hung on him a bit. Albert was eccentric. People expected this kind of thing from him. Race, as he often was, was just along for the ride. Right now, that ride required red, white and green everything and a fake smile for the bratty kids that tugged on his hair and ears.

"Heya, Jack!" Albert grinned. Race pouted his lips over his brother, as though he was asking for some kind of help but Jack only reached into his back pocket and took out his phone, snapping a picture of the pair. Albert was grinning.

Not quite as ecstatic to be here, Race's pout turned into a small glare towards the man who raised him. "Have I ever told you that I hate you?" he asked, only getting a small laugh out of Jack. "I'm burning all of your presents."

Jack only smiled and shrugged. "Well, I guess that means I can go return all of this—"

With his eyes widened in fake terror Race shook his head. "No! Jackie!" he whined. "I want presents…"

"Then I guess you gotta be a good little elf and take all the kiddies to meet Santa," Jack shrugged. Then he smirked. He had such a knowing smirk and Race hated him and yet somehow still loved him for it.

Before he could further insult his big brother in front of the giant line of crabby customers, Katherine was quick to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "We'll be by later to give you guys a ride, okay?" he promised, moving to give a waiting Albert a kiss on the head. "Tinker away my little elves."

"Bye, Red!" Albert called.

"Bye, Red!" Katherine called back, walking away confidently without her boyfriend.

Jack paused to give Race a kiss on the head too. "Be good, okay? Give these kids a good meeting with Santa. You don't know how many of them might actually need it." That was just like Jack. Thinking about others first. Sometimes Race feared that it might be Jack's downfall. He cared too much about others. He was self sacrificing. He couldn't could the number of times Jack had literally given him the shirt off of his back and the food that never reached his mouth. They'd grown up poor. They'd grown up orphans.

But that was a long time ago.

Race was sixteen now. And he had a job like any normal sixteen year old does at Christmas time.

Turning back to Albert, he sighed. "Why did you make me do this?" It was true. If anyone from school saw him here, he'd be torn apart. He and Albert weren't exactly super popular and they had accepted that a long time ago. That didn't mean no one knew who they were. In fact, people knew them as geeks and/or nerds who were constantly the target of some popular kids' pranks.

With a cheeky grin, all Albert could do was shrug. It was impossible to make the redhead embarrassed at this point. Race figured they'd been through enough humiliation to get him immune. See, Albert had not only one, but two older brothers. They were a product of his father's first marriage and were much older than Albert by the fault. They had been tormenting him his whole life. Race loved Albert's older brothers but they had always had sneaky, effective ways of embarrassing their baby brother. "Um, I'm sorry, we spread Christmas cheer to every child in the world. We're basically like the most important people in the world right now. Our job is literally to make Christmas happen. God knows Santa just sits on his ass all year long while we do all the heavy lifting," Albert scoffed, almost looking offended. "And also… money…" he finished, like that part was some great bonus.

To be honest, Albert wasn't wrong. The money was a great thing and Race was glad to have a little cash in his pocket for the holidays. He still had plenty of Christmas shopping to do. "Whatever…" he scoffed, rolling his eyes as they saw Santa coming back. The guy wasn't the best, but he got the job done.

"You're the one who said you wanted a job, man," Albert said.

"I meant a normal job, Al," Race groaned dramatically as he forced himself to make his way over to that big red rope that blocked off their little area. "One where I don't gotta wear a costume." Albert just tugged on Race's hair. Race let out a small yelp but he got back to work, shooting a glare in his best friend's direction as he let the first child in line go through. He only got shoved a little bit by the mother who had only yelled at him the second Santa walked away.

Today was the seventh day Race had been working and that meant, coincidentally, that he was also getting his first paycheck today and that was something to be happy about. It was all he could think about at the moment, as he lifted screaming, kicking, smelly children on and off of Santa's lap while a bored photographer snapped their picture. Well that and, of course, lunch.

Well, sort of.

As hungry as Race was, and Race was really hungry, the idea of having to stand out in the cafeteria like this was enough to make him want to put a bag over his head. According to his manager, he was not allowed to take off the costume at any time. It would ruin the magic, apparently and that just meant they wanted to see what happened when they sent two teenage boys dressed as elves out into the most popular hang out in the city just to see what would happen.

There were literally twenty minutes left before Race and Albert could take an hour long lunch and that's when Race saw him. "Hi, are you guys ready ta meet Santa—" He froze when he looked up to see a very hot, very muscular boy standing above him. "Holy sh—" A hand clamped tightly down over his mouth before the word slipped out and he nearly bit it to get it off.

Spot Conlon was one of the most popular kids at their school. He was the athlete. The quarterback, captain of the soccer team, pitcher of the baseball team and the literal homecoming king was standing right there in front of him and Race was staring at him with wide eyes. "Hi, Spot Conlon," Albert greeted much too cheerfully. Race was sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he was the only person in the world that knew that Race had a huge crush on the older boy and had ever since the sixth grade.

Spot gave the both of them an odd look. "Uh… hi? Do I know you guys?" he asked. It was only then that Race noticed he was holding onto a little girl's hand. He didn't know that Spot had any siblings.

Easily, Albert pulled Race up and put his arm around him again. "Uh… we go ta the same school… I've been in your bio class for the past semester, you live in the same building as Race—"

"Oh you guys are the ones that had to run through the school in your underwear because the Delanceys stole your clothes!" Spot said, like it should've been obvious.

It was immediate, the way Race's face fell into his hands dramatically. Albert hardly reacted. "Yep." Race wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole. That had been one of the single worst days of his life and he loved to have that reminder right now by this boy with this random kid there too. "Anyway, is your sister ready ta meet Santa?"

Snapping back to the moment, Spot looked down at the little girl who seemed very interested in her little toes right then. "Oh, this is actually my niece. Her name's Saraya but we all call her Smalls," he explained. There was still another kid up on Santa's lap giving him a list about the size of himself. "She really wanted to meet Santa, but she's deaf so… h-he doesn't have to talk to her or anything, she just wanted to say hi."

So maybe Race was desperate to impress this boy somehow, but he actually got very excited at hearing that. He immediately looked up before he kneeled back down to that little girl's level. He lifted up his hands slowly. "Hi," he signed with a small smile. "My name's Tyler. Are you excited to see Santa?"

The little girl's face lighting up tuned out the voice of his best friend looking up at Spot and spilling his life story. "His brother is hard of hearing. They were in a really bad car accident when they were little so now he has to wear hearing aids but they couldn't afford them when they were little so…" Albert never knew when to stop talking.

It was true. Jack had lost his hearing almost completely when he was ten years old. It hadn't been an easy adjustment for either of them, especially since they were orphaned in the very same crash. Jack hadn't handled it well. So Race had helped him learn a language that he didn't have to hear and now here he was.

They'd both lived.

Saraya nodded to him and signed back, "I know that's not the real Santa, but my uncle says he's gonna tell the real Santa my wish!"

With a big smile, Race nodded right back. "It's true! Santa just so happens to be a personal friend of mine," he explained a bit smugly, his heart only warming when that grin on Smalls's face grew. "What are you gonna ask for?"

That's when Spot stopped her, picking her up to mask that fact. He placed her on his hip before looking down at Race who slowly stood to his feet. "She… uh… she wants to see her mom… I'm trying to get her to ask for something else, but… her ma ain't home because… well she just ain't, but… we're hopin' ta get her home by Christmas. We just need enough to get a plane ticket," Spot shrugged, clearly not up for explaining at the moment.

Something sunk in Race's chest. He nodded, glancing back and realizing that it was Saraya's turn. "Uh, it's her turn…" Race stated awkwardly. So Spot nodded and walked over to Santa, setting Saraya down on his lap and translating for her as she sighed and signing back what Santa said.

"You are so in love with him," Albert sighed.

Race elbowed his friend in the gut and turned to him. "I'm not even… I'm thinkin' about Saraya! She just… I don't know… reminds me of Jack, okay?" he shrugged. "Except she's not quite as sad as he was when…" Race shook his head.

"Okay, don't go gettin' all emotional. Just get her a gift 'r somethin'."

Race smiled at that.

So that's exactly what they did.

This is how Race ended up on Albert's back, still clad up in annoying green and red colors as they quickly went from store to store trying to find the right thing during their lunch break.

"And then Kat said, 'well, if you admit that you don't believe in Santa, then maybe he'll stop comin' around, so like… I'm sixteen and I still get presents from Santa and I call that a win," Race shrugged, resting his chin on Albert's shoulder.

Albert scoffed. "Jeanne is the reason Santa still comes around ta our house— she misses you, by the way," he stated. "She's honestly, the cutest little kid I've ever met."

With a small laugh, Race jumped off of his friend's back and bounced over to the little stuffed animals. They were, of course, in the Disney store. He didn't know where else one would go to get a gift for a child. "Of course she misses me, I'm her favorite," he said, like it should've been obvious.

He came face to face with a little Stitch plushie. His heart swelled. It was one similar to something a nurse had gotten Jack all those years ago when Jack was in the hospital. Race shook himself out of it as he pulled the thing off the shelf. "This is the one," he decided.

"Ohana means family or whatever," Albert shrugged. "It's cute. Get it."

When they got back to Santa's Village, they stole some wrapping paper off of one of the decorations to wrap the gift. Race mostly swatted away Albert's hand when he tried to put a piece down all of the place. Race prided himself in his gift wrapping skills. "Dude, if you're using more than three pieces of tape, you've done something wrong!" he laughed as Albert hung a piece of tape from his nose.

But eventually, they managed to have a gift to give to the little girl who missed her mother.

Race got so wrapped up in the thought as he and Albert continued on that he didn't even notice the Delanceys walk by and mock them. He was too busy trying to give the kids a nice visit with Santa Claus. Some of them might actually need it.

—

When someone knocked on Spot Conlon's door later that night, he didn't know what to expect. The little elf boy definitely wasn't it. So, maybe he knew what the kid's name was. Racer. That didn't mean he was supposed to care.

Race wasn't wearing his costume anymore. He only wore the makeup. "Uh… hi…" he said. Spot almost greeted him back before the kid kept talking. "Look, I know it ain't like we're friends and you can make fun of me forever but… I… I got Saraya this and… this is for you guys…" He handed Spot a neatly wrapped box for Saraya and an envelope. It was his paycheck.

With a curious look, Spot smiled a little bit. "Um… thank you," he shrugged, not really knowing what to say. "You really didn't have to—"

"Saraya should be able to see her mom on Christmas…" Race shrugged.

Spot squinted at him a bit. "What—"

"Also, just to put this out there, I don't always look like this," he said.

A sly smirk made its way onto Spot's face as he shrugged. "Too bad. You make a cute elf."

Doing his best not to go weak in the knees, Race smiled breathily and let out a small, delighted laugh. "Uh, anyways—"

"Hey, what the Delanceys did," Spot interrupted, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck. "That was messed up. I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

For some reason, that might've been the best thing Spot had ever said to him. Okay so maybe this was the first conversation they were really having all alone, but still. "Well, since it's the season of forgiving an' all…" Race shrugged. Then he sighed. "Merry Christmas, Spot."

Spot smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Racer… and hey… thank you…"

And with that, Race walked away, feeling the Christmas spirit flowing through him more than he had in years.

Merry Christmas everybody! Happy holidays! Much love!

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, fansies!

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skateboardtotheheart · 3 years

Text

Slow On The Uptake

A JATP FANFIC - read on AO3 here

So I made a post the other day about how my brain took the idea that Nick is bisexual and that I wanted to see more of Ryan McEwan’s character (Pretty Lacrosse Boy) and decided to ship the two of them. Since Pretty Lacrosse Boy doesn’t have a name, I named him Tyler Doyle. And I wrote a fanfiction about them:

SUMMARY: When Nick gets a concussion during lacrosse practice, he needs a ride to urgent care. Thankfully for him, his teammate Tyler offers to drive him. Cue awkward conversations, pretty smiles, flustered looks, and “oh crap this guy is really cute”.

Getting slammed into the ground and getting a lacrosse stick to the head to match was not what Nick had planned when he’d gone to practice today. He probably could have avoided it, in hindsight. But he’d been distracted staring at Tyl- the sidelines- to notice that Cameron was about to slam into him until too late. Next thing he knew, Nick was laying on the ground, the back of his head smacking into the hardened ground below him and his stick smacking into his forehead. Pain shot through his head so quickly he didn’t even register the weight of Cameron on top of him until it was gone. He vaguely registered that Cameron was saying something to him- sorry, maybe?- but he couldn’t hear it properly. He clenched his eyes shut, groaning loudly. All he could focus on was the pain.

Nick felt someone shake his shoulder, jostling him. Involuntarily he cried out in pain, and the hand immediately left. He had no idea how long he’d laid there, in the middle of the practice field, before squinting his eyes open. Standing around him looked like about four of his teammates, Coach Barron directly above him.

“-orth! Danforth! Look at me, son.”

It took everything he had to focus his eyes on his coach.

“There we go, kid. How you feelin’?”

Nick sat up, looking around at the teammates gathered around him. Coach Barron repeated his question about how Nick felt. Nick could barely comprehend the question, let alone words to answer it, but opened his mouth to answer anyway. Unfortunately for him, instead of words coming out of his mouth, Nick felt himself doubling over, leaning to the side as he emptied the contents of his stomach. He heard his teammates exclaiming around him in disgust, backing up from the huddle around him. He gagged and heaved the last of it out, and Nick felt an arm come around his shoulder keeping him upright as he almost fell into the pile of his own vomit.

“Woah! You okay, Nick?” came the voice of whoever was holding him.

“Doing great,” he coughed out, trying to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth while the pain in his head seemingly doubled. He leaned back into the person holding him, feeling their chest vibrate as they laughed at his response.

“Okay,” Coach said, “You’re probably concussed. I’ll call someone to get you to urgent care-”

“I can drive him, Coach,” the vibrations against Nick’s back were oddly comforting and he closed his eyes. “No, no- gotta keep your eyes open, Nick. Can’t fall asleep.”

Nick still couldn’t properly distinguish who was talking to him. The voice was familiar, soft. Nick forced his eyes back open, feeling dizzy. He zoned out as coach and his teammate debated taking him to urgent care. As they did, Nick forced himself into turning around to see who had caught him from falling. As he caught sight of who it was, Nick let out a groan. He’d already embarrassed himself by getting pounded into the ground and then throwing up in front of the entire team. Why not go ahead and make things worse?

Tyler glanced down at him as he groaned, eyes trailing over him to check if he was okay, it seemed. Nick grunted a little bit, attempting to pull himself away from Tyler’s chest and sit up on his own. Tyler let him go, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright, Doyle,” Nick heard Coach say. “You’re both free to go.”

Tyler smiled up at Coach Barron, nodding. Not that Nick would ever willingly admit it, but he wasn’t entirely sure it was the concussion that made him dizzy in the moment. When the dizzy spell was over, Nick’s eyes refocused to find Tyler watching him carefully.

“Huh?” Nick let out, sounding as out of it as he felt. Tyler’s lips twitched up in a smile.

“I asked if you were gonna puke on me if I helped you stand up.”

“Oh. Uh- No. No, I think I’m fine.”

Tyler nodded, then stood up. He was already taller than Nick, but he looked like a giant as Nick sat uselessly, dizzy on the ground. Tyler held a hand out to Nick, which the lacrosse player took hesitantly. He pulled Nick up gently, resting a hand on his back when Nick stumbled. Nick couldn’t register much more than how light headed he was. He stayed silent as Tyler guided him to the sidelines to grab their bags and then out to the parking lot. Tyler didn’t try to talk much either, just whispering quiet reassurances when Nick got hit with dizziness and keeping an arm around him in case Nick fell. The journey out to Tyler’s car passed in a bit of a blur, and Nick didn’t realize he was actually sitting down in the passenger seat until Tyler was taking a slow turn out of the parking lot.

“Thanks for doing this,” Nick managed, and Tyler looked sideways at him with a small smile.

“You probably should try not to talk. It’ll only make your headache worse,” Tyler spoke in almost a whisper, and Nick was grateful for the reprieve of noise on his headache.

“Had a concussion before?”

Tyler shook his head, keeping his driving as slow as he could on the busy LA streets. “Nah, but you know my step-brother Dylan? The drumline kid? Turns out marching band is way more dangerous than it seems. I think he’s had like three concussions since he joined the band.”

Nick hummed in response, allowing his eyes to fall shut.

“No, dude, gotta keep your eyes open.”

Nick groaned.

“Nick, seriously- until the doctor checks you out and we know how bad your concussion is, you shouldn’t fall asleep. Here-” Tyler reached in front of Nick, pulling something out of the glovebox as gently as he could, “-wear these, it’ll block out the light.”

