#at first for question 8 i thought of what her mom would hate most

[masschase]

7 and 8 for casey and B for you! i’m really curious about the creator question bc i know you’ve said before you used to not “get” OCs so i’m wondering how creating casey and the others changed things for you

I kept the first two short, I really did! But the last one was too interesting! 🤭

Uncommon asks for OCs and their creators

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

It kind of depends. She doesn't feel much childhood nostalgia in a positive way. But there are glimpses. When she stole Phoebe's pecan pie recipe and recreated it on the ship, that was about the closest she got to childhood nostalgia for some time. Being wrapped up warm, too.

I think what triggers the most nostalgia though is just talking about Stilwater with Shaundi, Johnny, Pierce and to some extent, Ben. Like they'll make a little joke and it brings her back. It's unsurprising that her most positive nostalgia is tied up in her friends.

8. What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?

Anything that would ruin her mom's "keeping up appearances" vibe. Stop getting dirty, stop being loud, stop mentioning anything that might make people think we're struggling.

Stop getting distracted. Stop questioning things so much. Stop staring into space. Stop talking *about* space.

Accept your place in Stilwater.

B) What inspired you to create them? (&how did making OCs change your view of OCs?)

Ooh so I guess I didn't think I was 'creating' Casey at all. I just had a story in my head that fit Matt and The Boss. The Boss, in this instance, being my SRIV Boss I'd played as 8-9 years previously (parts of this story were cooking for a while). Their dynamic in canon must have captured me in some capacity when I first played, so when I had this story in my head I guess I remembered their dynamic and I was like yeah, that really fits them.

I already had the look (my in-game Boss with some minor adaptions), a good chunk of the life events from SR1 onwards, the voice (and associated voice lines), the attitude. I felt like her personality was already almost tangible to me by playing.

Appearance wise yeahhhh okay admittedly she looks a little like me when I first played the game. I was in the "just make the custom character look like you" phase. Hence the colourful dip dye in my head even if it wasn't in the game 😅 this is why she'll always be like way younger in my heart than my hc too. I never intended to a. get as into the game as i did, b. ship her with anyone or c. make any kind of fan content, but here we are I guess.

Her age pretty much comes from the youngest I felt I could make her and still have her plausibly act as the Boss does in SR1. Like I'm not going to sit here and pretend I didn't know who I was shipping her with when I decided her birth year(the day itself was purely for plot reasons). I was actually pretty surprised Matt was that young when I first found out but that's another post entirely 🤣

Anyway, I used anything I could use about Playa's personality (both from what I remembered and the wiki) to build up a picture, but that in turn led to more questions. When you're working with as much canon as possible you actually have a lot to throw in and explain. Why does she like Jane Austen so much? Why is she secretive about her past? Why was she so quiet at the start?

I also knew I had to come up with a name because while I intended to keep the Boss's name secret for most of it, I knew from the start there was going to be a pretty major reveal around it. My main criteria were that it be one generally seen as gender neutral to tie in with SR1, not mine, but still one I still really liked. One of my friends actually went by the nickname Casey bc one of our mutual friends just started calling him that- it's nothing like his actual name and he doesn't use it anymore.

I can't remember if I looked up and that game jumped out or if it popped into my head, but I really liked it, and when I found out it can be short for Cassandra I was set because I love Greek mythology names. I seem to recall I did worry people would think I was misspelling Cassie/Cassy but I liked it too much to let that stop me. If I knew I was going to be posting about her on tumblr, I might have picked a name that wasn't similar to my own, or once it was already decided, I maybe should have picked a different name to use for myself within the fandom but at the same time that would really confuse me 🤣

Obviously throughout the course of writing I did start to think about what had led her to that point; the before, between and unseen during games. Her family especially, I felt I needed to actually think about. Then along the way I just kind of came to points where I had to go "Oh, OK, what's her favourite dessert?" "What were her hobbies before the Saints? "How does she deal with the crushing weight of multiple deaths on her conscience?". You know, cute shit like that.

Point is, one day I turned around and there was a fully formed OC staring me in the face. She crept up on me. That's when I gave up on things like not mentioning her appearance and I threw things back in before I posted. I'm not usually that oblivious to things like that but given the way I started off the whole thing it just kind of happened.

Which brings me neatly to the other question. I did actually write fanfic years ago, and it was usually shippy, often smutty, but it was always canon x canon. I was never possessed to make an OC. I think I had one for some TWEWY RP that never got off the ground but I would never have used them in my writing for example.

I admit, I guess I associated them with self-insertion and wish fulfilment, which I'm not being judgy about if that's anyone's thing. It's just that it wouldn't be something that would appeal to me as a reader. The most I would use an OC for back then would be a one-off mention of a background character.

But when writing Out of Time I came to the point where I needed a few minor filler characters, still didn't count them as OCs. From there it was a natural progression to OCs with a more prominent role, I think Jenny was the first. There were story arcs that worked with them that just wouldn't otherwise, Mori is the best example of this, I love the layers of story his character adds. Idk if it's evident but he's my favourite non-Boss OC because he's just so important. 😀

Around the same time I was kind of accepting I had OCs, I started lurking on tumblr and I absolutely fell in love with some of the Boss designs here. I still didn't quite see them as OCs until I saw people tagging them as such and then I was like... oh. 🙃

Now... I love any and all Saints Row OCs. Love them. People's creativity never ceases to amaze me. But I'll always have a soft spot for Bosses.

#i have a headache that might be a migraine so i'm posting this then disappearing again :( #i just hope it's still coherent tbh but then i always end up hoping that #original boss did used to have a tiny moustache. i was mostly immune to the 2010s moustache trend #but not entirely. #in my heart her birthday is like 15th March 95/96 bc i cannot let go of my ides of march idea. not by a long shot. #at first for question 8 i thought of what her mom would hate most #then i realised it'd be more about what she did/didn't do most #anyway both works #casey as an oc developed for me the same way her love for matt did for her: over a long period of time and against our will 🤣 #saints row #sr boss: casey clark #asks #thanks for the ask!

[haechanskins]

Lose Somebody - Winter

☆ note: this is my first wlw writting ever, if you think I can improve in something or want to advice me, I'm all ears! I would really appreciate if you let a comment with your thoughts ♡

MINORS DO NOT READ OR INTERACT

☆ genre: f!reader, smut;

☆ warnings:  kinda hate sex, toxic ex gf/fiancée, reconciliation through sex, teasing, choking, swear words, fingering, oral receiving;

☆ wc: 2.3k

click here to see the pool. ☆

It was the 30th missed call Minjeong left on your phone. You knew she was drunk again and would say things she shouldn't, just like last time. "I messed up, multiple times. You need to understand that you have to come back to me. Who will love you like I do? Who will wreck you in bed like I do? Who will even care about you? Your destiny is with me". There's no mental readiness to answer the phone; no valid reason to relive it all. You know the calls will only stop when she passes out or sleeps, so you decide to turn it off and lie down. The night seems much longer when your mind refuses to let go, surrounded by worry and dreams returning to the day it all happened...

"How many more times is this damn woman going to show up?" Minjeong shouts as your friend Giselle visits your house again. Your fiancée spent the night away without explanations, and Giselle stayed to calm you. "All that bitch wants is to take you away from me, can't you see?" Anger makes the beer bottle in Minjeong's hands fly towards the wall near you. In that moment, Minjeong realizes her mistake, even though she's far from sober, and rushes toward you. She always had jealousy issues, and you usually let it pass, but this time, the shock and fear were too much. Her touch alone was enough to make you scream and cry.

"Please, forgive me!" she says amidst tears, trying to hold your face. "Babe, please forgive me!" she continues, trying to hold your hands while you throw the ring away. She kneels, holds your arms - the last place you need to be - the last face you want to see is hers. Thursday morning, 8 am, was when it all happened. The last words you heard after walking through the door were "Slut, go be with your bitch Giselle and then tell me if she's better than me! I know I can find someone better than you.". These words echo in your mind during what should be a peaceful sleep, but you're awakened by your own voice calling your ex-fiancée's name incessantly. Should you call her? But why? To hear mockery and provocations?

A hot shower should bring some calmness. All you can think about now is a bit of tranquility. The water flowing down your body makes this feeling seem true for a moment. Walking through the apartment, you realize there's garbage to take out, and your little dog starts jumping on your legs as if asking for fresh air. "Just because I need to take out the trash, okay?" putting the small one under your arm and heading to the elevator. "Do you think I should call her, Kima?" you ask, touching the tip of the small pet's nose, and her head turns around. "She can't even answer and would disapprove" but does she miss her other mom? Thoughts consume you again until Kima gets restless and starts barking while leaving the building. You search for reasons, put her down, and check if there's something on her tiny body. Then she escapes to the automatic gate. Minjeong is leaning against it, at first, you think it might be your sleep playing tricks on you or the lack of glasses, so you start shouting for Kima to come back.

"She misses me too" the redhead shouts. "Please, let me in. I just want one last conversation." You sigh and think for a moment before opening the gate. "I'm doing this for Kima. You have 15 minutes at most!" you say, approaching the gate and opening it.

Keeping with the usual, as you reach your floor, you make coffee for both while Minjeong plays with Kima in the living room. As you sweeten the drink, your mind begins to question the decision to let her into your home, into your comfort. In a moment of distraction and vulnerability, you grab the hot iron kettle without realizing it, screaming in pain and alerting your ex, who was in the other room. "Here..." she guided you to the sink, letting cold running water flow over your hand. "Do you have burn ointment?". "In the bedroom, second door on the corridor" you answer without much thought. When you hear the doorknob turning, you scream at Minjeong to go back, but it's too late. You still have photos with her on the desk, and your steps after the unresolved breakup have been slow. Seeing her still confuses you, and your heart, whether you like it or not, beats faster.

"I found it" showing the ointment in her hands while smiling slightly. She extends her hand, waiting for yours, and applies gently. Pointing to the sofa, she asks you to sit and grabs the cups, placing them on the small coffee table. "You still have..." she begins, but you cut her off instantly, asking what she wants to talk about and why she's there. Minjeong sighs and stares at the ceiling for a few seconds, as if waiting for the words to fall from the sky into her head. "I miss you…" you continue looking while her eyes seem to search for another focus and her mouth more words. "Is that it?" she remains silent. "Then you can leave!" the girl watches you walk towards the door to send her away, but she doesn't move. "I said you can go, Minjeong." The last thing your ex-fiancée would do is leave. She managed to contact you after months, entered your house, and was in your presence. She won't leave.

"Okay" as you open the door, Minjeong closes it again, leaning over you. Not much taller, but already causing some intimidation due to the angle and proximity, she continues "Do you prefer to hear me here or in bed?" Silence hangs in the air, and the atmosphere is palpable. You want her to leave while simultaneously wanting her to touch you any way she pleases. "Sorry, didn't mean to cross boundaries. I thought we could..." she backs away from the door, trying to explain her recent behavior. But you’re faster and more eager. It's impossible to lie to your own body. A fervent and quick kiss begins, lasting for a few minutes until you both need air.

"I thought you wouldn't want to see me ever again!" "This is the last time, Kim Minjeong. This is the last time." Everything around you seems to vanish until you touch and fall, fortunately, nothing breaks on the way to the bed. "Whatever you want," you say, watching her eyes darken. Supported by your knees, facing each other, you feel your neck being squeezed. Minjeong's laughter resonates in your ears, sending a shiver down your entire body.

"If this is the last time, then I'll fuck you like the slut you are" she almost spits out each word, pushing you onto the bed and lightly biting every exposed inch of your skin. You don't resist for a minute; her words only make you crave more, yet at the same time, they ignite a sense of anger, uncertain if it's just a fetish or something serious.

"I'm the slut, and you come crawling to my door?" you move on top of her. "Not going to answer?" you question, slapping her face, and she smirks, attempting to put her hands on your waist. However, you pull them up, leaning on them, just inches away from Minjeong's mouth. "I'm not the one missing you," spreading kisses on her face. "I'm not the one begging every day to come back. Or am I?" you mock, a statement mixed with truth, both with hearts pounding and panties soaked.

"You..." she starts.

"I don't want you to speak. I want you to beg," you interrupt.

"I like your attempt to take control. It's cute. But it doesn't work with me" she retorts "but since you're here, you'll make it easier for me," she continues smiling, and your head knots for a few seconds. How did she manage to flip the situation like this?

"I won't do anything you want," running your hands through Minjeong's red hair. "Why should I?"

"Because you've always obeyed me, like a good girl." she teases.

"That's over, Minjeong."

"Over?" she laughs. "And would you spread your legs if I commanded?" she asks, pulling your hand towards her mouth, licking and sucking on the two middle fingers. "Would you take off this blouse if I told you to?" continues. You feel your body shiver and yield to each word she says. You get up from the bed, and her eyes follow you as she sits there, glancing at you. You remove your blouse and the small pajama shorts, turning around to reveal just your panties. Minjeong observes every inch of your body, running her hands from your neck to your thighs.

"Is this what you want?" 

"I want much more!" she replies, pulling you by the waist. You look down at her and give her a slap. "I wished you'd never show up here again" her eyes search for whether it's the truth or just a game. "I wished you'd disappear from my life forever" another slap. "You could find someone better so easily, and yet, here you are, begging for me," you say, sitting on her lap while speaking. "Is it cute for me to try to boss you around?" You laugh mockingly and give another slap, moving your hand down to Minjeong's neck, squeezing it. She continues to look at you with doubt, but there's nothing in you that worries about responding at this moment.

Drawing her silhouette with your hands, she shivers with every touch and sighs with every scratch where her skin is exposed. Kneeling on the rug in your room, you put your hands on her waist to find the edge of her pants, starting to pull along with her panties. Once done, you move your hands up again to take off the remaining blouse and bra. For the first time, you observe the shaky breaths coming from your old partner instead of yourself.

"Look who's the slut now. So needy and alone that you're wet for so little" one hand squeezing Minjeong's neck, while the other is wandering across her intimacy. "How many fingers do you think I can fit without even touching you?" you ask, making a pout. "Three? Already?" you pretend to insert your fingers, and her eyes close, mouth opens with a slight moan. You laugh; she opens her eyes disappointed, and mumbles.

"I want you to sit on my face" you say, lying on the bed and waiting for her, but Minjeong laughs and doesn't follow. "As I said, it's cute," she says, leaning into the space between your legs "but it doesn't work with me" she concludes, placing kisses on the inner part of your thigh, causing shivers and a soft moan to escape. Minjeong laughs and moves closer to your pussy.

Positioning herself on top of your body, she confesses several times that she felt hatred towards you for ignoring her, that she wanted to have you all the time, but you were a complete slut. That's why she was there, to show you why she should be the only one to touch your body forever.

"You're going to cooperate with me now," she said, biting your thigh "properly" she continued, placing a kiss on your clitoris, then licking your entire intimate area from top to bottom twice, watching you squirm and moan. "Hmm... so you like this, don't you?" she laughed. "Want more?" She licked again and gave another kiss.

"Please," you responded with a trembling voice.

"Please, what, my love?" she licked once more.

"Please, I need you to go down on me."

"Good girl," she replied, doing what had been asked. Then, she inserted two fingers while alternating between slow and fast sucks, murmuring, "Delicious as always," and grumbling, "You're so tasty. I love the taste you have," making your entire pussy vibrate. When the redhead noticed that you were moaning too much and holding onto her hair tightly, she stopped abruptly.

"Did you stop?" you asked desperately. "I was almost there," you grumbled.

"I want to come with you" she said, kissing up your belly and breasts, sucking a few times. "I want to feel you" she continued, immediately kissing you. She gradually pulled your hair while one hand played with your clitoris and returned to your breasts without any warning or alert. Everything seemed to make you 100% more sensitive to her touch, more needy, and addicted to that touch.

Minjeong pulled you closer "We've never tried this. Do you want to?" She pulled one of your legs up onto her thigh. You knew what she was talking about and involuntarily smiled. The only answer you could give was your own body fitting perfectly with hers; pussy against pussy. You could hardly breathe with your hearts racing amid so many moans. The only sound besides them was the wet skin-on-skin noise. "It's unbelievable how beautiful you look when you're about to cum for me" Minjeong gasps. "You're mine," she continues, grinding against you even more.

"I'm yours. I'm only yours" you say as your voice falters amid whispers and almost tears. "I'm going to—" you say, almost shouting.

"Cum in my pussy" she replies "with me" she continues, holding onto your waist even tighter, giving more and more thrust. The moans get louder, and you both hardly know where to touch—lacking hands for hair, breasts, waist, thighs, lacking voice.

You climax together. It wasn't the last time you saw Minjeong or had sex with her, but on this specific day, after everything, she stayed with you, and you slept entwined. Minjeong still believes to this day that you were in a deep sleep when she whispered "I had to lose you to realize I can't live without you... what an idiot... I hope this never happens again. I love you, y/n."

tags: @minjeongswife

#kpop smut #aespa x reader #aespa smut #haechanskins #winter smut #wlw smut #winter x reader #minjeong x reader #kim minjeong x reader

[gojossocks]

Gossips and Convenience Stores

Pairing: Gojo x reader

Summary: just some jjk first years gossiping lmao. Implied that Geto didn’t turn batshit crazy and killed a lot of people.

a/n: this is probably an epilogue to a series I’ve been wanting to write for a while. lmk if you guys liked it ! <33

“I wonder when Gojo-sensei will ask Y/N-sensei out.” Nobara asks, before taking a bite of her onigiri.

