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thera-daydreams · 3 years

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PLUS ONE

》 A TRESE TWOSHOT 《

[Maliksi x Reader]

📝 Summary: In which your beloved best friend snatches you from your apartment at dawn asking you to be his plus one for his cousin's wedding. Unbeknownst to the clueless you, everything is just going according to Maliksi's ultimate masterplan. With the help of friends and family, the Prince of the Tikbalang finally gets the girl he's been longing for. And oh, Señor Armanaz gets his dream daughter-in-law and the promise of grandchildren within the year.

📌 Warning: May contain some slight NSFW for spicy suggestiveness and cussing. No smut or anything super SPG—this girl can't write that for her life—but just be prepared. It's Maliksi we're talking about. We've got friends-to-lovers, obliviousness, pining, fluff, and a tikbalang simp. Figure it out. 😃

(word count: 7,454) ♥︎ Part Two: ?

》 AUTHOR'S NOTE 《

Not an Inday spinoff, but a lengthy oneshot in celebration of this blog getting 90 followers. Just ten more to 100, yay! Thank you so much for the love and support, everyone. I also promised that I'll be making this brainrot that @binibiningbabaylan and I have fangirled over a few days ago (find the original post here) when I finished the latest chapter of Inday. Here it is! 🥰

Before I forget, I was also inspired by the cute fic made by @crispybasil titled "Sunshowers" and the "Trese Boys As Things My Guy Friends Do" made by the amazing @smolla-than-a-bug (I bow down to your wonderful works in the Trese fandom). I definitely see Maliksi to be the type to go on spontaneous roadtrips and be the boyfriend to drive you around eveeeerywhere (while also driving you crazy). 🚘

There are also some songs mentioned throughout this work. You should probably listen to them while reading for the full experience. Ending was somewhat rushed but eh, I'm too exhausted and I've rewritten it too many times. Also, if someone makes some actual tikbalang smut, tag me please. Anyways, enjoy! 💕

The way it all started was hilarious. Absolutely fucking hilarious. It happened like a blur. Literally. One second, you were snoozing in your bed. The next? You had a seatbelt on in the shotgun seat of a sophisticated-looking car. Your brain didn't even get to process it yet.

"... So let me get this straight," you grumbled, still half-asleep from your sleep marathon. You just finished a hugely successful project at work yesterday, got promoted, and wanted to make up for the restless nights you spent overtime in the office. Of course you were irritated from being disturbed. You were on vacation leave for two entire weeks, originally planning to go into temporary isolation by deactivating your social media accounts and reserving a beach cabana for yourself in Batangas.

Well, turns out, you weren't going to Batangas anytime soon. All because your unreasonably spontaneous bestfriend of ten hectic years stole you from your apartment at 2AM. Was this considered kidnapping? Was this him just being more in touch with his tikbalang side, taking unsuspecting women in their sleep and leading them to their inevitable death? (He was going over the speed limit, so it was a valid thought.) Will wearing your shirt inside-out save you today? Lord, masyado ka pang pagod para mag-isip ngayon.

"Go on."

"You abducted picked me up in the middle of the night because you want me to be your plus one at your cousin's wedding in Tagaytay?"

"Yup. And technically, the venue is right on the outskirts of Cavite going to Tagaytay," he corrected you as a matter-of-factly.

"Same thing, whatever," you huffed tiredly. "Your cousin's wedding is at 6AM today. In a few hours. In four hours."

"Uh-huh."

You groaned exasperatedly, "Mal naman, eh! You didn't even let me bring anything. Could've at least given me a heads-up a few hours ago. I'm practically emptyhanded right now save for my phone! Sinungaling ka, you said this was just a normal midnight drive—not a freaking wedding!"

The Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang, son of the Great Stallion, heir to the Armanaz herd, and the Top Drag Racer of C-5 Expressway—if that was even one of his Game of Thrones-like titles—grinned as he continued driving beside you. He let you continue ranting in the passenger seat while he mulled over his ultimate masterplan that would change his entire life later on. He was a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy, so all this wasn't his thing. But for you? He'll make plans, alright.

"Wala man lang akong dinalang masusuot o kahit konting makeup para maging presentable sa harapan ng buong pamilya mo," you exclaimed, in absolute despair. "Do you know how out of my league you are? Your rich-ass family might judge me—hell, your dad might see me as a hampaslupa if I show up there in my pambahay and tsinelas!"

"Psh, I'm not out of your league," Maliksi waved it off, smoothly turning a corner. "And calm down. We've known each other for a decade! My dad practically loves you as his own daughter. Heck, the entire family knows you and keeps telling me they want you adopted in already. Lolo Andres and Lola Perlita said they'd have the paperwork settled. You just need to sign them."

It would be even better (and easier) if you married into the family. To him, specifically (as if he'd let anyone else have you). God, he was already being so obvious in his advances, but you were just so damn oblivious whenever it came to romance. None of this needed to happen if you just got it through your thick skull that he was madly in love with you.

"That's not the point, idiot!" you slumped back into your seat, hopeless. "Do you think the bride and the groom will get offended? Shit, baka masumpaan ako kung magagalit sila, Mal. Mukha akong patay galing sa South Cemetery."

The long-haired tikbalang rolled his eyes, "Huwag kang mag-alala. Nothing's going to go wrong. Chill ka lang diyan. I've got everything under control, babe."

Babe. Yes, he even called you babe but you thought it was him being a himbo and a massive flirt. Now, it was his common term of endearment for you, but you still assumed it was him just being irksome to you and that you couldn't stop the man from saying it anymore. Thus, you let it be (the most obvious hint of his attraction to you, bestie).

"... Ugh, why didn't you ask Hannah or Amie to go with you?"

He just smiled knowingly, shrugging and making up an excuse, "Nagmamadali ako, eh. Hannah and Amie are also coming, but they already have the other tikbalang as dates."

"'Luh, ako pala ang backup choice mo?"

"Heh. Whatever you want to think."

Little did you know that you were always his first choice. Always. Even when he pursued Alexandra Trese many years ago, trying to convince himself you were just his best friend, it was always you. How did he come to that realization? Well, an international band he was a fan of released a song a couple years ago and he heard it being played in a club in BGC. The song title?

It Was Always You by Maroon 5.

Needless to say, after hearing the song and being unable to get it—get you—out of his mind at night, he stopped courting Alexandra. Unfortunately for him, that time, you'd started dating other men. Therefore, he was left on the sidelines... until your latest and most painful breakup, at least. That was five years ago. You still hadn't dated anyone since then, kind of traumatized from getting into another failed relationship like that.

In the present day, as if the fates were playing on you two, one of your favorite artists played on the radio. A very ironic song given the situation you two were in.

Best Friend by Rex Orange County.

Maliksi knew it was a favorite of yours. He knew it by the way your eyes lit up like a star brightening the twinkling night sky. Like the sun first rising in the morning at Apolaki's command. Like the moon extending its gentle rays from the magic of Mayari herself. If there was anything he wanted to ask of the old gods, it was you—everything else be damned.

"I wanna be the one that makes your day, the one you think about as you lie awake," you half-sang and half-screamed happily, somewhat out-of-tune. "I can't wait to be your number oooooone! I'll be your biggest fan and you'll be mine—"

Maliksi glanced at you, not minding that his eardrums were probably getting microscopic ruptures from your aggressive singing. As much as he wanted to stare at you all day, he had to keep his eyes on the road. But the lyrics you were singing were wrong; the Prince of the Tikbalang was already yours from day one.

"Babe, McDo drive-through tayo for breakfast. Let me make it up to you. Gusto mo ng caramel sundae for your promotion gift? Sige. Ako bahala. Chicken nuggets din? Mabubusog ka ba niyan? I don't think they serve those this early..."

》》》

"Sandali lang!" you shouted out from inside an empty room. You'd just arrived at the venue—the Alta Veranda de Tibig in Silang, Cavite (practically the gateway to Tagaytay)—an hour or so ago. The hired makeup artist just left so that you could privately change into the outfit that had been bought specifically for you. Curse Mal and his ability to buy anything (perhaps anyone) he wanted. "Bwiset, Mal, you didn't tell me we'd be part of the damn entourage. We have to be walking the aisle in thirty minutes, simbako! You just love rushing me, don't you!?"

If only you were the one walking down the aisle today towards him.

When you exited the room, Maliksi couldn't help but let his jaw drop as he skimmed your figure, clad in the luxurious, silky satin blush midi dress he bought in one of those fancy stores in Makati yesterday. He imagined that it would look great on you, but now, seeing it on you in person... you looked divine (and frankly, he wanted to see it off your body to see what was underneath—but don't get too ahead of yourself, Mal). It was a whole 'nother level from his imagination. The deep cowl neckline and thin spaghetti straps showed your lovely collarbones... as well as a peek of your cleavage. His favorite and the best part of it all? It was backless, allowing him to gaze at the tempting curve of your spine.

He hadn't realized he had grown silent until you smiled and closed his mouth, tapping his chin.

"Lalangawin ang bibig mo, Mal," you laughed softly. Never had you seen him so speechless. You then flicked your hair back, ridiculously posing for him like you were on the cover of Vogue magazine (haba ng hair mo, gurl!). "Do I look that good? Char lang."

"... You look absolutely ravishing—I mean, uh, stunning. Hot. Yeah." That was all he could say. He mentally punched himself for not showering you with more suave compliments.

Still, your face brightened up, not knowing that the man in front of you just fell for you a thousand times harder, "Wow! Really? Damn. Ang galing talaga ng MUA na kinuha mo, ginawa akong artista. Give me their contact number later! May work event pa naman ako in two months. I'm shocked, it's like they made me rise from the dead! Even my eyebags are gone, Mal! How'd they do that?" Heck yeah, your confidence was boosted. He offered his arm to you like a gentleman, making you half-heartedly roll your eyes (you took it anyway). From holding it alone, you could tell that your best friend was a sinewy man (well, you knew that already after seeing his tikbalang form before—the little shit didn't even wear a loincloth like all his clanmates; your poor eyes were eternally scarred).

You looked him up and down. You wouldn't lie—Maliksi is and always has been an attractive man. Now? With his hair in a ponytail (pun not intended), definitely one of the hunkiest men you've ever known. "You're not looking too bad yourself, horsey."

"Ako pa!" He puffed his chest out in pride. You chuckled at his reaction.

"By the way, how do you even know my dress size and my shoe size?"

"Babe, I've known you too long. You know almost everything about me, I know everything about you."

You snorted at his confident tone, "'Di nga? You don't know every single thing about me, Mal. Assuming ka masyado."

"Alam ko nga anong cup size mo. Wala lang 'yang shoe and dress size."

You slapped his shoulder, cheeks quickly flushing red, "Huy, umayos ka! Walang hiyang tikbalang na 'to." With this guy as your best friend? You heard dirty jokes at least once a day. "Don't be inappropriate here!"

"What? It's only fair I know!" He looked down on you suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. "You already know I always go commando, so of course I know that your bra is a size—"

"Shhh! Baka marinig ka, 'nyeta."

"So? Let them hear. My best friend has a nice set of melons!" he shouted. You were grateful there was no one around. Hopefully.

"Oh my God..."

Your best friend chortled at how flustered you'd become. He led you to where some of his family was waiting, with a couple of his relatives already greeting you. You instantly and quite easily mingled with them, your worries of them not accepting you far from even true (they all knew how much their prince loved the innocent you).

"Kayo na talaga, pare?" one of his older tikbalang clanmates asked while you went away to be fawned over by his aunts.

Maliksi chuckled, crossing his arms as he watched you from afar, "Heh. Hindi pa."

Another one of his clanmates—a younger one—laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, "Talaga? That's cap, bro. You two are like a married couple already and you guys still aren't a thing?"

"Ilang taon na ba kayong magkakaibigan?" the older one asked him.

"Almost ten years," Maliksi responded, a smile unconsciously pulling his lips up as he remembered your moments together. He watched you converse with his female relatives (who adored you the moment Maliksi brought you to a family event many moons ago).

The two tikbalang snickered as they saw the look on the Great Stallion's heir.

"You're down bad," the younger one said, snapping a photo of his lovestruck kuya. "You've got it so bad for her, dudeparechong!"

"Balak mong ligawan anytime soon?" the older tikbalang inquired.

"Heh. Balak ko na ngang pakasalan. Kung pwede, ngayon."

They looked at Maliksi as if he was crazy. He was very much serious, though, even if there was a huge, lopsided smile on his face. The Prince of the Tikbalang raised a brow at them.

"What? Don't give me that look. Our ten years of being best friends is practically the courting and the dating stage already."

"Eh... you're right. Don't waste anymore time. Go and marry her today, dude. Suporta kami sa'yo, basta groomsmen kami sa kasal niyo, ha!"

"Ge. Without question."

Meanwhile, on your end with the ladies of the family, they started pestering you on your love life (like all typical Filipino aunties). Chismis everywhere.

"O, iha, single ka pa ba?"

"Kailan ka magpapakasal? Malapit ka nang pumasok sa thirties mo."

"Do you want kids? How many?"

"Are you and Maliksi a couple? You look good together! Kayo na, 'di ba?"

"Will you be getting married next? Are you engaged? When's the wedding? Invite niyo kami!"

Before you could get overwhelmed by their questions, Maliksi swept you off your feet to lead you to the entourage that was lining up outside the chapel area. Again, it happened like a blur. He laughed at the partially nauseated look on your face.

"You okay there?" he asked, grinning.

"Your family thinks we're together," you muttered quietly, not meeting his eyes. You weren't sure why you felt... tingly about their statements.

He tilted his head at you curiously, gently setting you down on your feet and helping you stand.

"Do you hate the idea?" It hurt him to ask you the question, but he wanted your thoughts on it. Perhaps doing this was a bad idea. Maliksi was competitive in many things, including wanting you to be his, but if you were so opposed to it, he would never force you into something you didn't want. He let go of your hand; you didn't even notice he'd been holding it until he let go. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Your wide-eyed gaze snapped back to look up at him, "No! No, it's not that! And... it's not bad." Your hand felt strangely empty now that his was gone. Biting your lip, you disclosed, "You're not making me uncomfortable, Mal. Don't ever think that."

With that, you shyly interlocked your arm with his, tearing your eyes from his to mask the growing warmth you felt spreading in your veins. You two didn't say anything else when the ushers let you walk down the beautiful, petal-covered aisle together.

The man beside you was starstruck. Hopeful. Maybe both of you did have a chance. Maybe somewhere in the depths of your soul, his feelings for you were being reciprocated. For the rest of the sacred ceremony in the gorgeous main pavilion, both of you relished in short, comfortable, and low conversations. He even cracked jokes every once in a while—really funny ones that made it challenging for you to you stifle your laughter.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride."

Maliksi fervently prayed to Bathala that he'd experience the same opportunity he was seeing with you someday. One day.

Even while the sun was brightly out, the sky began showering down light rain onto the land. You were in awe as you looked out the window.

"Hala, totoo nga pala! Tignan mo!" you laughed, tugging Maliksi's suit sleeve, pointing at the window.

"Na ano?" he curiously inquired, not understanding what you were referring to.

"Na kapag may tikbalang na kinakasal, umuulan habang may araw pa," you replied, eyes filled with childlike mirth and wonder. A rainbow had even begun to form by the clouds. "Look, it's magical! Ang ganda pala ng view dito kasama ang old Spanish architecture. Timeless na timeless. It's so pretty, 'no? Picture tayo 'maya, Mal."

Unlike you, it wasn't the sky outside that the prince was looking at. Amidst the loud cheers for the newlywed couple and the bubbles the guests were blowing, his vision could only focus on how magnificent you looked while being amazed. You were his best view. (Ed from 90-Day Fiancé, kabahan ka na, may katapat ka sa pickup line mo.)

》》》

"Smile for the picture!"

You giggled as Maliksi was dragged into a photo-op with the bridesmaids and the important older wedding sponsors a few feet away (funnily, he looked a little constipated around them). All of a sudden, when he was heading back to your direction, you were roughly pushed into the said man's arms. When you turned around, there was nothing (except maybe a gust of wind that came out of nowhere).

"Ooh, gotcha. Careful," the tikbalang steadied you, strong hands holding your biceps. "Natapilok ka?"

"... Huh, hindi naman," you wondered suspiciously, looking around. "I think someone pushed me? Parang tinulak ako... but wala namang tao."

"Weird. Maybe it was just the wind."

It actually was. Really. Maliksi knew for a fact that it was those two taong hangin who were spying on you from the corner, trying to pair you up. He gave them a thumbs-up while your back was turned in the opposite direction. Hannah and Amie returned the thumbs-up before vanishing. Suddenly, the two wedding photographers had moved on from the bridesmaids and were right beside you.

"What a lovely couple you two are!" she praised. Before you could correct her, she held up the black contraption she held towards you two. "Pose for the camera, lovelies!"

And so you did, the photographer guiding you two on what to do. Maliksi wrapped his arm around your waist and you leaned on his side, looking sidewards to the camera with one leg cocked in front of the other. Her assistant, who was holding a polaroid camera, printed out two photos for you.

"Thank you," you told him, taking the photos from his hands then flicking them rapidly to make the images develop. You and Mal were about to walk to the reception area when the photographer stopped you, handing the male beside you a business card.

"If you two need a photographer or a videographer for your wedding, call me," she signaled to both of you before running to another guest, bringing her assistant with her.

You gawked, "Mal, did you just hear what she said?"

"Loud and clear." A grin was on his face. He seemed very pleased at what he heard.

"... How can she even tell if someone is married or not?"

Maliksi's free hand took your left hand, tapping the ring finger, "Nothing here."