Nick took the sunglasses from Tyler’s hand, slipping them over his eyes. He sighed in relief as soon as he did; the sunlight gleaming off the other cars on the street had made him want to cry. Nick wasn’t entirely sure what happened on their way to the closest urgent care. He vaguely heard himself talking- rambling, more like- even though Tyler had told him to stay quiet. He didn’t stop rambling until they’d arrived and the car was parked.

“As interesting as the history of the platypus was, let’s go get you a doctor, yeah?”

If Nick wasn’t already so out of it, he was sure he would have been embarrassed. Is that what he's been talking about all this time?

As they walked into the urgent care clinic, Tyler was once again guiding him with a hand on his back. If Nick felt the urge to lean into the touch, he blamed it on his lack of proper coordination. Nick leaned into the counter of the nurse, receptionist, whoever it was Tyler was talking to instead. He didn’t listen to much of what either one was saying, but tuned in just in time to hear the- nurse?- ask if Nick had a guardian with him.

“No, we drove straight from our school,” Tyler responded, “But his dad’s on his way.”

“He is?” Nick asked, squinting at Tyler from behind the sunglasses still covering his eyes. Tyler looked at him, frowning a little bit.

“Yeah. Coach called him before we left, remember?”

“Oh,” Nick let out, not remembering whatsoever. Tyler gave him a strange look, a hint of a smile on his lips. Nick found himself staring at his teammate as Tyler turned back to the nurse, who was being informed that if they took a seat in the waiting room, someone would be out to see them shortly.

“How you feeling, man?” Tyler asked as he pulled Nick down to sit.

Nick let out a breath, “Floaty.”

Tyler let out a laugh next to him, which he tried to cover with a cough. “Jeez, Cam really hit you hard, didn’t he?”

Nick let out a hum in response, tilting sideways until his head came to rest on Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler seemed to tense under him, and Nick almost moved his head, but then the other relaxed, sliding down in his uncomfortable waiting room chair so that Nick’s head was positioned more comfortably. Like he’d done with the rest of the afternoon, Nick allowed himself to zone out as they waited. He mindlessly watched people walk in and out of the urgent care clinic, letting them all leave his head as soon as they were out of sight. The only person he did focus on was the tall, blond man who looked like he’d just gotten out of teaching a dance class. His eyes locked on Nick almost immediately, letting out a deep breath.

Nick smiled at him, picking his head off of Tyler’s shoulder.

“One of these days, you or your dad is going to give me a heart attack, you know that?” he said in place of greeting, stopping in front of Nick.

“Hey, pops.”

“Don’t call me that, it makes me feel old,” his father replied, kneeling down in front of him. “How are you feeling?”

Beside him, Tyler let out a huffed laugh. Both Nick and his father turned to look at him.

“Sorry,” Tyler said, looking a little red. “It’s just- I asked him the same thing and he said he felt ‘floaty’.”

Nick’s father cracked a smile at that. “You must be Tyler? Coach Barron told me you drove Nick here?”

Tyler nodded.

“Thanks for doing that, Tyler. I’m Ryan.”

“Oh, it’s, uh- It was no problem. My brother has gotten a concussion a couple times, so I’m, well- used to it? I guess?”

Before either of them could continue the conversation, a woman dressed in scrubs came into the waiting room, calling for Nick Danforth-Evans. Ryan stood back up, raising his hand so the doctor knew who she was calling.

“Guess that’s my cue to leave,” Tyler said, and Nick had a strange feeling fill his chest at the thought. Even so, he nodded just barely, smiling at Tyler.

“Thanks, man.”

Tyler just nodded. “Thanks for the lecture on platypuses. Learned a lot, actually.”

Nick ignored the laugh his father had let out, followed by “Really? You’re still telling people about freaking platypuses?” in favor of waving Tyler goodbye and watching his teammate leave the clinic. Eventually, his father gently pulled him to his feet, walking him slowly over to the waiting doctor.

----------

Tyler wasn’t entirely sure what possessed him to do it. He and Nick weren’t not friends, but they didn’t know each other that well either. There was frankly no logical reason for him to be doing this. He told himself it was because he hadn’t been able to text Nick all day- he’d overheard Carrie saying that Nick had given a “no screen time” rule by his doctor- and wasn’t it only reasonable to follow up with the guy you’d taken to urgent care yesterday? Tyler ignored the part of his brain that told him the truth; he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his teammate since he’d left the hospital yesterday, and he just wanted an excuse to see Nick again. So Tyler had taken his lunch period interrogating the other lacrosse team members to figure out what classes Nick was taking and with which teachers he had them.

The reasonable part of his brain told him this was kind of creepy, and entirely unnecessary for him to do. But even so, he told Kayla to let Mrs. Kelly know that he wouldn’t make it to dance practice after school today, and he went around to Nick’s teachers’ classrooms. About 20 minutes later, he pulled out of the Los Feliz parking lot with a folder full of class notes, homework, and messages from teachers for Nick. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove in the general direction he knew Nick’s house was. He’d only been there a few times, all for lacrosse purposes. Nick’s dad loved to host the team over- said he’d always done it in high school when he was on the basketball team and that it was a great bonding opportunity.

Really, the only reason he was doing this was because he just wanted to check on him. Make sure he was feeling alright. It had nothing to do with the way Nick had leaned into his chest on the field or rested his head on Tyler’s shoulder in the waiting room, and it definitely had nothing to do with how Nick had still managed to look cute when concussed and rambling about random things in the waiting room.

When he finally reached Nick's house, he parked his car in the driveway and just sat there. He bounced his leg, tapping his fingers against the wheel. Nick's house was slightly foreboding. Both of Nick's fathers made plenty of money, and it was one of the fancier houses in the area surrounding Los Feliz High School. He kind of felt like the house was judging him as he sat in the driveway, too nervous to actually go in.

"This is stupid, Tyler," he mumbled to himself. "You're already here, just get out of the damn car."

It must have been another five minutes that he sat there, one hand ready to twist his key in the ignition and leave and the other on the door handle, ready to get out of the car. Eventually, he took his hand away from the ignition, pulling the key out.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he grumbled, grabbing the folder and finally leaving his car. “It’ll be fine. Just say hey, drop the homework off, and leave without looking like a complete idiot.”

He schooled his expression into something casual and normal looking by the time he reached the front door. With all the determination he had, he raised his hand, knocking on the door. He didn’t want to use the doorbell; last time Dylan had a concussion he’d physically witnessed his step-brother crying at the sound.

The door opened so quickly after his knock that Tyler froze in shock for a moment. He found himself looking down at a little girl he’d never met before- Nick’s sister, he assumed. She was dressed in a blindingly yellow princess dress, and atop her mess of deep, black curls was a plastic tiara to match.

She cocked her head at him curiously, asking with no shyness in her voice, “Who are you?”

“Oh- um. . .” He always felt awkward around kids. The only ones he ever really interacted with were his cousins. “I’m looking for Nick?”

“He’s in the living room!” the girl in front of him announced happily, pointing off to her left. Tyler hesitated, but stumbled through the front door as the girl grabbed his hand, pulling him into the large house. Tyler didn’t even know what to say, just struggled to not drop the folder of papers for Nick as he was forcibly invited into the house.

“Arabella, please tell me you opened the door because dad’s back and not because you just let some stran-” Nick cut himself off as he caught sight of Tyler behind the little girl- Arabella.

“Tyler. Hey.”

Tyler cleared his throat, trying his best to put on a casual smile. Nick was seated on a large, fluffy looking couch. He was leaning against the armrest, his legs stretched out in front of him. Nick looked practically buried in the large sweatshirt he was wearing, branded with a faded EHS on the chest, and the soft white blanket thrown over him. Tyler felt frozen to the spot as he looked at Nick, his mouth opening dumbly as no words came out. He looked anywhere but Nick’s eyes, not sure he’d be able to function at all if he did. He was saved from the awkwardness as Arabella let go of her iron grip on his hand, moving over to the couch. Tyler winced in sympathy as Nick groaned and clamped his eyes shut, Arabella jostling him as she climbed into her brother’s lap. Even though both of them were adopted, Tyler could see a resemblance between the siblings. They had the same smile: a toothy grin framed by dimples. He felt himself smile softly as Nick instinctively wrapped an arm around his sister to steady her before she fell right back off the couch.

“Ari, we’ve talked about how you’re not supposed to open the door for strangers,” Nick spoke softly, and Tyler had to suck in a breath.

Arabella pouted in his lap, “He’s not a stranger! You knew his name!”

“That’s not the- Look, just remember you have to wait for me, daddy, or papa before you open the door, okay?”

The girl- only 7 years old if Tyler remembered correctly- let out a heavy breath, still looking sure she’d done nothing wrong, but she nodded to her brother. She leaned into Nick’s chest, who carefully shifted her in his arms so she was next to him rather than on top. Tyler wasn’t sure he could stop the smile on his face if he tried. Nick looked back at him once Arabella was situated, casting him a soft smile that had Tyler feeling weak.

“Sorry about her-” Arabella elbowed him, “-my dad ran out to the store and she was expecting him back soon. So, uh. . . What’s up, man? Don’t you have dance team after school on Thursdays?”

The question knocked Tyler out of his reverie as he remembered why he was here. He ignored the heat in his cheeks- Nick remembered he had dance on Thursdays?

“Oh, right, yeah. Um, I- well. I brought you your homework?” Tyler inwardly cursed himself for stumbling over his words. You’d think he’d never talked to the guy before.

Nick looked surprised at the words, his eyebrows raising a little bit. Tyler had to glance away.

“I didn’t figure you’d be at school tomorrow either, so I, um, I brought you tomorrow’s, too.”

Nick was just kind of staring at him, and Tyler shifted his weight between his feet. Silence lapsed between the three of them until Arabella whispered something to her brother that had Nick glaring down at her for a second.

“Thanks, Tyler,” Nick said quietly. “I really appreciate that.”

Tyler smiled at him, nodding. “Yeah, it’s no problem.”

He held up the folder, “Is there somewhere you. . ?”

“Oh, um. Just that table right next to you is fine.”

Tyler nodded again, setting the folder down. Without anything to hold, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his hands. He settled for stuffing them in his pocket. Tyler’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn back to Nick. He looked sleepy and comfortable the way he was wrapped up on the couch. His hair was slightly tousled like Nick had been running his hands through it. Tyler fought the urge to go over and fix it for him.

In order to stop himself from doing something stupid like just that, Tyler took in a deep breath and asked, “So how are you feeling?”

Nick shrugged a little, “Better. I don’t remember all that much from yesterday, honestly. Still kind of feels like my skull is gonna split open, but pain meds have been helping. This one-” Arabella let out a quiet giggle as Nick tickled her side, “-not so much.”

Tyler let out a huffed laugh. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure Dylan was ready to put my head through his snare drum last time he had a concussion.”

Nick laughed, but it cut off as he winced. Tyler grimaced at the sight.

“Sorry.”

Nick just smiled as if to say “don’t worry about it”.

Before either of them could say anymore, they heard the sounds of the door opening and footsteps coming into the room.

“Hey, I’m home. Boo, I got you some Gatorade and these light blocking glasses that are great for concussions. And for the munchkin I got- Oh.”

Nick and Arabella’s father- Chad- looked up from the shopping bag he was holding, eyes immediately locking on Tyler. The lacrosse player wasn’t sure what else to do but awkwardly wave as Nick’s father regarded him.

“I know you, don’t I?”

“Um, yes, sir. I’m on the lacrosse team with Nick.”

Chad nodded in recognition, “Right. Tim? Tyson?”

“Tyler,” Nick said for him, in what could almost be said to be a defensive tone. Chad looked over to Nick, raising an eyebrow at his son. “He was just bringing my homework over for me.”

Chad nodded at his son slowly. “Sure, kid. And thanks for doing that, Tyler. I was going to head over to the school tomorrow to do that.”

“It was no problem, Mr. Danforth-Evans,” Tyler mumbled, not sure what to do with himself.

Chad snorted, shaking his head. “It’s just Chad, Tyler.”

Tyler nodded stiffly. He’d met Nick’s parents before, but something about this whole situation made it feel like he’d forgotten any and every way to properly interact with other human beings.

“Well,” Chad said, holding his hand out towards his children, “Ari, why don’t we leave Boo and his friend to talk a little more and you can come help me put this stuff away.”

Arabella nodded, sliding off the couch and moving towards her dad.

“Boo?” Tyler couldn’t stop himself from asking. Nick sighed, cringing.

“I really liked Monsters Inc when I was a kid,” he explained, but Chad let out a snort.

“Really liked? You insisted- and I mean insisted- on dressing up as Boo from that movie for three Halloweens in a row.” Chad’s face was lit up with the smirk of a parent who knew exactly what they were doing to torture their child.

Nick ran a hand down his face, “Thanks for that, dad.”

Chad just smiled and picked Arabella up into his arms, walking past the couch into what looked like the kitchen from the angle Tyler was stood at. He dropped a kiss onto Nick’s head as he passed, laughing again as his son looked further embarrassed. Tyler couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped him, which had Nick’s eyes turning on him. Nick’s face was tinged a soft pink, and Tyler was captivated by the way it made the other look.

After a moment’s or two silence, Nick said, “You know, the only other person who knows the Boo story is Carrie, and she’s sworn to secrecy, so if that suddenly gets around the school- I’m coming after you first.”

Tyler held his hands up in surrender, smiling at Nick. “The only other person who knows is Carrie? Well, now I just feel special.”

Nick looked down at his lap, a small smile on his face. His voice was quiet, barely audible for Tyler to hear as he said, “Yeah, I guess you are.”

Tyler wasn’t sure what to do with that. His chest felt a little tighter at the words, and he bit his tongue to keep from saying anything to embarrass himself.

“I should probably head out. Let you rest,” Tyler managed to get out. Nick looked back up at him, an expression on his face that Tyler couldn’t quite pick out.

“Oh. Yeah, sure. Thanks for- For bringing me my school stuff. And. . . for yesterday. My dads said I wasn’t the easiest person to deal with, so I’m sorry if I was annoying or anything.”

You look cute while rambling about how the platypus has been your favorite animal since you watched Phineas and Ferb, then practically gave me a heart attack when you put your head on my shoulder.

Tyler shook his head. “It’s no problem, man. You were out of it, but you weren’t annoying. I offered to drive you, remember? Anyway, I’m gonna go. I’ll let you know how that scrimmage game on Saturday goes?”

Nick nodded as much as he could without hurting his head and smiled at that- the toothy grin framed by dimples. Tyler sucked in a breath, forcing his eyes away from Nick.

“See you later, Nick.”

“Bye, Tyler.”

Tyler forced himself not to look back as he left the house, moving swiftly back to his car. As soon as he was inside, he slumped forward, repeatedly thumping his forehead against his steering wheel. Maybe if he got lucky, Nick’s concussion would make him forget the entire interaction- every excruciatingly awkward moment that Tyler allowed himself to look like a complete fool.

“Real smooth, idiot,” he said out loud as he started his car and pulled out of the Danforth-Evans driveway.

It was going on a little under a year now that Tyler had had a crush on Nick. He’d caught the other lacrosse player doing a mini victory dance after a game last year and had quite literally fallen- he’d gotten so distracted looking at Nick’s hair and his smiles and the way the sweat made his arms glisten a little bit in the sunlight that he’d tripped over another team member’s bag, falling face first into the grass.

He’d spent the last year both avoiding all and taking any opportunity to interact with Nick. He’d evidently gotten no better at stifling his pure embarrassing energy when it came to talking to him. He’d just add today onto the ever-growing list of Ways To Make Terrible Impressions On Your Crush. Fantastic.

----------

As soon as the front door shut behind Tyler, Nick buried his face in his hands. He could hear the footsteps of his father coming back into the living room, followed by quiet laughter.

“I hate you,” Nick mumbled into his hands, but he knew his dad heard it anyway. “I have a concussion- shouldn’t you be nicer to me?”

“Hey, I wasn’t the one who knocked you in the head. Besides, what kind of father would I be if I didn’t take every opportunity to embarrass you?”

“The kind whose kids don’t grow up to hate him.”

Nick knew his father wasn’t taking his words to heart, as usual. For all Nick joked that he wanted nothing to do with his dad, the two of them had always been close.

“Sorry, Boo, but if you’re going to invite a boy over to the house-”

“I didn’t invite him! I don’t even have my phone to invite him. He was just bringing me my homework.” Nick felt his face going even redder than it already was, and he kept it covered by pulling the blanket over his face to avoid his dad’s further teasing.

“Out of the kindness of his heart, huh?”

Nick peeked an eye out, squinting at his father. “What are you implying here?”

His dad just shrugged, a little too casually for Nick’s taste. Nick sighed loudly, shrinking down into the couch cushions.

“My head hurts too much for this.”

At that, his dad moved over to the couch, the teasing smile dropped from his face as he took a seat next to Nick. “Has it gotten any worse?”