Nobara, Yuuji, and Megumi were all sitting together in an empty parking lot outside a convenience store, something that has become a routine after a tiring mission.

It’s midnight. Most of the diners are closed and the only store open was the 7/11, just a few blocks away from Jujutsu High.

“It’s kinda annoying,” She continued. “Every time I see that damned teacher around her, he gets more annoying. That’s a given since he’s more annoying than when he’s with Geto-sensei. If that’s his way of flirting then I don’t think he could ever pull her.”

Megumi snorts at Nobara’s keen observation. “I’m surprised you noticed that.”

She rolls her eyes before glaring at Megumi, “How could I not? Even our principal notices it. Hell, even Yuuji knows it. Right?!” She turned to look at Yuuji, who shrugged mindlessly while eating his noodles.

“I don’t know, he does talk about her all the time. Whenever I ask what’s their history or whatever, he says they were long time friends.”

Megumi snorted at the statement, earning a look from his classmates.

“What’s that look you got, Fushiguro?” Nobara accuses him. He replies with a hum.

Nobara sighs before clicking her tongue. “Anyway, I know you know a lot about those two because Maki-san told me you basically grew up with having them around. Besides, he always asks you to bring pizza for Y/N-sensei. I think it was an unrequited thing, don’t you think? I mean she’s way out of his league if you ask me.” She says confidently.

Megumi knew that this was bound to happen but he never thought that he would have to explain the situation this early. He really hates it when people gossip about his life— and that extends to Y/N. He met Satoru and Y/N when he was 6 years old. Most of his childhood, he and Tsumiki stayed with the Gojos.

“They used to be together.” Megumi mumbles, looking down at his shoes. He then looks up at his friends when the both of them yell ‘HUH?!’ in unison. He couldn’t blame them though. Satoru and Y/N’s acting skills as if they were never together in the first place really fooled a lot of people, especially the people who don’t know anything about them.

“Yeah,” He says, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. Megumi takes a sip from his pepsi, in hopes to escape Nobara and Yuji’s interested gaze. “They’re marrie— could you both shut up for a bit?” He grumbles in annoyance.

Nobara scooches closer to Megumi. “Oh my god, tell me everything.”

He rolled his eyes but continued anyway. “They were in an arranged marriage as far as I know. They were together for 8 years. I think they’ve known each other for much longer, though.”

“Oh he definitely fumbled the bag.”

Yuji stares at him with his mouth agape. His eyes suddenly widened as he dramatically gasped, “Is that why you accidentally called Y/N sensei ‘mom’ ?!”

Megumi feels blood rising from his cheeks. He quickly looks down at his shoes once more to prevent Nobara and Yuji from seeing him embarrassed. Both of them started giggling.

“So that means you call Gojo-sensei ‘daddy’ huh?” Nobara smirked at the onyx haired boy. Megumi chokes on his drink before muttering a ‘shut up, I don’t.’

“So why did they break up?” Yuuji asks.

“I’m not really sure. They try to keep us out of their problems. Y/N just packed up one day and that was it. We kept in touch but she made me promise not to tell Gojo anything. Anyway, that’s it, stop questioning me.”

Nobara points a finger accusingly at the empty parking lot, “I bet he has commitment issues. Yeah, just by looking at him, he’s definitely the type to have one.”

“They have been together, for 8 years.” Megumi deadpans.

“Damn, adults are complicated.” Yuuji whines. “They’d look great together though.”

“He still fumbled! I bet my new perfume on that. To be honest, I don’t really see Y/N sensei with him. He seems chaotic enough as he is.”

“That’s a little harsh.”

“Well, she tolerates us,” Yuji adds, “Besides I don’t think Gojo-sensei will ask her out. Earlier, I saw Y/N-sensei on a date. I just forgot to tell you guys.”

Even Megumi doesn’t know that.

“What?!” Nobara exclaims, standing up. “C’mon, it’s 2 am. I need to get my beauty rest. I’ll get the Y/N and Gojo lore this week. I can’t wait to interview Geto-sensei!”

“That’s invading their privacy.” Megumi sighs.

Nobara and Yuuji kept asking Megumi questions, theorizing and pestering each other. The three of them talked (read: argue) on the way home, too engrossed in the mystery of Gojo and Y/N’s relationship.

Meanwhile they fail to notice their teacher casually leaning on the wall beside the convenience store, chuckling at his students’ curiosity.

Gojo shakes his head before heading off to god knows where.

gojo u naughty boi why are u out at 2 am wanna read more?

#gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo satoru x reader #satoru x reader #gojou satoru x you #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader

[pickingupmymercedes]

Under an Ipê tree - Lewis Hamilton

The three times your annual visit to Senna’s tomb brought something different

pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Senna! Reader

warnings: mentions of death, mourning, AD 21', Lewis at Ferrari (rubbing salt into every open wound apparently)

wordcount: +1k

a/n: Not gonna lie, started this one with something in mind and it took a life of its own. I know Senna! Reader isn't everyone's cup of tea, so please, proceed with caution, because there is mention to real events and real emotions envolved with mourning. Also, AD 21', I'm sure as hell not over that, so here's another trigger warning.

a/n. 2: Those trees are how pink Ipês look in blossom, I know Brasil is not known for its colder months but those beauties come alive after the few cold weeks.

_______________________________________

Like most traditions it started without any intent on actually becoming a thing. You and Lewis would take a couple hours off on Wednesdays before the Brazilian GP every year, the destination a known one to everyone in the paddock. It was a journey you used to do by yourself until Lewis had been the brave, and first one, to ask you if he could tag along. He’d been to Senna’s tomb before, you knew that much, but the respect and adoration he held for your late father had you deciding he should be good company.

_______________________________________

“I swear I had never seen my mom angrier. Can you imagine her with the speaker at Interlagos shouting to everyone with an ear that I shouldn’t be racing and if anything happened Ayrton was to blame cause I wasn’t even old enough to be there” You told a laughing Lewis while remembering when your father faked an ID so he could sneak you to the track and teach you how to race in your brand new - Mclaren themed – kart. A Christmas gift he went out of his way to get to the famous Brazilian track circuit in time to open day.

“You know, my favorites snippets of his life are the ones you talk about, Sundays at the pool, ice cream dates, kart running without your mom knowing. Whenever someone talks about him it’s always about his wins, his hardships, his cars and battles … it’s almost as if he didn’t exist beyond formula 1, like we froze just a fraction of him and forgot all about the rest.” 

You smiled at him, you liked how Lewis never questioned your feelings towards f1’s out of this world idolatry on your father, mainly because at the end of the day, to your 8 year old past self, Ayrton was first and foremost “pai”, the dude that thought you not to be afraid by throwing you into the ocean when no one was looking, the one that cooked instant noodles for dinner in spite of your mom’s pleads, the one that constantly tried to show you that love is a feeling we should act upon in the present and never wait for a so promised tomorrow.

“He would’ve liked you I think… would’ve hated to race you, for sure. But as a person, he would have probably seen you as one of the good ones, pointing out bullshit, fighting fia every chance you get, protecting the guys back at the garage, focusing on racing and not talking, looking out for everyone.” You answered truthly, as he respectfully held his hands behind his back looking at the tomb stone, while you casually sat in the edge of the stone, almost too comfortable around the place from all the visits you’ve done over the years.

“I think you should meet Galisteu someday, she’ll have way more interesting stories about him to tell you than I do.” You absentmindedly noted, remembering all she’s told you about your father, this other side to him you never got the time to see.

“Nah… we’re our truest around kids, his best version was the one you got to see. Now, what was that time he sneaked a stray dog onto your apartment?” he asked while reaching for your shoulder so you both could walk along the path back to the car awaiting to take you both back.

_______________________________________

“I don’t think I really remember the sound of his voice” you sighed looking up at the Ipê tree just beside the tomb. You had shown Lewis a photo of what it looked like once in full blossom before, in the Brazilian winter, and he promised you he would eventually find the time to come see it in its full glory in late June.

The walk in the cemetery, the light hearted banter, him opening his heart on dreams and the future and the confessions you would eventually make to Lewis about Ayrton were part of the annual occurrence you had both unspokenly agreed on, but that one line seemed to have hit him hard enough he just motioned you to go on, no answers or remarks. 

“I mean, I know what his voice sounds like because there’s a thousand and one interviews with him, but I don’t think I can truly remember what he sounded like in real life … how he talked to me.” You explained it further, now looking at the Briton.

He engulfed you in a hug, the kind only he knew how, your tears leaving marks on his shoulders. You would rarely cry over anything related to your father, at least not in front of people anyway, but Lewis was… well, Lewis. You and Niki were the one who pushed, like hell, to sign him to Mercedes back in 2014 against everyone’s better judgment, and while you knew he would be every bit the driver and phenomenon he was, neither of you anticipated the friendship that came out of seeing him almost every GP you attended. A relationship that had crept its own way into your hearts, slowly allowing to see each other as something more than just good friends.

“He’s proud of you, wherever he is. I know that much” He whispered, leaving a soft kiss to your temple and bringing you even closer to his body.

_______________________________________

“He would’ve crashed into Verstappen back in 2021, wouldn’t he?” He prompted out of nowhere, gazing seriously at the tomb as you observed him pondering over the possible outcomes of a race that, like a ghost, had been following him nonstop, specially with the São Paulo GP fast approaching and with it his chances of securing his 8th title, two races before the end of the season.

“Start another Senna vs. Prost ?! ” You thought out loud, trying to read into his expressions and mannerisms, a talent of his you weren’t quite as good.

“Maybe I should’ve done it”

“You’re not like that Lew. You’re you and no one, not a single person, wants someone else” Your exasperation clear in your voice, hands reaching for his chin as his eyes locked into yours and he nodded, an unspoken agreement between the two of you, one you had to hammer into his head from time to time, that he may have Ayrton as his idol but he was just as much of an icon to the sport, and to a million of kids out there.

“On Sunday you’re going to reach that top step in your red suit, fulfill Ayrton’s dream and claim a championship for Ferrari. You. Not him, nor anyone else” and come the end of the race, he did just that. Smiling down at the sea of people in a mix of old Mercedes merchs and new Ferrari ones, dedicating his trophy to all the other people who believed in the impossible with him. 

#lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x you #lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton imagine #f1 x reader #ayrton senna #Senna!reader

[fangirlvibez]

The Bradshaw son and Seresin daughter - part 8

Characters: Bradley Bradshaw x female!OC Madison Ella Hanscott, Son!OC Nicolas Peter Bradshaw, Jake Seresin x female!OC Quinn Kelsell, Daughter!OC Hazel Alexandra Seresin, Son!OC Benjamin Jacob Seresin, OC!Connor Malcolm Oxland

Warnings: in this chapter: none (Let me know if I forgot a warning)

Summary of the story: The 16 year old daughter of Jake Seresin gets pregnant. The dad: the 18 year old son of Bradley Bradshaw. How will the dads react to their kids becoming teen parents.

A/N: English is not my first language, so if there is any spelling or grammar errors: please let me know

Previous part - next part - masterlist

Hazel looked over at the noice, only for her to freeze this time. Quinn stood with her back to Hazel, but she can hear the shock in her voice when one word came out of her mounth: “mom?”

“Mom is that you?” Hazel asked from behind Quinn. She could hear her voice shake when she asked the question. Quinn thought about what could go around in her daughters mind. Did she still hate her after five years? Did she miss them like she missed her? She obviously missed Benjamin, she named her son after her loving brother. Quinn slowly turned her head. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her daughter. She stood there frozen as well. “Hey sweetie” Quinn said, voice as shaky as her daughters was.

Tears filled both women’s eyes. Scared tears for hearing what the other woman might say to them. Happy tears for missing an important woman in their life’s, for missing their families in general. Hazel let out a quiet sob before walking towards her mother. Before Quinn could realize what her daughter was doing, she was locked in Hazels arms. A bone crushing hug. Hazel chin was on Quinns right shoulder. Quinn slowly lifted her arms and put them around Hazels waist, tears escaping as well. “Mom, I missed you so much” “I missed you too sweetie, so much”

Quinn could see the boys sitting in the shopping cart looking confused from over Hazels shoulder. One boy hesitated before talking very quietly: “mommy? Are you okay? Are you sad?”. The boys most likely heard the sob from their mother before she went to hug the unknown woman. Both women let go off each other. Hazel let out a quiet chuckle while wiping the tears away from her cheeks and eyes. “Yes honey, mommy’s fine. These are happy tears” she explained to her sons. Both young boys nodded at their mom before turning to the other woman.

Quinn stared at the boys, now having a closer look. They were a perfect mix of both Nick and Hazel. They looked so old already. Her mind thought back to the memories she missed in their life’s. Their birth, their first giggles, their first steps, their first words, their first day in kindergarten. She missed so many important situations in their life’s, she was determined not to miss anymore.

“Mom, these are my sons” Hazel started. The young woman was looking at her sons with a small smile, love in her eyes. “This is Benji Theodore Bradshaw and this is Mac Adrian Bradshaw.” Hazel didn’t have the heart to tell her that she and Nick changed their surnames. That their kids surname was Bradfield instead of Bradshaw. If Nick was right in his suspicions that Bradley and Jake were his teachers in Top Gun, both Quinn and Madison would know that Nick had changed his surname. She would explain the thoughtprocess behind it another time.

“Boys” Hazel addressed her sons. Both boys turned their attention to their mom. “Remember the pictures your daddy and I showed you? The picture of my mommy, daddy and brother?” She asked. Both boys nodded once again. “Yes mommy, the pictures of Grammy and Pops” Benji answered.

Quinn let out a soft chuckle at the names they had gotten from their grandchildren, especially at the name for Jake. A drunken night at The Hard Deck made Jake give himself the name after Benjamin and Hazel had found a baby sea turtle at the beach during the day. The kids helped the little sea creature get back into the ocean. That evening the parents decided to go to their favorite hangout spot while their kids stayed the night at a friends house. Quinn remembers the night very vaguely but can see her husband hugging Coyote while crying. “I can’t believe they released my grandchild Coyote. My sweet little sea grandchild has left their sweet Pops” the dagger squad never let him live that name down. And now it was his name, from their very real grandchildren.

“Well, that woman over there. The woman I hugged. That is Grammy” Hazel finished her sentence. “Would you like to meet her?” She asked while looking up at her mother. Quinn hesitated before taking small steps towards the shopping cart. “Hello boys, it’s very nice to meet you” she said. The curly brown haired boys looked curiously at the woman. “Hey Grammy” one boy said before standing up in the cart and stretching out his arms, asking for a hug. The other boy smiled and give her a small wave. Quinn looked at her daughter. Hazel smiled, giving permission to Quinn for picking up her son. “Mac is the quiet one, it will take a little longer for him to be more comfortable with new people” she explains while stroking her fingers through Macs hair.

Benji was laughing in his Grammy’s arms. “Grammy, are you going to tell us the space story now?” Hazel laughed at the request before explaining the sentence to her confused looking mother. “I told them about the bedtime story you and dad made up for me and Benjamin. I tried to tell them the story but you are way better at doing that… so I told them that if we ever met you again… you would tell them the story” for the second time that day, Quinn got happy tears in her eyes. She looked into the young boy green eyes. “Of course sweetie, maybe not today, but I will tell you the story someday”

It got quiet once again. What do you talk about in this situation? They already said how much they missed each other. Should they do it again? “You look great” Quinn told her daughter. Hazel smiled and thanked her. The older of the two turned their gaze to the boys. “They look great, perfect mixture of you and Nick” Hazel smiled at the mention of her boyfriend. “Yes they are. I love the curls they received from their father” Quinn could see her daughter think about what she wanted to say or ask her. “Go ahead sweetie, what do you want to say?” “How are dad and Benjamin? I’ve talked to Benjamin by letters but I haven’t heard of him much since he left for university.”

Quinn had sat Benji back into the cart. Both kids were very behaved while the adults talked, playing with some blocks Hazel had put into the cart she picked up at the entrance of the store. “Nick is at Top Gun as well. He probably saw dad and Bradley … I hope their reunion went as good as ours.” Quinn smiled at her words. This reunion was good. They were both happy.

A message notification was heard from the back jeans pocket of Hazel. She took her phone and read the message. “I should keep going, we are having dinner with Nicks wizzo and I only have one more hour to finish everything.” She said while typing away on her phone. “Would you …” she stopped mid sentence while putting her phone away “Would you like to help me shop?” Quinn smile grew. “I would love to help you shop”. This was it. Or at least that is what Quinn thought. This was the beginning of getting her broken family back together.

Taglist: @confusedpimp @dempy @michael-loves-chickens @massivedetectivestudent @starkleila @shanimallina87 @angelbabyange @memoriesat30 @mirrorball-6 (if your username is crossed out it means I couldn’t tag you) (let me know if you want to be tagged)

#bradley bradshaw x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake seresin #top gun au #top gun fandom #top gun fanfiction #top gun hangman #top gun headcanons #top gun imagine #top gun maverick #top gun x reader #top gun rooster #rooster top gun #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw angst #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fic #hangman fanfiction #jake hangman fic #hangman imagine #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin x reader #top gun maverick hangman #hangman series #rooster fanfic #rooster angst #top gun fanfic #top gun fic #top gun cast

[ithinkabouttzu]

Boy Next Door || pt. 2

A Choi Beomgyu Fic

Word Count: 3.3k

Summary: y/n has been neighbors and frenemies with an insufferable boy, Beomgyu for quite some time. When one day he wakes her up to an offer of a lifetime. A fake relationship with him, in return to get back at her ex and his fling.

