#honestly for me it's WHY BRAD. It makes perfect sense for him to be with harry all the time (and therefore for them to borrow each others

[statementlou]

i’m sorry to bring this up again, but i wanted to ask how are you making sense of harry having his former girlfriend’s name tattooed on his thigh if you don’t think they were really together? i’m not a larrie and i follow you for your louis content, but i respect your opinions, so i guess i’m coming more from a place of curiosity rather than seeking reassurance. do you not even entertain for one second the idea that you might’ve been wrong about things? that harry was really in a relationship with olivia? that he might actually be attracted to women? that he might’ve been with louis once upon a time but not anymore? have you ever challenged your confirmation bias? again, i’m not trying to attack you, i really just want to understand where you stand. i hope u don’t take this the wrong way.

well first of all you bring up the very good point that there are actually multiple Qs at play and not just one, despite the fandom's (and my) attempts to simplify things. I personally am open to the possibility that Harry and Louis are no longer together- we don't have enough info to say for sure either way about that, and I am constantly recalibrating and considering and I'm going to be totally honest, getting flat out ANNOYED at how often I find myself being like oh damn they ARE still (or again) together ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Because it seems so improbable and illogical! You think I don't KNOW I sound fucking crazy?! Absolutely infuriating, and yet there are just all these little Things all the time. Plus ofc the fact that they both constantly wink wink larrie stuff to the fandom which could just be playing to the crowd... except then they both continually take it that little extra way that makes me go oh but... you really didn't NEED to go THERE that seems VERY pointed?? But also sometimes I go well. Okay, maybe not. Since they both seem super happy at this point, it doesn't stress me out to think they might have split, the way it would if they seemed miserable and were still churning out heartbreak songs, but it's schrodingers relationship and with all the savvy they've acquired around this stuff and all the balls they're keeping in the air wrt to fandom etc that's unlikely to change in favor of us knowing anything for sure for a very long time, if ever. But I do not doubt that they WERE together, it's simply not realistic. The evidence of it is overwhelming and imo undeniable when taken all together. And the thing is that knowing one thing with certainty (that they were together back when), having really looked at the things that happened during that time, does actually have a lot of bearing on the rest of it even if they aren't together anymore. Because knowing that and having seen the way fake relationships to make them seem straight were managed back then means that when I see the EXACT SAME things being done in the current day, like they are working from a fucking blueprint, no, I don't look at that and think it might be real. I know that Louis and Eleanor wasn't real in... whenever they allegedly got together lol, that story still isn't even quite straight, so why would I believe they were together in 2020? And if I know Louis has a tattoo for a fake girlfriend why would it change my mind about a million things I can see with my own eyes if Harry did the same (if indeed he even has who tf knows)? So despite what I said at the beginning, in the end it kind of does just come down to the one question people are always asking, are you a larrie? Because when you've actually been down the rabbit hole of details that ends up with you saying yes to that question, it's like acquiring a rosetta stone that unlocks the ability to read everything else, like putting on xray glasses, and I look at what is so obviously a publicity relationship (holivia) and whether H and L are still together has nothing to do with why I don't think it's real. Like could a celeb relationship be both used in typical ways for publicity and be or become real on some level (looking at you Liam, heyyy), sure, but for this question the fact that I have never seen Harry show the slightest sign of attraction to a woman in his whole life and he so clearly embraces and identifies so strongly with gay male culture in every possible way and never shuts up about how much he loves cock does play into my thinking; I simply do not think he is attracted to women, no, and I have yet to see him do anything that doesn't seem consistent with things a closeted pop star might chose to do. So in conclusion yes I have challenged my bias and decided I'm right lol! But for real- all the time I consider that they perhaps aren't together but that isn't really the point when it comes to believing they are gay.

#I feel like the follow up anons to this will logically be SO WHY NOT BRAD so lemme just jump on that cause I don't really want to #have a whole thing about that #honestly for me it's WHY BRAD. It makes perfect sense for him to be with harry all the time (and therefore for them to borrow each others #jumpers yes) so why would I think they were dating any more than I think H is dating his security guard or luis. the fandom just latches #onto the idea that people around them who they think would look hot with are a thing but other than that literally NOTHING about this guy's #association with H is actually different than many other employee/pals imo and I see literally nothing that suggests anything going on ther #so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #I mean I DO think Harry has weirdly fluid boundaries around considering his employees friends in a way that seems like he doesn't #really GET the power differential possibly (because how could he he's been on that side of it his whole adult life) but I'm not there #behind the scenes with them; hopefully that's not the case #but that's a separate issue #blah blah blah #long post #I TRIED to keep it short and tidy but NO people gonna ask the long form questions #which btw I appreciate I do enjoy a good thoughtful anon thx

[stereax]

How is Toronto doing over there?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Okay let me explain what Toronto is doing... actually no I can't, what they're doing defies all reason. Or it makes perfect sense, but only if you're on the same cocktail of black tar heroin and crystal meth as Brad Treliving. Here we go!

This is the Leafs' page on CapFriendly. They are currently almost 9 million dollars over the cap. This is the offseason, so nobody really cares right now - teeeechnically you can't go over 10% above the cap during the offseason but nobody's really watching. So why are they over 8.8 million dollars over?

Let's review why.

This is the Leafs' forward core. (There's a league minimum deal for Dylan Gambrell too.)

This is the Leafs' forward core with a $5.5m deal to Bertuzzi, $3m deal to Domi, and $1.35m deal to Reaves. And you'd think "oh, they're trying to get tougher, okay" and they really don't, because Bertuzzi and Domi aren't punchers and Reavo is getting old. Bertuzzi is a more expensive Bunting sidegrade on a one-year deal seeking term in next year's free agent market. Domi is a center whose defensive numbers are in the shitter, also hoping for a better deal next year when the cap jumps up. Reaves is honestly just happy someone signed his ass for three whole years. He's 36. This is his second 35+ contract. Massive red flag.

What you're also going to notice is that Matthews, Marner, and Tavares take the lion's share of the cash - over $33m between the three of them. Nylander adds another $7m to the pot, making each of the Core Four average around $10m. Oh, and Nylander is angling for a pay raise when he hits UFA next year. :) And Matthews hits UFA next year too, good luck icing a 12-forward roster that doesn't have two lines' worth of rookies if you keep both! :)

Compare this to, say, the Devils, who have their cap situation under control. How the Devils work is they rely on everyone taking a discount for the benefit of the team (or just signing them to "overpays" before they get good and make the contracts worth it, like Jack Hughes). In the same $40m as the Core Four, the Devils have Timo Meier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Tyler Toffoli, and Erik Haula. An entire top six. And I'm not even counting Dawson Mercer because he's still on his ELC and that would just be unfair.

There's a saying that "you can't win a Cup with a $10m player". Jack Eichel proved us wrong. However, the idea of that saying applies - if you have too many top guys who are all demanding too much money, your boat is going to capsize because you're not going to be able to get the rest of the team signed. (Unless you're the fucking Rangers and get everyone on league minimum contracts because you're the fucking Rangers and you run a retirement home in New York, but I DIGRESS.)

The main issue with the Core Four, and the idea of the Core Four, is that they're eating up basically half the cap by themselves. And if you look back on it, you can go "Kyle Dubas was a moron", but you've got to remember: Dubas inked those deals thinking the cap wouldn't go flat due to covid. With the cap due to jump next offseason, you're looking at a LOT of 1-year deals because most free agents think they can get more money when there's more money to throw around. Bertuzzi and Domi are no exceptions.

Oh, also, Brad Treliving signed a 4C (David Kämpf) to a $2.5m contract with 4 years of term. You don't sign fourth liners for that money or term, as a general rule, unless they do something for your team that is literally irreplacable. Kämpf is good but he's nowhere near the great that justifies that.

Bertuzzi: Fair value for him, but you had Bunting who just signed for $1m less with short term to the Canes. Possible upgrade but too early to tell, probably a sidegrade.

Domi: Really should learn how to play wing. Inconsistent. A bit of an overpay for a third line center who can't play D at all.

Reaves: Punchy McFourthLine. That's it.

The Leafs' defense doesn't have anything too glaringly awful, on the other hand - except that newly inked $4.15m contract to a John Klingberg who can barely play defense on a good day. When you already had three at least passable RDs on the roster (don't know how good Liljegren or Timmins are). I get the idea of an RD upgrade, but man, that was not it.

Klingberg: We're really in the "outscore your opponents" phase of the meltdown now, aren't we? He is worse than Erik Karlsson at defense. Erik Karlsson, Fourth Forward, is a better defenseman. Good God what I would give to see Klingberg and Rielly on a D-pair together. Threat to score... at both ends of the ice.

So the Leafs are over the cap, but a few shenaniga- Wait, what is that? An unsigned RFA goalie?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA YEEEEEP. THEY QUALIFIED SAMSONOV AND HAVE $-8.8 MILLION IN CAP SPACE WITH WHICH TO GIVE HIM A CONTRACT. Better pray he doesn't get offersheeted because you won't be able to sign a big deal for him. Good Lord.

And now here's your injured reserve.

Note that Muzzin's $5.625m is already coming off the books and there's noooo way they can take him off IR (see the top). They still need to shed $3.2m just to fit under cap. With Sammy needing a contract and being arbitration eligible? Oh boy.

So what's going to happen here?

Firstly, Muzzin has to stay on Robidas Island. He comes back, you're fucked capwise.

Murray needs to go. You can't buy him out because that would put $2m on the cap next season as penalty - $2m that you need to resign Nylander and Matthews. Either you Robidas Island him (break his kneecaps permanently) or you trade him as a cap dump. You can't get value on him because he's already retained salary and with an M-NTC that limits where he can go. So you need to ship Murray out with a sweetener for our good friend Future Considerations or a seventh-rounder. The sweetener in question? Probably a first-round pick. Maybe a third if the team in question needs a netminder. Toronto is fresh out of second-round picks. Sweet.

Even with Murray out, you have $1.4m in cap space, and with Robertson probably drawing into the lineup because he's cheap and hopefully fixed by now, so only $700k to spare for Sammy's contract. You better believe Ilya Fucking Samsonov is not going to take a league minimum contract... especially when he's valued at around $5m.

You can ship out Jarnkrok and/or Timmins (as per the internet, the most likely to be dealt). Even with both gone, you only have $3.9m in cap space, which means Sammy would either need to take a team friendly or get dealt, leaving Woll and Literally Nobody to take the net for Toronto. And even if Sammy takes a $3.5m deal, you have next to no cap space and no 13F/7D.

Did I mention Samsonov can arbitrate? Because Samsonov can choose to arbitrate for a higher salary. For another Devils comparable, the reason we didn't qualify Bastian or McLeod was because they could choose to arbitrate if we did, with the arbitrator awarding a higher salary than Fitz would be comfortable paying. Arbitrator says $5m, Treliving can't pay it, Sammy walks. Great work, Brad.

The other speculation is that these moves are setting up for a Nylander trade, breaking up the Core Four. Don't know who the hell wants Nylander at almost $7m of cap hit - maybe the Senators if they manage to ditch DeBrincat? The Leafs would probably have to retain significant salary. Also don't know who the hell the Leafs would replace Nylander with. I doubt this happens, honestly, especially because Nylander's 10-team no-trade clause can kick the Leafs further in the ass. But who the fuck knows anymore?

So to recap: The Leafs just shopped for a bunch of guys with no defense at all that's going to make them have to get rid of Murray and has made resigning Samsonov tough. They need to let go of some of their depth (Jarnkrok and Timmins most likely) to make it work at all, and that's assuming Sammy does them a favor and signs for cheap. That's not even including the possibility of an offersheet to Samsonov - which, if you're a GM with goaltending issues and cap to spare (Chicago comes to mind), you should seriously consider dropping a $6m offersheet to Samsonov and watching the chaos erupt. If Kyle Davidson is reading this right now, do this and I promise I will stop bringing up the Kyle Beach scandal every time I hear about the Hawks and let your franchise turn over a new leaf. (Or Leaf, as it were.)

@excuseme-jimin @storybook-strange you guys also expressed interest in this :)

#stereanswers #stereanalysis #stereducation

[lehdenlaulu]

Final episode, let's see how it goes:

Oh yay, another domestic violence warning.

Moonlight Sonata, huh? A little on the nose but alright.

"Those Who Must Be Kept"???

Well, at least you're not spilling all of the secrets, my dude.

Buenos Aires, really? The Nazi metaphor is a liiiittle heavy-handed here.

Aw, I guess it makes sense with the plan but it's interesting that we're finally really seeing Lestat and Louis acting all coupley.

Claudia's taken aback too, it seems.

Rashid hanging out in the sunlight again, huh? Though Louis conveniently left sunlight out in his list of how to kill a vampire at the beginning of the episode Though it was established before.

Though if he is Armand, I guess Daniel doesn't have to make any phonecalls on his behalf in this version. 😜 Guess he won't be attempting suicide by sunlight, either.

Louis is amused. Honestly, what's the fucking deal here?

Hmm. Very Théâtre des Vampires. Only even more public -- and in much more modern times with modern means to spread information. Marius shouldn't be happy.

I mean, I don't know if this, even beyond the excessive goriness that is certainly not book accurate, is something these three would ever do in the books, but hey, at least it's sort of fun?

Still not a fan of how Antoinette was used on the show.

No swamp for Lestat this time, eh?

Nice, Daniel, niiice. 👏

I guess I should say it again now that it's confirmed: Hello, Armand.

Love of your life, eh? Well, guess you've been together longer now than you ever were with Lestat.

But mate, you gotta start giving me more if you want me to buy you as Armand. Especially if we're setting up a love triangle of any kind. In the books Armand is the perfect foil to Lestat because he's just as fucking extra but in a different way.

Interesting thought, though: I was thinking how Rashmand's eyes were generally really flat and expressionless when they were what I assume is the actor's natural dark brown eyes, and there are three options: 1) it was by design because that's what contacts do to your eyes 2) it was by design to try to convey the inhuman stillness of older vampires 3) our man went to the Brad Pitt School of Sleepwalking Through Vampire Roles. The first option would be preferable, all in all, though still kinda weird. Because honestly, we should have been able to see more glimpses of his real personality through the servant act. It's not like most of us book readers didn't immediately suspect anyway.

I mean, I'm relieved he's at least still Armand and the Théâtre des Vampires storyline is still happening, but I still want to know why the 'human servant' charade was even necessary. It's not like the gloves and contacts disguise was very effective if they thought Daniel might remember him. 🤨 (I must say I'm also a little bummed the disguise was so mundane because Armand as a witchy little bitch adept in the Spell Gift should have been able to make Daniel see him as a huge pink flamingo if he wanted to. That's the route I would have taken as the showrunner. Oh well.)

I'm also assuming we've dropped the "Armand stalks Daniel for years and teases him with power and immortality" part. Unless Daniel has conveniently forgotten that as well. Though from the way they've both lowkey been playing with him, I have to wonder whose idea this whole interview was in the first place and what the real reason is.

All in all, much better than the previous one. Full verdict of the season to follow.

#Darna liveblogs stuff #Interview With the Vampire #IWtV AMC #Darna talks TVC #The Vampire Chronicles #IWtV 1x07

[mypoisonedvine]

Seeing Red | bodyguard!Bucky Barnes x actress!reader (part 8)

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) (part 7)

series summary: bucky used to brag that he didn’t have a celebrity crush, or really care about famous people at all, which is what made him the perfect person to start working for a celebrity like yourself.  except, of course, it’s just his luck that he’d fall for you.

word count: 3k

warnings: smut (semi-public sex), possessiveness (some sexual, some not), jealousy, some fluff and some angst, also some violence (including a very small amount against the reader, proceed with caution), mentions of infidelity in a previous relationship

a/n: oh y’all thought it was gonna be smooth sailing from here on out? lol

You didn’t want to abandon Bucky to do carpetside interviews, but he refused to get anywhere near a hot mic so you let him go while you walked over to a reporter you recognized; she’d been nice before, probably would be again this time, so you were a little relieved to see her tonight.

She introduced you to the camera and you were slightly spaced out until she turned to you and got your attention again.  “So, you’ve been making a lot of headlines lately for your new relationship— what’s the scoop?  How’s it going?” she asked playfully, pushing the microphone into your face.

“Uh, great,” you breamed, “he’s my date tonight and he seems to have disappeared to…” you turned around to look for him.  “Oh, he’s talking to... is that... Laurence Fishburne?”

“James, is that his name?” she prompted, making you focus your attention back on the interview.

“Um, yeah,” you nodded, the name sounding a bit foreign, “legally, but he goes mostly by his nickname Bucky.”

“Aw, that’s cute,” she smiled.  “He’s, uh…” her eyes widened a bit and you laughed.

“Yeah, he is,” you smirked.  “I assume by that facial expression you mean ‘crazy hot.’”

“I mean, in the politest way possible… yeah,” she giggled.

“Yeah, no, don’t pretend not to notice for my sake, cause, yeah, it’s… apparent.”

“Apparently he was your driver first?” she pressed.

“Yes!” you beamed, and then heard the way it sounded and backpedaled slightly.  “I promise that’s not why I hired him.  I actually didn’t meet him before he was on my team, but, I mean, I wasn’t mad to have some eye candy in the front seat.”

“Eye candy, huh?”

“But he’s so much more than that, that’s the thing,” you explained.  “We became good friends first, because he’s so smart and funny and kind and… I mean, I know he looks tough, and he is, but he’s really very sensitive underneath the slightly intimidating exterior.”

“Hard shell, soft center, sweet— he really does sound like candy!”

“Indeed,” you nodded.  “Gotta run but it was nice to chat!”

You dashed over to Bucky and clung onto his arm.  “Oh, hey, we were just talking about you,” he beamed.

“Loved you in After Midnight,” Mr. Fishburne smiled and even you were totally starstruck.

“Oh, wow, thanks, I loved you in… everything…” you trailed off, internally scolding yourself for the vague and useless compliment.  He was about to respond but was pulled away by some member of his team, giving you and Bucky a quick wave as he began a carpet-side interview.

“That was Laurence Fishburne, wasn’t it.” Bucky mumbled to you in a stunned monotone.  

“Yes, what were you doing talking to him?” you asked, amazed at his bravery to approach such a huge star.

“He came up to me, to congratulate me on… on dating you, I guess…”

“Or he mixed you up with Brad Pitt,” you shrugged.

“Yeah, if Brad Pitt lost all his money, spent a decade in the desert, went loco and buzzed all his hair off,” Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on, you look great,” you soothed him, straightening his tie.  “Wanna go take some pictures?”

“I’m a little scared,” he admitted with a shy smile.

“It’s easy, just give them that sexy brooding look you do so well.”

Bucky smirked pridefully.  “You think so?”

“Totally.  You’re a natural,” you assured.

You tugged his arm and guided him to the carpet, letting him lead the way (or look like he was leading the way) as you found a clear spot and noticed how the cameras instantly flashed faster and brighter.  Photographers called your name to get your attention, and you waved and smiled and pulled Bucky closer.  The feeling of his arm around your waist was warm and comforting, and you hoped holding you had the same effect for him.

“Where are you looking?” you asked.

“At you,” he answered.

“Bucky,” you giggled, “you’re supposed to look at the cameras!”

“I honestly can’t, it’s blinding,” he frowned.

“Here,” you sighed, pointing out into the darkness just above the sea of flashing lights.  “Look out there.”

“I can’t see anything!”

“I know, but, look as if there was something there to look at, trust me, it helps.”

You adjusted slightly a few times, turning a little to show off the low back of your dress.  You almost gasped when Bucky held your face and kissed you suddenly, but you were happy to melt into it even as you heard the cameras flash even more aggressively, some whoops and hollers coming from the crowd on and off the carpet.

He pulled back and you wanted to chase him for more but you realized it wasn’t the right time.  

“Let’s go inside,” you offered, guiding him the rest of the way down the carpet— mainly because you were afraid you’d end up jumping his bones right here in front of everyone.

He nodded and followed close by, arm resting on your shoulder the whole time, and just as you saw one of your friends and thought you might want to go over and introduce her to Bucky, you saw who she was talking to.

Sam.  

Seeing him always made your heart stop.  At first, it was because you were starstruck by him, in awe of his talent, amazed that you were going to be working with someone you admired so much.  Then it was because you had fallen for him and he had gladly swept you off your feet, bringing you into a whirlwind romance that at the time had felt like the only thing that mattered.  But since the break-up, and now, it was something else.  Fear wasn’t the word, it’s not like you were afraid of him in a literal sense, but there was this anxiety, this tenseness to seeing him.  It always brought back memories— the best and the worst, all at once.  Nights laughing together, sharing secrets, stealing glances and touches and kisses; nights spent alone staring at a phone that never rang.  Limbs tangled together between the sheets, that warm brown skin encompassing and surrounding yours; laying side by side in a bed that isn’t empty but is still plenty cold, seeing the way he angles his phone away from you and wishing you had the strength to just leave because you already knew what he was doing.  The first time you said ‘I love you.’  The first time he said ‘it won’t happen again.’

“You alright?” Bucky asked, tearing you from your thoughts.  You looked away and met Bucky’s gaze, hoping he either hadn’t seen your ex or at least hadn’t recognized him.  

“Yeah, I’m great,” you answered quickly, “let’s go get some drinks maybe?  And then I need to show you off to some people.”

“Show me off?” he scoffed.

“Yeah, why did you think I brought you here, really?” you winked.

“Hey, if we’re showing each other off, does that mean you’ll come to my next high school reunion?”

//

You’d been antsy ever since the two of you had come inside; it was obvious from the way you were clinging so much closer to him, and yet it was clear that your mind was a million miles away.

“Hey, it’s starting to wrap up, wanna head out soon?” you asked, trying to act casual, but he saw the way your eyes were darting up to where Sam Wilson was mingling and he knew it wasn’t about getting home early.  Did you really think he wouldn’t notice that you’d seen him?

“Whatever you wanna do,” he shrugged.

“Okay, could you bring the car around for me then?  And I’ll meet you outside?” you offered.  “I should say hi and bye to a few people.”

“Sure,” he agreed, starting to walk away after giving you a quick kiss on the cheek.

And he really did try to do what he said he was going to, but the further away he walked, the more he glanced back to watch you walk across the room, the harder it was to just let it go.  He knew you were going to talk to him, and before he really even decided to do anything about it he found himself circling back around the room, following you.  

He thought he’d lost you when he turned a corner and you were gone, but then he heard voices from a doorway and cracked it open slightly to see you inside with a few other people, nobody he recognized although one of them he’d definitely seen in something before.

He sighed with relief, about to turn and go get the car like he said he would, but then Sam Wilson just had to magically materialize out of thin air as he stepped up behind you and tapped your shoulder.

“Sam!” you blurted out, spinning to face him with wide eyes.

“Hey,” he greeted, acting all suave and shit, making Bucky’s blood boil.  “You look great.”

“Oh, thanks,” you mumbled, “you too.”

“You’ve been all over the internet lately, making quite the splash,” he recalled with a contemplative nod.  “You and this new boytoy you’ve got.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is boyfriend,” you corrected sternly.  

“Honey,” he scoffed as he rolled his eyes.  Bucky couldn’t decide if it was worse to hear him call you a pet name in earnest or with the derogatory tone that he currently had.  “Everybody knows you go through these guys like potato chips.  Especially when they’re not famous— how many PAs did you hook up with on your last set, huh?”

“I don’t roll like that anymore,” you denied.