Chad had always been the parent that took care of the kids’ injuries. He’d gotten so many himself as a kid that he knew the remedy and care for each one Nick or Arabella could ever get. Nick and his father agreed that if Chad ever got bored of basketball- he was currently an assistant coach for the Lakers- he’d likely be amazing in medical school.

“No, it actually felt better when-” Nick cut himself off.

When Tyler was here, his brain supplied the rest of the sentence. Nick wasn’t sure what to do with that information. He shut his mouth, frowning a little. He stayed silent as his dad fussed around him a little bit, shifting pillows and pulling the living room curtains closed some more, trying to block out as much light as possible. Nick ran back through the conversation with Tyler in his head. He thought about his teammate dressed in a pair of light colored jeans and his letter jacket that seemed just a little too big for him- Nick was so used to seeing him dressed for lacrosse that he never really saw him dressed casually like that. He thought about Tyler holding Ari’s hand. He thought about Tyler’s thoughtfulness in bringing over his school work so that Nick didn’t have to stress about it later, and he thought about the image of Tyler smiling at him.

“Well, shit,” Nick let out softly, staring at the wall.

“Language,” his dad chastised, but Nick ignored him.

“Shit,” he repeated, then turned as quickly as he could without hurting his head to face his father. “Dad, can I have my phone?”

His dad frowned at him. “Nick, the doctor said no screens, remember? You-”

“Yeah, I know what she said. But I really need my phone. Please?”

“Why?”

“Because I have a concussion and I’m slow on the uptake and I really need to talk to Carrie right now. Ten minutes. Please.”

His dad looked him over, eyes narrowed. “Fine. Ten minutes. But don’t tell your father.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Nick let out, holding his hand out to his dad. Chad grabbed Nick’s phone from where it was sitting next to the TV, then deposited it into his son’s hand.

Nick scrambled with the device, wincing as he turned the brightness down all the way and pulling up Carrie’s contact.

carrie

CARRIE

Carrie Wilson i swear if you don’t respond right now

im gonna lose my damn mind

Okay okay I’m responding

What do you want

tyler was just at my house and he dropped off

all my homework and talked to my dad and my sister

and my head hurts i’m way too tired for this

Tyler??

Pretty lacrosse boy Tyler??

Nick I love you but I am not seeing the importance here

carrie he was at my HOUSE and he SMILED AT ME

have you ever seen him smile???

because i know my brain isn’t like working right

now or whatever but he SMILED AT ME and its

all i can think about

Oh damn

Nick

My best friend and love of my life

Do you

Have a crush

ON TYLER DOYLE???

YEAH I THINK SO

CARRIE

i always thought he was really pretty and cute

but hhnnngg i think it’s an actual crush and idk

what to do about that

Oh my god

he smiled at me and i really wanted to kiss him

how did i not realize i wanted to kiss him

concussion make me dumb

Don’t know if the concussion is to blame for

that but okay honey

fuck i have to go dad is taking my phone

WAIT WHAT

NICHOLAS

YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE ME LIKE THAT

NICK

Nick was grateful he’d had time to lock his phone before his dad pulled it from his hands. He did not need the embarrassment of his dad catching sight of that conversation. He felt a little bad for leaving Carrie on that note, but he was too stressed about how did he not notice he had a crush on this guy to care at the moment. As his dad returned his phone to its original spot, Nick pulled the blanket back over his head, sinking down in an attempt to become one with the couch. As he shut his eyes, he felt his dad’s hand come to rest on his head, above the blanket.

“I know having a concussion sucks, Boo,” his dad spoke softly.

Sure. Yeah, let’s pretend the concussion is his biggest problem right now.

“I’ll take the munchkin upstairs and keep her quiet, why don’t you try to get a little bit of sleep before your father gets home? I’ll wake you up in two hours.”

Nick sighed at the thought that his dad would have to wake him up. He’d had to do it all night as doctor’s orders. Every two hours, wake him up and make him answer a few memory questions to make sure his head injury wasn’t getting any worse. Nick was exhausted, and he knew his dad was as well. It was off season for basketball, so he wasn’t out of the house as often and had been the elected parent to stay up with Nick all night.

“Love you, Nick,” his father whispered above him, and then the hand disappeared from his head.

“Love you, too,” Nick mumbled. He knew at this point he wasn’t likely to get any sleep. Not when Tyler had been in his house and giving him that smile- Nick was pretty sure the image was now ingrained in his brain.

Tyler had never been a teammate that Nick was close to, but he’d always been aware of him. Tyler was funny, and kind, and the two of them had had fun getting stuck in Mrs. Kelly’s fourth period dance class for those few weeks together. And there had never been any denying that Tyler was nice to look at. Really nice. Nice enough that Nick had allowed himself to get so distracted watching Tyler on the sidelines of the field that he’d gotten slammed into the ground and concussed. But he had been so sure that that’s all it was. Tyler was attractive, Nick knew it, and that was that. But then Tyler had driven him to urgent care without a hesitation, sat with him until his father showed up, and then brought him all his school work. Nick had been so struck by that that he’d sat on the couch, staring like an idiot until his 7 year old sister leaned up and whispered that he needed to say something. And damn, Nick might actually be grateful for the concussion because while it may have made him a little slow to realize that Tyler was right there and god, did he want to kiss him, it also saved him from becoming the blushing mess he knew he would have otherwise.

“Well, shit,” Nick repeated once more, covering his face with his hands.

if you made it this far, thanks so much for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!! if this gets a good response I’m planning on following it up with a part 2 in which they might go on a date or something like that.

tag list (let me know if you want added for future parts):

@sunsetcurve123

#nick deserves a pretty lacrosse boyfriend #i'm honestly so invested in this ship #if you couldn't tell by how long this was #jatp #julie and the phantoms #jatp fanfic #nick danforth-evans #sacha carlson #carrie wilson #savannah lee may #ryan mcewan #nick jatp #fanfiction

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rfamess · 4 years

Text

This cured my boredom for a little bit. Was making a few new music playlists and thought.. hmm. I wonder what kind of music the RFA listens to? So, I made this. For no reason at all.

What Kind of Music the RFA + V/Saeran Listen To:

Saeyoung/707:

- (I always see people writing that he’d listen to all star or other cringe meme songs because that’s what seems to be his entire personality, but I like to think he has more substance than that and listens to songs that don’t have to do with memes.)

- He definitely listens to rap/hip-hop.

- Can you not imagine him driving down the road in his cars, windows down, music blasting?

- He listens to his music uber loud in his headphones while working.

- His favorite artist is probably Tyler the creator, i mean, how could you not love him.

- Listens to Mac Miller when he’s sad :(

PLAYLIST:

Who Dat Boy - Tyler the Creator

Stutter - Freddie Dredd

Evil Fantasy - Freddie Dredd

Sweatpants - Childish Gambino

Bounce - Logic

Dead Wrong - Notorious B.I.G.

Movement - Oliver Tree

Stick to Your Guns - Watsky

Both - Gucci Mane

No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

Can I Kick It - A Tribe Called Quest

No Limit - G Easy

Circles - Mac Miller

Broke Bitch - TMG (lol)

Bonfire - Childish Gambino

I THINK - Tyler the Creator

Good News - Mac Miller

I - Kendrick Lamar

FACE - Brockhampton

King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar

Lovely Things Suite: Knots - Watsky

Zen:

- (Similar to Saeyoung, I don’t believe Zens entire personality revolves around musicals, he probably doesn’t listen to them that often imo.)

- I like to think he’s a... well rounded individual when it comes to music

- Listens to anything and everything.

- I could see him listening to the same music as Seven, but is also very into 70s-90s rock like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like.

- He runs listening to all of his music on shuffle and doesn’t have a specific playlist so there’s never a certain vibe to it— it really is all over the place.

- In addition to Seven’s playlist, here’s Zen’s

PLAYLIST:

Funny Face - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Santeria - Sublime

Badfish - Sublime

The Luck You Got - The High Strung

Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas

Heart of Glass - Blondie

Come as You Are - Nirvana

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

Love of Your Life - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Bailee - The Licks

Where is my Mind - Pixies

Hurt Like Mine - The Black Keys

Gap - The Kooks

Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Hoops - The Rubens

Conquest - The White Stripes

Ten Cent Pistol - The Black Keys

Yoosung:

- Yoosung likes more upbeat music, maybe more new age/alternative pop

- Listens to music every time he tries to study, but usually get distracted by it and starts to sing along instead of actually doing his work

- Is probably trying to branch out of his style, Seven and Zen try to convince him to listen to their favorite genres

- The three of them always argue about who has the best taste in music lol

- He’s constantly wondering if his music is “manly” enough (it’s okay yoosung it’s just music)

- If this dude gets drunk and hears any of this music he goes absolutely wild and dances all over the place

PLAYLIST:

Bambi - Hippocampus

Turn - the Wombats

Paris - Magic Man

Chronic Sunshine - Cosmo Pike

Death of a Bachelor - Panic! At the Disco

Silvertongue - Young the Giant

Brazil - Declan McKenna

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend

Baseball - Hippocampus

Australia - The Shins

Prune, You Talk Funny - Gus Dapperton

Honeypie - JAWNY

Alien Boy - Oliver Tree

Satellite - Guster

So Young - Portugal. The Man

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Circles - Post Malone

Unbearably White - Vampire Weekend

Tiny Umbrella - Coast Modern

Way it Goes - Hippocampus

Electric Feel - MGMT

Jumin:

- this guy has 2 modes and that’s it: classical bitch or music that has words

- He appreciates the fine art of classical music and listens to it when he has work to get done or when he’s trying to relax.

- If he’s in a good mood he’ll put on a playlist that includes “music with actual lyrics!”

- It’s a dad playlist. Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, Billy Joel.

- He likes Billy Joel. Jumin has a dad personality you can’t convince me otherwise lol

- He tried to branch out but can get very picky in his interests. “I don’t like this guitar riff— change it”

- Either way his 2 modes are apparent in his playlists

PLAYLIST:

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas

Don’t Ask Me Why - Billy Joel

Starman - David Bowie

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

It’s Too Late - Carole King

Movin’ Out - Billy Joel

A Horse With No Name - America

I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Honky Cat - Elton John

Vienna - Billy Joel

The Stranger - Billy Joel

Waltz in A Minor - Chopin

Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Brahms

Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Chopin

Souvenir de Paganini - Chopin

Solfeggietto in C Minor - Bach

Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 - Rachmaninoff

IV. Allegro Molto From Quartet - Yo-Yo Ma

La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin - Debussy

Porz Goret - Yann Tiersen

Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns

Carnival of the Animals: XIII. The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Jaehee:

- We all know her obsession with Musicals (specifically zens)

- Other than this she listens to...well honestly I don’t know

- Her music doubles as something she can get hyped up with and something she can listen to to relax.

- She loves to dance, so a lot of her songs and just songs that she’ll never be able to refuse to move her feet to!

- She likes the old classics and then she likes Doja Cat. Lizzo? Queen.

- She’s a barb let’s be real please. you can never convince me that she’s not

PLAYLIST:

Adore You - Harry Styles

She - Harry Styles

Call Me - Blondie

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Hey Mickey - Toni Basil

Juice - Lizzo

Say So - Doja Cat

Voulez-Vous - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (LOL the memories associated with this song after Killing Stalking..... hahahaha BUT ITS STILL A GREAT SONG!)

Only - Nicki Minaj

Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Beez in the Trap - Nicki Minaj

Woman - Harry Styles

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Blame it on the Boogie - Michael Jackson

One Way or Another - Blondie

Tia Tamera - Doja Cat

Truth Hurts - Lizzo

- indie boy indie boy indie boy indie boy

- Cmon just look at him he’s an indie boy

- If you’ve ever met a film student that gatekeeps music, they have the same exact taste but V won’t say shit to make you feel stupid. It’s just music bruv

- If you’ve ever been to an indie concert you know the fuckin dance you know what I’m talking about. he does that.

- Rolls a joint, pops the music off and he paints, does photography, whatever. Either way he straight vibes every single time the tunes come on.

- Low key thinks he has the best music taste. that’s just how dem indie kids roll let’s be real here.

- For some reason knows everything about every type of music. will spew facts about artists and songs at random

PLAYLIST:

Shuggie - Foxygen

Necessary Evil - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Homage - Mild High Club

Another One - Mac DeMarco

Plants - Crumb

What Once Was - Her’s

Heart and My Car - Summer Salt

Cottage Roads - The Walters

Moonlight on the River - Mac DeMarco

Work This Time - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Like Yesterday - Paul Cherry

Call it Fate, Call it Karma - The Strokes

Knowhere - Nick DeLaurentis

Escargot Blues - Guantánamo Bay Surf Club

A Side / B Side - Tipling Rock

Dark Red - Steve Lacy

That I Miss You - Vansire

Top Tier Love - Lonely Benson

Driving to Hawaii - Summer Salt

Taking Up Space - Mustard Service

She’s the Only One - King Guru

Saeran:

- emo boy emo boy emo boy

- We all know it

- As much as I’d love to say he listens to heavy death metal, there’s a part of my mind saying NO he’s not like that.

- Well he is, but he’s got more than a few single interest

- Probably listens to Nirvana, Cage the Elephant, anything similar

- Is always trying to listen to new music

- Kind of sick of Seven blasting his music all the time and listens to the opposite of hip hop whenever possible

- Honestly enjoys all types of music, but sticks to his favorites

PLAYLIST:

- All Apologies - Nirvana

- Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - Hozier

- Soma - The Strokes

- Black Madonna - Cage the Elephant

- Hysteria - Muse

- Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High - Arctic Monkeys

- I Got Mine - The Black Keys

- Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

- Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Back Against the Wall - Cage the Elephant

- Creep - Radiohead

- Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

- Demon Days - Gorillaz

- Bulls on Parade - Rage Against The Machine

- Matador - The Buttertones

- Holiday - Green Day

- RIP - The Licks

- London Calling - The Clash

- Loser - Beck

- What I Got - Sublime

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survivingthejungle · 4 years

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everybody wants to rule the world (ii)

(oh, finally it’s here bitch! u want some sadness?)

The next morning came and went smoothly, Genevieve continuing her typical routine of breakfast, walking Bambi and Tex, and then going to the gym to work out a bit and to keep her volleyball skills up to par. When she finally returned home it was already late afternoon, so she showered and made herself some lunch. Her aunts were off at their magic academy, and Ambrose and Sabrina were still out hunting for Herod's crown, so Genevieve had the large Spellman house all to herself. After finishing her lunch and cleaning the dishes, she went to curl up on a couch in the family room to watch some TV before night fell and her family came home. About an hour into watching reruns of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ambrose burst through the front door in a hurry. "You being chased?" she called.

"No time to talk, cousin," he yelled back down, rushing down the stairs to the basement, "I've got something very important to study!"

:Have fun," she responded, voice softened. She pointed her attention to Tex, who was seated at the end of the couch where she was relaxing. "Y'ever wish you were a witch, Tex?" Genevieve said to him. "'Cause I'd love to know what's going on right now."

A few minutes later, Sabrina came in, seemingly worn out from trying to keep up with Ambrose. "Hey," she said, "You wanna come with us to the carnival? We're leaving in a few minutes."

Geneveive's mouth opened but nothing came out; she wasn't sure what to say in the moment. "Ah-" she started, nervous. "About that… I think I'm going on a date with your friend."

Sabrina's brows furrowed and she smiled a little, confused. "My… friend? Which friend?"

Genevieve struggled again to find the perfect answer. "Mmh.. Uh.. Y- You know the one," she responded, vaguely.

"Wh- Caliban?!" she yelled in awe, eyes widened once she realized to whom her cousin was referring. "The one who's trying to take my throne?!"

"Don't yell at me like that!" she defended herself, "He kept pestering me and bothering me and I wanted him to go away so I said yes!" Genevieve shouted back.

"Why the Heaven was he so intent on it?"

"Beans, if I knew, I'd make it stop!" Sabrina sighed in defeat, setting down her purse and kicking off her shoes before joining her cousin on the couch.

"Well, maybe it won't be the worst thing in the world. I mean, me and Nick and everyone else are gonna be there, so at least you won't be alone. Plus, I know he won't be looking for the crown if he's with you."

"I guess," Genevieve conceded, shrugging. "I just wanted him to get off my case. It's one date, okay? Just the one. I'm sure I can scare him off by the end of the night."

"Aw," Sabrina laughed, "Don't say that! You're a catch, ‘Vieve. Of course he wants to go on a date." "Are you encouraging this?" They both giggled. "Nah, it'll be fine. It's no big deal."

—

Sabrina was already dressed and prepared to go out, so she waited in Genevieve's room while she changed into something other than her pajama pants and a large sweatshirt. "I can't believe you're going on a date with Caliban," Sabrina repeated, exasperated.

"Ew, gross, don't say it like that," Genevieve called from the bathroom where she was changing and deciding whether or not she would wear any makeup. "You make it sound like a big thing."

