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7wanderingpaws · 3 years

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the law of attraction (b.b.h.) 1/2

- AU(s): teacher!Baekhyun, high school student!OC

- word count: 17K+ (two parts)

- softy soft fluff, comedy, angst, vaniLLa love and it’s making (😉)

- in which Baekhyun is the hottest coolest teacher walking the corridors of your high school and he likes everyone just the same. even you. until in comes the law of attraction. until your his favorite student. until you become his cute little thing. until Baekhyun can’t get enough of you, so much that he is willing to risk it all. even at the cost of getting beaten up by your crazy ol’ Halmi.

request that I tried to religiously follow and added a sprinkle of my own 💜 enjoy just like I enjoyed writing this!

@: @geniusloey @to-all-the-stories-i-love @jennxx3 @love-nini-forever @supermwritersnet @baekyeonoreo

~ ~ ~

“Aigoo, why do you look this regretful?”

Your eighty year old grandmother, or as you liked to call her, Halmi, clasped her hands together when she took in you and your little six year old brother Jontae. Her exclamation was not unjustified. The both of you were drenched from the sudden downpour that disappeared as quickly as it started. It was the summer monsoon season in Korea, and once again, you forgot to take your umbrella when you rushed to school early in the morning.

“You both will get pneumonia! Oh, dear Lord, then who will take care of me?” she went on while you rushed Jontae to the bathroom.

“We’re okay, Halmi, no need to overreact,” you said and tapped Jontae’s butt to get him moving. “Take off your clothes, I’ll bring you new ones. Start the warm water.” He only nodded wordlessly, doing as he was told.

“You’ll bring water everywhere, don’t come any more inside,” shrieked Halmi and stood up from the floor on which she was sitting as she was cutting up the vegetables in front of an old TV you still had from the early 2000s.

You bit back a frustrated sigh and waited by the bathroom to not upset the grandma. You watched her rummage through the wardrobe before she threw Jontae’s pajamas and one old shirt at you.

You murmured a quick thanks and rushed to join your brother.

What a life, you thought as you waited for the warm water to start but, as usual, it was taking too long and the water waste made you fidgety and nervous.

“I’m hungry,” murmured Jontae.

You sighed and ruffled his hair. “I’m sure Halmi is preparing something delicious. We will eat soon.”

“Will you sleep at home tonight?” he asked softly as you finally pushed him under the warm water, letting him wash up first.

“No,” you told him, scrubbing his back, “your noona failed some tests so she has to study at the library tonight as well.”

“But you don’t even want to study,” he pouted at you.

You scrunched up your nose at him and wiggled your fingers on his tummy, making him shriek and squirm in delight.

“Aren’t you a little too smart with your older sister, Jontae.”

He was right, though. At university, you wanted to study quite an unusual major. Becoming a jeweler and owning your own business was a huge, though silent, dream of yours. It had to stay silent because you probably wouldn’t be able to afford any higher education anyway. You lived in modern poverty; Seoul was a draining city to live in and not fun at all when one didn’t have the means to enjoy what it offered.

Your mother was working in Gangwon-do in the mountains and your father - well, you never had one. Your mother had a one night stand and ended up with you. As for Jontae… the dude left as soon as your mother asked to go for a hospital check up together.

You were living with your maternal grandmother who was the kindest woman, though very harsh and strict. You never felt bad with her; she did everything and anything for you and Jontae, as long as you behaved.

That part wasn’t hard. You barely had any friends because you were taking care of Jontae in your free time. Taking him to kindergarten, and now elementary school, picking him up, being present at meetings, you did almost everything a mother should be doing. Halmi was too old to attend meetings for Jontae, but she was attending all of the required meetings in your high school - which, thankfully, were not many, until you started screwing up in classes pretty badly.

Pretty badly, as in, literally failing. Trying to pinpoint a certain time stamp would be a challenge, for you yourself weren't sure why. Granted, you didn't really study in the library. Instead, you had your magnifier on and throughout the night you were endlessly practicing jewelry making; you studied materials and their functions. The list went on. It was considered studying, just not the one Halmi imagined.

Yet, you were still very much surprised, when one day the coolest teacher asked you something very peculiar.

“Can you talk to me after class?”

Professor Byun was standing in front of your desk with a pleasant expression, yet it was quite hard to decipher what it actually meant.

You nodded. “Yes, sir.”

As always, you fought hard against your frantically beating heart. A living and walking dream of every high school girl in this institution (and you were no different) just spoke to you personally.

Byun Baekhyun, as was his full name, was your home room and physics teacher who you had the pleasure of knowing for three years now. At the time of your admittance to the high school, he was the youngest professor who just freshly finished his masters degree and managed to land a job at your institution.

It was a regular high school, but he was anything but.

Countless gossip roamed around the corridors about him being a rich man, living in an upscale penthouse with two Lamborghinis. No one ever saw those Lamborghinis, but no one had difficulty doubting those baseless rumours given how the male looked.

He was out of this world hawt. As in, instant-salivating-kind-of hawt. Just a simple laugh of his could make girls giggle behind their palms, cross their legs and stare with eyes that only hunters developed as a skill. And well, now, the high school girls who were taught by Byun Baekhyun.

“You’re in trouble again,” snickered Teo who was sitting behind you (and constantly bothering you). “Unless the pretty chemistry teacher won’t steal him before you can reach his desk.”

That made several students burst into laughter and you could only smile a sad smile.

The said chemistry teacher poked her head in, there being still a few minutes left before the first period would start. Mr Byun smiled as he greeted her and walked over to the door, leaning against the doorframe flirtily to talk to her. He greeted every passing student as well which only proved why everyone loved him.

He was cool.

Smooth.

Funny.

Authority-oozing…

Hot piece of a man.

“Imagine him looking at you like that,” sighed dreamily the girl at the table next to you. “Impossible.”

You puckered your lips, nodding as you sent daggers towards the couple. “Totally.”

. . .

“You wanted to talk to me?” you asked with slight uneasiness while the rest of the class was piling out of the classroom, headed for the next class.

Mr Byun nodded with a smile. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing too bad.” He crinkled his nose at you and your heart made an excited jump.

You only smiled shyly, averting your gaze downwards as you tightened your grip around the strap of your bag. He seemed to wait a little until the last student left before he cleared his throat and sat on his table casually, facing you.

“Is everything alright?” he asked kindly, swinging his foot.

You looked up in immediate apprehension. “Yes! I was just waiting for you to start speaking, sir.”

Mr Byun let out a handsome, short chuckle. “No, I meant in general. How are you doing? Do you get enough sleep?”

“Can’t you see it for yourself, sir?” you asked cheekily as you pointed at the bags under your eyes.

Mr Byun let his eyes hover on the spot you were pointing at before he met your shaking orbs. “Yeah, exactly.”

“I try to study, that’s why…” you shrugged, swaying on the heels of your feet.

“Yet your grades look quite bad. I don’t want to be biased but you suck pretty badly at my subject,” he said it lightly, jokingly, but you knew better than that. Mr Byun wasn't very happy with your performance.

“I’ll try harder,” you muttered, looking down on the floor again.

“I gave you three years to try harder,” he told you quietly as he crossed his arms on his chest.

You gulped, not daring to look at him.

“Which is why I wanted to talk to you. I want you to take private classes of mine, otherwise I won’t be able to pass you with my subject, and we can’t let that happen. You’ll be graduating soon and need to enter university.”

You looked up at him. “I won’t be going, sir.”

“To my private class?”

“To university.”

He went quiet at that, thinking over his next move carefully. Eventually, he asked in a low, confidential tone. “Why is that, hm?”

Your heart was beating loudly against your rib cage. Wasn’t this the longest conversation you’d ever had with Mr Byun? Having all his attention on you felt foreign, a little unnerving but you found yourself really liking it. You liked that you were the receiver of his attention for a change. Not some darn chemistry teacher with fake teeth.

You bit your lip, not reciprocating his eye contact. Shame ate you away; all the chances at this capitalistic world weren’t meant for you. How could you tell that to him, though?

“Personal problems?” he tried softly.

You nodded.

Mr Byun sighed, nodding to himself, but did not pry any more. “I’ll be seeing you twice a week. At seven on Tuesday and Thursday, got it?”

“Do I really have to?” you asked as you watched him stand up properly, now having to tilt your head to reach his eyes.

“You will be in a lot of trouble if you won't,” he reminded you, “and I’m your home room teacher. I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice.”

Bitterness spread in your mouth at the news; it wasn’t like you had better things to do. It was more about you not having energy, about you having to catch up with countless other subjects. But Mr Byun had seemingly high expectations (not sure on what basis) and you had to comply. He was a tad too handsome to be let down, too.

“Alright, sir.”

Mr Byun had a bright smile on his face as he winked at you. “Great. Now quickly go, or else you’ll miss the next period.”

Bowing to him hastily, you turned swiftly to rush out of the classroom.

You didn’t see Mr Byun watching you leave; you didn’t see the way your long, shiny hair caught his eye or the way the gentle shampoo hit his senses.

He saw a very thin, but beautiful young girl.

. . .

You dreaded the time of the private class. You never spoke to Mr Byun after that so you had no other choice but to trust his words when you rushed to his office at five past seven. You were late but it wasn’t your fault. You had duties at home but Mr Byun didn’t know and you doubted he would even care.

With heavy breathing, you walked up to the closed door just for it to fly open, making you gasp loudly from shock.

Mr Byun was staring at you, looking as if he was ready to rush out of his office but upon spotting you, he stopped. “Oh, you came. Why didn’t you just knock? You didn’t have to wait out here.”

“Eh…” you only managed to grow a shade darker on your cheeks as you nodded in shyness, averting his gaze. Let him believe that...

He breathed out a small laugh. “Come on in so we can start.” He turned right away, walking back into his office, efficiently offering a rich look of his back. He was sporting a simple white dress shirt and to your huge shock, just after you closed the door, he was undoing his tie, throwing it on a small couch where his bag rested.

He turned to you when he sensed your hesitation as he was undoing the first button on his shirt. With his head, he motioned to the spare chair next to his. “You can sit here.”

You nodded, quickly following along. Sitting yourself down, you busied yourself with unloading your bag, a simple notebook and a pen. Since you didn't feel him move to sit down, you pretended to rummage through your bag a little longer, too shy to raise your gaze, worried you actually might faint from his handsomeness.

“You won't be needing anything else,” he spoke up amusedly when your rustling had no ending.

You stopped, unceremoniously dropping the bag next to your feet and grabbing the pen, showing him you were ready to listen.

Mr Byun let out a chuckle as he pushed his hands into his dress pants, enjoying himself a tad too much. “Hmm, you really look like a punished child.”

“It's okay!” you exclaimed, looking at him in haste. You opened your mouth to speak more but abruptly stopped when you spotted his pleasant smile, his eyes a little narrower as the apples of his cheeks pushed them up.

Wow…

“Don't worry, I'll try to be fast and as interesting as a physics topic can allow it,” he reassured you, his smile changing into a lopsided one when he realized he stole the words off your tongue.

Eventually, he took the seat next to yours, the rolled up sleeves of his shirt revealing his smooth skin, two exceptionally protruding veins snaking and popping, making it hard for you to stop staring. Thankfully, Mr Byun didn't notice as he brought up the physics textbook, opening the book at the relevant chapter.

The law of attraction, it read.

“Everything around us is a vibrating energy,” you heard his words, “isn't it interesting?” he wondered out loud and smiled at your dumbfounded face. “Whatever you may wish, you can bring it to yourself. Opposites attract. The manifestation. Magnetism.” You gulped, as Mr Byun kept going on, lost in his own world, but his eyes were very much settled on you. “Then comes the unwavering desire.” He was pointing to some graphs in the textbook now, chuckling to himself when he spotted you swallowing again. “There has to be a certain delicate balance that can keep the energy going. Through that perfect balance, you achieve…” he said, his voice going lower when his finger travelled over the glistening paper to a well-balanced scale, “harmony. Everything that you had been lacking, is filled up, and through the law of attraction, the weight gently balances in the sweet neutral.”

