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sevenciircles · 1 year

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@diffxrentwxrlds asked: 💕 ~Chaz for M&M

this got long so it's under the cut ! This is all headcanon btw !

How did they meet?: Millie had just left Wrath, first time away from her family, and she went out to a proper club and there was Chaz! Sparks flew between them.

Who flirted with who first? Chaz.

Was it love at first sight or a slowburn romance? Infatuation/Horniness at first sight. Probably developed into something real later down the line.

Did they start dating right away or were they friends before things became romantic? They were friends with benefits before they started properly dating.

What was their first date? Probably to a club or bar.

What are their favourite things to do on date nights? Dance, Eat, Explore the Rings.

Do they still go on dates after being together for a while? Yes I imagine they did!

What is their love language? Physical Touch

Who kissed who first? Chaz kissed Millie

Who started the relationship? Millie

Monogamy or Polyamory? It was supposed to be monogamy

Are they/do they plan on getting married? Chaz didn't, Millie did.

Who proposed? Was it a yes or no? Nobody did

Do they want kids? Who brought it up first? Nobody did.

Do they already have kids, together or from previous relationships? Nope.

Do they have any routines/rituals in their relationship? Probably Millie cooking, Chaz setting up a romantic thing, and them dancing together. Or Chaz drawing Millie while she carves a mini figurine of him.

How do they take care of each other when they are sick/hurt? Millie used to have Chaz lay in bed where she'd bring him anything he wanted. She'd also stroke his hair and sing to him. Chaz probably returned the favor, but a little less lovingly and more snuggly.

How do they like to spend time together? Fucking, talking, or going on adventures.

What are their favourite non-sexual forms of intimacy? Hugs

What are some of their favourite things about their partner? Millie liked that Chaz was down for anything and seemed to have a great knowledge of all the cool things to in Hell. She also thought he gave great head. Millie also enjoyed how he seemed to really care about her. Chaz liked being dominated, Millie's sex drive, her looks, and the way she protected him from harm. He also liked how spirited she got.

How do they comfort the other when they are upset? Millie would just give him hugs and talk him through things. Chaz would offer to fuck, or if that didn't work, probably just sit with her.

Who buys the other spontaneous gifts? Chaz

What position do they sleep in? Millie big spooning Chaz.

Do they bathe/shower together? Yep.

Do they do anything else in the bath/shower other than wash? Ohhhhhhh yeah.

In the bedroom - Vanilla, a little spice, or kinky af? Not as kinky as you might think, so just a lil spice.

For applicable ships - who tops/bottoms? Most of the time, Millie tops and Chaz bottoms.

For applicable ships - who is more dominant/submissive? Most of the time, Millie doms and Chaz subs.

What is their favourite sex position? Reverse Cowgirl

Do either of them enjoy bringing sex toys into the bedroom? Chaz didn't, Millie did occasionally leave vibrators in him to edge him.

Favourite place to have sex? Bed

Most adventurous place they’ve had sex? Uhhh they've def fucked in one of Chaz's enemies bases.

How often do they fight? What about? They didn't fight up until Chaz left her.

Have they ever broken up? Yes.

Messy breakup, amicable split, remain friends, ride or die or til death do us part? MESSY. AS. FUCK.

How did they meet? During a mob war.

Who flirted with who first? Chaz flirted with Moxxie.

Was it love at first sight or a slowburn romance? Love at first sight.

Did they start dating right away or were they friends before things became romantic? They dated right away.

What was their first date? Dinner and then some 'dessert'.

What are their favourite things to do on date nights? Assemble weapons together, Moxxie would sing and play guitar for him, or they'd do some less risky business for Crim and then fuck behind enemy lines.

Do they still go on dates after being together for a while? Yes.

What is their love language? Physical Touch, Gift Giving.

Who kissed who first? Moxxie kissed Chaz first.

Who started the relationship? Chaz.

Monogamy or Polyamory? Monogamy.

Are they/do they plan on getting married? Moxxie did, Chaz almost planned getting married, but decided against it.

Who proposed? Was it a yes or no? Nobody did.

Do they want kids? Who brought it up first? Nobody did.

Do they already have kids, together or from previous relationships? N/A

Do they have any routines/rituals in their relationship? Lots of sex, lots of talks about the business world, lots of downtime to where they just enjoyed each others company. Duets were HUGE.

How do they take care of each other when they are sick/hurt? Moxxie would be fretting non-stop. Over prepared, dramatic, and taking care of his every little need. Chaz would probably make some microwave soup, have Moxxie take medicine, and then call him when he needed him.

How do they like to spend time together? Duets, sex, and fighting side by side.

What are their favourite non-sexual forms of intimacy? Musical Numbers

What are some of their favourite things about their partner? Chaz liked how caring and compassionate Moxxie could be, yet how he could also be so skilled on the battlefield. He liked how sweet Moxxie was, despite who he ran with. Moxxie liked the fact that Chaz didn't berate him or was negative. He was caring and attentive. Moxxie also liked how Chaz would indulge him in his non-mob related interests.

How do they comfort the other when they are upset? Moxxie would just whisper how much he cared about Chaz, and Chaz would offer to fuck but if that didn't work I can picture Chaz singing to Moxxie.

Who buys the other spontaneous gifts? Chaz.

What position do they sleep in? Chaz on his back, Moxxie half on top of him.

Do they bathe/shower together? Yepppppppp

Do they do anything else in the bath/shower other than wash? You know it!!!

In the bedroom - Vanilla, a little spice, or kinky af? A lil spice, probably more kinky than Millie and Chaz.

For applicable ships - who tops/bottoms? Chaz tops, Moxxie bottoms.

For applicable ships - who is more dominant/submissive? Overall, Chaz is the most dominant and Mox is the submissive one.

What is their favourite sex position? Missionary.

Do either of them enjoy bringing sex toys into the bedroom? Depends on the toy!

Favourite place to have sex? The bedroom.

Most adventurous place they’ve had sex? Crim's room.

How often do they fight? What about? Yeah they fought, but they quickly resolved it.

Have they ever broken up? Yes.

Messy breakup, amicable split, remain friends, ride or die or til death do us part? Messy, not as messy as the Chaz and Millie breakup tho.

#diffxrentwxrlds #i'm headed to the stars ready to go far. ~ moxxie #tough girl is what i had to be. ~ millie #ask games.

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writing-for-the-people · 3 years

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Vanilla Twilight

Pairing: Reggie Peters X Reader

Fandom: Julie and the Phantoms

T/W: Brief abuse mention, a tiny fight (Reader throws the first and only punch.)

A/N: I’m sorry it’s late! My friends had been gone for the weekend and got back last night, so I decided to spend some time with them, but here’s this! I was listening to Vanilla Twilight by Owl City when the idea hit me.

-----------

He hadn’t slept in two days. Reggie hated when these days hit. The days where you were all he could think about and he couldn’t sleep because of the thoughts of you keeping him awake. For once it wasn’t the loud voices of his parents ringing in his head, they had fallen silent, only after one of them (his father, Reggie knew) stormed out of the house, peeling out of the driveway, and most likely heading to the bar. No, it was one of the nights that his thoughts were consumed by you.

You had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. You were the one that he would come to when his parents’ fighting became too much. You were the only one, other than his other friends and bandmates, who had seen him when things became too much. Recently, Reggie had realized that his love for you had eventually grown to more of a romantic love, rather than just the familial way he had for a good chunk of his life.

Of course, it was Reggie’s luck that his realization hit him after you had already found someone else who made you happy. You had been dating your boyfriend for three months by the time Reggie realized what the burning feeling he felt in his chest each time he looked at you was.

And because you were his best friend, he would let you go. You seemed happy. Reggie could deal with someone else holding you if it meant that bright smile would forever stay on your face.

It didn’t matter that he spent his time thinking about what things could be if he’d only figured these feelings out sooner. It didn’t matter that he wished that you would notice him looking at you. It didn’t matter that he felt like you were spending less and less time with him. It didn’t matter that he would lie awake at night and miss you. It didn’t matter that watching the sky change from blue to the oranges and reds wasn’t the same, because it took two to whisper quietly.

You were all that mattered to Reggie. More than anything. More than-

He was pulled from his thoughts by a soft knock on his window. He crawled out of the blanket cocoon he had made for himself and padded softly over to the window. He gasped as he pulled the curtains back.

You were there, with tear stained cheeks, a red mark bright on one, and your eyes were puffy and red. Your hair was frazzled, and he didn’t know how you had managed to climb the lattice to get to the roof outside his window with how much your hands were shaking. He unlocked and opened the window, (the screen was long gone from many nights of Reggie sneaking out or you sneaking in through the window) words instantly tumbling from his mouth.

“What are you doing here? Are you okay? What’s happened to your cheek?” you flinched away from him when the boy reached out to touch the red mark, and Reggie felt his heart drop. You never flinched from him. Something happened, and he wasn’t happy with the outcome that had developed from it.

“I’m sorry, Reg. I know we normally plan these things out, but I couldn’t stand to stay with him, and I can’t go home. Not with a mark on my face.” You were one of the few friends he had who had a relatively stable home life. You loved your parents and they loved you, and things were good. It’s one reason why Reggie enjoyed going over to your house, because your parents would treat him as if he was their child as well, and he felt like he was a part of something good.

“What happened, Y/N?” Reggie asked, keeping his voice low, no matter how much he wanted to scream. He knew at least one of his parents was home, and he didn’t want to draw their attention, not to mention he didn’t want to scare you off, you looked like you would take off at the slightest misstep. Reggie didn’t want that.

“He hit me, Reggie. We were arguing, and he raised his voice and hit me. He’s never done that before.”

Reggie felt anger boiling in his chest, but he kept it at bay, opting instead to focus on you. “Oh honey.” He murmured softly, and held his arms out. You didn’t hesitate before you threw yourself against his chest, your tears coming stronger than they had been. Reggie wrapped you up in his arms, one hand resting on your back and holding you close while the other stroked through your hair.

You were babbling into his chest, quick and muffled enough that Reggie could only make out a few of the words that you were saying.

“If he did it once…..I broke…..going nowhere….can’t believe….seen the signs…. I was so stupid.” Reggie shook his head, pulling back from you only enough to look down at you.

“Absolutely not, Y/N. You’re not stupid. You didn’t know. Chaz really didn’t seem like the type that would.” he didn’t continue. You didn’t need a lecture right now, you needed your friend. Someone to sit with you and help you feel better. He led you over to the side of his bed, pushing you gently so you were sitting down on the edge of the bed. Luckily, it was Saturday, so neither of you had to worry about getting up early in the morning and try to make it through a school day with this hanging over you. He turned from you.

The two of you had been friends for so long that staying over in each other’s rooms was just a natural thing in your life. That being said, Reggie had a drawer of his dresser that was dedicated to you and the clothes that you would leave there for impromptu sleepover nights. That wasn’t the drawer that he got into. Instead, he pulled out your favorite shirt of his, a goofy rodeo shirt that you had gotten him one year as a present. He knew you liked to be wrapped up in something familiar when you were upset, and he hoped this would be good enough for you. He also grabbed a pair of pajama pants and turned back to you, handing the clothes to you.

Reggie hummed in response to your thanking him, turning around to let you change in peace. When you were done, he took your other clothes from you, dropping them into the hamper that sat in the corner of his room. He untangled the blankets from each other, holding them up for you so you could crawl under the covers.

During this small, familiar ritual, the both of you were quiet. Even in your distressed state, you didn’t miss the irony of the moment. Usually, everything that Reggie was doing for you, you would do for him on the nights he would come over to your home in the dead of night, bleary eyed and vacant, when his parents fighting got to be too much for him. You couldn’t recall the last time that the roles were reversed like this. Or the last time the two of you had done this. While you were with Chaz, Reggie had kept his distance, not once coming over as he did before.

You climbed into the familiar bed, curling on the far side of the bed. You felt the bed shift as Reggie climbed in behind you. He reached out, a hesitant hand resting on your hip. You turned, and rather than facing the open room, you turned to face Reggie. He pulled you closer to him, and you settled against his chest, letting more tears fall. Reggie would let you cry and cling to him for as long as you needed, never once judging you.

Once the tears had subsided enough, and your breathing seemed to even out, Reggie thought you had finally fallen asleep. He shifted the covers, pulling them more securely around the two of you, making sure you were protected from the cold air of the room around you. He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, before resting his cheek on the top of your head.

In different circumstances, having you wrapped up in his arms like this would make him sleep peacefully through the night, but knowing that you were hurting, that you were upset made everything different. Reggie wanted to protect you. That had always been his goal. And now here you were, and he had failed in that goal. He wanted to wash all of your pain away and make you feel special again.

He fell into an uneasy sleep, waking each time you shifted next to him. He wanted to make sure that you were still there each time, that you were okay, and that he was doing all he could for you at the moment.

------

You were the first to wake up the next morning, the sunlight from the window streaming into your face. You blinked, not fully registering your surroundings at first. Slowly, the events from the night before came flooding back to you, and you felt your heart break all over again. You had truly believed that Chaz was the one. You loved him with the pieces of your heart that weren’t already dedicated to your boys. But clearly he didn’t think the same thing about you. His words came streaming back to you, making you wince and cuddle closer to the warm body next to you.

“Ungrateful little thing. After all the time and effort I put into making this work, and trying to thaw that god-damned frozen heart of yours, you’re gonna run off on me and spend time with those boys?”

“What are you talking about? I’m not running off with anyone.”

“Yeah fucking right. You can’t spend all that time with those posers and then turn around and tell me you aren’t going behind my back and seeing one of them.”

“I’m not! You’re not listening-”

CRACK!

“No! You’re the one not listening to me.”

“You just hit me!”

“I should have done it when I first realized.”

“You know what, we’re done. This is done. I can’t stay here anymore.”

“Good! Get out of my house, you frigid bitch!”

You didn’t realize that Reggie had woken up, or that you were crying, until he pulled back far enough to wipe the fresh tears from your face.