"Ooooooh. I get it now." Your brows creased. "Huh. This is like the fifth time today the people here have mistaken us for a couple."

Maliksi shrugged, teasing you, "Who knows? Baka may potential tayo, babe."

Before you could ask him what he meant, he was hurriedly towing you to the reception venue. While he was doing that, you stared at the now-developed polaroid photos you were holding. Huh. Maybe you two did look like a couple.

"Come on, they're serving some snacks at the welcome reception area. Peach pie and mango float-flavored. Paborito mo, babe."

》》》

The rest of the night went by without a hitch. You were actually enjoying the event—the host was great, the food was great, the music was great. Everything was great... that was, until the games.

"Alright! Now that the bride's garter has been removed, let's have the bouquet and garter toss... starting with the females!" the host announced. "Dear bride, please stay here in front. And all single ladies—and by single I mean ready to mingle and are not married—please rise and stand here on the dance floor. Let's play matchmaker tonight, everyone!"

"Uy, single ladies daw," Maliksi nudged your side. "Sign mo na 'yan." You snorted like a pig.

"Nope, ayokong madamay sa bouquet toss," you whisper-yelled at your best friend. "Do you know how embarrassing that is?! Besides, they won't notice if I don't join! Special tactic ko 'yan sa weddings: pretending I'm not single. Katabi naman kita."

More women came to the front, making you feel assured that you didn't need to participate. The host was about to say something, when the bride interrupted to whisper something into his ear.

"Hala, halaaa! Sabi ko all single ladies, pero may isang single lady na nagtatago pa!" he announced, making you freeze. Please don't let it be you. "What's her name, beloved bride?"

"Y/N L/N." You nearly spat out your champagne. You? Did they just call out your name? How did they know?

"Oh fuck," you cursed quietly.

"'Di ka makakatakas dito, babe," Maliksi jabbed, making you stand up. "Tinatawag ka na."

"Baka may ibang Y/N L/N dito," you resisted, attempting to sit back down. "I can't do this, Mal."

"'Sus, ikaw pa. And it's just a symbolic ceremony!" he encouraged, as if he didn't have any underlying intentions. "I doubt the bouquet will go to you anyway."

Sheesh, what a big fat liar you are, tikbalang prince.

You expressed your dissatisfaction with the situation, "Bwiset, fine. I'll just... dodge it. Or evade it. God, I swear..." You calmed down, confident. "I'm not going to worry. I've never caught the bouquet at my own friends' weddings anyway."

When you were at the dance floor, Maliksi snickered, seeing the bride—his cousin—wink at him. After all, he had thoroughly bribed her earlier.

《《《

"It's about time you settled down with someone, Mal," the bride commented while he slipped her the newest Hermés designer bag filled with a bunch of jewelry (plus some bills) two hours ago, right before the reception began and while you were in the restroom freshening up. "Hehehe, this is why you're my favorite cousin."

"Do we have a deal?"

"Of course. I'll make sure she participates. I'll also try to throw it in her direction."

"Good. Thanks."

"You better invite me to your beach wedding. I can tell how much you love her."

"Not a problem. I'll even make you a sponsor."

The bride stared at her bouquet, already practicing how she was going to throw it, "Tito's going to thank me so much for ensuring that he's going to get grandkids soon, hihi."

》》》

Back to the present, on the other end of the room, Maliksi saw a familiar duo give him a sign that they were ready. Bingo. Time to execute the most important part of his plan.

《《《

"I don't care how you do it," he told the two wind elementals after he bribed the bride. "I've already instructed the bride on what she should do, pero siguraduhin niyo lang talagang lumipad sa kanya ang bouquet."

"Mmhmm," Amie flipped her hair, a hand on her cocked hip. "And what do we get in return, oh great Señorito Armanaz?"

"Sagot ko bar-hopping niyo for one month."

The two girls pretended to think about it, making Maliksi roll his eyes. He had to pull out the big guns, huh?

"Fine. Magbibigay ako ng cash deposit plus pwede niyong gamitin ang black card ko for a one-week shopping spree in Ortigas." There. Bullseye. That's what they liked.

"Deal!" they exclaimed excitedly.

Hannah let a cool gust of wind enter one of the nearby windows, testing out how they're going to do this. "Ano pa bang pinaplano mo for Y/N mamaya?"

Maliksi hummed, "Basta."

》》》

You tried your best to hide within the densest part of the group of women. The bride seemed to have her eyes on you, weirdly enough, and she looked almost feral wanting to throw her flowers into someone's face.

That someone being you. Most likely.

"Target locked on," you saw her mouth move. She positioned herself like she was about to throw a football at someone (ahem, you). Holy shit, was she talking to you? Miss ma'am, it was a bouquet toss not a bouquet throw. The bride seemed to notice this, and once more regained her elegant composure.

"3, 2, 1," the host counted down. "Go!"

Surprisingly, the bouquet flew very high into the air (it was a wonder it didn't get tangled in the ceiling decor), but quite a distance away from you. You grinned, knowing it was too far to even touch you. Squeezing through the crowd of women eagerly awaiting the bouquet, you went to return to your assigned table.

Ah, what a wonderful evening.

Sike!

Something painfully landed right into your face, leaves and flowers getting into your hair and mouth.

... Wait, leaves and flowers?

Before you could comprehend it, the bouquet dropped right into your arms. What kind of ungodly, inhuman force allowed this to even happen?

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our lucky girl for the night!" Everyone clapped, with some—those guests you knew—even cheering your name unbelievably loud. The host approached you, a glint in his eye which you couldn't understand. "Miss Y/N, kindly sit here while we await the lucky guy who catches the garter from the groom."

What just happened?

"All single gentlemen, please proceed to the dance floor. Remember, the man who gets the garter gets to slip it onto the lucky lady's leg later!"

Oh, God. You pinched the bridge of your nose. What you'd give to be back at home or to be in that resort in Batangas you'd planned on going to for a solo vacation.

"To make this even more exciting," the host stated, handing you a black blindfold. "Our lucky lady has to keep her eyes closed until her lucky man for the night captures the bride's garter! When the music plays, only then can she uncover her eyes."

See? Humiliating, just as you expected. Still, you wrapped the blindfold around your head (albeit hesitantly). You attempted to guess who it might be, thinking of all the tikbalang friends Maliksi had introduced to you back then whenever he invited you to his clan reunions.

"Groom, are you ready?" the host asked, microphone loud and clear.

"Ready na ready!"

"Single gentlemen, are you ready?!"

"Ready na ready! Awoo, awoo!" they loudly chorused, exactly mimicking Spartans about to engage in battle. You sweatdropped in the seat you were in. This was actually kind of scary. Maybe you felt a bit objectified.

"3, 2, 1, go!"

There was a brief moment of silence, which made you concerned. Ba't ang tahimik? Then, everyone erupted into roars and bravoes much louder than when you caught the bouquet—perhaps even louder by tenfold. What the heck was happening?!

The music played. Very raunchy, spicy, babymaking music. You expected it to be the typical Careless Whisper by George Michael or Pony by Ginuwine (corny songs which you could probably laugh at, at least), but no. Nuh-uh, this was probably worse. The DJ must be pretty young, the song of their choosing being a slowed, bass-boosted, sexier remix of Earned It by the Weeknd.

Ano 'to, bold? Fifty Shades of Grey? The hell was this?

Alright. This was embarrassing. Thank the heavens there were no children at this party. From the music alone and its implications, this was strictly for adults.

You removed your blindfold (that was okay now, right?) as the guests whistled playfully. You peeked one eye open reluctantly, then inwardly groaned. Oh, no. You should've expected it to be him of all people from how loud the reactions were. And all those yells from the crowd were from his family.

Son of a—

"Well, this has proven to be a very interesting arrangement!" the host proclaimed. "Our lucky man for tonight is none other than our great clan leader's heir, Maliksi Armanaz! Congratulations, sir! You get to slip the lacey little garter on Miss Y/N!"

The said very smug tikbalang stood a few feet away from the chair you were sitting on, smirking at you. His hair was no longer in that mesmerizing ponytail—instead, he'd tied it into a more sinfully attractive man-bun, loose strands framing his face and accentuating that sharp, angled jaw of his (say yes and thank you to Manny Jacinto's jawline, besties).

"Let's cheer him on in his new mission, everybody!" the host pushed. Was this that glint in his eye earlier? And was that a one thousand peso bill sticking out of his pocket?

The groomsmen, Mal's cousins and uncles whom you've met before, hollered words of encouragement to the tall man (who was, oddly enough, not one bit fazed). In fact, Maliksi seemed like he was famished as he stared you down.

You swallowed, feeling like you were going to get eaten (heh, say that again). Maliksi had shrugged off his dark suit blazer to the beat of the song (holy fuck, he also unclasped the suspenders attached to his pants right before your eyes—asdfghjkl). Were you prepared for this? No. Will you ever be prepared? No!

"Mr. Armanaz, before you begin," the host interrupted. "We have an additional challenge for you in this mission. Kaya mo ba? It was a request of the newlywed couple."

"What is it?"

"Use your teeth!" the bride and the groom cheerfully shouted, clapping with the other guests. Whatdidtheysaaaaay???

The cocky bastard didn't even hesitate, his smirk at you growing wider; those pearly whites of his on full display. Was it just you or were his canines a little sharper than usual?

"Anything for the newlyweds. Challenge accepted," he dashingly replied, winking at you. You sputtered indignantly. Pisteng yawa. Putangina. Putek. Pakshet. You swore you thought of every swear word in the book at that moment. What did that YouTube parody song about Filipino mythological creatures say again? About the tikbalang? Ah, yes. Half-macho dancer and half-stallion. Maybe the joke was true, especially when you saw what Maliksi did next.

He bit the shred of lace, loosening his necktie (bestie, you good there?), unbuttoning some top buttons, and rolling up the sleeves of his collared white undershirt up to his elbows (consequently showing off his toned, veiny forearms—those lucky bridesmaids behind him nearly fainted). Honestly, you felt like you were about to lose your mind from embarrassment. With how tantalizing your guy best friend was being? Let our response be: San Pedro, kunin mo na ako. Was he doing all this to tease you? To rile you up?

Because damn it all, it was working. In your ten years of knowing Maliksi Armanaz, withstanding all his daily dirty jokes and flirtatious attempts, never had you seen him like this. So... wolfish. Ravenous. Like he was a man that hadn't been fed in years.

He stalked closer towards you, falling to his knees in front of your legs. Your gown had a long slit that extended up to an inch or two below where your left leg began—your best friend was eyeing his target already, knowing where to place the garter. Normally, you would never even wear something as revealing as this gown. It just wasn't your type, but Maliksi was the one who bought this for you for this specific occasion, so you had no choice. It was this or your pantulog he stole you in just hours ago. At first, you were confident in the gown. Now? You felt too... naked.

Somehow, in the heat of it all, you'd muted out the noise of the venue. Maliksi teasingly lifted your foot up, fingertips slyly grazing the thin shoe straps around your left foot—his calculated touch leaving fire in its trail. Once the garter had been successfuly inserted past your high-heeled stilettos, the man kneeling in front of you kept his hands to himself. Despite the fact that now there was absolutely zero skin-to-skin contact between you and this man, your body felt hotter than it ever was before as he expertly slid the lacy bit of cloth up your ankle at an agonizingly slow pace.

Maliksi's warm eyes had turned dark, his pupils blown, a tinge of red in them—of his true beast—while he maintained striking eye contact with you, pulling the garter up your calf with his teeth. Smoothly tugging... tugging... tugging. Tangina, it was like he was undressing you with his eyes alone; like he was telepathically telling you to keep your eyes open.

To keep your eyes on him, where he was knelt inbetween your legs, his hands intentionally locked on his back. Did you ever imagine this? Him between your legs? Maybe. Once or twice. But you never thought about it seriously; Maliksi dated girls left and right in the past.

His lips... his lips were so close... so close to your leg that you could feel the heat of his breath along with the lace. Were you about to die? Perhaps you already did. Maybe you were in heaven. Up... up... up... snap!

Suddenly, he stopped, grinning up at you mischievously and letting the elastic bounce back to the skin of your left knee.

"I'm not going any further, don't worry, babe," he whispered, noting that your eyes had become misty and glazed over. Internally, he grew worried. "That's enough." Did he think it was from discomfort? From you being uncomfortable? Bitch, no. It was the exact opposite. You had never been this turned on in your entire life.

You felt like your soul had left your body at that moment. Did you just have a heart attack? Was your blood pressure okay? Before you or Maliksi could stand, however, someone bellowed from the wedding sponsor tables.

"Higher! That's an order!"

Fucking hell, it was Maliksi's father who shouted. He wasn't in the huge tikbalang form you'd normally meet him in, but he was still very intimidating in his humanoid form, commanding attention and subservience wherever he went. You could tell where Maliksi got it from.

Instantly, the other guests—already half-drunk and wanting the spirit of partying to continue on—joined in.

"Higher! Higher!"

The host cheered, "You heard Señor Armanaz! Higher!"

Maliksi gave you a questioning look. Even if it was his father who spoke up, he still wouldn't do anything you didn't want. Well, you two made it this far; there was no point in getting embarrassed now. You bit the inside of your cheek, nodding. You probably couldn't erase the redness on your skin with how much you'd blushed from this night. It was as if the heat was tattooed onto your skin.

"Go on, Mal," you whispered to him, bending your torso down closer to his face, eyes half-lidded from want. "Finish what you started, babe."

With those sultry bedroom eyes he'd never once seen you show him before—plus you turning the tables with that familiar term of endearment, how could he refuse? Like a switch had been flipped inside him, he immediately complied, taking the frilly scrap of stretchy lace between his teeth once more, moving it further up to your thighs until where your high slit ended—centimeters below the warming juncture between your legs.

Your legs felt wobbly... boneless, as you stood up from the chair, the fabric of your gown cascading over where the lace sat securely on your upper left thigh. The party was still going strong even after you two finished the garter wearing tradition.

"'Atta boy! That's my son!" Señor Armanaz blazoned, standing up and raising his glass for a toast. "Cheers to the newlywed couple! May they last forever!"

You guys weren't the newlyweds, but it did sure feel like it. If the clan leader was hyped up, everyone was hyped up. Heck, the groom and the bride didn't mind one bit what had just transpired on their dance floor. In all the chaos, Maliksi took you out of the reception area and somewhere quieter. More private.

You would need to have a serious, urgent talk with your boy best friend.

》》》

You two silently sat on a stone bench in a gazebo somewhere in the reserved venue for the wedding, trying to cool down and get yourselves back together (at this point, you needed ice from that steamy, half-scandalous event you just went through). Here, there was no one else except for the chirping of crickets, the lush trees surrounding the area, and the golden fairy lights strewn all over the roof. Awkwardness was something you'd expected after what just happened, but somehow, you still felt comfort in this man's presence. For the past thirty minutes, both of you just stayed still, lost in your thoughts and reflecting.

"Mal?" you finally spoke up.

"... Hmm?"

"Ano tayo?"

"Whatever you want us to be."

Your fingers instinctively reached out for his, just like they always did when you were anxious. Sensing this, he grasped your hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Soothingly. He massaged the skin of your fingers, distracting you from your nervousness. It seemed like both nothing and everything changed between both of you. The gesture was the same, but so different at the same time.

"Mahal mo ako." It was not a question. It was a statement. A truth—one that you'd been too blind to see before. One that you only discovered while you stared into each other's eyes in that party not as best friends. You realized with a jolt in your heart what he really felt for you, and now, what you really felt for him. In those thirty minutes of silence, you knew. You just knew.

"Yes. I do."

"... Just as a best friend?" you probed.

"..."

Finally, you gazed into his eyes, previously so dark and full of hunger. Now? Just reluctant. Vulnerable. Open. Unsure of what to do next.

Seems like you had to be the one to take initiative tonight. Taking out your phone, you opened your music app and pressed play on a certain song. Ikaw at Ako by Johnoy Danao. You removed your heels (which were starting to blister your ankles and toes), then pulled him up to stand.

"Dance with me," you murmured, grabbing his arms to wrap them around your waist. He was stiff. Tense. What was he to do when the woman he's been pining after for so long let him hold her? All his gallantry and ability to romance disappeared out the window the moment you let him touch you so intimately.

You two weren't even waltzing. Just swaying. Slowly, you leaned your head on his broad chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

"... I love you," Maliksi admitted in the middle of it all, feeling like he was dreaming. Your head on his chest kept him grounded to reality, however. "More than anything in the universe. I fell for you ever since you patched me up when you were nineteen and I was a reckless drag racer who didn't have a purpose in life. 'Nung dinala mo ako pabalik sa Armanaz Tower on the verge of death. Simula noon, ikaw lang."

"I realized that," you smiled, reminiscing the old memory. You were just a broke college student that time, coming back to your dorm from making your group thesis at a classmate's house. Imagine your panic when you found a half-man, half-horse bleeding out by some bushes on the way home at night. Despite your fear and your little money (only enough to feed you for the week), you went out of your way to buy a first-aid kit at the nearest 7/11. It was scary, but you managed to mend the creature's wounds by the side of the road. When he was finally able to speak, turning fully human (which you admit, freaked you out initially), you arduously carried him back to his address—to his father and his clan, even if you had classes the very next morning. Because of your heroic deed of saving their precious heir, the tikbalang clan had become indebted to you: a teenage girl on the verge of a mental academic breakdown, just making her way through the cruel adult world. How old of a memory that was, you thought, yet you still recalled it in perfect detail. "Just a while ago."

"Ah." He swayed you gently.

"Lahat ng ito, plano mo?"

"... Yes," Maliksi fessed up. "Except for this part where we're here dancing in this belvedere. Wala sa plano ko. Gusto ko sanang magconfess doon sa may fountain para sweet, pero..."