Warnings: Fake relationships, beaten windows, an obnoxious Beomgyu, bad driving, a cheek kiss, ex bestfriends & boyfriends, a hint of betrayal, Jake Sim is your ex lol.

{pairing: Beomgyu x Female oc}

“y/n”

“y/n cmon wake up”

You jolt up from your sleep from the commotion, to see a tall man in front of you, and in fear, you jump back from your previous spot on the bed, still half asleep, you grab the closest thing to you, a pen from your night stand, and hold it out warningly towards the suspicious man until you hear a familiar voice.

“chill y/n it’s me,” He says in a loud whisper, holding his hands out in defense.

You move quickly putting the pen on your night stand, turning the lamp on.

“You scared the shit out of me gyu!! Don’t do that again, you hear?!” You see his mischievous eyes catching yours for a second, the sunrise shine was hitting Beomgyu’s face in the most perfect way. It was almost angelic the way he looks right now, if only he didn’t act like aggravating you was a sport.

Looking at him, you catch yourself being stared at also, then suddenly feel yourself getting nervous by his strong, hard gaze. You grab your phone, breaking the contact between you two, and taking your first look at it.

The first thing you see it was, 8:13 AM. It was 8 in the morning, 8 in the freakin morning and Beomgyu was already annoying you.

“How did you even get in my house you creep?!”

“First How dare you call me a creep? I thought you loved me Y/n!” He says with his best dramatic sigh, Raising his hands to his chest in a heartfelt gesture, then raising his hand to his forehead in a cinematic way.

You form the biggest side eye you could in that moment, before throwing one of your many pillows onto him, pushing him out of his acting scene, and dramatically falling onto your bed.

“Wasn’t that good? You know, with my amazing looks, I could be an actor if I really wanted to.” He says smirking to himself. Sometimes his boasting was so frequent, you didn’t know whether he was being joking or not.

“Actually answer my question. How’d you get into my house?” You look down at him, he was laying back down into your bed, right beside you, only difference between you two is that you were sitting up right .

“Answer mine first, do you think i’m handsome enough to be an actor, y/n? C’mon say what you think, doll. ”

You hated when he called you pet names, it never failed to bring a deep shade of red onto your cheeks, or bring a smile to your lips. That’s the one thing you also hated about Beomgyu, besides the violence he’s committed your window, he was actually quite charming, You knew he wasn’t interested in an acting career or your opinion, all he wanted was for you to call him handsome. All he wanted was for YOU to compliment him, and it’s almost like he attentively chooses these words, just so he can get a reaction out of you.

“Sure, you are very handsome.”

“Very handsome? I didn’t know you felt that way about me, y/n.”

“Just tell me how you got in here!” You glare at him strongly, you weren’t up for playing games, especially at this hour.

“Okay chill y/n, Your mom let me in before she left for work.” He props himself up with his elbows, looking up you for your reaction.

“Unbelievable. Why would she let YOU in?”

“Because she loves me y/n that’s why”

“Yeah sure thing Gyu” You reply in the most sarcastic manner possible.

You twist your body onto the side of your bed, preparing your body to get up from your comfortable position. Your plan was going to be to get ready before he actually got here, but of course, life never goes as plan.

“Okay. So what’s the deal, why are you here so early?”

“Well, I…” He trailed off, looking up at your ceiling blankly. You could tell from the look on his face, he was trying to find the right words for whatever he was about to avow.

“I- I wanted to maybe take you out for breakfast, or boba… If you want! And we could talk there ya’ know?” He looks down from the ceiling and looks towards you in confirmation.

Was he asking you on a date? Maybe not a date but asking out your female friend for breakfast was definitely a bold move, well, especially friends that have the same relationship as you and gyu.

“mmmm, lemme’ think about it. Are you paying?”

“Sure y/n” He chuckles out, his head that was tilted low to the ground was now raised up and bright.

“Let me get ready, then we’ll go, okay?” You get up, starting to look around for the clothes that you’ll need for breakfast.

“Okay” you look back at him to see he has not moved one inch, still holding the pillow you threw at him.

“Get out!” You motion to the door. Ready for him to make his exit.

“Okay. I’m driving though”

~~~

Oh god. You know the one thing that was scarier than going to spring formal with Beomgyu? His driving.

“Slow down gyu! You’re gonna kill us with driving like that.” You hold on to your seatbelt as he took a sharp turn left, if he turned just a second later, you guys would’ve been T - boned by a semi truck.

“My driving is just fine, it’s just everyone else’s driving that sucks.” he snickers back at you. Beomgyu was swerving around town just so you guys could get some breakfast, if you were lucky you’d be able to actually eat food after this. his bad driving could make anyone lose their appetite.

You guys finally get to the place, it’s a nice, bohemian styled coffee/breakfast shop downtown. You order pancakes with an iced coffee and he just gets a black coffee.

“Just black Coffee? What are you, 40?” You retort at him.

“Sophisticated coffee for a sophisticated person.” He replies back arrantly.

Beomgyu was anything but sophisticated.

You guys settled for a seat by the window, almost no one was there but you guys, and an old man with a cup of coffee at the back of the store.

“Okay so what do we need to talk about? I’m all ears.” You lean back in your chair, If you had to be dragged along to his spring formal, then he was going to be the one to make all of the plans.

“Okay so” As he starts the waitress brings out your food and drinks, you could smell the warm pancakes being placed on the table with a mixture of his Black coffee.

“What a nice couple, you guys let me know if you need anything.” The waitress smiled and left before you could correct her.

“See! If we look like a couple to strangers, we can definitely look like a couple at formal” Beomgyu exclaimed out, he definitely had a unique way of thinking.

“Alright so, here’s the list, it’s now spring break, Sunday to be exact, we have 6 DAYS to get everything in motion, The dance is Saturday. I already looked and most dress shops are closed downtown today, so we can go tomorrow, we’ll go looking for dresses first, then we can look for a tuxedo, for me. ”

You hear all of these plans he’s made go out of his mouth, What was the point of coming here if he already had planned everything out?

“Okay so why are we here then?”

“To decide what colors we’re gonna wear of course, We can’t NOT match” He says insolently as rolls his eyes at you.

“Really? We could’ve had this conversation in my bed.” You roll your eyes back at him, you could’ve still been asleep if it weren’t for him.

“Okay so let’s think, what’s your favorite color?” He asks you with a smile, you think to yourself, only for the most obvious answer to come out of your mouth.

“Purple”

“Purple it is then! Wait, what do you think Hazel and Jake are wearing? What if they wear Purple?” You see his chest fill up with sighs of stress. He was one big ball of energy in the morning. He was worried about colors and dresses and all you could think about was how good your pancakes taste.

“I doubt they’ll wear purple, probably something tacky, like yellow or something” You roll your eyes yet again, why does Gyu even care what they wear?

“Hey! I like yellow, it has a nice touch to my skin” He touches his face lightly before rambling on again.

“So, what shade of purple? lavender, baby purple, dark purple?”

“Baby Purple? That’s even a thing Beomgyu??” You yell out into the conversation. “Purple, just purple is my favorite color, period.”

“Well that was great help” He rolls his eyes yet again at you. “At least give me some type of detail, dark purple, or light purple?”

“Light Purple” Dark purple wouldn’t necessarily look bad, but it wouldn’t look as good as a lighter shade of purple on you and Beomgyu.

“Okay great, you know actually, lavender would look nice on you, y/n” He smiles up

at you.

Beomgyu was being nice? This was definitely a very rare occurrence, he was usually so occupied on annoying and harassing you that he left little room for some actually nice words.

“Thank you Gyu, You look nice in any color.” You give a compliment back to him, it was true though, he really did look good in every shade of color.

“So, are we ready to leave now? That’s all we had to talk about, right?” You eat the lasts of your pancake, and grab your purse, gathering all your things to leave, as the waitress brings in your check.

“And, well” He pauses while scratching the back of his head. “Ya’ know..”

“What?!” You raise your voice slightly. Beomgyu was officially pushing your patience, He turned a cute moment between you two, into an annoying interrogation. Having a conversation with him was the equivalent to a conversation with a toddler.

“You know, we should probably tell our parents when we get back, I mean, We can’t go shopping for outfits if they don’t know” He breaks eye contact, moving his head towards the window, looking outside to the pretty weather.

“Yeah. You’re right.” You say lowly, the thought of having to tell your parents suddenly gave you a wave of second thoughts. You didn’t think this through, this wasn’t a good idea, no, this wasn’t a good idea at all, you should’ve never agreed to this.

Bringing our families in this could hurt more than we think, how will we even tell them? You think to yourself, as all of these thoughts swarm around your head.

“I mean, your mom’s already kinda suspicious of us, when she let me in this morning she asked me like, a million questions.” He rambled on.

“Really? What’d she ask?” You were now intrigued to what he had to say.

“Why I knocked on the front door, because, ya’ know, I usually throw shit at your window”

“Why didn’t you wake me up from the window?” You were actually curious. There was never a situation serious enough where he didn’t resort to window beating.

“Well, I- uh” He takes his eyes off of yours again and back to the window.

“You know, I uh, thought I should wake you up in person is all, just because, you’re gonna be my date, and well we have a lot to get done.” He smiled awkwardly at you.

Gyu always had a way of words, his comebacks and charm never failed to make a smirk appear on other people’s faces, but with you, he wasn’t like that, he was funny, and witty and awkward. It was cute he showed that side of him to you.

You smiled at him before moving on with the conversation . “Let’s text our family group chat, okay?” You suggest to him.

With a quick text to your mom asking if you could invite the Choi’s over for a family dinner, it was officially. You and Beomgyu were going to tell your families tonight about the formal tonight, and whatever their reaction was could determine whether you guys even go together or not.

Despite Beomgyu’s usual loud, fast driving, this car ride home was quiet, and slow. You could see the nervousness all over Beomgyu’s face, even though he tried covering it up, you could notice it clear as day.

You finally could see the familiarity in the streets, knowing you were close to your and Beomgyu’s house.

“What do you think they’ll think?” You hear him say, not taking his eyes off of the road. “I don’t think they’ll mind” You reply back. What could he be so worried about?

“You know, i’ve never really had a girlfriend.” You hear him reply back. “I meant I’ve had flings here and there, but not ever a real girlfriend”

“Really?” You were surprised. One because you see girls sneak in and out of his window almost all the time. Secondly, Beomgyu is arguably one of the most attractive boys in your town, and he’s never had a girlfriend? Ever?

“Really. Just never really found the right one.” Before you guys could continue with the conversation, you had already arrived at Beomgyus home.

“I’ll see you tonight, okay?” He looks out of his car window towards you.

“Yeah of course! I’ll see you then.” You send him a sly wink before getting out of his car and walking the 10 feet distance to your house.

You feel the anxiousness creep up into your stomach. You needed to get ready for tonight. If his parents didn’t except your “relationship”, then the whole thing would probably be off.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You looked in the mirror one last time, examining every strain of your hair, Your outfit was simple, but in this case, simple is key. You don’t want to seem like a showboat to his parents.

Why are you nervous anyway? The Choi family has known you for years now. Why all of a sudden does it matter what you wear around them?

You check over your makeup one more time, before closing your bathroom door.

“Come down, y/n! The Choi’s are here!”

It was now or never.

The smell of Korean bbq captivated your nostrils with joy as you walked down the stairs of your house.

“Y/n! It’s so great to see you!” Mrs. Choi

greeted you with a big hug as you met her at the end of the steps.

“It’s great to see you too!” As you hug her, you feel holes burning into your head, the culprit, would be the one and only Choi Beomgyu, right behind Mrs. Choi, giving you the biggest smirk on his face. If only they knew what would be said tonight.

“Come outside on the patio! We’ll serve our bulgolgi there!” Your dad yells, closing the back porch door on his way outside.

~~

Everyone was in their own seats chewing on their bulgolgi, the dads talking to the each other about god knows that, as were both of your moms were going on about your siblings and Beomgyu’s older brothers. It seemed as if even though you two were the ones actually present, neither of you had enough good going on to peak any of their interests.

*BING*

You hear the sound coming from your phone, and of course you pick it up out of curiosity, to see a text message from the boy sitting right beside you.

“Wanna to tell them?” The text message says in front of your screen.

You look up from your phone to Beomgyu, nodding your head. He clearly got the message because right after, because he cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention and making them go silent.

Beomgyu sits up, making eye contact everyone before looking at you. “Alright guys, me and y/n have been meaning to tell you something” You sit up too, joining Beomgyu.

“Oh my God, you got her pregnant!” Mr. Choi exclaims, leaning back in his chair in shock.

“I knew they were together! See that’s why he’s been coming over to see her so early!” You mom chimes in.

“Son, what did I tell you about protection?!” Mrs. Choi yells out. You look over to your dad, to see a plain disappointment look on his face.

A wave of embarrassment washes over your face as you hear these words come from your parents and his.

“WHAT?! NOOO!” Beomgyu sits back down, leaving you the only one standings

“I am definitely not pregnant!” You join the sitting group of people, pointing your finger out aggressively.

“Why would you think that? I was gonna say that we’re going to spring formal together!” When Beomgyu said that the whole patio when silent. You could almost hear a needle drop if you listened close enough.

“Really! Well that’s great honey!” Your mom clapped her hands together in excitement. You could see Mrs. Choi walk around the table, and engulf you in another big hug.

The hug was nice and warm. Mrs. Choi’s hugs always gave you love when you needed it. “So, when are you guys going shopping for dresses?”

“Tomorrow! We’re wearing light purple together!”

“Are we invited?” You mom looked at you with desperate eyes as she motioned her finger back and forth between the her and Mrs. Choi.

“Mm, sure?” Beomgyu said before looking back at me in reassurance and giving him a strong nod in return.

~~~

Dinner had now finished, and the Choi parents were off to say their farewells and goodbyes to your family and a thank you for having them over, while that happened, you and Beomgyu finished cleaning some extra dishes from the patio and putting them into the cabinet.

“So what do you think about them knowing?” He said, drying off one of the plates you had handed to him.

“I like it, it doesn’t seem so unnatural” You laugh at your own statement, it seemed as if both of your parents liked the thought of you two being together romantically then anything else.

“Son let’s go! We’ve got a big day tomorrow!” You hear Mrs. Choi yell from beside the front door. It was a small walk from your house to theirs but it was still preferred that they all walk home together.

“Bye y/n, I’ll see you tomorrow morning, sleep good, okay?” He dries off the last plate and puts it up into the cabinet where the other plates are.

“Bye guys!” You yell out as beomgyu’s parents have already gotten a head start on him out the door.

Before you turn back to the stairs, you see Beomgyu look back into the house, as if he forgotten something.

“Are you missing something?” You ask.

“Yeah, I am” And with a quick gesture, Beomgyu had made it back over to you by the steps and planted a sweet peck on your cheek.

“Goodnight y/n. Sleep good, okay?”

Before you could reply back he was already out of the door and running to catch up with his parents.

You hold the cheek he kissed with your hand. What was that? The biggest question that lingering into your head was, why did you enjoy that kiss?