“Hey.” he murmured softly.

“Hi.” you croaked out softly, looking up at him. He looked worried. You nuzzled into his chest again, making him laugh and stroke your hair softly.

“I missed you, Cuddlebug.” you hummed softly, realizing how true those words were when you said them. Something had felt off the past few weeks, and you were only just now realizing that it wasn’t just something shifting in your crappy relationship. It was the loss of your best friend and the little time that the two of you had spent together in recent times due to said crappy relationship. He hummed softly, dropping a usual peck to the top of your head.

“I missed you too, N/N.” The two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence. Daytime in Reggie’s house was usually quiet, with his father away at his job, and his mother either locked in her room drinking, or away at the bar. The two of you laid there for a little longer before Reggie noticed the time.

“I gotta go to practice.” He hummed. On Sundays, the band usually practiced earlier in the day, taking advantage of the fact that they all usually had the time free. You sighed dramatically, detangling yourself from him. He laughed at your antics, sitting up and stretching.

As he climbed out of the warm bed, Reggie asked, “Are you feeling up to coming to practice today? You don’t have to, but I know the others miss you just as much as I did.” He asked you over his shoulder. You grinned.

Reggie and your other friends had a band, called Sunset Curve, that they had started two years ago. They were amazing and you loved to hear them play. In recent months, they had been getting bigger and bigger gigs. You thought they were close to their goal, playing at the Orpheum, and used to go to practices regularly to cheer them on.

“I think that it’ll be good to go.” you hummed. “Give me something else to focus on rather than…” You didn’t want to say his name. Reggie nodded, and supplied a good substitute for you.

“Douchebag.” You laughed.

“Yeah, Douchebag.”

------

An hour later, you and Reggie were sitting side by side on the leather couch in Bobby’s garage, which had quickly become the boy’s studio space. You were talking quietly, catching each other up on the things that you had missed while waiting for the other boys to show up.

Unsurprisingly, considering it was his garage in the first place, Bobby was the first out of the others to arrive. He did a quick double take when he realized that you were sitting on the couch next to Reggie. He smiled at you, though, lifting his arm to bump forearms with you. He wasn’t usually one for much physical affection, a stark contrast to Luke and Reggie who both craved the contact.

“Hey, Y/N, good to see you in here again. It was getting a little too bogged down with idiocy for my taste.” Bobby teased lightly. Reggie flipped him off, a smile sitting on his face despite his action. You grinned.

“Well, I’ll be happy to bring the balance back again, then.” You played along with him. He grinned back at you, dropping down on the side of you that wasn’t already occupied by Reggie.

In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the wisest idea. Luke was the next to show up, nose buried in his songbook. You grinned.

“Hey, Luke.” You called out, gaining his attention for a split second.

“Hey, N/N.” It took him a moment to realize who you were, but when he did, his head popped back up, and a wide smile broke out over his face. “Y/N!” He called out, tossing his songbook onto the coffee table before throwing himself over you, and incidentally also landing half in Bobby’s lap. Bobby complained but didn’t move him off, knowing if he did, it would just make Luke pout, and a pouty Luke wasn’t what he wanted to deal with at the moment. Instead he delt with having the other boy half in his lap. You wrapped your arms around Luke, holding on to him, feeling a lightness in your chest that you hadn’t felt for a long time. You couldn’t believe you let Chaz take you from your boys as long as he had.

Alex was the last to arrive, stammering out an apology about his parents holding him back. The others waved him off.

“It gave us time to reconnect with our little N/N, anyway.” Luke spoke from his place, still in your lap. Alex paused, a happy smile playing at his lips, before it turned to a concerned frown.

“It’s good to see you, Y/N, but what happened to your cheek?” Alex asked. You felt three more pairs of eyes fall to you as they only just registered the light bruise that adorned your cheek.

“Let’s not go into that.” Reggie said softly. You shook your head.

“Please. Can we just leave it alone for now? I can’t guarantee that I’m not going to cry and you guys need to practice, not worry about me.

“We’ll always worry about you. You’re one of us, kid.” Bobby smiled. Luke and Alex nodded their agreement.

“You don’t have to tell us now. But you will have to talk to us eventually.” Alex said softly.

“I promise I will tell you guys what happened eventually. And we have forever, now. I’m not gonna be disappearing for a while.” Luke and Alex smiled, but you didn’t miss the look that crossed Bobby’s face when you said that, and you knew that he picked up on what he thought had happened. You reached for his hand with your free one, and he surprisingly took it. The five of you sat for a little longer before the boys had to get up and start practicing.

You listened and watched them jam out, realizing once again just how much you missed your best friends.

-----

Within the week, Chaz only tried to approach you once. He unfortunately tried when Bobby was with you at your locker. By this point, you had already told the boys what had gone on, and they were all wary of the other boy. So the moment that he tried to approach you, Bobby was immediately on guard when he approached you.

“Y/N?” Chaz sounded hesitant. You barely glanced at him.

“What do you want?” You asked. Bobby stood off to the side, keeping quiet, waiting before stepping in.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped.” You slammed your locker closed, turning towards him and crossing your arms over your chest.

“You shouldn’t have snapped?” you scoffed. “That’s the only thing you did wrong that night, Chaz.”

“I know.”

“Apologies don’t make up for it.” You huffed and turned away from him. Chaz reached for you, grabbing your arm and turning you back around, ignoring the fact that you stiffened under his touch. He couldn’t ignore Bobby, though, who had stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest.

“Step back and let her go.” He told Chaz. Chaz huffed and did as he was told.

“You’ve got a security detail now?” He huffed again at you. You snapped.

“No. I’ve got friends who actually give a fuck about how I feel.” You were too focused on Chaz to notice Reggie showing up next to Bobby. “We’re done, and I regret ever saying yes to you.” Chaz’s face morphed and he looked angry.

“You were never worth the time anyway.” Before you could think, your fist was colliding with his face. Chaz stumbled back, and you shook the stinging feeling out of your knuckles. You were lucky that it was after school and the only reason you were still around was to wait on Reggie. The group of bystanders that had gathered cheered.

“You weren’t either.” you turned to Bobby and Reggie, smiling. Bobby looked surprised. It was rare that you would even yell or raise your voice in the slightest, so seeing you punch someone else was a break in your character. Reggie on the other hand looked absolutely starstruck, but you didn’t wait around to find out why that was. You headed out of the building, knowing full well they would be following close behind.

You guys sat in Bobby’s old car, waiting on the other two to show up, and once they did, the ride back to the studio was quiet, which you were fine with. Once you were back to the studio, though, Reggie sat you down before disappearing and reappearing with a first aid kit. He held out his hand, and you looked at him, confused.

“Your hand, N/N.” He said softly. You looked down at the knuckles, not even realizing that they had split from the one punch. You handed him your hand and let him set to work, cleaning the cuts and putting bandages over them.

You heard Bobby on the other side of the room, telling Alex and Luke what had happened, and why you seemed to be really tense. You could feel their eyes on you, but you ignored them, opting instead to focus on Reggie’s hands on your own.

In the past week that you had been separated from Chaz you realized just how much the raven haired boy in front of you meant to you, and you felt dumb. You regretted wasting all of that time with the ungrateful man you did, and wish you had instead realized that the best thing was right in front of you all this time. You hoped that it wasn’t too late for something to happen.

It took Reggie calling your name a few times for you to realize that you had zoned out, and had been staring at him while he had tried to talk to you.

“Hm?” you felt your face heating up. Reggie laughed softly.

“I’m proud of you.” He said with a smile. He continued after he saw the confused look on your face. “You stood up to Chaz. That’s not something that you would have normally done, N/N. I’m proud that you finally did.”

You smiled shyly. “I just realized that I had had enough. He had been trying to tear me from my friends. He didn’t support me the way you would.” You froze when the last few words left your mouth, and you wished you could take them back, especially with the way the boy was looking at you.

“What do you mean?” He asked softly.

“I mean the way that all of you guys would support me.” You said softly, looking down. Reggie shook his head, squeezing your hand, which was still settled in his.

“No you didn’t.” You pulled away, sitting back on the couch and pulling your legs up to your chest.

“I’m sorry, Reg. I didn’t mean anything. I just-“ you broke off, but you knew the harm was already done. Reggie stayed where he was for a moment.

“What if I wanted it to mean something?” He asked, voice soft. You looked up at him, cocking your head.

“Why would you want it to mean something?” You asked softly. ”It’s not like we’re anything more than friends.”

Reggie moved to sit on the couch next to you, and he gently loosened one of your hands from where they were tightly wrapped around your legs. “I realized a couple months into your relationship that I had wanted more with you.” Reggie said softly.

“Oh, Reggie.” You sighed softly.

“You seemed so happy with him, so I didn’t say anything. But now I have the chance to, and I don’t want to let that go.” He shot one of his signature soft smirks at you, and you laughed softly.

“I’ve realized in the past week the same thing. Look at us taking forever to figure out that our best friends were our best loves all along.” You teased softly. Applause sounded from the other side of the room, causing you and Reggie to look over at your other friends.

“It’s honestly about time.” Bobby rolled his eyes. “Now get over here so we can practice.” Reggie smiled at you before jumping up and moving to join his friends. He paused and turned back to you, pulling you up from your seat on the couch, making you laugh again.

He pulled you in for a tight hug before pulling away enough to press a kiss to your lips. You might have had some bumps in the road, but here you were now, happy and knowing that you would remain so for the time to come.

-----

JATP Taglist: @spooky-scary-lesbian

#reggie peters x y/n #julie and the phantoms #jatp #reggie peters #reggie x reader #reggie peters imagines #reggie peters x reader #reader insert

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mainidontwant · 4 years

Text

Six Months....(A JessLake Fanfic)

