#if you connect the third and second it kinda looks like she just briefly went off camera and came back witha blep

[brainworms-all-night-long]

So Ebi has just shed and I thinks you guys should see the iridescence of her

#one can never take a full unblurred picture of her #so take these snippets #if you connect the third and second it kinda looks like she just briefly went off camera and came back witha blep #she is the snake ever #i love hers so mush #snakes #ebi

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High: The Seven Ep 1

Meet the Maidens

It is back to school baby, both for D20 and, funnily enough, myself as well (something I hope will give me more time to get the recaps out in a timely manner fingers crossed). 

As I’m sure you all know if you’re reading this, this season of D20 takes place in the world of Fantasy High but with a focus on Aguefort’s OTHER most badass adventuring party who we’ve so far only seen on the sidelines, the Seven Maidens! You’ll recall, they’re made up of the seven girls who were captured by Penelope and co. to fulfill the prophecy that would let Kalvaxus rule the world freshman year. And, in fact, we start with a flashback to freshman year so let’s just jump right in.

We find our seven soon-to-be heroines chained in the Red Waste in front of what we know and they will shortly learn in Kalvaxus’ lair--a crucial part of the prophecy that was the subject of season 1. The structure of this episode is sort of like 2 rounds of introductions--first here with the maidens meeting each other for the first time and then again at home with their families a la the first episode of Freshman Year so I’ll be glossing over certain things that we’ll get to later in their second intros.

Anyway, the first two to wake up are Danielle (aka Yelle: half-elf, druid) and Zelda (satyr, barbarian as we know). Zelda is her usual, adorably nervous self in contrast to Yelle who is no less sweet but in a super chill, granola girl, fuck the system kind of way. We actually learn that Penelope had her on board with the plan for a hot second when she thought it was just “overthrow the government” but didn’t know about the “install a just as bad if not worse evil dragon overlord” part. 

Ostentatia (dwarf, cleric) wakes up next and is, as Izzy--her player--describes her “Jersey Trash.”, all blinged up with jewelry that she secretly made herself and didn’t buy. She wakes up pissed and ready to bodyslam Aelwyn which are both extremely valid emotions as much as I love Aelwyn. By the way, all of the girls recognize each other as girls who go to their school but none of them are really friends though they very quickly start throwing the label around because that’s what you do when you wake up chained with 6 other people in front of a dragon’s lair in a place called the Red Waste. 

Katja (half-orc, fighter) wakes up and immediately cares about nothing more than the status of her beloved horse, Cinnamon and declares that if Cinnamon dies, she’ll die. This is a fantasy world so Ostentatia and Danielle are a little concerned that might literally be true via a soul bond or something but it’s more that Katja just really, really loves that horse. Danielle tries to cast a spell to locate the horse but can’t get the somatic components quite right with her hands manacled. 

They all get into a discussion about the fact that everyone for a fact knows they’re all virgins now (you know, the real issue here) and what exactly counts as “virginity” for the purposes of this prophecy (like, does second or third base count or only traditional home runs using the baseball analogy) when Penny wakes up and is, just so excited to be here gang! Penny (halfling, rogue), who is one of the girls who has been kidnapped the longest, is adorably and honestly a bit concerningly exuberant to be surrounded by all these new friends, totally disregarding  the fact that they are clearly in some deep shit. Zelda mentions that Riz, her old babysitee, knows they’re kidnapped and is trying to help and she lights up. 

Next up is Sam (water genasi, sorc/bard) who immediately starts thrashing to get out of her chains and, when she can’t get free, is devastated by the fact that her ex betrayed her (!?) Finally Antiope (human fighter/ranger) wakes up all out of sorts having started her growth spurt while in the crystal and also having needed to pee right before she went in which becomes a problem all over herself (which Sam helpfully cantrips away).

With all of them awake, the stones they’re chained to light up and some of Kalvaxus’ minions (the ones who tied them up) show up to do minion speechifying. Yelle does a horrifying Animorph style morph into a waterbear (a tardigrade if you wanna get all Bio 101) to get out of her bonds but then Sam who has a serious one track mind re: getting out of here (Correct) and has exactly zero patience for these guys casts Tidal Wave and just knocks them off the cliff. Yelle frees Ostentatia who frees everyone else with Animate Object on their chains. Hands free, Yelle also casts Locate Animal and tells a very pleased Katja that Cinnamon is doing a full Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron down the highway searching for her. 

The girls decide to explore the cave which has recently had most of its treasure moved (it’s currently in the gym for the Prompocolypse fight which is currently happening). Penny and Sam (who are in insanely different emotional places) find all these broken mirrors which Sam takes as a cue that they need to GTFO (which is what she was already doing) and Penny thinks would make a great material for friendship bracelet making which she starts doing as Sam physically pulls her away. Sam hears someone doing post-cry sniffles and is like, “Not today Satan,” still trying to leave. However, Penny sees that there is one mirror left and, inside, sees a ethereal looking human with flowing, preternatural, black hair who senses their presence and asks if Penny is someone named Anima. She asks for their names though she declines to give hers (hmm, feels very fae) and the girls give the fake names of Kelly and Cecelia which the figure says she will guard and not misuse. The figure says she is looking for her sisters (who she says when Penny asks are at Aguefort which...hmmmmm) and, all of a sudden, Sam and Penny are having a bad feeling about those mirror shards. 

They ask her a question about the mirror and she gets really aggro when it’s referred to as “her” mirror as she would very much like to be out of it. The woman really wants to get out and says she can give them lots of power if they help. Sam pulls out her compact Mirror of the Past (magic item that does basically what you’d expect--shows you info from something’s past though in a cryptic way usually) to try and get some info on this thing and just barely avoids losing her mind in the process because this thing is ancient. Like eons old. She also learns the woman’s name (or maybe title): The Ending of Things (will be calling her Ending for now).

Yikes!

Right around now the other girls come in and can see at the angle they’re looking at her at the woman in the mirror is Not Really A Person and Antiope points at her and reflexively casts a ranger sense spell to try and clock its weaknesses and stuff but Ending grabs the spell energy like a lasso and tries to drag her into the mirror. She does however find out that she’s stacked with hella resistances (total immunity to necrotic damage and non-maj weapons, resistance to most elemental damage, and more).

Sam briefly considers using Lightning Lure to pull Antiope back before deciding on a much less ouchy Counterspell. Unfortunately, it’s not strong enough and now she’s being pulled in by her spell energy too. Yelle casts Erupting Earth which has some pros and cons.

Pros: Antiope and Sam are saved! Yay!

Cons: The mirror breaks and whatever was in it is fully freed. Not yay!

Shortly after (but not before Penny gives everyone their new friendship bracelets), someone calls into the cave looking for them--it’s Fig’s mom, Sandra-Lynn (with new art)! She’s happy and impressed that everyone is OK (also, Katja and Sam both have little lines that foreshadow their ~parental issues~ for the season--Katja being very moved by the simple act of Sandra-Lynn showing up for them and Sam saying that in her experience moms can be very evil).

As they all leave the cave, they all do checks and get some info:

Ostentatia: The mirror was kinda like a palimpsest (the crystals they were trapped in) and whatever this thing is is ancient and powerful. 

Yelle: Gets the above info and the fact that when the thing left it wasn’t quite a bad vibe, just the vibe that something big and important is at play.

Penny: On an Arcana check she knows that what Danielle did 100% saved Antiope and Sam’s lives from whatever and wherever was on the either side of the mirror but the contact marked them in some way. 

Katja: With History she sees some Primordial writing which is the writing of elementals (one of the things Ending has resistances to which might be relevant; also Sam reads Primordial but doesn’t get to read what it says)

Antiope: She knows that she and Sam are connected to Ending now somehow but it’s a two way connection which means they can also use it to their advantage. 

Ostentatia casts Mending on the mirror shards which I think was to reconstruct the mirror but what it actually does is someone link their friendship bracelets. Cute!

And, with that, we cut to the present a year and a half later (which is Jr or Sr year for everyone). 

We hop from kid to kid as they get ready to head in to school and get glimpses into their homes lives! Let’s do a quick rundown for each girl:

Antiope Jones

We see that Antiope is the youngest of five in what is essentially a military family full of basically every kind of fighter (she says she basically lives in a “Crossfit box”). There’s an 8 year gap between her and her sister Corsica who is the second youngest so her parents are kind of already living like empty nesters. When she comes downstairs she is promptly handed a protein smoothie and told two pieces of info: (1) from Corsica she learns that she overheard at school --where she teaches--that Aguefort needs to talk to her for some reason but she won’t say why which annoys the crap out of Antiope and (2) her parents lined up an internship for her at the Ministry of Adventure. She and her mom verbally spar a bit about them being all up in her life and how stressed she is and how she likes what she has going now with the Seven but her mom wins ofc because she’s a Mom and also a master tactician with a deft hand for loving mom guilt. On the way to school her bros (who include a gunslinger and an eldritch knight cause they run the whole gamut of fighter classes) Facetime her like, “Yikes Ant, heard about what happened with Mom, this is why you don’t fight her lmao.”

Sam Nightingale

This is a heavy one so strap in. 

We check in with Sam who isn’t at her own family’s home but at Penelope’s family home which is off the bat eyebrow raising. It’s an upper middle class house and, on the way down, she has to pass Penelope’s bedroom which is conspicuously empty. Downstairs she’s greeted by Penelope’s human mom Rebecca who she learns is moving out soon because her elf husband is both cheating on her while away in Falinel and starting the divorce process. Sam clearly sees Penelope’s mom as a surrogate mom (for reasons we’ll learn in a second) and goes full ride or die assuring her that her ass is better than the ass of the woman he’s cheating with and offering to help burn his stuff even though drowning is more her specialty (she’s so cool). She also is a little stricken at the thought of Rebecca leaving her in the house alone but Rebecca says she can come with if she wants, she just didn’t want to disrupt her school life.

She also tells Rebecca that her bio-mom called recently which immediately sets Sam off. Through the convo we learn a couple of things:

Sam used to be an actor it seems.

And it seems like she was kicked out of the house after she transitioned or something similar which is why she lives with the Everpetals. 

Now that it’s more “fashionable” to to be trans (her mom’s words, not mine) she wants Sam to talk to her so they can get her back in the game.

Sam is having none of that and tells Rebecca to just delete her mom’s number. Then they have a cathartic session of burning her cheating husband’s shit before Sam leaves in Sebastian--her sentient, seafoam blue, self-driving car with a very hot male voice which I am extremely jealous of. She picks up Zelda on the way to school and they commiserate a little and have a heart to heart about adults and change and how much Zelda wants to body slam Sam’s mom. 

Penny Luckstone 

Penny’s house is a whirlwind of activity and her harried parents get her and her 19 young siblings ready for school (no wonder she’s such a good babysitter). We see where Penny gets her type-A ness from as her mom and dad both have this cheerful but overworked energy of “EVERYTHING IS FINE” like that Good Place sign. Her mom spares a second to tell her that she recently got a letter for The Society of Shadows which is like a super secret rogue college (which her parents assume is legit even though they haven’t heard of it cause they’re Mumple people and also, if you've heard of a rogue school, how good could it really be?) Penny is excited except that it would mean she’d have to move and leave her party. Her mom is like “hey it’s a full ride and there are 20 of you guys so just take that into consideration but it’s ultimately your decision” before she dashes away to get to work because it is always Go Go Go with the Luckstones. She texts Sam for a ride and Sam swings by to grab her. This is not plot relevant but she has a booster seat in the back of Sebastian with her name carved into it and it’s important to me that you know that. 

Katja Cleaver

Next up is Katja who lives in a Richie Rich style mansion and comes from very old money as she is descended from one of the first adventurers in Solace. She is in the barn with Cinnamon and the bugbear farrier they have employed (her name is Gertrude and a farrier is someone who does horseshoes). She eats the same breakfast as Cinnamon (hot dry oats and berries baybee) wo she loves so so dearly. Cinnamon is a magical horse--basically like a Find Steed spell that’s on all the time. She’s modeled the horse in her fave book series--the Babysitter’s Horse of course. Lockwood, the staff’s hobgoblin butler, is also there and they get a fantasy Zoom call from Katja’s dad who is in the middle of the insane 20th level adventurer stuff which he says might make him miss her graduation. She is extremely disappointed but just barely hides it from her dad (who seems to really care despite his not being around). She can’t hide it from the staff or Cinnamon however and Cinnamon offers to give her a ride to school via the scenic route. 

Note: We also learn two sad facts about Katja from the conversation with her dad.

Her mother is Disney Princess dead* and

She wears one half of a friendship necklace and it seems like she’s waiting for someone to give the other half to. It’s implied earlier that the way Penelope got her was by promising to be her best friend. Sad!

*Edit: Well, she’s gone and we’ll leave it at that until next recap. 

Ostentatia Wallace

Ostentatia wakes up and goes downstairs to have a very high energy in both directions interaction with her very fantasy-Italian mom and grandma. Her grandma is concerned her beard isn’t coming in--not knowing she shaves it on purpose which her mom is like, “Listen it’s fine but don’t tell grandma it’ll kill her.” She clocks very quickly that her dad isn’t there and his mithril working tools are gone. Her mom tries to play it off but she knows she’s being lied to and her mom relents. Her dad is at a meeting with the other workers of the shut down mithril factory and negotiations have ceased. It looks like he’s gonna be long term out of work. That explains where her dad is but not why the tools are missing. She decides to go do some investigating on her own and ambushes her dad in his car where, with the inaugural nat 20 of the season, she realizes he pawned his tools to get her 5 revivify diamonds. She's upset by this and he’s upset that she’s, in his eyes, questioning his ability to take care of his family. She’s like, alright, you did a thing for me, I’ll do a thing for you and she casts Animate Object to make his stuff steal itself back in a sequence that involves an animated crowbar using another crowbar which is just wild.

Danielle Barkstock

I’m gonna be real, Danielle’s life is exactly how you assume it is based on Who She Is As A Person so this one will be real short. Eco-friendly off the grid geodesic yurt. One super chill peace and love elf sorc mom and one rough and tough human ranger mom. She also knows and helps the Cubbies with their anarchist machinations because yeah, duh. She gets some messages from school on her crystal--one being a message from the principal saying that she and the rest of her party have first period off to meet with him and the other being a newsletter from the school showing, among other things, a photo of the Druid class doing a project but she’s not in it for some reason. She texts one of the other druids to see if she can figure out why she wasn’t invited but fully gets left on read. Brutal. Of course, she hasn’t messaged that person in 6-8 months so maybe that’s why.

Anyway, with that, all seven of our maidens make it to school and are all exuberant to see each other in a very teen girl way before getting to the principal’s office and learning that their party will be broken up at the year! 

Bad!

Superlatives 

I wanted to do something a little different for these recaps than the Bad Kid ones so instead of Honor Roll/Detention we are doing Superlatives and the inaugural one goes to...

Sam: Most Like To Survive a Horror Movie

Man she woke up chained in a ritual magic circle and she was Ready To Go Immediately. You will not catch this girl doing horror movie victim BS like exploring the spooky house or giving the creepy obvious ghost the time of day. She is hyper-competent and her goal is making it out alive and dragging her friends with her. Love her.  

Random Thoughts

The season immediately starts with a bang or I should say a bing with Izzy trying to say “bling bang” and accidentally saying, “bling bing” and immediately getting roasted by everyone. I love the authentic girl group vibes (which include everyone clowning on her then immediately hyping up Zelda to the max after being way more awkward). 

Handshake meme with Danielle and Moonshine from Naddpod. Also, Cinnamon and Horse from Centaurworld. 

I love that Rekha and Erika just straight up were like, “Our characters are Asian”. Like obviously, make your characters Asian coded in your fantasy world--all my D&D characters are black like me--but it’s funny that they completely disregarded the, “There’s no Asia in this world so I guess they’re this world’s equivalent to--” Nah just, “I’m a half-elf and I’m Asian.” You love to see it. 

I absolutely LOVE the choices the cast made to flesh out their characters based on the little info Brennan had about them, none moreso than rich horse girl Katja. Rekha is a genius. 

“I only want one thing and he’s working” KATJAAAAAAA

Man if I was in that flashback I would have been wilding out so much with my flashback plot armor. 

I appreciate that the first thing that Aabria has Antiope do is extremely uncool. I love it when players aren’t concerned about just being cool and on point all the time. Sometimes (read: often) that’s the less interesting choice. 

But on the exact opposite side, she’s a ranger and an arcane archer which I think is extremely cool. Lmao also I didn’t mention in the recap but she HATES dragons now which, understandable. I’m guessing they're her favored enemy. 

I can’t wait to see another group of kids interact w/ madman Aguefort. 

Also, as a known Aelwyn-stan, I am very excited for the possibility of the Seven interacting with her cause as much as I love her they are under no obligation to acknowledge her redemption arc and I would love to see them throw hands. 

I love the Greek myth naming scheme of Antiope’s extremely cool family as with her on the spot nickname “L-Cab” short for long caboose since she’s the youngest by a mile. 

Also this is out of character not in character but Sephie is an extremely cool nickname for Persephone. 

I wonder why Brennan didn’t let Sam read the Primordial in the cave. He just glossed right past her saying that she speaks it and she didn’t push it. Would it have solved his entire plot in the span of a flashback or was he just keeping things moving?

Sidenote, if I was married to an elf man and worried about aging like Rebecca, I would simply become a druid (or a monk or up my wizard levels so I could learn True Polymorph or Wish or something). 

I wonder what the deal with Ending is. She seemed relatively sincere in the mirror but that doesn’t mean anything. She could be sincere and also Very Bad News. 

There is an offhand comment by Brennan about how the dwarf forge god gives spells but doesn’t talk to his followers which I think means that Ostentatia is gonna be getting a direct god call soon enough. 

Also she mentions that her dad is doing some criminal activity on the side which seems like a Problem for later. Honestly all of the kids have some pretty rich parent drama happening which should be interesting to see explored. 

No nat 1s this ep and 1 nat 20 as I mention from Ostentatia. 

#dimension 20 #fantasy high #the seven #fantasy high spoilers #dimension 20 spoilers

[os-hyoideum]

Fake - Hawks/Takami Keigo x fem!Reader

Summary: Keigo wants to be there for his struggling love.

Word count: 3232

Content/Warnings: Hurt/comfort, angst(ish), depressed feelings, mention of suicidal thoughts, self-indulgent, third-person perspective

a/n: I started writing it in March 🤡 but I felt like I couldn't abandon it, so here it is, finally! ngl kinda exposing myself here oop- idk if it's a comfort fic, but I hope you enjoy :)

During the late hours of the evening, the city below looked particularly beautiful. Colorful neon lights, emanating from dozens of advertisements and signs, illuminated the people who, without care, carried on with their evening tasks, be it a trip to a bar or the travel home from work.

Hawks stood on the roof of the building, looking down and just taking in the scenery. It was not a particularly special day, but the rain that poured earlier has left the ground wet and glistening. The lights, bouncing off the pavement and people, created a picture truly from under a hand of a masterful abstractionist. The pinks, the blues, the yellows, all the colors created the effect of a spilled paint from his point of view.

While admiring the city, Hawks’ phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking his eyes away, he took out the device and, when the screen lit up, was met with the face of his love.

It was his favorite picture in the whole world and he knew, deep down, that any professional photographer couldn’t capture anything better. Truthfully, it wasn’t really a masterpiece, just a simple selfie, but the memory connected to the photograph made it exceptional. He remembered the quiet moment (so little of them in his life) when he could take his partner away and just enjoy an ordinary day with her. A walk, a picnic, anything that made him forget about his everyday life. The smile he saw in the picture truly made him feel like the surroundings brightened a bit.

The message on his phone was simple, a request for him to come back to the office, probably to take care of the stack of papers that adorned his desk.

He put the device back into his pocket, took a last look at the city down below, and, after putting his goggles on, spread his scarlet wings to take off.

If he were being honest, he would say that, given the option, he would stay in the air, in the sky, far above the ground, forever. The wind, howling loudly in his ears, silenced the worries of his everyday life. The air flowing around his body, through every feather of his wings gave him a sense of freedom. In the sky, he was able to see the horizon and just let himself be carried.

There was just one thing missing among the clouds.

On his way back to real life, where he would need to take care of mundane work-related tasks, he took a little detour.

Maneuvering expertly over and around the buildings, he found himself in front of an ordinary apartment complex. The grey modern building had a few floors and, quickly locating the right window, Hawks flew over to where his partner’s apartment was. Some people looked at him, from the street or through their own windows, but they were used to his random visits and paid him no mind, for which he was grateful.

He stopped in place seeing the inside of his lover’s bedroom and peeked inside, as the blinds were open. Some crumpled clothes lying on the bed, along with a few books. Through the open door, he could see the light coming from the TV.

Normally, he would just knock on the glass for her to open the window, but suddenly he got a hunch that something was not right. Maybe it was the fact that her texts became drier as the day went by (just like the last few days) until they halted completely, or maybe the open blinds, usually closed soon after it got dark. Whatever the source of his uneasiness was, it made him fly down and go inside the building through the door. He climbed a few flights of stairs to get to the floor she lived on. The only sounds, keeping him company during his walk through the corridor, were faint voices from behind some of the doors and his own footsteps.

He reached his goal. The alertness in his mind only became stronger as he knocked and waited patiently for the door to open.

A few dreadful seconds later he heard the sound of the turning mechanism inside of the lock. Only for a split second was he able to see the cold numbness on the face of his love before she noticed who had visited her. Her expression changed immediately and she smiled, oh so brightly.

Moving and pulling the muscles in her face, she was always able to make Keigo’s days better. And she could do it in an instant too, and so well that others never noticed the difference between the fake and the real. But he had sharp eyes, trained from a young age to catch any irregularities around him. He noticed, every time, how she faked and he hated it, especially knowing that when he did the same, she always pushed just enough for him to give in and let her in, more and more every time. He would push a bit too, at least to let her know that, if she wanted to, she could tell him anything.

“Keigo!” she exclaimed, voice high in pitch to sound happier, “What are you doing here, baby?”

“I was on my way to the office and thought I could drop by for a moment… Can I get in?” He asked pointing to the inside of the apartment.

“Oh! Of course.” She opened the door wider. “I got back from work not long ago, so… I guess, it’s not that clean.” She added with a small laugh.

Keigo knew it was a lie. He knew when his partner worked; she finished three hours ago.

He entered her space and when he kneeled down to take off his boots, he caught the glimpse of her cheerful expression falling. Still in her work clothes, she looked like she would get crushed any second. He knew her mind could get heavy at times.

“Come here.” He outstretched his hand towards her and lightly pulled her into himself.

At first, she was slightly rigid in his arms, but relaxed a bit, feeling Keigo’s soft strokes along her back. She hid her face into the high collar of his jacket and he noticed how tightly she gripped the material with her fists.

“You should get changed… wear something comfortable.” He whispered to not disturb her too much.

“I’m so tired.” She mumbled, her face still hidden. He just held her for a little while longer, allowing her to let go of him first. When she finally straightened her back and looked at him, this time without a fake smile, he felt like his heart broke, for her. He lifted his hand and gently stroked her cheek.

Her face was virtually emotionless, but he noticed the tensed jaw. The eyes, that hypnotized him every time he gazed into them, were looking more into space than actually at him. Her spaced-out expression made it seem like she was sculpted in marble.

Keigo squeezed her arms lightly to ground her a bit into reality.

“Do you want me to help you?” He asked softly, giving her a way to back out, if she truly wanted to.

“I don’t need…” She looked down with hesitation. Being vulnerable was never easy, even with some of the closest people. Admitting the need or want for other’s presence was quite a feat. She sighed. “Yes.”

“Do you want to take a shower too? Or just change?” She saw not even a slight sliver of judgment in his eyes.

“I’ll take a shower.” She said quietly and took her arms away from Keigo’s. She turned around to go to the bathroom but stopped when he made a move behind her. “Alone, but… stay… please.”

He just nodded with understanding and watched her drag her feet to the other room. At first, nothing came out of there, but a few minutes later he could hear the water from the shower. Going into his partner’s bedroom, he looked briefly at the messy clothing laying on the bed, pushed them aside, and took the clothes he knew she used as pajamas and always put under the duvet.