You walk up the steps still in shock. Still blushing from the sudden moves from your next door neighbor.

~~~

As you got ready for bed, the excitement crept up on you as you imagined spending the whole day with beomgyu tomorrow, tomorrow was going to be something, and you were totally ready for it.

A/n : Sorry for the long wait guys! I really loved writing this and i hope you all enjoy! If you do enjoy make sure to let me know and like!! 💗

#choi beomgyu #kpop #txt #tomorrow x together #txt smut #txt imagines #txt fanfic #txt x reader #txt x oc #txt fluff #txt oneshots #beomgyu x reader #beomgyu x oc #beomgyu fanfic #beomgyu ff #choi beomgyu x oc #ithinkabouttzu #beomgyu #soobin #taehyun #jake sim #Boy Next Door #yeonjun #huening kai #txt ships #txt reactions

[padfootagain]

Something Good (VIII)

Chapter 8: Denial

Hi everyone! Here is a new chapter for my Ben Barnes series! I hope you all like it, tell me what you think about it!

Things are about to get serious ehehehehhehehe!!! (Also, it features the biggest lie ever written in a fanfiction, let me tell you, the title of this chapter is very appropriate…)

****

Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader

Warnings: none! Slow burn, professor AU.

Summary: Coming out of a divorce and trying to get used to being a single mom, while teaching your classes at University, you thought your life could not get more complicated than it already is. But when you are asked to take care of the theatre club with the colleague that you really can’t get along with, you realize that everything can still get ten times more complicated in your life. And when you start actually liking Professor Barnes, the troubles only grow exponentially…

Word Count: 2993

Masterlist for the series - Ben Barnes's Masterlist - Main Masterlist

Maybe, just maybe… this idea of yours with musicals was a little bit more complicated than you thought it would be.

As you stared at the long list of questions you and the students had written on the blackboard, you kind of wondered how you could manage all this.

By your side, Ben was getting a little nervous as well, although he remained calmer than you were. Maybe it was because he wasn’t the one who had had this idea of musicals in the first place, and so he didn’t feel as responsible as you did. Or maybe he was used to asking himself all these questions after working on the club for several years.

No matter why, Ben was staring at the blackboard, rolling a pencil between his fingers, thinking hard.

“I think the most important issue we need to tackle is the music, though,” David said, sipping on a coffee.

“I reckon there’s a choir and a band in the school, right?” you asked, thinking hard. “Perhaps they could help?”

Ben nodded.

“We can ask them. If any of you have friends who would like to join, that could be great…”

“But this… all of this would work for the performance, and some repetitions along the year, but I can’t imagine that we could gather everyone on a weekly basis. And anyway… there are weeks during which we’ll have to work on the staging, on the acting… we can’t ask people to come for two full hours if we only need their help for ten minutes,” you argued. “We need musicians with us, part of the group.”

“Does any of you play an instrument?” Giselle asked the group.

Nathaniel raised his hand.

“I play the guitar.”

“And I play the clarinet,” added Betty, one of the new students.

A couple others played the guitar.

“What about you, Y/N?” David asked, but you shook your head.

“I don’t play any instrument. I can sing, that’s pretty much it. Ben?”

Your colleague looked up at you again, as he had seemed lost in thought for a couple of minutes.

“I play the drums and the piano, some guitar too. I can play during our repetitions.”

You grinned at him.

“Awesome!”

“We should try singing, and decide which roles we want to play,” Giselle proposed.

“Before that, shouldn’t we choose the songs?” David asked.

“Well, I reckon we should keep most of the songs of the musical, but… the whole project was based on the idea to use popular songs and to integrate them in a story. We could add our own, for sure,” Ben proposed, and all were enthusiastic.

“We must keep El Tango de Roxanne though,” you argued. “I am using my authority to save this one.”

“And what an authority, huh?” Ben teased you, making everyone laugh.

“Clearly, you’ve never seen me ask my daughter to clean her room,” you fought back.

“I bet she doesn’t do it.”

“She doesn’t, you’re right.”

You heaved a dramatic sigh, while your colleague let out an earnest laugh.

It was nice. The whole session with the club was nice, and… you hated to admit it but… spending this time with Ben was nice too. Very nice, indeed…

“Let’s make a list,” Ben said, grabbing his notebook and pushing his glasses a little higher on his nose.

He did every time he started writing something, you had noticed that… you found it… endearing, for some reason…

You hurried to push the thought away, and cleared your throat instead.

“Elephant Love Medley stays,” decided Ben. “I’m using my authority on this one. El Tango de Roxanne too…”

“Come What May,” added John, one of your new recruits, who seemed very shy, his voice barely audible at all.

Ben added a few songs to the list, but there was some room for new ones. You spent some time thinking about it.

“Hey, didn’t you want to play The Sound of Music?” Nathaniel said, pointing at you. “I remember there are references and stuff in the movie, but we haven’t kept the song. Maybe we could add a song from that.”

“Which one?” asked Ben.

But Nathaniel shrugged.

You took a look at the list. You didn’t have many highly-romantic songs. You had only kept Come What May and Elephant Love Medley… but you reckoned that another romantic scene could work…

“Something romantic?” you asked.

“Why not?”

“Or maybe that one where she likes stuff!” Roberta proposed, struggling to remember the title of the song.

“Favourite Things?” Ben offered, and the girl squealed in approval.

“Yes! That’s it! That’s a fun song!”

You shrugged, a few people nodded.

“You were thinking about something romantic?” Ben asked, turning to you. “We could add a romantic scene. Some of the most intimate scenes will be difficult to stage, we don’t have the same set or anything of the kind, we’re much more limited on stage compared to cinema. We could replace some of these scenes with one of our own, around a new song. What did you have in mind?”

He was staring at you, gaze intense and unwavering. You liked that about him, the fact that whenever he listened to someone, it was with his full attention. You felt like your opinion mattered. You couldn’t help but draw a comparison with your ex-husband. It was a nice change…

You thought about it for a second, before answering, crossing your arms before your chest and leaning against the table behind you.

“We could do a romantic scene… quite similar to Something Good. They could dance, get closer, and kind of confess this way. That’s romantic.”

“This scene is so cute…” Roberta nodded, a dreamy smile on her face.

Ben couldn’t refrain a chuckle at her reaction, and he pondered the question for a moment. But he ended up nodding, writing the title down.

“That’s a good idea, it could work.”

The alarm on your phone rang. It had been two hours already, it was time to call it a day.

“Alright,” Ben said, closing his notebook and offering the group a smile. “We’ll appoint the roles next time. We’ll try some singing, we should all prepare for the same one, let’s say… El Tango de Roxanne, as it’s apparently Y/N’s favourite…”

“Yes!” you cheered, making everyone chuckle.

“And remember that we’ll only see each other in November now! Because next week, no repetition.”

“Really? Why?” Giselle asked, disappointed.

“Y/N and I do have a job outside of this club, you know?” Ben answered, amused. “We’ll be off to London to work on our research. But then again, this classroom is still booked for us, you can gather here and work on the play if you want. As long as you don’t break anything…”

He turned his gaze to Nathaniel, who raised his hands as if innocent, the glimmering black polish on his nails catching the neon light.

“It happened once… and it wasn’t even really my fault.”

“Oh… I’m really curious to hear about this one!” you chimed.

“Let’s say that Nathaniel is not allowed to go anywhere near stage lights anymore…”

“Woops?” the boy said, making everyone laugh.

“Alright, all of you need to go to class,” you admonished, standing straighter again. “And we have to go back to our regular jobs, so, off you go!”

The students left, chatting excitedly and already making plans to gather the coming week even if their teachers would be away. You erased the blackboard while Ben was waiting for you to walk back to your offices. He seemed hesitant and you weren’t sure why. He was blushing, even. It was kind of… endearing…

You really had to stop your brain from making this kind of thoughts…

“Have you eaten before coming here?” Ben asked as you turned back towards him.

“No, I had classes this morning. I’m starving to be honest. I’ll eat something before our meeting, okay?”

“I haven’t eaten either. Would you like to join me?”

You were quite surprised by the offer, but you realised that it wasn’t an unwelcomed one.

“Okay, sure. I’ve brought something to eat.”

“I did too. Cafeteria?”

“Sure.”

You walked out of the classroom together, shy smiles on your lips, and both of you a little confused, a little hesitant. Still, when Ben looked at you, you seemed content, and it made him happy, for some reason…

Jasmine and Miles could barely believe their eyes.

You and Ben were sitting together, at a table, in the cafeteria, and… you seemed to be actually eating lunch together.

You were clearly chatting, and instead of shouting at each other or anything of the kind you just… laughed.

They exchanged a wide-eyed look.

“Since when do these two get along?” Miles asked, confusion painted all over his features. “I’m leaving for a couple of weeks, and all of a sudden everything changes around here?”

“Don’t look at me, I have no idea! Y/N hasn’t told me anything.”

“And Ben hasn’t told me anything either…”

“What happened to them?”

“It is a good thing though, if these two can finally get along.”

“Should we… leave them be, then?”

Miles pondered the question, still hiding with Jasmine in the corridor, right before the cafeteria. He peered inside once more.

“We should… but I’m too curious.”

“Me too… I bet your husband is going to be asking for details, anyway.”

“Oh, yes, George will love this!”

Miles walked inside the room with an excited grin, Jasmine on his heels.

Ben welcomed his colleagues with a bright smile, happy to see Miles again.

“So… what do we have here?” Jasmine teased, sitting down next to you and stealing some of your bread.

“One researcher who’s supposed to be working, and a retired man who’s supposed to be enjoying his husband?” you proposed, making Ben chuckle.

Miles looked at his younger friend with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow.

“Many things have changed since the last time I came,” he said, ignoring your sarcasm.

“What do you mean?” Ben asked, although he was perfectly aware of what Miles meant.

“None of you is frowning, looking desperate, or shouting… You almost look civilized!” Jasmine answered, and this time you swatted her hand away when she tried to get more of your food.

“We are civilized.”

“Together?”

You and Ben both rolled your eyes, but you didn’t fail to notice the way Ben was blushing. Colour spreading across his nose, his cheeks, and all the way up to the tips of his ears. You found it adorable…

“We had a bad start,” Ben conceded. “But we’re… okay now, right?”

You nodded, taking a bite of your salad.

“Real colleagues. Professional.”

“Good! That’s a lot of progress already for the two of you.”

You kept on chatting together for a while, until both your and Ben’s plates were empty. You were to have a meeting to prepare your stay in London, but you both agreed to take a twenty-minutes break before that. You would meet up in Ben’s office to go back to work.

Miles didn’t lose a second, as soon as he was alone with his younger friend in his office, he sat down and bombarded him with questions.

“Ben, I want to know everything that has happened between you and Y/N in the past few weeks! Every detail! Fire away!”

Ben laughed at his friend’s antics, taking a seat as well.

“Nothing interesting happened, I can assure you,” answered Ben. “We simply… spent more time together, and… buried the hatchet. That’s all.”

“You couldn’t stand each other at the beginning of the year, and now you’re having lunch together! And nothing happened?”

“No! I mean… I don’t know. We didn’t get along at the beginning, it was a bit hard but then we had to work together and… we’ve found that we…”

“That you?” Miles encouraged him eagerly.

“That we… are not so dissimilar after all.”

Ben let his gaze get lost over Miles shoulder, staring at nothing while his thoughts drifted back towards your shared moments through the last few weeks.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, she is… insufferable, sometimes. She is… disorganised most of the time, and always making silly jokes, and she is clumsy as hell, although… that’s kind of… adorable, to be honest…”

A dreamy smile appeared on his features, before he would shake himself, and look at his friend again.

“But nothing has happened, really. We’ve simply become professional around one another.”

But Miles was staring at his young friend with a wicked grin.

“What?” Ben frowned. “Do I have some food on my face?”

“You like her.”

Ben rolled his eyes.

“She’s competent. More than I thought she would be. And she’s great with the kids at the club, which is all that truly matters.”

“No, Ben. You like her.”

“What?!”

“You like her!”

Ben scoffed, crossing his arms before his chest, suddenly defensive and looking at his former colleague as if he had gone mad.

“Absolutely not! Are you crazy?”

“You do seem… infatuated.”

“Infatuated? Me? With Y/N? Retirement really doesn’t suit you. Are you alright?”

“Ben… you’ve literally zoned out as you were talking about her with the most idiotic smile on your lips – no offence. And you’ve just said that she was -and I quote- ‘adorable’.”

“I did not… that was not what I meant…”

“So you don’t think that she’s adorable?”

“Well… no! I mean… she’s very clumsy and that’s… quite… cute…”

Ben heaved a frustrated sigh.

“You were blushing at lunch,” Miles went on.

“I did not!”

“You did.”

“Only because I felt embarrassed. Because of you. Not her. I do not blush because of Y/N.”

“Don’t you think she’s an attractive woman?”

Ben rolled his eyes.

“I am not blind, Miles. Even you can’t deny that she’s quite… pretty. Beautiful, even…”

He cleared his throat.

“Anyone with two functioning eyes would notice that, it doesn’t mean I’m attracted to her.”

“You’re not?”

“Don’t you think she’s a beautiful woman?”

“I do believe she is beautiful. Because as you said, I have two functioning eyes. But as a gay man, and a happily married one, I do not feel the need to stare at her and to blush every time she looks my way.”

“I do not do that!”

“Yes, you do. You did throughout the entire lunch.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“So you think she’s adorable, you think she’s cute, you think she’s beautiful…”

“Miles…” Ben glared at him.

“But you’re not interested?”

“No, I’m not.”

Miles nodded, clearly unconvinced.

“You know what professionals call that?”

“What kind of professionals? Matchmakers?”

“Denial,” Miles answered his own question, ignoring Ben’s sarcasm. “That’s pure denial we have here, Ben.”

“Absolutely not. I am happy on my own. I don’t want to have a relationship. I don’t want to be infatuated with anyone. I don’t want to think about Y/N this way. Is that clear?”

“Crystal clear.”

“Good.”

But Miles shook his head, heaving a sigh.

This boy, really…

“Jasmine!”

You were sitting in her office, staring at her with wide eyes and a shock painted all over your features that almost looked like outrage.

“Of course, I don’t fancy him!”

“Why not? He’s super hot…”

“He…”

You took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm down. Because this couldn’t be happening.

A few weeks before you were tempted by actually cutting Ben’s throat, how could Jasmine think for a mere second that now you fancied him!?

Outrageous. Absolutely ridiculous.

“I do not fancy Ben Barnes.”

“You do, though.”

“I do not! I barely know him at all! I’ve just started actually getting along with him… what… three weeks ago? Maybe even less!”

“Do you not find him attractive?”

You let out a frustrated grunt.

“Of course, I find him attractive, have you looked at the guy?! He is gorgeous. Yes, I do find him attractive. Doesn’t mean that I am actually attracted to him! And you’re forgetting how annoying he is! Like he is always so… organised, and he plans everything out, and he… always pushes his glasses up before writing something down and that’s… okay that one is kind of cute, actually, but… he blushes all the time. And that’s quite adorable. But he’s also very… He was very mean to me at the beginning! He isn’t anymore, that’s true. And he’s great with the kids at the club. He’s actually a lot of fun… But no! No! He is insufferable with his idiotic humour and his bright laughter and… argh!”

You threw your hands in the air, Jasmine still staring at you, sipping on her coffee.

“Wow… you’re so far gone,” Jasmine commented.

“I. Do. Not. Fancy. Ben. Barnes.”

“You’re infatuated.”

“Absolutely not! Besides… my life is a mess. And I have a daughter, and an ex-husband who drives me crazy and… no, no, no! I don’t want a relationship, or a fling, or anything. I am very happy and content being single. No, thank you!”

“You’re in denial. I’m surprised you’ve managed to convince yourself for so long…”

“Jas!”

“Alright, alright… as you wish.”

You checked your watch, and stood up.

“I have to go my meeting with Ben now.”

“Try not to snog him too hard.”

“One more word…”

“Alright! Alright!”

You strode outside the room, passing before Miles as he was heading towards Jasmine’s office.

When he entered, he had a raised eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with this one?” he asked, pointing at the corridor where you had just disappeared, a murderous look on your face.

“She’s in denial. Want to know what I’ve just learnt?” Jasmine asked the retired man, overexcited.

“Oh, you will never believe what I’ve just learnt!” said Miles, sitting down in the chair you had occupied a moment before.

They spilled the tea at the same time, excited grins on their faces.

“He likes her!”

“She likes him!”

Their shouts and laughter could be heard all the way down the corridor.

**********************************

Taglist: @reg-arcturus-black @idek-what-to-put

#ben barnes #ben barnes x you #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes x y/n #ben barnes fanfiction #ben barnes series #ben barnes fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #series

[morganski-19]

I Don't Know Which Way's Home

Chapter 16: Relocation

Apparently when I said it would be a few days late, that really meant a week late. But I'm back now.

ao3 link, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

Present Day, March 1987

Julie wakes up in the middle of the night. Heart racing just a bit, slowing as she readjusts. The memories from last night replay in her mind. It’s all she thinks about. Well, not all.

It’s stupid to even compare these two things. Stupid to have herself thrown back six months and feel the same way all over again. It was the last time she was thrown out of her home unexpectantly. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, it wasn’t that long ago. Her life was uprooted not that long ago.

When her mom died, and she had to move, it felt kind of like this. With a lot more tears, and a lot more pain. But the questions without answers, the spontaneity of it all. It was the same. Julie didn’t plan for it to happen this way. It just happened.

Things in her life just keep happening. But that’s how life works, isn’t it? Things happen, and no one can control it. And when they try to, it just fails anyway. There’s just a force greater than anyone can imagine making life shit for everyone. Breaking apart families, making them lose people they love.

Julie’s not a religious person. Never was. Her mom wasn’t either, not after getting pregnant. It was hard enough being a single mom, she didn’t need more dirty looks. Especially from ones who were supposed to love everyone no matter their sins. It didn’t feel that way most of the time.

If the force that took Julie’s mom away, kicked her out of her childhood home, then the house that just became home, was really all knowing and good, she didn’t believe it anymore. What about the death that’s happened in this town? Everywhere else? What about Steve? Was it really planned for parents to hate their son like this? Kick him out of his house with a bruise on his cheek. That he won’t tell her anything about.