Decided to post this one on here as well as on AO3! Just wanna make sure everyone gets their dose of JessLake :3 I know how hard it is to find fic for them and if you don’t have an AO3 account I still want you to enjoy my fic. So here we go! Disclaimer- this one is a bit...odd. Lake and Jesse have been living together for years but have only been together for six months, so they’re deeply in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Additionally, this fic is mostly relationship talk and serious times, so what I’m trying to get at is that Lake is not particularly snarky here. I didn’t see them (I HC and write nonbinary Lake btw) putting Jesse in a position to feel awkward when he already was feeling insecure, so I hope that isn’t too disorienting. I hope you guys enjoy! :) Lake had always had trouble focusing in class. Even when they had been a reflection and it didn’t matter if they paid attention or not, they found it almost impossible to focus. They supposed it was just in their nature- they loved wide open spaces, exploring the world for themselves, discovering things on their own. Basically, everything that didn’t involve being trapped inside for eight hours a day and being told what to do by various teachers while they studied a curriculum someone else had chosen for them. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t really how they wanted to spend their time. There was a whole world outside of the train Lake still hadn’t seen, and they looked forward to the day they’d graduate and were free to travel to see it for themselves. Until then, though, they were stuck here. Which was part of why it was such a big relief to hear the final bell go off. Finally! “Remember to do the reading for…” their teacher's voice faded behind them on their way out the door and to their locker, where they grabbed the books they’d need for that night- wait, no, it was Friday, so they’d have to pack for the weekend. So their math assignments, history readings- oh, and they had some lab reports to do… “Hey!” Suddenly, Jesse came up from behind and hugged them around the middle, prompting Lake to start a bit in his arms. “Oh- sorry, sorry, I should have warned you.” He gave them an apologetic kiss on the cheek. Lake chuckled as they shut their locker. “S’fine, Jess, I was just making sure I had everything.” They turned around to hug him properly. “How’d your presentation go last period?” They nodded toward the hallway that led to the pool, indicating to Jesse that they’d walk him to practice. Jesse seemed to understand and smiled at them as they both headed towards the pool. “Great! Thanks for helping me practice. I was freaking out so bad when the teacher decided we couldn’t use flash cards- who decides that three days before a presentation, anyway?” He asked, a little exasperated and more than a little relieved the ordeal was over. “Wow, I’m glad I’m not in your class.” Lake would definitely not get along with a teacher like that. “What?” Jesse pouted. “You wound me, dearest! I know I certainly wouldn’t object to sharing more of my day with my lovely partner.” He faked a sad sigh. “I’m so forlorn to know you don’t feel the same.” Lake snorted as they arrived near the locker room, laughing at Jesse’s frankly adorable pout. They stopped a little down the hall from the locker room to give themselves a tiny bit of privacy. “Don’t pout, Casanova.” Lake leaned up on their toes for a kiss, smiling against his lips when Jesse pulled them into an embrace, one hand falling to their waist as the other stroked their hair. Lake had grown it out since the train before shaping it into an undercut. The top of their hair reached just about to their ears, the back and sides buzzed as it had been when they’d first met Jesse. He still seemed fascinated with it, which Lake couldn’t help but feel flattered by. “It’s teachers I don’t like. If I could spend my whole day with you, I would- though I’d much rather spend time outside of school.” “I know, Lake, I was just kidding.” Jesse pressed a kiss to their cheek. “I just….get kinda lonely for you?” He blushed a little, glancing away from Lake shyly. They found this rather adorable as well, and returned the kisses- one to Jesse’s cheek, then the tip of his nose. “I know what you mean,” they admitted, glancing away themselves when Jesse’s gaze shifted back up to regard them. “I feel a little lonely for you too, sometimes, or I wish you were there so I could tell you something, or um, or I’m thinking about you….” They could feel how hot their blush was and they kept their gaze. Lake was sure plenty of guys would have gotten a big head about that last statement, but they also knew Jesse was different. “But, I don’t always worry about that. It sucks when it happens, but….” their hands played with his hair as they spoke, trying to focus a little on something else so they didn’t have to think about how hard their heart was beating. “But I always know we’re gonna find our way back to each other, so, you know….I don’t really worry about it.” Finished, they finally shifted their vision to regard Jesse. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes wide with a sort of wonder and seeming to sparkle with happiness. He was smiling widely and he brought both of his hands up to cradle Lake’s cheeks, drawing them in for a kiss.“Lake….” he said their name like a prayer- though it seemed he was having trouble not smiling. “I, you’re, I just….” he couldn’t string a sentence together but he didn’t need to- they knew he was happy from the way he gave an occasional little bounce. He kissed them quickly again before glancing at the clock, figuring most of the team were getting dressed from the volume of chatter he heard and how they only had a couple minutes before they were supposed to be in the pool. He’d have to be quick, but Jesse had decided Lake was worth it as he pressed himself closer and cradled their head, giving them a long, deep kiss.Lake was lost in Jesse’s happiness and returned his kiss, connecting their open mouths at one point to brush their tongue against Jesse’s. He gave a little moan, one hand running up and down their back as the other slid into their hair, kissing Lake just how he knew they liked to be kissed. His thumb rubbed affectionately at the nape of their neck as his hand pressed them closer, Lake shivering and intertwining their legs with Jesse’s, leaning against the wall behind them. Jesse leaned with them as their tongues brushed together again and again, lips slotting over one another in a cycle as Jesse kissed them with long, slow rolls of his jaw. He was kissing Lake as comfortably as he did at home- which was definitely a mistake, given what happened next. “So, if they stocked the little chip cans in the machine again, we wouldn't have to bring little rubber bands and chip clips to freaking swim practice, dude, that’s my poi-WOAH!” Two of Jesse’s teammates rounded the corner, clearly having stocked up from the vending machines down the hall before practice. Jesse recognized the one who’d spoken as Frank. “Oh, shit!” The shorter of the two, Chaz, was clearly flustered and dropped his snacks- clearly, Jesse and Lake had given them a bit of a show. Lake groaned, covering their flushed face in embarrassment. Jesse released them, putting his hands up for a moment to make it clear that he wasn’t doing anything indecent as he backed up a little, feeling terrible for embarrassing Lake. He didn’t think they’d want to be crowded at the moment though, so he grabbed a bag of cookies that had fallen near his foot and tossed it to his teammate, before giving Lake’s shoulder a little squeeze- an ‘I’m here for you, do you need me’ gesture they’d developed over the course of their relationship. In reply, Lake took his hand and gave it a squeeze.“You’re gonna be late if you hang around here much longer.” They pointed out- and they were right, even if they did want to get out of there as quickly as possible. “I’m gonna go home and hang out with Nate, see you tonight.” They almost kissed him on the cheek as was their customary goodbye, but after accidentally giving Jesse’s friends a glimpse into their life as a couple they just didn’t feel comfortable. Jesse understood, though on the inside, he was pouting. He sighed as Lake walked away, heading into the locker room with his teammates. All three of them moved lightning fast to get into the pool, but Jesse couldn’t ignore the feeling of his teammate’s gaze.All throughout practice he could tell they were talking about him, he even heard a few snickers from behind his back during practice and on his way to the showers. He couldn’t stop thinking about Lake, either- he knew he wanted to make it up to them, even if this wasn’t his fault. Or, really, he wanted to do something to cheer them up and apologize for at least not being a little more careful. Making out in public spaces kind of tended to be less-than-private, duh, Jesse, he scolded himself. He hadn’t intended to go any further than right where they’d been, but even so, they should have waited until they were somewhere more private.He just couldn’t help it, with what they had said. Lake was blunt and honest about their feelings, so it wasn’t like they never said anything nice to him. But even after six months, he wasn’t used to having such insight into their feelings about him. And what they’d said was so sweet, Jesse still felt himself grinning like a goof when he thought about it. He was still just so happy Lake felt the same way about him that he felt about them, even if they’d been dating or a little while. They’d both been circling around ‘I love you’ for about as long as they’d been dating, but neither was ever sure of a good time….maybe today? “Having a good afternoon, Cosay?” Jesse had been happy to drift through his shower on thoughts of his partner, but apparently it wasn’t to be. He felt himself flush under the water as his two teammates chuckled, the one who’d dropped the snacks having asked him the question. “Shut up, Frank.” He rinsed his hair and turned off his shower, heading for his towels and clothes. Chaz was towelling off his hair nearby and straightened up with a malicious grin.“Man, you were really going at it though, weren’t you?” He said, coming over to where Jesse was tugging on his jeans. Jesse buttoned his pants before turning to answer, “Will you cut it out? You saw me kissing my partner, it’s not a big deal or anything.” He rolled his eyes, but Frank came over from the shower to continue his needling. “Holy shit, Jesse, you guys weren’t just kissing. That was tongues and hands and moaning- you gave us a full on glimpse into your bedroom, dude!” He laughed. Jesse paused in putting on his shirt. “That’s-you-what-we did not!” He insisted, tugging on his shirt so he could get out of there as soon as possible. His face was so hot he was starting to feel a little lightheaded- though that could be the irritation, too. “There’s nothing going on in my bedroom, okay, so can we just forget about this?” He tugged on his jacket and grabbed his backpack, unwilling to have his relationship picked apart by two assholes he didn’t know that well. “You’re fucking with us, dude, no way!” Chaz looked astonished. “Lake lives in your house, and you guys have been together for like, twelve years or whatever-” “We’ve been together for six months, so shut up.” Jesse was done with the conversation and walked out, ignoring the calls of the jerks behind him and heading out to his car. JLJLJLJLJL The drive home was frustrating- focusing on the road as well as pondering his relationship was a bit tricky, but he had a bit of breathing room when he swung by a little jewelry store in town. Six months was a milestone for a relationship, and even if they’d commemorated it with an awesome date to the amusement park, he still felt like getting Lake another gift, something they could carry with them all the time (that wasn’t all of the clothes of Jesse’s they’d hijacked over the years). The idea had been knocking around in his head for a while and he needed to cheer Lake up anyway, so he figured this was just good timing.He poked around for a bit before finding something he thought suited them- a simple but beautiful moonstone pendant on a silver chain. Good thing he’d saved up from his babysitting gigs, he thought as he surrendered two twenties to the cashier. He felt a little nervous, hoping he’d picked out the right thing- he’d tried to avoid anything gaudy or anything too intricate, and he knew Lake wouldn’t want him spending that much money on them, either. But he still had no way of knowing, and his irritation from earlier seemed to amplify Jesse’s anxiety. It wasn’t like he’d never considered sex with Lake. Lake was his partner and had confirmed to him that they weren’t asexual when they’d discussed the topic for the first time. “Yeah, I understand what you mean. Definitely can’t relate, though.” They’d let it slip and changed the subject afterwards, but that little bit of information had stuck in Jesse’s mind and he’d mulled it over more than once since they’d started dating. But...he hadn’t ever considered it as anything more than hypothetical. He and Lake hadn’t been dating for very long, he told himself every time the thought came up. When one of their makeout sessions got a little heated and Jesse ended up with a...predicament, he just dealt with it on his own as quickly and quietly as he could. But now that they’d hit the six month mark….it wasn’t long in the grand scheme of most romantic relationships, but….it very well may be long enough for intimacy, Jesse realized. It wasn’t necessarily a short amount of time to have been dating, and Jesse was in his senior year of high school, with Lake a year behind him. 17 and 18….by most standards, that was a normal time to begin having...relations.They hadn’t really gone past heated kissing and close snuggling, but Jesse had to admit to himself that he’d thought about crossing that line more and more lately. Would Lake want to cross it with him? JLJLJLJLJLJLJL Jesse came home to the scent of chocolate chip cookies filling the house. Lake and Nate were hanging out on the couch in the living room, three plates piled high with freshly baked cookies taking up most of the space on the coffee table as they played a video game. They were both so into it they didn’t notice he was home until he spoke up, “Hey guys, I’m home.” “Hey, Jesse!” Nate greeted enthusiastically.“Hey…” Lake said a little awkwardly. Usually they asked him how practice had gone, but they weren’t too eager to know after the encounter with Jesse’s teammates.“You wanna play with us, Jesse? We’re having trouble with this boss.” Nate started rummaging around for another controller before Jesse stopped him. “Don’t worry about it Nate. Um...thanks, but I’m actually feeling pretty wiped out? I’m gonna head upstairs and rest a bit while I do my homework.” He noticed a worried frown on Nate’s face when he turned them down. He felt bad for not being entirely honest, but he also wasn’t about to explain this to Nate- he’d already felt embarrassed enough for one day. He gave Nate a squeeze on the shoulder and a smile. “How about I play you after dinner?” There, Nate was grinning and nodding, and all was right with the world again. “Maybe all three of us could play, since Lake is going with you?” Nate asked. “Oh, they are?” Jesse asked, looking to Lake. They nodded and got up to collect a plate of cookies to take up to Jesse’s room. “Yeah, Lake told Nate that we could hang out until you got home. One of these plates is for your parents, and Nate is taking the other to his sleepover tonight so he’s not going to eat all of them, right?” Lake teased Nate, ruffling his hair. “Gah, Lake! Cut it out!” Nate batted their hands away, but he was smiling. “I’m almost in junior high, I think you can trust me around a plate of cookies.” But he knew they were joking. “See you guys at dinner.” And just like that, he had been sucked back into the game. “See you.” Lake waved before they headed upstairs with Jesse. JLJLJLJLJL “Uuuuuuughgh!” Jesse flopped down on his bed dramatically, Lake giggling as they set the cookies down on Jesse’s desk before joining him on the bed. They sat and patted their lap, letting Jesse know it was all right to lay his head there, something they did whenever he was upset. Scooting over to Lake, Jesse plopped his head in their lap, sighing again. “I’m sorry that those jerks embarrassed you.” He apologized, looking up at them. It was Lake’s turn to sigh now as they started running their fingers through Jesse’s hair, a ritual he absolutely adored and leaned into now, sighing happily this time. “It’s okay, Jesse, we just should have been more careful, that’s all.” Lake ran their fingers through his hair. "It was a little awkward and embarrassing, but we just have to make sure it won't happen again. Though... I mean…..we weren’t really doing anything, it was just kissing, and we’re in high school!” They rolled their eyes. “Couples makeout, it happens. Why were they so weird about it?” Lake probably asked Jesse expecting him to help them speculate on the matter, as they were definitely surprised when he responded with an actual concrete answer. “Yeah, well, they made some weird assumptions anyway.” “Really?” Lake looked to meet his gaze, one brow raised. Weird how?” Jesse’s face gradually lit up with a blush as he came up with his reply. “Uh! Well……” Jesse wasn’t sure what to say. “They thought that we were doing...other things, or that we do those things and they were getting a peek at that. But they were wrong, so…” He looked away, something Lake usually did much more than Jesse. “We don’t have to worry about it.” He was just a bit bashful, approaching the topic for the first time, but Lake wondered if it wasn’t for a different reason. “Oh…..” Lake’s hands stopped their constant cycle of stroking Jesse’s hair. “Um…..is...that okay?” “What?” Jesse’s brow furrowed in confusion as he looked up at Lake. “What do you mean, honey?” Lake couldn’t help but smile at the familiar nickname- it was such a Jesse thing to call them, but they certainly didn’t mind. “Is what okay?” “I meant...his being wrong. You’re not upset that we haven’t done those things?” They asked, imitating Jesse’s tone. “Oh my- no, nononono, baby, that’s not it, I promise.” Lake felt a little shiver when he called them that- baby was reserved almost exclusively for when they were alone in one of their rooms or had snagged a private moment on a date somewhere. It was a special term for them, and their heart always felt a thrill when they heard it. Jesse grabbed one of Lake’s hands and pressed kisses to their palm and knuckles. “I’m here for you, Lake, not that other stuff. I’m just upset that any of that happened, I guess.” He sat up to press a kiss to Lake’s lips. “I’m so happy with us, I promise.” Lake smiled, returning the kiss with one of their own. “Thank you, Jesse, I’m glad, and I’m happy with us too. It….I’m not, um….hm.” They paused for a few moments before finally managing to continue, Jesse holding their hands and rubbing tenderly at their knuckles with his thumbs until they were ready. “If you’d been mad about it, I would have been concerned, because that’s messed up. But I’m not upset if that’s like…..something you’ve been, um….wanting. If you’re frustrated about it, that wouldn’t upset me.” “.....Oh.” Jesse answered slowly, still processing. It seemed his partner had been thinking about this for a little while. “Oh. Are...you frustrated, Lake?” “No! I mean….a little? A tiny bit- but I know that’s my fault for not saying anything. It’s not like you’re ever unwilling to talk to me, or give me something I need, I just...wasn’t sure how to approach this, I guess.” “Oh.” He mulled that over for a moment. “Is…..that something you need, Lake? Because if it is, you know I’ll find a way to help you.” “I…..that wasn't what I meant. And I mean, technically I guess I don’t need this, but…” They looked up to meet Jesse’s gaze head-on, squeezing his hand nervously. “I want it, that, with you. Not everything right away, but…” Jesse tugged Lake into a kiss, stroking the hair at their temples. “Okay. That’s fine- I’m glad you told me, and, um, I want that too.” He laid down on the bed, extending an arm to Lake. “Can we talk about it? And also snuggle?” Lake chuckled, “Yes, we can talk about it and also snuggle.” They laid down next to Jesse and scooted in close, resting their head on his chest and wrapping an arm around his middle, sighing happily at Jesse’s close proximity, familiar warmth and sweet scent. “Um…..what about it do you want to talk about?” They glanced up at Jesse, who was looking up at the ceiling as he thought, his fingers carding through Lake’s hair as he did. “I just wanna make sure we’re both clear on everything.” he said. “Makes things a bit easier for us, usually.” He offered Lake a reassuring smile, which quickly shifted to something a little more awkward. “So, um, first thing I want to be clear about: we’re both ready for a bit more intimacy, maybe using our hands or, like, o-oral sex, but we’re not ready to go all the way.” That was definitely out of Jesse’s wheelhouse for the moment. And, he wanted to know Lake’s body well by that point so he could make it good for them, anyway. Luckily for Jesse, Lake nodded in reply, their face burning with a blush. “Yeah.” Their hands began wandering up and down Jesse’s back. He sat up for a moment to discard his jacket before snuggling up with Lake again, giving them a bit more ground to cover. Lake rubbed their fingers in little circles over the fabric of Jesse’s shirt, increasing the pressure a bit to massage him a little. “I really wanna be closer to you, Jesse, and I’ve wanted it for a little while now. I want to…” they stopped, embarrassed, until Jesse surprised them by leaning forward and pressing his lips to Lake’s. He pulled them as close as he could, pressing a few small, gentle kisses to their jaw and cheeks. “Lake, I promise I’m not gonna laugh at you, okay? Not at anything you say, I promise.” He kissed them again, “Please, tell me what you want?” That reassurance had Lake feeling a bit more like themselves and they agree, emboldened. “I want.... to make you feel good.” They reached up to trace their fingers along Jesse’s collarbone, their eyes going half-lidded and sultry. “I want to touch you everywhere, and have you touch me everywhere. I want to have that part of you, the part that stays behind bedroom doors, and I want to give that part of me to you.” They admitted. Jesse shivered as Lake’s hands smoothed over the plain of his chest, feeling the muscles there, “Me too, I want all of that too.” He agreed. “I just, wow, baby, you’re so-” he’d never really complimented Lake like this, and he hoped desperately wouldn’t flub the moment and have it all come out wrong. “You’re so sexy, Lake, I’m so lucky.” He smiled shyly. “Really?” Lake blinked, “I...never thought of myself that way.” Their hands paused in their exploration, resting over Jesse’s heart, before Jesse took them in his own to press kisses to Lake’s fingers. “Yes, Lake, really.” Jesse encouraged, giving their hands an affectionate squeeze. “I love the way you kiss me, t-touch me, I can never get enough of it. I can never get enough of being close to you at all, really. You’re beautiful and so strong, confident the way you take charge of things sometimes. And when you let me take charge, you’re so….” He struggled to find the right word. “I-I don’t know what the right word is, but I guess the closest would be, um, precious? I just want to take care of you, be close to you…” He released one of their hands to pet their hair again, rubbing his thumb affectionately against the silvery strands. “I want you, Lake, I do.” He pulled them in for a kiss, and realized when they broke away that that was the moment. It didn’t have to be a spectacle, it didn’t need to come off of the heels of a big speech, it just needed to feel right- and it did. He was being honest with them, so why not be as honest as possible? Taking a deep breath, Jesse admitted, “I love you, Lake.” Lake gasped. “Jesse!” Lake was tearing up a bit, but they were smiling as well as they pressed another kiss to his lips. “I love you too, so much...my sweet, wonderful brave dork who came back for me, my Jesse. I love you, you big nerd.” Jesse chuckled, laughter shifting to a couple of emotional tears. They kissed over and over again, nuzzling his cheeks against Lake’s when he could to give himself a little break for air. They kissed for a long time, giggling and sighing and rubbing their noses against one another’s, their sighs and groans of contentment mingling together in the otherwise empty room. That eventually gave way to open mouths and tongues, an entirely different variety of sighs resonating throughout Jesse’s room as his hands wandered over Lake’s back, and theirs did the same to his.“You know what?” He asked when they were done, panting a bit. They were lying nose-to-nose, arms tightly wrapped around one another. “What?” Lake asked with a little smile, their face flush with happiness. “I’m actually kind of glad we were interrupted earlier. I mean, if this is the result, I’m definitely not complaining.” He smiled against Lake’s lips as he kissed them again. “I’ve been dying to tell you that I love you for months.” Lake hummed, nodding, “Me too, Jesse, I’ve loved you for a long time.” They settled their head over his heart, listening to his heartbeat. “Since that first sunset when I arrived here, I think, though it’s hard to pinpoint the precise moment.” “I know I can’t.” Jesse rested his chin on top of Lake’s head. It wasn’t necessary, with the pillows behind him, he just liked doing it. “But I do know that I’m going to love you for a very long time to come.” he said happily. Lake replied with a happy chuckle, giving Jesse a little squeeze. “How can I resist, when you say such sweet things?” Lake gave Jesse a little nuzzle as well, before growing quiet for a few moments. “So, um...while we’re being clear about things...do you think, maybe next week, Friday, when your parents are out with their friends and Nate’s at that sleepover...that could be a good opportunity to….” They weren’t sure what to say that didn’t sound silly or vulgar. Jesse knew what they meant, though. “Yeah, I think that’d be a good place to start. Though, um...would it be okay if we touched each other a little more until then? Not below the belt or anything, I’m not suggesting that, but just…’ He trailed off, unsure how to clarify what he meant. Lake had him covered, releasing Jesse to slip their hands under his shirt and touch his bare skin. Jesse let out a little yelp before he moaned, leaning into Lake’s touch. “Is this what you meant?” Lake asked. Jesse nodded, “This is absolutely what I meant. How are you so good at reading my mind?” he asked, shivering from Lake’s wandering hands tracing the lines of his muscles. “Practice?” Lake shrugged. “Or, maybe I’m just really good at guessing. Take your pick.” They paused when their fingers reached the hem of Jesse’s shirt, and looked up at him, raised brows asking for permission to venture further. Jesse nodded, shivering when Lake’s cool fingers glided over his bare skin. “Sorry if my fingers are cold…” Jesse’s skin was so warm and soft, softer than they’d anticipated. He was really hiding some muscles under that shirt, too- something Lake had gotten to enjoy at many a swim meet. “No, baby, it’s great, it feels really nice.” Jesse smiled at them, reaching down to run his fingers through their hair. “That was a ‘this is good’ shiver, not an ‘I’m cold,’ shiver.” He clarified, caressing the shell of their ear with his thumb. “Mm, I’ll have to learn the difference.” Lake smiled, their fingers wandering up to the valley between Jesse’s pecs, rubbing little affectionate circles into the skin as Jesse played with their hair. He was in heaven as Lake’s fingers wandered over his midsection. He’d never thought that just having his stomach and chest touched would feel so good, but he also suspected that might have something to do with Lake being the one doing the touching. As their hands glided down his sides he closed his eyes for a moment, taking a mental snapshot of the moment .“Mn, I suppose you’d have to do some research into that, then.” Jesse hoped he came off as flirty and silly, not awkward and creepy. “I’m happy to help you with that anytime, you know.” He felt almost relieved to be talking to them this way, finally acknowledging feelings they’d both pushed to the side. Lake pretended to consider his offer, tapping a finger to their chin. Their other hand was still under Jesse’s shirt, Lake using their fingers to trace little hearts over the warm skin. “Hmmmm….well, I suppose I can make some time for you, in my schedule. I have a little bit of time right now, you know, no other appointments.” Their hand slid up, resting over Jesse’s heart. “Though, I do think that this might be in the way…” they tugged on Jesse’s shirt. Jesse’s eyes widened a bit, before his expression shifted to something more comfortable, confident- he was with Lake, after all. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. He took Lake’s hands in his as he sat up, guiding them to the hem of his shirt.