After the water stopped running, he waited ten minutes before knocking on the door. After getting quiet permission to enter, he went in and saw her sitting on the toilet, wrapped in a towel, with her unseeing gaze focused on some point before her.

“Come on.” Keigo softly broke the silence in the bathroom and reached out to her with one, which she took. He pulled gently and, without saying anything more, gave her the clothes he was holding.

With no request for him to get out, he just stood in the doorway while she put on her sweatpants and T-shirt. It was strange for him to see her vulnerable because she always closed herself off in those moments. He knew it was important that she just let him be there.

“Do you feel… better?” He asked when she stood in front of the mirror slightly squinting at herself.

“Hmm…” she hummed, “Perhaps. Not any lighter, though.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” He felt like he was going through a field full of land mines. His training made him an expert at obtaining information, but he did not want to use his, masterfully crafted by the Commission, manipulation skills on her. He hoped that he was enough to bring her any semblance of comfort.

She shrugged and, after pushing him slightly out of the door, moved out of the bedroom and sat down on the couch, empty staring at the TV playing some meaningless show. Keigo took a place next to her, his wings hanging behind the backrest.

For a second, he cursed his lack of experience with human emotions. Of course, he was trained to observe and he knew when something was not right, but since he was never allowed to get close to anyone, his skills turned to nothing in the face of his love slowly getting pulled into the darkness of her own mind, all while maintaining the smile he adored so much.

After a minute of silence between them, the girl took a pilot and turned the TV off. She looked at him, the quietness becoming almost unbearable, but quickly, she broke it with a question:

“Do you really want me to… talk?”

And he just nodded.

Unable to look into his worried, gold eyes, she lowered her gaze. Leaning slightly on her elbows, she stared at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers.

“Well… I haven’t been feeling… um, really good, lately. Mentally, I mean.”

“Yeah… I’ve noticed. Should’ve said something sooner.”

She turned to him and put one hand on his knee, which he gently covered with his own and started to stroke with his thumb.

“No.” She opposed, “I’m actually grateful that you took more of a, hmm, silent-observer approach. I had space… but still knew you were there, somewhere, for me.”

“Good thing then that I’m not completely useless here.” He tried to joke with a small smile that fell quickly.

“No, but I am.” Before he could protest she took his hand, the one he’s been stroking her with, into both of hers. “Kei, Keigo… I can tell you what’s going on up here-” she pointed at her head “-but it’s just, so hard. And you have so much of your own shit going on… I don’t want to worry and burden you with my... stupid mind.”

He sighed, brought his free hand to the back of her head, and put his forehead against hers.

“You know I love you, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, “I think I do…”

She closed her eyes, letting her sense of touch be the center of her attention. She focused on the weight his head put against her own, the way his messy hair brushed her face and his slow warm breath felt against her lips. It grounded her mind, silencing (if even for just a moment) the annoying white noise constantly present in there.

“I don’t want to look at you,” she started, “when I’m talking. It’s just… I don’t want to be seen, only heard.”

Keigo shifted his head and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

She turned away from him, putting her legs on the couch to sit cross-legged. It took a few moments before she started talking. Organizing the thoughts and feelings plaguing her was not easy.

“I… I just feel so bad. And I don’t even have a good reason for these stupid feelings,” she said, sounding slightly annoyed, “Why the fuck do I feel like this? I have a home, I have friends, I have… you. I have everything I could hope for and yet… I feel so bad, so… so numb. What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Keigo looked at her hunched back and saw that she put her face into her hands. He wished he could just take all her troubles away, be the hero that he was supposed to be, but of course, he couldn’t, and that - he hated.

“I’m so fucking tired. I have no energy for almost anything. Yesterday, before bed, I sat in front of my computer for hours. Doing absolutely nothing… Why am I even telling you this? It’s so stupid. You do so much for everyone and I’m just dumping my shit on you… saying how tired I am, while you’re so much more tired than me.” She straightened her back with a dry chuckle.

He leaned slightly towards her and put his arm on her shoulder. She turned her head to the side and looked at him from the corner of the eye.

“Don’t invalidate yourself. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Call it my… bird senses-” he smiled a little “-but I felt like you might need someone. And nothing you do or say is stupid. Not to me. Not if it’s you.”

“You… remember?” She asked with raised eyebrows, after turning her body sideways to him.

“Of course. I remember a lot of things about you,” he said with such tenderness in his eyes that, while looking into them, she felt like she could suffocate. But it was good, it wasn’t nothing. “The quote you like, how you make your coffee, what is the song you listen to on repeat… everything I see and know about you, I remember.”

Pushing away the shame and the nagging voice, saying that Keigo didn’t really care, she faced him completely and moved close enough for her knees to touch his thighs. He could see now how shiny her eyes became.

“You can cry, if you want to.”

“I wish I could… no matter how teary my eyes get, it’s just… nothing comes out of them. But on the inside, on the inside, I’m weeping.”

She talked mostly with a flat voice, little change in her tone, but he sensed the grief deep inside her. Grief for herself, grief for her crumbling mind.

“That’s okay. It will come when the time is right.” He really hoped he was doing it right. That he was able to give any comfort.

With slight hesitation, she touched his leg with her fingertips before resting her palms to play with the fabric of his pants.

“I don’t get it. Why you are so… here. You could just leave and I would be okay… in time.”

“I told you that I love you, right?”

“You did, but still…” Her eyes became unseeing again. She looked through space with a spaced-out expression. “If I wasn’t here you wouldn’t have to bother, you wouldn’t have to worry.”

“Are you saying that you’ve thought about…” He did not want to end that sentence, too scared to actually hear it.

“Death?” So she ended it for him. “Yeah, I do… from time to time. But I don’t think I’d do it. Even if I think it would be better without me taking up space, I’m too selfish to just let go of everything…”

Keigo was a bit shocked with how calm she was. Death was something that he himself contemplated in the past, but hearing it said by someone he loved was on a whole another level. Fright and relief washed over him.

He took both of her hands into his and brought them to his mouth. He put his lips on her skin, not kissing, just feeling, making sure that she was indeed there with him.

“I… am so glad. So glad that you trust me enough to let me into your mind.” He made sure to look her straight in the eyes. His (just barely) trembling fingers squeezing hers. “You are my Sun. The most important star in my galaxy, in my whole universe, even. And I will do anything in my power to prevent you from burning out. I… I just need you like flowers need the Sun.”

She did not expect such a statement from him, it wasn’t really in his nature to make proclamations of that stature. But she knew it was on purpose, another thing he remembered: her love for the stars. If he loved her like she loved the unknown universe… It was almost overwhelming. She also understood the implication of his power - he would try to help her and if she needed more, he would get anyone more suited for this particular job.

He sighed and put their hands down (never letting go).

“It sounds selfish, doesn’t it? You need me and I say that I need you.”

She gently pulled her hands away from his and changed her position to sit on her feet. Leaning forward, she cupped his face softly, fingers getting tangled in his messy blond hair.

“Do you know what is it about us, Keigo? Why do we even work?” She asked quietly.

“Hmm?”

“We’re fake. Both of us.” He knew what she meant. “We’re fake to the world. But we know the truth and need each other to tell it.”

He said nothing, instead just embracing her, the words still echoing in his mind.

The position they were in was uncomfortable. His arms around her torso, hers around his neck with her head on his shoulder, both leaning into one another a bit awkwardly. Still, they both savored the warmth the other provided.

“I will stand by you all the way, as long as you want me,” he whispered right in her ear.

“You’re betting on a losing dog…”

“A losing dog...? Then I’m losing by your side.” He felt her slight smile on the crook of his neck. “I’ll wait for the day when you sing along to songs again…”

She lifted her head to look at him from the corner of her eye.

“You know, that’s a bit cheesy.”

“Maybe,” he said with a sigh, “but when you do it, you always seem happy or content. When you stop singing, the silence is almost deafening…”

She hummed in agreement, he was right, after all.

“Hide me away, Keigo,” she whispered gripping the fabric on his back, “Just for a moment, please.”

His wings spread to the sides before enveloping tightly the two of them.

They sat in their own crimson bubble, a safe haven, while his phone lit up in his pocket with a reminder of forgotten reality.

#my fic #hawks x reader #hawks x you #hawks x female reader #hawks x y/n #takami keigo x reader #takami keigo x you #takami keigo x y/n #hawks #bnha hawks #mha hawks #takami keigo #bnha takami keigo #mha takami keigo #keigo takami x y/n #keigo takami x reader #keigo takami x you #hawks fanfic #boku no hero academia #bnha #my hero academia #mha #bnha x reader #mha x reader #tw: sucidal thoughts #tw: depressive thoughts

[thedeliverygod]

White Day

chapter 2 of Just as Sweet

A day early once again! Both because I want and because I got my first covid vaccine today and judging by my friends side effects to them, I'm in for a ride lol.

Archive of Our Own

Fanfiction.net

“Oh, Hiyori~”

Her eyes widened, pulled from the daze she was in from staring up at the chalkboard and her sensei. Turning to see Yato grinning widely at her side, she moved her notebook forward and flipped to a blank page.

What are you doing here?

He moved closer to her and leaned over her desk much more than needed, entering her personal space to read the note. “Well, I was kinda hoping you’d play hooky with me. It’s been a while since you’ve missed school, right?”

Hiyori chewed her lip in response as she wrote down her answer.

Define a while. Also, what’s the occasion?

“It’s white day, so it’s my turn to sweep you off your feet.” He wrapped himself around her shoulders.

Flushing, she considered his words before she wrote down her question.

Why can’t it wait until tonight?

“Let’s see. First, there’s the fact that Yukine can still hardly stand to be in a room with both of us at the same time because he gets too embarrassed. Second, there’s the chance of Kofuku following us even if we do leave the house. Third, I’m sure you’ve seen your classmates celebrating all day, so it’s only fair you get your turn…”

As he counted down the various reasons, she quickly scratched out her answer.

Okay, I get it.

He grinned in response and let go of her, taking a step back.

Hiyori took a breath, briefly closing her eyes before opening them again to focus on leaving her body. As she stepped outside of herself and next to Yato, she noticed him quickly reaching over to her body as her classmates all turned around at the sound of a thud.

“Jeez, Hiyori…” Yato gently removed his hand from underneath her head, looking over to give her a chastising look, “You were about to crack your skull open on your desk.”

She rubbed her neck sheepishly, “Sorry, I’m still getting used to leaving my body again…”

“Just… try to be more careful.” He reached out to cup the side of her face.

She nodded, “I will. So, where exactly are you taking me?”

“Hmm,” He hummed before moving his hand to hers and grasping it lightly, “It is pretty warm outside today, so I guess that sakura tree Yukine always likes to hang around would work.”

Hiyori tilted her head in surprise as she was pulled forward, “You didn’t think about it before hand?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Eh, location is a minor detail.”

“For wanting to sweep me off my feet, it doesn’t sound like you planned it out very much.” She pulled away to put her hands on her hips, staring at him expectantly.

Yato moved his hand to his chest and gripped his jacket, feigning pain, “Now that we’re officially dating, I would think you have more faith in me, and yet…”

“I’m just a mixture of concerned and curious is all…” She admitted before giving him a gentle push, “Let’s keep going.”

He grinned and peeked back at her, “So you’re excited, then.”

“Of course.” She smiled back.

“So,” He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned in towards her, “Do we take the long way or the scenic route?”

“It’s funny, those would usually be one in the same.” Hiyori gave another smile before she pointed out towards the large tree visible from the window, “But definitely the scenic route. I miss feeling like I can fly.”

Yato started to retreat down the stairs, announcing, “Scenic route it is, then.”

“Did you really just walk right through the front door of the school?” She moved quickly to catch up with him.

“Yeah? I mean, it’s not like anyone can see me.” He lifted his head to look back at her as they descended the stairs, “Would you rather I come in through a window?”

She sighed in return, “Of course not.”

“Besides, maybe I left something in your shoe locker for later so your friends will see that I stopped by.” He teased as they approached the lockers.

“Really?” Her eyes moved towards the area where her locker was but Yato quickly reached out to gently pull on her arm.

“No peeking.” He directed her forward and out the front doors. Letting go of her, he jumped up into the tree that they previously saw from upstairs, “Besides, this is the main part of your gift anyway. What’s in your locker is really just to show your friends I exist.”  

Hiyori jumped after him, relenting though her tail gave an annoyed twitch, “Okay, okay.” As they traversed a few more trees and tops of buildings, she added, “And by the way, they know you exist.”

“They don’t think you’re just taking pictures of a random guy you know and saying you’re dating without his knowledge?” He raised an eyebrow as he teased, continually making sure to keep a wide berth.

Flushed, she huffed back, “No! They know I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“I’m just saying it could happen.”

“Besides, you take all sorts of pictures on my phone and they’ve been known to take it and look at it…” She added with a sigh, still bright red.

He finally paused at that, waiting for her to catch up, “What do you mean?”

“The random pictures you take of just me studying or like, I dunno, talking with Yukine-kun…” She looked down and twiddled her fingers, “They said you clearly like me a lot and it’s adorable or something like that…”

Yato gave a soft smile before taking her hand again, jumping downward as they finally approached the ravine where the sakura tree was located, “Well, it’s true.”

She was tempted to roll her eyes but gave a sheepish smile instead as he gave her another small look as they started to walk.

“Why are they so interested in your phone anyway?” He finally asked.

“I guess because I tend to not talk about the things that we do together a lot, you know, because of all things far shore related; so, they get curious.” Hiyori gave a small shrug, “That’s my guess, anyway.”

“Hmm.” Yato hummed in response, but she couldn’t quite read his expression.

Feeling a lurch in her stomach, she continued, “Of course, when we do normal things, I talk about you. It’s just—”

“It’s okay, Hiyori.” He tugged her hand to urge her down the hill, the sakura tree now in sight, “C’mon.”

“It’s funny, I think the last time I was here was when we did the hanami with everyone.” Freezing and suddenly jerking her hand away, her face soured and her tail twitched, “And you kissed Bishamon-san.”

Yato threw his head back in frustration at the mention, “My hand was covering her face! I kissed my own hand! Besides, I told you I don’t even remember that!”

She crossed her arms across her chest, “That definitely doesn’t make me feel any better about it.”

Staring back at her for a moment, he walked over to her and pressed a kiss against her cheek, “It’s only ever meant anything with you.”

At that, she softened and let her hands fall to her sides as she gently nudged her head against his shoulder, “I know. But thank you.”

“So, will you forgive me and sit with me?” He pulled away and walked backward towards the tree, giving a small smile.

“Yes.” She followed suite and sat next to him, her back gently pressed against the trunk of the tree, “But seriously… we should get everyone together again this year. I know it would mean a lot to Yukine-kun.  Maybe next week?”

“Whenever’s good for you.” He nodded along, “We’re just gods, after all. We have nothing important to do.”

Hiyori jabbed him with her elbow, “Very funny.”

He grinned widely, “I mean, honestly. Any time would probably be fine for most of those guys. Even though Ebisu always seems busy, he always manages to show up when we ask.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She hummed contentedly.

Yato reached into his jersey pocket but kept his hand there asking, “So remember when I asked what your favorite color was before?”

“Yes, and I said blue.” She flushed again, but asked curiously, “So that has to do with a present, I’m guessing?”

“Mhm. But just curious, has it always been blue?” He raised an eyebrow, meeting her eyes.

She felt her cheeks growing hotter as his eyes looked into hers, so she looked away, “Not always. I guess I didn’t really have a favorite until recently.”

“Hmm, okay.” He acknowledged quietly, but she could tell he looked a bit smug when she managed to look up again, “So, I made this myself just like you made the chocolate for me, so hopefully it’s okay.”

She watched as he took out a small box and deposited something into his other hand.

After a moment, he took it into his hands and held it out in front of her; a gold bracelet with a small forget-me-not pressed in resin as a charm. “So, I went on color and meanings, not the name… despite the irony.” He gave a small laugh.

Gingerly taking it into her hands, she admired it, “It’s beautiful. But also, what is the meaning of it, then?”

“True love, a long-lasting connection.” He gave a sheepish smile, “Basically as many sappy things as you can fit into a tiny flower, it’s there.”

Hiyori laughed loudly before announcing, “It’s perfect. Can you help me put it on?” She held out the bracelet in her palm and held out her left wrist.

“Of course.” He took it gently before wrapping it around her wrist and closing the clasp around the chain. As she pulled away and he noticed it move around on her wrist, he asked, “Does it fit okay?”

“Yeah. I don’t like when bracelets are tight so this is great.” She reached up with the same hand to cup his face, pressing her lips to his, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He answered before kissing her back.

After a beat, she pulled away and whispered, “So… what exactly is in the shoe locker?”

“Jeez, the curiosity was killing you, huh?” He laughed loudly.

Hiyori pouted and huffed, “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be the exact same way.”

“Oh, I would. I just didn’t expect it from you.” Receiving only a small glare in return, he continued, “It’s just a note and some chocolate. Store bought, since like I said, this is the main gift. Yukine helped pick it out since you two always seem to like the same stuff.”

“Okay. Now I make it through the rest of school without having to peek.” She nodded before she moved closer to him and let herself sink into him, “Thank you, for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” He nestled into her hair.

#noragami #yatori #noragami fanfiction #my writing

[actinglikethat]

We Can Never Be Friends - MGK Imagine

Plot: Despite you and Colson breaking up a year ago, you still have feelings for him and suspect he might still have some for you. But a wrench is thrown in your thoughts when he brings another girl to a hangout.

A/N: Yay, this is the first writing I’m posting here! It’s loosely based on a dream I had and it’s kinda angsty/full of pining but I have a part two in the works 👀 (also idk how to write these describer things so bear with me lmao)

Warnings: One scene describes the plot of a movie Colson’s starring in (in the story) and it briefly mentions kidnapping.

You and Colson had broken up a year ago, after mutually deciding that his tour schedule and the demands of his career put too much of a strain on your relationship. Despite the way your romance ended, it was an amicable breakup and you stayed friends afterwards. Although you didn’t want to admit it, you were still in love with him. Between his looks, his dedication to his art, and his commitment to being a good father to Casie, you couldn’t help but feel like maybe you should’ve pushed harder to keep him. 

There were a lot of moments at hangouts and house parties where you thought he laughed a little too long at your stories, or maintained eye contact for a few seconds more than he should’ve, that made you think maybe he felt the same way. You tried asking the likes of Pete, Rook, and Slim whether he talked about you often, or if they knew how he felt, but their answers weren’t what you wanted to hear. 

As you got ready for a hangout at Rook’s one night, you found yourself putting on Colson’s favorite dress of yours, along with a necklace he got you two birthdays ago. You wore that outfit on countless dinner dates and to the studio a few times, and you gave yourself a melancholy smile in the mirror as you looked back. Casie thought that dress brought out your eyes well. She also thought you might become her stepmother one day. 

Once you got to Rook’s, you made your rounds around the living room to say hi to everyone, coming to Colson last. His gaze immediately went to the necklace, then the dress, then to your face, his face dropping. He muttered a quick “hey,” gave you an awkward hug, and sat back down. It was clear you had gotten into his head, so you figured you’d sit next to him on the couch.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” he said as you stepped over. “Jasmine’s sitting there.” 

The smile you had on your face a moment earlier fell, and you looked over your shoulder at the rest of the group, hoping to make eye contact with someone who could tell you who this “Jasmine” was. Pete offered you a sympathetic smile, making room on the other couch next to him. 

“Who the hell is Jasmine?” You quietly asked him as you sat down.

“New girlfriend,” he said. “They met on the set of that new movie he’s filming in Calabasas. She’s a lot like you, you know. I think you’d be good friends if it weren’t for the fact that she’s dating the star-crossed love of your life.”

You elbowed him in the side as a girl you had never met came into the room. Her eyes instantly fell on you, and she smiled as she walked over.

“Hey, you must be Y/N! I’m Jasmine, it’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“Yeah, you too!”

“Everyone’s told me so much about you, Colson and Rook always say you’re one of the sweetest, funniest people they’ve met.”

“Do they?” You felt your heart fall to your stomach.

“All the time! I have a feeling we’ll get along well.”

“Same,” you fibbed. She smiled and took her seat next to Colson, joining in whatever conversation he was having with Slim and Noah. 

You leaned back on the couch, almost regretting showing up. 

“I didn’t wanna tell you he still talks about you,” Pete said. “I figured it’d kinda sting now that he’s taken.” 

“She took him alright,” you muttered, earning a laugh. “I just, I don’t know. I thought maybe there was a chance he’d wanna take me back.” 

“It’s possible, I think. I mean, it’s Colson, how long do we think this will really last?”

“We were together for a year and seven months. Who knows?” 

He sighed, unsure of how to comfort you. 

As the night went on, you made conversation with most people in the room, aside from Colson and Jasmine. You wanted to talk to them, partly so Jasmine didn’t think you were a bitch and partly because talking to Colson was one of your favorite things to do. After some convincing, you got Pete to go over with you, scared that going alone would become an awkward third-wheel situation. 

Pete was right, you and Jasmine had a lot in common. It was easy for you two to find things to discuss, and she seemed like a really genuine, fun person. Pete occasionally chimed in to tell you other things you had in common, but Colson was practically silent the whole time. 

A little while after you started talking, Jasmine excused herself to the kitchen to go get another drink. You turned to Pete, unsure what to do without Jasmine there, and he started asking Colson more about his new movie. 

“It’s a romcom, which I haven’t really done before,” he said. “A guy’s with this girl and they break up over some stupid shit, and the whole movie they’re trying to win each other back without knowing it.”

Your gaze had been alternating between the floor and the rest of the room, but you noticed that Colson was looking directly at you while he described the film. You looked up at him almost mournfully, wondering if there was any real-life connection to the plot. Noah pulled Pete aside to show him something, leaving you and Colson standing alone.

“That sounds like a nice movie,” you commented, hoping to make the situation less awkward. “I know what that’s like.”

“Me too,” he sighed. He bit his lip, looking pensive, like he was trying to find the right words for whatever he wanted to say next. He didn’t get to say it though, since Jasmine returned before he could open his mouth. 

“I was just telling Y/N about the movie,” Colson explained.

“Oh, it’s such a fun one. The whole premise is so disturbing. I mean, what kind of a sicko would hold his daughter-in-law for ransom in a shed?”

You furrowed your brow, contemplating whether Colson was actually describing the movie earlier. “Uh, yeah, that’s so twisted.”

Pete rejoined the group and started rambling about whatever Noah showed him, but you couldn’t pay enough attention to follow what he was saying. Whenever he said something funny, you glanced over at Colson to see if he was laughing. It was exactly what you’d do at these hangouts when you were dating. When he noticed you looking up at him, he’d smile and put his arm around you, if he was next to you. 

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Jasmine asked, noticing your expression drop. Upon hearing this, Colson looked up at you, and Pete turned to look at you too, but he already knew the answer.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

“I could drive you home in a little bit if you want, I have work in the morning so I’m not staying too late,” she offered. 

“Thanks, I’d really appreciate that.” As much as you wanted to stay, it was torture to see how happy Colson and Jasmine were together. It didn’t help that the guys and Noah already loved her so much. It frustrated you that no one warned you that she’d be there, but at the same time, they knew how much Colson meant to you and didn’t want to upset you.

After some more awkward small talk, Slim and Baze came over to ask Colson some questions about a song they were working on. Jasmine excitedly chimed in, offering some production ideas. Pete could tell you were uncomfortable, so he put his hand on your back, nudging you towards the kitchen.  

Once it was just the two of you, Pete grabbed you a water bottle from the fridge, then sat down in a barstool next to the counter. 

“Come into my office, kid,” he said, pulling out another stool for you.

“I don’t know what to do,” you sighed, sitting down next to him.

“It’s a tricky situation to be in. But after tonight, I really think he’s still into you.”

“Why would he bring Jasmine here then? Especially knowing I was coming.”

“I dunno. I don’t think he knows, either. But the way he looked at you when you first got here? Then he looked crushed when you couldn’t sit next to him.”

“I dunno, Pete. It’s Colson we’re talking about, he’s not exactly a saint.”

“You’re not wrong, but I think there’s something there.”