You lifted your head off his chest, smiling at him with one brow raised, "You know, between both of us, you're supposed to be the spontaneous one. Planning isn't usually your thing."

"I know. It's a failure, huh?" Maliksi sighed.

"Nah." You shook your head, then suddenly locked lips with him. It was so fast and surprising he didn't even get the chance to return your first kiss. For once, you caught him off guard. You pecked him on the lips again. "It's not a failure."

"Wha—"

"I'm sorry for making you wait, Maliksi. Ten years. We're twenty-nine now, and only tonight do I realize how blind I've been. We've been going around in circles, wasting so much time. Ayoko nang mag-aksaya ng oras," you whispered guiltily against his lips. How could you have been so blind? Andaming nasayang na taon. Making up your mind, you told him, "Yes. Sige, I accept. I'll be your plus one."

The tikbalang was flustered and baffled from the kiss, as well as your revelation, "... But, you already are?"

"No, silly. I meant that I'll be your plus one for life. For as long as you'll have me," you laughed, now processing that you were currently dancing barefoot with your boy best friend and had just kissed him in a wedding you didn't even plan on going to. The universe had a mysterious way of doing things. "Guess I'm the spontaneous one now, huh?"

Maliksi was tongue-tied. "Seryoso ka ba? Is... Is this a marriage proposal?"

"Whatever you want it to be," you echoed his words back to him. "Best friend, plus one, girlfriend, wife—mmpf!"

He kissed you so hard your lips bruised. After an impromptu makeout session which was definitely more in character for Maliksi, you both pulled away, panting heavily in search for air, still desperate for passion. He cupped your cheeks, giving you a sweet, featherlight Eskimo kiss.

"You're missing one more title."

"Hm? What do you mean, Mal?"

"Love of my life." He kissed you again, this time lifting you off your feet and spinning you around (his sneaky right hand was resting on your bum, too, giving it a tight squeeze). You know in the Princess Diaries where the main character's foot just... pops whenever the prince charming kissed her? Yeah, that happened to you on that humid summer night. This was right. You two were meant to be together. Everything was falling into place.

The bungalow you reserved for your Batangas vacation leave ended up being the site of your very eventful honeymoon with the Prince of the Tikbalang (with his libido, it wasn't that difficult to continue where you'd left off in the garter toss; that scrap of lace came off your leg the same way it went on). Actually, nauna pa ang honeymoon sa actual wedding (it was definitely spontaneous). Right after your confession in that alcove, you two went to Maliksi's father to ask for his blessing (which he gladly gave, cackling and saying that it took you long enough) before you guys went driving off to Batangas that night. You and Mal indeed had lots and lots of fun in that resort (I'll let you imagine the rest). More beautiful memories were made from that point on—this time, not just as best friends.

All that and your small, intimate wedding occurred in early April. Just when you thought that it'd be impossible to fulfill Maliksi's life goal of having a baby within the year (nine months of pregnancy meant that the earliest you'd give birth would be January next year), the impossible happened.

Exactly thirty-two weeks later, on New Year's Eve, the Armanaz herd welcomed one prince and two new princesses into the world. Triplets who were instantly adored by everyone in the clan.

Señor Armanaz had never been happier, and so were you and your husband. Your best friend. The love of your life. Your forever plus one.

Maybe being spontaneous wasn't so bad after all.

Taglist: @belladaises @binibiningbabaylan @4kodzuk3n @sparklingmallow @severuslovebot @holyshxtangel @marinac15 @space-flamingo @pippethealien @kashasenpai @disappointmentpastry @hornehlittleweeblet2 @seijohoe @monimiin @ibelievein2dmensupremacy @tinybonksharkcop @methehipster @banisuoh @genshin-idiot @lemonnie-kimmie

#trese #trese 2021 #trese netflix #maliksi #maliksi x reader #tikbalang #trese fic #x reader #trese x reader #thera.writes

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hazelandglasz · 3 years

Text

Tin-Tanium, A Klaine Advent Calendar

Hi! Yeah, I decided to write all of the Klaine Advent prompts in one story going back the steps of a ten-year anniversary.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays everybody, and I hope you’ll enjoy this compilation!!

Abashed

Over ten years, there are many opportunities for a couple to embarrass themselves.

Kurt has plenty of memories that fit in that category, Blaine too.

Blaine and Kurt together, too.

Whether it’s from their early days (Kurt still can’t believe he used an entire notebook sketching their hyphenated names around hearts) or from the most recent years (Blaine prefers to hide his face in his hands rather than face the recollection of “Glitter Vampire”, no matter how many times Eliott tells him that it’s still a fan favorite), they have managed to feel abashed more often than not.

It’s not like they mind, though.

Being abashed only lasts a moment--the memory, the joy of it, that lasts forever.

Brake

Slow and steady wins the race, doesn’t it.

So, sometimes, even though neither of them wants to slow down, one of them has to pull the brakes.

Oh, it’s not always when they are tearing each other’s clothes apart, get your mind out of the gutter.

(... they do have to slow down their loving romps sometimes, but it’s rarely because they want to and more because of coitus interruptus.)

They learned how to brake to keep their paths aligned; slowing down in their own rush to get all they want out of life in order to get there together.

And winning the race of life together is the only win Kurt and Blaine are interested in.

Careless

Kurt listened attentively, when his father told him to always be careful about his husband’s needs.

Blaine listened too, when Burt told him that though Kurt doesn’t always say it aloud, he has a way of communicating his emotions that Blaine has to “listen” for.

They do care for each other, throughout the years.

But.

But as careful as they are, or try to be, they can also behave in a careless way.

Though they always try their best, neither Kurt nor Blaine can avoid letting their worst lashing out.

Eventually, though, they learn the real lesson behind Burt’s words:

It’s not about never hurting each other--it’s about being able to heal from that hurt together, to talk about it and grow from it, together.

Dispensable

Every Spring, Blaine has the same problem.

Well it’s a problem for Kurt, anyway.

The moment the weather turns for the slightly better, Blaine turns himself into a white tornado, cleaning the apartment from floor to ceiling.

And, without fail, he always tries to hunt for the Dispensables.

“Why, pray tell, is this pile entirely composed of things from *my* side of the closet?”

“Because *you* have almost everything in duplicates.”

“They are collectors! If I ever use them or damage them, I will have a replacement.”

“They are taking too much room!”

“Not as much as your collection of cameras!”

“How dare you.”

Blaine pauses, holding a scarf in one hand and an empty cardbox in the other, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“Maybe I overdid my impression of Marie Kondo.”

“And maybe I do have a hoarding problem.”

“Maybe we could do that sorting together.”

“Maybe we could find something else to do with all that free time.”

Blaine drops the box on the floor and carefully folds the scarf on the back of the couch.

“I like the way you think.”

“You even put a ring on it.”

Event

One lesson the Hummel-Anderson household always applies: make an event out of every possible situation.

During the first years, it does make sense. They celebrate their successes, their achievements, as one does.

Then, it grows into something almost like a private joke between them: every little source of happiness becomes the reason for a party, a true event, even if it’s just opening a bottle of champagne while they sit on the floor, munching on a bag of chips, just because there is a Golden Girls marathon.

Because when you find things to celebrate with the person you love most, the sad things are just a little bit less sad.

Farm

Blaine wakes up in a jolt, something pulling at his unconscious mind to pull him from his dream.

Maybe it’s the cold spot in the bed next to him, or maybe it’s the grumbling sound coming from the living room.

“Kurt?”

“...”

“Kurt what are you doing?”

“Nothing?”

Blaine comes closer, and Kurt is sitting on the couch with his laptop on his bare knees.

“Are you watching porn? ‘Cause you know you wouldn’t have to hide it from me.”

“Not porn.”

“Okay?”

Kurt closes his eyes before looking away, turning the laptop’s screen toward Blaine. “Don’t laugh.”

“Why would I--oh.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t expect that.”

“I know.”

“Farming Simulator 2010, that’s …”

“I know.

“... vintage, is what I was going to say. Any particular reason you needed to play that game at 2.14 AM?”

Kurt sighs, leaning his head into Blaine’s torso, now that Blaine stands closer. “It relaxes me.”

“Okay.”

“And I have been very tense.”

“Don’t need to tell me.”

“I know; so I wanted to unwind on my own to be a better husband.”

Blaine bends over to press a kiss to the top of Kurt’s head. “Farm away, darling.”

Grey

TW: anxiety

Most of the time, with the help of his therapist and different techniques he has developed over the years, Blaine can keep his anxiety at bay.

But some mornings, it’s not as easy.

Some mornings, the anxious little voice telling him he’s not worth the space he occupies is the loudest in his mind the moment he wakes up.

Some mornings, the sighting of grey skies without even a spot of blue can send him into a downward spiral he can’t seem to shake out of.

But with each passing year, Kurt becomes more attuned to the little physical signs Blaine’s anxiety lets out.

The tension in his shoulders, even as he wakes up, to which Kurt responds by closing his arms around Blaine’s upper body, forcing him to breathe with him until the tension melts away.

The way Blaine doesn’t say a word and doesn’t look directly at Kurt, to which Kurt responds by putting a cup of coffee in front of him and by kissing his temple.

Yes, Blaine’s anxiety is always around.

But with Kurt’s help, Blaine can keep it at bay.

History

Though they share a love for musicals, Kurt and Blaine don’t always have their obsessions in sync.

Unfortunately, it sometimes clashes.

Fortunately, the married couple has found a solution to keep from fighting over songs.

Medleys meet the Exquisite Corpse.

“I don't wanna talk

About things we've gone through

Though it's hurting me

Now it's history”, Blaine sings.

“History has its eyes on youuuu,” Kurt responds.

“You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

See that girl

Watch that scene

Dig in the dancing queeeeeeen.”

“Hey not fair, there is no queen in Hamilton!”

“Hey, you’re the one who keeps insisting that Eliza is Queen!”

“True.”

Inconclusive

Around the seventh year mark, they wonder if they should … well, expand their couple’s horizon.

It’s a secret to none of their friends that the Anderson-Hummel have insane chemistry with one Starchild.

One evening, using the pretext of celebrating the comeback of the cronut on the foodie scene with one too many bottle of champagne, the three of them end up in bed together.

Some lubricant, condoms, giggles and panted names later, Kurt looks over the stunned figure of their friend to brush his fingers through Blaine’s sweaty curls.

“So?”

“Inconclusive.” Blaine sighs. “Yet.”

Eliot snorts between them. “Round number …?”

“Who’s counting?”

Join

A good way to keep the spark in its first meet glow is also to surprise each other.

One evening, Blaine comes home to Christmas lights suspended in the whole apartment.

“What the …”

“Welcome, sir,” Kurt says, wearing the Ringmaster’s outfit from his run as Barnum in Broadway’s Greatest Showman. “Would you join me for a very special evening?”

“I would,” Blaine says, smiling as he puts his hand in Kurt’s, and feeling his cheeks burning when Kurt brushes his lips against Blaine’s knuckles.

The evening is very special, Blaine tied to the armchair while Kurt takes off his whole outfit and feeds him bits of cheese and fruits and toasted bread.

Knit

“I’m bored.”

“I know. Why don’t you learn a craft?”

“Remember the last time I tried to learn a craft, like you put it?”

They both turn to the potter’s wheel they recycled into a coffee table. “Right. Maybe something less …”

“Space consuming?”

“Complicated.”

“What about knitting?”

“There’s an idea.”

Two days later

“Wha--”

“What?”

“Mon chéri, when we said knitting, I thought it would involve a couple of yarn balls and some needles.”

“This is yarn.”

“No, it’s not.”

Yes it is.

Learn

In a couple, some things come naturally, as easy as breathing.

Loving each other, for example.

For Kurt and Blaine, it’s knowing that whatever the storm, the tide will always bring them back together.

And some things are learned, through time and Life lessons.

What to cook as comfort food, for example.

For Kurt and Blaine, it’s finding out that they needed to be apart to be better for each other.

Some lessons are hard-learned, but eventually, they feel like they have always been known.

Meet

Dan is ready to slip under the table to take his ritual Christmas nap when Cecilia asks the question.

“How did you two meet?”

Now, all Dan can do is groan. “Nooo,” he moans, “why did you ask that?”

“Excuse you,” Kurt says, ruffling his son’s hair. “Don’t you like the way we met?”

“I heard that story at least 221 times,” he says, dropping his head to the table. “Besides, it’s just weird, when you think about it.”

Cecilia cocks one eyebrow at him. “Now you have to tell me.”

“Let me--”

Dan holds up his hand to stop his father in his tracks. “Nah, nah, nah, let me, because they will tell you that it’s so romantic, but in reality, Dad went to spy on Papa and Papa lied to Dad about a shortcut …”

Nip

“What is that thing sitting in that... thing?”

“That is a cat and she is sitting in a basket I knitted, thank you very much.”

“Since when do we have a cat?”

“Since Mrs Gimm’s had a litter and this one picked me.”

“Ah.”

“She went for me like she always knew me.”

“Aww.”

“And then she nipped my fingers.”

“That explains the band-aids.”

“Maybe.”

“So you decided to bring a feral cat into our house with a newborn because the only thing you knitted is that basket?”

“Feral, come on, maybe that’s an overkill, look how sweet she--Ouch!”

“Here, another kitten band-aid. Let me try.”

“Oh right, you’re a big beast tamer, right?”

“...”

“Is that her purring?”

“Either she’s purring or the neighbor just started a plane engine.”

“Oh yes, you’re purring, you little princess you …”

“Ahem.”

Opinion

Any couple counsellor will tell you this:

If you want a relationship to last, the most important thing to do is compromise, to make sure that both parties are happy.

Any couple will tell you this:

Some opinions are better than others. The only thing you can do, before choosing a hill to die on, is take a step back, breathe in and out a couple of times and--

“That’s so stupid it’s a wonder you can still breathe and talk at the same time!”

“I can’t believe you actually think that! What’s between your ears, lukewarm water?”

--start World War Three over the importance of the Beatles versus the Rolling Stones, I guess.

Possible

More seriously though, finding a middle ground is important, in any relationship. And the way to that middle ground can sometimes be summarized in one word.

“Possibility.”

Do you think you could agree to let me cook tonight, even though you say I burn everything?

Maybe.

May I buy regular milk instead of almond, because it gives me stomach aches?

You may.

Isn’t it your turn to change Kitty’s litter?

...Possible.

In just a few words, you can save your relationship from self-destructing, isn’t that something?

Remarkable

Over the years, through thick and thin, through storms and easy flows, the relationship formed by Kurt and Blaine only strengthens.

A fact that seems remarkable for a lot of their friends.

Their New York friends, I should say, since their Ohioan friends are not surprised to see them growing only stronger and more in love as time passes by, leaving them more united than they ever were when they were younger.

Is their relationship remarkable? Of course.

But not because they still look at each other with sparkles in their eyes, especially when they think nobody is watching.

No, it’s spectacular because it reminds everyone lucky enough to be with them that Love does exist.

Sisters

Over the years, Kurt and Blaine consider that they are the ones lucky enough to have been graced by the many women who entered their lives and remained there as chosen sisters.

Mercedes, Tina, Santana, even Rachel, of course, soul sisters who were meant to support them and challenge them to become better men.

Marley, Unique, Kitty, Jane--younger sisters who help both men to grow into mentors and future parents for Cecilia.

Lissa, Annie, Agnes--sisters of all ages who learn from them and teach them in return what they learned during their own lives until they met the couple.

Glee Club had taught them that family didn’t have to be born from blood, but life brought them a constellation of sisterhood that surrounds them and protects them, in a way, from themselves, from ever thinking they cannot get better.

Tub

“Blaine, I know that you’re really going Method for that role, but could you stop with the 1980, 1990 lingo?”

“As if!”

Kurt sighs before deciding to move on. “Do you like that ice cream? It’s from the new shop down the block.”

“It’s da bomb, hubby.”

“‘Da bomb’, really?”

Blaine has the decency to look slightly bashful. “Overdoing it?”

“Just a tad.”

“I’ll keep it to the theater, then.”

“Tubular.”

Ugly

When one uses his body as its professional tool, one is very peculiar about the way they see themselves.

And sometimes, as strong-minded the individual may be, societal expectations can become too heavy.

“Now I get it. I don’t get parts because I’m ugly.”

“Who said that?”

Kurt slams the bathroom cupboard closed, shaking his head at his own reflection. “I don’t need anyone to say it,” he seethes, “it’s obviously why none of the directors I auditioned for ever called back!”

Blaine comes to lean against the bathroom’s door frame. “Kurt …”

Kurt bends his head. “Blaine, don’t start. I know, deep down, that it’s not the reason, and that I’m not ugly. But right now,” he adds, turning his head toward Blaine without meeting his gaze, “that knowledge is buried deep, deep down.”

“Okay.” Blaine stretches close to Kurt, pecking his cheek. “Take all the time you want. But if you need my help digging for proof that you are quite the opposite of ugly, I’m right here. If you want to mull over it in silence, I can let you do it, and just stay here by your side, or walk around the block.”

“No. Stay.” Kurt finally looks up, leaning his forehead against Blaine’s. “I don’t feel so bad when you’re around.”

Vanish

Sometimes, when you are a couple of married actors, you have to accept that your husband is going to get a job when you don’t.

“I got the job!”

“See, I knew you were going to get a break! Which job?”

“The ad one!”

Blaine cocks his head to the side. “Which one? The one for the hotels?”

“No, the one for the detergent. You know, the pink one?”

“Vanish?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.” Kurt chuckles. “I should try and remember it before the shoot!”

“I’m very proud of you,” Blaine says, pulling Kurt against him for a kiss. “Want to rehearse your text?”