“That’s not what Jake Friedman says,” Sam smirked.  It actually took Bucky a moment to remember that that was the guy you’d… entertained in the backseat of your car, or maybe it was more that he had entertained you; you seemed to tense up when Sam mentioned him, as did Bucky.  “I mean, sure, he’s not crew, but he’s not famous the way you are.  The way we are.  And neither is your new guy.  He doesn’t ‘get it’, does he?  He doesn’t get what it’s like.  Has he already started freaking out about all the hate online?”

Bucky regretted that he’d ever said anything about that; if he’d known it would come around to prove Sam Wilson right about something, he wouldn’t have done it.  “No,” you lied.

“Well, he will,” Sam assured you, stepping a little closer to you and letting his fingers languidly brush over your arm.  “I made a mistake before, letting you go.”

“Damn right,” you hissed as you pulled away from him.

“But I realized that, and now I’m wondering why we aren’t giving the people what they want.”

“That’s what I never understood about you,” you frowned.  “It’s always about other people with you.  It’s never about you, and it was never about me.”

“But it is about you,” he explained, “and me: us.  You’re forgetting how good we were together.”

You shook your head.  “I was single for years and you never called.  Now you’re all over me with all these regrets about ending it?  Get a grip, Sam.  This is about you wanting what you can’t have.”

“Can’t have?” he repeated incredulously.  “Baby,” he purred— and Bucky decided it was definitely worse to hear him call you that in earnest.  “You know you’re always gonna be mine.”

As you started to shiver, Sam’s arms slipping around your back and grabbing your waist, Bucky felt like he had lost control of his body.  He was watching himself from far away as he stormed across the room, nearly knocking a few people over on the way, and shoved Sam off of you and onto the ground.

“Bucky!” you yelped.  “Bucky, stop!”

“You’d better watch your hands, Wilson, before they get somewhere they’re not supposed to be,” Bucky growled, ignoring you completely even as you helplessly tugged at his suit.  

“Jesus,” Sam spat, “the fuck is wrong with you?”

“What are you doing?” you asked Bucky, irate and confused as you stared up at him with a furrowed brow.  He grabbed your hand and guided you out of the room and down the hall, barely managing to drag you into a random bathroom before he started tearing at your dress, leaving rough bites and kisses down your neck as you gasped and moaned softly.  

“Mine,” he mumbled against your skin, “all mine.  Did you forget?”

“No,” you sighed, “I could never…”

“That’s not what it looked like,” he sneered, hiking up your long skirt to run his fingers over your skin and expose the delicate, lacy panties you were wearing. 

“Bucky, please,” you sighed, rubbing your hips up against his leg, riding his thigh shamelessly.

“What’s got you so worked up, baby?  Is it me, or him?” he asked darkly.

“You, baby, just you, nobody else— I’m yours,” you assured him feverishly, “I’m all yours, please, I need you.”

“Yeah?” he breathed, fumbling with his belt and fly as he pulled his growing cock from his suit pants.  “You need it that bad?”

“Please,” you sobbed, “fuck me.”

He pulled your underwear aside and quickly shoved into you, groaning at the feeling of your walls stretching to welcome him.  “Fuck, angel, so tight,” he sighed, knowing how much little praises drove you crazy.

“Bucky,” you sighed, “oh my god… harder, please— n-need you deeper…”

His hips moved back only to slam back against yours, making you whimper; he smiled when he felt your leg wrap around his waist and try to hold him inside, but he couldn’t slow down now, not when he needed this so bad.

He sucked on your neck as he kept thrusting into you, your wetness coating his cock so thoroughly that he slid right home every time.  It was clear that he was hitting your g-spot from how you moaned with each thrust, your spongy channel pulsing and tightening in rhythmic patterns.

Overcome with the need to assert his, for lack of a better word, ownership over you, he found himself reaching up to hold your throat— not quite in the way to choke you, just to remind you that he could, if he wanted to.

“Did he ever make you come like this?” he asked with a gravelly whisper, lips right against your ear as he tightened his hand around your neck slightly.

“No,” you shook your head, “nobody has.”

“Nobody’s ever loved you this good but me, is that it?  Nobody else has ever fucked you like this?”

“Just you, Bucky, please don’t stop— I’m so close…”

“Do you think they can hear you out in the hallway?  Say my name when you come, princess, just in case they can— I want them to know who’s making you feel this good.”

“Bucky,” you whined, chanting it over and over with a few ‘yes’s and ‘fuck’s interspersed occasionally.  He thrusted faster and harder as he felt his own orgasm building; he needed to come inside you and claim you again, mark you as his one more time, and the flexing of your walls was only egging him on.

“I know you’re close, baby, just let go,” he whispered against your ear, “come for me, just like that, you’re doing so good— fuck, so good for me…”

You whimpered and clutched at his shoulders, a gush of wetness and a final, strong tightening of your inner muscles signaling that you’d reached your peak.  He couldn’t hold back any longer when he saw (and felt) that, groaning as he began to release thick streams of come into you.

The absolute second your afterglow began to fade, you pushed him off of you and grimaced as you adjusted your panties and dress.  "The fuck is wrong with you?"

"Wh— what?" he stammered, breathless and confused.  "What did I do?  Was I not supposed to come inside?"

You gaped at him in shock.  "Do you really not realize what you did?  Bucky, you assaulted my ex-boyfriend."

"I— he'll be fine," he dismissed, "he was putting his hands on you, what was I supposed to do, just let him do it?"

"You were supposed to let me handle it," you hissed.  "You were supposed to be pulling the car around and not spying on me!"

"Spying?!  I was protecting you."

"You shoved him hard enough to knock him over, Bucky, that's not okay."

"Hold on," he shook his head in disbelief, "so you're mad at me, when we just had sex?!  Why didn't you say something before?"

"Just cause it's hot doesn't mean it's okay," you explained, a little embarrassed.

"Tell me something," he frowned, "what is this—" he motioned to the space between the two of you— "to you?  Cause it kinda seems like I think we're boyfriend and girlfriend, and you think—"

"What?  What do I think?" you challenged.  "Go ahead, tell me."

"You think it's just a sex thing."

"Oh my god," you rolled your eyes.

"Well, what am I supposed to think when you get off on me dealing with your ex, and then tell me it's this big terrible thing?"

A sick idea clawed its way out of the back of Bucky's mind: was Sam right about her?  Was Sam right about us?

You crossed your arms and huffed, but didn't respond.

"Was everything that just happened just a fuckin' kink for you or something?  Cause I meant every goddamn word," he growled.

You sighed, like you weren't taking it seriously— like you weren't taking him seriously.  His fist tightened at his side involuntarily.  He'd never felt so used, so ignored; or, at least, he never expected it from you.  "We'll talk about this later," you dismissed quickly.  "Let's just go back there and put on a happy face, okay?"

"Oh, so you can let another guy feel you up?  Sounds like a fucking blast," he hissed.

"Fuck you," you snarled as you pushed him aside to leave the bathroom.

He didn't remember grabbing you, he didn't remember twisting your arm as he pulled you back.  He didn't remember you crying out, trying to wrench yourself away, clawing at his grip on you.  All he remembered was you looking up at him with watery eyes, expression twisted in fear.

"Bucky, you're hurting me," you whimpered weakly, and only then did he notice his metal hand was holding your wrist.  When he let go, he already saw a mark forming in the shape of his hand as you grabbed your freed wrist to rub the damaged flesh.

"I'm sorry—" he began to whisper, but you were already gone.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x reader series #bucky barnes x reader smut #bucky barnes smut

[the-bau-quinjet]

the evolution of breaking up

Peter x Stark!reader

Summary: Snippets of you moving on from a bad breakup, frequently turning to your best friend, Peter.

Warnings: it's sad Taylor Swift hours, some choice words,

Word Count: 3252

a/n: inspired by a playlist called the evolution of breaking up that only has TS songs on it lol. Bold is direct or paraphrased lyrics

Masterlist

Peter is 90% sure he fell in love with you the day he met you.

He's 100% sure he fell in love with you within a week of knowing you.

Hell, he's so sure about it, he would tell you if not for one glaringly obvious problem: Jared.

Your boyfriend.

Your started dating Jared a few weeks before you met Peter. That is to say, a few weeks before Tony recruited Peter to join the Avengers.

Peter didn't have any problems with Jared, and he would never wish for you to get your heart broken, but he was definitely jealous.

It wasn't hard for him to love you. The two of you became fast friends. You always worked in the lab together, improving upon tech Tony already had or developing all new creations.

You also patrolled together. Peter had always enjoyed patrolling, but now that you went with him, time seemed to fly.

It was currently about 10:30 on a Friday about two and a half years after you and Peter met. You and Peter were supposed to patrol, but Tony said to take the night off for once.

You took the impromptu free time as the perfect opportunity to surprise Jared.

You left the tower around 5:30 and Peter hasn't heard from you since. Not that he expected to since you were going on a date. He was bored though.

Tony refused to let him tinker around in the lab, saying he needed a better work/life balance. He would've found the statement funny if it didn't feel so true.

He tried calling Ned, but he was out with Betty. MJ was busy with Brad, the two going to some horror movie marathon.

The only other person he really hung out with was you, and you were also on a date.

He wondered the various floors of the tower, looking for anything to do that would take his mind of you.

Eventually, he just set up camp in the shared living area, putting Star Wars on the massive TV and eating more popcorn than should be legal.

He was nearly asleep during Episode V when the ding of the elevator jolted him awake. Someone ran through the halls, quickly opening and closing the door to their room.

He sat up, intrigued by the behavior. As he walked down the hallway, he listened for any indication of someone else being there. Obviously whoever it was didn't want to talk, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned.

He stopped outside your door, bringing his hand up to knock when he heard music softly playing through the door.

You told me you loved me, so why did you go away?

He froze with his fist raised, uneasy with the why you would put on such a sad song. His hand fell back to his side when he heard you sing along to the chorus.

"Never thought we'd have a last kiss. Never imagined we'd end like this."

The sound of you crying grew louder than the music, urging Peter to knock. He just wanted to make sure you knew he was there for you.

Hyping himself up, he knocked lightly. A few seconds later the music stopped. He listened as you shuffled toward the door, slowly pulling it open.

His heart broke at the sight of your puffy cheeks, red and tear stained.

"Hey Pete." You managed a small smile, happy to see your friend despite the less than stellar evening you had.

"Hey, I... you probably don't want to talk about it right now, but I'm here for when you do." He matched your small smile, trying not to make you feel any worse.

Apparently, he said the right thing because you pulled him into a bone crushing hug, burying your head in his chest as you cried.

He spent the next half hour rubbing your back as you cried, having moved to sit on the bed rather than stand in the doorway.

When your tears ended, he risked talking to you again.

"Did you want to talk about it tonight?" Peter was clearly unsure of himself in this situation.

You shook your head, wiping your face with the sleeves of your sweatshirt.

"No, I... He just..." Tears pooled again, but you blinked them away. "He said forever and always, but I guess he didn't mean it."

Peter held you as you cried again, eventually falling asleep. He tucked you into your bed, placing a water bottle on your nightstand and shutting off the lights as he left.

-

The next few days, you spent mostly holed up in your room. You had a playlist of sad Taylor Swift songs on repeat, letting yourself wallow.

Peter was worried. Tony was worried. Nat, Steve, Sam, Bucky, Wanda, Pepper, and Vision were worried.

"What'd she say when you talked to her?" The group questioned, all wanting nothing more than to cheer you up.

Peter sighed, wishing he had more information. "She just cried for like, 2 hours. Somewhere in the middle I asked if she wanted to talk, she said something about him not really meaning forever, and then she cried again."

They were all contemplating what to do when you walked in the room. Every pair of eyes were on you in an instant.

You sighed heavily, kind of glad you could address everyone at once. They've been like a family to you since you were born, so it only makes sense they would all be worried.

"Jared and I broke up." You felt like it was 2 and a half years wasted. You could feel the tightness in your throat threatening more tears, but you refused to cry over this boy any longer. "I'll be okay, I just... I remember it all too well right now."

You turned to your dad, eyes welling up again. "I'm sorry I ignored when you said to run as fast as I can from all the boys I ever met." You chuckled, trying to relieve the tension.

Tony pulled you into a tight hug. "You'll be okay again, princess." You nodded, leaning into the hug. Everyone ended up piling on, offering you words of comfort through the group hug.

-

A couple weeks later, and you honestly felt better. Not all the way, but enough to want to go out with friends again. You went roller skating with Peter, MJ, and Ned.

It was the next logical step, going out with friends. It made sense. It was working.

Until you saw him. Jared was there with some other girl, skating without a care in the world. Of course, he saw you. He had the audacity to smile and wave, as if he didn't just break your heart.

When he walked up to you, you knew you had enough.

"Don't you smile at me and ask me how I've been. Don't you say you've missed me if you don't want me again." You spit the words at him, trying to hide how much it hurt. You turned away from him, nearly running from the rink before you even put the skates on.

You friends followed you out, profusely denying the need for your abundant apologies.

Ned and MJ hugged you before leaving, figuring less people would be better for you. Peter took you back to the tower, trying to help soothe the lingering ache.

"I just don't understand." You whispered from the passenger side of the car. "Why would he want to break a perfectly good heart?"

Peter struggled to come up with an answer, knowing nothing he said would really fix it.

"You'll find someone else. Someone who won't break your heart." He settled on a vague nod toward the future, knowing anything else could lead to him potentially ruining your friendship.

Unbeknownst to Peter, his words broke your heart just a little more. You always had a soft spot for Peter, and the few weeks you've been broken up from Jared have made you see him in a new light.

Of course, you wouldn't make a move though. Not yet. You didn't want him to think he was just a rebound. He's your best friend. It's too important to mess up with feelings.

-

You woke up the next morning with a slew of messages from Jared.

This is me swallowing my pride... telling you I'm sorry for that night.

I go back to December all the time.

It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.

I'm wishing I realized what I had when you were mine.

You deleted them immediately, not wanting to fall back into his trap. Ultimately though, you decided to respond. You wanted to lay it all out that he missed his chance. You were over him, even if it still hurt.

I've lived, and I've learned. Had you, got burned. I'm over it, Jared. Leave me alone.

Then you deleted his contact and blocked the number. He couldn't just say those hurtful things to you and then pretend like it was a mistake. He meant every word he said that night, even if he doesn't believe it now.

-

Another week went by without incident. You were all smiles all the time, really moving on from him and the pain he put you through.

Then you got a letter. It looked like a card, so you figured it was an early Valentine's card.

Opening it up proved it to be just that.

The inside read:

"I don't wanna miss you like this. I don't wanna need you this way. Come back. Be here."

Signed from Jared with hearts.

Of course you chose to open the card as soon as you got it, with everyone watching.

Your expression fell as the words sank in, knowing he was still trying did weird things to your heart. It made you question everything. Did he really care about you? Was he just bored?

You stared at the card for what felt like an eternity before ripping it up and rolling your eyes.

Of course he doesn't care. Nobody who says to your face that they never loved you cares.

"What was that?" Wanda asked, curious about the mixture of emotions present on your face.

"A load of utter horse shit." You huffed a laugh as you threw away the pieces.

"Language!" Tony called, always taking the opportunity to tease Steve.

"Well it was!" You defended, eager to move on from the conversation. They all stared at you expectantly, clearly waiting for an explanation. "It was from Jared." You were glad Peter was sitting next to you. Just the mention of his name had him rubbing your back, trying to make it easier for you.

"You know, now that I'm sitting here thinking it through. I've never been anywhere cold as him."

You felt another group hug coming on, so you quickly excused yourself to shower, reassuring everyone that you were fine.

-

You were laying on the floor, feet up against the wall, just staring at the ceiling when Bucky and Peter walked into the gym to train with you.

"Hey, Y/N." Bucky called, a questioning look in his eyes.

"What's going on in your head?" Peter added, spelling out the question for you.

"I knew he was trouble when I met him." You answered him honestly. "And yet, I still said yes when he asked me out." You shook your head, still staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, hindsight is 20/20. Don't beat yourself up about it." Bucky chimed in, knowing how it feels to blame yourself for things that weren't your fault.

"Are you offering then?" You stood up, accepting Peter's hand to aid you. You brushed any lingering dirt from your clothes, laughing at Bucky's confused expression. "For me to beat you up instead?"

The three of you had a good laugh before you got to work training.

-

Three months post breakup and you're feeling great. At least, you're feeling great most of the time.

"Hey Y/N! What are you doing tonight?" Peter questioned as he walked up beside you in the lab, pulling out the tools he'll need.

"I don't know, nothing specific I guess." You try to remember any plans you had, but nothing comes to mind.

"Perfect. MJ, Ned, and I are going to go roller skating again. I thought maybe you'd wanna come?" He's clearly nervous, unsure if this would help or hinder your progress.

You nod your head, thinking it over. "You know what, I'm in." The determination in your voice catches Peter off guard.

"Cool, um, great. I guess you're doing better then?" He's still nervous, but eager to finally get you to fully open up to someone about everything.

"Yep. Anytime I get sad, I think of something shitty he did to remind me I'm better off." You smile, knowing he was going to ask for examples.

"Really? Like what?" You can't help but laugh lightly, enjoying how well you know Peter.

"Some vague things, like how he would look at me when he was annoyed. Like those eyes add insult to injury, you know?" He nods, but doesn't really understand.

"Or more specific examples, like that birthday party where you all kept asking me about him, and I made excuses, but truth is he just blew me off. That one honestly should've been the moment I knew."

"He did what?" Peter was livid, but trying to contain the rage to that of a concerned friend rather than jealous crush.

"Eh, I'm over it. It's pretty easy to focus on the bad aspects of the relationship when it ended so badly." You shrug, turning back to the circuit board you were working on.

"How, um, how exactly did it end?" He wondered aloud, knowing you hadn't fully told anyone yet. He watched as you tensed slightly before shaking it off.

"That's a story for another time Pete." You managed a tight smile, not wanting to delve into that conversation just yet.

-

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." You mumbled under your breath.

You had been skating with Peter, Ned, and MJ for about an hour when he walked in.

Peter followed your line of sight, trying to understand your mumbling. When his eyes caught sight of Jared, he panicked.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry! I really thought this would help you this time." He rubbed his hands down his face, silently cursing himself for putting you in this position again.

"Don't worry about it Pete. I'm more prepared to handle it this time around." You laughed, watching out of the corner of your eye as Jared approached you.

"Y/N... I, uh, I've been trying to talk to you." He started boldy, not really caring that you weren't even looking at him.

You did your best to ignore him, but he grabbed your arm to stop you from skating away.

"Y/N, come on-"

"No." You spit at him, not letting him get under your skin. "People like you always want back the love they pushed aside, but people like me are gone forever when you say goodbye."

You yanked your arm out of his hand, turning back to your friends. "Let's keep skating. I have no reason to run away."

Peter watched, bewildered as you confidently skated across the rink.

-

The morning of what would be your three year anniversary with Jared felt weird. You weren't upset anymore, but the lingering nostalgia of celebrating an anniversary clung to you.

You deleted the email reminding you of the plans you were supposed to have that evening.

You sighed heavily as you walked into the kitchen, still trying to clear your head.

"You good?" Peter questioned, easily spotting that something was off.

"Yeah, it's just... I don't miss him. At all. I'm over it, but today would've been our anniversary..."

Peter nodded, trying to understand what you were feeling.

"It's strange to think the songs we used to sing, the smiles, the flowers, everything... is gone." You told him the truth, trying not to hide your feelings.

Maybe you should be over it by now, but you spent the majority of your high school career with that guy. It sucks to think it was all a waste.

He pulled you into a hug, rubbing your back to comfort you.

"I mean, not to state the obvious, but I didn't get my perfect fantasy with Jared." You huffed, rolling your eyes.

"You'll find your perfect someone." He smiled, unaware of the fluttering in your stomach telling you that maybe you already had.

"Yeah, someone who won't say to my face that he never really loved me." You muttered, feeling the rage burn inside you again.

"He's an ass." You hugged him tighter, enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms.

-

Peter slowed as he walked past your door, listening as the songs changed. He recognized the intro as a song from folklore, but he wasn't sure exactly which one.

"I'm doing good. I'm on some new shit." You sang loudly unaware of listening ears outside the door.

Peter smiled, walking away so as not to interrupt your healing process again.

Meanwhile, you floated around your room, nearly screaming the along to the breakup songs as you finally rid yourself of any lingering items relating to Jared.

"But it's wonderful to see that it never phased you!" You grinned as you threw it all away, ready to fully move on.

-

When the elevator doors opened, Peter was assaulted with the blaring sounds of none other than Taylor Swift.

Apparently, you moved your dance party from your room to the living room, thinking you had the space to yourself for a little while.

He watched as you danced around the room, singing and smiling to your heart's content.

"So he calls me up, and he's like 'I still love you' and I'm like, "I'm just, this is exhausting you know, like..." You caught Peter's smile out of the corner of your eye, fully turning to look at him as you belted out the next line. "We are never getting back together. Like ever. Noooo."

You grab his hands, forcing him to dance and twirl around with you as the song comes to an end.

"I take it your really feeling better." Peter smiles, overjoyed to see you looking so exuberant.

"I am." You nod, keeping it simple.

"No more thoughts about Jared?" He questioned, smiling when you didn't even flinch at his name.

"Nope. I forgot that he existed." You smiled cheekily, still dancing although you turned the music down.

"That's good, then." Peter smiled, suddenly nervous. If you truly had moved on, maybe now was his chance.

"Hey Pete?" You questioned, smiling shyly.

"Yeah?" He stood in front of you, unsure of where this was going.

"I realized something this morning." You whispered, nervous for his response, but dying to tell him the truth.

"Yeah?" He waited, eager to know what you were hiding.

You pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back, watching as he slowly grinned.

"Why'd you do that?" He asked, stunned but grinning like an idiot.

"'Cause, I like you," you smiled, but quickly added 'but I know that it's delicate."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." He stated, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"No?" You leaned into his touch, feeling like you were on cloud nine.

"Nope. Cause I like you too."

He pulled you in for a deeper kiss, celebrating the beginning of this new stage of your relationship.

Permanent tag list:

@averyhotchner @jesuswasnotawhiteman

#peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #peter parker x y/n #marvel #maarvel fic #mcu #peter parker fluff #peter parker angst #peter parker fic #avengers x reader #peter parker x Stark!reader

[dumdumsun]

Forever and Never

A/N: I promise this isn’t a Ricky x Reader. I promise I promise. Also holy fucking shit I am not a cheerleader at all and I know how horrible the cheer is in this, plz don’t bully me

Warnings: sexual assault and a horribly written cheer

Word Count: 3267

—————————————

Three: You Could Be

“So, you and Richard were a couple again after you returned to Brownsville?”

“No… no, we were not.”

“But you let him believe you were.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Have a good day at school, sweetheart!”

I don’t think there was an ounce of me that actually liked Ricky.

“You, too, Aunt Pam!”

And I definitely didn’t mean to string him along like I did.

“Love you!”

It’s just…

“Love you too!”

Sometimes I had to prove to myself that I was worthy when it was clear that Stan had no feelings for me. When I stepped out the next morning and saw that he’d already left his home, I knew he was planning to catch up with Sydney and give her a ride to school. It shouldn’t have been such a big deal to me, but it still tugged at my heart just a bit. A part of me was angered at the thought of Stan trying anything with Sydney, while the rest was rational. He wasn’t mine, I wasn’t his. I had someone who clearly wanted me, but I always pushed him away. Why didn’t I like Ricky when I should have? We were everyone’s favorite couple, we hardly ever fought, he’d take me out to dates regularly. Sure, he had his faults, but so did I. So, why did I not like Richard Berry?