"Sorry." Genevieve stepped out of the bathroom, with just a layer or two of mascara, some concealer, and a bit of blush on her cheeks and nose. She had also changed into a white dress with small navy polka dots and a washed out jean jacket. "So did he say if he would pick you up?"

"Um, you know what? I have actually no idea," she admitted, sitting down on the edge of her bed and putting on a pair of socks. "I guess we're meeting there. I don't know."

"Okay. Well, Nick and I are gonna meet up with everyone soon, if you want to come with."

"Oh, I'll be fine. But thanks, Beans. I'm gonna let Bambi out for a few minutes and feed everyone," Genevieve decided.

"Alright," Sabrina said, getting up and leaving her cousin's room. "Well, we'll keep an eye out for you." "Thanks. See ya soon."

—

Thankfully, it was not one of the nights she needed to feed Rhiannon, because Genevieve was not particularly in the mood to have to throw a live mouse into the ball python's tank. For Tucker, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of blackberries, romaine lettuce, and snap peas, threw them on an old plastic plate and set it in his tank for him to munch on as he saw fit. She changed Pico's water and put a few chopped up grapes and strawberries in a small dish in his cage. She called for Bambi to follow her downstairs and let the dog outside while she put food in her bowl and got her fresh water. When Bambi barked at the door to be let in, Genevieve was startled to find Caliban standing there as well. "Oh. Hi, Caliban."

"You look a little surprised to see me," he observed.

"Well, you did show up sort of unannounced," she told him, letting Bambi inside and allowing him in, as well. "I thought you'd just find me at the carnival."

"Sweetheart, I may be a demon," he smirked, "But I'm not completely without my manners. It would be disrespectful of me if I didn't escort you."

"Oh, respect?" she wondered, setting Bambi's bowls down on the floor and going to wash her hands. "I didn't know that was something you were worried about." There was a hint of mock doubt in her tone. He smiled a bit more genuinely at this.

"There are a great many things you don't know about me, Genevieve."

"Well, then that makes two of us." Once she had slipped on a pair of shoes and made sure that she had a handful of cash in her pocket, she turned to face him directly and actually give him her attention. "We're stopping to get coffee first, because I'm about to fall asleep."

"Whatever the lady desires," he agreed. They both left the Spellman house, Genevieve yelling a goodbye to her cousin before shutting the door behind them.

—

"Can demons have coffee?" she asked as they stepped inside the small cafe.

"We can have anything we wish," he told her, "But I can't say I've ever tried the drink before."

"That's tragic. Do you want some? I'll pay."

"There's no need to spend your money on me. I'm made of clay, I'll be alright."

"Wow," she said in mock wonder. "Do you have any other personality traits?" He smirked (which seemed to be his default at this point), and Genevieve rolled her eyes. She turned and gave her order to the barista, handing over a few of the singles from her pocket and going to wait at the other end of the counter for her drink. When Caliban wasn't right behind her like she was expecting him to be, she turned back and saw him ordering as well. He pulled out a wad of cash from his back pocket and her jaw almost dropped as he turned and gave her a knowing wink. "You did not just,' she muttered, clenching her teeth and lowering her voice to more of a whisper, "make that money!"

"And what if I did?" he asked, enjoying seeing her get riled up.

"That's terrible!" she chastised. "That's like… cheating."

He gasped. "Have I done a bad thing?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You may not care about doing bad things, but I do."

"As you wish," he conceded. Once their drinks were ready, they headed out onto the street and in the direction of the carnival at the edge of town near the forest.

—

Once they made it to the entrance of the carnival, Genevieve was on high alert for any sign of her cousin or her friends. "So, Genevieve Sawyer," Caliban started, "How did a mortal like you come to end up living with the Spellmans?"

"Well that's kind of personal," she told him, refusing eye contact. "My dad and Sabrina's mom were siblings. They took me in when…"

"When what?" he asked, voice soft and genuine.

"Um, my dad… died, and I would have been put into foster care. But Hilda and Zelda offered to become my guardians instead."

"Well what about your mother?" he asked. He had a feeling he may have been crossing a line, but he decided to ask anyway.

"Let's not talk about it," Genevieve shot it down.

"I apologize if I've upset you," he offered. He seemed like he meant it.

"It's fine. You didn't know. I just… don't like to talk about it," she explained. She quickly changed the subject. "How's the coffee? Are you a fan now?"

He chuckled, taking a sip. "I'll admit it's not bad," he said, looking down at her, "But I'm still partial to the blood of the damned."

Her eyes widened and she grimaced. "Ew!"

He laughed at her expression. "I'm only joking, darling," he reassured, still smiling. She scoffed and nudged him with her elbow.

"Not funny, you punk.” She took another sip of her own drink before continuing. "You don't really— "

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "Must you always think the worst of me?"

She smiled playfully. "Well you don't give me much of a choice," she teased. The sun was beginning to set and the lights of the carnival became more vibrant as time went on. In the crowd of people, she spotted Sabrina's white-blonde head walking beside Nick. "Oh, look!" she pointed out to Caliban. Speeding up to them, Genevieve poked her cousin in the back, startling her.

"Oh! Hey, Geneieve!" she greeted. "Caliban."

"Your highness," he replied, bowing. Genevieve noticed a growing tension between him and Nick, and before things got out of hand, she interrupted.

"'Sup, Nick?"

"Hey, Genevieve. How's it going?"

"Pretty good, I guess. How ya feeling?" she asked him, silently praying she wasn't stirring the pot.

"Better, actually. Thanks to Sabrina." They smiled at one another as he put his arm around her shoulder.

Genevieve didn't notice, but Sabrina did. When Nick wrapped his arm around her and made a lovey-dovey expression, Caliban looked longingly down at Genevieve.

"Where's everyone else?" the older cousin wondered. Sabrina looked around. "Uh, Harvey and Roz are walking around somewhere. Theo and Robin are on the ferris wheel."

"Who's Robin?"

"New boy. They really hit it off." "Aw," Genevieve gushed, "I'm so happy for Theo! Good for both of them." She finished the last few sips of her coffee. "Where are we headed?"

"Carousel?" Sabrina offered.

"Yeah, I'm down. You wanna go?" she asked Caliban.

"I'll go wherever you decide," he answered.

She let out a small scoff. "How very noble."

—

Something was off at the end of the carousel ride and Genevieve had no idea what it was. Caliban's entire demeanor had changed and when the ride ended, She decided to give Sabrina and Nick some space while she tried to figure out what Caliban was up to. She gently grabbed her cousin's arm. "Hey, we'll meet up with you guys in a minute," she muttered. Sabrina nodded in understanding. Once they were on their own again, she turned to Caliban. "Okay. What's up?" she interrogated. He was glancing around all over the carnival grounds, barely looking at her. She snapped her fingers in his face, gaining his attention. "Hello? What is going on?"

"Something's not right," he responded cryptically. "Someone's here who shouldn't be here."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's not safe for a mortal to be here for much longer. You should go home."

She glared up at him, eyes narrowing. "Oh, you think you can just boss me around, now? What's your deal, dude?" Instead of giving a snide remark, he grabbed her face in both hands and looked her dead in the eyes.

"Genevieve. I'm not joking. Or lying. You really need to leave."

"No!" she shouted. "You don't get to tell me what to do, you spoiled little jerk! I came to this stupid carnival to have fun with my friends. You're not ruining this for me." She sighed out an angry breath and shook her face out of his hands, stepping back. "What is your issue? First you pester me until I agree to give you the time of day, and then all of a sudden you want me gone?"

"I don't want you gone. I want you safe, believe it or not. You're upset with me now but you'll understand later. There's really no time to explain, sweetheart." He tried to grab her hand, his face sincerely apologetic, but she pulled away with a disgusted look on her face.

"No. Don't touch me." She paused as if to say something else, but decided against it; turning away from him abruptly and storming off into the crowd.

"Genevieve," he called. "Genevieve!" But rather than turn around, she flipped him off and kept walking.

—

Genevieve had gotten halfway home before Herod's zombie showed up and attacked Nick and Sabrina. She was too far away to hear the yells from the carnival grounds, instead caught up in her own thoughts and grievances. Stupid piece of shit, she thought. I can't believe I let myself get played like that. Who does he think he is? 'Go home, Genevieve'-- Man, fuck off!

Meanwhile, her cousin and her cousin's boyfriend were fighting for their lives from an undead evil ancient king. They tag-teamed spelling him and beating him up with whatever they could get their hands on, but they were fighting a losing battle. Sabrina was thrown to the ground, and suddenly looked up to see the boy her cousin was currently pissed off at. "Caliban! Help me!"

"Beautiful as you are, I am tempted," he sneered. "No. I think not." His face dropped.

"What about Genevieve?" Sabrina yelled at him.

"I've taken care of her. This crown is my priority." And without another word, he transported himself back to Hell.

—

After Nick went back to the Academy, Sabrina strolled right into Pandemonium and up to the bastard who had played her cousin and cheated in their quest. He was smug, wearing the crown and strutting like he actually ruled the place. "What does my lady think?" he asked. "It's just temporary until I win the infernal crown, of course." Before he could get another word in, Sabrina smacked him.

"We could have died!" she shouted. "Why didn't you help us?"

"Help you?" he repeated. "This is a competition. I was watching you. Closely. When I didn't have my eyes on that cousin of yours— "

"If you were watching me, did you know King Herod was coming for his crown?" Sabrina asked, ignoring his backhanded comment about Genevieve.

"My lady, everyone knows King Herod is a guardian. I assumed you would kill him. … Or he would kill you." He swiped some droplets of blood from her tip. "Or perhaps, you would kill each other. A true monarch knows strategy." He then spoke up loud enough for the whole throne room to hear. "Now, you didn't answer my question! The crown suits me, don't you agree?" Sabrina right-hooked him so hard that the crown came flying off of his head.

"The first round's yours. Enjoy it. It's the last one you'll win." He was desperately trying not to lose his pride. "And I swear, I'll slice your throat ear to ear before I let you have my throne." She seemed as if she was done, but decided to add one more thing. "And if you ever come near Genevieve again, I won't have to. Because she will."

—

After Sabrina had showered the blood and grime off of herself, she threw on her p.j.'s and headed to her cousin's room. Genevieve was laying on her pillow pile in a corner of her room, cuddled up with a blanket and Tex laying on her chest. Bambi was snuggled up against her side. She had traded in her dress and jacket for sweatpants and an old t-shirt; she rubbed her makeup off half-heartedly and tied up her hair on him of her head. "Hey, Vieve," Sabrina greeted softly, slowly entering her room. "Hi," she muttered. "Your stupid friend is a piece of shit."

"He's not my friend. And I know he is. He cheated on the challenge tonight. Left me and Nick pretty much for dead just to get that stupid crown."

"I wanna punch him."

"Don't worry. I did. Twice," she winked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Let me get a few hits in next time."

"They're all yours." Sabrina then knelt to the ground and laid down on her cousin's free side, putting her chin on Genevieve's shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'm so mad at myself. I can't believe I let some piece-of-trash, lying, cheating, dirtbag play me." Sabrina said nothing, just rubbing her cousin's arm in an act of comfort. "If I ever see him again I'll hurt him."

"I know," Sabrina muttered. "You have every right to."

—

While the rest of the Spellman household was preparing for the Hare Moon, Genevieve spent the day curled up in bed, cuddling with her cat and dog and reading books. At some point in the late, late afternoon, a familiar woosh of heat interrupted her lazy day. "How dare you," she began, setting her book down and picking up Tex, holding him close to her chest. "How fucking dare you show up to my house like you're wanted here." She stood up and walked closer to him, while he backed away from her rage-filled frame. "You complete jackass. You are such a piece of shit. You almost get my cousin killed? And you don't do a damn thing to stop it? You- what, you try to get on my good side, and seem so inconspicuous, just so you can spy on my family and cheat on that stupid fucking contest? And then you show up in my room the next day like this?!" She was shouting now. "Don't you even think of saying a God-damned word to me, Caliban! You skeevy little dirtbag!" She set Tex down on her bed so that her hands were free. "Get out of my room, get out of my house, get out of my life!" Genevieve threw her fists at him, hitting anywhere a punch would land. His chest, his arms, his face; she was going blind with rage. She continued moving toward him in her assault until he was backed up against her wall. The punches kept coming. "Genevieve, stop!" He shouted, trying to push her off of him. "Let me apologize— "

"NO!" she screamed. "Don't order me what to do! You don't get to apologize to me! This is beyond apologies! I don't give a fuck what you say to me, nothing will ever, ever cover this!"

"I know!" He screamed back. Her punches slowly stopped. "I know. Nothing I say will fix anything I've done."

"Then why are you here?!"

"No apology will ever be fit for you, but please, please let me say my piece anyway." She said nothing, so he continued. "I am, truly, genuinely sorry for betraying your trust. And I am sorry I left your cousin defenseless last night. There is no explanation I could give that you would see fit to accept. I will spare you the details of the reasons behind my actions. But please, Genevieve, please know that I never wished to cause you any pain. From the moment I met you, I never wanted to harm you. Knowing I have done so is the heaviest burden I will ever carry."

"Are you done waxing poetic now?" she asked, arms crossed, face void of emotion. He nodded slightly. "Good. Get out of my house."

"Gen— " She cut him off. "You have done enough, Caliban! Leave!" He looked at her longingly, with the saddest eyes she had ever seen, and conceded.

"As you wish." He threw his arms up and was once again enveloped in a spiral of hellfire. When it dissipated, he was gone. In his place was a large, bright yellow sunflower. She picked it up apprehensively. Genevieve wanted desperately to throw it in the trash, or to stomp on it, or to shred it with a pair of scissors; in the end, she placed it gently on her desk and went back to bed, throwing the covers over her head and silently crying.

#caos #caos pt 3 #Caliban #prince caliban #prince caliban x oc #prince caliban imagine #prince caliban x reader #caliban x oc #caliban imagine #caliban x reader #sam corlett #Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #dam dis 1 kinda hurted #stay tuned folks

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unethicalexperiments · 3 years

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ok @souryogurt64 this is gonna be super brief for rn because i’m in the middle of writing a paper i have to turn in for school BUT here’s some surface level fleetwood mac/70s bands drama

fair warning i’m also definitely not the person to ask for this stuff as there are definitely other people out there who are more well read/documented on this stuff than i am and it’s been a good minute since i’ve... been a part of the classic rock scene i guess lmao

also fair warning to anyone reading this/planning on doing further research: cw for drug use, child abuse, racism, cults, and literally so much more. just be prepared going in.

anyway, fleetwood mac:

we can start off with they were all fucking each other and cheating on each other with each other. i can’t even go into detail on this bc i can’t even follow it

not to mention the amount of hooking up/cheating happening between bands. stevie nicks was involved with multiple members of the eagles, mick fleetwood was involved with jenny and pattie boyd, who was involved with eric clapton and george harrison (the beatles). christine mcvie was involved with dennis wilson (the beach boys). again so much more but i can’t even follow it

this is a direct quote from their wikipedia page: “while on tour in february 1971, jeremy spencer said he was going out to ‘get a magazine’ but never returned. after several days of frantic searching the band discovered that spencer had joined a religious group, the Children of God.”

peter green also had a bad lsd trip and also joined a “christian religious group” later on, and did not return to the band

oh at one point during the cheating bob Weston slept with jenny boyd (who was married to mick fleetwood at the time) and fleetwood was “so devastated” he cancelled 26 tour dates

the sheer amount of drug use was insane and i could write an entire paper on lsd use in the 70s alone but

stevie nicks once said in an interview that at the height of the bands drug use, she would keep a gram of coke in her boot at all times

also just learned this now apparently stevie nicks appeared in several episodes of american horror story

after a split at one point the band renamed itself to “the new fleetwood mac” and got into a lawsuit with former band members over it

literally a band that formed in 1968 continued to have lineup changes due to interpersonal arguments in 2018

and that’s all just some surface level stuff. some other “interesting” tidbits from some other bands/artists from the same era

again, major drug use. keith richards (rolling stones) had his blood basically entirely replaced 3 times due to the amount of heroin in his body

keith richards was also hospitalized once after a coconut fell out of a tree and hit him on the head

while there was unfortunately tons of it, plenty of abuse towards underage girls. i’m talking 30+ year old rock stars sleeping with 14 year old girls. both steven tyler (aerosmith) and jimmy page (led zeppelin) come to mind immediately but there’s definitely so much more

david bowie, while a bisexual pioneer in glam rock, was openly racist. he once said “hitler was the first real rock star”. yes. you read that right. he later blamed that statement on coke use.

eric clapton also basically did the same thing ^

keith moon (the who) caused his band mate pete townshend to go partially deaf after he put explosives in his drum kit and set them off at the end of a song

keith moon was also just fucking insane he played sets on horse tranquilizers mixed with brandy regularly and is still considered to be one of the greatest drummers of all time

keith moon also once, while leaving a hotel, told his driver to turn around because he forgot something. they went back to the hotel, where moon went back up to his room, and tossed the tv off the hotels balcony. he went back to the car saying “can’t believe i almost forgot”. he got his entire band banned for life at holiday inns after driving a car into a hotel pool. i think about this so much i love keith moon

also once when i was in high school i was hanging around with my italian teacher and talking about music and she had told me when she was young her and her friend went to go see led zeppelin. after the show they went back stage, and she said, and i quote “we were just 15 year old virgins at the time” and i’m pretty sure that was her way of telling me she lost her virginity to a member of led zeppelin. man i miss that woman.