“I would, if you weren’t unbuckling my be-hey!”

“Look, I can make your pants just … vanish.”

“You’re terrib--oh, wow.”

Worthless

Along the years, along the moves, along the different steps in Life, people gather things.

Not necessarily the most expensive things in the world, just mementos.

Little things, really, that most people would discard as just worthless junk.

But for Blaine, for Kurt, those little things are more precious than any of the things they bought once they started to get financially comfortable.

Like ticket stubs and Playbills from the shows they saw together.

Or like a ring made out of gum wrappers.

Yard

Speaking of financial comfort.

Once they became a household name, and once their student loans were reimbursed, both Blaine and Kurt agree.

If they are to be a family, if they are to raise a kid (or many), they need to buy a house.

It takes them a while, but they manage to save enough money to put the down payment on a cute little house in Jericho, a house with a luxurious yard where Kitty Cat can pretend to be the tiger she once was, and where their babies will be free to climb the trees and run around and drive their little bicycles or whatever.

“Quite the white picket fence, Hummel.”

“Anderson Hummel, and yes, so what.”

Santana rubs her very round belly. “Not complaining, nor criticizing. Just observing. I didn’t picture you as Wisteria Lane-adjacent.”

Kurt shrugs. “Nothing Desperate about wanting a good environment to raise a family.”

Zealous

As they reach their tenth year anniversary, Kurt and Blaine feel like they have reached a point in their relationship where their ship is sailing on its own, so to speak.

They have found their groove, they can still surprise each other while knowing each other’s habits and needs, and they have their baby.

Who cries every night.

Blaine is at his wits end looking for a solution to soothe his son’s teething pain, but nothing works.

Or so it seems.

“This here's a tale for all the fellas

Tryin' to do what those ladies tell us

Get shot down 'cause you're over zealous

Play hard to get, females get jealous …”

The sound of the song is the only sound around the house.

No cries, no whimpers.

Just Kurt, apparently “bursting a move”.

“Kurt?”

The song stops, along with one of Dan’s hiccups that announce a storm.

“Keep going, keep going!”

Kurt hesitantly returns to the song, coming into view as he bounces Dan in his arms.

“Young MC, really?”

In the same melody, Kurt replies between his teeth. “I don’t know what came over me, but I just started singing while he was crying and he sto-opped.”

“Magic.”

“Quite.”

“We need to give our thanks to Shuester, uh?”

“Over my dead body.”

#sometimes i write #klaine advent #todaydreambelievers #klaine

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bluemueana · 3 years

Text

Stained Glass (chapter 14)(angst)

Pairing : Min Yoongi x female reader

Summary: You believed that your relationship with Yoongi became toxic at one point. You think he doesn't love you anymore, so, telling him your little secret won't hurt, right ? He wants to tell you something too but is it too late ?

Genre: angst

Warnings: angst scenes, character death, mourning and crying, mention of parential pressure, Slight mention of abuse.

Part: 14/14 (previous ) (fluff version)

Stained Glass masterlist

Note: Inspired by Stained Glass by Madison Beer. I'm so excited to finally post this !

"He messed with my mind

Why did I fall in love with him ?

I haven't got much time left

So it's time for a good, goodbye.

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

Yoongi ran through the hallways of the hospital with anxious eyes and shaking hands. As soon as he got the room number from the receptionist he hurried to room No. 42 to be by your side. Yes. Your side.

•One hour earlier•

~~~

Minji bombarded you with messages while looking around your house only to find you nowhere, she knit her eyebrows in confusion. 'Where were you ?' She put her phone back in her coat pocket and started opening the only three doors in your small flat. "Are you playing hide and seek with me ?" , she asked in a loud and playful voice. When you didn't reply Minji got more confused.

"Y/n ?" Minji raised her voice, just in case you weren't able to hear her.

A gasp escaped Minji's mouth as soon as she saw you.

Right after she had opened the door to your storeroom she saw you lying unconscious on the floor.

Yoongi felt as if all the oxygen had stopped entering his body, because it quite literally had. As soon as he gained his senses back he messaged Minji.

•Present time•

Minji heard the door creak open. She snapped her head in that direction.

Yoongi stood there. His face pale, seeing you on the hospital bed. Minji rushed to his side and cried on his shoulder while Yoongi placed a comforting hand on her back.

Both of them were upset at your situation. Why was this happening ?

~~~

Minji slowly opened the door to your room with a tray. Once she saw you awake she almost dropped the food she was getting for you. She regained her balance before walking over to you and keeping the food tray away.

“Y/n ?”

“Yes unnie ?” You did your best to sound normal but your voice came as a whisper.

Smiling sadly at this, she held your hand and kissed your forehead.

And her eyes got teary as she started apologizing.

"I'm so sorry Y/n that I couldn’t be there for you. And the one time I show up we don't even get to have a movie marathon."

You both let out a soft chuckle while sobbing.

Minji picked up the tray before saying, "Now let's eat, shall we ?"

While she helped you eat you asked Minji about her studies but she dismissed those questions and asked you questions about your health instead.

You always hoped that the moment you would meet your best friend again would be the happiest. You weren’t planning it to be in a hospital.

But what mattered was that she was back. The only person who had been with you the whole time even if she wasn't physically present.

~~~

Minji had left the room after some time because Yoongi soon came in after hearing you had woken up and she wanted you two to have privacy. When the door shut Yoongi slowly walked towards you. He sat down on the bed and held your hand.

"I- I want to tell you something. Something that's been killing me."

"I'm here." you comforted, giving him a sign to continue.

You could see Yoongi was hesitant at first but he also knew that he needed to get it out.

"I had tried my best to not fall in love with you since the first time i ever saw you because I wasnt allowed. But silly me just had to fall head over heels for you. You are just so perfect. I had my whole future planned out with you, I wanted only and only you. I would give you anyhing you wanted and I for once wanted to become someone in my life and it was all for you."

Tears could be seen in his eyes and his delicate fingers were now rubbing circles on the back of your hand as if he was handling something very fragile.

"But all my dreams started crashing like a glass because of my father. I was so lost in you that I had forgotten that I was already forced into an engagement with a girl whose family would provide riches to my father. I tried my best to hide you from him and everyone who could hurt you. I had money, I was working and I was getting ready to take you with me somewhere far for he would never let me marry you. But once again i was thrown down from the sky. My father found out about you and I was forced to cut ties with you. Now i knew i wouldnt be able to do that and my devastation started hurting you: after realizing I immediately tried to get you out of my stupid life. It was necessary Y/n. I loved you too much to let you go but I had to or I would loose you."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Y/n that d-day I didnt cheat. I was beaten up by my dad and I decided to drink to drown the sadness. In this state, my fiancee tried to make a move on me. You didn't see the whole thing. But once again I couldnt tell you everything."

"I had to pretend-" his voice broke.

"I had to pretend that I did it and use it as a way to get you away, and believe me Y/n it broke me so damn much."

You rubbed his back gently trying to control your sobs while Yoongi tried to even out his breathing.

"Did you notice Y/n that even after my sudden change i used to try to be normal again ?" He asked looking at you.

"I tried to take you away from home for a while but whenever i got close to my dream my father pulled me to reality."

You nodded remembering how whenever you saw a glimpse of the old Yoongi, he’d receive a phone call and would leave you there without a word.

"Y/n he told me he'd hurt you, I'm so sorry but I was too weak to face him. And what you had to face Y/n, It hurts me. Even the simple thought of it. I shouldn’t even be allowed to ask for your forgiveness. When you said you had cancer, I broke down right there. I hated myself, I hated that I wasnt there when you found out, tha- that i wasnt there to comfort you. And that I was pushing you away when you were trying to tell me. But I couldn't hate myself when I tried to save you from my life. After you stopped visiting me I broke the relationship with my father, I did regret not being able to do it before but only after all the damage was I able to trick him in a contract. Even after all the crying, breaking relationships and running i still couldn't let you come near me again and risk you getting hurt again."

"I am a terrible person who will just hurt you..."

Yoongis' voice, strained fron tears slowly faded away at the last sentence because of the emotional atmosphere. Now yoongi was shaking and crying on your shoulder while you whispered comforting words to him. The room was filled with his muffled sobs and your breaking voice softly soothing him.

When he finally looked at you and locked eyes he spoke the words you had wanted to hear from all these years.

"I love you, very much. And I dont want to loose you. You're my heartbeat, without you...without you I'm nothing."

Yoongi noticed you wincing before you spoke what he was dying to hear.

"I love you yoongi and I always will."

That was the last thing yoongi heard from you because at this moment a nurse rushed in pushing Yoongi aside. Soon the whole assigned crew was there for you. A doctor shouted something and Yoongi couldnt process what was happening. He was asked to step outside and he did, he watched you from outside the door.

It was that day when yoongi saw how weak you were.

He saw the doctors rushing inside the room, nurses searching for something and you just lay there looking at him.

He saw the way you slighty raised your hand at the direction of the door.

The way the tears rolled down your cheeks.

How the light was slowly leaving your eyes.

And how you mouthed your last 'I love you' for him and the person standing next to him. Next to yoongi was minji. Crying for she was loosing her friend even before she could properly meet you.

Room No. 42 is known as the room of death and rebirth. A room where Yoongi and Minji lost someone they both dearly loved that day.

•••••••

•Five years later•

Yoongi was now standing at the Gwanghwamun Gate of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. A place you had always wanted to visit with him.

Taking a deep breath in he closed his eyes and imagined you standing next to him, laughing loudly and holding his hand.

Yoongi may have lost you but you were still with him because whenever he used to close his eyes he would see your beautiful face.

He lived now just for you.

He worked just for you.

He was now travelling place to place visiting countries you both wanted to do together by earning money from a job he had always wanted. He knew you'd be upset if he didn't live a little for himself too so Yoongi tried his best to be happy.

You were the love of his life and you would always be.

~~~~

Minji on the other hand was now a successful doctor.

And there was not a second gone without her thinking about you.

She helped cancer patients.

Saving those like you.

To her, you were her soulmate and she would always remember you.