The day I felt my anger towards Stan embed itself into my veins was the same day the idea of Ricky and I being a couple once more was sparked. It started in science class. It seemed Ricky had been waiting for me to get there, for he was early to class for once. So early that he and I were the only ones in the room. I casually strolled to my desk, setting my backpack on the ground beside my seat. Ricky watched me with a patient smile, drumming rhythmically on his desk he was leaning on. When I sat in my seat, he then rested his elbows against his desk, a glint in his eye as he watched me. “Good morning, (Y/N).”

“Morning, Ricky. You’re in class early.”

“Ah, because I know you’re always here early. And I wanted to talk to you.”

“You always want to talk to me.” I hummed, taking out my materials for class. When my fingernail scratched against the fabric of my backpack, I hissed in dissatisfaction and gently bit my nail, trying to keep my mind at ease. This was another one of my compulsions. Ricky’s eyes flicked from my finger then back to my face, as if he’d just remembered what was wrong with me.

“Because I love talking with you, babe.” He grinned, taking a seat at his desk. I rolled my eyes and began to scold him, but he cut me off. “I know, I know. You don’t like it when I call you that. It’s just… I’m still getting used to it.”

“You’re still getting used to not calling me babe even after half a year since our break-up.” I deadpanned. Ricky moved his eyes all around, as if he was about to answer an obvious question.

“Yes? What did you expect, (Y/N)? For me to get over you so quick? Do you want me to say it? Do you honestly want me to say it?”

“Say what, Ricky?”

“I’m in love with you!”

“Still?” My eyes widened as I stared back at him in shock. He frantically nodded his head and I tried to formulate a sentence in my mind, but our classmates had begun filing in. As if I hadn’t just been confessed to, I turned forward in my seat, training my eyes on my notebook. I heard Dina greet me on the way to her seat, but I only gave a small smile. Ricky seemed to have understood my unresponsive behavior, for he turned forward as well.

Ten minutes. That’s how long Ricky waited to start talking to me again. Mr File was so invested in his lecture that he didn’t notice him turn in his seat towards me. “Are you planning on going to the pep rally?”

“Not really,” I sighed, scribbling notes into my book. “They’re not really my thing.”

“I’d really appreciate it if you were there.”

“I bet you would.”

He let out a sigh, almost of defeat, before his eyes moved towards the front of the class. “Dina will be there. I’m sure she’d like it if you were with her.”

Dina was going to the pep rally? Since when has she ever gone to pep rallies? My head lifted, a questioning look on my face. “Wait, what? Dina’s actually going?”

“Yeah, with Brad. And she’s… going to the game, too.”

Dropping my pen, I clenched my jaw. “You aren’t seriously asking-”

“I swear, you won’t regret it. It’ll be fun. And I need my number one cheerleader with me at my big game.”

Yeah, right. Ricky wouldn’t have noticed if I’d been in the stands, cheering him on like his lovesick puppy, or if I walked away the moment he turned around and showed back up at the end of the game. Or would he? Did he look for me in the stands? When they scored a touchdown, did he snap his head in my direction, eyes lighting up and hoping to see mine shine with pride? Like something out of the movies…

“Okay, fine.” I answered without even thinking. Shit. I could practically see the hearts in his eyes.

“You’re the best.” He grinned. Once we both turned our attention back to our teacher, everything settled in for me. Here I am, yet again, allowing myself into dangerous territory. Ricky was not good for me, he wasn’t good for me, he wasn’t good for me. But it was that stupid awestruck look on his face that pulled me in. It wasn’t his carefree attitude, his iconic fashion sense, or the way he danced barefoot in the middle of the street for anyone to see. Because that wasn’t him, and I liked all those things about Stan. But Stan didn’t look at me the way Ricky did, and I guess that was enough for me to seek attention from him.

I felt tapping on my shoulder and looked over to see Sydney, her arm stretched out towards me. She was holding a sloppily folded piece of paper. Smiling at her, I gently took the note and turned forward.

You look like you absolutely want to die

Grinning, I looked Stan’s way, only to find his eyes already trained downward, focused on his notes. Although, I also noticed that he kept glancing over at me from the corner of his eye. Rolling my head onto my shoulder, I scribbled my response, I do, before handing the note back to Sydney. I think the stars above loved me that day, because I had no more classes with Ricky for the remainder of the school day. It was much easier to slip through the crowd of students when he wasn’t on my back all the time.

When it came to lunch, I had two options: Dina and Sydney or Brad and Ricky. I only chose the latter when I couldn’t find Dina. Luckily, that day, she’d been sitting at a table with Sydney, the two immersed in a conversation. Dina was wildly gesturing with her hands as Sydney seemed to provide words every now and then with a small shrug. Striding over to their table, I set my tray of food down beside Sydney. “Mind if I crash your date?”

“We don’t mind.” Dina giggled as I took my seat. As I dug into my sandwich, I could feel eyes on me. My head lifted to meet Dina’s amused expression. “So, (Y/N), are you going to the game?”

Scoffing, I set my food down. “Yeah, but not because I want to…”

“Then why are you going?”

“For… Ricky, I guess.”

“For Ricky.” Her brows rose in shock, but it was obvious she knew what my answer would be. I was only half lying. Ricky was only a fraction of the reason I was going, Dina was the rest. Though, something was telling me that there was more to me attending this game than I thought. Maybe it was the mischievous look in Dina’s eyes, or maybe it was the jocks from Brad’s table glancing over at me and chuckling in amusement. As if the whole school knew of some big secret that involved me.

Dina offered to drive me to the game. It was honestly still very new, hanging out with her. She didn’t smoke and talk about the future as our doom, or sit in the dark and watch every Tim Burton film to ever touch humanity. We just… talked. Like, girl-talked. We sat in her room two hours before the game started, talking about clothes and shoes and Brad and Ricky. You know, girl shit.

“I think it’s cute that you’re going to the game for him.” She remarked as she touched up her face with some blush. Rolling my eyes, I flopped onto her bed.

“I wasn’t gonna go until he mentioned you…”

“Yeah, right. You can just admit that you still like him, (Y/N).”

“Oh, my god, Dina,” I exasperatedly sighed. “I do not like Ricky. I thought I made that clear last year.”

Dina turned to me before flopping onto her bed as well. “Oh, come on… He really likes you, (Y/N)... Like, you’re almost all he talks about.”

“Definitely not creepy-”

“Just give him another chance,” She pouted. “If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll make sure he never talks to you again, okay?”

“No one in this universe can keep Richard Berry from talking to me,” I lightly laughed, but stopped when her face fell into a deadpan. “Okay, fine… I’ll give him another shot…”

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

So, that night, I learned that Dina was a fucking traitor. I don’t necessarily mean that, but I was still taken aback by what she was a part of. The two of us had gotten the chance to watch the game from the sidelines, next to the cheerleaders. It gave Dina the perfect view of her boyfriend, and Ricky the perfect view of me. I swore he nearly snapped his neck in two trying to look over at me any chance he got. Whenever we’d lock eyes, I would simply wave politely. Head in the game, Richard, I thought.

I knew Dina wasn’t crazy about football, so I found it odd how her leg bounced rapidly as she watched our team head straight for a touchdown. As the crowd erupted in screams and the cheerleaders stood from the bench, Dina grinned over at me as if I should care. That’s when I heard the cheer.

“Give me a Z!”

“Z!”

“Give me an I!”

“I!”

“Give me a P!”

“P!”

“What’s that spell?!”

Wait.

“ZIP!”

The cheerleaders skipped over to me, Dina helping me stand to my feet. I felt a pit form in my stomach when they stood before me in formation, ten of the football players standing behind them. My eyes widened as the girls in front of me began their dance and cheer.

“Ready! Okay! Homecoming’s approaching near, and there’s something you need to hear! Ricky here is all alone, he needs someone to call his own! There is just one girl in town, who fits the bill and wears the crown!”

That had to have been the worst cheer I’d ever heard. My eyes searched the field for any clues as to what the hell was happening, my head swimming as the football players each began holding up a card with a letter on it. Spelling out “homecoming”.

“Ricky is your Mister Right, we promise you he’ll make your night! Z! I! P!”

My heart dropped as I watched Ricky walk in front of the girls, wearing a nervous smile. “Will you go to homecoming with me?”

Fuck. No.

“Uh… Yeah.” I blinked, the entirety of the field and stands bursting in cheers. Dina clapped from behind me before pushing me closer to Ricky. He had a smile so big, I thought his face would split. Without a warning, he enveloped me in a hug, nearly lifting me off the ground. Eyes wide, I could only wrap my arms around him in hopes I didn’t fall over. His teammates were patting him on the back in congratulations, including Brad.

“Yes! The power couple is back!” Brad gently shook his friend’s shoulder. Ricky chuckled at his behavior, his eyes never leaving me, even as he set me back down.

“I promise, I’ll make your night, Zip.”

“Yeah… That’s what they said…” I tried a smile, but it fell almost instantly. I laughed a bit to play it off as being nervous. Hell, I was nervous. I was embarrassed! I can’t believe I hadn’t seen that coming, even Dina was acting off! Guiding me back to the bench, Ricky placed a soft kiss on the top of my head before heading back onto the field. I plopped down beside the beaming Dina, the girl vibrating in excitement.

“Oh, my god, (Y/N)! That was so cute!”

“Did you know?” My head snapped over to her. She nodded and gently shook my arm.

“Yes, I helped come up with the idea!”

Someone kill me. Please. Zeus, strike me down with all your might, I’m ready to leave this cruel existence behind me. That’s all I could think as the game resumed as normal. I tried not to make it obvious that I was completely repulsed with the idea of spending a night by Ricky’s side. I only rested my head in my hand as if I were watching the game, consumed with boredom. In reality, my mind was racing with every possibility of homecoming night. I could always ditch him? No, that’s rude as hell. But I didn’t even want to go with him! But they worked so hard on that cheer. Well, not really, anyone could have written that piece-of-shit-cheer-

My thoughts were interrupted when Dina stood and rushed towards the sidelines. I watched as Ricky ran onto the field to assist Brad, who had just been tackled too roughly. I hadn’t seen exactly what happened, but I guess he rolled his ankle really bad or something. As the coaches helped him up, he let out a curse. Once he was on his feet, well actually his foot, everyone began calling out to him in praise. And like the mindless drone I was, I lazily cheered for him, too.

After the game, Brad and Ricky treated Dina and I to a double date at some diner. I think I remember Dina mentioning that Sydney’s mom worked there. It was cozy and quiet, not many customers due to how late it was. I should’ve been relaxed, but when Ricky had his arm around me and tucked me into his side… I couldn’t help the feeling of bile in my throat. This wasn’t good. I shouldn’t be like this with him.

“Look at that,” Brad motioned towards the two of us, mouth full of fries. “America’s Power Couple. Back together again.”

“Yeah… good to be back…” Ricky happily smiled, squeezing me closer into his side.

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

“Ricky, are you gonna tell me what a covalent bond is or not?” I sighed as my boyfriend planted countless kisses across my jaw. I should’ve known he wouldn’t study if I came over. “Ricky, we need to study.”

“But you’re so smart, babe,” He chuckled. “You’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried about me.” I sighed as he moved his mouth to my neck. My body instinctively flinched away, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy sliding my chemistry textbook from my hands and carefully setting it on his floor beside our backpacks. Wrapping his arm around my waist, he gently laid us down on our sides so we faced each other. His dark brown eyes locked with my (e/c) ones, but his held a sort of fire.

“You wanna have sex?”

“U-Uh, what?” I stuttered. He shook his head the best he could with it being pressed against his bed. “Ricky, what?”

His hand slowly slid up my side and made its way under my shirt. I froze, whether in shock or panic, I wasn’t sure at the time. “Come on, babe… You know you want to…”

“I really don’t.” I firmly stated, pressing my palm against his chest to push him away, but he only grabbed me by the wrist, lifting my hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to my palm.

“Oh, but I think you do.” He rolled me onto my back. My heart rate increased as my voice rose.

“Ricky, seriously, stop!”

“You’re such a tease.”

“I’m not-”

The next thing I knew, his lips were latched onto mine, his tongue forcefully pushing its way into my mouth. I yelped and tried to shove him off of me, but Ricky was stronger than I was. I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes as his hand slid near my bra. My breathing was labored from my incoming panic attack, but that seemed to only encourage him. I did what my first thought told me and lifted my foot towards his groin and kicked him as hard as I could. He ripped himself away from me and gripped his wound, not prepared for the harsh push that would send him to the ground. Adrenaline coursing through my veins, I hopped off of his bed and grabbed my textbook, shoving it into my backpack.

“What the hell, (Y/N)?” Ricky slowly got to his feet, face painted in bewilderment. I gave him no explanation as I rushed out of his room. I had no car, I was scared to call anyone, so I decided to walk the whole way home. Once I was at the end of his street, I could hear his voice call out to me. “Where are you going?! (Y/N), get back here! Babe!”

But I paid him no mind. My arms made their way around my torso as my legs led me all the way to my aunt’s home. Everyone was eating dinner when I stormed inside. “(Y/N), you’re home early- Sweetheart?” I heard Aunt Pam call, but I only responded with the slam of my bedroom door. My back pressed against the door as I slowly slid down to my rear, burying my face into my hands. Quiet sobs filled my bedroom not too long afterwards, Jacob and Pam both attempting to pry what was wrong from me, but I refused to even respond to them. I was too in my head, too trapped in that moment.

The next day at school, I kept my head down, squeezing between everyone to get to classes early, to hide out in the bathrooms, but it was no use. When Ricky wanted to see me, he was going to see me. Just when I thought I was safe, he hugged me from behind. I stiffened immediately. “You didn’t text back.” He whispered into my neck. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I croaked out,

“S-Sorry…”

“It’s okay… I was just worried about you,” He turned me in his arms to face him. “Don’t just leave like that again.”

“Y-Yeah, sorry…” My eyes trailed away to see Stan, watching our interaction intently from his locker. “I’m sorry.”

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

“Yeah… It’s good to be back…” I took the kiss to my cheek without protest.

—————————————

Taglist: @melinda-hargreeves @sapphicsyn @stqnley @lonely-kermit @give-the-boy-a-hug

#i am not okay with this #ianowt #stanley barber #stanley barber x reader #wyatt oleff #wyatt oleff x reader #i am not okay with this x reader #ianowt fanfic #ianowt x reader #ianowt stanley barber #forever and never

[just-jordie-things]

All I Need My Baby (And A Cigarette) - Stanley Barber

word count: 12,795 warnings: swearing summary: (y/n) (y/l/n) and Stanley Barber may be neighbors, but they haven’t been friends since they were children.  Stan plans on changing that, even if (y/n) is a bit more of a popular girl now.  He’s pretty convincing though... and charming... + based (very loosely) on this song ___

[ i never read ya ]

“Hey, sunshine!”

When (y/n) answered the phone, she wasn’t expecting such a delighted voice on the other end.  She honestly thought that it was going to be Dina, calling her to invite her over, maybe even to go dress shopping, since homecoming was just a week away.  

But of course it wasn’t Dina.  Dina was busy.  With Brad.

“Stanley?” She asked, confused to have heard his voice.  “How’d you even get my number?”

Stanley Barber was… well, he was a strange guy.  They lived on the same street, with Sydney Novak’s house just a block away from his.  Because of their proximity, she’d known him her whole life.  

When they were kids, they’d walk to school together.  She supposed their parents didn’t want them walking by themselves at such a young age.  When they were in middle school, they had a few classes together, and more often than not, would partner up.  Since they were both outcasts, it was easier than trying to find someone who wanted to work with them.  She found a certain comfort in having Stan around and always willing to work with her.

And now, in high school, he made it a point to say hi to her on her walk home from school.  Sometimes he’d even walk with her, usually telling her about his weird day, sometimes giving her a record to listen to.  But she wasn’t the same person that she was when they were kids.  She had grown up a lot, matured.  And with that came a natural beauty that the people at school flocked to.  With beauty comes popularity, and so he didn’t see her around as much.  

They were friends, kind of.  They were friendly acquaintances.

But not close enough for him to be calling her.

“Syd gave it to me,” He answered.  “You want to come over?”

“What?” She asks, like she didn’t understand the question.

She finally sits up from bed, since she’d been laying there since she got home from school.  Pulling the cord on her phone with her, she looked over at the clock.  8:15.

“It’s kinda late” She says, like that’s the only reason stopping her from going over to his house right now.  They got along, but they didn’t hang out together, and she’s certainly never been over to his house.

“So?” He replied.  “It’s the perfect time of night for a drive”

“A drive?” She asks.  “You don’t have any other friends to ask?”

“If I wanted to ask someone else, why would I ask you?”

“That doesn’t make sense” (y/n) sighed, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes.

“You want to hang out or not?” He asked.

She mulled it over for a minute, weighing her options.  It was either stay in bed the rest of the night, or go hang out with an almost total stranger.

“Alright,” She sighed, kicking off her blankets.  “I’ll be there in a few minutes”

“Great!” He replied, before hanging up the phone.

As she got up to go, she wondered if she should change, since she’d worn these clothes all day and then came home and slept in them.  But it was just Stanley, who cared if Stanley thought she looked like a hobo in her messed up sweater and jeans.

So with that, she pulled on her shoes and headed out the door.

It was pretty chilly for september, so she walked quickly to Stan’s house.  And when she arrived, he opened the door before she could even knock.

He looked neat and disheveled all at once.  In a tee shirt and bright yellow cardigan, paired with trousers, and… bare feet.  She couldn’t decide what was more odd, his lack of shoes or the sunglasses on his head even though the sun had already set.  She gave him a confused once over, but he spoke before she could.

“Ready?” He asked, an excited grin on his face.

“I guess” (y/n) shrugged back.

He nods, walking outside and shutting the door behind him.

“I know a really great place to smoke, if you want.  If you smoke, I don’t wanna like, peer pressure you, or anything” He suggested as they walked up to his car.

“You’re not going to wear shoes?” (y/n) asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Nah, who needs em” Was all he said, before opening the passenger door for her.

(y/n) thanks him quietly as she gets in.

His car smells like pot, and somehow, fruit.  Something citrusy that she can’t quite place.  It’s a strange combination, but something about it was all the more perfect for his car.

Stan gets into the driver's seat, and starts the car with an eager bounce.  (y/n) can’t help but chuckle a bit.

Stanley Barber was one odd duck.

“So have you thought about uh, you know, homecoming?” He asked, drumming his thumbs on the wheel.

“Homecoming?” (y/n) repeats softly.  “No, why?”

“Just wondering,” Stan replied with a shake of his head.  “You know, cause some people are already asking dates, and stuff”

“It’s kinda far out” She mumbles, eyes casting out the window.

“Well, you know, a week,” Stan responds.  “But yeah, it’s so weird that it’s our last one”

“I’m pretty relieved.  Dances aren’t really my thing”

“I guess its your last chance to make it your thing,” He says.  “If you wanted to”

(y/n) looks over to him curiously, and for a second she thinks that he’s asking her to homecoming, before she realizes that it’s a dumb thing to assume, and she shakes her head.

“I don’t want to” She answers.

She wonders if this is enjoyable for him.  Sitting in near silence with her, and only getting short answers.  Sure, she knows she could be more talkative, if she wants to.  But she didn’t understand why he wanted to hang out with her of all people.

Finally he parks the car, and she looks up to see that they’re parked under an overpass, in front of a large graffitied painting reading Brownsville on the cement wall.  Her brows furrow as she gets out of the car and follows him up to the wall.

��Why here?” She asks, and Stan hoists himself up on the ledge.

She mimics him, sitting next to him while he fumbles through his pockets.  She just watches him, a curious glint in her eye.  But it felt the longer she spent trying to figure him out, the harder it was.  Like his personality was changing every five minutes.

He pulled out a case, and popped it open to reveal to her a couple of blunts, and a lighter.

“You smoke often?”

“No,” She hums in response, taking the blunt and lighter when he offers them to her.  “Not in a year, actually.  I kinda… uh… stopped”

She puts the blunt to her mouth and flicks the lighter, before taking in a deep breath, inhaling for as long as she could hold it.  She handed them back to him, before letting out a slow exhale, and watching the smoke dissipate into the air.

“And here I am pressuring you into smoking again?” He asked, taking a quick puff.

“It’s not like that,” She said quietly, shaking her head.  “I just um… never really felt like it anymore,” She continued.  “And I think that once I realized I was on my own I didn’t want to risk um… feeling worse, you know? Like I didn’t want those feelings amplified,”

Stanley nods, but he doesn’t comment.  That was the most she’d said to him all day, and it felt… heavy.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“We should hang out more often,” He says before she could regret opening up.  “I don’t know why we haven’t before”

She looks over at him, taking the blunt when he offers it to her.  Her brows are knitted together, but there’s an awkward smile on her face, like she was trying to conceal it but it slipped out anyways.  

“Because we’re strangers” She answered, looking down at the half-smoked blunt in her fingers, before taking another hit.

“We’re neighbors” Stanley said, like it was supposed to change everything, and make them friends.

“Not really,” (y/n) shrugged.  “I’m a couple houses down from you”

“So?” He replied.  “We grew up together, we walked to school together.  In the movies we’d be, like, best friends by now.  Probably even dating”

Her head jerks around, a wild and confused look in her eye as she tried and failed to hold back a laugh.

“Dating?” She repeats.  “You and I? Did you not hear the part about us being strangers?”

Stan chuckles, and takes the last hit of the blunt.

“I’m just saying” He says nonchalantly.

“You could be an axe murderer” Her voice is softer than it should be, and she’s suddenly too shy to look at him.

They sit in silence for a moment, both gazing out at the dark town, trying to find the stars in the cloudy sky.  It feels like it should be a beautiful night, but it isn’t.  It’s cold and foggy.  It’s ugly.

“But you came out with me anyways” Stanley speaks up, far too delayed.

(y/n) looks at him again, a smile tugging on her lips, betraying her.  She doesn’t look away this time, she just keeps smiling at him.

They walk around town for a while, even though everywhere is closed, and after smoking another blunt they’re a bit too faded to do anything anyways.  So they just talk, and enjoy the silence when it would settle between them.

“What’s your favorite band?” Stan asks, while (y/n) is balancing herself on the curb of the sidewalk.

Her arms are outstretched as she takes each step, wobbling a bit more than she would have had she been sober.

“I don’t know, it changes a lot,” She answers.  “Maybe Tame Impala.  Or Cage The Elephant”

“Good answers,” Stan says, while he’s skipping between walking on the curb with you and walking on the street.  “Now you get to ask a question”

“Alright…” She muses, letting her mind wander to a good thing to ask him.

She knows she could string together any words and he would be eager to answer, but she racks her brain for a good idea anyways.

“Will you move when you’re older?” She asks him.

He’s walking in the street now, but he’s so tall that when she turns to look at him she’s barely looking down.

“Like, out of Brownsville?” He asks, and she nods.  “Well ideally, of course.  Wouldn’t you?”

She nods, but something about the way her eyes softened lead him to believe that she wasn’t so sure.

“There’s not a whole lot of opportunity here, don’t you think?” Stan says, “I mean, what are your options for a career? Working at the school? Or waitressing? That’s not a life for me.  I’d be a terrible waitress”

“You’d be a waiter, Stan” She says, but he dismisses the idea.

“No way, I’m moving outta here first chance I get”

“Do you know where you’re going to college?” She murmurs, but he ignores that too.

“It’s my turn for a question, don’t break the rules,” He chided playfully.  “What’re you doing tomorrow?”

“That’s your question?” She giggles, still the tiniest bit high.

“You have to answer it, it’s the rules”

“Yeah yeah,” She shakes her head.  “Maybe going to Ricky Berry’s party, I don’t know”

“Really? You?”