He was alluring you in, even though you could only see his profile. You spotted two moles on the side of his nose and you found them beautiful.

“Your thoughts?” Mr Byun suddenly turned to you, his eyes expectant and shiny. They seemed to be in a constant smile.

Your breath hitched in your throat at the sudden scrutiny, albeit none of it was ill intended. Mr Byun could hardly know the effect he had on you (or any girl student). “Uh, I think… um, how does this have to do with physics…” you let out a frustrated sigh to yourself, your eyes wildly looking everywhere but his calm gaze. “This is just some unconfirmed theory, right?” You prayed you sounded as smart as you did in your own brain.

To your surprise, Mr Byun hummed deeply, still observing you as he nodded once, licking his lips. “It's just pseudoscience, you are correct.” He turned his head to look at the textbook. “But … what I am meaning to tell you is, that whatever you wish for, you can get it.”

Frowning, you puckered your lips, thinking.

His eyes were back on you, his smile gone as he raised his eyebrows. The action made you feel uneasy and intimidated. “So I advise you,” he said quieter, “to start dreaming and reaching for whatever makes you happy.”

. . .

After that first tutoring, you were quite shaken up.

Mr Byun was quite the surprise to say the least. He was always his usual self, but you never heard him say those words to other students, as much as he was a positive character.

You always had a crush on him, just like other classmates (and anybody who crossed paths with him) had, but you never gave it much thought, of course. He was a very handsome, sexy and charismatic man (man, not a boy) and it was natural for girls of your age to develop a little, innocent crush.

You didn’t think it would develop to something more once the tutorings with him started.

Why did you always become a flustered high school girl whenever you were the attention of his seeking gaze? Maybe because you were one.

He never did anything to fuel your intensive emotions, but that merely proved that just being himself was more than enough to pull at your heart strings.

You found yourself thinking about him in your spare time. And even when it wasn’t your spare time.

You were cutting up vegetables for Halmi one evening when you accidentally cut your finger, making you hiss at the prickly feeling. It was quite the cut as the blood spilled right away.

“Aigooo, what’s gotten into you,” wailed grandma as she looked at the job well done over your shoulder. “We don’t need that in the soup!”

You rolled your eyes and let her yank your hand under the flow of cold water.

“You are constantly thinking and mulling,” she scolded with a disapproving tsk, “is it because of your grades?”

Well, partly; your grades that caused you to see Mr Byun two times more than it was scheduled.

“It’s okay, don’t worry,” she patted your back once she let go of your hand, taking your quietness as a yes. “No one in our family had good brains anyway, just look at your mother.”

You hummed, hoping Jontae wasn’t listening in on the conversation. He was quietly sitting on the floor, doing his homework on the coffee table. Halmi gave him apples cut into squares and you occasionally heard his crunchy chews.

“But I’d still like to do well,” you murmured in insistence. “I’ll go back to the library after dinner.”

“At this rate you can move all your stuff there,” rasped Halmi with disapproval as she cut the neglected vegetables. She waved her hand around with the knife before going back for a harsh cut. “And it still wouldn’t help.”

Biting your lip, you only lowered your head in embarrassment. She didn't know what you were doing in the library.

In fact, nobody knew or could know what you were doing there. That was your own little secret. Which was why you almost gasped in horror when you saw Halmi approaching your school bag one hour later. You already ate and were dressing up for the air-conditioned library space.

“Halmi, that's okay, I will put it in the bag!” you shouted, your shirt askew as you literally threw it on messily, rushing over before she could open the bag.

She looked up at you in frown, taking in your panicked countenance. “Okay, okay, no need to be so aggressive with your Halmi, huh.” She pushed the tupperware into your hands before she scurried off, patting Jontae's head in the process.

You let out a sigh of relief, quickly throwing the container into your bag before you stood up to catch your little brother frowning at you. “What?”

“Your shirt, noona,” he sighed.

You looked down only to see half of your bra poking out. With a shaky laugh you quickly adjusted the shirt.

. . .

You were staring at his slender fingers, the way they gracefully held the marker as the tip of it glided over the slippery surface of the white board. He was explaining some physical occurrences through mathematics and you tried to look like you understood, just because he tried so hard, not once losing his patience with you.

“Do you understand until this point?” he only gave you a second before he added: “So you just add these two together …”

You bit your lip, your heart pounding against your chest at being caught staring. The sleeves of his white shirt were elegantly pushed up his smooth forearms, revealing milky skin with a tinge of blue of his snaking veins underneath.

Mr Byun turned to you, now really waiting for you to say something, only for your stomach to start churning loudly instead. With a gasp you snaked your arms around your middle, hugging it as if it would stop the bubbling inside, the organ asking for anything that it could work with, just let it have some calories!

Mr Byun blinked once, realizing what was happening before he took in your shy, embarrassed smile as he smiled affectionately, closing the marker pen with a soft sigh before he walked over to the table. “You’re hungry, right?” he checked his, what seemed like expensive, wrist watch, and nodded to himself. “Of course you are, I've kept you busy for over an hour. Sorry,” he said sheepishly before grabbing his iPhone.

“I-It‘s okay, Mr Byun,” you mumbled, not wanting to be a burden to him.

“Well, I starved you, so now I shall feed you,” he said, looking up at you from his screen, observing you with a soft smile before scrolling through an app.

“No, no, that's totally fine, really!” you started, shaking both of your hands to prove your point.

My Byun only chuckled handsomely before tapping a few buttons. “Is Chinese okay? Do you like Chinese?”

“No, I swear I’m okay-”

“Well, I want to eat as well,” he argued amusedly, “so just say yes.”

You stared at the way he started back at you. His lips; they were always curved, for they were in a constant mellow smile. The only time you saw them downturned was when he was focusing on something while he let you work. He wouldn't know about your sneaky glances at him, he wouldn't know the way he was a literal eye magnet for you.

“Yes,” you murmured eventually, growing red.

He bit his lip as his grin grew. He straightened up on his chair, exclaiming: “Wonderful!”

You let out a little breath of laughter as you watched him go back to his phone. Your eyes zoomed in on his long fingers, and the way they held the rather big device so gracefully. He had a huge palm, you observed.

“Until then, I want to see the correct result,” his sweet murmur interrupted you, his finger coming to tap in your notebook full of confusing scribbles.

You managed to grow even redder, shyly bringing your shoulders up as you turned back to your work while he only chuckled to himself.

God, what a gorgeous man he was.

“They’ll be a little late,” he muttered once he was done with the order. “Is that okay for you?”

You hummed politely, nodding. Pretending to be hard at work, you became all too aware of each of his movements. Whenever he’d move, his scent would waft over you, the small whiff bringing in the gentlest of scents with a tinge of strong presence in the name of musk. You could smell that musk the whole day, let it lull you to sleep at night, and have it tingle your nose to arouse you from your slumber in the morning.

Mr Byun let out a quiet hum as he focused on grading papers. Occasionally, you felt him look your way, at which you immediately wanted to flinch because you were scared you were caught completely unfocused, but he barely let his gaze run over your half-empty paper before turning back to his work.

It was only after ten minutes that he said: “You know I won’t give you this much time during the test, right?” he didn’t look up from his paperwork as he spoke. “Or let you hand in your paper in such a state as it is now…”

You bit your lip, staring at his side profile. “Um…”

“Why is it that you can’t focus, hm? Little one,” he added with affection, now looking at you, his nose crinkling.

You felt like throwing up; he mixed the insides of your tummy and made you so nervous that you really felt like vomiting, even though you barely ate. “I’m just…” you lowered your head, ashamed. “It’s just difficult, sir.”

“I just explained all of it to you. Besides,” he brought his pointer finger to your chin, lifting it up. You held your breath at the contact. “The answers are all on the white board,” he hummed like a melody, his finger tapping your cheek as if it was the most common thing a teacher did to his student.

Without hesitation you snapped your eyes to the white board and once you confirmed that, indeed, all the tasks he gave you to solve were already solved on the white board, you let out a disgruntled groan that grew into a whine. Your hands covered your face in embarrassment and you heard the teacher’s laugh; it evoked goosebumps on your skin.

“So cute,” he told himself but you heard it.

When you wouldn’t uncover your face, he eventually reached out for your wrists and gently tugged down so he could see you. Your blush was always making him feel a certain way, your wavering gaze and shaking orbs…

...you were the sweetest thing.

“It’s okay, do you hear me?” he told you quietly, still holding your wrists. You almost fainted when you felt his thumbs run over the pulse points. “Just wanted to know what makes your mind so preoccupied that you wouldn’t notice such a trivial thing.”

“I’m just tired, sir,” you gritted your teeth so as not to stutter. “I don’t get much rest and at home we have a difficult situation…” you finally admitted.

Mr Byun always thought something wasn’t right around you. He knew your Halmi, of course he did, but he never needed to know more about your parents, or about your situation at home. It was mostly because Halmi wouldn’t let you talk freely, and you were a teenager, so who were you to decide these things on your own?

“What’s the matter at home?” he pried carefully.

You opened your mouth to reply but Mr Byun’s phone started to ring, disturbing your little bubble.

Your first thought should have been that the food arrived. Yet, all you could think of was the devastating reality that he would have to let go of your wrists, therefore cutting any kind of physical contact with you.

Mr Byun was fast to take the call but to your surprise, he only let go of one of your wrists. While he told the delivery man to bring the food to his office, he apologized and then went to take the food before finally coming back to you, closing the door and giving you privacy that you felt intensively now.

He prepared your noodles, even mixed them well so that you could start eating right away. As you ate, he finally spoke up: “You can’t concentrate at home? Is that the issue?”

You shrugged, but nodded.

“You should get a lot of sleep, you know? Study during the day and sleep at night.”

You grinned, hoping no dark jjajang sauce was covering your teeth. “But, sir, you make me study in the evening, too.”

Mr Byun let out a chuckle as he shot you a look. “Now you can speak up, huh? All you do is blame me, I’m hurt.”

You giggled girlishly; you didn’t even know you could laugh like that. He effortlessly brought out the reaction out of you. “It’s true.”

The teacher shook his head. “But I’m serious. You should try to sleep more, maybe it will help with your focus.”

You’re the reason I can’t focus, you thought, but blurted instead: “Our Halmi is such a loud sleeper, sir. The floors shake when she snores. And my little brother doesn’t even wake up. I’m the only sensitive sleeper in the household.”

My Byun was happy to hear you talk more than five words to him. It seemed that food was untangling your tongue and made you even more cheeky, which he certainly didn’t mind.

He liked to bicker with his students. In fact, he loved high schoolers. Their creativity at being naughty, at always having an argument prepared was fascinating to him; he also couldn’t not mention how nice it was to see many kids discovering themselves, finding out what they wanted in life and what they didn’t want.

Sadly, he didn’t have you figured out. You weren’t as open as he wished you’d be.

He laughed at your words. “Poor Halmi, at least she is getting plenty of rest I hope.”

You laughed out loud at his remark and Mr Byun couldn’t contain his surprise. He never heard you laugh up until that moment. At least not a genuine, honest laugh coming all the way from your tummy.

“I’m glad I could make you laugh,” he said eventually, looking at his student with affection. “It suits you. Do it more often.”

. . .

Your intense crush kept growing after that. The things that happened in that tutoring class seemed to only up the tension in your body whenever the teacher would be in your vicinity. Even the slightest of mutters from your classmates about him could make you tense up and jittery, always looking around in hopes of spotting the handsome teacher.

He never changed in classes; he was his usual self. In one way, it was disappointing because it confirmed he wasn’t really looking at you any differently than at other students, be it male or female. On the other hand, it made you relieved because you were worried about doing something so… impossible; so forbidden and taboo.