She like Yoongi, must have lost you but you were always with her.

~~~

•When we loose someone we love, we must learn not to live without them but learn to live with the love they left behind~•

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

Taglist- @sadhwstudent @betysotelo18

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

I feel sad and happy that this serie is over. I loved writing this and I hoped you enjoyed !

#stained glass #bts #bts fake texts #bts angst #bts suga #bts yoongi #bts hyung line #bts rap line #dreamcatcher jiu #bts imagine #yoongi fic #yoongi angst #yoongi imagine #yoongi x you #last part omg

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wits-writing · 4 years

Text

Ultraman Z Ep. 14: “Four-Dimensional Capriccio” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: September 25, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

While STORAGE celebrate the advancements made with King Joe and the retirement of Sevenger, things start getting twisted about their headquarters. The culprit behind the space/time bending coming from Shinya Kaburagi, still possessed by Celebro, releasing the extradimensional monster Bullton against them.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

This episode centering the four-dimensional alien Bullton was a major point in its favor from the start. The monster had a brief role way back in episode one as the being that separated Zett from Zero but seeing it in action more directly is a blast. During my recent marathon of the original 1966 Ultraman series; Bullton’s debut, “Passport to Infinity”, was easily among my favorites from that show. (For anyone curious the official Ultraman YouTube channel, at time of writing, has also made that classic available with captions after this episode of Ultraman Z aired.) Its design as a living MC Escher painting reflected in its power to fold space/time in on themselves, using radio antennae and eggbeater looking extensions to more actively deal with anyone who tries to stop it. Bullton’s fun in a way that demands creative execution when bringing it into play.

The more general chaos Bullton causes during STORAGE’s celebration once released by Celebro leads to a litany of comedic beats that keep the episode’s tone breezy. Starting in minor ways like making most of the STORAGE staff float off the ground as they watch Bako do card tricks. Bako’s nonplussed reaction to the situation as everyone else flails about being an exemplary moment from the senior engineer. He gets a lot of fun moments in the episode, like when the engineering staff think he’ll spoil their party when he unexpectedly comes back early from his vacation, but instead he shows off a giant tuna he caught and offers it as the party’s main course. His chill vibes shine this episode between how he handles Bullton’s arrival and responding to questions about his fishing ability and magic tricks as “just something I picked up.”

Meanwhile, Juggler goes off in monster in monster form to talk to Celebro about interrupting their party. A strong scene between the former and current villains. Juggler lets Celebro know that he’s been aware of him for a while, even saying he’s “rooting for him” to get Celebro to back off of his “little pranks” this once. Though Celebro relishes the fact he executed his scheme at the perfect time. The joy he takes in that is the first distinct personality the show’s given to Celebro, who has otherwise seemed like a dispassionate figure only concerned with his experiments. The best visual gag in the episode comes when the confrontation between Juggler and Celebro ends on the alien parasite using Bullton’s power to teleport Juggler into a bathroom, exactly where Hebikura always excuses himself to disappear and be Juggler. Him reacting with a shrug and deciding he may as well take a leak while he’s there topping it off.

STORAGE’s confrontation with Bullton isn’t all antics and shenanigans, as Haruki and Yoko’s internal dilemmas get spotlighted throughout this episode in mostly small ways that get externalized as the episode goes along. While everyone at STORAGE is celebrating the success and prestige King Joe has brought them, Yoko confides in Haruki that the implications of a weapon like Joe brings with it and how it might not belong in anyone’s hands, even the “right” ones. It’s an especially stark contrast to how Yuka, being the one we see kicking off the party, celebrates “having her genius recognized” by the world at large requesting access to their giant robot technology. When they figure out the way Bullton alters the environment is connected to their subconscious desires, Yuka tells Yoko the 4D-space loop she’s caught in comes from her deep down not wanting to use Joe at all. Her having issues with King Joe as a weapon are minor in the scheme of this episode, but it’s a good thread that I hope to see more of in the future.

Meanwhile, Haruki’s thread builds on his guilt from the last couple episodes. His story in this episode seems more in line with the comedic antics going on with everyone else when Bullton first gets released. The fourth dimensional being’s powers sending him through a minor time loop. He keeps getting sent back to right before his first bite of the tuna Bako brought to the party, since he wanted to keep eating it. A nice gag in an episode full of them making what happens next have an even stronger impact. When Yoko’s able to tell Haruki to focus on what he really wants to get out of the time loop, he ends up sent back in time and face to face with Masaru Natsukawa, his father.

The deliberate contrast between the tone of this moment and the rest of the episode hit especially hard during my first viewing, since otherwise this episode continues the comedic streak of last week’s clip show. Brought back to the man he idealized growing up, he gets the impossible opportunity to have a man-to-man, heart-to-heart discussion about what he’s gone through. Keeping it vague by framing it as questions about Masaru’s job as a firefighter, Haruki gets the advice he needs to carry on doing his job without hesitation. His dad tells him about “his justice”, that you can only work to help those within your reach. Reaching everyone will never be possible, so you should never forget about those shortcomings and carry them with you as determination to always do more. The conversation’s capped off with Haruki asking Masaru for a handshake before he leaves, a flash of recognition appearing on his dad’s face as he realizes who he’s been talking to as a final touching note on the episode’s crowning moment.

When the episode gets back to the havoc caused by Bullton once it moves into the city and the actual fight against it begins, the comedic tone comes back among some gorgeous shots of widespread destruction. What else can be expected when the 4D-alien’s powers let it stay mostly still and bend space to deflects its opponents’ attacks right back at them. Though when it’s not teleporting, it does hop and roll around in a fantastically goofy manner. Haruki starts the fight against Bullton by fighting fire with fire, using Gamma Futures own dimensional abilities in a rapid back and forth. Though that apparently even match ends up with Bullton sinking Ultraman Z neck deep in the ground before rolling back and forth over the Ultra’s face. Switching over to the direct, physical abilities of Beta Smash ends up being what it takes to defeat the twisting indirect nature of Bullton as Ultraman Z manages to toss the alien into the air where it explodes.

Though the explosion leaves a lingering effect in the sky above the city, signaling that Bullton’s defeat may have had a greater purpose in Celebro’s plan. Ending the episode on an ominous note.

Between the fourth-dimensional antics that make up most of the episode and the look into deeper themes and character pathos, “Four-Dimensional Capriccio” makes a great addition to the greater arc of Ultraman Z. Outside of the central meat of the episode are some changes to the opening and closing credits’ music. The opening follows recent Ultraman tradition where the second half of a season changes over to the second verse of the song’s full version. The new ending theme, “Promise for the Future”, is an excellent high energy number sung by Tasuku Hatanaka, the voice of Ultraman Z.

youtube

Things are set to escalate quickly next time on Ultraman Z as Geed makes another return and Zett attains a new powerful form.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

#Ultraman Z #Ultraman #Wit's Writing #TV Review #tokusatsu #Haruki Natsukawa #Kiyotaka Taguchi #Kota Fukihara #Tsuburaya Productions #toku #tsupro

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hardyshoe · 4 years

Text

benefits- a roger taylor series

part six

warnings- language

taglist: @i-cant-hangout-im-drumming

a/n: I was really excited about writing this chapter so I hope y'all like it x

it was Tuesday morning, the sun beat down through the blinds while a movie you weren't paying attention to played. the weather had changed dramatically since last week and you found yourself curled up under your duvet on the sofa most days for lack of a better past time.

he still hadn't called, they got back three days ago and he was yet to make an appearance. Mary and Freddie had come round on Sunday evening for dinner which after they left reminded you all the more that he didn't care. it hurt more than you could say but at the same time you knew if you saw or even spoke on the phone with him you'd have to tell him, it was just cruel not to at this point. but with every minute that passed while you thought about him you found the resentment for him breaking down a little bit and you couldn't stop it from happening. he'd been out of your life for half a year by his own fault and you were on the verge of forgiving him despite all the pain he caused.

when the movie ended you flicked off the tv and got out your copy of ‘on the road’ that roger gave you back when you first met him, it still had his name in his messy handwriting inside the cover. if you closed your eyes you could still see the same roger you'd once known in the college library wearing those glasses he hated so much (you loved them) and a pair of jeans with a rip right under the arse. you knew you liked him when he first looked up at you with those perfect blue eyes and pushed the black frames to the top of his messy hair. you'd blushed at the way he looked at you but quickly looked away realising how dumb you looked. when you sat down and opened your book he'd commented on it and thats where it all began, like an unrequited love at first sight. of course you didn't realise you felt quite that strongly for him until he decided to sit next to you one lecture and every lecture from then on. lets just say you looked forward to class much more. over the years he'd met Brian and formed smile and through that you'd met Fred and eventually John when smile changed to queen and Tim went his own way. you also remembered his first gig, he'd been practicing all week and was running on very little sleep but he was still amazing, they blew you away. the last thing that came back to you was that night over a year ago now when you'd gone out to the bar with the boys and had far too much to drink, in your inebriated state you hadn't realised it was roger you were dancing with until it was too late to care. that was where it all began and for some reason it didn't stop like you'd expected it to. through him you had a whole life, a best friend (even though he was a dick), a group of wonderful friends who loved you and in just under three months you'd have two babies that would be half him.

you didn't cry this time, instead you smiled down at the book in you hands and ran you thumb over the ink. for the first time since he left you felt genuinely happy, without the over shadow of sadness or doubt.

your nostalgic daydream ended when you heard loud footsteps running up the stairs in your apartment complex, you cursed yourself for having an apartment with such thin walls. you were curious about who was running up your building but didn't go and investigate because getting up just sounded like a bad idea. however when the steps started to make their way down your corridor you did perk up a bit. then the door opened.

he stood there in all his blonde glory and you could have sworn he was more beautiful than the last time you'd seen him. his breathing was laboured and he looked like he'd run a marathon. everything about him looked stunning from the way his cloths hung to his body to the sparkle of those god awful shoes. your hands tightened around the book before quickly realising and looking down only to see your belly hidden by the blankets. he didn't know.

he was the first to speak “please don't throw me out, I needed to see you” he paused again for breath.

“only took you six moths rog” it wasn't a sour comment though, just a statement.

then it all came pouring out of him “ y/n I'm so sorry, you wouldn't believe how sorry. I've spent the last six months on the verge of a complete breakdown because I thought id lost you forever. I couldn't live with myself if you hated me, id go mad.”

by this point he was crying, and so were you. “fuck it, y/n I love you. I've loved you since I first lay my eyes on you six years ago and ill never stop loving you if you'll have me” he kept going, spouting seemingly endless ways to tell you he loved you, but you couldn't sit there and let it all play out liked you'd dreamed it would so many times, it was time he knew.

so you stood up feeling the blanket puddle around your toes on the floor, exposing your belly that was clad in a tie die top he'd lent you once. but he didn't notice right away, he just kept talking.

“ you deserve to know and...” his eyes dropped to your stomach and finally he stopped talking. wordlessly you placed a hand on top of the stretched shirt and looked at him through teary eyes. he didn't start shouting, in fact his voice hardly exceeded a whisper when he finally spoke.

“is- is it mine” and finally you were willing to answer the question.

“they are roger” your tone was like his, hushed like you didn't want anyone but the other to hear.

“they?” you nodded

“a boy and a girl”

“im gonna be a dad?” you smiled though the tears, he was.

he hovered a hand near the swell of your belly and you took it placing it on the kicks and covered it with your own hands. he sobbed with you and for ages the two of you stood together in your dusty living room, like a family.

“just so you know this doesn't change anything, I still love you” he looked at you with the gentlest smile you'd ever seen and all your dreams were suddenly not so far fetched.

“I love you too Rog, so much it scares me”

with both his hands he took the sides of your face and softly kissed you. it wasn't rushed or careless, it was kind. it was also everything you wanted since you were 19, everything you'd longed for on the nights too lonely to close your eyes, the only thing that kept you going when everything abandoned you. somebody to love, who loved you back.

he made tea and came to join you on the sofa and you filled him in on everything he could possibly want to know.

“when are you due?”

“december 17th”

“so your how far along?”

“7 months last Friday”

he hurled questions at you that you were more than happy to answer. it was so liberating to tell him, tell him everything. you had an answer to every question of his no matter how daft except...

“have you thought of any names?” truth was you hadn't. you wanted to know if roger wanted anything to do with you before you came up with anything, it hadn't felt fair to plan something so big when he didn't even know.

“no I haven't, I didn't want to without you”

“thank you, that means so much. can we think of some?”

you hummed a quick yes and he fell into a deep thought. you'd always liked French names, probably stemming from living in France for a few years as a teen. you spoke a bit of French and it was such a poetic language that a name coming from there just made sense. roger on the other hand liked names with meanings, he really cared for something that would set them up for success.

“okay suzette?” you'd pose the names you like in a slight French accent that roger couldn't get enough of.

“nope she’ll get nicknamed sue.” you agreed and kept looking.

“james?”

“no too common I know like five people called James.”

“Oliver” when roger said it, it sounded right. that was it. little ollie.

“I love it roger, its perfect,” you felt a kick from one of the babies and laughed, “I think he likes it too”

“your right, it is perfect. but what about baby girl?”

“Juliette” he just nodded with conviction.

“so we did it? wasn't too hard.”

“roger that took us over an hour, we went through hundreds of names” you chuckled at him as he stared up at the clock.

“it takes some people months to get a good name, let alone two, we did good”

“we did, just need middle names now.” he groaned at the thought.

“mmm too tired we can do that some other time” he puller you over to him and wrapped those big arms of his around you. it was so blissfully wonderful to sit in his company again, without the fear of him leaving and never coming back. just as your eyes started to shut you heard him whisper to himself under his breath,

“I can't believe I've got you. can't believe I'm gonna have a family. can't believe how much I love you.”

#roger taylor fanfic #roger taylor smut #roger taylor series #roger taylor #brian may #john deacon #ben hardy #Fred Mercury #queen band #queen

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agapaic · 4 years

Text

tag games

i was tagged in a couple of things by @nightfayre and @plumb19 so i’m combining both answers here! thank you, both! lots of love and well-wishing. ✨🙏🌺

1. What do you prefer to be called name-wise?

beth or bethan

2. When is your birthday?

23rd october 1995

3. Where do you live?

south-east wales, united kingdom

4. Three things you are doing right now?

watching a vegan ‘what i eat in a week’ on youtube, starting on a new commission @plumb19, and various other writing things (plotting for the anthology, scribbling about an original story, reading normal people by sally rooney, thinking about this month’s patreon update)

5. Four fandoms that have piqued your interest right now?

19 days - that’s pretty much it. i might check out some ‘outlander’ and/or ‘normal people’ fanfic since i’ve been watching/reading both, but i haven’t pursued anything else.

6. How has this pandemic been treating you?

surprisingly very well. my biggest resentment is that my family can’t all spend time together, my local bulk store isn’t open, and i’m having very little job success. BUT - i’m well, spending lots of time outside, and have so much time to write and be with my mum and sister.

7. A song you can’t stop listening to right now?

i’m in love without you by finneas, lonely star by oh wonder, and wake up by chelsea cutler.

8. Recommend a movie

knives out!

9. How old are you?

10. School, university, occupation or other?

other, currently... :(

11. Do you prefer heat or cold?

both! (i love the heat after a long winter, and the cold after a long summer. i handle cold physically better than the heat, particularly for sleeping.)

12. Name one fact about you that others might find unusual

i have inherited my dad’s overly large feet, and cannot buy ‘regular’ shoes for women.

13. Are you shy?

not really - but i am an introvert in social situations, and will typically be very quiet (out of choice/impulse, not because i fear being social).

14. Do you have preferred pronouns?

she/her

15. Biggest pet peeves?

only talking about yourself/not acknowledging things people have said, not cleaning up after yourself, people who don’t wash their hands.

16. What is your favourite “-dere”?

(like faye, i also only really know tsundere!)

17. Rate your life 1-10. 1 being crappy, 10 being amazing.

8 or 9.

18. What is your main blog?

this is basically it!

19. List your side blogs and what they are used for.

@three-ay-em some more personal posts, aesthetic pics. i guess it’s basically my old powerandpathos blog that got pulled down by tumblr dot com.

20. One thing you think people should know about you before they become your friend?

i need regular acknowledgment that we are, indeed, friends, and i haven’t just fabricated a one-sided relationship in my head :)

21. Are you staying home from work/school?

i’m out of work at the moment, so... yes?

22. If you are staying home who is there with you?

my mum, sister, and dog.

23. What movie have you watched recently?

knives out is the most recent, i think?

24. What shows are you watching?

i just watched the season finale of outlander (season 5) on monday night, and also binge-watched normal people, which i’m now reading. i don’t really watch a lot of tv, so these are two exceptions.

25. Music are you listening to?

the usual indie/alternative/edm kind of stuff. chelsea cutler is pretty much always involved there.

26. Are you a homebody?

i think so?

27. An event you were looking forward to that got cancelled?

i had a 10k race planned for last sunday - it’s been postponed to an indefinite date sometime by may 2021. i ran a half-marathon distance for the first time on sunday to honour it!

28. What are you doing for self care?

running and cycling regularly, having a regular bedtime/wake-up time, baking lots and cooking from scratch (mostly sourdough and banana bread muffins; i also made some homemade granola and chia + rhubarb jam this week), drinking iced coffee, taking my multivitamins and watching my protein intake, gardening, reading before bed, taking my dog out for walks, etc. and writing, ofc.

#me #about me #tag game

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janaikam · 4 years

Text

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You - Collaboration

Day 4 of @luxyweek

Part 3

Read on AO3

There was some force working in XY’s favor because right as he made his realization, his phone went off. One of the first songs he had ever released, Answer Me, blared from his phone. It wasn't the first song he had ever written. No, the first song he wrote his father said it wouldn’t sell and told him the best way to produce music was to have other people do it for you.

XY moved away from the bathroom mirror to check his phone. His father was texting asking to meet for dinner later, which meant yet another boring business meal. Those were never fun because he had to be all serious and stuff, which was the exact opposite of his personality.

Plus he never really needed to be there. His father just told him plans for his career, and they moved on with their lives. It’s not like XY had decisions to make.

XY made bad decisions. That's what his father always said, so it was better to leave it up to other people to decide what was best.

“This has been fun, but I better go before, uhh, before someone recognizes me in these horrid clothes,” XY says quickly, moving to the bathroom door. “Can’t have my fans seeing me like this.”

“Of course. Image is everything. I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin yours,” Luka said, dryly.

XY smiled. Luka already knew the first things about being a musician.

“I’m glad you understand! It’s definitely nothing against your personal style. Like it’s not all bad. This hoodie is super comfortable. How does something so nice and soft like this exist?” XY stopped his rant, realizing Luka was smirking at him. “Anyways gotta go. This was fun, we should do it again sometime!”

“NO, WE SHOULDN'T!!” he heard Luka yell, but XY was already at the top of the boat.

He dashed off the boat, running towards Le Grand Paris. Being around Luka seemed to have some effect on him that he hated to admit to himself, and he did not need Luka figuring that out.

He would probably use it as blackmail to get XY to buy him anything he wanted. After all, that’s what everyone else wanted.

XY was grateful that he didn’t run into anyone he knew on his run back to the hotel. If his dad found out he was playing dress-up like a little kid, he would get the worst lecture ever.

Thankfully when he returned, he still had about two hours until dinner with his dad, so he pulled out his laptop to play the Sims for a bit to try and distract himself.