She needs to know that the bruise isn’t because of her. Because he took her in. She can’t be the reason why he’s hurt. It would be too much. Too much that’s been caused because of her. He’s already moving, got a new job, suing his parents. Julie is the catalyst of it all. Even if she wasn’t the cause.

How much peace would Steve have without her here? How much of a disturbance did she really cause?

When they first met, and she was in that foster home, it was easy to take from him. Steve had so much that he was willing to give. Growing up in the life Julie could have had if the tables were turned. It was easy to take some of what she thought she deserved. But then she learned more about him, about his life there. It wasn’t so easy anymore. Julie started to feel like a burden.

Still feels like a burden. Steve has to hide parts of himself in his own home because of her, even though he’s not doing it very well. He had to move into a place that could accommodate her. Go through all this trouble just to keep her around. Act ten years older than he is.

Steve’s still young. Only three years older than her but acting so much older. Taking in so much responsibility as a twenty-year-old. That’s not normal. He should be out parting, meeting new people, making mistakes and learning from them. Instead, he’s stuck in a nine-to-five and coming home to provide for the sister he didn’t even know about six months ago.

Sometimes he acts more like a parent than he should. Julie doesn’t ask for much, she never really did. But it was easy for Steve to slowly fill the void that her mom left. Even if she didn’t realize she was doing it.

Her therapist has been working her through this. He was the first person who mentioned it, causing Julie to spiral. According to him, it was normal and not something that she had to change that much. Just had to realize that’s what was going on. And to make sure she wasn’t holding Steve to a standard that he couldn’t meet.

Steve wasn’t her mom. She knew that. But it was easy to mix the two up when he’s the one providing for her now. Julie didn’t want to ask for more than he could give. It seems like she might have already done that without even realizing it.

She gets up from the now partially deflated air mattress to head to the kitchen. Get a drink and try to calm her mind. One of the lamps is still on in the living room. Illuminating Steve and Eddie, still asleep. Tangled together.

Julie wants to respect Steve’s boundaries and not ask about it again. Or speculate it. But friends don’t fall asleep next to each other like this. Or act like Eddie did last night. Well, maybe Robin would have. It would have just felt more like a sibling relationship. Theirs’s didn’t. It had something more intimate to it. It was very obviously something more.

Steve just wasn’t ready, and she respected that. He just looked so at peace right now. Compared to the level of stress that he normally looked. Compared to last night. It was all gone right now. Started to dissipate as soon as Eddie got there.

Coming out and telling people about this isn’t easy. She knows that. Really knows it. For the past few weeks anyway. So, she knows that pushing them is a bad idea. Especially with the case and all of the uncertainties that surround their lives right now. Being hidden is sometimes better than being out. Definitely in this town.

With them though, with people they trust. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it could work. They were able to share a bed here without anyone saying anything about it. And no one will say anything if they see them sharing it like this. It’s a known secret at this point.

Part of her is telling her that it’s only a secret because of her, though. Because she caused all the uncertainties of their life. It’s probably not true, but it’s how she feels.

El stirs when Julie goes back to the room. The air mattress squeaking when she sits on it.

“Julie,” El whispers in the dark, voice groggy.

“Sorry, went to get some water.”

El nods, propping herself up on her elbow when the air mattress squeaks again when Julie tries to sit down. “Did it deflate? It does that sometimes.”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“We could share my bed if you wanted to. Me and Max do it all the time, there is enough room.” El sits up, fixing the blankets.

Julie’s heartbeat picks up, she’s not sure why. It’s just El, they’re friends. Her and Mary would share a bed when they had sleepovers back in middle school. This is no different from that.

“Uh yeah, sure.”

El scoots over in the bed, making room for Julie. They lay down next to each other. El facing Julie, while Julie lies on her back. Trying not to feel El’s eyes on her. Julie forces her eyes closed and takes a deep breath, trying to feel normal about this. Because it is. This is totally normal. Why is she making this so weird?

“Can I ask you something? And you cannot be mad at me for asking it.” El asks, still whispering.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Julie really can’t explain why she’s so nervous by that question.

“Are Steve and Eddie dating?”

Julie turns her head towards El, taking a moment to realize how close they are. “They haven’t told me that they are.”

“But that does not mean they are not? They act like they are dating. Everyone keeps talking about it, it is not a secret. I think they work well together.” El stares at Julie in the dark, making her feel something but she’s not quite sure.

“Yeah, yeah I think they do too. If they are actually together. Like I said, they haven’t told me about it yet. But I do know Steve is seeing someone, just couldn’t tell me who it was. Said it was more complicated than it looked.” Julie can’t explain it, but the words keep pouring out of her mouth without her telling them to. She should have stopped speaking way before she did.

El smiles. “I like it when people from our group start dating. Max says it makes more problems, but I think it is sweet. How they found each other through all of the bad that happened.” She makes a face of realization. “Forget what I said, nothing bad happened. Just meeting each other like normal people do. In school. Yeah, we all met in school.”

“Something bad happened?”

If that’s true, a lot of things would start to make sense. Why Steve jumps every time the light flickers or there’s a loud thud. Sometimes when the thunder hits just right. Why Julie has woken up to what seems like a scream but gets told it was nothing the next morning. Why Eddie or Robin magically shows up in the mornings when they weren’t here the night before. Hovering over Steve, either with a scared look in their eye or checking to make sure he’s ok.

Some of the kids do it to. Have some scars that seem a bit too suspicious. More than just a normal injury.

The weird that has been happening in Hawkins these past four years replay in her mind. Connecting dots as fast as she can, trying to make connections. On the surface, there’s nothing there. Except for the fact that this was a peaceful town before four years ago. Each year continuing to get worse and worse. Until last spring scared out half the town’s population.

After what Julie saw that fourth of July, she knew that something was off. Witnessing people walk to their deaths, knowing that they didn’t go to the mall by choice. There was something weird with Hawkins. Maybe El knew about it too? Maybe they all knew about it?

“Well, yeah, there was an earthquake. And the mall fire before that. Bad things happened.” El turns her head, looking at the ceiling.

“I knew about that, obviously. But that’s not all that happened, right? I mean, none of the surrounding areas felt it, and if the ground cracked, they should have. And the fire, I saw some of the people going there that night.” It feels weird to admit that to someone else. But it gets El to turn her head and look at Julie again. “I couldn’t get them to stop moving.”

El’s brows knit together. “I did not know other people saw them go there.”

“It was really scary. I didn’t know until the next morning, but they were walking to their death. There were some people in the crowd that I knew, so I recognized their names when the missing person reports and the obituaries. No matter what I did, it was like they couldn’t hear me, and just kept walking. Like they were possessed.”

El reaches across the small gap between them and grabs Julie’s hand. Making Julie’s fingers feel colder than they were, as they suddenly fill with warmth. She squeezes Julie’s hand, holding it close. “There was more to that night. More that I cannot tell you. I wish I could, but you are better off not knowing. But I am so sorry that you saw a little bit that was happening. And very happy that it did not get to you too.”

“That what didn’t get to me?” Julie turns on her side, fully facing El.

“It is safer for you not to know. Please trust me. Friends don’t lie.”

There is a seriousness in El’s eyes that ages her five years. Suddenly turning her into a brave soldier, instead of just a kid. Julie’s eyes trace her face, reading the fear mixed with experience resting in her muscles. Molded instead of out of place. This isn’t a new expression for El. Somewhere, that breaks Julie.

“Ok, I believe you,” Julie says, ready to change the subject. To see that look melt off of El’s face, hoping to never see it again. Instead, she yawns.

“It is late, we should go to sleep. There is a lot you probably have to do tomorrow. Or today, what time is it?”

Julie shrugs, not wanting to turn to see the clock on the bedside table. “Didn’t look at it when I got up.”

El releases Julie’s hand, making it feel cold again. She pulls the sheets tight around her. “Goodnight.”

“Night.” Julie’s eyes stay open as El’s close, watching as she starts to fall asleep again. She eventually forces her eyes to close, tries to get sleep to come. It doesn’t. Not for a while at least.

There’s something weird with her, mixed with everything else she was already feeling that night. Part of her knows what it is, but she doesn’t want to admit it.

. . .

When Steve looks in the mirror the next morning, he has to relive the fact that the events of the previous night actually happened. That instead of just a normal night stayed at the Byers, it was because he was kicked out of his childhood home. Not because he left on his own accord. Even if he was the one to slam the door behind him.

Just because he was planning to leave, doesn’t mean he was planning to leave like this. With a nice bruise formed above his cheekbone and dried blood on his lip. Bags filled with the rest of his and Julie’s belongings in the living room. The rest in boxes scattered in different locations. Somethings still left behind. Things he’s never getting back.

His mind races to anything left in his car that could come back to bite him. It’s empty, for the most part. Steve knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep the car, it still had his dad’s name on it. It’s why he couldn’t sell it when he was saving up money. The trunk was empty, the baseball bat that would have certainly raised questions in another location. The glove compartment had nothing in it but snacks and a first aid kit. Normal things. The pictures on his sun visor were gone.

He was safe. Why didn’t he feel safe.

This feeling is something Steve knows more than he should. Adrenaline flooding his veins, making him be alert when he just needs to rest. Constricting his chest, making his breaths short and shallow. Counting in for four does nothing when he can only make it to two before his lungs feel like bursting. His muscles tense at every sound, every movement. Pulling him into the ready position. Ready for the next monster to burst through the wall.

There’s a knock at the door, making him jump. Chest thumping with the fast beat of his heart.

“Steve, sweetie,” Joyce’s voice comes through the door. “Breakfast is ready whenever you are.”

Somehow, that breaks Steve out of the spell he was in, realizing the white of his knuckles as they gripped the sink. He lets go, feeling relief. “Ok, I’ll be out in a second.”

He forces a deep breath into his lungs, shutting his eyes so he can’t see his reflection again. Things need to happen today. He needed to get things done today. The Byers are kind enough not to kick them out, but he can’t expect them to let them stay for more than a day or two.

Tomorrow Sarah is going to tell her higherups that they were kicked out. Let them decide if Julie needs to be moved again. Strip away the home that they’ve been building for the past few months. Making Steve have to start over all over again. He can’t start over again.

So these feelings, this churn in his stomach, they can’t stay. After the door closes behind him, so does the chest holding everything in. There will be a time where he can process all that happened, why he’s feeling like this. But now is not that time.

Maybe never will be the time.

When Steve sits down at the table, he’s hyperaware on the way he’s acting. Making sure his posture is the same as it always is. Unbothered, relaxed. When nothing is relaxed. He smiles at Joyce when she brings him a plate, thanking her. Makes conversation with them, greets Will when he gets back from Mike’s. Acts perfectly normal. To most of them at least.

Julie stares at him from a few spots down. Waiting for him to mention anything from the previous night. Eddie reaches under the table to squeeze his thigh, silently asking if he’s alright. Steve brushes it off, insisting that he’s fine.

Because he is fine, why wouldn’t he be?

After breakfast he makes some calls. Somehow, the papers were filed faster than he thought and he’s able to pick up the keys tomorrow morning. Just in time. He changes his contact information with a few places, making a mental note to do it at work his next shift.

Then, he just sits. Feeling unfamiliar in his body. Trying so hard to release the tension that feels sewn into his muscles. Wondering if he breathes deep enough, it will pressure his heart to stop jumping at every motion. Every sound. Stop his mind from racing between synapses without purpose. Snapping to snapshots of moments he’d rather not remember.

The face of his father as he yelled. The disappointment in his mother’s glare. The pain in both their smiles, perfectly molded for photographs. But one look in real life shows the cracks in their composure. They never smiled at him with true intentions, just to keep up the mask.

Memories he’s repressed all come flooding back. Screams of his parents fighting. Hands sore from how hard they clutch his knees to his chest. Hiding away, thinking that it would stop them. That if he went far enough away, he wouldn’t hear them anymore.

That was accomplished. He finally ran away. Somewhere not that far, but they won’t care enough to come find. He should be happy.

Every time Steve thinks that his parents don’t have any hold of him anymore, something happens. Smacks him just right across the face as a little reminder that he is nothing more than a product of them. Something for them to sculp into the perfect accessory. To look at but never really love.

It hurts. Scars on the outside are gruesome, but it is the ones lashed into his heart that sting. Dark in the night, when the silence creeps into his ears, reminding him of every wrong he’s ever done. Of the disappointment that he truly is.

Robin said something to him once that made him put things into perspective. Life is what changes people, makes them who they really are. It is the people that choose to stay that make the impact. The deciding factor. Back then, those words made him feel some sort of peace.

Now, it’s pulling him down to the same question that’s plagued his mind for years. Maybe his entire life. Why wasn’t he enough for them to stay?

Why is he enough for anyone to stay?

Sometime later, he’s not exactly sure, Eddie moves from beside him. Standing in front of Steve with his hand outstretched, waiting for him to take it.

“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Steve takes it, gripping it harder than he should. The familiarity giving him some peace of mind. Making the train stop in its tracks for a moment. Before it starts moving again.

“Woods or street?” Eddie asks when they get outside.

“Woods,” Steve finds himself saying. He won’t have to let go of Eddie’s hand if they are in the woods.

Eddie nods, leading Steve around the house and into the woods. Walking forward without direction. The same way he walked straight into Steve’s heart. Nothing was planned, it just happened. Even when Steve does plan things, it doesn’t stop anything else from happening.

“You want to tell me what’s been keeping you in your head all day?”

Steve knows that he doesn’t mean it to be pushy, but the words come off that way. No matter how softly they are said. Steve just shakes his head no.

Eddie nods again, letting them walk in silence. Just keep walking.

So many things have happened in these woods. Fights, searches. Life. Growth. In some ways, everything started here for Steve. One event that took place in these woods changing the course of his life forever. For the better, he says most of the time. But was it really for the better?

If it weren’t for monsters lurking in these woods, Steve would be the person he was four years ago. Young and stupid. Not knowing much about the world around him, but that didn’t matter. His brain was healthy, his ears worked right, and his eyesight wasn’t as blurry. His mind was anxious about normal things, like college, and grades, rather than something lurking the dark ready to kill him. Take the people he loves away from him. It never happened directly to him, yet he still feared it.

His torso wasn’t littered with scars that made him wince when he looked at himself in the mirror. There wouldn’t be a scar around his neck that made people do a double take. Blood wouldn’t rush at the flickers of lights and clashes of thunder. He would be able to enjoy looking at fireworks again, or a roaring campfire.

Life would be simpler. It would be different. Maybe then, he would have gotten into college. Made his dad proud for once. Be on the path to greatness just like he was supposed to. With a sports scholarship under his belt that he didn’t really need, but it didn’t hurt.

Maybe then he would have finally been enough.

A tear rolls down Steve’s cheek without him realizing it. Years of unprocessed trauma resting behind the gates. No matter how many tears were shed, it’s never enough to heal the wounds. All of his wounds.

At the end of all of it, Steve’s tired. Tired of the what ifs and endless possibilities. Tired of fighting with everything including his own thoughts. Beating back self-deprecation until it fights back enough to knock him out for a while. Wondering what life could have been if he walked away when he had the chance. He’s the only one who was ever really given that chance.

The kids lost their friend, so did Nancy. Joyce lost a son. Jonathan lost a brother. Hopper had a job to do. Max, even if she had a choice in the beginning, would have always been wrapped up into this because of Billy. Robin just wanted to help Steve and Dustin solve a puzzle. Eddie saw people die before his eyes. El was made for this.

Steve, he had a choice to make. Leave or go back into the house and fight for something that was worth it. Somehow, Steve always ends up fighting. Did he really want to this time? The damage was done, he didn’t want their money. What was the point of all of this really? To settle some score? Prove who the bigger man was?

Eddie stops them when they get to a small clearing, pulling Steve into a hug. Holding him close with a deep breath, making Steve do the same.

“I don’t know what your head’s been telling you, but you should know it’s not true. Whatever it is.”

Steve sighs. “I’m just so tired. I don’t even know why I’m fighting with them anymore.”

There’s a rustle a few feet away, paired with whispered swears. Robin comes into view, half tripping over a stray branch. “You guys really had to go wandering through the woods with nothing to communicate with. And you couldn’t have waited for me to get there first.”

Steve snorts. “I didn’t even know you were coming over.”

She walks over to them. “Yeah well, when your best friend gets kicked out, says he’ll call you the next morning, and then doesn’t, you start to worry. Your head being a bitch to you again?”

“Sort of.”

“Alright then, make room for me in this hug. Don’t make it weird, please.” She forces her way underneath Steve and Eddie’s arms to hug the both of them. Making a sort of triangle. Steve’s suddenly really glad that she’s here.

A breath releases from Steve. One filled with relief. Finally releasing the band around his chest. More tears sneak out of his eyes as his body finally relaxes. The adrenaline fading, reality sinking in. Weight returning to where it rests on his shoulders. The expected freedom is nowhere to be seen.

The reality is crushing him.