“Doesn’t that count as a question-?”

“You just don’t seem like the party type,” He says before she can scold him for breaking his own rules.  “Since you have a thing against fun”

“What? I don’t have anything against fun-” Again, he doesn’t let her finish.

“You do too,” He argues.  “You hate homecoming, you didn’t want to hang out tonight, you’re a funsucker”

(y/n) laughs, and shoves at his shoulder, effectively losing her own balance and stumbling to walk in the street by his side now.  Neither of them say anything as their arms swing against each other from their close proximity.

“I am not,” She mutters.  “I just don’t have… friends”

“What? Yes you do”

“No I don’t” She replies with a bitter laugh.

“You have more friends than me,” Stan says.  “Aren’t you buddies with Dina? You’re a popular girl you know”

“Me?” She laughs again, shaking her head wildly.  “No, no I’m not,”

She wishes she’d brought a jacket, had she known they’d be walking around town in this weather then she would have.  But she settles for wrapping her arms around herself to preserve warmth.

“And I’m not really Dina’s friend anymore” She adds in a softer voice.

“Oh” Is all Stan can think to say.  He doesn’t know how to ask her what happened without making it awkward, so he doesn’t.

It’s quiet again as they head back to his car, but not totally uncomfortable.  She’s getting used to being in silence with Stan, and finds that it’s nicer than being in silence at home alone.

“Are your parents gonna be upset that you were kept out late by a possible axe murderer?” He asks when they get in the car.

“No,” She says with a small giggle.  “They’re out of town on a joint business trip”

“Oh, cool” He says, nodding his head.

“They have been for the past week,” (y/n) adds.

Oh.

“Sometimes I wonder if sometime they’ll go and just… not come back”

Oh.

“You could move in with me” Stan suggests, without really thinking.  He wants to blame it on the pot, but his high wore off twenty minutes ago.

She turns to him, that same confused look on her face that she kept giving him earlier.  The words linger in her mind for a minute before she lets out a soft laugh, and shakes her head.

“You’re so strange, Stanley Barber” She muses

[ you said i’m different, i’m difficult ]

Ricky Berry was not a friend of (y/n’s), although more often than not he did seem to think he was.  Like right now, approaching her in the living room, offering her a bottle of beer.

“No, thanks” She says, pushing the bottle away.

“Since when do you not drink?” He asks with a smirk, the kind that makes her want to slap him until it goes away.

Her brows furrow and she clenches her jaw.

“I’m not in the mood” She forces out between her teeth.

Ricky puts his hands up as though he’s surrendering, and this only deepens her newfound hatred for the boy.  She didn’t hate him before, she just didn’t like him and his rich-kid bullshit personna.  And she didn’t like the way he treated her like there was something between them, like they’d ever been friends.  They were hardly acquaintances.  She couldn’t tell you a damn thing about him besides that he was on the football team, and she only knew that because of the way he paraded around town in his dumb letterman’s jacket.

He chuckles, drawing her back to reality from the dark thoughts currently swimming in her mind.  Like what it would feel like to break her hand punching him in the face.

“Are you enjoying the party?” He asked her, and before she could even answer he spoke up again.  “Did you come alone?”

Her eyes narrow on his figure for a moment, before she regained control of her disgust.

“I was having a fine time,” She lies.  “And no, I didn’t” She lies again.

“You brought a date?” Ricky asks with a chuckle, like he doesn’t believe her.

And he doesn’t believe her, because as beautiful as the enigma that was (y/n) (y/l/n) was, she was unattainable, and he knew that better than anyone else.  She was an anti-social rose.  Pretty, but didn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone.

“Maybe,” She answers bluntly, quirking a brow at him.  “What’s it to you?”

Ricky mistakes her irritation for flirtation, and makes the poor choice of grinning down at her, and taking a bold step forward.  Without hesitation, she steps back, putting the foot of space between them again.

“Well, had I known you were finally looking for someone to bring you to these sorts of events, you know, as sort of a… boyfriend figure… I would have applied for the position”

She knows he’s trying to be suave, but she can’t help the bubbling laughter that almost erupts from her chest.  She’s lucky to have contained it shaking her head and looking away from him.  She can’t believe he’s this much of a tool, it’s almost too amusing.

As she looks away from him, her eyes catch another figure, and her mood lifts instantly.

Stanley’s standing in the middle of the living room, wearing the cutest baby blue suit she’s ever seen.  He looks very out of place, and a bit lost, but when his eyes meet hers, he seems to relax, and he gives her a welcoming grin.

“- and anyways, I think I’d be an excellent choice for you, (y/n).  I mean, let's be real, you’re royalty, I’m royalty, and we’re a perfect match.  I could treat you like a princess, you know-”

“Gotta go,” (y/n) says, holding a hand up to Ricky’s face to silence him, already turning to head away from him.  “Oh, also, your application has been rejected, so sorry,” She tells him with a giggle that she just couldn’t hold back.  “You just weren’t a good fit”

She’s still laughing as she wanders off towards Stan, who seems puzzled by her laughter, but he’s just glad she approached him.

“Wow…” She says, looking him up and down.  “Look at you”

“It’s nice, right?” He asks, smoothing his hands over the lapels of the jacket.

(y/n) nods, raising her eyebrows and grinning as she looks back up at him.

“So, what’re you doing here?” She asks him.  “I didn’t peg you as the party type either”

“I’m not any type,” Stan shrugs.  “I just felt like getting out of the house, and here is better than sitting at the overpass by myself”

“You want to snag a couple drinks and get out of here?” She asks, and the shock on his face makes her laugh, and quickly shake her head.  “Not like that, dork,” She says, “Let’s just take this party somewhere else, it’s not my scene”

“It-it’s not my scene either” He agrees, and she grins.

He likes this side of (y/n).  The bubbly side, where she smiles and laughs and isn’t so afraid to talk to him like she had been before.

As he followed behind her to the kitchen so they could steal a couple bottles of anything they could get their hands on, he couldn’t help but look her over.

She’d swapped out her sweater and mom-jeans for a black sheer long sleeved button down, and much skinnier jeans.  He had to force himself to look away before studying the shirt enough to see her skin beneath it.  Not that it was hard, it was a very light and see-through material.

He wondered for a minute if she wore it to be looked at, and then his mind wandered off to the image of her and Ricky talking a few minutes ago, and how close they were standing.

“Are you and Ricky like… a thing?” He asked.

Her head popped up from where she’d gone digging through the fridge.

“What?” She asks, exasperated from a question that shouldn’t have been difficult.  “No, gross” Her brows furrow and her lips curl into a slight snarl, and Stan feels relief spread through him that she looks so disgusted by the idea.

She hands him two bottles, and snags two of her own, and then points towards the back door so they could sneak out easily.

“Do you know any other good hiding places?” She asks, pushing her hair back behind her ears when the breeze whips it in her face.

“I know lots of great hiding places,” He responds.  “But I think I have the best idea for a new one”

“Great” (y/n) grins, and they get into his car to drive off to another mystery place.

It’s chilly, but she rolls the window down, and leans her head out of it to enjoy the night.  The clouds from last night had disappeared, revealing the stars, and she grins as her eyes count them.  It’s useless, but it passes the time, because Stan’s been driving for a while.

He keeps casting glances over at her, letting his mind wander to all the beautiful things about her he’s never really noticed before.  Sure, she was gorgeous, that was common knowledge.  You only needed eyes to know that.

He hadn’t gotten to see her in the moonlight last night, and he sure is glad that he can now.  Her eyelashes cast shadows over her cheekbones, which, in this lighting, are even more defined and frame her whole face like she’s the subject of a painting.

He thinks she should be the subject of a painting.

Her hair flies around from the wind, but she’s given up on holding it back, and just let’s it do whatever it wants.  Every few minutes her eyes would close contently, and he wondered what thoughts she was getting lost in, but he didn’t ask, he lets them be private.

When he finally stops the car, (y/n) looks out to see where he’s taken them.

“The water tower?” She asks, helping him with the beer.

“Yep” He replies with a proud grin, and heads up to it.

As she watches him go, her eyes catch to where he’s heading to, and she jogs to catch up to his side.

“We’re going up there?” She asks when he steps onto the first rung of the ladder.

Her eyes wander up to it’s height, and she feels dizzy just looking at the ledge that the ladder leads to.

“You’re not scared of heights, are you?” He asks her, putting a beer bottle in each of his pockets.

“No,” She answers him quickly.  “I just… don’t want to climb a hundred feet on a fifty year old ladder” She adds in a weaker voice.

“Do you want to go first?” He asks, stepping off the ladder and gesturing for her to go ahead.

“What, am I supposed to believe you’ll catch me if I fall?” She asks in a bored tone.

“At least I could break your fall” Stan shrugs, and she laughs nervously.

With one more glance up to the top, she lets out a shaky sigh, and nods her head.

“Okay” She mumbles.

She tucks the bottle of beer in her jeans, neck first.  They hit her stomach awkwardly with every bar she climbs, but there’s no way she’s getting up there and not drinking.

“You’re doing great!” Stan calls from a few feet below her.

“Please don’t encourage me” She says, and keeps up the motion of climbing as best she can.

She doesn’t want to look down, or outwards.  She doesn’t want to look up either, but that’s better than seeing how far from the ground she is.  It takes quite a while to get to the top, and when she grabs the last bar, she lets out a cheer, and quickly scrambles onto the ledge.

There’s about three feet of metal landing that sticks out from the water tower itself, and much to her relief it’s surrounded by a barred gate.  She’s quick to sit down, taking the bottles out of her jeans and placing them beside her, while he wraps her arms over the bar.

Stan sits beside her not long after, cracking open one of his drinks and smiling widely at her.  She opens one of her beers as well, and clinks her bottle against his while he’s drinking from it.

“I can’t believe you got me to come up here” She sighs, swinging her legs around comfortably.

“It didn’t take that much convincing,” He told her.  “Give yourself some credit, you came up here on your own choice”

He smiles at her like he’s proud of her, and makes a blush dust along her cheeks.

“You’re right, that was really brave of me,” She said, only partially teasing.  “But I wouldn’t have come up here if it wasn’t for the company,” She tells him sweetly.  “So thanks, Stan”

She touches her bottle to his again as though to cheers to him.

“Right back at you” He says, trying to be slick, but he’s getting nervous and his voice is softer than he intends it to be.

It’s quiet, and (y/n) leans forward to rest her chin on top of her arms, still holding onto the bar.  She’s enjoying the view, the peace and quiet.  This is the perfect hiding spot.

“The height doesn’t seem so bad once you’re up here,” She murmurs, and Stan hums in agreement.  “I feel like it works that way with everything.  Things aren’t so bad once you get through them, you know?” She’s thinking aloud, not looking for a response, or even an acknowledgement of her letting her thoughts run free.  “I hope it’s like that with this Dina thing.  Like once I move on and tell myself I’m enough for me, it’ll be easier,”

She looks over to Stan now, but his eyes are trained upwards, scanning over the stars.  She smiles at him, even though he doesn’t see.

“And I think it’ll be easier now that I’ve met you,”

He looks at her once she says that, his cheeks pink, and his brown eyes rounded with curiosity and hope at her gentle words.  They remind her of a doe’s eyes, if only for a moment.

“I’m glad I met you,” She hums.  “Like, really met you.  I’m sorry I didn’t get to know you sooner”

“It only would’ve made you run away sooner” He jokes, a short laugh falling from his lips, but he can’t laugh too much because she just said the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to him and his heart is swelling up like a balloon in his chest.

She giggles with him, but shakes her head.

“Nah, I wouldn’t have,” She says, and then takes a long drink of her beer.  “You have too many good hiding places in plain daylight to run away.  Hiding right in front of people is what I’ve been dying for, you know”

“Like Ricky?” He asks before thinking.

The soft smile on her face falls, but she clears her throat and tries her best to neutralize her expression.  But she tries too hard, and Stan notices.

“Yeah,” She mumbles.  “But I guess from everyone now,”

She looks away from him, gazing with a heartbreaking fondness out at the sleeping town before her.  From the thick land of trees they’d driven through to get here, to the dimly lit houses, the old buildings.  She always thought Brownsville looked like the generic sort of town you could slap onto a postcard and say it was from anywhere in the midwest.

“I used to be able to be myself with Dina,” She said, almost out of nowhere.  “She was my best friend, it’s what she’s there for right?” She asks with a bitter chuckle.  “And then Brad asks her out and… steals her away from me”

(y/n) leans forward to rest her head on her arms again.

“That’s… bullshit,” Stan says.  “Sorry, that’s probably not what you want to hear”

“No, you’re right,” The girl whispers.  “It is bullshit.  Because we promised we wouldn’t change for each other, but now… now she’s popular and going to football games and pep rallies and- and that’s just not me.  I don’t know if it's her either… maybe it is now, I don’t know… I’m sorry, I don’t mean to vent-”

“It’s fine,” Stan says quickly.  “You can vent as much as you want.  It’s just us up here, might as well get it out of your system, right?”

She grins over at him, and raises her glass before finishing it off.

“Anything you have to vent about, then, Stanley Barber?” She questions.

“Nope,” He shrugs after thinking about it for a minute.  “For the first time in a while, I actually kind of like my life.  I like that my dad’s gone 25 days out of the month, I like getting to know you, I feel good”

Her grin only widens at the compliment, and she’s blushing again but she’s not as embarrassed by it this time.

They opened up their second bottles, and clicked them together as the last toast for the night.

“To liking life,” (y/n) muses.  “And to us, of course” She adds.

“Cheers,” Stan nods before they both take a drink.  “So here’s my first question of the night”

“Shoot”

“What’s Ricky Berry want with you, anyway?” He asks.  “Like… is he actually into you or are you a conquest- oh my god, I take that back, I don’t mean it like-”

His nervous ramblings stop when (y/n) begins to giggle, almost choking on her drink.

“No, no, you’re good, I don’t take offense,” She assures him.  “Ricky Berry is… well, besides a tool, he’s a character, in the book of my life,”

The drinks are starting to get to her, just a little bit.

“He’s the guy that tries and tries and tries, and he grows and learns from his mistakes, learns what I don’t want to hear and what’s not working, but somehow, he just finds ways to make new mistakes.  Not once has he asked me out in a coherent- or even normal- manner.  It’s always some line, or some dumb look that he tries”

“How long has this been going on?” Stan asks, his brows furrowed a bit.  

The idea of Ricky ‘Icky’ Berry asking (y/n) out repeatedly pisses him off.

“Nuh uh, it’s my turn for a question,” (y/n) murmurs, drinking as she thought.  “Oh, I know.  What’s your favorite memory?”

“Easy.  When mom was around and she’d make blueberry pancakes before school,” He says, maybe too fast.  “It sounds sad, but… no one could make them like her”

She gives him a warm smile, and reaches out to set her hand over top of his from where it was lying at his side.

“It’s not sad.  It’s sweet.  That’s a really good favorite memory”

He nods, reminiscing in the pleasant image in his head.

“Your turn now,” He says abruptly, not wanting to get lost in his own thoughts.  “How long has Ricky been chasing you around?”

“Oh, I don’t know, two years now, maybe?” She muses.  “I try not to pay him too much mind.  It’s not so important to me”

“Yeah, but… it’s kinda gross that he’s so persistent” Stan says with a cringe.

“You think so?” (y/n) asks.  “I mean, it’s annoying, but it’s never been, like, aggressive, or anything”

“Don’t you think it's the constant hitting on you that makes it aggressive though?” Stan asks.  “I mean, he knows you’re not interested, he should… um… stop” His voice gets quieter towards the end of his sentence, and he’s worried he’s crossed a line, since (y/n’s) gone silent.

“I guess so,” She finally whispers after a long moment.  “I never really thought of it like that”

She takes a few drinks of her beer before setting it down, and moving on to her own question.

“Do you and your dad not get along?”

“Nope,” He answers with a bark of a laugh.  “We never have.  Sometimes I think when I was born he changed his mind on having a baby, and held it against me personally.  But it’s okay.  I resent him too and I barely have to see him.  So.  Win-win”

She wants to be sad for him, because it’s unfortunate that Stan doesn’t get along with the only parent he has left.  But he just seems so… happy.  And she can tell he’s come to terms with it.  So instead she puts on a happy face, because she’s happy for him that he’s made his peace.  

She’d like to make her peace with her parents some day.

“Your turn” She murmurs.

“Alright.  What’s your deepest, darkest secret, (y/n) (y/l/n)?”

She raises her brows at the bold question, and the use of her full name, but she thinks it over carefully.

“And no lying!” He hastily adds.  “That’s not in spirit of the game”

“My deepest darkest secret…”

There’s lots of secrets she could share.  Secrets of her own, secrets of her parents, the few friends she had, hell, her whole life had been keeping secrets.  But now that Stan was asking for one, she didn’t know what to say.

“I used to dream about running away,” She settles.  “It probably started when I turned seven, that’s when my parents started talking about having another baby, to feel satisfied again.  I was pretty young to feel so…”

She blanks on the word she’s looking for, and Stan’s nervous to hear what it was.

“...worthless,” She finishes in a murmur.  “So I would walk up to the bus stops in town, memorize their schedules, just in case I ever needed to make a quick break.  And as I got older I… entertained the idea a little more.  Leaving earlier for school, just to walk long, new paths, ones I could use someday to skip town without anyone knowing.  And when I would walk home I would stall, wander more new places, anything to keep me from seeing them so soon,”

She smiles to herself, remembering the little adventures through Brownsville she would take when she was younger.

“One time after school, I walked around town until six o’clock,” She told him.  “When I got home, I told my mom I was with a teacher and had to stay late,” She licked her lips as her eyes met his, a small, watery smile on her lips.  “She checked the time, she hadn’t realized I was home so late- three hours late,” She whispered.  “I was ten”

“Jesus Christ,” Stan muttered.

His hand twitched under hers.  He wants to hold her hand, properly, fingers intertwined, but he was nervous she’d pull away from him if he made the move.

“Why didn’t you run away?”

“That’s a good question,” She says with a bittersweet laugh.  “I don’t know.  I certainly wanted to… hell, maybe I still do,”

She glances at him again, before whispering.

“I don’t know, maybe I’ll stay a little longer”

He smiles back at her, and he can’t help but let his eyes wander the features of her face.

“So,” (y/n) lets out a short sigh, before asking, “What’s your deepest darkest secret, then?”

“Don’t laugh,” Stan groans.  “And compared to yours, this is lame as fuck.  But… I have bacne”

(y/n) raises a brow, and she does have to hold back a laugh because she can’t believe that’s all he’s got.

“What?”

“Yeah”

“Like…”

“Like zits on my back and shit, yeah.  It sucks.  It’s the worst thing I’ve ever gone through, and that’s saying something, (y/n),” She giggles at his dramatic tone, covering her mouth with the hand that wasn’t laid over his.  “Yeah, yeah.  Laugh it up.  There’s no cure, I’ve done everything possible.  I just have to hope adulthood fixes me”

She’s still laughing, to the point where when it finally dies down, she has to take deep breaths.

He watches her shoulders rise and fall in sync with her chest, and how her fingers reach to her eyes to wipe away the tears that had welled in them from laughing so hard.  And still, he thinks she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

She pushes her hair behind her ears, and turns to him once she’s calmed down, only to find his eyes are already focused on her.

“What?” She murmurs, a hint of a smile tugging on the corner of her lips.

“I… uh… I have my next question” He says, eyes flickering between hers, and the grond far, far below them.

“Go for it” (y/n) grins, eager to hear what strange thing he’s come up with this time.

“Will you, um, if you want, would you want to maybe, um, go to homecoming?” He asks, and it’s choppy, but he lets out a short breath of relief for just getting it out in the right words.  “With me?” He adds as an afterthought.

The smile on her face slowly falls, and despite her heart beating profoundly in her chest, she lifts her hand away from his.

He regrets it.  He wants to take it back but he knows he can’t, not without humiliating himself any further.  He wishes that he could pinch himself and wake up in bed, and find that tonight was just some wild dream meant to lift and then crush his spirits.

It wasn’t a dream, but his spirits were still very crushed.

“Stan…” She whispers, and he prepares himself for the blow.

I don’t like you like that.  You’re just a friend.  Why’d you have to make this weird?

No matter what she ended up saying, it would hurt the same.

“It’s fine, I get it” He shakes his head, not even wanting to hear her excuse.

“You shouldn’t… it’s just…” (y/n) sighs, and closes her eyes while trying to find the right words.  “You just shouldn’t get involved with me, that’s all,” She whispers so softly that it’s a faint mumble to his ears.  “It’s complicated… I’m complicated”

You aren’t, he thinks, but he doesn’t dare say it.

“It’s really fine.  I know it’s not your thing” He says, just wishing she’d stop trying to make him feel better.

“Yeah,” She mumbles.  “You should go with someone that wants to go and- and have a good time with you, you know?” She says.  “Someone that will actually dance and not just sit on the bleachers”

He looks over at her, forcing a smile on his face.

“And here I thought that you weren’t as much of a funsucker tonight,” He teases, making her smile too.  “You really sit during dances?”

“The one that I went to, yes,” She laughs quietly.  “It’s really not my thing,”

It’s comfortable between them again, which they’re both incredibly grateful for.  But Stanley’s hopes are still ruined.  He’d really thought she’d say yes, he had prepared earlier tonight, and even knowing that she had a thing against homecoming he’d thought that maybe he could be her exception.  Apparently not.

She throws back the rest of her beer, hoping that the tension that she’s now created between them will go away on it’s own.  It wasn’t Stanley’s fault, she knew it was her own for turning him down like that.  

And truth was, a part of her did want to go to the dance with him.  It actually sounded… nice.  But the other part of her, the sensible part, reminded her of what she was getting into.  She knew that she wasn’t the easiest person to be around, she would go out and have fun every once in a while, but eventually she’d hole herself back up in her room and be antisocial for weeks on end.  Not to mention how bad it would get once her parents came back.  Reflecting on herself, all she saw was drama, and problems.  It wasn’t fair to Stan for her to involve him in her messy life.

“I have a question for you” She speaks after a few minutes of them drinking in quiet.

“I have an answer” He responds.

“How do you think I’m supposed to get down from here?”

Stan begins to laugh, and she lets out a few nervous giggles with him, but ultimately stares him down for an answer.

“I’m serious,” She said.  “There’s no way in hell I’m climbing down that ladder”

Her eyes were wide and her brows were raised, waiting for him to give her some alternative solution to getting back down to earth.  Which didn’t involve jumping, or the ladder.

“Oh shit, for real?” ___

[ you said i’m missing you ]

Over the next three days, (y/n) made it a point to see Stanley more often.  In the halls she’d say hi, and if she had time to kill she’d walk with him to class and talk about all the random things he likes to talk about.

They hung out a few times in the library, and she started sitting with him at lunch too.  It earned her a few looks, but no one said anything about it.  Not that she cared, she enjoyed Stan’s company, and she wanted to seek it out more.

So on Wednesday night, instead of going to bed early, she decided instead to walk down to the bowling alley.  She’d heard him complain enough about working there to remember, and thought it would be nice to surprise him.

She was surprised that the doors weren’t locked when she got there, since it closes at nine on weeknights, and it was nearing ten o’clock now.  She could tell Stanley was surprised when she walked in, too.

“We’re closed- oh, hey” He smiled when he realized it was only her.

“I think part of the ‘locking up’ duties is actually locking up” She teases him as she wanders inside.

She’d never actually been to the bowling alley.  To be there you either had to have been invited to a birthday party when you were a kid, or have friends and family to go with.  She had neither.