Before you could think of something to say, Jasmine came in to tell you she was gonna go warm up the car. You nodded and started saying goodbye to everyone. You couldn’t find Colson, so you wandered around the house to see where he was.

You finally bumped into him in the hallway, after he came out of the bathroom.

“Uh, hey,” he said. “You heading out?”

“Yeah, Jasmine’s warming up the car.”

“Alright. Well, it was nice to see you again.”

He pulled you into a hug much warmer than the one he gave you earlier, and you closed your eyes against his chest, not wanting to have to say goodbye again. His arms lingered a bit longer than they should have, and as you pulled away, he kissed your forehead before sighing.

“Get home safe,” he muttered, returning to the living room and leaving you in the hall.

#mgk #mgk imagine #machine gun kelly #mgk fanfic #colson baker #my post #my writing

[twistedblud]

FINE LINE SERIES

Part 1: Adore You

pairing: dom x female!reader

description: a couple who fell in love and got married — very young and now with a kid. always told they were young and naïve. where did they go wrong?

warning(s): a hint of fluff, the tiniest bit of angst? just a moment of vulnerability is all. nothing too big coming up until the third part! 

a/n: my first series and i’m kindaaa nervous haha. but if you like it i’d appreciate if you left a comment, like, or reblog. it helps a lot. also, lyrics won’t be in exact order, just whenever they relate to the descriptions.

series masterlist & series playlist

“Y/N! He’s here! Up, let’s go!” Antonio called out. You huffed, only audible to yourself, at the words coming from your boss’ mouth and quickly got up from the seat at the vanity. You got your station prepped, making sure everything from the powder to the eyeliner were present. You couldn’t afford to be back and forth between the stock room looking for anything you may have missed. 

A few more hours. 

A few more hours.

After this shoot you leave, Y/N.

It had been a busy Thursday afternoon with Antonio and the first shift staff at your work, throwing out demands on top of demands. Now it was just after one in the afternoon and you were over the day. Antonio’s assistant, Tia, somehow spilled a coffee all over your precious denim jacket, which resulted in you taking an early break, frantically trying to find something else to cover up with. 

Thankfully, a new girl on the job happened to have a spare bomber jacket, not hesitating to lend it to you.

The day had went on and the team rushed around, making sure to prep the snacks for whichever artist they had coming in soon. Honestly, you hadn’t paid much attention at the meeting which discussed the artist and their vision for the project. You remember briefly hearing something about a Dominic, and him being from somewhere the UK.

You spent the minutes before the talent arrived on a conversation with your fellow co-workers, not being able to see your best friend at the job, as she always worked the shift after you.

Tia rushed over to your work space, closed off from the actual set, where photos were taken. “He’s here Y/N. Antonio says to make sure everything is ready please.” you nod, forming a fraudulent smile at the young girl before she walked away, but not before almost running into a group of men. You met the eyes of the guy in the middle of the group, being greeted with a warm smile. You returned it, not wanting to be completely rude but also wondering who he was.

I get so lost inside your eyes.

The mystery man stopped one of the staff members speeding past and whispered something. The staff member pointed directly at you before the man thanked her, and walked away. He made his way over to your station and paused directly in front of your figure. You took note of his dyed hair, the blue and pink streaks roaming freely throughout his head. 

“I was directed over here...Y/N right? You’re doin’ my makeup?” the man spoke, a heavy accent rolling off of his tongue. You nod slowly, not breaking eye contact with the man. He shot you a comforting smile, stripping out of his leather jacket, dropping it in the arms of a person in the group he walked in with. “Hold this for me, yeah? N’don’t spill anything on it like last time. M’begging you Adam,” Dom asked the guy before him-now identified as Gavin.

“I’m Dominic but feel free to call me Dom. Actually, I’d prefer if you called me Dom,” He rambled out. You try not to laugh at his introduction as you watched his, only what you could presume team, walk away and find seats near the snack area.

You motion to the seat in front of the mirror, allowing Dom to take a seat, watching him get settled. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it before beginning to type away on it. Already having the essentials laid out before you two your eyes land on the eyeliner, along with the eyeshadow palette. You took note of the earthy tones and tried to brainstorm. It was your job to envision a look. It was your job to execute the look.

And it was your job to satisfy not only your boss Antonio, but Dom and his team as well. You couldn’t afford to have any complaints against you, especially given this was your only source of income.

You grab the top and side of the chair Dom was sitting in, drumming your fingers along the chipped wood as you stared at him through the mirror. You studied his stoic eyes, his basically-average nose, and even down to his lips. His lips were his most prominent feature, his hair coming in a close second. You hear the sound of his phone locking and he set his phone down into his lap. Dom looks up into the mirror and made immediate eye contact with you. You blinked frantically, breathing out and breaking the eye contact.

“Can I ask what the staring match was for?,” Dom questioned you, and you look back at him in the mirror. “I like to visualize. Just mix and match the possible looks.” Dom nodded in understanding. You continued, “It may seem weird but it helps. I swear,” Dom reached forward to grab a stray piece of plastic off the surface in front of him and began fiddling with it. 

“I understand Y/N. Forgot I work in the music industry myself?” Dom questioned you and you laughed. “Hey, I didn’t completely forget Dom. I just...suck at remembering things, especially here” you vent out to him. 

“S’okay. We all forget things sometimes, yeah?”

You hum out a quick “mhm” and tilt your head to the side as the perfect concept for Dom’s look comes to mind. Realizing that you subconsciously leaned part of your weight on the chair where he sat during your conversation, you push yourself back up and move to the front of the station, moving to get everything opened.

Dom watched you intently as you opened the eyeliner, making sure it was good. “You don’t mind?,” Dom randomly asked, you looking up to meet his eyes in the mirror once again. “Sorry, meant the eyeliner. The eyeshadow. You don’t mind putting it on me?”

You turn to face Dom with the eyeliner in hand and used your left hand to slightly tilt his head back. You move that same hand to the side of his left cheek, holding it there, as you began to bring the eyeliner toward his waterline. “I don’t mind it all, actually,” you slightly frown, “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just...people? The close-minded ones. Always judging me for wearing certain products or clothes.” You watched his eyes move to look down at his lap, Dom beginning to pick at his jeans. “Mostly get weird looks from other stylists in the industry for my interest in this kinda stuff. Not to mention the trolls online. It makes me...”

“Well it’s sexy to me. Any guy who can rock eyeliner and eyeshadow? A win to me.” Dom’s eyes went slightly wide, a goofy smile forming on his face. You simply stroked your thumb along his cheek, in a friendly manner, before beginning to apply the eyeliner.

---

Dom noticed you packing the last of your stuff into your purse, pleading with his team for a few more minutes. His convincing finally worked, but when he turned to your station, you were gone. The next shift of staff members piled in, taking your place at the station you once occupied. Dom let out a huff, running a hand through his wild hair. He wondered how you left so quick. But more importantly where you were.

Your lipstick had managed to slip out your purse in the process of you shoving everything in there, your coffee-stained jacked peaking out from the top. Dom noticed it on the floor and immediately picked it up. He briefly read the label: NYX Matte Lipstick in the shade Strawberry Daiquiri. Dom connected the dots, it now making sense that when you two were interacting, he smelled a frequent aroma of strawberry overpowering vanilla.

Strawberry lipstick state of mind.

“You can try the sidewalk. Y/N usually waits for her Uber there.” A voice snuck up behind Dom. He turned around to see a girl before him. She was only a tad bit shorter than him and slim, her skin a reddish-brown. A septum piercing stood out through her fuller nose, along with a simple nose piercing on her left side of her nose.

Dom realized he hadn’t replied back to the girl and shook his head, hoping she hadn’t noticed. Instead he cleared his throat, resting his hand on his hip, pushing back the jacket he had on. “How rude of me. Thank you!” Dom exclaimed, eyebrows furrowing as he looked around at the various exits, wondering which was quick to find you. The girl pointed to a door across from them. Dom thanked her again and headed toward the door but stopped in his tracks, turning around to the same girl who had been a help just moments before.

“Sick piercings by the way.”

----

Three more minutes. 

You looked down at your phone screen, tracking your Uber driver and his navigation as he reached closer to you. You waited in anticipation, finally relieved that your workday had come to an end and soon, you’d finally be in the comfort of your own home. You smiled at the thought of curling up on your sofa with a glass of wine, watching the newest episode of Grey’s Anatomy, with your puppy curled up by your feet.

Until then you waited on the sidewalk, swaying back and forth on the heels of your feet. You contemplated opening up the app Candy Crush to kill time, but the thoughts were interrupted, when you heard footsteps approaching you rather quickly. You squinted, barely made out who the figure was.

Dom halted in front of you, nearly crashing into you. You grabbed the side of his arms to help prevent him from plowing you over. He was audibly out of breath, huffs coming from his mouth. “Y/N...you left your, uh, lip stuff on the floor?” He handed you your beloved NYX lipstick. 

I'd walk through fire for you

You graciously thank him, “Holy shit, thank you Dom! Didn’t even realize I dropped it.” Your smile was small, yet still contagious, Dom fidgeting as you both hear the chime on your phone which signaled that your Uber was just around the corner.

You make out a quick goodbye, not realizing he had more to say. “Wait! If you’re not too busy, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out? Maybe this weekend? I know, shit, this is very weird and sudden but, I just wanted to ask-”

Just let me adore you

You giggled at his rambling and grabbed his hand, guiding him off of the sidewalk and near a random building, and away from you referred to it as, sidewalk rush hour.

Dom groaned in what you could only assume was embarrassment, slowly letting go of your hand, when you had finally worked up an answer to give him.

“I think I know what you’re trying to ask, and I’d love to, actually.”

Like it's the only thing I'll ever do.

Taglist: @wallows-spring

Part 2 will be linked here when it is published! And comment to be added to the taglist!

#dominic harrison #dominic harrison imagine #fine line series #fl!dom #yungblud x reader #yungblud

[elichorph]

ok hi i’m back with a second character ...

the member of the yale's elite, they're twenty three and a grad student majoring in film & media studies. they are as amicable as they are histrionic.

stats:

full name: gordon minjun teller nicknames: goose. gordon is for business only age: twenty three  birthday: june 13, 1997 chart: gemini sun / cancer moon / leo rising gender: cis male pronouns: he / him sexuality: bisexual & biromantic height: 6′1 hair color: blue (now blonde) tattoos: none piercings: nose stud (right side), earlobes (always have silver hoops in them)

PINTEREST BOARD 

blackmail:

while the public believes that goose’s family retired and moved to another country, this was actually released as a coverup because they went missing. goose withheld information from the court about their last whereabouts which could have prevented it from becoming a cold case.

he was expelled from high school after vandalizing a statue on campus and his uncle paid the school to go back on their decision.

he lost a third of his inheritance money to a cult he briefly followed in his sophomore year of college while looking for guidance.

backstory:

tw: implied death

right at birth, goose was adopted into the teller family who were pretty well known. his father was a young ceo of an oil company in texas. goose’s family eventually became public figures and tabloid favorites after a long riveting love story between his father and mother, who belonged to opposing business families. it really was a quick rise and fall to fame, starting when it was revealed goose’s adoptive mom, grace, couldn’t have kids, he was in her arms not even a month after and right out of them thirteen years later when she disappeared and the family really was never to be heard of again. 

but as the only adopted child into a family who had to keep their public image up, goose’s dreams of being a fun loving kid were crushed. really, it was strictly gordon - gordon on the tabloids, you’d see his baby face like aw thank god grace got to have a kid of her own <3 he was posted up at galas, listening to his dad speak about oil and shit every weekend and going back to his small private school every monday and it was just the same routine conditioning to keep the image of the teller family spotless and to hopefully get gOrDoN to become the next ceo.

that all kind of went to shit though when goose turned 14. his parents miraculously went missing (don’t ask me what happened i don’t even know) one night when he was tucked into bed. seriously, he woke up one morning and they were gone and suddenly there were police storming the house and he was being questioned and things weren’t routine or safe anymore. in order to still save face for the family though, news was quickly put out that the family went on a private vacation while the investigation went on privately. it was taken to court, people signed nda’s, and all little goose knew was that he his parents were going to a party that night and hadn’t told anybody else and he was too scared to tell anyone. at one point goose became the main suspect and he had to put his freshman year of high school on pause, but he was dismissed months after even though he hadn’t shared the detail that they went to a party. if he had shared it, they literally would’ve been found. eventually, there were no new leads, the case was declared cold, and an official statement was put out that the teller parents “retired” and “moved” to a different country that wouldn’t be disclosed and gOrDoN would be under the care of his uncle.

gordon was like mad though haha. even though he’d gotten his family’s entire inheritance as a fifteen year old and should’ve been happy that he was basically a millionaire, he wasn’t used to things not being in the same routine and actually having to make decisions for himself. newsflash, but goose can’t handle emotions really well and he got angry and well i don’t know if you’ve seen donnie darko where donnie literally put an axe through the statue’s head and spray painted “they made me do it” below the statue? but yeah, that. goose wasn’t slick though, got caught by security, and his uncle paid the school to let it slide and then sent goose to a boarding school in maruland.

he spent the last couple years of high school trying to figure out who he actually was outside of the tabloids and the teller name and image, and eventually got the hang of it by the time he enrolled at yale. he started going by goose instead of gordon, went into film instead of business like his family wanted him to and slowly started to blossom into the weirdo he is today <3 his dad was in the elites so he was able to secure a legacy spot and reluctantly said yes to joining. he was kinda quiet the first year, but now he’s all gungho to do charity events and make people happy and shit like that. 

his sophomore year though he kinda doubted the path he was on and his naive ass got roped up into a cult. anyways, he ended up trusting them a lot and donated 1/3 of his family’s inheritance to the cult and kinda blew it. goose was acting hella weird around this time though, i imagine people around him could kinda sense he wasn’t like alright for a few months. anyways someone ended up giving him an intervention about acting kinda whack and he realized and thankfully was able to leave the cult pretty unscathed. but he is deeply, deeply ashamed about his time in the cult though.

personality:

he is one gigantic deranged baby. like he is baby, but he’s also kind of crazy. if goose feels any normal emotion, it instantly bass boosts and he feels it in full. goose genuinely is so sensitive, he’ll physically flinch if you say something merely mean to him because he was used to growing up so perfect that he really can’t take criticism. however, he’ll do his best to patch things up by saying some incomprehensible joke right there and then. the only exception to this is the tabloids. goose has become so immune to them that he will straight up troll them back on twitter because he just doesn’t give two shits.

he’s incredibly kind. so so so kind (not really gentle though). the type to remember your favorite candy bar and hand one to you on a random tuesday. he’ll remember your name even if you’ve only met once and even if you didn’t give him your name, he’ll look it up somehow just so he knows next time. he loves to make jokes all the time. none of them ever make sense, but they’re funny to him and he won’t apologize for it. and he’s LOUD. you probably can hear his cackles and snorts and dramatic screams even when you’re on the other side of campus. he’s just a kid in a candy store excited to finally enjoy life, especially now that things have seemed to settle down. even though he’ll probably have a whole breakdown and a half the first time the blackmailer mentions his name.

yes, he actually believes he’s being haunted by jfk. goose had a string of dreams about him and witnessed some doors opening and closing on their own around the same time, and he quickly jumped to the conclusion and never thought twice about it. another strange belief that goose has? that he’s friends with a ton of a-listers. even though it’s mainly jessica alba, he won’t hesitate to tweet at extremely famous actors and thank them for getting lunch with him even if they’ve never spoke. multiple management companies have his twitter handle blacklisted. while he currently has blue hair, it’s always quick to change. for how much he dyes it, it’s surprising that it doesn’t feel like hay.  if goose feels a mental breakdown coming or simply is bored or needs attention, his hair color will do a straight 180. he hasn’t had a natural hair color since he enrolled at yale.

things that are very goose: beat up yellow high top converse, getting to know every person in existence, having memes plastered over his wall to make him smile after a long day, wearing fancy cologne to the grocery store because one cashier said he smelled good and he thinks it makes them happy to wear that, throwing a shoe across a crowd at a party, going to sulk in the bathroom or leave the party early when a song plays that brings up bad memories, keeping every movie stub, restaurant punch card, and lost button in a little scrapbook just because he wants to remember the good things in life, thinking the karate kid is the best movie to ever exist despite being five years into a film major.

wanted connections

since he doesn’t have any pre-established connections, here are some ones that could kinda be fun

someone who protects his naive ass <3

an ex or old one sided crush who hurt him so bad lmao. they really wouldn’t have to a lot to do that, but it would be juicy if they did

roommate? maybe? he lived in a really shitty apartment his first few years, maybe they convinced him to move out or moved in

or neighbors? like he will knock on their door 3 times a week with half burnt brownies to offer or because he doesn’t know where his tv remote is and needs help

someone who gave him the intervention about like “you’re acting weird are you okay” that indirectly got him to leave the cult and he feels like he’s forever indebted to them

someone who just despises goose and he doesn’t understand why and tries to make things better even though it just makes things worse

family friends? maybe? when he was in ct and his uncle didn’t let him come home with him during the holidays he would go to their house or something like that

gentle romance <3 maybe. Please

he’s their secret admirer and sends them gifts and flowers and writes them bad poems and recommends them shitty romance films

someone who takes advantage of how naive he is

anything <3 come 2 me or i will dm you or venmo you and force u to plot with me

#intro

[talesofsadhuman]

2. Ilunga

Prompt: “I love you.” “I know.”

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word count: 3.1k

Warnings: Language, depression, anxiety

A/N: Okay, so this is my first time writing and I did this for #roz’schallenge; i had 3 midterms this week and they were really hard. i wrote this one in third person! Some of the dialogue was inspired by this piece I read in the New Yorker some years ago and it stuck with me. this is part two of three

2. Ilunga 

(n.) a person who will forgive anything the first time, tolerate the second time, but never a third time 

This was it. It was decided.

— 

Moments passed blissfully. One evening, Bucky surprised her at the journal headquarters with a bouquet of flowers and a picnic basket filled with delicious foods as a treat to celebrate the publication of her article. At exactly 5 pm, she walked out into the foyer to find her tall, handsome man waiting for her. He approached her, kissed the top of her head and greeted her. 

“Hey.”

“Hello to you, why are you here?”

“I wanted to surprise you and celebrate your paper.”

“It’s not a big deal, really.”

“Hey, a publication is a publication. Plus, I wanted to hang out with you since you’ve been busy the past couple of days.”

“I did miss you,” she responded in a sultry voice, reaching for his face and pulling him towards her to give him a brief but deep kiss. They walked hand in hand to the park where they set up a nice tartan blanket and all the food Bucky had prepared. Once they finished, they laid down on the blanket, heads touching while holding hands and looking up at the sky. The sun was starting to set, the last of the rays warmed them briefly and made them glow. 

As it started to darken, the stars started to appear, shimmering and lighting up the only two beings in existence at that moment. He turned to face her and she him. 

“What?” She whispered. 

He stared deeply into her eyes and moved in closer. He kissed her, deeply. His hands cupping her chin while the other held onto her face, softly. He pulled back and responded, “nothing.” She rolled her eyes and grabbed his face to kiss him again.  They rested their foreheads together.

“It’s starting to get dark, we should get going,” he whispered.

“It’s not like I have a highly trained avenger with me to protect me, but okay,” she responded. They gathered their things and walked back to her apartment. Once they arrived, she put the kettle on to make coffee and Bucky went to take a shower. She poured the hot water into mugs and placed them on the kitchen island. As she waited for Bucky to return, she was sitting on the stool, contemplating everything. She had never been in a relationship like this before; everything was always physical. In college, she had someone special, but he broke her heart when he revealed she meant nothing to him yet he was everything to her. She decided she would never attach herself to anyone that day, because perhaps it will make everything easier. But it wasn’t. Nights of random hook ups could not fill the empty void she was creating inside her. There was never any connection, and with Bucky, he saw her more than just a piece of flesh. He saw her mind. Her spirit. Her soul. He’d stare into her eyes and smile. She’d see the world differently. For what it was but still, for what she hoped it would become. 

But all of it was feeling too good to be true. She always had this feeling that when something good was happening, it would all come crashing down. There've been these episodes of distancing herself from others. Keeping to herself, not going out, not talking to anyone-avoiding everyone. And no one ever checked up on her. So she would quietly try to pick herself back up and keep on moving forward. This relationship with Bucky was going well. Too well. How could he not see what’s wrong with her? How deeply flawed and pessimistic she was? Was he oblivious to the fact that she isn’t a genuinely happy person? Or perhaps he has created this idealized version of her and is waiting for the moment in which she doesn’t fit into it. Anyway, she had a lot of thinking to do. She was drinking her coffee when Bucky came out, refreshed and ready. He sat down next to her, but she was deep in thought, not really present. 

“Hey...” he said, but she didn’t budge, just staring ahead into the empty space. 

“Hey, baby, hey,” he said, a little louder. 

“Hmm..”

“You good?”

“Yea. Sorry, I get lost in my thoughts sometimes.”

“Whatcha thinking about?”

“Us,” she responded. He got up from his stool and walked towards her, positioning himself in between her legs. He towered over her and cupped her chin as he lowered down so he met her. 

“Yea, what about us?”

“I like us,” she whispered. He looked her in the eyes and leaned in, feeling her breathe as she closed her eyes. All too quickly, he got up and said, “me too.” 

“What a tease,” she responded and swatted his arm. 

“No, I know. But I do love you.” She paused for a second to soak in what he had just revealed. Was this love what she was feeling? She didn’t know. 

“I know,” she responded. Bucky felt a small pain in his chest when she didn’t repeat it back. But she had acknowledged it, at least. 

“C’mon,” she said, bringing him back to her, “let’s go to bed.” He followed her and that night, she slept soundly as Bucky laid awake for hours, contemplating if there was something wrong with him. 

—-

Weeks passed and he never brought up that fact that she didn’t say, “I love you,” back to him. He decided to move on and let her say it organically. After all, it had only been 3 months since they were officially together. They’d go days without seeing each other, and he was fine with that. They’d reunite after a couple of days and have the best time together. However, this time, they hadn’t spoken in a couple of days at all. He tried texting and calling her but she wouldn’t answer. He decided to go to her house to check up on her. When he got there, he knocked on her door. Nothing. He looked around for any indication she might be home, before he would pick the lock and let himself in. He opened up the mail slot on the door and peeped in. It was clean, quiet, and somber. He decided to go in. The mail was piled up by the door. She hadn’t picked it up. He walked into the apartment and loudly said, “babe, are you home?” No response. He walked into the apartment, and headed to the kitchen. It was clean, as if no one had been there or touched anything, in days. He proceeded to go to her room. That’s where he found her, lying in bed. She was balled up, surrounded by a mess of clothes and books, among other things. As he approached her, he noticed she was silently crying. Quickly, he got into bed with her and cradled her. 

“Hey, hey, baby, I’ve got you. Please don’t cry. I have you, I’ve got you,” he said as he rocked her and kissed the top of her head. She held onto him but kept crying. “Is everything okay? Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the hospital? Talk to me, please.” She kept on weeping as he held onto her, hoping she’d calm down and eventually talk. 

—-

She had fallen asleep in his arms, occasionally stirring. Bucky was worried now. She had mentioned she was dealing with some personal stuff, but never told him what exactly. If he had known he was going to find her like this, he would have done something sooner. He remembered the days he felt alone. Having that feeling that no one wanted him or saw him for what he had done when he wasn’t in control of himself. Those were the darkest moments in his life. He closed himself off because it was easier to deal with his pain by himself, than to open up to someone and have them see him like a monster. Eventually, becoming a part of the avengers helped him out. He felt good by doing good. It still wouldn’t undo everything he had done in the past, but it was a step in the right direction. Suddenly, she stirred and became alarmed she wasn’t by herself. 

“Hey,” she said, softly. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for, how are you feeling?” She just looked at him, giving him a sad smile. 

“I’ve been better. I just-“

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. But if you do want to tell me, I won’t judge you. I’m here with you,” he responded. She gave him a soft smile. She had read somewhere, what he had been through, and  she figured he may be one to understand her. 

“It’s just that- I,” she sighed. “I have stuff going on. I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard for me to function sometimes. Sometimes I have good days. Sometimes I don’t feel like moving or have the energy to do anything. I get panic attacks when I overthink, feel intensely, or simply, out of the blue. I feel like I can’t breathe and my chest starts to hurt. It all gets to be too much sometimes but I’ve managed it these past couple of years. I'm the kind of person who starts getting kinda nervous when I'm having the time of my life.”