A choked sob causes Eddie and Robin to hold him tighter. As tight as they can in this configuration. Steve doesn’t know what he did to deserve these two. Doesn’t know how he got them to stay. But as everything came crashing down around him, they’re still here. He has barely anything to his name. Just a small house with a large loan, a shitty retail job, and a whole bunch of traumas that follows him around. But instead of running, they’re still here. They stayed with him.

Somehow, Steve is now on the ground. Wiping away tears as Robin rubs his back. As Eddie holds his hand. He feels the need to apologize but knows that they’ll yell at him for it. Still, the words rest on his tongue. But he stays silent, focusing on his breathing. Calming himself down.

“Feel better?” Robin asks softly. “It looked like the floodgates were pushed open.”

Steve lets out a wet laugh. “They kind of did. I think everything just came out at once.”

“Yeah, well, you went through a lot yesterday.” Eddie rakes a hand through Steve’s hair, getting it out of his face. “It has to come out somehow.”

Robin makes a small gasp. Probably finally seeing Steve’s face unobstructed. She looks towards Eddie, getting confirmation with a small nod. “Is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular, or none of it at all? Want me to tell you about something random just so your mind can shut up?”

“I feel.” Steve pauses to find the words. “I feel like I’m always fighting. Whether it’s the upside down shit, or myself, or my parents, it’s always a fight. I kind of just want to stop it all. And this case, it’s solid but is it worth it if I’m just going to feel like shit all over again?”

“This was always because you wanted to do it, but if you don’t want to do it anymore, you don’t have to,” Robin assures.

Steve picks at the grass. “I don’t know anymore.”

“You can always think about it. There’s time to back out of this, the court date hasn’t even been set yet.” Eddie shifts to sit next to Steve, wrapping an arm around his back.

Robin sits on the other side of him, leaning against his side. “Yeah. Fight, no fight. You still got us to go through it with you. Just take one step at a time.”

“My next step is finding beds for us to sleep in. I get the keys tomorrow and we need to move in kind of immediately.”

“Trip to the thrift store,” Robin gasps. “I love the thrift store.”

“Which one, the one on Mulberry next to the Laundromat or center of town?” Eddie asks.

Robin fake gags. “Not the one on Mulberry, the owner creeps me out. The one in the center of town, it has really good stuff.”

“Yeah, only after you search for four hours,” Steve snorts. “How long did it take you to find, ‘the right sweater,’” he mimics.

“That’s irrelevant. Seriously though, are we going? It might not have the best stuff, but you won’t be sleeping on air mattresses.”

“Maybe in a bit. I just want to sit here for a while longer.”

Eddie presses a kiss to the side of Steve’s head. “As long as you need.”

Steve kind of wishes that they could stay there for the rest of the day. Hidden from the rest of the world by the trees, listening to the calmness around them. But he has things to do. He doesn’t have to do them alone this time.

. . .

The next morning, Steve and Eddie are gone when Julie wakes up. Joyce says they have to go pick up some things and will be back around lunchtime. When they come back, everyone gets into their cars to go pick up some boxes. Boxes from the Byers’, Henderson’s, Munson’s and Buckley’s all being loaded into cars and brought over to the knew house.

Their new house.

Julie sees all the madness happening around her, as the boxes get brought and placed on the mismatched furniture Steve scrambled to get yesterday and this morning. Wondering if moving is always like this. Bare walls and empty rooms. Nothing but belongings packed in boxes and empty dressers, cabinets, drawers. All waiting to be filled. Waiting for a house to be made into a home.

Moving was something Julie never experienced until a year ago. And it wasn’t happy then. Just a reminder that she had to leave the place she grew up in without a choice. Without the person who always made her feel safe. It was all stripped away too soon.

Then the next place that gave her a bed to sleep in was terrible. Making sleeping on a park bench in the cold much better than sleeping in a bed. Until Steve offered for her to stay, and she took it. Finding something that could resemble the home she once knew. It was close, but never just quite right.

This place, it was everything that her mom ever wanted. The purpose of fruitless savings jars. Counting every penny from tips and saving everything that they didn’t need for bills. Only for it to get lost anyway, either from her mom’s vices or her boyfriend stealing it all.

But here, now, it’s almost like Julie can still feel her mom’s presence in this house. Feel a presence watching her every move. Smiling as the room slowly becomes hers. As this place becomes Julie’s knew home. It doesn’t feel so empty anymore.

Maybe this is how it’s always going to be from now on. The little twinge in her heart making her think of her mom. See her in all the little things around her. Making it all feel bittersweet. She’s still here, even if it’s not in the same house they lived in. Even if she isn’t here anymore. Julie will always have her mom.

Unpacking is chaotic. There’re too many people and everyone keeps putting things away without asking where either of them wants them. Just to get them out of the boxes. That won’t make it easier when they have to rearrange everything later. But things are better sitting inside of cabinets so they can use the counters to place more boxes. Things have to move so they don’t get stuck.

Luckily for her, Julie can just focus on her room. Steve found an old bedframe at a thrift store that got set up in her room and an old dresser that squeaks when you open the drawers, if they open at all. It’s fine for now, and it can be fixed. A lot of these things can be fixed. The only new thing in her room is the mattress, because apparently Robin insisted that they get a new one because of all the bugs that can live in there.

El’s there helping her unpack. Brought a few things for some decorations too since Julie lost some of the decorations in her room. For the second time now. But now there’s some photos on the wall of the group together, and a few movie and band posters. It’s not quite right yet, but it’s getting there.

A few hours later, the Byers’ leave, and Steve and Eddie go get some pizza. Leaving Julie and Robin to unpack the last of the boxes and set up a folding table and some chairs for them to eat on.

“Could I ask you a weird question?” There’s been something gnawing in Julie’s mind for a few days now, making her feel weird. Something she really doesn’t know how to put into words or ask Steve about. But Robin would know.

“Yeah sure,” Robin says while snapping open a folding chair.

Julie picks at the skin around her thumbs. “How did you know you were a lesbian? Like, that you liked girls?”

Robin freezes in shock, before relaxing with a small smile. “I’d say this is a couch kind of conversation, but we don’t have one yet, so how about the floor?”

“Floor’s fine.”

They sit down in the makeshift pile of pillows and blankets that’s acting as a couch. Julie staring down at her hands, nervous. She’s been feeling weird for a while now, and kind of knows why. But there are questions she can’t answer. Feelings she doesn’t want to believe are true.

“So, to answer your question, I think a part of me always knew I liked girls. When I was really young, I might have not realized that is what it was. And when all the other girls were talking about their crushes in elementary and middle school, I would just think they were so weird because boys were gross. I didn’t like boys the way that they liked boys. It wasn’t until middle school that I realized that I thought about girls the way other girls thought about boys.”

“Oh,” is all Julie can say.

Robin nods. “Yeah, that’s kinda when all the pieces clicked into place. After that, it was the denial and the trying to get it away. Act like everyone else did. But it never went away. I kept getting crushes on girls and was a total mess around them. Over time, I accepted it. Embraced it. As much as I could in this town. Now, I’m really proud of the person I am and have an amazing girlfriend. It’s who I am.”

“And you never felt weird about any of it? Like, something was different, and you just couldn’t figure out what it was.”

She remembers the feeling that she had two nights ago. When her and El talked in the middle of the night. How things just kept happening, and she felt so weird. Something was off.

Some of the things Robin said were true. Julie never really had a crush on any boys. On anyone, really. Sometimes, she would lie and just say she had a crush on a random guy in her class. Just to fake normalcy. When really, none of the boys ever caught her eye. What did, she never said aloud.

But it was a trend that she couldn’t ignore anymore. How girls would walk down the hall and Julie would find herself turning her head. Lying and just saying she liked their outfit. It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t exactly the truth. And then there would be the continuous thoughts of someone in her class that would never go away. No matter how hard she tried. And she tried. So hard.

Julie was already the daughter of a single mother that drank her problems instead of dealing with them. No father, no money, nothing. She didn’t need to be the weird kid that liked girls too. So she wasn’t. Until she was.

The pieces clicked, just like Robin said they did. They did a while ago. But like a lot of things, Julie pushed them away to be dealt with later. There was so much more to worry about. Get angry about. She didn’t need to get angry at herself too.

Looking back now, Julie did have crushes. Ones that didn’t make much sense in her young mind, or ones that she just shoved off thinking it was jealousy. It was easier to pretend it didn’t exist rather than face the music. But when asked if she had a crush on someone, it was always a girl’s name that rested on the tip of her tongue that she swallowed down and forgot.

Robin lets out a small laugh. “All the damn time. I think mainly before I accepted it all.” After a break of silence, Robin asks, “Are you feeling a bit weird?”

Julie nods, pulling her knees close to her chest. “For a while now. But my life was so full of so many other things that it was easy for me to ignore it. It’s not so easy to ignore anymore.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Robin sighs.

“And I just,” Julie struggles to find the words. “If what I’m feeling is what I think it is, I just don’t want to screw up what I have.”

Robin takes a deep breath. “Did Steve ever tell you how we became friends?”

Julie shakes her head.

“Well, the story is really long and complicated, and there’s things that I can’t really share. But the short of it all is that we worked together at an ice cream shop called Scoops Ahoy back when the mall was still standing.”

“I remember that place, those outfits were terrible.”

Robin laughs. “Yeah, they were. But that’s how we met. We really became friends while hiding out in a bathroom and I told him I had a crush on a girl named Tammy Thompson. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t know how he was going to react, especially since it was also a rejection. But he took it like a champ and made me feel comfortable with someone knowing this big secret I’ve kept for years. And now he’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Was it hard?”

“It was and it wasn’t. Telling anyone in this town about being queer is hard, because you don’t really know how they’re going to react. Hell, most of the town has Reagan signs out on their lawns. So that made it hard. But it was also really easy. The thing about Steve is he’s really caring and accepting about the people he cares about. He wasn’t always, at least it didn’t seem like it. But somehow, he grew up and became the person we both know and love. He might joke and be bitchy sometimes, but deep down, he cares more than he’d like to admit.”

Julie smiles. “Yeah, I know.”

“There were a few other people that were easy to tell too,” Robin continues. “Eddie, obviously. You and Dustin in the car. And Nancy, which was harder for a different reason.”

Julie stays quiet, patiently listening.

“It was different with Nancy because I had the worst, biggest, ginormous crush on her when I told her. I needed to know that she was ok with this part of me before I could even think of telling her about it. It was just as scary as you think it was. But after those words left my mouth, Nancy just smiled and gave me a hug, and the biggest weight was off my chest. Few months later, I had the courage to tell her how I really felt, and then we started dating.”

“You guys were friends before you started dating right?”

Robin nods. “I was so scared that she wouldn’t like me back, and I would ruin everything.”

Julie nods, letting the words sink in. She’s not alone in this. “I’m kind of there right now, I think. Actually, I’m not really sure. Just. Something happened and it made me feel really weird, but I can’t tell if it’s because of the other things happening in my life or if it is a crush.”

“And this crush, if that is what it is, is that about a girl?” Robin asks softly. “You don’t have to tell me, of course. Only if you want to.”

She takes a second before nodding. “Yeah,” Julie whispers. “Yeah, it’s about a girl.”

Saying it out loud makes it all real. Heart dropping to her stomach as her breathing increases. This was real. She was like this. Nerves fill her, making her want to cry. Some part out of relief, the rest out of panic. There was no coming back from it now.

Robin notices her change in demeanor, scooting closer and placing a hand on Julie’s shoulder.

“Fuck,” Julie whispers into her knees.

“Yeah, that’s kind of how it went for me too.”

Tears start to well up in Julie’s eyes. Today’s already been a lot, now this. She feels arms wrap around her, holding her together. If Robin can do this, like girls and be happy, Julie can too. It’s just so much right now.

The keys jingle in the door before it creaks open. Julie pulls her head out of her knees and wipes her eyes. Robin shifts a little away from her. Both of them trying to act normal.

“Pizza’s here,” Steve says as he places it on the makeshift kitchen table. He looks at Julie, before turning his head to Robin. Julie doesn’t know what she does, but Steve just nods and doesn’t say anything.

That night, Julie sleeps in her new room. The unfamiliarity of it all freaking her out a bit. She’ll get used to it eventually.

The confession from earlier still weighs in her mind. Only one face finding her mind when she closes her eyes.

. . .

March 1986

In the middle of the night, the trailer starts rattling. Glasses clanking together in the kitchen, books falling off of Julie’s shelves. A large clash comes from the living room, followed by a string of loud swears. Julie jumps out of bed, stumbling down the hall. The floor shaking beneath her feet.

This has never happened before. Sure, the trailer sometimes shook during a thunderstorm. But never like this. This was so different.

“Mom,” she calls out.

Her mom stands from the floor. “Stay right there. Don’t move.”

Julie looks at the kitchen, glass covering the floor. The living room is a mess, tv lying flat on the floor, decorations fallen off of tables and shelves. Rebecca pulls Julie into the bathroom, holding her under the doorway.

“What’s going on?” Julie asks frantically.

“I don’t know,” her mom responds. Trying to stay calm but the fear can’t be hidden in her words.

Just as it started, everything stops. An eerie silence fills the trailer for a few minutes. Until doors start to open, and screams come from outside. Rebecca grabs a flashlight and puts on her shoes.

“Stay in here ok, we don’t know what’s going on outside.” She leaves Julie alone in the trailer.

Julie’s heart thumps in her chest as she tries to control her breathing. What just happened? An earthquake? There were almost never earthquakes here. And if there were, it was just the remnants of one from farther away. What could have shaken the trailer so hard it forced cabinets open and made a mess of the floor.

Stepping carefully, Julie heads to the front door to put on her shoes. So, she doesn’t accidentally step on some glass. Stepping on the couch, she opens the window to look outside. Gasping at the scene in front of her.

The earth was split in a mound of broken gravel and dirt that seemed to spread for miles. Trailers split in two, dead being pulled out of the rubble. People frantically rushing around, trying to grab what they can and help who needs it. Sirens blare in the distance, some speeding right past the trailer park, some pulling in. Ambulances filled one after the other and more pass in both directions on the main street.

Julie opens the door and steps on to the creaky porch. More of the boards broken than normal.

“Max,” Mrs. Mayfield screams into the night. “Max, where are you?”

Julie sees her mom run over to her. “Susan. Susan, calm down.”

“I don’t know where she is.”

 Julie hasn’t seen Max in days. Having left with some friends to hang out with over the break. She hasn’t been here. Unless she was part of the group that stole that RV. Julie could have sworn it was her.

Rebecca brings Susan into the house, ushering Julie back inside. Somehow makes some tea in the kitchen. Using one of the few mugs that don’t have cracks in them. Trying to keep calm away from the chaos happening outside.

In the morning, the news stories flood in. Streets split down the middle with destruction. Half of the houses pristine while the others are unrecognizable. All meeting at the town hall, marking the town with an “X”. Warning all who enter.

Then the people start to leave. Those without homes, those with. All packing up their minivans and cars with what they deem most important. Leaving the rest to be labeled as abandoned. The high school becomes a shelter. Full of donations and people the hospital doesn’t have a bed for.

Explanations are given but they don’t answer questions. People are found while others stay missing. First responders search through rubble, slowly crossing names off a list. The graveyards get their new residents by the dozen.

Hawkins becomes something of a ghost town.

Tag list(let me know if you want to be added or removed): @homoerotictangerine, @mugloversonly, @thesuninyaface, @imyelenasexual, @anaibis, @ilovecupcakesandtea, @brainsteddielyrotted, @jackiemonroe5512, @eddie-munsons-missing-nipple, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @cinnamon-mushroomabomination, @lolawonsstuff, @writingandmushroomdragons, @stevesbipanic, @sierra-violet, @steddie-as-they-go, @dauntlessdiva, @mousedetective, @the-daydreamer-in-the-corner, @zombiethingy, @connected-dots-st-reblogger, @that-agender-from-pluto, @allyricas, @cheddartreets, @devondespresso, @crypticcorvidinacottage, @queenie-ofthe-void @chronicpainstevetruther,

#stranger things #stranger things au #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #julie lawson #el hopper #joyce byers #steddie #long lost/secret sibling #secret sibling au #i don't know which ways home fic

[nowritingonthewall]

What do you think about the way Poe literally jolts up as soon as Finn holds him after the explosion in TLJ?

Could it be some sort of trauma related to what he endured while being captured?

Baby boy has pure and utter panic in his eyes before he sees it's just Finn, I honestly think that the aftermath of everything that's happened to him in TFA is not discussed enough.

Oh my goodness, a Poe ask, thank you so much, Nonnie 🥰

And omg there are so many thoughts that come up while watching this little scene!

To some extent his reaction can probably be explained by the fact that he is still right in the middle of an extremely dangerous situation. His adrenaline levels must be going through the roof at this point. So after what just happened, it may even appear to seem normal for his body to be in fight or flight modus at this very moment when he jolts at Finn.

However. By the time we get to the events occurring in TLJ, Poe has been in constant flight or fight modus for years. This poor and sweet and wonderful man experienced his first major traumatizing event when he was only eight years old and had to witness the death of his Mom. And his teenage years weren’t exactly smooth sailing, either, the few months that span the events in “Free Fall” alone were just one life-threatening situation after another and he was never really presented with any opportunity to recover from any of those. So when he is brought onto the Finalizer in TFA, he is most likely already suffering from severe C-PTSD.

And then, of course, there is his interrogation, which would have been enough to break any man, even one without a history of trauma. And Poe just keeps on going as if nothing happened after that. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that TLJ takes place only a few days after the events in TFA, but, uhm… to come back to your question, yes, I absolutely think that his reaction is a trauma response!