You sighed, gently smacking the palm of your hand against your forehead. Of course he wouldn’t do something so irresponsible and stupid. Besides. He was a grown man. And! You were simply sure there was someone already in his life, and even if there wasn’t, there would soon be. Like for instance the darn chemistry teacher that was once again purring into My Byun’s ear by the doorstep to your classroom.

They were both shameless, you thought in a fervent anger as you scowled their way (carefully; you didn’t want to be caught). You had your screwdriver in your hand, your hand fisting around it until the cold, sharp edges cut into your skin.

There was this sickening feeling boiling in the pit of your stomach at the sight. Mr Byun had his arm propped up on the wall, leaning in as the chemistry witch told him something that made him let out a soft laugh and a shake of his head. It made his brown hair sway and fall into his dark, droopy eyes.

It was a painful sight.

“God, that teacher has no sense of respect for herself,” you heard mutters.

“I don’t care about their personal lives but Mr Byun shouldn’t be with that teacher…”

“What the hell- is that a freaking screwdriver?!”

That brought everyone’s attention to you. The dude sitting behind you, the goddamned Teo, shouted out loud and now you had not only your classmates’ look on you, but Mr Byun stood up properly, curiously looking your way while the chemistry teacher strained her neck to see what was happening.

In an instant the screwdriver fell out of your grip and down on your table with a noise that made you cringe.

“Why do you have a screwdriver in school? I’m sure she is going to kill!” he kept shouting. “She had a murderous look on her face just seconds ago-“

“Shut it!” you snapped, seething at his stupid accusations.

Mr Byun calmly walked over to you and you turned his way, feeling like your heart was slamming out of your chest and body like it did in cartoons.

He picked up the screwdriver and looked at you, though you didn’t look up into his eyes. He called your name softly. “Why do you have this here?”

Your mouth was tied shut, this one time refusing to communicate as you looked ahead.

“Let me rephrase ,” Mr Byun said, a certain edge to his tone that caught you off guard. He didn't like ignorance, especially from his own students. “Why would you bring this to school?”

The whole class was quiet and it was growing in on you, pressuring the insides of your ear with intensity. It was like loudness gained a sound and it was deafening. The pressure of having to answer was making you shake.

He called your name again but he didn’t tip your chin up with his finger like he did in the tutoring class. “Will you answer me or will you keep quiet?”

“I’m sure she had more of those things in her bag, sir,” spoke up Teo and you rolled your eyes. Mr Byun caught your action and set his lips into a thin line.

“Whenever she comes to school and throws her bag on the floor, it’s heavy and those things are cluttering inside-“

“Okay, that’s enough.”

Your heart died at the tone of the teacher’s voice. He turned to you as he pocketed the screwdriver. “I’m keeping this and you’ll come to my office after your classes are done. Prepare a good explanation. Got it?”

You nodded, still not looking at him.

Mr Byun was frustrated at your closed off attitude, but didn’t say anything more when he turned around just in time for the bell to ring. He ignored the chemistry teacher when he stormed out of the room.

In an instant there were whispers erupting around; not because of you, but because Mr Byun hadn’t been seen mad before.

And it was because of you.

. . .

You were a nervous mess when you stood in front of his office. Your hands were curled into fists as you knocked on his door. He usually had it open, but not today. It felt like you weren’t welcomed unlike the previous times.

A distant come in could be heard and your heart jumped at his voice. Gulping, you opened the door and went inside, bowing to him deeply, your long hair falling over your shoulders gracefully.

My Byun sat behind his desk, his droopy eyes already set on you as he saw you bow. He followed the way your hair masked your face until you stood straight up, looking at the ground.

“You wanted to talk to me, sir,” he heard you murmur in a quiet, but resolute voice.

“Yes, I wanted to talk to you,” he confirmed, and unconsciously pushed the sleeves of his black dress shirt further up his forearms, his expensive silver watch catching the light in the office and momentarily throwing a rainbow hue around. “Come, sit,” he ordered in a leveled tone.

Wordlessly, you followed, still keeping a poker face on, not once daring to meet his eye, even though the teacher found himself frustrated at the way you wouldn’t meet his questioning gaze.

At once, he turned to you, accidentally bumping his knee with yours. He was wearing black pants; today it seemed like a dark day overall, given the mood of his outfit. You didn’t want to pay attention to the attraction you felt when he wore the colour. Just like Mr Byun didn’t want to be too aware of your skirt being ridden a little too high up, your slim waist letting up on the textile as you sat down.

“How has your day been?” he finally spoke.

“It was alright, sir.”

He hummed, acknowledging you. He sighed eventually and ran his hand through his hair, exposing his forehead to you; as soon as he caught your eye that was following his hand, you dropped your gaze back on the ground. Mr Byun pressed his lips together.

“Why do you have a screwdriver with you in school, little one?”

The nickname made you all shaky and fidgety. You pressed your knees together, fisting the hem of your skirt as you kept quiet.

“Do you work part-time in a repair shop?” Mr Byun tried, observing your body language.

No answer.

“You’re making me go a little crazy over here,” he finally muttered with a soft huff.

“Am I?”

His eyes snapped to yours. “Yeah, you are.” He leaned closer in his chair. “You sleep in the library often, saying you study late, yet your marks keep dropping. You’re so thin, and you make me worried that you aren’t eating enough, then you go on having a screwdriver in school without providing any reason and-“ he took a deep breath, “when I question you, you don’t answer me. Tell me,” he breathed, his gaze constantly flickering between yours, “how can I figure you out? How can I help you?”

“There is no need to help me, sir,” you managed to say. A bile was rising in your throat at his proximity, at his voice, that wonderful scent of musk that was so characteristically him. If you could only… try to… touch…

You bit your lip and quickly looked up into his eyes when you found yourself outlining his lips.

“That’s it,” Mr Byun finally let out. In a second he was up on his feet and you could only let out a gasp and the softest of no when he reached for your bag and turned it upside down, all its contents spilling on his neat desk.

With a horrified look you saw pieces of jewelry, more screwdrivers, some gold, little stones, silver pieces falling everywhere messily, some of it falling to the floor and rolling off to various directions.

Your heartbroken look told even less to Mr Byun.

“What is all of this?” he questioned with a frown as he analyzed the little objects.

You shook your head in shame, lowering your head yet again. Closing your eyes, you felt them burn up with frustrated tears.

“Did you perhaps steal?”

“No!” you shouted and turned to him so abruptly you startled the male. “I love creating jewelry, okay?” you finally let out. “It’s my passion, my hobby, and I’d love to make a living out of it but I’m poor and stupid and it’s just a distant dream! But it makes me happy! So that’s what I’m doing in the library!” you told him in a loud voice, your eyes glistening. You heaved out a breath. “I don’t plan to kill anyone. I’m simply… making jewelry.”

Mr Byun called out your name in surprise. “I-I didn’t know…”

You laughed dishonestly. “Of course not, Mr Byun. I never told you. No one knows, not even Halmi.” You bit your lip to stop the trembling chin. “She might kill me if she’d ever found out.”

“What? Why do you think so?”

“Because I don’t come from a family where I can afford to do that. She’ll say it’s useless. She’ll say I won’t make it.”

“Nonsense. You’ll make it,” Mr Byun insisted passionately.

“How? I can’t even afford the tuition at the university. I’d need a scholarship for that…”

“Then you’ll get the scholarship for that.”

You whined, tired of talking about things Mr Byun wouldn’t ever understand. “You know my grades! You know it’s impossible.”

Mr Byun was in front of you out of nowhere, crouching down, his hands daring to rest against your knees to get your attention, which he, of course, didn’t have to ask for. You were a melting, shaking puddle of nerves from the foreign touch on your unexplored skin. “We will make it happen, alright? All I know is that in these final months you’ll have to give it your all. If you let me guide you through this, I guarantee you that you will get the scholarship and admittance to your chosen major.”

Your lips parted at his words. The way his eyes looked into yours with intensity gave you strength. Mr Byun was a determined, grown man. It couldn’t get any better than that.

“So what do you say?” he asked quietly, his thumb unconsciously running over your smooth skin once.

You trembled more, bewitched by his gaze. “Can I do it?”

Another stroke of his thumb. “Yes, you can do it. I can do it as well. We can do it, together,” he spoke quietly as if no one else was supposed to hear the words, but you.

“So, little one?”

Little one…

What was this excitement in your belly that made you all warm inside? It was like sparks and fireworks were going off inside, along with butterflies fluttering their wings and elephants stomping their feet. “You’ll help me, right?”

Mr Byun smiled that familiar smile of his, liking the direction of the conversation. “Yes, sweetheart. I’ll be there all the time, at each step, holding your hand.”

Sweetheart…

Waa~~ ❤️ㅅ❤️

It couldn’t have gotten any better, right?

You were glowing like the sun when you finally nodded, offering the brightest of smiles Mr Byun witnessed till that day. What a beautiful sight, he thought.

“Okay, Mr Byun.”

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but decided against it when he bit his lip and nodded, his hands giving your knees the slightest squeeze. “Good girl.”

. . .

I want you to study during the day and sleep at night.

I want you to be absolutely focused. If you can’t, say bye to the scholarship and to your dream job.

I want you to eat properly - don’t worry, I’ll take care of that part.

I want you to be honest with me when something is bothering you. You can tell me anything, little one.

His words replayed in your head several times per day, always managing to stretch your lips into a smile. They became your driving force and you secretly wished you’d had him recorded so that you could hear his voice.

You helped whenever you could at home, Halmi not once asked where you were in later hours, knowing well you were studying hard.

Mr Byun plopped on his chair next to you once he prepared your salad together with the dressing a couple of weeks later. “Eat.” Was all he said and he turned to his papers, half of them already graded.

Until now, you have been religiously following his orders, and Mr Byun seemed to be more and more satisfied with you. You weren't sure if it was conscious, but he seemed to be much more understanding and patient with you in classes. Whenever there was homework, he wasn't as strict with yours as he was with others.

However,your grades have not magically changed, no. You still had a lot to grow, a lot to improve and show, but Mr Byun managed to give you something that was irreplaceably missing before and nobody cared enough to plant this seed into your precious, young heart: hope.

You slowly chewed your food and did what you always did when you tried to focus on food; watched him. Just like any other time he was focused: a gentle frown woven into his petty forehead that was exceptionally revealed for that day. It seemed that Mr Byun used some hair product to brush it back, leaving a simple comma hanging over the wrinkless skin. He looked breathtaking; in its literal, absolute meaning.

Once you received your first well earned A, you met again for tutoring. You sat down, trying to suppress your silly smile, because that’s how you were always around him. Somehow, the teacher managed to make you more open, you grew a little closer. Or so you’d liked to believe.

Mr Byun preoccupied himself with some paperwork while you took out your notebook until he said: “there is no need for that today.” And that was followed by something landing in front of you.

A ticket. To an art exhibition.

You zoomed in, reading the contents and squealed, jumping up in your chair as you covered your mouth. “Mr Byun, really?” You turned to him with excitement, your hair flying everywhere in the process.

The male had a soft, loving smile as he observed your happiness. “Yeah, really.”

“You didn’t have to, I mean… I don’t know what to say…”

He quirked an eyebrow at you, looking so handsome and just a little intimidating when he said: “Well, will you let me accompany you?” Just then he showed the second ticket he had in his hand, playfully waving it in the air.

Your mouth slacked as your hands lowered in small shock. The simplest imagination of you having an even more private time with Mr Byun had you in a shaky puddle. The familiar need to vomit arose again but you knew better than to be a little confused. You knew for sure you had a strong crush on your teacher when you nodded, smiling.

“I’d love for you to accompany me, Mr Byun.”

And just like that you left his office, keeping the formal distance as the coolest, hottest, the most gorgeous teacher led you to his car.