#talking to myself #anyway! this was kinda brief but #hope it shed at least some light #sorry if the formatting on this sucks i’m on mobile #also i meant to put it under a read more tag but couldn’t figure out how sorry #but yeah that’s an actual thing my italian teacher said to me #ok i really have to go back to writing my paper on meth

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youremyonlyhope · 3 years

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Starship Rewatch

10 years ago today (well, yesterday since I’m posting it a day later), 15 year old Hope curled up on her couch to watch a new StarKid show called Starship right as it dropped. This was the first time I got to watch a show when it was posted since I didn’t become a StarKid fan until a months earlier. I was so excited.

And now, I’m rewatching Starship for the first time in full in at least 5 years I think. I listened to the soundtrack twice earlier today, singing along at my desk at work (thank god no one else was here tonight to judge me). I still know so many of the lyrics. And so many little jokes and stuff were flooding back. Starship was my favorite StarKid show for a long time, so I’m so excited to watch this again to see if it’s still my fave.

This post ended up being really long, so you’ve been warned. But it also includes pictures of the crocheted Roach and Bugette plushies that I made as a teen.

OH. THE OLD LOGO. AHHH. I already have so many feels. The future is now! I can’t handle this. The nostalgia! The Galactic League of Extraterrestrial Exploration. My facebook account to this day says I am a Starship Ranger at the G.L.E.E. because I’ve never bothered to change it. Also, shoutout to anyone from the StarKidPotter FB and EFST days if you’re reading this. AHHH IT’S CHRIS AND ERIC. Ok I might have to pause 20 thousand times during this Starship Ranger ad to acknowledge all the StarKid cameos. Tyler! “We come to conquer... in peace!” Tyler I love you. Brian and Richard! I forgot they painted Richard BLUE. Britney and Ariel! Nicholas Joseph Stauss-Matathia! I see that StarKid’s website has shortened his name to just Nicholas Strauss but remember the days when we’d purposefully say his full name? Anyway, I literally just screamed “NICK” when I saw him because he was always one of my faves. The Old Snatch was and still is iconic. Devin and Lily! The Wizard God himself, AJ Holmes. God... remember those AJ Holmes appreciation days where we’d make Chuck Norris-like memes about AJ? So much is rushing back from the depths of my mind oh my god... It’s been so long yet it feels like yesterday... “Someone really *static* F- *static* -ucked up big time” Love it.

2 minutes and 22 seconds in. I’ve written so much. I had to pause before Joey started singing to take a moment. I love this show so much. I love these goofballs so much. And they’re all so young. Most of them are younger than I am now. This is insane.

Ok I have to promise myself not to pause as much now. *Spoiler, I failed*

“I’ll fight off this gamma radiation if it’s the last thing I ever do!... We’re going down! This is the last thing I’ll ever do!” Oh my god. Look at baby Joey. He hasn’t even graduated from college yet. And that Bug puppet! Someone remind me to dig up the pictures of my crocheted plushies of Starship puppets since I made Roach and Bugette and gave them to the StarKids at SPACE and Apocalyptour. (I also did Rumbleroar, but the bugs were my own pattern I made so I was more proud) The camera is focused in on Bug instead of Joey’s face. I love it. So much. Brannnttttttt. My god. Am I gonna freak out over every single entrance? Roach pretending to die, he’s the best friend ever. “The needs of the many bugs outweigh the needs of the few bugs.” “Or the one bug, I know.” Oh man, when that line comes back... “Dirt eater” “Exoskeleton polisher” “I wanna build honeycombs” “The bug that ruins your picnic” “A fly on the wall!” That line came back to me earlier today and I died. Remembering that line was like 50% of the reason I listened to the soundtrack today.

Nick Lang! Julia! LAUREN LOPEZ. THERE SHE IS. Lovebugs, I can’t. *Sentimental music* “You could come over to my nest and I could... tear off your head and let my larva devour your body?” How did I forget that line? The way Lauren has to kick Bugette’s larva sack to walk. But the way that it also works so well with the character. I can’t. The Mosquito Brothers!! I forgot they show up so early. “This is our sister, Sweetheart” “...YO.” I CANNOT HANDLE JIM POVOLO. The “zzzz”s like buzzing as backing vocals instead of the usual “ahs” and “oohs.” The things you don’t appreciate until years later. Darren, you genius. That is such a good detail. For a second I couldn’t remember who the Overqueen is played by. 99% sure it’s Jim (It is). Also. Overqueen like ovary... and it looks like a giant vagina. That had to be pointed out to me later. “FLATTERY WILL GET YOU... everywhere.” Why did I forget that line too? “I’m a starship ranger” “Quiet you, you’re drunk” “No I’m drunk!” I remembered that line probably like... 2 minutes earlier when I noticed Joe huddling in the background and realized that line was coming up. The way Joey lets go of the puppet so both he and the puppet walk away with their arms limp... so cute.

Before even pressing play on part 3, I can hear February saying “Let the record show I am super ahead of schedule.” and I’m dying. I forgot about Brian as the escape pod. Denise Donovan! That Star Trek prop. I’m dumb so I can’t remember if it’s a communicator or what. But I know my Uhura Barbie had a mini one that I lost within a month probably. “OxyGen” “Schience” I can’t. “Mission Log... I think I just heard a spooky noise.” How am I forgetting all of these amazing lines? “Pika-pi!” AHHH I JUST SCREAMED. “My stars, I seemed to have landed in a field of these aMiNals!” I can’t. “Can I tell you guys something?” *port de bras and falls gently to the ground* “Hello!” “TOTORO!” I’m dead. The balloon mechanism on the mosquitos! I forgot about that! “HOLY SHIT IT’S A BUUUUGGGGG” Ok something I noticed but didn’t mention earlier. The bug puppet that Joe uses when he says “I had my heart set on nourishment” is the same one red and pink one that Julia used when talking about wanting to be nourishment. When Julia actually gets eaten, she’s using a different bug puppet, the green and pink one, but the same character voice. So, I can’t tell if they intentionally had her play 2 bugs so Joe could be one of them later, or if it was a mistake. I might also just be overthinking things. “ME THINKS IT WENT THAT-A-WAY” I cannot handle Jim Povolo. That scream Joe does as he slimes her. Woah I originally wrote “There seems to be no signs of intelligent lifeforms anywhere” earlier and then deleted it since I don’t know why I found it remarkable. And then looking at the comments of this part I see someone mentioned a Toy Story reference. So that’s why that line stuck out to me. Aww StarKid. There are so many Disney references in this show.

THERE SHE IS. THERE’S MY GIRL TAZ. The pew pew effects how could I forget that! “Hey Taz. You’re pretty tough for a chick.” “I was just going to say the same thing about you.” “Woahhhhhhhh” JoMo oh my god. “My spectrometer readings are off the wazooooooo” That line kills me. Why am I JUST NOW noticing, 10 years later, that Tootsie enters this scene with his gun facing the wrong way. Oh my god. “I saw the empirical proof that science killed god. It’s comforting to know he was once alive though. I like to think that when he died, he went to heaven.” Oh Tootsie Noodles. “...What the hell kind of name is that?” “He’s got bear hands??” Why do I forget all of these lines??!? That record scratch and freeze frame to go “BOOOOOO” oh my god I forgot that. “Like the other day, he was in the cafeteria, just cah-rying in front of everybody.” BOOOOOOO. Here we go, Taz’s amazing Up monologue. “And when Up, cuts an onion, the ONION is the one who cry.” HELP. Also 99% sure I used that joke for AJ appreciation at least one year. “Now take a walk off my knife” What a line. So awesome. I remember having a profile pic on FB that was the text of that monologue and the image of Lauren screaming “WALK IT OFF” I’m still convinced that first “WOO” from the audience that we hear when Up enters is Darren. “I do not peepee sitting down” “Huh??” JoMo’s face as if he’s trying his hardest not to laugh and I can’t tell if that’s him breaking character or if Krayonder is actually trying not to laugh. “I peepee like big boy, deadgoddamnit. So stop making fun of me because it hurts my feelings” I’m dying. Also, deadgoddamnit is amazing. “if you don’t go out there and die for something, then I will kill you for nothing.” I remembered the mirror scene, just seconds before it started and already started laughing. “You’re not a failure, overall.” “Allow me to introduce you to the final member of your team. MegaGirl!” I forgot how DRAMATIC that was. I also forgot that’s how MegaGirl comes into the story.

I need to stop pausing every 5 seconds oh my god I’ll never finish this tonight if I don’t.

“All hail AstroBoy” That was the funniest line. “MegaGirl, can you kill humans?” “No. But I’d like to.” I can’t handle it. “A horse ate my cousin! Me and horses got a feud.” #1 MegaGirl doing the “I’m watching you” hand sign. I can’t. “Hey. Miráme. *Slaps* NOW ESCHUCHAME” amazing. “Or that time. You taught me calculus... CALCULUS WAS TOUGH.” I never went past pre-calc. Nope. Ah. Get Back Up. One of my fave songs. “And now we dance.” Dylan’s “OW” as they lean back. “Ok Idiotas. Say something nice. Or I will kill you.” It’s all so iconic.

“So you still think being an egg planter is lame?” “...Yes.” The larva oh my god. I forgot we see one before the end. That’s Jaime playing the larva I think. Life is definitely one of my all-time favorite StarKid songs to this day. I wish it was longer. I love it so much. And I love that its instrumental is scattered as a motif throughout the show. “It’s a short, small thing we lead. With so much potential, pointless or essential, which one can I be?” Wow. Near Pippin levels of giving me an existential crisis. Also wow Joey improved his singing so much between AVPS and Starship. “My name’s Bug” “*Gasp!* Like a bug??” “Uh... no.” “Good. I’m February, like the month, but a person.” I should start saying that honestly. “I’m Hope, like the concept, but a person.” “You boldly go where every man -hey- woman -bark woof- or data dog has ever gone before! Sorry K9DX” Adorable. Joey’s subtle little double nod he makes the Bug puppet do when he’s shocked she thinks he’s a Starship Ranger. Amazing. Ah he said goddamn not deadgoddamn! February should have known right then he wasn’t human! “Take my claw” that too. "The only thing that needs to rest are your jokes, because they are so tired.” “Woahhhhhh” No but like... why don’t I use that line in everyday life... “Now I am slightly less weak.” “Ok. I’m going to shoot this metal bitch!” I’m dying. How did I forget the Taz/MegaGirl rivalry?? “That thing is a R-O-B-O-T man” “Can’t fool me with numbers, Krayonder.” I’m dead. “The stack of hay was my cousin!” #2 The way Meredith says “barometric pressure” is great. And Tootsie saying “Well you must take real good care of it, because I never would have guessed.” He’s such a sweetheart. “Nobody shoot dammit, nobody shoot.” “KILL KILL KILL” I never really liked Hideous Creatures but it’s so cute to see MegaGirl do the choreo robotically. I love that the Gap hasn’t changed. “Cool it skank, you do not know me.” Another line that I forgot until a split second before it was said. I’m so glad whoever edited this added some pews going in the wrong way for Tootsie’s gun. I know I definitely noticed Tootsie’s gun was backwards during this part, but I don’t know if I noticed it was backwards in that very first scene too. I forgot about MegaGirl tossing out Specs. That “MEGAGIRL!!!” scream from Joe though.

“Never in my 6 long days of life.” Underappreciated joke. Also, I think this is the 4th unique upright bug puppet. We got red/pink, green/blue, green/pink, and now red/blue. Also, Nick Lang is a great puppeteer. “Yes, I helped her escape. But I swear, never in a million years, did I think I’d be caught and yelled at for it!” Oh I forgot Bugette is the witness. Jaime’s angry face behind Joey is killing me. “He didn’t know the humans were evil.” “Oh, they’re not.” “Shut up!” Humoons and hoomans. “And no more singing or dancing” *gasps of horror* “The Overqueen has overspoken.” “Well, that’s not gonna help your chances with Bugette” Oh Roach. “PERHAPS.” Jim destroys me.

God the 4-person Pincer puppet. Amazing. Dylan’s arms being strong enough to be above his head for 10 minutes straight. Amazing. Also, Nick Lang is so emotive as a claw. It took me a sec but yeah JoMo is the tail. “There were? Where are they?” Joey’s face. “Tell me all about her” The claws under the chin I can’t. Hey StarKid, I see you throwing in an ad mid-video before Kick It Up a Notch. You’re lucky I love and support you guys. “Put ‘em together and what have you got?” bibbity boppity boo. More Disney references! This scene is full of them. Man, remember when we were all blown away by Dylan’s voice in this song the first time? Like we could tell he could sing in AVPM/S, but his songs were just so jokey and only his long “Welcooooooooooome” showed us his talent. But then Kick It Up a Notch happened. And we FINALLY appreciated Dylan’s beautiful voice. “I pushed it to the limit.” and “To coin a phrase, be a man.” more Disney. I might be overthinking this and will have to rewatch Life to confirm, but I think the camera zooming out as Pincer reprises Life is just like the camerawork when Bug sang it originally. If so, then wow even when filming their shows StarKid really thinks it all through. (Update: It totally is referencing the original zooms for Life and that’s amazing. Except it’s zooming out instead of in. I LOVE the attention to detail even in filming the show. I’m gonna guess that’s Liam’s doing.) All I can see when I hear Bug’s chorus of this song is Jaime and her SPACE tour dancing, which they incorporated in Apocalyptour as actual choreography. Because they’re goofballs. The kick line. Love it. God. Even though it’s not my favorite song from Starship (just because I love Life and Beauty more), Kick It Up A Notch is one of the best StarKid has ever done. I really has everything. Dylan’s gorgeous voice. Not one but two reprises of earlier songs to throw Bug’s own words back at him. Jim’s bass line. Awesome puppets. Disney references. It’s so amazing. I love how all the comments are either about Dylan’s voice or Dylan’s ability to hold his arms up for a 10+ minute scene or both.

"Gameover man, gameover!” “I feel like cutting open your belly, and filling it with jelly” *Gasps* Oh my god, I put on the captions for a second, and the caption said *Sad spayed puppy noises* “I am in charge of this mission now.” How did I forget about the mustache until 2 seconds before it happened? “She’s got the mustache now. *Kisses head* I love you” Oh my god Tootsie. I FORGOT ABOUT THE SECOND STACHE. There’s an ad right when we see Bug’s human form and I can’t even care because look at him! Ahhh. And the blue headband! Ahhhhh. Joey you’re so adorableeeee. “Bug? Well that’s a fine name.” His concerned face then the relief. Adorable. “Thank you sir. I am a tough bitch.” “Getting nothing but bug muff?!?” I love the slight delay the audience has before laughing as they realize what was just said. “Bug. You hard, ese. You flame.” I die. “Up there. In Space!” *dramatic pointing* No I totally didn’t just do the dramatic pointing with them... no that’s not in my muscle memory from 10 years ago... why would you think that. I’ll rave about Status Quo after it’s done. “But, what if I miss you?” Awwwwwwwww. And that “Just look up.” screenshot was used for “This.” memes in the fandom for years.

Oh Joey. Status Quo is such a good song too. And he really did improve as a singer to sing it. Earlier this week I remembered that this week is also the 10th anniversary of that time Darren was hopping from city to city every single day to promote the Warblers album. And at one point in that week he did a livestream that I remember rushing home to watch. In that livestream, I am 99% sure he sang Status Quo as a little sneak preview for Starship being released later that week. (Just checked, yep he sang it in a livestream on April 20 2011) God I love this song. Then the version the boys all sang for SPACE Tour was beyond beautiful too. Ahhh I love this musical.

Ok. It’s almost midnight. I started this 3 hours ago. I’m probably not finishing the show until 2am at the rate that I’m pausing and stopping to comment. But OH WELL.

“Dr. Spaceclaw” wow. “Leaving them behind was of little consequence, but a pleasure.” Oh Megagirl. “You did a very good job today too, son.” “*Gasp* Thanks dad.” That Star Wars fake-out though. Speaking of Star Wars, I really need to rewatch Ani now that I’m actively a Star Wars fan unlike last time when I still wasn’t invested in the movies I just watched them. How did I forget about Jaime playing Junior’s new mom?? ...Does Junior get an alien incubating in his chest... is that foreshadowing... I can’t remember. (This was like... half a foreshadow) This scene is funnier now that Breredith is married. The way Junior says “Phew” I’m dead. I remembered how they restrain MegaGirl once again 2 seconds before it happened oh my god. “We deserve bubbles on our skin.” An iconic line. “Well thank the long dead god you made it, Bug!” The crunching of the handshake, I can’t. Oh someone in the comments pointed out that Bug and February are doing the Tarzan hand thing while Up’s asking Taz to see a movie. Adorable.