And I couldn’t agree more, it isn’t discussed enough, that’s why we need a whole Poe Dameron tv show (with 10 seasons minimum, please)!!!

But even though it isn’t discussed enough, imho the aftermath is plain to see in Oscar’s acting. Just in case you haven’t come across it yet, may I recommend this excellent post by @userpoe laying out several symptoms of PTSD that Poe shows in all the movies. I’d even go as far as saying that most of his actions that seemed to be out of character or earned him hate by the “fans” can be traced back to Poe being a deeply traumatized man. Like, e.g. his very short temper with Threepio. We know that’s not how Poe usually acts towards droids. Apart from his incredibly sweet way of interacting with BB-8 (and his love interest in “Resistance”) we literally see him behaving very different towards Threepio himself in the Poe comics. And, of course, there is that very character-revealing moment on Kijimi in TROS, and the pain you can see in Poe’s eyes when Threepio is taking “one last look at my friends”. This movie has so many moments that were most likely added for a cheap laugh by the writers but that fit so smoothly into Poe’s history with PTSD, whether it’s his annoyance with Threepio or his display of trust issues when he wonders whether Rey’s been using her jedi powers on Finn and him.

I am sorry, I have digressed way beyond your original question.

But, may I just add, apart from Poe showing clear signs of trauma, it’s also a little heartbreaking to watch how he doesn’t even take a moment to think of himself when Finn asks him whether he is all right? Apart from the wounds to his heart and soul, his body must hurt like hell after being subjected to that explosion (and I bet he didn’t even take as much as a little casual trip to the med bay) and he doesn’t even stop to give Finn a short “I am okay.” He immediately jumps to thinking about what needs to be done to save everybody else. (And of course, then there’s that wonderful moment when we see Leia mirroring his thought process which will never stop making me emotional.)

#chrissie answers #poe dameron #star wars #tw: trauma #tw: death of a parent

[quietblueriver]

15 questions for 15 friends

Tagged by @gingerniiiija. Thanks, friend! This was super fun.

Were you named after anyone? I was. In good Southern (US) fashion, I have a double name that incorporates my grandmother's maiden name, which was also my mom's middle name and is now one of my niece's names.

When was the last time you cried? Today. I took one of my dogs to board at the same time that a pup was coming for their last vet visit and watching him surrounded by his crying family while an instrumental version of a Brandi Carlile song played over the vet speakers broke me. Managed to keep it together until I got to the car. Before that, Thursday during Critical Role.

Do you have kids? I do not. I do have wonderful nieces, and being their aunt is one of the best things in my life.

What sports have you played/do you play? I played church basketball and soccer when I was little. As an adult, I've played rugby but I tend toward activities like running, yoga, swimming, and hiking/wandering with my dogs.

Do you use sarcasm? Yes, in a dry humor way. My entire family is dry as hell, so it's a big part of my sense of humor, although I rein it in with strangers so as not to be a tool. I'm typically called a golden retriever gay, but one of the highest compliments I have ever received was one of my oldest friends telling me that Sister Michael from Derry Girls reminded her of me.

First thing you notice about people? I genuinely don't think I have a pattern here. Voice, maybe? Or smile? I do often appreciate and take note of people's style as well, especially shoes.

What is your eye color? Green

Scary movies or happy endings? Whichever has the better queer storyline

Any talents? I come in clutch in the following trivia categories: pop culture (non-reality tv); 90s country music/modern women of country; name that song; US history and politics and/or law; and queer things. Per my nieces, I am very good at the "funny faces" feature on FaceTime, a solid water slide escort, and an acceptable makeshift jungle gym. I have been told that I'm an excellent driver; I enjoy driving and have driven both a passenger van and a U-Haul up most of the East Coast of the US.

Where were you born? A military base in the United States.

What are your hobbies? I love writing, feeding/spending easy time with friends, reading (preference for fiction, poetry, and comics, although I do love some philosophy and theory as well), exploring good food and new places (solo or with friends, my own city or others), live music and theater, playing board games and Switch, watching tv and movies (my oldest niece and I see a movie every time I visit them in person and it brings me great joy), and being silly with my nieces. I'm a lawyer and a law nerd, so I also spend time following SCOTUS and listening to legal/political podcasts.

Do you have any pets? Two dogs, Annie and Buffy, a big doofy retriever mix and a tiny poodle-ish terror respectively.

How tall are you? 5' 8"

Favorite subject in school? Growing up, English/Lit, closely followed by History. At university, I majored in History and Gender & Sexuality Studies.

Dream Job? Obligatory note that I do not dream of labor. But I'm actually currently working on a career shift, so I'm giving this a lot of thought. I'd love to be a writer, journalist, professor, or preacher (last one is more complicated, for probably obvious reasons).

Would love to see answers from anyone who wants to do this! Tagging @korralone, @kasadilla11, @antlereed, and @overnighttosunflowers. Pls forgive me/disregard if you hate this, ha.

#river writes #about me

[visualtaehyun]

15 people, 15 questions

I am clearly behind because by now I've been tagged by @rocketturtle4 @airenyah and @zimmbzon to do this - thanks y'all ✨

1) Are you named after anyone?

I am! Bella is my actual nickname but it's just the second half of a longer name. The first half I share with both a maternal and a paternal great-grandmother.

2) When was the last time you cried?

I'm an easy crier when it comes to media so my kneejerk reaction was to assume that was the last time. But, while I was at my sister's over the last few days, we went to wish our mom Merry Christmas at her grave, just the two of us. 🌻

3) Do you have kids?

Nope.

4) What sports do you play/have you played?

I'm anything but athletic dhshdjhs I played basketball for like 2 years as a kid but apart from that uhhhh I enjoy? taking a walk?? on occasion???

5) Do you use sarcasm?

I do partake, yes.

6) What's the first thing you notice about people?

Hm, their height maybe? That's just the way it is as a smol™.

7) What's your eye color?

I've got a case of those big brown eyes like a baby cow.

8) Scary movies or happy endings?

Why not both? I love scary movies, as long as they don't veer into gore. And I enjoy ambiguous or open endings but happy ones are my favorite. I do like a tragedy though, provided I am prepared for it!

9) Any talents?

I guess I'm good at keeping cool when others are stressing aka I have the Mom Friend override even though I'm anxious by nature myself. Other than that, I've been told I'm a thoughtful gift giver.

10) Where were you born?

Yermahnee 🇩🇪

11) What are your hobbies?

Currently, it's really only learning Thai and consuming Thai media, both of which go hand in hand for me. But I also play D&D, like to draw (mostly fueled by playing D&D lol), read novels, play games (though mostly to spend time with friends these days, be it videogames, tabletop games, escape rooms), and I love cooking!

12) Do you have any pets?

My apartment's kinda too small to keep a pet so- no.

13) How tall are you?

1,58m which ought to be about 5'2" - I'm pretty sure I've been this height since I was like 10 which means I last felt like a tol™ in elementary school lmao

14) What was your favorite subject in school?

English! Languages have always come naturally to me but English has become second nature - which is why teen-me thought she should totally just go study English at university and see where it takes her. Four years later, I was finally ready to admit I hated academia, dropped out of uni without a degree to the dismay of my parents, and did a 180 by doing an apprenticeship as a baker. :D

15) What is your dream job?

I'm pretty happy with where I work now because I finally have colleagues I like and I love the work I do. So I don't think I have a dream job but who knows what the future holds.

I'm sure most people have played already but I'm gonna tag some followers for a change! It's still wild to me that anyone would actively click follow for my rambles about Thai and Thai media but I'm glad that my nerdy niche is interesting to y'all 🙏

Tagging @nemesis-21 @nongnaopat @becomingabeing @whomanist @silvercrystal1 @purlpeiris @thestarscanalwayslookatus @mygwenchan @fruityheffalump @non-binarypal7 @queersouthasian @panncakes @blneobin @infinitelyprecious @theflagscene - no pressure and you're ofc free to ignore this :D

#tag game #bella and the blorbos #i kinda forgot today is friday so i gotta go watch last twilight now!!

[aryasnow]

15 Questions:

tagged by @thehiddenbaroness, @oftwodarkmoons, and @daughter-rhaenyra thank you all!!

1. Are you named after anyone?

Allegedly named after my mom's favorite author, but my first and middle combo was basically the default name for girls in my class growing up. It was her second choice of a name which is disappointing considering her first choice was awesome. Instead I am literally Trendy McTrendName for the year I was born.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I don't really cry unless I have gone through something life altering or am very, very drunk. As such I'm guessing the last time was last St. Patrick's Day, as it likely will be again tomorrow.

3. Do you have kids?

No, never wanted them

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

Competitive swimming was my entire life from elementary school on until I had to dial it back and eventually quit in college (too many injuries). I also did a fair amount of skiiing/snowshoeing/hiking/kayaking/etc growing up. In my 20's I got very into distance running but had to quit in 2019 because of (new and different!) injuries. These days I mostly do running (though less than before) and weights. Since the TikTok brigade took over my gym post-pandemic, I have been trying to somehow build a home gym in my 800 sq ft apartment and at this point I am only a stationary bike away from being free of them forever.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

You could say so, yes

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Honestly I am usually trying so hard not to make eye contact with people that I don't see much of anything. I suppose the honest answer is that I can tell if their body language is genuine or fake. And to really answer it, eyes and also arms. I love that my husband can pick me up like it's nothing what can I say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7. What’s your eye color?

Very, very dark brown.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I am pretty indifferent to scary movies though I do enjoy them from time to time. I do like happy endings mostly because I hate loose ends. It's okay if they're bittersweet though.

9. Any talents?

Cooking and baking. They're my primary hobbies for a reason.

10. Where were you born?

The most beautiful state in the Union.

11. What are your hobbies?

Cooking (I try to do a new recipe once a week), baking, fitness, trivia leagues, word puzzles, garbage television, this godforsaken website.

12. Do you have any pets?

yep <3

they are 10 and 11 this year and it's absolutely killing me. I need them to live forever.

13. How tall are you?

5'6''

14. Favorite subject in school?

I loved English and US history a lot, but biology was always my favorite. In college it was biological anthro and archaeology.

15. Dream job?

My first thought was wine critic but I realized I would need to get better at describing wine as things other than "good" or "okay" (It would take a lot for me to call a wine bad. I drank exclusively Two Buck Chuck for years).

I think some sort of hotel or restaurant critic would be my dream. Letting me sample pretentious things while being professionally judgmental really would be ideal for me.

Please consider yourself tagged if you would like to fill this out!!

#thanks to everyone who tagged me! #it was a lot of fun #i found this waayyyy back in my drafts the other day and then got tagged again so i figured it's time to publish it! #and now i am off to the first day of saint patrick's day celebrations #discounted baileys i'm coming for you #about me

[b00tyliciousbabe]

Junior Johnson x Black Male Reader

I legit have the biggest crush on Marcus Scribner, the man’s eyes alone divorces my legs. But I actually wanted a storyline in this and not just my fantasies for this Adonis, so, I used the character Junior to explore my creative writing skills…

ENJOYYYYUH:

You and Junior had been dating for a couple weeks. You had met the entire family. When Junior came out as bi, they all accepted him with open arms. Though Earl made the joke about Junior playing for both teams because he couldn’t get any girls, he quickly changed his mind when he saw you. “Gosh, he’s beautiful” Ruby complimented. Everyone absolutely adored you. Every time you and Junior had to babysit Devonte and he’d fall asleep between your bodies, Junior fantasised about your future together. You exchanged fashion tips with Zoey, even designing some of her outfits. You choreographed dances with Jack that you guys would perform for the whole family. Diane was definitely the closest to you though. You understood how under appreciated she felt and the two of you bonded over so many things - music, politics, tv shows, celebrity culture, EVERYTHING. You were so happy to see that the relationship between your bf and his father improved. “Y/N is really something,” he praised Junior “I know, I’m so lucky to have him.” He remarked. You and Andre visited galleries all the time, loving how black artists like Kehinde Wiley and Titus Kaphar were finally getting the attention they deserved.

They all loved you. All except Bow. “Mom why can’t you just accept him, everyone else has,” your bf demands “Junior I love you and I love that Y/N makes you happy.” She tried pleading her case. “Then why , why don’t you like-” “BECAUSE I see myself in him,” Rainbow quickly interjected. “What?” Junior questions. His mother gets closer. “I know what it is like to marry a mama’s boy, I resented your grandmother so much because of it, and I don’t want that to rub off on you and Y/N’s relationship.” He hugged her, “Mom you have absolutely nothing to worry about, Y/N really wants to get to know you, he thought you hated him.” “No that’s not true, I love the way that he makes everyone in this house feel welcome even though he’s the guest, I love the kindness he shows to us all, and most, I love the way the two of you look at each other. “EW Mom that’s gross,” Junior backed up “Not in that way, the innocent love you guys have when you go up and hug each other and say the sweetest things to one another.” Little did they know you heard all of the conversation. After that, Rainbow became your biggest fan, being the first person you told outside of your family that you got into your dream school.

ENOUGH FLUFFY NONESENSE:

Junior has a snake. The boy carries 8 inches of thick sausage and it’s the way he doesn’t know the true extent to which he’s packing. When he took your virginity, as soon as you saw his rock hard cock painted right in front of your face. You exclaimed, “JJ, you are huge, do you know that?” You looked up at him with hungry eyes. “Thanks babe, but seeing you on your knees right now makes me wanna fuck your face.” “Go ahead,” he held your cornrows and eased the tip into your mouth. “FUUUUUCK, damn babe, you feel so good.” He moves his head back in pleasure. “Tell me when you need to take a break.” You both exchanged eye contact, it awoke something primal. You smacked your bf’s strong hand away from your head. You went ham on that dick, slobbering all over the shaft and sucking the tip really hard. “SHIT, “ junior fell onto the bed behind him. “Y/N how do you suck dick do well, this is your first time and you’re giving me the best head I’ve ever been given.” He praises you. You chuckled, “Thanks J, I just really love that cock, it’s so pretty,” you say fondling with his balls.

Junior is a moaning mess in bed. He has his mouth open a lot when he’s not talking but feeling his breath on your ear or your face turns you on differently. I’d want him to spit in my mouth and tell me how good I’m taking him. “Fuck baby, you feel so good baby.” “No one fucks you as good as I do, do they?” you were so cockdrunk, you couldn’t reply, “TWANGGG” Junior’s large hands placed a deafening slap on your bubble butt. “Use your words baby,” “Shit, your dick is the best uhhhh” You slurred as Junior pounded your prostate with his fat tip. I kinda just know that he would always bareback me and cum inside me. And as aftercare he’d fantastise abt knocking me up

#gay #gay love #blackish

[tyfinn]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you @smblmn @apothecarose @a-noble-dragon for tagging me when I need it. I think my toxic work environment is rubbing off into other aspects of my life, and I've been doubting so many things lately. I hate feeling this way- I'm usually pretty self-assured about myself. So it thrills to me to no end when someone wants to know more about my writing. Thank you, lovelies!!

How many works do you have on Ao3? 91

What’s your total AO3 word count? 390,497

What fandoms do you write for? Schitt's Creek and I did one other for another fandom under a different pseud that I'd rather not discuss here

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Rings Around Your Heart Man about Town What Happens in Vegas Can last Forever Lost Time

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or Why not? I do! If someone took the time to comment, I want to do the same. I remember the first response I received after leaving a comment, and it was so exciting. And, some of those first authors I read I now consider friends. Also, if I'm having a bad day, seeing a notification that someone commented makes that day not so bad.

6. What is the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? I think I specialize in humor, fluff, and HEs. I want someone to feel good after reading one of my fics, or to have a good laugh. But, in Breaking Down (the prequel to Rings), Arielle has the baby. You already know what will happen to her, so, for me, it was sad because I really liked her as a character, and she was just what David needed at that time in his life before his world was turned upside down.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably the epilogue in Rings. David and Patrick finalize Patrick adopting Maddy and she changes her last name to Rose.

8. Do you get hate on fics? No, but I did get a criticism on Open Wide because I did not use the right anesthesia on David! LOL

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not really, but I have dabbled in it. I don't feel particularly good at it, so I tend to keep it to soft kisses, tender moments, fluff.

10. Do you write crossovers? No. I do have an idea of Marcy meeting Sarah, Nick's mom from Heartstopper. Not sure if anything will come from it, though...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! One A-maze-ing Night with @mallpretzles

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? For writing- David and Patrick

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I don't want to think I'll never finish something I've started, so I'm not gonna answer...

16. What are your writing strengths? Introspection, dialogue, and humor? IDK Those are what the most positive comments are on.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Description, probably. I also use a lot of italics, ..., -, But would we call that a weakness?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I do not think about that...

19. First fandom you wrote for? Schitt's Creek

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? Probably Rings. It led to an entire series and I was able to create Madeline, who I love with my whole heart.

#20 questions #schitt’s creek fanfic #writing #ao3 #get to know me

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Hey hey~ I have this random idea. Hear me out:

What if Riddle's father is Azul's step dad and Riddle's parents are divorced because Riddle's father hate how his mother treated Riddle. So instead of son of two famous doctors of Queendom of Heart, Riddle is the son of a famous doctor and a lawyer!

But it means instead of fully human, Riddle is actually half merman. His mer form is quite unique, since he looks like a goldfish. You know, the aquarium, man made, kind.