He said nothing, but sitting across her, listening. “I’ve found ways to cope, but I’ve been used to being by myself for so long, that I forget about others for a cool minute.” She saw he wasn’t saying anything back. 

“I’m sorry. I should have told you before. It’s just hard for me to talk about this to other people.”

“I feel like that too sometimes. I understand you.” They stayed silent for a minute until he spoke up again. 

“What are you doing to get better?”

“It’s been a work in progress. Sometimes I give in to it because I feel like once the storm passes, I’ll be okay again. But you also help. When I’m with you, I’m happy.”

“Me too. Promise me you’ll let me in, please. I’ve been there. It sucks, and I hate seeing you cry. I hate seeing you sad and not being you. Please, try to work on it.”

“I’ll try.” He scoots in, closer to her and kisses the top of her head. She undid herself from his grasp, pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. 

“I love you,” he whispered as a response. 

“I know,” she said. 

—

A couple of months pass. The episodes continued but she hid them from Bucky. She’d spend beautiful days with him but would cry herself to sleep. She still felt empty. He loved her so much and she was sure she loved him too, but he can leave her at any time, especially now that he knows her condition. He’d be more attentive, loving, and caring. But she would lie to him, telling him she’s getting better and seeking help, when in reality, she wasn’t. It was tough, and she managed through it. One evening, they were both at her apartment. She was painting and had her stuff scattered out through the living room while he was reading a book with the tv on for background noise. She was just painting her feelings and at the end, it was this intricate cloud of dark blue shades. She added black specks onto the work. Bucky looked up and noticed how dark it was. Was it just some art or was this how she was feeling inside? Was this her way of saying she was drowning? That she needed comfort. 

“Babe?”

“Yea?”

“Whatcha painting there?”

“It just came to me.”

“Hmm,” he responded. He got up from the couch and sat down next to her. He picked up the canvas from the stand and stared at it. 

“What does it mean?” She wasn’t expecting that question. So she blurted out what she was thinking. 

“This is how I feel and imagine shame.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I’m a sad person, buck. This is what’s in my head all the time. I can’t escape it.” He sighed. 

“If I cry hard I will be frightened, and you may find me in a corner, crouching, turned toward the wall, my hands raised to protect my face. I will sob and shake, and make myself small, and beg, Please, go away. I will not be able to look at you. If you touch me, I will scream in pain and run from the room. If any single feeling has defined my life, it is the feeling, more an awareness than a thought, that only lonely rooms are safe. This is how I feel and imagine shame, not as guilt or regret or remorse, not as some particular emotion or amalgam of emotions, but as a basic provision, abjection, the condition of those who have been cast out, neglected, and harmed.” It was a lot for Bucky to take in. 

“And you wanna know what’s fucked about all of it? It inspires me to write. I have written my best prices or come up with my best pieces when I feel this way.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Whatever you want to do. But this- this is me. This is who I am. This is my baggage. I’ve never opened up to anyone about this before.” He rubbed his chin and sighed. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Look. This is who you are. But not what you are meant to be. We can work on it. Get you help. I just want you to be happy and not feel like this.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

“Promise me that you’ll try. If not for you, at least for me.” She stared ahead, thinking about what he just told her. 

“Yea. I’ll try.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. She hugged him and took in his scent. “Thanks for being here with me,” she whispered. 

“Of course,” he replied and kissed the top of her head. That night, as she was asleep in his arms, he whispered, “I love you” but a sense of sadness overcame him as he looked at his girl and couldn’t help but think he may be causing her all this sadness. 

—-

The big fight was not unprecedented. They had made plans to go out to dinner but she didn’t show up. Lately, she had been distant. Her texts were dry. Her social media presence was almost non existent. He would go to her apartment to check up on her, but she was never home. He knew she would go home because certain things moved, her hairbrush, clothes on the floor of her bedroom, small things like that. They had been doing well and then one day, it’s like a switch went off and she distanced herself. Granted, she had told him about what she was going through, but this was a whole new level of ignoring. Two weeks passed, at this rate, he knew she was avoiding him. He decided to go to her apartment and wait for her to get home. She got home and he was waiting for her in the living room. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Why have you been ignoring me?” He said, very pissed off. 

“I’ve had a lot going on.”

“Too much for you to text me that you’re busy but still alive?”

“Bucky, look,” she sighed, “I’ve had a hard ass day at work, can we not do this right now?”

“No. We are doing this now because I’ve been waiting on you. We’ve always been on your schedule. It’s time for a change.” She was shocked. He had never raised his voice at her. 

“What’s going on?”

“Shit, Bucky. Shit is going on, okay. I’ve been dealing with it on my own.”

“I’ve told you, time after time, that you are not alone. I’m here for you. Talk to me”

“I don’t want to burden you.”

“For fuck’s sake woman, you have a thick skull. I’ve told you that I can help you and am here to support you. Do you not believe me?”

“No!” She responded. “No because no one has ever been there for me. I’m always by myself and getting through shit by myself. This time is no different.”

“What the fuck do you mean this time is no different? Have I not shown you I cared?”

“Fuck off Bucky. This is my problem. I’ll deal with it by myself as I always have.” 

“You know what, fuck this. I can’t do this anymore. You’re always sad, and I have tried to help you so many times, but it’s like you never wanted my help. I opened up in hopes that you would open up to me. You said you felt like you were at the deep end of a pool but I gave you my hand and it’s like you wanted to drown.” She crossed her arms as he told her his thoughts

“It’s like… you want to be sad. Like you can’t function without it. Like this sadness is what makes you a great writer and so you seek it. I can’t fucking do it anymore. Can’t you just be happy for once? Can’t you let me in and love you and help you?” He was exasperated. He had been patient and understanding. But she pushed him. 

She was silent. Quiet tears slipped and streamed down her cheeks. 

When she finally spoke up, her voice trembled, “You said you wanted to get to know me when we met.” “I showed you this side of me. I never lied to you. You decided to stick around with me. It shocked me, honestly. But by sticking around, you gave me some sense of hope and comfort that despite my flaws and sadness, you chose to be here with me. I’m sorry you couldn’t transform me. But this is who I am. Why can’t you see that it would be better for you without me? Because I will never be able to make you happy. I can’t be there for you like you need me to be.”

Bucky was reflective, but still pissed. He was trying his best to be there for her, but she wasn’t trying. 

“I’m tired,” was all Bucky said. He picked up his jacket and walked towards the door. As he opened the door, he stopped.

“The day I met you, I knew you were different. I knew there was something about you that drew me to you. You’re one of the smartest people I know. But sometimes, you’re too smart, even for yourself.” She was confused why he was bringing up when they first met. 

“I hope you figure out what you want because I’m tired of telling you ‘I love you’ and not feeling that love back.” And with that, he shut the door behind him as she fell to the ground, curling up into a ball and cried. 

#marvel au #bucky au #bucky #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #roz'schallenge #forget me not series

[thatmultifandomhoe]

Strawberry Cream and BBQ - 22

Pairing: Hybrid Hoseok and Human Reader

Overview: Your best friend knows she can count on you for anything, so when she asks you to watch her hybrid while she’s gone for a study abroad trip for four months, you can’t say no. But when these four months are over, things have changed in a way no one expected.

Word Count: 7,484 (holy fuck y’all)

Genre: Hybrid AU, Fluff, Future smut, Angst, Best friends to Lovers

Warning: Angst and Fluff for this week y’all.

Master List

Sneak Peak - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20 - Part 21 - Part 22 - Part 23 - Part 24 - Part 25 (Final) - Move in Day: A SC&BBQ Drabble

©thatmultifandomhoe Do not repost, translate, or use my stories without permission.

Sipping your coffee, you followed Johnny as he led the way to the library. It was taking longer than expected. Apparently, your ferret hybrid friend was more popular than you realized, having to stop so he could have a brief conversation with each person who came up to say hi and catch up.

“I don’t even know this many people,” you whined after he had stopped yet again to talk to someone.

Johnny shrugged, holding the library door open for you. “What can I say? The people love me.”

You snorted. When he narrowed his gaze at you, you took another sip of coffee and pretended to be interested in the DVD’s that were in the bookcase next to you.

“Anyways,” quickly turning on his heel, he headed towards the Stacks, his footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell. “Thanks for coming with me. I swear this research paper is going to kill me.”

“You’re not allowed to die on me until the semester’s over.”

That got a chuckle out of him. “Will do. By the way. How’s Hoseok?”

Raising an eyebrow, it was your turn to lead Johnny, showing him the way to the hybrid section. He had recruited you for this sole purpose, along with allowing him to bounce ideas off of you and to keep him company.

“He’s good.” Making a left and going up another staircase, you waved your hand to the bookcases that were specifically about hybrids. “He has work today, and then he’s staying late for practice. His solo in the show is coming up and he’s still honing in certain moves, so I’m bringing dinner to him tonight.”

“Aww,” Johnny ruffled your hair as he walked around you, his gaze immediately searching for the books he wanted. “The two of you are so cute, already acting like a mated couple.”

His play on words made you laugh as you walked further, setting your purse and coffee down on a table that was nearby and claiming it.  “I wonder why that is,” you joked, tying your hair up into a ponytail, making the mate mark visible.

“Looks like it’s all healed now.” He handed you a stack of books he was holding and without being asked, you brought them over to the table for him. Out of habit, you reached up to gently rub the mark, softly smiling now that it didn’t hurt to the touch.

“I know. I was kinda getting worried. It just seemed like it was taking so long to heal.”

“Well he did bite you,” Johnny explained, snickering as you smacked his arm once he joined you at the table, setting another pile down. “Again, it’s different for everyone receiving the mark. Nobody has the same body type, and since you’re not a hybrid, your body heals at a slower rate than ours would.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and it wasn’t until Johnny glanced up at that he continued to explain. “Since our DNA is combined with that of an animal, we heal a little faster than humans. It’s nothing special though. It’s not like if I were to get a cut on my leg that it’d be gone in an hour.”

“Oh, so not like the werewolves from Twilight then?”

Johnny pressed his lips together, staring down at the book he had open, his head shaking as he made a tsking sound. “Damn Twilight for ruining our hybrid lives.” Looking up for a moment however, he grinned “Why don’t you go ahead and try telling that joke to Hoseok? He is a dog hybrid after all.”

You giggled, reaching over the table for your coffee again. “Nah, my friend Namjoon is a wolf hybrid. I’ll tell them both that.”

The ferret erupted into laughter, nose scrunching up as he leaned back against his chair. “They’ll be hardcore judging you.”

“But their reactions will be worth it,” you pointed out, stealing another sip of coffee before hunkering down into helping him. “So, what are you planning for this paper?”

Hoseok whistled as he walked down the hall to where the front offices were. A week or so ago, an email went around to the dance instructors asking if anyone would be interested in teaching an extra hip hop dance class. It was an afternoon shift and was one of the many free classes that the Dance Studio offered. He wasn’t sure how many kids were planning on showing up – the email mentioned anywhere from ten to twenty – but he knew from past experiences that wasn’t always the case. More often than not, a majority of the kids didn’t show up for fear of being judged, whether it was because they couldn’t afford the class when there would usually be a fee, or because they were hybrids.

Walking into the air-conditioned office, he smiled at his coworkers as he passed, a mixture of humans and hybrids. The class itself didn’t start for another hour, which meant that he had free time to check his emails and eat a snack or two before getting ready to teach. All that time he spent attending the classes the Dance Studio offered, he never once thought he’d be on the other side as an instructor. As much as he owed his life to you and Sue, dancing was his first love.

The way he was able to close his eyes and feel the way his body connected to the music and moved on its own. He loved that while everyone heard the lyrics of the song playing, he heard something else. He heard the emotions, the desperation, the love, the empathy, and he was able to physically portray the story he was being told in a way for others to see. Then when the audience cheered him on, the roaring of the crowd and their applause, well…that’s how he knew he did it right.

He loved every second of it.

“Have you offered him some water?”

Blinking, Hoseok frowned as he turned in the swivel chair to face Jennie. She was a newly hired office assistant and this was only her third week at the Dance Studio. With a file in her hand, she nodded to Carrie, the other office assistant that sat next to her.

“He said he didn’t want one.”

“Who’s this?” Hoseok gently asked, not wanting to be rude about interrupting them.

Jennie just glanced at Hoseok, then pointed out the window to the hallway leading to the front door. Following her finger, his eyes landed on a kid. He was sitting on one of the black chairs with a green backpack held to his chest, staring at the door.

“He’s been there for over an hour,” Jennie said. “He said he was waiting for someone to pick him up.”

Pressing his lips together, he crossed his arms across his chest. The kid had on a red beanie, so the girls weren’t able to realize what he was. But as Hoseok took a deep breath, he could smell it.

He was a hybrid.

The longer he watched, the more he noticed. Every time someone walked by, his grip on his bag would tighten and as the hallway grew loud with the sound and chatter and sudden laughter, he would flinch. His shirt had dirt stains on it and he was willing to bet that the fabric was thin to the touch.

A pang hit his heart as he stood, exiting out of his emails at the same time. His sudden movements surprised the girls, but he waved away their question. “I’ll be back.” He told him, feet already moving towards the door. “I’m gonna walk him home.”

“You know him?” Carrie asked.

Hoseok shook his head. “No, but I know where he lives. Seen him around a few times.”

That was a lie. It was however, enough for Jennie and Carrie to accept his answer without that sympathetic look in their eyes. He made a short detour to his locker, retrieving his keys and wallet while grabbing a few Cliff bars and water bottles along the way.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his coworkers, but he remembered back when he first started coming to the studio. In fact, he had heard more conversations that started with:

“That’s Hoseok. He lives at the shelter, but he’s here more often than not. If you have any questions and don’t know who to ask or where to go, ask him. He knows where everything is and all the regulations.”

Or some variation of that. There was always that mention of him living at the shelter. He came to the Dance Studio to forget that he didn’t have a place to call home, not to be reminded of it.

Double checking to make sure he had everything, he made his way back out to the hallway entrance, not surprised to see that the kid was still sitting there. The closer he got, the easier it was to notice the small lumps underneath his beanie that concealed his ears. “Hey bud,” Hoseok gently spoke, slowly crouching down in front of him so as to not scare him.

The kid flinched as he stared at Hoseok, his small hands clutching the backpack to his chest. He didn’t look to be much older than ten. If he was even that.

Hoseok wet his lips, offering the kid a smile. “It’s alright. I’m Hoseok, one of the instructors here. What’s your name?” He patiently waited for him to answer, not minding that he was staring at Hoseok’s ears or glancing down at his tail. These were the very things that set them apart from the rest of society, but to each other, it made them equals.

“Samson,” the child softly spoke, his arms relaxing around his backpack as his nose scrunched up for a brief moment.

“Well Samson,” Hoseok repeated, smiling at him. “Do you like to dance?”

Samson nodded, briefly looking down at the floor. “I’m not that good at it.”

Tilting his head, Hoseok sniffed, finally catching a feline scent coming from Samson. “Now don’t say that. I bet you’re really good at dancing.”

He shrugged his tiny shoulders, reaching down to play with a loose string coming from the side of his jeans. The beanie he wore started to slide back, revealing blond hair and when he looked back up, his eyes were a deep blue that reminded Hoseok of the ocean.

“Did someone say you weren’t good at dancing?”

Samson’s bottom lip trembled long enough before he pressed his lips together for Hoseok to figure out on his own. His mind went in multiple directions, trying to figure out if it had been another student and what classes had been offered this morning that Samson could have gone to.

Reaching a hand out, he wiped away the tear that fell down Samson’s cheek. “Hey, it’s okay buddy. Did an instructor tell that to you?”

Despite flinching when Hoseok first arrived, Samson leaned into his hand, the hybrid instincts in him taking control. Even though they were different hybrid breeds, Samson was still a child who needed reassuring. “N-no.”

“Was it another kid taking the class with you?” Hoseok gently prodded, noticing how Samson wasn’t as guarded. With another nod from him, he sighed. The Dance Studio didn’t usually have issues with bullying, normally when working with kids they tended to be more understanding and opening to people and hybrids, but there was always a handful that would come in and they would have to have discussions with the classes about bullying.

“She told me only girls can do ballet.”

Pulled from his thoughts, he was surprised that Samson volunteered this information without having to be asked. Ballet though, that did make a little sense. “Well she’s wrong. Boys can do ballet if they want. You know, one of my best friends has been studying ballet since he was really young. He’s branched off into contemporary dancing, but he started with ballet.”

With a little sniff, Samson leaned off of Hoseok’s palm, reaching up to rub at his eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah, Jimin loves to dance. He sometimes stops in when he can and joins in on a class or teaches one.” Getting an idea, Hoseok smiled at the kid. A part of him wanted to reach up and ruffle his hair – he was an adorable child – but he figured Samson was wearing the beanie to hide his ears. “How about this? I can talk to my friend and see if he can come in sometime and help you out. Does that sound like a good idea?”

His blue eyes widened at Hoseok’s suggestion, almost as if no one had ever promised him such a thing before. Like no one had made him a promise, ever.

“But-” Hoseok quickly added, pointing a finger at Samson. “You gotta promise me that the next time someone tells you that you can’t dance, that you won’t listen to them. You shouldn’t stop doing something that you love just because of someone else’s opinion. Okay?”

There was a hint of hesitance in his eyes, but as he stared at Hoseok, Samson found himself nodding with a soft ‘okay,’ and a smile. Maybe it was because Hoseok was a hybrid like himself that he was relaxing, nowhere near as tense like he had been when he first sat down an hour ago.

The front door to the Dance Studio opened again, a stream of sunlight entering the hallway and covering Samson and Hoseok in the light before it closed shut, a group of people walking and chatting towards the locker rooms. It reminded Hoseok of why he originally come over in the first place.

“Samson, do you want me to walk you back to where you’re staying?” He purposely avoided the word home. He wasn’t one hundred percent positive, but he was pretty certain that Samson lived at one of the Adoption Centers. He was too young to be living in the Homeless Center, and Hoseok hoped that he’d never have to live there. That was a life he never wished on anyone, hybrid or human.

He didn’t respond right away. Instead, his small hands clutched at his backpack again as he looked down, prolonging his answer. It was a sight that made Hoseok’s heart crack. He was just a child who deserved much more than this society was giving him. He shouldn’t be living in a place that held so much uncertainty, but in a home filled with love.

Finally, he looked up with hopeful eyes. “Can you carry me? Please?”

Hoseok pressed his lips together to suppress the wave of emotions that wanted to overcome him, not just for his benefit, but for Samson’s. The sadness would have been too much for him to handle. “You bet I can. And before I forget, these are for you.” He held up the Cliff bars that he had almost forgotten about and the water bottles, handing them to Samson.

He watched as the child put them in his bag, and while he did so, Hoseok was able to see in the backpack. Extra clothes, a blanket, and a stuffed teddy bear lay packed away. Just enough to fill the bag but not too heavy that he couldn’t carry it.  Please don’t let him live at the Homeless Center, he thought to himself. He’s just a kid.

Once zipped back up, Hoseok had Samson wrap his arms around his neck and as he stood, Samson wrapped his legs around his torso allowing Hobi to hold him tightly. He ignored the whispered conversations that the employees were having about the two of them, instead simply focusing on getting the kid in his arms back to where he was staying.

“So, Samson,” Hobi quietly asked after they were outside. “Do you always hide your tail and ears?”

The little boy had his head resting on Hoseok’s shoulder, tired from the dancing he had done earlier, only now just feeling it since he was relaxed and felt safe enough in Hoseok’s arms to do so. “Yeah. People always stare when they see them. Kids always tug on them too.”

Hoseok winced in sympathy, remembering all to well the tugs he had suffered through growing up. Carly may not have tugged on his tail, but the friends she had over tended to do whatever they pleased to do. Back then, his cries had fallen on deaf ears. “I used to hide my tail and ears too,” he murmured, gently rubbing Samson’s back.

Stopping at the cross walk, he leaned his body weight on his left foot as he pressed the button. The weather was finally warming up and everyone was walking in shorts and tee-shirts, gleefully abandoning the winter jackets for the brief moment. It was just one freak heat wave before the temperatures went back down again.

“Really?”

“Really. For a long time, I was scared. Being a hybrid nowadays isn’t like how it was when I was a kid.”

The light turned red as a white walking figure appeared on the light post across the street, but Hoseok still looked both ways to make sure that there weren’t any speedsters before walking across the street. “It wasn’t until three years ago that I got adopted. She’s really nice and took me in when no one else would look twice at me, and because of her, I was able to meet my mate.”

Samson squirmed and Hoseok tightened his grip on the boy until they were safely back on the sidewalk. He had shifted so that he was no longer resting his head on Hoseok’s shoulder, but straightening up so he could look up the older hybrid. “Mates are real?”

The question was so pure and innocent, that it had Hoseok chuckling. “Yes Samson, mates are real.” Glancing up, he could see the Adoption Center from down the street. With a nod towards the building, Hobi pointed at it so Samson would see what he was gesturing to. “Is that where you’re staying buddy?”

Samson barely glanced at the Adoption Center before quietly nodding, resting his head back down on Hobi’s shoulder as a very soft, cat like mewl came from him. Only ten feet away from where they were standing was an empty street bench. The area wasn’t crowded with foot traffic, so making a change in his plans, Hoseok settled down on the bench and moved the little boy onto his lap.

There was a sniffle as he curled against Hoseok’s torso. Despite the situation they were in, Hoseok couldn’t help it when he smiled. Samson was very much like a little kitten. Hugging him, he gently kissed the top of his head, and waited. What Samson didn’t know, was that the Adoption Center that he was staying at, was the last one that Hoseok had lived in before he decided he had enough. If his memory served him right, it was a fairly decent place with nice people working there. He had simply been at the end of his rope.

“Do you wanna know why I dance?”

It was a random question to pose to a child, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Apparently, that worked, because Samson was looking up at Hoseok with watery eyes. He gently wiped away the tears with his thumb. There were multiple reasons why, but he always remembered the main reason he started dancing in the first place.

“Because it made me feel like I was in control.” Leaning back against the bench, he set Samson’s backpack next to his thigh. “I got sent to multiple Adoption Centers growing up. I was always moving around, and the people, and hybrids, weren’t always nice to me. But when I danced however, it felt like I was the one making the choices and not someone else who thought they knew what was best for me. It eventually led me to meeting people who enjoyed dancing too, and they understood what it was like to randomly bust a move when the right song came one the radio. Dancing is ultimately, what gave me my first family. They weren’t people who decided that I was the right fit for them, but they were people who made me feel like I belonged, and I wanted to be with them. Does that make sense to you Samson?”

Hoseok wasn’t sure how much of this conversation Samson would remember, or even understand despite his attempt to make it simple. But if he had someone tell him something like that – or anything along those lines – when he was younger, it would have made sleeping along in the bedrooms at the Adoption Center a little easier. It would have hurt a little less all those times when families would come looking for a hybrid to adopt but walked right by him.

The fabric of Samson’s jeans bunched up as he leaned forward, bringing his backpack into his lap. Eyebrows scrunching together, he carefully unzipped the backpack, but to Hoseok’s surprise, he didn’t take anything out. Instead he slid the beanie off his head to reveal two small blond and orange cat ears. They twitched after being cooped up in that hat, flicking in every which direction to capture the sounds of people walking, the fluctuation of voices, and beeping of cell phones.

It wasn’t until the beanie was in his bag and was zipped up again that Samson looked at Hoseok. “There’s a guy and girl in dance,” he softly spoke. “And they’re nice to me. They like the Avengers too.”

Giggling, Hoseok hugged Samson to his chest and kissed the top of his head with a scratch at the base of his cat ears; the vibrations of Samson’s purr going through both of their bodies. “That’s good Samson, that’s really good buddy. Next time you come to the Dance Studio, just ask for me and I’ll come visit if I’m not teaching. We can hangout during breaks, and you can bring your friends if you want too.”