“I think you might be right, baby…” Jesse’s voice sounded lower, almost a bit like a whisper- something about it sent a shiver up Lake’s spine as they tugged Jesse’s shirt up-

“Hey, lovebirds, dinner in ten!” Nate knocked loudly on the door, startling both of them. Lake dropped Jesse’s shirt, a bit exasperated. They knew Nate couldn’t help having horrible timing, though. “We’ll be right there, Nate!” Lake called. “Thanks.” moments later, they heard him heading down the stairs. They looked to Jesse, feeling defeated and a touch embarrassed again.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jesse pressed a peck to Lake’s lips before wrapping them up in a hug. “I know, it’s frustrating, but there’s always more time. And we have Friday coming up, so…” “Yeah.” Lake returned Jesse’s hug before getting up off the bed, offering Jesse a hand to ‘help’ him down, really just an excuse to touch him more. “We have Friday.” They’d have to figure out how to make it special- maybe a gift for Jesse? Or...something...special to wear? Nope, not thinking about lingerie right now- how would they even know where to start, anyway? “....Hey, baby?” Jesse’s voice sounded rather shy as he rooted through his backpack. “I almost forgot- I picked something up for you, earlier.” Maybe he should have saved it for Friday, he thought, but they’d had a bad day and Lake deserved to be spoiled. “What?” Lake smiled as he approached, hands behind his back. “Jesse, you didn’t have to…” Really, his thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze them.“I wanted to.” He handed them a small, dove grey velvet box, Lake gasping loudly when they beheld the moonstone inside, taking the necklace out and holding it tightly as they surveyed the stone.“Jesse!” They embraced him, kissing him again and again. “Jesse, you….” they were a touch overwhelmed, but in the best way. They kissed him absentmindedly, thoughts chugging forward on a new train of thought. What had they done to deserve a boy who loved them so damn much, who cared so well for them? When they were trapped in the mirror they never even dreamed they might be in a position to receive presents, only to imitate those who did, to reflect. But this was theirs. They’d fought tooth and nail for it, him, them, and every horror had been worth it. “Baby?” Jesse nuzzled Lake’s cheek. “Are you okay? You spaced out for a sec there,” he caressed Lake’s cheek. They chuckled, turning their head to kiss Jesse’s palm. “It’s just...in moments like this, I actually think about Mace. All those things he said I wouldn’t have….I can have all of them now, I can live my life the way I want to...I just never want to forget how much of a gift that is.” They kissed him again, “How much of a gift you are, for giving me... this.” ‘This’ wasn’t just the necklace. It was the morning and goodnight kisses, the sweet confessions and tender caresses. It was every bit of validation and kindness and encouragement Jesse had ever given them, something they knew they could never truly pay back. “Lake, you don’t have to thank me...baby, I love you.” Jesse leaned his forehead against theirs. “I don’t think I could have done things any differently. You don’t realize it, Lake, because everyone has been telling you differently, but you’re amazing. You’re strong and loyal and brave and beautiful, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. You matter, Lake, and people are going to do whatever they can for you because they care about you. Remember that.” He assured as he fastened Lake’s necklace for them. Lake nodded, sniffling a tad. “I’ll do my best.” They hugged him tightly. “These last six months have definitely helped.” They pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before Jesse opened the door for them with an elaborate bow, drawing a tiny chuckle from Lake. “To six more months, my darling.” Jesse declared in a dramatic, Shakespearean-esque tone. Joining in on his game, Lake offered Jesse their arm.

“To six more months- onward, to dinner!”

#nonbinary lake #infinity train #lake infinity train #jesslake #lake it #jesslake fanfiction #Infinity shipping #jesse infinity train #infinity train fanfiction

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kaiju-z · 3 years

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Seon Adventures, Episode 34: The Journey to Tutum

When last we left off our adventurers, the party had prevented a duel to the death between Mournimar and a duelist, hired by his ex-boyfriend, follower of Potencia Lazarus, rescued a talking Celestial Warlock Dog named Samson by brutally overkilling a group of deserters from the war and reached the border of Aetorumia and the neighbouring lands.

In the evening, while Malak confronted Luctan over his past behavior and gifted him an Orb of Direction, Samson the Corgi nearly escaped with his life, avoiding a fight with the spirits ithat dwelled within the well he attempted to steal money from. In the morning, Malak would express his displeasure in the party’s actions against the ex-soldiers, empasionately as Malak would allow himself demanding that they could and should do better than this, before also gifting them items of their own.

A Pipe Of Rememberence for Jun, a Handy Spice Pouch for Belli and a Pot Of Awakening for Mournimar. He would then finish his meal outside, before the five + Samson would reconvene on their journeys...

To everyone’s surprise, however, at some point, while Malak bought a map, Luck made a 7 gold coin offering at the shrine and the rest restocked any provisions they might have sacrificed on the journey so far, Samson had trotted off on his own little adventure. A one dog army~!

After paying the Innkeeper handsomely for her food and donating for her establishment’s futue, the party would get in their carriage and, led by Kevin and Killer, make their way out the border town, their eyes taking in the massive expands of sands and dunes. No structures in sight, Malak being quite familiar to it. Having known this shit and the thought he’d said goodbye to it coming back to haunt him.

Before the group could leave on their weeks long journey, a laugh would catch their ears and as they’d turn their heads in the direction of the amused fellow, they’d see an aged orange haired man with a shit eating grin, making japes at the group for traveling as they appeared. In plates and leathers and all that sort of stuff.

Questioning the scarred man’s attitude, the party would note that he appeared off-proportioned in a way. Somewhat dwarven, but much taller. A Half-Dwarf!

While Jun asks him if he could guide them, which he planned to offer his services for the very pricey 2 PIECES OF GOLD FOR EACH SIDE OF THE TREK, Malak would recognize his colors as being of the Galorum army. Old enemies of Aeterumia, during the war. But to Malak, that was old news. Yesterday’s enemy was today’s ally and all that.

With a wooden leg and a confident demeanor, Arryn, as he introduces himself to the party and they back to him, appeared to be the kinda guy who just hopes for work. And work he finds as the party accept him on this long journey, to guide them and keep them from walking off the path.

It pretty quickly sets in on the team just how hot it can be in the desert. And the air itself was so thick. Extra THICK, even! It felt like there was led in the air or some thing at later evenings they’d spend out in the open. Temperatures being like under a blanket, but also nasty and humid.

The guide would mention it being left over bad energy from the war. The area is inflicted with the worst vibes. The vibes that took Arryn’s leg.

Days would pass. Weeks even as the group advanced through the dunes, past hills and rocks and rocks and small mountains around them, generally peacefully, with the exclusion of any foul business. Sure enough, Arryn was a trusted guide through these parts, getting them through the sands, to some more solid areas of rock and gravel.

The walk was a lot more even and paced from there, with the obvious dunes carrying on in the distance, but something would catch the travelers’ attention. Bones. They’d see lots of bones. Almost like a trail of them, leading to this sheer clear cliff face.

Investigating them, Malak would note that they were weirdly in tact, some of them. Dead and untouched. But there’s kind of a little curve around the corner, where the bone trail leads… He’d pick up a skull and cast “Speak With Dead”

“EYY!” the awoken skull would commence.