Was it silly that you never actually saw his car? You only heard rumors but they were all confirmed when Mr Byun unlocked the shiniest, darkest car in the teachers’ parking lot; an Audi.

Like a gentleman, he opened the door for you, to which you thanked and managed to grow red. The ride was pleasantly quiet, and it was barely filled up with the motor’s purring as it was so silent. Only when Mr Byun sped up could you hear the very handsome rage of the motor, reminding you of a racing car.

Due to the colder weather you couldn’t admire his forearms anymore, but the expensive watch still poke out as he had his left hand leisurely maneuvering the steering wheel. His free hand was resting against the armrest in between the two of you.

“You’re not cold are you?” he spoke up once he stopped at the red light.

You shook your head without even thinking about his question but were shocked when his hand reached out, gently touching the naked skin of your knee.

“You’re cold,” he stated. “Let me turn on the heating.”

“It’s okay-“ at the same time you reached for the switch, your fingertips brushing his knuckles. You froze, the touch somehow rendering you motionless, and you felt the teacher's gaze on you.

“No, you’re cold, let me heat up a bit,” he spoke first, not letting the situation get any more awkward. He took a hold of your hand and gently placed it in your lap, not missing the tender caress of his thumb.

“Thank you,” you murmured, looking out the window from behind your lashes.

“Anything for you,” he breathed.

There were only a few people at the venue. The admission was smooth and soon enough you were roaming the rooms of the exhibition, each room offering something different.

You weren’t sure whether the physics teacher could enjoy art, but he seemed interested enough to follow you with his eyes, to observe your responses to the paintings, to listen to your commentaries. Mr Byun was very focused and he somehow managed to make you feel like the whole universe was spinning around you, making you the sole center of it.

“How did you know this is where I wanted to go?” you asked quietly once you were making your way to the exit. You took your time, walking slowly, thoughtfully, your heart having palpitations at each innocent brush of your hands. It sent electric waves down through your body, pooling down there. His presence alone could bring such strong emotions out of you, you were scared at some point you’d just snap.

“I saw it in your bag once,” he told you honestly,”actually it was that time I emptied your bag on my desk.”

“Oh,” you pinked, nodding.

Mr Byun looked at your profile but was a little sad to see your long hair preventing him from doing so. That was why he stopped which you mimicked immediately in confusion before his hand reached out, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear.

His finger tip brushed your ear and you hitched your breath, anticipating. Shyly looking up, you saw the way his lower lip was trapped under his cute teeth, though still curled into a never-dying smile. “That’s better. I like to see your face.”

You giggled like the high school girl that you were, blurting: “I like to see your face too.” Realizing what you just said, you quickly slammed your palm over your mouth, mortified.

Mr Byun laughed. “No, no, don’t be shy, sweetheart. I really like it when you’re honest with me.” As if he couldn’t contain it any more, he reached out for the hair on the other side, smoothly brushing it back. “Your hair is so pretty,” he mumbled, “but not as pretty as your face.”

Your mouth went dry, your knees were shaking, and you were burning up. Even though you wanted to talk, you couldn’t speak up, too afraid your voice would let you down.

“Did you have a good time?” he asked eventually, dropping his hand.

“I had the best time.”

“Me, too.”

“Uh, Mr Byun, would you like to eat a late lunch with me?” you dared to ask. “You told me to eat properly so…” you trailed off, too shy to say more.

“I’d love to.”

You decided to eat unhealthy food for once. Dropping into the closest fast food chain, you decided to eat your favorite nuggets with lots of French fries. You could eat French fries all day everyday. That’s how deprived you were of them.

Munching on them, you devoured the sight in front of you more than the food on the tray. Mr Byun went with a hamburger and he dared to steal a chip or two which you didn’t mind at all. The more he took, the more you wanted to give.

His stories were funny and he made it his mission to make you laugh. You giggled and giggled until your belly hurt; you didn’t even realize you were holding his hand by the end.

Last part

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multimetaverse · 3 years

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HSMTMTS 2x12 Review

Second Chances was a lacklustre finale for an uneven season. Let’s dig in!

Earlier this week I re-watched S1 in preparation for the S2 finale and the contrast between the two seasons is jarring. In almost every way S2 has been worse and after seeing this finale I’m less optimistic that Tim will be able to fix the long list of things that have gone wrong. Tim has said in some of his interviews today that pretty much all of S2 was written before the pandemic and that they didn’t have to do as much re-writing as people might think due to the stringent safety measures Disney put in place. Of course, that removes an excuse for the bad writing we’ve seen so much of this season as according to Tim what we saw of S2 is largely what he envisioned minus big crowds and background dancers.

Across his many interviews today, the one consistent point is that Tim does not have any real plans for future seasons; things like Ricky’s endgame he hasn’t decided on and he can’t even guarantee the summer season the finale sets up due to the weather in Salt Lake. I do think a S3 is an almost certainty given the show’s popularity but I’ll take Tim at his word that he truly doesn’t know if they’ll be renewed since it seems to be a new Disney tradition to wait until seasons are done airing before making a renewal decision (the same thing happened for the popular and well received Mighty Ducks: Game Changers which got a silent renewal only after all of S1 aired). That being said as poor of a season finale as Second Chances is it is also a terrible potential series finale. In large part it goes back to his lack of planning, he wants to keep all options open but in doing so Tim is crippling the show’s ability to deliver any pay offs or tie up loose ends.

The one mostly well done plot line this season was Portwell which got a happy ending tonight as they canoned. The only good thing about the big brother angst was that it was so insane that it had to be addressed and sure enough it was and Gina got her first kiss with a guy she really liked. If Tim is to be believed the reason we didn’t get an on screen Portwell kiss was not because of their age difference or covid concerns but because he felt that everyone’s first kiss was different so he wanted it off screen so viewers could fill in the blanks themselves. Tim’s line of reasoning is profoundly stupid. Imagine if they had Jamie show up and he and Gina talked off screen and Tim tried to claim that because everyone has a different relationship with their own siblings that he wanted the audience to fill in the blanks as to how their conversation went!

Still we saw great character development on Gina and EJ’s part as both really grew from the people they were in S1. As Tim noted, EJ bringing Gina back in 1x10 was kind of the set up for this story line. The only thing missing was a brief Portwell scene sometime in eps 2x01-2x04 to set them up. The consistent development they got from 2x05-2x12 is unlike any other ship on the show; only Rini exceeds their development.

Unfortunately I don’t think that will last in S3 because Tim will always favour Ricky over EJ and if he wants to do Rina he’ll dispose of Portwell before doing so. I was surprised that they never bothered to have Ricky and Gina have a conversation about Gina’s S1 confession. It was a huge mistake to have Gina pine over Ricky for half the season and it was no surprise that Gina’s story line got instantly better once she stopped interacting with Ricky. Tim has made clear in interviews that he’s still interested in the possibility of Rina which makes his poor writing of them even more bizarre. What conclusions are the audience supposed to draw from the Rina story line this season? That Ricky never cared that much about Gina? That it’s totally fine for the show if they don’t interact for 6 eps in a row? That Gina has moved on? I’ve said before that a wiser man than Tim would recognize that doing both Portwell and Rina will do tremendous damage to the show and he should pick one and not do the other. Of course he’s not that smart but it is wild how he’s accidentally written their story line to make for a perfect end to Rina.

Second Chances was great and is the only part of the finale that would have been well suited to being part of a potential series finale.

The Rini closure was a sad inverse of their S1 opening night confession. They’ve fallen so far from being the it couple of the series and I fear Tim doesn’t actually know what to do with them now. He really needs to decide if he’s tearing down that treehouse for real.

The less said about the Valentine’s chocolates the better but at least Gina and Nini are cool again and Nini can explore her budding music career with Jamie’s help. Tim repeatedly said in interviews that the scripts about Nini’s music career were all written before Driver’s License came out and I think he understands that the audience is just going to see the show as copying from Olivia’s life.

The wildcats just deciding to drop out of the Menkies was a lame cop out. Tim has said he always meant for that to happen though they were originally going to compete at the Menkies then drop out (presumably that’s where we would have heard Lily singing Home). Somebody should have mentioned the $50 000 prize money which the East High theatre department could surely use after Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara burned it down (remember that story line that had no consequences?). And that NYU scholarship could have been life changing for one of them and yet no one even brought it up once this season.

I did like the twist that it was EJ and his dad who got Mazzara into Caltech. He’d be a fool not to take it but I’m glad he confessed to Miss Jenn. She’s had a really rough season and I hope she redeems herself in S3.

Howie was acting so weird tonight and last ep that I have a hard time believing he was really so awed by Kourtney’s talent rather than feeling guilty for helping to steal the harness. The harness is another useless plot device; there are no consequences for Lily stealing it, she’s not caught, East High pulls off another version of the transformation off screen, and then East High withdraws from the Menkies anyways. Doubtless the harness will eventually come up to serve Rily angst.

At least Lily was straightforward, I’ll give her that. She has such an odd way of speaking, almost child like. As awful as it is there is potential for a forbidden/secret romance story line with Rily. It really does not speak well to Ricky’s character that he’s so easily fallen for Lily’s act when he has no reason to trust her and she never apologized for making fun of Big Red during the auditions or making Ashlyn feel insecure during the dance off.

The one way in which S2 was drastically better to S1 was in regards to the Seblos story line. Clearly Joe being bumped up to regular made a big difference. We got the first same-sex kiss between two boys and the first love song sung by one boy to another in Disney history and that is a legacy to be proud of. Of course, there was still some Disney censorship such as Carlos and Seblos being unable to use the word gay in the same ep that focused on Carlos singing In a Heartbeat to Seb.

S1 of HSMTMTS had a clear direction, the wildcats would have to try and come together to stage High School Musical and Ricky and Nini would have to decide if they still had a future together while Gina and EJ had to work on being better versions of themselves. It was simple sure but it worked very well. There was a lot of heart but also a lot of humor and the show never took itself too seriously. What has S2 had? Beauty and the Beast was hardly the main focus of the cast or the writers and the central couple that S1 was built around is now broken up either for a long time or for good. There was a lot less of the meta moments that jokes that made S1 such a hit, for far too many eps this season the show took itself way too seriously. Hell even the lighting this season was darker than in S1.

Olivia Rodrigo’s team had complained in a recent article that Olivia wouldn’t be able to potentially tour until fall 2022 due to her contractual commitments which is a sign that they think a S3 is very likely though I wonder how late S3 filming would have to start to keep her occupied until late 2022. There’s no confirmation of this but I thought it might be worth keeping an eye on; a post on r/hsmtmts by someone who claims to have a source working on production says that the plan is for S3 to be a summer theatre camp possibly with Camp Rock renditions and the plan for S4 is to jump 6 months ahead to the final semester of senior year and end with Ricky, Nini, Big Red, and Kourtney graduating from East High. They also say that part of the delay in the S3 announcement is a conflict between Tim and Disney executives. Tim wants to move production to LA and film on sets as it’s easier and cheaper while the Disney execs still want some on location shooting in Salt Lake. Again this is all unconfirmed but if it pans out it will represent a major shift in the series.

Regardless if Tim wants the show to remain successful he needs start planning out what he wants to happen. He should not assume he’s getting more than 4 seasons. If the series gets a S3 but then is suddenly cancelled then how would he want all the main story lines to wrap up? And if they make it to S4 where does he see it ending? The graduation of the current juniors is a logical series ending point but if Tim wants to do something different he needs to start thinking of that now. I can’t say I’m excited anymore for S3 but I do really hope that Tim and his writers can turn things around and that will only happen if they recognize what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes.

Until next season Wildcats

#HSMTMTS #Portwell #Rini #Gina Porter #EJ Caswell #Ricky Bowen #Nini Salazar-Roberts #Kourtney Greene #lily #HSMTMTS Reviews

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redcloakedraven · 2 years

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HSMTMTS REWATCH

SEASON TWO

EPISODE 8 - Most Likely To

• Ashlyn trying her best to be fully supportive of Big Red to make sure he knows how important he is to her

• Gaston is done so well! The casting for this was perfect! Again I would've watched this play if it was real.