When she takes a seat at the alley Stan’s currently cleaning up, it’s then that she notices the black and blue shiner on his eye.  It’s a little faint, sure to disappear in a day or two, but once it catches her eye she can’t hold back the gasp.

“Oh my god, Stan, what happened?” She asked, already flying up from her seat to get a closer look.

He seems confused by what she’s asking for a moment, and then turns his head away before she can study it too hard.

“Nothing- it’s nothing, don’t worry about it” He tried dismissing it, picking up two of the bowling balls left behind.

(y/n) frowns as she watches him walk away to put them on the proper shelf.

“Stan,” She calls, her tone more demanding this time.  “What happened? Who did that?”

“It seriously doesn’t matter, (y/n),” He responds, and she can tell he’s getting annoyed, but she doesn’t really care.  “It doesn’t even hurt anymore”

Something about how his voice drops, and he can’t look at her while he busies himself with cleaning up, just gives her the answer.  It clicks in her head like a lightbulb moment, and she finds herself grabbing his wrist so he’d stop moving and actually look at her for a minute.

“Was it your dad?” She asks, voice barely rising above a murmur.

She knows she’s right, she can feel it.  She didn’t even know his father was back for the weekend, and it’s unexplainable who she assumed such a thing so quickly, but Stan’s sigh confirms her answer.

Her hand slips down from his wrist to grasp onto his, but he rips it away and walks back to the counter to continue cleaning.

“We don’t have to talk about it-”

“We’re not” He said before she could finish.

It’s not what she wants to hear, they both know that, but she doesn’t want to push him, so she doesn’t.

“Do you want any help cleaning up?” She offers instead, anything to ease his mind and help him out.

“I’m almost done,” He says while wiping down the front counter.  “Just gotta lock up before I go”

She nods, and it goes silent between them while she stands and watches him work.

It’s not a comfortable silence, like she’d gotten used to with him.  The air feels heavy, and she’s drowning herself in her own worries the longer she stands there.  Stan can’t bring himself to look at her, he’s too ashamed, too nervous, and he knows that her eyes are full of tears and her brow is furrowed in concern- he thinks he might cry if he looks at her like that for too long.

“Stan?” She says softly, and he casts a short glance towards her, before quickly staring back down at the counter he’s wiping.  “Could… could you drive me home?”

It’s a simple question, and she doesn’t necessarily need the ride.  The walk to the bowling alley was a short ten minutes, and she didn’t mind walking at all.  But she didn’t want to be alone, and more importantly, she didn’t want him to be alone.  A ride home wouldn’t be too bad, anyways.  She did live on his street.

“Yeah” He answers, just as quiet.

He finishes up cleaning, then motions for him to follow her out the door.

She walks close behind him, and waits patiently while he locks the front door.  The walk silently to his car.

It’s weird that music is playing while neither of them say anything.  She wants to turn it off, be in total silence.  But maybe the music makes it less awkward for him.

The drive is short, and before she knows it he’s pulled up outside of her house.

“Thank you” She whispers out, but she’s still sitting in the passenger’s seat, and has made no move to open the door and get out.

“No problem” He mumbles back, drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel while he waits.

She knows she has to either speak up or get out sooner than later, and it’s already been way too long to just sit here and do nothing.  So she takes a deep breath and goes for it.

“You know that you can… you could always um… come stay with me,” She says, eyes flickering over to his anxiously.  “If you wanted,” She added in a softer whisper.  “My parents are out of town till the end of the week… so… you could stay until he’s gone”

He gives her a short, weak smile in response, and nods his head.

“Thanks,” He says quietly.  “But uh… it’s fine.  He leaves me alone, I mean, he’s got it out of his system, so…”

(y/n) nods her head uncomfortably, looking down at her lap and fiddling with her fingers.

“Yeah, yeah that’s good,” She mumbles.  “I’ll see you at school”

She’s getting out of the car fast now, like she can’t do it fast enough, and Stan wants to kick himself as he watches her walk quickly into her house.

She was only trying to help, he thinks, before hitting his head down on top of the wheel and letting out a groan of frustration.

He’ll just have to make it up to her tomorrow. ___

[ they talkin’ now, just block em out ]

(y/n) doesn’t see Stan the next day at school.  Not in the halls, not even in the classes that she might have snuck around to peek into that she knew he had.  It was almost embarrassing, but she was worried about him.  With his dad still in town, and their awkward parting last night, she was starting to get uncomfortable.

She sat alone at lunch.  She could’ve sat with Dina, since Stanley was a no-show.  But she looked pretty busy with Brad and the rest of the football team and cheerleading squad.  And sitting alone was better than that.

She’d been picking around her plate for fifteen minutes now, and there was only another fifteen left in the lunch period.  A part of her wanted to ditch school, maybe swing by his place to see if he was home, but she didn’t want to come across as stalker-y or anything-

“Hey, sunshine,”

The girl almost jumped out of her seat, looking up to see the boy himself plopping down at the table across from her.

“Stanley-!”

“I brought you, uh, something,” He said, handing over a brown paper bag.  “It’s lunch”

There’s a smile on her face as she looks at it.  He’d doodled all over it, flowers and smiles and dorky little scribbles, around the bold lettering that read (y/n’s) Lunch.

“Why?” She asks while opening it up.

“Um, I feel uh.. I feel really bad about last night,” He said anxiously, his hands patting against the tabletop.  “So.. I made you lunch”

(y/n) giggles, pulling out a small tupperware container with a pre-peeled orange inside, and then a snack cake, and then a sandwich.

“What’s on this?” She asked, brows furrowing when he blushes.

“There’s actually three sandwiches in there,” He tells her.  “I didn’t know what you liked…”

She giggles as she looks over her lunch options, and shakes her head.

“Stan, you didn’t have to-”

“Yeah, I- I did,” He says, and (y/n) hands him one of the sandwiches.  “I’m really sorry, (y/n), I was just upset with my dad and I wish I hadn’t taken that out on you, you were only trying to help”

“It’s okay,” (y/n) assures, giving him a soft smile while enjoying her lunch.  “I understand.  It’s okay,” It’s quiet for a moment, before she adds, “Your eye is already looking better today”

He returns a weak smile, before nodding his head a little bit.

“Yeah.  Good thing too.  I don’t want to look stupid at homecoming”

With the cheesy grin that starts to appear on her face, he already knows what she’s going to say.

“I’m sure you’ll find another way to look stupid-“ She starts to tease him, but he’s not having it.

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” He says abruptly.

(y/n) shakes her head at him while she laughs, prying open the orange he’d brought for her.  She splits it in half and hands part of it to him.

“So I was thinking of asking Mercedes…” Stan says slowly, eyes trained on the orange.  He’s too nervous to look at (y/n).  “To homecoming”

Mercedes? She thinks.  The holier-than-thou boring girl on the cheerleading squad?

“She’s cute!” (y/n) says encouragingly, her lips tugging into a tight, and rather forced, smile.

“Yeah,” Stan mumbles, and shrugs his shoulders like he’s not so sure.  “She’s nice, I mean, we’re partners in Bio”

Wow.  What chemistry you have.  It takes a lot of effort for (y/n) not to roll her eyes.

“You should ask her” She tells him.  

But her voice is quiet, and she’s intent on peeling the white skin from the orange slices.  Anything to keep from making eye contact with him right now.

“You don’t mind?”

Her eyes shoot up to him at the question, features falling for just a moment before she carefully crafts them into a happier expression.

“I just don’t want to make it weird,” Stan says quickly, because he catches the flicker of a frown on her lips.  “You know… so I just wanted to let you know-“

“Not weird,” She rushes out, shaking her head as well.  “I don’t mind at all.  I told you that you deserve to go with someone you’ll have a good time with”

I don’t know how anyone could have a good time with Mercedes, though, she wants to say, but she keeps her lip zipped.

“Cool” Stanley says, and gives her a thumbs up.

There’s a brief second, maybe even half a second, where she wants to take it back.  Unfortunately, just as she opens her mouth, not knowing what she was going to say, Stan was getting up from the table, and wandering over to another.

No.

“Hey, Mercedes,”

Why do I have to listen to this.

“So I was wondering…”

(y/n) almost covers her hands over her ears.  But she’s frozen in her seat, trapped watching the scene unfold in front of her.  Stan was smiling, and sat down next to the girl as he spoke excitedly about homecoming, and that he’d like to take her.

(y/n) winced, and waited impatiently- maybe just as impatient as Stan- for Mercedes answer.

“Yeah, that sounds great!”

She looks so happy, and it just about tears (y/n’s) heart in two.

Stan looks even happier, and she feels like the biggest jerk on the planet.

And that’s saying something, since Brad Lewis is sitting just a few tables away from her.

She tries her best to block out the conversation that the new pair are having about plans.  He’s picking her up at 7:30, they’ll take a few pictures before heading out, and then he’ll drop her back off after the dance, around 10:00.

Stanley rejoins (y/n) at their lunch table a few minutes later, and she wills herself to give him a smile.

“Sounds like that went well” She says softly, and he grins back at her.

“Yeah, it did”

“Good,” She replies, popping an orange slice in her mouth.  “I’m glad”

They eat in silence for a little bit, and Stan starts to get the feeling that he’s upset her.  Even though it doesn’t make sense, since she’d turned him down, and prompted him to go ask Mercedes.  He doesn’t ask her about it, he’s smarter than that.  But he does wonder if it’s true.

“So what are you going to do that night?” He asks.

“Hm?”

“Friday night, what are you going to do instead?”

“Oh, you know, sit around, plotting against the patriarchy” She jokes, but it’s half-assed, and the laugh she lets out fades weakly back into silence.

“Well, if you change your mind, I could come pick you up”

She smiles, and almost agrees, but just as quickly shuts her mouth and shakes her head politely.

“No, no it’s your night, you should enjoy it with your date”

He wants to remind her that they’re friends, and that means a five minute drive is nothing to him, that he’d be happy to bring her along.  But the bell rings, and she’s quick to grab her bag and shoot off of her seat like a rocket.

“See you after school?” She asks, and Stan nods.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll meet you in the parking lot”

She agrees, and bolts out of the cafeteria without another word.

Stan’s certain that he’s messed up, but he doesn’t understand how, or how to even fix it. ___

[ if you’re over thinking i’ll get high with you // if you’re ever sinking i’ll go down with you ]

They’d only just arrived at the homecoming dance, and already, Stan had gotten himself ditched.

He supposed he shouldn’t have lit a joint in the car.  Apparently Mercedes had a thing against weed, and he hadn’t realized that anyone still gave a shit about it.  He probably shouldn’t have joked about it either.

Her reprimanding him and letting him know he’ll die a crack addict was her way of saying she wasn’t going to be his date tonight.  At least he assumed, because as soon as they walked into the school, she told him to leave her alone, and that she’d be spending the night with her friends.

So for the first twenty minutes of the dance, he found himself sitting on the bleachers.  It would be easier if there was at least one other person there, another loner, another reject that hadn’t gotten a date in time.  But no, he was the only one.  The only loner.

He pulled his sunglasses off his head and put them on.

He contemplated leaving, save himself from further embarrassment.  However he figured he’d be even more if he had to tell (y/n) that he ditched the dance early.

He supposed he could lie.  He wasn’t all that bad of a liar.  Still, (y/n) had a good bullshit detector.

Maybe he could leave now and visit her instead, see if she wants to do literally anything else.  People keep sending him looks, some pitiful, some humored, but both were the same amount of hurtful.

Just as he decided he was going to make a break for it, he froze completely, something in his line of sight stopping and vanquishing all thoughts about leaving- all thoughts about anything really.

(y/n) (y/l/n) was standing there, at the gym entrance, eyes scanning the area- Stan assumed looking for him- with a curious sort of smile on her face.

She hadn’t looked his way yet, so he didn’t mind openly staring at her while she stayed hidden in the doorway.  The dress and makeup she was wearing is what made her beautiful, but there was a different type of beauty to her that he hadn’t seen before.  Something soft and princess-like.

The pale pink dress she wore was simple and silky, and fell just a little past her fingertips, although she was nervously grasping at the material, curling her fingers in and out.

Her hair fell naturally, if not a little curled at it’s ends, and it looked incredibly soft, even from a distance.

Finally, her eyes land on his, and she seems to pause for a minute.  Perhaps to collect her thoughts, or deciding if this was still a good idea.  He can almost see the gears in her head turning.

But a moment later she’s walking up to him, a shy smile on her lips as she tucks her hands behind her back to stop herself from fiddling with her skirt.  She doesn’t want him to see how nervous she is, and she hasn’t realized that he’s been watching her for the better part of a solid minute, so he already knows.

“What are you doing here?” Stan asks, pushing his glasses back on top of his mess of curls once she’s standing in front of him.

“I… um…” She glances around the gym, taking in the balloons, the streamers, the horribly mainstream music playing.  “I changed my mind”

She looks back at him, more bashful than he’s ever seen her before.  In the last week that he’s gotten to know her, he’s noticed that she doesn’t get shy.  She doesn’t blush, and she doesn’t fidget.

The (y/n) before him was a completely different girl.

“No shit,” He responds, a smirk on his face.  “Why?”’

She looks down at her shoes- an old pair of white heels that she once bought at a second-hand store, Dina had told her she’d need them some day, and apparently she was right- and gave a limp shrug of her shoulders.

And then she reaches her hand out to him, waiting patiently for him to stand and take it.

“Come on,” She murmurs.  “I told you that you deserve someone who will dance with you, and not sit on the bleachers”

He chuckles, but his heart is racing in his chest as he extends his hand, gently grasping onto hers as he stands from the bench.  A bright smile flashes across her lips, as even in her heels she has to tilt her head back to look at him.

“And that’s you?” He asks.

Neither of them have moved, not an inch.  They’re standing just a few inches apart, connected only by their hands.  And their eyes, I suppose.

“Looks like it” She mumbles.

He gestures for her to lead the way, and she excitedly pulls him with her onto the dance floor.  She knows people are looking at them, for many reasons, she’s sure.  But she can’t bring herself to look away from Stan.

He take’s their joined hands and reaches upward, prompting her to spin around under his arm.  She gives him a look, but he nods erratically, and she surrenders, giving him a short twirl.

“Oh come on, have some liveliness won’t you?” He mocks her pitiful attempt at dancing.

“I don’t dance-”

“Bullshit, come on, like this,” He says, lifting their hands again, and ducking down dramatically so he can spin around underneath them.  It’s a quick twirl, and when he’s facing her again, his free hand does a little jazzy motion.

She laughs, because he’s adorably entertaining.

“Now you go” He said, waiting for her to give it another try.

She pouts for a second,but when she realizes he’s not going to move until she obliges, she throws their hands up enthusiastically and twirls around on her toes.  The skirt of her dress fans out with the rapid movement, only making her look a thousand times more graceful as she spins.  She gives him a delighted smile as she balances herself on both feet again.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He asks teasingly, and she only rolls her eyes back at him.

They continue the cute little dance for the rest of the song, sharing laughs and smiles, and forgetting where they even were for a few minutes.

The next song that plays is slower, not exactly a slow song, but not one that’s easy to dance to like they were before.

She doesn’t wait for him to take her hand this time.  Instead, she reaches her arms up to wrap them around his neck, and takes a tentative step closer.

Stan hesitates a moment before placing his hands on her waist.

“So,” She speaks to clear the tension in the air between them.  “What’d you do to make your date run away?”

He almost laughs at how certain she is that he’s at fault for Mercedes ditching him tonight.  

“Might’ve smoked a little pot outside,” He admitted.  “I guess she thinks I’m an addict now, or something, I dunno”

(y/n) giggles, which turns into full blown bubbling laughter.  Her shoulders are shaking and she’s not swaying with him anymore, all the while Stan stares at her with complete unamusement.

“Come on, Stan, everyone knows she’s obsessed with being pure,” She tells him once her laughter has quietened enough that she can speak.  “You smoked a blunt right in front of her-?”

“Yes!” He stresses the word, and she giggles again, shaking her head.

“You’re hilarious,” She says softly, and begins to sway back and forth with him again.  “I can’t believe you”

As it gets quiet between them, she looks down at her shoes again.  Partially because she doesn’t want to step on his feet as they move, but also because it’s hard to stare at him in silence when they’re so close.

“I asked her what her deepest darkest secret was,” He says suddenly, and she looks up again.  “She didn’t have a good answer”

“What’d she say?”

“Okay so she didn’t answer at all.  She actually said that it was a weird question” He confesses.

“It is a weird question,” (y/n) repeats, brows furrowed, and quickly follows it with,  “But that’s the point”

Stan shrugs in agreement.

“She doesn’t get it” He says with a small smile.

“No, she doesn’t” (y/n) hums back, and then she’s looking at the floor again.

“Hey, um…” He starts to speak but he slows his words and licks his lips.  “Thanks.  For coming, I mean”

She nods her head, and self-consciously pushes her hair back behind her ear.

“Yeah,” She murmurs.  “You know I- I just figured it’s um… it’s our last homecoming… so…” The longer she stammers over her words, the pinker her cheeks turned, but Stan found it endearing.  “Why not?” She finishes almost under her breath.

She clears her throat, and forces her nerves to be under control.

“Besides, I had to see you wear this suit again,” She said, playfully tugging at the lapels on his jacket.  “So cute” She adds in a mumble.

He laughs at the compliment while she reaches her hands behind his neck again.  He can tell she’s fidgeting with her fingers, but again he decides not to comment on her obvious anxiety.

“You look beautiful,” He says, and she can’t help but duck her head down.  

Her cheeks are starting to get hot, and there’s no way she’s going to let him see her blushing that hard.

“Really beautiful,” He continues.  “I- I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress.  No that it matters! It’s just nice- you look nice,”

She laughs softly at how he stumbles over his words, but he takes in a breath to put himself at ease so he won’t ramble as much.

“I think it stems from you being a nice person,” He says.  “I mean- you’re beautiful, you are, but, uh, it’s your own self that amplifies that beauty, I think,”

Somehow (y/n) manages the courage to look up at him, her laughter fading as she watches him with a more serious expression.  His words are so sincere and heartfelt that they make her feel paralyzed, and she listens to him go on intently.

His tongue darts our to wet his lips, because suddenly they feel very dry, and (y/n’s) staring at him almost expectantly.

“You’re not complicated,” His voice goes soft, and his eyes flicker in between hers as he speaks, absolutely sure of himself.  “You’re confusing, you’re very confusing, but… not complicated”

Her own gaze travels his features, lingering on his lips, which she notes are a mere two inches away from hers.

“I-”

“You’re not,” He shakes his head before she can argue with him.  “I get that you think you are, because you’ve got all this- this shit, trust me, I get it,” He lets out a short sigh before going on.  “But you’re not complicated.  Not to me,”

Her eyes are glossy, and if he looked close enough he would’ve seen that the corner of her smile is a bit wobbly.

“Ricky Berry has barely scratched the surface of why he should be so lucky to go out with you,”

Her lips part, like she’s about to say something, but she’s at a complete loss of words.  But there’s nothing to say, nothing proper anyways.

And then she’s smiling, wide, and so, so happy.

“What?” Stan asks obliviously.

She just shakes her head at him.

“You, idiot” She whispers shakily, before leaning up on the tips of her toes, and pressing her lips against his.

It’s a sweet kiss, gentle, as it was a new experience for the both of them anyways.  Not to mention much anticipated, so now that it was actually happening, it was almost surreal.

One of her hands drifts from where they’d been latched behind his neck, to lay delicately against his cheek.  His skin is soft, and warm against the palm of her hand.

When she starts to lean back to pull away, his hands let go of her waist so that his arms can completely encircle her body, and pull her right back into him.  She smiles as his lips slant over hers passionately.

Her hands splayed over his cheeks, before she hooked her arms around his neck again, pulling him down with her when she stands back on her heels again.

When they pull apart this time, it’s slow, and her lips linger against his for a moment, before he stands back up to his full height.

They’re wearing the same nervous smiles, and her eyes dart from the floor to his own shyly.

Stan’s hold on her relaxes, and his arms release her, to place his hands on her hips again.

(y/n) lets out a short breath of a laugh, and the smile on her face is unmoving.  She couldn’t wipe it off if she wanted to.

She could, however, reach up towards his lips and drag her thumb over them, effectively rubbing away the pink stain she’d left behind.

“You- uh, you had some lipstick on your mouth” She says with a giggle.

“Did it make my eyes pop?” He asked without hesitation, and she nodded her head as she laughed again.

“Yeah, sure” She answered.

She smiled at him brightly, before stepping closer, and leaning her head against his shoulder.  She couldn’t remember the last time she was this relaxed, but it didn’t matter.  Because she’s never been more content than she is right now.

They continue their dance slowly, and in pleasant silence.  Eventually, her eyes fall shut, and she’s just standing there, holding him, barely moving back and forth to the sweet love song playing through the speakers.

And when the next song that comes on is an upbeat one, neither of them move.

It’s not until the dance is over, and people are filing out of the school that they decide they’ve had enough.  As they walk out to the parking lot, she slips her hand into his, intertwining their fingers gently.

He thinks that her hand fits perfectly into his, in a way that’s almost romantic.

“Do you think I could get a ride home?” She asks, looking over to him.  “I kinda walked here”

“You walked all the way here?” He asks, and she nods.  “In those?” He questions her again, gesturing to her ridiculous heels for walking so far in.

“Yes,” She giggles.  “How else was I supposed to get here?”

“I told you to call if you wanted a ride!” Stanley shouts, not angrily, just exasperated that she’d do something so foolish when he’d offered her help.  (y/n) laughs at him, and squeezes his hand softly.

“Well at that point I just wanted to get here as quickly as I could,” She murmurs.  “I didn’t care if I had to walk that far”

He smiled down at her, and nodded his head.

“Yeah, of course I’ll give you a ride home,” He said as they reached his car.  “But, we’re listening to Bloodwitch”

She shrugs, as though to say fine.  Not that she really minds, she’s kinda starting to like the band anyways.

The drive to their neighborhood is short, but it’s nice.  Stan sings the whole way, and (y/n) doesn’t know the words but she enjoys watching his little performance.

When he pulled up outside of her house, she hesitated for a minute.

“Look, Stan I just… I just wanted to… um…”

“Thank me for the magical night?” Stan asks with a goofy grin.

She lets out a short laugh, a shy one, and nods her head.

“I guess, yeah.  I was actually gonna say that I was… um… sorry,” She mumbles softly.

Stan’s brows furrows, and he wonders what the hell she has to apologize for.

“For not saying yes in the first place,” She continues.  “I should have.  I- I really wanted to go with you, I did,” She adds.  “I was just… um… I didn’t want to let you down, you know? I- I didn’t want you to be disappointed when you realized-”

“Realized what?” He asks, scoffing a bit as he shakes his head.  “(y/n), come on, you do know there’s nothing you could say or do that would ever disappoint me, right?”

She shrugs sheepishly, and pushes her hair behind her ear.

“You don’t have to be sorry,” He told her, turning in his seat to be facing her properly.  “It’s okay”

She gives him a small smile, and shrugs again.

“I… I really like you, Stan,” She whispers, eyes flickering in between his.  “And I’m just glad that you didn’t leave before I could get there”

He grins, and despite the blush that’s making his cheeks turn pink, he gets a little bit cocky.

“You like me?” He asks, and now she’s blushing too, as she nods her head in the smallest movement.

“Yeah, I do,” She says in a murmur.  “So… are you gonna do something about it?” She teases, leaning in closer to him, over the center console of his car.

He leans in as well, but just as she’s about to close her eyes, he stops, and she waits for him to do something, to make a move, but he doesn’t.  She crinkles her brow, eyes flickering almost madly over his features.