And the questions and answers would begin.

1. “How did you die?”- “Well, I was walking, right? And then there was this hot and cold stuff. And then it was just everywhere and it was really hot? And there was this big flappy beast behind me.”

2. What were you doing out here?” “Me and my friends were following a trail of bones and figured whatever did this’gotta be guarding some good shit.”

3. “Were you being guided by a peg legged man?” –“No, we didn’t get a guide. We thought it was a waste of treasure and had to share.”

4. “Did you have anything on you?” “I mean, we had our weapons and armor.”

5. “Is there anyone you’d like informed?” – “If me mate Chaz made it, he’s probably back at Havik by now.”

With the air of life leaving the skull, Malak would update the crew on his findings. From there, Jun would elect to poke the distracted Bard and suggest she send Orion to investigate the inner sanctum of the bone yard.

Orion slinks off and his body shrinks into the size of a normal cat, much to Belli’s amusement and the rest’s shock and awe.

He sneaks around the corner. Belli looks through his eyes. What happens is that he turns the corner and there’s this huge mammoth bone. Think elephant graveyard. He walks under that and he does a perceive... He steps out into the open, looks back where he came from and then Belli notices that the ground gets further away.

A pause. And poof. He’s gone.

Mournimar sneaks in, next, with a rope around his waist and careful maneuvering, feeling unseen as he makes his way through the yard, while Malak casts Aid on Arryn and the ladies. As the low armored part of the team.

With a careful eye, Mournimar sees the source of all these corpses. And as the Rogueish Ranger would raise his head up, the others would follow suit. And sea an Adult Blue Dragon, staring confusedly at his clawed mits, wondering where his quick little meal went. A great big fuck off blue dragon.

Electing to avoid a fight with the dragon, for now, the group would carefully maneuver their way back to the carriage and do a big twist to avoid being directly seen by the dragon as they’d carry on and cross a river, along the way..

One evening, during shifts, Luctan taking the first... the disguised tiefling would wake Jun and ask her for her presense during his watch. The two would hold a private conversation, regarding Jun’s offer to hear him out, where they’d discuss the matter of trust, personal insecurities and pain, the understanding of pain and treatment of pain... Capping things off with a genuine interest in learning how to carry on, after a tragedy, something which the unmasked red tiefling had trouble getting to terms with.

By the end of the 1st watch, Luctan and Jun would come to an understanding and carry on with talks when the time allowed it. But until then, Luck would wake Mournimar to follow through with the second sentry outlook, while he rested.

Mournimar’s watch would be uneventful, compared to what had occured in his dreams... Something he’d share with Belli, when the first signs of morning would come up.

The enthusiastic cook would poke for information, which the Tiefling Ranger would share, regailing Belli with a tale of his dream, wherein he was visited, or more like... found himself in Jorzoth’s office. One of the Archdevils had brought him in for a 1 on 1 pow-wow, where in he’d inform the archer of Lazarus’ intentions with the duelist.

Lazarus had intened, through this duel, for Mournimar to best his contractor as a means to check in on his ex.

...

To say that this is a weird way of checking on your ex, would be an understatement. And yet, that was the story he’d tell, through bites of an omlette.

In Mournimar’s own words, the break up and Potencia really changed him. Lazarus? He’s someone in need of praise. He used to be good and he was never like this before Potencia. There were... clear regrets there, in Mournimar’s mind and heart.

But Belli would protest to this thinking as you can’t change someone, who doesn’t want to change. While Mournimar doesn’t want him to be like how Mournimar was as a child, Belli reminds her friend that Lazarus is an adult, It’s his choice to make.

Breakfast is had amongst the group and Arryn remarks that this is the best hospitality he’s had. Ever.

From there? They’d venture forth and Malak tries to call Chaz. With a D100 he Sends a message to the dude. He gives him the full story, as best as possible. Chaz is sad, but the funeral was done already. He regets the nasty stuff he’s said over the year. But is greatful. Godspeed!

Drawing near to a river, Luctan would give Belli her pot. Like. Literal pot that had been in his posession for about a month now, give or take. Within one of the ceramic pots there were 10 silver ball bearings, each spelling a letter in Belli’s name.

And in turn, Belli would give Luck 5 smoke bombs. And she’d even show him her stash of a variety of bombs. Which she had been planning on using with the help of Orion as a dive bomber.

Stupified by his friend’s madcap ideas, Luck would be quiet for the most part during the next part of the journey as they’d cross over the river on a bridge and go through a town, populated by kobolds of different scales.

Initially weary of the group, they’d soon enough relax and observe, even follow them along as the party carried on through the town, when Malak appied his knowledge of the Draconic tongue, holding a friendly conversation with the locals, while Luck used his Prestidigitation to create funny images and smells for the kids.

As the town of Odum generally doesn’t generally get visitors, the party are kind of a treat to them. Through the talk, a kind of friendship forms with the Kobold settlement and the party learn that the dragon of the desert was quite the nasty one. Every time they’d send someone over to check what his demeanor was, they’d have to send another one, to check as well, because no one ever came back.

Mental note.

In the midst of this conversation, Jun would make friends with two of the littlest kobold kids, who’d climb on her and ask her all kinds of questions. Like why her face was the way it was. She’d happily use her shapeshifting power to appear like a Golden Dragonborn, much to the kids’ amusment.

With friendship in their heardts, the party would eventually carry on, venturing forth! Arryn would warn them that the next week is just gonna be desert. There’s a lake at some point, but that’s our lot.

While the week’s travel carries on, Belli shows off her vocal skills as she speaks in a few new languages she had picked. Among which was Dwarven, much to Luck’s shock. And frustration. ‘cause it took him 3 years to learn that on his own!

(”What? Like it’s hard.”)

Arryn, however, upon hearing Belli speak in Dwarven turns pale. When asked if he’s ok, the half-dwarf would reveal that anyone’d be shocked on hearing a nearly dead language.

In one day the dwarves and dragonborn in the area died off. Green evil magic took then down. Arryn survived, because he is part human. Malak knows this to be the effect of the Blight spell, but on a major level.

Jun suggests Steamroot to help with the pain. Her partner was hit with that spell and it had helped manage that. Arryn’s greatful for the suggestion.

They’d venture forth, once more, parallel to the main road. Mournimar asks about why we’re not on the main road. Bad things, ghosts, appear on the main road. Ghosts of the Dragonborn, particularly dangerous spirits. Spirits are his expertise and avoiding them is where the expertise is at.

One particular night, deep into their expedition, Arryn asks them over a warm evening meal where exactly they were headed. Not to Tutum itself, right?

The party reveal some of what they’re after, but that seems to be more than enough for Arryn to put 2 and 2 together.

“Of course, it’d make sense for them to eventually send someone to clean their tracks.” he’d remark, which in turn would push the party to question him on what he meant.

Arryn would say that it was never confirmed, but implied that the Council was involved in what happened to the dwarves and dragonborn. According to him, as he’d elaborate on events from the battle, as he was a soldier at the time, two dragons were in on the plan. One was dragged off to Guan and the other slain by the King’s Blade, which was burried within the tomb, onward.

Before anyone can stop her, a furious Belli’d send a message to River, demanding answers that she wasn’t even sure of the Halfling would have.

A hurt River would reply back with as much as she claimed to know, which was that this was a private job being done for a benefactor she couldn’t disclose. Upset, she’d question if Belli mistrusted her now?!

A debate is held on how to proceed.

Ultimately, the party agree to go talk to the sword and get the facts straight. From there they’d see where they’d go..

Arryn would remark with surprise on how quickly they’d trust what he had to say had any truth to it.

As the journey continued, they’d avoid the ghost town. Like. Town of ghosts. And keep going and going to a cave with funky carving.

There are carvings of a Tiefling with a big, big chonky sword. Fighting a dragon. An outline of an army that kind of fades and half of them disappear...

Underneath this is this really fine intricate dwarven lettering and runes. As we get to the shrine, we end the session.

Previous Episode / Next Episode

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aquoreus · 5 years

Text

A QUICK GUIDE TO MY MUSE-

Because I have a billion hcs and this might help??

Profile:

Name: Lisia Arethusa Nickname/s: Lis, Lissi (by her fans and friends) Alias (when she’s incognito): Andromeda (Andy) Badeaux Age (main verse default): 24 (timeline) Eye colour: Turquoise Hair colour: Turquoise Height: 5'3 Ethnicity/nationality: Sootopolitan/Kalosian Current living conditions: An apartment in Lilycove City. Various Hotels as she travels. Occupation: Coordinator, Idol, Actress, Singer, Contest Judge, Event Host Disposition: bright, social, very happy and friendly and cheerful

Important Headcanons:

Natural Appearance + Incognito Adventures: (link here)

- Lisia’s “canon” look is something she has to work for/put on. Her hair is naturally very wavy (see this heckin gorgeous art), so for her Idol look, she has to use various products to prepare and style it into the smooth ponytail and fringe.

- When she wants a break from her fame and fans, she will go out in casual clothes, with her hair down or loosely styled with pretty much no product, so its all wavy. No one recognises her like this. This is her, like, one way to have freedom, she does not share this secret with anyone unless she trusts them. She doesn’t like lying, but if required, she will say her name is Andy Badeaux.

- Personas (link here). This is a very important one. Lisia is different when she is being an Idol and when she is ‘Incognito’. Her fame has a big impact on her. She is more ‘free’ to make mistakes and be more human when she is not an Idol.

Sootopolitan Bloodline:

- Lisia (and Wallace, and secretly Proton) are descended of the ancient Sootopolitans. This is rare enough as it is, due to the history and mixing of bloodlines, but these three have the recessive traits of the turquoise hair and eyes which was the signature of the ancient Sootopolitans as well as their affinity and connection to Water type pokemon. (link here)

- Sootopolitans like Lisia have unique aura (link here) which is very similar to that of water type pokemon and helps draw them to her and bond with them. This aura is also what allows the, now rare, occurrence of pokemon that evolve via Water Stone to evolve without said Water Stone. Lisia’s Vaporeon is evidence of that.

- Lisia has the potential to learn how to use her aura to manipulate water. (link here)

- She is drawn to the water and finds it hard to be away from it, it can interfere with her concentration. (link here)

NPCs:

- Chaz. A Rich Boy Coordinator that debuted the same day as Lisia. He calls himself her rival. He thinks they have a special connection, and he’s always trying to get her to spend time with him. (link here)

- Wallace. Lisia’s Uncle. Her idol. He’s the one that got her into Contests. (link here)

- Karine. Lisia’s younger sister. A Pokemon Racer in Kalos. Lowkey rude af. (she doesn’t have to be included, I’m not forcing her on Wallace rpers with them being family etc) (link here)

- Lisia’s Manager. She seems kind and caring and she’s excellent at her job. Lisia trusts her and thinks she has her best interests at heart, but the woman is subtly manipulative. (link here)

- Ruby (pokespe). the most fabulous pokedex holder ever. he was mentored by Wallace and is a great battler and coordinator (link here)

Contests and Idol stuff:

- Idol duties + more. Lisia is a very busy girl. A lot of her activities revolves around Contests but there’s also quite a bit more, which opens up opportunities for interactions! (link here)

- Contest Passes. They are what allows someone to participate in a Contest, Lisia carries a few ‘special’ passes around that she gives out during promotions. (link here)

- Entertainment Bureau + managers. There are Contest Halls in certain towns/cities. They’re where the Contests happen, there’s the huge stage areas, multiple dressing rooms, etc. They’re big places. But they’re not where all the organising and such takes place. In the big cities and a few towns, there are Entertainment Bureaus. They’re large office building complexes with multiple divisions within. Different floors have different specialties but they all work rather closely together. The business actually started when several entertainment groups joined together.They all come under the one ‘Entertainment’ umbrella but some of the bigger departments do have their own branches in certain places as well, where the demand is. (link here)

- Contests. I use a mix of game/anime as well as some of my own thoughts for how Contests for Lisia works. (link here)

- Contests are harder than you think and require a lot of skill! Seriously. (link here)

- Timeline of her career and style (here)

Pokemon:

- Lisia’s only canon pokemon is her Altaria, Ali. I’ve given Lisia more pokemon for her ‘on hand’ team (link here). Since she has such a huge love of them, Lisia also has a whole hoard of water pokemon and other pokemon she loves particularly. These pokemon are not kept in a PC. (link here)

Interests:

- Space/Stars. Lisia’s mother was an astronomer and so Lisia feels a big love and connection to stars and space. (link here)

- Water/swimming. Due to her Sootopolitan heritage mostly (Sootopolitans favour water type pokemon), Lisia feels a huge calmness from being in/around water. She loves swimming and she would love to meet anyone with water type pokemon, especially the water type specialists.

- Music/Dancing/Theatre/Singing. She took dance, music, and theatre classes when she was younger (link here). She’s also very good at mimicry/impressions. (link here)

End game:

Her development will eventually take her on a path towards the “End Game” aka where she will end up after everything.

The Pokemon Journey™ and her view of trainers is very important to her. In the Game, after the Player defeats her in the Master Rank Contest, she says…

“I said the other day that I wondered what made you so special… I think I’ve got a better idea now what it is. See… It’s probably ‘cause you don’t do just contests, <player>… You’re out there filling your Pokédex, taking on Pokémon Gyms, and all kinds of other things! You and your Pokémon shared all those experiences… That’s why you can show off the real appeal of your Pokémon better than any one of us can! I’ve started thinking that I should do the same, Gyms and Pokédex and all.“

Even before I had read that, I had always felt like Lisia would pursue a change such as taking a break from Contests to try a journey. So, as I see it…after enough main verse interactions and development (likely with trainers), Lisia will-

- Take a break from Contests and start a Journey in another region (maybe Unova) - Struggle and develop, learning about herself and her pokemon. Grow to be more independent and learn to let herself be herself. And of course become a super badass battler along the way. - Make her return to Hoenn. Perhaps return to Contests since she only intended it to be a break. But I feel like they’ll be too easy for her now maybe. - Want to have more responsibility. Take over from Wallace as ‘guardian’ of the cave/sky pillar. - Learn how to manipulate water. And become Gym Leader one day. Maybe aiming for Champion one day too.