• Seb is once again adorable

• Ricky was simply asking if the Instagram account was to 'un-glass' herself. He straight up asked because he wanted a straight up answer. I understand her actual name is Nina, but the attitude she gave was pretty unnecessary. Then she brings to conversation to her channel, I see she was trying to make a point. But it also feels like she was just trying to switch the conversation instead of giving him a straight up answer.

• Nini didn't learn anything from last semester. Don't leave your phone with him!

• Ricky's immediate regret. And That's when he knew he fucked up.

• Gina: snorts while laughing EJ: no one heard that

• At least Carlos realizes he made it worse when talking about Chip and the roles.

• Ashlyn was so clearly being supportive of Big Red but knowing what she should be supportive of. You can totally tell she had no bad intentions behind telling him to take the test again.

• It sucks that Ricky's test basically said he had no profitable skills. I'm curious on what it really said.

• Here's the fight here we go.

Nini he never said to leave your dream behind. He never said that you need to come home and he didn't force you to do that either. You kept asking how he felt that entire day and he did. It was simply that. You bringing this up now feels out of place.

Ricky is right about how she waited last minute to tell him she was leaving

Nini didn't seem to care about getting the role until she found out Ricky had a small doing in it. This also feels so random it had nothing to do with her leaving for YAC it feels like she couldn't find an argument to defend herself there because he was right so she said the first thing that came to her that she saw was wrong. Again she might have been a little upset when she found out about Ricky's little push, but she is making it out to be as if she wasn't initially excited when she got the part and making it seem like she was forced.

Ricky then calls her out on the song yet again and she finally doesn't deny it

But she tries to pass some blame about the song onto him by saying he was okay with it being cut. Instead of properly taking credit. She only cares about her song then she does about how he feelings about it just like the last eepisode.

Ricky mentions what he just found before the fight when she said she didn't come back for him.

What exactly did Nini think was the right thing? Genuine question can someone answer. She kept secrets from him even when he was looking for straight answers and she danced around them.

Ricky saying "So Was I!" Is the first time he yelled that entire fight, it was mainly Nini raising her voice.

So something I realized rewatching this fight is that Ricky would call her out on stuff and she would deflect onto something else.

• They brought back Gina's knitting

• Cute portwell moment

• The breakup was heartbreaking. Josh and Olivia did great in this scene. I just wish we got better closure over the whole song thing. Nini never properly took credit over the fact that it was about them.

• Howie sounds absolutely amazing in If I Can't Love Her

• Mr. Mazzara so clearly likes Miss. Jenn. EJ and Gina was cute. Ashlyn and Big Red was perfect.

• EJ talking to her dad was a good thing they showed.

• Ricky breaks my heart and I love how Big Red and Ashlyn stayed with him and was there for him. I love this trio a lot

• Nini trying to distract herself with her account.

• Someone brought it to my attention how Ricky would have to sing this song for the play and god I wish we saw that, but at the same time I'm happy we didn't because that would've been too crushing. But also probably helped with the Menkies a lot.

#high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts #ricky bowen #ej caswell #ashlyn caswell #gina porter #nini salazar roberts #big red #redlyn #portwell #rina #seblos #rini

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caswellprmanager · 3 years

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suspended

read it on ao3!

Summary: Ricky is afraid of heights. Nobody knows this.

Notes: This is purely a vent fic in response to 2x10 bc I have pent up feelings that I make Ricky feel instead. Richard Bowen bb I'm so sorry 😩 Anw don't read if you haven't watched the latest ep as there are major spoilers!

Warnings: Mentions of injuries

---

Ricky isn't the most open person – that part he's sure everybody is aware of – and he kind of likes it that way.

Every time Ricky has laid his heart out for anyone, pain follows not too long after. As much as people love to tell him that getting hurt is just a part of life, it does not mean he has to just let it get past him like it was nothing. He's a teenager. He has intense emotions and raging hormones. Shouldn't he be allowed to be upset?

No, apparently.

Because according to everyone else, he's not allowed to be upset that his parents split up. He's not allowed to be upset after breaking up with his girlfriend. He's not allowed to be upset at literally anything because the show must go on, right?

They don't say it out loud. They wouldn't dare. But Ricky feels it deep down that they just want him to get his act together before opening night. They don't know how to help him and he understands that but... it would be nice if they tried.

No one has really tried to get to know him on a deeper level. Sure, he can say that Big Red is his best friend and that Nini is the only other person who gets him but... there are parts of him that he hasn't told either of them. Not for lack of trying – he's tried several times to open up more after all. But being completely vulnerable is still entirely new territory for him.

And one of the things he's never told anyone – not even Big Red and Nini – is that he's terrified of heights.

There was one time when he was a kid, he liked to climb trees like a monkey. And as a kid, his curiosity on how high he could climb got the best of him. One thing led to another and then he found himself crying to his mom about a broken arm and a bruised hip.

Ever since then, he's been afraid of heights.

He tampered it down when Miss Jenn suggested that Troy be suspended in midair for Getcha Head in the Game. She was so excited for it and Ricky was still very much the new kid in the club – so he couldn't say anything. And Miss Jenn has been lovely to him, letting him go home when he wasn't emotionally or mentally at school or rehearsals.

So Ricky just let himself be strapped to the harness and sing his heart out — until he saw his mom with Todd in the audience.

Then, the harness seemed to suffocate him, squeezing at his ribcage despite it being not that tight. Suddenly, the ground beneath him seemed a million feet away and that if the rope broke he'd be fucking dead on impact. Suddenly, the air was thinner, his head was spinning, and he was trying to tell EJ with his eyes that he needs to get down or he's going to die.

There were other things to worry about during the show so he never really did get to bring that up afterwards. Eventually, Ricky forgot about the whole thing after blissfully being back with Nini officially.

Life was fantastic.

Then life suddenly... was not.

The second break-up was hard enough, even if he was the one to initiate it. Now, they're only one day close to doing tech rehearsals and they don't have anything cohesive. Miss Jenn looked like she was about to have an aneurysm, Carlos basically had one hand holding a clipboard and another hand on 911 speed dial, and everyone else visibly cringes every time Ricky speaks his lines.

So yeah. Not a very good time right now. Ricky wants to disappear completely.

And then... they had to suggest that they, once again, suspend him in midair during the transformation. This is essentially Ricky's worst fucking nightmare.

But he wasn't part of the viral intagram clapback against North High, wasn't even there for more than half of act two back in HSM, and everyone just isn't in the mood for any complaints Ricky might have... Even if it's about a fear that brings up one of the worst memories of his childhood. And Ricky desparately still wants to be considered as part of the team.

Yeah. No. It isn't a big deal. Not at all.

Just strap on the harness and wait for the nightmare to be over, right?

Wrong.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion — the snapping of the rope, the screams from his castmates, the sound of hurried footsteps only seconds too late before Ricky lands on the floor with a sickening crunch. Big Red is the first one by his side, followed by EJ, both of whom instruct everyone to stand back and call some medical help. He vaguely hears Nini speak on the phone with someone but the sharp pain that is coming from somewhere on his body intensifies with each movement.

Ricky can't even see straight and the searing pain of what is most definitely a few broken bones is so intense that he can't help screaming when EJ tries to move him.

"FUCK!" He screams when EJ attempts to move his leg. Well that one is definitely broken... Is it supposed to bend like that? Both Big Red and EJ put their hands up, signaling to everyone else not to touch Ricky.

Ricky tries to move his arm and cries out again. It isn't as bed as his leg but it's at the very least sprained. Big Red reassures him that someone is on their way to bring him to the hospital but Ricky can barely focus on his voice.

The next time Ricky is conscious enough to comprehend what's happening around him, he hears arguing from the other side of... wherever he is. He sits up, blinking rapidly in order to adjust to the dim lighting, and realizes with dread that he's actually in the hospital.

"Ricky! You're awake!" Big Red's voice comes from his left and he sees the rest of the gang follow him at his declaration. Ricky's skin crawls ever so slightly at seeing all of their worries faces. He doesn't need pity or guilt right now.

God he just wants to be alone.

But does he really?

"You broke your leg and sprained your wrist in two places." Nini said to him – the first full sentence she's said to him directly since the break-up – and Ricky doesn't know what to do with that. There's a ringing in his ears and he can't get it to stop.

Then everyone else started talking, taking turns about how worried they were before the doctor told them the news. He could barely even make out their words as they sound muffled in his head. He wants to say he's okay. He wants to say that everything will be fine and that he'll be back onstage in no time.

But the reality is that none of this has ever been fine for him.

"I'm afraid of heights."

His voice was soft, restrained, and thick with tears he'd rather not shed in front of all these people. But even just the sound of his voice right now stopped the rest of them mid-sentence. They process this new information with mouths gaping and eyes widened in more white hot guilt.

"You never told me that." Nini says first, almost accusatoy and a little sad. Ricky scoffs and leans back to bury the side of his face in his pillow.

"You never asked." Ricky replied simply and the weight of his words fell on the rest of the group.

You never asked.

They never asked if he was okay with the harness.

They never asked if he was okay even with all that pressure as the lead.

They never asked if he was okay with any of it.

Maybe he can argue that he never spoke up but the damage has been done and all Ricky wants to do now is sleep for a long time.

"I'm afraid of heights." He says again, allowing a few tears to fall down his face at the admission, not even trying to see any of his friends' reactions. "Can you all leave me alone please?"

He doesn't start sobbing until the last person leaves the room.

Ricky isn't the most open person – that part he's sure everybody is aware of – and he kind of likes it that way. He's not always the first to reach out.

But it doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt just as much when no one does the same for him.

#ricky bowen #hsmtmts #hsmtmts spoilers #cloud's writing now #hsmtmts 2x10 #i just have a lot of feelings #i was supposed to make ricky pop off but i simply believe ricky is tired #he needs a long nap

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sugar-petals · 4 years

Text

Cuddling With SuperM

↳ ❤︎ CARO’S NOTE: their concept is all about badassery i know but we’re dealing with seven angels so let’s talk about that shall we

warnings ⚠️ some light teasing, innuendo

length: 1.5k

taeyong

am i really telling you something ground-breaking with this:

so this guy’s truly adorable

turns into a baby what else is new

draws his knees to his chest and just enjoys the ride with his eyes closed

you can do whatever the hell you want

back rubs, head pats, foot massages, caressing the neck or underneath the chin which is particularly sweet

and a whole lot of tickling he’s kinda obsessed with this

excellent chef he is, taeyong enjoys preparing snacks for a set cuddling time or movie night

so what if this turns into feeding each other basically are you ready for that

this guy’s impossible face up close is hard to bear for the faint-hearted just mentioning that in passing here

because… he has that one yearning expression and his eye contact is very steady

bit of a duality here huh

but worry not because taeyong’s tiger inside is more of a cat actually, tyongkitty behavior guaranteed right there

he does do friendly head buts and yeah the eye contact is also a cat thing now that i think about it… it all makes sense now

ten, baekhyun, lucas and taemin are pretty cocky types of cuddlers, taeyong leads the more subdued fraction in super m

it’s the kind of cuddling that needs rainy weather and a cup of tea

ten

quality time right here

banter is always included ofc

or at least a lot of talk because with ten, conversation and cuddles go together

likes pets joining, three’s a party, a cat can always make a snuggly contribution

add a ball of wool to play around

like. a-you, a-me, and a cat right in between ya see

music is always playing in the background, always

ten’s body is very sensual… you can tell he’s a dancer by the way he’s adapting, how he’s feeling it, how he moves in general

the reflexes are just so different he has great feeling for what you wanna do next it’s his bodily intuition and he just goes along with it

what you gotta tell him though is to keep it lowkey with keeping his jazzy outfits on