“What are you doing?” She asked softly.

He raised a hand to her face, fingers skimming over her cheek.  There was a sweet smile on his face as his eyes wandered over her features.

“I just wanted to take a look at you, is that such a crime?” He asks.  The comment makes her cheek flush pinker than what’s left of the lipstick on her lips.

“It is when I want you to kiss me, Barber”

She’s teasing him, but she couldn’t help but whisper, her nerves getting the best of her.

He grins, however, hand smoothing over her cheek as he draws her in, before carefully planting his lips on hers.

She melts into the kiss so completely that she leans fully over the center console of the car, her arms wrapping around Stanley’s neck so that she could keep herself balanced, and not fully collapse.

Their soft kiss escalates quickly, as she deepens it, parting her lips the smallest amount, giving him access to trace his tongue over her bottom lip.

She parted her lips further so he could continue, and her fingers dove into his hair, coiling his curls around each finger.  She wanted to smile, and it was hard to hold it back, but she managed somehow.

She only released his curls to pull the sunglasses off of his head.  In the meantime his hands traveled from her face, down her arms, before landing on her hips, and gripping her hips.

(y/n) shifted in her seat, pulling her legs up to sit on her knees, and she moved forwards a bit, prompting him to sit back in his seat, so that she could crawl over the center console, and sit down on his lap.

However, just as Stanley was leaning back, and (y/n) was maneuvering herself over towards him while trying not to let her dress ride up- too much- there was a sudden and rapid knock on the car’s window.

Confused, the pair pulled away from one another.  They shared a puzzled look, before Stan caught sight of who had knocked on the passenger window.  His lost expresion quickly morphed into one of fear, and in a shaky fashion, he pointed behind her.

(And when she turned he tugged the hem of her dress down)

“Mom!?” She shrieked, leaping away from Stanley and smoothing out her hair and skirt, hastily trying to make herself more presentable.

Not that it really mattered, seeing as they’d already been caught red-handed.

The girl’s mother didn’t look angry, but she certainly wasn’t amused.

(y/n) was quick to roll down the window, already racking her brain for any sort of excuse or distraction she could use, but her mind was blank, as she was only worried about the trouble she was about to be in.

“Wh-when did you get home?” She asked, forcing a smile towards her mother.

“About thirty minutes ago,” The woman answered.

She leaned over a bit to see into the car better, eyes landing on Stanley, who gave a nervous smile and wave.

“Nice to see you, Stanley,” Mrs (y/l/n) spoke.  “Thank you for dropping (y/n) off”

“Y-yeah, no problem,” He answered awkwardly.  “I’ll- I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Despite her own anxiety about this whole ordeal, she grinned at him and nodded.

“Yeah,” She agreed.  “Come pick me up in the morning?”

“Will do”

(y/n) gets out of the car, following her mom up to their front door, and talking animatedly- he can only assume it’s about him, which makes his heart do a little backflip.

“Oh, wait I forgot my shoes!”

(y/n) turned to head back to the car before Stan could drive down the street to his own house.

He gives her a funny look as she leans in through the open window.

“I live like- right next door,” He chuckles.  “I could’ve brought them over at any point-”

“I know,” She says playfully, and leans in further to give him a quick kiss.  “I just wanted to say goodnight”

The smile on her face is bright and beautiful- and it reminds him that someday he has to paint her.

“You’re adorable” He says.

“Goodnight” She whispers back, before grabbing her heels from the floor, and actually going inside.

Her mom had been waiting at the front door and saw the whole interaction, but she didn’t care this time.  Her happiness outweighed the awkwardness.

They both went home and to bed with eager smiles on their faces, knowing this next chapter together was going to be an exciting one.  Of course, everything was exciting with Stanley Barber, and she wouldn’t have to worry about being left bored and alone in her room again.

[ all i need my baby and a cigarette ]

___

xoxo ~ jordie

#I am not okay with this #ianowt #ianowt fanfiction #stanley barber #stanley barber x reader #stanley barber imagine #stanley barber fanfiction #stanley barber scenario #wyatt oleff

[hithisisleon]

RESIDENT EVIL COMING TO DEAD BY DAYLIGHT POST

Hey I'm coming back from the dead as Leon The White to talk about the best part of the Resident Evil showcase : Resident Evil coming to Dead By Daylight !

Yes yes we all saw the trailer, we can't wait to attach that sweet Umbrella Corp charm to our survivors and our killer's hooks but I want to talk to you about the possibilites regarding Survivors, Killer and Map !

SURVIVORS :

Yes I know we all have our preferences as to who we would like to see introduced as survivors and since it's a special occasion, Resident Evil's 25th Anniversary, we'll probably get 2 survivors like the Stranger Things DLC ( which can also mean that we could get other characters skins on top of said characters like Heather Mason getting Alessa Gillespie, Cybil Bennett and Lisa Garland skins ).

Our number one pick is the most obvious, at the end of the showcase, Matthieu Côté delivers this line :

Look, you have two choices here : kill or be killed. It's your call !

Does it sounds familiar ? I hope it does because it's coming directly from this :

So it's safe to assume that our number one character is going to be Claire Redfield !

As for number two, they'll probably pick a male character and huh... Yeah yeah you know what I mean, it's going to be Leon Kennedy.

It makes perfect sense : he's the other part of the duo from Resident Evil 2, the most popular old school RE, and the main protagonist of Resident Evil 4, the game who revolutionized the gaming industry and which brought fresh air to the franchise.

Another reason why it makes perfect sense for this duo to be in this game is that around the same time we will get Infinite Darkness, which features Leon and Claire ! Perfect promotion.

Also don't lie, if they get alternate costumes, you're going to love to play as Leon in his RE4 outfit with the jacket and Claire in her Let Me Live outfit... And the Cleon shippers will be happy.

As for those who would have prefered others like Jill or Chris, or even Rebecca and Billy why not, I'm sure they will be available as Legendary Skins.

KILLER :

Now this one is a particuliar case, and I'm thinking the same thing regarding the map.

They can go the way they did with the Silent Hill chapter and pick something different from the best games : Midwich Elementary School from Silent Hill 1 for the map, Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2 as the killer and Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3 as the survivor.

If we go by popularity it would be either Mr.X or Nemesis ( No I'm not counting Lady Dumitrescu because the game isn't out yet and don't lie, her popularity is 100% due to how horny on main you freaks are )

Mr.X will have to be punching survivors as his main attack but as for his secondary I dunno... Maybe mutated Mr.X instead so he could do more damage ? And that way you could have the classic Tyrant from RE1 as a skin ?

As for his Mori it'll probably be a head grab and him crushing your head or he might impale you with his mutated hand/claw before tossing you aside.

( Also you know his chase music is going to be modded into "X gonna give it to ya" )

Nemesis will punch and/or use tentacles to whip you good or catch you, either way he's going to do some damage and you know you will shit your pants when you hear him scream "STAAAAAAAAAARS !" from a distance.

His mori will probably be an oldie but goldie and by that I mean he will grab survivors like Brad and tentacle-throat them to death.

BONUS :

The characters I want for killers here are just ideas I came up with and whom I know will probably not get picked but it's worth mentioning them because you'll agree that they would make great killers.

1/ Nosferatu ( Code Veronica X )

I don't think I have to remind you the fucking bone chilling screams he make when you see him for the first time as Claire in Code Veronica, nor how creepy is his theme during the boss fight ?

Now imagine that in a game where he chase you around with a new rendition of his theme and his tentacles swinging around and attacking you while the others hear him screaming at you in the distance.

Not to forget he could also poison you with the spores he just released so like The Plague he could make you go around the map to find a way to cleanse yourself and here we could see blue herbs being used !

His mori could be one of the death animations from his boss fight in Code Veronica where he brings Claire close to him and impale her with his big tentacle before giving her the "This bitch empty, YEET" treatment.

2/ Alexia Ashford ( Code Veronica X )

Oh boy look at that, another character from Code Veronica, who would have guessed ? ( It's in my TOP 3 RE games so my bad )

Alright Alexia has always been one of my favorites bosses from the Resident Evil series and I think she's honestly one of the best, her design is nasty, her mutations are disgusting and her orchestral theme is just GORGEOUS ( "Ironic" Palpatine said )

Imagine her normal attack being bitchslaps like she gives to Wesker in Code Veronica, nice right ? But for her secondary attack like in the game she throw her blood in a direction and trace a fire line with it, something that can work in DBD since Pyramid Head does something similar with his great knife.

Her mori will probably be her summoning those tentacles from the ground to impale you or grab your leg and smash you on the ground on repeat until you die, or if we stay classic, she can grab you by the throat and light you on fire, burning you alive.

MAP :

As I said earlier during the killer part, they might follow the Silent Hill chapter formula, picking one bit of each game so here are some neat locations to pick from.

1/ The Spencer Mansion

a) The Mansion

It's just too iconic.

b) The Arklay Lab

I will shit myself if I see a Tyrant coming at me while I'm on a gen.

2/ Raccoon City

a) The streets of Raccoon City

You think you can hide but he will find you.

b) The RPD

Nothing better than exploring the corridors of the RPD and seeing a licker passing by a window while trying to sneak around to avoid the killer right ?

3/Rockfort Island

a) Prison Camp

Perfect for the sadistic pleasures of the Entity !

b) Private Residence

I really want to hear another rendition of "The Suspended Doll" when I join the map 👉👈 ... Special mentions to other maps that I can't show because tumblr doesn't allow more than 10 pics :

RE1 Guardhouse, RE2 Lab, RE3 Clock tower, RE Outbreak Jack's Bar, RE Code Veronica Antartica Mansion, RE4 Village, RE4 Castle, RE4 Island

#Resident Evil #Resident Evil 2 #Resident Evil 3 #Resident Evil Code Veronica #Resident Evil Code Veronica X #Resident Evil Outbreak #Resident Evil 4 #Claire Redfield #Leon Kennedy #Leon S Kennedy #Leon S. Kennedy #Leon Scott Kennedy #Jill Valentine #Chris Redfield #Rebecca Chambers #Billy Coen #Mr.X #Mr X #Nemesis #Nosferatu #Albert Wesker #Alexia Ashford #Silent Hill #Silent Hill 2 #Silent Hill 3 #Pyramid Head #Heather Mason #Alessa Gillespie #Cybil Bennett #Dead by Daylight

[ofmermaidstories]

Not me crying in the club over your tags. Honestly I too am so grateful for the fact that we’re both sharing this pocket of the universe and vibing together over fiction and drama. It’s great, and you’re an absolute gem of a being that I’m blessed to know even if it’s in this small way 💖💖💖

But Mer—Mer, you can’t keep drawing cute lil pics of the grape, it’s Confusing and Upsetting and I Don’t Wike It. ((lol, jk, all of your doodles are lovely~✨️))

Mmm, thanks for the good meta food (and also entertaining my ramblings/foolishness lol).

You raise some excellent points, esp. about the fallout of the 1-A boys and Aizawa ignoring Mineta’s behavior, like… Given their characterization it never made sense to me, so I always just kinda waved it away as bad writing, yanno? (I mean Hori’s made several, ahem, questionable decisions concerning his female characters and the way they’re portrayed/treated so that seemed plausible enough). Mineta’s there to be a little perv/comic relief (v. derogatory) which is why he is able to get away with so much. Were things more realistic he’d definitely have been booted from the school for harassment probably on the first day, if he even made it through the entrance exams.

But honestly I admire you for undertaking the Herculean task of making this tiny disaster boy palpable. Most would just write him off completely, but your deciding to give him the same grace as a more beloved character gives me the warm ‘n’ fuzzies, ngl lol.

((Also the thought of Deku leaving him on a skyscraper somewhere has me weak, send help—for me, not the grape lol))

((Also, also—what if Mineta does a reverse Gran Torino?? Like he gets taller/hotter as he gets older, a straight up Brad Pitt al la Benjamin Button glow up. Fuckin’… I hate that I had that thought, I’m cancelling myself lmfao.))

I genuinely struggled with the question of whether or not it was possible for Mineta to do a reverse Gran Torino LMAOOO. and honestly i decided that…………… he would 👀 PLEASE DONT SHUN ME GUYS 😭

kinda wanna write a snarky, leery mineta getting the shit kicked out of him in a battle and ending up at Reader’s, now………. 👀 im not gonna. IM NOT. but like……… the thought is there. 👀

I adore Horikoshi’s work, but like… yeah, he’s proven he can’t be trusted with his female characters LMAO. i’m gonna be honest though, i’ve been enjoying seeing how much Mineta cares for Deku, in the latest chapters??? I know the fandom had a meltdown over “bi-mineta”, but like…. idk, i thought that added another layer to Mineta beyond the poor comedic “relief” of him being a little shit, and i really appreciate that! at the same time, i can’t help but think — men only respect other men. LOL. and the way Mineta is currently written in canon sort of just… enforces that??? i mean, that’s not a version of Mineta i want to write (so i’m not gonna LOL) but it’s definitely in the back of my mind. if i thought i could get away with it, without losing people to the distaste, i’d like…. try to write him from that angle LMAOOO dsflkjsdklfjsdklfj because!!! BECAUSE,,, i find it interesting. I do. i also don’t think we need people to be perfect or good in fiction; i think we need them to be people, good and bad. and i happen to enjoy this kinda thing butttttttt…. i guess i’ll stay away from it, LOL, in my little silly superhero romance :’)))) besides, i do like the idea of a Mineta proving that he’s worthy of his friends. He’s capable of being worthy of them!!! probably. maybe??? yes. yes he is, because i say he is.

thank-you for entertaining my gibberish, Puck. 😭

#ofmermaidstories-asks #the puckish rogue: adventures and magic 🪄✨🔮 #you’re such a calming presence on this site puck i’m so grateful for you 💖 #the question of mineta #something just like this - fic #mer-spoils-everything

[ritz-hell-hotel]

Mix Up - Peter Parker

Marvel

Request: Yes from Wattpad!

Word Count: 1.5K

Summary: You and Peter accidentally swap bags. You are in love with Peter and he doesn’t know. Just a short little fluff.

Warnings: Swearing.

-

Me and a few other students stand by the baggage claim, the conveyer belt brings the bags around. I see a red and blue bag that looked like mine, assuming it is mine I grab it, seeing as I was in a hurry, I take it running out to the bus to meet my classmates. I plop down in an empty seat, waving across to the set of seats where Ned and Betty sit. I sighed closing my eyes slightly. I feel someone tap my shoulder. I look up and see Peter Parker, my crush, that's what Ned calls it at least. I don't know if I'd call it that maybe just a strange liking towards him, a feeling that makes butterflies erupt in my stomach, but alas he likes MJ.

"Can I sit here?" He asks grinning at you.

"Sure, but MJ is sitting back there if you want to sit with her, don't you have a plan?" I point behind me. I think of the Plan, the one Peter had been working on for months, the plan to confess to MJ, gross, no offense to MJ.

"She's sitting with Brad, and plus I want to sit with my best friends," he says gesturing to me and Ned. Ouch, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, best friend, but it makes sense, Peter and I had known each other since the third grade, we were instant friends. You nod scooting to make room for the boy.

"So, how's your plan going?" I ask.

"Horribly, MJ and Brad have been together nearly the entire trip, it sucks," he moans. I nod.

"That does suck," I speak not knowing what else to say. I close my eyes again nodding off. By the time I awoke, we were already outside of Venice. I grab my bag and get off the bus.

"Alright students, follow me and we'll go to the hotel," Mr. Harrington announces. I trail behind the group watching Peter try and catch up to MJ, sigh. We arrive at the hotel and might I say, it's a hole in the ground.

"What is this dump?" Flash shouts aggressively. I roll my eyes.

"This is the hotel, and it's not a dump, it's just rustic!" Mr. Harrington explains.

Later on, I sit in my room waiting until noon when we're allowed to explore Venice. Due to there being an odd number of students I get my own room! I unzip my suitcase looking down my eyes widen. Spiderman's fucking suit is in my bag! A note sat on top of it, it reads, You almost forgot this! With a heart after. Signed May. As In Aunt May?! Is this even my bag?! I look at the tag on it, in neat handwriting it says, Peter Parker. Oh my god! Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohm- A knock is heard at the door interrupting my thoughts. I get up quickly answering.

"Hey, Y/N me and Ned are heading out if you want to come," Peter states. I look at my watch the numbers 12:01 flash on the circular screen. I nod following Peter and Ned out of the hotel. I'm just trying to not freak out, my best friend Peter Parker, thee Peter Parker is Spiderman! You've got to be shitting me! How could he not tell me!? I try to erase the thoughts from my brain looking at the sights surrounding me, The sun shines brightly reflecting off of the water casting the entire canal in soft light. Ned had abandoned us to go on a gondola with Betty, leaving me and Peter alone. I take the digital camera out of my backpack I'd brought with me. I snap a few pictures of the antique-looking scenery around me, Venice is truly beautiful. Peter sighs from beside me.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asks. I hmm in response.

"Should I give up on MJ?" I nearly choke on my spit. I look at him bewildered.

"It's just that she and Brad really seem to have a connection, so-"

"YES!" I exclaim. My face slowly turns red, damn way to make it obvious, just shouting it out like that.

"I meant, yes, her and Brad, MJ seems happy with him," am I a selfish person, am I a bad friend, trying to get my friend to stop thinking about another girl that he genuinely likes because of my petty feeling.

"Yeah, I guess so," Peter frowns. I put my camera in my bag

"It's okay, Peter. You'll find someone who you love, and that someone will love you back!" I hug him tightly trying to mask the pain in my voice.

"I think I know what you mean," Peter breathes out airly. He hugs me back tightly. I suddenly get a burst of confidence, standing on the Rialto Bridge, maybe it was the calming water below us or maybe it was the soft breeze, but I had one moment of clarity. I needed to tell him.

"I love you, Peter!" Peter broke into a grin and ruffled my hair.

"I love you too, Y/N, your the greatest best friend anyone could ask for," he smiles. I smile back, willing myself not to cry, he doesn't understand. I look at my watch.

"I have something to do! By Peter!" My voice cracks, but I mask it with a cough. Smooth Y/N. I look down at the ground walking away, my eyes misty.

Peter POV

"Dude! That was harsh!" Flash yells from across the bridge. I look at him puzzled.

"She obviously likes you, Penis Parker," Flash sighs exasperatedly.

"Well of course she does, we're best friends dumbass," I shake my head at him.

"No, you're the dumbass, she like likes you," Flash flips me off. I come to a realization, it made sense, the outburst when I said I should give up on MJ and the maybe not so friendly love confession. Shit, I am the dumbass.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to comfort a beautiful girl in need of a good guy," Flash announces. I stand there frozen. I watch Flash run after where Y/N had walked off to. I see him stop her and hug her, she pushes him away. I am filled with a sense of relief, why? I may have a teeny weeny bit of a crush on Y/N I gave up on that though, not wanting to ruin a perfect friendship, I pursued MJ instead, but now that I knew she liked me back, I had to do something. I run after the girl and latch onto her arm like my life depends on it.

Y/N POV

I feel someone grip my arm.

"Go away Flash," I assume it's the annoying greasy-haired boy.

"Y/N," I hear Peter.

"Oh, Peter..." I say trying to have a cheery tone like normal. He flips me around.

"I love you too, Y/N," he states.

"I know, you already told me that, like three minutes ago," I say trying to eliminate the hope building in my chest.

"As more than a friend," he adds. He pulls me in by my shoulders, our foreheads touch. I look into his eyes grinning. He moves in closer our lips meeting.

"WOOOO! FINALLY!" Ned shouts from the gondola with Betty. I laugh pulling Peter in for a second kiss.

"Oh, and by the way," I whisper into his ear.

"I have your suitcase."

"Oh, no wonder I found a lacy blue bra in my bag," he states.

"No!" I blush. He nods laughing.

"Well, now I know you're Spiderman!" I whisper.

"I honestly already thought you knew," he laughs. I giggle kissing him again. Suddenly a rumble is heard. A gigantic water monster burst from the canal almost knocking over Betty and Ned's boat.

"Oh, fuc-" Peter starts.

"Go and save the day, Spider-Boy," I grin.

-

If you enjoyed this and want to see more go put yourself in my taglist!! Up in my bio.

#spiderverse #spiderman #spider-man #spiderman x reader #spiderman x you #spiderman x oc #tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #peter parker #peter parker x reader #marvel #marvel x reader

[makeste]

What are your favorite hero names?

oh man there are so many. I had to limit myself to a top twenty, and even that was rough. anyway so first off, a few runner ups because I couldn’t go without mentioning these:

Vlad King - to be clear, this isn’t actually one of my top hero names. but I’m mentioning it here because back when I was first reading the series, one of the fan scanlations -- either Fallen Angels or Mangastream, I forget which -- had originally translated his hero name as Brad King. which, to be frank, would have been one of the greatest hero names of ALL TIME. you can’t imagine my disappointment when I finally learned the truth. it still haunts me to this day.

Jack Mantis - this is Kamakiri (a.k.a. the guy from class 1-B who can grow knives out of his body)’s hero name. my question is, why the Jack. the mantis part, I get! that’s fairly obvious! but the “Jack” is forever a mystery to me. it just adds this little layer of intrigue.

Mr. Brave - this guy is one of the few good things to come from the Basement arc. don’t get me wrong, he is completely useless. but his name? absolutely legendary. this guy, with his power of ripping his own hair out and turning it into a sword (yes that’s his quirk), an ability that could be easily duplicated or bested by literally any jackass who just went out and bought their own damn sword, really thought to himself, “I am going to be the BEST MCFUCKING HERO THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. I AM GOING TO NAME MYSELF... MISTER BRAVE.” and they let him, you guys. they let him.

anyway so now for the top twenty!

20. Can’t Stop Twinkling - this isn’t a name so much as it is poetry in three words. I still cannot believe that Aoyama went up to Midnight with a hero name that sounds more like the world’s greatest Dear Abby letter, and she actually let him keep it. I’m not 100% clear on how this all works, but I like to think this means that Aoyama’s fellow heroes have an actual legal obligation to call him this in battle. I don’t think we as a fandom and as a people really take enough time out of our lives to stop and be grateful for Aoyama’s existence.

19. Uravity - it’s a pun!! it’s so cute and I love it!! and it’s such a perfect name in that it just instantly sums up and defines her whole brand, bringing to mind both Ochako the person and Zero Gravity the quirk. honestly she is one of only a few kids whose hero name I never space out on. with a lot of the others I usually have to pause for a sec and be like “wait, what was their name again?” but never Ochako.

18. Present Mic - this would make a really great band name honestly. I just like it. I’m pretty sure Horikoshi was going for “present” as in the verb meaning “to perform”, like in “presentation”, but to tell the truth I always pronounce it like “present” as in “gift” or “the present time”, which doesn’t make any sense at all, but IT’S JUST WHAT MY BRAIN DECIDED TO DO. anyway.

17. Tsukuyomi - I know this name has its origins in Japanese mythology, but to be completely honest I’ve always just associated it with Itachi’s infamous genjutsu attack from Naruto. I just think it’s the gothest thing ever and absolutely perfect for Tokoyami lol.

16. All Might - there’s just something about this name that kind of makes me just want to pump my fists and go “YEAH!!” I really like the use of “might” as a noun rather than “mighty” as an adjective like you see in so many classic superhero names. it’s just so much cooler somehow. this name really does conjure up the image of the strongest guy in the universe.

15. Midnight - honestly I’m almost mad that this wound up being a hero name, because it would have made a perfect villain name. it’s dark and mysterious and sexy. it’s no wonder why Midnight chose it lol. anyway so my girl is a bit kinky, nothing wrong with that, and it’s also a perfect name for someone whose quirk puts other people to sleep. it’s just such spot-on branding, I love it.