The “End Game” version of Lisia i see, will be a woman who accepts all parts of herself, who doesn’t feel as if she’s split in two. She’ll be strong in all ways, and she’ll have reeally long hair and dress in traditional Sootopolitan clothes (think greek style dresses). She’ll be mature, kind and wise, but still able to have fun. She’ll be an idol in a different kinda way, and she’ll be a protector and keeper of her people.

THE END!

That really wasn’t as ‘quick’ as I’d hoped...

#( ･ﾟ✧ HEADCANON. )

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angryhausfrau-writes · 3 years

Text

I Travel Troubled Oceans: Chapter 18 - In Which Charles Vane Discovers He Likes To Feel Pretty And Jack Rackham Contemplates Knocking Over A Jewelry Store

Also Anne and Max are there to lend an air of practicality otherwise lacking from this story.

I had about half of what I thought was going to be chapter eighteen written and then this demanded to be written instead. So here we are. Hopefully Chapter 19 will be a fairly quick update, but work's been kinda wild the last couple of weeks so we'll see. Charles Vane's wardrobe choices are inspired by Zach McGowan's character in Shameless, a show I've never seen, but appreciate nonetheless.

Charles is fucking sick of moving furniture. If he'd wanted to be a mover, he'd have gotten a legitimate job as one, instead of making his money at smash and grabs. Or other ways, when he was younger. Prettier.

Not much about him now can be described as pretty. And Johns don't tend to like guys who're big and strong. Who're dangerous. Who could hurt them back.

And Charles has been dangerous, been hurting people since he was sixteen years old. Which is maybe part of why he's enjoying acting like a pretty, spoiled little princess so much. Why he's enjoying being all the things he's never really gotten a chance to be.

Sure, the job calls for him to be just a pretty little boytoy for Jack. Just a pretty little piece of muscled arm candy with nothing between his ears but salacious gossip. It's about the only way you make a man like him seem innocuous. Weak.

But Charles can honestly say he's enjoying being delicate and pretty and pampered, even if it's only for a con. Even if it's only Jack looking at him like that when they're not on the job – Jack who knows just how dangerous Charles can be.

The bubble baths had started as a... as a reassurance thing, Charles is pretty sure. A way for Jack to be reassured that Charles made it home safe and sound after a night of beating the shit out of people.

And it's nice that he cares so much. But it means something else to Charles. It's a way for Charles to feel loved and cared for like he'd never gotten to experience before. To know that he's wanted here, in this crew, even if they're working the kind of jobs he's not really any good at.

Though he has been practicing and he thinks he's been getting better at worming information out of people in a way that doesn't involve breaking knee caps. He knows he's not as good as Max, or even Jack. But Jack keeps him around anyway.

Seems to enjoy spending time with him, just the two of them in the palatial tub in the even more palatial bathroom off Jack's even, even more palatial bedroom. Not really talking much, which is unusual for Jack. But he must like it enough that it's turned into a routine for both of them now, even if Charles hasn't been out fighting. Even if Jack's been kept from running himself ragged at whatever part of the job he's obsessing over now. The two of them get in the bath at the end of the day just because it's what they do now.

And who would've ever thought Charles would be someone to develop such a domestic routine?

But he sure isn't complaining about it. It's nice to come home after a long day of hauling armoires up and down stairs to soak the strain out of his arms and back and legs in a hot bath. It's even nicer to relax back against the wall of the tub, his knee bumping up against Jack's bony leg, feeling him comb gently through his hair as Charles half dozes with his cheek on Jack's bony shoulder. And Jack has even started buying bath bombs without any fucking glitter in them.

So it's nice. But the whole thing has kind of changed recently. Turned into something different than just a bath at the end of a long day of manual labor. Or a long night of violence.

When Charles slips out of the warm bath and into one of Jack's many, many – seriously, how many does one guy need? - little silk robes. And when Jack pulls Charles into his bed, to nestle between cool sheets, and starts combing through Charles's damp hair, starts braiding little silver charms into it like he does for Anne. Like he used to do for Charles, before he went away, before Eleanor, really, and before everything went to shit. Jack looking down at him like he's something soft. Something pretty to be treasured. Something delicate to be protected. Well, all of that makes something bloom in Charles that he didn't even fucking know was there. Like a scraggly weed coming up through a crack in the pavement that turns out to be a flower.

And that thing feels an awful lot like love.

And the surprise is that it's easy, feeling this way. Like it's a foregone conclusion it's taken him far too long to reach.

And Charles is no stranger to falling in love. He's done it with Eleanor and there was maybe something there between him and Flint. An understanding that could have become something else if Flint hadn't found the love of his old life hiding out in some junkie squat. And there were others before that, when he was just a dumb kid, that probably don't even really count.

But they'd all ended in disaster, one way or another. Ended in heartbreak or betrayal or both.

So that's the frightening thing about being in love with Jack. Jack who betrayed him once already. Jack who he's supposed to be in love with for a con. It's frightening just how easy being in love with him is.

“It's too fucking easy,” he'd said to Anne. “I don't trust how fucking easy it is.”

Cuz nothing in life is ever this easy. Case in point, that whole thing with Eleanor. Or his entire life up til now.

But Anne'd said, “Thought that was the whole point, things being easy now.”

Cuz they ain't really doing nothing illegal, 'cept maybe bribery. And the thing about bribery is it's only illegal if the fucker you're bribing decides to turn you in. And frankly, Anne don't think Councilor Featherstone's got the balls to snitch.

Charles had thought that over for a bit. Nodded. Cuz if Anne isn't worrying about going soft – about loving people even when they'd betrayed her, even when they're all working a job together – then Charles won't worry about it either. And. And. There's plenty to appreciate about this new, softer, safer life they're building. About the person he's allowed to be living it.

“You look frustrated, moi Cherie,” Max says.

And Anne guesses that maybe her face does look a little thundercloud dark. She tries to smooth it out a little. “Nothing's wrong. Just Chaz finally realizing he's in love with Jack.”

“Ah,” Max says in understanding. She leans back in her opulent office chair to look at Anne more closely. “So of course he told you. And now you are the middle man between the two lovelorn fools.”

Anne grunts. “Not like I know shit about relationships. But somehow it's my problem.”

“Well, they both value your opinion. And you're something of a neutral party in that particular relationship.”

“How do you mean?” Cuz maybe she don't particularly want to be involved in all this bullshit. But she ain't ever been one to be considered neutral in – much of anything really.

“They betrayed each other.” Max pauses. “Being fair, we've all betrayed each other, a half dozen times over.”

Anne waves it away as inconsequential. “That was back then. We were all just doing what we had to to survive.”

And they are no longer just surviving, are they?

“All I'm saying is, you never... put yourself between the two of them. Never made Jack chose you over Charles. Or Charles choose you over Jack, in whatever capacity that may have been.”

Not like Jack had been forced to chose between Anne and Max. Or Charles and Max. Hmm.

“We've all done some pretty shit things to each other, though, ain't we?” Anne's looking down at the desk, where Max continues to do some pretty shit things. But not to them. Not ever again. “But the past's the past. And I ain't here to dig up skeletons better off left in the ground.”

Max looks up and her gaze catches the painting hanging across the room, in perfect view of her desk. Anne's hat is largely obscuring it but what little is visible arrests the eye, draws one in. Invites obsession.

That had been Flint's problem. Obsession. He refused to let go of past wrongs. Refused to let his ghosts rest.

And Eleanor, too. She refused to let her dying dreams pass from this world peacefully and it ended in her passing from high society to ignominy – a more cutting blow for her than death would have been. In the end, their obsession had been their undoing.

Max sits up in her chair, until Anne's hat completely blocks the painting and all Max can see is her shadowed face and gleaming grin. She refuses to let the same obsession be her downfall.

Charles is slowly driving Jack insane. Not that he ever had much sanity to begin with, of course. But lately, he's been driven to more than his usual level of distraction – too distracted even to make much headway on his fashion show, which is coming up in a few short weeks, unable to keep his mind on Mary's directions for the sneak peek photographs that will be tantalizingly leaked on Jack's Instagram ahead of the show, or Christine's progress with her design drawings, to say nothing of Jack's own list of last minute additions and changes that need to be made. And it's all Charles's fault.

Oh, it had started innocently enough, with Jack offering Charles a robe. Because Charles may have an incredibly blasé attitude towards nudity, but Jack cannot say the same for himself. Particularly when it's Charles sprawled out naked in Jack's bed.

Unfortunately, Charles seems to have taken to that mode of dress – or rather undress, as it really does next to nothing to cover the breadth of his shoulders and there's rather more of his rippling abdominals visible than is really appropriate for anywhere but the boudoir. And, because Charles is Charles and he has no shame, it's not a mode of dress that has remained only for the few brief, too brief, moments when Charles is in Jack's bed, on the edge of sleep and Jack can get close to him, touch him, hold him like he wants to. When Jack can pretend that Charles is the kind of man to want to be held. To be coddled and petted and loved. The intimate moments Jack can pretend mean something to Charles too, other than him being exhausted after a long day of manual labor – or a long night of beating other men's faces in.

And perhaps there is intimacy in the mere fact that Charles is willing to trust Jack enough to get close to him. To touch him when he is vulnerable. To fall asleep with Jack in the room – and Charles not even being lost in the pipe, too lost to take stock of anyone's presence, including, sometimes, his own.

There is trust there, and vulnerability. And from a man like Charles Vane, that is no small thing.

So Jack will be content with what he has and not ask for more. But God is it hard, when Charles's every move, every action, seems calculated to drive Jack to distraction.

Like, for instance, this morning when Charles comes down to breakfast in a sheer robe of cherryblossom silk that Jack had purchased with the explicit intention of never wearing unless in direst emergency. Such as someone starting to poke holes in his cover story of rich, vapid, thoroughly homosexual playboy. Charles is wearing it to eat a plate of scrambled eggs.

Jack clears his throat and slides into the seat next to an entirely too amused looking Anne. “What's on the agenda for the day?” he asks, in a brave attempt at equanimity.

“Mary says we're done painting, finally,” Charles responds with an exaggerated grimmace. “She's still got a bunch of shit to set up, but we get the day off.”

“Mostly thanks to Anne, I assume.”

Anne glares out from beneath her hat, but there's a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth that means Jack's most likely right.

“Make sure you wear her out. Then we might get a whole weekend off,” Charles adds, laughing when Anne flips him off.

“Mary's a harsh taskmaster, then?” You wouldn't think it to look at her.

Charles shrugs. “I've had worse.”

Jack's sure he has. And the fact he's mentioning it, admitting his past “weakness,” is something akin to intimacy for Charles as well. A sign that they're trusted in a way he and Anne hadn't been before – or that Charles is able to trust them in a way he hadn't been before, Jack's not quite sure.

Either way, it feels like a hand reaching out. Jack reaches back.

“Well, since Anne and Mary are otherwise occupied, do you want to help out with the fashion side of things, oh inspiring muse?”

Jack is actually rather behind on his list of tasks. And with Mary overseeing the renovations on the home they just purchased – plus her having to wrangle Jack this past week or so – she hasn't had time to take all the hundreds of pictures she had wanted to of the clothes Jack actually has finished.

Jack is laboring under absolutely no delusion that Charles will actually be any help. In fact, his mere presence – particularly if he continues to insist on dressing like that – is more likely to hinder than help. But Jack does enjoy spending time with him, embarrassing crush aside. And this feels as good a way to accomplish it as any.

“Sure, I can stand in the corner and look pretty while you work,” Charles agrees with a shrug.

Keen to encourage that sort of thing, and maybe a little blinded by the way the light and shadow play across Charles's chiseled abs, Jack says, “You're really quite good at it. Looking pretty, I mean.” And then he shoves an entire slice of toast in his mouth so he doesn't have to look at Charles and see his reaction to that statement.

Anne's not really very suppressed laughter is bad enough.

Surprisingly, Charles does actually end up being fairly helpful. He spends the first while of Jack working characteristically silent as he pages through Christine's drawings – the only thing completed on time, because she's a consummate professional regardless of profession. And Jack's happy to get his work done, is able to ignore the slight background noise and get lost in some intricate embroidery he needs to finish on the hemline of Idelle's dress.

He only looks up as he's tying the knot on the last thread. And then he sees Charles squatting next to him with his phone out, looking a bit sheepish.

It's an unusual look for Charles and Jack's a bit worried for a minute. Then, Charles turns the phone around so Jack can see he took a picture of him working.

Jack takes the phone and scrolls through the last few photos, all of Jack working or the workroom or closeup parts of garments that've been finished. It's nowhere near as professional as the “candid” shots Mary takes, but Jack thinks there's something realer in them, despite some of the strange angles or non-ideal lighting.

Charles is still looking nervous, so Jack wheels around and takes a photograph of his startled face. Charles blinks a bit dazedly from the flash and then laughs, pouncing on Jack to try and get the phone back.

“It's supposed to be you in the pictures, Jack. Since you're the famous fashion designer and all.”

Jack grins and holds the phone away from Charles, who's got a longer reach than Jack but is hindered by his overall bulk in the tight space between dress forms. “Oh no Charles. You're my muse, after all. It's only fair I show the people what's inspired my work.”

Jack takes another picture of Charles where he's sprawled out atop the long train of a brocade velvet dress Jack's halfway through sewing real freshwater pearls onto.

“Maybe I'd get more attention with your pretty face in my Instagram posts.”

Shockingly, Charles blushes a bit beneath his tan. Jack snaps another photo.

And that sets off a chain of rather ridiculous photographs taken throughout the workroom, including a rather risque shot where Charles is posing surrounded by and half underneath the skirts of one of the finished dresses. Then Charles steals the phone back and takes more pictures of Jack working, several (most) of them more focused on Jack's rear end than the work he's doing – but there are probably a few usable ones in the mix. It's Mary's problem to sort that out.