After a few more well-deserved scratches, Hoseok gathered Samson on his hip once more and slung the backpack over his shoulder, heading towards the Adoption Center. Upon entering, Hoseok was hit with memories that he hadn’t been expecting. It was exactly like he had last seen it.

The walls were painted a light sky blue as white shelves with trinkets and collars for hybrids lined the walls, organized by specific breed of hybrid. The counter was in the right-hand corner with the register. Behind it, a grandmotherly woman sat on a stool with a clip board in hand as she filled out paperwork. He knew that to the doorway on the left led to the rooms that the hybrids lived in, and from there if he went straight and made a right, he’d be in the common area.

“Samson, wasn’t Angie supposed to pick you up?” The grandmotherly woman raised an eyebrow as she stood up, surprised to see the child being carried in by another hybrid.

Samson simply shrugged, his arms tightening around Hoseok’s shoulders for a brief moment. “I don’t know, Carrie brought me there, Mrs. Gilly.”

Mrs. Gilly sighed, sparing a glance at Hoseok. It wasn’t until then that she really looked at him. There was something different about him, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but she could have sworn that she recognized him. Hybrids were always coming in and out of the Adoption Center, so it was possible that he may have stayed there, but it was more than that.

Hoseok however, remembered Mrs. Gilly. Her curly grey hair was now straightened and pulled up into a bun on the back of her head, a pair of pencils stuck in to hold it together. Wire framed glasses sat on top of her head, and a coat of red lipstick was painted on her lips. If he got any closer, he’d be able to smell the all too familiar baby powder that was her scent. He was never sure if that was just Mrs. Gilly’s natural scent, or the scent that all old people acquired after turning sixty. She had been one of the few bright memories that he was able to recall from his moving around in the Adoption Centers.

“It’s alright Mrs. Gilly,” Hoseok intervened, not wanting Samson to get into any trouble. “He had been waiting for someone to pick him up, but our staff noticed that he had already been waiting over an hour, so I volunteered to bring him back.”

His voice struck a chord with Mrs. Gilly. She knew that voice, but back then, there had been such resentment lacing his voice. Reaching for her glasses – it took a couple pats above her head before she was able to locate them – Mrs. Gilly slid them back on, and blinked.

“Hoseok? Is that you?” Placing her hand on her chest, Mrs. Gilly smiled as she stepped closer to the counter.

It was his turn to smile, nodding as he moved next to the counter to set Samson’s backpack down. “It’s me, Mrs. Gilly. How have you been?”

“Still doing the same job even though I should have retired about ten years ago,” Mrs. Gilly joked.

Hoseok laughed. Any tension that had been there when entering the Adoption Center slipped out of his shoulders. “You kidding? If you left, this place would never be the same.”

Mrs. Gilly raised an eyebrow, taking a moment to look at Samson before meeting Hoseok’s. “Samson, why don’t you go to your room? You look tired hun.”

Samson, not catching the look that she had given Hoseok, nodded in agreement. He was tired, there was no doubt about that, and taking a nap didn’t sound like a bad idea. With one last hug to Hoseok, and then one to Mrs. Gilly, Hobi lowered him to the ground and handed him his backpack, watching him fondly waddle through the doorway before finally disappearing from sight.

“How did you get him to take that beanie off?” Mrs. Gilly figured that he had something to do with it. “He never goes outside without it on.”

She hasn’t changed a bit, he thought, licking his lips as he scratched the base of his dog ear. With a shrug, he smiled. “Just that I had once been in a similar situation, and that he shouldn’t be ashamed of who he is.”

Mrs. Gilly, a woman who had a heart of gold, gently patted his hand. “Just like how you needed someone to tell you that?”

If there was anything that he knew about Mrs. Gilly, it was that she was always straight to the point, and somehow, she always knew more than what was being said. Crossing his arms, his smile softened as his gaze went back to the doorway. He wondered if his feet would automatically recall the path to his old room that he used to share with the other hybrids at the time. “Honestly, if I hadn’t of left, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.” Without missing a beat, his thoughts wandered back to Strawberry, Sue, his friends and coworkers at the Dance Studio.

He didn’t see it, but Mrs. Gilly was smiling at him. It was obvious that a good life followed Hoseok. Maybe not right away, but it came to him eventually. There wasn’t that resentment in his tone anymore, and if she was seeing correctly, there was a glow around him that came from happiness and love.

Straightening up, Hoseok looked back at her, prepared to ask about Samson, when something caught his eye. There was a rack of brightly colored pamphlets on the wall behind her with bold print. One advertised adopting a hybrid, another for fostering. There were multiple ones for what to do when your hybrid is going through heat or expecting and various other things, but one in particular caught his eye. It was a simple green pamphlet, but what it was advertising made his breath catch in his throat.

             What Happens When Your Hybrid Finds Their Mate?

“Uh, Mrs. Gilly? Can I um…can I see that pamphlet? The green one.” He didn’t usually stutter, but his mind raced with all the possibilities, and with everything that had been happening lately, this could very much have an affect on his life with Strawberry and Sue.

Looking over her shoulder, Mrs. Gilly gave him a curious look, but retrieved them pamphlet for him. “For you or for a friend?”

“For my mate and I,” he answered, opening up the pamphlet. “She’s human.”

The pamphlet was broken up into equal sections. The first explained what a mate was to the hybrid and what was expected to happen. The second went on to discuss what would happen if the owner was the mate to the hybrid, but the third…the third was exactly what he was looking for.

What Happens When Your Hybrid Mates with a Human or Another Hybrid?

It is common for hybrids to mate with fellow hybrids, but hybrids can also take humans as their mates.

There are TWO paths that you can take with your hybrid.

The First path, also known as The Mate Act, states the following:

As the owner, you are agreeing to become a guardian to the hybrid.

The hybrid will carry documentation stating who his owner was, but is mated to their mate and lives with them.

The hybrid and their mate are (in the hybrid world) married, so they will be considered a married couple, especially if the mate bears the mate mark.

Any future decisions will be made between the hybrid and their mate.

Paperwork for The Mate Act can be picked up at the Courthouse, doctor’s offices that specialize in hybrids, Adoption Centers, and Homeless Centers for Hybrids.

Signatures from the owner, hybrid, and the mate are required for the paperwork to be processed and can be returned to the Courthouse between the hours 9am-5pm during the week.

The Second path, while not ideal and is for only extreme cases where the owner believes the hybrid will be in danger, is known as The Hybrid Owner Act which states the following:

The owner remains as an owner and retains their rights to the hybrid.

As the owner, you are agreeing to limited contact between the hybrid and their mate.

The hybrid will not live their mate, but will instead continue living with the owner even if the mate bears the mate mark.

The exception to this is when the hybrid is experiencing their heat.

Any future decisions will continue being made by the owner.

If this path is decided, after a period of time for discussion and thinking over, paperwork for the Hybrid Owner Act can be picked up at the Courthouse, doctor’s offices that specialize in hybrids, Adoption Centers, and Homeless Centers for Hybrids.

Signatures from only the owner and hybrid are required for the paperwork. If the circumstances are extreme, only the owner’s signature will be required to be processed and can be returned to the Courthouse between the hours 9am-5pm during the week.

Hope had been building up in his chest when he first started reading, for once it seemed like the law was on the side for hybrids. There was actually a chance for him and Strawberry. The further he read however, it felt like a sledgehammer was hitting his body at every angle possible. As much as he wanted to have faith in Sue, to trust that she would be understanding and accepting, he was afraid that with the option of the Hybrid Owner Act, she would take him away without listening.

Without thinking, he slammed his fist into the counter, eyes squeezing shut in an attempt to calm down as his tail repeatedly hit the back of his leg in anxiety.

Mrs. Gilly jumped at the slam, deciding that it was best if she remained quiet for a moment and letting Hoseok have the chance to think. With that in mind, she opened the drawer underneath the register, shifting through the many packets of paperwork the Adoption Center was required to have on hand. It only took a few seconds to locate the one she wanted, and without speaking, set it next to his hand.

“You know,” Mrs. Gilly softly spoke. “Even though we’re required to have all copies of each form, I always tell people that we’ve run out of the Hybrid Owner Act. There’s no reason for an owner to have that much control.”

Hoseok blinked, seeing the paperwork for the Mate Act sitting in front of him. “She already has my mate mark,” he whispered, his voice cracking as he ran a hand through his hair in a weak attempt to collect himself. “Strawberry…she’s my entire world. I love her, and she loves me.”

Mrs. Gilly, who tried to keep her emotions together for the sake of the hybrids, felt her own eyes water up as she watched that sliver of hope being ripped away from Hoseok. She didn’t know the specifics, but it was obvious from his reaction, that things weren’t exactly perfect at the moment between his owner and mate.

Giving his hand a squeeze, she waited for him to look at her. For a brief moment, it was like she was seeing the old Hoseok. The one who had run away from the Adoption Center all those years ago because he felt unwanted, and wasn’t meant to be loved. “Then you fight for her Hoseok,” she firmly told him. “You fight for your mate, and you never stop.”

An earbud was in each ear playing your favorite song as you entered the Dance Studio that night, carrying a reusable bag in each hand. One held the lasagna that you had finished making for dinner, the other carried the salad, sodas and dishware.

It was around eight, the building was empty as your footsteps echoed in the almost quiet hallway. The music that you had been playing wasn’t very loud, the earbuds were noise canceling but you were still able to hear the music that Hoseok had pulsating in just the hallway.

Carefully removing the ear buds, your footsteps fell on deaf ears as you entered the room without bothering to knock. As enhanced as his hearing was, there was no possible way that even he heard you knocking with the music as loud as it was. Unlike the last time you came with dinner, this time there was a table against the mirrorless wall and two desk chairs.

Hoseok was still dancing as you set the bags down. The lasagna was plenty hot enough to sit out as he finished practicing for the upcoming show. There were only two months left. The music he had playing was unfamiliar, and it was only when you focused on trying to understand the lyrics that you realized it wasn’t even in English, or his typical rap music. It was catchy and you found yourself nodding along anyway, finishing up with the setting the table and tossing the bags under the table as your hips swayed to the beat.

While you were preoccupied, Hoseok was grinning while he watched you dancing in the mirror, trying his hardest to suppress his laughter. He never liked telling anyone that they couldn’t dance – he literally told Samson to never let anyone say he couldn’t dance – but watching you in the mirror, he knew there was no dancing ability running through your blood. Although, his eyes lowered until they solely focused on your hips. You did have a little rhythm going on there.

The song was nearing its end but he hit replay with the remote, smirking when you didn’t notice what he’d done. From the way you were moving your body like the music was controlling your soul, it was obvious that you weren’t expecting him to sneak up behind you. But when you were moving like you were, how could he not?

Only a few steps behind you, he reached out, pulling you against his body by your hips. You jumped at his sudden presence, but he felt you quickly relax, melting against his chest at his touch.

“Shorty give me whip-whiplash,” Hoseok sang into your ear, laughing when you weakly slapped him.

You didn’t turn around. Instead you kept dancing, not caring that the professional was probably hard core judging you and decided to keep going. The song was catchy as hell. Plus, why wouldn’t you want to grind against your mate?

His groan didn’t go unnoticed when you purposely moved like that against his crotch, his grip tightening on your hips as he buried his face against your neck to nibble the mark.

A spark of heat ignited inside at the touch of his lips, your eyes closing as you leaned even more against him. Every time Hoseok touched you, it felt like you were experiencing summer for the first time, feeling the way the sun kissed your skin and made you feel alive. If this was what it was like now, you could only imagine how it would be five, ten, hell, thirty years from now.

The song slowly came to an end, dragging the two of you out of the music haze that you welcomed, bodies coming to a halt until the only thing to be heard in the room was heavy breathing. Breathlessly giggling, you finally turned around to kiss Hoseok, his arms wrapping around you as the two of you shared brief, but multiple, kisses. The only reason you stopped kissing him was because of your smiles that broke almost every one.

“Well hello to you too,” Hoseok teased, stealing one last kiss.

“Come on,” taking his hand, you pushed him in the direction of his chair and sat down in your own, cracking open a can of Coke. “Let’s eat before you decide to give me a dance lesson.”

He scrunched up his nose and shook his head, eyes scanning the food that you spent the last hour or two putting together. “I don’t know baby; I think you may be a little too far gone for lessons. You do know how to move your hips though, and I was very impressed with your show.” His lips curled into his signature heart smile, the same one that sent your heart racing as he held his hand out for your plate to scoop a piece of lasagna onto.

“Shut up,” you shyly spoke, the large smile on your face saying otherwise as you filled a bowl with salad before passing that over to him. The whole scene, while filled with sexualized energy only seconds ago, was still intimate. Intimate in that having a late homemade dinner at Hoseok’s work felt like normal. Like Johnny had pointed out earlier in the Stacks, it reminded you of married life.

You never wanted this feeling to end.

Sensing content and happiness coming from you, Hoseok relaxed even more knowing you weren’t stress or worried in some shape or form. He wanted that to last before he told you the news he discovered. The pamphlet in his front pocket suddenly feeling like a million bricks were sitting on his thigh as he ate. However, that was a fleeting thought.

“Any stories from work today?” You innocently asked. You shifted in your seat, bringing your left leg up onto the chair so your elbow was on your knee as you worked on your salad. He usually saved a few stories about the kids that he taught, whether they were his regular kids or new ones that came in for a specific class, or came in for the first time to dance in general. Plus, after being cooped up in the Stacks with Johnny for the majority of the day, you were curious how his day had gone.

Well, there was a kid, and there was a story, but he wasn’t sure how you’d react to the ending. Pushing around a tomato, Hoseok sighed, leaning against the wall when he finally looked up at you. There was no prolonging the happiness that you were radiating. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out the folded pamphlet and opened it to the side that pertained to the two of you, setting it next to your plate. “I went to the last Adoption Center that I had stayed at earlier today,” he softly spoke, watching as you took it with curious eyes. “They’re called, The Mate Act, and The Hybrid Owner Act.”

You tilted your head and glanced back up at Hoseok before looking at it. The font was large enough to scan the top part in seconds, gasping as you looked back at him. “Hobi…this…this means that-”

“That Sue would no longer be my owner but my guardian, and I wouldn’t have to live with her.” He softly interrupted. He leaned forward and slid your hand between his palms, a gentle smile making his lips curl up at the corners. “It means that we can live together, that we can move if we decide to, have the traditional wedding like I know you’ve always wanted, and even start a family of our own. That is, if we can take The Mate Act.”

“If we can? Why wouldn’t we take it?”

It was the perfect option for the two of you. This Act guaranteed a future with Hoseok, why wouldn’t you take it?

“Because we need Sue’s signature. But Sue doesn’t need your signature for The Owner Act, and if she decides to take that one, she doesn’t need mine either.”

Blinking in confusion, you watched as Hoseok’s smile slipped until it completely disappeared. In your excitement you had skipped over the second half of the pamphlet, which included The Hybrid Owner Act. Your grip slackened on Hoseok’s hands as you read, and reread, even reading it a third time to see if this was real.

“The Hybrid Owner Act doesn’t apply to us,” you argued, holding the paper up with your free hand. As much as Sue seemed to be acting unlike herself, she wouldn’t…at least you hoped, she wouldn’t go so far to the extreme to cut off contact between you and Hoseok.

Hoseok swallowed the lump in his throat, looking away from you and at the food set out. You had worked so hard to make dinner and bring it to the Dance Studio, working around his practice schedule and understanding how much the annual show meant to him.

“I just want to be prepared,” he answered, his voice strained when he looked back up, revealing how watery his eyes had gotten. “Baby…Strawberry, I don’t know what Sue is going to do. I don’t know if she’ll be pissed or happy, and I am hoping, god I am hoping, that she’ll be understanding. Neither paperwork needs to be signed right away – if need be, we can wait so she can adjust – but if for some reason she picks The Hybrid Owner Act…”

Wetting his lips, he raised your hand to kiss your knuckles repeatedly. He absolutely hated having to have a backup plan for if the worst happened. But all he could think about was what Mrs. Gilly told him back at the Adoption Center. “We’re gonna get a lawyer, and we’ll fight. We’ll fight and if we have to, we’ll fight to have you become my new owner, so that we can be together. But this is only as a last case scenario. Trust me Strawberry, I’m really hoping that we’re only overthinking everything and she’ll understand and be happy for us.”

Your grip tightened in Hoseok’s hold for a second before releasing it. His eyebrows raised at your actions, but when you stood and made your way around the table, he shifted in his seat and opened his arms as you sat on his lap. With a gentle kiss to his forehead, your fingers slipped through his hair to gently scratch the base of his ears. The sensation had him as a puddle at your touch, coming to rest his head on your chest while hugging you. For the first time since your relationship started, you were the one comforting Hoseok, and not the other way around.

“I’m going to fight for us Strawberry,” Hoseok promised, taking your hand to kiss your palm. “I will always, fight for us.”

To say that you weren’t scared was an absolute lie. But as you held Hoseok, you pushed back the tears and focused on him, on being there and reassuring him. “I know babe,” you murmured instead, leaning your cheek against his head. “I know you will.”

It warmed your heart to hear him say that, but you were hoping that it would never come down to that.

#bts hybrid au #Strawberry Cream and BBQ #hoseok #hybrid #hoseok hybrid #hybrid hoseok #bts #bts hybrid #hybrid bts #bts hybrid! #bts hybrid au! #bts hyung line #hoseok dog hybrid #jhope #bts jhope #bts jung hoseok #jung hoseok #BTS j-hope #hoseok x reader #bts hoseok x reader #bts hoseok #bts hobi #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #hybrid j-hope #hybrid jhope #hybrid au #hybrid au! #kpop #kpop fandom

[octothorpetopus]

I Forgot That You Existed (Part 1)

Link to part 2

"Yeah, we're not so worried about you not 'getting some.'" Frank put air quotes around the words.

"Well, we kind of are. It's just that the 'some' we're worried about you not getting is emotional fulfillment."

"True." Richie looked back and forth between his friends.

"Guys, I'm not getting a fucking online dating profile. I'm not forty. Stop bugging me."

"Richie, we're worried about you."

"What the hell are you, my mother?"

"Just download the fucking app, Tozier." Frank snatched the phone out of Richie's hand and held it just out of reach. Nina held Richie back as he reached for it.

"You motherfucker, give me my phone back!" Frank didn't respond.

"Say cheese!" He snapped a picture of Richie, who had sat sullenly back down. He typed speedily for a few moments (Frank's typing skills were the envy of all rapid-fire texters), then pressed a button. There was a soft whoosh as the profile was posted, and Frank tossed Richie his phone back.

"Fuck you, Frank." The phone chimed and all three of them gathered around to look at it.

"Holy shit," Nina said softly. "You got a match."

Meanwhile, in an LAX waiting room, Eddie Kaspbrak's phone buzzed in his back pocket. He ignored it, focusing instead on the pitch he was mentally writing and the steady sound his suitcase made as he rolled it back and forth in short paces. He hated investor meetings, but it was his company, and he had to get it off the ground if he ever wanted to be anything more than a 34-year-old asthmatic business major with no friends, no life, and no idea where he was going. Metaphorically. Literally, he was going to the Los Angeles Hilton, if his cab would ever get here. His phone buzzed again. He sighed and pulled it out.

YOU HAVE ONE NEW MATCH read the notification. He swiped and opened the phone. The wheel in the middle of the screen spun for what seemed like hours. Shitty airport WiFi. Finally, a profile popped up. The guy in the picture was... alright, he guessed. There was something a little oddball about him. And a little familiar, too. But then, maybe he just had one of those faces. Or, he realized, maybe he was a stand-up comedian that he’d seen in New York last year. Eddie smiled to himself, amused by the coincidence. At the time, he had no idea just how deep that coincidence really went.

“He’s kinda cute,” Nina offered and shrugged.

”I don’t know. He’s got sort of a sad puppy look. It’s a little off-putting.”

”Nobody asked you, Frank.”

”Nobody asked you either, Nina.”

”Both if you shut up.” Richie held up a hand to silence them. “Look, if I go on this one date, will you promise to get off my ass about getting a date?” Nina and Frank looked at each other and nodded.

”Deal.”

”Fine, then.” Richie’s thumb hovered above the LIKE button. “But what if-?”

”Oh, just shut up!” Nina exclaimed, and pushed the button for him.

Eddie considered it briefly. He was only in LA for a few days, maybe a week. There would be no second date, no relationship to come from this. Still, he couldn’t quite shake the voice in his head telling him yes, that this was important. And besides, what was the harm? Lots of people only went on one date. He pressed the LIKE button too.

”Fuck me,” he whispered as a message popped up on the screen.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Both of you liked each other!

Now you can start chatting.

Make a date, and hopefully, a connection.

Eddie rolled his eyes. This was the exact kind of cheesy bullshit he hadn't wanted when he had signed up for this app a year ago on a whim. A chat window opened up.

This is the start of your messages with RICHIE TOZIER

RICHIE TOZIER IS TYPING...

Richie had sent Nina and Frank away. He was tired and annoyed and frankly, talking to strangers on the internet (something he vaguely recalled his mother telling him never to do) sounded far more appealing than trying to deal with his friends at the moment. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating. What could he... say? "Hi, you're kind of hot?" "You ever date a comedian?" Maybe he'd just skip words and go directly to emojis. And then it came to him, a line he used to use on girls all the time back in school (girls who were well-above his league, and he knew it).

This is the start of your messages with EDWARD KASPBRAK

RICHIE TOZIER: I could use some spare change, and you're a dime.

He felt stupid even as he wrote it, but he pressed send before he had a chance to give it a second thought. Well, he thought, there goes that idea. And then, Edward Kaspbrak started typing.

Eddie was in his cab now, staring down at the absolutely asinine pick-up line he'd just been sent by a man who was at best a 6 and a half. But once again, he had a sense of déjà vu. Not just like he had heard that line before, but like it was somehow meaningful. If it had been anyone else, he was sure he would've ignored the message and moved on. But it wasn't just anyone, and even if Eddie didn't quite know why he remembered Richie Tozier, he wasn't giving up quite yet.

EDWARD KASPBRAK: You use that line on all the boys?

RICHIE TOZIER: I've got a whole library full of them, I don't need to reuse that one.

EDWARD KASPBRAK: Hey, this might sound weird, but have we met before? I have the weirdest feeling that we have.

RICHIE TOZIER: I'm pretty sure I would've remembered meeting you, dude.

Eddie flushed scarlet in the back of the cab. He couldn't remember the last time someone had said something like that to him. Truly, he couldn't.

EDWARD KASPBRAK: I'm probably wrong. Anyway, are you free tonight?

Richie thought for a moment. He was supposed to go get drinks with some other comedian buddies of his, then maybe crash an open-mic night that they had frequented in their early comedy days. But then he looked back at the man on his phone, the one who looked just a little bit sad even though he was smiling as widely as can be in his picture, and typed out a quick reply.

RICHIE TOZIER: I actually am. I know a good place, pretty quiet. I'll text you the address. You eaten yet?

EDWARD KASPBRAK: Yeah, why?

RICHIE TOZIER: The drinks are good, but the food... it's good that you already ate.

Eddie fussed with his hair one last time in the hotel mirror. It just... wouldn't sit right, even though it looked exactly like it always did. And his clothes, all he had was what he’d brought for business meetings and casual dress, nothing like what he’d normally wear on a date. He checked his watch again. He had given himself fifteen minutes to get there, even though the concierge at the hotel told him it’d take maybe ten, if traffic was bad, and since it was a Wednesday it probably wouldn't be.

To say Eddie hadn't been on a date in awhile would be an understatement. He hadn't been on a first date in seven months. He hadn't been on a second date in a year and a half. He hadn't been on a third date in three years. And as for his last real relationship... well, Eddie had never been in a real relationship. Not that he could remember, anyway. In college, there had been a four-month thing with a girl, but that was mostly just to please his mother. He and the girl (Rosa was her name) had been good friends, and still were, but their whole relationship had been something of a friendship with a few awkward makeout sessions thrown in for good measure. The fact that he didn't like women was probably a factor in his disastrous relationships, both with women and with his mother, but she had been dead for three years this October and he was finally living the way he had always meant to. He just... hadn't gotten around to it when she was still alive.

He took one last look in the mirror. He wasn't satisfied, but then, when was he ever? It was a warm early summer night, so he thought he'd walk. Or maybe he shouldn't. There would surely be people smoking outside, and with his asthma...