It wasn’t until he was deep in a game with two male sims trying to become famous while raising a daughter that he realized he made Luka and himself in the Sims. What made things worse was that the Luka character had a more successful career than him.

Frustrated, XY slammed his laptop shut and threw it on the couch. Clearly, these feelings for Luka weren’t going to go away easily.

That blue-haired wannabe was giving him so much trouble, and he didn’t even know it. He wished that he was right there in his bedroom so XY could yell and give him a piece of his mind. Maybe cuddle a bit. Or even share secrets.

Just so Luka trusted him. Then he would blindside him with feelings. That way XY would have something on Luka.

Yes, that’s what he’ll do. Xavier-Yves Z Roth will make Luka Whatever His Middle Name is Couffaine fall in love with him.

Now all he had to do was figure out how exactly to do it.

----

The sweet sounds of his own music filled his ears as XY slowly woke up. The slight pain in his back let him know that his position on the couch the previous night was not very comfortable.

XY ignored the pain, moving to check his phone.

There were about ten messages from his father, nine more than he was used to. Most of the messages were questioning his whereabouts, which he found strange. XY hardly leaves his room, so it was easy to find him if someone really needed him.

It wasn’t until he scrolled up to the message from yesterday afternoon that he realized he skipped dinner with his father.

Quickly typing a response back, XY tried to think of an excuse as to why he never made dinner. Outright saying that he was watching rom coms to figure out how to make some guy fall in love with him was probably not the best. Especially considering his father wanted him to stay single, so all the girls would buy his album.

Instead, he lied, saying that he had found a great new song and was planning to record it as soon as possible. It would get his father off his back for a while and give XY more time to figure out what he was going to do.

He wanted to get on this Luka thing as soon as possible, but his movie marathon hadn’t been very successful. While the romcoms gave him some ideas, there were many flaws.

Like for one, two weeks in when the feelings are budding, Luka could find out what XY was doing and then hate him for it. It could ruin everything even if in a few days they made up.

Unfortunately for him, his father replied, saying he would stop by the studio to make sure everything was going alright. Which meant XY actually had to go down to the studio and find a song to record.

Just Great. It was gonna be a long day.

----

Everything was stupid.

None of the producers knew what they were doing, and XY couldn’t find a song to steal. He found that most of the producers at the record company were very nervous around him and didn’t want to upset him, which in turn just upset him even more.

“You guys can’t do anything right! How hard is it to just help me pick a song for my next album! There’s so much talent out there! Just find someone! I mean it can’t b-”

A knock at the studio door interrupted XY’s ranting, and everyone turned to see Luka there.

All the producers started whispering among themselves. From what XY gathered, “who would dare interrupt XY?”

XY tuned them out and instead focused on Luka. He looked very out of place with a plastic bag on his shoulder and his scruffed up everyday look.

XY couldn’t think of any reason for Luka to show up, but this was perfect. He could woo Luka and record a song for his dad in one fell swoop.

“Luka! What are you doing here?” XY asked, turning on his charm. He needed this to work or else he would have no way to get Luka back for the feelings XY was feeling.

The producers had stopped whispering instead, choosing to watch the interaction between XY and Luka. Their interest in what was happening was really getting on XY’s nerves.

“Could you guys go make music or something? You’re not needed right now,” XY told them, subtly implying that they should leave.

It worked as producers quickly grabbed their things and bolted out the door, leaving just Luka and XY in the studio.

“Uhh, I just dropped by to return your clothes. I don’t really need them, and Juleka was about to sell them online, so I thought you might want them back before she did that.”

XY blinked. XY vaguely remembered the purple haired girl from yesterday. Based on what Luka said, she didn’t seem very cash money to him.

“Oh, uh thanks.” It was weird the effect Luka had on him. One minute his head is filled with so many thoughts and ideas, and then the next it’s just head empty, no thoughts.

Luka handed him the plastic bag with clothes. XY took it and set it down on the floor.

“I couldn’t help but overhear, but were you trying to find a song to steal?” Luka asked, moving to the laptop XY had been looking at.

XY couldn’t help but feel that Luka was accusing him of something, but he had no clue what. It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong.

“I mean yeah. It’s how I get all of my music. What else am I supposed to do?” XY flopped back into one of the studio chairs. The chair made a slight creak as it took on XY’s full weight.

“You could try writing your own music. You’re less likely to have akumas target you that way.” Luka crossed his arms while taking a deep breath.

“When has an akuma targeted me for stealing music?” XY scoffed.

“Are you…? You’ve got to be kidding me right? I was akumatized because you stole my band’s song!”

XY blinked. “You were? Huh, no idea how I forgot that. So were you a good akuma?”

“Wha-I-what does that even mean!?” XY inwardly smiled as Luka’s face became redder.

“Like did you win?”

Luka gave him a look that said, are you kidding me?

“Considering that you still have your voice, no I did not win.”

“Some akuma you were,” XY scoffed.

XY wasn’t really sure how, but Luka’s face almost looked like a tomato at this point. It was really cartoonish and super adorable.

“Well if Ladybug hadn't stopped me, then you would be mute, and you would somehow have to explain to your fans how you’re still able to ‘sing’ your songs.” Luka smirked as if he was proud of something.

“That’s easy! We would just keep making the music! It’s already what we do. Doesn’t really matter if I can’t hear them.”

XY could practically feel Luka’s anger coming off in waves. If Luka hadn’t taken a deep breath, XY was almost confident an akuma would’ve appeared. Though maybe that wouldn’t be too bad, it would give him an excuse for not having a song for his dad.

“Before I completely lose my cool, Xavier-”

“It’s XY actually.”

“Xavier-Yves. It is in your best interest that you decide to start writing your own music and shut up when other people are talking for crying out loud,” Luka finished. His face started turning back to it’s normal pale color, much to XY’s disappointment.

XY couldn’t help but think Luka looked cuter mad. It was just a fact.

“That’s too much effort. I’ve tried and I suck.”

Luka frowned. It was debatably cuter than when he was angry.

“If you suck, why don’t you try writing one with someone else? I’m sure if you at least have some ideas then someone else could help you polish things,” Luka asked.

XY paused. He’d never thought of doing that before, or really, his dad had never thought of that. He had always said that success was based on individual effort, not a group effort, so help from others was usually out of the question.

“What do you mean? Like a collab?”

Luka shrugged. “Yeah, something like that. I’m sure there’s someone out there who would be willing to work with you.”

That wasn’t necessarily true. Most other artists in Paris had either stolen their work by him, or he’d made fun of them so much that they cut off all contact with XY. Even some of the celebrities his dad produced were willing to risk their contracts just so they wouldn’t have to work with XY.

Perhaps there was still one musician that might help him, XY thought, looking towards Luka.

Putting on his best puppy dog eyes and duck face, XY asked, “Would you collab with me?”

Upon hearing XY’s question, Luka’s face turned into a disgusted one.

“Uh, yeah, I’ll help. But promise me one thing?”

“What?” XY asked eagerly. He would never admit it to Luka, but the thought of working with him made XY extremely excited.

“Never ever make that face again.”

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

As it turned out, Bob Roth never stopped by the studio. But XY couldn’t have cared less that his father never showed. He had so much fun with Luka that working didn’t even bother him.

It turned out Luka was an amazing guitarist. He was also very talented at the kazoo, making the harsh noise sound very melodic and pleasing to the ear.

The two instruments combined with XY’s sound mixing skills produced an awesome new song that he couldn’t wait to show his father. Even the producers that helped record the song said it was something no one could have ever imagined.

All in all, it was a great experience that XY wanted to do again. Who knew that a new music partner was all one needed to make good music?

When he got back to his room, XY ordered some fried chicken from room service and turned on the TV. He wasn’t really interested in what was on, but he left it on just as background noise. After all, the news could mention him in something amazing he did.

He was just ready to relax from a long day’s work without a care in the world.

Looking over at his bed, XY noticed Luka’s clothes thrown in a pile at the end of the bed. It would be nice of him to return Luka’s things. Especially since Luka returned his clothes instead of letting them be sold online.

XY sighed as he went to pick up the clothes. Luka better give him something in return for all of this.

Maybe he would give him a kiss on the cheek. Now that would be a great payment.

He had almost gathered everything. The last item on the floor was a plain silver bracelet. It was really strange cause all of Luka’s other bracelets were very colorful.

Grabbing the bracelet, it surprisingly turned a soft purple color, and a bright light filled the room. XY had no choice but to cover his eyes, dropping the clothes in his hands.

When the light cleared, there was a green snake thing floating in front of him.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

#luxyweek2k20 #luxy #luka #xy #luxury #my fic #my writing #collaboration #i cant help falling in love with you

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particularnervous · 5 years

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Thankful

Hello! I hope you enjoy this! Happy reading xo

Summary: Shawn meets your parents for the first time during Thanksgiving and it couldn’t go any better.

Shawn notices the change in you once the highway changes from barren to lively. The scenery changes from empty, cold fields to dense, colourful forest. He practically feels the excitement radiating off of you, can see the bright shine of your eyes as you take in the different colours. Everything is familiar to you and Shawn feels content watching as your eyes close peacefully and you lay back against the passenger seat.

“You’re nervous.” You state, moving your hand to rest over his on the steering wheel. He has certain tells for his mood, specifically when he’s driving. If he’s happy, relaxed, he only keeps one hand on the steering wheel, tapping a few fingers along to the beat, his other hand resting on either the gear shift or your thigh, depending on who’s sitting beside him. When he’s stressed, having a bad day, or his anxiety is getting the better of him, both his hands are on the steering wheel in the 9&3 position that he was taught in driving school. His knuckles are white and he’s glancing anxiously around him, eyes on all the mirrors.

That’s how he’s sat now, back too straight and rigid, hands so white, you’re sure he’s losing blood flow. He uncurls his fingers at your words though, looking at you for a second before quickly diverting his eyes back to the road.

Shawn is taken aback for a second at your statement. He always forgets how well you know him. You aren’t wrong, though, the peacefulness that Shawn had recognized in you directly opposing the tense anxiety that he’s feeling.

“A bit, yeah,” he admits, forcing his hand to slide off the steering wheel and settle heavily into your grasp. He closes his eyes for a second, the empty morning road in front of him easing his alertness, and revels in the warmth of your body as you play with his fingers, pressing your conjoined hands into your thigh. You know he likes a firm touch when he’s anxious, know that it brings him back to reality and makes him feel safe. “Just want them to like me.” You smile lightly, leaning over to kiss Shawn’s shoulder. He had taken off his jacket about two hours ago, the heat blasting in the car to contrast the bitter coldness outside. Fall had quickly settled in around them and was swiftly giving way to winter temperatures.

“They’re going to love you, already do.” You reassure him, and it’s true. Your parents were more excited to meet Shawn than they were to see you after a couple months away. When you were in school it had been easier to take a weekend off here or there to go home, not to mention the entire summer, but in your first year of fulltime work, seeing your parents had become difficult, and it had been some time since you had been home. All this considered, though, and they were still talking about meeting Shawn more than they were talking about seeing you.

They were especially excited when Shawn said he would drive the two of you to your hometown, your parents not having to pick you up from the train station an hour away. This was just as much for his benefit as it was for theirs, him not wanting to take the train for the fear of his anxiety (with the ‘meet the parents’ nerves mixed with the groups of people) getting the better of his trip.

You had been telling your parents about Shawn before you had even had your first date with him. You had called them squealing to tell them that you had met the Shawn Mendes while out with your friends for drinks after work one night, and had Facetimed them to show them your outfit before your first date. They were the first people you called the first time he kissed you, and your mom had been the person you turned to to discuss how to know if you’re ready for your first time. You were close with your parents, people would probably argue that you were unnaturally close with them. Because of this, though, their opinion of Shawn really mattered, and he knew that. He also knew that you had been squealing to them about him for months, but he was still worried about making a good impression.

“Can we listen to that podcast?” He asked, and you smiled, thinking about a few weeks ago when you had first introduced him to the gossip podcast you listen to weekly. He had poked fun at you, mocking the girls coming through the speakers, but had quickly become accustomed to listening to the hour-long dialogue every Wednesday as the two of you curled into bed, sharing pizza. You were kind of annoyed that you had lost your entertainment for your morning commute to the office, but the quiet giggle that Shawn lets out when the girls on the podcast say something particularly funny makes up for it. You had agreed to save the podcast from that week until your drive that weekend, and you were thankful for that now.

A bit over an hour later, Shawn’s pulling his jeep into the driveway of your childhood home behind your moms’ car. He’s humming to himself quietly, the tune of an old John Mayer song, and you lean into him once you’re both out of the car, arms circling his waist. You’re standing behind the car so your parents (who are not-subtly standing in the front window) can’t see when you reach up and kiss his neck softly, nuzzling your face into the crook.

“Hey, Rockstar, this isn’t half as scary as a stadium, and you’ve done that how many times?” He presses his face into your hair and mumbles something about this being more important and you role your eyes because it’s so obviously not, but you wouldn’t argue with him. Instead, you pull away and open the back to grab your bags, Shawn quickly grabbing them out of your hands, ever the gentleman.

He follows you into your house, the door unlocked as always, and is instantly hit by the smell of pie. He knows, from the way you explained Thanksgiving in your house to him, that your mom makes an apple pie and a pumpkin pie, and instantly feels comforted by the smell. It’s homey, and it’s like a scene out of a movie when your mom comes rushing down the front hallway to hug him. She completely bypasses you and runs straight towards Shawn, embracing him in a tight, warm hug. Shawn laughs as he hugs her back, half at himself for being so nervous before, and half because she is squealing and welcoming him to her home. She pulls away and stands back, holding her arms at either of his sides, to get a good look at him.

“Well, y/n you didn’t tell me how handsome he was!” Her mom gasps out, and you shriek because you most definitely told your mom in excruciating detail how attractive Shawn was.

“Careful, y/n, you might have some competition.” He jokes, and you roll your eyes and scoff even though your heart is bursting at the interaction between two of your favourite people.

“Shawn, are you coming into my house and stealing my wife?” Your dad is in front of you now and you’re grinning and jumping on him, breathing in the familiar scent. If Shawn and your mom were two of your favourites, your dad was without a doubt your favourite person in the world. You always told Shawn that while you loved him, your dad would always be the number one guy in your life. Shawn was nothing but respectful of that, which is why he smiled nervously at your dad then, sticking out his hand and saying, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. y/l/n.” Your dad is having none of that though, unsurprisingly, and he bats off Shawn’s hand and pulls him into a hug instead.

“No need for formality’s, Shawn. It’s great to meet you.”

In the wake of tradition, you spend the entire day watching Jaws. There’s a marathon on every year, and without fail your family always curls up on the couch to watch. Usually, your mom and dad are on the couch and you’re stretched out on the loveseat, but this year you’re curled up in Shawn’s arms, pressed against him while he plays with your hair.

When you had first told Shawn about your family’s odd tradition, he had laughed at the idea of such a gruesome film on such a family oriented, cozy holiday. Now, though, he was completely invested, laughing along with you when your dad made the same joke he made every year. “What would you get if you watched these movies backwards?” He says, and you and your mom groan as Shawn grins and waits for the punch line. “A story about a shark who throws up so many people, they need to open a beach!” Shawn is cackling beside you and even though you’d usually roll your eyes and ignore your dad, you’re laughing too because of the pure joy your boyfriend is radiating.

“Shawn, you laugh at my jokes so you’re officially welcome in our home anytime!” Your dad reaches across the sofa to pat Shawn on the shoulder and you swear you can hear Shawn yelling “success!” in his head, but you grin and bring your entwined hands up, kissing Shawn’s knuckles.

“You just want someone around who finds you funny, honey.” Your mom says dryly and you giggle as your dad fakes hurt.

“It’s not my fault my own family can’t appreciate my humour.” He grumbles, and your mom laughs and kisses him lightly.

Shawn is completely enamoured by your family. His gaze flicks from your parents to you, his heart absolutely glowing. He’s surrounded by couples in love all the time, his parents being a standard he holds himself to, but to see that you were formed out of such pure, intense love makes him feel so good and so happy. He can see it in you that you want what your parents have and he feels like a giddy preteen writing your initials in his notebook because he wants all of that, everything his parents and your parents have, with you.

“Love you.” Shawn mutters into your hair, which sounds suspiciously like spend the rest of your life with me when it comes out of his mouth. You crane your neck, smiling up at him and mouthing, “love you too” which feels suspiciously like I want this with you one day and you’re both flushed and giddy and so, so in love.

Supper is fantastic, in the way that you knew it would be and Shawn was prepared for. Your mom is a fantastic cook and your dad’s turkey is out of this world (his words, not yours) and by the time Shawn is on his second plate he feels like he might pass out, but it’s so worth it.

Everyone helps clean up, much against your moms promise that she can handle it by herself, and you’re back on the couch with a glass of wine in your hand, Scream on the TV. You hated horror movies more than you could ever explain, but when your parents (self-proclaimed horror junkies) found out that this was Shawn’s favourite movie, they had tuned out your complaints and pleas and flipped it on. It’s almost finished (finally) when your mom asks if anyone wants pie, and Shawn is prepared.

“I’ll have a piece of both, if you don’t mind.” He says with a smile, knowing that’s exactly what your mom wants to hear. Every year her pumpkin goes before the apple, and even though she knows the pumpkin is better (though, the apple is still fantastic) she always feels just a little sad that the apple is left out.

Your mom is beaming, so happy to bring him a plate of both, and you get up to grab your own plate with two pieces on it. Shawn says all the right things, groans just the way he should when he takes his first bites, and puts his plate in the dishwasher when he’s done.

“That was fantastic.” He says to your mom, hand briefly on her shoulder. “The crust on the pumpkin was really good.” Your heart lurches because you hadn’t even told him to say that, but your mom is kissing his cheek and smiling at me and she “can’t even believe he’s real” because the pie crust is her grandmas secret recipe, and she tries every year to perfect it.

You can’t even believe he’s real either, honestly, because there he is with your family cat on his chest, curled up on the couch so that there’s room for you, and talking to your dad about his favourite 80’s rock band. The air is swirling with the scent of the fall candle your mom had burning and your stomach is full, and your heart is bursting with so much love because you’ve never, ever been this thankful.

#shawnmendes #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes blurb #writing #sm #shawn peter raul mendes

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my-arlington-academia · 4 years

Text

A little fanfiction for Axel's birthday! (Yes I'm always late to everything 😔)

After I missed his birthday, for some reason inspiration hit me and I wrote this to apologize to myself for forgetting. I decided to make Scholar a boy in this one since I feel like there's not enough male Scholar content! (This is also the very first fanfic I have ever shared with other people so don't be surprised if some parts are really clumsy. Beware of possible typos and grammatical errors...) Enjoy!

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

The day was slowly drawing nearer.

Scholar was checking out multiple social networking sites and Axel's Wikimedia page for a few hours now. The fangirls and fanboys were excited all over the Internet as if it was their own birthday. Comments such as "Axel and I share the same birthday!!" And "I've been following you since the very beginning, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Axel 💖 you really helped me when I was going through tough times." Or "HAPPY B-DAY AXEL❤❤ I LOVE YOU BBY"

Made Scholar wonder how it must feel like to receive happy birthday messages from millions of strangers. Well, he was guessing that it must be really pleasant: why wouldn't it be? Even if Axel doesn't know them it doesn't change the good intentions they have. Anyway! This wasn't the point of Scholar's "research."