Get yourself a man like Tootsie who won’t stand for you talking down about yourself. “Maybe this was all part of God’s plan. He made before he died.” I love the dead god jokes. I remember years ago some kid on facebook was like “The dead god jokes are offensive” and I was like “It’s a sci-fi musical about a bug in a human body but sure worry about god being dead.” but probably in an even more immature answer. I’m just mesmerized by Tootsie and MegaGirl’s verses. God. The first Dylan and Meredith duet. Amazing. And MegaGirl’s confused face is great. “Don’t press that button, or we’ll all be sucked into space.” So... Can anyone tell me what foreshadowing is? Oh shoot... ok wait no I’ll comment on that when we get there. God that is such a cute love song. I wrote barely anything just because I love that song so much. Would love to know where Tootsie’s taking her though.

Oh my god this scene! I forgot about this. How could I forget this. “Well the world always looks a little bit brighter, from on top of a lap.” I had remembered Bug sitting on Up’s lap, but not Specs. This is the part I forgot. Adorable. Ahhhh so cute. The Specs/Krayonder relationship was apparently cut from the filmed version, but was present if you saw it live. These moments are adorable. And I love how this is the second person JoMo’s had to carry in this show since he also carried Denise earlier. “Why if it isn’t Bug, my oldest friend.” and “Don’t say that, my dear.” are adorable. Oh wait. Up sat on Bug’s lap. Not the other way around. Ok. I didn’t remember this scene as well as I thought I did. I’m dying. I didn’t want to write anything during this, but oh my god “That son of a bitch Optimus Prime” I forgot that. I love the audience’s reaction to “The entire right side of my body, it’s a robot” because they all gasp, and then laugh at themselves for gasping. I knew there was something he couldn’t do without crying. I didn’t remember it being “Sir I Wanna Buy These Shoes” Christmas Song. It’s ok Up, I haven’t listened to that song in full in years. I can’t handle it. But Christmas songs in general make me cry too. Oh Up said goddamn instead of deadgoddamn too. Hmm... Aww the mother spider story. “I think the old you was just killing out of hate.” “Oh I was.” I’m dying. Awwww the nose kiss. I definitely remembered that. “Deadgodspeed soldier!” The way Joey misses catching the keys and also Darren’s “Woo!” in the audience again. So great. That 12 minute scene is just adorable and the Up story is so dramatic and hilarious.

Hmm finishing before 2am might be ambitious... “Hahaha. Then I’ll shoot him!” “Taking care of my business down on the planet is that cool with you?” Brian’s delivery of that line has always intrigued me. “How much I care about my MegaGirl unit’s survival is also a percent equivalent to zero” Rude. “You are nothing like my boyfriend, Tootsie Noodles.” “Yes, well - wait WHAAA” This scene is so different now that they’re married. “Ha. Ha. It was cute.” “You’re... a toaster.” *Slaps* Ok 1) I used to use that insult all the time and only half ironically. I was a strange teenager. 2) She just hurt a human... isn’t that against programming, or can she just not kill humans? Evil angry Brolden is something we need more of. I love Brian as a villain. More please. “You stupid goddamn robot” So I guess they say goddamn and deadgoddamnit. I’m overthinking the evolution of language in this universe. Also Brian’s screams while being choked are amazing. I’ve never forgotten those, if anything they’re better now.

AHHHH I REFRESHED AND DELETED ALL OF MY STUFF FOR BEAUTY. Kill me. I’m so mad. Let me try to recreate it but I hate myself. I was saving this draft after every part but OF COURSE I don’t save after my favorite song and then refresh.

Oh poor Meredith. Her white wig doesn’t let her blend in as much when she’s in the hoodies playing a bug. “Oh hey Bugette, we’re just trying to get Bug laid!” That bug had to know about Bugette’s crush though? That’s just cruel. “The ending is killer” ruuuuuuddddddddddeee. I know I had at least one more point, but that’s lost to the ether. Beauty is probably my fave, if not tied with Life. When I was listening to it earlier, I was overcome with emotion because it’s just such a joyful song. These days I cry over happy stuff almost as much as I cry over the sad. And these lines just hit so hard... I love it. I love this song so much and this scene so much. “Bug. She excreted her filth for you. WE DID IT!!!!!!!!” Brant Cox is so good. It really is a shame he’s not in anything else besides AVPSY and the 10th Anniversary with everyone else. “I do accept you for who you really are. A genius.” Well February, you’ll be glad to know that you thought of that, so you’re the genius. Wow. Junior’s 25, Brian was 25, and now I’m 25. This really was perfect timing for the 10th anniversary. Also I do not feel 25. “Suck off!” amazing.

I’M SAVING THIS TIME.

Ok next part. Luckily I was only 1 minute into the next part when I refreshed. Still so mad at myself... “Someone really firetrucked up big time” (Dead)God I love that line. I also used firetruck unironically. Once again, I was a strange teenager and I didn’t like cursing and I still don’t. “This is so weird, I’m so used to the scrambly version.” (It was while writing this line the first time that I refreshed and lost Beauty....) Ok as I watch AJ, it’s hitting me that he almost definitely came to the set during rehearsals and filmed his part since it’s not a green screen like the rest of them. “The hunters have become the hunted, and it’s wabbit season.” “That was a good video, until the end when it got sad.” Thanks Bug. “I think, I just had a think” See February’s smart. “I’m in a weird situation” Love that line. “Bug is a BUG!? I DON’T BELIEVE IT” Oh Junior. Dylan’s insulted face at “I am not... a dumbass.” So I can’t tell if Brian forgets he’s trapped when he moves his arms into a more relaxed position to lean on the column and then puts them back, or if it’s purposefully staged that way. Brian’s acting while he pretends to be shy and embarrassed about his evil plan is amazing and adorable. Brian has a good evil laugh, why don’t we get him as a villain more often? Also I was gonna make some sort of joke about Nick as Pincer’s left claw vs. Robert as Snarl’s left paw, but I’ll leave it be.

I FORGOT ABOUT THAT WEIGHT TAZ WAS LIFTING JUST FLOATING UP TO THE SKY WHEN SHE LETS GO. I just laughed out loud. “Damn that G.L.E.E. They’re always making twisted abominations of everything!!” I cannot handle it. And the wink. Poor Darren but also not poor Darren at all. I was just now WRACKING my mind for who could possibly be playing Pincer’s tail if JoMo was being devoured by mosquitos. It’s Brant. Literally the entire cast is currently onstage. Ok Krayonder’s been getting his blood drained for 3 minutes, why is he alive? OH I FORGOT KRAYONDER GETS UP AND SHOOTS THE BUGS. Ok and he gets chopped by Pincer’s claws too so HOW does he survive? StarKid answer!!! I forgot how dramatic this musical gets when you got both the bugs and MegaGirl coming after the humans. Aww the Vulcan salute from Specs. “I changed my name. To Tootsie... MegaGirl.” I love the reactions of the people in the audience who immediately realize what that means. I hear at least one “oh my god” that sounds like sobbing. Awwwww Tootsie’s “that’s real” speech and “I’d love you if you was the horse that ate my cousin.” (#3) just... get yourself a man like Tootsie MegaGirl. He is perfection. God the downloading love scene is so cute. I can’t handle it.

The Up saving Taz scene is so dramatic. Then Brian and Jim just calmly walk offstage. It kills me. Also why did Jaime just continue to lie there? “I just needed to learn how to kill with my heart.” Not exactly what Bug meant, but it works. God Taz climbing onto Up’s back is still the most hilarious thing ever. Whoever thought of her climbing that way was a genius. So funny. I always wanted to try it. Holding the gun up to her head like a blowdryer always gave me anxiety. Making the door out of a scrim that can be backlit was genius. Oof and bringing back “The needs of the many bugs outweigh the needs of the few bugs. Or the one bug.” just hurts. Poor Bug. My heart. This is probably the line that sticks with me to this day and I do think about sometimes.

Ok it’s now 2am and I still have 2 more parts.

I sorta love that Joey didn’t have the time to change into his blacks so he’s still in the Starship Ranger suit while playing the Bug puppet. “Save the Overqueen. I love her.” Awww. “Roach, I’m gonna get the job done if it’s the second last thing I do.” Love it. That Kick It Up A Notch Reprise though. Brian, you should play villains more often. Also remember all of us being like “LUPIN CAN SING?!?!?!??!!” “Lucky for me, God is dead. When you see him in hell, tell him Junior sent you.” Deadgod I love that line. This whole deadgod thing was just leading up to that amazing line. Oh no Bugette! Bug saying “maestro” oh my god. “DFSDSJFDSJKFDS... I’m dead.” I forgot that part! Oh my god the way Brian flicks the glasses back down on his face. Ok so I saw Lauren wiggle her way behind the mucus sac, but I didn’t see Nick come onstage. I rewinded, and I guess the zoom in shots on Brian and Joey were timed so we can’t see Nick join Lauren to be the first larva to come out. Oh well. And I love the crowd cheering as Junior dies. “And bingo was his name-o” That callback though. I forgot that the Overqueen eats Bugette’s body while crying. “Or Bugette! Oh...” Also god Roach is adorable.

Last part. 2:21am. Here we go. Krayonder got his blood sucked out by giant mosquitos and was cut up by a giant scorpion, but all he needs is a bandage around his head. Awwww the soft “I Wanna Be” playing the background as Bug begs the team to accept his bug form. Bug being so mad “It’s that bastard Pincer isn’t it?” and then being so happy that Joey does the little nose scrunch thing. So cute. JOEY’S FACE WHEN DENISE KISSES THE BUG PUPPET. Cannot believe I forgot that until 2 seconds before it happened too. “I now pronounce you man vs. machine. Fight!” WOAH. Why in the WORLD did “eep op ork ahah” come back to me. I was able to say it WITH Joey. That was straight from the DEPTHS of my teenage brain oh my god. I forgot about that oh my GOD. THAT’S INSANE. I FORGOT SO MUCH STUFF BUT I REMEMBERED HOW TO SAY “I LOVE YOU” IN BUG.

And the Beauty reprise.

God I love this musical. It’s still my fave StarKid show I think. And I’m horrified to see that it has only 500K views for the last part, so only 500K people have watched it all the way through after 10 years. That’s disgraceful. It’s amazing. Watch Starship.

It is 2:32am. I started at 8:50pm. Got sidetracked when I had to rewatch the Beauty part of Act 2 again to make sure I got my notes back in the post. Took a few bathroom breaks. But this is mostly because I paused every like 10 seconds to make a comment, so it took 5 and a half hours to watch a 3 hour musical. This why I take forever to watch things while liveblogging. I take too long to writing notes.

I’ll probably just post this in the morning. Gotta proofread for mistakes before posting.

Ok it’s the next afternoon. This post is literally 5,000+ words and takes 20 minutes to read according to a online word counter. I’m sorry to whoever read this entire thing. Your reward is the pictures of the Starship plushies I crocheted when I was 15 and 16.

(Ignore the bad lighting and my horribly chipped paint. That’s the only picture I have of the Bugette one since I gave it to Lauren Lopez a day later. I started making another for myself shortly after but never finished. Maybe I should finally finish the second one... hmm...)

#hope rewatches starkid #guys i'm not kidding it's 5000+ words i wrote a lot i commented on basically every single second of this 3 hour musical

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swordlesbean · 4 years

Text

this means war | 80s catradora mega mixtape [listen]

track listing and lyric selections under the cut

tape 1: raised on you

| 01 shadows of the night pat benatar |

we're running with the shadows of the night / so baby, take my hand, it'll be all right / surrender all your dreams to me tonight / they'll come true in the end

| 02 the best tina turner |

give me a life time of promises and a world of dreams / speak the language of love like you know what it means / it can't be wrong / take my heart and make it strong, baby / you're simply the best, better than all the rest

| 03 right by your side eurythmics |

give me two strong arms to protect myself / give me so much love that i forget myself / i need to be right by your side

| 04 wish upon me suzi quatro |

wish upon me / count on me to infinity / my love will be here / when the stars burn out / so reach out and touch me

| 05 raised on you heart |

let's go tell the world / to quit turning cold / just let me be raised on you / don't have to change just now / we can laugh about the load

| 06 everywhere fleetwood mac |

i'll speak a little louder / i'll even shout / you know that i'm proud and i can't get the words out / oh, i wanna be with you everywhere

| 07 only you yazoo |

all i needed was the love you gave / all i needed for another day / and all i ever knew / only you

tape 2: falling out

| 01 the last beat of my heart siouxsie & the banshees |

reach out your hands / don't turn your back / don't walk away / how in the world can i wish for this never to be torn apart? / close to you till the last beat of my heart

| 02 don’t turn around bonnie tyler |

i'm gonna be strong / i'm gonna do fine / don't worry about this heart of mine / just walk out that door / yeah, see if I care / go on and go now but don't turn around / cause you're gonna see my heart breaking

| 03 falling out kim wilde |

what can i say now after all is said and done / you cut me up in pieces when the shooting first begun / what did i do to you to make you turn away? / cause now there's nothing left for me / there's nothing i can say

| 04 borderline madonna |

you let me down, when i look around / baby, you just can't be found / stop driving me away, i just want to stay / i've given all i can / cause you got the best of me / borderline / feels like i'm going to lose my mind

| 05 love is a battlefield pat benatar |

you're begging me to go / then making me stay / why do you hurt me so bad? / it would help me to know / do i stand in your way? / or am i the best thing you've had?

| 06 i call your name roxette |

i close the door behind me, and i turn the lights all down / there's no one there beside me, i call your name

| 07 who will you run to heart |

you're sure the life you're living with me / can't go on one single minute / and there's a new one waiting outside this door / and now's the time to begin it / you found a new world / and you want to taste it / but that world can turn cold / and you better face it / who will you run to when it all falls down?

| 08 get up and go the go-go’s |

i was on the inside / looking out for you / but you're the one to make the change / there's nothing i can do / now's the time for you to move / actions shout out loud

| 09 stop draggin’ my heart around stevie nicks ft. tom petty & the heartbreakers |

i know you really want to tell me goodbye / i know you really want to be your own girl / baby, you could never look me in the eye / yeah, you buckle with the weight of the world / stop draggin’ my heart around

| 10 breakdown grace jones |

it's okay if you must go / i'll understand if you don't / you say goodbye right now / i'll still survive somehow / why should we let this drag on?

| 11 edge of a broken heart vixen |

it won't be easy, but i've got to be strong / and if i wanna cry i don't need your shoulder / i been living on the edge of a broken heart / don't you wonder why i gotta say goodbye

tape 3: moth to a flame

| 01 i love playing with fire joan jett & the blackhearts |

i love playing with fire / i don't wanna get burned / i love playing with fire / don't think i'll ever learn

| 02 action reaction missing persons |

action reaction, the girl knows just what to do / action reaction, she gets some reaction from you / she's gonna take you by surprise / she's gonna hit you right between the eyes

| 03 bring your love down (didn’t i) yazoo |

if you think you need a change / well, i'm sure we can arrange for you to get on your own for a while / but i don't need to worry, cause you'll get back in a hurry / i know that you like my style / you play your games but the fact remains / i'm the only one that can hold your reins

| 04 moth to a flame olivia newton-john |

here again drawn like a moth to a flame / an invisible force pulling me close to you / i can't break free / there's some kind of hold over me / like a magnet, you attract me like steel

| 05 who’s that girl madonna |

she's trouble, in a word get closer to the fire / run faster, her laughter burns you up inside / you're spinning round and round / you can't get up, you try but you can't

| 06 regrets eurythmics |

i've got a delicate mind / i've got a dangerous nature / and my fist collides with your furniture / i'm an electric wire / and i'm stuck inside your head

| 07 who’s problem? the motels |

so, whose problem am i / whose problem am i / whose problem am i / if i'm not yours?