a hoodie cuddles better than high fashion and spiked jackets

plus he looks adorably small in it so two birds with one stone

never forget ten is really tiny that sure makes a difference

reluctant little spoon, he keeps it face-to-face or sleeps on his back

ten is glad to be approached with hugs he’s not always doing the initiative

shy thailand angel ikr

but don’t complain if he farts because he absolutely will

goddammit chittaphon

kai

if it’s without a plushie something’s going wrong it always needs one

his favorite teddy’s gotta participate y’know he’s a social creature

in this home we don’t discriminate against plush bears

and yeah, his bear ear hoodie likewise he is sure to put it on

jongin tends to be rather taciturn because he wants to enjoy the body-to-body sensations

meaning, don’t interpret his frequent silence as awkwardness he’s just observing

is not above teasing… if his outfit is showing some skin he’ll invite you to touch the area

also enjoys you putting your hands under his sweater

he’s laughing like crazy and kicking his legs all giggly if you put your head underneath it and let it roam oh la la

yeah nini likes some wit to it for sure, and some steaminess in the mix it’s just a natural byproduct if we’re honest

dim the lights down low for this one…

but also light the candles alright

cuddling is more of a soft and steady thing there’s not much position changes going on

this is the couch not the dancefloor your honor

while we’re talking about that: jongin is a buff biatch my god

prep a water bottle to chug when you’re cuddling this guy is effortlessly hot

also know that kai will almost definitely snap a picture of you huddled together for the memory of it

baekhyun

unlike his memes, baekhyun’s cuddling behaviour is entirely predictable

will snuggle against your shoulder by default pretty much that’s his favorite area

stays glued there for two hours if you’re not busy

im not kidding

needless to say he needs a partner who can handle this level of clinginess

baekhyun can’t keep his hands to himself in general

neither can you

it’s groping x cuddling these two are a dead sure combination

keen to snuggle casually while he’s gaming, cross-legged on the ground with you massaging his back

likes to lay his head into your lap, too.

baekhug i mean back hug enthusiast. something inside his face has an inbuilt magnet that sucks him into the space between your collar bones

especially when you’re at the stove cooking

caution: love bites. lots of them. does this count as cuddles? probably. it’s not like he’s eating you or is he. oop—

what am i saying all he does is nibble alright

and oh yeah bring on the sweater weather. he can’t stay still in bed it’s gonna be a pillowfort building session though

you gotta exhaust him until he naps off lmao!

energizer bunny bf

mark

enjoys being fed watermelon during the process how else could it be

wait until this guy hears what harry styles’ watermelon sugar is all about his world will never be the same again

anyway

he’ll look so cute in his striped shirt and his round glasses awh

cuddling is his favorite way to show his trust and affection before all else

his favorite time to cuddle is before going to sleep

he usually hugs pillows so you can tell how clingy he winds up as

mark really sleeps and dreams better if you do that it has an astounding effect. cuddles are his perfect recharging if you will it’s just that he’s actually calming down through it whereas he can be nervous throughout the day so he needs that downtime

spooning is a given

what he enjoys the most about it is the warmth

markie easily gets cold sometimes he just needs that tune-up with you he’s like blink blink there goes my dose of daily heat beep beep

what the fuck

anyway again

talk about tune

just like ten he’s very talkative all the way verbal stimulation and mark lee just go together

if you compare him to taeyong there’s not much of a transformation going on mark lee on two legs is the same mark lee during cuddles it’s all copy paste

all in all a delectable experience, extremely cute and heart-melting, super m truly has a super mark

taemin

much like xuxi he has that permanent smile on his lips that tries to make you laugh

in fact taemin is hard to stop with his puns and his humor

ffs he is a true brat

taems can’t help but try to escalate this into a playfight every time

not that he doesn’t enjoy the calmer types of cuddling but he needs some action in the sack

enjoys praise along the way who are we kidding

the clothes you both cuddle in are very important alright, the fabric in particular

taemin keeps it expensive here it’s just the way he rolls

satin my dear

it’s just so satisfying to the touch

but also beware of his most lethal clothing choice which brings out his innate maknae charm the most

THE FLUFFY TURTLENECK

gyeahh

which he will use during special occasions to turn you into a cuddle monster ready to pounce him

give it up for shinee my loves they taught him well and sent him out to fluff up the world

what else is there okay we also gotta mention that cuddling consists of many little kisses here and there

taemin wants to get absolutely peppered

he is and stays a prince

lucas

ideal body type for cuddling except that it needs the right place, not the environment but the spot i mean, you can imagine

lucas can explode any smol-size couch or bed

don’t even think about trying to cuddle on regular chairs my god why would you live so dangerously

king size por favor

there is a lot to cuddle against it’s really a whole wonderland

those big ole thighs are practical cushions for anything really.

and his face is just so amicable it has to be kithed

his hands… his hands! you will feel maximum protection with those giant baby fingers around your hips i’m telling you

admittedly yukhei is hard to properly hug around the shoulders obviously that’s a drawback but hey his waist is lithe and tiny so hello there, very inviting

oh, that infectious smile.

serious cuddling: 0 — funny cuddles: over 9,000

and tasty cuddles because foodcas brings some fried rice every time oh yum

hates to go to work he really prioritizes you and cuddles go on for long long hours especially when you watch your favorite series

xuxi goes the extra mile, he will touch your hair a lot, just gently combing through it

and he doesn’t mind it when you do the same, he’s got the most angelic blonde locks after all

lu calls you beautiful all the time the cheesy mf is really pulling the standard compliment alright

cue jonas brothers sucker for you

ugh, boyfriend

mlist

#super m #superm #superm hc #superm scenarios #super m x reader #superm fluff #super m imagines #kai #lucas #baekhyun #taemin #taeyong #mark #ten

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lydia-yougowith-stiles · 3 years

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My Top Ships of 2020

It’s FINALLY here!! The list of my top ships of 2020. What a year it was and I can’t believe it’s already January 8th as I’m writing this. Just like I mentioned with my 2020 TV Wrap Up, a lot of these ships helped me escape during 2020. I can’t wait to see where they’re headed for 2021. I have also started watching a few things in December, but I will be saving those ships for my 2021 list. (You’ll notice I have already expanded this list from last year.) Last year, I debated about including an Honorable Mentions sections. This year I will be including it because I wanted to still talk about these ships, but found it hard to rank them with the others. Without further ado here we go!

Oh! One last thing. Compared to previous years Bellarke has not made it on this list. J. Roth did us dirty with this last season of the 100 and I will pretend it didn’t exist.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

~ Anne with an E: Jerry and Diana

These two were SOOO CUTE until Diana started acting rude and left our perfect boy Jerry. Watching this last season back, I grew not to like this couple as much as I did the first time. This most definitely had to do with the fact that I knew the outcome AND I could see Diana using him more earlier. She wanted to experience something different and rebel and Jerry was there. But they were so cute as they walked home together and shared books. I’m also really proud of Anne for sticking by Jerry when she found out the truth about their relationship. (As you probably already know I love Jerry so much and don’t want any harm to come for him, so this was a tough one, but yes I’m still including it.)

~Umbrella Academy: Klaus and Dave

I started watching Umbrella Academy this year, so I was lucky to not just experience the first season, but also the second. I instantly fell in love with Klaus and Dave and we barely got any scenes with them. (That’s my main reason for making them an honorable mention rather than a permanent spot on this list.) I wish we had more scenes with them in love. We do get some great moments in scene two with a younger Dave, which highlights Klaus’ love for him, but it’s not the same. I really love how much Dave changed Klaus. I would argue they’re my favorite romantic relationship on the show.

~Walking Dead World Beyond: Hope and Elton

Here’s my classic shipping people together who weren’t technically romantic (but honestly those often make the best and most satisfying ships if the writers open their eyes to the chemistry that is on screen...but I digress). While they technically weren’t “romantic” you could tell that Elton grew to have a crush on Hope as the season went on. There was definitely a lot going on between their characters as Hope ***I’m going to try and avoid a spoiler here*** was one of the last people to see Elton’s mom. I think there’s potential for these two down the road and as there are only 2 seasons slotted for Walking Dead World Beyond, I can only hope this is the path the writers take.

~Violetta: Angie and Pablo

Okay, so even if you have not heard of the Disney Channel telenovela “Violetta” or seen many of my posts, can you just appreciate the chemistry in the above moment between these two people! For a good amount of season 1 of the show, Angie and Pablo were the couple for me and I was ESTATIC when they finally got together. I anticipated it wouldn’t be for long because of slight spoilers and more intuition, but god were they beautiful together. Friends to lovers to the extreme. Screw Herman! Now as I’m slowing watching season 3, I know these two won’t be OTP, but I can savor in this moment and remember the good times.

17. Violetta: Violetta and Leon

Two back to back Violetta appreciation posts. This show took up my entire 2020 from awaiting for season 2 (and 3) on Disney Plus, as well as watching the 80 episodes (a piece!). Currently, I’m trying to get back into wanting to watch season 3 (as other shows took precedent). With the amount of Violetta I watched, I couldn’t leave Violetta and Leon off this list. They were the favored ship of the show (and one of the most central). In season 1 it took me a little time to like them together, but by episode 35 I could feel the mutual attraction. I remember the moment of them singing/playing piano together. I knew they’d be endgame. My main complaint is that when these two are a part they are SUPER ANNOYING! Like they (specifically I’m thinking of Leon) say rude things about the other person and I’m like how could you be okay to get back together? Their best moments are definitely in season 2, whether singing to the other person or imagining singing to them. Definitely at the end of the season when they’re in Spain. I still have to watch the end of their love story, so I hope it’s satisfying.

16. High School Musical the Musical the Series: Nini and Ricky

So I added this ship onto my list long before I knew about any real-life/personal drama that was happening among the cast. I considered taking it off the list, but as I am discussing the fictional characters I decided to leave it. High School Musical the Musical the Series was a very early 2020 watch. I liked the show more than I was expecting and was upset to hear that season 2 wouldn’t include a performance of High School Musical 2. (I mean, Beauty and the Beast...really?) This was one of those extremely rare times where I actually liked a ship that was the main ship. Usually, I favor the other part of the love triangle or the underappreciated part. I was both shocked and happy when Ricky and Nini kissed in the finale and got together. Of course the final episode ended with some hurtles for season 2 (which now I guess there will be even more), but it was good to see them together and happy.

15. Legacies: Hope and Josie

With all of these shows ending earlier than they should have due to COVID, I feel like I’m going to sound like a broken record when I say I don’t remember a lot of what happened in this last season. (I guess for 2021 I’ll have to take more thorough notes, but then again you can see which ships I like more.) With Hope and Josie, season 2 was a bit of a rough road. I mean, what do you expect when you erase yourself from existence for the greater good, which means that your boyfriend hooks up with your friend/eventual lover? (Yes, I added in that second part.) Josie and Landon felt very awkward in the beginning of this season when they were in “love” and forgot about Hope. (I rarely heard anyone say they liked them together.) It got more awkward when Hope came back in the picture and had to watch them together. Then we had that spill with Josie being evil (which I was surprised they tackled so early on in the show. Feels like a later plot to explore). Due to all these hurtles, there were less opportunities for my OTP of Legacies. The best moment we got was in the above photo when Hope went into Josie’s subconscious and was speaking to Josie as a fictional pig the whole time. We will never forget how the “pig” suggested Hope kiss her awake. Come on Julie! Give us what we want!

14. Single Parents: Will and Angie

Will and Angie were far down on my Top Ships last year. Another friends to lovers, you could just feel the chemistry between these two and that was strengthened in season 2. (I just loved some couples more this year I guess.) Last year, they couldn’t really act on too much romance between these two because of Poppy and Douglas’ relationship, but as those two had some drama this season, Will and Angie had a greater chance of getting together. We watched moments where the two pretended to be a couple (for the sake of Will’s parents) and eventually Will came to the realization of his feelings for Angie. In a classic season 2 plot device of a sitcom, Angie decided to go with her real-life husband/Graham’s dad at the end of the season. But you could see she also had feelings for Will and they HAVE to act on those next season. I can’t remember if the show got a third season, and I will be crushed if they didn’t. Previously, they’ve been mid-season starts so I feel hopeful.