He was browsing through a bajillion of interviews, fanblogs and comments to find what Axel liked. Which was, he thought to himself, maybe a little dumb. They may have known eachother only for about 3 months but at least he knew Axel on a personal level, not through a screen. Hell, when they met Scholar had no idea of who that handsome rocker boy was supposed to be. And now here he was trying to find an answer to something he should probably know the answer to better than Axel's fans. Not to throw shade at them or anything.

"Aaaaaghhhh!!" Subconsciously, Scholar let out a loud whine not realizing that his voice was louder than he intended it to be. "Shut up!! We can hear you from here!" It was Karolina in the room nextdoor. "I'm sorry!! ...ugh." Thankfully she didn't hear the "ugh" part not that it would change her opinion about him.

Scholar was just so lost: "what the hell can I gift to a rich handsome talented guy and not look like an idiot?!" Is what was going through his mind the whole day and it was already 11pm. Tomorrow was Axel's birthday and he still didn't find shit. He had never been good at finding gifts, the only person he gave them to was his dad and then again, it was only sometimes. The both of them weren't the type of people to worry about formalities such as Christmas or birthday presents. And when it came to "friends" it was about the same story.

Scholar put the phone down. It was stupid to worry over something like that. Being surrounded with rich, talented and sometimes famous people all day long Scholar swore to himself one thing. Don't be fake. Be sincere with those people. To be treated like anyone else is what they deserve.

And so Scholar searched for a gift idea again, but this time in his mind. He searched for an answer in his memories, through the small amount of time they had spent together. What does Axel like? It's not that hard. He already knew.

Scholar's mind was set: music, dogs and piercings. A hobby, an animal and accessories. Simple, but let's just go from the basics. "It's not like I can buy something expensive anyway..." His muttering was blocked out by his pillow, no matter what he would find, Scholar was just hoping that it would at least make Axel genuinely happy. Even just a little.

The next day went as expected: everyone was wishing Axel a happy birthday. He was getting occasional gifts from people he was close with and from people with whom he had never even talked to, or at least Scholar was pretty sure that he didn't. Even Tadashi went a bit soft on Axel.

"Not giving me detention for my late arrival today, Mister Student Body President?" Axel was over 15 minutes late which meant that he was deserving of a detention slip by usual à la Tadashi rules. "Go away before I change my mind you ugly ear-pierced clown." Axel was nodding and smirking all knowingly. "Uh-huh. Of course Sir, could I consider this lack of strictness towards me as my birthday present?"

Tadashi reached out for the detention form inside of his bag and took a pen in his hand ready to write Axel's name down and the reason why he got a detention slip. Axel backed away immediately. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry! Geez. Could you at least not threaten me with this shit on my birthday??" Tadashi put the pen back into his pencil case and smiled. "There you go. I knew you had some self-awareness behind your 3 kilograms of makeup and your millions of engagement rings you wear."

Axel frowned like a child. "I don't wear *that* many rings! Also, my makeup is super light!"

The rest of the day went on pretty smoothly, though Axel was probably wondering why Scholar didn't wish him a happy birthday. Whenever other people approached him to do so Axel would always peek at Scholar from the corner of his eye, as if to say: "See?! It's my birthday today..."

Scholar felt secretly super giddy because of that. Axel was totally waiting for it. After the last school hour of the day he even came towards Scholar ""to say hi."" "Hey, Scholar!" "Hey there."

Silence.

"Um. So. Don't you have anything to tell me?" "Nu-huh." "You sure?" "Yup." Silence again. Axel looked down in such an adorable manner that Scholar felt almost like he was murdering a puppy. "Hm. Okay... See you tomorrow?" Scholar smiled as sweetly as he could to hint to the fact that they would see eachother again today. "Of course. Bye!"

After trying to sound as chill as he could, Scholar hurried himself into town. Blindly looking for a gift might be a bad idea but it's often this way that we find the best ones. Scholar was relying on his luck and intuition, he was storming through every single shop until he came accross something a bit silly that could do the job. It was in a small shop named "lying tiger" with a lot of useless gadgets. It was simple, cheap and adorable. Hopefully Scholar's intuition was right.

Upon seeing the gates of the school getting closer and closer as he was walking towards it, he decided to pull off the fastest sprint of his life. If Murdoc had seen him he'd be impressed.

After a couple of minutes Scholar was standing in front of Axel's room. "Okay.... No wait."

It was 7pm and the sun was already gone from a long time ago since it *is* November. Scholar was sweating as if he just ran a marathon, which... He kinda did. He muttered again. "Ugh. Good job, Scholar. Why did you have the bright idea to make yourself smell like a horse before-"

Voices from the hallway were heard, a couple of girls coming his way. Damn it. Alright. Scholar decided to at least make himself look good before coming back, he changed his clothes into something more casual but also charming. A bit of deodorant here and there, some perfume and done!

This time around he was ready, if it wasn't for his stress kicking in that is. He suddenly didn't feel as confident in his gift as a couple of minutes ago. Well, it was too late to change it anyway. Scholar took a deep breath and knocked. He waited there without moving nor breathing. As if until Axel would get out of his room, time had stopped.

Suddenly, the door flew open. The moment their eyes met Axel mockingly smiled. "Oh? You finally decided to come and wish me a happy birthday? Haha." Scholar had kept his hands behind his back but when Axel said that, he instinctively moved them to his front, revealing the package he was holding. Axel stopped smiling and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh." Scholar was already happy with that reaction alone, even if he was unsure on whether or not Axel would like the gift. For a second, this felt like it was enough. "Yeah. I couldn't wish you a happy birthday without giving you a present, could I? Happy birthday, birthday boy!"

Axel carefully took the box into his hands, really gently, as if he could break it just by pressing his palms on it. "Thank you! But geez, you didn't have to. I was worried the whole day, you know? I thought that maybe you were mad at me for something."

He said that while pouting, it was so cute and worth the trouble. Scholar didn't regret his sprint and the whole day lost searching for the gift. "Haha! Of course not. Oh but don't shake the box, you might kill it. Also hurry up and open it, the lil guy needs light." Axel blinked a few times before following Scholar's advice, he tried to open the package as quickly as possible without damaging the wrapping. Needless to say that he wasn't being really successful.

"What do you mean?! Don't tell me it's a hamster or something! You know that we can't keep pets in the dorms, right? Tadashi is *so* gonna kill me if-" It wasn't an animal. Not a real one at least. "A... A toy?" It was a little puppy playing an electric guitar.

"Yup. It has buttons on his back, when you push them the doggo plays sick riffs for you. It has also light effects on the guitar." Axel looked at the toy with admiration. As if that dog made of plastic was a real puppy.

"Oh. My god. A puppy. Playing the guitar for me?!? This is the cutest and most precious gift I have gotten today!" "You like it?" "Are you kidding?! I love it! I'm gonna practice the guitar with him from now on! He's gonna be my little guitar buddy!"

Scholar felt so proud. So damn proud. It was a good call. It made him think about the fact that children often receive useful gifts from the adults rather than fun ones. There was always a craving for a new toy in a kid's heart rather than the need to get a new backpack or clothes. Scholar believed that every teenager in the world still had a child inside of them who would always secretly pass in front of a toy store while ogling at it but being too embarrassed to enter and take a look.

"I'm glad, to be honest I was a bit worried about it. I mean, you probably received a lot of pricey and more useful things today." By the time Scholar had said that, Axel already took the plastic puppy out of the box. "Excuse me? You think that there is something greater in the world than a doggo playing a guitar? Pathetic. And like I told you I'm gonna practice with this guy!"

"Uh. Don't you practice in the auditorium? What will you do when other people will see you hanging out with a toy?" Axel let out the loudest gasp of his life. "How *dare* you call my friend a toy?? Have you even heard him play?"

Axel pushed the button and some light effects emerged from the toy along with a guitar riff, so skillfully played that he felt almost ashamed when comparing himself to the dog. "Holy shit. This dog is better at playing the guitar than me..." Scholar laughed cheerfully, his laugh was followed by Axel's adorable giggle. "Well, I'm happy you like it. This way whenever you play the guitar, hopefully you'll think about me for a bit."

Axel tried to pull off the most flirty expression he could, the kind of stare that couldn't be mistaken for anything else. "Bold of you to assume that I don't think about you everyday, sweetheart." He would've been so persuasive... if it wasn't for the doggo made of plastic he was holding. Scholar couldn't keep it in any longer and laughed again. Needless to say that he was surprised when he noticed that Axel looked a bit hurt. "... Axel?" "That's so mean. I'm really trying so hard but it never gets through to you, you know?" Scholar's heart dropped into his stomach. "What?"

He heard that right, didn't he? What Axel said just now. As for Axel, in a matter of milliseconds he was already back to his usual smiling self, regretting what he had said. "Oh, haha! Whoops, that came out really wrong. Don't worry, I'm not upset for real. Um..." The hallway went silent and Scholar was really anxious. He felt as if he effed up big time. He was about to apologize and get it out in the open. The fact that he was actually really mortified at the thought of Axel disliking the gift. The fact that he had a crush on him for a little while now. The fact that he was a dumbass when it came to taking hints because he thought that Axel was like this with everyone. But before he could, Axel spoke again. "Don't make that face, you didn't do anything wrong. Look, let's hang out together soon. Just the two of us. Deal?"

Scholar wasn't so sure about the "you didn't do anything wrong" part, since he just noticed that Axel was in fact trying to flirt with him for a while now and he was constantly brushing it off while thinking that it was just his imagination wanting his feelings to be reciprocated. Scholar gulped, unable to say anything else other than: "Of course! Whenever you want, I'll be there."

Axel slowly closed the door... and immediately felt like the hugest moron of human history.

Because he knew. He knew that Scholar would never play dumb with something like that, he just genuinely did not think that he, Axel, could ever like him in that way. But now he knew. Axel just spelled it out for him loud and clear. Next time they see eachother there won't be any doubts in the way. Axel fondly looked at the puppy in his hands. "If only your previous owner knew how to take hints... Well, there's no going back now."

Axel pushed the button again and listened to the puppy's incredible guitar riffs for a while. Even hours and hours later, before falling asleep, he still couldn't get the image of Scholar's astonished face out of his mind when he finally realized what Axel felt towards him. Axel grinned. This kind of expression had no subtlety to it at all. Axel swore to himself.

The next time they see eachother he'll tell him clearly what he thinks, no hints, no silly pick-up lines. And then they'll kiss for sure.

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

Here it is! Sorry, the last part was so cheesy 😂. I apologize 🙏🙏 Most of this was written at 3am when I couldn't sleep, because obviously everybody knows that the best moment to write something is when you're supposed to be asleep /s

This has so many plot holes, like for example how is it possible that Karolina didn't beat Scholar's ass the next day for yelling in the middle of the night?? Or how come Tadashi was nice towards Axel for once? That's so OOC, absolutely impossible.

Anyway, Wikimedia is obviously Wikipedia and the "lying tiger" shop is actually "flying tiger" (Not sure if this shop exists in the US.)

Well, thank you for reading!

#sweet elite #se #axel #fanfiction #please don't be cringy #in a few weeks I'll regret posting this #watch me delete it like YOINK

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aetherbunny · 4 years

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Here we go. Olympic AU stuff

This is stuff that was developed to potentially make it into the fic, that was cut out of the fic or I needed to develop it in order to write something that DID make it in lol. The fic itself is here, just in case you’re seeing this post first...

Minor characters cut from the story were Gabe’s Olympic roommate Alexander “Sandy” who was a bit of a weirdo and followed Gabe around making it hard for him to spend time with Prince.

Uriel is barely mentioned as the fencer Gabe knows and not by name. She models to better fund her fencing, and Gabe has been in front of the camera a few times himself. they met that way. She was going to be Fish’s original target until Gabe introduced her to Mikey.

The Mikey and Fish bits were unfortunately cut. I could not decide what I wanted Mikey to be like and she was really inconsistent in her characterization. So to keep her well done I had to keep her short.

Lyle (Ligur) is the the member of the Judo team FIsh references. Harry (Hastur) runs the marathon. They’ve been together one way or another for as long as anybody can remember.

ON to the childhoods, they were developed slightly, because maybe there would have been calls home or mentions of family... going to put this under the cut because it’s so much...

Dorothy “Fish” Fischer, was an only child for a while and then wound up with a younger step-brother. Other than that she had a remarkably average childhood. She realized she was a lesbian pretty early on and so did her parents quite frankly. No real issue when she finally came out. She’s known Prince since they were in high school. They were low key bad girls, skipping classes, smoking under the bleachers, the occasional fight. Ya know. Her mom had a problem with that, and made her pick an extracurricular to take up some of her time She picked swimming and the rest was history.

Elizabeth Prince is second last in a family of 7 kids. I was actually “challenged” to make up her whole family. My pre- reader called my bluff on something, and I had to. More on all of the Princes later.

Ezra Fell had a nice peaceful childhood! He’s an only child and his parents love him very much! His mom is a seamstress and his dad does woodworking. They participate in a lot of historical re-enacting events and make props and costumes for the local theater! Mr. Fell used to weight lift when he was younger and Ezra thought he’d give it a try. For the time being he still lives with them and will still do historical re-enactments! Adam and Them live near the Fell’s and occasionally show up to the historical things and ask increasingly silly questions about whatever is going on. The organizers have little patience for it but the Fell’s like the kids and keep them out of everyone else’s hair.

Anathema has a gigantic extended family. Some of them are, uh, in a mostly harmless, self contained cult? Agnes did still write that book after all but none of it is actually coming true. Her immediate family knows a lot about the “cult” but doesn’t participate. Her family is also still incredibly rich, due to some excellent investing choices. Her parents are lovely, attractive people who dote on their daughter. Anathema is also the only one of the gang competing for a country they don’t live in (full time)! Adria has dual citizenship in Puerto Rico/US so I can imagine Anathema does too. With that she chooses to compete for Puerto Rico (after qualifying of course).

Newt is very much the same. He lives with his mom, his dad was just never in the picture, but the two of them are perfectly happy. Ms. P is a grade school teacher, and the kids and parents love her. After Newt met Crowley she might as well have had a second son, and she’s perfectly happy with that.

Crowley had a pretty bad childhood. His mom died when he was very young and his dad was a piece of shit and left him to fend for himself most of the time. He became very resourceful even if it involved petty theft. He saved Newt from getting beat up (by getting beat up himself) and then they became nearly inseparable. Crowley just calls Ms. P mom, since she basically was.

If Crowley couldn’t be with the Pulsifer’s for whatever reason he was with “Auntie Tracy” or Shadwell. They broke up the fight that introduced Newt and Crowley.

Auntie Tracy is pretty much exactly her book counterpart. When she was “Busy” Crowley would go across the hall with Shadwell who only pretended to dislike him. Shadwell would never tell him but he actually knew Crowley Sr. and thought he was an asshole and it was no surprise he didn’t care about his kid. So Shadwell “begrudgingly” taught Crowley things he’d need to get by.

Both Crowley’s surrogate families knew about each other, and Mom and Auntie had a sit down about everything and worked it all out.

Crowley moved out of his house as soon as he could and moved into the apartment building with Shadwell and Tracy. The Dowlings also live in the apartment block. They’re ex-pats who moved for Mr. Dowling’s job. They’re not bad parents per-se but they could be a lot better. Their son Warlock has taken a shine to Crowley and hangs out with him sometimes. Crowley knows what it’s like to be a kid uncomfortable in his own home so he lets Warlock in whenever.

Crowley works as a mechanic when not diving, he has a pet ball python named Eden he spoils, and he’s obsessed with astronomy. He loves kids and happily volunteers for things at the school when they don’t have enough parents. He’s ambivalent about his gender and sexuality.

Gabriel Herald also had an unfortunate childhood. His dad was in the military and had every hope his son would follow in his footsteps. Gabe, and his mom were not so keen. Gabe was a gentle affectionate kid and she knew that did not make her husband happy. Mr. Herald was a short tempered, verbally abusive man and took most of it out on his wife. Mrs. Herald was a kind woman who loved her son and did everything she could to make sure he never got the brunt of his father’s temper. They moved to the UK when Gabe was young and lived off base.

However it happened they met the Fell’s and spent a lot of time there. Ezra was too young to know what was going on and Gabe never said, but the adults were well aware. The Fells gently talked Mrs. Herald into considering divorce or at the very very least therapy for everybody. Luckily she took their advice to heart. They moved back to the states before the Fell’s knew what happened.

She did get her and Gabe some therapy and was eventually able to divorce her husband. Gabe met Michelle, who was in the US with her military family, at a catholic high school. She had a fairly normal childhood with no huge tragedies. She and Gabe actually dated for just a little while before she realized she wasn’t into men. They proceeded to fake date the rest of high school so the faculty wouldn’t catch wise. Her family took a little adjusting when she came out but accepted it in the end. Gabe and Mikey have been close friends ever since.

Gabe got into boxing right about the time of his parents divorce. His therapist suggested some kind of physical activity and teenage Gabriel wanted to be able to protect his mom in the event his dad got physical…

Mrs. Herald eventually remarried a very kind man who loves her (and Gabe) very much. And Gabe couldn’t be happier. None of them are in contact with Mr. Herald any more.

There was going to be a little scene where Gabe calls home to talk to his mom. Because he’s a mamma’s boy if that wasn’t obvious lol.

Now, for the entire Prince family…I was “required” to give them all names…

Martha and David Prince are now retired and have been for a while. David was a postal carrier, Martha worked at a nursing home. They never pushed their kids to do anything, just supported what they enjoyed. They have no idea how ALL their kids wound up so successful and even with all their love and support they’re overwhelmingly serious and introverted. They’re slightly relieved their youngest is happy to be “something boring.”

Arthur has numerous paintings hanging in fine art museums. He lives on a little farm and cares for his animals in between paintings.

Katherine (Kath) is a sought after architect with her own firm. She’s the second most athletic, keeping in good shape and occasionally running marathons.

William (Will) is a heart surgeon, Martha and David live in his detached cottage.

Charles (Chuck only to his family) Is a property lawyer, and relatively laid back compared to his older siblings. He’s more introverted than serious.

Benjamin (Ben/Benny) is quite friendly and outgoing compared to his siblings. He’s a violin virtuoso and has played around the world.

Elizabeth (Lizzy ONLY to Eleanor) is a world champion archer several times over, and has multiple Olympic gold medals. She teaches lessons but her teaching style drives all but the most dedicated away. She’s not cruel or aggressive, she’s just incredibly blunt.

Eleanor (Nora) is the most bubbly and outgoing of the family. She’s in school getting her higher mathematics degree and will likely become an accountant. She and “Lizzy” are especially close. There was going to be an ongoing text conversation between the two. Nora is also pretty good friends with Fish.

Katherine, William, and Charles are married with kids. Elizabeth and Gabriel get married a few years into their relationship. Ben is in a long term relationship, but neither of them are in a hurry to get married. Arthur and Nora are single. Arthur has no desire to marry and Nora is just too busy with school to devote time to dating.

Also I know this is in the back of some of your minds, the medal breakdown!

Fish and Newt take bronze

Crowley, Gabe and Anathema get silvers

Ezra and Prince take Gold, Ezra nearly breaking a world record for his lift!

and sadly the UK women’s volleyball team does not medal at all.

#good omens tv #good omens au #good omens fanfiction

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jumphq · 6 years

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Post-Mortem, Sparrow Tour 2018

This was a month that felt like four months. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean that in the amazing way that doing all sorts of brand-new things and being very much in the moment seems to slow down time. There are articles written about this phenomena, actually: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201705/how-slow-down-time. According to this article, the reason September went by so freaking meaningfully is that we were bombarding ourselves with Firsts. First big tour in support of Sparrow. First time in a long time heading back to the Northeast and Midwest. First time I had to add an actual keyboard to the list of instruments I bring on stage, and within that one instrument there were dozens of sounds I had to reproduce. Etcetera, etcetera.