14. Ingenium - fun fact, I had no idea what this meant when I first came across it because I don’t speak Latin! apparently it means “genius” or “talent.” which is a very good meaning for a hero name! but honestly the real reason I love it so much is because it’s Iida’s tribute to his brother, and I am just such a sucker for that kind of shit. damn you Iida siblings. quit giving me all these feels.

13. Shouto – yes, seriously. I know a lot of people hate this name, and it’s always getting flak for being bland and uncreative. but I honestly think it’s a perfect name for Shouto. firstly because Shouto himself is very much the opposite of flashy in a lot of ways. he’s not particularly animated or attention-seeking; he is a very calm, sort of still-waters-run-deep person, and I think the lack of a snappy brand name fits that personality. I’m even more delighted that it hasn’t remotely curbed his popularity at all (at this point I think the only kid hero with more in-universe fans out there is Momo, and even then it’s probably a close thing), and I think a big part of that is that people are drawn to his unpretentious nature, especially in comparison to a lot of the other heroes out there. but most of all, I like the name because of the simple yet powerful way it serves as a declaration that he is his own person. he’s not his father, and he’s more than just a Todoroki. he is himself; he is Shouto. anyway so yeah, to me this is a fantastic name with so much depth and meaning.

12. Battle Fist - this is Kendou’s hero name AND IT’S PERFECT. like, holy shit. what should we call the girl who goes around punching bad guys around all day with her giant hands. how about BATTLE FIST. there really isn’t much more to say about this one, honestly. its greatness speaks for itself.

11. Vantablack - imagine being such an enormous douchebag that word of your douchey exploits made it all the way over to some guy in Japan who spends 95% of his waking hours writing a manga and has almost no free time. fun fact, although Anish Kapoor is the only one licensed to use the color Vantablack, the name Vantablack is still owned by Surrey NanoSystems (a.k.a. the guys who actually invented it), and so I’m pretty sure they’re the ones who decide whether or not someone else gets to use it. I wonder if Kapoor is pissed about his color being referenced in a popular shounen manga. anyways, all of that speculation aside, it really is the perfect name for someone with Kuroiro’s quirk.

10. Endeavor - look, say what you will about Endeavor the person (although I’m personally a big fan of the way his redemption arc is being done and think he’s a fascinating character, albeit a very flawed one), but there’s no denying that Endeavor is a badass name. but what’s really great about it is how it so perfectly captures the admirable part of Endeavor, the one thing about him that’s actually worth praising. he never gives up. he’s always pushing, striving, struggling forward no matter how hopeless it seems. and that’s a worthy trait, and it says something about him that this is what he chose for his hero name. a name that has nothing to do with fire, nothing to do with his quirk, nothing even to do with his goal of becoming #1. it’s simply a name that means to make an effort; to try and achieve something. and I like that.

9. Sugarman - this IMO is easily the most overlooked and severely underrated hero name in the series. it’s a hidden gem. everyone always forgets about Satou just because his power of being a Strong Punching Guy doesn’t particularly stand out in a manga chock full of strong punching guys. but he is a badass and a great character, and honestly “eating candy makes me super strong” is possibly the single greatest quirk in the history of time and I am jealous. anyway, so this is a really straightforward name, but it’s really smooth and catchy somehow and so it’s one of my favorites.

8. Gale Force - this is Inasa’s hero name! it’s another one which is criminally underrated, much like Inasa himself. airbender powers are just so badass you guys. wind is so badass. this name is all hurricaney and tempesty and super cool and powerful-sounding. this is one of those names that I’m honestly surprised wasn’t already a mainstream superhero name. Marvel was all “nah, we’ll just go with ‘Storm’”, like come on you guys where is the creativity.

7. Red Riot - this name is a fucking grand slam. it’s alliterative! it’s catchy! it’s got the word “riot” in it! it’s an absolutely perfect name for a passionate guy whose quirk lends itself towards good old fashioned brawlin’ and head bashing. the fact that it’s got additional meaning as a tribute towards Kiri’s own personal hero is just the icing on the cake. this is another name that Marvel probably legit wishes they had thought of first. it’s easily the best hero name out of everyone in class 1-A imo.

6. Sir Nighteye - hilariously for the longest time it was not confirmed whether or not Nighteye actually had a real name (he does! but I’ve forgotten it lol), and so there was this lingering question, absurd as it was, of whether or not Nighteye’s parents, whoever they are, were descendants of some proud Nighteye clan, and whether they had really, actually named their child “Sir.” anyways though, I love this name. it’s super cool and mysterious and perfect for someone with future-seeing powers, and the “Sir” just makes even awesomer because it implies that the Queen really liked him or something.

5. Mt. Lady - this name is a stroke of genius. supersize-me powers are a dime a dozen, but the characters always have names like Giant Man or Giganta or Goliath. as far as I know, no other superhero characters have ever thought to name themselves after mountains, let alone to name themselves as if they WERE a mountain. like, she isn’t “mountain lady”; she’s “MOUNT Lady”, as if she were an actual tectonic peak. it really bothers me that I can’t adequately describe in words why I love this so much. I just do!! I think she should get an award.

4. Suneater - Tamaki is out here proving to everyone that your hero name doesn’t need to have jack shit fuckall to do with your actual quirk in order to be completely badass and iconic. sometimes I wonder what Tamaki does when people ask him “out of curiosity, why did you pick that name?”, which someone surely must have done at some point. he probably turns beet red and tries to dissolve into the background. but anyway, the general public does not need to know the meaning of his hero name in order for it to have meaning; we know what the meaning is, and that it’s his way of saying “I believe in myself because my friend believes in me”, and honestly that’s all that matters. I am still of the opinion that certain other people whose childhood friends held a lot of unwavering belief in and admiration towards them could do worse than going down this same hero name route, but we will see! anyways Suneater deserves all your respect.

3. Best Jeanist - I had so much love for this name from the start, and then I found out it was a real, actual award. for people who make good jeans, or are good at wearing jeans, or something. it’s run by the Japan Jeans Council, which is also a real and actual thing. but anyway, despite it not being as wholly original of a name as I thought, it’s still iconic, and I love that he went with something that was recognizable while still fitting his quirk, and which has the added implication that he is the motherfucking best, because he is. also, given that he probably chose this name while he was still in school, and that only public figures generally seem to be eligible for the award, this implies that he chose the name Best Jeanist first, and then went on to win the actual award eight years running. presumably because the JJC got very flustered and were all, “IT’S LITERALLY HIS NAME... WE HAVE TO GIVE IT TO HIM... WE HAVE TO”, and so they did. anyway so that was a goddamn power move on his part.

2. Gang Orca - first of all, if you are an orca man, then naming yourself after orcas is a pretty apt thing to do and I have to respect that. but then along comes the “gang” part, out of absolutely NOWHERE, and it absolutely SMASHES. like, this name comes up to you and it slaps you in the face. GANG ORCA. HE’S A BIG AGGRESSIVE DOLPHIN MAN AND HE’S NOT HERE TO FUCK AROUND. IS HE ACTUALLY IN A GANG?? WE DON’T KNOW. BUT HERE HE IS, READY TO YEET YOUR DELINQUENTS AND HUNT YOUR MOTHERFUCKING SEALS. this name fucks so hard it came within inches of the number one spot. he is a ruffian and a champ.

1. Eraserhead - last but not least, the guy who DIDN’T EVEN PICK HIS OWN NAME. his best friend had to do it for him, and out of love, came up with the SINGLE BEST HERO ALIAS IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. first of all, this name sounds like a very funky and electronicy Thom Yorke song. second, it conjures up the image of a man with a big no. 2 pencil head, which could not possibly be further from the truth. it’s just so whiplashy in the best way possible. third, the very existence of this name is seriously a goddamn miracle. he could have been “Power-Stopping Man.” or “Sleeping Bag Man.” or “Scruffy Hero: Tired Man.” or just “Shouta”, but unlike Shouto there wouldn’t have been any actual meaning to it; it would have simply been a case of him not giving the slightest of fucks about coming up with a real name. but rather than any of these, thanks to the power of friendship we were blessed with the greatest hero name in recorded memory. this is one of the few kindnesses fate has ever bestowed upon Aizawa Shouta in his tragic, exhausting life, and I for one am eternally grateful.

anyway so that’s my list! sorry if I left out anyone’s favorites! but I think all of these are deserving of love. also if you want to see the single best thing Japan has ever come up with, please go visit best-jeans.com. they even have an instagram lulz.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha meta #bnha top ten #bnha rankings #aizawa shouta #gang orca #best jeanist #amajiki tamaki #mt. lady #lots of other people #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha #asks #anon asks #lol you guys I had two 'what are your favorite...' asks and wrote this one up first #and then went and posted it under THE WRONG ASK lmao #so I had to go and delete it #I'm so sorry to the person who asked me about favorite quirks #I did screencap the ask and I will do that one next

[sunflowersteves]

cheaters never prosper || ch. 1

summary || Steve told you that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you but he sure has a funny way of showing it. 

author’s note || Based on the song “Sorry” by Beyonce. For the storyline to make sense. Also, I’m sorry to Sharon fans. She’s the only character I can recall with blonde hair. Hope you all enjoy it!

warning || angst, cheating, mentions of sex, asshole Steve, swearing

m.list // ch. 2

Looking at my watch he should’ve been home

Today I regret the night I put that ring on 

He always got them fucking excuses 

I pray the Lord you reveal what his truth is

You knew that Tony didn’t keep him in the compound offices until 4 AM. Bucky had even told you that Steve was going to head out around 5:00 pm when everyone else does because all he had was paperwork from the last mission. You twirled the wedding ring that clenched around your finger. It almost felt suffocating. You looked back at all those moments he canceled dates or forgot important ones. 

Stevie: Sorry, babe. I got caught up with work. I can take you out next Tuesday?

Stevie: Happy Birthday! Sorry, it’s so late. Work kept me up.

Stevie: Happy anniversary! I can’t make dinner tonight but I ordered you flowers.

Stevie: Won’t be home for dinner. Sorry.

Stevie: Don’t wait up. Work.

You weren’t an idiot. You knew about her. Another woman.

You’ve never felt so lonely.  It’s hard to even remember the last time he made love to you. But you still remembered. With the memories still engrained, your body burned with the feeling of him. When he would fuck you, it would be so good. Headboard banging against the wall as he pounded straight into you. He used to love the whimpers that came out of your mouth. He used to love the way your skin felt, slapping against his. He used to love aftercare, cleaning you both up then cuddling up into you, legs intertwined. He’d whisper how much he loved you and how he wanted a life with you, a family with you. That’s what he would tell you, anyway.

You shook your head, tears falling down your face making the sheets soaked. This wasn’t how your life was supposed to go. You wanted to stay married, have kids, settle down near the compound. But that’s just a dream. You knew you weren’t the most perfect person. You were stubborn and sometimes hard to deal with but you thought he loved that about you. 

Middle fingers up, put ‘em hands high

Wave it in his face, tell him, boy bye

Tell him, boy, bye, middle fingers up

I ain’t thinking ‘bout you

“You’re being ridiculous! I’m not cheating on you! How can you not trust me?!” You stopped vigorously washing the dishes and turned your body towards him. “Not trust you? Steve! How can I trust you when you leave the compound at 5:00 pm and not come back until 4:00 am. How can I trust you when you’re never even here?! How can I trust you when Bucky says you’re in one place but you give an excuse of somewhere different. Then, you come home, smelling like perfume! I’m not stupid, you asshole.” 

His facade faltered as he knew you were right. He was a cheater. He broke your heart. He knew you would find out eventually. He was such a horrible person. The one thing he didn’t want to do is hurt you but he can see he’s already done that. He messed up and he doesn’t think he’ll be able to fix his mistake this time. “Y/N...Babe, I’m so sorry-”

“You know what? Fuck you. Fuck you, you lying cheating ass.” You lifted up your middle fingers straight into his face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you like this, I’m so sorry.” He tried to get you to stay, to talk to you about all of this, to fix his mistakes. You waved him off, it’s too late for that. “I never meant for it to last this long.” You were just getting more indignant as he kept talking. You didn’t want to break down in front of him either. “I’m leaving. Don’t wait up, asshole.” You grabbed your jacket and your keys and slammed the door behind you. He started to weep, head deep into his hands as he thinks about his choices. Was a little fling really worth destroying his whole marriage?

Now I’m the one that’s lying

And I don’t feel bad about it

It’s exactly what you get

Stop interrupting my grindin’

You were never home as much as he wasn’t before you confronted him. Steve would come home to see the couch, bed, and guest bed empty. He knew he deserved it but he couldn’t help but feel his mistakes weigh in on him. His heart crushed in on itself but he couldn’t even imagine what you felt. What if the roles had been switched?

- - 

Most nights you would go to a club near the Upper West Side. Far away from Brooklyn as possible. Far away from him. You had lied to Steve telling him that you and Nat were hanging out. He knew it was a lie. Your tell was an eyebrow twitch and it had, in fact, twitched. 

You were grinding on a guy you just met, music pounding into your ears. It had felt nice to not be engulfed by him for once. The guy had told you his name was Sam. He had offered you a drink but you declined, needing to drive home at some point. “Driving? In New York City?” You laughed and explained your situation, having the pleasure of knowing Tony Stark. Sam was very charming, teasing you left and right. He was such a kind person, soft even, and oh so handsome. He stopped dancing and froze, seeing your hands. “You um... Married?” You looked down, your fingers grazed the band. You shook your head, tears springing to your eyes but not falling. 

He frowned. He pulled you aside to give you some space from all the dancers. He wrapped an arm around you, shushing you as you cried. “I’m so sorry. I completely ruined your night.” He shook his head and told you how much fun he was having. He told you that you hadn’t ruined anything. As you explained, more tears ran down your face. “He cheated… I know I still have the ring on but part of me… is still attached, you know? I came here to forget about him but... All I can think about is him. It’s silly, I know.” Sam stopped you. “Hey, it’s not silly. It’s not to the same extent, I know, but I had a girlfriend that cheated on me in high school.” “Yeah?” He rubbed his hand up and down your shoulder.

“Yeah, She cheated on me with Brad. She didn’t even tell the guy we were dating.” You both laughed together all night about stories of exes and eventually about each other. You were both getting a little too drunk (you gave in and had a couple of drinks with him) so you decided to leave. “Hey, whenever you drop that dickwad and are ready to date again? Give me a call.” He winked at you and you giggled before you left. You called an Uber, deciding to leave your car at the club for now.

Steve had ended up tracking you from his phone. He told himself that it was for your safety, that he was just checking to see if you were okay. In reality, he was nosy and wanted to see if he if his suspicions were right. (They were).

You walked out of the club with a light smile, Sam’s phone number clutched in your hand. Steve stood in front of you, tapping his feet. “What are you doing here, Y/N? Especially rubbing your ass all over other guys. We’re married!” He knew it was a low blow but he couldn’t help but be angry. He was jealous. “Oh, you don’t get to do that shit. Not with me. I will grind on every single person in there if I want to. As far as I’m concerned, you never have had control over me. And you will never!” He stared at you, wide eyed. “And for the record, you cheated! Not me! Maybe think of that the next time you try and ridicule somebody.” You paused, taking your ring off of your finger. “You know what? Here, I’ll make it easier for you.” You shoved the ring into his hand and sauntered off, not missing the sad guilty look on Steve’s face. “See you at home, Steve.”

I left a note in the hallway

By the time you read it, I’ll be far away

I’m far away

“I’m leaving him.” Bucky sighed as you handed him the note you wrote. He started to read it as a tear rolled down your face. What was Steve thinking? You were fun, smart, kind, and fuck, so beautiful. Hell, Bucky was the first one to hit on you when you introduced yourself to the team. But he knew it wasn’t those attributes. It was Steve. He was insecure that you would leave him for someone who doesn’t go on missions or put your life in danger. He wanted you to leave him for those reasons. He wanted you to be with someone who wasn’t PTSD ridden with nightmares from his past. It was his own insecurities that clouded his mind and made him act out on them. It had nothing to do with you. Both him and Bucky knew that. Bucky just wished he would have talked to you instead of putting his dick in another woman.

Bucky nodded. “Good. I think leaving him is the right choice. Nat and I have agreed to offer you to stay here as long as you need it. Never think you’re alone in this, Sugar.” You hugged him and thanked him greatly. You knew without Bucky and Nat, you would be struggling even more. The thought of support made your heart soar. Why couldn’t he have just talked to you? Tell you after the first time that it was just a mistake. But it’s too far now. You didn’t even know how long this has been going on. Honestly? You didn’t really want to know. Too long, was the answer. 

Tears flowed down your eyes and down your chin. “Oh... Honey… It’s alright.” You barely heard Bucky, too engrossed in your thoughts. “Why me? Why did he do this to me? What’s so wrong with me that he-” Bucky enveloped you into a big hug, Nat came into the room once she heard crying. She and Bucky share a knowing look. She knelt down in front of you and spoke softly. “Honey, you know it’s not you. You don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve anything that puts you in harm’s way, you’re too pure. You shine brighter than anyone, Y/N. Always remember that.” Nat wiggled her eyebrows. “And who knows? Maybe that Sam guy will be the one!” You rolled your eyes at her but nevertheless giggled.

You laid in Bucky and Nat’s guest bedroom, you couldn’t sleep with all of the thoughts running through your head. You didn’t want to leave Steve. Especially after three years of marriage but you knew it was time. It was time to move on with your life. Time to let go of a life you can’t have. Of a person, you can’t have. 

He only want me when I’m not there

He better call Becky with the good hair 

“Do you love her?” “I-I.. I don’t know. I love you, Y/N.” Your face immediately turned into a scowl. “No. You don’t get to fucking do that. I will not sit here and let you say you love me when you don’t. Maybe you did at one point but you cannot truly love someone if you fucked another person. You’re despicable, Rogers.”

That hit him like a train. You hadn’t called him Rogers since you met him at the compound. It felt like his heart had stopped beating. “Y/N, please… Can we talk about this?”

“I hope she treats you well, Rogers. Better call Sharon now so she can pick your sorry ass up. In your eyes? Nobody can beat a Carter.” You picked up the last bit of your boxes and left the room, shutting the front door with your foot. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you drove away, looking at that house just one more time. 

Steve had the note clutched in his hand, getting tears all over the paper. He didn’t care though. All Steve can hear is the sound of his heart pounding in his ears and your car driving away. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He didn’t know what he had until it was gone. But he should know that cheaters never prosper. 

chapter two

#Steve Rogers #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #captain america #captain america fanfiction #captain america x reader #Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #avengers #marvel #marvel fan fiction #marvel x reader #natasha romanoff #sharon carter #cheating #steve angst #cheating!steve #smut #steve smut #steve rogers smut

[rebelwrites]

Chapter Five: Going To Cause A War - Grayson

As this is an original fic it is hard to tag, so I’d really appreciate it is you reblogged and shared with your friends and followers 🖤

Join The Group Chat Here - If You Want Tagging Manually Let Me Know 🖤

Falling For Red Masterlist

This Months Writing

“Brad, James, my office now” I said sternly, walking through the office. Quickly checking on a few employees on my way.

I needed to find out who was the rat, and fast. I couldn’t have more shipments being intercepted. The last thing I needed was this affecting my reputation.

“I need an update” I said leaning against the desk.

“Well I think I know who it is” James nodded as he sat on the sofa in the office, leaning forward on his thighs “It’s got to be Jason”

“The new guy?” I questioned, raising a brow at James.

“Yes, I did some digging and he isn’t who we thought he was” Brad sighed. “We didn’t think a full background check was needed seen as he was just working the legitimate part of the business”

“Who the fuck is he?” I snarled. I hated this, I was always in control of every situation, so this was sending me crazy.

“He is Reid’s son or nephew I’m still not quite sure of the relation yet” James sighed, not making any eye contact.

“Please tell me this is a joke,” I snapped, I could feel my heart raising. “Where was his fucking background check?” I couldn’t have this prick ruin years of hard work. Not now.

“Unfortunately not,” James said, finally looking up. “We did one but this shit was well hidden”

“You know what needs to be done right?” I said pinching the bridge of my nose “He needs to be taken out”

“That's going to cause a war Gray” Brad said.

“I don’t care, we need to send a message to this prick that he doesn’t mess with the Knox family” I said sternly.

“I think I know who to get to take him out” James said standing up “I’ve been hearing things on the streets, I don’t know who they are. All I know is they go by the name of Red. And I think they are part of the Agency”

“Perfect” I smirked “Set it up”

Not many people knew about the Agency, they were a well kept secret but Dad used them quite a bit, I guess his relationship with Darren helped. I had never had to use them yet but I knew they got the results. I just hoped that this Red would be as good as they say. Deciding I needed to get away from this place, I grabbed my phone and cigarettes, nodding at the guys before heading home. I needed to speak to Dad, get his advice on how to handle this.

“Pops can I ask you something?” I asked as we sat in the back garden smoking.

“What’s on your mind son?” Dad asked.

“We have an issue, a rat within the business which is why Reid found out about the last shipment. He needs taking out so Brad is contacting the agency” I said staring ahead of me. “Word on the street is this Red person is the best of the best but am I making the right decision?”

“Ahh Red” Dad smirked “you can’t go wrong with her, I’ve not used her before but I’ve heard stories. And follow your heart son, if you don’t think this is the right option then don’t do it, but I sense there’s more you wanted to talk about”

“Sometimes I feel like I want to get out,” I sighed. I didn’t want to disappoint him. “Sometimes I want out of this life, I don’t want to live a life of destruction. But I don’t want to disappoint you”

“Grayson, you will never disappoint me son” he smiled placing his hand on my shoulder “I gave you the choice for a reason, and if you feel like this isn’t the life you want to lead then that’s fine. Is there anything that’s made you feel like this?”

“I think with Harper moving in with me whilst she gets back on her feet after that prick left her, and seeing Lucy everyday has made me feel like I have something missing from my life” I said taking a drag of my cigarette. I was a family man and I wasn’t getting any younger “we don’t exactly meet women that can fall into this lifestyle”

“Just follow your heart son” Dad smiled “you never know the right woman might come crashing into your life when you least expect it. You mum did for me”

“I guess you are right,” I half laughed.

“Son, I'm always right,” Dad laughed, nudging my shoulder.

But the question was, what did my heart truly want. I had everything I could ever ask for in this life. All expect the special someone.

Tossing my cigarette butt in the plant pot I pushed myself off the wall, wiping the dust off my ass. I needed to get out of my head and apart from drinking myself into an oblivion and there was only one other thing that could help. A day with my family. Walking through the house I heard the infectious giggles of my little Lucy and it warmed my heart. Yes, a day with my family would help. But I needed to get out of this goddamn suit.

Walking into my room I kicked my shoes off, shedding my white shirt and suit trousers not bothering to toss them into the wash basket. I needed to feel like the real me, not hiding the true me under ridiculously overpriced suits. Don’t get me wrong I loved how powerful the suits made me feel but it wasn’t me.

My mind was spinning as I stepped into the shower turning it on at the hottest setting, I needed to feel something and honestly hoped it would help wash the shit show of a day off me. But the only thing it did was loosen up my tense muscles. Giving up on this idea I shut the water off before stepping out, wrapping a towel around my waist.

As soon as I pulled my ripped skinny jeans on, a plain white t-shirt and my black leather jacket I felt a bit calmer. I was the boss but I couldn’t go into work dressed like this, all my tattoos on show through the rips in my jeans. It wasn’t the image for the legitimate side of business. Pushing the thought out my mind I followed the sound of the giggles leading me to my little Princess.