13. Emma: Emma and Knightley

The last movie I watched in movie theaters was Emma. While it makes me sad that I haven’t been able to go back since, this film was a great one to hold this memory. As an avid Jane Austen fan (and period drama as you will continue to notice), I LOVED this Emma and Knightley pairing. This couple is one of my favorites of the Austen heroines and heroes and I have many favorite reincarnations from Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller to Joanna Sotomura and Brent Bailey in Emma Approved (still so sad those two broke up). So it was very hard to live up to what I’ve watched and liked before. Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn did not disappoint and will be one of the combos I think of when I re-visit the novel. I love how we didn’t focus on their crazy age difference and really highlighted on their relationship as family friends and going back a long time. I specifically like the decision to bring in some early nods to Knightley admitting his feelings for Emma and then not doing so because of the presence of Frank Churchill. Just talking about all of this makes me want to re-watch the movie all over again. :) **If you’re a fan of this combo or Emma/Knightley in general that you have to watch this video. It is amazing!

youtube

12. Avatar The Last Airbender: Zuko and Katara

Another binge from 2020. I watched Avatar the Last Airbender in the summer and was amazed by the story-telling and how deep they could get for a kid’s program. Despite, being in MS/HS when the show originally aired, I hadn’t watched it before. So many people had told me to do and then with the help of Netflix, I felt the pull to do so during quarantine. When I headed into the show, I thought Zuko and Katara eventually got together. Mainly, because I know the fandom and love for them is so strong. I instantly felt this too. There were so many great parallels between there characters. (I mean clearly we have the whole water and fire dynamic.) Even when these two weren’t in scenes together I was thinking about how well they’d work together. So needless to say I was disappointed when they didn’t get to be endgame. We did a lot of great moments at the end of season two and definitely with season three. The Last Agni Kai scene will forever give me chills and represent how deep Zutara is. The evidence is all right there. Such a great ship.

11. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Zoey and Max

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was one of my favorite watches of 2020 and such a feel good show for a moment with a lot of uncertainty. (I highly recommend if you haven’t watched it. Season 2 just started on NBC this week.) For a while I felt very on the fence if I shipped Zoey more with Simon or Max. As you can notice friends to lovers has been a common thread with my posts (although I LOVE a good enemies to lovers) and Max was that 100%. Plus, he’s played by Skylar Astin so what’s not to love. Despite, all of that I felt both of the men in Zoey’s life had potential and I could be happy if she ended up with either one. By episode 6 I was leaning towards Max (if I’m remembering correctly this would be the “When I Wake Up” number with the scooter) and then by episode 8 I was all in! I mean she sang “I’m Yours” to him. (Episode 8 was one of my favorites for the whole season. She did a fantastic job singing and I loved the twist of events. Also, Max being there for her was adorable. The “Pressure” song in the conference room OMG, get me a Max!) The only thing that upset me about their relationship and Max’s character was how sudden his emotions were. It became all or nothing and it felt like too much. He shouldn’t have given Zoey an ultimatum like that. Once he went to work upstairs, I grew to not like this character. Luckily by the last episode I saw some of the old Max again. We’ll see what happens with this new season.

10. Julie and the Phantoms: Julie and Luke

Julie and the Phantoms: I cannot talk highly enough of this show. It is amazing and everyone needs to be watching it. Of course, it was created by Kenny Ortega so need I say more...but there is so much more to appreciate too. The actors are fantastic and I love the characters they portray! I also can’t stop listening to the music. But this moment is for Julie and Luke, sorry, I should stop promoting the show :) It was very obvious that two members of the band should fall in love and with Julie and Luke both writing their own music and being passionate about their craft it became a no-brainer that they should end up catching feelings for one another. Of course, there’s the major hurtle that he’s a ghost, but we can figure that out in season 2. Luke is obviously the better pick for Julie (Nick who?). They are just so adorable together and I can’t get over that moment when he talks to her at school by her locker and she pretends to talk on her phone. The way they look at each other says it all. (Such great acting!) Then there’s Edge of Great and Luke’s guitar solo. OH! They’re so meant for each other. While no season 2 announcement has been realized yet, there’s no way this show does not get renewed.

9. The 100: Murphy and Emori

Okay, so I know this sounds hypocritical that I said I won’t think the last season of the 100 exists and here are Murphy and Emori. But in my defense they are the best part of this season and my love for them as a couple really came to a head this season. Murphy had so much character growth and I was fearing for his life almost every episode. Same went for Emori especially after her accident I didn’t feel positive. These two (along with Raven) were the shining beacon in a very disappointing and confusing season. I love how close they are and how strong they make each other. They have been through so much and it was nice to see them so happy (despite everything going on). You just knew they’d always have each other’s backs no matter what.

8. Violetta: Fran and Diego

I feel like I would do anything for this ship and I have so many more episodes of season 3 to go. (So that’s saying something.) Another Violetta ship, but arguably the best and one that I know is endgame because I grew so obsessed that I started searching for spoilers early on. (That’s how you know it’s bad. Especially when you’re watching YouTube videos without subtitles, so you have no idea what they’re saying, but they look happy and therefore you are happy.) Fran and Diego only got together in the third and finale season of Violetta. Previously, they were a part of different romances (Diego a major one with Violetta), but at the start of this season they are put together in a lot of situations and quickly grow a strong relationship. You can feel the chemistry instantly! They just fit each other so well. Their singing voices together-OMG! While it took FOREVER for their relationship to be public knowledge, I really haven’t had any other problems with them together. (And with 80 episodes it could easily be the case.) A positive of having more than 30 episodes to go: I have more opportunity to fall even more in love with these two.

7. Sanditon: Esther and Babington

I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH! I watched Sanditon so long ago that my memory could get fuzzy, but one thing that stands out clearly is how great it was watching Esther and Babington get together. When thinking about this show people will probably immediately think of Sidney and Charlotte and while they are great and the central couple of the series, these two have my heart. Esther has SO MUCH character growth and development and Babington is a big influence on that. He helps her to see that she can be so much more than what she currently is doing and gets her away from her brother and that lifestyle. For a bit it was touch and go and I wasn’t sure if the two would be endgame, but luckily they were. It appeared to be a marriage out of friendship/necessity. Babington is fine with loving Esther more and hoping she’ll grow to love him. This quickly changes with a scene where we see the two looking very much in love. While this show only used Jane Austen’s unfinished novel as a stepping stone and became a lot more modern (than most fans liked), I thought it did a nice job with several aspects. The main one being Esther’s character. It is a show that I will definitely be re-watching and will always be upset that it did not get a second season.

6. Legends of Tomorrow: Ava and Sara

A great ship since Ava was introduced. These two balance each other out so well and are one of the most constant ships on the show. (As the Waverider’s doors continue to be revolving in recent seasons.) Each season we watch their relationship deepen and I truly felt that with this most recent season of Legends. Now this might sound super ironic, because from what I can remember (remember 2020 brain, it’s been a while since watching), Sara was off the Waverider a lot, leaving Ava in charge. Sara was away for so many episodes that I started to question (and do a lot of Google searching) if she was leaving the show. Despite the two being a part, I feel we got to know Ava’s character more. She has definitely grown since we first met her all those seasons ago. Due to this development, I felt this couple deserved this spot on the list. When we got to the end of last season ***SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS*** and it looked like Sara (and actually all the Legends) might die, my heart broke for them. Ava and Sara deserve the world. And with the way the finale ended it’s going to be some time till they get it. Once again, Legends is the best CW Superhero show (I said it) and everyone should be watching it.

5. The Spanish Princess: Mary Tudor and Charlie Brandon

This ship is so underappreciated and deserves to be talked about more!!! (Another common thread in many of these entries.) I have searched for Tumblr posts and YouTube videos and have only found a few dedicated to this couple. There needs to be more!! As the second season of the Spanish Princess dragged for me a bit, once Mary Tudor and Charlie Brandon got more screen time and a plot-line I was instantly sucked in. They nicely balanced the falling out of love of Katherine and Harry. There should have been more scenes with Mary and Charlie. Right away, you could feel some sort of chemistry, but Mary had to be married to the King of France. Then the King dies and she’s promised to pick a marriage of love for her second marriage. Knowing her brother and expecting that she will be married off again she marries the messenger come to get her from France, Charlie Brandon. Super intrigued by their story I looked up the history of the real Mary and Charlie Brandon and their story matches very closely. They got married despite the King’s rules and had many children together. It seems to be a marriage of love like she wanted. This couple will forever be one of my favorites.

They are also one of my major reasons for wanting to watch the Tudors. While they completely change the Mary and Charles romance (Firstly by naming her Margaret), at least it was very easy to watch. As Charles Brandon is played by the beautiful Henry Cavill.

4. The Outpost: Talon and Garret

Speaking of underappreciated ships (and TV shows), I present Talon and Garret from CW’s The Outpost. It was SO HARD for me to find a picture from the third (and latest season) of them to put with this post. It’s even hard to watch any scenes of the show on YouTube. Talon and Garret FINALLY got together this season and it was ABOUT TIME! Since season 1 you have felt the tension between these two, but there were always obstacles and people in between them. There seemed to be potential in the first season and by the start of third I was not holding out hope anymore that they would be together. So, it was such a joyous occasion when they became endgame (is that too soon to say? I have no idea if there’s another season on the horizon). This couple solidified my love for a WARRIOR romance. One where, despite being two different genders (and for this show species), both partners are equal in strength and fighting ability. (Well, Talon could take Garret, but they are such a powerful duo!) I now want to read and watch more romances/ships with this trope. [Please let me know if you have any suggestions.] Just talking about them, I can’t help but smile (almost as big as Garret when he saw Talon again before she left for another mission). At the end of the season they might have tried to make it seem like they would pick other partners and I’m so glad they didn’t. You seriously need to watch this show if any of the above sounded appealing/you like high fantasy and maybe a little CGI cheesiest.

3. The Society: Grizz and Sam

It breaks my heart talking about this ship ever since Netflix released that they were taking back the second season renewal of The Society. I started watching the Society during quarantine (shocking I know), but I do remember a lot from my time watching (more shocking, right?). Hands down the best couple from this show was Grizz and Sam. They weren’t introduced right away and again I might have cheated when I suspected the two might get together, so I looked up some spoilers. (Honestly, that’s the best sign of a ship in my book. If I can’t wait and need to look up spoilers then your show has a good thing going.) Individually Grizz and Sam were my favorite characters and then pairing them together I was dead. So many amazing moments with them. Naturally we didn’t get enough and I will continue to watch fan videos (because there are so many). They are precious and I’m so glad we got some closure at the end of the season because if we didn’t this cancellation would have been even harder.

2. Nancy Drew: Nancy and Ace

Okay, I’ll try to keep this brief because I know I’ve talked about this couple A LOT on this page in 2020 (but that might be difficult FYI). From an honorable mention thought last year to #2 this year-THAT’S HUGE! But they deserve it, even if they haven’t officially become a couple on the show...well not yet. Early on in the first season I felt a pull between these two characters, which is super ironic seeing as how they had few scenes together and were a part of two different romances. (I mean Nancy had two different love interests.) I thought I was just imagining things (as I do often pair people who barely share plots), but then episode 14 happened and I was sold. Then I came onto Tumblr and discovered the amount of people that felt it too and knew we had something. Shout out to all the other blogs that mention Nace or are made just to honor this amazing duo. I know they will be endgame too and value all your posts that I’m constantly liking and looking for.