Similarly, Richie was trying on his third outfit. He had tried just the Hawaiian shirt, then just a T-shirt and leather jacket, and then all three simultaneously. Funnily enough, the multi-layered look was his favorite.

"You got this, Richie." He looked himself in the eyes (through the mirror, not any kind of crazy witchcraft shit), and cracked a grin. "Except that you're talking to yourself. Fuckin' weirdo." But he grew sober, and his fingers tapped nervously against the side of his leg.

Richie didn't date, per se, but he went out a lot, and then went home, usually with a different guy, although he had been known to call up an old flame from time to time. He had dated, and he wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea, but he was, not to toot his own horn, famous. And usually, famous guys, especially ones that weren't classically hot, didn't get dates. They got laid.

His Mustang was parked in the driveway, and even before he started it the wind off the ocean whipped his hair into a frenzy. As he sped off into the Santa Monica sunset, the butterflies in his stomach began to dissipate. This was going to be different. He could feel it.

Eddie had been waiting outside the bar for almost ten minutes. It was his fault, of course, for getting there so early, but the pacing outside the front door did nothing to calm his nerves. Nor did the gentle roar of the cherry-red Mustang that pulled up next to the curb, nor did the profoundly familiar face that got out of it. Richie Tozier walked two paces towards him and stopped in his tracks, his eyes even wider behind his fishbowl glasses than usual. Eddie spoke first, his vocal cords hardly functional.

"Holy-"

"-shit," Richie finished. All of a sudden, everything clicked into place. Why the name had sounded so familiar, and the face had been even more so. Why he had been so nervous in the first place. Eddie fumbled in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a gray piece of plastic. His inhaler. He took two quick puffs of it and shook his head, as if in a stupor. Richie, who had screeched to a halt upon seeing his childhood friend (and first love, but that was another story), started again, and hugged Eddie with a force he didn't know he had in him. Eddie hugged him back, just as tightly.

"Holy shit, man," Eddie repeated.

"Yeah." They finally released each other and Richie took a step back, looking Eddie up and down. "Damn, Eds. You're looking good."

"So are you." Richie shook his head.

"I feel like such a fucking moron, but... I didn't even realize it was you until I saw you just now. You're going by Edward now?"

"Not... not really. And to tell you the truth, I only thought I recognized you because I saw one of your shows when you were in New York last winter." Richie laughed, deep and warm.

"Shit. Was it any good? Wait, don't answer that."

"It was great."

"Well, um... since we're here..." Richie gestured at the bar's frosted glass doors. "Want to get a drink?" Eddie smiled, and his dimples were craters in his cheeks.

"Yeah. I really do."

#reddie #it chapter ii #it stephen king #stephen king #it chapter 2 #it chap 2 #it 2 #it 2 movie #eddie x richie #richie x eddie #richie tozier #bill hader #finn wolfhard #seth green #eddie kaspbrak #james ransone #pj ransone #jack grazer #jack dylan grazer #dennis christopher #fanfic #reddie fic #fic #fanfiction

[minsugapie]

Sleepover

 This is the birthday special for my sweet Min Suga 

(OMG THIS IS LIKE A MONTH LATE OOPS)

(fun fact: I started writing this two days before his birthday but forgot about it RIP. And today, when I was avoiding writing my long essay due on Friday, I came across this beauty. So, here it is. My bias very prominently shows in this…)

warning: very fluffy smut, fluff

~ 4500 words

You and Yoongi had been dating for two months now, and you had just asked him to spend the night —it would be the first night where either of you slept over. He was a very busy guy, with the band and all, and you were always at school or working. You’d just moved into your new apartment a week ago, out of your parent’s place, and you were already nervous enough as it was when you were around him. 

You had no idea why someone as talented and caring as him would’ve wanted to be with you. But alas, here you were, making sure that everything was clean and ready for him to come over. Cleaning was what came natural when you were stressed or nervous. You often found yourself cleaning the kitchen or scrubbing between the tiles in your shower with an old toothbrush when you were anxious. 

Your new place still hadn’t managed to get dirty, but that did not stop you from cleaning what was already spotless. Yoongi would be over within the hour, and now that you were sufficiently sweaty from cleaning, you knew you had to take a shower. There would be no way that you would greet him like that.

With your shower complete and a fresh batch of cookies in the oven (yes, you were that extra), you sat and waited for Yoongi to come. Vaguely, you wondered whether he would get lost on the way, or if any paparazzi would follow him here. He had a way of sneaking around without people noticing him, but you were still unknown to the world, so he would have to be careful. 

When you first met him, you didn’t even have any idea who he was. Sure, you’d heard of BTS (who hadn’t?), but you were not one to really follow them. Plus, you didn’t really have time to get too invested in anything with your endless piles of homework. This weekend was the start of your week off, so you allowed yourself a day alone with him without worrying about deadlines. 

The way you started dating wasn’t like in the movies where the OCs meet once and then hit it off. Actually, the first meeting was quite awkward because a) you were awkward in front of guys, b) you were in a rush, and c) you had a giant coffee stain on your shirt from a half an hour prior to the meeting. You were rushing to get to the bus stop, and he was walking in disguise with another band member. You stopped to tie your shoelace and when you got up, you accidentally knocked into him. Cliché, you know. 

But here’s the thing, nothing happened after that first encounter besides a bunch of apologies on your part and laughter on their part. 

Now, the second time you met, he just so happened to walk into the record store where you worked. Again, you didn’t look your best because it was just work. Yet this time, he had a bodyguard with him. He was still wearing his mask, but you could recognize his eyes anywhere. After all, you had been dreaming about them for weeks. He recognized you, which you knew he would because of how much of a mess you were, but he seemed like he thought you were charming. Even then, you were an awkward flirt. Furthermore, you were still unaware that he was an idol. 

“Why do you have a bodyguard with you?” You had asked when he came up to the register to pay. 

He had seemed genuinely surprised that you asked him that. “Umm, just in case something happens to me.”

“I know what the purpose of a body guard is,” you had teased, mentally praising yourself for forming a coherent flirty sentence, “but why do you need him?”

“You don’t know me?” He had asked, visibly confused. Hesitating, he took off his mask. You noticed the movement of the bodyguard, how he clearly did not approve of this. The guy had looked to the bodyguard and had said, “It’s fine.”

“Should I?” 

A smile had formed on his face, and you could have sworn that you had heard a small laugh come from his supple lips. “No. You shouldn’t. What’s your name?”

Pointing to your name tag, you smiled and asked, “Yours?”

Tilting his head to the side and pouting his lips, he answered, “Yoongi.”

“Well, I should apologize again for the first time we met, Yoongi. Please don’t judge me too harshly. It was a rough day,” you blushed profusely at your words. Even just thinking about the memory made you embarrassed. 

Before he could even react, however, there was a small commotion from outside the store, and immediately, the bodyguard was by Yoongi’s side. His mask was quickly placed back on his face. Grabbing his record quickly, he exited the shop, admitting, “I thought you were cute.”

Now, meeting someone once is whatever, meeting someone twice is coincidence, but meeting them a third time is just fate…

You were out for supper with your two best friends. It was your annual really expensive dinner to celebrate the beginning of the school year. You drank and ate as much as you wanted because you wouldn’t have a moment to yourself for another semester. 

You hadn’t ordered yet, buy you were on your second glass of wine when one of your friends gasped, “Holy shit. BTS is here.” She was very calm about it, whispering the words. She was not a fangirl either, but she knew who they were and enjoyed their music. 

Craning your head to see what she was looking at, you noticed a large group of people walking in, among them were seven impeccable men. They were all dressed so nicely, and you couldn’t see any of their faces clearly. The restaurant became silent as everyone waited for them to be seated. Your eyes followed the figured to a large reserved area. It wasn’t too far from your own table. 

When everyone had settled, you could finally make out faces. Seated in clear eyeshot from your seat was a face that you’d been eagerly wanting to see again. Yoongi was there, smiling beside a guy that was somehow able to be simultaneously extremely sexy and unexplainably cute. 

Taking a sip of your wine, the reality of the situation sunk in. The reason Yoongi had a bodyguard was because he was an idol. Not just any idol, he was a part of the biggest boyband in the world, and you didn’t even know. You had to laugh at yourself. You were ridiculous. 

“Who are you staring at?” Your other friend asked, craning her neck to get to your view. “Is it Suga or Jimin?”

“Who?” You’d never heard either of those names before in your life. 

She rolled her eyes, knowing you weren’t kidding.“Is it the guy with the blonde hair or the dark hair?”

“The dark hair,” you answered, not willing to look away in case it was a dream. He was still looking around the room aimlessly. You didn’t think you’d ever seen a man look so good. 

“That’s Suga. He’s kinda scary if you ask me,” she grimaced before continuing, “but he is hot.”

Scary? That was the last way you would describe him. 

Just as you were about to open your mouth and tell your friends about your multiple meetings with him, his eyes briefly connected with yours. They moved away before quickly moving back. He stared for a few seconds before a smile appeared on his face. You smiled back at him, forgetting about your two friends that were clearly witnessing the situation in front of them. 

When neither of you looked away from the other, the rest of BTS noticed. In fact, you saw all of their heads turn and look to see what was capturing Yoongi’s attention. You got six smiles before you decided that it was time to look away and back to your friends. 

“Helloooo, earth to y/n? Umm, do you mind sharing?” One of them asked, taking a sip of her drink. They were both visibly interested in whatever it was that you had to share. 

“Oh, well, I guess I’ve met Yoong…er…Suga before,” you shared, suddenly finding the napkin in your lap very interesting. 

“You almost just called him by his real name, and this is the first we hear about it because…?” Your other friend asked. It wasn’t really your fault that you hadn’t told them. Actually, you were quite private, so you didn’t tell your friends everything about your personal life. You much preferred to keep things to yourself. 

“Look, I’m sorry. Okay? We’ve met a couple of times, and I had no idea who he was.”

Whatever your friends said in response to your last sentence was lost because you found Yoongi’s eyes again. He was still looking at you. Vaguely, you wondered why he didn’t tell you who he was. 

The rest of that night was relatively calm, appart for all the stares that the two of you would steal. Neither of you were being coy, everyone aware of what was happening. Yoongi barely even spoke to his bandmates the whole time. Although apparently, he had managed to talk to somebody without you seeing because when you went to pay, you found that he had paid for it. And, if the bill wasn’t enough, you found three backstage passes to the concert that they were holding the next week. 

The concert marked the fourth time that you two would meet.

You hadn’t been able to keep your eyes off of him the entire time. Sure, they were performing well as a group, but the way that he rapped and held himself on stage had you completely entranced. You found yourself clinging to every word, wanting to know what he felt at the time of writing, how he managed to portray the emotion he showed while singing. Really, you just wanted to know everything about the guy that you could. 

Your friends were more excited about the entire concert than you were because you were really just there to meet Yoongi again; whereas, like you’d mentioned before, they were fans on their music. So when the concert was over, and it was time to head backstage, you found yourself slightly nervous. This wasn’t the first time you were meeting him, so you didn’t know why you were that nervous. 

When you’d been escorted backstage, apparently, you had been requested to be the last one that the band met, so you had to wait for everyone to be done before you were even allowed in the room where they were. It was finally your time, and you had almost decided to just book it out of there and forget that any of this had happened. However, once you saw Yoongi’s face among the rest, you knew that you were there for a reason. 

You, along with your friends, met all the boys one by one. They were all very nice, but you could tell that they were curious about you. Only one, Hoseok, you found out his name later by googling it, had seen you before that night in the restaurant. 

As soon as you stood in front of Yoongi, time seemed to stop. 

“Hi,” he said, a small smile gracing his lips. 

“Hi,” you replied, mimicking his expression. 

“You came.”

“You gave me the tickets, so why wouldn’t I?” You joked, poking him playfully. You didn’t know why you thought you were at the level to touch him, but he seemed fine with it. In fact, touching him made you feel warm inside. 

“Yah, just ask her already,” one of the boys impatiently complained. 

Yoongi seemed unfazed by what was said; his eyes never left yours. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I want to keep seeing you again and again and again. If you’re okay with that?”

Smiling, you prayed that whatever you said would come out sounding normal and that your body language would not be that awkward. The whole room was silent, waiting for your response. You were surprised that everybody was chill with what was happening. You were under the impression that most idol’s couldn’t date. “Why?”

You were such an idiot. Here was this gorgeous man, standing in front of you, basically asking to date you, and you asked why!

He was slightly taken aback by the question, clearly waiting for you to agree. “Oh, umm, well,” he hesitated, scratching the back of his neck from nervousness before continuing, “you had no idea who I was when we met and again the second time, and ugh do I really have to answer that? Can’t a guy just ask a girl out without questions?”

Gaining a laugh from a couple of the boys, you nodded your head. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean it! It just came out. I want to see you again and again and again too.”

It took you quite some time to get completely comfortable with the fact that you had a boyfriend, let alone the fact that it was a hidden relationship and that the only dates you were allowed to go on consisted of you sneaking into the dorms or BigHit to spend some time with him. You couldn’t be seen. He’d come over to your house once before, but that turned out to be a big disaster, so you avoided the house. 

It was hard on your relationship, but after asking all the appropriate people, you were finally granted a night alone with him. There would be no bandmates, no management, and no bodyguards. It was just you, Yoongi, and your apartment…and the cookies that you were currently taking out of the oven. 

A knock on your door brought all your thoughts back to the present. He was finally here. You practically ran to the door to greet him. When you opened the door, you were instantly met with his hidden face. He had a mask and a cap on, trying to hide as much of himself as possible. You grabbed his free hand, dragging him inside. The second the door was slammed shut, he dropped his duffle bag. In haste, you were the one that took off his mask before he had the time to do it himself. 

You pushed yourself against him, connecting your lips. You didn’t care that he looked like he came directly from practice or that neither of you had even said one word to one another. You hadn’t seen him properly in over two weeks, and you missed him. Taking your face in both of his hands, he held you to him tightly, breathing in through the kisses. “It smells so good in here,” he commented between kisses, smiling. 

“I made cookies,” you replied, pushing the hat off his head, so you could run your fingers through his hair. 

Before anything drastic could happen, Yoongi pushed you back, letting his hands move from your face down to your hips. His touches set you on fire, and you knew deep down that the thing of both of your minds would be the outcome of tonight. Because you were never alone, you’d never had time or privacy to do anything intimate. There was always a chance of someone walking in, even in his studio. 

“Did you have any trouble getting here?” You asked, finally letting go of him and picking up his bag, bringing it to your bedroom. 

He followed behind you, answering, “It’s pretty close to the dorms, so it was easy.”

“You weren’t seen?”

“No,” he breathed, cocking his head to the side and looking at your awkward body position. You were standing board straight with your hands clenched on front of you.

“I’m glad.” You stood at the corner of your bed, waiting for him to do something to break up the awkwardness. He looked like he was deeply thinking about something. Honestly, the only thing you were thinking about was him in your bed. You’d yet to do it with him, and you wanted desperately for it to happen tonight. 

“Ok,” he started, walking towards you, “I have to do this now otherwise I won’t be able to pay attention to anything you say to me all night,” he finished with a whisper. When he was right in front of you, he swiftly guided you back onto the bed, settling between your legs. 

Biting your lip, you looked up at him with hooded eyes. You were glad that he was on the same page as you. “Yoongi, please, I want you right now,” you whispered, wrapping your legs around his waist and bringing him flush onto your body, waists pressed together.

Groaning, he quickly closed the distance between the two of you, lips crushing yours with uncontrolled fervour. You’d made out with him many times in both his studio and at the dorms, but never like this. It felt different being alone with him without the possibility of somebody walking in on you. Sure, doing your homework in the studio while he wrote, providing inspiration (as he once revealed in a drowsy state), was fun, but you’d waited long enough for this alone time with him. 

Your last boyfriend had been a jerk and was often degrading and unfulfilling during sex, so you were needy. You could tell by the way that Yoongi teated you as a boyfriend that the sex with him would be better. He seemed in control of all situations, all the time. 

But between heated kisses, when he revealed, “I don’t do this often,” you were surprised. 

Pulling back from him, you looked into his eyes, seeing the hesitation. “What do you mean?”

“Only one other time since before debut. I-I just never found someone I wanted before you…” He admitted, averting your gaze and letting a hand travel down your arm to your hip and then back up your waist toward your breast. His touch was feather-light.

You expected him to be confident and sure, much like his rap, but he seemed shy. He really was such a surprise. You wanted to get started, but he was also so important to you that you needed to let him get his feelings out, no matter how hard it may have been for him. “Don’t worry, Yoongi. I know it will be great.”

“How?” His insecurity was really starting to show, so when he made the move to take his hand off of your body, you grabbed it and guided it under your shirt and up to your breast again. 

“Because I care about you more than I’ve cared about any of the other people I’d been with,” you assured him, placing a kiss on his lips and adjusting beneath him, “accidentally” brushing against his crotch. You wanted to kick start the moment again. 

With the accident you just caused, there was a shift in his expression, and he became more confident and less reserved. You needed tongue technology Yoongi right now and not baby boy Yoongi (not that you didn’t love and appreciate both). 

You knew that you got what you needed when he straightened up and took off your shirt. His eyes roamed around your body for what felt like an eternity before he whispered in your ear, “You asked for it, baby.”

The whisper sent shivers across your body. His lips brushed your jaw for a short second before for attached them to your neck. His kisses were hot and wet all the way down your neck to your chest. His hands were expertly finding their way around to the back of your bra to unclasp it but before he could, you wanted to tease him a bit. You smirked and pushed him back from you, a confused expression on his face. 

When you tugged at his long-sleeved shirt, he understood and quickly removed the article of clothing. He was surprised when you flipped him over and pushed his hair back, placing kisses all over his face —on his forehead, on his eyelids, on his cheeks, on the corners of his lips— before cheekily placing the softest kiss on his lips and beginning to grind down onto him. His hands eagerly gripped your thighs and firmly held you down onto his hips. 

God, you’d wanted him for way too long, you might’ve argued since that day with the coffee stain on your shirt. Your hands were tracing patterns on his chest and abdomen, and you could tell he was enjoying it by the hum in his throat and his heaving breathing. He was already so hard beneath you that you thought it was a good time to move your fingers down to the opening of his pants. However, as soon as your fingers fiddled with the zipper, his eyes flew open, and he flipped you over so you were under him again. 

“Not me, not yet,” he said, instead moving his fingers down to your jeans and popping the button. You bit your lip, anticipation building. When Yoongi’s fingers slipped into your pants, he wasted no time and entered you, clearly being able to feel how wet you were for him but choosing not to comment on it. You hadn’t expected him to talk much, being such an introvert and quiet. 

“Oh, my god, Yoongi,” you breathed, squeezing your eyes shut and arching into his touch, hands desperately trying to find something to cling onto. 

“Look at me,” he requested, surprising you. Your eyes instantly find his. His knees were pushing your legs father apart, and you were in desperate need of more friction. As much as it felt good, his fingers stretching you, trying to find your sweet spot, it was making you more frustrated than anything. 

“Yoongi, please,” you begged, wanting what you wanted. You didn’t care if you had to bed. You wanted him inside you right now. You don’t even wait for his reaction or answer before you’re taking off his pants. 

He starts to laugh at your eagerness, teasing you. 

“Don’t.” You laugh back at him in frustration. “I’ve been thinking about this for so long. I can’t wait any longer.”

“What happened to my cute but awkward around me y/n?” He asked, finally pulling down his pants. You don’t answer him, distracted, clearly. You swallow once, eyes coming back to his face. 

“She’s needy,” you managed to form this sentence while he reached down into his bag and pull out a condom. At the sight of it, your breathing became uneven, pulling down your pants as fast as your flustered self would let you. 

He was positioned at your entrance the second he finished putting on the condom, and with the look in his eyes, you were certain that he would demand your eye contact once again, so you didn’t dare look away or close your eyes. Yoongi easily slid inside you, groaning as you clenched around him. Your legs hooked around his, keeping him against you as you adjusted to him.

“Fuck,” he swore, all composure slipping as he braced held himself up on both elbows. His eyes were still on yours, and you couldn’t help but feel both intimidated and loved by the intensity of he look. His breathing was uneven, shoulders shaking, before you finally loosened the grip of your legs, finally letting him move inside you. He took it slow at first, lips brushing yours with every thrust, but you could only take this pace for so long. 

“Go faster,” you whispered, hands moving under his arms up to his shoulders. You forced his face onto yours, lips moving against his sloppily. 

You used your legs to help guide the pace of his thrusts, revelling in the feel of him perfectly filling you up while bruising your lips. He wasn’t a fool. You knew he was at least slightly experienced when you felt one of his hands move down to help get your to your climax. Already, there was no comparison between him and your ex. He felt one of your hands move from his shoulder and down to his hand. At this, he disconnected your lips, catching your gaze. 

You confidently held his eye contact as you guided his fingers to work as his thrusts became deeper and harder. Your breath was laboured as you desperately tried to close your legs and ride your orgasm, but a bigger part of you wanted this to last so much longer. By the bulging vein in his neck and the now completely desperate pace, you knew that he was close. 

Yoongi looked beautiful when he orgasmed, especially since he refused to break eye-contact with you. It was a new experience, being so intimately connected to someone like that. He knew you were still fighting for your release, so he resumed his actions that were briefly halted. It wasn’t long until you were unravelling below him, holding him as tightly to you as you possibly could, probably making very clear marks across his back. 

When you were finished, he simply let his weight fall onto you, catching both of your breaths. You stayed like that, a comforting position, for a few minutes before your untangled your legs from his, pushing his body off. You laid facing each other for a moment before he cracked a smile. He didn’t smile too often, so having seen that beautiful gummy smile of his was such a blessing. You couldn’t help but smile back at him, letting a laugh escape from between your lips. 

His hands came up and brushed your hair back from your face.

“I feel like I have to say thank you,” he awkwardly admitted, looking around your face to avoid your eyes. A minute ago he was all about the eye-contact and now he was acting so shy. He was actually the cutest. 

“You’re welcome and Happy Birthday,” you joked, pushing yourself up to find your panties which were still on the end of the bed. Slipping them on quickly, you stood up. “Now, as much as I want to chat, the night is still young and I really want to wash up.”

Yoongi simply watched as you walked out of the room with a fresh pair of underwear and one of his sweatshirts that you’d stolen from the dorms the last time you’d been there. 

After you both showered and cleaned up, you decided to order some food and watch movies on the couch. It was still early in the night, so you didn’t want to sleep just yet. Knowing Yoongi, he would, however. In fact, not ten minutes into your movie, he was laying in your lap as you played with his hair, soft sighs escaping his tired lips as he slept. The day must have taken so much out of him. The two of you hadn’t done much talking after having sex, but just laying with him and having him as company all to yourself was enough. You wouldn’t never take these quiet moments together for granted. 

Although your relationship was still relatively new, you couldn’t picture your life without the talented rapper. You were glad that you didn’t know who he was when you first met him because it may have changed your opinion of him. However, ever since knowing him, you’d watched all the videos on him that you could find on the internet. It was both a blessing and a curse because it just made you miss him more when he was not there with you. 

“I love you, Min Yoongi,” you whispered, leaning down to place a kiss on his nose. You could have sworn that you saw a small smile appear on his lips.  

#min yoongi #bts suga #suga imagine #suga fluff #yoongi fluff #bts imagine #yoongi imagine #yoongi fic #suga fic #OMG #bts smut #yoongi smut #suga smut

[tangledgal]

WARNING: SUPER BIG POST! This is a complete list of my ranking of the season 1 and season 2 soundtrack.

Alright, first, I truly like/ love all the songs in the soundtrack, so low-ranked songs are never “bad.” Second, I’m not counting the 3 scores we got with the season 2 soundtrack. Third, I know that once season 3 has released its songs, this list will become kinda irrelevant, but hey, I’m impatient. Lastly, this is all biased so if some songs seem like they should be lower or higher than others, then that’s fine. I don’t claim to be a genius musician. I just prefer some songs over others.

(P.S. this was written in a day so misspellings are likely) 

21.) Hook Foot’s Ballad

I don’t think I need to explain why this is the lowest. XD I really don’t mind this song, but it’s so short and just makes me wonder why this was considered a song, but the Reverse Incantation wasn’t! Just . . . meh.