“Harp you got any plans for the rest of the day?” I asked picking Lucy up off the rug, her little hand grasping at my chain whilst the other one went to my cheek.

“No, I was just going to chill out” she shrugged looking up at me “why?”

“We are going out” I smiled, kissing Lucy’s little hand, making her giggle. “I need a day with my sister and Princess”

“Shit bad at the office?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe” I sighed, looking out the window “the weather is nice today for once so how about a picnic in the park”

“Sounds perfect”

@chibsytelford @everyhowlmarksthedead @talicat713 @little-diable @band--psycho @mrsmarvelous1995 @pancakeisreading

#rebel writes original #falling for red

[clumsyclifford]

don’t need money, don’t need sleep (just need your pretty face)

hi !!!!! some jalex fluff for you all :)

back when i was looking to start writing some jalex i requested prompts from my friends and @tirednotflirting gave me three from this list: 14, 23, and 82. sam i am sorry it took me so long to get this done (and that it’s not like, my best work or anything) but i am treating this like a prompt fic even though you never actually sent the prompt to my inbox so here it is as its own post. how exciting

title is from bottle and a beat by all time low god that song really did not deserve to be a b-side have i mentioned i love all time low?? was that evident?? anyway. onward

read it here on ao3

Jack yawns. “I’m sleepy.”

“Then go to sleep, you dolt,” Alex says, although it’s dripping with fondness and he’s sure Jack can tell, even over Skype.

“No,” Jack says. “Talking to you.”

“We can talk tomorrow,” Alex says logically. “I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Mm, that’s too long,” Jack says, and then yawns again. “Alex,” he says, stretching out the vowel, “I’m tired. ” He closes his eyes and buries his head on his pillow. The angle of his camera really should be unflattering, but Alex is so in love, and he misses falling asleep with Jack so much, that even getting to see his almost-asleep face is feeding a part of him.

“You want me to sing you something?” Alex asks. Jack smiles, or at least the visible half of his face does.

“Just tell me about your day,” he says. His voice is barely audible and his lips hardly move; he’s clearly just on the verge of falling asleep completely. Alex is concerned for his phone battery.

“I’ve told you about my day already,” he says.

“Tell me again. I like to hear your voice.”

They’re so ridiculous, Alex realizes. They are the shitty rom-com couples that people point at to say look how unrealistic that is. Nobody acts like that in real life. But Alex is happy with Jack, happier than he’s ever been, and he thinks that’s more than worth the cheesy tropes.

“Alright,” Alex says. He settles back against the hotel pillows. They’re too soft; if Jack were here he’d have a lot of choice words about that. Jack’s firm anti-soft-pillow stance has taken over their bed — all of their pillows are relatively unyielding. Yet another way that Jack has made himself a permanent fixture in Alex’s life. God, Alex loves him. “Well, I woke up at the hell hour of five in the morning, and then I tried to Google Maps my way to the radio station, which didn’t work, and I ended up kind of lost. So then I called Rian, because obviously I didn’t want Bryan to know I got lost, and Rian just laughed at me, and then together we figured it out — there are two places here with the same address, like, one is the radio station and the other is, like, a convenience store, so I don’t know what kind of planning went into that? Anyway, the radio promo stuff was fine, and then I went and got coffee and called my boyfriend, except he didn’t pick up because he was still asleep, and I should have probably known better than to try and call, so I left him a really cute message that I bet he still hasn’t listened to.”

Alex pauses, watches the screen. Jack’s breathing is even. He’s never been the kind of person who could fall asleep right away, but now must be an exception, or maybe he’s more tired than usual, because he’s already dropped off, and his phone is moving irregularly until it finally slips out of Jack’s grasp and the screen goes dark, face-down on the bed. Alex smiles. “And then I had a boring day and then I Skyped my boyfriend and he had the audacity to fall asleep while I was in the middle of talking to him,” he concludes. “And I love you, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Jack doesn’t reply, so Alex resolves to remind him tomorrow. Maybe without calling him sweetheart, though. Jack doesn’t take kindly to nicknames unless they’re grossly unrealistic (sugarplum, and such).

For the moment, though, Alex listens to Jack breathe slowly, and then he hangs up the call, sets his phone aside, and pulls the covers over himself. Sleeping alone is one of Alex’s least favorite things, but he’s lulled to sleep by the promise of not having to do it again tomorrow night.

-

“Hi,” Jack breathes, throwing his arms around Alex’s neck. Alex gives a little, wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist and squeezing tight.

“Hi. I missed you.”

“I missed you,” Jack echoes. “More. Fuck, it’s good to hear your voice.”

Alex laughs. “You heard my voice yesterday.”

“Not like this,” Jack says, bringing his hands reverently to Alex’s throat like he wants to feel the way it moves when Alex talks. “It’s so much better in person.”

“That’s rude,” Alex says. “You listen to my voice on recordings all the time. Are you saying I’m worse on albums than I am live?”

“Whatever,” Jack says, drawing Alex into a kiss. He’s managed to suspiciously sidestep the question — Alex will have to interrogate him further later on —  but for now he just hugs Jack close. Yet another cheesy rom-com trope: kissing on the doorstep.

It makes Alex chuckle, so it might do it for Jack too. Alex pulls away. “They should make a Hallmark movie about us.”

“Fuck, I’d love that,” Jack says, grinning and stealing another kiss off Alex’s lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Hallmark movie, but I’d watch it if you were in it. Or if I was in it, honestly.”

“I don’t think they’d cast us as ourselves.” Their acting careers begin and end with the “Something’s Gotta Give” music video. “And I would want to be played by Jason Statham.”

“Jason Statham? Why the fuck?”

It had really just been the first name to come to mind, so Alex shrugs. “Handsome and British?”

Jack snorts. “I want to be played by Brad Pitt then.”

“What the fuck do you and Brad Pitt have in common?”

“Uh, excuse me? We’re both sexy and have cult followings.”

Alex laughs, loud. “Got me there.” It makes Jack smile indulgently, all pleased like he’d gotten precisely the reaction he’d wanted, and Alex loves him so much it threatens the break the seams holding his heart together and just flood him. It might already have done.

“Okay, it’s cold,” Jack says. “You’re letting all the fucking air in, you asshole.”

“You can’t be nice for more than one minute.” Alex edges past Jack into the house. It’s true they’re letting the cold night air inside, but if Jack’s going to be a shithead then two can play that game.

“It’s late and I’m tired,” Jack whines as they walk together to the bedroom. Alex drops his bag on the floor. He can unpack it later. Tomorrow, or the day after, or next week — definitely at some point. Maybe he can harass Jack into unpacking it for him. Bribe him with sexual favors or a fancy dinner or something.

“Babe, you’re preaching to the choir,” Alex says. He’s exhausted. Travel takes it out of him, and the prospect of curling up with Jack, cold feet pressed against calves under the warmth of the blanket, is so appealing it almost makes Alex cry. Putting on a silly affectation, he says, “Prepare the bed, monsieur, and I shall join you presently.”

“Ah, yes,” Jack says, rolling with it — because he’s the best and weirdest boyfriend ever, and so perfect for Alex — with an exaggerated bow. He jumps into bed, already pajama-clad in boxers and one of Alex’s shirts, kicking down the covers so they’re far back enough for Alex to slip underneath. In a French accent, he says, “Le bed is prepared, monsieur Gaskarth.”

“Merci,” Alex says, which is about the extent of his French knowledge. Carelessly discarding his travel clothes, he grabs a comfier shirt and pulls it on. Then he clambers into bed, Jack’s arm settling comfortably over his shoulders. Even more than their reunion hug/kiss/debate at the door, lying down with Jack in their bed at home restores in Alex a sense of peace that he only finds here. He wishes it existed in words instead of just feelings, but it doesn’t. Alex would know; he’s tried, hundreds of times, to write it down, has filled pages with efforts to find an adequate description, but there’s nothing like the feeling. Nothing like just being at home with Jack, redundant though that is.

(If it’s Jack, it’s home. But it’s nice to have a place where they can mutually agree to be at home with each other.)

“I missed this,” Jack murmurs, leaning his head onto Alex’s shoulder as Alex shifts to accommodate him. “Before you say it, I know you were only away for a day, but I can still miss it.”

“I was going to say I missed you too,” Alex says. “But now that you’ve mentioned it, Jack, come on. I was only gone for a day. Don’t get clingy.”

Jack bites Alex’s shoulder and Alex laughs. “You’re an asshole.”

“I know.”

“I’m joking,” Jack adds, yawning.

Alex reaches across Jack’s lap to grab his hand. It’s a little awkward, holding Jack’s left hand with his own, but they make it work. “Okay. Tell me about your day. We didn’t talk all day because I was traveling.”

Jack hums. “Seriously, now?”

“I talked you to sleep last night,” Alex protests. “It’s only fair.”

“So you don’t even want to know about my day? You’re just going to fall asleep?”

Alex shakes his head as Jack straightens up in mock-indignance. “Come on,” he entreats Jack, shuffling lower to curl up against him. Jack’s not small in most ways, because he’s the tallest in the band, and his personality fills every room like a gas, reaching the corners no matter how far they are. But he’s so skinny, so many lean lines, that it should be more difficult to cuddle up to him. Still, Alex finds it surpassingly easy. He rests his head against Jack’s chest, immediately attuned to the steady beat of his heart. When the foundations of Alex’s world are crumbling to the ground, when he’s grasping at straws or gasping for air, he can always sink an anchor into Jack’s heartbeat.

Objectively, it’s just a ba-bump rhythm like any other, but it’s music to Alex, and music has always been his driving force.

“Fine,” Jack huffs, curling his fingers into the cotton of Alex’s shirt. Alex burrows into him, closing his eyes, sliding his legs between Jack’s under the covers and slinging one arm over Jack’s stomach. “But it wasn’t that exciting. Mostly I just waited for you to get home.” Yeah, right. Even Jack can’t sit around doing nothing for a full day. “I don’t know. I washed my dishes from yesterday. Listened to all of Enema start to finish. Called my mom. It wasn’t that eventful.”

“You’re so ridiculous,” Alex mumbles, feeling his lips buzz against fabric. “Proud of you for doing the dishes, though.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. It won’t happen again.”

Alex smiles, too tired to laugh. “Sure.”

Jack is gently rubbing his knuckles against Alex’s back. “That was it. Not a lot to report, I told you.” “How’s your mom?”

“Good. She asked about you.”

“Oh? What did you say?”

“That you went dark side and became a drug dealer.” Alex snorts. “She took it well, of course. Told me she always knew you were a drug dealer inside and that she was glad you were living your truth.”

“She did not say that.”

“I am one hundred percent serious, I can call her right now and ask.”

If Alex weren’t so worn out, he’d keep up the banter, but he’s pretty sure neither of them are up for it at the moment, so he lets it drop. For a few minutes, they sink into an easy quiet. Alex sighs, content. His soul has stopped its restless search for comfort, now that he’s home, now that they’re reunited, and the calm washing over him is stronger than a sedative. “Mm, I’m so tired,” he says, mouth barely moving. “Wanna sleep.”

“I’ve been tired for, like, twenty-four hours,” Jack says. “Go to sleep. I’m right there with you.” He drops a kiss onto the top of Alex’s head, knuckles still tracing their pattern just under Alex’s shoulder blades, a sweet soporific lulling Alex to the edges of consciousness. He wants to kiss Jack goodnight, but he doesn’t have the energy to move. As it is, he’s pretty sure he’s already drifted off.

“G’night,” he remembers to say.

Jack drums his fingertips over Alex’s back, and even though Alex can’t see him, he knows Jack is smiling. “‘Night. Love you.”

Fuck, that’s what he’d forgotten. “Love you,” Alex exhales with the last of his waking energy, and falls asleep after that, with no reason left not to.

(He would say I’m happy to be home, but he’s already said it with love you, and he knows that Jack knows.)

#jack barakat #alex gaskarth #jalex #jalex fic #all time low #atl fic #fic #my fic #this was written the same way the cake one was #wrote the first part on october 1st according to the editing history #and then the rest tonight #no idea. honestly none #also i think soporific is an INCREDIBLY sexy word #whats so sexy about it is it's an adjective AND a noun #also just. soporific. what a great word in general #anyway!!! it is. 5:34am lol so i should probably. go to sleep. #probably :) #but i will post this and then go!!! a gift #reparations for sam reading the angst i wrote and sent her earlier kfldmgdlfhkmglj #sorry sam also did you know everything i write is for you at this point basically asdkgdlkdlkjgldfmkj

[parkerpeter24]

Chocolates And Crushes ~ Peter Parker🌟💕

Part-3 of the Eight Days Of Valentine series

Warnings: fluff, a little angst but in a fluffy way.

This was the idea of @the-crazy-fanfictionist

He was sad most of the times, but so were you. He wasn't the Peter you knew. He was someone else but again so were you. You could've broken down, you could’ve done things to yourself, but one thing that you’ve learned from your father the best is to bottle up all your emotions, keep them in the darkest corner of your mind and focus on what the moment needs you to do.

Peter knew that you were a copy of your father. Except sometimes you would open up, you'd tell him all the things that were making you question yourself. And he'd help you in any way he can, be it by doing weird stuff or bringing chocolates for you.

You had a pact signed up for situations like these. A chocolate from the one who was at fault. Most of the time it had been Peter. He knew that you'd forgive him for anything with your favourite chocolate and a typical grin he flashed you rarely. Which made your heart race like a bullet train.

Sometime ago, if you had the courage to talk to him about your feelings, about how this was not about the chocolates only. If you were a little brave. There had been moments where it would've worked like a charm like the first time he got those chocolates for you.

You entered your hotel room, limping lightly because of the stupid robber. Sitting on your bed, you carefully slipped out of your suit. After having a long shower, you were again in your comfortable clothes and ready to fall on your comfortable bed.

As soon as you opened the door to your bedroom, you were met by the much familiar figure of Peter Parker crouching down beside your bed and holding open the first drawer of your bedside table. His eyes met yours and the drawer was closed in a nanosecond.

"Hey, creep. What're you doing here?" You asked nonchalantly. You weren't at all surprised at his presence. You knew that he would be here after what happened a while ago. But he was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I-I'm here to say that I'm sorry for what I said." He murmured. You sighed and crossed your arms over your chest. He stood there silently staring at the floor with a small frown on his face.

"Then say it." You demanded.

"W-what?"

"You're here to say sorry?" He nodded, gulping slightly at the tone of your voice, "Then say it."

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said, what I said." He apologised. You softened a little and moved closer to him, "I should never have said that you're useless. It was just in the heat."

"It's okay. Now, what's in the drawer?" You asked, curiosity taking over you.

"It-it's nothing. Nothing." He nodded along. You moved towards the drawer with him hot on your trail.

"Chocolates?" You asked with a small smile on your face. He scratched the back of his neck as a tight lipped smile appeared on his face. He didn't know what you'd do. Maybe you'd laugh at him and tell him to improve his apolgising technique, "I love them." Was all you said as a carefree smile appeared on your face.

The next ten minutes were spent on the balcony of your room talking about school while eating the bunch of sweetness.

He was perched up on the railing, ready to go home as to not worry May when a sense of confidence perked up inside you, "Pete, I need to tell you something." He waited for you to say something as your mouth opened and closed again, "We left Ned at the party." You blinked, shutting your eyelids tightly.

"Oh, shit!" He cursed as the eyes on his suit grew wide, he pulled the mask completely down and shot you a final look, "I should go." He said and you nodded. In a moment he was gone and you were by yourself.

"So much for stupid crushes." You sighed.

Or the second time.

You sat in the restaurant for three hours. That was the limit. Enough with the weird glances, those filled with pity and empathy. Why do people care if he ditched you. You could feel anger coursing through your veins and you were sure that Brad Davis was going to get one from you on Monday.

You got up from the chair and pulled out your phone to call Happy. Walking out of the place you walked on the footpath. Suddenly, you heard someone clear their throat beside you and you looked to the side to see the spandex clad superhero and you placed a hand over your heart.

"You really are a creep." You said as your heartbeat fastened. Not only because he scared you but also because he was around you. It normally did.

"You look pretty." He complimented ignoring your question, "I thought you were on a date with-" He started but you cut him off.

"Brad Davis." You grumbled, "That boy is so dead."

"Hey, relax." He tried to calm you down, "Wanna go swinging?" He asked and you smiled, looking at him and vigorously nodded your head.

You wrapped your arms around his shoulder as he wrapped his around your waist. These were your favourite moments. No, you weren't a fan of heights but this was the closest you got to Peter, so why not.

He swung you to the Stark tower and to your room. You sighed as soon as you landed on the floor, this was all you'd get for sometime. Peter loved the way you would snuggle closer to him when both of you were in the sky. He would never let you fall and you knew, but he rarely offered to swing you to places because your suit had boosters which would let you fly. Now you wish you didn't have them.

"I would've never stood you up." Peter suddenly said, making you jerk your head up to look into his eyes. His mask was off now and he stood on your roof, slightly taller than you, "I love you." He said making your heart stop and your eyes grew wide.

"Y-you do?" You stuttered as soon as his arms wrapped around you in a warm hug.

"Yeah, you're my best friend!" He exclaimed. Let's be honest, that's the worst thing to hear from your crush after you get stood up by a stupid boy. You sighed, finally wrapping your arms around his back.

"I do too. I love you, Peter Parker." At least you got to say it.

But you could never do it. Was now a good time to say the things you should've said long ago? You didn't think so. You carefully wrapped the chocolates in the papers and placed them in the box.

You knocked on the door of the Parker's residence holding the box in one hand. May opened the door with a smile so wide that you couldn't help the smile that made its way to your face.

"Hey, (y/n)! Peter's in his room, packing. Did you pack already?" She asked and you nodded.

"I did, Pep helped me." You said, entering the house and walking towards Peter's room.

"I'll be in the living room if you need me." She told you before sitting back on the couch and flipping through her magazine.

You walked into the room since the door was open, Peter closed his suitcase as you entered the room, "Hey." He said, surprise written all over his face.

"Hi, Pete." You greeted, "How are you?"

"I'm better now." He shrugged, "Did you finish packing already?"

"Yeah." You said. There was a moment where both of you didn't know what to say and that had never happened before. The two of you always knew what to say to the other. Well, there's first time for everything.

"What's in the box?" He asked breaking the silence.

"Oh, yes. This is for you." You said and handed it over to him. "You see it after I leave, which might be any second now." You said, making him laugh for the first time in a very long time.

"You didn't change at all." He said, his eyes locking to yours.

"Neither did you." You replied, moving a little closer to him. He sighed, walking up to you and wrapping his arms around your waist. His heart clenched when he heard a chocked sob escape your mouth.

You parted from him to look at him, finally taking all his features in as he did the same to you, eyes lingering over your lips for a moment. You cupped his cheek with one of your hands as he pulled you closer until your foreheads were touching.

"I was scared that I'd never get to see you again." He whispered, feeling you come closer until you pecked his lips. "I love you." He said finally, before connecting your lips with his in a much needed kiss, the chocolate box long forgotten.

"Kids are you- Oh my god, I'm sorry." May squeaked as she saw what was going on. Honestly, she wanted this to happen, "You two, keep on doing what you were doing. I'll be ordering some pizza. Finally!" She clapped her hands as she danced back to the living room. You laughed at her childish behaviour.

"I love her more than you, is that okay?" You asked Peter, once again wrapping your arms around his waist. He wrapped his around your shoulders, resting his head in the crook of your neck.

"That's perfect, angel."

Taglist:

@harrysbbby @overly-obsessed @luckyfiction17 @avengersgroupchat @ollieologys @afictionaladventure16 @hollandraul @clqudsparker @spider-manholland @screamholland @angelhaz11 @farfromhaz @drunklili @spideyyeet @fairytaleparker @venusparker @dazzling-rubabe @hazmyheart @angelic-holland @audreylovespidey706 @lauras-collection @angel-spidey @cherryredparker @ploont @cucumberfingers @greatpizzascissorstaco

#peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker #peter parker is a dork #peter parker x stark!daughter #peter parker x stark!reader #peter parker x stark!oc #tom holland one shot #tom holland blurb #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland imagine #tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland x oc #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x you #valentine #eight days of valentine

[smol-and-grumpy]

On the topic of "Something Just Like This":

Hey there Nathalie. I’m so glad you allow submissions, because this wouldn’t fit in the 500-character limit of an ask. Following is my reaction not just to the final chapter of “SJLT,” but to the series as a whole. I truly can’t express how much I’ve loved this series, but I’ll give it a shot by describing my favorite things below.

The ending to “Something Just Like This” was utterly perfect. This whole series was a breath of fresh air. From the pacing to the tone you attributed to each character, it was riveting and kept me hooked the entire time. I know initially you were a little worried about it being such a slow burn, but I think that’s part of why so many people were hooked. You focused on thoughtful character development and showing more of the reader and Dean’s relationship building than the action or drama of his job versus hers – and I really loved that – especially during a time where most individuals may not be working and are stuck at home. This story allowed them/us to focus on the mundane of everyday life in an incredibly intriguing way.

I loved that you answered all of the little unasked questions. Like what got the Reader into bringing Dean down to begin with; what was her deal with Linda and how much info would she actually divulge about his operation to the FBI; that Dean figured out who Linda was and was intent on the Reader and her reconciling. Considering the length of the series, I am grateful that you were able to remember and answer these in a seamless way.

I can’t speak enough about how you devoted so much to each character’s person. Giving each of them a very definitive and full personality. You even gave the “bad guys,” the characters we were supposed to like, likable traits and full personalities rather than just the “generic villain persona,” and I truly loved that. It made each interaction that much more real and intense. You even devoted time to characters we didn’t even meet – Brad’s grandmother comes to mind. I feel like I’ve met that woman based on what you allowed the other characters to tell us about her.

Of all the things I loved about this series, the aspect I love the most is and will always be the relationship the Reader and Dean developed. I’m not quite sure how to explain it in any other way than the most realistic and mundane of perfect, romanticized fairy tales – we got all of that and everything in between. We got the whole Rom-Com fairy tale bits straight from the get-go like when he first saw her in the Roadhouse all the way to the end when he showed her the house with the drawing of them and he proposed. But we also got the mundane, everyday life bits like their arguments when the first started living together and his being annoyed with her about how messy/sloppy she is – how she purposefully annoys him. We got to see both of their insecurities about themselves and each other. You showed us all of them – how they met and grew individually and together. How they crash and burned but were able to come back to each other – and don’t even get me started on the super hot sexy times. I’m truly gonna miss these two!

Thank you so much for this world you’ve created. It was exactly what I needed. I know for a fact I’ll come back to it time-and-time again. Even though it was anxiety-inducing at times, it also provided such an inexplicable sense of serenity and was the perfect escape from how crappy the real world can be at times. I’m so glad I happened to stumble upon this. Thank you for all your hard work and your dedication to writing good characters and story lines – to developing a world unfamiliar to the SPN world and yet so fleshed out that its unfamiliarity was null and void. You should be immensely proud of yourself!

*****

Honestly, I read this over and over and I don’t know what to say. The only thing my voice is capable of is some whimpering while my lips quiver.

The best thing for writers (fandom and others alike) are feedback. Little comments of encouragement, if you like the story. And I am happy with everything you give me.

However, I was not prepared for a text that will make me tear up. Thank you @michellethetvaddict

Thank you for reading, for accepting and understanding the story that I was trying to tell. ❤️😭

#something just like this #thank you #❤️ #i deleted the tiny part about the follow up put as i didn’t want to spoil lol #submission