And then Jack's done with all the work he'd wanted to finish. But he has an idea for one final photograph.

“You ought to dress like this all the time, Chaz,” Jack says, utterly serious despite the impracticality.

Charles absolutely drips with jewels. It's all the jewelry Jack plans on using for the models in the show piled and strung and draped about him and it's absolutely debauched, just absolutely obscenely ostentatious.

“Yeah? You're going to go knock over a half dozen jewelry stores so I can parade around in a bit of shiny?”

Jack looks at the picture he's just taken. And Charles looks... Charles looks like a king. Like the consort to a king, dripping disdain and decadence. All hard, sharp features. All soft pale pink silk. Gold and silver and an ocean of pearls. A forest of emeralds. A sea of sapphires.

His head is bare, but it looks as if he ought to be wearing a crown. He looks as if people ought to be worshiping at his feet.

“Yes,” Jack breathes out. “Yes, Charles, I absolutely would.”

Jack saves the photo as his phone background. Maybe Charles isn't really his muse, but the image is certainly... inspirational. And hopefully good enough to get Mary off his back about the fashion show for a little while so Jack can spend some time appreciating it. And some time buying absolute truckloads of jewelry. Because, after all, what's the point being obscenely wealthy if you can't lavish your pretend boyfriend in an entire royal treasury's worth of pretty things?

#black sails #charles vane/jack rackham #anne bonny/max #i travel troubled oceans #chapter 18

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idoloatria · 6 years

Text

A (HOPEFULLY) QUICK GUIDE TO MY MUSE-

Because I have a billion hcs and this might help??

Profile:

Name: Lisia Le Roux (a hc last name, it never really gets used) Nickname/s: Lis, Lissi (by her fans and friends) Alias (when she’s incognito): Andromeda (Andy) Badeaux Age (main verse default): 20 Eye colour: Turquoise Hair colour: Turquoise Height: 5'3 Ethnicity/nationality: Hoennian (Sootopolitan)/Kalosian Current living conditions: An apartment in Lilycove City. Various Hotels as she travels. Occupation: Coordinator, Idol, Actress, Singer, Contest Judge, Event Host Disposition: bright, social, very happy and friendly and cheerful

Important Headcanons:

Natural Appearance + Incognito Adventures (link here):

- Personas. This is a very important one. Lisia is different when she is being an Idol and when she is ‘Incognito’. Her fame has a big impact on her. She is more ‘free’ to make mistakes and be more human when she is not an Idol. (link here)

Sootopolitan Bloodline (link here):

- Lisia has the potential to learn how to use her aura to manipulate water (link here)

- She is drawn to the water and finds it hard to be away from it, it can interfere with her concentration (link here)

NPCs:

- Wallace. Lisia’s Uncle. Her idol. He’s the one that got her into Contests. (link here)

- Karine. Lisia’s younger sister. A Pokemon Racer in Kalos. Lowkey rude af. (she doesn’t have to be included, I’m not forcing her on Wallace rpers with them being family etc) (link here)

- Lisia’s Manager. She seems kind and caring and she’s excellent at her job. Lisia trusts her and thinks she has her best interests at heart, but the woman is subtly manipulative. (link here)

Contests and Idol stuff:

- Idol duties + more. Lisia is a very busy girl. A lot of her activities revolves around Contests but there’s also quite a bit more, which opens up opportunities for interactions! (link here)

- Contest Passes. They are what allows someone to participate in a Contest, Lisia carries a few ‘special’ passes around that she gives out during promotions. (link here)

- Contests. I use a mix of game/anime as well as some of my own thoughts for how Contests for Lisia works. (link here)

- Contests are harder than you think and require a lot of skill! Seriously. (link here)

Pokemon:

Interests:

- Space/Stars. Lisia’s mother was an astronomer and so Lisia feels a big love and connection to stars and space. (link here)

- Music/Dancing/Theatre/Singing. She took dance, music, and theatre classes when she was younger (link here). She’s also very good at mimicry/impressions. (link here)

End game:

I’ve seen a few rpers talk about ‘character arcs’ which is Awesome so this is my kinda version since I think its super important to have something like that in mind. So…

The Pokemon Journey™ and her view of trainers is very important to her. In the Game, after the Player defeats her in the Master Rank Contest, she says…

- Take a break from Contests and start a Journey in another region (I’m betting Unova) - Struggle and develop, learning about herself and her pokemon. Grow to be more independent and learn to let herself be herself. And of course become a super badass battler along the way. - Make her return to Hoenn. Perhaps return to Contests since she only intended it to be a break. But I feel like they’ll be too easy for her now maybe. - Want to have more responsibility. Take over from Wallace as ‘guardian’ of the cave/sky pillar. Maybe become Gym Leader one day.

EDIT: i have now written a whole post for Lisia’s “Endgame” (link here)

THIS WAS NOT AS ‘QUICK’ AS I HOPED OOPS. SORRY.

#long post #making this my first post so i can update the linky thing #･ﾟ✧ LISIA — ( relevant )#muse guide

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idoloatria-archive · 6 years

Text

A (HOPEFULLY) QUICK GUIDE TO MY MUSE-

Since I’ve made some new mutuals lately and I have a lot of hcs OTL. This might help with interactions?? I’ma keep a link to it in my rules or something.

Profile:

Name: Lisia Le Roux (her last name never really gets used) Nickname/s: Lis, Lissi (by her fans and friends) Alias (when she’s incognito): Andromeda (Andy) Badeaux Age (main verse default): 18 Eye colour: Turquoise Hair colour: Turquoise Height: 5'3 Ethnicity/nationality: Hoennian (Sootopolitan)/Kalosian Current living conditions: An apartment in Lilycove City. Various Hotels as she travels. Occupation: Coordinator, Idol, Actress, Singer, Contest Judge, Event Host Disposition: bright, social, very happy and friendly and cheerful

Important Headcanons:

Natural Appearance + Incognito Adventures:

- Personas. This is a very important one. Lisia is different when she is being an Idol and when she is ‘Incognito’. Her fame has a big impact on her.

Sootopolitan Bloodline:

- Sootopolitans like Lisia have unique aura which is very similar to that of water type pokemon and helps draw them to her and bond with them. This aura is also what allows the, now rare, occurrence of pokemon that evolve via Water Stone to evolve without said Water Stone. Lisia’s Vaporeon is evidence of that.

NPCs:

- Chaz. A Rich Boy Coordinator that debuted the same day as Lisia. He calls himself her rival. He thinks they have a special connection, and he’s always trying to get her to spend time with him.

- Wallace. Lisia’s Uncle. Her idol. He’s the one that got her into Contests.

- Karine. Lisia’s younger sister. A Pokemon Racer in Kalos. Lowkey rude af.

- Lisia’s Manager. She seems kind and caring and she’s excellent at her job. Lisia trusts her and thinks she has her best interests at heart, but the woman is subtly manipulative.

Contests and Idol stuff:

- Idol duties + more. Lisia is a very busy girl. A lot of her activities revolves around Contests but there’s also quite a bit more, which opens up opportunities for interactions!

- Contest Passes. What allows someone to participate in a Contest and how to get one.

- Contests. I use a mix of game/anime as well as some of my own thoughts for how Contests for Lisia works.

- Contests are harder than you think and require a lot of skill! Seriously.

Pokemon:

- Lisia’s only canon pokemon is her Altaria, Ali. I’ve given Lisia more pokemon for her ‘on hand’ team. Since she has such a huge love of them, Lisia also has a whole hoard of water pokemon and other pokemon she loves particularly. These pokemon are not kept in a PC.

Interests:

- Space/Stars. Lisia’s mother was an astronomer and so Lisia feels a big love and connection to stars and space.

End game:

I’ve seen a few rpers talk about ‘character arcs’ which is Awesome so this is my kinda version since I think its super important to have something like that in mind. So...

The Pokemon Journey™ and her view of trainers is very important to her. In the Game, after the Player defeats her in the Master Rank Contest, she says…

Even before I had read that, I had always felt like Lisia would pursue a change such as taking a break from Contests to try a journey. So, as I see it...after enough main verse interactions and development (likely with trainers), Lisia will-

THIS WAS NOT AS ‘QUICK’ AS I HOPED OOPS. SORRY.

#long post #i'm gonna put a link to this in my rules/about #i hope this helps new followers and stuff #¯\_(ツ)_/¯#⦗ ❝ ᴏʜ ᴡᴏᴡ! ᴛʜᴀᴛ's sᴏ ᴍᴇ! ❞ ⋮ relevant to lisia ⦘#muse guide

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arituzz · 7 years

Text

nineteen firsts and one last

-SNOWBAZ-

Summary: It’s Simon’s nineteenth birthday. He’s not expecting anything unusual, just some messages from his tumblr friends. But Baz has different plans.

Word count: 3.7k

Rating: T

Tags: tumblr au, friends to lovers, distant relationship, first meeting

Ari: This is just an edit from last year’s fic, because I didn’t like the format. Happy 20th birthday, Simon ♡

SIMON

I wake up to the doorbell ringing. I look at the clock. 5:59 am. Fuck. Who could it be at this unholy hour? Probably my father, coming back home drunk after a night of partying. Damn, why didn’t he stay in the hotel, as usual?

The doorbell rings again. “I’m fucking coming, dad!” I yell.

I put on some clothes and go to the door. I open it, ready to scowl at my father but, instead, there’s a delivery girl looking at me through her pointy glasses.

“Good morning,” she says. “A packet for Simon Snow.”

“Uhm… that’s me,” I tell her, a little bewildered.

She gives me the packet and makes me sign a paper. I tell her thanks and make to go back inside. “Wait,” I shout before she leaves. “Next time, could you come, I don’t know, in the afternoon? When I’m not sleeping?”

“Sorry, the sender wrote specific instructions to deliver this on 21st June at precisely 5:59 am. He even paid an extra and called the company to make sure we followed the instructions. Sounded rather bitter. I wouldn’t risk my job,” she explains. Ha. Like dying her hair blue wouldn’t risk it. Though, I have to say it looks awesome on her dark skin.

“Oh, in that case… Thanks. Have a nice day,” I wish her.

“See you later!”

I close the door and go to the living room, to open the packet. It’s a basket full of fresh-baked cherry scones and some blocks of butter. There’s a card with a note. It reads:

Some like it hot (page 38)

5:59 am - First breakfast to your door

I’d bring it to your bed if I were there

Baz

(Gampire Chaz to my Craigon Rain)

Oh my God. Baz. Right, it’s my birthday. It’s nice of him that he remembered. Baz is my best friend on tumblr. Well, he is my best friend, period. Although I’ve never met him in person, I feel like we’ve known each other for years. And to think that we used to be at each other’s throats!

When I first read the book A Charmed Life, I became hugely obsessed with its characters—i.e. the protagonist, a half-dragon named Craigon Rain—so I created a tumblr blog to obsess about them. At that time, there were very few people in the fandom: gampire-chaz-loves-craigon-rain (Baz), rainchaz61 (Penny), tape-exists-and-im-glad-for-it (Agatha), trixiethelesbianpixie (Trixie), gampirhys (Rhys), so-noted-rainchaz (Niall), and craigonsnowrain (me). And we were like a little family.

But I hated Baz. And he hated me. We would make stupid competitions to see who had the most notes on their posts. I finally gave up because the fucker draws the most brilliant fanart. So I decided to befriend him and make some projects together.

A smile draws in my face as I eat the delicious over-buttered cherry scones. Just the way I like them.

I grab my cellphone to send a thank you message to Baz.

When I’m done with breakfast, I scroll down my dash on tumblr. No happy birthday message. Well, it’s still early. Not for Baz, though, he lives in England, so it must be the afternoon already.

I decide to watch TV for a while—I have nothing planned for today. The fact is that I don’t really have any friends in real life. I don’t know many people here in Nebraska, and the ones I know are complete idiots. So my plan is to stay in all day and read a freaking lot of Rainchaz fanfiction.

After a while, I turn off the TV and go to tumblr on my laptop. Oh, one notification: gampire-chaz-loves-craigon-rain mentioned you in a post.

I open the link and it’s a beautiful doodle of me and Baz, fighting a chimera—as in one of the book’s scenes. I’ve posted some pics of me before, so he has references. The post says:

“Do it. Fucking unleash. Now.” (page 5)

First doodle of you (and me)

Baz

I hit reblog and add:

“I can’t. It doesn’t work like that.”

BTW it’s fucking WONDERFUL!! tysm <3

I’m reading a smutty Rainchaz fic when the doorbell rings again. It’s not that I’m gay, I just love the characters so much. And the smut is great, I love it. The authors in this fandom are just brilliant.

I look at the clock. 7:59 am. It’s still too early for dad to come and I’m not expecting anyone. (Ever.)

I open the door and the same delivery girl brings another packet, this time smaller.

She smiles at me and says, “You know the procedure.” I sign the paper and she leaves with a “See you later!”

“Later,” I reply.

I go back into the apartment and open the packet. It’s a book. The book. A Charmed Life. I go to the first page and, holy shit, it’s signed by the author! It’s so difficult to get a signed copy, I’ve been trying for months, but the author is not very sociable. She wrote:

To Simon Snow,

May you fight your own battles and forge your own wings.

Cather Avery

Wow. It’s perfect.

There is also a card with a note that reads:

“It’s the good things that’ll drive you mad with missing them.” (page 11)

First signed copy of your favourite book.

(I miss you even though I’ve never met you)

Baz

Jesus Christ. This is the best birthday present of my life. I take a picture of it to post it on tumblr and add: @gampire-chaz-loves-craigon-rain I wish you were here so I could hug you into oblivion! Thank you, best b-day present ever <3

I grab my old copy of A Charmed Life—don’t want to ruin this one—and start running through its pages. With all these gifts I feel like re-reading it. Again. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it.