20.) Wind in My Hair (Reprise)

We’ve all heard this one a BUNCH of times, and it’s pretty okay on its own. I just don’t consider this as high on the list just because we’ve heard it a lot and it’s just “Wind in my Hair” but shorter.

19.) More of Me

Another song we hear over and over again, but I’m a sucker for upbeat Disney pop music, and the full song is pretty fun to listen to. Nothing special, but enjoyable.

18.) Next Stop Anywhere (Reprise)

I like this one, but the 30 seconds of just talking at the beginning is a little grating. Again, just “Next Stop” but shorter. Still, Mandy and Zac always sound amazing together.

17.) Let Me Make You Proud (Reprise)

As you see, I put all the reprises last since they aren’t the most . . . interesting, but this is definitely the best of them since this is the MOMENT Varian vows revenge and makes his arc. It’s very powerful and the singing is great, but again, reprise.

16.) Listen Up

A fun song that’s just right for Halloween. I particularly love how it has the same sound as “I’ve Got a Dream,” but in a minor key, making it spoopy! It’s just lower on the list since it doesn’t really add much to the plot. Just a good song.

15.) Life After Happily Ever After

One of the few songs that sound exactly like it came straight from the movie. I like how it fills us in on the plot and with a great melody. Just . . . lots of talking that wasn’t edited out. And not that it’s not good, but I don’t find myself listening to it as often. Still, this was great as the first song of the show and it’s great now.

14.) If I Could Take That Moment Back

Yeah, I’m a New Dream sucker, and this song made me choke up a bit on my first listen. ASIDE FROM THAT, it doesn’t sound too different from most sad love songs. I didn’t want to put it too high because it’s not particularly unique. Not saying it’s BAD at all! The melody is beautiful (especially on the piano), the lyrics are heartbreaking and match up with the situation pretty well, and of course, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi duet #2. That’s a win in my book. 

13.) Livin’ the Dream

Admittedly, I was REALLY surprised when we got a musical number in this episode, and the song did seem really random. Still, this is just a really funny and upbeat music number! It sounds similar to “I’ve Got A Dream,” but with a twist, it’s pretty catchy, the singer does a great job as a replacement for Brad Garrett. I know for most, this wouldn’t usually be this high, but hey, different tastes.

12.) Friendship Song

I will admit, I like this song A LOT more than most people do. Then again, sucker for upbeat-Disney-pop music right here. I love how the instruments are so clear and beautiful, the melody and fast tempo are really fun to listen to, the lyrics can apply to anyone with a bff, and it always puts me in a good mood!

11.) Set Yourself Free

This is a weird one. It is nice to listen to and sung well, but I think my main liking for this song is that I feel a little bit of an emotional connection with it. When I hear this song, I think of the beginning of January and waiting anxiously for the finale of Season 1. I remember seeing a sneak peek of this song briefly, then seeing the episode as all the past moments of season 1 flash through the screen. Idk, it’s not really my favorite, but the feeling I get from listening to this brings back a lot of memories to me. I wouldn't put it lower since it does sound nice and I feel sentimental when listening to it, but it’s not higher since, honestly, it really is just Wind In My Hair, but instead of Rapunzel wishing for something, she’s doing something. Overall, good song.

10.) Everything I Ever Thought I Knew

It’s . . . complicated. The song is so beautiful, I love the opening lyrics and Zachary Levi. Just. . . .  just Zachary Levi. However, I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of the whole “Dark Prince Eugene” thing. I never wanted it to be true, and I was low-key disappointed when it was revealed to be true. (Not devaluing the DPE theorists. Just not a personal fan of it being canon.) Still, I think the song does express Eugene’s feelings pretty well and it is kinda amusing when you realize he’s just having an identity crisis. All in all, we’ve waited a long time for a Eugene solo, and though I wasn’t thrilled about the context, still a fantastic song, and I’ll listen to it many times over.

9.) Wind in My Hair

The first full song I listened to from the show, sung beautifully, gives the show a great starting point, feels like a classic Disney princess song, and I simply love it. Next.

8.) Next Stop Anywhere

Great intro song to Season 2! It’s catchy, has amazing singing from the 3, and just a wonderful song. Yea, more unnecessary talking here and there that should’ve been cut out, but I love this song too much. Just like Wind in My Hair, I don’t have a logical reason why I love the song as much as I do. I just do!

7.) I’ve Got This

I love the opening notes to this song and it drags you right into it! It’s really fun to sing along to and pretend to be the angry citizens. Mostly, I love how the song progressively goes from upbeat and positive, then to worry, then to panic, then eventually to sadness. It’s catchy and upbeat, yet depressing and slow, and I love it. (Also, kittens)

6.) Buddy Song

Okay, first, can I just say how much I love the context of this song. While the majority of the other songs have an important meaning behind them or are there for some logical reason, the literal purpose of this song is just because Eugene and Lance are drugged up on flowers and that’s it. Usually, I’d be critical to scenes that are pointless or don’t push the story, but here, I have NO problem with it. It’s so fun and enjoyable in how carefree it is. Not only that, but add Zach and James singing like they are having the time of their lives (and not about to die) all to a jazzy beat and you have a musical masterpiece. I was waiting for this kind of song, and I was not disappointed in the slightest!

5.) Ready As I’ll Ever Be

The first two notes of this song should win an award alone. I love the intensity of this song and how epic it all feels. It stands as an amazing group number, as well as its own song separate from the context. Everyone gets to shine in this song, and it all has a very grand feel to it. Also, it really is the only song of its kind in the whole soundtrack. It’s “the epic theme song before going into battle” song. It’s amazing and really deserves the praise it gets (and then some.)

4.) View From Up Here

Admittedly not the most “dramatic” song. However, there is just so much about this song I love. First, I never expected Mandy Moore and Eden Espinosa to sound so good together! Imho, their harmony is one of the best in the show. Their voices blend so amazingly together and though they are different kinds of singers, they sound so in sync and the difference in their voices add so much! Also, even though this is like “whimsical exploring song # 12943,” it has this energy and charm to it that I can’t describe. The way it’s sung + the instruments make it sound so carefree, weightless, and whimsical. I feel I have no care in the world listening to it. Also, it’s upbeat and catchy (as always) Love it, love it, love it! (Also, the entire song is actually extended from what they sing in the episode, so that’s even better!)

3.) Waiting in the Wings

3 words: Eden Freakin’ Espinosa. Her voice was absolutely perfect for this song. Cassandra singing about her dreams and feelings towards being looked-over are expressed so well in the lyrics, the music, and in the emotion and power in Eden’s voice. It’s not only just an amazing song on its own, but it also gives insight into the character and makes us understand her struggles. I love the how gradually it builds up emotion just like in a classic Broadway song and the final note. Holy crap, THAT HIGH NOTE THO. I adore this song, and it definitely deserves to be in my top 3.

2.) With You By My Side

I’ve been singing this all the time since the end of season 2, and it has never gotten old. The highs and lows each singer reaches in each part sound great, the melody is catchy and hopeful, yet a little solemn and sad. It sounds great and has so much emotion put into each note. The instrumentals are enough to get me to listen to this song! Also, the song itself is a milestone in the character’s relationship that went from acquaintances/ enemies to the best of friends who can’t do anything without the other. It’s a song that means friendship, trials, hope, and the end of a journey. (Or at least that’s what they thought >:))

1.) Let Me Make You Proud 

No, I’m not a hardcore Varian fan or Jeremy Jordan fan. Not really even a Broadway fan. What I’m saying is that this song, to me, is perfect. The performance, the music, the context, the instruments, and even the nostalgic feeling I get when listening to this. It’s flawless. Jeremy Jordan is amazing at expressing emotion not through just his voice, but his singing as well. Him playing an emotionally vulnerable 14-year-old who is anxiously traveling through a snowstorm all to save his dad who he isn’t sure will even survive the mistake he made, but his motivation is what’s getting him through, adds so much emotion, personality, and power to this character and song. Also, my memories of watching the D23 panel (on youtube. I wasn’t there) when this was being played over a montage of clips we have and haven’t seen before, exciting us for what was to come, was one of the greatest experiences ever. What else can I say? Just . . . perfection.

Super long post, but I’m happy with my selection and I can’t wait for Season 3!

#tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #long post #thoughts #honest thoughts #soundtrack #season 2 soundtrack #tangled the series soundtrack #Rapunzel #Eugene Fitzherbert #cassandra #varian #lance strongbow

[kazosa]

The Tall Man

Summary: for years, the reader had dreams about a man. Never really seeing his face, she didn’t know if he was a real person or just her “dream guy”. Taking a much needed vacation, she finally relaxes, not knowing where her next steps would take her.

Pairings: Dream guy x reader, eventually Jensen x reader

Warnings: none really, does searching for a dream guy count?

    You were with him again. The Tall Man, as you called him. There was something familiar about him that you could never quite put your finger on. It was always just out of reach. The man was at least six feet tall, lean and muscular but not bulky. His hair was cropped short, and though you only got small glimpses, impressions, of his face, you could see he had a bit of a beard.

    You never knew when he was going to come to you in a dream. What you did know what that when he did visit you, you felt like you found a long-lost piece of yourself. At first, you just passed it off as dream nonsense, but when it kept happening…

    Your favorite one was in what you assumed was Europe. The cobblestones were smooth under your feet. The road was narrow and the buildings’ white walls rose high above your head. Baskets of flowers hung near the windows and doors. The road sloped up and away from the sea. It was absolutely breathtaking.

    It was the one that always felt the most real. The stones, the warmth of the sun, the smells, they were all so vivid. You’re there walking up the hill to the next road, not paying attention to who is around and suddenly, he appears. He’s holding out a hand to you. As soon as you take it, you feel it, that connection, that completion.

    Sometimes his clothes were different. Sometimes the location was different. What remained the same was how you knew he was yours.

    Your best friend of ten years knew all about your dreamland mister perfect.

    “I had the dream again,” you told her on the phone.

    “The one where you see his tattoo?” she asked, hopeful.

    When you could see his tattoo, he shirt was off and that usually meant it was a steamy dream.

    “No. Not this time, unfortunately,” you admitted. “It was the one where he reaches out his hand to me.”

    “Oh, the weird one in the alley,” she teased.

    “Ha ha, Sara, super funny.” The loneliness you felt was so heavy. How could you miss someone from a dream and note even know who he is or what he looks like? All you’d ever caught were glimpses of his face. Over the years, you’d gotten a good idea of what he looked like, and he was quite handsome, you thought.

    “When does your vacation start?” she asked. “Are you sure about going by yourself? You better call me every day, I don’t give a shit about the time difference.”

    “I will, I promise,” you assured her. “I leave next Thursday and I’m going to Niece first, then down to Rome.”

    “You’ll call every day, right?” she asked again.

    “Sara! I promise!” you assured her.

    “Just don’t spend all of your time looking for a guy who isn’t real.”

       Jared sat in the back of the van with Jensen for the ride back to the hotel. It was late, and the convention was done for the day. For them it was 4pm Texas time but the jet-lag was kicking their butts.

    “Little grouchy up there today,” Jared hedged.

    “I know. It’s just hard to keep answering about why I’m not dating anyone,” he said.

    “Yeah. Kinda tough to explain your actual dream girl.” Jared knew about the woman that plagued his bed friend’s dreams, but now she was starting to cause real-life problems and he couldn’t have that.

    “You should come out with us. Maybe you can find some nice Italian hottie to take home…or for the night.”

    Jensen rolled his eyes and looked at his buddy.

    “Not interested,” he answered.

    “I know, man, but you gotta get out there. She’s just a dream no matter how real it seemed. You gotta quit looking for her every time we go somewhere,” he pleaded. “It’s not healthy.”

    “I already planned on going out to take pictures. You’ve seen this place, right?” Jensen wasn’t lying. He’d already planned on going out to explore and get some pictures, but part of him was hoping it would happen again. He couldn’t explain it. He’d told Jared it was dreams because the truth was too weird, even for them.

    The first time, it scared the hell out of him. A strange woman sat down on the bench next to him and struck up a conversation with him. He’d gotten used to people coming up to him out of the blue, but it was usually in the U.S., not a random village in Italy.

    “Hi, I got you a cannoli sampler. Lady assured me they were fresh,” she said handing him the small box. “Can you believe this view?”

    Not knowing if she realized who he was, or if she thought he was someone else, he figured he’d play along.

    “Do you speak Italian?” he asked.

    She got a confused look on her face then shrugged, “I guess I do today.”

    Leaning over, she pulled out a small cannoli and ate it. The conversation continued in a scattered way, going in whatever direction her mind took them. He was enjoying the weird conversation and she’d made him laugh more than once. It wasn’t always easy for him to carry on conversation with new people, but he’d liked her and no matter who she thought he was, she talked to him like an old friend.

    When he realized how much time had passed, he leaned down to check on his camera and bag. Behind him, he could hear strange music playing. Suddenly, she gasped and when he turned to check on her, she was gone.

    He looked all up and down the road and she was nowhere to be seen. No one running away, no cars speeding off, none of the other people around seemed to have noticed anything unusual, even the box of cannolis was gone.

    Sure he had lost his mind, he attributed it to falling asleep in the sun and the jet-lag. It took him a couple of months to even tell Jared and that was only because the second time he saw her, she disappeared right before his eyes.

    Jared convinced him to see a doctor, he even went a few times. The doc was under the impression that Jensen was having waking dreams and that he shouldn’t worry and try to get more rest when traveling. Since the occurrences had started out as infrequent, he was able to put it aside. He knew he wasn’t crazy. He knew she was real. She had to be real. No way his mind would be able to make up someone like her. Most of the women he met weren’t really interested in him. They often just wanted to get a taste of celebrity, or to use him to get their foot in the door.

       Over the years, you’d noticed that there were certain times of the year when you had your favorite dream. You tried to bullshit Sara that your impending vacation had nothing to do with your mystery man, but she easily saw through it.

    “If he means that much to you, then you should find him. Just, please, if you don’t find him there, you have got to stop letting it consume your life.”

    You would argue whether he ‘consumed’ your life, but there was the nagging feeling that he was the one you were meant to be with.

      You’d never been to France or Italy and you’d promised yourself that you would see them and their picturesque vistas in person. Beginning your trip in France, you spent a week and a half enjoying Niece and Caan before moving on to Italy and heading to Rome. On your way there, you’d spotted a pretty village on the outskirts of the city that you wanted to visit. Prior to your trip, you’d been learning phrases in Italian and could repeat just enough to embarrass yourself. Thankfully, a lot of the locals spoke English and helped you rent a Vespa for your excursion.

    The village was bustling with activity. In the town center was an outdoor market and vendors were set up everywhere. After you found a spot to park your Vespa, you began browsing the wares. The market was busy with people doing the same thing as you, though you noticed that you were the only tourist. Many people were carrying bundles of goods wrapped in paper and string, a few carried canvas bags. You looked into all the booths hoping to find something unique that you could easily carry, or to bring back for Sara.

    You found a few small items that fit in your purse and at the last stall, the vendor had handmade jewelry. The craftsman had made a delicate chain in an intricate design with precious stones interspersed. What you spent on the item, you vowed you would never tell Sara. Though, it was a piece in a small wood tray in the bottom left corner that caught your eye. It was a ring that was either made to look old or was old. It was big and it didn’t even fit your thumb when you slipped it on, but something compelled you to buy that ring. Tucking it safely inside your purse, you zipped the top closed and continued walking.

    European lifestyle was something you could get used to. Everything was within walking distance. The afternoon lunch breaks were amazing and you had take to regular naps. Having had one that day, you felt refreshed as you walked on. It was all so beautiful.

    Soon, you found yourself away from the market, admiring the architecture. The road you were on wouldn’t allow conventional vehicles to pass and there were a handful of people in the passage with you. You only noticed the man taking pictures because he was so tall and out of place for the area.

       It wasn’t that Jensen didn’t want to hang out with his friends and their families, he loved them all. He’d just already been on other excursions with them and he’d had a good time, but he still felt like a third wheel and wanted to get away for a bit. He’d thanked Jared or the invitation but had passed and decided on a little under the radar jaunt outside the city.

    He parked near a Vespa and only briefly browsed the market before he moved on as started looking for places to photograph. He had been walking around for a while and stopped on a narrow side-street, barely more than an alley. The view was amazing. The road sloped up and from his vantage point, he could just see the market and the sea beyond. He snapped a few more pictures then turned to get better light to check the photo gallery.

    On first glance, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until he spotted a woman. She seemed somewhat out of place from the local people he’d been seeing all day. American, he thought. He zoomed in on the picture.

    Brown leather sandals. Olive green shorts that showed just enough leg to be flattering. The woman wore a black v-neck top that clung to her in all the right places, but not too tight so it would be cool. In the picture, she was in profile, but he would know her anywhere. The woman who invaded his waking dreams for the last several years had finally showed up in a picture. Before when he’d tried, it was always a blur, or she looked oddly opaque.

    His heart hammered in his chest. He almost didn’t want to look. It never seemed to matter, anyway. There were times he spent the whole day with her only to watch her disappear or be gone when he turned back to her. He was grateful for the time he got, he just wished she would stay.

       The Tall Man was hard to miss. You hadn’t realized you’d been staring at him until he suddenly turned back to look at you. He had his sunglasses perched on the top of his head and the look in his eyes was heartbreaking. There was a hint of excitement under the dread and fear you saw.

    As you approached him, you couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu. You knew this man, but how? You were drawn to him. You wanted to touch him. His hands held a camera and you suddenly wanted to knock it away. Instead, you reached up your hand and touched his shoulder.

    “Hi,” you sounded kind, soothing to your own ears. “Are you okay?”

    Alarm bells were ringing in your head, but this time, you knew it wasn’t your wakeup alarm.

    “Is it really you this time?” his gorgeous green eyes pleading with you to say yes.

    The man in front of you was quite attractive and you were dead certain you would have remembered those green eyes. Wait…what did he say?!

    He watched as her eyes went wide and he finally knew he hadn’t been crazy all this time.

    “Oh my god, this was real? This was all real?” you asked.

    He reached for your hand and you took it, desperate to feel that feeling you always got in your dreams. His fingers were warm as the glided across your palm, his eyes never leaving yours as his fingers curled over yours. You couldn’t believe it. It was there. That feeling of being complete. HE was there. The man you’d been secretly searching for for years was there, right in front of you, just like you’d always seen him in your dreams, except he was real.

    The emotions ran across her face in a sprint. She had been looking for him, too, he could see. He’d finally found her, and she was real.

#Jensen x reader #kazosa #spn fan fiction #fluff #supernatural fan fiction

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff ~ Seven of the Season: SU Season 5

Wallop on my jollops, Batman, we got ourselves one of the best seasons of anime that I dare say will be the best of year in its entirety. I’m talking Mob Psycho 100 II like, holy shit, talk about doubling down on giving people a roller coaster of a time in the first month; it’s amazing. But enough about that, we’re talking about Steven Universe’s climatic season before Steven Universe 2 potentially blows us all away. Here be the TOP 7 Best Episodes of Steven U’s final season. Seven, because it’s lucky, babey. Okay *pops a beer* so....

Number 7: Can’t Go Back

It is something where I don’t hate Lapis as much as I’ve seen most else. So when we got an episode where Steven and Lapis get to casually talk to each other on the moon, I was definitely down with that. Wasn’t too big a fan of the musical number, but I liked that Steven and Lazuli just had a sincere yet casual chat about her situation after jetting off, Lapis coming to terms with her more aloof character, something I wanted more of from this series. However, the ending definitely set this back. In the sense that Lazuli was surely coming around, at the very least work through to shed off the fears she possessed previously, those doubts and anxieties are unnecessarily strengthened as the Pink Diamond plot gets in the way with Steven not even trying to stop and ease Lapis’ panic mode after his nightmare; practically made the episode just feel like set up for the Rose Quartz twist in that instant when it didn’t have to and Lazuli’s turnabout in Reunited feel slapdash. The casualness or laid back atmosphere of this is what I say made this episode in the list, but, with all due respect, fuck that ending.

6. Change Your Mind

It’s safe to say I was thoroughly entertained from this finale like my god, it just went all out with giving people the confrontation of a lifetime and I can’t stay mad at it. But, on rewatch, it loss the enticement when it’s pretty by the book. If Steven wasn’t Pink, I’d have no doubt that not only would this have been different, but would’ve been a whole lot challenging for Steven and everyone in its entirety. But for this, it’s kinda the prime example of why I see many be frustrated with this show: because you’re either with it and applaud it for its efforts or sit there empty or disappointed the second you turn your brain on and try to process what legit happened. And for me, the diamonds having a change of heart in their more abusive connection with Pink, Steven fusing with everyone, White Diamond not even fighting for her worldview after getting roasted one time, didn’t feel earned as it did just fall in place for Steven, the exception being his connection with Pink Steven. Everyone was just on the same page by the end, except for those forced shard fusions who writhe and scream in constant pain and agony, reaching out to escape their torment after the Diamonds approved experimentation on them; the ones who can't be fixed. I bet they're okay with the Diamonds laughing it up with Steven at a pool party. And as bombastic and emotionally charged as it was as a entertaining episode, it lacked coordination or a good semblance of logic to be a good episode.

Number 5: Pool Hopping

Honestly Garnet getting to act more eccentric, hanging out with Steven, is what made this episode stand out at first, but to see her acknowledge Steven’s growth, changing her perspective on him, is what made this a stand out episode. I like how this is parallel to season one’s Future Vision except it’s at no one’s fault and Steven is more comfortable with the unpredictability of things compared to beforehand. And what’s especially poignant about this is that it serves as both a standalone that genuinely felt like a “Season 5″ episode and in hindsight a great preface to Ruby and Sapphire’s arc later on. It’s pretty middle on the list because the next entries have a little more to them, but I nonetheless say this a great episode for Garnet.

Number 4: Reunited

I’d say any criticisms I have for this were how I felt about Change Your Mind but not as heavy. It was all entertaining, but loses momentum when you bother turning your brain on for a bit. Like, even on my first viewer, knowing full well that Steven is Pink, I figured soon as the Diamonds would arrive that “Ah, Steven’s gonna make them open up their eyes,” which initially diminished any impact the whole fight scene had on me; making it more of a laughable tussle then a serious root worthy standoff. It’s kinda hard to feel invested when you feel the protag’s not gonna lose in any semblance! But, what makes this generally better than Change Your Mind is the wedding part of it all. Man, if this episode was just about the wedding, it would’ve been #1 no question. The musical, the ceremony, Rubes and Sapphy in general, it all just came together like quality fettuccine! I’m a sucker for weddings and that was one of the best moments of the show.

Number 3: Escapism

I’ve already talked about this episode, almost ad nauseam, so if you wanna know more about why I say it’s the best of the Diamond Days arc, links here, here, and here. But long story short, this was an episode that utilized the point of the title extensively. In contrast to Steven and Connie’s barren situation, the episode was an escapism in a literal and figurative sense and even then, it’s one where Steven had to genuinely fight to get the ending he wanted. Reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorite books, The Odyssey. It’s one where I genuinely empathized with the kid’s struggles since he found his situation dire and serious. It was mostly absent of dialogue which made the visuals stand out more to me. And really, I had a laugh at how Steven was done with this shit which made his successes feel more.... gratifying, lack of a better term. And the cherry on top was the musical number, which had me thinking of its purpose for once. Needless to say, I enjoyed thinking about this episode.

Number 2: Back to the Kindergarten

This episode is an earnest time waster. I mean that as a big compliment and because it literally amounts to Peridot wasting time on futile efforts to come to a valid sense of self actualization. Seems episodes containing the shorty squad with Scallion head as the central focus amount to the most meaningful slice of life episodes and I’m for episodes like this. Raising the Barn was generally boring until the end, but this episode makes up for that with a solid experience for Peridot handling the aftermath of Lapis abandoning her. Amethyst was a direct, yet necessary push for Peridot to head to the Kindergarten, especially when she herself was pumped to go now knowing her lineage, and it was neat how Peridot’s newfound colorful perspective shined a profound light on how the Kindergartens were harmful to Earth. Even Steven was a great backbone to the others, being a good team player to both Peridot and Amethyst when they briefly tag teamed to be Smokey. While I was questioning why the trio were planting sunflowers in a place… devoid of sunlight, the end where Peridot looks over the leviathan batch of ‘em, signifying the vast opportunities she still has while alive, in comparison to the first train ride she had where she sulked away from the scenery, was a lovely feel to look back on. This was an enjoyable watch the whole way through and a good episode to think about from time to time. But I’d expect nothing less for best Crystal Gem.