Again, there’s so much I could talk about, but I’ll focus on how much they trust and listen to one another. (I mean Ace drank that stuff because he trusted Nancy!!!) I love how they get paired up on cases and go into investigator mode. They speak SO CLOSE to one another and just all the looks! If we don’t get more moments in the second season I don’t know how I’ll survive. They are just so perfect and I could easily see them become number 1 next year. I cannot wait for the start of season 2 on Jan. 20th!! For now I’ll fast forward through old episodes and watch my favorite moments. Like these:

AND NUMBER ONE.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

1. Anne with an E: Anne and Gilbert

Now I know what you’re thinking...’Stephanie, didn’t you pick Shirbert last year too?’ Why, yes that is true. But back then I had only watched seasons 1 and 2 with some spoiler videos of season 3. The release hadn’t come to Netflix yet. Since then, I have watched the last season (and the show as a whole multiple times). It’s just so good and watching the growth of the characters (not only Shirbert) means so much more when you can watch the episodes back to back. But we’re here for Shirbert and how we watched them rise. Yes, it departed from the novel, but I love the twists and turns it took getting to endgame. So many looks and unspoken feelings. I thought it was great how Anne discovered her feelings. I hated Winifred, but understood her purpose. Anne and Gilbert will always be one of my top OTPs no matter which adaptation. Of course, the book will always be the tops, but so many great representations of it have been done on screen. Ultimate enemies to friends to lovers. I hope to one day create characters that could be so strong and beloved.

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rickybowensfever · 3 years

Text

Sicktember - Ricky’s Doctor Visit

Part two of What If Ricky Missed Auditions?

Read on AO3

#Sicktember prompts

Doctor’s Visit/Check Up

Contagious

CW: Lack of appetite

By Friday, Ricky felt awful. He had a pounding headache, his throat was raw, excruciatingly sore and his fever lingered from the day before. While his Dad was calling him out of school for another day, he texted him.

R: can you take me to the dr?

D: Sure!!

Ricky sat in the cold office. Fluorescent lights flickering. He wore a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. He was shivering even though he just took another dose of medicine before he left the house. Talking was becoming unbearable as the pain in his throat got worse with every word he made out.

“Ricky Bowen?” the nurse called out.

Ricky nodded as he heard his name and walked back with the nurse to an empty room.

“So, Ricky, what’s going on?” she asked, with a laptop resting on her lap.

“My throat. Is. Sore” he said, hoarsely. Almost rolling his eyes at her questions. His throat hurt so much, he’d rather not talk. But, he knew that was impossible.

“Right. Okay. And, when did that start?” she asked.

“Wednesday” he muttered, wincing as he talked.

After what felt like a million questions, the nurse exited the room until the doctor came in.

The door opened and a tall, brown man in a white coat came into the room.

“Hi, Ricky! I’m Dr. Martinez” the man said, taking a seat where the nurse sat.

Ricky answered the same questions he just told the nurse. He felt annoyed having to repeat himself especially when his throat was on fire.

The man examined his eyes, nose, and finally, his throat.

“Ah, I see. Well, I’m going to run a strep test. Is that alright?” he asked.

Ricky nodded. Sure, whatever would make him get out of here faster and make his throat hurt less.

The doctor came back with a white stick incased in plastic. He opened the plastic and revealed the thin stick.

“This will be a little uncomfortable, but it’ll be quick” he explained, holding the instrument up in the air.

“Open” the doctor instructed. Ricky opened his mouth and the doctor swabbed his throat. Ricky coughed, groaning from the pain.

“Be right back!” the doctor said.

Ricky yawned. God, he was so tired. He just wanted to go home and go right back to bed.

Minutes later, the doctor came back.

“Hi, Ricky. The strep test came back positive,” the doctor said, “I’m going to write you a prescription for some antibiotics, and I can write you a doctor’s note as well. You’ll probably be back at school in about 5-7 days. I’ll consult with your Dad on when the note should be good until” the doctor explained to him.

He quickly wrote on a white sheet of paper and handed it to him.

“Here is the prescription. You can give this to your dad and I’ll walk you out” the man said.

Ricky nodded. “Thanks,” he said, raspy.

“Sure thing! Feel better” he said as they walked into the waiting room.

“Mr. Bowen, a word?” the doctor said. Mike got up from his seat to greet the doctor.

“Dr. Martinez, nice to meet you,” the man said, and continued to fill his Dad in on everything.

Ricky sat in the waiting room until his Dad finished talking. “Alright, let’s get this prescription in and I’ll take you home to get some rest. Then, I’ll go pick it up later. You might want to give Nini and Miss Jenn a heads up. Sorry, bud” his dad said, feeling bad for his son.

Ricky was relieved when the car drove into their driveway. He quickly unbuckled his seat belt and slowly walked up to his room.

“I’ll bring up some more of that pain reliever and maybe some soup?” His Dad asked his son as he was halfway up the stairs.

Ricky turned his head, nodding at his Dad.

“Sorry, I know you’re in pain,” he said, “Get some rest, and I’ll keep the soup on the stove for later”

Ricky nodded again and finally made it to his bed where he curled up under the covers and fell asleep.

His phone was blowing up when he woke up. His room was dark. Ugh, he must’ve been asleep for hours.

N: hey babe, any news?

N: hope you’re resting, love you <3

Wildcats GC 50 Unread Messages

His throat was raw, the pain medicine from earlier clearly wore off. Ricky dreaded having to tell his friends and Nini that he was too sick for auditions. It was Friday. Usually, he was going to Slices with Nini and meeting their friends there for their Friday night plans - playing board games and watching movies on Netflix at Ashlynn’s.

Ricky took a deep breath. He took his phone, tapped Nini’s messages opening them on his screen, and started typing away.

R: gonna miss auditions

R: i have strep

Nini was probably already at Ashlynn’s, rehearsing for tomorrow. So, while he waited for his phone to buzz, he attempted to get out of bed and get his antibiotics.

He slowly walked down the stairs, hearing the TV playing. His Dad was watching college baseball. Trying to be as quiet as possible, his Dad inevitably heard him.

“Hey, Rick! I got your medicine and there’s some soup on the stove. Medicine is on the counter”

“Thanks,” he said, his voice hoarse. Ricky took the white bag from the pharmacy and pulled out an orange bottle with his name on it, reading the directions, he took one large pill chasing down with water.

His appetite was non-existent. But, he knew he had to eat something. He clicked on the stovetop where the pot of soup was sitting and stirred it with a spoon, waiting for the heat to kick on.

Bzz.

N: Aw, that’s not good :( I’m sorry! I’m at Ash’s and everyone says to get better!

N: Let me know if you need anything! Love you <3

R: thx but strep is contagious, i don’t want you catching it

N: That doesn’t mean I can’t drop something off at your house :)

Ricky smiled softly. He was so excited for auditions when Miss Jenn announced it. Though, he would’ve preferred HSM 2. He was more prepared for that, anyway. However, since he auditioned and was the lead for High School Musical, he really enjoyed singing and dancing - and now it was being taken from him.

Well, I guess that’s what he got for trying to miss his Math test.

#hsmtmsts sickfic #HSMTMSTS #sicktember #fever #doctors visit prompt #whump #sickfic #sickfic ricky bowen #sick ricky bowen #nini and ricky #nini and ricky sickfic #!sickrickybowen #strep throat #strep throat sickfic #ricky bowen is sick #hsmtmts season 2 #my sickfics #hsmtsmts sickfics #sicktember 2021

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organic-guacamole · 3 years

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episode 210 here we go

awww seb doing the intro

congratulations to milky white and her baby chocolate milk😌

seb is so funny

but seriously, clean up that milk fast or else it will smell so bad in there....

was that Lauryn just randomly doing cartwheels? idk any theatre kids irl but that seems like it's a common thing...

is it just me or has ms Jenn been getting more harsh to Ricky and Seb mainly-

like what did they do to her

no because I actually snorted with laughter at the "you came back" WHAT IS THAT VOICE-

AND THE MASK OMG

yeah so my throat hurts now

I'm dying over here

KOURTNEY'S FACE

SAME GIRL SAME

Ricky's fake death got the whole place in tears /s

he looks like an asthmatic walrus

Seb's on piano, I love

we all know if he was the beast we'd all actually be crying✋

ok but I listen to Julia's version of home on Spotify when I want to cry-

right so gimme a second

is Ricky scratching his face.....while he's dying?

"belle i-" *flop*

round of applause to Ashlyn for trying to make Ricky's earthworm seizure look less.... yknow

Kourtney's just dying there

WAIT IS THAT NATALIE

did she really just disappear for 9 episodes just to come back and stare dramatically into the camera

WAIT SCRATCH THAT SHES HERE TO MURDER ASHLYN AND RICKY

oh so Ricky's wearing a gay shirt now too

so that's the real reason why Rini broke up, see y'all next season when Gini and caswen become canon /j

wait that was a long intro scene-

what was that look Carlos-

TALK TO MY BOY OR ELSE

carlos' run is so funny to me

therapist Ashlyn to the rescue

"that is...super" son you good?

ms Jenn call Benjamin, he would willingly put his loved ones on a rocket and blast them into Venus for you....

maybe

"I don't want you kids to be disappointed" girl you do realise you're the one that's most invested in this?

"a smooth opening night" wasn't there just 1 show though-

like their opening night was closing night too

"I think I was Troy at one point" PLEASE THATS THE MOST ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE SEASON 1 FINALE

me Jenn looks like a serial killer during that clap and I'm lowkey scared for zacky

"I have notes"

oo if you're taking suggestions, lemme get my list

"mother is freaking out" uhhhhhh

right....'mother"

"is everyone sitting down?"

*looks around awkwardly*

*big red slowly sits*

"no..."

please seb was the only one sitting-

does that mean Carlos looked at Seb as soon as he walked in and assumed that everyone else was sitting too or am I a seblos clown🤡

"is this about the transformation"

WOW MAYBE OT IS RICKY

WOW HES A DETECTIVE FOR FIGURING THAT OUT SO QUICK🤩

YO WHY IS NATALIE HERE-

she just shows up when it's convenient? is she gonna be at the sleepover too?

Seb's heavy swallow after Carlos shouts at him makes me so sad

"I never learned how to lie but I figure if I keep my mouth closed, I can't tell the truth" *nods and smiles at Nini when she asks*

why are they casually standing up all over the pizza shop, just sit at a big table and talk instead of blocking passageways and blocking off at least 6 tables-

"how about I invite myself" WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS FEEL THE NEED TO INVITE THEMSELVES TO ASHLYN'S HOUSE-

YOU CAN ASK BUT JUST FORCE YOUR WAY IN?

so Cash Caswell has a bigger house than... Dennis Caswell.... who would've thought

ah yes there's the good old EJ 1.0

Nini: "boys vs girls"

Gina: *looks devastated and glances longingly at EJ*

way to be inconspicuous

"but north high should be" *cracks her knuckles in the most uncomfortable way*

good for Ashlyn for getting more confident though

oo bossy big red

"i get bossy around the power tools"

is that why Ashlyn was holding up the drill in episode 8 orrrr 🤠

Lily, leave him alone please

she's literally not blinking, is that what makes her creepy?

the diss at big red and his face afterwards is priceless

isn't that similar to what Gina's mom said to her in season 1? hmmmm

but seriously please don't try to redeem lily, let us have a character to hate, or to love because they're evil.

not everyone's a good guy.

"im not liked here and I don't know what to do"

let antoine finish his salad and it'll fix everything

"hug emoji" *gags*

y'all realize Lily's literally 14?

why is she calling a 16/17 year old from another school for personal advice-

"he gets weird around tools"

I shouldn't be laughing so hard

"deja vu maybe?" awkward silence

I'm dying here I love EJ so so so so much

"where's seb"

*cuts to seb being held hostage hoping that they'd notice he's missing and go look for him*

"don't ask"

"oh ok"

"100% real faux fur" as you should queen