| 08 state of mind suzi quatro |

fire burning in my heart / tearing me apart / you're the fire / you knocked my defenses down / bare as the day i was born / you're the one

| 09 breakdown girlschool |

i'm gonna make you understand / that i've seen it all before / i twist your mind and break your heart / and you still come back for more

| 10 long time joan jett & the blackhearts |

you can always wake the beast in me / that's the thing that never lets me be / it's gonna take a long time / to get you off of my mind

| 11 winter kills yazoo |

pain / in your eyes / makes me cruel / makes me spiteful / tears are delightful / welcome your nightfall / how winter kills / i tear at you, searching for / weaker seams

tape 4: goodbye to you

| 01 cat-o’-nine-tails L7 |

you're scratching me, baby / right down to my heart / claw the couch now that we're apart / think i'm allergic

| 02 had enough joan jett & the blackhearts |

you rain storm cloud / you ain't no friend / don't wanna see your face again / had enough of you / you ain't for me

| 03 winning the war ‘til tuesday |

you fight just for the sake of it / you know what hurts the most / you might have once been faking it / but now it cuts too close / winning the war and losing every battle / you close the door on happy ever after

| 04 cry wolf stevie nicks |

you can try, but you can't get me into the fire / cause i'm all out of sympathy / and, baby, i can't walk this wire / find yourself somebody new / to catch you when you fall

| 05 thorn in my side eurythmics |

to run away from you / was all that i could do / thorn in my side / you know that's all you'll ever be / so don't think you know better / cause that's what you mean to me

| 06 state i’m in bananarama |

can we carry on / or must we still pretend / that we're really friends / those feelings have gone / but we're not the same / and we're both to blame / there's nothing left to tell you / nothing left to give you

| 07 goodbye to you scandal feat. patty smyth |

baby, it's over now / no need to talk about it / it's not the same / my love for you's just not the same / and my heart can't stand the strain / goodbye to you

| 08 this means war joan jett & the blackhearts |

it hurts me so to fight with you / but since you closed the door / this means war, and you will see it's senseless / this means war, and soon you'll be defenseless / cause you can't win this war

| 09 harden my heart quarterflash |

darling, in my wildest dreams, i never thought i'd go / but it's time to let you know / i'm gonna harden my heart / i'm gonna swallow my tears / i'm gonna turn and leave you here

| 10 don’t watch me bleed ‘til tuesday |

i guess you gave as good as you got / i guess this love is dead at last / but i paid such a lot / don't just kiss me goodbye / don't watch me bleed

tape 5: change of heart

| 01 change of heart cyndi lauper |

here i am just like i said i would be / i'm your friend just like you think it should be / did you think i would stand here and lie / while our moment was passing us by / oh, i am here waiting for your change of heart / it just takes a beat to turn it around

| 02 sorry me, sorry you jefferson starship |

out on the edge / such a dangerous place to be / when darkness falls / and you got no way to see / don't turn away from me / you say you're sorry / i'm sorry too

| 03 we can change belinda carlisle |

i swear we don't have to hurt anymore / throw the old ways out and close the door / nothing remains the same / we can't hold on, but baby we can change

| 04 fighting divinyls |

gotta stick to the fight when you're hardest hit / is when things hurt the most that you must not quit / i'm losing my resistance and i'm coming after you / this time i gotta cause worth fighting for

| 05 before this night is through bonnie tyler |

come inside, close the door, come to me now / we'll find our way, we know how / let the past be the past, let it all fall away

| 06 something to believe in the bangles |

i lost direction in the darkness / couldn't stop myself from running / i could feel the sun on my back / but i was afraid to let the light in / now i can't run anymore / now i see this gift you bring me

| 07 surrender gloria estefan |

you've got the key / so open up your heart and be my destiny / come back, baby, come back / surrender to me

| 08 (we want) the same thing belinda carlisle |

no matter what we say / no matter what we do / beyond the battle lines, baby, we know what's true / we dream the same thing / we want the same thing / and all that we need is to see it together

| 09 never heart |

we can't go on, just running away / if we wait any longer, we will surely never get away / anything you want, we can make it happen / stand up and turn around, never let them shoot us down

| 10 nothing’s gonna stop us now jefferson starship |

let em say we're crazy, i don't care about that / put your hand in my hand, baby, don't ever look back / let the world around us just fall apart / baby, we can make it if we're heart to heart / we can build this thing together / standing strong forever / nothing's gonna stop us now

| 11 we belong pat benatar |

we belong to the light, we belong to the thunder / we belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under / whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better / we belong together

#catradora #adora #catra #spop #she ra #tunes: catradora #this is divided into five acts and it's stupid long so i don't actually expect anyone to listen to it #i made it unnecessarily hard on myself by making up a very narrow criteria for songs i could include #1.) female vocalist as the lead #2.) the majority of the lyrics fit rather than just a few lines #3.) gender neutral or she/her pronouns #4.) obviously released between 1980-1989 #and it's a bonus if the singer or members of the band are queer #i don't know why i did this except that apparently it's how i like to kill time

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girlsgonemildblog · 3 years

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Is It Too Late to Apply? - The Bachelor Season 25, Week 1 Recap

All images from abc.com

I am a feminist and hate how society continually pits women against each other to compete for men. But two hours a week, for 8-10 weeks a year, I put all of that aside because I LOVE The Bachelor. Give me all the chaos, the drama, the make-outs, the heartbreaks, and the ridiculously sparkly dresses you have. I will watch every second of it and live-tweet the whole thing without an ounce of guilt.

I’m very excited about this new season because there have been almost no spoilers (maybe they should do every season in a bubble?). Just to clarify, I never seek out spoilers, but sometimes they show up on my twitter feed and accost me without my consent. I am promising now; if that does happen for this season, I will not include them in my recaps. Anyway, let’s begin.

It makes sense to start by introducing the bachelor, especially because he’s completely new to Bachelor Nation, Matt James.

Matt James is the first actually hot bachelor in a long time. Colton and Nick Viall were both cute, and Arie and Pete were fine, but Matt James is literally gorgeous. He was supposed to be on Clare’s season until she called him out for using being on her season for clout. To clarify, the “clout” he was using was to get donations to the charity he runs, ABC Food Tours. And his clout did not come from being on her season as much as from being the best friend of the one and only Tyler Cameron. If you are new to Bachelor Nation, Tyler C, as he is (extremely) affectionately called, was the heartthrob of the second most recent season of The Bachelorette. He came in second that season but bounced back quickly by dating Gigi Hadid. Tyler did try to make it work with his bachelorette, Hannah Brown, during quarantine (Matt was also quarantining with them), but they broke up a few months ago.

Because Matt is new to Bachelor Nation, we really don’t know much about him. From the introduction package, we learned that he is mixed-race, and his parents separated when he was young. He also says he has never been in love before, which has made some audience members wary of his position as the bachelor.

His newness also means that he also doesn’t know a lot about the process, and watching him navigate through it with doe-eyed wonder makes him even more charming. We saw his nervousness when he asked Chris Harrison for a fireside chat before the girls started arriving. Chris gave some of his patented Chris-Harrison-advice about love, but they also had a very real conversation about race, which is not something usually seen on this show. Matt voiced his fears about what people will say if he picks a White girl or a Black girl, which was great because The Bachelor usually operates with a “we don’t see race” mindset, which is problematic for obvious reasons. The season of The Bachelorette that ended just two weeks ago featured a Black bachelorette getting engaged to a White contestant. I have not seen any commentary about this, but I’m sure it’s out there; I’m just lucky enough to follow good people.

This season had a record number of applications, and there were 32 contestants on the first night. It would be insane to go through every single one of them, mainly because I don’t remember all of them, so I am just going to discuss the five that stood out to me.

Katie

Katie’s limo-entrance was the cold open of the show, as she introduced herself to Matt James while holding her vibrator. To call this a bold move may be the biggest understatement of all time. I am all for female empowerment and being open about female sexuality, but this was a lot. Especially when she clarified that it had been cleaned, meaning it was not brand new as I had assumed. I don’t care how much she scrubbed it; that’s gross. Also, as another girl was talking to Matt about how the hurricanes had affected her family in Puerto Rico, Katie came up and interrupted her by tapping the girl on the shoulder with the dildo. Whatever the conversation was, that was a weird move. During that specific conversation, it’s rude. If you’re going to do something like that, you have to hold back a second and figure out what the conversation’s vibe is before you interrupt. Still, I like Katie. I think she’s cute and funny. She could go far in this show, as long as she does not rely on the dildo-bit too much.

Khaylah

Nothing about Khaylah blew me away, but she made her entrance in her truck and made that connection to Matt of both being from North Carolina. During the cocktail party, the two of them sat in the bed of the truck under the stars in an adorable moment. In a sea of 32 girls, I was able to remember her (though I did have to look up her name), which I think is a good sign for her with Matt.

Abigail

Abigail and Matt had a great conversation about her being hard of hearing and how it’s difficult for her to talk about when starting a new relationship. Matt, who had stressed his own difficulty with being vulnerable, appreciated her openness. Abigail got the first real kiss of the season, as well as the coveted first impression rose. This rose can be a great sign, as the receiver usually goes far in the competition, and three bachelorettes in a row ended up getting engaged to the person who got this rose. That being said, just last season, Tayshia’s first-impression-rose, Spencer, immediately faded to the background before being cut two weeks later. Still, I am going to keep my eye on her.

Kit

Kit is already a polarizing figure. She’s 21 years old, a self-proclaimed socialite, and the daughter of famous fashion designer Cynthia Rowley. She watched the premiere on Monday with Charlotte Lawrence and Kaia Gerber. For these reasons, plus her saying in a confessional that she loves being the center of attention, people are calling her spoiled, too young, and “not there for the right reasons” (a favorite phrase of Bachelor Nation). I like Kit, though. I think she is unapologetically herself, and I have to admire that. In addition, I think The Bachelor has gotten so big that we have to assume almost every contestant goes on with the thought that maybe they get engaged, but at the very least they’ll get a revolve sponsorship. It’s also clear that she is not going to be the season’s villain, at least not at first.

Victoria

That title is going to go to no other than “Queen” Victoria. Yes, for her career, Victoria listed herself as a queen. She made poor interns carry her in, wore a tiara, and gave Matt a crown so he could be her king. During the cocktail party, she got way too drunk and tried to pressure a girl to talk to Matt by saying “literally” too many times. She also spoke to him three times, while others talked to him zero. This isn’t uncommon on the first night, but it’s still looked down on. Also, she interrupted Kit’s time by saying, “excuse me, princess, the queen is here,” igniting a feud that will be entertaining as all hell to watch. She also got the final rose of the night, signaling to the viewer that the producers made Matt keep her on for the drama. My prediction is all the girls hate her, and she fuels drama for the beginning, but ultimately gets sent home week 3 or 4, so that actual relationship drama can begin. After that, we’ll see her for sure in Paradise.

Matt sent home eight girls, Alicia, Emani, Saneh, Amber, Corrinne, Carolyn, Cassandra, and Kimberly. Alicia was a professional ballerina, which is pretty impressive, and Cassandra’s sister made a funny TikTok about her getting sent home.

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thebrotherssalvatore321 · 4 years

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Little Phoenix

Title: Little Phoenix. Warnings: None. Pairing: Klausxoc (no name) Mentions of Elijahxoc. Setting: Season 3 TVD. Notes: The Oc is a vampire.

She sat at her desk in her bedroom staring at her journal as she held her pen between her pointer and middle finger tapping the paper with the ends of it. So far all of her friends had gotten invites to the Mikealson’s ball, but she sat alone in her pajamas while everyone else was getting ready. It was probably for the better anyway. Damon would be there protecting Elena because eventually everything becomes about Elena.

Deciding to just go to bed early she lifted the covers and was sliding into bed when she heard the door bell ring. So she headed to the door and pulled it open. No one was there. "Hello?" She called and took a step out to look around, but her foot kicked something. She looked down to find an off white dress box tied closed with a white satin bow. A envelope was tucked under the ribbon.

Curiously she picked up the box and brought it inside and up to her room. After setting the box on her bed as if it were a ticking bomb she pulled the envelope out and loosened the red wax seal that was stamped with an M. "Please join the Michelson family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails and celebration." She read aloud as a small smile spread over her lips. A nervous bubble grew in her chest as she untied the box and took off the lid. The dress inside took her breath away.

Champagne silk covered by rose gold lace filled the box and when she lifted it out she saw it had an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline. She laid it on the bed carefully then looked in the bottom of the box to see matching lace gloves that hooked onto the middle finger and champagne satin heels. Realizing what time it was she hopped into action getting ready.

TVDTVDTVD

She arrived a little late, but she didn’t care because someone cared enough to invite her and she had the sneaking suspicion that it was Elijah. "Hey." Elena said, shocked to find her at the ball, much less in a dress that made her look like a fairy princess, her hair in a beautiful messy bun of curls while several lose ringletts hung around her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was invited." She answered and held up her invitation as Damon walked over taking her in with wide admiring eyes. "Careful Damon, you might get drool on your tux. Wouldn’t want to make precious Elena jealous." She commented coldly as she walked past them into the party.

She was looking through the crowd for Elijah when a different accented voice hit her ears. "Looking for someone, love?" She turned to see Klaus behind her. "One of my brother’s perhaps?"

"I was hoping to speak to Elijah." She replied holding the silver clutch in her hands that rested in front of her.

"I hope you don't plan on thanking him for that dress you're wearing." she gave him a confused cock of her head. "It is from me, love."

"Why?" She asked with a shake of her head as her eyes found Caroline who was looking their way with a curious look on her face. "I thought you were into Caroline these days."

"Take a walk with me and I'll explain." He offered her his arm and a charming smile. So feeling like she had no option she looped her arm through his and let him lead her outside.

"So, explain." Katie told him as they started walking along the path that led through the beautiful garden that was the back yard.

"Elijah doesn't love easily and he doesn't let people in." Klaus told her and she nodded knowing this to be true. "You've managed to get him to do both." Her thumb fiddled with the latch of her clutch. "He didn't invite you because you asked him to give you space and he listened because he's Elijah." Katie smirked a little. "I however know that when a woman asks for space there's a fifty-fifty shot that she really doesn’t want it."

"So you bought me the dress and invited me for Elijah?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yes, but I did it for myself too." He told her making her give him a questioning look. "You are a very beautiful woman with a fire in your eyes like I've never seen. You're strong and you don't take crap off of anyone including me. I can see why my brother fancies you." She felt herself blushing at his words. "If he fails to treat you the way I think you should be..." they stopped walking and he stepped in font of her then cupped her chin gently in his hand, "then I just might have to step up."

"Wow." she laughed and looked out across the back yard.

"What?" He asked a little amused.

"Nothing." She looked down at the ground with a smile still on her face.

"No, tell me what's so funny." He told her with a smile of his own.

"Is the great Klaus Mikealson actually interested in me?" She asked with a smile.

"Why do you find that so hard to believe?" He asked with a confused smile of his own.

"Because you're a powerful hybrid and I'm well...me." She answered then looked around and spotted a bench. She walked over to it and made sure it was clean as not to mess up her dress then sat down. Klaus sat down next to her. "I get how you could be interested in Caroline. She's beautiful, poised, organized and a natural born leader as well as a plethora of other amazing things. But me? I don't get it."

"It's not for you to get love." He told her.

"Okay at the risk of sounding completely insecure and like I'm fishing for more complements I'm going to ask you a completely hypothetical question."

"Okay ask away." He told her with smile that suggested he was worried about what might come out of her mouth.

"If I was never involved with Elijah who would you be pursuing more right now? Me or Caroline?" She asked knowing she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself.

"You want me to choose between the two of you?" He asked with a cocky smile.

"Hypothetically and neither of us can ever tell Caroline I asked you this." She said then dropped her eyes to her clutch that she held in her lap. "And answer honestly."

"Can't I choose both?" He asked making Katie look up at him through her lashes. "That’s a very tough question. You are both such wonderful women."

"Okay. Then don't answer." Katie pushed herself up from the bench and started walking away.

"Katie!" He called and whooshed in front of her. "It's not a competition."

"Then why does it feel like Elena and Caroline always win?" She asked as she managed to keep her over the top feelings suppressed. He just blinked at her looking like he actually felt sorry for her. "I know Elijah loves me, but...I can't put my heart in someone's hand for it to be inevitably thrown away again when something better comes along." Klaus placed his hand on her cheek and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but he shut it again not knowing what to say. "I can't be with him. For the past year I've been dating someone. First Damon then Tyler then Damon again. I've been with Damon since I turned...I need to figure out who the hell I am without being tied to someone." She placed her hand over his that was still on her cheek. "Thank you for the dress, it's...gorgeous." she said with a smile down at the dress then took his hand from her face to place it on the curve of her waist and placed her hands on his chest. "You know, you can be sweet when you're not on a murderous rampage." He smiled at her and almost blushed when she stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Good night, Niklaus."

TVDTVDTVD

The next morning she sat up with a yawn and was headed to her bathroom when a canvas leaning against the corner of her desk facing away from her caught her eyes, a note was taped to the back. "To my Little Phoenix. Do not let the ashes from which you emerge weigh you down." It was signed Klaus Mikealson. "P.s. careful it may still be wet."

She picked it up carefully and turned it around. On a white background a beautiful red and black, Phoenix with touches of blues and greens throughout it soared upward with its wings flared and tail swishing as its head looked down. She never would have thought of herself as a Phoenix, but after talking to him last night she understood his new nick name for her.

With a feeling of renewed spirit she stepped up on her bed and took the picture that hung over her headboard off the wall then grabbed the painting from Klaus and hung it in its place.