Honorable mentions: Jungle Moon, The Trial, The Question, A Single Pale Rose

Number 1: What’s Your Problem?

My only complaint for this episode is the beginning where Amethyst is more callous than before, being generally ignorant to Pearl and Sapphire sobbing right in front of her. I understood what she was going for, doesn’t diminish the episode, but the writers made her sound pretty out of character. A great joke in this is when Amethyst tries to literally jet off and for a split second, I forgot that Steven can jump high and seeing him pounce at her just caught me off guard. Then we have the end, where, after trying to help him open up, Ame tells Steven that she’s tired of him having to carry the others’ melancholic baggage and that he deserves to have a voice for himself. And that… stuck with me, resonated with me because her putting her foot down felt honest, sincere, and to the point. And man, if I can resonate with a Steven Universe episode at this state, someone did something objectively right. I especially like that after her big moment, she playfully recoiled when Steven casually gave her a compliment to think about. I’d say it showed that Steven does want to express his feelings, but he feels that venting isn’t gonna resolve much like how it used to. It showed the two supporting each mutually without having to feel sorry for themselves. This episode not only boosted my love for Amethyst, other best Crystal Gem, her and Steven’s sibling bond over time, culminating to this moment, is what I enjoyed most about this series. If more episodes was like that third act, I would praise this show a whole lot more.

Won’t lie, got mixed feelings about this season. On one hand, it’s the Kingdom Hearts 3 of this series where there’s some finality to it, there was quite a lot to enjoy, and I feel relieved sticking by it the whole way. On the other hand, the majority of episodes didn’t faze me as much and it felt exhausting actually getting some finality to this series since this season took almost two years to premiere everything. At the very least, I’m optimistic in the fresh start SU 2 will potentially bring with the movie this coming fall; it’s gonna be the Knack 2 of Cartoon Network. In any case, my kudos to the crew for this series and their dedication* to it.

#steven universe #su #su critical #cartoons #reviews #long post #Good Stuff

[varpusvaras]

“Where have you been all my life?” “Hiding from you.”

Part 2   Part 1

Sora’s car was an older, dark blue Toyota (“It’s a corolla”, Sora told him, with a big smile. “The best car ever made.”), with a lot and lot of stuff in the backseat.

 “Ignore it”, Sora told him, as the threw his own bag to the back.

“I’m going to clean this soon. Like maybe tomorrow. If I have time.”

 “I’m ignoring it”, Riku told him. He kept his bag on his lap.

“…thanks for the ride.”

 “No problem”, Sora grinned.

“I would’ve felt really bad if I had left you there.”

 “What if I was a serial killer?” Riku said.

“You just offered me a ride in the middle of the night after just meeting me.”

 “And you accepted it, so what if I was a serial killer?” Sora shot back, raising his eyebrows at him.

 But I know you, kinda, Riku’s mind argued back, but there was no way he was ever going to say that.

 “Fair”, he ended up saying. Sora hummed, clearly pleased with his comeback, and started to drive toward Garden Park.

 They didn’t talk for a while, and with Sora looking at the road, Riku studied him for askance. How had he not realised who he was at first? Of course Sora had changed, all people did as they grew up, but he still looked so characteristically like his younger self it was almost ridiculous.

 Sitting right there, Riku realised that this was the first time in fifteen years they had been this close to each other with both of them being aware of it.

 Though, it seemed, that while Riku remembered Sora, Sora had no idea who Riku was.

 …at the same time, it was a huge relief, but it also made the whole situation a lot, lot more awkward.

 “So, are you on a second year or something?” Sora asked suddenly.

“Or higher?”

 “Second, yeah”, Riku nodded, trying to not to sound like he had been caught off guard.

“You’re first year, right?”

 “Do I look like it?” Sora asked, patting his cheeks lightly.

“Man, I thought that I had already gotten rid of my babyface.”

 No, it’s just because I know you’re younger than me, Riku thought.

 God, this was horrible.

 “So, um, what are you studying?” Riku tried to change the subject.

 It worked, because Sora’s face lit up at that so much it was outright adorable.

 “I’m going to be a homeroom teacher!” he announced.

Then it was Sora talking about his studies and all of that stuff for the rest of the ride, and Riku was honestly relieved that Sora did the talking. That way there was less of opportunities for Riku to say something weird.

 The trip to Garden Park was a lot shorter by car than by foot, and soon Sora parked in front of Riku’s apartment complex.

 “I’m sorry, I ended up babbling the whole time again”, Sora apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

 “It’s okay”, Riku hurried to say.

“It was nice to listen at.”

 He took his bag, and opened the door.

 “Oh, so, I should have few dollars in here”, Riku remembered, and opened his bag.

“For gas, since you had to drive all the way here-“

 “Nah, keep it, I live around here too”, Sora said.

“So I would’ve driven the distance anyway. Buuuuut, you could use that few dollars to buy me a coffee.”

 Sora smiled at Riku very, very, very brightly, that even the thought of saying no made Riku feel like a complete garbage.

 “Sure”, Riku managed to say.

“Tomorrow?”

 “Tomorrow”, Sora nodded.

“I’m free after three, see you then!”

 Riku ran from the car to the canopy, and he stood there and watched as Sora drove away, the backlights of the car shining through the heavy rain.

 The car drove to other side of the large football field in front of Riku’s house, and parked in front of an apartment there.

 Of course, Riku sighed. Of course.

 As the time went by, first few days, then a whole week, then two weeks and then a month, it became painstakingly clear that Sora had absolutely no idea who Riku was.

 And it made the whole note-thing even more awkward.

 “Riku, you need to tell him”, Kairi said to him when Riku put the envelope in the mail.

“He’s going to figure it out sooner or later, now that you are actually hanging out.”

 “No, he isn’t”, Riku said, even though he knew Kairi was right. She was always right, somehow.

 Kairi rolled her eyes.

 “Whatever you say”, she muttered.

 Riku tried to act natural when he saw the letter in Sora’s hands next week.

 “What’s that?” he asked, putting his sweating hands in his pockets.

 “Oh, this?” Sora looked up from the letter and smiled.

“It’s from my friend!”

 Friend.

 “What are they writing?” Riku asked, even though he knew exactly what the note said.

 “Not much”, Sora answered, opening the envelope. He laughed softly.

“It’s a bit of a funny story.”

 “Oh?” Riku felt his face heating up a bit from embarrassment, and he could only hope that Sora didn’t notice anything.

 “Yeah, it started when I was like four or something”, Sora said.

“Someone sent me peanut butter cups in mail and then started sending me other stuff as well and these cute little notes. I got this for my sixth birthday”, Sora lifted his necklace for Riku to see it.

 “So…you don’t know who they are?” Riku did his best to sound innocent.

 Sora shook his head.

“They’ve never signed the notes”, he said.

“If the handwriting hadn’t been clearly kid’s writing, I would’ve assumed it was only my parents playing a game with me. And Roxas said it isn’t him, either.”

 “Roxas?”

 “My cousin”, Sora explained.

“He lived nearby when we we’re kids, so we played a lot together.”

 Roxas could only be the blonde kid Riku had seen accompanying Sora everywhere, then, Riku assumed.

 “And you still get these notes?” Riku asked, feeling more and more awkward by every word he let out of his mouth.

 “Yep! Every week!” Sora announced happily.

“My parents always sent them to me from their house.”

 Sora took out the note from the envelope, as well as the package of the soda gummies Riku had put in there.

 “Oh, these are my favourites!” Riku looked intentionally to every other direction than to Sora.

 “What do you do with the notes?” he wanted to hit himself from asking that before he got to stop himself.

“I mean, you have gotten them for past fifteen years. That must be a lot of them.”

 Sora looked at him like Riku was a complete idiot.

“I keep them, of course”, he answered as it was obvious.

 Of course.

 “Riku, are you okay? You’re very red.”

 At least, Riku had thought after that conversation, things wouldn’t get even more awkward.

Oh boy, was he wrong, he realised two months and a week after Sora giving him a ride home for the first time, while they were sitting in Sora’s car again, leaning over the gearbox, Sora’s mouth against Riku’s and his hands in Riku’s hair, twisting and tugging as Riku felt hot, too hot, Sora’s lips and breath burning him.

 “Are you free on the weekend?” Sora asked, as he stopped kissing Riku for a few seconds, so Riku wouldn’t burst in flames.

 “Oh, um, no, I’m sorry”, Riku sucked in cool air.

“It’s my mom’s birthday on Saturday.”

 “Oh”, Sora sounded disappointed, but only for a second.

“Do your parents live far away?”

 “Not too far”, Riku answered. And he let his mouth run him without his permission again.

“Would you want to come with?”

 Riku’s parents loved Sora. That didn’t surprise Riku at all. Sora was one of those people who were impossible not to love (and besides, Riku was in that boat too, so he had no right to judge anyone else).

And it went absolutely fantastic. Sora was being the perfect guest and a perfect boyfriend someone took home for the first time, and they were all having a good time.

 But then the accident happened.

 They were talking about something, Riku wasn’t really paying attention, but he did hear how his mother asked where Sora was from.

 “From Destiny Isles”, Sora answered.

“It’s a small town more South from here.”

 “Oh, I know!” Riku’s mom smiled.

“We used to live there too!”

 Riku saw how Sora looked at him briefly. Riku knew why. Sora had told him where he lived, and Riku had only ever told him about living in Twilight Town.

Riku was sweating under his clothes.

 “Really?” Sora said to Riku’s mom.

 “We moved away after I got a new job in here”, she told him.

“I think it was when Riku was at second grade?”

 She looked at Riku, and so did Sora, more openly now.

 “Yeah, at second grade”, Riku answered, somehow managing to sound calm.

“I started the third grade in here.”

 “You never told me that”, Sora said, because of course he did.

 “I was going to”, Riku lied.

“It slipped my mind somehow.”

 He knew this was getting completely ridiculous, and so did his dad, who looked at Sora and then again at Riku, and Riku saw him raising his eyebrows in a way that could only tell that he had made the connection.

 Riku looked back at him in a way that he hoped could only say “don’t you dare to say anything”.

 It seemed to work, because his dad didn’t say anything. Instead he offered everyone more cake, which distracted Sora from the topic.

Riku slumped at his chair, ignoring Kairi’s words ringing in his head.

 It couldn’t get worse than this. There was no way.

But somehow, when they were at Sora’s apartment two weeks later, laying in the bed while watching cartoons from Netflix, Sora resting his head over Riku’s chest and Riku with his fingers slowly combing Sora’s hair, it did that.

 “Hey”, Sora lifted his head a bit.

“Roxas found out that we’re dating now, and he told me to drag you along when I would visit the next time.”

“Sure”, Riku said, because he couldn’t say no either.

 He had been right about Roxas being the blonde kid.

 Just like Sora, Roxas somehow was just an evolved version of his child self, which made Riku think it probably ran in the family.

If Riku had been awkward before, he had no idea what he was now.

 Especially when Roxas, upon seeing Riku, looked at him with uncomfortably piercing eyes.

 “Have I met you before?” he asked Riku, who had now turned into a human shaped pool of sweat with only his clothes keeping him together.

 “Maybe”, Riku answered, because he was sure that Roxas could see if he lied.

 “Riku lived here as a kid too!” Sora told Roxas.

“So you might’ve met somewhere before he moved away.”

 Roxas squinted his eyes at Riku.

 “Really now”, he said, as a statement, not as a question. Riku was sure that unlike Sora, Roxas had not forgotten him.

Roxas did not say anything for the whole visit, for Riku’s relief, but he kept glaring at him very suspiciously for the entire time.

Sora did not notice, thank god.

“Hey, Riku?” Sora tugged his hand.

“Can you show me the house you lived in?”

 Riku knew that if he lied now, it would later come and bit him in the ass.

 “It was that house”, he pointed across the backyard of Sora’s parents house, right across the field. Sora squinted his eyes.

 “No way”, he laughed.

“This close to us?”

 “Yeah”, Riku said.

“Pretty crazy, right?”

 Kairi’s words played in a loop inside his head.

 He couldn’t keep up living like this, Riku thought when they got back, and Sora happily ate the mini Reese’s bites Riku had put in the envelope, reading the small note over and over again, tracing his fingers absentmindedly over the paper.

 So Riku formed a plan.

 Sora lost his keychain somewhere in the campus, so Riku spent one whole night looking for one exactly like it to put in the next letter. He put only in Sora’s favourite candy, tickets to the movie Sora said he had wanted to see, and Riku honestly thought he was being obvious.

 But no. Apparently it was not enough.

 “I’m pretty sure Roxas is lying to me”, Sora told him one day. Riku frowned at him.

 “Why do you think so?”

 “Because he had told me all these years that he isn’t the one sending the notes!” Sora explained.

“But who else would know these things? Like really, think about it, I told him about losing the keychain over the phone and we talked about the movie and he absolutely knows what candy I like! We’ve known each other for our whole lives! Even the very first note had peanut butter cups with it and I love peanut butter cups!”

 Riku didn’t know what to say anymore.

 “Sora…” he started, hesitating.

“I’m…pretty sure Roxas isn’t the one sending them.”

 “Are you?” Sora gave him a confused look, tilting his head questioningly.

“How?”

 “You know I used to live at Destiny Isles too?” Riku said.

“In the house on the other side of the field from yours?”

 “Yes?” Sora said.

“Of course, because I’m honestly baffled we haven’t met each other before. I’m pretty sure I would’ve seen you at least once, because it isn’t a big place and you lived so close! Like seriously, where have you been all my life?”

 Sora laughed, but Riku knew this was it.

 “Hiding from you”, he said, making Sora stop laughing instantly.

 “What?” he asked, now even more confused than before.

“What do you mean?”

 Five minutes later Sora was still laughing.

 “Oh my god, Riku”, he cackled, trying to stop his almost maniac giggling, and succeeding in it for three seconds before breaking up again.

“I can’t believe you’ve been sending me gifts for fifteen years because you were scared of Roxas.”

 “I was not scared of Roxas”, Riku tried to defend himself.

“They were an apology gifts!”

 “But you didn’t even do anything!” Sora wheezed.

“I was the one who did something!”

 “…what do you mean?” Riku was not following Sora at all.

“Didn’t I break the aircraft and make you cry?”

 “No no no, or like, yes, but no, oh my god”, Sora leaned his face in his hands and breathed hard.

“My uncle had to go inside, and he told us to not to fly the aircraft without him, but we did anyway, and I accidentally flied it straight towards you and you swatted it away so it wouldn’t hit your face! And I started crying because now my uncle was going to know we had not obeyed him and he was going to be mad at us!”

 Oh. That was exactly the part that had faded from Riku’s memory, and apparently, Sora in turn remembered everything else what had happened, but not Riku.

 “I just remember your cousin glaring at me so hard, so I just assumed that he was angry at me and I had made you cry”, Riku muttered, cheeks burning.

 “Oh my god”, Sora said again, finally getting himself somewhat composed.

“That’s just what Roxas looked like. He was awfully shy as a kid and thought that looking angry would keep others from coming to talk to him.”

 “Oh”, was really all that Riku had to say. Sora grinned at him widely, and took Riku’s hand to his own.

 “Well?” Sora said.

“Are you still going to buy me presents every week?”

 “It’s not like I have a reason to stop now”, Riku said, sighing.

“It’s been over fifteen year already, after all.”

 “It did work, kinda, you know”, Sora said quietly to Riku that night. Riku’s bed was honestly a little too small for both of them, so they were squeezed together, the only blanket wrapped around them to keep them in place.

 Riku had already been mostly asleep, so he almost didn’t hear Sora speak.

 “Hm?” he cracked his eyes open, looking at Sora in the light of a nearby street light shining inside the room.

 “Giving the gifts”, Sora said, nuzzling closer to him.

“I’m not mad at you. Not that I ever was.”

 “What a relief”, Riku murmured.

“Now go to sleep or maybe I will be mad at you.”

 Sora laughed, recognizing the empty threat, and pressed his smile against Riku’s forehead.

#soriku #kh #my writing #yeah sure riku you weren't scared of roxas #there you go Xan! #hope it's good #I don't remember the last time I squeezed a story in such a small amount of words #also tumbrl why do you fuck up the pacing and paragraphs when I post

[seriousshit88]

I dunno if anyone has sent a similar prompt but maybe some sciles hurt/comfort? (And Scott's the one that's hurt and needs some lovin?) i dunno. Also I hope you are having a great day

So, it turns out this is a continuation of Thank You, Bigfoot. You don’t have to read it to understand this one, but you might want to if you haven’t already. Also, this nonnie has been the most patient of all.

“What the hell is that thing?! It looks like a Ghost Rider’s horse, only more evil and without the ghost rider!” Stiles yelled from the relative safety of his hiding spot behind a filing cabinet.

“You’re asking me?!” Scott yelled back. He roared and lept over two desks before slamming his entire body weight into the monstrous, shadowy, horse-like beast currently pinning Liam and Malia against the far wall of the office. This gave them enough room to wriggle free.

Malia began ferociously swiping her claws at the beast’s haunches. Liam hurled himself at its exposed flank. The evil horse thing screamed at them, its red eyes glowing with pure fury.

“Remind me to stop doing favors for your co-workers, Stiles,” Malia ground out through gritted fangs.

“It’s almost midnight! Who was I supposed to call after hours?” he argued.

“Your boss? Or maybe the dumbass who unleashed a demon horse into an office building?!”

“Excuse me, but how were my partner and I supposed to know there are actual X-Files being kept here? That room across the hall looked like any other locked and sealed containment unit. There wasn’t even a guard posted. Michelle was just curious.”

Liam dodged a spiked hoof. “Where is she, anyway?”

“She ran as soon as its eyes started glowing. But just be glad this isn’t Bigfoot. Michelle puked then ran the first time she saw it. Hey, Scott, remember when we went looking for Bigfoot and the poison ivy thing happened? Turns out it was the same Bigfoot!”

“Stiles, do you have anything useful to add, or are you going to shut up and help?” Derek appeared next to him from out of nowhere fully wolfed out. Stiles nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Jesus Chr-, don’t do that!”

Scott roared again, and the horse beast swung its long neck at him. He ducked just in time.

Derek shoved past Stiles and joined the battle.

“Try herding it back toward the doorway!” Scott called out to the pack. “Lydia and Mason are waiting to trap it back in the containment unit! We gotta hurry before this place is crawling with FBI agents wondering why we’re here…”

The four of them worked to get the demon horse moving in the general direction of the door. Stiles ran from behind the filing cabinet to clear space for them. The cacophonous sounds of roars, snarls, and whatever godawful noise the demon horse kept making filled the disheveled office, and the amount of property damage they caused only increased by the second.

The demon horse swung around again, but Scott wasn’t ready for it this time. It grabbed the collar of his jacket with it’s terrible jaws, reared back, and flung him all the way across the office. Scott hit the back wall and crumpled face first to the floor.

“Scott!” four voices yelled in unison. No response. Stiles immediately ran to him.

The demon horse bucked violently and nearly took out Derek and Malia simultaneously.

“We have GOT to get this thing out of here,” Derek muttered. “Stiles, how is he?”

Stiles stooped down to where Scott lay unconscious and gave him a quick lookover. “Not moving, but he’s still breathing.” He carefully shook Scott’s shoulder. “Hey. Wake up, Scott,” he said.

“Unnnhhh,” Scott grunted. The knot in Stiles’s chest loosened ever so slightly.

“That’s it. Come on.” Stiles ran his fingers through Scott’s hair as he tried his best to coax him closer toward consciousness. A warm, sticky feeling brought him up short. Stiles pulled his hand back and saw blood on his fingers.

The demon horse shrieked as Liam, Malia, and Derek shoved it toward the door.

“Guys? He’s bleeding. It’s a head injury.”

“He’ll heal, but it might take a second,” Derek said. “Stay with him, and when he can get up, get him out of here. The rest of us will take care of the horse thing.”

Stiles wasn’t sure when they started taking orders from Derek, but what he said made sense. Besides, he had no intentions of leaving Scott’s side. Not like this.

“Scott, you have to concentrate on healing, all right? We don’t have a whole lot of time, here.” He patted Scott’s back encouragingly.

“Uhher…” Scott groaned.

“What?” He leaned down closer to hear Scott better.

“Lower.”

Stiles stopped patting Scott. Unbelievable. “This really isn’t the time, dude,” Stiles whispered, hoping no one else heard that. “How hard did you hit your head?”

“What happened?”

“Seabiscuit over there decided to use you for a frisbee. The wall kinda got in the way. Can you move?”

Scott rolled over with Stiles’s help, but he was clearly nowhere near 100%. His eyes were glazed and unfocused as he watched the others inch the demon horse a few more steps toward the door. Stiles put Scott’s arm around his shoulder and helped him get to his feet, where he swayed a little and grabbed his side in obvious pain. He probably had a couple of broken ribs from the impact. Scott was in no condition to fight.

Which is why Stiles wasn’t at all surprised when Scott tried to rejoin the fight.

“No way, buddy.” He held onto Scott and pulled hm back to his side. “We’re getting out of here.”

“I have to help them.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?” He put up three fingers.

Scott leaned heavily against him and squinted at Stiles’s hand in front of his face. “Like…eight?”

Suddenly, Liam yelped. The demon horse, who was now apparently capable of breathing fire, came within centimeters of singeing the top of Liam’s hair in a hellish, fiery gout.

Stiles started moving toward the nearest fire door. The irony wasn’t lost on him, but he didn’t have time to quip about it. He needed to get Scott somewhere safe. As soon as he opened the fire exit, an alarm sounded. So, not only were FBI agents on their way, but now the fire department would be joining the party. Tonight was just getting better and better.

Tomorrow, he was going to his boss and requesting a new partner.

Derek, Malia, Liam, and the demon horse finally spilled out into the hallway. Stiles hoped Lydia and Mason were ready. He also hoped they’d all been paying attention when he told them how to avoid cameras in the halls.

Lydia’s potent screams must have briefly subdued the demon horse, because Stiles heard Derek yell, “Now!” before a clatter of doors opening and closing filled the relative peace and quiet.

“That’s our cue,” Stiles said as he hefted himself and Scott through the door.

***

“No, I didn’t,” Scott said in the Jeep a few minutes later. He found an ice pack in the glove box and pressed it to the slowly healing wound on the back of his head. They watched from a safe distance while a fire truck and several unmarked FBI vehicles descended on the building.

“Yeah, you did,” Stiles countered. “You totally asked me to grab your ass.”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Either you have the hots for me, or it was literal brain damage. Speaking of, how’s your head feel?”

“Better, I guess. The rest of me feels like a truck ran over me, but I think I’ll be okay. Thanks, man.”

“Any time, any time,” Stiles said as nonchalantly as he could. “I wish I could, you know…” he wiggled his fingers, “…do the healing hands thing.”

“You’ve done enough, Stiles. Stop selling yourself so short.” Scott’s text ringtone sounded just then. He checked his phone and breathed a sigh of relief. “Everyone got out safely. None of them were followed. And Liam might need a haircut.” He smiled for the first time since the whole ordeal began. It was a welcomed sight.

“That’s good to hear.” Stiles squeezed Scott’s knee. “Let’s go home.” He reached for his keys in the ignition and started up the Jeep. “By the way, don’t think I’m going to forget about you asking me to feel you up. And I definitely didn’t forget what you said about getting me in your bed the other night. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, but a third time would be a pat-”

To Stiles’s complete and utter surprise, Scott leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. He pulled back, blushing and biting his lip in a way that made a direct connect connection to Stiles’s crotch.

“Oh,” was the only sound Stiles was capable of making.

“Yeah. I think it’s time we talked,” Scott said.

#foreversciles #scott mccall #stiles stilinski #mccall pack #my fic #mobile users there's a cut #Nonnie