It also means Riddle is Azul's step brother. But because of this marriage Riddle finally got a good mother that will spoil him. Since we don't know when did Azul's mother divorced and remarried, it makes Riddle's friendship with Trey and Che'nya to be questionable depend on the timeline of this marriage.

Either way, I want to see whatever stupid things that happen during their childhood. Heck, it can means two OB didn't happen in canon if it happen!

:0 that sounds like one fluffy friendship.

NGL, I imagined Azul's step-dad to actually be a Shark mer(tiger shark specifically bc yes)... Like a big, bulky, absolute UNIT of a man with scars and all that... But he's actually just puppy energy all across the board. Azul accepts this one because he treats Mrs Ashengrotto like the queen she is U-Ub

He's still smol compared to his wife bc I say so :v

Funny thing... I've made a smol repartition of mers in twst, mostly bc of those NPC sprites. So unlike most expectations, as appearance... In this specific scenario, Riddle would fall in the same box as Azul, which means a lot more human like features rather than fish, but still not at obviously as top fully human and bottom fish. :v

YES! He would be a goldfish... But more leaning onto the gradients and spots variations of black and white on that bright red. He might just have one big black spot on his eye in the shape of the heart as a treat (fun fact, those goldfishes are names Kalico or Shubukini(hope I spelled it right)) ;3

Maybe the divorce in between the og Rosehearts couple happens after Riddle's 8... Mostly since around then his mom finds out about him Sneaking out to play. And while his father fully gave his permission for that, it was clear that a big ass argument broke down and here we go with the divorce papers. :v

Poor lil Riddle didn't have any idea why his papa suddenly said they will go on a trip to grandma, but he never saw grandma so he's curious to see big shark memaw.

I imagine first the grandma nagging Mr Rosehearts since 'I told you that woman was no good! Thank God the child has your genes!'. Yep... One belt later and she's ready to tare down the ex-Mrs Rosehearts to shreds. :'3

I don't know why, but I want Romanian like memaws... Like they take no shits and would destroy anything in their path if you ever dare to make them mad. Also in most cases they make good food and gib you money.

And that's how lil Riddle meets lil Azul, who was also on a trip to his grandma. They bond over the fact that 'My parents fought and now I'm on a trip here.' 'No way! Mine too!'.

And that's how Mrs Ashengrotto and Mr Rosehearts meet. And bc my man fought to hell and back for his custody, he decided to help out Mrs Ashengrotto. (more like this octo-lady yanked him and put him to represent her in court and that's when cupid decided to act)

Riddle also doesn't really grasp that well the general mer culture at first. So when he first saw Azul his mind went like static before he decided 'Yep... I'm gonna talk with this guy! He looks nice!' meanwhile Azul had a crying fest since 'who tf is this guy and why is he so nice?!'. Riddle thought he scared him so he starts crying as well and that's when the parents first meet and realise what exactly went down in between these 2.

For now, I imagine bc of their previous wrecks of a marriage, Mr Rosehearts and Mrs Ashengrotto have an engagement period. But like it's so long and both are so comfy and natural around each other that everyone just assumes they married in a more private way. Sometimes even Azul and Riddle forget about it. They once asked Mr Rosehearts where it was his wedding ring and man looked for it for HOURS, just cuz he bought the genuine question.

And school... Oh god school... Just having one overly bullied kid and one kid who never even knew the concept of public schools is just asking for disaster.

First day: 15 kids got collared. Riddle had one kid bite his arm and he couldn't bite back cuz the teach came in. When asked about it, Azul said that those guys picked on him and made Riddle 'smol'.

Later they also meet the twins. Mostly since Riddle and Floyd picked an epic fight and some snitch just had to tell the teach. Azul personally wanted to strangle them, bc he made a bet with Jade on who throws the table first.

But they bond! Both twins find Azul very interesting (and squishy), so they declared they will stick with him. Even though Floyd and Riddle fight daily. Like by now it's the norm for them to square up. It's their love language. U-U

Probably the twins are very confused at the parents situation for the 2 since 'they live together but they aren't married, but still they still kiss in the morning and we call them mama/papa and they don't seem to mind, but still they aren't married.' like... Their lil 10 year old brains can't wrap around that.

So they drew the conclusion that 'oh no, they be cheating with each other!'. Cue another long talk and explanation on why this is fine.

Besides fighting in academics, Riddle and Azul would have a competition over almost anything when smol. They would annoy each other bc they live for that. Also blackmail galore. Azul can't go out bc Riddle would snitch on him about the lipstick incident, while Riddle can't go out as well bc Azul said he will tell about who ate the last piece of cake... Yep... Fun times :'D

As they still get older... They still forget that their parents are 'just engaged', so there is A LOT of confusion in between people when these 2 introduce themselves and mention that they are brothers as well. Like there is some mental gymnastics in here and some may assume the worse. :'3

First time on land is also some hilarious thing bc poor Riddle forgot again that bc since he's half human, he can switch in between forms without potion(his downside is that he must avoid water at all costs). So Riddle just stays on a rock and looks at Azul like he's about to grow 2 heads or something.

"what are you waiting for?" "I don't have a potion..." "You need a potion?" "RIDDLE I SWEAR-"

NRC is also not ready for these 2.

They get in different dorms and since they knew their pops went to NRC, they also ask in Which dorm he was. Watch them ask 'were you in Heartslabyul or Octavinelle?' only to be hit with a 'I was in Ignihyde'. :'3

Also Trey is stunned to see Riddle in here. Mostly since their connection got stranded since that day the ex Rosehearts couple fought and divorced.

Still, Azul and Riddle often eat lunch together. Since the only ones who are actually classmates are Riddle and Jade, the twins also tag along.

One time surely Floyd got a punch in the stomach from Riddle and bro went all giggly mode since apparently... Out of all the possible ways of showing affection... Raw violence was their way... No one knew of this except Azul and Jade who find it enderdaining. But at least now savanaclaw dudes know they shouldn't be picking a fight with the red shortie :v

Unlike in cannon, Riddle becomes Dormhead in his second year, Azul becoming in his first. So first year was establishing the monstro lounge (and getting that sibling discount).

I imagine that in order to learn to share, their parents gave to Azul and Riddle a jar and went all like 'you 2 will share all the money in here. You gain money? You put it in the jar. You take money only from the jar.' Currently, the Jar is hidden under Riddle's bed, since the twins somehow cracked Azul's safe code for the valuts(it's called a hammer, Azul...) and weekly these 2 go over the income.

Second year is when the whole cannon thing happens and hoo Boi.

Riddle first catches Grim and contemplates if maybe he should use the Raccoon-cat on the twins. The headmaster said no tho :<

And then the freshmen... Oh the freshmen... No collar can seem to even hold down Adeuce. Jade suggested homicide and Riddle took it into account.

Azul came once to visit only to see Riddle chasing down Ace and bonking him with his staff.

In chapter 2, Azul also calls Riddle like: 'look... Kingscholar wants to sabotage my boyfriend, but he also is paying me some good ice cold cash for it... So I'm giving you half of the money if you bust him.' 'Give 65%'. '55% and dinner privileges...' 'Deal...' 'also... What did Shroud do?' 'it's Malleus-' 'SINCE WHEN YOU SMOOCH DRACONIA-' beeeeep! 'ASHENGROTTO GET YOUR ASS BACK ON THE PHONE!'

Yeah... Azul would never hear the end of THAT...

And while Riddle's ob doesn't happen, mostly since he got distanced from his mother, the source of his strictness and messed up view on the rules... Azul still had his piece of bullying, no matter what. Soooo :3

Chap 3 is more like Riddle realising that Adeuce messed up bad. He tries to talk Azul out of this, but it falls on deaf ears. In the first year this seemed bearable, but Riddle drew a line this year since it became messed up. That's mainly why he helped Yuu in here.

It gets messy, but that's Azul's wake-up to reality. At least he mends things first with Riddle, mostly cuz siblings! Yay! As if they weren't at each other's throats minutes ago. :D

By the end of the chapter, Riddle treats Yuu and Jack to dinner with money from the jar, knowing full well those are Azul's money as well. >:3

At the start of chap 4, when everyone is leaving for winter holiday, the braincell gang find out that Azul and Riddle are some kind of sibling and that's why Riddle's staying in. Adeuce's collective braincell just let out a big bang explosion at that info. Since Riddle didn't go with them at all to the museum (he tended to dorm duties), Adeuce were pretty much 'Dormhead is a fish?!'

Yep... Someone ace was kicked through the mirror that day.

Scarabia arc is mostly unchanged at the base. Just add in some smol Florid moments and Jamil losing his shit a bit less, since Riddle was at least a good student and if he rubs on Kalim, that may be beneficial.

Pom pom arc is also the same. :v

But then we have chap 6! Hoo boi... Chap 6.

Just Riddle losing his shit, mainly at Malleus cuz 'what do you mean your boyfriends got kidnapped and you are sitting here like a plant?!' Malleus just shrugs. He knows they would be ok. :3

Trey thinking finally Riddle would not chase after danger again, only to be meet with Floyd coming in since apparently Riddle desemned him to watch over Heartslabyul while he's gone.

Trey is both hurt and concerned as fuck-

Just Idia receiving a full slap across the face he plummets into the ground.

After the whole ordeal, Riddle tells Azul that he has very poor taste in men. And that comes from someone who's dating FLOYD of all people.

I imagine that there is a serious time gap in between chap 6 and 7, so that's where I'll pull the actual wedding in between the parents. So it comes like a big shock for everyone when they find out these 2's parents weren't actually married.

Idia having war flashbacks about the wedding, but Azul told him his parents want to meet him and Malleus. Now it's worse. Doesn't help that Riddle gives them the side eye after the whole STIX ordeal. :3

I imagine Idia probably going more whiter than is biologically possible when he sees Mr Rosehearts. Like man is towering over him, being taller than Malleus too, and you tell him that man is the biological dad of the red shortie-

Malleus tries his best to make a good first impression. He fails because he can't get social cues... :'3

And you bet Riddle's just poking at Azul like 'You can't go back into the pot... Mama expects both of us to be here'.

The rest is up to interpretation :3c

Welp I didn't expect to be so long... But here we are :v

#twisted wonderland #asks :3 #riddle rosehearts #azul ashengrotto

[bi-bard]

Only Love Can Change the Shape of Such Permanent Truths - Karen Sirko Imagine [Daisy Jones & the Six]

Title: Only Love Can Change the Shape of Such Permanent Truths

Pairing: Karen Sirko X Reader

Based On: No Argument

Word Count: 1,663 words

Warning(s): unhealthy relationships with parents, mention of bad relationship(s), very subtle reference to sex

Summary: After their first kiss, Karen finds herself pushing (Y/n) away. The tour for the band's new album "AURORA" seems like the perfect chance for her to get over her feelings. However, when (Y/n) comes to visit the band at their hometown show, Karen realizes that distance did nothing to help her.

Author's Note: I still love her.

Part One of "August" [Release Date: 8/11/2023]

Part Three of "August" [Release Date: 8/15/2023]

YEARBOOK - SLEEPING AT LAST WRITING CHALLENGE MASTERLIST

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

Going home to Pittsburgh was easily one of the scariest things I had ever done.

I wanted to be there for the band. They were my friends. I cared for them. But Pittsburgh was riddled with sour memories. Memories that left a bad taste in my mouth and a pit in my stomach.

Those memories weren't the only reason that I was dreading the trip.

No, another part of that was the nervousness revolved around the incident that had happened with Karen when I first moved in.

It wasn't just that I had kissed her. If that's all it was, then I would like to believe that some part of me could get over myself.

The problem was that our relationship seemed to completely change after that. We didn't spend much time without the rest of the band there. When we did speak, it felt awkward and forced or as if two words were exchanged throughout the entire conversation.

I hated it. I hated that it was my fault that we were in that place. I had been the one to kiss her. I had been the one to get too invested in a small moment during a night out and behave like an ass.

I had tried to apologize. She didn't let me. She would always find a way to avoid or simply shut down the conversation before it truly started. I was embarrassed. Ashamed, really.

I didn't tell the band about what had happened. I didn't want to. It felt unfair to do that to them. I didn't want to cause any more trouble than I already had.

When they went on tour, Camila and I found ourselves alone in the house. That was when I told her what happened. She asked me a million questions and when I couldn't answer most of them, she just comforted me. She knew how vulnerable the entire experience had left me. She muttered an 'I'm sorry' into my ear. I had to tell her not to apologize for something that was my fault.

I assumed that conversation was why she had been so protective of me while we were in Pittsburgh.

When we joined the band, it was a jumble of excited hugs and greetings and loveliness. It was nice being able to see them all again. I had kept myself busy with Camila by helping with her kid as much as possible. I hadn't truly noticed how lonely I had become over that time.

We were all spending the day at the house that Graham had helped his mom buy after the band took off.

I had stepped inside for a moment, returning to the yard with a goal.

"Daisy," I said excitedly, running over to her. "I have a gift for you."

"Really," she asked.

"Yup," I nodded. "Come on."

She let me grab her arm and drag her inside. I brought her to the room that I had been planning to stay in for the night. I motioned for her to walk inside.

I waited until I heard a reaction from her before stepping inside. "I know that I'm a little early, but I thought you'd like to have something special to wear for the last show."

"This is amazing," she replied.

It was a white, flowy, sparkling outfit. There were basically wings on the arms that allowed it to move with the person wearing it. I adored it... and I rarely adored anything that I made. I could think of no one better to have it than a firecracker like Daisy Jones.

"You seriously made this for me?"

"Well, I actually made it for Billy- of course, I made it for you," I laughed a bit at her question.

She hugged me tightly. "Thank you. I love it."

"You're welcome," I muttered to her. I stepped back. "Here, I'll help you put it away so it's safe for when you travel."

It only took us a few minutes but we both had to promise each other that we would remind each other about where we put the damn thing.

When we made it outside, Daisy walked off to go see Julia- Billy and Camila's daughter. I stood off to the side for a moment, glancing around.

"(Y/n)!"

I felt my heart sink immediately as I turned my head. "Oh..."

"How are you, sweetheart," my mom pulled me into a hug, which I very awkwardly reciprocated. I nodded in greeting to my dad as I stepped back. "Oh, it has been so long."

"Yeah, I know," I replied.

"How have you been?"

"Good, good," I nodded. I felt weird talking about it. I didn't really want them to know all of the details of my life now. I felt like they had lost the right to that information. "I'm drawing again... and making things."

"Are you still doing those little drawings," my dad asked, seemingly exasperated by the idea. "I thought you gave up all of that."

I felt myself being looked at. I looked over my mom's shoulder to see Karen staring at me. There was a strange look on her face. I couldn't tell if it was anger or exhaustion or some mix of both.

"(Y/n)..."

I jumped a bit, looking at my parents again.

"Still can't pay attention, can you," my mom acted like it was a light-hearted joke. "Must be why it took you so long to call us when you left."

I forced an awkward grin. I looked over again to see Karen walking inside. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"(Y/n)-"

"I'll be right back."

"Your mom is talking to you-"

"I have something more important to worry about."

"(Y/n)!"

I ignored them. If they wanted to embarrass themselves and show just how little they truly thought of me in front of all those people, then who was I to stop them? I knew better than to stand and entertain them.

I walked inside, looking for any shut door I could find. I found one.

I took a deep breath before knocking on the bedroom door. "Karen? Are you in there?"

There was no sound on the other side of the door.

"Karen?"

The door opened quite suddenly after that. Karen stood on the other side. She looked at me for a few seconds before looking away. I saw her shifting on her feet.

I had never seen her so clearly nervous or awkward. Even when she had been ignoring me, she had held onto her cool, calm, and collected composure. She would still stand steady with her arms crossed.

"Can I come in," I asked.

She paused for a moment before nodding and stepping to the side to let me in.

The door shut behind me and it felt like the air was sucked out as it did. Much like those moments just before and after our first kiss, we were both trapped in this suffocating tension. Enough pressure was mounting that it could have easily hurt us when it erupted.

I took a deep breath before speaking up again, "Are you alright? I saw you run out of there."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Karen nodded, still clearly tense. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you don't believe me."

"Well, I don't, really," I confessed. "You ran out of there, Karen. Something happened. I just want to know what it was so I can help you. And you may not care about me after what happened between us, but I care about you-"

"I do care about you," she cut me off. "That's part of the problem!"

"What?"

"I... I saw you out there," she explained. "With your parents. I saw how sad you seemed with them. How guilty you looked. All because of those people that still didn't seem to respect you. It... it made me so angry, but I knew that I had no right to say anything and even if I did, you wouldn't want me to. I just... I had to get out of there before I did something stupid because I do care about you. A lot. I probably love you, but I know that I already fucked that up and now-"

I stepped forward as she rambled. "Karen-"

She didn't seem to hear me. This was the first time that she seemed entirely out of control of herself. Some part of me was thankful for it. Without this moment- this pure moment of no filter- I may have never had the answers that I wanted to have so badly.

"Karen," I repeated. I reached up and cupped the sides of her face. That seemed to get her to pause her rambling. I smiled at her. "I... I love you too."

I watched the words sink in. We both stood still with the words sitting in the air between us.

I was caught off guard by Karen leaning forward and pressing her lips to mine. Her hands touched my sides, pulling me closer to her.

It was a perfect moment. The tension that had been suffocating both of us earlier had suddenly dissipated. It was the first time since I had come home that I felt completely at peace.

I pulled away first, leaning my forehead against hers. A wide smile stretched across my face. She grinned back at me.

"We should get back to the party," I muttered after a moment.

"I mean... we could," Karen replied quietly. "Or..."

"Or?"

She leaned in and pecked my lips again.

"Oh..."

She nodded.

"I think you make a very good argument," I said.

"Nice to hear."

I let out a quiet laugh as she leaned in and kissed me for a third time. This one was more frantic. Desire was clearer through that kiss than the others.

I decided then and there that if that was the only good thing to come out of that trip home, then I would call it a very successful trip.

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