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holidaywishes · 3 years

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Embers XVI

Chapter XVI: how much really?

Summary of series: Katie moves from Peachtree, Georgia, to L.A. with her son, Alex to start fresh after the death of her husband. When she meets Evan Buckley, a young firefighter, she falls fast but will her son be so quick to accept Evan into his life?

Summary of chapter: Maddie asks Evan to babysit but he worries about doing it on his own; Katie runs into an old friend; Hen and Karen invite everyone over to celebrate an achievement

Warning: some fluff, implied sex, more angst than I expected tbh

Author’s Note: Alrighty, I want to clear something up for those of you who have been reading the series. I’m not going to have some subplot about Katie cheating on Buck with Eddie, the reason I wanted to have that “moment” in the last chapter was so that the possibility of any “cheating subplot” was off the table. I’m going to be perfectly honest, the only series I feel like I’ve successfully concluded was a 50 chapter hockey series about Tyler Seguin -- and I just can’t bring myself to do that again, so I apologize if these last few chapters feel a little rushed but, hopefully, I can end this series with some closure and that it’s still enjoyable for everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Stay golden, loves <3

masterlist

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Katie’s P.O.V

“Evan,” you laughed as your boyfriend paced around his apartment, “you love kids! You’re great with your niece. You’ll do fine. Maddie wouldn’t have asked if--”

“Maddie wouldn’t have asked me if someone else was available,” he interrupted, “I’m her last resort...”

“No,” you scoffed, “Evan, you’re Uncle Buck. You are never the last resort, why would you think that?”

“Because I’m not mature like literally everyone else,” he smiled, stopping in front of you finally, “I’m not a dad...” You stood up, taking a second to wrap your arms around his neck and lean up to kiss his lips gently

“You may not be anyone’s biological dad,” you said, kissing him once more, “but you’re a pretty good dad to Alex. And, believe me, I don’t let just anyone around my son. He doesn’t like everyone either”

“That’s different,” he argued and you rolled your eyes, “he just thinks of me as his friend. I’m not anything more than someone to laugh at with him”

“What’s wrong with being his friend?” you scoffed, pulling your arms away from him, “I’d much rather be his friend than the person who has to discipline him. He loves you, Evan, because of how natural you are around him, because of how much he trusts you.”

“Can’t I just be nervous for a little while?” he whined, earning a laugh from you, “I’ve never babysat an actual baby before. A kid? sure but never a baby. What if I drop her? Or have to change her diaper?”

“What’s gonna happen when you have your own kid?” you asked as you sat back down on his couch

“What?” he asked, dumbfounded at your question

“Relax,” you chuckled, “I’m not pregnant. I’m just saying, when you do finally have your own child, what’s gonna happen? Are you always going to be nervous?”

“Yes.” He laughed, “aren’t you?”

“Yes.” You agreed with a smile, “but that’s why we have friends and family. For help. To keep us sane.”

“So I’m allowed to be stressed to look after my niece alone,” he added, “why don’t you babysit her with me?”

“I can’t, I have to work,” you sighed, “but you’ll do great.” He groaned before you got up to leave

“Hey,” he called to you just as you got to the door, “would you... ever want to have a baby with me?” You laughed before walking slowly back to him

“Maybe,” you said, kissing his cheek, “but let’s talk about that later.” He smiled at your reply, planting a kiss on your lips and pulling you close before you whined that you had to leave for work

“Why is it the one day that I have off, you have to work?” he chuckled

“That’s life, lover.” You giggled, pushing his arms away so you could leave, looking back and blowing him a kiss as you walked out the door. Work was relatively boring that day but you were trying to figure out the best way to announce Nick’s engagement so you took him out for lunch to discuss what exactly he and Amber wanted.

“Katerina?” a voice called as you and Nick waited for Amber to arrive, “Katie?” When you finally looked around to see the face that matched the voice, you practically screamed

“Sydney?” you gasped as your childhood friend outstretched her arms to give you a hug, “oh my god! What are you doing here?”

“Holiday.” she replied with a smile, asking how you were doing before moving out of the crowd around you

“I’ve been good. Busy, but good. How are you?!”

“Good!” she exclaimed

“Katie...” you heard Amber’s voice ring out in annoyance and you were suddenly yanked away from the reunion

“I’ll be right there,” you called back, “we need to get together before you leave. How long are you here for?”

“Two weeks. I’ll call you.” She smiled as you exchanged numbers, “it is so good to see you. And to see you doing so well...” You scrunched your eyebrows at her last comment but couldn’t think too much of it

“Who was that?” Nick asked

“A friend,” you replied, settling back into your seat, “from home.”

“Well,” Amber huffed, “deal with that on your own time. You’re here to help us.” You inhaled sharply before shaking your head and focusing your attention on them but wondering what your friend had to say. When you finally met up with Sydney, nearly a week after you ran into her, you sat across from her in silence trying to conjure up an icebreaker

“So how is Alex?” she asked

“He’s good!” you smiled, leaning forward to rest your arms on the table, “yeah he’s happy and he’s making friends, he’s doing really well”

“That’s great. I know when Jesse died, things were... tough”

“Yeah..” you sighed, “but we have each other and we’re moving forward”

“Even after the whole kidnapping thing?” she asked nonchalantly and you were forced to raise your eyebrows

“Yeah” you said simply and the silence crept back between the two of you

“So are you seeing anyone?”

“I’m guessing you already know the answer to that,” you smirked, “but yes. His name is Evan, he’s a firefighter and he’s been so great with Alex. They really love each other”

“A firefighter huh?” she smiled, “isn’t that stressful?”

“No..” you hesitated, “I mean, yeah... but he’s incredible at what he does and he loves what he does, so a little stress isn’t bad”

“But doesn’t it worry you that it’s such a dangerous job. I mean Jesse’s job, his life, was a dangerous job..”

“Look,” you interrupted, “was losing Jesse hard? Absolutely! Can Evan be a little reckless? Yes but we both know what we’ve gotten ourselves into...”

“But how much really do you know about him?”

“What?”

“How long have you been together?”

“Like a year and a half”

“And all you can tell me is that he’s a firefighter and he’s been so great with Alex. What else do you know about him?”

“I just told you what he did not who he is”

“Okay so...” she continued, “tell me who he is”

“He’s..” you started with hesitation but soon gushed swiftly about the man you had come to love

“So he’s always been searching for something?”

“Isn’t everyone?”

“Not necessarily...” she said, “at least not like your boyfriend”

“Sydney...” you sighed not knowing where she was going with this

“No no, hear me out,” she added, “when we were growing up, we were searching for something, sure. Searching for a way out, a new start, a marriage, a child, whatever. But, from what you’ve told me about Evan, it sounds like he doesn’t know what he wants until he has it. So he’s constantly looking for the thing that fits”

“Again.. aren’t we all?”

“My point is... what if he decides that you’re not the thing that fits? Or that Alex isn’t the thing that fits?”

“He’s not like that” you countered, sitting back in your seat before huffing

“But he’s been that way for as long as you’ve known him”

“No,” you corrected, “no, he was like that before I met him. He has been completely honest with me about his past and his family and everything. So, yes, he’s been searching for something but he’s found it with the 118...”

“I just want you to think about your son in all of this. It’s great that you have someone that you care about and that you seem to love but you can’t just think about you. You have a son to think about and his feelings are more important than yours.” She tried to be as gentle as possible but it was the classic Southern concern that you were so used to during your pageant days and it forced you to scoff in Sydney’s face

“I appreciate your concern, Syd,” you started, letting a smirk creep across your face, “but I know how to take care of my son. I’ve been doing just fine since the day he was born. But thank you, Sydney.” You could feel the twang in your voice fighting it’s way to your tongue to say something bitingly before you left your friend but you suppressed it as best you could, “I hope you enjoy your last week in L.A. Sydney, it was nice to see you again. We should keep in touch.” You smiled as you stood up, gathering your coat and purse before Sydney said her final words

“I’m just trying to look out for you.” And, with that, the Southern accent surfaced and you turned to her slowly, cocking your head to the side with a smirk on your face

“Oh, bless your heart.”

Evan’s P.O.V

“She was just so...” Katie started as she tried to explain what her friend had said to her, “rude but nice rude. Like Southern Rude...”

“She said she was just looking out for you right?” you tried

“She’s not looking out for me,” she scoffed, “she’s prying and trying to have something to gossip about.” You nodded as if you were truly paying attention before you had to get her focused

“We really should get going,” you said, “Hen said everyone should be there by like 6, we’re gonna be late”

“Are you trying to rush me?” she laughed and you nodded before standing up and wrapping your arms around her, kissing her nose once before you heard Alex call to the both of you

“MOMMY! BUCK!”

“We’ll be right there, baby!” Katie called back, kissing you back and grabbing her phone so the three of you could head over to Hen’s dinner party. “So, what is Hen calling everyone over for?” Katie asked

“I don’t know,” you replied, checking in the mirror to see what Alex was doing, smiling when you noticed him playing with a toy firetruck, “she wants to tell everyone something, I guess...” She turned her body slightly to look in the backseat and smiled at Alex before outstretching her arm to play with the hair on the nape of your neck, letting her skin graze across your neck, “I love you.” You said as you placed your hand on her knee, seeing her smile out of the corner of your eye

“I love you, too.” She replied before leaning in and kissing your cheek

“MOMMY!” Alex yelled, “STAY IN YOUR SEAT! It’s not safe”

“You’re right, sweetheart,” she smirked, “I’ll sit back in my seat.” You smiled at her, looking at Alex in the rear view mirror and winking at him with a big smile on your face. When you pulled up to Hen’s house, you noticed that there wasn’t really anywhere to park so you had to drive around and park pretty far away, earning a whine from Alex for you to carry him there, “wanna carry me too?” Katie laughed and you had to shake your head but not without pecking her lips

“Maybe on the way out” you smiled, which she reciprocated and the three of you made the journey to Hen and Karen’s front door

“YOU MADE IT!” Karen exclaimed as she opened the door

“Hey,” you laughed, putting Alex down so he could run inside, “how are you?”

“I’m good!” she replied, giving Katie a hug and welcoming you both in, “how are you two?”

“We’re good” Katie responded

“Yeah, we had to park pretty far away but, other than that, we’re great” you teased

“Well, everyone’s out back, go join the group!” She insisted and you took Katie’s hand and led her outside where you were greeted happily by everyone before everyone took a seat at the outdoor dinner table. You watched as the group laughed and enjoyed the meal before Hen eventually stood up to share the reason you were all there

“So, everyone,” Hen said, a big smile spread across her face, “I guess you’re wondering why we invited you here tonight...” The group laughed and you were the first to crack a joke

“Are we having a town hall meeting?” you laughed at your own joke, feeling Katie squeeze your leg to get you to stop

“No, I do have some news though.” Hen continued and the group leaned in to listen closer, anticipation covering the space, “I’m officially Dr. Henrietta Wilson!” Everyone gushed and cooed over Hen’s good news, rushing to her side to give her a hug or congratulate her in some way while the kids stayed put

“Congratulations Hen!” Katie smiled, giving her a hug

“Dr. Wilson, huh?” You smirked, “does this mean I can get better insurance?”

“Buck...” Maddie scoffed, rolling her eyes at you

“I’m just kidding,” you laughed, “congrats, Doc.”

“Thanks,” she smiled shyly, “but I’ll still you at work for a while. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Buckley.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it” you joked

“Mommy,” Alex whispered, tucking himself between you and Katie, “I’m tired...” You picked him up and his head dropped instantly onto your shoulder

“We should probably get him home,” Katie smiled, “before he gets overtired and throws a tantrum.” Hen and Karen smiled as they hugged her goodbye, waving to you so you didn’t have to worry about disturbing Alex. When you got to the car, you set Alex in his car seat and buckled the seat belt, carefully so as not to wake him

“Alright, I think we’re all set.” You whispered as you gently closed the door and walked around to the front

“You’re so good with him,” Katie smiled, her body turned to you where she sat, “he loves you so much. You mean the world to him.”

“He means the world to me, too.” You replied, leaning over the centre console to give her a kiss before driving back to Katie’s house; picking Alex up from the back when you parked in front. Katie woke up Alex just enough to get him into his PJ’s and then you tucked him in while Katie stood in the doorway

“Are you staying over?” she whispered as you wrapped your arm around her waist and led her out of the room

“You want me to stay over?” you teased as you nibbled on her ear

“Yeah,” she nodded excitedly, pushing you back toward her bedroom, “I always want you to stay over.” As you continued to kiss her softly, you felt her hands drift to the hem of your shirt and the two of you were soon entangled with each other, moaning quietly into each other, “I like you being here”

“I like being here,” you smiled, “especially with you.” She smiled as she nuzzled her face into your neck

“Move in with me,” she whispered, “with us.”

“What?” you said

“I know you like your place, I do too, but there’s more room here,” she explained with a smile, “and it would mean so much to Alex to know that you weren’t on the other side of town on your days off.”

“That’s a pretty big step, isn’t it?” you asked as Katie propped herself up on her forearm

“Yeah...” she said, “but so was meeting Alex”

“I met him first though” you smiled

“Right!” she giggled, “so the hard part is out of the way. Moving in is just... the next step”

“You sure you can handle me being here? With my hectic schedule?”

“Of course,” she smiled, “I would rather have you here after your day and know that you’re okay than have you go home alone. Especially, if you have a stressful day at work.”

“Are you sure?” you asked

“Yes!”

“I would love to move in with you.”

Katie’s P.O.V

Asking Evan to move in had been on your mind for a while but it never felt like the right time but the more you saw him with Alex, the more you wanted to take that next step with him. After a few months, things seemed pretty normal and easy to match everyone’s schedule; Alex loved having Evan there as a surrogate dad and you loved having him there to cuddle with. Things were going well, until he started to get up to his old tricks and the fighting started

“I GET THAT IT’S YOUR JOB BUT YOU CAN’T GO RUSHING INTO BURNING BUILDINGS WITHOUT BACKUP!” you yelled, thankful that Alex was with your mom tonight

“THEY HAVE MY BACK!” he shouted back

“THEY’RE NOT THERE WITH YOU EVAN!”

“THEY KNOW WHERE I AM, WE HAVE THE WALKIES!”

“THE WALKIE THAT YOU DON’T USE!”

“IF I DON’T DO MY JOB, PEOPLE DIE”

“AND IF YOU DO YOUR JOB RECKLESSLY, YOU DIE!”

“I can’t apologize for doing my job, Katie”

“Can you at least acknowledge that you’re putting your life in danger when you don’t need to?”

“No,” he said plainly, causing you to take a step back in disbelief, “my whole job is putting my life in danger. Risking my life to save someone else’s”

“You’re not invincible Evan!” you argued, “You are not immune to death. You are not the exception. You’re human”

“I’m not saying I’m invincible!” he yelled, “I’m just saying that this is my job. This is what I’ve done since I joined the 118--”

“And look where that’s gotten you!” you interrupted

“I SAVED MY BEST FRIEND’S SON! I FOUND MY SISTER AFTER SHE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED! I DIDN’T GIVE UP LOOKING FOR YOU AND YOUR SON!”

“Wow...” you sighed. Part of you just didn’t want to fight anymore, another part of you knew you weren’t going to win this argument or get him to see your side, but another part of you was hurt that Alex was just your son to him. “Fine, Evan. Do what you want. Save the people you want to save without thinking of yourself. I’m used to dealing with the fallout of men’s stupid, reckless decisions. I will pick up the pieces that you leave behind you. My son, on the other hand, might not. But whatever. You need to risk your life and put your life in danger because it’s what you’ve always done? Go right ahead. I can’t stop you.”

“Katie...” he said quietly

“I can’t do this anymore, Evan. I can’t keep worrying that you won’t come home. That I’ll have to tell my son, for the second time in his life, that someone he loved has died and there was nothing I could have done to stop it.”

“That’s not going to happen” he sighed

“Are you sure?” you insisted, “because it seems like everyday, you move closer and closer to your grave.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, walking toward you, “I didn’t mean to yell or argue or make you worry.” You scoffed before he placed his hands on your arms and gently rubbed his thumbs across your bare skin, “I love you and I love Alex and I don’t plan on leaving or dying anytime soon. This is my job and sometimes the situations can be very intense and very dangerous.”

“But can’t you just... not be so reckless?” you asked, making Evan chuckle

“I can try,” he replied, “but I can’t promise anything.” It was a start but it still made you nervous knowing that you’d have to watch him leave the house and not know if that would be the day that he wouldn’t come back.

#fun fact #when I wrote this it was before I saw the new episode #and I was positive that #baby buckley #was going to be a boy #but I think that Uncle Buck with a niece would be ADORABLE #Evan Buckley #Evan Buck Buckley #Oliver Stark #9-1-1 #911 #9-1-1 on fox #911 on fox #911 fox #911fox #tag list #taglist #Embers Taglist #Embers tag list

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