We worked hard. I don’t know if it’s readily ascertainable that being in a rock and roll band is tons of work by looking at one. It’s fun work, usually, but has its moments of being very intense. Especially when a new album comes out. There is radio to do in the mornings, interviews scattered during the day, loading in and out of venues, and we added soundcheck meet & greets that meant that once we arrived in a city, we were going to be working from then until show, basically.

It’s so fulfilling, though. I am the kind of person that works hard, all the time. I push and push myself (sometimes for no seeming reason), and am frustrated and disappointed with myself when I don’t get enough done. I would be classified as a “type-A” person, and I don’t mind. But sometimes I’m just working on “things” that I’m not as passionate about. An eight hour day of working on something I’m not emotionally connected to is much more tiring than working sixteen hours a day on something I believe in and care about. Being in JLC is that kind of job.

We needed every second that we had to put this tour together. These new songs are hardto play. There is so much going on in each and every song on Sparrow. Not necessarily more than on earlier recordings, but keep in mind that we never had to re-learn songs after other albums; we had been playing them live forever before we got to the studio and didn’t change them much after. There has always been a “live version” and a “studio version” of early Jump songs.

Not this time. Jay spent a crazy amount of time accessing the original recording files and turning his voice and Ward’s cello parts into samples that I could play on the keytar. While Evan didn’t really want to play to tracks, he add some electronic drums to his repertoire to approximate some of the parts live. Ward brought two guitars on tour for the first time, and Johnny played not only electric bass but a beloved new Moog Phatty. It was complicated, felt a little bit fragile, at first, but once we got the hang of things it was fun.

Hurricane Florence, while not visiting Charleston, still brought chaos to the city. There was anxiety felt wondering whether we’d be hit and how that would affect our practice. Shops and roads started closing down and we made a move so the entire band could be close by in case of flooding. In the end we were very very lucky, but there were still repercussions for us. We were trying to fulfill our PledgeMusic items, to get them sent out before tour, but this didn’t happen because mail basically shut down in NC, SC, and GA. This put us a full week behind, and we spent the rest of the month trying to catch up on many things.

Even in the last few days of rehearsal we were all feeling a bit overwhelmed. We camped out at the Footlight Player’s Theatre and the goal was to have a “listening party”, a final rehearsal before we hit the road, and that night, to be honest, I was not ready. Lyrics weren’t memorized and I had to think way too much about parts and how to play them. We were being hard on ourselves, though, and the response was so encouraging afterwards I didn’t mind spending the rest of that week’s dinner breaks to get in some extra practice so that the songs could feel comfortable.

Once the shows began, a quick weekend to some of our favorites: Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia, where we were starting to find our groove. Raleigh, though, and the Lincoln Theatre, was a special surprise. It was Sunday, we hadn’t had a day off in three weeks, we were exhausted. It wasn’t the largest crowd we’ve played to, but that show was so much fun. People there were there to have a good time, and it put us into overdrive. Thank you so much, Raleigh.

The next leg was in the Northeast (and DC, where I insulted many a mid-Atlantic inhabitant). We hadn’t been there in fifteen years, but every show was sold out or nearly so, and that made us feel so great. These shows were our first of the City Winery gigs, and they were good to us. Great sound, great food. There were many highlights, for me, up North. We had a duo of ASL interpreters in DC that had mad sign-singing skills, and were more fun to watch than we were. Our show at Le Poisson Rouge made us feel so sexy to sell out such a great place in the Big Apple. Performance-wise, the NYC show was my favorite performance-wise; I felt really “on” that night. The super-intimate punk-rock feel of Union Pool in Brooklyn was refreshing after the lovely but slightly clinical City Wineries. We had to put Wardie in a corner to fit on stage, and many Dirty Dancing jokes were necessary. Our old pal the Mommyheads came to play with us, and they were as good as they were 20 years ago. Lots of our fans came just to see them that night and I didn’t mind at all. We had a lovely evening off with three people that pledged for the album and got to go to a Dr. Who-themed bar with us. The trio couldn’t have been more interesting and fun to hang out with: the professional bassoonist, the research monitor, and the Facebook developer. Loved that evening, and Ward got to show off his hipster Brooklyn knowledge by taking us to great places for dinner and dessert.

And Chicago! My kind of town. Chicago was a big deal for me personally, because I knew that the audience was going to be made up of a lot of friends and family that had never seen the band before, never seen me in that light, literally. I was a little nervous about that show, and I rarely get nervous. I also wanted very much for Chicago to be the show that was 100% accessible to the d/Deaf and hard of hearing. City Winery worked so hard with me to provide CART real-time captioning for all the goofy stuff we said in-between songs. And the captioning of the lyrics was provided by my other passion job, CaptionPoint, built by my wife Lindsay and run by my dear friend Lora. It was even more successful than I had hoped, the captions looked great on both sides of the stage. It was the first time Lindsay had ever been able to fully experience a JLC show; I am sure that our stage patter was absolutely worth the wait.

Wow. As I’m writing this I realize again how relatively short the tour was: after Chicago there were only three more dates. But it felt like we did so much. We saw so many of you, talked to everyone as long as we could and took pictures. The “soundcheck parties” were so fun for us. Seeing everyone again was energizing, to me. I wished at times that I could have spent more time. You said such wonderful, heartfelt things, things that I heard very clearly and appreciated completely. I am honored that this band and music and community has meant so much to you over the years; you mean everything to us. When people told me that they liked Sparrow I knew they were telling the truth and not just making conversation. Nothing could have made us happier. Like I said: fulfilling.

Athens was a highlight: we hadn’t seen the GA Theatre since it burned in 2009. The renovation was beautiful. They managed to keep the vibe of the place while making it all so much…better. But the fans in Athens have always been a special breed and we could have played on the streets if that was the only way to get to them. In the new GA Theatre we didn’t have to.

And finally, the Charleston Music Hall. Our new home. Our new “Dock Street”, a place that just makes us feel like the chamber-pop stars we are. We will see you soon, CMH.

This post is a marathon. If you’ve gotten this far, you must be a fan of the band, so I appreciate it. I want to thank many people for making this tour and this year possible, because…contrary to pop belief, we are not a famous rock band with loads of cash and there were many many donated hours that made this tour work.

Our manager Vance’s sidekicks on the Crew were Nick Stewart, the Ultimate Intern, hazed by his boss into oblivion and seemed to love every minute. He sold you tee shirts this time, but he’s going to be running something big someday. Herbie Jeffcoat, monitors and front-of-house, the sweetest “country boy” (his words, but also true) you could want on your team. Especially funny this time was hearing Herbie converse in his potent Southern accent with the FOH in Boston with a potent accent of his own. Translators were required.

Mike Rogers: what a treat it is to have gotten to know you both as a professional sound engineer and family member. I think that if Dad and your Mom had a reason to work with each other growing up like Evan and I have with you, our families would be closer than they are. Let’s keep working at it.

Alison Kendrick! The person that would be sooo bad at being a ninja because she simply wouldn’t be able to be quiet because life is just SO MUCH FUN and worth every giggle: thank you. Teasing aside, Alison is a complete and utter professional, a doer but more importantly a Problem Solver, and I truly would not have been able to do all the things internet-related without you. Thank you for being a mentor and a real friend. If you’d like to work with Alison yourself, please go to akshouts.com

Our uncomfortably attractive lawyer Gabe Fleet is genuinely fun to hang out with, giving attorneys a good name. Old pal Josh Terry and his amazing team in Maddison and Jen at Workshop Management opened doors that are closed to most people so thank you for helping us walk through them. New friends Sue, Lindsay and Tyler at Stunt Company put us in front of the movers and shakers and some (NPR, Paste, American Songwriter) actually liked what they heard.

Chris Slack, you hold all the archival keys to our kingdom and are dear to us for much more than that. Nate Baerreis and Ed and Val Schooling Brantley made us look so cool, so often. How, we will never know. Thank you.

Thanks to our families who let us be gone as much as we have been, this year. Some of you haven’t experienced not having us around, and I know it was hard, but thank you for being so supportive. We love you.

And Chief “Not-Getting-Paid-What-He’s-Worth” is Vance McNabb, who is still working on this tour two weeks later and won’t be done for a while. There are no ways to thank you, V, except perhaps to find a way to make Sparrow huge so you can get a massive raise and hire tons of people to help you. So, we’ll work on that.

Actually…will y’all please help us work on that? If not for us, for Vance? Thank you. And thank you most of all, for letting us make this album. Sparrow is a beautiful thing to us and we’re so lucky that you wanted to hear it. We are lucky that we got to make it. But it isn’t over, is it? There are ways we can try to keep this machine going, if you are willing. More in another post.

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wiselyhigh · 3 years

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What is it like to decide whether you need to change your career path whilst you have a first-level management job?

It’s 10 PM after a hard day at work, sitting on my couch and following a few courses on LinkedIn whilst worrying about how to finish the week without having another nervous breakdown.

Really charming.

Anyway, no negativeness allowed now! I have found out that one my writings had have a sad sound according to a free SEO tool. So I am willing to set the tone different this time. I will add the result below and won’t make any changes afterwards, promise!

I couldn’t understand how FAST weekend was gone. What I have done within 48 hours is below, you assess...

Wake up

FaceTime my friend to celebrate his birthday

Got off the bed

Drink coffee(s)

Call grandparents

Call mom

Call dad

Call my high school friend

Meet with my friend who happens to have a birthday that day

Get drunk with birthday boy

Cry a bit about how you think you will fail on your career

Think how much you don’t like your job

Go to sleep

Wake up - that was not good I can tell

Drink water - LOTS OF WATER

Prepare breakfast - I think I’m getting good at it, at least somewhat bearable

Vacuum the house

Work on some work… duh

Watch something on the internet

Watch videos on “how to change your career after 30’s?” - I am not 30 yet shhhh!

Think how much you don’t wanna start the work week and need a few more days to rest

Sleep

Start the F’ing Monday

Okay, that’s not good, but no hard feelings to myself. 👍

If you list everything like this, there is no way you can find some time to grow. I was about the add my bathroom breaks, look at that list!

So, I see a lot of potential in this 48 hours of mine when I look back, however, it never felt like that. I said internally “oh, that’s because you have exhausted during the weekdays and now your body only wants to rest”. That sounds wrong, because even though it is 10 PM right now and I am hell of a tired person, I still write and writing does not feel like… like exhausting. Nice to put some thoughts out there to clear my mind, even to ease the load my brain had to endure during today.

It is also my dream… ⛅️

Yes, another girl dreaming about writing… ✍️

A quick note on that; I always wanted to major English Lit or art history, however, neither of them were promising a future. Yes, the future which im struggling to enjoy right now. What are the odds, right.

Before then I was not even able to confess to myself or to any other friend of mine that I wanted to write a blog or work as a writer. I tried to create a blog couple of times but never was able to make a name for myself. This happened because:

I did not focus enough

I did not learn how to write

I did not practice

I did not read enough

I was not DETERMINED

The last one was the killing hit. No matter how you want something, unless you are determined to do it, well, maybe not zero percent but seriously low chances of getting successful is highly expected. Determination should be your best buddy no matter what you are doing and especially when you are doing what you want to do.

Aren’t there a lot of people trying new career paths from scratch just to find what they love years later? Maybe I only now found the courage. I still need to save a lot of money just to pay my rent for a couple of months in case of joblessness. I should not forget the reality while deep diving and drifting through my long lost dream.

What are the next steps for me then?

Now I have more focus on:

No matter how hard a day I have I’ll always write something, short or long does not matter!

Always listen a course for a little bit of improvement even if it’s for 5 mins

Use my time wisely - there is always time to read at least 10 pages a day!

Don’t forget that is is not a sprint but a marathon!

I sincerely wonder what I’ll think about myself after a year.

Oh, before we finish here, here is the tone of this text, that is something. 😊

#writing #article #magazine #life is strange #life coaching #life magazine #personal growth #professional life #business in misery #love what you do #learnsomethingneweveryday #learn more #genuine #feel #books #quotes #march #march 2021 #dream journal

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gallbladderrecovery · 4 years

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Day of surgery!

I realized with my last post I probably should have put a break in. O well. Here’s what the day of the surgery was like. I’m likely to write a separate post about the first night because the first night was rough. I won’t lie about that.

So my surgery was scheduled at noon. This makes having no food or fluids before surgery not particularly easy. Luckily the nurse giving me some pre-op info said I had to have clear liquids after like 3 am and a hard stop on everything at 7-ish AM. That’s not so bad. Especially since I normally wake up at 5:30-6 for work. Per the normal I got up at like 5, took my omeprazole (ODT, so on water needed) I debated having a drink, but was doing ok. I never fell back asleep, which might have helped me. I was just really tired and everything felt surreal.

10 AM my dad picked me up, dropped off a bag with my sister (I would be staying with her for 2 days), visited with my mom and aunt for a little bit, went to the surgery center. Because of COVID, my dad was not allowed to stay in the building. Correction, he could stay in the office reception area with me until I went back, but couldn’t not go back with me. So he just dropped me off. I’ll be honest that I’m kind of glad the ones to see me wake up were medical staff only. If anyone I guess is curious, I was wearing loose-ish yoga pants, a tunic-style tank top, and a off the shoulder light sweatshirt over that. No bra because I wasn’t sure how high cut below the bust would be and I didn’t want anything causing problems. I was a little concerned about underwear because one of the incisions is at the belly button, and that’s where my pants sit. For the record, I did not have a single issue with that incision site. Glad I didn’t wear a bra because it would just be a pain. The incision under the bust is probably 2-3 finger widths below where my bra would sit, but you are swollen. So one less thing to worry about or put on while still having anesthesia wear off.

Here’s where I’m going to start possibly discussing all the things you might not want to know, and that will include menstruation because yeah. Of course that started day of surgery. (Why not?) But this is also really key in part of my recovery too. I’m not at all ashamed of my body functioning the way that it is supposed to, but if it’s something that makes you uncomfortable, you won’t like me. :)

I get there, meet the nurse, meet everyone else, you have to confirmed with every single person why you’re there because surgery for the wrong things happen. This helps make sure you know the staff has the right person and that you actually know why you’re there. It’s still weird to say with every person I’m here to get rid of my gallbladder.

My meeting with the anesthesiologist was interesting, but very assuring. I’ll tell you why: the only surgery I’ve ever had was to have my wisdom teeth removed. I was put under, but I woke up in the middle of it while they were drilling. That was scary. I also woke up absolutely sobbing after oral surgery not because I was in pain, but I tend to hold my stress in and sobbing is just one way I release that. This is also to reassure anyone who wakes up crying, that’s ok. The medical staff if used to it. The anesthesiologist assured me I would not wake up in the middle because I would be completely out just in case I had a little trauma from oral surgery. The anesthesia is different, but it was still something in the back of my head. She also confirmed that waking up and having a sort of let down of tears is normal. Please believe me it is. Especially if you’re a tension crier. lol I’m one of those that gets so angry I cry. Again, it’s not because I was in pain, but it was 100% just a release of tension.

So because my period had started that day, I wasn’t too worried about bleeding all over the place, but I let the nurse know because you should always be upfront with the medical staff. The only down side was that I could not have anything inserted during surgery. It made sense. They just put some pads down under me just in case (and again, good to let the medical staff know just in case they see blood). The weird part was the solution was just to use one of those bulky bulky pads and just let my thighs hold it in place. Again. First day. Wasn’t worried, but whatever makes life easier on everyone.

I get the IV hooked up, chat with everyone some more. Yes, I’m here to have my GB removed, etc. That weird like air-filled blanket was so nice and warm. They start the IV and start to wheel me down the hall. I mention that it kind of stings, and I’m out before we get to the OR.

Now for all the “fun” parts of post-op!

All the disclaimers: by no means do I wish to scare anyone. I had plenty of people tell me I’ll be fine within 3 days (not true), or the sore throat is worse than the incisions, I’ll be able to eat whatever I want within a day of surgery, etc. Please understand it’s still major surgery. They’re cutting through your abdominal muscles. It will take time to heal. Do NOT compare your healing to others. I had one friend run a half marathon 10 days after surgery, I had another friend not be able to eat much beyond bland foods for the first month or two. Again: DO NOT compare how you’re healing with others. Look for support, advice, but try not to get frustrated that day 5 post op you’re still in pain. It’s ok. It’s still major surgery. Take yourself to a limit or just before that limit, then stop. Check every now and then if that limit is more. Don’t punish yourself for not healing fast enough, well enough, etc. Just stop it. :)

I woke up from surgery. The whole surgery took about 40 minutes. I’m drifting in and out of sleep, but I’m nauseated as effffffff. My stomach also hurts and burns. Worst pain ever? I’m not sure, but it definitely hurt. I’m not sure if the first words I said were I’m nauseous, but it was pretty much one of the first things I was really aware of besides the pain. The nurse put an ice pack on my side, they gave me pain meds, but it didn’t really do what I wanted it to do. I was still in pain. I did end up crying a little. Not the giant sobs like after oral surgery. I also remember the nurse asking me if I knew someone named Kris while I was still waking up. Apparently she knew my aunt. I don’t have a common last name. One day I’ll remember to tell me aunt...oops. lol Aaaanyway. So I’m still in pain, I’m involuntarily shivering, and the nurse tells me that I should take the oral pain meds because it will last longer. Side note: I am absolutely horrible at taking pills. I can’t without food. If my brain knows there’s a pill I find it and half the time end up biting them. I’ve gotten better, but still. They give me a pill for pain, one of those little cans of ginger ale and saltines. My mouth is dry AF. My throat does not hurt (never did), but I’m a little dry and scratching from the oxygen tube. You cannot swallow saltines or similar crackers with NO moisture in your mouth. Don’t even try. But with a swish of ginger ale, it’s ok. Still not the pain relief, but I did notice that the two little saltines did help with the nausea a bit.

Eventually the nurses switch, the surgeon comes in stating it was a success and good thing we got that GB out because it had a few stones in it (understatement I would later find, but I was also still feeling the anesthesia, so I understand keeping the conversation short and to the point lol), blah blah. Eventually the new nurse takes me for a small walk around the wing. That was painful. I swore a few times, but moving is necessary and it did help. It brought a little more color to my face. She was great. She kept reminding me, I have two hands and two arms. Use them. Once around the block was plenty for me, I did feel a little dizzy and nauseated, but again. As painful as it was, it was necessary to move. It continues to be necessary to move. I wake up more, my sister is called, she picks me up, we go get my drugs. My sister has all the discharge stuff, she’s supposed to make me get up every hour, no drugs until this time, etc. I was also just SO tired on top of being sore. I shuffle around the pharmacy slowly, look at my sister and say I’m going to vomit. It kinda scared the lady next to us, I saw the look on her face. Poor thing lol. I do not vomit, but we get my drugs and run into one family member in the parking lot. I did not want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to sit in a chair or lay in bed and not get up.

We get home, my nephew is 2 and very mad he can’t sit in my lap. I’m pretty aware of my surroundings, I got up from the recliner a few times, I eat a few oyster crackers for dinner so I can take my pain meds, and eventually, and VERY slowly, go upstairs to bed. Yeah, that’s a separate post. lol I was ok as long as I wasn’t moving because you’re body gets stuck in this, as long as you don’t move we’ll make this work mode. But again, moving is important.

I’ll post about my first night later. Again, this isn’t to scare people, but it’s what happened to me. As “easy” of a surgery this was, it’s still a road to healing. It’s still surgery. Multiple incision sites in your abdomen. Be kind to yourself.

#gallbladder #get rid of that gallbladder #gallbladder surgery #surgery #post surgery #day of surgery

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