It’s a Young Adult fantasy novel about a very special chosen one. A chosen who doesn’t want to be chosen. Craigon Rain is the last half-human, half-dragon alive. He’s never met his mother—that’s where he got the dragon part. His father wants him to take part in a battle that’s not his own. A battle against the vampires. At first Craigon—the half-dragon—obeys his father’s orders until he meets Gampire Chaz, a teenage vampire who finds himself in the same situation as Craigon, but on opposite ends. The two boys fall in love, defying everything that’s been established by their families and it’s precisely their love the thing that saves them all.

I identify myself quite a lot with Craigon Rain—my name is Simon Snow, see the irony. I never met my mother either and I also think my father is the responsible of everything bad that happens in my life.

Baz identifies himself with the antagonist, Gampire Chaz—only because he’s got brown skin like him, and their middle names rhyme. The moron.

My phones buzzes and I leave the book on the table. Another tumblr notification: gampire-chaz-loves-craigon-rain mentioned you in a post.

I open the link. It’s an aesthetic with six pictures of us—separately, duh—and three pictures with vampires and dragons. It’s beautiful. Under the post, Baz has written:

“Strong. Graceful. Fucking ruthless.” (Page 14)

(You are)

8:59 am - First aesthetic of us!

Baz

I hit reblog and add: This is too much Baz. I can’t even!! tysm <3

I can’t believe any of my tumblr friends—we call ourselves raindrops—has wished me a happy birthday yet. Except Baz, sort of. I mean, he hasn’t said it explicitly. Penny lives in India and Agatha in France, I think they should have posted something by now… Now that I think of it I have no clue where Rhys, Niall and Trixie live… Well, Niall is clearly asian but that doesn’t mean that he lives in Asia. I don’t know.

I’m hungry. Thinking too much makes me hungry. Thinking makes me hungry. I go the kitchen to see if there’s anything to eat.

Nothing. Fuck. I’m gonna have to go buy something.

I go to the closest supermarket and buy some popcorn and a peanut butter cup ice cream. Perfect combination for fanfiction reading.

As I climb the steps to my apartment, I bump into the delivery girl from before.

“Hey, watch out,” she scowls and extends me yet another package.

I sign the paper and tell her, “later?”

“Later,” she answers, with a smile.

Once I’m inside, I open the packet—the third one today, and it’s only 9:59 am.

There are some papers inside the packet, a photo of a star, I think?

I read the note that Baz has left:

“Twinkle, twinkle little star!” (page 260)

9:59 am - First star

(These are official documents that prove that this star is named after you and is now yours.)

(Sorry I couldn’t give you the Universe, but this is a star-t.)

(Yes, I knew you wouldn’t understand shit of what the papers say.)

Baz

I’m at a loss of words. What the fuck. It must have cost him a fortune. Well, it must have cost his father a fortune. I guess they can afford it.

I send him a message on tumblr: got the star. what the actual fuck? speechless.

And then I add: why arent u replying to any of my posts? u ok?

Right after reading the first fic, halfway through my ice-cream, the doorbell rings again. 10:59 am. I’m guessing it’s not dad, just yet.

I open the door, and a familiar blond haired girl with the most beautiful brown eyes I’ve ever seen is standing there, looking bored.

“Agatha!” I scream.

“Happy birthday, Simon,” she smiles at me and kisses my cheek. “I’ve come to bring you your next gift.” She shows me what seems like a tattooer box.

I know what Agatha looks like and that she’s a professional tattooer. She’s posted several pics on raindrops faces day. And the rest, too. All except Penny. (She says she can’t be bothered to take a selfie.)

“Agatha!” I shout again. I still can’t believe it. “Come in,” I add.

We sit on the sofa and she gives me the next note. It reads:

“Flames and Blazes—The Art of Burning.” (page 203)

10:59 am - First tattoo

(This is a combined gift from Wellbelove and me)

(I made the design and she’s going to tattoo you)

(You actually asked for it, so it’s no surprise)

Agatha shows me the design. It’s a constellation. And there’s fire surrounding it.

“Simon,” she says. “This is going to hurt.”

“It’s wonderful, Agatha,” I say when it’s finished, looking at my back through the mirror. “You could’ve been gentler, though.”

“I was gentle, Simon, believe me,” she replies.

The doorbell rings again. I think that it has rung more in one day than in nineteen years.

“Lunch,” Agatha says, and goes for the door. She opens it. “Hi, Penny,” she says to the delivery girl.

What?

“Penny?” I ask, stupidly.

“Sorry, Simon, it was too fun seeing you all clueless,” she apologizes.

“I am still clueless,” I retort.

She takes me into her arms and gives me a tight hug. “Happy birthday Simon! Let’s have lunch. Where’s the dining room?”

“Uhm, here, in the living room. I eat in the living room.”

“Oh, your note,” Penelope says as she gives me the card.

“Because roast beef and Yorkshire pudding are fucking real as Rain.” (page 84)

11:59 - First roast beef and Yorkshire pudding from Watford

(Because you haven’t eaten real roast beef if it’s not from England)

(And Watford Restaurant serves the best one)

(Enjoy your meal)

Baz

We sit on the sofa and start eating our lunch. I’m so happy. It’s like we do this everyday. But I miss Baz. I miss him so much. Where the fuck is he?

We finish eating and Penny looks at her watch. “It’s 12:59,” she says. “Dessert is here,” she smiles wickedly.

“Open the door, Simon,” Agatha says.

I go for the door and open it.

Baz.

Baz is here. With a cake in his hands.

Baz is here. And I can’t hug him.

“Baz!” I say, grinning widely.

“Hey, Snow, happy birthday,” he says, and hands the cake to me. There’s a card on it, too.

“But he just stood there for as long as he could stand it. I don’t know how he resisted the pull; I felt like my intestines were going to burst out and wrap around him.” (page 167)

12:59 - First meeting

(I’m here.)

Baz

Baz looks like he’s trying to hide the huge smile that’s drawing in his face. But I can see it.

“Fuck, Snow,” he says, finally giving into the smile. “I wanted this to happen at 1:59 pm, but here you go.”

“What?” I ask

He takes out another card from the back pocket of his jeans and reads it.

“Trying not to crack a smile. Page 517.”

Then, he looks at his watch and adds, “ 1:01 pm, first smile. First real life smile from me to you.”

“The presents are getting better,” I say, trying not to smile from ear to ear.

We eat the cake on the sofa. Baz tried to oppose to it, but I don’t really have a table with nice chairs to sit down and chat while drinking tea. I’ve never had anyone come over.

We talk about our lives. Well, they talk about their lives and I listen. And look at Baz. His eyes are prettier than I had imagined. And oh my God, his skin. It reminds me of toffee. It has such an appetizing color it makes me want to taste it.

After a while, Baz leads us downstairs and into a cab that’s parked in front of my building.

The taxi drives for around twenty minutes before it comes to a stop. “We’ve arrived,” the driver anounces.

Baz tips him and gestures us to follow him. We enter a place called The Wavering Wood Cafe.

“Happy birthday!” Rhys, Niall, Trixie and other fellow raindrops I identify from tumblr say at the same time as I go through the door.

“Jesus,” I say. I’m stupefied. A surprise party. For me.

Baz hands me another card and our fingertips brush. He cracks an undecipherable smile and looks away.

I read the note.

“It feels like a party.” (page 40)

2:59 pm - First birthday party

(First of many to come)

Baz

I’m having a great time. It’s so fun talking to all my tumblr friends in real life. I finally got to meet Keris, Trixie’s girlfriend. She always posts pics of them together. (Penny finds it gross.) (But that’s personal. She doesn’t like Trixie.)

I keep giving glances towards Baz’s direction. I don’t know why I can’t stop staring at him.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes. It’s a tumblr post from Baz.

I open the link. It’s a fic. It’s called Snowbaz. Not Rainchaz. I read the summary:

“Because I’m disturbed.” (page 205)

“Ask anyone,”I think out loud, smiling. And then continue reading the summary:

3:59 pm - First fanfiction about us

Baz

I start reading the fic. It’s all fluff and love until the last part. Smut. I read it all. And love every word. Fuck.

I look at Baz. He’s already staring at me. I step towards him.

“Hey, Snow,” he says. “Ever tried a flaming shot?”

“I’m underaged, you know.”

“Not in my country,” he smirks.

“Okay, fine, give me a shot.”

“A flaming shot, Snow,” Baz says. “Here.”

He hands me a small glass of liquor and sets it on fire with a lighter. He does the same with his glass.

“To us,” he says.

“To us,” I reply.

He blows out the fire and drinks all the liquor. I mimic him. Ugh. I grimace.

“Sharing a room with the person you want most is like sharing a room with an open fire,” Baz starts saying, looking directly into my eyes. “He’s constantly drawing you in. And you’re constantly stepping too close. And you know it’s not good—that there is no good—that there’s absolutely nothing that can ever come of it. But you do it anyway. And then…”

“Then you burn,” I finish. God, his eyes are fire.

“Page 177. 4:59 pm, first flaming drink.”

“First drink,” I correct.

He laughs and orders a couple more.

We have a couple more shots and talk about our favorite AUs. We talk more than we drink.

Suddenly Baz looks at his watch, and then back at me. With the same blazing eyes from before. He stays silent, just looking at me, for a moment. He looks hesitant.

I think he’s going to kiss me.

But he doesn’t. He keeps staring. Some minutes pass. I stare at my watch. 6:10 pm. Where’s my 5:59 pm gift?

“Simon…” Baz starts, flaming shot in his hand.

And then I kiss him.

We kiss for a long time. Then I let go and make him reach for me. And we kiss again.

After a while, we break the kiss and smile at each other. I’m grinning. I can’t help it.

“I was going to say You were the sun, and I was crashing into you,” Baz says. “But I guess the best quote for this is And then HE kisses ME.” He can’t hide his grin, either.

“Page 342,” I say. “6:10 pm, first kiss.”

“Shite, what time is it?” He asks, already looking at his watch.

“6:50 pm,” I answer, moronically.

“Let’s go have dinner, Simon. You and me, only.”

“Okay,” I say. And I follow him to the next room.

There’s a small table for two with two candles. It’s always fire with Baz.

We sit down and he takes out another card.

“You smell like something I’d gladly eat, page 421,” he says, staring at my eyes. “6:59 pm, first romantic dinner.”

I blush.

After dinner, we all go to a pub. It’s called The World of Mages.

It’s great and I’m so happy to be surrounded by friends and the person I like. Baz. That’s new. Liking boys. No, not boys. Only Baz. Wanting to kiss him over and over again.

He takes my hand and says, “Want to dance?”

I nod and smile at him. I’m crap at dancing but I don’t care.

Baz puts his hands on my waist and leads me through the song. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

“I should have known that this is what it would be like to dance with Craigon Rain. Fighting in place. Mutual surrender,” Baz whispers into my ear. “Page 508. 7:59 pm, first dance.”

I place both my arms around his neck and slump into him.

We’re still at the pub. Dancing. Well, at least I’m trying.

“What are we going to do?” I ask him. “You’re going to leave back to England.”

“I know,” he answers with a crack in his voice. “We’ll figure it out, little puff.”

“Baz,” I say. “What’s the next gift? I think I have a better idea.”

“Huh? I was going to take you for a drive…”

“I want to be your boyfriend. Your terrible boyfriend,” I say. “Page 390.”

Baz looks surprised. He places both his hands on my face and kisses me, tenderly. “Of course,” he says. And kisses me again.

“8:59 pm,” I say. “First boyfriend.”

And I kiss him again.

After the pub, we say goodbye to our fellow raindrops. There’s a lot of hugging and kisses on the cheek. God, I’m gonna miss them.

“We have to do this more often,” I say. Even though I’m broke. But I’ll find the money somehow.

They all agree.

Once they’re gone, it’s just me and Baz.

“Let’s go back to my apartment,” I tell him.

“What if your father is there?”

“At this time? Not likely. He must be out, drinking again.”

“Okay,” he says.

We go to my apartment and settle in my room. It’s full of constellations on the walls. Because I love astrology. Hence the tattoo.

“Baz, you haven’t seen it,” I say.

“Seen what?”

“The tattoo, idiot!”

I take my shirt off and show it to him. He places his fingertips on my back and starts tracing it. The touch sends shivers down my spine.

“So beautiful…” Baz says.

I turn around and look at him. I reach for his shirt and take it off. Eyes locked on his. I close the distance and kiss him. And then my hands go down. I can’t stop myself. I kiss every spot of his dark olive skin. And I want more. And I can see that he wants, too.

So I take more. I take it all. And I give it all. To him. To Baz.

“Because we match,” I say after a while. My head is resting on Baz’s chest. Our fingers laced. “Page 420.” I look at my watch. “10:58 pm, first time.”

“When did you start giving yourself birthday presents?” Baz asks.

“I think it was when I did this,” I answer. And I kiss him.

“God, I love you, Simon Snow.”

“I love you, Baz.”

“Fell in love, didn’t you?” He smiles.

“10:59 pm, first I love you,” I say.

I go with Baz to the airport. I’m sad that he has to go. But I’m happy that he came. And he’s going to move to the States with his aunt, Fiona, next year. So I just have to wait for a year. And I’m going to visit him soon. Maybe for his birthday.

He looks at me with watery eyes. He holds my hand so hard it hurts a little.

“I’ll come to England, in a couple of months,” I reassure him. “And then you’ll come back. We’ll be seeing each other a lot. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“When I come to live in America with Fiona, I’m going to haunt your door day and night.”

There’s a shout for all the passengers of the flight to Southampton Airport.

Baz kisses me, before letting go.

“Goodbye, Simon,” he says. “This is a first and a last goodbye. Because the next time I see you, I won’t let you go for anything in the world.”

“Go on, then,” I say. “Carry on, Baz.”

-FIN-

#snowbaz fanfiction #snowbaz #simon snow's birthday #carry on fanfiction #listen #i know this sucks #but hey it was from a year ago

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